A/N: This is not the last chapter yet. I am having some major writers block sorting through things related to the terrorist plot and things with Stefan and the CIA and Elijah and MI 6 stuff. But it has been far too long since I updated so I wanted to at least give you something.

Today May 23rd is my husband and my 20th anniversary...I feel so old! We are in awe of this milestone in our journey.

Today is also Delena's anniversary of the first time they met...so I wanted to write this shorter stand alone chapter taking you back through Elena's thoughts and her journey to falling in love with Damon while waiting in present time for him to wake up from his surgery. Then I will finish up the more complicated plot and delve into the sequel.

So this is my gift to you for my wedding anniversary and Delena meeting on that lonely road so many years ago.

He was the mysterious stranger that intrigued her and had all the answers. She just didn't know then that HE was all those answers and all that she was looking for…

I laid curled up in Damon's arms waiting desperately for him to wake up. I could hear the strong smooth and steady beats of his precious heart against my ear as my head rested on his chest. I wasn't sure how long it had been, hours? I remembered crying and still feeling so weak so I fell back asleep and when I woke up next the light from the room had grown brighter as more sunlight shone through the thick curtains that were tightly closed.

Enzo said that the doctors had monitored Damon very closely all night and that it had been hours since I had collapsed in his arms in shock of hearing Damon's heart stop. I lay there in silence now with my love still unconscious beside me. The monitors were the only sounds around us, along with the voices on the hospital intercom every few minutes calling doctors or codes.

I blocked out the extra noise and bustle of people rushing down the halls every so often and felt safe curled in beside Damon. I knew he wasn't awake but his presence, his nearness, scent and heart pounding beneath my head soothed me more than anything else.

Looking around as I lifted my head, I saw Enzo sitting and sleeping in the chair beside the bed. He had his phone clutched loosely in his hand, or rather a new phone I assumed since none of our phones had survived the crash and the flood of water.

The screen was on and I could see the serene expression on Bonnie's face as he held it on his lap. They had arranged that she could see him too if she woke up first and I thought it was so cute all they were doing to be together during this incredible, life changing day in their lives.

Before I had fallen asleep I heard his wife talking to him explaining that she was supposed to be resting and the medicine was numbing the pain from the contractions. She had been in labor for hours already with no baby to show for it and was exhausted. The doctors had finally won out over her stubbornness to wait for her husband, so they had let the labor progress naturally and she was almost 5 cm dilated. Halfway there.

So his mother-in-law had encouraged him to sleep too while his wife rested. I could hear Bonnie breathing deeply through the phone and they must feel the same way Damon and I did about being as close as they could be and how that soothed them too, even being asleep.

Enzo said he had talked to Bonnie nearly half the night already and his voice and encouragement, being her coach even from across the ocean had helped her with the early labor pains. He was doing everything he could and there was nothing more he could do from so far away.

He had begged her to try to rest since she wasn't in any pain right now and she only agreed if they kept their phones on and could sleep together. His expression was peaceful as he slumped over in the chair and as much I was grateful he was here for us, I wished he had made it back to her in time.

I turned back and took in the equally peaceful expression on my fiances face. Enzo assured me over and over that Damon was okay and had made it through the surgery with no further complications. I soaked in the image of his dark lashes hiding his beautiful eyes, eyes I could drown in every time he looked at me. His lips were dry and so I bent down, moistening my own to kiss him softly before nuzzling back in beside him.

The whole scene reminded me of laying beside him in the hospital the night he was burned. Sneaking into his room and tricking Enzo to believe I was a doctor or surgeon. I wasn't thinking clearly at all. All I knew was I had to see him. I had to know he was okay and alive. I needed see that he was okay with my own eyes.

Thinking back I had told myself that as soon as I saw him I was going to leave and that I could not risk getting caught in there.

Seeing Damon in that bed, the heart monitor beeping steadily and the dull hiss of the ventilator helped sooth my fears of losing him before I had barely begun to discover what this connection I felt between us really was. I could not just ignore it...it was too strong.

So I hadn't left, like I told myself I would and instead I found myself moving closer, sitting on the bed and tucking a damp raven strand of hair behind his ear. I didn't know if he could hear me but I wanted him to know I was here for him, that he wasn't alone. That I was so sorry for what those monsters did to him. I hadn't been able to sleep in the waiting room the whole time I had waited during his surgery. I was too restless and too scared.

But now I laid down beside him, rested my forehead against his and took in the warmth of his skin against mine. My thumb brushed across his bottom lip and I felt another rush of electricity in my veins. I had fallen asleep almost instantly, not even planning to at all, or thinking of getting caught. I felt I was where I needed to be and that feeling gave me such a sense of peace to close my eyes.

The door opened and I jumped from my deep sleep, laying beside him. Our fingers were still laced together after I kissed his knuckles and held his hand between us when I fell asleep.

A woman came in, the same woman with the long red hair and glasses. The woman that had assured me he was okay and in surgery after I had lied about being his wife. Enzo had let her through and I sat up fast as the nurse sternly asked who I was and what I was doing there. This did not look good.

"You have got to be kidding me," Enzo muttered under his breath, flashing me a frustrated look. The nurse was already turning to leave and I assumed get security. I watched as he closed the door quietly blocking her path and standing between her and the way out. Was he helping me?

I looked around, realization hitting me at with what I had done. I had just snuck into a prisoners room that was under guard. I had never acted like that before, taken such a risk.

I was the safe one of any of my friends and they knew not to even invite me to anything remotely dangerous or illegal. I would spoil the fun or ruin the night somehow and I was just fine staying out of any kind of trouble.

But now trouble was laying in the hospital bed beside me.

Trouble had never looked so damn good... and I felt the incredible pull to madly abandon all I knew was right to soak up what I felt in his arms again, having him push me against the wall, his head against my cheek, his hot breath and his warm mouth…

God I was lost in him already. I had no idea what was happening to me.

"Please don't," I heard Enzo say as he held up his hands. He was still blocking her from leaving but that was it. "She didn't mean any harm. She wasn't going to help him escape. I promise..."

He stared me down, his eyes narrowing as he regarded me with very obvious displeasure. "Right 'Mrs' Salvatore? You weren't going to try anything right? It was stupid enough that you snuck in here..."

I moved off the bed to stand beside it as the nurse turned back to me. I nodded slowly, my head down. He was right, this was probably the stupidest thing I had ever done.

Damn it where was my head?

I looked back down at Damon and felt my breath catch in my throat. What was it about him that had me so smitten that I was already breaking laws for him, risking my career?

"I'm so sorry." I stumbled on my words and was prepared to leave, as much as I didn't want to.

The nurse stopped me as she held up her hand. "Wait... I spoke to you before. You are his wife? This was who you were so frantic to find out if he was okay?"

Well would lying more make anything worse? Probably. But still I found myself nodding in agreement to all she said, reconfirming the lie that I was married to the gorgeous man laying in the bed.

I felt tears at my lashes again. "I'm sorry," I repeated. "I just needed to see him. I was so scared and no one was letting me see him." I clasped his hand again and sunk down into the chair beside the bed, my head falling to our joined hands. The handcuff clinked as tugging his hand made it hit the bed frame, reminding me again of how wrong falling for him was.

Enzo was still by the door but instead of the woman trying to push past him to get me thrown out, I watched her walk closer and then kneel beside me. I lifted my head and felt a tear slip down my cheek.

"My husband is in prison..." she spoke softly and looked far away as she continued. "He was attacked a few weeks ago and brought here and they wouldn't even let me see him, touch him or anything. I was sent home to make sure I stayed away."

I was quiet, watching her and casting a glance at Enzo. Did I know this man? I knew everyone in that prison.

She had her head down, avoiding my eyes and looked to be studying Damon. "The love of my life almost died and they refused to even let me say goodbye!" She sniffled and then looked up at me as I tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder.

"Thank God he survived but I thought I would lose my mind sitting at home when he was suffering alone here. He needed me. He was accused of trying to escape and I was told they threw him in solitary and he would stay there till he was released." she whimpered. "So I haven't even seen or talked to him since before he was attacked."

I wondered where she was going with this but stayed quiet, simply offering my understanding.

"I work the night shift here the next few weeks and its only me that is in charge of your husband at night. They are super strict on keeping the circle small when there is prisoner in the ward."

What was she trying to say? I had no idea.

"I understand," the woman whispered. "I wouldn't want anyone to live through what I did. I thought I would have a heart attack with worry. So you can stay...and I promise I won't say anything. They can fire me if they want but I think if that happened I would be done with this job, this career anyway. My husband is free in a few months and once I can hold him again I don't want to ever let him go. My family has a condo far away and once he is free I just want to get out of here so we both can be safe."

I was in shock at her kindness and now felt like crap that Damon wasn't even my husband and that what she had been though was so much worse. I could not imagine not being able to be there to comfort the man you loved more than anything when he needed you the most.

Enzo grunted and I knew he was not happy with this either but he nodded in reluctance too and I knew he wouldn't say anything. I thanked the woman who told me her name was Sara and that she was a resident here and not a nurse. She was so sweet and yet so sad and looked emptier than I felt.

I wanted to help her too.

"I work at the prison." I stated plainly. Here this kind woman was breaking rules for me to see Damon and with how corrupt Maxwell Heights was already I doubted they would even notice what I was about to suggest. "I can help you see him Sara. I can. If you want. Its as risky as what you are doing for me."

She sniffled and was nodding her head while still looking confused about the whole thing.

"I can let him use my phone to talk to you. Its not much but at least you could see him."

The woman was already nodding rapidly and smiling so wide through her tears. I was so grateful and gave her a hug and a soft smile. She told me who he was and that he had been falsely accused of a crime and had paid his time but people that were in longer, wanted him to suffer for getting the lighter sentence and he had been stabbed by one of them she was sure.

Enzo had listened to all of this with clear disagreement to our ways to skirt the law but he told us he wouldn't say anything either. I thanked him with a nod and smile to show him how grateful I was. He truly did care, especially about Damon I noticed. He cared enough to risk his job too it seemed, just so I could be there for Damon. That puzzled me but I left it at that.

Enzo was clear I was to be careful if we were stupid enough to do this and made me promise to leave before the doctors came in for rounds in the morning. Sara's shift ended at 7. I agreed and nodded as he said he would be right outside the door. I couldn't believe they were allowing me to stay and I moved to lay back down beside him.

Letting out a huge breath I snuggled back in, promising myself I would only be a short while longer and then get home and get some sleep. I started talking to Damon as he breathed deep through the ventilator.

I told him about that I didn't want to go home and that I lived at my brother's and his girlfriends place and that it was so full of pain and empty unfulfilled memories. How my brother had so much going for him and he had just gotten an art dealer to display one of his paintings and it would have been unveiled the week after we got back from our holiday.

I told Damon that I was scared of this thing between us. This connection, this understanding of each other somehow and I didn't know what to do about it. I wanted to run from it and yet something undeniable was stronger than my fear.

I watched his closed eyes, while nuzzling my forehead to his and told him why I started working at Maxwell Heights and that I wanted to help people and bring out the good in them. Reach them so they came out starting fresh, with hope and not going back to a life of crime and pain and destruction. I said too that I was so sorry for not seeing sooner what the other cons were doing to him, that they would be crazy enough to attack again so soon after almost poisoning him the previous night. I wished I could have stopped them from hurting him, so he wasn't lying here in a coma right now, with permanent scars on his back from their anger.

I had no one to talk to except Ian and he offered about as much to the conversation as Damon was doing right now, but it was helping as strange as that sounded! Kelly didn't understand and anytime I ever said anything personal to her about my life, her answer was to get drunk and find a guy at a party and forget my problems...so I couldn't talk to her either.

Somehow I felt like I could talk to Damon and I felt safe with him. I had not felt safe in so long already.

Back in my apartment in the early morning hours of the day I could not stop tossing and turning to try to sleep. I could smell Damon on my clothes so I opted to go to sleep dressed, curling the collar of my sweater up to my nose and taking in his scent.

When I finally did get some sleep, my dreams were so real... Damon was still holding me in the shower, the water falling down on us, his lips tasting every inch of my skin. I ripped his shirt off him to greedily caress his chest and saw that there was now no burns or pain, only our panting breaths as we explored each other. He lifted me back in his arms, against the wall as the sound of his zipper pierced the steamy air. My dress was tossed soaking wet to the tiled floor as his lips crashed down hard, swallowing my shaky moan.

I had woken up my body slick with sweat, gasping at the vividness of my dream, of how it felt being in his arms, our skin pressed together as the water ran down our bodies. I had caught myself thinking about him earlier in the week already and had dreamed about him the night after we met...but not like this.

This dream was much more intimate and I stumbled into the shower running it straight cold for a few minutes to try to calm the flush of my skin and to stop my bodies reaction to how close it had felt we had been. I wished it hadn't just been a dream.

I was taken in by my memories as I lay beside him and I could hardly believe what we had all been through in such a short time. How much things had changed since that night when I laid with him and held him after what was probably the most passionate, dangerous and all consuming night of my life.

I had been so scared seeing him so delirious with pain flashing across his face. I wanted that pain to go away and I still felt tingles thinking about him kissing my neck telling me it was helping him not feel how bad the burns would have been.

Now our love was so much deeper and my fear of losing him felt a thousand times worse than it had been then. Seeing him gag up blood and then hearing his heartbeat flat-line had terrified me more even than Kai hurting me.

Damon had become everything to me and there was not even a thought of living without him.

I was awake now but I didn't want to move. Enzo was still deeply asleep and I could hear Bonnie too. We hadn't even had any doctors or nurses come in to check on us in awhile so I just closed my eyes again and let my thoughts take me back to more memories and remembering how quickly my feelings were growing for him when I had barely known him for more than a week. How much Damon getting hurt, burned so badly had pushed me to face how much I needed love and someone to lean on. Even while he was in the induced coma I wanted him to know someone was there for him.

Thinking back again I remembered the next morning after I spent the night with him...

I was in a daze the next day with barely any sleep but was questioned about Damon's injuries and my treatment. I had to fight back a blush at my medicine for him. Besides the one dose of tramodol, the shower and cloth to cool his 3rd degree burns...holding him as he cried and kissing and touching was far better medicine that all that combined.

It was so clear to me who it had been that had burned him and I wanted to stab him with my scalpel that morning when I was forced to treat a gash Kai had on his cheek. I could fill in the blanks easily as I heard him say another con was in his face and he had choked him to get him to back off. The other guy had fought back and scratched at him to get away.

I just knew that was Damon fighting to get away as his back was burned horrifically. I could not get out of that appointment soon enough and had raced to the bathroom, panting so hard I almost threw up.

No one but Enzo and Sara knew, but night after night after my shift was over I would hurry home and shower and change and spend the night in Damon's hospital room, waiting for when the doctor deemed him well enough to wake up. No doctors stopped by at night unless there was any kind of emergency and then Sara had said she would rush me out if needed.

Sara had been amazing and I wished I could have been honest with her about not being his wife. I wanted to be real with her. She cared and was more than kind to me. I'd never had a friend like her.

So, true to my word I helped her see her husband too. I could see patients in solitary to give checkups or ask any medical questions I saw necessary so I managed to sneak the phone to him at least every 2 days and she had bought her own burner phone and they could talk as long as I could have reason to be there.

Her husband had looked so tired and weak and I loved that I could help him smile by allowing him to talk to his wife. She too had been so grateful and greeted me with a hug the first night after I allowed them to talk and I was so happy I could help them.

Sara had told me one night after Damon had been in the coma for more than 5 days that the following day they were going to try to bring him back off the drugs to see if he had healed enough. It could still take hours for him to wake up and I could stay with him all night till her shift was done at 7am. I knew he might be able to hear things more as he came around so I wanted to be there for him and show him he didn't have to fight alone. I ached for his pain, the scars he would have from the burn, emotionally and physically.

I knew that if the pain was too severe then they would put him back under for a few more days but they needed to try to see how he would handle it. I nodded and was happy she was keeping me so informed. We both knew we were breaking laws, but to us it was worth the risks.

I felt like the woman from that movie 'While You Were Sleeping'. I was at my 'husband's' side waiting for him to wake up and he had no idea. But here I wasn't bombarded by the man's family like in the movie, although I wanted a family for so long already.

I had thought I caught a glimpse of a blonde man dressed casually leaving Damon's room one night but he had been gone down the hall and out the stairwell before I could take a closer look. I knew from Damon's chart at the prison that it hadn't listed any surviving family or siblings and that was part of why I wanted to be here. He had no one it seemed and with as much pain as I went through losing my family I didn't want him to feel like I had when I needed people the most.

Unlike the movie, where the woman fell for his brother, I was falling more for Damon each night as I shared more about my life and laid beside him or sat up in the chair beside the bed.

I even read to him from the book I had been the middle of for months already, just not having the time to finish it. I had read 'Wuthering Heights' a few times before but it was a classic and a favorite of mine and so finding it in my bag one night I started reading it to Damon as I lay beside him.

I pulled myself back to the present and opened my eyes again, leaning up on my elbow and watched his face. I bent my head to kiss his cheek and trailed the softest kisses down his jaw and along to his ear. I ached to see his eyes. Enzo had done exactly what I needed by laying me beside him so I could hear his strong heartbeat. He knew what I needed after my panic of hearing his heart stop.

But now I found that after laying here with him so still I needed more. I missed the sparkle in his deep blue eyes. I missed his crooked and oh so sexy smirk and his radiant in-love smile. I needed to see the wiggle of his eyebrows and the eye thing he did that made me weak in the knees.

I wanted us to have fun again, laugh and tickle each other and I loved him tackling me, holding down my wrists as he dove to chase my tongue into my mouth. I wanted to feel his hands slide up my thighs and lift me up against the wall to kiss me senseless.

I wanted him to pull me to straddle his lap, our arms around each other as we shared the deepest darkest parts of ourselves and the depths of our pain just talking and sharing like we had in the cave. I needed him to be strong again, wrapping me in his embrace and holding me so close.

I missed his palms on my face whenever he needed to calm me down and get me to focus on him. His thumbs would caress my cheeks as his fingers weaved into my hair behind my ears. I needed the warmth of his mouth slanted over mine, the tease of his tongue...as he swallowed my moan of his name.

I felt my breath picking up already just thinking of everything about him. I realized that focusing on him and how he made me feel were keeping the nightmares and feelings of what Kai did to me at bay. I hadn't had any nightmares since Enzo had laid me down beside Damon.

I kissed along the outside of his ear. "Please wake up baby," I whispered softly. I pulled back to study his face and tugged gently on his bottom lip. I sighed and laid back down, my head on his chest and prepared to keep waiting. I knew it could take a long time after surgery for some people to wake up and I just had to be patient. I was careful to not jar any tubes or wires attached to him by being this close.

I went back again to when he had woken up last time and the joy I felt then...

It felt like forever since he had opened those beautiful ice blue eyes and I was there with him holding his hand when he started to come back out of it. I whispered to him that it would be okay and that he was safe and no one could hurt him.

Even in his delirious state he had groaned my name when he woke up and shook his head back and forth, tumbling his dark locks haphazardly onto his forehead. I had been so tender with him, caressing his face as he blinked and looked around for the first time in over a week.

Once he was awake there was a rush of busyness and doctors were called and there was a steady stream of people coming into his room. Sara had sent me to the staff room to wait and when she came back she said he was suffering from some short term memory loss and had no memory of the day or so preceding when he was burned.

I had sat in silence in the staff room, curled up on the couch as I took in what she said. So he had no memory of that night? Telling me how much he could feel our connection too, crying in my arms, kissing me and holding me so tight against him as he breathed out that he wanted me, more than he had ever wanted anyone...

All of that was just gone? I had no idea what to think.

The doctors kept him under observation the rest of the night but I was surprised during my workday at the prison when they wheeled Damon back into the infirmary, saying he now could stay here to continue to recover from the burns. He had more surgeries to repair his skin coming up but the pain level did not require him to stay at the hospital. With him being an inmate of the maximum security prison locally they wanted him back behind bars as soon as possible for all safety precautions to the public.

I hadn't gone back that night so I didn't even say goodbye to Sara and offer one more thank you for all she did. I still did my best to let her husband talk to her as often as I could but I didn't see her again.

The connection between Damon and I was even stronger now that he was awake. He had my stomach doing flip flops every damn time he looked at me with that weak and vulnerable stare of his. He was still going in and out of consciousness throughout the next few days and slept a lot but I knew he was aware of my presence and he had called to me whenever he needed something; more water, or ice, help to shift positions in bed, to change or help go to the bathroom.

I changed Damon's bandages, seeing more scars and damage to his body from being so close to him. I saw his tattoo on the back of his shoulder, the thorns and the blood dripping made it feel so dark and personal.

I told him that they had found proof of who had burned him and had punished Kai, Brady and Mason. They had been put in solitary and were being transferred out of this prison soon and he wouldn't have to worry about them hurting him again. He was brave and had smiled at me in thanks for everything and I smiled back timidly.

We talked, off and on. Fun banter and sometimes teasing and it all felt very friendly and relaxed between us. But I could feel he was still hiding something, or protecting himself behind walls he had built, like he was in his own head often and there was more going on that I couldn't understand.

I was hiding too...hiding how much he already meant to me and how torn I was about everything I was feeling and what to do with it. I wanted to tell him about that night...how could I be the only one who remembered how close we were? Did he want to kiss me again? I wanted him to kiss me again.

So I decided that I would just take the risk and tell him about us that evening after my shift. I was told it was the last night he would be spending in the infirmary and was well enough to be transferred back to his cell in Gen Pop in the morning.

But fate had other plans and I was called into the wardens office and given more details of the transfer of Kai, Brady and Mason. They were being sent across the ocean along with other inmates and I was asked to go along as the doctor on board the plane. I had said a hell no right away that Kai could rot in hell for his crimes and that if I went along I wouldn't give him any kind of medical treatment, even if he was dying.

Shane was not pleased at my angry retort and said I needed to be more professional or I would lose my job. I was required by law to give any prisoners medical care if they needed it. If I wanted to quit then the door was right there.

I took a look where he was pointing and seriously considered it. How was I helping anyone? The inmates were all still full of sexual comments directed at me and lewd suggestions and come on's. It seemed anything I said or did, wasn't helping them...no one cared or showed me true respect and kindness... except for Damon.

But I couldn't quit though...not with him still there. So I had turned back to Shane and said I didn't want to lose my job, but I begged him to not make me go on a plane across the ocean.

I was about to explain my fear of crashing when he had tossed the file down on the desk in frustration and said he would have to hire another doctor if I couldn't do it. I was shaking my head already and could not imagine being stuck on a flight for hours with Parker and his goons. But as I was speaking my eye caught sight of Damon's name on the passenger manifest!

My eyes widened in complete surprise. He was going on the flight too?

Shane explained that he was being extradited back to where he had committed the attempted assassination and he and his team were being sent on the same flight. Budget cuts, he muttered.

I stumbled out of the office in a daze at the knowledge he was leaving...I kept quiet about it and took off when I was supposed to still be at work and walked the boardwalks by the water as the wind whipped through my hair.

What should I do? I wanted him to know what happened between us, about how I felt about him, but he was leaving so what was the point anyway to tell him now?

So I didn't.

I watched him sleep that night, his last night in the infirmary and I made up excuses to stay overnight with him even though I was pretending to work and catch up on paperwork.

He lay on is stomach, his head to the side, one eye peeking out from the pillow as I watched him, mesmerized by every little breath and movement he made. I had gotten so used to him and now in a little over a week he would be gone from my life forever.

That week went by far too fast and it was suddenly that last day, the last time I would see him...

He had been cornered in the yard and knocked down and he said they hit him but I did not know with what. It almost looked like he had started it somehow and had given the other guy a wicked bruise from a hard right hook before the other guys descended on Damon. There were bruises on his back and legs and I treated the wounds and held his hand a little longer than normal.

The warden had said the trip was private and even the prisoners didn't know so they could keep things as secure as possible and prevent any escape attempts. I held Damon's gaze as he stood up to leave, our hands still connected and I felt his thumb rub ever so gently on the top of my hand. I felt tears and turned away before he saw them, to wipe them away quickly saying I had gotten something in my eye.

He left with a shy smile, cocking his head and saying thank you Dr. Gilbert before he was escorted out the door and out of my world. It looked like he wanted to say more to me too but he didn't and I just let him walk away, knowing he was being taken to the airport that night.

I went home early right after seeing him and dumping the rest of the work day on Kelly. She knew something was up with me but didn't ask. I knew the warden had found a doctor to go on the flight and I was off the hook, but now I didn't know if I wanted to be. Shane wasn't impressed but he didn't fire me over it.

I flopped down on the couch, or rather Jeremy's couch and closed my tired eyes. Was I really okay with not seeing him again...ever? I curled up and pulled a pillow to my chest.

It was over...it had to be. Over before it even really started. He didn't even remember kissing me so intensely and it was probably better that way.

But even if he went to prison on the other side of the world I still had a chance to see him one more time…

I didn't think, which was becoming a regular occurance whenever it was about Damon. I pulled open my jar of money I kept in the drawer by my bed and dumped it out. There was more than enough there for a ticket, if the warden argued that he didn't need two doctors on board. I stuffed it all in my purse.

I showered and shaved faster than I think I ever did and threw a couple outfits and anything I thought I might need in my bag. Grabbing my passport I threw my bag over my shoulder, tied a scarf around my wet hair, put on a cute skirt and blouse. I even dressed in matching silky white underwear and laughed at why I thought I would need matching lingerie on a flight with dozens of inmates.

I arrived at the airport to my surprise the doctor Shane had hired from a neighboring prison was in front of me in line. I pulled her aside begging for her ticket and pushed all my money at her. I grabbed handfuls of bills from my bag and pushed them into her hands. She stood there not uttering a word at my pleas that I had to be on this flight and I snatched her ticket as she scrambled to pick up the probably $3000 dollars I had offered her.

Nothing more was said, and she let me go. I ran through the terminal and was told everyone was already on board. I was panting and out of breath by the time I made it to the gate and thrust the ticket at the tall thin gentleman at the table. He looked me over and realized I must look crazy running like that with wet hair and nearly losing my scarf before I tied it to my neck. I was so nervous, not just to see Damon one last time but because I had not stepped foot on a plane since then…

My bag slipped from my shoulder as I heard the engines of the plane louder in the tunnel and I bent to quickly pick up everything and shove it back in. I was walking onto the plane offering the young blonde woman a hurried smile as I pushed through the aisle past the prisoners to get to where my seat was supposed to be.

I nearly tripped on my own feet and I felt my book that I had put last back, tip from its position halfway in my open bag. I was such a mess, scared and worried and now nervous ...wanting to see him again. My thoughts raced and I didn't even see my book falling until it landed with a loud clunk on the floor.

I looked down, reaching down to pick up my book and it was swept up before I could touch it. My head was down and I took the book from the persons hands before lifting my head at nearly the same time he did and I was face to face with Damon's ice blue eyes once again.

My breath was shaky and I swallowed hard to gain some composure as I saw him staring deeply in my eyes. I decided right then that I was doing this to say goodbye. I wanted to see him one more time and that was it.

Not to get closer or kiss him again or torture myself with hope of meaning more to him and being a part of his life. I was determined to resist more with him...all it would do to tell him how I felt or kiss him again would torment me that much more when he was gone. I wasn't going to tell him about our kiss or anything else about how I felt.

I just wanted to be with him till he walked through those gates in the Middle Eastern prison. Till life and reality slammed that door shut on any hope of us.

I didn't want to be the one to let him go.

I saw him staring at me, and damn if I didn't want to forget everything I just told myself. I had to let him go at the end of this flight.

I had 12 more hours, just 12 hours to untangle Damon Salvatore from my heart... like that would be possible.

I heard a noise and seeing Enzo still fast asleep turned my head to watch the door opened quietly and a nurse slipped in the room. Her eyes found mine as I sat up on the bed beside Damon. She smiled at me and turned on the dimmest light and proceeded to check his vitals. I started to shift and pull myself up from beside him to give her space to work.

"I'm sorry…I shouldn't be here..." I mumbled feeling the deja vu of Sara discovering me with Damon all those weeks ago. But the nurse shushed me and shook her head.

"Nonsense, its fine Elena," she said. "I saw you at the elevator...you watched his heart stop and saw those doors close and didn't know what happened to him. I can't imagine what you felt. I was the one that called up to the surgical ward to see what had happened to Mr. Salvatore. Its fine that you stay there with him. Just give me a minute to do a few checks and take some blood and you can go ahead and lie back down."

I sighed giving her a tired but wide smile of thanks and was again so grateful for such sweet nurses. I stood up, stretching my muscles and shifted around in my hospital gown and decided to go use the bathroom while she attended to him. I still had an I.V. attached to me for fluids and I pulled it from the other side of the bed along with me to the bathroom. I had been all bandaged up again, a fresh wrist splint and any wounds securely wrapped in gauze and tape. Still I avoided looking in the mirror at all knowing how bruised my face and neck still was.

I climbed back into bed after the nurse finished taking his blood pressure and cuddled back under his arm against his chest.

"You think you are in the way but you are helping him Elena," she commented, her eyes scanning the printouts from the machines. "His vitals are more in the normal range, even more so than after his surgery. I'm sure your presence is soothing, kinda like twins that are preemies and thrive to heal better being together. Feeling you so close is medicine in itself Elena. We just don't think of it often enough." She smiled at me with a wink and helped me tuck the blanket around us again before turning and heading for the door. I bent to brush a kiss to his lips and leaned my head to his.

The nurse was almost at the door when I felt the slightest movement against my cheek.

Butterfly kisses...Damon's long dark lashes were tickling my face!

I called out louder than I had intended knowing Enzo was sleeping right beside us and the nurse spun back around and strode back to the bed. I watched as his lashes moved again, barely blinking halfway before I felt the slightest touch on my hand that I had laced with his again. I sat up fast and staring at his face and nearly laughed with relief as his eyes opened slowly till I was again face to face with the deep ocean blue I loved so much.

"Damon," I breathed out, my head dropping to rest on his forehead. "Honey, thank God you are awake." I felt him rub his thumb over my hand just softly as his lips curled up in a weak smile. My eyes locked on his as I saw how dilated they became the longer he looked at me. I felt like my heart was pounding like a teenager with her crush the way we were gazing at each other, like it was the first time all over again.

I backed up and off the bed quickly as much as I wanted to stay there with him so I could give the nurse room to check him more. She moved the light and asked him to follow it, asked him what day it was, if he knew where he was and the basic neuro checks. He was still really groggy and wasn't able to follow directions much yet. His eyes stayed focused on the light and he could follow it, so that was good.

The nurse repeated the questions and we both waited anxiously for him to speak. There was no indication that his surgery would have affected anything in his brain at all, but they were still monitoring his concussion carefully to make sure nothing else happened.

Enzo too had pulled himself up from his slumped over position and yawned. He had turned off his phone fast I assumed to not wake Bonnie too. I stayed sitting on the edge of the other bed and Damon lifted his hand reaching for me as the nurse asked him to push back on her hands with his feet. He moved glacially slow but the strength was starting to come back to his arms and hands as I felt him squeeze my hand I had resting in his. His eyes were locked on mine and only drifted to the nurse long enough to do the next thing she wanted.

"I know I'm in the hospital," he spoke hoarsely. I reached him the glass of water on the bedside table to sooth his dry throat. All patients after surgery had such dry weak voices.

The nurse introduced herself to Damon and I heard her name was May. She must have told me before already but I hadn't remembered. "Damon, can you smile for me?" May asked.

My adorable man gave her the widest smile, ever so slowly, before turning to me and melting me with how delicious he looked. His smiles were pure light in the presence of so much darkness. Next he did his sexy eye thing at me that he knew I liked.

"That's great. Wiggling your eyebrows was my next question and I can see that you have no problem with that too." The nurse looked like she was hiding her own smile at how teasing my fiance was being.

I missed this. Everything had felt so tense and scary for too long already and I missed seeing his smile.

I knew what was next and I was grinning so wide at seeing him awake and happy. "Baby, can you stick out your tongue for me?" His cute expression made me giggle and even May had smiled now and Enzo was just sitting back and watching us.

Damon stuck out his tongue at me and then turned to the nurse to show her too before she asked him about pressure on his hands and arms. What could he feel and to squeeze her fingers as she held them out. She then got him to lift his arms and wiggle his fingers and he could do everything slowly but accurately.

"Damon can you say something else. Besides where you are?" she asked him.

He turned to me, with a focused stare. "I'm so sorry I scared you baby," he breathed out. "I promised you I wouldn't leave you..."

I moved to sit back on the bed beside him. "I know Damon. I know." He nuzzled my nose and leaned his head to mine.

"You are more than okay Mr. Salvatore," May said with a bright smile. "I am so glad you are doing so well. Your wife here got quite a scare."

I gulped at that and I saw Enzo shift in his seat and lift up his phone and turn it on looking very interested in it. Damon had been so groggy before his surgery I doubted he remembered us saying we were married.

May headed to the door and closed it behind her before Damon turned back to me and I could barely contain laughing out loud. It felt good to be silly with him and now I knew he was going to tease me about this new development.

"My wife?" Damon repeated, his eyes wide and curious. "Someone want to fill me in?" He looked first to Enzo and then back to me. "We didn't get married while I was unconscious did we... because that is something I want to be awake for."

"Very funny D. You know we needed to see you buddy," Enzo said smoothly. "Neither of us were family so we uh...improvised." He grinned at us. "But you guys need to excuse me because now I am getting texts that Bon is awake and I need to go. Her mom is saying its time to have this baby! She told me Bon's water broke so this is it. No turning back now!"

I was so excited for him. Enzo bent to gently pat Damon's shoulder and then stepped past the bed. I stood up and drew him into another hug. "You will be a great at helping her through this," I told him. "Its Daddy time!"

Enzo nodded and he looked back and forth at both of us. "I'm nervous," he choked out. "Now that its really time...I'm so fucking nervous. They said she had 24 hours now to deliver before there is any risk of infection and they did a C section. But she is 6 cm's already so its working. Its really time!"

Damon cleared his throat. "You will be amazing Enz. Just support her in any way to you can, even from so far away. You guys can do this...go have your baby!"

Enzo looked teary eyed as he nodded and pulled us both into a hug with him, careful not to jar too much tubing and wires. He nodded again and stepped out of the room and closed the door.

Damon turned back to me as the room grew quiet. He reached his arms forward and pulled himself slowly to sit up more. I helped him straighten his pillows behind him and slid effortlessly into his embrace, still careful not to push on any part of him that could still be hurting.

"Hey," he whispered to me, his voice so smooth and velvety. "Are you okay?"

I sighed and curled in more against his chest, my arms around him. "I am now...Damon. I am now..."

A/N; There you go. I hope you take a minute to review. I always love reading them and they help inspire me to write quicker and pull me out of writers block when it hits.

I hope you liked the tenderness and the peek in Elena's thoughts, as messed up as they were when it came to our blue eyed bad boy.

I'm heading to get into comfy clothes now and eat Chinese take out in bed with my love and will finish this story up as fast as I can yet.

Thank you so much for all the support and follows and favorites and passing 1000 reviews! You guys are amazing!

Happy Delena Anniversary!