"Where is Elena?" Stefan asked his brother for the umpteenth time. He was thoroughly annoyed with Damon's dodging of the subject of Elena.

Damon just took a sip of amber liquid from his glass, sitting perfectly still in his usual chair. Stefan noticed the faraway look in his brother's crystal blue eyes as he stared aimlessly into the roaring fire.

Something had happened he was sure of it. Damon was never this silent for this long and yet here he was after two days of being home, still sitting and still not talking.

"Jenna said she had gone a trip. Do you know where?" He asked, trying to get any sort of answer from the unyielding form of his brother.

Again Stefan was met with silence.

Now Stefan was usually the more level headed, patient one of the two but even this was trying his tolerance. With a growl and a snap, Stefan got up from his spot, taking the arm of the poor chair with him.

If asking wasn't making any progress with the stubborn vampire, he would threaten him. Taking the broken wood in his grasp he walked over to his brother, forcing green to meet blue. Pressing the makeshift stake to Damon's chest to make sure he had his full attention before he continued.

"Where is Elena, Damon?" Stefan growled through clenched teeth.

The words seemed to cut Damon from his trance like state.

Stefan watched as a tirade of emotions flashed through his brothers crystalline eyes before they settled, heavily with guilt.

What did he do? Stefan thought with a growing sense of dread.

"Damon?" He asked, suddenly not so sure about receiving an answer.

The flood gates broke with the one word, "I didn't mean to…she just…she's gone and it's entirely my fault. She didn't…" the sudden wave of guilt passed. Then his blues eyes darkened and his whole demeanor changed. His back went ridged, eyes narrowed and a frown plastered on his face.

"She just didn't know when to shut that pretty little mouth of hers." He said, moving from his seat and headed out the door, leaving a very confused and very worried Stefan holding a stake in the place where Damon's heart had just been.

Xxxxx

A soft knock sounded on the bedroom door, "Come in." my voice scratched out. I suppose crying for hours on end would do that to you, vampire or not.

Silently Bree walked in, a small comforting smile playing on her lips as she sat next to me on the bed. For a moment we just sat there, I was taking comfort in her presence, not just ready to talk about my emotional collapse.

Her hand laid on my back, rubbing soothing circles on my back helped me gain enough courage to speak what was on my mind.

"I'm sorry about earlier, I think that I'm having a rough time adjusting." It wasn't entirely the truth but not a blatant lie either.

She nodded, for once not telling me that this was all typical vampire behavior. I think she was starting to see that it was more than heightened emotions that was getting to me.

I looked at her then to the door, wordlessly asking if he was still here.

"No he's gone to remedy the sleeping arrangement problem." She replied.

My heart clenched at the word 'problem', was it really such a hassle to sleep in the same bed with me?

"Bree, I need a confidant. Will you be that for me?" I asked unsure to her reaction, I mean Lee was her friend. Why would she keep my secret from him?

"Of course Elena, you don't even have to ask. I will always be there for you if you need me." The sheer truth in her tone made the stinging return to my eyes.

"I know it's wrong, I mean he's helping me and all but I care about him Bree. It's wrong, so freaking wrong but I can't help it." The tears came back full force.

I thought for sure that I had emptied them earlier but I guess I was mistaken.

Bree grabbed my shoulders, giving them a slight shake.

"It's not wrong in the least bit Elena. He is a wonderful person who deserves happiness just as you do. You have found comfort in him which is understandable but maybe he too has gained from having you in his life. So don't you dare cut yourself short thinking that you are a burden. He is helping you because it is what he believes is right. Lee is naturally caring, as are you and if you both don't watch it, it will be the downfall of your relationship." She said while giving me a pointed look.

Down fall…wait relationship? What the hell was I missing?

"He's already been claimed by Lexi. I can't compete with that." I whispered dejectedly.

"Elena, we are allowed to love more than once in this life. What you are feeling for him is ok, it's not immoral and he is capable of reciprocating the feelings. He just needs a little push from you to know that it's alright to do so. Now I'm not saying it's going to be easy, as life never is, but with some effort you two could be together. But how about starting off as friends?"

In that moment I was glad I had chosen Bree to confide in, she knew exactly what was the matter and how to fix it. I had a feeling that even if I ever did decide to go back to Mystic Falls, she and I would keep in touch.

At the thought of my home town I didn't feel like breaking down and crying like I had mere hours before. The weight on my chest, no longer seemed as if it would crush me. Was this what acceptance felt like?

Had I truly accepted my fate as a vampire?

And what about Katherine, would she leave me be now that I was one?

So many questions flitted through my mind but I was left without many answers. But of one thing I was sure, I could be with Lee guilt free. It was all possible and within my reach, all I had to do was try.

A/N There, a little bit of insight on our dear Damon's state of mind-not so stable and how awesome Bree is at telling Elena 'what's up'. Hope you enjoyed it.