She peeps out of the covers and glances at the clock, before groaning and rolling over ignoring the knocking on her door.

"I'm not going away Elena. Unlock the door."

"Come on Care, it's so early."

"Would you prefer I pull a Damon and climb in the window."

"Ugh." She groans again and gets up to unlock the door before crawling back under the covers as her best friend marches in and takes a seat on the bed. "What was so important it couldn't wait another hour?"

"I there's something going on with you so spill. I saw it the minute you got back. It's been three days and you've been holed up in your room."

"I finished my book."

"You did?"

"You sound surprised."

"Well, I kind of am. In three days?"

"Yeah, well kind of, I started in Aspen and then when I got back it poured out of me. Damon told me I need to take five, so I did. And it worked."

"Well damn, Damon is good for something."

"Don't do that."

"Do what?"

"Put him down like that for no reason. You're part of the problem Care, it's not just Damon."

"So what, your fighting his battles for him now?"

"This is hardly a battle. I just don't know why you're still holding onto something that childish that happened so long ago that everyone including Damon told you wasn't going to happen."

"I don't know why you're so angry with me." She tells me as the tears well up in her eyes.

"Care, I'm sorry. I just-I'm afraid to say this out loud because of what it means. What you'll think of me. I'm taking out my frustration on you, your the first person I've talked to in days. I didn't mean it."

"You can tell me. I'd never judge you, but you don't have to be mean about it."

"You're right I don't, I am sorry, but you might hate me though."

"I won't. I mean it's not like you jumped into bed with Damon." She starts to laugh until she sees my face fall. "Holy shit. You slept with him?"

"No. I mean yes. I mean we literally just slept in the same bed."

"That sleze ball! I knew he was going to pull that one bed hotel room crap."

"Except he didn't. I went into his room and I'm the one who asked him to stay."

"What were you thinking Elena?" She asks, a horrified expression on her face.

"I was thinking how nice it was to not have so much on my shoulders, to have someone not expect me to hold my shit together all the time."

"He's Stefan's brother."

"I know that! I know how screwed up it is. But he's so different with me."

"It's an act Elena."

"No. You don't get it. I never told you Damon found me the night my parents died, did I?"

"No, you said you just needed some alone time."

"I lied. Damon found me on the bridge."

"Elena! It was snowing like crazy that night."

"I know. Damon wasn't too happy."

"He should have told us."

"That's not the point. He saved me, you know. That night their car went off the bridge, I just needed be back there and I was standing there, I didn't even think about it, I was devastated. And if a car came around the corner too fast I'd have been a goner, but Damon showed up, basically said to get my shit together, and if I didn't get off that bridge he'd throw me over his shoulder and carry me off. He knew I was there, because he understands me in ways I don't even understand. Damon's in my life because I need someone like him in my life. He's never not going to be my friend and I want you to accept that."

"Why didn't you tell me that before?"

"Because Damon likes his good deeds to go unnoticed. So I respected that."

"What changed?"

"I needed you to understand how important he is to me."

"How important though? I mean, come on Elena, a few days with him and you wrote a whole book. You haven't been able to do that in three years here."

"I don't know. He just lets me be. It's so easy to be around him."

"Stefan is not going to like that."

"Stefan hasn't called or emailed since I told him I was going with Damon almost three weeks ago."

"He hasn't?"

"No. I'm going to tell him I need a break. He should take some time there to think about what he wants and I can do the same."

"You're serious?"

"Yes."

"Because of Damon?"

"No. Because of me."

"You say one thing, but your face says another."

"I've never been a good liar, huh?"

"Not one time that I can remember."

"You cannot repeat what I'm about to tell you."

"Promise."

"No swear it. I know you and Stefan are close but the last thing I need is for you to slip up."

"Stefan and I are friends, but Elena, you are my family." I can't help but choke up, I am so lucky to have Care in my life.

"Damon was busy on the trip, but everything about it felt natural. He'd go to work, I'd work, he come home and order dinner and he never forgot to order no pickles on mine, or we'd cook and watch T.V., we talked and laughed."

"Damon Salvatore laugh?"

"Care."

"Okay, okay. Continue."

"I liked it, it felt like a normal relationship should. For those ten days I remembered what I should have never forgot to miss. What Stefan takes away every-time he leaves me, every-time he doesn't think about me, when I go weeks without a word. And Damon gave that back to me. I don't know how, but I feel it. Damon made me feel alive again on that trip."

"Oh boy. Maybe your right, you should take a break and figure out what you want. Because you shouldn't feel the way you do with Damon. I know your going to say this just because I don't like him, but that's not true. You should take time for yourself, but if you feel something for Damon just remember he doesn't do relationships. I know he cares about you, more than he cares most people, but he'll hurt you Elena."

"I don't want a relationship with Damon. It's not about him." Her friend gives her a sad smile and hugs her, and when she hugs her back she allows her smile to fade away, because they both know she feels more than she should for Damon.

"Little Gilbert, what do I owe the pleasure?"

"I'm asking Bonnie to marry me."

"Finally grew a pair."

"Dick."

"So why are you here and not asking her?"

"I'm here because I'm scared as hell she's going to say no."

"I mean I would say no."

"Do you always have to be an ass? I should have just went to Ric."

"Sit down Jer, I'm screwing with you. Of course she's going to say yes. That girl has been in love with through your emo stage, think she'd bail when you finally get your shit together?"

"I'm not rich, I live with my sister and her best friend, I don't exactly have the world to offer her."

"She doesn't care about that. Bonnie knows who you are, and she's still crazy about you. Not everyone gets lucky enough to find someone like that, so don't screw it up okay kid?"

"You mean like Elena?"

"We're not talking about her."

"We're not? Someone who likes you just the way you are? We were talking about me, but I'm not blind Damon. That person for you is Elena, isn't it?"

"Drop it Jer."

"You're in love with my sister. I'm not dumb Damon. I heard Care say something about the way you look at Elena, and then she comes back from her trip happier than she's been in a long time. She's got this picture on her phone from the trip and the way your looking at her says a lot, I'm a dude and even I can see it."

"I think your reading too much into things."

"And I think you know I'm right. There's nothing wrong with wanting that."

"She's my brothers girl!"

"Yeah, she is, but somehow you two end up being what the other needs. I've always been the youngest of our group, no one paid much attention to me except when I was doing things wrong, but I saw everything. And Stefan isn't right for her."

"That doesn't make me right for her, or it any better."

"No. It makes you an even bigger ass, but I just want my sister to be happy and that goes for you too brother."

"Do I get to be best man?"

"As long as she says yes."

"She will."

"Let's go find out. It's girls night at our place."

"Your just going to show up at eleven at night?"

"Why not?"

"I like your style."

"Honey, I'm home." He says coming up behind me and spinning me around to face him.

"Shit! Damon!"

"Shhh."

"Are you trying to scare me to death, sneaking in like that."

"I'd never." He's so close I can practically taste the bourbon on him. It's like he reads my mind because his eyes go straight to my lips and I have to remind myself to breathe and back out of his hold.

"Why are you here so late?"

"No questions, go back upstairs and wait fifteen minutes and then bring Barbie and Judgy down to the living room."

"What? Why?"

"I said no questions. Seriously might want to get your hearing checked."

"Jackass." She grabs the popcorn and starts to walk away and rolls her eyes.

"Lena?"

"Yeah?"

"Don't roll your eyes at me."

"How did-"

"I know you." He says giving me his best cocky smirk, and no matter how much I want to be irritated I can't help but smiling at him. She makes her way back upstairs and does what Damon asks. She asks Bonnie and Care to go downstairs to pick another movie. When they reach the bottom step all they see is a candle lit living room with Jer standing there and Damon off to his side. Bonnie's already got tears in her eyes and they all walk into the living room. Her brother, happier than she's seen him in a long time. Caroline squealing with tears in her eyes as Bonnie throws her arms around Jer saying yes over and over. My eyes meet Damon's and he gives me a smile but it doesn't reach his eyes. He quickly looks away, back to Bonnie and Jeremy. She's not an expert on Damon Salvatore, but she knows that look because she's trying her hardest not to let it appear on her face. She's over the moon for her brother and best friend, and she can't wait for Bonnie to be her sister, but at the same time she can't help but wish she had that. She just never knew Damon wanted it too.