Thanks for the responses! We've passed 100. I'm ecstatic! Thanks for taking the time to read, hope it's worth it! Oh and did you guys see the season 2 premiere footage from Comic Con? If you haven't, stop reading this and go google it. NOW. When I first saw it, I hyperventilated and watched it 10 more times. –SPOILERS- I can't believe Damon is still being a lovesick puppy and going for Katherine again! But his face, when she said she never loved him, oh my god. Heart breaking. I think since she only came back for Stefan, he'll get over her. I HOPE. And Move back on to Elena. I HOPE. Oh please sweet Jesus. –END SPOILERS- Ok enough of my fan girl ramblings. Here we are, lucky number 13!

Disclaimer: No, I don't own any part of TVD. If I did, Katherine would be with Stefan and Damon would've never loved her in the first place. And Damon wouldn't own a shirt.

Chapter 13: Hold My Heart

~ Right now I can barely stand

If you're everything you say you are

Won't you come close and hold my heart? ~

…

Previously:

…Elena found herself standing a few feet away from Alaric, who had an expression of something between shock and triumph on his face. Looking down, Elena saw Gabriel crumpled and gray, lying between them with blank, unseeing eyes, a stake protruding from his chest.

…. Elena pulled her mouth from his, trying to draw breath. She rested her forehead against his, staring into his smoldering blue eyes and breathing his air. Seeing that look in his eyes once again, this time she was able to put a finger on it: love. At that moment, Elena knew she would never kiss another person besides him, Damon Salvatore, for all eternity.

…"Elena…" he sighed, breathing her name in his sleep.

Closing her eyes, Elena leaned further back into his broad, warm, well-muscled chest and let sleep claim her once more, her heart full.

…

Elena woke from a blissfully dreamless sleep to the sound of crickets chirping through the trees. She was pretty sure that if she got up and drew back the curtains, they would reveal a starry night sky. Focusing on her surroundings, she noted that Damon was still clutching her to him in his steel embrace. Willing him to wake up, she turned her head and placed a sloppy kiss on his jaw. His mouth twitched, and he drew his arms even tighter to her in reaction. Sighing, she bent her elbow up and caressed his cheek, kissing his temple. Damon shifted and groaned.

"Is that all you got?" He mumbled, his eyes still closed. Elena rolled her eyes. Same old cocky self. She lightly slapped his chest, and he let her go. She rolled over and faced him, and his eyes snapped open, adjusting to the light.

"You slept like the dead," she informed him, not aware of the truth in her sentence.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "What else did you expect? I am dead. And all that vervain wasn't exactly a pick-me-up, you know."

"I know," she sighed absently, sitting up and drawing the sheets up to stretch them over her chest and tuck them under her armpits, leaving only her back exposed.

Damon stared. Propped up on one elbow, he reached out and ran his index finger down her spine. He felt her shiver under his touch, and he sat up behind her, crossing one leg underneath him. Her shoulders were hunched, and the second he placed his hands on them near the sides of her neck, he felt them drop, the muscles relaxing. He pressed his fingertips lightly across her collar bone, pulling her so that her back hit against his chest; she was practically in his lap. His arms snaked under the sheet, wrapping around her ribcage and holding her to him. Damon dropped his head forward, his lips moving softly at Elena's neck. She folded her arms over his, and he heard her breath catch when he pressed his tongue into the silky skin just below her jaw. This newfound freedom, this openness with her, was addictive. The second she kissed him, she had turned herself over to him. She was his, they both knew that now. And ever since, he couldn't bring himself to stop…indulging in her.

She swallowed hard, and he withdrew his mouth from her skin, but did not pull back. Instead, he nuzzled his face into her neck, breathing against the column of her throat.

"You need to go get dressed," he said in a low, sultry voice, his hot lips barely brushing her skin.

"Mm…" she replied, dazed, her eyelids fluttering.

"Upsy daisy." He said in a lighter tone, but making no movement to encourage her to get up. "We have an errand to run."

"Where on earth are you taking me that's open in the middle of the night?" she inquired, thinking a little more clearly.

"Psh, come on. And it's only eight. The place I have in mind stays open for another hour, so if you'll hurry your lazy butt along, we should make it." Damon still didn't move away from her, not sure if he could.

"My lazy butt?" she retorted, indignant. "And where are we going?"

"Ugh, you ask too many questions, Elena. You'll see when we get there. Now run along," he ordered, but still not really wanting her to get up from his lap. She let out a huff and climbed off the bed, tossing back the covers deliberately. Damon was about to make a snide remark at her stubbornness when he looked down to see her standing in front of him in all of her half-naked glory. He felt his eyes widen as he drank in the sight of her expanse of smooth skin, flowing seamlessly over the lovely curves of her-

Looking down, Elena blushed and snatched up her discarded towel. She furiously wrapped it around her once more and exited the room with as much of her shredded dignity as possible. Once out in the hallway, a smile tugged at her lips as she thought of Damon's awestruck eyes and slack jaw, mouth slightly opened, when she had stood before him. She knew Damon had probably seen dozens of girls in way less than underwear, given his feeding habits, and his uninhibited reaction caught her off guard. And it made her feel…good. Damon had a way of unconsciously making her feel special more than Stefan ever had even when he tried. Eyes dancing, she disappeared into her room in search of something to wear.

…

Damon pulled into the parking lot of a small building bathed in the glow of the streetlights. Elena's eyes roved up to a small, lit sign: Fell's Jewelers. Her eyebrows rose.

"Uh, Damon? Why are we at a jeweler's?"

He sighed. "Because. Since you don't want to wear that hand-me-down necklace, I'm getting you a new one and filling it with vervain. You never know what might show up in this death trap of a town, the past few days have proven that."

"Oh." Elena didn't know what else to say as he grabbed her by the wrist and pulled her toward the entrance. She was touched by the gesture, even if it was a necessary precaution.

Inside the store, Damon held out an arm and told her "Now go crazy and pick out any locket you want. Money is no object." Her eyes widened, and slightly shell shocked, she stumbled out among the rows of glass counters. There was every type of locket she could have dreamed of, and more. Bronze, gold, silver, diamond, crystal, long chain, short chain, filigree, studded, solid, engraved…she was overwhelmed. Her eyes settled on a golden oval encrusted with tiny rubies, glittering in the golden light. Ruby had always been her favorite gemstone, and she made a motion to ask an assistant to take it out of the case. As she leaned forward, something at the back of the display caught her eye. A small silver heart, engraved on the edges with thin, curling vines and faced front and back with two translucent pale blue crystals, was looking very lonely nestled in its navy velvet cushion. Changing her mind as the assistant made her way to the counter, Elena pointed to the silver heart.

"May I see that one please?"

"Of course," the plump, overly-made up woman replied. "You're actually the first customer to ask about that one." Elena bit her lip, frowning in surprise. She thought it was the most beautiful piece of jewelry in the case. The lady held out the locket to her, and Elena picked it up carefully by its delicate silver chain. As she held it out, it swung back and forth, catching the light and casting rainbows on the walls. The blue crystals were beautiful in the light, and Elena suddenly realized why the necklace appealed to her so much: It was the same color as Damon's eyes when the sunlight hit them.

"I'll take it." She said decidedly, and followed the lady to the cash register. She turned to see Damon standing beside her, eyeing the locket swinging from her fingers. He simply nodded and handed the lady his credit card. He took the necklace from her grasp and stood behind her, putting the chain around her neck.

"Funny, I thought you would've chosen the ruby one. You usually seem to have an inclination toward the color," He remarked, working on the clasp.

"Well, maybe my favorite color's changed. It happens. Besides, I really like this one. It reminds me of…someone." She blushed, and Damon fastened the clasp, letting the chain fall around her neck. As he pulled her hair over it, she felt his fingers brush against her neck, cool and feather-light. Letting out a whoosh of air, she turned to face him. He opened his mouth to ask who that someone was, but decided against it, seeing the blazing look in her eyes. Stefan. It reminds her of Stefan. How? Never mind that, she wants to buy it because it reminds her of my little brother. Of course. Damon's heart sank down to somewhere between his toes, but he worked to maintain his mask of cool indifference. Turning to the counter, he finished his transaction and sauntered out of the store, knowing she was following him.

The drive home was deafeningly silent. Elena sensed something was off and spoke up, wanting him to talk to her.

"Thanks for this," she said quietly, her eyes downcast. "It means a lot more than you think."

He nodded curtly, but otherwise gave no response. Elena sighed and pulled her knees up to her chest. What is the deal with him tonight? Maybe he's just thirsty, she reasoned with herself. Stefan always got cranky if he waited too long to feed. She leaned her head against the window, knowing she wasn't going to get anything else out of him at present. When he pulled up to the boarding house, Damon abruptly switched off the engine and strode into the house, not waiting up for her. Confused, Elena's hand automatically twitched up toward her necklace, stroking the crystal face with her index finger. Crossing her arms, she traipsed into the house. Not able to stand his iciness, she walked straight up to her room, trying to keep her eyes from roaming in search of him. She changed back into her pajamas, a maroon tank top and dark gray shorts, and shuffled down the hall to brush her teeth. She realized she hadn't eaten in a while, but she wasn't hungry. Frustrated, she headed up the narrow stairwell to Damon's bedroom, wanting to talk it out with him, whatever it was. His sudden change in behavior didn't sit well with her, and she was going to fix it.

She pushed open his door to find the room empty. The window had been thrown open and there was a slight breeze, but the curtains were too heavy to be affected by it.

"Damon?" she called out tentatively; there was no reply. Crossing over the dark hardwood floor to the open window, she rested her palms on the sill and poked her head out. There he was, sitting on the roof, resting his back against the side of the house in the shadows. He was staring off into the night, his profile melancholy and frightening at the same time. One elbow was propped up on a raised knee, and his other leg sprawled out onto the shingles. Determined, Elena sucked in a breath and stepped up onto the windowsill, bracing herself against the walls.

"Not a very bright move, Elena," he drawled, not looking at her.

"I don't care," she shot back, stepping onto the roof.

"You're just asking for an untimely death, aren't you?" He said dryly, raising an eyebrow. Even so, he got up and nonchalantly walked across the roof, extending a hand to her. She looked over the ledge, remembering she was on the third story of the house. Her kneecaps suddenly liquefied, and she trembled, unable to step forward. Damon rolled his eyes and took another step forward, grabbing her with both hands by the upper arms. He all but carried her over to the corner of the roof, and she sank down next to him, breathing heavily.

"Beautiful view," she murmured, gesturing toward the clear, starry sky.

"I always thought so," he supplied, looking at her and not the sky. Silence fell again, and Elena fingered her locket, now slightly heavier and sweet-smelling. Damon must have filled it with vervain while she was changing. She reached out and stroked his forearm, but he pulled away.

"You know, after all the hell he put you through, I'm shocked you would want to always wear something that reminded you of him. If you changed your mind about it, why didn't you just say something and keep the old one?" He suddenly spoke up, bitterness shading his words. Elena's eyes shifted from side to side, trying to understand what he was getting at. She tilted her head at him, her forehead creasing.

"The necklace. It reminds you of a 'special someone'?" he said coolly, not facing her.

Realization dawned on Elena. "Damon! You can be so thick-skulled sometimes, you know that?" She squinted at him, shaking her head. Damon shot her a look of genuine surprise and confusion. "This locket doesn't remind me of Stefan, oh god no. I wish I could wipe him from my memory, for Christ's sake. " Damon opened his mouth, about to explain he could do just that if she wanted him to, but saw that she wasn't finished, and remained silent. She held the necklace away from her so it caught he moonlight. "No. It reminds me of someone else entirely." Damon's mouth clamped shut, humbled. Slightly embarrassed, but dogged to explain, she continued. "The crystals, they're the exact same color as your eyes when the light hits them." Her face burned, and she looked away. He was taken aback, and wasn't sure what to say. All snide remarks had completely fled his brain, and everything at the forefront of his mind would come out entirely too sappy and mushy. He didn't do mushy. God, he was getting soft. So instead, he pulled her by the waist and set her down to stretch out between his legs, his shoulder her headrest. She closed her eyes, turning her head into him and breathing in his dangerously addictive scent. Her blushing cheek felt like fire against his cool skin, and he suddenly found himself in an uncharacteristically good mood. Clutching her to him in an iron grip, he leaped gracefully from the roof in one swift motion. Elena squealed, squeezing herself against him and beating against his back in protest at the same time; he grinned in spite of himself and landed lightly on his feet. She stumbled out of his arms, shooting him a look of consternation and trying to be angry with him. She took a step forward and wobbled, dizzy from the jump. Damon laughed lightly and scooped her up, carrying her across the back courtyard.

He set her down on the edge of a fountain, one she had never noticed before. It was at least twelve feet deep and thirty feet across, with a cherub in the center that had long ago quit spouting water. Curious, Elena stuck her fingertips into the water; it was a surprisingly pleasant temperature. Damon sat down next to her, watching her splash her fingers across the surface.

"It's nice out here," she admitted, then splashed him with water. He looked down at his dripping shirt in disbelief, but quickly recovered. He smirked at her as she giggled, enjoying her laugh; it sounded like a dove cooing. A malevolent gleam crept into his eyes, and his smirk grew wider.

"Hey Elena?" he said in a low voice, leaning in to her. He heard her heart thump faster, and her breathing grew shallow as he leaned in closer. His lips closed softly around her bottom lip, brushing against it gently before he gave her side a quick nudge, tipping her into the fountain.

She didn't even have time to scream before she hit the water. Swirling about in the dark water beneath the surface, she finally managed to push her way to the wall, kicking off from it and breaking back into the air.

"Damon!" She gasped, a furious growl in her voice. He grinned impishly, wiggling his eyebrows at her. She pushed herself out of the water and latched on to his elbow, trying to tug him down with her. He could've easily resisted the faint pull, but he let her drag him down anyways, falling sideways into the fountain. Submerged, he glanced around for her, and spying his target, he reached out and grabbed her ankle. She jerked at the touch and tried to swim away, and he released her only to swim with impressive speed up to her face, planting an impromptu kiss on her surprised lips. He tangled his fingers in her hair, which was waving listlessly around them in the water. Pulling back, he brushed a hand down her cheekbone and wrapped an arm around her waist as he shot them upward, breaking the surface with a great splash. She sucked in a deep breath as he set her above him on the stone ledge of the fountain. Still breathless, she gave him a heartbreaking grin and leaned down, putting one hand on either side of his face, and kissed him. The kiss was slow, and he deepened it, holding on to her hips as he explored her warm mouth with his own. For once in his life, he felt that maybe, just maybe, here in the middle of hell, heaven was within reach.

…

Katherine savored one last drop, then carelessly dropped the drained young pedestrian behind the dumpster with a thud. She looked over to Stefan, who was finishing off a young cashier who had stepped outside for a smoke. Licking her lips, she sauntered over to him, putting on her best pouting face.

"Stefan, I'm bored. Can we take a trip? New York is starting to bore me, and all of these city slickers don't taste the same as the small-towners."

"Where do you want to go?" He asked, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.

"Oh, I don't know," she said innocently, pretending to deliberate. "How 'bout we go back to that quaint little town of yours? I'm curious about that little doppelganger of mine that I've been hearing so much about. She sounds…tantalizing." A wicked smile stretched across her face, and she pushed herself up against Stefan's chest.

"Damon won't let you touch her," Stefan admonished in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Ah, Damon. Ever the whipped, love struck little boy. Not an ounce of sense in him. I'm smart, I left him while I could." She raised one eyebrow. "So he likes keeping a little pet to remind him of me, does he? That won't end well. We would be doing him a favor, getting her out of the way." She started to walk down the dimly lit alley, beckoning to Stefan. "So, it's settled. Time to go wreak some more havoc on little Mystic Falls and have that pretty little snack of Damon's while we're at it. Are you coming, my dear Mr. Salvatore?"

Stefan had craved Elena ever since the last time he drank from her; he couldn't resist now. He had Katherine, he had human blood. What was there to lose that he would actually miss? Dropping the petite blonde corpse, he jogged to catch up with her.

Sorry it took me forever to post this! Turns out there was another impromptu road trip that I forgot about, and it took away my writing time. AS you can tell from the last bit of my story, something terrible is about to begin. Stick around to find out? Thank you so much for the reviews, they make me smile like a fool as always. Some of you guys have written stories that me cringe with embarrassment when I go back and read my amateur crap that I spin. You amaze me. Please let me know your thoughts on this little turn of events! Feedback is love. Delena is more.