Today's the day.

It is the same place, but stepping out onto the ice today makes it feel so much more staggering.

The cheers are louder.

The air is filled with energy

Everything feels amplified.

With Damon's arm protectively around her, Sheila, Bonnie, and her Dad surround them as they walk down the tunnel toward a small locker room to prepare for Elena's turn on the ice.

"Here comes Amy," Damon says softly.

"Which way?"

"She's about 10 feet. She's got a lot of people around her...here she is," John says lowly as he follows behind.

"Congratulations, Amy!" Elena calls out exuberantly.

"Not yet. Good luck," Amy calls over her shoulder without bothering to look around.

"Thanks," Elena retorts.

"With this act, we should go on the road," Sheila chortles with a big smile on her face.

"If it's any comfort, the crowd still loves Amy Bradley," Damon comments drolly.

"How would you like a punch in the nose?" Bonnie counters playfully.

"I can't believe I got that 5.6," Elena comments as John opens the door to the locker room and stops abruptly.

"Hi, Elena."

"What the hell are you doing here!?" John huffs as he moves in front of Elena.

"Can we have a minute, please?" Kol asks as he stares at Elena.

"No, this is a private-"

"Yeah," Damon interrupts. "Sure you can." He shares a glance with Kol and walks out of the room with Bonnie. John gives Elena's arm a comforting squeeze as he leaves with Sheila and pulls the door shut behind him.


"You can't tell," Kol comments as Elena sits down. "I saw your short program. I can't believe it." He stoops down in front of her. "Here-"

"I can lace my own skates."

"Darling, you look beautiful. When I saw you out there, I fell in love with you all over again."

"Only while skating? It's a funny relationship," Elena counters, staring blindly at the sound of his voice.

"You didn't take my calls."

"No," Elena sighs. "And I'm sorry about that. But you have to understand, I was in a very dark place. I shut everyone out, not just you."

Kol places his palms on either side of her face and kisses her briefly.

"Do you remember me?" He asks as he stares into her eyes.

"Yes," Elena replies softly.

"I missed you."

"I missed you," Elena echoes his words.

"Do you want to try?"

"I do care about you, Kol," she attests, her words sounding like an apology.

He considers this before speaking. "Just not love though, right?"

The air is thick with discomfort as she tries to find the right thing to say.

"I'm sorry," Elena offers, the platitude sounding so insubstantial even to her ears. "I started this impossible dream with Liz, yourself, and Caroline, too. It was like a fairy tale and I let myself get caught up in all of it. The press, the parties, the photoshoots, the applause...And when everything crashed and burned, Damon was there for me. He made me get back on the ice because he knew that I needed to despite what I did to him..." Elena pauses to choke back her tears. "And I realized that Damon will always be securely meshed and impossibly tangled around my heart. I love him, Kol. I've loved him since I was a little girl and he'd tug on my pigtails."

Kol sighs and rises to his feet. "Does anybody know?"

"No." Elena shakes her head. "Would you ask my family to come back in, please?"

"It's a shame it ended this way. Good luck, Elena." He leaves her with a kiss on her cheek and the echoing of the door closing.


Damon's sitting on the steps, waiting for Kol to exit Elena's room. He's feeling edgy and protective and a little unsure.

He sighs when the door opens and watches intently as Sheila, Bonnie, and John go inside as Kol comes out.

Ignoring him, Kol skirts around him and starts up the stairs, pausing to turn around when he hears Damon's voice.

"Hey?" Damon calls out as he looks over his shoulder to meet Kol's gaze.

"Are you going to tell anybody?"

"It wasn't just some fling for me, I really loved her," Kol comments as he watches Damon rise to his feet.

"Yeah...Is that for me or for her or for you?" Damon counters.

"Maybe for everybody."

Wanting to protect Elena above all else, Damon grits out, "Are you going to tell anybody?"

"Not everybody who doesn't happen to be from Iowa is a complete asshole," Kol snaps in annoyance and walks away.


Despite seeing only hazy images, Elena stands in front of the mirror as she waits to take her turn on the ice. Her family is surrounding her, giving her encouragement.

An array of emotions quickly passes through her—excitement, awareness, and butterflies. Feeling Damon's arms on her shoulders, she is so grateful. Damon above all has been so much of an inspiration to get her back onto the ice because he was right. Even if she falls flat on her face, even if she finishes last, at least she'll be able to say she didn't give up.

"Now, in first place in overall standings the reigning national champion Amy Bradley," comes the announcer's voice as the crowd roars and Amy's program starts.

"Nice to see it again," Sheila remarks as she straightens the collar of Elena's skate dress, the one that Sheila wore so many years ago at this very place.

"How does it look?"

"Beautiful, you always look beautiful, Elena." Bonnie smiles as she gives Elena a hug.

"Good old, Amy," Damon comments when the applause echoes into her dressing room.

Elena sucks her lower lip in her mouth as she turns to the sound of Damon's voice. "How do you think I look?"

"Well, you're just about the sexiest girl ever to wear a funny blue dress," he smirks, giving her hand a squeeze.

"Miss Bradley's scores are 5.7, 5.9, 5.7, 5.8, 5.7. A fantastic performance. Ladies and gentlemen, Amy who will undoubtedly be the national champion for the second straight year," the announcer states as the crowd erupts.

John looks at Elena, his heart filling with pride.

"It's time."


"You okay?" Damon asks as they reach the ice.

"I'm fine, really."

Damon holds onto her while she bends over to remove her skateguards.

"I'm fine," she repeats as she places her fingers on Damon's face.

"If you skate ten times, you may lose nine. But not this time. Not tonight. You were meant to be here. This is your time. Now go out there and take it." Damon pulls her into his arms and kisses her hair. "I think we covered all the bases."

"Not all of them...'" Elena raises her face to his for a lingering kiss. His fingers caress her cheeks, delicately cradling her face as their mouths brush against each other.

"I love you. You go out there and show the world what Elena Gilbert is made of."

His mouth lingers on hers for a few moments. "Just remember, nothing is beyond hope as long as at least one person refuses to give up," Damon adds as he lets go and steps back.

"Daddy?"

"I'm right here." John takes her hand and pulls her close.

"I love you," Elena tells him as he kisses her cheek.

"Thanks for being my Daddy," she states and swallows back the tears that threaten to escape.

"The next skater to perform her long program will be Elena Gilbert. Now, this will be her first appearance since being hurt last year. Let's welcome her back," the announcer pauses for a moment while the crowd reacts. When the applause dies down," he introduces her. "Ladies and gentlemen, Miss Elena Gilbert."

Sheila and Bonnie each give her a quick hug and wish her luck.

"Talk to me, Mom," Elena whispers silently as she glides onto the ice.


Elena takes her starting mark and breaths, awaiting the start of her music, an instrumental version of 'Through the Eyes of Love.' When it comes, everything melts away but the music and the ice beneath her feet. A torrent of memories sweeps through her mind, some good and some bad.

Though she and Damon went through a pretty rough patch, they found their way back to each other.

Every moment plays out in her mind as she moves around the ice. Not so long ago, she felt as if her life without sight had no meaning. If she couldn't see, how could she skate? And yet here she is on this night, proving to herself that her blindness isn't going to hold her back.

Damon's breath catches in his lungs as he's completely under Elena's spell as she flawlessly executes her program. She commands every square inch of the ice. He marvels at her strength and determination. Her jumps, spins, and spirals are all effortless and perfect.

"Come on, baby," Damon whispers as she rounds the boards, picking up speed as the music builds and she preps for her jump.

For the next two minutes, Damon watches Elena skate, his heart aching in his chest at her courage and beauty.

She is gorgeous, and she is his.

Forever.

Everyone around them is on their feet as she hits her final jump, drowning out the last twinkling notes of the music with cheers.

With a jolt, Elena realizes that she's at the end of her program; she did it. Not a single fumble, she skated the best program of her life.

Her hand unconsciously reaches up to her neck where her pulse is hammering in her throat. She feels a tiny drop of moisture trail down her cheeks and quickly wipes them away.

Elena has no idea what her scores will be but she doesn't care because these four minutes are enough to last a lifetime. She realizes then that she's standing in the middle of the rink and hasn't even taken her bow.

She bursts into astonished laughter as she raises her hands victoriously into the air as if trying to imprint this moment in her mind to make it last forever. Elena smiles widely as applause rains over her. Gaining her composure, she dips into a bow and waves excitedly.

The sound is deafening as they toss flowers onto the arena floor.

Without hesitation, her eyes drift to where she knows Damon to be, and begins to glide over to the boards with a smile. Unable to see the roses, her skate catches the stems and she falls.

The crowd goes deathly silent as she struggles to get up and falls again, this time she stays on her knees.

With his eyes glistening with pride and love, Damon steps onto the ice as he walks over, and helps her to her feet.

"Damon?"

"We forgot about the flowers," he tells her tongue-in-cheek as he helps her navigate the ice.

The crowd erupts again in resounding applause. The sound of stomping feet is reverberating and whistles are filling the arena in appreciation.

Damon leads her to the center of the ice and stops. The crowd is showing no sign of letting up. He lets go of her hands to return to the edge of the ice so she can have this special moment.

"Stay with me!"

Damon can see the love shining in her eyes as he takes her hands again and pulls her into his arms.

He brushes his lips to hers and whispers, "I'll never let go..."


Thank you all so-so-so much.

One more chapter.

Have a wonderful day.