Chapter 8

"Hello Damon. Ric."

"Can I help you?" I ask.

"Elijah." Is all Ric says.

"I left the lovely Elena awhile ago."

"Why were you with her?" I ask as I pour Ric and I another drink.

"I wanted to talk to her so I waited for her after Jenna and I finished our business. Don't worry Ric, I see your getting all antsy, it was only real estate. Nothing more."

"Right." Ric says and downs his drink and pours another one. He could sure as hell hold his liquor better now. Too much time around me I guess.

"She's pretty irresistible huh, even to a thousand year old? What do you think Ric?"

"She's my student and I'm dating her aunt, Damon."

"Indeed I do think she is, but not the way you think." Elijah replies and makes himself at home as he gets a drink and takes a seat making it a triangle of chairs between me, him and Ric. "She is astonishing." He continues and I try my hardest to not let his comments about her bother me.

"That she is." Is all I say.

"I had to know something. I got my answer. You are very lucky Mr. Salvatore."

"Wait...what answer and why am I lucky?"

"She'll never forgive you and never for a vampire is a long time, is what I said. I was wrong. My apologies. And you are lucky because that girl has no doubts about you. Everything you are she loves."

"I don't get it either. But apparently it's true. She told me so today."

"Where is she?" Elijah asks and I shrug my shoulders as Ric pipes up with an answer.

"Still with Jenna, I called Jenna before I got here to tell her I'd be with you till Elena got back. Elena told Jenna to make sure you were okay and to tell you that she would be here soon."

"She needs to stop worrying. I'm fine."

"You don't sound thrilled." Was Elijah trying to test my patients? Because if he was it was working.

"I hit the jackpot with her. I never thought she would ever love me back and now that she does, I don't want her to."

"Why?" Ric and Elijah both ask at the same time.

"Because I'll break her. I'll hurt her, I'm screwed up and I will screw her up. She doesn't deserve that. She deserves so much more."

"Damon, you have got to move the hell out of your own way."

"I agree with the teacher that killed me." Eljiah raises his glass and downs it after that elephant in the room is addressed.

"Sorry about that." Ric tells him and shrugs his shoulders.

"Past is the past. Just don't do it again."

"Agreed." Ric nods his head in agreement.

"Anyway, I'm here because she loves you." Elijah continues. "My deal with Elena was to protect the people she loves, but I came to like her, to trust her, and she almost died. I want to make sure that she stays safe now. She gave me my revenge. I'm moving on. You should too. She loves you and if you hurt her I will finish you myself, and we both know I can."

"When did you become Daddy dearest?"

"Since she gave me hope." He says honestly.

"She's good at that." I tell him.

"She is. Now, I should go before I'm late. I'm having dinner with the wonderful Sheriff Forbes tonight." And he's gone. Finally.

"That was weird." Ric says.

"Agreed." I mock him from just before.

"But I'm right. You are going to screw it up by being afraid that you are going to screw it up."

"This is Elena." He already knows how important she is to me but I decide to emphasize it even more because even I'm torn. I want to take what I want but I can't ruin her.

"I know. That's why you need to let it happen. I'm your friend, but in all seriousness, you will never find anyone better than her who doesn't care that your sort of a half redeemed vampire, without compulsion. Your different because of her."

"The better man?"

"The better man, she didn't force you to become one, she helped you, and you did it willingly, for Elena."

"When did you get smart?"

"I always have been, you just never listen."

"I still think you should marry Jenna."

"So do I."

"You do?"

"Yep. It was the best advice you ever gave me Damon. I'm going to propose."

"See I'm smart too."

"Sometimes."

"I wanted to um...ya know...thank you for...everything...trying to help me."

"Your welcome. Your getting pretty good at thanking."

"I know. I hate it, I've had to do it a lot lately. Why don't you hate me Ric?"

"Your getting deep Damon."

"Indulge me. I almost died."

"Sooner or later your going to have to stop pulling that 'I almost died' card. But honestly I have no damn idea. You killed my wife and then because she was turned, not dead, she actually died for good. I'm sure though that if it wasn't you it would have been someone else, maybe that's why. Isobel was obsessed with vampires. But it being you led me to Jenna and I love her. But even before that, I knew you weren't a bad guy, took me sometime but I figured it out, just like Elena,"

"Ew. I hope not. Because I more than like him. I love him, and your my aunt's boyfriend. She'd never forgive Damon for that." Elena says walking into the room laughing.

"You." Ric says pointing at her. "Are hanging around Damon too much." I can't help but laugh at it because it was true. And Elena looked brilliant. Relaxed with her overnight bag in one hand and her handbag in the other. Smiling that smile that could light up a room. Hair in a pony tail, in her sweats, no make-up. That was how I loved her, all natural, and god did I love her.

"I could say the same about you, Ric."

"It's scary how he rubs off on us, huh?"

"I kinda like it." Elena says handing me her bags and flops down on the couch to get comfortable. Her eyes lock with mine and we just stare. Waiting for something, anything at this point.

"I'll leave you two alone. Jenna's waiting for me. See you at the grill tomorrow Damon. Night Elena."

"Night, Ric." We both say our eyes still not leaving the others.

"Will you pour me a drink?" She asks innocently.

"Sure." I turn to pour her some of my brandy and fill mine and hand it to her. I sit on the couch across from her. We continue this stupid staring game until she finally speaks up.

"Damon, do you love me?"

"What kind of dumb question is that?"

"Answer me."

"Yes."

"Say it."

"Why?"

"Do I have to drag it out of you? You won't say it will you?"

"I already have. You heard it before."

"While I was in a coma and while you thought you were dying. That's the way every girl dreams of it, Damon. Not."

"Fine, I love..."

"Stop."

"What now?"

"Forget it."

"You are giving me serious whiplash. Do you want me to say it, or not?"

"I thought if I asked you to say it, you would. You would take my hand like you have done so many times this past month and be serious. I'd look in your eyes and I'd see it there. I see everything in your eyes, Damon. I don't want to force it out of you, I'm not pathetic. I just wanted to give you a push because sometimes you need it, you aren't always open with your feelings. But, just forget it. I want to know one thing. Can you answer me one question, honestly?"

"Yes."

"What do you want from me?"

"Nothing."

"Nothing?"

"I want nothing because you can't give me everything. Ric pointed something out to me earlier. That you wanted me to be the better man, and I tried, you didn't force me to do it, I did it on my own for you. I can give you everything I am, which isn't much. But you, you will leave me one day. I'm going to screw up and hurt you. One day you aren't going to forgive me and by that time I'll have worn you down and I won't be able to live without you that I'll do something drastic. So why don't we just stop now? While it's still good."

"You are a classic martyr, your abrasive and apathetic sometimes. I make you less of the latter two. The martyr part has to go. Your scared? Well so am I. I have no idea if we can even last a day, and that's on a good day. We fight like cats and dogs. We both have totally different views on things and we barely ever agree, but it doesn't matter, because we make it work. We always have. I know you love me, if it's not enough fine, but don't let me sit here and think that it is. I know you think more of me than that. Your right about the better man, I never wanted you to be something you weren't. I just always knew it was there. I'll never give up on you Damon, don't ask me to and don't try and make me. You know how stubborn I can be, that's why we are a force to be reckoned with. You just need to stop pushing me away. Love me or let me go. You can't have it both ways. I made a choice and now you have to make one too. I'm going to bed. I'm done with this conversation. We can talk tomorrow night. Hopefully you will be doing most of the talking."

She walks out of the room and heads upstairs. I notice her bags are still on the floor next to me. Damn, she was good. This girl never let me get comfortable. She was always throwing something at me, keeping me on my toes. I hated it, but I loved it too. I finish my drink, set my glass down, grab the bags and follow her up. She's sitting on my bed when I walk in and she's got my t-shirt on, and did it look good on her, pulling her hair out of her pony tail. She looks up and me and looks away immediately, but not quick enough to see that her eyes had tears in them and she was trying her best to hold them back. I hated being the reason for her tears. I got changed and joined her in bed. Elena, on the right and me all the way on the left. I turn the light off and I listen to her breathing as it evens out. She normally would curl up into my side or hold my hand or rest her head on my shoulder, but not tonight. I never wanted to push her away, I always wanted her close, and after everything she had been through I was making what should be happy time for her hell. I had to make up my mind. I never wanted to hurt her and I was. I will. Always. Choose. You. I already knew my answer. I told her the words not too long ago. I moved over to the center of the bed and reach over to pull her over and she turns willingly, luck was really on my side lately. I was a class-a jackass but I still had her. Her body presses against mine. My arm is around her and her head rests on my chest. Our hands are entwined with one another. I place a kiss on her forehead. There really was never any other choice for me. It was always her. Elena.