When Elena awoke, she found herself half propped up by Stefan's arm, while he used the other to try to fan her. Bonnie was standing directly in front of her with a glass of water outstretched in her direction. Even now she could feel herself perspiring, with the added combination of a chill, while shaking. Much like the reaction she could imagine one would have, seeing a ghost. All the hair on her arms was standing up.

" Elena Love, are you all right?" Stefan was asking. "Where is Sage?' was all she managed to croak out in her daze.

"He's gone Love. I told him he wasn't welcome here. I don't think he will be back to bother us again. I'm so sorry, you had to experience that on our Wedding day. He answered her, sounding both direct and highly irritated.

"But.. he said Markus was alive, and needed my help. I've got to find out what's going on!" Elena replied with a growing sense of desperation.

Love, if I had known, he never would of made it one foot inside this church, I can't believe Sage would associate with a beast like that..well I guess Sage does have some fallen angel blood in him, so I've been told, so maybe I should of guessed."

Stefan said.

"What did he mean, when he said you had compelled me to marry you?' she asked.

Stefan looked like he was seriously contemplating how or if to answer this question.

" Bonnie, could you please leave Elena and I alone for a minute, and please tell the minister we need another ten or fifteen minutes before we are ready?" Stefan ordered Bonnie.

"No, Bonnie stay right where you are! I want an answer right now Stefan!"

Bonnie looked uncomfortable looking back and forth between Stefan and Elena unsure which to listen to.

" Now Bonnie!" Stefan barked, and with that Bonnie turned and left, much to Elena's dismay.

" Love, let me explain, it's not what you think." Stefan started saying in calming tones.

"Did you or didn't you compel me"? She interrupted.

" I did, but if you could of seen how depressed you were. We were all worried

you were going to kill yourself. You weren't eating, or bathing, and I was worried for the baby. This is Damon's fault, he trifled with you and your mind. He had his way with you, like so many before you, and as usual, he had already moved on to someone else, Bonnie. Then he died and by some strange twist of fate you ended up with child. You were so sad that I feared for both you and the baby unless I did something drastic to help you get through it and make you happy again. I love you Elena, it was like you were dying before my very eyes. What else could I do?"

Damon already killed me in the fifteenth century. Then he almost had me killed again by having me locked up in the Dark Dimension, so he could take advantage of you. How could I sit back and watch him even in death not only steal you but also kill you too?" Stefan pleaded with her."

Please now, let's just go down stairs and say our vows, and put him behind us." He coaxed her.

"No Stefan. I need time to digest all this, I just don't know anymore. You knew about the baby all along, and didn't bother to tell me?" She asked.

"Well how could I in your delicate state of mind. Plus you had to of known, I know you did, I read your diary when you were missing, and you made a reference to "us" saying he left us, in stead of saying he left me. So subconsciously you knew, you just were in denial. I just wanted us to be happy again like before. I can make that happen ."

Before Elena could get a word in Stefan grabbed her face, and while looking into her eyes said " You will forget Sage was here, and everything between then and now. You will just remember we are going downstairs to get married." Then he let go.

Elena slapped him as hard as she could. I wearing Vervain Stefan, how could you?"

Stunned and immediately realizing his mistake, Stefan stepped back as Elena ran out the door in tears.

Stefan started to go after her, but Bonnie pulled his arm saying "give her some time."

Elena walked around in the rain for a bit as if in a trance. It was as if her whole world had just collapsed. She wasn't sure where to go, or what to do. She knew she had to go back to the boarding house, because in her state of mind, she had left Dalena with Bonnie. She would have to go there and at least pack up her and Dalena's stuff.

Nothing seemed right anymore. She entered the boarding house, and looked over by the liquor, as if Damon would magically appear there. It was strange how much this place both made her feel closer to him, while also blared his absence.

She felt lost, unsure what was right and wrong anymore. As if in a trance, she found herself entering the attic, where she knew he was. Or at least his picture was.

She sat before it and pulled her knees up into her chest wrapping her arms tightly around them as if to hold herself together, like she would fall apart if she did not.

She cried and cursed him, and cried some more, flashing between anger, and gut wrenching sobs. He had done this, caused all this. Even now, he still had her from beyond the grave. She didn't know how long she had been up there starring at his image in uniform, and crying till she felt numb.

Maybe Stefan had been right. Maybe ignorance was better. Anything had to be better than this feeling. He did have the power to make this pain stop within just a few seconds. Whomever had said " better to of loved and lost, than to of never loved at all," clearly had never felt this.

She was beginning to feel numb, maybe it was shock, or just completely drained, but she could cry no more.

It was then in that silence, she remember the Kitsune ball. She went over to it and dusted it off with her now dry wedding dress, which now resembled a wilted Lilly.

Once dusted she held it up to her head wanting to escape to any other world or time than the one she was presently in.

The ball started to play.

She saw herself back in that motel room. Back in that bathtub, which she had poured in the bath salts Mrs Flowers had given her and slipped underneath the warm waters. The vanilla sent swirling around her and pulling her into a sort of sleep. Only this time she was seeing it, as if watching it happen to someone else, yet she was seeing herself. She saw herself dreaming.

In her dream, she was moving briskly. It was only half-light, but she could

Tell somehow that she was skimming downward through deep gray mist.

What worried her was that she seemed to be surrounded by arguing voices,

And they were arguing about her.

"A second chance? I've spoken to her about it."

"She won't remember anything."

"It doesn't matter whether she remembers. Everything will remain inside

Her, if unawakened."

"It will germinate inside her…until the time is right."

Elena had no idea what any of it meant.

And then this mist was thinning, and clouds were making way for her, and

She was drifting down, more and more slowly, until she was deposited

Gently on a ground covered with pine needles.

The voices were gone. She was lying on a forest floor, but she wasn't

Naked. She was wearing her prettiest nightgown, the one with real

Valenciennes lace. She was listening to the tiny night sounds all around her

When suddenly her aura reacted in a way that it never had before.

It told her someone was coming. Someone who brought a sense of safety in

Warm earthen hues, in soft rose colors and deep, blue violets that

Enfolded her even before the person arrived. These

Were…someone's…feelings about herself. And behind the love and

Soothing concern she

Experienced, there were deep forest greens, shafts of warm gold, and a

Mysterious tinge of translucency, like a waterfall that sparkled as it fell and

Foamed like diamonds around her.

Elena, a voice whispered. Elena.

This was so familiar….

Elena. Elena.

She knew this….

Elena, my angel.

It meant Love.

Even as Elena was sitting up and turning in her dream, she was holding out

Her arms. This person belonged with her. He was her magic, her

Solace, her best-beloved. It didn't matter how he'd gotten there, or what

Had happened before. He was her soul's eternal mate.

And then…

Strong arms holding her tenderly…

A warm body close to hers…

Sweet kisses…

Many, many times…

This familiar feeling as she melted into his embrace…

He was so gentle, but almost fierce in his love for her. He had vowed not to

Kill, but he would kill to save her. She was his most precious thing in all

The world…. Any sacrifice would be worth it if she were safe and free. His

Life meant nothing without her, so he would gladly give it, laughing and

Kissing

His hand to her with his last breath.

Elena breathed in the wonderful autumn-leaves scent of his sweater and

Was comforted. Like a baby, she allowed herself to be soothed by simple

Familiar odors, by the feeling of her cheek against his shoulder and the

Wonder of the two of them breathing together in synchronicity.

When she tried to put a name to this miracle, it was at the front of her mind.

Stefan…

Elena didn't even need to look up at his face to know that Stefan's leaf green

Eyes would be dancing like the waters of a small pond ruffled by

Wind and sparkling with a thousand different points of light. She buried her

Head in his neck, afraid somehow to let go of him, although she couldn't

Remember why.

I don't know how I got here , she told him non-verbally. In fact, she didn't

Remember anything before this, before awakening to his call, only jumbled

Images.

It doesn't matter. I'm with you.

Fear seized her. This isn't…just a dream, is it?

No dream is just a dream. And I'm with you always.

But how did we get here?

Shh. You're tired. I'll hold you up. On my life, I swear it. Just rest. Let me

Hold you just once.

Just once? But…

But now Elena felt worried and dazed, and she had to let her head fall

Backward, had to see Stefan's face.

She tilted her chin back and found herself meeting laughing eyes of an

Infinite darkness in a chiseled, pale, and proudly handsome face.

She almost cried out in horror.

Hush. Hush, angel.

Damon!

The dark eyes that met hers were full of love and joy. Who else?

How dare you—how did you get here? Elena was more and more confused.

I don't belong anywhere, Damon pointed out, suddenly sounding sad. You

Know I'll always be with you.

I do not; I do not—give Stefan back to me!

But it was too late. Elena was aware of the sound of water trickling and of

Tepid liquid sloshing around her. She woke up just in time to keep her

Head from going underwater in the bathtub. A dream…

}} Note from Author...L.J. Smith is the author of the words between the words which are underlined}}

The next thing Elena saw as the Kitsune ball played on was the rest of the night in the motel room with Damon..Yes, all of it even the sex. But it was all from a third parties view point. A seething third party. As Damon and her lay there afterward ` `1 blissful in the afterglow, it showed them being approached.

Elena reaching for the covers to hide her nakedness, and Damon leaping from the bed into attack mode, but it was useless. She watched in horror,

As they were both put into a coma like deep sleep, and the Kitsune went to each of them and extracted the memories.

"Are you sure they won't remember?" the voice asked. Yes, I'm sure. Are you sure this is what you want?" The Kitsune asked. "Yes!" the voice answered she could feel it's rage.

It was all so clear now. She had never fallen asleep in the bathtub, nor had it been Damon in the dream, but someone posing as him.

Yoroshiku, Not Shinichi!

She remembered Shinichi Warning "If I were You, I'd start negotiating for that star ball right NOW"!

All those times that she had teleported herself to Stefan while he was imprisoned using that silver thread. Why had it never occurred to her he might be able to use the same thread to follow her back, specially when he had the company of a Kitsune friend?

Nope, Shinichi may of done many things, and may of robbed Damon of memories before. However on that night it had been Stefan that had taken their memories. There had been no way he would allow Damon to have the memory of that special night he considered should have been his. Elena could almost understand why Stefan would take that from him, only it wasn't just him, he had taken it from. He had stolen it from her too. Yet the evidence had been left behind..Dalena.

Stefan had known all along and locked it away up here in the attic. She remembered what he had said earlier. Had he taken the memory from her because he thought he was sparing her the regret of haven been "used" Or had it been plain old jalousie that had made him deprive both her, and Damon of their one night together?

She thought of how pushy he had been of late on the whole sex topic. It was all becoming much clearer now. How many times had he slipped away into to attic and re-watched the night he felt should of been his? Had Shinichi actually been trying to warn her, or just hold it over his head?

This one night which should of been the most special private night in a woman's life, had been shared by two others, and viewed by at least three.

Elena could feel her blood boiling.