Okay, please, please don't hate me for the lack of updates. I had exams that are no finally over and I'm on my summer vacation and then I had Insurgence 5 (Can't believe I actually met the cast) so I couldn't write. I can not apologise enough but from now on this story will be updated regularly and the next update will be within a week. Thank you so much for standing by this story, you are amazing ! I love you!

Song: Jason Mraz - I Won't Give Up.

I beta stories by Somerholish so you all after you've read this need to check out her stories because she is unbelievably fantastic! She's a close friend and I love her.

If you read other stories of mine then don't worry I'm working on these chapters as we speak and they will be updated within the next few days. I've also been working on the Stefan & Katherine sequel to Comeback like I promised. I've also got another story in the works but I won't be posting until I am few chapters ahead so I can post more regularly.

Okay so I'm going to shut up now. I hope you enjoy.

When I look into your eyes

It's like watching the night sky

Or a beautiful sunrise

Well there's so much they hold

Elena was spread across the bed, her brown hair fanned out across the pillow and the odd curl in her hair surrounded her ever beating chest. Her hands were clasped together by the left side of her head and her mouth was slightly open, her lips still slightly red and puckered from our kiss last night. Elena's lips had twisted in her sleep causing her to have a lazy smile and for me to mirror it. How could you look at her right now and not smile? She was just beautiful, she was perfect, and she was the girl that had all my love.

The red and fullness of her lips drifted my thoughts back to last night and how her kiss had affected something that I had thought I had lost since losing her; hope. It seemed stupid, cliché, highly pathetic and something Stefan would write in his diary but I had no other words to describe the feelings inside me. The kiss had awakened something in me to fight harder for Elena, be the man that she had wanted me to be and show her that I was more than the impulsive wreck that she remembered. I loved Elena with everything that I had and she belonged with me, not Stefan and not the pathetic quarterback. Me. Elena would always be mine. Yes there were a million reasons to why we shouldn't be together but there was one reason why we should be; I loved her and she loved me.

My confident thoughts were interrupted by Elena's cell phone buzzing from the table on her side of the bed but somehow she had found herself on my side of the bed this morning so the noise did not disturb her from her slumber. Leaning over the bed, I grasped the phone in my hand and my original intention had been to switch it off and let Elena sleep but when glancing at the phone I read the text that had appeared on the screen unable to stop myself.

Elena! I know you're staying at the Lake House and the only reason I haven't showed up

is to give you time to be alone to understand what my brother has done to you, and how he has messed you up in so many ways. I am sorry about my reaction at the ball but you are so easily manipulated by him, Elena.

He has some sort of control over you. He's not good for you.

Please answer my calls. I love you.

Stefan

It was clear that my brother hated me for interfering with him and Elena's relationship but did he seriously prefer that she didn't know? In the text he had said I was manipulating her and that I was no good for her and normally I would have believed him but the fact that Elena was still here and asking me to stay, still willing to give me the benefit of the doubt, still willing to trust me and to kiss me meant that there was something good going on between us. Elena and I were good for each other I would believe that, I had to believe it.

A buzz came from my phone downstairs and with a sigh I rose from the bed taking one last look at Elena's sleeping form. I smiled to myself again before brushing a strand of her hair from her face, my fingertips barely touching her cheek as I caressed it gently. Her skin felt like velvet underneath mine…so soft. Slowly not to disturb her I placed a lingering kiss on her forehead before making my way downstairs to where my jacket had been resting ever since the ball.

My hands searched the pockets with ease before pulling out the desired object and resting it in my fingers. Turning my phone over in my hands so the screen faced towards me, I pressed the button with my thumb causing a ray of light to escape from the phone. One unread message, lucky me. Rolling my eyes to myself I pressed the messages icon and opened the message that I had no doubt would be from Stefan.

I hope you've left town, brother, because you have caused enough damage.

If you are with her…

Stefan.

He was unable to state his threat but it was there in the text. If he found out that I was with Elena he would undoubtedly be pissed at my behaviour, at my betrayal and the way I was clearly 'manipulating' Elena and whatever else I had done wrong. I understood why he was so angry with me because when he first brought Elena home claiming her to be his girlfriend I had hated him for it, I had lashed out on the town and lashed out on Caroline wanting to give Stefan a taste of what I could do and killing Lexi was the ultimate damage that I could do to him but there was always something from stopping me causing him any physical pain. At the end of the day I had come to terms that he was with Elena and showing her the kind of love with rainbows, unicorns where nothing exciting remotely happened because that had been one of the reasons I had left her. I didn't want her getting hurt and I knew Stefan would never do that to her. He wouldn't hurt her. I understood his hatred towards me right now, I understood. He could hurt me but he would not hurt Elena. I wouldn't let him touch her.

Sighing, I placed my phone in a random pocket in my jacket not bothering to reply to my brother. When I dropped the phone into my pocket my fingers instantly became in contact with something cold, something with a chain. Curling my fingers around it I picked it up and recognised the cold slithering chain to be the chain to my mother's necklace, the necklace that I had once given to Elena long ago to protect her when I had been feeling quite brave and similar to what I was feeling now; hope. My finger traced the rose on the pendant whilst my thumb caressed the silver frame holding the picture together, my memories taking me back to the one moment where the necklace had represented hope for me and Elena.

Elena was stood in front of the fire place, her hair flowing down in soft curls down her back and her jeans hugging her legs in all the right ways. Her breathing was soft and controlled, her heart beating fairly normally as she stared into the flames with a determined expression on her face. Elena's arms hugged her body tight as though she needed to protect herself from the tempting threatening flames. Shadows caressed her body whilst the fire flickered over her skin causing her to resemble a beautiful painting from all that time ago.

"Elena." I whispered softly, announcing my arrival into the room and coughing a little.

There were a few seconds that passed before she turned around but once she did her face remained covered by the shadows in the room and only her left hand side of her face were lit up by the flames now. Elena smiled brightly at me before taking a few steps towards me and holding her hands out for me to take. I smiled softly back at her thinking of what I was about to do, what I was about to give her and how it was going to change everything about us for so long. Her brown doe eyes met mine and in that one instant I knew that I wasn't making a mistake because this was Elena. She was worth this.

"Hey." She whispered back, rubbing soft circles on my hand close to my thumb.

"I hope you haven't been waiting too long." I told her looking down at our hands together.

"Nope." She smiled and pulled me closer, her heart beating wildly just by us being pressed together and our skin touching.

There was a moment of silence between us, a moment where I just breathed in her beauty and admired her for the angel that she was, the breathtakingly beautiful girl that had somehow stayed with me despite my emotional impulsive nature that was a constant barrier between us. She managed to stay with me, managed to still love and care for me even with my lack of humanity. She had always managed to be there no matter how many times I had pushed her away when we had our regular fights and by some miracle she would always come back to me. Elena had always been here for me and as she closed her eyes, whispering I love you into my neck, I knew that giving her my mother's necklace was the right choice.

"I have something for you." I whispered detangling her body from mine and holding her back with a small smile on her face knowing how curious she would be as I hardly gave her gifts.

Elena raised her one eyebrow at me and pouted her mouth in a teasing way, all in all regarding me with a curious expression but one that was filled with joy. She kept holding my one hand as her brown eyes sparkling with curious rested on mine. She titled her head slightly to the side and a noise of disbelief left her mouth. Was she really that shocked that I could give her something? That I could actually be a decent human being towards her? Was I that much of a monster when I was around her? I shook my heads, throwing away all the negative thoughts that fought to creep back in consume me because nothing was going to ruin this moment.

"You didn't have to get me anything." She whispered, shaking her head in disbelief.

"No." I told her because I didn't have to get her anything if I didn't want to, I didn't have to give her the necklace that was my most prized possession and that would end up protecting her. "No, you're right. I didn't have to get you anything but I wanted to." I swallowed. "It didn't cost anything before you worry about that, it's just something I want you to have."

"What's the occasion?" She smiled looking at me.

I love you, I wanted to say but no I couldn't tell her that because every time the words tried to leave my lips nothing came out and I couldn't lead her on too much. If I told her I loved her then she would never look for the life she deserved, she wouldn't become the strong woman that was slowly taking shape. She wouldn't become Elena Gilbert. She would become completely fixed on me, on our love and vampirism, and I didn't want that for her.

My hands moved to the back of my jeans where I rummaged the black velvet box out and into my hands. For a split second the negative thoughts consumed me, crawling into my brain and making me uncertain of what I should do. You're not good enough, Damon. 'You don't deserve her.' 'She will never love you like you think she will.' 'She's going to run.' 'She hasn't met Stefan yet and she will pick him.' 'History will be repeated and you will be left without the girl.' The voice whispered in my ear but not in my own voice but rather in two voices that always seemed to reject me in my past; Katherine and Giuseppe.

"Damon?" Elena whispered bringing me back to reality, bringing me back to her. "There's something holding you back from me isn't there?"

Ignoring her question, I pulled out the black box and hoped that the conversation would soon disappear so we could go back and do what we did best; kiss, sex and being with each other. I could feel Elena sigh in defeat because she knew that I would take the conversation no further and that it would only end in us fighting which neither of us wanted. Her gaze landed on the box between us both and I opened the lid causing a gasp to emit from her lips. I smiled at her reaction before taking the necklace out of the box and into my hands.

"Damon, it's beautiful."

"Perfect for you then." I whispered turning her around, placing a soft kiss to her neck causing her eyelids to flutter in pleasure.

My fingers undid the clasp quickly and Elena grabbed all her hair within her hands, lifting up so I could place the necklace around her neck, a necklace that she would hopefully be able to wear for the rest of her life, a necklace that somehow I would never have to take away from her. Once the necklace was around her neck I tightened the clasp so it would fit her body shape and not happen to fall off during her cheerleading, yoga and whatever else she did to help keep herself fit. She picked the pendant up and her fingers twirled it around for a while before she dropped it back to the centre of her chest.

"Why are you giving me this?" She asked turning back around to face me.

"It will protect you from compulsion." I smiled weakly at her. "I don't want anyone to have the ability to control you."

"So you can't compel me?"

"No."

"Well at least I know you will never be able to leave me and make forget you because that's what I am most afraid of." She said with a smile before pressing her lips to mine.

"What's that?" Elena's voice came from the top of the stairs.

Turning around I seen she was dressed in dark jeans that emphasised her curves that made up her body more so than usual and her purple tank top was tight in the all right places. And, just for a moment I had to remember not to kiss her and pull her back into the bedroom to show her how much she couldn't remember, how much pleasure I could bring her within seconds, how soft her skin felt under my fingertips. Clenching my fist tightly by my side I had to control the lust and love that was building inside of me and not do what my mind wanted me to do. I had to breathe. Breathe. Elena stared at me from the top of the stairs, her brown eyes squinting at me and her head titled slightly to the side.

"Damon? Are you okay?" She asked, her hand gripping the banister and walking slowly down the stairs.

I nodded to her unable to stop the smile on my lips as I realised everything about her still made me crazy, still made me want her, still made me want to kiss her and make love to her in every way possible. She still drove me crazy but the difference now was that I could control my emotions around her. Somehow I had managed to gain control, become the better man and still be me along the way. Elena had changed me and yes, I had said it a million times before but at the end of the day it was true. She saved me, changed me and no matter what her choice was at the end of all this I would always owe her for that.

"Look if this was about the kiss last night…" Elena trailed off, her eyes wavering between me and the floor. "It probably shouldn't have happened. I mean, I am technically dating Stefan even though we haven't stopped fighting but I can't bring myself to regret it, Damon."

A small smile tugged at the edge of my lips. She didn't regret it. She didn't regret it. The words seemed to be on repeat in my head, a constant reassurance that there was hope for me and Elena. She smiled softly at me and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, a small blush creeping on her face. Her hands somehow managed to find their way together and she tangled them together in front of her as she ever slowly rocked back and for on her heels. Taking a hesitant step towards her I slowly lifted the palm of my hand to her cheek before caressing her skin gently with my thumb causing sparks to erupt where we touched.

"I shouldn't be smiling either." I told her because I really shouldn't be but it was too hard to walk away from her. "You're my brother's girl despite your problems and maybe he is right for you but I can't let you go." Shaking my head softly my eyes met hers and my voice dropped to a soft whisper in the air. "I love you, Elena. I love you and this time I'm not walking away until you tell me too. I'm not leaving you again."

"There's this feeling that I can't explain or even justify but I know that I loved you at some point in my life. The attraction, the passion, the tension and love is all inside me but I could never figure it out before. I know now that's it been you all along, this weird feeling inside me has been the love that I had for you that has never disappeared. Do you remember when I told you I had this ache in my chest? Well it's gone because I'm not missing you and you're here with me. Damon, all this has been you."

Nothing in this world could comprehend the emotions that were building inside me and I suddenly felt like a teenage boy who had trouble picking up girls, who had no idea how to kiss or even touch a girl. Elena Gilbert felt something for me, she had feelings for me and the feelings had never stopped. Elena still loves me. She loves me. She feels it too. She actually feels this connection between us, the one that I had believed I had made up in some radical attempt to keep her a part of me. I leaned in closer towards her and all I wanted to do was show her how much I loved her by kissing her with everything that I had, touching and worshipping her but that would overstep my boundaries. When and if we did ever take that extra step in our relationship again then it would be somewhere important and special so I opted for the safe choice by pressing a soft kiss to her forehead and wrapping her up in my arms. We stayed holding each other for several moments before we eventually pulled away.

"Isn't that the necklace I found in your room?" Elena asked gazing over at the necklace that had remained neglected in the palm of my left hand. "The one I used to wear?"

"Yeah." I nodded, untwisting the chain from around my fingers and holding it in front of her as though she was my customer at a jewellery store.

"It's beautiful." She whispered, her hand reaching out towards the pendant as her fore finger caressed the silver rose.

"Keep it." I muttered surprised at my own abruptness. Was I really giving her the necklace of my mother again? Was it really the right time for it? Maybe I should have waited until she chose me but did I really want the necklace, that held so many beautiful memories, with anyone else than her? No. No I didn't because no matter what the outcome for us was the necklace would always belong to her now. The necklace was a symbol of how much I loved her and it would always keep the two women I loved most together forever. Yes, Elena needed to keep the necklace. My lips curled slightly at the edge due to my conclusion but now it was down to whether or not Elena wanted to keep it.

My eyes watched Elena intently, my blue eyes searching hers for any sign of what my abruptness had done to her. Her fingers had managed to curl themselves around the pendant protectively and her brown doe eyes were wide with surprise but there was a small brush of red in her cheeks that informed me of how much I had flattered her by giving her the necklace. Elena gasped softly, her eyes now gazing beneath her eyelashes as she tried to comprehend what had just happened between us. There was a moment of our eyes just staring at each other trying to make out what the other was thinking before she finally stepped back, shaking her head slowly and letting go of the necklace.

"I couldn't do that, Damon." She titled her head to the side, smiling at me softly. "That necklace is so precious to you. I-I couldn't keep it."

"Elena." I sighed, taking the necessary step towards her and closing the distance between us once more. I held her hands in mine and looked into her sweet loving eyes that never failed show how she felt. "There is no one else on this planet that I want to have this necklace other than you. This was my mother's necklace and she was adamant that I would give it to the girl I loved, the girl that I would marry and settle down with, eventually. So yeah, Elena, you have to have this necklace even if you and I don't have the happy ending that I want. You have to have this necklace, Elena because every time I look at it I am filled with hatred and regret that I let you go the first time. So, please just take it and at least I know I'll always be with you. It will always protect you from anyone to try and compel you again. The necklace belongs to you so please just take it, Elena. Please, take it. It's yours."

Elena's eyes were wide from the speech that I had given to her and her hand had gone limp in mine. Her eyes were filled with compassion, trust and faith in me that I was telling her the truth and that none of this was a big plot just to get her in my arms. She trusted me. For several seconds, her hand was limp in my hands but she curled her fingers around the palm of my hand and clutched it tightly, a soft smile on her lips. I couldn't quite believe that the girl I loved was in front of me and in a place where I never thought I would be again. All of it just seemed like a dream that I was supposed to wake up from any minute. It was too good to be true.

"I'm not going to push you on this am I?" She said with a small teasing grin.

"Nope." I said unable to hide my laughter.

Elena shook her head in exasperation at my insistence and turned so her back was facing me, her long brown hair streaming down her back. For a moment I stared at her confused, wondering why she had turned her back on me. It wasn't until a small giggle arose from her lips that I realised she wanted me to put the necklace on her. My feet took a step closer so her body was pressed against mine and I could feel her body shaking with anticipation as her heart beat grew louder. We hadn't been this close to each other for a very long time and all I wanted to do was wrap my arms around her waist, bring her as close to me as possible and kiss her neck softly bringing her to waves of pleasure.

"Are you going to put it on me or what?" She asked, her voice trembling from how close I was to her.

Without saying a word, I glanced down at the necklace that been worn by the most important women to me, the women that I would spend eternity loving, the women no one could ever replace. My fingers grasped the chain gently as I ever so slowly and carefully set it around her neck similar to the time I had done it before. Elena's hands held up her mass of hair up on her head with only the odd strand running down her neck that her fingers were too small to carry. I undid the clasp slowly wanting to savour the moment where I were so close to Elena. My fingertips brushed against her neck sending shivers through both of our bodies. Once the necklace was around her neck, Elena picked up the pendant and stared it in wonder.

"I can't believe you are giving me this." She whispered. "Thank you."

"I want you to have it." I told her with a small smile on my lips, gazing it where the necklace rested just like it used to be.

Elena's breathing was soft and quiet compared to her usual breathing around me and from the sparkle in her eyes I could tell that she was fully content with me being her, with me giving her gifts. And, for just one moment it felt like everything was the way it was supposed to be. My lips were still curled in some sort of smile as I looked over to where Elena stood in front of me. How could you not smile when you were so close to the girl you loved? How could you not be happy with the time you were given with her?

"Thank you." Elena breathed again, her finger grazing over the rose and her eyes filled with several emotions. A new wave of emotion soon swept with a much more thoughtful and troubled gaze, her fingers graving over the necklace. Elena stared at the pendant for several moments before her all too familiar brown eyes met with mine with a look of determination and confidence. Her tooth had captured her bottom lip and she chewed on it mercilessly as her thoughts begun to consume her once again. Her eyes searched mine, they moved back and for as if they were watching a tennis match or reading book. We remained like that for several minutes just staring at each other as she tried to piece her thoughts together, neither of us daring to speak to interrupt her thoughts and for the first time in a while I had no idea what she was thinking.

"Damon?" She asked, snapping back in to reality. "I need to know. I need to remember." She nodded, swallowing thoughtfully. "I want to remember. I want to remember how much I loved you, our moments together and everything else in between. I want to remember what it felt like being yours. Can you do that for me? Can you make me remember? I want to remember."

I won't give up on us,

Even if the skies get rough,

I'm giving you all my love,

I'm still looking up.

Well, what did you all think? I really hoped you enjoyed this and now the fun begins. More memories and Stefan drama next chapter!

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Please review! It would be a pleasure to hear from you all and see what you thought. You have no idea how nervous I am about this chapter.

Thank you so much for taking the time to read.

Love Lauren (Aka MidnightGirl467) xXx