Although Damon was angry with his brother, he couldn't help but feel empathetic for him. Damon still wanted his brother to suffer for what he did but at the same time he wanted to help him and do right. Damon clutched the letter in his hand, he slowly un-crumpled it from his tight fist. Jenna and Jeremy were in Elena's room, Damon watched there lips move and foreheads frown, he tried not to listen in but couldn't help himself.

"Elena we know it was Stefan that made you crash your car" Jenna said softly but sternly. Jeremy shot his sister a sympathetic look, still feeling guilty for the argument they had had the week before.

"Please Jenna can we talk about this another time" Elena whimpered out too exhausted to argue and defend herself, not that Stefan deserved to be defended.

Damon moved away from the glass, giving Elena some more privacy not that she knew he was listening in anyway. Damon unfolded the crumpled letter looking at the rushed heartfelt letter; he could tell Stefan had poured his emotions into it.

Elena,

I don't know where to begin. I don't know how I can ever make up for what I have done, for all my mistakes, and not just with you. From the moment I chose to have the first taste of blood then I forced the same fate onto my brother, that's something I have to live with everyday and-

Damon couldn't read anymore he wasn't even halfway through the letter and already felt a wave of guilt wash over him, he wanted to burn the letter and throw it away but he knew Elena had the right to read it. The right to make up her own mind up about Stefan.

"Attention Visitors, visiting hours are now over please make your way quietly out of the wards as some patients are sleeping. Thank you" * the voice said over the loudspeaker.

Damon watched Jenna and Jeremy leave before sneaking back into Elena's room being careful not to wake her. Damon removed the letter form his pocket he hadn't read any further and he owed his brother that much. Damon placed the letter at the end of Elena's bed before quietly attempting to exit the room.

"Damon?" Elena croaked briefly waking up.

"Sshh, I was just dropping off a letter, its by your bedside" Damon said quietly.

"Who's it from?" Elena asked painfully trying to sit up in bed. Damon inched closer to Elena once again getting lost in her beauty. Although she looked identical to Katherine, she was in fact the exact opposite, another feature that drew him too her.

"Stefan" Damon muttered taking a seat by her side.

"I don't want to read it" Elena moaned, trying to adjust her self once more but just ended up causing herself more pain and discomfort.

"Here, let me help you" Damon soothed gently pulling the bed sheets back to help her get more comfortable.

"Damon I'm connected to too many wires" Elena complained not having the strength to move her aching muscles.

"Don't worry about it" Damon said gently and carefully lifting her broken body off the bed just enough to re-adjust her pillows and covers with his other hand.

"Damon it hurts" Elena whimpered like a small child.

"Its okay now" Damon soothed again anxiously placing her back down being mindful of her leg and other injuries. "Is that better now?" Damon asked noticing that Elena looked more comfortable.

"Much" Elena whimpered rubbing at her nasal cannula, Damon reached over and readjusted it so it wasn't bothering her nose as much.

Damon glanced over at the big machines that continued to beep and produce noises that faded into the background if you weren't paying attention, the became like white noise.

He looked at the readings of heart rate and blood pressure he wasn't really sure what was normal and what wasn't but considering Elena was still hooked up to several IV's and she was still on oxygen he knew she wasn't well enough to leave just yet. He wished more than anything he could just feed her more blood and she would be okay, but for some reason that wasn't the solution.

Damon looked back at Elena she was fast asleep, he thought he would leave before she awoke again; she needed all the rest she could get. Damon made his way back to the Salvatore house, taking in the old furniture smell and the crackles of the fireplace that soothed his ears, it was always lit, keeping the house warm. It was home.

Damon poured himself a glass of bourbon, before taking a seat across from his brother. He had no intentions of starting a conversation but he didn't have to as Stefan already started speaking.

"Did you give her my letter?" Stefan asked his eyebrows furrowing with sadness.

"Yes Stefan" Damon replied standing up to face the fire with his back to his brother.

"Did she read it?" Stefan asked leaning forward in his armchair.

"Stefan she's really ill no thanks to you, she could barley sit up without my help, never mind read your ridiculous excuse for an apology" Damon growled feeling frustrated with his brother once more.

"I-Im Sorry" Stefan stuttered.

"Yeah well its a little late for apologies don't you think?" Damon said walking back over to the bourbon to re-fill his glass.

Stefan said nothing else, although he wanted to keep apologizing he knew it was too late, the damage had already been done.

A week passed.

This consisted of Damon growing closer with Jenna, Jeremy and most importantly Elena; he was there every minute that he could be taking care of her when Jenna and Jeremy were at work and school. Stefan still refused to face his own demons and stayed far away from Elena, which just made her madder, and her hatred for him grew by the day.

Elena still hadn't read the letter it had sat on the bedside cabinet and that's where she planned to keep it, at least until he had come to see her in person, there way no way she was accepting some half hearted letter than Stefan had put together through his guilt, the least she deserved was a real apology. Face to face.

Elena was healing at her own pace, she was off the oxygen and only down to a couple of IV's a day; they were mostly antibiotics for infection and fluids to keep her hydrated as she hadn't had much of an appetite.

"Good morning beautiful" Damon announced entering the room with hot coffee and muffins.

"Hi Damon" Elena said with a smile, she was sat up in bed almost as if she was expecting him.

"I didn't know weather you wanted blueberry or chocolate chip" Damon said holding up the muffins.

"You know you've been bringing me muffins for a week now and I haven't eaten them, Im not hungry" Elena said with a small laugh, she secretly admired his efforts.

"I know and did you know that I've been bringing you different flavors each day, you need to keep your strength up, otherwise you'll never get out of here" Damon said trying to persuade Elena to eat a little.

"Well if you must no, the doctor came to see me this morning he said I could come home later today" Elena said with a smirk.

"Well look at you making progress, does Jenna know?" Damon asked setting the muffins on Elena's bedside, he noted the letter, untouched and collecting dust, she still hadn't read it.

"I rang her, she said she cant get here till six, so I'll have to wait until she can pick me up" Elena said slightly disappointed she was itching to get home to the comforts of her own room and her big double bed.

"Don't be silly I'll take you home" Damon said jumping at the opportunity to help Elena as much as he could, in a way he felt responsible, he felt like he was always trying to fix his brothers mistakes.

"Are you sure, you've already done so much for me!" Elena felt bad, almost like she had been relying on Damon for everything.

"Elena I want to help" Damon said offering a small smile. "Now please eat something for me?" Damon continued flashing another cheeky smile.

"Fine" Elena said with a small laugh breaking a little of the muffin of and tossing it around her mouth to please Damon.

The afternoon went by fast, both Elena and Damon exhausted they took it in turns to nap whilst one of them watched over the other. Damon opened his eyes in a panic he couldn't hear Elena's heartbeat it had almost become a second nature to him, he had always fallen asleep to it.

"Elena" Damon said in a panic trying to adjust his eyes to the light before realizing that she was right in front of him. Sitting up in her bed, she looked worried and confused.

"Are you okay? What's wrong?" Elena asked studying Damon's worried facial expression and watching the beads of sweat fall from his furrowed brows.

"Y-yeah" Damon stuttered rubbing his eyes in an attempt to wake himself up. "I just thought I was somewhere else for a second" Damon said lying so he didn't have to think about the possibility of life without Elena. He had really become protective and close with her the past week and he only just realized what she meant to him.

"Are you ready?" Elena said, Damon only just noticing she was all ready to leave, all her belongings packed neatly into a small pink bag, and all her IV's removed.

"Of course" Damon said standing, scratching his head, whilst stretching out his muscles from being cramped into a hospital chair for hours at a time. He hadn't fed in a while and was feeling quite restless.

"You do have a car right?" Elena questioned attempting to stand with the aid of her crutches, she winced as a sharp pain shot through her side and her leg throbbed with the gravity change.

"Erm what do you think your doing? And of course I have a car, it's a 1969 Chevy Camaro, she's a beauty, almost as beautiful as you" Damon said with another cheeky smile, rushing to her side and helping her sit down.

"Well I don't know how you expect me to get to your car?" Elena said crossing her arms wincing again as she touched her incision site.

"I heard the doctor strict bed rest and your not supposed to be using these yet, they're for when you're stronger" Damon scolded.

"You never heard the doctor, you were asleep" Elena said raising an eyebrow; pouting because she knew Damon was right.

"Your right it says it on your discharge papers though" Damon laughed bringing in a wheelchair from the corridor.

"No way! Im not getting in that, you'll have to drag me home" Elena said shaking her head.

"Ha don't be silly" Damon joked slowly and carefully helping her into the chair, being mindful, of her injuries.

Damon looked down at Elena's leg which was casted, he could see the incision coming out the top of her cast and her stomach the big bulky blood stained dressing that covered her large incision it was changed daily, yet her wound still oozed he could see it through her clothing, they were constant reminders of that night.

He would get flashes of her mangled legs, and the periling sound of her bones being broken lingered in his mind.

He hated it and wished he could fix her but he couldn't, there was no magical cure, which is why Damon felt the need to look after Elena and help her in anyway he could.

Damon drove Elena home as smoothly as he could but the bumps and grooves in the road made it a very uncomfortable journey, Elena's body would scream out in protest at every slight movement. "Sorry" Damon kept apologizing.

"Damon its fine" Elena said through gritted teeth. The Drive seemed to take forever as Elena wondered did she really live this far from the hospital? Finally the house was in sight.

"Lets get you in bed" Damon soothed brushing her hair from her eyes, the pain meds must be working, Elena was very drowsy and didn't protest once when he attempted to lift her from the seat.

He scooped her up and gently carried her to the front of the house like he had in the hospital. Damon unlocked the door with Elena's keys, and tried to enter but was stopped by a magical anti-vampire boundary. He hadn't been invited in.

Elena whimpered in pain as Damon bounced off the barrier, Elena held him closer nuzzling herself into his neck.

"Hey, Elena sweetheart, ...Elena?" Damon said softly trying to get a response from the semi conscious Elena.

"Mmm" Elena moaned lolling her head back into Damon's neck, she felt safe there.

"I need you to invite me in sweetie" Damon soothed again stroking her hair back.

"Damon?" Elena said forgetting where she was and who she was with, it took a minute to realize what was happening before she replied to Damon.

"Oh" She giggled to herself. "You can come in, Day-mon" Elena said giggling again.

Damon glided through the door with pleasure, he laughed to himself at Elena's childishness, but at the same time felt guilty it was partly his fault she was like this. If he hadn't left that photo out for her to see...

'Right lets get you upstairs to bed" Damon soothed once again looking down his arms, Elena was fast asleep, she looked peaceful.

*Please leave a review and let me know what you think of this chapter was trying to get some cute moments between Damon and Elena.