Part 2
Elena was getting tired. It seemed like they'd been gone for days when in truth it had barely been over an hour yet.
"How long left?" She whined.
"God, I wish you'd been in such a hurry during the actual thing!" He snaps. She was getting on his last nerve. "We can leave if you want. All you have to do is wake up."
She watches as he smirks. He knows that she can't wake up. She's tried (and failed) miserably so many times to wake up.
It just wasn't happening. She knew he wasn't doing it because her mind was weak, but it wasn't that weak.
She could tell just by the way he looked at her in all these memories that he loved her. And she knew she loved him.
The keyword there being LOVED.
She tried so hard to feel something towards him but every time she closed her eyes all she saw was Damon snapping Jeremy's neck.
She's actually started to trust Damon. To care about him back then. Maybe even fall for him. But the second he killed Jeremy, everything changed.
Wait, how was this happening? She remembers caring about him.
"Alaric said he compelled away ALL good memories of you?" She asks.
"Yeah..." He hesitates. "So?"
"I just remembered something. It's not a moment, a voice; it's not even a stupid glimpse. It's just a feeling."
"What kind of a feeling?" He asks hopefully.
"I cared about you." She smiles. "Before you killed Jeremy."
He sighs. "Well that's a start." He whispers. He turns around and continues to look on into the distance when she breaks the silence.
"Damon?"
"Yeah?" He nods and turns to look at her.
"I loved you." She smiled. "I don't know how I know it. Or why. All I know is that every time we see a new memory I see my old self falling in love with you."
She hesitates for a second before continuing. "You should know something."
"And what's that?" He says it so softly, he isn't even sure if she heard it.
"I was going to ask Alaric to in compel me."
"What?" He asks, stunned by her confession.
"I swore to myself that if you survived the whole 'crossing over the border' thing id do it." She says and catches a hint of a smile on his face.
"You know for the past 5 months all I could think about was seeing you... Hearing your voice...being with you." He pauses. "I was so scared you were going to hate me for breaking my promise."
"What promise?" She asks.
"The promise that I'd never leave you... And the one that I'd make it back to you. All I want is to pretend like these past 6 months never happened."
"You know when Alaric called me on my way to your place he asked me what I wanted.." She pauses. "I said I wanted to be able to look you in the eye knowing all that I do and all that I don't. And be able to feel what I felt."
"I want that too." He whispers.
"You know there's another way to do this..." She says softly.
"What's that?" He asks hopefully.
She hesitates. She doesn't remember him but she knows he won't like what she's thinking. "I could cross the border into mystic falls."
Xxxx
When they open their eyes. They're in the living room of the Salvatore boarding house.
Elena is sitting on the couch, the fireplace her background, and her face covered in tears.
Damon's hands her a glass. "Here have some bourbon. It'll help you forget."
She drinks it but gags when it burns her throat.
"Yeah, it's strong." Damon says.
His voice is soft and calm. Something tells her that he only uses this voice with her. She feels the same way about the look he's giving her. The ones that's sending electric sparks down her spine.
"You know. I can help you forget too... At least the memories you don't want to keep." He says. He hates seeing her in pain likes this.
"No." She says quickly. "No compulsion. I need to remember all of it."
He takes something out of his pocket. "I stole it back for you."
He hands her necklace. At this point, it doesn't surprise her anymore. He's always going to be giving that necklace. The one that is the reason Elena's fighting for Stefan.
Because he loves her.
Then she remembers. Stefan.
"He's really gone this time." She sobs. "I watched it happen. After everything we've gone through to get... To help him. Now he's just...gone."
He gives a look of sympathy and gently placed his hand on her leg. "Where were you, Damon?" She sobs.
It breaks his heart. Because he's the reason she's like this. If only he'd been here... He could've stopped this from happening.
He stares straight into her eyes. "I never should've left." He whispers. "I promise you. I will never leave you again."
They share a look that stretches through all of eternity but in actuality lasts about a minute.
Once everything's gone Elena looks at Damon. "When was this one?"
She couldn't recognize anything that had just happened.
"The night Stefan flipped his switch." He whispers and she slowly nods.
"Can we go to the next one?" She whispers before he says yes.
And then they're gone...
Xxxx
"This was after I compelled Jeremy" Damon says as he sees himself and a very human Elena.
"Just in case you're wondering."
Elena's about to say something when memory her starts talking.
"I feel like a horrible person." She says wiping away almost dry tears.
"You just saved his life, Elena." Damon reassures her.
"Take it from me... Estranged is bad, but...dead is worse."
She nodded slowly. "I know. I just can't stop thinking about what happened the last time I asked you to compel him."
"He found out." Damon states firmly. "And he got over it."
"Again, not dead, Elena." He takes a few steps closer to her. "He's so lucky to have you for a sister."
She smiled at him...a genuine smile. "Thank you."
He takes another step forward. "No problem."
"Not just for this, Damon...for everything. I don't know what I would do if you weren't here."
He turns to leave but after a few seconds he looks back at her. "You should know this, Elena. Stefan didn't screw us over."
She gives him a confused look, so he continues. "He screwed us over... But he had a good reason."
"What?" She asks.
"He saved Klaus to save me... Then he stole the coffins to get even." He whispered.
"Damon, if he did it to protect you, then... Why would he even do that? I mean... What does it even mean."
"What does it mean?" He repeats incredulously.
"It means I'm an idiot. Cause I thought for one second I didn't have to feel guilty."
She stared at him confused. "What are you talking about? Guilty for what?"
"For wanting what I want." He whispers.
It takes a few seconds but eventually the realization dawns on her and she knows what he means.
He's talking about her.
"Damon..." She protests, not sure what to say.
"No, I know." He says coldly. "Believe me, I get it. Brothers girl and all."
He starts to walk away but then realizes that he can't. Not yet.
" . You know what?" He says and he starts moving towards her. "If I'm going to feel guilty about something... I'm going to feel guilty about this."
And then it happens. His lips come crashing down onto hers and the world-in its entire vampire, hybrid craziness- actually makes sense. He knows it. So does she.
Eventually he slowly pulls out and smiles at her.
"Goodnight Elena." He whispers before disappearing off into the night leaving a stunned Elena behind him.
"Why did you kiss me?" Real Elena yells at Damon.
"Why did you kiss me back?" He asks.
She wants to answer. She wishes she could give him an answer. Be the girl he wants her to be... He needs her to be. But she can't... She doesn't remember.
Xxxx
Damon walks out of the bathroom, shirtless, Jeremy is asleep and Elena is lying in her bed but she's still awake.
"Where was this?" Present Elena asks Damon.
"Denver." He replies before they both continue to watch.
Memory Damon grabs a bottle of whiskey. Elena watches from beneath the covers of the bed.
Damon grabs his shirt from the table beside him and puts it on. He pours himself a glass of whiskey and stares out of the window while drinking it.
Elena can't stop looking at him and eventually his eyes meet hers. Blushing from the sudden electricity, she looks down and closes her eyes.
He looks at her and smirks. He's not sure if she wanted him to know she was awake...but he does.
She opens her eyes and looks at him. Once again their gazes meet. Damon puts his glass down and goes to lie down next to her.
They stay silent for a few seconds before she asks "You never told me about that...what you did for Rose."
"It wasn't about you." He whispers.
She smiles at him. "Why don't you let people see the good in you?"
"Because when people see good they expect good." He says sadly. "I don't want to have to live up to anyone's expectations."
Their eyes meet again and she feels a passion burning inside of her. She feels it when he looks at her says her name, touches her. She feels the passion and it's intoxicating.
She turns so that she's lying on her back. She can't look him in the eye. She feels herself take a deep breath.
Damon's watching her. He can read her like an open book. He slowly moves his hand towards hers and interlaces their fingers.
This is too much. It's overwhelming, really. Especially for Elena. He looks up at her. And there's all the passion she wanted. Everything she's ever wanted is looking her straight in the eye.
She just didn't know it yet. She gets up and walks out of the room.
She makes it all the way to the ice machine. She actually thinks he's not coming. But then she heard footsteps... His footsteps.
She feels him getting closer. "Don't." She begs.
"Why not, Elena?" He whispers
His voice is so broken... So vulnerable. She shouldn't do this. She's with Stefan. She loves Stefan. She doesn't want to hurt him. But it's too late because she's already kissing Damon.
The kiss isn't like any they've had before. The one they shared before Stefan left was sweet and soft. It only lasted a few seconds. The one they'd shared the night Damon compelled Jeremy was spontaneous. It began and ended before Elena even knew what was happening. But this one was special.
It was passionate, dangerous ...consuming. All the lust and desire that had been building up between them was finally free.
Before she knows it, they're up against a post. He kisses her on her neck, leaving trails of his scent all along her neck. He smelt like bourbon. She lifts her hands from behind him and cups his face.
Their eyes meet and the world just stops. Nothing's happening. They're just two people standing in a motel in the middle of nowhere. Two people who love each other.
They continue kissing, occasionally pulling back to breathe, until Jeremy shows up. He looks at Elena.
"Elena?" He asks, surprised by what he's seeing.
"Oh my god! Jeremy!" She squeals. She pushes Damon away and try's to fix up her clothes.
"Rose found Mary. She lives in Kansas." He says slowly.
"Ok then. Let's go." Damon interrupts.
He goes back inside. Jeremy looks at Elena, disappointed, but eventually he goes back inside. She seems a little confused.
The memory fades and Present Damon looks at Elena.
"Are you sure you wanna keep going?" He asks.
"Yes. Knowing there's a whole part of my life missing, it's driving me insane. I wanna at least try to remember." She says, on the brink of tears.
"Okay." He whispers before they both disappear and move on.
Xxxx
"Is that a bonfire?" Elena asks pointing to the view of the background in the newest memory.
"Yep..." Damon says.
"I don't remember any bonfires except for..." She paused.
"The night your parents died." He finished for her.
"Is this?" She whispered. This couldn't be real.
"Yep." He said softly. "It's that night."
"Why are we here?" She asks coldly.
"It's the night we met." Damon whispers.
"What? No. No. I remember when we met. It was at the boarding house." She yelled, accusingly.
"That's the thing... I kinda-" he got cut off by the sound by someone else's voice.
It was the voice he'd grown accustom to over the past 2 years. The one that belonged to the love of his life. He looked up and saw memory elena walking on the road in front of them.
"I know, Bonnie, you're right. You and my mom both are. I just.. I can't bring myself to tell him. At least not tonight... I'll call you later." She says into the phone.
She hangs up and checks the time on her phone. When she looks up Damon's in front of her.
"Katherine." He whispers.
"Um...no... I... I'm elena." She says.
He seems disappointed. "Oh. You... You just... Im sorry. You just really remind me of someone."
When she still seems a bit agitated he smiles. "I'm Damon."
"Not to be rude or anything, Damon, but it's kinda creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." She calms down.
"You're one to talk." He jokes. "You're out here all by yourself."
"It's mystic falls..." She reassures him. "Nothing bad ever happens here."
He stays quiet and she jumps at the opportunity.
"I got into a fight with my boyfriend." She swings her phone in front of him.
"About what? May I ask?" He raises his hands in mock surrender.
"Life...the future, he's got it all mapped out." She says, sadly.
"And you don't want it?"
"I don't know what I want." She whispers.
"Well,that's not true. You want what everybody wants..." He says.
"What?" She asks playfully. "A mysterious stranger with all the answers?"
"Hmm." He smiles. "Well let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things."
"So tell me, Damon, what is it that I want?" She challenges him.
He scans her face for any sign of fear but he can't see it. God, he wishes this girl was Katherine. His Katherine. But she wasn't. She was someone else... Yet he found himself smiling like a fool whenever she said his name.
"You want what everybody wants." He says sincerely. "You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure, and even a little danger."
She's surprised. He practically just read her like a magazine. He knew her. Even though he'd only known her for about 2 minutes... He knew her.
"So what do you want?" She asks.
The question comes as a surprise. He doesn't know the answer to it. He wishes he did. He needs Katherine. He needs his brother. But he doesn't necessarily want either of them right now.
He's about to answer when they hear a car hooting. It's coming around the block... Towards them.
"That's my parents." She smiles.
When she turns around he's right in front if her. They're standing eye to eye and he uses that to his advantage.
"I want you to get everything you're looking for, but right now I want you to forget this ever happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet." He compels her.
"Goodnight Elena." Then he disappears.
"You compelled me?" Real elena yells.
"Yup." He said ignoring her tone.
"How could you do that?"
"It doesn't matter. All that matters is I did." He pulls her arm and in a split second they're both gone.
Xxxx
Present Elena and Damon don't even have a chance to talk as the next memory unfolds in front of them.
"You were going to kill him!" Elena yells at Damon.
"Yep." He smirks. "The guy just won't die."
"It was my choice to save him." She sounds like she's about to start crying. "Why aren't you seeing that?"
He sighs and starts walking to his car. "It's a little hard to keep track of all your choices lately, Elena."
He's on the brink of getting into his car when she speaks again.
"I remember everything." She whispers and he freezes in place. "One of the highlights of my transition, remembering everything you compelled me to forget."
He comes back next to her.
"Like how you and I first met." She says with a smile. "We were strangers and you told me you wanted me to get everything I wanted out of life."
He's practically breathing on her by now. "Damon, why didn't you tell me?" She cries.
"Would it have made a difference?" He yells, taking a step back.
She doesn't answer... She doesn't have to. He knows her answer... It'll ALWAYS be Stefan.
"I didn't think so." He says coldly.
"You asked me to make a choice, Damon. So if you're going to be mad,then take it out on me, not on Stefan or Matt or anyone else... Me." She yelled.
"Are we done here?" He says ignorantly.
"If it'd been you on that bridge last night and not Stefan and is begged you to save Matt..." She asks but he cuts her off.
"I would've saved you in a heartbeat!" He yells. "No questions asked."
"That's what I thought. And then Matt would be dead." She whispers.
"Matt would be dead." Her voice is louder this time...Firmer.
"But you wouldn't be!" He argues. "You would've gotten to grow up and have the life that you life you deserved. And I know I didn't used to get that but I do now. And I wanted that for you,Elena. And I would've gladly have given it to you and let Matt die. Because I am that selfish."
She doesn't say anything so he continues. "But you already know that." He whispers. "The night we met isn't the only thing you remember."
He gets into his car and drives away before everything fades away.
She doesn't look at him. He doesn't look at her. And just like that... The next memory begins.
Thank you all so much for the amazing reviews ill try to have the final part up by next week. Its almost ready. Again thanks so much for all the support.