Disclaimer – I do not own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters. If I did, it would be re-titled The Naked Damon Hour and the plot would suffer horribly under my reign.

Author's Note – Thank you for the amazing reviews I received for the last chapter. I was thrilled with the response and some of you almost made me tear up. They were lovely to read. Unfortunately, this chapter is very plotty (an evil necessity) and short on fluff. Next chapter will be the action-packed almost conclusion. This chapter is unbeta-ed - all mistakes are mine.

Elena woke and dressed early the next morning, selecting a short-sleeved white button-up. It was one of the few shirts she owned with a collar high enough to hide the marks on her neck. She was by no means ashamed of what she had shared with Damon, but she wasn't exactly in the mood to answer questions about it either. She would be meeting Bonnie and Anna shortly to make the journey to small town of Blackstone. It was a three hour drive and they needed to make it there and back before sundown to meet Damon and Stefan for the final preparations.

She had slept fitfully after Damon's departure; her mind consumed with what was going to happen is less than twenty-four hours. Occasionally, as she tossed and turned, her thoughts drifted to Damon's comment about leaving Mystic Falls. The idea was endlessly appealing. School was letting out soon and they could have the whole summer to themselves. With all of the drama and chaos of the past week, it seemed almost too good to be true and Elena clung to the notion desperately. She needed something to focus on other than the impending confrontation with Katherine that was looming overhead.

She tripped lightly down the stairs and was surprised to see Bonnie already waiting for her in the living room. "Hey," she greeted her quietly. It was before six and Jenna was still asleep. "Damon came by last night and I filled him in." She handed Bonnie the small vial of his blood, but pulled it back quickly when she reached to take it from Elena's hand. Elena fixed her with hard eyes and her voice was gritty when she asked, "Am I going to regret giving this to you?"

"No. You will not," Bonnie bit back at her. "I want Katherine gone just as much as you do."

"Somehow, I doubt that," Elena murmured lowly as she pulled her light jacket out of closet.

Bonnie laughed humorlessly. "Well, then you'd be wrong. She came back to my house last night." She paused as Elena whipped around to face her. "Damon must have delivered the message that I had been….persuaded to help her."

"What happened?" Elena's voice was strained with tension.

"She's…erratic. Told me if I messed up the spell, she'd kill my father." Her cool exterior crumbled and Bonnie's voice cracked as she started to cry. "She said she didn't need to be able to get into our house to burn it down around us." She swiped at her wet cheeks. "What if she figures out what we're doing before I can complete the spell?" she choked out on a broken sob.

Elena hugged her tightly. "Damon and Stefan will be there. They'll be able to stall her long enough for you and Anna to do it. Everything's going to work out. This'll work," she said confidently. "It has to," she added softly before pulling back to look at her friend and offering her a smile.

Anna appeared out of nowhere, startling them both. "Sorry – habit," she apologized when she saw them flinch in unison. "Ready to go?"

With Anna driving, they made the trip to Blackstone in record time. It was a small town of less than 5000 people with a quaint feel, much like Mystic Falls. Anna led them to a dilapidated house where they were to pick up the final items they needed.

An elderly man opened the door and greeted Anna warmly, pulling her into a hug. "Come on in girls." He led them to a kitchen and set the objects down on the chipped Formica table. "Well, there they are," he said, a note of pride in his voice.

Bonnie and Anna checked them over thoroughly, making sure they had been made to their exact specifications. The slightest deviation could spell disaster for them tomorrow.

Anna placed a kiss on his weathered cheek, "Thank you, Paul. They're perfect."

He beamed at her compliment and Elena handed over the money Stefan had supplied her with. After gracefully refusing Paul's offer of lunch, they got back on the road, eager to get home now.

The ride home was relatively quiet, the only sound in the car that of Bonnie texting incessantly. Curiosity got the better of her and Elena finally asked, "Who are you talking to?"

Bonnie groaned in frustration. "Myself, apparently. Caroline hasn't responded to any of my texts and her phone keeps going straight to voicemail."

"Isn't she visiting her dad? You know the reception sucks up there – she'll call you when she can," Elena reassured her.

Bonnie didn't look convinced. "I guess…," she trailed off.

Back in Mystic Falls, they locked themselves in Elena's room where Bonnie and Anna put the final touches on their recent purchases. There was a light knock on the door and Elena opened her door to find an anxious Stefan. She ushered him in and closed the door.

"How did it go?" he asked.

"Fine, I think. We still have to test them, of course, but we're on schedule."

He placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. "This will work."

She chuckled and shook her head. "That's what I keep saying." She lowered her voice and whispered, "We better be right."

Leather clad arms banded around her waist and Damon glared at Stefan's hand on her shoulder. "Right about what?" he asked with false cheer, his arms constricting slightly when Stefan removed his hand with an exaggerated sigh.

Elena rolled her eyes at his petty jealousy and relaxed against his chest. "We were just talking about tomorrow."

He offered a non-committal "Mmmm," and placed a loud smacking kiss against her neck before releasing her. His voice was frosty as he addressed Bonnie. "Let's get this show on the road, she'll notice if I'm gone too long."

After a successful test run, the group filed downstairs. Jenna had ordered pizza and they were all congregating in the kitchen. Damon caught Elena's wrist before her foot hit the landing and tugged her back into her empty room.

He closed the door and cupped her face, kissing her softly. The movements of his mouth were gentle and deliberate, and Elena snuggled close to him enjoying the intimacy of the moment. Damon pulled back and looked at her, an unfathomable expression in his amazing eyes. He sighed quietly and feathered kisses across her cheeks, her eyelids, and the tip of her nose before finishing with a lingering kiss against her parted lips.

She shuddered in his arms, unaccustomed to such gentility where Damon was concerned. His warm breath fanned against her face when he asked, "Have you given any thought my proposal?"

Her heart crashed against her ribs at his question, misunderstanding him for a fraction of a second before she caught herself. "Oh! Y-You mean the trip?" she sputtered with a smile as her face flamed red.

"Uh-huh." Damon knew what she had been thinking. He smirked at her and placed his hand between her breasts over her heart. It was pounding like jackhammer "Have you decided where you want to go?"

She placed her hand over his on her chest, and squeezed it affectionately. "Not yet, but I have a few places in mind." He sat on her bed and pulled her into his lap. His fingers found their way under the collar of her shirt and brushed against the mark on her neck. She shivered and protested weakly, "Stop that."

"No," he smiled and did it again, his fingertips applying more pressure. He grinned when she moaned. His blood had accelerated the healing process, they'd be completely gone by tomorrow. "What are you going to tell Jenna when we leave?"

Elena sobered and straightened in his lap. "The truth. I'll be turning eighteen in July – I see no need to lie to her."

He nodded and kissed her firmly before standing up and setting Elena on her feet. "Do me a favor?" She raised her eyebrows and looked at him expectantly. "Don't take any chances tomorrow. Stick to the plan and stay out of sight." His eyes bored into hers and his tone was laced with authority.

She slid her hands into his hair and tugged his face down to hers. "I promise," she whispered against his lips. Elena closed the millimeter between them and kissed him deeply, promising him again and again with her lips and tongue. Needing a breath, she broke away and buried her face in his neck. "I love you, Damon."

At her words him arms tightened around her and his voice was husky when he replied, "I love you, too."