Chapter 17

Elena awoke slowly the next morning, reaching out for Damon. Her eyes snapped open when her fingers met nothing but cold sheets. She looked around his room in confusion. It was late; the sun was already high in the sky. It was the first time she had slept deeply and dreamlessly, without the help of alcohol, for a long time.

She slipped out of the bed and tried to swallow her panic at finding herself alone. She knew she hadn't been dreaming, she really needed to stop being so neurotic.

She took off her dirty, uncomfortable clothes from last night, pulled on one of Damon's shirts and tiptoed out of the room. The floor was cold against her toes and her heart began to beat loudly in her chest for no apparent reason. She scowled at her own insecurities; she didn't like being this pathetic.

She clutched the banister and trod carefully as she slipped down the stairs. She could hear noises coming from the kitchen, and wrapping her arms around her torso, she made her way towards the sounds of activity.

Damon glanced up when she walked into the room. Her face lit up in a breathtaking grin at the sight of him and he smiled.

He ignored the feelings that seeing her in his shirt, her hair rumpled from sleep, evoked in him.

"Morning sleepyhead." He said.

She pulled herself up onto the counter and sat, swinging her legs, watching him.

"What time is it?" She asked.

"Nearly eleven." He chuckled.

She raised her eyebrows.

"Wow, I haven't slept like that in like…forever."

He was doing something by the stove and delicious smells began to fill the room.

"What are you making?" She asked, peering curiously around him, trying to catch a glimpse.

"Chocolate chip pancakes." '

Damon was making pancakes? There was something so domestic and sweet about the gesture, it seemed so unlike the badass vampire she had come to know. She grinned.

"I didn't know vampires liked pancakes." She teased.

A second later he was standing in front of her with a plate piled high with a delicious looking stack. He set it on the counter next to her and handed her a knife and fork.

"Enjoy." He smirked, the affect of standing so close to each other not lost on either of them.

"Thank you." She murmured, smiling up at him.

He nodded and sat on the counter opposite her, watching as she shoved the pancakes in her mouth. He was worried about how little she had been eating. She had felt too light in his arms last night. Compared to the healthy girl he had left behind she was a skeleton.

When she was done he took her plate and washed it. She watched him again, curious about this homey side of Damon.

He moved towards her and placed his hands on her knees, meeting her gaze. She struggled not to get lost in his eyes.

"We are going out today and we are going to have fun." He said firmly.

She glanced nervously towards the door, secretly wishing they could just stay inside the safe confines of the house.

"It will be fun, I promise." He said, catching onto her thoughts.

She smiled.

"Ok." She agreed.

He raked his eyes across her scantily clad figure and smirked.

"And not that I don't appreciate this attire but I think you might be more comfortable in something slightly more conservative."

She looked down at her bare legs and blushed slightly.

"I think I still have some clothes in Stefan's room." She murmured.

He nodded.

"Good. Go get ready, we'll go when you're done."

She slipped off the counter, causing them to again end up completely invading each other's personal space. She knew he could hear the way her heart skipped a beat at his proximity and her blush grew darker.

She shifted awkwardly and glanced up at him.

"Thank you." She said quietly. She wasn't just thanking him for breakfast or the promise of a fun day. She was thanking him for everything. For being him. For being there.

He understood. He tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and nodded before turning back to the sink.

Elena looked out of the window as the car drew to a stop.

"A fair?" She exclaimed, childish delight filling her words.

Damon grinned at her reaction and parked the car.

"Yep." He said, climbing out and blurring around to the passenger side.

She jumped in surprise as he opened her door.

She clambered out quickly and glanced around nervously.

"Damon! You shouldn't move that fast in public, someone could have seen you." She hissed.

He rolled his eyes and took her hand in his, dragging her towards the bustling field. She liked the feeling of his warm, strong hand enveloping hers and skipped along beside him, feeling genuinely happy.

"What do you want to do first?" He asked.

She gazed around, like a child in a toy store.

"Cotton candy." She announced, setting off towards a brightly colored stall where a clown was handing children enormous sticks of bright pink sugar.

He laughed and let her pull him along, her hand still securely held in his.

Four hours later, they had been on every ride in the park, including the haunted house which Damon had found ironic. Especially when Elena had jumped into a vampire's arms for protection against an actor dressed up like a ghost.

The car was full of oversized stuffed animals, Damon having insisted on using his heightened skills as a means to win each and every game on offer.

Feeling tired and happy Elena lent into Damon's side as they walked through the park, heading back to the car. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed the top of her head.

"Did you have fun?" He asked.

She beamed up at him.

"Best day ever." She said with conviction.

He smiled.

"That was the plan."

They drove back towards home quietly, Elena found herself struggling to keep her eyes open and after a while drifted to sleep, resting her head against the window.

Damon smiled at the contented expression on her face. She was still Elena, she was exactly the same as she had always been. He just needed to help her rediscover it. He was relieved that she hadn't buried herself so deep that her protective shell was impenetrable, that would have made his job a lot harder.

They pulled up in the boarding house drive and Damon moved to her side, quietly scooping her up into his arms. Her eyes fluttered and she leant her head against his chest but didn't wake.

He carried her to the door and held her with one arm as he opened it. He flicked on the sitting room light, and turned to take her up to bed. A movement caught his peripherals and he whirled around with a growl, clutching Elena closer to him as he searched for a threat.

Something moved in the shadows and Damon fought the urge to vamp out. He wasn't in a good position, with Elena in his arms he was incapable of fighting, but if he put her down he could be putting her in more danger. He was weighing up his options when the figure stepped out of the darkness.

"Stefan?"

Sorry this has taken so long.. I was sort of still deciding which way to go with this story! x