This missing scene begins after season 3, episode 11 – "Our Town"…

It didn't take long for Damon to find Elena, she was pretty much where he expected – at the Grill, cup in hand, talking to Caroline.

The blonde vampire saw him first as he approached their table. Elena's eyes only found his after she saw the expression on Caroline's face. She could tell that Caroline wanted to tell her something, and that Caroline was annoyed by Damon's appearance. Still, Elena softly asked, "Can I have a minute alone with him?"

Caroline just nodded, still looking at Damon, and left the table.

Elena hadn't expected him to be seeking her out. She watched as he approached and sat across from her, hoping he wasn't bringing bad news.

As he sat, Damon could tell that she was nervous, tentative. She was acting the same way she did the night before, when he had picked her up and taken her home after she refused to get back into Stefan's car. He didn't want to her to feel like this, to feel uncomfortable around him, but he wasn't sure of how to help her get past it.

"How are you?" he asked. She could tell he was genuinely concerned, but little had changed from the night before.

"I'm OK," she said, though she knew her expression didn't really show it.

"Jeremy's gone," he said flatly.

Elena flinched a little and nodded.

"You did the right thing."

"I know you think that. You told me that. I think I did the right thing," She had been looking at the table, but lifted her eyes to his. "But I'll never be sure. I can't help thinking that he'll hate me. It was the second time I asked you to…"

"You're trying to protect him," Damon said when she let her voice trail off, "to save his life. He won't hate you. You've saved my live more than twice, I don't hate you for it."

Elena drew in a breath, but he spoke again before she responded.

"Though I've save your life a couple of times, and, if you were conscious, you were pretty ticked about it. Like when I kept you from turning yourself over to Elijah."

Elena snorted, a slight smile appearing on her face. "I got over it."

"You got over it," He repeated. "So will Jeremy."

She held his eyes, but didn't nod. After a few seconds she said, "I've been to two funerals in the last couple of days."

Damon's expression turned curious, "Funerals? I didn't hear of…"

"Not literally," she quickly said, cutting him off. She took a breath and continued. "The first was for Caroline. She was depressed about her birthday – said it was a reminder of how she was 'dead' now. She was acting like she had no hope, no future. Like nothing good could ever happen to her again."

"Good things can happen to a vampire," Damon said, looking into Elena's eyes intently. "Sometimes you meet the most amazing people, if you live long enough."

She recognized his expression as he looked at her – she had called him on it in the past, told him not to look at her that way. She wasn't going to say that now, she just lowered her eyes and pressed forward.

"So we had the 'funeral' thing to try to get her to leave her old life behind so she could move on."

She hesitated, but he waited for her to look back up at him before he asked "and the second funeral?"

Elena looked down again. "The second was for me. Matt was trying to get me to leave my old life, my pre-vampire life, behind."

"Did it work?" Damon asked.

Elena just shrugged, still looking away from him.

"You can look me in the eye, Elena," Damon said. "I won't…I'll keep my promise to you. I'll respect your wishes."

She looked at him again and nodded. "I know."

"And I'll still do everything I can for you."

"Why, Damon?" She looked a little pained as she spoke, so soft it was almost a whisper. "I can't give you what you want."

"Not yet," he said. "but I understand. You can be stubborn sometimes. No matter what he does..."

Elena closed her eyes and shuddered at the memory. "I think he would have driven me off the bridge. I think he would have done it."

"I think so, too," Damon agreed. "You would have become a vampire. And I know how much you hated it when I created that possibility. You don't want to be a vampire."

"I don't," she whispered, looking at the table again. "but he doesn't care what I want, or don't want. He doesn't care what I think anymore."

"I do," Damon said, reaching his hand over to pull her chin up so he could see her eyes again. "I care what you think. Someday you'll have one of your 'funerals' for you and Stefan. Until then, I can wait."

Elena swallowed and kept her eyes locked with his as he moved his hand from her chin and rose. Caroline was next to him by the time he was standing.

"My turn?" Caroline asked, still annoyed.

"Sure," Damon said, still looking at Elena. "She has my number if she wants me; though she probably won't have to call. If she needs me, I intend be right next to her."

Caroline sat down as Elena watched Damon leave, wondering what had happened between Elena and Damon while she was being saved by Klaus.