This missing scene begins at the end of season 4, episode 2 – Memorial

"I wish you'd have stayed," Elena told Damon, referring to the Lantern lighting ceremony with her friends that had occurred the night before, "I wish you would have lit a lantern for someone you lost and miss". She had to seek him out to talk to him. Though he would go to her if she asked lately, he didn't seem to be near her unless she asked him to be.

"It was stupid." Damon said, leaning against a tree.

"I needed it, Damon," Elena said. "We all did."

Damon snorted and moved his eyes away from hers. "So you needed it, you got it. Are you ready to fight the vampire hunter now?"

"You need it, too, Damon." Elena told him earnestly. When he didn't respond, didn't even look at her, she continued, "I know you've lost someone that you need to grieve for."

"Are you allowed to be here with me?" He asked, turning sharply towards her. "Stefan's not so happy when I help you."

"He's upset with me, Damon. Not you."

Damon's face didn't soften. "Oh? So what did he do to you? Because, he slugged me."

"He hit you?" She asked, genuinely surprised. "But I asked you to help me."

"Go figure," Damon replied, looking away from her again. "I guess he hasn't gotten over me getting him back into shape so his girl would take him back."

Elena bit her lip and spoke softly. "Don't say that."

He looked back to her. "It's true. That's what I did.

"Look, Damon. I'm sorry I put you in that position."

He glared in reply. "Do you think I care what he thinks – or does? I'll help you with anything."

Elena lowered her eyes while she tried to come up with a response.

Damon reached for her chin and pulled it to bring her eyes to his again. "If you need something from me, ask. Don't worry about what Stefan thinks or says. Helping you get through this is all I've got left.

Elena nodded as he released her chin. "OK, but Damon, let me help you. There must be someone you've lost that you need to grieve for, to let go of."

Damon let a small laugh escape. "Fake funerals are your thing, Elena. Remember? You had one for Vampire Barbie, and one for yourself on the bridge with the quarterback."

"You remember?"

Damon raised his eyebrows and smirked..

She was surprised he would remember, but wasn't ready to give up on him yet; so she continued "But you. You must have someone."

His face turned almost hard again as he replied, "Someone other than you, Elena?"

Elena bit her lip and lowered her eyes.

"I'm not ready to let that go just yet. I'm not ready to let you go."

She looked back into his eyes, but hadn't thought of a response when he spoke again.

"Besides, while you were commiserating with your friends, I spent time with a bottle and Rick."

Elena tilted her head. "Alaric?"

"I told him that I was ticked that he left, that he went away and left me to watch over all of you…" He managed not to say 'children'.

Elena's expression showed him that she understood. "You miss him."

"Yes I do, Elena. Him and you."

Elena felt his intensity, the consumption. She barely managed to whisper, "I'm still here, Damon."

Damon held her eyes and moved his hand to stroke her hair. "You are, but not quite as I wanted. You're a vampire now, I didn't want that. You're transforming and it's hurting you. I didn't want that. You still can't let go of Stefan, and you know I didn't want that."

He hesitated, but she was not able to respond.

"At least you still know which brother to turn to, when you really need help."

He turned, but Elena could not respond. She found herself just watching him as he walked away from her.

Oh, Grace Phipps was in the episode. She reminded me of how much I miss The Nine Lives of Chloe King. The stories I wrote about TNLOK – Don't Forget and Possibilities – were, in their day, every bit as popular as Lying to Herself. I really miss Chloe.

And I'm glad to see Elena knowing where to turn for real help - and understanding - when she needs it. And with Stefan's reaction, it may not be long before Elena decides that the course taken in The Hope and The Need (as bad as it is) is the way to go...

Now, I need to go light a lantern for Chloe…