Hello, all of you amazing people out there who take the time to read my daydreams :) I'm so so sorry it took me forever to post this chapter, but my schedule is getting so tight I really only have time and energy to write on weekends nowadays. On that note, I'm sad to announce that this is the last chapter of Reading Between the Lines. I wanted to make it to twenty chapters, but I feel it's appropriate to stop here. I'm sad to stop writing it. This was my first published story and it was lovely to write. But not nearly as lovely as reading all of your wonderful reviews! Now that this story is coming to a close, I'll be free to start my new story. I should have the first chapter out next weekend. Its title is "Just Once" so if you think you can stick with me a second longer, please be on the lookout for it if you have time. Oh, I nearly forgot! Did you guys see the trailer that just came out for Season 2? Oh. My freakin. God. I watched it around 10 times over when I first noticed it. It looks thrilling, and I was happy to see a little more of Elena in it, considering how I love Elena so much more than any other of the remaining female characters. There was entirely too much Katherine messing with our boy for my taste, but still very exciting. Less than 3 weeks away from the premiere! Oh my, this author's note has gotten far too long. I'll shut up now and let you get down to it. Once again, thank you so much for all of the incredible support, I love you all! Enjoy.

Chapter 18: Wherever You Are Is Home

Previously:

…Elena's eyes rolled and flickered open to a darkened hospital room, completely silent save the heart monitor. She was going to be ok, and Damon was right there by her side. That was all that mattered.

…"You know, I'll never be able to thank you enough for everything you've done…for me."

Damon's face twisted, and he inclined his head toward her. "You don't ever need to thank me for anything, Elena."

…. Stefan slowly crossed the yard to a sunny patch, and taking a deep breath, he stepped into it. Katherine's body rapidly disintegrated, the ashes sifting through Stefan's hands in a matter of seconds. His arms falling limply at his sides, he turned to face his brother once more. Damon noticed with a twinge of sadness that his brother's eyes were glistening with unshed tears.

"I won't be coming back," Stefan whispered, staring sorrowfully into his brother's eyes.

Damon's eyebrows drew together, and he nodded solemnly. "Goodbye, Stefan." When Damon looked back up, his brother was gone. Bowing his head, Damon slowly turned on his heel, appeasing the pull that was drawing him back to the only girl in the universe that mattered.

…

Elena awoke from her thirteenth day in the hospital to a sweet scent wafting through the room. Casting a glance at her bedside table, she saw a big bouquet of deep red roses tied with a black ribbon laying at the edge near her pillow. Her mouth twisting into a tiny smile, she picked up the flowers and counted the blooms: eighteen roses. Something white caught the corner of her eye, and she turned her gaze back to the table. As the paper rested in neglect on the cheap faux wood of the table top, Elena suddenly was stricken with a thought. Eighteen…there's something special about the particular number. Elena reached for the folded note and lifted it near her face, reading the short message inside written in Damon's loopy and sightly haphazard script: Happy Birthday, sweet cheeks. She cracked a huge grin in spite of herself. Damon remembered her birthday, even when she herself hadn't. Her hand absentmindedly drifted up to her collarbone, fingering her necklace and watching the crystals catch in the light. Damon. He had spent nearly every waking moment with her while she was in the hospital, leaving only to feed and check up on the boarding house. His companionship had made everything a little more bearable. When she was well enough, he had told her about Katherine and Stefan, and she felt overwhelmingly relieved. Damon, she was happy to note, seemed unfazed by the death of Katherine, even at his own hands. She could tell he was saddened by what had happened with Stefan, but at the same time she knew he didn't want his brother to stay. Elena was grateful that she had finally been unhooked from all of the cumbersome machines, and she slid off the bed and walked over to the window. Damon had brought her some of her own pajamas, so she didn't have to worry about gaping hospital gowns. She pulled on the blinds, allowing the morning sunlight to stream in and flood her room.

"Well look who's finally legal," A low voice teased from behind her. Elena's heart skipped a beat and she whirled, her heart pounding with equal parts surprise and joy.

"Damon!" Elena admonished in an annoyed voice, but still nearly ran across the room to him. He walked to meet her halfway, and she slapped his chest before falling into it and wrapping her arms around him in a kiss. He returned it eagerly, snaking an arm around her and bending her back slightly, taking control of the situation. Only when she started gasping for air did he pull back, and only a few inches at that.

"Happy birthday," he whispered, his lips twisting into a crooked grin.

"Thanks for remembering." She gave him a quick peck, then sighed. "They're letting me come home today." Damon drew her upright, then sat down in an armchair and pulled her into his lap.

"Oh, thank god. Spending all day surrounded by blood that I can't drink is not exactly an ideal situation for me." Damon rolled his eyes.

"You didn't have to stay here every day you, know," Elena reminded him.

"I know. But you were here." Elena's heart twinged at the comment. Damon cleared his throat. "So. I have a proposition."

Elena raised her eyebrows. "Do share." Damon took her wrists into his strong hands and leaned in, languidly kissing her cheek. His lips not retreating, he whispered against her skin.

"Move in with me." Elena's eyes lit up, and she turned to face him. His blue eyes were smoldering, making them even more beautiful. Breathing in his air, she bit back a smile.

"I thought I already had." Damon's eyes seemed to burn even hotter, and without warning his lips were suddenly over hers, caressing and possessing the only thing that mattered to him. Elena let the kiss deepen and go on for what felt like forever, but at the same time not nearly long enough. Finally she broke it, resting her forehead against his. "Jenna's not going to like this."

"Probably not," Damon said lightly, frankly not giving a damn what anyone thought of it.

"Oh well. I love her, but I'm 18 now, and I'm free to make my own choices. And I choose you." Damon grinned, relaxing. Elena's eyes fell to his lips, smiling at his smile. A heartbreaker's smile, she noted, thinking that it was just about the most breathtaking one she had ever seen.

"I'll go start moving your things over to the boarding house now," he said, carrying her back over to the bed.

"That's probably best. I don't think you should be here when I tell Jenna the news. No telling what she might try if you were."

"As if anything she can do would hurt me. That is, unless, her weapon of choice is something wooden." Elena rolled her eyes, ushering him out the door.

"See you later," she said exasperatedly, and he smirked devilishly with a nod before ambling down the white hallway, his black clothing a stark contrast to his surroundings.

…

"You're doing WHAT?" Jenna screeched, her expression livid. Elena cringed, bowing her head, but she wasn't going to back down.

"You heard me. And I'm not going to change my mind. I'm sorry, Aunt Jenna, but I'm 18 now, and this is what I want to do."

Jenna crossed her arms. "You've been 18 for a few hours and you're saying you want to move in with Damon? I could tell things were getting a little odd, but this? You said yourself how much of an ass he was!"

Elena bit her lip. "I was wrong. He seems like one, but Damon's not who we thought he was at all." There was a pause. "I love him."

Jenna's eyebrows shot up. "You love him! What about Stefan, Elena? Where does he stand in all of this? What does he think?"

Elena grimaced, closing her eyes for a beat. "Stefan left me. He went back with his ex and then skipped town. He won't come back."

Her aunt fell silent. For a moment, they both just looked at each other. The only noise in the room was the whirring air conditioning and the sound of Elena's birthday balloons bouncing along the ceiling.

"I'm sorry, Elena. I didn't realize." Jenna's tone softened a little.

"It doesn't matter. Damon was there for me. He and I…we have something. More than I ever had with Stefan. And I know he won't hurt me."

"I'm still not too fond of this, Elena, but if it makes you happy…I can't stop you."

Elena rushed across the room and threw Jenna into a hug. "Thank you thank you thank you! I promise I'll be careful, you won't ever need to worry about me!"

"If you say so, kiddo. Just promise you'll stop by and see your old maid of an aunt every once in a while, will you?" Jenna chuckled humorlessly, hugging Elena back.

"Of course I will! I wouldn't forget you and Jer for the world. And you're so not an old maid."

"Thanks, baby. I love you."

"Love you too," Elena murmured into her aunt's hair.

…

Elena walked out of the hospital clinging to Damon's arm. As soon as her feet hit the pavement outside, she tilted her head back and laughed, breathing in the fresh air and letting the sunlight permeate her skin. Damon glanced at her and smiled, thinking back to a bittersweet memory of when Elena had done the same thing, riding in his convertible and enjoying a carefree moment with him while Stefan was chained up in the cellar.

"God, I missed this." She dropped her duffel bag, spinning once and kissing Damon on the cheek, her eyes dancing.

Damon raised his eyebrows. "Keep up the giddy and I wouldn't be surprised if you started skipping down the street and kissing strangers right now," he said dryly, actually enjoying how happy she was right now. He was tired of broodiness. He'd had enough from his brother to last him a lifetime.

Elena laughed again. "Why kiss a stranger when I have you?" She leaned in and kissed his jaw, and he felt her smiling against his skin. Jesus, she smelled good.

"You're sexy when you're in a good mood. I like it." Damon's eyes flashed in their trademark style. "Now stay here like a good little girl while I pull the car around." He patted her cheek with infuriating smugness and moseyed off toward the parking lot.

Elena beamed when she saw Damon drive up with the top down on his old blue camaro. Dumping her bag in the back, she climbed into the passenger seat. She took care to close the door carefully, giving Damon a pointed look.

"Thanks," Damon smirked at how she remembered what he'd said about respecting his car last time. He pulled out onto the street, cranking up the radio. Elena turned to look at him, her hair whipping out behind her as the car flew down the pavement.

"I love this song!"

Damon grinned at her for a moment. "So do I," he finally replied, turning it up even louder.

You sit there in your heartache

Waiting on some beautiful boy to

Save you from your own ways

You play forgiveness

Watch him now, here he comes

He doesn't look a thing like Jesus

But he talks like a gentleman

Like you imagined when you

Were young

Can we climb this mountain?

I don't know

Higher now than ever before I

Know we can make it if we take it slow

Let's take it easy, easy now, watch it go

We're burning down the highway skyline

On the back of a hurricane that started turning when you

Were young

When you were young

The soaring electric guitar cut loose, playing a euphoric solo that seemed to be written just for the afternoon sun that was setting before them. They drove continually toward the sinking star, yet never got any closer to it. Damon glanced over at Elena, only to find her staring at him with love burning in her eyes, her hair streaming behind her like fire. He would've called it déjà vu, but this time felt different. He could see the light at the end of the tunnel, and he knew that if he never reached it, it wouldn't matter, because Elena would still be there, never letting him go.

…

Elena stepped over the threshold of the boarding house, dropping her bag by the door. Damon closed it behind them, stepping near her into the light of the foyer. He spread an arm wide, the other hand resting against the small of her back.

"Welcome home," he whispered. Elena turned her face toward his, and saw the last rays of sunlight catch in his eyes, turning them the gorgeous iridescent blue that she loved more than anything. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her cheek against his chest. She was enveloped in his warm, intoxicating scent, and she let her eyes close. Damon's words resonated in her heart, and she had never felt such absolute truth. She was home, she was with Damon. There was no difference in the two statements. They were one and the same. Wherever Damon was, was her home, and she realized at that moment that her home was forever. It would never die. Elena knew, with absolute certainty, that she as well would be forever, always entwining her immortality with his. The revelation came as no shock to her, but instead felt as if that certainty had always resided deep inside her heart. Her soul warm and completely untroubled, she breathed in his scent and turned her chin upward, locking her eyes with the flickering blue of his.

"Happy to be here."

Finis

…

Just Once Preview

Here are a couple of tiny snippets from my upcoming story.

Elena thought back to what Damon had said about Stefan and Katherine when she had first met him: "It nearly destroyed him." Not nearly as much as it destroyed you, she thought morosely to herself, glancing out into the night in hope of seeing Damon's old blue chevy. She just hoped she could put him back together, before it was too late.

…

"Why did you come here? To me," Damon asked quietly, his eyes downcast to his empty shot glass. Elena cast a sorrowful glance in his direction.

"You just seemed like…a pretty lost person right now."

"Takes one to know one," Damon said as he looked up, his head tilted to the side and eyes squinted into a gaze muddled with pain and loss, regret and heartbreak. His broken eyes pierced through her heart, bothering her far more than the truth in his words.