At the risk of sounding like a broken record, I was BLOWN AWAY by your response to the last update. I loved the mixed feelings, the reactions. As I thought, a good amount of you had an issue with Damon cheating on Elena when they were together and even questioned how even an OCC Damon could do that. It comes down to the fact that he was young and rebelling.

Remember, this isn't really a love story. This is a story about forgiveness, grace, and repentance. We have really been focusing on Damon, but the next updates turn the tables a bit, and look more at Elena and some of her flaws. We're also going to get more into that forgiveness thing, starting below.

THANK YOU so so much for your support. I am loving writing this story and sharing it with all of you!

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Vampire Diaries.

Damon leaned against the outdoor bar in his parents' backyard, a bottle of beer in hand as he took in the scene before him.

Caroline and Stefan were entertaining a few of their neighbors over plates of pulled pork, seated around the fire pit, other friends and neighbors mulling around nearby, eating and chatting. Damon recognized them all and had spent much of the evening making small talk with them. He had admittedly used Ric and Enzo to escape more than once, however, finding them more entertaining than some of his parents' neighbors and friends.

His parents and Caroline's parents were seated at a patio table, finishing up dinner. Giuseppe and Bill Forbes were making forced small talk while Bill's partner, James, smiled politely, nodding along but not contributing. Ginny and Liz Forbes, however, talked animatedly about their impending grandchild and had been almost since the moment Liz arrived to help set up for the evening's gender reveal party.

Molly was running around the yard, playing with a couple of kids a few years older than her that belonged to employees at Salvatore Racing. He had kept a close eye on her all night, but the older kids were good with her and allowed her to tag along.

"Slow down!" Damon called after her as she sprinted past. She never checked up. Damon just shook his head. The one person he didn't see was Elena. He looked around, trying to spot her in the crowd.

"Looking for something?" Damon jumped slightly, surprised by Elena's sudden appearance. He recovered quickly.

"You," he replied smoothly. "People happen to notice when the most beautiful woman in attendance goes missing." Elena smiled at him.

"You are full of it," she told him. "I went to the kitchen to get more ice and started talking to Jo. I really like her. Ric definitely managed to marry up."

"He really couldn't go down," Damon quipped. Elena laughed. Molly ran by again as she chased after her playmates.

"Molly! Slow Down!" Elena called out.

"Tried that," Damon said as Molly paid Elena no mind. "I had the same results."

"She's going to fall and hurt herself," Elena said, taking a couple of steps in the direction Molly went.

"Elena," Damon said, reaching out to grab her elbow to stop her. "She's okay."

"Those kids are bigger than her…"

"I have been watching her," Damon said gently. "She's fine. Jeff's kids are decent. They are letting her play with them. She's fine, Elena. Just let her play." Elena took a breath, her eyes on Molly as she tagged right along behind the older kids.

"I know she's fine," Elena admitted. "It's just that she's so little."

"She's little, but fierce," Damon said. "Like her mother." Elena couldn't help but smile. She noticed then that Damon didn't have a bowtie or a hair bow clipped to his shirt like the rest of the partygoers.

"Where is your bow?" Elena asked. "You have to guess if the baby is a boy or girl before they cut the cake to reveal it in a few minutes. Caroline will have a fit if you don't vote." Damon smirked.

"It wouldn't be fair for me to guess if I already know, now would it?" Elena narrowed her eyes at him.

"You don't know."

"I do," Damon insisted. "Stefan told me."

"There is no way you know and I don't," Elena informed him. "Caroline is my best friend in the entire world and she refused to tell me. Even though I told her that Molly was a girl before I told anyone else. She flat our refused to tell me. She wouldn't even give me a hint."

"Stefan told me," Damon said again. "I mean, technically, he accidentally let it slip, but still, he told me." Elena studied him for a long moment. He gazed back, waiting. Her eyes narrowed.

"You do know!" she exclaimed. "Damon! You know, and Caroline let you live?"

"Caroline doesn't know I know," he said. "I promised Stefan I would keep it to myself. So, I did."

"What is it?" Elena asked, coming closer to Damon, eyes sparkling. "Niece or nephew?" Damon shook his head.

"Nope. Not telling. I promised Stefan."

"Damon! Tell me!"

"I promised Stefan," Damon said again. "I have to keep that promise."

"Oh, so now you choose to be Dudley Do Right."

"Had to start sometime," Damon quipped.

"Tell me!" Elena said, coming still closer. "Everyone is going to find out in a few minutes anyway."

"Why don't you guess?" Damon countered.

"Girl," Elena said automatically. She was wearing a pink hair bow in support of her vote. Damon smirked.

"Good news. You have a fifty-fifty chance at being right."

"Damon!" Elena shrieked, making Damon laugh.

"Well, we are having fun," came Ginny's voice. Elena and Damon turned to find her beaming at them. She knew they had talked the previous day and that things had gone, if not well, then well enough. Damon had been at Elena's when she dropped Molly before dinner the night before, and they had arrived together to the gender reveal party.

"Damon knows the sex of the baby," Elena informed Ginny. "Stefan told him." Ginny's jaw dropped.

"He told you?" she asked. "That brat wouldn't tell his own mother! There is no way he told you!"

"He accidentally told me," Damon corrected. "I kept his secret. But, you can guess if you want." Elena narrowed her eyes at Damon. He winked at her.

"It's a girl, obviously," Ginny said. She too was wearing a pink hair bow. Damon grinned.

"Fifty-fifty chance you're right," he replied.

"Oh, you are terrible!" Ginny exclaimed as Damon laughed and Elena rolled her eyes. "Absolutely terrible! I still haven't forgiven you for telling where my biscuits came from on Sunday!"

"I still can't believe you agreed to let Caroline and Stefan have their gender reveal party on family dinner night," Damon said. "If Caroline managed to convince you of that, I'm pretty sure she could broker peace in the Middle East."

"Look around," Ginny said, waving her hand. "My family is all here for dinner." Damon opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by a high-pitched squeal. He whirled around, knowing it belonged to Molly. She was face down on the concrete slab Giuseppe had poured years ago for a backyard basketball half court.

"Molly!" Elena gasped, rushing across the yard, even as Stefan, Ric, and Enzo all hurried towards her. Damon was faster, however, and streaked past Elena. He arrived at Molly's side just as Enzo, who had been closest, picked her up.

"Daddy!" Molly cried out, tears streaming as she reached for him.

"I've got you," Damon said, taking her from Enzo, sparing his friend a grateful nod. He sat down on the concrete, Molly in his lap, looking her over.

"Molly, what hurts?" Elena asked, arriving at their side, Ginny on her heels. "Are you hurt?"

"My…. My… My…. Leg!" Molly wailed. Both Elena and Damon looked. Elena gasped again.

"Oh, Molly!" she said, taking in the bloody, skinned knee. Molly cried harder.

"Here," came Giuseppe's voice. He passed Damon a handkerchief from his pocket. Damon pressed it to her knee and held it there, even as Molly hissed and tried to pull away, tears still pouring.

"Hey, stop," Damon said gently. "We have to stop the bleeding, okay?"

"It hurts!" Molly wailed.

"She didn't break it, did she?" Elena asked, blindly looking for any sign that Molly had broken her leg. Damon shook his head.

"It's just a skinned knee," he said.

"Are you sure?" Elena asked, reaching for the handkerchief to see for herself. Damon applied a little more pressure. Elena glared at him. "Damon, she might need stitches!"

"It's a skinned knee," Damon said again, patiently but firmly. "Let's take her inside, get it cleaned up, and slap a bandage on it."

"Slap a bandage on it," Elena muttered under her breath as she stood up and reached for Molly.

"I want Daddy!" Molly cried out, hugging Damon. Elena sighed.

"Molly…"

"She's okay," Damon said. It was took some work, and a helping hand from Enzo, but he managed to get to his feet, keeping Molly in his arms all the while. Balancing Molly in one arm, he put a hand on Elena's back, trying to calm her down as he led them towards the house. She was overreacting about a skinned knee.

"There's a first aid kit in the kitchen pantry," Ginny was saying, trailing along behind them. "And another in the upstairs hall bathroom, under the sink. You will want to stop the bleeding and clean any dirt away. And then you should put some hydrogen peroxide on it… Make sure you use Neosporin…"

"Let's go make sure everyone has voted boy or girl," Giuseppe said, trying to distract Ginny.

"You go on," Ginny said to him. "I'm going to help Damon and Elena…"

"Damon and Elena can handle a skinned knee," Giuseppe said gently. "If they need you, I'm sure one of them will come and get you."

"But…"

"Ah, it looks like the Pattersons haven't voted yet. Come along, Tesoro." Huffing, Ginny allowed her husband to steer her in another direction. Damon gave his father a grateful look which Giuseppe returned with a wink. A woman overreacting and Molly crying hysterically was all Damon could deal with.

"You get the first-aid kit and I'll get a clean rag," Damon said to Elena as they entered the kitchen from the backyard. She was already headed towards the pantry.

"Daddy, it hurts!" Molly cried.

"I know, Princess," Damon said calmly. He sat Molly down on the kitchen counter, or at least tried to. She had a death grip on him. "Hey, be a big girl for me, okay? I need you to sit here and be brave while I get a clean rag."

"It hurts!"

"It's okay," Damon told her. "It's just a bit of a bump. Daddy and Mama are going to fix it." He managed to peel Molly's arms from around his neck.

"I have the first-aid kit," Elena said. She placed it on the counter and opened it. "How bad is it? Are you sure it doesn't need stitches?"

"It's a scraped up knee," Damon said again as he dampened a clean cloth. "I'm guessing I'm right in assuming she's never had a skinned knee before?"

"No," Elena admitted. "She bumped her head once when she was leaning to walk. Other then that, she hasn't had so much as a hangnail."

"You took her straight to the emergency room when she hit her head, didn't you?" Damon asked. He carefully peeled the handkerchief away and stooped to survey the extent of the injury. Just as he had suspected, it was a surface wound, made to look worse than it was through a combination of blood and dirt. He gently started dabbing at the wound.

"She hit her head!" Elena defended herself. "You don't play around with head injuries, Damon."

"And she was fine, wasn't she?"

"Well, she had a goose egg for a few days…"

"Ow!" Molly squealed. She tried to kick Damon away from her.

"Stay still, Molly," Elena said, putting a comforting hand on Molly's shoulder. "Daddy is just cleaning up your boo boo."

"It hurts!" Molly bellowed, kicking at Damon once more.

"Molly, stay still," Damon said in a stern tone. He tried to resume cleaning. She kicked harder, even as Elena whispered soothing words to her. He blew out a breath after another failed attempt. "Elena, you are going to have to hold her." Elena didn't hesitate. She lifted herself onto the counter and pulled Molly into her lap.

"No, Daddy!" Molly squealed, kicking him away again.

"Hey, did you finish your art project at school today?" Elena asked, trying to distract her as she held her. It worked. Molly started answering Elena's questions about school while Damon worked to clean up her knee. He reached for the peroxide.

"You want to see something cool?" Damon asked.

"What?" Molly asked, her tears no longer falling, but her eyes still watery.

"Watch your knee," he said. "It's going to bubble when I put this stuff on it."

"Bubble?" Molly asked.

"Just watch," Elena said, giving Molly an affectionate little squeeze. Damon applied the peroxide and while Molly hissed a bit, she was mesmerized by the peroxide bubbling on her knee. She giggled.

"My knee is bubbles!" she said excitedly. Damon and Elena laughed.

"It's cleaning your boo boo," Damon explained. "I'm going to put some of this gel on it, then put a Band-Aid on it, okay?" Molly nodded. Elena was beaming at him. "What?" She shook her head.

"Just you, saying things like 'boo boo' to your three year old," she told him.

"Who would have thought?" Damon asked as he gently rubbed some Neosporin into Molly's knee.

"It's sweet," Elena said. She picked up the box of princess bandages Ginny had in her first aid kit – likely, Elena assumed, for Molly's use – and allowed Molly to pick out a bandage. She ended up choosing three to completely cover the scrape. "All better?" Elena asked as Damon washed his hands.

"It still hurt a tiny little bit," Molly said. She was no longer crying, but her eyes were red and puffy.

"How about a popsicle?" Damon asked. "Think that will make you feel better?" Molly nodded seriously.

"I think so," she agreed. "A red one will make me feel really better." Elena laughed lightly. Damon grinned and retrieved a popsicle from the freezer. He unwrapped it and handed it to Molly.

"Down you go," he said, taking her from Elena's lap. He carefully lowered her to the floor. She took a couple of slow, ginger steps before her face crinkled.

"I not walk," she informed her parents.

"It's might be a little sore for a couple of days," Damon told her. "But, I think you will live." Molly took another couple of steps.

"I not walk!" she declared again. Damon sighed.

"Come on," he said, swinging her up into his arms. "Careful with that popsicle, though. I don't want to wear cherry popsicle." He turned to Elena. She was still smiling at him. "Shall we return to the party?" he asked. "I believe we are about to cut the gender revealing cake." Molly perked up.

"Can I has cake?" she asked, looking at her father hopefully.

"Sure thing," he agreed.

"Popsicles and cake?" Elena asked. "Guess who gets to do bedtime tonight?" Damon winked at her.

"Happily," he replied. "Especially if it means I will be there at bedtime." They exchanged a smile. "Come on, girls," he said. He slipped an arm around Elena and helped her slip off the counter. He kept an arm around her as they exited the house. Ginny met them almost as soon as they walked out onto the patio.

"Did Mama and Daddy take care of your boo boo?" she asked Molly.

"I gots Band-Aids," Molly said, holding her leg out for her grandmother to see. "Cindy-rella, Belle, an' Sleepin' Beauty. I has to have three, 'cause I has a big boo boo."

"And you have a popsicle too, to make your feel better," Ginny said. She glanced between Damon and Elena. "Mama and Daddy look cozy."

"Don't you have another grandchild to find out the sex of?" Damon asked. Ginny narrowed her eyes at him.

"We are – working on things," Elena told her, giving Damon a small smile. Ginny positively lit up.

"That's so good to hear," she said. "So very good." She glanced between the two again. "I think it is almost time for Caroline and Stefan to cut their cake. Give me this grandchild. I'm going to find out whether my second grandchild is a boy or girl." She reached for Molly who went happily to her Gigi. Without another word, Ginny walked away, Molly in her arms.

"Mom is officially having the best day, ever," Damon said. He pulled Elena a little closer as they walked towards where Stefan and Caroline were gathering everyone around a cake and a giant cardboard box. "She has got her entire family here, she is finally going to find out if her new grandchild is a boy or girl, and you and I are together, or at least working towards being together." Elena smiled up at Damon.

"We are together," she said. "Things may not be perfect, but we are together." Damon smiled down at her and pulled her still closer as they joined the gathered crowd.

"I needed to hear that," he admitted. "I'm still pinching myself, trying to convince myself that this is real." After he finally left Elena's the night before, after dinner and Molly's bath and bedtime routine, he had gone home, only to lay awake in his bed and thank his lucky stars over and over again that he had been given one last chance with Elena. He knew this was the last time she would open her heart to him.

"It's real," Elena confirmed. Damon leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"Okay, everyone!" Caroline announced to the group. "Time to find out if this baby is a boy or a girl!" She made a show of tallying up the votes marked on a chalkboard.

"Mom is having the best day ever," Damon said. "Stefan, though? He's just along for the ride." Elena chuckled, taking in Stefan's resigned expression to match Caroline's theatrics. He was wearing a blue polo shirt, Caroline decked out in a pink dress.

"I just wish they would get on with it," Elena mumbled back. "Cutting a cake and opening a box that is full of either pink or blue balloons? Completely over the top. Also, completely Caroline." With their parents flanking them, Molly still with Ginny, Caroline picked up a knife to cut the cake while Stefan held a string that would open the box of balloons. Damon leaned down so he could whisper in Elena's ear.

"Boy."

She looked at him. "What?"

"Boy," Damon said again, nodding towards Caroline and Stefan. Elena's eyes lit up in understanding.

"Really?" she asked. Damon nodded.

"Really," he confirmed. She beamed at him and turned to watch as Caroline cut into a cake revealing blue icing between the layers as blue balloons floated from the box.

As Elena moved to congratulate them, Damon hung back, looking on. He smiled, watching as Elena hugged his brother. His father shook hands with Caroline's father while Ginny, still holding onto Molly, hugged Caroline tightly, Caroline's mother's arms also around them.

This was his family.

Being a part of it again felt good.

"The next time I tell Molly 'yes' to things like cake within hours of her bedtime, intervene," Damon stated. He dropped onto the couch next to Elena, weary from a bedtime battle with Molly.

"Did you finally get her down?" Elena asked, amused.

"She's in her bed, sans that damn doll," he replied. "I took it away from her after one too many protests about getting into bed in the first place and then too many requests to tuck it in or get it a glass of water. Plus, I tripped over its stupid easel set Molly left laying in the middle of the floor. Why do they even make easel sets for dolls? That's just stupid." Elena laughed.

"There's your sweets before bedtime lesson learned," she teased. Damon sighed and let his head fall back on the couch.

"I love her. I love her so much. But my God, is she stubborn." Damon looked at Elena. "I would like to say she gets that from you, but if we lay the evidence out on the table, I suspect that's my mostly fault."

"It's all your fault," Elena stated. Damon shook his head.

"Not all," he said, giving her a pointed look that made her laugh again. She surprised him by curling up on the couch and resting her head on his shoulder. He didn't hesitate to wrap his arm around her and pull her even closer.

"Stefan and Caroline are going to have a boy," she stated. "I did not see that coming."

"I was already looking forward to seeing how those two handled a kid, but it will be especially fun to watch Caroline attempt to handle a boy," Damon commented.

"She will be a great mother," Elena said with confidence. "She is a mother hen, anyway, always clucking about something, trying to take care of someone. Of course, she will have her hands full. A baby is so much work, but a Salvatore boy? That has to add an element of difficulty to the situation."

"We are rather difficult," Damon agreed. "At least Stefan is the much better behaved version of a Salvatore male." He reached out and took Elena's hand, threading his fingers through hers. "This feels really good, being here with you, like this."

"It does," Elena said. She looked up at Damon. "I have been thinking about everything you told me last night."

"Oh?" Damon felt a sudden wave of nervousness wash over him, wondering if Elena had changed her mind about him in the last 24 hours, even in the last couple of hours since she had told him they were together at the gender reveal party.

"Thank you, Damon, for telling me the truth," she said. "Even if I didn't like some of what I heard, I can respect that you told me the truth."

"I spent a lot of time running and lying to the people I love," Damon replied. "I'm done with that. I'm done with that life. Things are good, now, and I don't want to lose that. Things are really, really good. Earlier, at Mom and Dad's, I felt like I was truly a part of it all again, like I actually belonged there. Even arguing with Caroline after she found out I knew it was a boy all along felt good."

"You egged that on," Elena reminded him. "You could have gone about your business and she would have never known, but you had to go and tell her you knew." Damon smirked.

"She always has been fun to get a rise out of," he said. "Besides, Caroline is still a little cold towards me. I don't want it to be like that. Things are going well between Stefan and I. I don't want it to be awkward to hang out with him or to go see my nephew." Elena smiled slightly.

"You owe Caroline and Stefan a few nights of babysitting," she told him.

"It's the least I can do," Damon agreed. He gently jostled Elena. "I have been thinking about everything too." She looked up at him again.

"And?" Damon blew out a breath.

"You are so forgiving," he said. "At least, you seem to be. You were plenty angry, but you are still giving me a chance. You said it yourself – I destroyed you. How are you so open? So willing to look past everything I have done and let me back into your life? Into Molly's?" Elena took her time forming an answer.

"I spent a lot of time hating you," she said after a few minutes. "You broke my heart. I was so angry at you, Damon. Some of that anger came back yesterday and honestly, it will probably be around for a long time, even though I do what I can to manage it. But, when Molly was born and she was in that incubator, fighting for her life, I had a lot of time to think. I didn't want to be this angry, bitter woman, especially if I got to keep her here on earth with me. I wanted to be a good mother, and to do that, I needed to be in a better place. That's why I started going to therapy. I read a lot of books and googled a lot of stuff, but I needed to sit down with someone and walk through it all.

"I learned that forgiveness is a choice," she continued. "I was angry at you, but after a while, I had to make a choice – I could stay mad or I could forgive you and move on with my life. I chose to forgive you. I had to let go of that anger so I could be a good mother to Molly.

"And then, when Jeremy died, I found myself angry again. How could he do that? How could he throw his life away when there were so many people who loved him so much? And, he had to go and die just days before Molly's first birthday. I was so mad at him, not only for his choices and for dying, but for ruining Molly's birthday. I felt myself going back to that bitter, angry place. And so, again, I chose forgiveness. It's not the easy choice. It's not easy to forgive someone who has hurt you so much. But, it has been the right choice for me."

Damon shook his head in astonishment.

"Elena, I knew you were strong, but I had no idea…" It was Elena's turn to shake her head.

"I'm only as strong as I have to be," she said. "Mostly for Molly, but a bit for myself too, I guess."

"I still have a hard time looking at my reflection in the mirror," he admitted.

"You should work on that," Elena advised. Damon nodded.

"I am," he promised. "I'm trying to be a good man. I spend a lot of time thinking about my actions. I'm trying to be a good father, a good brother, a good son. And, hopefully, now, a good – boyfriend? I don't know what label we have right now. But, I'm trying to be good, decent. I'm trying to show you – and everyone else – that I have changed and that I have leaned from my mistakes." Damon paused. "I'm trying to deserve to be a part of this family." Elena frowned.

"Damon, you do deserve to be a part of your family," she told him. "They are your family. They love you." Damon squeezed her hand.

"I'm not just talking about Mom and Dad and Stefan and Caroline," he said. "I'm talking about you and Molly, too." Again, Elena took her time with her response.

"Last night, you said you knew this wasn't a quick fix." Damon nodded. "Just – remember that, okay? There is so much water under the bridge between us that there is practically an ocean. I see you making the effort. At first, it was little things, like how you showed up on time, even a few minutes early, or how you would interact with Molly, even before you knew she was yours.

"But now, I see it in the way you just know what to do. You knew exactly what to do today, when Molly hurt her knee. She wanted you, Damon. You. She loves you, so much. She loves you because you are her daddy and she trusts that you will take care of her. You drove us home and while Molly and I were playing 'let's avoid bath time,' you took out the trash and brought my mail in. I know that seems so trivial, but you did it, just because it needed to be done. Even when we were together before, you wouldn't have done those things without me at least dropping a hint.

"When I moved back here, just five months ago, you weren't in a good place. You were partying all the time. You were completely disrespectful. Sponsors were scarce. Media outlets wanted nothing to do with you. Forget about charity and fundraising opportunities…"

"Way to list my finer moments," Damon muttered. Elena squeezed his hand.

"Now, you are a dad. A good one, at that. You have made up with Stefan and your parents. We are working on things between us. You have two wins under your belt and we are only three months into the season. Sponsors are already hounding your dad for next year, and you know the media can't get enough of you. You have all these appearances and charity events lined up… You have made a complete one-eighty, Damon, and I am so proud of you."

It took Damon a moment to pull himself together, overwhelmed by Elena's support of him.

"I'm only trying to right my wrongs," he said quietly. "In my head, its like a really big, steep, rocky mountain. Everything I could ever want is at the top. I'm climbing it, little by little, but sometimes my footing slips and I stumble. But, I keep going, and finally, that is starting to count for something." Elena smiled softly at him.

"How far up that mountain do you think you have made it?" she asked. Damon shrugged.

"May three quarters of the way," he said. "I covered a fair amount of ground over the last few days, winning at Talladega, talking through things with you." Elena snuggled closer to him.

"I would agree with that," she said. Damon leaned down and kissed the top of her head.

"I love you," he said softly. "So much." Elena tilted her chin towards him.

"I love you, too," she said.

"One day at a time," he said.

"One day at a time," Elena echoed.

She reached up, cupped his cheek, pulled him towards her, and kissed him sweetly. He mirrored her motions, his hand finding her cheek as he kissed her again. He deepened the kiss, testing the waters. Elena responded as he hoped she would, leaning into him. Feeling confident, he ran his tongue along her bottom lip, asking for permission. She sighed as her lips parted. She fisted his shirt and pulled him closer.

Before Damon realized it had happened, he was laying on the couch, Elena under him, her hands tangled in his hair, her legs wrapped around him. His own hands were roaming, over her clothes, but roaming all the same. He moved his lips from hers to her jawline, reveling in her content sighs.

"Damon," she sighed, one hand moving down his back.

"Hmmm," he said in response, his lips traveling down her throat. It was the feeling of her hand slipping under his shirt that brought him to his senses. He kissed her lips soundly before pulling away. He moved so he was lying beside Elena on the couch, his arms around her.

"Damon?" she asked, her eyes searching his. He smiled at her.

"We are taking it slow," he reminded her, brushing her hair away from her face. "But, trust me when I say that putting the brakes on just now, while it isn't quite as hard as facing my mistakes, getting behind the wheel at Daytona, or racing again at Talladega, it's still pretty high on the list." Elena chuckled.

"It was kind of nice to make out with you," she admitted. "You are pretty good at that."

"I do my best," he said. He glanced at his watch. "It's not quite nine o'clock. Want to watch a movie?" Elena shook her head.

"No," she said as she snuggled closer to him. She rested her head on his chest. "Let's just do this."

"Happily," Damon agreed, tightening his arms around her.

Molly found them there the next morning, their arms still around one another. She woke them up by climbing onto the sofa with them and squeezing herself in between them so she could snuggle too.

And there we have it. A bit of fluff, but also a bit of a peek into how and why Elena is open to Damon and forgiveness. I really believe that forgiveness is a choice, even if that person is no longer a part of our lives. Also, how overprotective is Elena? Just you wait. :)

Let me know what you thought!