After Alaric is turned and is still evil, Elena dies and stays dead. His life is not connected to hers, and he doesn't get to stake Klaus.

He did not know how long it lasted, the punching and kicking, but he finally gave in. Ric was kind of invincible, after all. So that was it, Damon thought. Besides, what other way was better that dying by the only man he's ever truly loved? As twisted as this sounds, that was Damon's thought at the moment.

Alaric hit him in the face one last time, and then knelt down next to him, pointed the stake to his heart, and accidentally looked into his lover's eyes. Alaric suddenly froze, torn between staking the vampire and.. before he knew it, he drops the stake, and leans down further to claim Damon's mouth, and with a bruising kiss, both punishing him and apologizing to him. It took Damon a few seconds to realize what was happening, when it finally clicked, he started kissing back. he's back! God, he missed those lips. Alaric suddenly strangles Damon and pulls him up, "I should kill you," and throws him against the wall, not giving him any time to recover, attacks his body again, only with his lips this time. Damon was dizzy, tired, and weak. You know, getting hit and all, but gathered whatever was left of his strength to focus on what was happening. He was confused, of course, but glad, more than anything, and decided to do something about it, so he tore Alaric's shirt, and Alaric did the same to his. Both using vampire speed, were now naked, Alaric buried deep in Damon on the cold floor, eyes locked on Damon's, both came only a few minutes later. Damon wanted to kiss Alaric but Alaric pulled out as quickly as possible, and started getting dressed.

"What the hell. I'm kind of confused here, Ric. Are you back or not?"

Ric throws Damon's jeans at him, "Get dressed. We have original vampires to kill."

Still confused, and kind of pissed of, Damon got up and got dressed. Both men walked to the car with Alaric driving them back to Mystic Falls.

Stefan calls Damon, "Don't answer that," Alaric glares at Damon, and Damon hangs up.

"Okay, I need an explanation, Ric. Now. Why the fuck didn't you kill me? I mean, sure I'm glad I'm not dead and all, but you have to decide, are you or are you not back the same old Alaric.. I- we love and get along with?"

Eyes still on the road, Alaric sighs, "This is how I've always been, Damon. I didn't change, I just broke through. And if you must know, I didn't kill you because I need your help take out the originals."

"Lie! You don't need my help, spill it, Ric. You still have feelings for me."

Alaric sighs again, and ignores Damon for the rest of the road.

When they finally arrived, they both went straight to the boarding house. Without any word, Alaric goes to Damon and his former room, collects his clothes, and goes to another room. All the while Damon, still confused as fuck, literally following his Ric around, wants to hug him, to tell him he loves him and that he is glad he didn't kill him. That he is so happy, they had sex. And that this means something. That there is hope things could get back as they were before Esther showed up. Alaric continues ignoring Damon, acting as if he's not following him around the house like a lost puppy. When he is finally done, they both walk into the library, and that's when Stefan walks in, "Where the HELL have you been, Damon? I've been trying to reach you but your phone is of- Alaric. What are you doing here?" Stefan looks at both men in confusion, Damon with an unsure look, looks at Alaric once, and then at Stefan, "I think Ric here wants our help kill the originals. But, I'm still not sure what's in it for us." and then glances back at Ric, with a questioning look.

"I'll kill Klaus last, giving you two more time to live." Ric drowns the glass of alcohol and sits down on the couch, casually, as if, this was one normal night like any other, only Alaric has this mean, grumpier look on his face.

"Well, something happened. I won't hesitate helping you Alaric, I need revenge. Rebecca killed Elena" Stefan spoke out, after a few moments of silence. The news didn't seem to stir anything in Alaric, but Damon was so shocked, he didn't know what to say exactly, "oh, I'm really sorry, Stef. Why did that bitch do that?" and walked to his brother, obviously concerned.

"She thinks Elena's life was connected to Alaric's. Apparently, it's not. And now, since they think you're dead, we can use that to our advantage." Stefan seemed to be so affected by the death of his Elena. Angry, but not sad. He immediately walked out of the library and up to his room. Knowing his brother too well, Damon would've though Stefan had shut his humanity off. But he knew, anger was a feeling, Damon understand, so he leaves his brother deal with his loss by himself, for now.

Damon sits down next to Alaric, "Ric, I've missed you," he whispers, "Please, talk to me" and then he wants to kiss Alaric, so he moves closer and tries to reach for his lover's face, but Alaric pulls away fast, blinks a few times, and Damon could swear he's seen tears forming in the original vampire's eyes. Quickly, Alaric excuses himself to go sleep in his new room, leaving Damon on the couch, silently suffering, but still glad there was something left in there, and he will help Alaric stop trying so hard to hide his feelings.

So Damon thinks. He thinks of every possible way to win his lover's heart again. He can help Klaus hide, run away, and he can help Alaric kill the other original siblings. It seems for now, Damon has time to get his life right. He has hope to get what he has always wanted; Alaric by his side for eternity.

To Be Continued