Chapter 21.

If you were a window, and I was the rain

I'd pour myself out and wash off the pain.

I'd fall like a tear so your light could shine through.

Then I'd just fade into you.

Feeling completely and utterly happily, was an extremely rare thing for Damon Salvatore. But right now, it seemed familiar, reminding him of how easy it had once been between them. He had woken up before her, for once, and was enjoying seeing her so content in his arms. She was so beautiful like this; when she was sleeping everything fell away. All those horrible experiences that had changed her couldn't be found on her face. She looked innocent and helpless; two things Damon knew she was not.

Elena Gilbert would always be the love of his life. He had never, and would never, love anyone else. And for the first time in a long time, he felt like nothing could bring him down from his high. Especially the sleeping angel curled up on his chest.

"You're being creepy." Elena's sleepy voice broke his train of thought, as he tilted his head down to look at her.

Damon let his free hand move her hair from her face, and carefully comb through it, sighing in content when her fingers started drawing mindless patterns across his chest.

"I'm not creepy. I'm in love." He told her slowly, waiting for her reaction.

He had lost count of how many times he had told her that he loved her, and even though she was hear with him now, she had yet to say it back.

"So who's the lucky girl?" She teased and rolled herself over so that she straddling him.

"Just this stunning, Grammy award winning country star. I don't think you know her." Damon chuckled as the small pout that had settled on Elena's lips.

He watched her tentatively as she leaned down, pressing gentle butterfly kisses from cheek to his chest, licking her way down his neck and over his collarbone. Damon dropped his head back onto the pillows, knotting his hand in her hair and moaning as her lips travelled lower and lower.

"Maybe I could change your mind about her. I think you could love me, if you tried." Elena purred, her head lifting up so her eyes met with his.

Those big, beautiful, doe brown eyes that had a sort of power of him, that even he didn't understand. When she looked up at him like that, those chocolate brown eyes full of love and understanding. After everything, it was just sinking in that they could finally just be.

"I'm already there."

. . .

"Damon, stop!" Elena squealed as Damon chased her around the kitchen in his hotel suite.

Peals of laughter escaped Elena's mouth as his strong arms grabbed her waist and spun her around in circles. When he held her this close, she never felt safer. She could never admit to how much she had missed this, back in the days when their lives had been simpler and all they had with each other.

Maybe that hadn't changed, she thought. Elena felt like a love-struck teenager all over again. She was twenty-one for god's sake, and she was acting like a fifteen year old! He always had that ability on her, he could always make her loosen up and forget, to let the childish side she buried come out. But at the same time, he was the one now who made her want to grow up.

Damon carefully sat her down on the edge of island, and she wrapped her legs around his waist; effectively pulling him tight to her. One of his hands fell to her thigh, rubbing soothing circles onto the smooth skin.

"I forgot how good you look in my clothes. Almost better than me." Damon winked as she threw her arms around his neck.

"Almost? Please, I wear them so much better." She teased, pressing herself as close she could.

She didn't want to leave the perfect little bubble they created. And at some point, she knew they would have to, but right now? She didn't want to face the real world.

"Well I know one thing you wear better than anybody else," He growled, his hand sneaking up underneath her shirt, feeling how she tensed up as his hand went higher.

"Nothing at all." He whispered in her ear, nibbling gently on the lobe.

Elena shivered and ran her hands through his hair. She was so preoccupied with what they were doing that she didn't even hear the banging on the hotel room door. When Damon reluctantly left her to answer it, Elena carefully redid the buttons on the shirt and tried desperately hard to fix her sex hair.

"Get the hell out of here." She heard Damon growl menacingly to whoever was at the door.

"Damon? Who's there?" She called out, hopping off the counter and slowly walking around the corner to find their- seemingly unwanted- guest.

"I should have known she'd still be here. You always were weak when it came to her Damon." That cold chuckle shook Elena to her core; she knew exactly who was waiting for her.

"Katherine."

"Hello Elena." She smirked before slipping past Damon and shouldering Elena out of the way to get into the suite.

"Congratulations on your Grammy's, you two. You both look like you've done a lot of celebrating." Katherine said dryly, looking Elena up and down in disgust.

"How did you even know we were here?" Elena was proud that her voice was just as cold as Katherine's; it had taken years of practice to get that down.

"Well, let's just say I got an anonymous tip last night about the two of you going back to your hotel together. And that you were all over each other in the cab ride back. Couldn't have been more discreet?" Katherine asked sarcastically, crossing her arms at the two of them.

"I didn't have to pull too many strings to find out what hotel you were staying in, and I knew Damon always wants the penthouse. You see, he always had such good taste. That's why it confuses me so much that he wants to be with you."

Elena was seriously convinced that if it wasn't for Damon's grip on her she would have launched herself at the bitch in front of her.

"What do you want, Katherine?" Damon asked tiredly, and Elena knew he was already getting sick of her mind games.

"I want the two of you to stop seeing each other." She demanded strongly, not backing down.

Katherine might have been smart and conniving, but was she honestly that delusional? She couldn't honestly believe that she and Damon would stop being together just because she didn't approve.

"I see that that you both aren't taking me seriously. If I don't get what I want I'll make your little girlfriend's life a living hell Damon." Katherine spat out venomously as Elena clung to Damon like a little child.

She wasn't scared of Katherine. She honestly wasn't. The only thing Elena was scared of was what Katherine could do.

"You have nothing on her, so go back to wherever you came from, because nobody wants you here." Damon warned her, holding Elena protectively to him.

"If you don't keep you're relationship strictly professional, I will be forced to leak certain things that will ruin Elena's career. I will tell the press all about Elena Gilbert's past drug abuse, and I don't have a problem about telling them how you overdosed, my dear. Are you really willing to throw away everything you have worked so hard for, just for a relationship that won't even last?" Katherine's smirk grew wider at the look on Elena's face.

She had her, and she knew it.

"Get out of here Katherine. We'll play by what ever rules you want, but you need to leave." Damon choked out, taking a step away from Elena, and never looking at her.

Katherine slowly walked over to Damon, standing as close as she could to him. Pressing her hands against his chest, she leaned in to whisper in his ear.

"When you realise, that she's not the angel you think she is, I'll be waiting. I won't ever give up on you. After all, I did have you first." She smirked, trailing one carefully pointed nail along his chest, before walking out the door.

"You want to explain to me what Katherine was talking about, Elena." Damon asked lowly, a tone that Elena knew was dangerous when it came to him.

"Damon, I can explain." Elena begged, taking his hand in her own small one.

"Then explain it!"

Elena breathed heavily, trying to come up with the right thing to say. She had always been so good with words, but right now her mind was completely blank. She had tried so long to keep it a secret, especially from him, Elena didn't want him to know how weak she was. But she was stuck in a corner now, she didn't have another option.

"When we broke up, and I got my record deal, I was pushed into this world that I just didn't understand. Suddenly, I had such easy access to alcohol and drugs, that no one batted an eye if I took anything. They didn't care that I was still only eighteen. I was scared, everyone seemed to want something from me and for a while I had no idea how to deliver. All of that pressure, put together with losing you and Jeremy being in rehab. I was desperate. I remembered how Jer had said that the drugs could make you forget, at least for a little while. So I took some," Elena knew she was moments away from breaking down, but she couldn't stop.

She could run the risk of losing him if she did.

"It was nothing hard, just a few pharmaceuticals. I used to take them at night to make the nightmares go away. The first time I went number one on the charts I should have been happy, but I wasn't. I was just alone. So I got drunk at the party they threw me, managed to get home somehow and started drinking vodka right from the bottle. I can't even remember most of the night. All I remember is emptying that little bottle of pills into my mouth. I didn't wake up for another 24 hours."

Elena watched silently as Damon's eyes grew darker and darker, he was mad and she knew it. What she didn't know, was what he would say.

"You could have killed yourself Elena! Fuck, didn't you learn anything from your brother? I always knew you were naïve back then, but I never thought you'd be that stupid." Damon growled at her, ripping his hands free from hers.

"I'm sorry! I didn't mean to, I never meant to. I just wanted to forget." Her voice cracked as she said it, and Elena could feel the tears threatening to fall from her eyes.

"Are you still taking them? If you're an addict now, I will have no problem throwing your ass into that rehab centre along with your brother, you got that?"

Elena felt like she was going to be sick, he hadn't talked to her like that in a long time. At least it felt like that. She didn't understand why he was mad at her; it had absolutely nothing to do with him. She was the fucked up one, not him.

"I'm not addicted! I haven't needed to take them since the first night we slept together; you made the nightmares go away Damon. Don't let them come back." She wasn't ashamed of the tears that fell and dripped down her cheeks, crying was good.

It meant she was coming to terms with what she had done.

"I can't even look at you right now, 'Lay. Just get dressed and leave, we're goin' back home today anyway." Damon's voice was cool and collected, portraying absolutely no emotion what so ever.

"Please don't send me away, I love you. I've always loved you, and I won't ever stop." Her sobs were growing louder, but the more she cried the more closed off he became.

"Go back to Nashville. Go home. If we're goin' to keep up with this charade of Katherine's then I think its better we go back separately anyway." Damon sighed, running a hand through his hair.

A wave of relief overcame Elena as she heard that, he didn't completely hate her. They would survive after all. Maybe.

Realising that this was the best she was going to get, Elena nodded silently, ignoring the tears that continued to fall from her eyes. Finding an oversized handbag thrown in the corner of the bedroom, she tipped it upside down and thanked God that she had Caroline. The blonde, being as on-point as she was, had dropped a bag of clothes off at their room at an unspeakably early hour this morning. Elena hadn't even woken up when Damon had gotten out of their-his- bed to find the bag and a little note that was entirely too inappropriate for the girly handwriting it was written in.

She pulled on a pair of too tiny denim shorts and her favourite pair of worn out cowboy boots, still keeping Damon's shirt on. She couldn't bear to take it off yet, instead choosing to tuck it on to the high waistband of her shorts. Elena slung the back over her shoulder and kept her head down as she walked out of the room and into the kitchen, where Damon still stood motionlessly against the counter.

"I'll see back home?" Elena asked desperately, walking right up to him so he would have to look at her.

"Maybe." He answer was noncommittal, and his eyes only met hers for the most fleeting of moments.

Elena leaned up on her tiptoes and pressed a soft, sweet kiss against Damon's cheek; lingering a little longer than she should have.

"I love you Damon, hold onto that." She whispered into his ear before walking out of that hotel room on her own, leaving him and their night behind her.

. . .

Elena probably shouldn't have felt the way she did as she placed her key into her door. She hadn't been back in Nashville in months and now she felt like a stranger in her own home. Something felt off though, and she pretty sure it wasn't just to do with the inner turmoil going on inside her.

"Hello? Is anybody there?" Elena didn't care how stupid she felt shouting in her house, something wasn't right.

She carefully tiptoed through her hallway, carefully setting her bags down and setting off towards her living room. The light was on, something Elena was pretty positive she hadn't done when she had left the house for the tour. And that's when she saw it. Something that Elena had wished to see everyday for three years.

"Jeremy," Elena half sobbed and launched herself across the room into the waiting arms of her baby brother.

"Hi 'Layny." Jeremy cooed, holding his sister as close to him as he could.

The siblings had been separated for three years, both unable to see each other without running the risk of being caught. In the end, it had been Jeremy's decision to keep them separated. His sister was finally getting the recognition she deserved for her music, and he wasn't willing to ruin everything for her just because he was a stupid kid and made some mistakes.

"Jer, how did you get here? How did you even get out of rehab? I-" Elena started to ramble and Jeremy placed his hands on her shoulders, slowly pushing her down onto the seat beside him.

"I'm clean Elena. And I'm done. My release papers were signed a few days ago, but I stayed with Mom and Dad until I knew you would be home. And then I came right here this morning." Jeremy said slowly, still slightly in awe that his sister was right there and front of him and not in the glossy pictures of the magazines he had always studied so closely.

"How did you even get in here? I'm pretty sure the door was locked little brother." She teased and ruffled his hair as he simply smirked back to her in a way that scarily reminded her of Damon.

"Mom gave me the spare key; she promised me that you wouldn't mind. I just, I needed to talk to you Elena. I can't talk to mom and dad, I need you."

Hearing Jeremy sound like that broke Elena's heart. She could finally be there for him, and she would sit up all night if she had to.

"I've got all the time in the world." She soothed, taking his hands in hers.

"You know that I didn't want to be there, I was afraid and scared and I wasn't even sure if I wanted to get better. When they put me in my room and I was all alone, I couldn't just yell for you knowing you'd coming running in from your bedroom. I couldn't even call Damon to spill my guts to him. All I had was empty walls and no family. Every nurse, doctor or physiatrist they sent I ignored. I was depressed and I wanted to be anywhere but where I was,"

Hearing him speak like this was killing Elena, though she would never let him no. Her pain was his pain, and the last thing he needed was more of that. She had always been overly protective of her baby brother, and hearing how he struggled in rehab was bringing up a sever feeling of self-loathing.

"And then it changed. I might this girl Elena, a nurse. She was different from the rest of them, she didn't take any bullshit; none of my usual crap. She reminded me a little of you actually, she didn't let me wallow in my own self-pity. I fell in love with her, I knew that I shouldn't have; it was wrong and against every rule there was in that place. If anyone ever found out she would have lost her job and I would have been kicked out. But she was so beautiful, and she made me better. I swear she was the only one that could get through to me. I fell so hard and fast, I was sure she felt the same way. Apparently I was wrong. She left with no reason or explanation; she never even said goodbye. My heart was broken Elena, it still is. Everything we had was a lie, it meant nothing to her, and I can't accept that." Jeremy's quiet whisper was barely audible, and yet it carried so much.

She could hear every ounce of pain and heartbreak those broken words held. Elena understood, she had been in the same place once before, after all. But the way he talked about her, it set something off somewhere in Elena's mind; bringing up another story she had been told. And then everything clicked into place.

"Jeremy, if I tell you something you have to keep calm for me okay? You have to promise me that you're not goin' to go on some kind of bender and flip out. If you can't, then I can't breathe a word of this, no matter how much I want to." Elena said slowly, her mind still processing everything that was going on her head.

"I'm not like that anymore, I promise. I won't ever go back there. I can't." He promised his voice was strong as he squeezed her small hands.

She knew that he wouldn't lie to her, not after everything. Besides, she could always tell when he wasn't telling the truth; and now was not one of those times.

"Damon and mine's label, Alaric's label, isn't going so well. We have no idea how, but numbers haven't been so good lately. That's why I'm doin' this joint tour, we're doin' our best to try and get in some revenue. But it's not enough, and I'm not willing to let everything that I have done go to waste. All the work that everyone has put into this. It's Alaric's life. So I used everything I could to my advantage, I tested how much Elijah was interested in me. Let's just say Damon wasn't too happy about it," Elena was interrupted then by Jeremy's low chuckle and his raised eyebrow.

He knew how possessive Damon could get, and back when she had been allowed to visit him she had let him know how, well, handsy Elijah Mikealson could get. But she could have slapped her younger sibling for laughing at her right now.

"But I found his personal assistant; I thought that if I could get my hands on her that she would want to help me. I was positive that Elijah would have put so many secrets on her that I would have no problem getting her to help me. I was able to give her a way out. I was right about that, she jumped at the chance to get out of the business. But what I didn't expect to find was a back-story. Her name was Bonnie Bennett, Jeremy." Elena said pointedly, watching as her brother's face slowly dropped, growing paler by the second.

"B-Bonnie Bennett?" He asked shakily, his eyes tentatively reaching Elena's and his hands gently shaking.

Elena nodded her head as tears fell from Jeremy's eyes. He didn't try to hide them from her, there was no point, she could read him like a book and no matter how long they had been apart that hadn't changed.

"Keep going." Jeremy's voice was strong, hard, unlike the broken expression on his face.

"When I first talked to her she was so scared, a timid little thing. But there was fire there, it wasn't hard to see. When I asked her about her job she admitted that she hated it and when I asked why she still did it she was more than a little hesitant to tell me. But she did. Bonnie told me how she had trained as a nurse in college, something her parents didn't approve of, and got an internship at a rehabilitation centre where her grandmother had once worked,"

Jeremy's eyes watered again; there was no concrete proof that this was his Bonnie. He was frightened and hurt, but he needed to hear more.

"She fell in love with a drug abuse patient, that she had never been happier than she was then. But Elijah Mikealson contacted her quickly and demanded that she worked for him just like her parents had. Something about being good with hacking, I think. When she refused her resorted to blackmail. Elijah told Bonnie that he would release information about the patient that she was with and it would forever ruin his career and the lives of his family, as well as her own. So she left. Bonnie Bennett left behind the only man she has ever loved so she could keep him safe. And I knew that night to look at her that she still loved him." Elena looked deeply into her brother's eyes, making sure he listened to every word she had to say.

All she had ever wanted was for her younger sibling to be happy, something he hadn't been for most of his young life. And he had been with her, Bonnie Bennett was his salvation and Elena would be damned if he lost her.

"It was her wasn't it? She was the nurse you fell in love with. You're the patient she was forced to leave alone?" Elena asked, knowing the answer long before she asked the question.

"That's my Bonnie." Jeremy sobbed and launched himself into Elena's arms, burying his head in her neck and letting all the emotion pour out of him.

In both of their minds their reunion wouldn't have been like this. There would have been a few tears, but mostly they would have been happy. They would have talked about childhood and watched old movies and sing together like they had since they were little. But honestly, neither of them would have changed what was happening now.

"Shh, it's okay. I'm goin' to make it all okay." Elena soothed quietly, letting a few of her own tears slip out.

She had done so much crying today already, and it was only the afternoon, she started to wonder if her eyes would ever dry out. Cuddling closer to Jeremy and softly stroking his hair, she continued to whisper calming words into his ear. She had always hated seeing him like this, so upset, but it was a good thing. It showed her that he was feeling again.

"We're goin' to bring down Mikealson Studios Jer; this is all goin' to end. And when it's finally over you're goin' to be able to be with Bonnie with no string attached. No worries. Jenna and Alaric won't ever have to worry about money again and everything's goin' to be just fine. We're goin' to have the life we used to dream about remember? You can live with me until you get back on your feet and you can start up your photography again. I'm not goin' to let anything happen to you alright? I'm goin' to fix everything." Elena promised strongly, knowing that she would do everything in her power to let Jeremy have a normal life again.

"As long as you're safe Elena. I don't want you risking your career for something that I could rebuild on my own eventually. I know how much you love your music, and I won't watch you ruin it okay? You're my sister, and you did everything for me. It's my turn to repay the favour." Jeremy smiled at his sister, pulling back from her embrace so that he could really look at her.

"All those magazine covers didn't do you justice, you know? You're absolutely beautiful, big sister. It doesn't surprise me that you and Damon are back together." Jeremy winked as Elena's smile dropped a little, trying hard for her brother not to know what was going on between her and Damon.

"Damon and I aren't back together, Jer. It's just work." Elena said defiantly, knowing Jeremy was going to see right through her anyway.

"Yeah and that's why you're wearing his shirt right now. I've watched every show Elena, I saw how you still look at him like he hung the god damn moon; and he still looks at you like you just fell from heaven and right onto his lap. You're meant to be together. Elena and Damon. That's just how it is." Jeremy said with a quirked eyebrow and a smirk, knowing full well that his sister was still helplessly in love with a man with had became like a brother to him.

"Things are different know. I might love him, and god knows he might love me too, but that doesn't mean we can be together."

"Yes it does. You're just making things difficult for yourself; because you're afraid you'll screw it up again. I know you Elena, and I know Damon. The two of you will never want anyone else but each other." Jeremy was adamant with his point; he had to make his sister see.

Damon was the one who had made Elena happier than he had ever seen her all those years ago, and now he was the one who had saved her from herself. Losing Damon again would kill Elena, Jeremy knew that.

"It doesn't matter what I want! I have to do what's best for him! He deserves so much more than what I can give him. Besides, Damon and I, we don't work. If I've learned anything it's that we can't be in a relationship. Not a proper one. Maybe it's best for both of us if we're apart." Elena whispered, looking away from Jeremy and out of the window.

This morning she had been so sure that they could work everything out; even after she left she still had hope. But an all too familiar doubt was creeping into her mind. Katherine would never stop, and they couldn't be in a secret relationship for the rest of their lives. They hadn't even talked about the prospect of forever; she didn't know if that was what Damon still wanted.

Katherine was right, did Elena really want to risk everything that she had done, everyone ounce of pain and heartache that she had poured into making her career work would just end. If she and Damon didn't work out after that, she would have absolutely nothing. No music and no one to love. Could she really risk it?

"It's not about that Elena and you know it. They used to teach me something in rehab, and I only understand it now. We accept the love we think we deserve, and that's why you're so scared to let yourself be with Damon. But you do deserve it Elena, more than anyone I've ever known. Just let yourself be happy sister." Jeremy placed a sweet kiss to her cheek before jumping off the seat and rummaging through her DVD collection.

"The Notebook, Elena? Seriously?" He asked in mock disgust before going back to his search.

Elena smiled affectionately at Jeremy as he plucked out his choice and held The Lost Boys victoriously in the air. Having Jeremy back had put a silver lining on the dark cloud that was currently hung over her life. She had missed her baby brother more than she could explain, he was her life before he had gone into rehab, and now that he was out it was a little easier to breathe.

As they curled up on the couch watching their favourite movie from when they were kids and eating anything they could find in her bare cupboards, Elena could almost forget about Damon. Almost.

But Jeremy way right, we do accept the love we think we deserve. And it was about time she got over her own self-abuse. She loved Damon; she knew that now with every fibre of her being. And he loved her, she knew he did. She could feel it. She wasn't going to just walk away this time, she was going to fight. Because she loved him so much that all the pain that came with him was worth it.

Elena would fight for this. Fight for them. It was the only thing she could do.

. . .

Jeremy was used to early nights now, and Elena had put him to bed just when the sky began to get dark. He had been completely speechless when she had showed him around her mansion, and until that moment she had never realised how empty it was. Jeremy brought back a light she had lost a long time ago.

He was still the same kid as he always was, and he had only proved it by asking him to sing her to sleep. Elena had tucked him into her arm and softly sang in his ear all the songs her mother had taught them both. Right then she had been pulled back into a time when she would sit on their living room floor with her guitar, singing to herself as Jeremy would tap a mindless beat with his hands.

As she cleared away the rubbish of their dinner from earlier, Elena heard a loud frantic knock at her door. She ran quickly to it, not wanting the noise to wake Jeremy up, and opened it up to see Damon leaning against the doorframe.

"Damon what are you doin'-" Elena started but was cut off by Damon dragging her outside and shutting the door.

"I had to see you." He said, so quietly she almost didn't hear him.

Damon pulled Elena close to him and pressed his lips against hers, catching her by surprise. They stumbled backwards together, until Elena's back was pressed against the wall, Elena moaned into his mouth as his hands travelled from her waist down to her ass. As his lips left hers and started travelling down her neck, Elena pulled away, more than a little breathless.

"Damon," She managed to pant out.

"Damon, stop. We can't do this, you heard Katherine this morning! We can't get caught Damon." Elena leaned her head against his, and rested her hands against his chest in a futile way of trying to stop him from kissing her again.

But Damon wasn't in the mood for thinking about that. He had done enough of that, worrying over if being with Elena was the right thing to do. He loved her, and he was through with pretending like he didn't.

"I need you 'Lay, no matter what." He said strongly and pushed her back against the wall, claiming her lips like he should have done months ago.

Elena's hands clawed at his back as she wrapped her legs around his waist, needing to get as close as she could to him. They were finally done running from each other, even if they had to keep it secret for a little while, they would still be together.

They had dirt on Katherine, and Elijah, and maybe if Elena and Damon had have been thinking about that instead of their newly re-formed relationship, they would have noticed the man in the car opposite them snapping away on a camera.

. . .

Elena woke up halfway during the night to a cold bed, and shot up in panic. Where was Damon? He wouldn't just leave her alone, right after sex would he? Elena had thought that this meant that they were a couple now. Maybe he had changed his mind. It wouldn't have been the first time.

She picked up his shirt-hers now- shirt from the ground and slid it on carefully, padding as silently as she could out of her room. She knew that after everything she ha just done with Damon in her room it was probably a bit late to be worrying about waking up her baby brother, but she was going to hold onto whatever dignity she had left. And being caught sneaking around her own house searching for a guy that may or may not be there was not something she wanted anyone to see.

It was then that Elena heard the soft strumming a guitar coming from her little music room she had set up when she first got there. It held everything she needed, a baby grand that was her pride and joy along with her favourite selection of guitars, and a few sets of headphones and mikes. Her home recording studio. She pushed open the door to see Damon in nothing but a pair of pyjama pants, playing on one of her guitars and scribbling down on the note-book in front of him; completely consumed in his work.

She, of all people, knew how frustrating it was when words started to flow and you were interrupted, so Elena chose to lean against the wall and calm herself to the sound of his low humming. His voice was the most beautiful she had ever heard, she was pretty sure she had started to fall for him the night he dedicated his first song to her.

After a while he stumbled over himself and a small frown grew on his face. Elena couldn't help but let out a small giggle and soon enough Damon was staring up at her with those clear blue eyes that held more power than Elena would admit.

"How long have you been standin' there?" Damon asked gently as she made her way to the loveseat he was currently sprawled on.

"A while." She answered cryptically and sat down next to him, resting her head on his shoulder as he sighed happily, as he slid an arm over her protectively.

"You want to help a poor guy out?" Damon asked as she grabbed the notebook from his lap and placed it on her own.

Damon grabbed one of Elena's hands and set it on top of the bottom strings of the guitar. Elena smiled her own smile at that. They used to do that all the time when they were younger; she would strum the chords as his fingers would move meticulously over the strings.

As Damon began to play the intro and Elena strummed gently their eyes met, and they both knew that something was different from the last time they had done this. They were older. Wiser. Grown up. They wouldn't make the same mistakes as they had the last time. They would make sure of that.

If you were the ocean, and I was the sun,

If the day made me heavy, and gravity won.

If I was the red, and you were the blue.

I could just fade into you.

If you were a window, and I was the rain

I'd pour myself out and wash off the pain.

I'd fall like a tear so your light could shine through.

Then I'd just fade into you.

In your heart, in your head,

In your arms, in your bed,

Under your skin.

'Til there's no way to know where you end

And where I begin.

If I was a shadow and you were a street.

A cobblestone midnight is where we first meet.

'Til the lights flickered out, we dance with the moon.

Then I'd just fade into you.

In your heart, in your head,

In your arms, in your bed,

Under your skin.

'Til there's no way to know where you end

And where I begin.

I want to melt in, I want to soak through

I only want to move when you move.

I want to breathe out when you breathe in.

Then I want to fade into you.

If I was just ashes and you were the ground,

And under your willow they laid me down.

There'll be no trace that one was once two.

After I fade into you.

Oooh, Oooh,

Oooh, Oooh.

Then I'd just fade into you.

Then I'd just fade into you.

Then I'd just fade into you.

Then I'd just into you.

"God, we're good." Damon smirked as Elena removed the guitar from his knee, letting her song book slip to the floor as she moved to straddle him.

"We always have been baby." She purred softly in his ear, moving her lips up and down his jaw.

"It's been far too long since I heard you say that." Damon groaned as she bit down on his neck, making a small love bite.

"Easy tiger." He chuckled and rolled her over, starting to unbutton her shirt.

"Really? Here?" Elena managed to gasp out as she felt him against her.

"Do you really want to go all the way back to your bedroom?" He asked her, doing that eyebrow thing that he knew drove her crazy.

"Never mind." She dismissed the thought of having to wait even a fraction of a minute more before pulling Damon's lips back down onto hers.

No matter what Katherine Pierce threatened to do, what she could take away from them, she couldn't take away what they had. No matter how hard she tried. Elena and Damon were both tired of fighting each other off, and even Katherine wasn't going to get between them now.

But they needed to be careful, because sometimes, even love isn't strong enough to fight off the inevitable.

A/N: Hi y'all! Oh my gosh, I can't even begin to explain how incredibly sorry I am that I've kept you waiting this long! I had really bad family problems, and couldn't find the time or inspiration to write. But I haven't lost my muse for this story guys, not by a long shot!

Okay, how'd you like this one? I really hope this made up for my lack of an update for weeks! Are we all glad Jeremy's here? AND THAT HE IS BONNIE'S PATIENT? I know some of you saw it coming, very smart people ;).

The song used is Fade Into You performed by Clare Bowen and Sam Palladio as Scarlett O'Connor and Gunner Scott on the TV show Nashville! It really is absolutely beautiful, and I've been waiting a long time to use this in one of my chapters!

Again, I am so, so sorry about being so late. I love you all so much for reviewing! Some of them were so lovely, and they make me so happy when I read them. KEEP REVIEWING MY LOVES! Thank you xxx