Well, here we are at the last chapter! It's been a strange ride for me. I started this expecting it to be at most 8 chapters and it ended up being double that. Hope you all enjoyed it and stay tuned for my next story starting in a couple of weeks.
CHAPTER 16
"It's not just about feeling safe anymore, is it?" Stefan asked gently, crouching down next to where Elena knelt on the ground.
"Oh God, Stefan - I..." Elena got out brokenly as the tears streamed down her face.
"I know, Elena. I get it," Stefan said, cupping her cheek in one hand. "He's my brother. I love him, too."
Elena's inhaled sharply at his words. She knew he was unaware that he had just mimicked words Damon had once said only it had been about her fear for Stefan's life that time. She swallowed and her gaze moved down to Damon who remained motionless and unconscious.
"Let me get him inside," Stefan said gently.
Elena nodded and stood so that he could pick up his brother. She followed closely as Stefan moved swiftly into the house and up the stairs.
"He'll be fine once he's had some blood," Caroline said to Elena. "Damon's not going to leave you unprotected by dying."
Elena clung to her friend as Lee came in with packets of blood and Stefan began to feed it slowly down Damon's throat. Damon didn't seem to be responding but Stefan kept feeding the blood to him and after a bag full, Damon began to swallow on his own. His fangs came out and Stefan sighed in relief.
Caroline purposely kept Elena back from the bed. She wasn't sure how aware Damon was and she didn't want him to hurt Elena by mistaking her for a food source in his weakened and injured condition. She could feel Elena's desire to be at the bedside.
"Stefan?" Elena queried, the tears obvious in her voice.
"It's working, Elena," Lee said quietly. "But you need to stay back. He's too injured to recognize that you aren't a meal right now. He'd never forgive himself if he hurt you so let's not put him through that, okay?"
Elena nodded but never took her eyes off of Damon. After several bags, the vampire stopped drinking and his fangs receded. He remained unconscious, however, and Elena sagged against Caroline who absorbed her weight without comment. Lee moved a chair to the corner of the room and Caroline physically deposited Elena into it but remained at her friend's side to prevent Elena from doing anything rash.
Three days later, Damon walked into the hallway to find Elena sitting on the floor outside his bedroom. At his appearance Elena jumped up and moved toward him.
"Did you miss me?" Damon teased with an arrogant smile.
Elena's hands clenched into tight fists and she glared up at him. She thumped him on the chest once and then again and again until she was pummeling him over and over. Damon stood still and allowed it, in fact wrapping his arms loosely around her as he felt her fear and anger. Elena kept going for several seconds until her whole body convulsed in a giant sob and she collapsed into him. Damon's arms tightened around her to hold her up. Elena's arms were trapped against his chest but she fisted his shirt in her hands as she cried.
"Don't ever do that to me again, Damon," Elena sobbed. "Don't ever scare me like that! I couldn't...I couldn't handle it if anything happened to you."
"Calm down, Elena," Damon said but he didn't lessen his embrace. "I'm fine. I'm hard to kill."
"Not hard enough," Elena said with another sob.
Damon held onto her for several more moments until he was sure she wouldn't collapse. Then he stepped back and looked down at her. Their eyes met and he held her gaze.
"I'm fine," Damon said. "I'll still be here to keep you safe."
Elena shook her head and whispered, "I love you."
Damon just watched her for several moments until he asked, "When did you figure that out? When you thought I was going to die?"
"No," Elena whispered. "I knew before..."
"Why didn't you say anything?" Damon asked.
"I just couldn't..." Elena trailed off unable to look him in the eye.
"What, Elena?" Damon asked. "Talk to me. Please."
Elena took a deep breath and, in one big rush of words, said, "I...well, you're Damon and you're very physical and I didn't say anything because I'm not sure I can...I'm not sure if I can have that kind of relationship."
Damon remained silent while trying to reign in the anger he felt at that statement.
"Elena, I would NEVER force you to..." he nearly hissed.
"No! No, I didn't mean it that way," Elena said finally meeting his eyes. Damon relaxed slightly at the absolute sincerity in her gaze. "I know you'd never...I mean, I know you aren't like that. But still, that's part of being with someone and I don't know if I can do that. And I really didn't want to disappoint you."
Damon shook his head, a small smile curving his lips as he leaned his head down until their foreheads touched.
"Elena," Damon whispered. "You couldn't disappoint me if you tried."
Elena smiled a little and she took a deep breath and then exhaled.
"I know you need someone who can…" Elena began.
"Elena," Damon said cutting her off. His voice was gentle, tender and just a little exasperated. He waited until she looked up and met his eyes. "The only thing I need is for you to be safe and happy. The only thing."
Damon couldn't miss the doubt in her eyes and he sighed.
"I compelled you once," Damon said quietly. "After you were kidnapped, I brought your necklace back and I compelled you. If you take off the necklace, I can make you remember."
Elena's intake of breath was swift and loud to Damon. "I always wondered how I got it back," she murmured as she reached around to undo the clasp.
Damon smiled at the trust implicit in the gesture. She was giving him carte blanche into her mind and she didn't hesitate even after he told her he'd compelled her. If he hadn't been sure about her declaration of love before, this would have convinced him.
Elena's eyes met Damon's and he allowed his vampire power to swell out into her and unlock her memory. Elena trembled slightly and gripped his arm tightly. Damon pulled back slightly and Elena's eyes filled with tears as she met his gaze.
"Oh, Damon," Elena whispered. "I'm so sorry."
"It was my choice, Elena," Damon said. "It was the one good thing I've ever done."
Elena shook her head. "No, it wasn't the only good thing," she said. "Maybe the best thing you've ever done for Stefan. But I'm sorry you felt you had to do that. That I made you feel like you couldn't…like you had to hide your feelings from me."
Damon smiled and shook his head. "We both know I didn't hide anything from you. You always knew how I felt."
Elena looked guilty and Damon sighed again. "Elena, I don't blame you for loving my brother. He's a better man than I am."
"No, he's not," Elena said fiercely. "He's not better. You are both good men. I wish you could see how I see you, how you make me feel."
"I know how I feel around you," Damon said. "I know you make me want to be better. But I also know that you accept me for who and what I am. I…I wish you could feel what that's like for me. Then you wouldn't worry about silly things like whether we can have sex."
"It's not silly, Damon," Elena frowned at him. "Don't trivialize something we both know is an important part of a relationship."
Damon shook his head. "I have you," he whispered. "I have you. That's so much more than I ever expected."
Elena's face flushed and she looked down. Damon felt the change in her emotions immediately and he wondered when he'd become so tuned to her feelings.
"You don't want me," Elena said in barely a whisper. "That's why…"
"Elena, I have never wanted someone so much in my entire existence," Damon said quietly, struggling not to scare her and yet reassure her at the same time. "I want only you. But I want your happiness and safety more than I could ever want physical gratification."
"So you don't think I'm…damaged?" Elena asked.
"Of course not," Damon all but growled. "I've never thought that. You had a horrible experience and you are dealing with it, physically and emotionally. It takes time and no one gets to decide how much time except for you. I'm trying to tell you that you'll know when you are ready and I'll be there waiting."
"And if I can't?" Elena asked.
"Then we'll stop," Damon said. "And we'll try again some other time."
"You make it sound so easy," Elena murmured, wrapping her arms around his waist and placing her head over his heart.
Damon kissed the top of her head and said, "It is easy. Giving you up to be with my brother was hard. Being with you, keeping you safe, loving you – that's easy. The easiest thing I've ever done."
Elena snuggled against him and smiled slightly. "You say that now," she teased. "But I'm high maintenance."
"Well, I'll certainly have to order a whole new wardrobe of shirts," Damon said with a grin.
Elena leaned up and kissed him softly. Only the moment their lips touched, Elena was lost in the kiss. Damon took control but kept it gentle. He would prove to her that she could handle this.
"Huh," Elena said when they broke apart. She grinned up at him. "Sure, easy. As long as you don't expect me to remember my own name when you kiss me."
"I'll remind you," Damon said kissing her again. "Elena." He kissed her again. "Elena."
As he leaned in to kiss her again, Elena started laughing and, just as their lips touched again, said, "I love you, Damon."
FIN
AN: Yes, the ending is incredibly corny and sappy. I'm a sappy romantic :)