AN: Thanks again to Vivreaencrever for reviewing once again! I know, Ric is really nice to Damon. I love their friendships too. And thanks to Undying Love13 for reviewing once again. Yeah, Elena's being kind of mean. Go check out Undying Love13's profile. She writes a lot of great Vampire Diaries stories. I'm actually hooked on one that she really needs to continue. *HINT HINT* XD Disclaimer: I don't own TVD. All rights belong to CW…and I guess L.J. Smith since she's the whole reason the t.v. show exists in the first place, but I actually have yet to read the books.

Alaric's Point of View

By morning when Alaric came downstairs, Damon was already awake and sitting up. Alaric hurried over to his friend. "How are you feeling?" he asked quickly.

"I'm fine," Damon promised, waving Alaric away but Alaric didn't move.

"We need to see how strong you are," Alaric told him. "You look a lot stronger."

"I feel stronger," Damon said.

"Maybe you'll be on your feet soon. Can you walk?"

Damon shrugged. "I haven't really tried yet."

"Let's try," Alaric said, bracing himself to catch Damon in case he fell.

Using the arm of the couch for support, Damon slowly began to stand up. His knees gave out and Alaric caught him. "You alright?" he checked.

Damon nodded. Alaric slowly released his grasp on Damon's arms, and soon enough, Damon was standing. "Do you want to try to walk?" Alaric asked, and Damon nodded.

Using whatever was near him for support; Damon slowly made his way across the room. Occasionally, he would stumble and Alaric would rush to his side and help him, but still, it was definitely progress.

They made their way to the kitchen, and Damon sat down at the table, looking exhausted.

"I'll get you some human blood," Alaric said. "And afterwards, by tomorrow morning you'll be back to yourself."

Alaric headed down to the basement and grabbed some blood bags. He then hurried back into the kitchen where Damon was laying his head down on his hands which were resting on the table.

"Here," Alaric said, sliding the bag toward Damon. Damon took it, tore it open and began to drink. Alaric watched as his eyes went black and veins appeared and his fangs extended. It was a sight that used to give him nightmares, but now he was used to it.

After Damon was done, Alaric noticed how much healthier Damon looked. He slid another one over to Damon and he drank again. This went on for a few more minutes, when finally Damon said that it was enough.

"You're not feeling sick are you?" Alaric asked in a panic.

Damon shook his head. "I'm fine, Ric."

"You look a lot healthier," Alaric observed. "How do you feel?"

"I don't even think I remember the feeling of being completely strong," Damon muttered and Alaric let out a slight chuckle. "But I think it felt like this."

Alaric nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. "I guess I was right. You should be able to go off tomorrow morning."

"I'll let Caroline and Bonnie know. Are they still here?" Damon stood up, this time he seemed to do it without any trouble.

"Yeah, they're in the room Elena's staying in." As soon as Alaric said this, Damon stopped. Alaric remembered things between him and Elena weren't exactly well right now. She once again had kissed him, and felt super bad about it and then blamed it on Damon, who felt super bad about it. Yesterday, she even managed to make him cry though Alaric still didn't know if that was the whole reason or if there was something more to it. He didn't really need to push Damon farther into detail, though.

"Great," Damon muttered, sitting down again.

"So what's the plan?" Alaric asked sarcastically? "Avoid Elena for the rest of your life? That's a great idea. I'm sure that would work out just great."

"Better than anything I've got."

Alaric sighed. "Damon this isn't something you can just avoid."

Damon shrugged. "I can sure as hell try."

"You know that's not true."

Damon stood up again. "Fine, I'll go talk to Bonnie and Caroline." Alaric raised his eyebrows and Damon let out an exasperated groan. "And Elena."

Damon's Point of View

Damon headed up the stairs to the room Elena was sleeping in. He stopped at the door and hesitated, going over scenarios in his head of what to say, and the result to them.

Elena, I'm sorry you kissed me. Damon could hear the sarcastic tone of his own voice inside his head and decided maybe that wouldn't be the best thing to say.

What did you want me to do, Elena? Slap you? He knew saying that would probably get him slapped so he decided against that idea, too.

Whatever, I'll just wing it, he decided. He couldn't stand just standing there outside the door like an idiot all day.

He knocked on the door and waited.

"I'm not apologizing to Damon, Alaric," Elena's voice greeted him through the door. Of course she must think he's Alaric, she didn't even know he was on his feet.

Maybe that was a good thing. Elena more than likely wouldn't answer the door anyway if she knew it was him. So instead he just knocked on the door again, hoping Elena would give in to Alaric. She did.

Damon heard footsteps crossing the wooden floors of the room and the lock clicking. She seriously locked the door?

"Alaric look-" Elena froze when she saw that it wasn't in fact Alaric who was at the door. "Damon?" she hissed. She tried to close the door, but Damon had kept his foot in the way, knowing that it would happen.

"What do you want?" Anger was in her voice but there was also a hint of something else…sadness? Damon's heart went out to the lonely, desperate teenage girl who was just missing her boyfriend.

"Elena, we really need to talk," he said as gently as he could. He peered inside the room and looked at Caroline and Bonnie. "I need to talk to you two later also, so don't go anywhere." His attention turned back to Elena. "Can we please find somewhere to talk?"

Elena sighed. "Damon, I think it's best if I was just given some time."

Damon nodded. He was going to say something when out of the blue; he began to feel really tired. Alaric had said he would be on his feet by tomorrow morning, but it wasn't tomorrow yet. Maybe he was taking things a little too quick.

"It's just-" Elena stopped as Damon began to rub his eyes tiredly. "Are you okay?" she asked worriedly, as if she had never been mad at him.

"Just tired," he reassured her.

"Well maybe you should sit down." As soon as Elena said this she looked at Damon in horror. "Oh my god, you're walking!"

Damon opened his mouth to say something but Elena grabbed him by his arm and pulled him into the room. She pulled up a chair, and pushed him down into it.

"Sit," she ordered, leaving no room in her tone for arguing. But Damon was too tired to disagree anyway.

"Do you need me to get Alaric?" she asked worriedly. By now Caroline and Bonnie were also looking a little worried.

"Is there anything we can do to help?" Caroline asked Elena, completely ignoring Damon.

"Maybe you should get Alaric," Elena said.

"No," Damon stepped in, finally getting the chance to talk. "I'm fine. My room is just across the hall. I'm just a little tired."

Elena nodded and stepped back. "You're sure you're okay?" she clarified. Damon nodded. Then he set his attention on Bonnie and Caroline.

"You two get some rest too," he told them. "We leave tomorrow."

"And you'll be strong enough?" Bonnie asked.

"I'm strong now, just tired." He stood up and he noticed how Elena tensed up once he did. He rolled his eyes. "I'm fine, Elena."

"Just checking," she mumbled. He stopped for a moment and thought about her. All it took was him being slightly tired and she was at his side in an instant despite what was going on between them. It was the same when she found out he was bitten by a vampire. Sure she slapped Alaric for it, but she forgave Damon instantly about almost turning her into a vampire. Almost ruining her life!

Damon nodded in acknowledgment to what she said, and left the room without looking back, not wanting to know what her facial expression was.

He headed into his room which luckily was just a few doors down, across from the room Alaric was staying in. He closed his door, kicked off his shoes, and plopped down on his bed, falling asleep right away.

Thanks for reading. We're getting almost near the end. :O