Back at the penthouse; Damon's Point of View:

"Did you have a good evening?" I asked as I took my coat off and dropped it on the couch.

"Damon, I had an amazing time!" she said excitedly. I looked over to see her grinning ear to ear. If I had a heart, it would have jumped out of my chest just at the sight of her. Elena made her way over to the couch and curled up into a corner, gesturing for me to sit beside her. I did as she asked, and she was now in my lap, curled contently in the crook of my neck. Elena and I sat in silence for a few moments before Elena started humming an unfamiliar tune.

"What are you humming about, brown eyes?" I asked, kissing the top of her head. She turned so our faces were inches apart. Elena planted a light kiss on my lips.

"I keep hearing it…" she whispered. I looked down at her with a confused expression on my face. "The tune…I keep hearing it…in my dreams. It's like a record on repeat. But I don't remember hearing it, ever!" she said.

"Maybe you did but you just forgot about it…" I offered. She shook her head.

"No…the dream…it's always the same one. Always so vivid. And always the same tune. Like background music…like a movie…" Elena explained. I looked outside the large window to see that it was now pouring rain. I could hear thunder approaching and Elena and I watched a flash of lightning. It was beautiful. I grabbed a blanket off the back of the couch and wrapped Elena's small frame in it.

"What happens in the dream?" I asked, looking into her eyes.

"I'm wearing my pajamas and I come into my room…and then the rest is like a blur until I'm standing there, holding my necklace." I froze in my spot. She couldn't have remembered, could she? No. I compelled her to forget. Even if she does know, it's not like it's the end of the world – you're practically with her anyway. Most girls would be delighted to hear those three words. "It's so vivid," she continued "I can actually feel what the dream-me was feeling. And I wake up feeling the same in the dream: confused. And it's always the same song! I don't it!" she said exasperated. I gently picked her up and set her on the couch and then I crouched down in front of her.

"What are you doing?" she asked me. Then her eyes widened, "are you proposing!" she asked.

"What? No!" I said probably all too quickly. She didn't look too disappointed, but rather engaged in what I was about to tell her.

"Okay, Elena…I-I have something to tell you," I said gently. She cocked an eyebrow in confusion and I continued. "That dream… you were wearing a blue tank top and shorts right?" She nodded her head slightly in confusion.

"That was the night Rose kidnapped you. That was the night Elijah took your necklace," I said.

"Later that night, I came back to your house to return your necklace to you" I told her. She arched her eyebrows in confusion before speaking.

"But I don't remember you…" and then I could see she understood. Elena looked at me with betrayal in her eyes but that quickly turned to rage. "You didn't! How could you?" she asked, standing up.

"Elena – please listen to me…" I begged.

"You stupid, arrogant, pompous, ass!" she said as her eyes begun to water.

"Elena – let me explain!" I said a little bit more firmly.

"I trusted you…" she whispered before opening the door and taking the stairs up to the roof where the helicopter dropped us off. I followed her at a human pace so she didn't feel as if she was being interrogated.

"Please listen to me!" I pleaded again. Elena was facing away from me, but she turned around slightly.

"Why should I listen to you? You lied to me! Again!" she yelled.

"I didn't lie to you…I just…neglected to tell you the entire truth…" I said lightly. She rolled her eyes and threw her hand up in exasperation. The rain began to pour harder as we were both becoming soaked. But right now, this was the conversation that I've been dreading.

"Oh you just…neglected to tell me the truth?" she said, mocking my voice unsuccessfully. She lowered her head and shook it in disappointment. My heart tore at the look on her face as her doe eyes met mine.

"Give it back." she said simply. I looked at her with pain in my eyes and shook my head in what was supposed to be defeat. Elena brought her hands around her neck and then took off her necklace. She closed the distance between us and dropped the necklace in my hand. "Give it back," she said firmly. I nodded slightly before putting my hands on both of her shoulders.

"You will remember everything…" I compelled.

"I will remember everything…" she repeated.

Elena's Memory

I emerged from my bathroom to see a waiting Damon, sitting on my window seat, holding something carefully in his hand.

"Cute P.J's" he said lightly – but quietly.

"I'm tired, Damon…" I said quietly, bringing my arms around my torso protectively. He stood up and took a step closer towards me, holding up the object that was in his hand.

"Brought you this," he said. I looked at the object and took a sigh of relief as I realized he was holding my vervain necklace.

"I thought that was gone," I breathed. Damon shook his head simply as I reached out to take my necklace back, but to my surprise, he jerked his hand back.

"I just have to say something first," he said – holding my necklace out of reach. Oh no. I did not want to have this conversation.

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?" I breathed. He seemed to ponder this question briefly before struggling with his next words.

"Because…what I'm about to say is probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life" he said. I shook my head slightly.

"Don't go there, Damon…" I pleaded.

"I just have to say it once," Damon said, taking a step toward me. "You just need to hear it. I love you – Elena. And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this…I don't deserve you…but my brother does." Damon took a slight step closer to me, his eyes darting to my lips then back to my eyes. I thought he was going to kiss me, and although every instinct in my body told me to move, I couldn't.

His lips touched my forehead gingerly in what felt like nothing but a goodbye kiss. And Damon was not someone I wanted to ever say goodbye to. He took a step back and I looked into his green eyes that were now shining from the tears that threatened to spill over.

"God I wish you didn't have to forget this…" he said.

"But you do," he compelled as a single tear rolled down his cheek. I closed my eyes and opened them just as I could feel a slight breeze in my room. I looked over to my window to see that it was open. I instinctively brought my hand to my necklace and sighed with relief as I felt like my mind was safe but then a stray tear rolled down my cheek as I could feel my insides fall apart just a little bit more.

Present Day:

"Elena…" Damon said quietly taking a step closer to her.

"Shut up." Elena said as she put her hand up to stop him from coming closer. "You told me that you loved me and then took it away just like that," she snapped my fingers to emphasize what she was saying, "how could you do that to me?"

"I thought that what was best," he said. With that, Elena became enraged. She closed the distance between us and starting to shove at his chest in frustration before taking a step back, her breath ragged from exhaustion and frustration.

"YOU TOOK AWAY MY CHANCE TO START OVER!" Elena shouted at him, tears streaming down her face.

"AND WHAT WOULD YOU HAVE DONE DIFFERENTLY?" Damon shouted back, throwing his hands in the air in exasperation.

"I WOULD HAVE CHOSEN YOU!" Elena said exasperated.

I'm sorry it's taken me so long to update! I've been super stressed about school and kind of uninspired for this chapter…but I have big plans for where the story is gonna go so please read and review! Thanks so much for all the positive reviews so far, I can't wait to write more. Xoxoxxo (: