AN: Here's the next chapter. I worked harder to make it longer. I'm sorry if it seems a little choppy. I wrote this during finalsweek so I felt a little scattered, but I think the gist is here. Enjoy and review! I'm pretty sure there's stuff in here that you're going to have something to say.
Damon smirked. Even through text message, Stefan was still trying to make him guilty. He punched in the numbers and hit send. Finally after about four rings a tired voice answered.
"Hello?" Elena answered tiredly.
Damon took a deep breath. "Elena, hi it's Damon," he said bravely. He waited for a second and heard her breath hitch.
"Damon? Is something wrong? Is Stefan okay?" she asked worriedly with the sleep completely out of her voice.
Damon rolled his eyes. Of course the world would have to be ending in order for him to be calling her. Although given their history, she did have a point to question his call, but why did she have to sound so worried about Stefan? "No, he's fine. I just spoke to him actually. He gave me your number," he figured mentioning Stefan had given him permission to call her would prevent her from hanging up on him.
Elena scrunched her eyebrows in confusion and sat up in bed. "Why would he do that?" she asked as she got out of bed and flicked on the table lamp. Stefan was never the biggest supporter of Damon after he had left even though he was family. He claimed technically she was family too, and he liked her more than Damon. That was one of the things Caroline loved about him.
"I asked him to," he answered quietly. He poured himself a drink and settled into his usual chair. "We need to talk."
Elena rolled her eyes and yawned. "And you thought the best time to talk would be," she broke off to look at the clock, "at 1:00 in the morning?" she asked sarcastically.
"Well I didn't think that you would already be asleep," he muttered. Then a horrifying thought hit him. What if he had awoken Elijah too? That would mean the he and Elena would be sharing a hotel room, which technically he shouldn't care because he had a beautiful fiancé waiting for him in the next room, but he didn't like the idea of another man in bed with Elena. "My call isn't disturbing anyone else is it?" he tried asking subtly.
Elena picked up on the double meaning in his question. "Other than me? No," she answered with a sigh. Elijah had insisted they get separate rooms to ensure they would both get rest this weekend. Why did Damon care anyway? It's not like he wasn't sleeping with someone else. "What do you want Damon?" she asked hoping that it would get him back to the reason why he called.
Damon sighed. "Like I said we need to talk. Katherine is going away for the weekend tomorrow morning. Can we talk over a cup of coffee at my place?"
Elena pondered her options in silence. "Why should I Damon? We have no ties anymore. You've made that explicitly clear," she said bitterly. Why was he insisting on seeing her?
"Look Elena, I know that I shouldn't have just left you that day. We still had a lot to talk about. This is me giving us another opportunity to talk about what happened. Just give come over and talk," he pleaded with her.
"I don't know Damon," she said hesitantly.
"Please Elena," he begged again.
She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. "Okay, what time?"
Damon face broke out into a genuine smile. "How about around 9:00?" Katherine was leaving at 7:30. It would give him plenty of time to cook breakfast for her too. "I'll text you my address in the morning."
"All right, I'll see you then," Elena said and then hung up before Damon could add anything else. She placed her phone on the nightstand after setting an alarm, pulled the blankets back over herself, and flicked off the light. Soon enough she was back asleep with all thoughts of Damon pushed out of her thoughts.
Damon clutched the phone in one hand and a glass of bourbon in the other. Elena would be there in less than 8 hours. He set the glass down on the coffee table and placed his phone next to it. HE got up from the couch and got into bed after undressing. Once he was in bed though, he didn't pull Katherine into his arms like he usually did even though she had the tendency to wiggle out of them by the morning. Katherine wasn't the snuggle type. Instead, Damon stayed on his own side and fell asleep quickly.
The next morning Damon tapped his foot impatiently as Katherine leisurely gathered her things. Finally, after she had packed three full bags Katherine did one last sweep of the room to ensure she had not forgotten anything. Once satisfied, Katherine had a their driver take her things down to the car.
"Try not to miss me too much," she said teasingly and pressed a hot kiss on his mouth. "Bye," she giggled and stepped into the elevator giving Damon one last smirk before the doors closed.
Damon let out a breath and checked the time. Of course Katherine would leave late. He had less than an hour to shower, dress, and cook Elena breakfast. He hopped into the shower hoping that the time in the hot water would allow him to organize his thoughts. There was so much they needed to discuss. He got out of the shower and pulled on a pair of designer dark wash jeans and a dark gray button-down shirt. He ran his fingers through his wet locks in an attempt to tame them. Elena would be there in less than 20 minutes if she showed up on time. He closed the door to his bedroom as he left and went to the kitchen. He insisted on keeping a fully stocked kitchen despite Katherine's clear disgust claiming that they could go out instead of him cooking. Cooking to her was very low class. Cooking always calmed Damon though; he was also rather good at it. Beck when he had been married to Elena they took turns cooking dinner for each other. He preferred to cook more complicated dishes while Elena stuck with comfort foods and their favorites. Pulling out eggs, bacon, and various vegetables, Damon began cracking the eggs over a skillet to make omelets. They were always Elena's favorite way to eat eggs. He made them every first Sunday when they had breakfast with her family and Stefan. He had just pulled off the first couple strips of bacon when the elevator doors opened, and Elena stepped out.
Elena got out of the elevator and entered Damon and Katherine's large penthouse. She looked around noticing the lack of hominess the apartment had. It didn't feel like anyone lived there at all. There were two pictures on the table by the elevator. One was of Katherine and Damon dressed up at some sort of gala, and the other was of them and Katherine's father. "Damon," she called out as she stepped further into the lion's den. She rounded the corner and saw Damon in the kitchen cooking with his back turned to her. "Damon, she called out again this time louder.
He turned and greeted her with a large smile. Something about seeing Elena again only this time without Elijah made Damon extremely happy. "Hey, I'm glad you came." Damon walked toward her. "Go ahead and take a seat. I'm just finishing your omelet," he told her.
Elena sat down hesitantly at the table. Watching him cook again brought back the memories of their Sundays with her family and Stefan. She hadn't had one of his omelets in over seven years. "You said we needed to talk Damon. Talk," she demanded. She didn't want to stay there any longer than necessary.
He dished out to her food and placed it in front of her. "Here. Eat," He opened a drawer and handed her a fork. Elena took it and looked at her plate. He made her a spinach, mushroom, and cheese omelet, and a few strips of bacon were placed on the side. Damon placed a cup of coffee next to her plate. "Two sugars and a splash of cream, just like you like it."
Elena's lips twitched. It was annoying her how he just kept acting like he knew her. Finally he got something wrong. "Actually I prefer it with cinnamon and vanilla cream instead. Most of the time I just drink orange juice if I eat breakfast."
"Why don't you drink coffee anymore?" Damon asked curiously as he began eating his own food.
Elena bit her lip. He really didn't want to know the answer. "Elijah doesn't keep coffee at his house," she finally admitted.
Damon's fork stopped mid-air. Her statement implied that she was with Elijah in the morning after staying there at night. He swallowed the painful lump that had formed in his throat and continued slowly eating. "Are you living with him?" he asked casually after a moment of awkward silence. He didn't expect Elena's reaction though.
Elena slammed down her fork. "No Damon! We are not doing this. You don't get to know everything about me. If you have something to say to me, then say it. Otherwise I'm out of here. I have no reason to stay here," she said angrily and stood up placing her hands on her hips.
Damon stood slowly and faced her. "I know we need to talk. I don't think that we finished talking that day at the falls."
She laughed and crossed her arms. "I think I've said everything I need to. You're the one that needs to decide what you're doing. I'm trying to move on, and all I see is you trying to pull me back despite the fact you have a fiancé that you divorced me for. You can't just sign the papers and change your mind the next time you see me with a guy. It's none of your business!" she huffed. She grabbed her bag and stormed toward the elevator. She pressed the button angrily willing it to get there faster.
Damon followed her. He knew that he had no right to question about her relationships. "Elena wait," he called out and stopped behind her. He reached out to turn her around to look at her, but before he could stop himself he was kissing her again. He slipped his hand through her hair and pulled her closer to him. He missed the way she felt against him and the feel of her soft lips. They moved against each other with love and comfort. There was no battle of dominance like there was with Katherine. It was different than kissing Katherine. With Katherine all he ever really felt was primal lust that he had mistaken for love. Elena made him feel loved and at home. Suddenly the elevator dinged, and Elena pulled away from him.
Tears welled in her eyes as she looked at him. She reached up and touched her fingers to her lips. She looked up at him and slapped Damon hard across the face. She let all of her anger from the past seven years out in the slap. She couldn't believe Damon would pull something like this. "How dare you? You have a fiancé! I have a boyfriend" she spat thinking of Elijah. He was a good man and didn't deserve this. Damon stepped toward her again.
"I'm sorry," he began and reached out and touched her arm. "I've made a lot of mistakes," he started, but Elena cut hom off.
"That's all you have to say anymore. You made a lot of mistakes. What were they? Loving me? Leaving me? Loving Katherine?" she cried.
"No!" Damon said outraged. How could she doubt that he once loved her? "I've always loved you Elena. I just didn't know what I was leaving behind back then. If I could take it back I would," he pleaded with her.
Elena stared at him. "Are you telling me that you are willing to leave Katherine for me?" she asked incredulously. How could he leave women for other women so easily with no remorse? Was that supposed to make her feel better? This wasn't the man she loved. Like the heroine's lover in her novel, Damon left her and came back a changed man, and as of right then, Elena wasn't sure if she could love him ever again.
Damon stared back at her speechless. He wasn't expecting her to ask that. "I don't that know yet," he answered honestly looking down at his feet.
Elena shook her head. She didn't know if she was disappointed or relieved, but she knew she couldn't stay. "Let me go Damon," she cried as she broke out of his grip and stepped backward into the elevator. "Don't ever call me again," she told him as the doors closed. As the elevator descended, Elena allowed herself to break down. She should have known that going to Damon's would be a bad idea. It was time to finally leave Damon in the past. The doors opened to the main lobby and she stepped out of the elevator making her way out of the building and to a taxi. She pulled out her phone after she got a taxi and booked the next train ticket back to Mystic Falls.
After Elena left, Damon slid to the ground with his back against the elevator doors. He felt lost for the first time in years. He hadn't felt this way since after Giuseppe told him Elena was sleeping with Stefan, but even though it was a lie, his situation at the moment it reminded him of back then. He closed his eyes trying to figure out what he wanted. He didn't know whom he loved anymore. Seeing Elena and Katherine side by side made him realize that maybe he made the wrong choice. The kiss proved that there was something still between them. He should have always chosen Elena, and he wasn't going to make that mistake again. Damon stood up and straightened himself out. He was going to fight for her like he should have all those years ago.
Damon strode back into the kitchen to clean up the mess. As he dumped out the coffee he thought about Elena's comment about drinking orange juice at Elijah's. He didn't even notice his grip on the cup getting stronger until the ceramic cup crumbled in his hands. "Dammit," he muttered and threw out the fragments. As he walked back into the kitchen, he pulled out his phone and scrolled down to Katherine's number in his contacts. Pressing send, he lifted it up to his ear and waited for Katherine to pick up. He couldn't wait until she came back on Monday to talk to her.
"Hello?" a man's voice answered.
Damon pulled the phone away from his ear to make sure he called the right number. "Is Katherine there?"
"She's in the shower. Can I take a message?" the man answered.
Damon was growing more infuriated. Was she cheating on him? "Who is this?" he demanded.
"Logan Fell Channel Four Action News," the man responded in a deeper voice that Damon recognized. Katherine was screwing the news reporter over him?
"Never mind. Tell her to call me back when she's done screwing you," Damon spat and hung up the phone. He couldn't believe that he thought he loved Katherine. She wasn't the person he thought she was. This was a sign. It was like fate telling him that Katherine was a mistake. He didn't stay with Elena because he thought she cheated on him, so he certainly couldn't stay with Katherine. He walked to the living room and poured himself a drink even though it was before noon. As he was pouring another glass of bourbon, his phone rang with the screen flashing Katherine. Glaring Damon answered it.
"Stupid, once in love moron speaking, how may I help you?" Damon greeted cheerfully.
Katherine sighed on the other side. "Damon, I'm sorry about earlier. Logan told me you called."
Damon began pacing in the living room. "Oh, yes. Lover boy, did you enjoy your mid-morning romp? Nothing says I'm screwing my fiancé over like screwing the news reporter. Tell me was it worth it?" he asked bitterly.
"What? You aren't seriously leaving me over this are you?" she screeched incredulously. She also began pacing in her room brushing past Logan who was confused by her angry gestures and tone. "This was nothing Damon! Don't do this," she pleaded. She couldn't let him go this easily. "Just take a deep breath. When I get home, we can talk about this," Katherine tried reasoning. "You aren't thinking about this clearly. Don't go making any rash decisions.
Damon laughed darkly. She was cheating on him but still expected him to want to be with her? She hadn't even apologized or even claimed she was making a mistake. "Don't bother. The lease is in my name. I'll have someone pack up your things and send them to your daddy's home. As of right now, this relationship is over completely. Good bye Katherine," he said and hung up before he could hear Katherine's protests. He knew she would be back in New York soon enough, so the next call he made was to the locksmith and a moving company. They would be there in the next hour to get the job done. Until they arrived, Damon made himself useful by going through Katherine's things and taking the liberty of chucking all the things he ever bought for her. He threw all the clothes, jewelry, purses, books, and even a few stuffed animals into a box to take to the homeless shelter. Nothing would upset Katherine more than to find out her latest Prada purse was at the homeless shelter Damon thought bitterly as he threw another useless object into a box. He never realized what a materialistic bitch Katherine was, and how much money he spent on buying crap to make her happy. He felt like his relationship had been a useless waste of time. It didn't help that a voice in the back of his head was kept whispering if he had never left Elena he could be happily married with a family and not alone completely miserable. Damon pushed those thoughts aside and continued throwing away Katherine's things. It may not have be the most mature way to deal with their break-up, but it was cathartic to say the least.
Elena paid and thanked the cab driver and got out when she arrived at the hotel. Her ticket was booked; Caroline and Stefan knew she would be back later that night. The only thing left to do was pack and tell Elijah she would be leaving earlier than expected. They still had a few more days in the city before she was going to start her book tour. She took the elevator up to her room. She let herself into her room and found Elijah sitting on the bed playing with something in his hands waiting for her. She wasn't expecting him to be waiting for her although she didn't blame him. She took a deep breath and started toward him.
"How'd you get in?" she asked placing her room key on a table.
Elijah stopped fiddling with the object in his hands. "I tried knocking first, and then I convinced the receptionist that I had forgotten my key, and I wanted to get in to surprise my wife before she got back," he laughed coldly. He stood up and shoved the box into his pocket. "Imagine my surprise when I got in here, and you weren't here." He looked down briefly and looked back up at her. "Where were you?" he asked with curiosity peaking in his voice.
She couldn't lie to him, not anymore. "Damon called me last night after the benefit. He wanted me to have breakfast with him while we talked about some things. I was with him just now," Elena answered.
"You know when you said yes when I asked me out I thought that you were finally ready to move on from Damon. I guess I always knew that something like this would end up happening though," he said sulkily. Elijah looked at Elena. He had fallen in love with her the moment she came to him with her manuscript. Working with her on her books over the past couple of years seemed like a blessing. He had never met such a caring, compassionate person. Everything about her came through in her writing including her love for Damon. He had been fooling himself that she was really over him. "Goodbye Elena. I hope you and Damon are happy together," he said sorrowfully and began making his way to the door.
Elena turned confused. "Damon and I aren't together," she called out after him. Elijah stopped on his tracks but didn't turn and face her. "When I went over there, I realized that he was no longer the man I was in love with. I told him to never call or contact me again. It wasn't fair to him, Katherine, you, or me especially you. I never wanted to hurt you. When you asked me to be in this relationship, I didn't put everything in on the table, but now, I'm all in. I'm in this Elijah. I didn't think I was ready before, but now I think I am. In fact, I know I am," she said confidently. She loved Elijah not in the same way she loved Damon, but it was almost better that she didn't feel the same way. Loving Damon the way she did ended up hurting her in the end more than it did her good.
Elijah hesitated. He wanted to sweep Elena up in his arms and never left her go again, but he also knew Elena. She could possibly only telling him what he wanted to hear in order to not hurt him, but hell he wanted her. He ignored his feelings of doubt and took Elena in his arms and kissed her. He wanted her to feel the same passion and intensity he felt. He pulled away from her with only their foreheads touching. "Were you serious about being all in?" he asked her one more time.
Elena nodded in confirmation. Elijah looked at her carefully. He could always read Elena's face through her eyes, and right now there was nothing in her eyes that showed any uncertainty. He took a deep breath and pulled out the box that he had in his hands earlier and then got down on one knee. He opened the ring box to reveal a beautiful, sparkling diamond engagement ring. He removed the ring from the box and held it up to Elena. Taking her hand, Elijah looked up at Elena. "Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?" he asked her looking deeply into her eyes.
AN:So if you've read my other story The Curse, you might be able to tell that I like to ship Elena/Elijah when Delena isn't convenient. Unless I change the character listing, it will be Delena. What do you think? The end of Katherine/Damon officially and the end of Delena for now. I still have some Delena moments ahead though so never fear my devoted readers. Anyway wrapping things up now, let me know what you think through reviews. Also thank you to those who actually read all my author notes. You never know that kind of spoilers I might leave in them. Also I posted a poll regarding Elena's situation. Don't forget to vote otherwise I'll have to pick and some people may not like the results. Vote and review! :)