This missing scene begins after the last one. Welcome to my fantasy…welcome to La La land…

Elena froze as she entered her bedroom from the bathroom. She closed her eyes and took a breath. When she opened them again, she saw that it was true. Damon was next to her window. He had been sitting when she first saw him, right where she was when she read Elijah's note of apology. Now he was standing, but he really was there, here.

She felt an immediate tightening in her throat, enough that she was only able to whisper "You're here."

His face was blank, but shifted to a slight smirk as he said, "What? No 'seriously'? No annoyed expression? Am I in the right room?"

"Yes," she said quickly, afraid that she saw him shift slightly as if to leave. She didn't know if it was her imagination, but she was relieved to see that he was not moving.

His face was blank again when he said "Stefan said I should talk to you."

"Stefan?"

Damon shrugged, then nodded. "He's a little worried about you. I guess you saw him today."

"Yeah," Elena confirmed, taking a step towards him, then stopping herself. "I don't know what to think about…" She tilted her head. "He told you to come see me?"

Damon nodded again. He still hadn't moved, his face was still pretty much blank.

"And you came," Elena said softly, really just speaking to herself.

"He still loves you. I trust him when it's about you, if he's not in 'revenge mode'."

Elena bit her lip, but managed to hold his eyes as she nodded.

She only realized that some time had passed with her just looking at him, when he said "I'm here. You wanted to tell me something?"

She nodded automatically, but was having trouble saying anything. All she was able to get out was a soft, "I'm sorry."

"About?" Elena hated that his face was still emotionless as he spoke.

She hesitated, knowing that her face reflected the pain she was feeling. "Everything," she managed to whisper.

"Everything," Damon repeated. His face hardened slightly. "Do you even know what you're sorry for?"

Elena cringed and nodded, still managing to maintain eye contact.

"But you don't respect me enough to tell me," he said, almost a growl.

"Damon!" Elena cried, sure he was turning to leave now. She found herself taking several steps toward him. "Please."

She was relieved when he turned to face her again, even though his face reflected some anger. She almost wished for the blank expression to return, though she had found it unnerving as well.

She closed her eyes and lowered her head slightly as she said, "I know you love me. It's not a problem. I had no right to say that."

She opened her eyes, a little relieved that he was still there, though he did not speak.

"I know you worry about me and would do anything to protect me." She looked away briefly and took a breath before her eyes returned to his. "I don't really understand why you and Bonnie…and others would do so much to…to protect me. I don't…"

Words escaped her, and she looked down again. She was relieved when he spoke.

"You shouldn't have trusted Elijah."

She looked back at him, suddenly desperate for him to understand. "I know. It's just that Elijah kept me alive before Klaus took me to be sacrificed and …"

"You think Elijah kept you alive!" Damon interrupted. His angry tone caused Elena to bite her lip, but she couldn't risk turning away from him.

"He apologized for kidnapping me, leaving me with Rebekah," she managed to whisper.

"Well I see," Damon retorted. "That makes it OK." His face visibly hardened. "You would not have been any less dead if I hadn't broken the witch line."

Elena flinched and nodded. "I know, you're right. I won't be so quick to trust them again."

"Again?" Damon was in full glare mode now.

Elena had to close her eyes and release a breath. "You know, you saved them," she said softly, opening her eyes. "Klaus, Rebekah, Elijah."

"I saved you." Damon snapped. "The rest were just collateral damage.

Though his tone forced her eyes closed again, when she realized what he said, she couldn't hold back a smile and small giggle.

"What?" Damon asked. She opened her eyes to see his face, still hard, though a little softer than before.

"Stefan called them 'collateral damage' when he was talking about them being killed. Now you say it about saving them." Her grin grew a little bigger, as did her relief when she saw his face move to a small smirk.

"Well, I'm a funny guy. People who know me know that."

"I know you," she found herself saying, though she was again speaking softly.

She looked at his smirk for a few seconds before she added, "I don't want to lose you."

He just looked at her, so she eventually added, "and I don't want anyone to be hurt because of who I am."

Damon's face was suddenly hard again. "Not because of who you are. Because of who Klaus is." She cringed a little, and he softened. "We – Stefan, Bonnie, Rick, me - we do what we do to protect you because of who you are. We love you because of who you are."

She nodded as she lowered her eyes, knowing her feelings were showing again. She didn't try to hide them this time. She walked towards him, stopping just a couple of feet away, "Are we OK? You and me?" She asked as she looked back into his eyes.

He stared at her for a few seconds. "Do you love me?"

"Yes." She said without hesitation, but her response didn't satisfy him.

"Do you love me the way I want you to?"

She cringed and closed her eyes briefly, but didn't try to hide her feelings. She knew that he already knew the answer to his question.

"Probably," she said, looking back into his eyes. She really was still torn, but he knew that as well.

Damon nodded. She could not read his expression now. "Then we're 'probably' OK," he said as he turned and left.

She watched him leave, relieved that he had finally talked with her, knowing that couldn't keep doing this to him.

Well, I can't believe how far into Fantasy-Land I've let myself wander. I think I'll just let my self rest here now until the show returns…