Author's Notes: And here's the epilogue; thanks for reading!

Reality did not come crashing back down, rudely ejecting her from the warm intimacy of night and into the cold light of morning in one decisive blow. Instead, reality crept back in slowly, starting around the time she found herself sneaking into the bathroom in nothing but Damon's t-shirt to gulp water straight from the tap.

All the crying earlier followed by, well, all the sex, had left her incredibly dehydrated. Once the thirst issue had been addressed she looked up and caught her eyes in the mirror. She looked terrible, her hair a tangled mess, her face blotchy, her eyes bloodshot. She made a futile attempt to smooth down her hair but gave up with a weary laugh, turning back to her bedroom where she had left him sprawled shamelessly naked amidst tangled covers.

"Take that off," he ordered lazily. "It's going to start to smell all girly and... like you."

"Sorry." She collapsed onto the bed beside him. "You want it, you can -" she began, but he was already manoeuvring her, dragging the t-shirt up and off over limp arms and head to the sound of a few token protests.

He remained sitting up, recovered garment in his lap, while she found a pillow to bury her face in.

"Sun's coming up," he commented.

"Yeah."

Little by little, there it was, reality returning like the grey light of early morning stealing through the room.

"Don't," she mumbled, her hand curling round his arm, and he lay back down, his head claiming a space on her pillow, nose inches from her own. "Stay."

"And where would I be going?"

"You know where. To find Stefan and Katherine. I don't want that."

"What do you want?"

"I want sleep. And you - you should sleep, too. Don't lie there watching me, it's creepy. And don't leave. Promise."

"You talk like a girl very used to getting everything she wants."

"Not even close." She sighed heavily, her eyes closing. Sleep pulled at her.

"Me either."

She felt light fingertips tracing her face and she took his hand and held it tucked under her chin.

Her alarm woke her at seven-thirty as usual, and she blinked grainy eyes, unable to tell if he had slept as well, only that he was still there. Good enough, she thought, as she pushed herself up.

She scrounged for sweats and a tank top as he gathered his discarded clothes from the floor and dressed beside her.

"You know I'm gonna tell him," he said like a challenge when they reached her doorway.

"I will," she corrected him. "It should be me. I want to."

"Can I watch?"

She smacked his chest as she cracked open the door, then paused, looking back at him. "Can you hear anyone up?"

"You only want me for my vampire skills, is that it?"

She rolled her eyes. "Wait here."

She crept downstairs, on alert for any signs of life. She'd just reached the bottom of the stairs, about to hiss for Damon to come down so she could shove him out the front door, when Jeremy wandered in from the living room.

She froze for a second before schooling her reaction. "Jeremy, hi, I didn't know you'd be up so early. Uh, do you know if Jenna came home last night?"

"You mean, is she going to catch you sneaking Damon out of your bedroom?"

Elena stared at him, caught wide-eyed and red-handed.

"That's exactly what she means, Jer," Damon supplied, making his way down the stairs now that his cover was clearly blown, and just as clearly enjoying himself.

Seeing him, suspicions confirmed, Jeremy laughed shortly in disbelief. He shook his head at her. "Pretty sure Jenna's at Ric's. You are so lucky she isn't here to see this."

Just to be as difficult as possible, Damon draped himself over her shoulder as he spoke. "So let me get this straight, you're jonesing to tell Stefan all about it, and let's face it, the resulting explosion is going to be colossal, seriously I can't wait. Gonna be great. Meanwhile we'd better keep it a secret from sweet Aunt Jenna, or else you'll get in trouble?"

She ignored the needling about his brother. "Oh, it won't be me who gets in trouble, Damon. As if she didn't hate you enough already."

"Man, and I was just getting back in her good books."

"Uh, no you weren't," Jeremy said.

"Yeah, no," Elena agreed. "That really wasn't happening. Ever."

Damon shrugged. "Cool, I always did my best work as the asshole bad influence, anyway."

"Do you want some coffee? I could really use some coffee," she said, giving him a pointed look as she slid out from under his arm.

He pretended not to understand, smiling politely between her and her brother, finally rolling his eyes when she continued the look.

"Oh fine. Good luck explaining this one." He sauntered away towards the kitchen.

Reluctantly she turned her attention to Jeremy.

"I..." How was she supposed to explain this? "Jeremy."

"Seriously, Elena?"

"It just happened. No, that's not true, I... wanted it to. I don't... really know if there's any way for it to be okay, I just..." She spread her hands helplessly.

Jeremy shook his head. He didn't seem upset, just thoughtful, as he twisted the ring on his finger and finally slid it off, holding it up for her to see.

"You know, I keep thinking of ways to get you to take this ring instead of me. I know you won't, no matter what I try. And even with it on I know I can't protect you." He shrugged, and his head tilted towards the direction of the kitchen. "Think he can? 'Cause if so..."

"Jer..."

"He's still a dick."

"A dick who can hear every word you're saying!" Damon's voice called out to them.

Jeremy leant closer, face bordering on incredulous. "Seriously?" he said again.

All she could do was offer up a shrug. But Jeremy was more amused than anything, and she felt a knot of guilt begin to come loose in her chest, something she had been holding inside her for a long time now. Because this thing with Damon, whatever it was, it had not just happened overnight.

"Thank you," she said sincerely, knowing Jeremy would understand what she meant.

"Come on," he lead the way towards the kitchen, "Damon's going to make us breakfast."

"Now why would Damon do something like that?" Damon said as they entered. He was lounging by the sink with a mug in hand. "Isn't he kind of a dick?"

Her brother's eyes slid towards her. "I don't know, stranger things have happened, man."

"Tell me about it," she muttered, and then she and Jeremy took seats at the island while Damon moved to the refrigerator attempting to seem put out about the whole thing, though nobody was buying it.

Out on the porch, after breakfast, the two of them paused together. She wasn't quite ready to go back inside and prepare for school, he wasn't ready to go home and find out what had become of his brother.

But it was only a moment.

Unlike the last time she'd been out here, mere hours ago, she felt as if she could actually face the world again - her world, and what had become of it. And a lot of that, most of that, was due to the man standing next to her looking like he was considering kissing her goodbye but was worried it would be too weird. Which, he was probably right about that, but she wouldn't mind if he did it anyway.

"Well," she said, looking up into his waiting eyes, "I don't hate you."