Chapter 23

Elena takes a deep breath. She's glad to be back in her room and to have Stefan at her side on the bed. She smiles at him, remembering the squeals of delight from the two dark haired toddlers running through the house. The small glimpse of him with Caroline's kids makes her human heart swell with affection. She can't help but wonder if Jo and Lizzie call him uncle too. Apparently the uncle/aunt title has some laxity in Caroline's family.

Elena couldn't stop the grin that overtook her lips when she heard Lizzie and Joe call her 'Aunt Ellie'. She imagines Aunt Elena was a mouthful for toddlers their age. She found the memory of her future self playing and conversing with the young children beautiful and uplifting. It was like seeing the white light of her happily-ever-after at the end of the dark tunnel that's been her life since the death of her parents.

She was surprised to hear the girls refer to Damon as uncle, even more so when Klaus was mentioned. It's odd enough to envision Damon and Caroline close enough for her kids to refer to him as uncle, never mind the evil hybrid she's heard so much about. Maybe it has something to do with the fact that Klaus is supposed to be obsessed with Caroline. Still, wouldn't her husband have an issue with it? Speaking of which, Elena still doesn't know who this mystery guy is that sweeps the new vampire off her feet.

A bigger mystery is this 'Mandy'. Jo and Lizzie seemed to like her, and according to them, so did Damon. Stefan claimed that Damon loved Mandy more than the girls. Does that mean he finally moves on from his affection for Elena? It seems like everyone in her life believes that present-day Damon is in love with Elena, but she disagrees. Damon may care for her, but he doesn't love her. He's too selfish to love someone. His behavior after her rejection just a few days ago is a prime example. He may earn her forgiveness and friendship in the future, but that doesn't mean he loves her. Not real love, at least. Maybe he finds it with this Mandy woman.

Elena pictures Damon cooking pancakes while the gorgeous woman Elena imagines Mandy must be dances around the kitchen with Jo and Lizzie. It's an odd image compared to the intoxicated, leather clad badass that she's seen covered in blood and gore.

No way. Damon is not a family man. Elena chuckle to herself, ignoring the twinge of excitement that the idea seems to ignite. But apparently he's the fun uncle that makes pancakes. With Mandy.

A knot twists in Elena's chest when she realizes that Damon might settle down and change his bad boy ways for this mysterious woman, even though the idea of him being less hostile and unbalanced is definitely better for everyone. Maybe that's what he needs. Someone to remind him that he's not a monster. Someone to love him. Isn't that why he came to Mystic Falls to begin with? To save Katherine, the woman he loved for 145 years. Elena remembers the pain she watched Damon experience when he realized Katherine had lied to him for a century and a half. Granted, his pain wasn't an acceptable excuse for lashing out at Elena like he did. But she can't help but wonder if she'd survive the kind of betrayal that Katherine inflicted? She tries to imagine Stefan hurting her like that, but her mind can't fathom the possibility.

Stefan would never hurt me.

Even a hundred years from now, Stefan is caring and affectionate. Elena was glad to see future Stefan in another memory, but something about it bugged her. It was almost disappointing. She expected soul searching gazes and steamy exchanges, not innocent hugs and comforting forehead kisses. Future Elena and Stefan acted more like brother and sister than eternal lovers that couldn't keep their hands off each other long enough to sit through Ric's wedding. Where's the fireworks? Hell, how about a sparkler at this point?

Is that what a two-hundred-year-old relationship looks like? Just comfortable with each other? Elena swallows the sour taste in her mouth at the idea of losing the spark that drivers her passion with Stefan. He's so caring and affectionate now. When does that change? They must've experienced so much together over two hundred years. Maybe the twins cause stress on their relationship. Stefan mentioned sleepless nights and paying Elena back. Maybe Stefan and Elena will be pretty hands on with Caroline's kids, and it takes a toll on their relationship. She's heard that kids could do that.

Elena never imagined kids with Stefan. It's never been a possibility. But if Caroline adopts, why doesn't Elena? Because she's a vampire, and she's married to vampire. Vampires shouldn't raise children. Their lifestyles are too violent and dangerous. Look at the danger she's faced just within the first few months of meeting the Salvatore brothers. No, raising kids in this environment is wrong. Honestly, she can't believe Caroline did it. It obviously hasn't worked out well, since the twins are now homicidal witchpires. Maybe the mass murder at the B&B yesterday could've been avoided if the girls were raised by humans or other witches. Why didn't Caroline give the girls to Bonnie's descendants to raise?

So many questions. It seems like every new memory raises more questions than answers. With all the new information, you'd think Elena would be overwhelmed. Instead, she keeps circling back to this Mandy woman. She must be one hell of woman to get Damon Salvatore to change his ways. Elena frowns at that thought and looks to her vampire counterpart.

Vampire Elena sighs as reality reforms and the images of her past seem to ease. She pushes against the stream of memories and emotions tied to them until they give way. She almost has them tucked away and hidden behind the emotional barrier her humanity switch offers when the young, naïve human asks a simple question.

"Who's Mandy?"

In a flash, the memory of a young, slender woman with big, red, bouncy curls and almond-shaped brown eyes breaks through Elena's wall. An image of Mandy laughing and jumping up and down in excitement then leaping into Damon's arms fills Elena's mind and tears well unbidden. Damon had surprised the red head with a new car, and Mandy was more than happy to accept the gift. At the time, Elena wasn't pleased with the situation, but Damon would've given the girl a thousand cars just to see her smile. Looking back, Elena wishes she'd destroyed the car right then and there.

"No." She clenches her eyes shut to fight the onslaught of tears.

"What's wrong?" Human Elena asks, standing from her seat next to Stefan, who just now notices their return to reality.

"No, stay away." Elena jumps away from her human counterpart, lashing out with one arm in warning. She presses herself against the closed door of her bathroom as tears stream down her anguished face.

Stefan pulls himself to his feet with a deep frown. Sweat beads on his forehead, and he swallows hard to fight his thirst. "What's going on?"

"I was just asking about Damon's girlfriend, Mandy…"

"Shut up. Don't say her name."

Vampire Elena disappears into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her, and the human doppelgänger frowns. For the first time since meeting this future version, Elena finds herself worried about vampire Elena, and it's an odd sensation. Yes, she has worried about the future and her friends and family. She has worried about how her life plays out, but she never worried about her vampire counterpart. The older Elena always seemed so happy and confident. Present-day Elena may not agree with every decision her future self has made, but she's never worried about her well-being. Now she's worried. Something is wrong, and Elena wouldn't be Elena if she didn't want to help.

"Are you okay?" She says through the bathroom door.

"I'm fine, just give me a minute," vampire Elena says between sobs.

"What's wrong with her?" Elena asks Stefan as she turns her concerned gaze on him. He shrugs and shakes his head, but he meets her eyes with a knowing look.

"It's hard to maintain control sometimes. Strong emotions can be overwhelming."

Elena nods at his answer and wonders what emotions could drive this type of response. What's so special about Damon's girlfriend?

"What happened in the memory?"

Stefan's question drags Elena's attention back to him, and she wraps her arms around his waist in a much-needed hug. Her face fits into the crook of his neck, and she enjoys the warmth of his skin against hers. Usually Stefan's body doesn't generate enough heat to feel warm compared to the furnace that is Elena, so she revels in the new experience.

"Memories. As in plural. Whatever she did with that vampire-mind-trick helped to speed things up until it backfired on her."

"What do you mean?" Stefan asks as he rubs his hands across her back. He tries to ignore the rushing sounds of Elena's heart pumping blood through her body. A drop of sweat runs down the side of his face as his head begins to ache with need.

"The first couple of memories were from the broken compulsion, but the last two weren't. They were her existing memories from after the compulsion, but she didn't mean to show them to me. In fact, she was upset that the memory strike, or whatever, made us relive them."

"Were they bad? Did Damon do something?"

"No." Elena reassures him with a tight squeeze. "Damon was fine, mostly. He wasn't even in the last two memories. They were about Bonnie and Caroline's girls."

"Oh." Stefan closes his eyes. He takes a deep breath, determined to combat his sudden thirst. He must not have eaten enough during his last hunt. Or maybe the magic from the memory strikes is affecting him. Whatever it is, he can control it. He has to. Trying to distract himself, Stefan considers Elena's words.

"Damon was in both the recovered memories? Should I be jealous?" He asks in a semi-playful tone that confuses Elena.

"What do you mean?" She asks, pulling away from Stefan to look him in the eye. That's when she notices his pale completion and clammy skin. "Stefan, are you okay?"

"I'm just hungry."

His vision swims, forcing him to sit on the bed, and he shakes his head to clear it. With a deep breath, Stefan looks up at Elena and forces a smile.

"It seems like every compelled memory is about Damon. I'm wondering when you'll get to the memories about me."

Elena strokes his cheek with a deep frown and concern swimming in her eyes, and he slips his hand onto her hip to reassure her. Then her expression twists into a sadistic smile that he's only ever seen from Katherine.

"Oh, Sweetie. Haven't you figure it out yet? They're all about Damon."

"What?" Stefan snaps his hand away. He blinks, and Elena's gentle expression and concerned tone returns.

"I said, you should go hunt. You look terrible. I can stay with her…the other me, I mean. Jenna and Jeremy should be home anytime."

"No…I…" Stefan places his hand over her soft touch across his cheek and savors the feel of her cool skin. He closes his eyes against the dry thirst in his throat and the pounding pain in his head that makes the room spin. "Maybe you're right."

"Please be careful," she says and pecks him on the lips. "I'm going to check on her."

As Elena disappears behind the bathroom door, Stefan lies backward onto the bed. Sweat glistens from his pale skin and his heart races. He's never felt like this before and only now wonders if something is wrong with him. But he's a vampire, an immortal being that can't get sick. So what the hell is wrong with him?

"Well number one, you're an idiot," Damon says from the open doorway of Elena's bedroom, and Stefan jumps to his feet. "Number two, you brood way too much. No wonder Elena moves on to the better brother."

"Damon? What are you doing here?"

"Looking for you, Brother. I wanted to see how the memory restoration was going?" He flashes a sly smile and strolls through the room. "I bet Elena enjoyed reliving the memories we made here."

"What are you talking about? Elena said those memories were harmless. Nothing happened." For a moment, Stefan's vampire face peeks through as the veins under his eyes darken.

"Careful, Stefan. You don't want to lose control. You'd hate for Elena to see the real you."

"She knows the real me."

"Oh, come on. This isn't you. Not the real you. Not the ripper. That monster you keep chained up deep inside. What would Elena would think of him?" Damon says with a sadistic grin that grates on Stefan's nerves. "Maybe we should ask the other Elena. The one from the future. The one that's known you for two hundred years."

Stefan pause. It only now occurs to him that future Elena must know about his control issues. Not the nugget of truth that his Elena learned during the Miss Mystic Falls pageant, but the whole mountain of a problem that is his ripper issues. There's no way he's gone two hundred years without it coming up at least once.

"There it is," Damon says in a sing-song tone as he runs a hand through the keepsakes lying on Elena's dresser. "You've finally connected those dots. How about the big mystery Elena and Caroline are keeping tucked away from us? It's pretty obvious to anyone that doesn't live in a jungle of denial."

"What are you talking about?"

"Dig deep, Stefan. Come on. You may not want to admit it, but it's there. Way back in the corners of that guilt-ridden, sappy mind of yours is that thought that just keeps nagging at you. It's like a gnat that won't go away no matter how many times you swat at it."

"No," Stefan says, shaking his head. The room swims as he stumbles to the ground. He sits back against the foot of the bed, struggling to catch his breath. Turning to his left, Damon waits at his side with a knowing look.

"You can't deny it anymore, Brother," Damon says in a surprisingly gentle tone that matches the sympathy in his cool blue eyes.

"It's not true," Stefan says as his vision blurs all around Damon. "Elena loves me."

"For now." Damon nods. "But somewhere along the way that changes. Sometime in the next two hundred years, Elena stops loving you. You can see it in her eyes and in her smile."

"The memories…they're all about you."

"They're all about me."

"But, Caroline said…"

"Someone dies. Someone important to Elena. Important to us all, really. Instead of mourning his death like a normal person, she had Ric compel her memories away…"

"She never said it was you, Stefan. Which, if it was, why wouldn't she just say it?" Damon says.

Stefan drops his gaze. "Because it wasn't me."

"Bingo."

"It was you," Stefan says, turning back to Damon only to find him gone.

Confused and delirious, he looks around the room, but pauses mid-motion as his vision twirls into a fog. At some point, his phone rings, and he pulls it out to see Caroline's name. Digging the phone out of his pocket expends too much energy, and he finds answering the phone too difficult. Instead, he lets it slip from his fingers as he slumps to the side. His sweat-soaked face rubs against the rough carpet in Elena's bedroom, but he doesn't feel it.

Meanwhile, Elena sits on the countertop next to the bathroom sink, watching her vampire counterpart take deep breaths and wipe away her tears. The older doppelgänger rests on the edge of the tub as far from the human as the room allows.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Nothing, I'm fine."

"You're obviously not. If you tell me, maybe I can help."

A hollow chuckle slips from vampire Elena, and she leans back as far as she can without falling into the tub. Eyeing the human as a condescending parent does a naïve child, she speaks in a gentle, but jaded tone.

"There's nothing to help me with. I'm just your average vampire trying to deal with the emotional baggage that comes along with an immortal life."

"What does that mean?" Human Elena frowns, and a pit in her stomach builds at the thought of having to experience the same struggle her future version is fighting. She can't prepare for it or try to stop it if she doesn't understand it.

Vampire Elena sighs in annoyance at having to explain the basics of vampire nature, but she silently reminds herself that her younger version wouldn't be expected to know such things until she turned. Which probably won't happen at this point. She's certain to have scared off any thought of turning by now, and if not…

"As a vampire, my emotions are heightened. They're deeper and harder to control."

"Isn't that a good thing? Getting to spend two centuries with the man you love and loving him far more than you could as a human? That sounds wonderful."

"It is," vampire Elena says with an honest smile that reflects her all-consuming love for Damon. Then her lips fall into a frown, and her eyes slip to the ground, unfocused. "Until it's not."

Human Elena frowns in concern and opens her mouth to question the vampire until she remembers Jeremy. And Bonnie. And Jenna. And every other mortal that Elena grew along side. Matt, Tyler, Professor Saltzman. They're all human. Stefan, Caroline, and Damon may live forever, but the rest of Elena's loved ones won't. She imagines reliving the death of her parents over and over again, but deeper. The pain of their loss was devastating as a human. She can't imagine the experience as a vampire.

"I'm sorry," she whispers, looking down at her toes to hide a well of tears.

Vampire Elena remembers the confusion and struggles she experienced as a human adjusting to a supernatural world, and taking pity on the young doppelgänger, she changes the subject.

"We still haven't found that lost memory that Damon compelled away," she says and the human looks up in surprise.

She wipes at her tears. "No, I guess we haven't. But does it matter at this point?"

"What do you mean? I thought you wanted to make sure Damon didn't do anything inappropriate."

"I never said that he would do something like that," human Elena says, slipping down from the counter to wash her face. "I just…"

"You don't trust him."

"Yeah." Elena glances at her counterpart in the mirror. Even splotchy from crying, vampire Elena's face depicts the mischievous expression of a smug house cat, and human Elena remembers one of the memories from her bedroom. "But you do. You trust him, even though you have no idea what he compelled you to forget. You trust that it wasn't anything bad."

"Yep."

"Then why did he compel it away? If it wasn't bad, why didn't he want me to remember it? I understand the night on the road. He didn't know me. But he knows me now. He knows that I'd be pissed to learn that he had messed with my mind."

"It must have been something important for him to risk aggravating you, right?"

"I guess." Elena shrugs while drying her hands and face on a nearby towel. "But what could possibly be that important? You know him better than I do."

"Actually, I don't think that I do," vampire Elena says. Human Elena spins around with her brow wrinkled in confusion, so the vampire continues. "I don't remember this Damon. At least, what I remember is very different from what actually happened. I basically met my Damon after the compulsion, and he's different than your Damon. I mean, they are the same person, obviously. But the Damon I know is more…stable…mostly."

"He can't be that different. He's still Damon."

"Absolutely. But think about the Damon you met several months ago. The guy that terrorized Stefan, killed Vicki Donovan, and tortured Caroline. Those all actually happened, right?"

"Yep."

"I thought so. Well, does he seem like the same guy that did those things? I'm pretty sure I heard something about him taking a bullet to save Sherif Forbes yesterday. Or was that earlier today? God, I need to sleep," Elena says, standing to stretch.

No quite buying her explanation, human Elena frowns. "You mean, the same guy that murdered my brother in cold blood just a few days ago?"

"I didn't say he was perfect or even a nice guy, for that matter. And we've already been over this," vampire Elena says, folding her arms over her chest.

"I know, I know. And I get what you're saying. Even in the memories that I saw, Damon seems to…I don't know…care more. But that doesn't help me now. He's not that person from your memories yet. I can't treat him as though he were," Elena cross her arms too, mirroring her future self.

"Neither are you."

Elena blinks. "What do you mean?"

"I mean, things happen between now and then that you will carry with you for the rest of your life. At least, they happened to me. Maybe you'll never have to experience them."

"Don't be cryptic, tell me. That's why I'm helping you with your memories, so that I can learn as much as possible about the future. I want to change the things that need to be change, avoid the bad things, and protect the people I love," Elena surges forward, causing the air to hum and the mirror to quiver.

"I'm happy to tell you everything I know, but my memory isn't reliable about some things. You know that. It's better to get answers from Caroline. Her mind is like a steel trap. But these memory strikes are helping, right?"

"I guess. I feel like I have more questions than answers, but I know it's important to you, so we'll keep going. Even if they are all about Damon," Elena says with an eye roll. Vampire Elena chuckles, and human Elena smiles are her before growing serious, again. "It's just that…those memories of him, kind of, make me feel uncomfortable. Damon can be very flirty and…alluring sometimes. I'm worried…"

"Damon loves you," vampire Elena says. "But he also loves Stefan. Remember that."

When human Elena snorts and flips her eyes away, her vampire Elena frowns. "You don't believe he loves Stefan?"

"I don't think Damon knows what love is," she snaps and then pauses to calm her tone. "I know he cares for Stefan. And for me. But he's too selfish to love. Just because everyone in this town thinks Damon is in love with me, doesn't make it true."

"Everyone in town? What are talking about?"

"You, Caroline, even Isabelle. You talk about Damon's feelings for me like it's written in stone somewhere. Like, it's public knowledge or an accepted truth. But, he's never done anything to show that he loves me. I can see that he cares for me, that he wants to be my friend. Sometimes, he...pushes the limits, but that's it. And that's good a thing. I don't want Damon to be in love with me. I love Stefan."

The vampire's eyes widen in realization. "He hasn't told you yet."

"Told me what?" She's getting tired of all the mystery, and her lack of sleep is starting to wear down her patience.

Vampire Elena stares at her younger doppelgänger while she considers her options. She doesn't want to push her luck with these memories. So far, they've stumbled on to innocent scenes of friendship, but eventually a memory strike will reveal a raunchy situation between Elena and Damon. Then Caroline's secret will be out, and she'll be stuck holding the bag. She'll have to reveal the true nature of her relationship with Damon to a heartbroken Stefan and a likely traumatized doppelgänger. But human Elena needs to see. She needs to understand that Damon's feelings are real. Maybe then she'll see him in the same light that her future self sees. Or at least hate him less.

Besides, vampire Elena would really like to remember the first time Damon told her of his feelings. She only remembers the first time after he returned from the dead. He stated it with such certainty and devotion that it took her breath away. It also scared the shit out of her. Elena struggled in the beginning, or the second beginning, of their relationship because of Damon's intensity. It wasn't until he learned to back off that things got better. Damon did his best to take things slow and act as though they barely knew each other because hat was Elena's reality. She had to get to know Damon and learn to like him before she could love him. Basically Damon had to make her fall in love with him all over again. For once, she'd like to remember Damon falling in love with her.

The vampire smiles at that thought, and human Elena tilts her head at the nostalgic expression on her doppelgänger's face. Before she can ask about it, vampire Elena presses her hand into the human's shoulder, and the world around them dissolves. They return to the memory version of Elena's room, and Damon sits on the bench in front of her window. The vervain necklace dangles from his fingers. He fidgets with the chain as he waits for Elena to finish in the bathroom.

"That's my necklace," human Elena says and then gasps when she connects the dots. "This is it, isn't it?"

Vampire Elena stands in the center of the room with her eyes closed as she revels in the emotions of this memory. She rides the wave of confusion and fear from her kidnapping that's swallowed by the relief and love of her family and friends. Her appreciation for Stefan and Damon glows bright, but the uncertainty of her future is a growing shadow.

It's an odd memory because the emotions from her talk with Damon do not stick. He compels them away, and she's left to feel the same as she did before his arrival, but Elena now remembers what his words stirred within her. She can't help but wonder how things would've changed had he not compelled her to forget.

"Yeah, this it."

"How did you call it? Why did it work this time?"

"I didn't mean to…I didn't realize this is when it happened, that this is the same memory. I just wanted you to hear him say it." Vampire Elena tries to explain, but the anxiety in Damon's expression is distracting.

She's never seen Damon uncertain of his feelings for her. Loving Elena has always been as natural to Damon as breathing. At least, that's the way it's been since she can remember. Or used to remember. Now she can see his struggle. A struggle to accept his feelings for her. A struggle to accept her rejection, to protect his brother, then to keep her safe. Elena is eager to see how Damon overcomes each obstacle and convinces her to fall in love with him. She realizes that each step in their relationship was vital to for building the odd foundation that's sustained their love for two hundred years. For everything she put Damon through over the last two centuries, this is how he learned to endure and to love Elena through it all.

"I forgave him today," she says. "He and Stefan risked their lives against Elijah to save me."

"Who's Elijah?" Elena asks, hoping her question doesn't instigate the same reaction as the last time she asks about someone from the future. Much to her relief, the vampire answers without concern.

"He is Klaus' brother and an Original. They were out matched, and still, they didn't hesitate to save me."

"So you forgave Damon? This is when you became friends again? When is this?"

"A few weeks from now, I think."

Elena is surprised that it's only been a few weeks. How could she possibly forgive Damon for killing her brother in only a few weeks? Although, even now Elena struggles to maintain her ire toward him.

Memory Elena exits her bathroom, and Damon looks up from his concentration on her necklace. He wears a crooked smile and smoldering expression that hides his emotional turmoil. The human Elena notices the mask, a feat that her memory version is too distracted to accomplish, and she wonders what the oldest Salvatore has planned.

"Cute PJs."

Surprised, Elena pauses in the middle of her room with an odd shuffle. Damon grimaces at her unease. This is first time he's been in her room since he snapped Baby Gilbert's neck. He doesn't blame her. Instead, it reinforces his decision.

"I'm tired, Damon."

He ignores her insinuation to leave and stands. His steps are heavy as he moves closer to her. There's a sense of resigned dread in his movement that only vampire Elena can feel. Even his attempt at light teasing has a somber edge.

"I brought you this."

"I thought that was gone," Elena says. When Damon shakes his head with a small wink, she almost smiles in relief. "Thank you."

When Elena reaches for the vervain filled jewelry, Damon tugs it back out of reach, and her relief dissipates. It's replaced with alarm bells. Her fear of compulsion is palpable as she remembers her experience with Elijah only hours before. But this is Damon. He's had the chance to compel her in the past, but chose against it. So Elena tries to stay calm and remember that Damon wouldn't hurt her.

"Please, give it back."

"I just have to say something…"

"Why do you have to say it with my necklace?"

Damon blinks, struggling to find the words he needs to explain. Human Elena crosses her arms with the same unhappy expression as her memory version. She grits her teeth at Damon's coming words, sure that it will be an offensive stain that he'll be forced to purge from her memory to maintain their newly found friendship.

"Well…because what I'm about to say is…probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life." The honest emotion in his eyes worries Elena. The last time he tried to discuss his feelings Jeremy died.

"Damon, don't go there."

He steps closer in a desperate plea for her to understand. "No, I just have to say it once. You just need to hear it."

A hair's breath from her face, he looks at her with the most honest and open expression she's ever seen from him. No smirk or smoldering eyes or snide comment to hide behind. Just Damon. Just him and the complete love and devotion for this small, doe-eyed human. Memory Elena falls still under the intensity of his gaze, but her older, human version fights a surge of panic as she realizes what's about to happen. It's what future Elena wanted her to see him say and just happened to be what he compelled her to forget.

"I love you, Elena." He speaks as though it's the first time he's admitted it out loud. Memory Elena realizes that maybe it is the first time. She notes a slight resignation in his tone as though Damon was struggling to come to terms with the idea. Now he's ready to face them, but that doesn't mean Elena wants to deal with them. In fact, she's done everything she can to dissuade any feelings he might have for her. She certainly hasn't allowed any of her own feelings for Damon to twist into something inappropriate. She loves Stefan. Although at the moment, Elena can't seem to focus past the warmth and exhilaration that Damon's words cause deep within her.

Human Elena swallows hard and watches her memory version carefully, cautious of her worst nightmare coming true. For some reason, she experiences a wave of relief at the fact that her memory counterpart doesn't immediately jump into Damon's arms. It's not like she truly believed that a declaration from her boyfriend's brother could possibly dissuade Elena from her morals. But she realizes now that a tiny, almost invisible, part of her mind considered the possibility. Of course, it's ridiculous. Remember, Damon's too selfish to truly love anyone, no matter what he thinks or says. Then he speaks again, shattering human Elena.

"And it's because I love you that…I can't be selfish with you. Why you can't know this. I don't deserve you, but my brother does."

The crack in Damon's voice is heartbreaking, and she is surprised by the implications of his words. He doesn't think he's good enough for her? Is he giving his blessing to Stefan and Elena? In that moment, something bubbles up within human Elena that takes her breath away. For the first time since meeting Damon, she believes he understands the true nature of love. Does that mean she was wrong all along, that Damon was truly heartbroken by Katherine's betrayal? Did he love her with the same intensity? He wasn't willing to let Stefan have Katherine. Does that mean he loved her more or less than he loves Elena? Human Elena shakes her head to squash the questions bouncing around her mind and reign in the explosion of confusion and empathy for her boyfriend's brother.

Slowly, Damon places his lips on Elena's forehead and, surprised by the endearing act, she lets him. The feel of his lips against her flesh leaves a lingering warmth that she chooses to ignore. She's overwhelmed by Damon's sheer, raw emotion and the catalyst of change it's instigated within Elena. Tears well up as she struggles to understand and control.

"God, I wish you didn't have to forget this," he says as he tugs a strand of hair back. She frowns, but too late. He's already captured her gaze. "But you do."

A tear falls from Damon's blue gaze and the then he's gone.

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