Elena sat beside Damon, a knot of anxiety, guilt, and worry growing ever larger in her stomach. With everything that had happened, she'd completely forgotten that before finding Uncle John's body, she'd already been on the way to the hospital- for Caroline.
She'd realized her mistake upon seeing Matt and Caroline's mother, the Sheriff, sitting together in the hospital waiting room, grim looks of desperation tainting their familiar faces. Ever since, she couldn't stop apologizing for being so late- it was nearly two am, now- even though Liz knew full well about Uncle John, having been at the scene before returning to her daughter, and didn't blame Elena in the least.
"She's still recovering from surgery, Elena" Liz had said, putting a motherly hand on her shoulder. "You couldn't have seen her yet anyways."
When Elena started tapping her foot from the impatience that was also growing in her, Damon glanced at her, slight irritation marring his features.
"What are we waiting for, anyway?"
Elena turned to him to speak.
"The nurse said I couldn't go in to see Jeremy since he's been moved from intensive care, and it's past visiting hours. But she said she'd try to get special permission from the docto-"
But Damon didn't let Elena finish her sentence. He was already up and out of his seat, staring deeply into the hazel eyes of the young nurse .
"It doesn't matter that it's past visiting hours. You're going to let us in to see Jeremy Gilbert. And then you're going to bring Miss Gilbert here a cup of coffee."
The blonde in the impeccably white scrubs nodded her head, repeating Damon's words in the trance-like manner of a human under compulsion.
"Damon, that was completely unnecessary," Elena hissed as she followed Damon along the corridor towards Jeremy's room. "We could have waited."
"No, we couldn't have," Damon replied, flashing his trademark smirk. "How do you think I got in before? We weren't going to get permission. Besides, it's late. Or you could say, it's early."
Elena cocked her head, rolling her eyes, and gripped the handle to Jeremy's room.
But what Elena didn't know was what Damon wasn't telling her- that he had a reason for his haste. He had to get back to Stefan and Alaric, who were already at the boardinghouse preparing to hunt down Katherine. Elena didn't know that her undead doppelganger was her biological father's murderer- she'd unceremoniously kicked out Stefan before he could tell her what Damon knew, and Damon figured that particular conversation was the boyfriend's job.
Sorry I didn't tell you, honey, but my ex is pretty handy with a knife.
Damon's mouth twisted into a wry smile at his own thoughts, as he watched Elena reunite with her brother. After a few heart-wrenching moments of sincere emotion that Damon was trying to block out for Elena's privacy- and because he could only take so much teen angst- they were back out the door and on their way to the boardinghouse.
"Damon," Elena said, as he drove alarmingly fast down the streets of mystic Falls.
"Mhhhmm?" He asked, not taking his eyes off the road.
"What if Stefan doesn't accept my apology? I mean, it's his house, too, he might not want me spending the night…"
"Elena. We were going to ask you to come over anyways. For the same reason your Aunt Jenna is sleeping at the teacher's."
Elena's brow furrowd ion confusion, her body twisted towards him. "What do you mean? Jenna went over to Mr. Saltzman's because she needed someone- didn't she?"
"No. She went over there because that house is no longer safe to sleep in. Because whoever killed your- Uncle John- was…a vampire. They knew about the ring, to…make sure it wasn't on him. It was a vampire."
Elena took in a sharp breath. "Oh my God. Of course. Of course- who else- founding families- I can't believe I didn't realize it before. But how did they get invited in? Do you know who it was?" She asked frantically, her eyes searching Damon's.
He finally turned to look at her as he pulled his baby blue mustang into the driveway of the boardinghouse. "I do. But that question is really one you should save for Stefan."