Part two was getting so long that we decided to make this a 3 part story.

Death Is Just a Feeling Part 2: Wretched and Divine


Damon would like to think they're making progress but he's not delusional either. Elena keeps avoiding him just like before. So many times he's thought about running over to her fire station to confront her. There she'd have no place to hide or run to. He won't though, he doesn't want to alienate her. If time is what it takes to persuade her to give him a chance, to give them a chance, so be it. He's a grown man, not some still wet behind the ears school kid, he's not about to throw a temper tantrum when things don't go the way he'd like.

Speaking of 'school kids'...

He watches his brother following Lexi, one of the ward nurses, with an amused glint in his eye. It's rather obvious that she's not opposed to Stefan's affections. Damon knows her well enough to say with confidence that she'll eventually give him a chance. According to the hospital chatter, his baby brother is by all accounts quite the catch. Still Stefan should be prepared, she will be the one wearing pants in any relationship. Maybe that's a good thing given Stefan's proclivities.

Having seen enough, he turns away from their mating ritual but Stefan's already noticed him and with a defiant look on his face comes to say hi.

"What are you laughing at?"

"And hello to you too, brother. I'm not. I'm just glad your mission to bring mom the future mother of her grandchildren is going well."

Stefan turns crimson but immediately gets it under control. "Despite the fact you're being so incredibly rude it is. And sorry, just because your love life is lacking doesn't mean you have to take it out on the stud of the family, aka me."

"And who said anything about my love life lacking?"

"Well, you probably depleted all the willing options in this building by now and Elena's not hanging around you in the ER anymore, so...?"

"Now who's the rude one, Stef? Although I do admit my role in this... lashing out at yours... However, never underestimate my options and how do you know Elena and I aren't rendezvousing elsewhere? It does tend to get a little crowded in here from time to time."

Stefan's eyes bulge and he opens his mouth to attempt a witty retort but Damon's not going to wait for it.

"Don't forget your speech Stef. I have another patient to see." And if he's not mistaken, his favorite paramedic team just arrived.


On the way to the ambulance bay, Damon tries to catch a glimpse of her, but it's only Kai Parker who rushes in with the patient. He quickly takes over and listens to the paramedic reel off information.

"Female, age 69, we intubated her at the scene, smoke inhalation, third degree burns on her legs, pulse 144, BP 92/56," he yells, holding the IV bag above his head as they hurry to a trauma room.

"Do you know any medical history?" Damon asks, barking out orders for the nurses, RT, Lab and radiology. Facing Will, the respiratory therapist, he tells him to get a blood gas stat.

"History of a STEMI, stents, diabetes, renal failure, on dialysis," Kai informs him. "Her daughter showed up just as we were loading her for transport."

Damon quickly starts to assess the woman, telling Bonnie to get him a central line kit. As much as he's dying to ask about Elena, he can't think about her right now, he's too much of a pro to let himself be distracted with personal matters. It'll have to wait as Parker will probably be gone before they get this woman to the ICU. Bonnie hands him what he asks for and he quickly access her internal jugular vein and inserts it with precision, he orders a stat x ray to check placement. He's a little surprised to see the young man still hanging in the background. Recalling Elena's words about the paramedics feeling relieved when he's on duty, he allows himself a quick glance at the man. The young Parker looks worried but relaxed.

He thinks that today, she and the others may decide their faith in him is misplaced.

"Damon, she's crashing," Lexi yells, starting CPR. He orders medication and then they shock her with the defibrillator. The team works hard for more than a half hour when he calls the code, announcing the time of death at 14:32. He steps aside to take a few breaths, feeling defeated like he always does when... there's nothing else to do. To his surprise Kai approaches him.

"Thank you, doc, she didn't have much of a chance, she kept slipping away since we picked her up."

Damon looks at him closely. He should really stop underestimating them. "No, thank you, Parker, you got her here quickly, you gave her a fighting chance, it just wasn't to be," he responds slowly and for the first time he feels a certain connection between Elena's partner and himself.

"Not a good day, huh? Maybe we can still balance the scales today. It's early yet..."

"Elena?" Damon asks before he can think about it. The line Kai used is one she uses all the time, making him painfully aware he's not such a big part of her life, there are others.

Kai considers him for a second. "She stayed behind with another crew just in case the guys found anymore victims." His answer is natural and Damon finds his mood improving almost instantly.

"Okay, we'll be ready," he waves at the man and hurries to change into a clean pair of scrubs.


A half hour later, Damon gets his first glimpse of Elena when she arrives with another patient. She's gray and bloody, carefully holding an oxygen mask over the man's face. Damon's heart almost stops as it isn't clear whether the blood is hers or the patient's. He moves quickly to take over and soon a bunch of people is swarming around the injured man. Damon's barking instructions at the team, hoping they will be lucky this time around.

Elena backs off looking exhausted, she keeps her eyes on what they're doing though.

"Are you hurt?" Damon allows himself one look straight at her, feeling relieved when she shakes her head 'no'.

"I'm okay, it's just...," she takes a look at herself, feeling surprised at what she can see. "Well, at least the blood isn't mine." Sensing her presence is rather distracting she retreats from the ER to wash up and change the clothes. She needs to get back as soon as the ambulance returns with more victims.

The fire, the scenery is like hell itself. Flame burns with colors she never thought it possible. The wood is fast becoming ash and the vinyl siding is sliding down like chocolate in summer heat. The smoke is being carried to the southeast by the wind, over the apartment complex raining down ash particles and dust.

No one knows how many people may still be stuck inside and if they'll be able to get them out. The few that they managed to transport to the hospital have little chance, Kai already lost his.

She quickly finishes and hurries back to the ER only to witness Damon calling it with a dark look on his handsome face. Their eyes meet, no words are needed. Elena gives him a nod and heads outside to wait for the ambulance.


This day seems to have no end. She's back on scene and the fire still is nowhere near under control. There's a crowd of onlookers standing at a safe distance. The police have barricades up, preventing them from coming too close. It's not hard to distinguish the curious from those who are hanging onto a glimmer of hope that their loved ones will be rescued. The fire is roaring but it isn't enough to drown out the kind of desolate sobbing that comes from a person drained of all hope.

She wants to help, the waiting is killing her and despite the fact that she knows they won't let her go in anyway, she hurries over to the chief. His face is grimy with smoke and debris. His posture is slumped in fatigue as he treats himself with a bottle of water, his tired eyes on the building.

"We checked the right side and the front, it's beginning to die down. No living. It's still raging in the back..."

"Can I help?" she has to ask.

Mikael turns to her and gives her a small smile. "You are. Just stay at a safe distance, you may be needed later... in one piece. Even if they don't find anyone else alive, the boys will need you," he adds darkly.

Elena takes in his concerned expression. "Kol? He's in there?"

He doesn't have to answer that question, Elena knows he must be worried about his youngest son who decided to follow in his footsteps. Normally, they aren't on the same shift but since several men fell sick with flu and two got injured last night, everyone is doing what they can.

Mikael throws away the bottle and takes off to join the battle again. Elena sighs and goes back to the ambulance, alone with her thoughts and feelings. Can they get anything right today? She anxiously looks out for the men that are supposed to appear from behind the building.

Suddenly, there's an enormous explosion and as if in slow motion, the roof moves sliding to one side. An orange fist of flame punches its way out of the main complex. Windows shatter. Smoke and flames rush out. Thousands of pieces of glass and steel rain down on them. Alarms - shrill and deafening- erupt. A huge bite had been taken out of the side and the roof of the building.

Elena gets a sick feeling watching it, before her heart skips a beat as the top crashes down and the building collapses, burying everything, everyone inside under its weight. She's frozen for a minute while the screechy sound stills.

No...

Kai appears next to her, she didn't even notice his return and they start running, along with everyone else who wasn't in the building at the moment of collapse. They halt a short distance from the conflagration so as not to get in the way. To her great relief, most of the men managed to get outside before the explosion. Miraculously Mikael got them off the roof just before it went down. Her eyes dart all around but she doesn't see all of them. She can't see Kol.

Dread owns her, pushing against her like an invisible gale, attempting to reverse her steps. It sets her face like rigor mortis, her teeth locked tight together. Fear sits like a pillow over her mouth and nose. Her heart is hammering wildly, still enough air gets by it, allowing her body to keep functioning. Despite the flood of adrenaline that's urging her to run, she can't, she won't. The men are counting on her and she will not fail them, not now, not ever.

Seconds pass like hours as the guys work frantically to clear the entrance. In the end it takes 20 minutes before they pull the first guy out, ten more before they find another. It takes full forty five minutes to extricate Kol. At some point his oxygen mask fell off, he isn't breathing. She catches Mikael's anxious look and shortly nods. Now it's up to her, the elder Mikaelson needs to take care of the rest of the fire. She has to take care of his son.

Immediately she drops and commences CPR. Kai and Tyler rush over with their gear, they quickly intubate Kol and begin bagging him to keep his brain and vital organs oxygenated. Grabbing the defibrillator, Kai quickly places the patches on his chest. The machine yells clear and they stand back, watching helplessly as his body jerks from the electricity. She resumes CPR and after a second shock, they have a rhythm. Without wasting another second, they load him into the ambulance and with siren blaring, they speed to the hospital.

Now they need Damon to work his magic and a little miracle to break through this otherwise tragic night...


Damon watches Elena chatting with Kol, holding his hand in the process. He couldn't be more grateful that if just one person was destined to survive this horrible day, it's the young fireman. He remembers when one of them died a few years back under similar circumstances, the whole town mourned, flags were lowered to half staff on the day of the funeral, and there wasn't a dry eye to be found in the church.

He can't help but feel a little jealous of the way they're looking at each other not to mention how laidback the atmosphere seems between the two of them. Clearly this man is important to her, is there...something... deeper going on?

He clears his throat, interrupting their moment, letting them know they're not alone anymore. Kol's head turns in his direction, he can't see him though, as his eyes are bandaged. They're inflamed from the smoke and ash. Damon called in an ophthalmologist to consult who ordered eye drops around the clock and to keep them covered.

Luckily for this one, he wasn't long without his oxygen mask otherwise he'd have an anoxic brain injury and a poor prognosis. He was also suffering from carbon monoxide poisoning but his blood gases improved after spending some time in the hyperbaric chamber. Along with some cuts and bruises, he has a fractured clavicle, all in all he was very, very fortunate. He'll recover quickly with no permanent damage.

"Sorry doc, didn't see you," he jokes, his voice still weak and hoarse but clearly nothing can dim his cheery mood. Reluctantly, he has to admit the boy's optimistic nature does Elena good.

"It's alright, Kol no one would blame you, in company like this...," he gives a little bow in Elena's direction. Her eyes shine like stars and a shade of pink adds to the color on her cheeks. She looks aside, avoiding his intense stare. He just couldn't resist.

"Wait a minute, I may not see you, but I'm not blind either! What are you up to, doc? You aren't going to steal this one for yourself," he possessively squeezes Elena's hand and she chuckles chastising him.

"You would do well do concentrate on getting better and behaving yourself. The doctors and nurses don't need your family to drive them crazy. And you know what I'm talking about," she adds, raising an eyebrow at him.

She's right, the Mikaelson clan's a big family. He's certain that any moment now, they'll march through the double doors demanding not only the best care but also best of everything for their youngest boy. "If he continues to improve, he should be well enough to be discharged in a few days. That'll depend on his attending doctor, the orthopedist and Dr. Laughlin, the ophthalmologist. But with that said, you can forget about going back to work anytime soon though. You have to give your body some time to recover."

"Yeah," Kol's tone becomes sour, "you're probably right. It's going to take a lot of convincing to prove to my mom that I'll be safe when I am able to go back." he shudders at the thought.

"Okay Kol, if you don't need anything else, let the nurse do her job, they'll be transferring you to a private room soon," he points out with an amused expression, the youngest Mikaelson is really something.

"Elena," he addresses her when he notices she's going to leave. "Would you like to join me for a cup of coffee? Once Mr. Mikaelson gets settled in his room, he'll be able to have visitors."

She hesitates, he can see that, searching for an excuse. "I... I need to get back to my shift. Kai should be here in about a half hour to pick me up..."

"You still might have a half hour?"

"Hey, you two, I'm still here, listening to what already sounds like a private conversation. Come on, 'Lena, the doc saved my life, a coffee won't kill you," Kol lets himself be heard once more.

Elena chuckles at his antics, although he feels everything but relaxed. "Alright," she looks at Damon and nods. "A half hour it is."


"We can make it a quick lunch," Damon tempts her.

She gives him a small tentative smile, then says something Damon's heart skips a beat at. "I'd rather make it more private...?" She's unsure but more desirable and Damon swallows thickly, nodding, not trusting himself to answer.

He tells the nurse at the desk he's going to lunch and leads her outside pointing at the building next to the hospital. First they cross the street and pick up what Damon swears is the best burritos to take with them.

His office is on third floor, the room is large, bright and airy. He has a beautiful cherry wood desk, a book shelf on the back wall behind his chair. There are pictures of his family along with ones of himself and who she suspects are his friends. In one he's wearing climbing gear with a beer in his hand, in another he's standing beside a bike with a man on one side and a woman on the other. She wonders if maybe she was something to him the way his arm is around her shoulders. Rather than ponder the meaning, Elena heads right for the shelf with medical books and magazines, caressing them with her eyes while Damon unpacks their lunch and pops a K cup into his Keurig.

"My dad's office used to look like this... He had all these publications and a pile of different magazines, I used to bury my nose in them every time he brought me to work with him."

The look of nostalgia in her eyes breaks his heart a little. He puts the plates on the coffee table and comes to stand next to her. She raises her eyes looking at him questioningly but he just shakes his head. "Well, my dad never took me to work with him when I was a kid. When he decided I should learn something about the business world, it was too late. I was already in love with the image of walking hospital corridors and having beautiful nurses, the ones who cold moonlight as models, hanging on my every word."

Elena laughs, as he hoped she would. "So neither of you followed in your father's footsteps?"

"Of course not. Stefan naturally had to follow mine but that wasn't good enough, he had to prove to himself I suppose that he's the better brother."

For some reason Elena finds it rather sad and turns to proceed with the lunch only to find herself against his solid form as he clumsily gets in her way.

"Wait...," Damon takes a step back to give her some space but his eyes never leave hers. He gently lifts both of her hands and gives them a light squeeze.

He does that often. Elena's breath hitches at the familiar gesture. She hesitates for a moment, then squeezes back. It makes her heart both flutter with excitement and feel fear at the same time. She doesn't think anyone could ever make her feel so torn.

"We should eat our lunch, it's getting late," she must keep herself focused.

"I happen to know, your shift doesn't start for another hour and a half. And they know where to find me if they need us. We have time."

"Damon... we shouldn't do this... I can't do this."

"Okay, I already know that. Here's the deal. Just step away from your life for five minutes. We can talk or we don't have to, we can touch or not if you find it uncomfortable but let yourself feel. React to the way you're feeling, don't overthink everything. It's just you and me. No complications. No pasts. No 'buts'..."

He looks at her expectantly and she suddenly can't remember why she should protest or why she should turn around and march out of his door and never look back. But she feels the warmth of his fingers, reads the honesty in his eyes. Through his touch her body's coming alive, remembering how it was like to become one.

Letting herself feel, with him... very bad idea.

Before she can listen to reason and run away, her body decides for her. She finds herself nodding and letting Damon lead her to the coffee table. With one more squeeze he lets go of her hands and digs into his carne asada burrito with guacamole. Apparently that's not all she can't control, her subconscious takes over and she moans without consent at the first bite.

"It's..."

"Yummy? You bet," Damon smirks at her, very much enjoying the easy moment they're apparently having. When all is sad and done, they don't talk, much, but the atmosphere is light and they both seem to feel better because of it.

Before they leave, Elena takes one more look around to imprint the image of Damon's office into her memory. For some reason it feels more like Damon than his own apartment, it better complements his personality...

She shouldn't have come here...

He rouses her from her reverie by materializing right in front of her.

"Elena," he speaks urgently, "you do not have to sacrifice your happiness in a misguided attempt to punish yourself for what happened to your family. You had no control over that, and you know as well as I do that bad things happen to good people every single day. We're witnesses to it, you and me, I can't..."

She will never know what he can't do, because at the moment his lips slowly descend on hers. He kisses her like she is everything. And for a moment, as his lips consume her and his tongue dances languidly with hers, she imagines what it would be like if they could always be this way. It's overwhelming, intense, the most powerful and yet gentle one she's ever experienced.


Kol's released eight days later, his stay complicated by the fact that his fractured clavicle required surgery to stabilize it. He'll need to do some outpatient physical therapy and he may ache when the weather changes but he should make a full recovery if he works with his therapist. Damon's happy for the young man and his family but his discharge also means that he won't be running into Elena as much when she's off duty. It's been two weeks since he had lunch with her in his office and he hasn't seen much of her since then. He doesn't know anymore if it's just coincidence or if it's her uncanny ability to elude him when he's in the emergency department. Either way he curses himself for saying anything, even for kissing her despite his resolution to give her space and not scare her off.

After a short break he heads straight into the ER. "You paged?" he asks Bonnie who's managing the desk. The corner of her lips turn up in amusement.

"Yes, Dr. Salvatore needed a consultation."

"A consultation?" he finds Stefan and joins him at the patient's bedside. He shows Damon the woman's lower abdomen that is reddened and swollen. "Hello mam, I'm Dr. Damon Salvatore," he introduces himself, shaking the woman's hand. He slips on a pair of gloves and gently lifts her fold to have a closer look at her incision.

"She's eight days post abdominoplasty. I've already sent a wound culture, labs are pending. Would you go with Vancomycin and Zosyn?"

He nods in agreement, finding himself amused by Stefan's discomfort when he notices Parker junior rushing through the double doors. "I got it!" he waves at Enzo who's on the phone, looking rather pissed off.

"Parker," he greets while already working on the patient.

"Found the guy unconscious, wife called the fire department when she couldn't get him to open the bathroom door. He was found on the floor, urinated on himself. Wife says he has a history of seizures… Hello, Doctor Salvatore." He steps aside, his expression stoic. The man has been a nuisance with his constant complaining. Despite the man's reluctance to be taken to the hospital, both Chief Mikaelson and his wife insisted that he needed to be examined. "His wife said she'd be in as soon as she could get someone to watch their disabled son."

Damon breathes a sigh of relief. For once, there's no immediate danger for the patient, despite his loud protests. Damon shares a look with Kai, then silences the man authoritatively. "You stay here Mr. Paulson. It sounds like you had a seizure. What medication do you take?"

"Dilantin and Phenobarbital."

"I'm going to order some labs, check your levels. Have you been taking them as prescribed?"

"They're expensive, doc," the man snaps, clearly angry and maybe a little embarrassed about the situation.

"I understand, sir. Pharmaceutical companies do have assistance programs. I'll have the hospital's social worker come in and talk to you about them. Lab will be here shortly. We'll know some answers once we get your test results." He quickly retreats to the nurse's desk, giving her instructions. Kai follows close behind.

"Thanks doc, Mr. Paulson was a little upset but you know the chief. He refused to apologize for breaking the bathroom door down to get him out."

"Wise decision to have him checked out," Damon nods. "Just sign the report and you can be on your way." He bites his lip to stop himself from asking about her.

"Okay?" Kai signs the paper and looks at Damon expectantly. "Well, thanks doc, hopefully this is the last I'll see you today," he adds when silence falls between them. "I'll say hi to Elena," he throws over his shoulder on his way out.

Oh well, so much for fooling anyone.


"I saw the doc," Kai informs her out of nowhere.

"Awesome, it's not exactly surprising you saw a doctor in the hospital department where we spend all our time." She knows exactly which doc is he talking about.

"He says hi," her partner isn't going to play the game.

"Thanks," Elena feigns indifference but the truth is, Damon's been staring quite frequently in her day and night dreams. Since they had lunch in his office she hasn't been able to shake him or the reality of what she may be giving up by staying away from men like him. He's not just any man, he's one who's capable of fulfilling her whole world, opening up new possibilities, new adventures, new everything. Because no matter how hard she tries to deny the truth of it, it's impossible.

"Are you going to give him a call or what?" she winces at Kai's unexpected question. Are they still talking?

"I don't have his number." The excuse is weak even in her own mind.

"Pfff…," Kai laughs. "Lame, Gilbert." He considers her for a minute, then quickly moves closer to her, his tone becoming serious. "Listen, Elena." She moves back, putting some distance between them. He raises his hands to calm her down. "As much as I'd like to be the man that makes you start living again, show you what you've been missing, I know I am not that guy. And…," he stops her protests with a gesture before she can open her mouth, he knows her too well. "And…I'm happy to be part of your life in any way you allow me. But that means that I have to look out for you, just like you do for us. And if there's even the slightest chance Doctor Salvatore can make you happy, something you haven't been for a long time, I won't let you walk away from it. You deserve it. No, you owe it to yourself – to give him a chance. I know you, maybe a little better than you know yourself sometimes. You can't tell me that you don't feel a thing, when it comes to the doc... You can try to deny it all you want but I can see it all over your face when he's nearby. You like him, Elena."

Elena's looking at him with wide eyes but nothing comes out of her mouth.

"That's what I thought," he nods, confirming his own conclusions. "Now, if you really don't know how to reach him, I'll get the number for you," he adds sarcastically.

She knows better than to argue with him and although she's aware he means well, Kai has no idea what he's talking about. This, what he pictured here, is not for her. But he did manage to open her eyes. It's not fair to Damon, letting him believe they have a fighting chance.

She has to tell him.


Today's shift is going so slow that by the time it finally ends, Damon is at wit's end. The only logical solution Damon sees is making a detour into The Grill where he can forget about his troubles with a few fine glasses of bourbon. No ambulance means no Elena and he wonders if Kai passed on his unspoken 'hi'.

He parks his car in front of his house and after changing into civilian clothes, he decides to walk to the bar. It keeps his alcohol options open, he can drink what he wants then stumble home, plant himself face first on his mattress and sleep till noon tomorrow. It's weird in a way, not all that long ago, he'd keep his options open for female company to go home with for a nice night of uncomplicated sex. People change. Or maybe, people get changed, influenced by circumstances, other people, tragedies...

Walking inside, he looks around if there's anyone he knows to sit down with. Across the room he can see his baby brother in the company of nurse Alexia, seems he finally got it right. Lexi, as they call her, gives him a nod, which alerts Stefan of his presence. An awkward greeting is all the contact they make, Damon didn't come here to watch his brother's ego grow exponentially larger.

He turns to the bar, Ric is behind it, pouring him his favorite bourbon before he even slides onto the barstool.

"You look in a sour mood, brother?" Ric has always been his best buddy. And not just because he supplies him with endless amounts of alcohol. He's been his teacher, his friend, partner in crime and most importantly, he's always had his back. He never commented on Damon's flight from Mystic Falls and he didn't laugh in his face when he came home.

"You would too if you saw what I did. I don't care to watch my baby bro trying to romance anyone, let alone Lexi. She's a tough cookie, he'll have his hands full with her."

"Ah, I noticed. Do I detect a slight hint of green?"

"No way," Damon feigns a shudder. "Lexi will chew him up and spit him out whenever the urge suits her."

They both chuckle, then Ric walks away to take care of another costumer. Damon immerses himself in his glass and thoughts about a certain doe eyed brunette, which may explain why he doesn't notice who the new costumer actually is.

"Hello, Doctor Salvatore."

Damon raises his eyes and for a second, he freezes. It may be the little similarities between the siblings. Or just the fact that he knows this man is a big part of Elena's misery.

"I'm not a doctor here, I'm a Salvatore. God knows there are plenty of us in this town."

Jeremy chuckles and turns on his chair to face him. "That may be. Still, without you... I can't thank you enough about Jess, she's our little bundle of joy."

Damon smiles a genuine smile. He has an idea how bad it must be for a parent seeing their child sick and not being able to do much to help. "Don't mention it, I was just there, it was nothing exceptional." He moves his chair fixing his eyes on the bourbon in his hand, hoping Jeremy will take a hint and leaves him alone. No such luck.

"Doctor, I was wondering..."

"I'm warning you, Mr. Gilbert, if we talk, I'll tell you exactly what I think and you may not like it."

"This is about my sister, right? It's only fair, as you clearly know her part of the story, to hear mine?" Jeremy himself has no idea why he's being so insistent.

"Why? I am no one to you, you shouldn't give a shit about my opinions."

Jeremy hesitates, he should probably let it go but for some reason, this doctor's opinion does matter. He must see the reason because obviously he doesn't know everything that went down on that day. "Did she tell you that the accident that killed my parents was her fault?"

Damon slowly turns back to him. "She didn't tell me anything, I know just what everybody knows. And I do know that you weren't there to know what actually did happen."

"But I do know, doctor. She was not supposed to go the the party, mom and dad went to pick her up. She admitted it was her fault and that they were fighting. Maybe she..."

"Maybe? Maybe she grabbed the wheel and turned the car to the water? Or maybe she did it on purpose just out of spite? You weren't in the car, you don't know what was said. You are a father now, Mr. Gilbert, grow up." Damon catches Alaric's attention, gesturing for another drink. Or the whole fucking bottle.

"You think I am the bad guy here? I lost all my family on that day but what do you know," Jeremy seems rather angered now.

"You insisted on this conversation," Damon shrugs, although he's losing patience. "But listen to yourself. You weren't the only one who lost parents on that day. And you deprived your sister of the last family members she has, yourself and your aunt. Friends, school, everything she knew was taken from her on that day. She had to deal with it alone, she's still dealing with it. Every. Single. Day. Guilt is eating her alive."

"Serves her right," Jeremy spits but without unabashed self-confidence he sported earlier.

"Keep telling yourself that. You have a daughter, Jeremy, can you really sit there and tell me that if she made a mistake and got into trouble, which as you'd say was her fault, would you want her to be miserable for the rest of her life? Can you honestly tell me you never went to a party without permission? Never got drunk or used in your teens? And please don't tell me it's Elena's fault because that would really piss me off."

Jeremy's mouth opens but nothing comes out. Damon slams the glass down, nods at Ric and walks into the night. Now he really needs the swift march back to his apartment.


Following an alcohol fueled sleep, Damon feels surprisingly refreshed when he gets to work the next morning. The morning's been chill so he's been able to catch up on some dictation and reports. When he gets paged, he doesn't suspect anything's out of order. A consultation, maybe another patient or a problem with any of those who are already in the ER? Or, an ambulance? It's Lexi at the desk and Damon smirks, recalling Stefan's uncomfortable face when he ran into them at The Grill yesterday. A chuckle escapes his mouth when he thinks about it, quite frankly, his brother is uncomfortable all the time.

"What's up?" He doesn't see any rush so whatever the reason, it's nothing life threatening.

Lexi nods to the waiting area. "You have a visitor."

Damon turns to follow her line of sight and does a double take as there's no one else but…

"Elena!" It's a surprise, a positive one... unless something is wrong? Did she somehow get wind of his conversation with her little brother yesterday? Is she here to kick his ass? He wouldn't put it past her…

She waves her fingers, the corners of her lips turn upwards and she quickly stands to meet him.

"Hey…"

"Did… something happen? Are you okay?" he asks as the silence between them lingers.

"No, sorry, I didn't mean to disturb you. I wasn't even sure if you would be here. I'm off work for the day, I was wondering if you perhaps have time for coffee? Or I can pick you up later?"

Damon's dumbfounded, she came all this way to ask him out for coffee? Is she… giving in? As much as he'd like to embrace the exciting feelings that are brewing, that finally she's beginning to accept what they could have, he's still sure about it, something tells him she's not quite there yet. He's probably staring at her like an idiot as she inclines her head to one side, studying his expression.

"Maybe I shouldn't have come..."

"No, no, no, it's a great idea, I want nothing more than to join you for coffee but I can't go just yet. I have two more hours, but…"

"Don't worry, doc, I'll pick you up in two hours," she interrupts, then gives him a reassuring smile and disappears through the double doors.


Two hours later Damon still can't believe she's actually waiting for him as if it was the most natural thing in the world. They leave together… he likes the sound of that. When she puts a foot out to cross the street, he stops her by catching her arm lightly.

The unexpected touch gives a shock to her system.

"Wait, I have a proposition." Despite her jumpy reaction his fingers circle her arm to bring her closer.

Elena raises her eyebrows, playing it cool. "Yeah?"

If it was up to him, he'd grab her and kiss her worries away. Right in the middle of the street. She's that… kissable.

"I was thinking, it's a beautiful day, much too nice to stay inside. If you have enough time, we could stop at Starbucks and then go to the park?" For a second, he thinks he may have detected a flash of panic, but it's gone as quickly as it appeared so he's not sure if it wasn't his imagination.

"Okay then," she nods her consent and sets off down the street putting some space between them. She has to admit he's right, the weather feels like a kiss of summer without the fiery heat of noon time in August. The grass is a soft green that almost has a hint of blue and in the sky, pristine white clouds show how beautiful the sky is. It's perfect really.

25 minutes later they settle with their drinks and a couple of mouthwatering bagels with strawberry cream cheese. The bench is partly hidden in the shadows of a full-grown willow tree. It stands out from the rest of the landscape, bathed in a bright angelic light. The blue sky gives its mighty branches a fairytale-like quality as if everything surrounding it is in awe of its beauty, even the creek shushes in admiration.

It's nicely warm, the breeze is gently moving Elena's hair. Damon's mesmerized by the sight. Still his nerves are alight with adrenaline, his foot is tapping ever so lightly against the grass. He's waiting for the other shoe to drop... This is just too good to be true...

And suddenly, he knows what this it about. They may as well get it over with.

"Why are we here, Elena?" he asks the question that has been gnawing in his gut since he saw her in the hospital earlier today. He feels tired.

Elena takes in the change of his mood and feels a sting in her heart.

She did this.

He looks at her expectantly and she has no other choice but answer him. "It's not fair to you to keep doing this. You can't just change my mind and I won't turn into a different person overnight. I can't give you what you want. You have expectations that I'm not able to meet... We must stop. This must stop," she gestures between the two of them.

The silence keeps growing and Elena almost demands his response when he finally turns to look at her. "Oh, Elena... Do me a favor and stop saving me, please? I'm a grown man and I know what I want and I know the risks. I still think this thing," he uses his index finger to gesture between the two of them, "is worth it. Spending time with you, chatting with you, having coffee... I like it all. I'll take all of it, if it means I get a few more moments with you. I can't fight you though and I can't do this by myself. If you really want it to end, if you're not happy spending time with me, then so be it. But don't do it because of some misguided attempt to spare me."

Elena swallows thickly but she's determined to go through with it. It's for the better. "I'm sorry, Damon, I told you..."

"Yes, you told me several times actually but it still doesn't make sense. I'm not sure what you're trying to accomplish here. Do you want to move on, to go on with your life? Or are you trying to lock it in a box and never let it out so you can't get hurt? Is that what you're doing?"

"I'm not afraid to get hurt, okay?" Now she looks angry and Damon thinks she's even more sexy, when her eyes shoot fire, brows furrowed. There's so much life in her, he can sense it but she doesn't let anyone close enough to free her from this shell she built around herself. "I just...!"

"Yeah?" he questions calmly.

"I just don't want to hurt anyone else."

The confession is hard for her, he can tell. She's breathing heavily, her lower lip trembling. He raises his hand and for a long second she leans into his touch. "I can't do this, Damon. I can't."

"Okay," he says simply, he can see how much it's hurting her.

"Just okay?" she looks up confused.

"Just okay." He uses his other hand to take her face into his palms. "You don't have to do anything, Elena. I don't have any expectations, we can just take it one day at a time. But...you can't stop me from waiting for you to come to your senses and realize what you are missing," he adds with a twinkle in his eye.

Elena lets out a sound that may be a sob or laugh and shakes her head. "You're not going to give up, are you?"

"Nope, I'm going to wait you out."

She has no idea how serious he is right now.

To be continued...


STEMI: S-T elevation Myocardial Infarction, a heart attack.

Anoxic brain injury is one that occurs when it's deprived of oxygen.

Huge thanks to all of you, you're the best of the best and reason we continue to write Damon and Elena stories. We have so many ideas, it's just hard to find the time especially when Eva's 9 hours ahead of me.

Lots of love and thanks to you, Eva. You're always willing to take the leap and help write these stories with me. Eva is on a short holiday but hopefully we can finish the last few scenes and post the final part of this next week.

Chapter title: 'Wretched and Divine' by Black Veil Brides.

Have a fantastic day and thank you again so very much. We'll see you next time for WTTJ 26.