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...

Elena's head whipped towards the window. She then turned and ran into the house at full speed. Damon followed, getting to the TV before she did. A reporter, male this time; was standing in front of a line of police tape; clearly a crime scene. "...Yes it has been a devastating day so far for locals after the early morning discovery of 15 bodies inside the home. Police are not releasing any details of the deaths yet but they have confirmed that they are on the lookout for what may be a large bear or wolf. Officials are cautioning everyone in the area to stay inside their homes and to call 911 if an animal is spotted."

So this was it: The moment they had both been waiting for but wished would never come. Damon had tried to track Stefen and Klaus out of Mystic Falls but they had left no trace behind. He knew that until they killed, he wouldn't be able to narrow down the millions of places they could be. Elena understood this; she knew that they needed a trail to follow, even if it was a trail of blood. However, this didn't stop her from feeling sick as faces of the victims started to appear on the screen. How much blood would have to be spilt? How many innocent lives would have to be taken? How many trails of bodies would they have to follow before they found Stefen?

They stood silent as each absorbed the impact of this discovery. "Maybe it wasn't them. When Stefens off the wagon, he's not careful. He's not thinking of covering his tracks, just of finding more bodies to drain. If it looked like an animal attack..." Damon stopped, considering his words. He could try to deny it all he wanted but with Klaus's werewolf side unleashed, it was likely their victims did look...mauled.

At that moment, reality set in for Elena. She thought she had been prepared for this day but now that it had finally arrived, she realized she wasn't. As the first tremor of a very real panic attack overtook her; she felt something: the only thing that could reach her in this endless moment. Damon's hand had closed over hers gently, offering nothing but comfort. Everything became too overwhelming suddenly and she let out a sob, dropping to her knees.

Damon was there instantly to catch her. She buried her head in his chest as she cried, grateful for the first time to have him so close. He brushed her hair away from her face slowly, all the while whispering "shhhhhh," to calm her down. They stayed like this, unmoving until they heard a soft knock on the front door.

"Elena? Damon?" Bonnie's faint voice could be heard from behind the thick door. Elena sniffed, pulling back to look at Damon's now tear soaked shirt.

"I got your shirt all wet." She sniffed.

Damon would never get used to her face; especially this close. Even tear stained and puffy, she was perfect. He was finding it hard to focus as he watched her lips try to create words around her laboured breathing. It was happening again; he was getting too caught up in the moment. Things were too intense. Lighten the mood: he thought. This was his default when feelings were on the line. "This shirt is Marc Jacobs. Dick move."

She laughed; briefly getting caught up in his smile. He was just what she needed in times like these. Elena didn't like to show her weak side. If she needed to cry, she did it in the privacy of her own room; curtains shut, door locked. She had been with Stefen just a little under a year and it was very rare for even HIM to see her in this state. But with Damon it was different. She knew deep down inside that Damon's love for her wasn't a product of her strength, or of her ability to keep him at peace with himself; not like Stefen's was. In fact, it was the opposite: a product of her weaknesses, her vulnerability and most of all, her humanity.

There was another knock. Damon slowly stood up, bringing Elena with him. He gestured towards the couch whispering, "I'll handle this." As he strode to get the door, Elena sat on the loveseat, using the reflection of the window behind her to wipe away the mess of mascara pooled under her eyes. She could hear low voices in the hallway.

"Where's Elena? I want to talk to her." Bonnie seemed irritated.

"ELENA is in the living room...but she's relaxing in the buff, so you can't go in there right now. Isn't that right Elena?" She snickered, picturing his snide expression as he created a visual for himself. She jumped off the couch, deciding that her face was about as good as it was going to get. When she rounded the corner into the hallway, she could instantly feel the tension rolling off of Bonnie. Her stance was defensive, her face serious despite Damon's sarcasm.

"There's something wrong in this house." She couldn't have been more accurate.

"Yeah, tell us something we don't know. Jeremy's practically basking in it up there."Damon replied. He could tell that now was not the time to keep it light. Despite his joking, he could feel it. It had gotten worse since they left the room.

Bonnie started walking slowly up the stairs, weary of what she would find. When she reached the top, she started to feel an unnerving chill. As she neared Jeremy's room the chill got worse until she realized it was coming from underneath his door. "Jeremy?" She tried the door. It was locked now. "Jer, its Bonnie. Please let me in. We're...we're all worried about you." Nothing. Complete silence.

Damon sighed. She was wasting time "Why don't you just unlock it yourself?"

"Damon's right Bonnie; don't you have a spell for that?" Elena chimed in. Bonnie turned, practically forgetting she was there.

"Of course I do; but I would rather him let us in of his own accord. It's pretty sad when you have to use a spell just to get into your own boyfriend's room..." A muffled groan interrupted her. It was coming from inside the room. "Was that Jeremy?"She turned to Damon, a shocked look on her face.

Damon listened closely. Whatever it was, it wasn't coming from Jeremy. It was the sound old houses made when their foundations were giving out. But this house was practically brand new. Elena's parents had built it when they decided to start a family. "It's coming from the house." He whispered.

The three of them stood in the hallway, looking around. The sound wasn't just coming from Jeremy's room now; it was coming from all around them.

"Okay, I've had enough."Damon spat. He corrected his stance, ready to break the door down when Jeremy whipped it open. The groaning of the house stopped immediately.

"Jesus you all just don't quit, do you?" He was still ghostly pale. "I told you I wanted some privacy. Can't you just let me be?"

Bonnie was taken aback by this. "Jer, can I come in?" When he didn't respond, she took his hand; walking into his room anyway. He followed, seemingly in a trance. She turned and made eye contact with Elena. "I got this," she mouthed, and with that, she closed the door.

"That was weird." Damon said, still looking at the door. He then turned to Elena, reading her face. She was an open book to him. Her worry was evident on her face. "Hey," he said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Let's go downstairs and talk."

She nodded, not even hesitating. She was ready to get off this floor and downstairs where she could tackle an issue she understood. Damon descended the stairs, and like a moth to a flame; she followed.

...

"What do you want to do?" They were sitting on the couch now, content to leave whatever was happening upstairs in Bonnie's hands. Damon was facing Elena, his elbows on his knees as he asked this.

"I don't know, what do you think is best?" Elena responded. Her head was swimming. The morning had been full of grisly discoveries and heartbreak. She slowly realized that once again, she was letting everything get in the way of her own needs. She wasn't hungry anymore but she could use a drink for sure.

Almost as if he had read her mind, Damon stood. As he walked into the kitchen he spoke over his shoulder. "It's not about what I think is best Elena. It's about what you want to do. I will go after Stefen whether you come with me or not but I need to know that if you stay, you're not going to have a complete meltdown." With the sacrifice ritual over, he was confident that no one else hell bent on spilling doppelganger blood would be passing through Mystic Falls anytime soon. However, the only danger Elena was facing now came from herself. He feared for her sanity when she wasn't involved in things. She was a true martyr, and in true martyr fashion, he knew she would do something incredibly stupid if left by her lonesome.

"Fine, you want to know what I think is best?" He was at the fridge now, peering in. "I think you should come with me." Orange juice or milk? A+ or B-? Though the comparison was silly, the textures were on par with each other.

"Milk please. It'll tie me over till lunch." She said with a smile. He looked back at her, surprised by her decision. He was about to reach for the juice. "I want to come with you. I want to be there when you find him. But now, with this Jeremy thing, I really don't know who needs me more."

Jeremy needed Bonnie. And as for Damon; he needed Elena more than he cared to admit. "Well, I could use some company on the trip. And I wouldn't worry about Jeremy now that Bonnie is aware of what's going on. If she needs help, I'm sure she'll enlist Tyler and Caroline. I know Rick is kickin' around here somewhere too. He has a support system Elena; better yet, he has a support system made up of supernatural entities. He is the safest kid in town. And I KNOW the witch is on top of things." He said with a grin. "In more ways than one."

"So it's decided then. I'll go with you." She found this easier to accept than she thought she would. She had been prepared for this step. Her bags had been packed; ready to go since Stefen disappeared. Elena knew Damon was right about Jeremy. As hard as it was for her to admit sometimes, she was only human; the weakest link in a circle of powerful beings. Jeremy needed her like he needed a Barbie. She was practically dead weight.

Damon sauntered over, handing her a glass of milk. He plopped down on the couch, happy with her decision. "I think it may be time for a road trip."

...

YAY. Everyone loves a road trip! Especially a Delena road trip. If you haven't figured this out by now, I am clearly a Delena shipper. Now don't get me wrong, I enjoy Stefen's character and plan to play with it a bit but I feel it's time for Damon to get some love. Do you agree?

Please review *bats eyelashes*