New chapter! :)

Hope ya'll enjoy!

Oh, and I finally updated Do you Believe!

Damon had to blink, not once, but twice, as her words turned over in his brain.
"You...what?"

Elena's expression was one of unwavering determination, "I didn't stutter, did I? I came to join you."

Enzo spoke before Damon could think of an appropriate response, "Liar...no Arc leaves the Light by choice."

"Damon did," Elena shot, staring right at the Darkling, her brown eyes lit.

Enzo sized her up.

Damon finally found his voice through the shock of her admission, "Why?"

Before Elena answered, she fixed her gaze on him, "How much does your friend here know?"

Damon understood that she was referring to their relationship.

But again, Enzo answered first.

"If you're talking about your little love story, then I know everything."

It was true.

After Damon turned, he had been honest with Enzo about both why he'd left, and why he had no intentions of returning.

Though he may have let on that he cared significantly less for Elena than what was truthful.

He hadn't thought it would matter.

Back then, he'd assumed it was only a matter of time before she would move on with Stefan.
Everyone under the Light knows his brother had it bad for her, or at least, her mortal body.

"That's why I'm here," Elena said, and Damon had to regain track of the conversation.

When he did, he felt annoyance boil up.

She was risking her life, for what?

Their love?

She was still holding on to the past...

"Elena, I'm flattered," he told her, managing to come off cold, despite everything in him screaming for her, "But I doubt now is a good time to try to reconcile things...if you haven't noticed we are on opposite sides of a very conflicting war."

She rolled her eyes in a way that use to be familiar to him.

"Don't be rude," she scolded, "I'm not here to reconcile. I'm here because of Stefan."

Damon's eyebrows drew together at the mention of the brother he so loved and hated, "What about him?"

"He's..." she took a painful breath, as if the admission was difficult for her, "He's planning an attack. A big one, soon. He believes the reason the Arcs haven't been hit lately is because you are planning to kill us all. He plans to strike first."

"And how do we know this is the truth," Enzo pressed into the conversation.

"Why would I lie?" Elena challenged back.

Damon leaned forward, "Wait a moment...even if Stefan is planning an attack, that doesn't explain why you're here."

Elena blushed slightly, falling silent as she bit her lip.

Enzo growled, "Well don't get quiet now, little Arc."

The red on her cheek deepened, but she met Enzo's gaze fearlessly.

"Stefan threatened Damon's life," her eyes flickered back to his, "He plans to kill you...and I can't just let..."

Damon nodded, knowing exactly what she meant,even as she trailed off.

She was here, in the lion's den, so to speak, because her desire to protect him was stronger than her own self-preservation.

Emotions he didn't want to feel flipped in his chest, tightening it.

He stood, slowly, and took the few steps over to her.

She immediately rose to face him, and Enzo watched cautiously, as if expecting a fight.

Damon ignored his comrade, and focused on Elena.

Her eyes were sharp, determined, yet still the warmest he'd ever seen.

So much passion swimming about them.

"You know," he said calmly, his voice barely above a whisper, "You really should stop loving me."

She didn't back down, "I can't, Damon. You know that."

Her doe eyes didn't lie, and part of him began to accept what she was saying.

Not that it was right.

"Yeah, I don't buy this," Enzo sighed, leaning against the wall, "Do you?"

Damon threw him a look, "I believe her."

The look on Enzo's face was almost comical, "Seriously? You really believe she would help us? Betray the Arcs? Why?"

Damon glanced back at Elena, the truth of his next statement weighing heavy.

"Because I'm the only thing she's ever loved more than them."

"But her loyalty-"

"Is to me," Damon interrupted, "Isn't it, Elena."

She dropped her gaze, almost ashamed.

He could imagine how this must bother her...saving him, at the expense of losing everything else.

If she was smart, she'd leave now, but it's Elena, and she never does the safe thing, "Yes, my liege, my loyalty is to you."

He heard the sincerity, but also the slight mockery, and couldn't help but flinch, even as a smile crossed his lips.

Elena knew by the look on Damon's face that she had won him over.
He believed her.

But Enzo was still hesitant.

"As much as I'd love to share in that optimism, I'm gonna need some proof...does that eye thing work on her?"

Elena swallowed, knowing he was referring to a mind control power that all Arcs were enabled with.
However, they had lost the ability after separating from the Light.

Maybe Damon hadn't, since he was being powered by the Darkness now.

"It should," he answered, and Elena grew nervous, "I have always been more powerful than most of the Arcs, and Elena is at a weakened state."

She shot him an annoyed look, "I am in the room, you know."

Damon winked at her, and she took a breath.

If this worked at all, she could only hope he didn't ask the wrong questions.

"Do it then," Enzo urged, and Damon nodded, facing her.

Elena met his eyes as he brought his hands up to cup her face.

She was still surprised by how warm they were.

"Elena," he purred, her name as reverent was ever in his silk voice, "Why are you here?"

She felt the answer slip off her lips without her consent and knew his power worked, "To protect you."

"From?" he urged.

"Stefan...he wants to lead an attack against the Darklings, against you. He said you're the enemy now."

Damon nodded, "So why risk death just to warn us?"

Again, the answer flowed, "Because I love you...and I don't want you to die."

Their gaze held, and she swore she saw some emotion once again roll in those blue orbs.
"Does Stefan know you are here?"

She shook her head, "No. But I left a note for Caroline, telling her what I planned to do."

"And what did you plan to do?"

She tried to control her answer against the compulsion, "I wanted to stop Stefan's attack. I didn't want you, or any more Arcs to die."

Damon rose a brow, "So is this about protecting the Arcs, as well as me."

"Yes," Elena answered.

Enzo raised a brow, "And we are to believe she won't betray us?"

Damon held up a hand to silence him.

"Elena," he focused, "Can I trust you?"

"Yes," she answered again, thanking the Light for the loophole flaw in that power.

Damon could trust her...it was the others that she was against, not him.

"I think it will be alright," Damon answered Enzo, "But one more thing."
His expression hardened, "Elena, if it comes down to a fight, would you kill an Arc? If it meant protecting me?"

What?!

Kill an Arc? Her friends?

No...oh please, no, wrong- "Yes."

She blinked.

Had 'yes' really just left her lips?

What in the...

But she thought it over, tried to imagine any Arc coming after Damon.

She would try to find another way first, but if she had to...it was true...she would kill to save him.

Damon's chuckle snapped her thoughts.
"You seemed surprised."

She met his gaze, her voice harsh, "Well, it isn't a thought I'm comfortable with."

"No...I don't expect so," Damon answered, then turned to Enzo, "She's fine."

Enzo was amused, "Yes, it seems her loyalty really is to you...fascinating."

Damon nodded, "But still, I want to hear more about Stefan's attack, so go tell the others to be on alert. If the Arcs realize Elena's gone, they might decide to come looking. Prepare them..."

Enzo rose a brow, as if questioning the real reason he was being sent away, "Anything else?"

Damon shrugged, "Try not to let anyone disturb me for a while. Elena and I have much to discuss."

Enzo nodded, and Damon grabbed Elena's arm.

"Follow me."

She did as he commanded, not that there was much choice, as he pulled her from the room.

Damon dragged her up the beautiful staircase, and led her down a few halls, turning at random, before finally coming to a stop near a door at the end of one.

Quickly, he opened it, and all but pushed her inside.

Elena realized that it must be his room, given the giant bed and clothes strung about.

It was rather large, but plain.

Nothing too distinguishing or personal was lain out.

Damon locked the door and turned to her, "What the hell were you thinking, Elena?"

She'd expected this, "Can I assume we are dropping the pretenses now?"

"Don't play games," he snapped, "Coming here was a mistake. Are you looking for your death? Because this could have easily gone a completely different way!"

"No," she insisted, speaking more freely, now that Enzo wasn't around, measuring each word, "I meant what I said, Damon. I love you. And I can't just stand by while Stefan plots your death."

"So, of course, you have to endanger yourself trying to save me...Damn it, Elena, you know better than this!"

She held her ground, "Do I? You didn't exactly give me much choice, Damon. Just because you can abandon us doesn't mean that my feelings changed. You are the purpose behind my existence...not this cause! You are all that I care about."

She stepped closer to him, despite the fact that he looked angry enough to rip her apart.

"And you didn't kill me that night near the clock tower, so these feelings aren't gone for you either," she reached up slowly, and took his head in her hands, "Are they?"

As if her touch melted him, Damon sighed, but pulled away from her, "Elena we ca-"

"No," she cut him off, "No excuses. I just turned my back on everyone that I care about, for you, Damon."

"I didn't tell you to do that," he pointed out.

"No," she agreed, "But I am the only one who hasn't lost all faith in you."

"Why can't you just let me go?!" He sounded almost pained, but she wasn't going to back down.

"Because I love you! I always have, and you love me, Damon! I know that you remember! I don't care if the Dark claims you now, you could never forget what we felt. It was too real!"

She pulled the chain off of her neck, and grabbed his hand, placing it in his palm, "I know that this meant as much to you as it did to me!"

He looked down at the ring on the chain, his eyes flashing.

It was a simple, mortal token of love that he'd given her during their first weeks on this world.

Back when they had believed themselves invincible, and he'd made promises of a love to rival time itself.

The memory of her smile, as he placed it on her finger, left him feeling hollow now…

So much had changed since then.

Too much.

He shook his head, "That was a different lifetime, Elena...I'm not the same person I was then."

"And you think I am?" she scoffed.

He stared at her, but didn't reply.

She took the ring from his hand, and placed it back around her neck.

"Fine. Then tell me I'm wrong," she challenged, once the chain was donned, "Tell me that you feel absolutely nothing. That you would let one of your Darklings down there kill me, and would lose no sleep over it. Tell me you don't love me, anymore."

Damon exhaled, taking a step closer to her, "This isn't a question of love, Elena...the point is that I left. I let you go."

His smell enveloped her senses as she moved even closer, placing her hand on his chest, needing to feel him, "And I came back to you...I love you."

His voice was impatient now, "Don't be a tragedy, Elena. You know that I...look, it doesn't matter anymore. Things have changed, and you really shouldn't be here."

She didn't falter.
"I want to be here, Damon. And it's more than just about protecting the people I care about. I wanted to be with you. Is that so hard to believe?! That I miss you? And you feel it too, otherwise you wouldn't be pushing me away right now. I mean, you're a Darkling now, right?"

"Elena-," he chided.

"What?" She defended, "It's true. You're one of them. So you're supposed to be evil, aren't you? Hard, emotionless...But if that's true, why do you care if I'm here or not? Why does my safety matter? Hell, you could kill me now and rid yourself of another Arc, but you don't. Because you still care! So don't tell me this doesn't matter."

He was captivated by the burning passion in her eyes, and overwhelmed with the fact that after so long, she was here, nearly in his arms again.

"What do you want me to say, Elena? Huh?" He bit, "Do you want me to tell you that I regret leaving? Well sorry, but I don't."

She flinched, but he held her gaze, clamping his hands around her wrists that were pressing against his chest.

"Do you want me to feel regret over giving up the Light? Because I don't regret it at all. I feel no loyalty to it, or the Arcs and their cause. But that's not what you want to hear, is it?"

"Damon," she inhaled, and he squeezed her wrists harder, pulling her closer.

"But, you wanted to know if I cared...if I missed you at all..."
He swallowed, leaning down so their foreheads nearly touched, and she could almost taste his breath, "And the answer is yes. Yes, I love you. And yes, I've missed you, Elena. More than you could ever imagine."

Her eyes lifted to his, as her body fought to mold into him.

"Then why fight me?" She whispered, "Why not just let me be here, Damon? It hurts so much, being away from you. Having to go back there, every night, to the room we shared, and all the memories...I can't do it anymore. I need to be here."

His hand found her cheek, and as his gaze moved down to her mouth, Elena recognized the lust that filled his eyes.

"You think I don't want that?" He asked, "I would kill to have you here by my side, Elena, because I do love you," he pulled away, clamping on the emotion in his voice, "But you don't belong here."

Annoyance flew through her as he turned away, churning with the desire, and pain of the situation.
How dare he tell her that, after everything she'd already suffered because of him!

She knew damn well where she belonged, and he wasn't going to convince her otherwise.

"I belong with you," she breathed, and grabbed his face, forcing him to look at her, before bringing her lips against his in a searing kiss.

Damon lost all control the moment Elena's lips touched his.

If not lost, then willing gave it up.

His hands flew to her hips, bringing her hard against him, and then wrapped his arm around her back, pressing their bodies as tightly together as physics allowed.

The kiss was frantic, hot, demanding.

It was everything he had ever wanted, wrapped in the sweetest agony.

It was wrong, and he couldn't care less.

This was Elena, and he wasn't going to stop.
He couldn't, not with her.

And he wouldn't waste time trying to bring himself to care.

With a flash, he dematerialized them to his bed, and Elena was already kicking off her boots.

He all but ripped the corset from her body, and actually did tear her body suit.

She was past noticing, though, as she wrestled the clothes off of his own body.

When she was fully naked under him, he leaned back, taking her in.

Elena was beautiful.

She had always fully captured his attention just by walking into a room, and now was no different.

Only, it was.

Because he wasn't good anymore.
And she was.

This was the last chance he had to do the right thing.
To kick her ass out, and send her back to the Arcs, where she belonged.

As if picking up his thoughts Elena shook her head, "Don't over think it, Damon. I want this. You want this."

He couldn't argue with that.
Hell, he didn't want to argue, so he leaned back down, capturing her mouth.

Elena never wanted this to end.

It was wrong. All kinds of wrong, but it didn't matter.

Because she could never get enough of Damon, and he was finally here, within her reach.

This was an opportunity she wasn't going to pass up.

Damon's mouth sucked the skin of her neck, and she moaned under him.

"You're teasing," she accused, as his fingers brushed over her breast.

He looked up and smirked, finally putting himself at her entrance.

With a shift of her hips, she felt his tip slide in.

"Damon," she whispered, needing more, "Please...just-"

He pushed in slowly, silencing her.

Once he was fully enveloped by her, their eyes met.

"I never stopped loving you," he told her, his voice thick.

Then he pulled out, and thrusted back in.

She moaned against the feeling, having missed it so much, "Same...Always...loved you."

They moved together now, like a dance they had memorized, both knowing the other so well.

Tears filled Elena's eyes again, as Damon kissed her face.

He was here, with her...and he loved her still.

This was all she would need to hold on.

Because she was right.

This...this love, this man, was worth fighting for.

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