AN: I was less than impressed with Damon's reaction to Stefan almost killing Elena, also Elena's lack of emotion. I know she's strong and I like that about her, but your ex-boyfriend who you were in love with almost killed you on the bridge where your parents (and almost you) died and 20 minutes later you're fine? Cmon. So of course I had to write my own version of events. Also did anyone else notice that Elena said she fell in love with vampires? Plural? Haha

Damon Salvatore had never driven so fast in his life.

In the one hundred plus years of his existence he had run towards (and occasionally from) many things. But never had he ever pushed his luxury sports car almost to its breaking point in order to get somewhere. Nothing could stop him; not Stefan, not Klaus and his hybrids, and certainly not the police should they try.

His grip tightened on the steering wheel when he thought of Stefan and he had to force himself to ease up, lest he have nothing left to steer the car with.

Right then and there he vowed to himself to never let Elena out of his sight ever again.

Elena Gilbert never cried.

She didn't cry when her parents died, because she had to be strong for Jeremy.

She didn't cry when Stefan left, because she didn't want to hurt Damon.

She didn't cry when Damon was dying, because she didn't want that to be his last image of her.

She didn't cry when Jenna died, because she had to be strong for Jeremy and Alaric.

But what did it matter anymore? Despite all of her best intentions and efforts everything had gone to hell anyways. Jeremy had almost died and was now living on the other side of the country, Stefan was an unrecognizable monster, and she knew, even though she had been denying it, that she had hurt Damon regardless.

So it was there on the very bridge that she had almost died twice, that Elena let herself come first for the first time in a very long time, and finally let the tears fall.

He screeched to an abrupt stop when he saw Elena standing on the bridge looking down into the water below. He could only imagine what she must be thinking. God, couldn't Stefan have picked anywhere else to make his stupid fucking point? He knew the significance of this bridge for her.

Maybe he was wrong to think Stefan still gave a shit about Elena. He thought he would feel happiness at this knowledge, but seeing how broken she looked standing there all he felt was anger towards Stefan for being such an asshole.

Hearing his approach Elena looked up and he was shocked to see tears running freely down her face. It took a lotto make Elena cry. It appeared that Stefan had finally pushed her to that breaking point.

"I'm gonna kill him. I swear I'm gonna fucking kill him." he growled. He clenched his fists, readying for a fight on the off chance that Stefan had been stupid enough to stick around.

Elena didn't reply, only stepped closer to him, and shocking him again she threw her arms around him and buried her head in the crook of his neck. The shock of having Elena throw herself into his arms overthrew his anger and all he could think about was her. It took him a second to recover before he was wrapping his arms around her. He stroked her hair and cooed words of comfort into her ear softly.

Damon Salvatore did not coo. Ever. He would go under oath and deny that any such thing had happened on this night.

"Come on Elena, let's get you home." He cursed himself as soon as the words were out. Going home meant getting in the car, and getting in the car meant letting Elena out of his arms, and he was infinitely sure he wasn't ready to do that just yet. But before he could take his words back she was pulling away.

"Yeah, I'm so exhausted."

Near death experiences could do that to you.

"How could he?" she whispered, once they were hurtling back towards her house.

It broke his heart to hear her sound so...defeated. He wanted to reach out and comfort her, but he didn't want to overstep his carefully cultivated, self imposed boundaries.

"I'm sorry, Elena,"

Apologies and cooing all in one night. This was getting embarrassing. He was slowly but surely losing his bad ass rep and it had everything to do with the beautiful brunette sitting next to him.

"Do you want me to stake him for you?"

He was only half joking at this point. His anger towards Stefan at the moment was overwhelming, but Stefan had always been there for him when it was Damon flipping the switch on his humanity. And he knew that Elena would never forgive him for hurting Stefan, no matter what he had done to her.

She laughed weakly through her tears. "I don't think that will be necessary."

They arrived at Elena's front door not five minutes later. Damon walked her to the door and cleared his throat somewhat nervously, remembering what had happened the last time they had been standing on this porch together.

"Damon," she began, drawing a deep breath in after she spoke his name. "Thank you for coming to get me." He wanted to interrupt and tell her she didn't have to thank him for that; he wanted to. He needed to know she was alright. "I honestly don't know what I would do without you. I know I act like I can handle anything, and most days I believe it, but it's just good to know that you'll always be there on the days that I'm not so sure."

He sucked in a breath, and immediately committed her words to memory. He would play them back in his mind again when he was feeling especially lonely. Another thing that he would vehemently deny under oath.

"I will always be there, Elena, I promise you that."

"You don't know much that means to me." She swayed on her feet and closed her eyes tightly. "I should go, I feel like I'm going to fall over any second."

"Can I come in?" he asked without thinking.

Her eyes flew open. "Damon...I'm drunk, I'm tired, and I'm emotionally exhausted. I really just want to sleep. We can talk tomorrow."

"No," he said slowly. "I don't want to talk."

She gave him an exasperated look. "Damon...please, I can't do this right now."

He shook his head at his own stupidity and failure to properly explain himself. "No, not like that. I won't try anything, I swear. I just need to know that you're safe, for tonight at least. Please?" he added softly.

She seemed to be considering it for a moment before she opened the door and gestured for him to follow her. They made their way to Elena's room and he closed the door quietly behind him.

Elena went into the bathroom carrying her pajamas and Damon settled into the armchair across from her bed. Elena emerged from the bathroom a few minutes later and glanced over at him curiously.

"What are you doing?"

He shrugged, not really sure what she meant.

"I'm not going to make you sit on the chair the whole night. Besides I won't be able to sleep with you watching me."

He hesitated for a moment, wondering if she was saying what he thought she was saying. She patted the bed next to her, erasing any doubt from his mind. He shrugged his leather jacket off and walked over to her bed. He crawled in next to her and for the third time that night his mouth fell open in shock, and Damon Salvatore was not easily surprised. Elena had turned facing away from him and before he could protest she pushed herself closer to him so that he was effectively spooning her.

Slowly he brought his arm around her midsection and did an internal victory dance when she didn't protest. She craned her neck behind her to look him in the eyes.

"Goodnight, Damon,"

"Goodnight, Elena," he breathed out.

She didn't turn back around right away, instead staring into his piercing eyes. Her lips were only inches away from his; he only had so much willpower. He was just about to close the distance between them when her head spun back around. He sighed at her rejection.

"Sorry, I know I said I wouldn't. I just couldn't help it."

She placed her cold hands on his arm and pushed it off of her, and moved away from him. Great, now she wasn't even going to let him touch her. Way to go, you idiot, he cursed himself. She rolled over to face him.

"I don't want to kiss you tonight." Well that much was clear, he thought, his expression dark. "Not tonight when all I can think about is Stefan, and the bridge, and my parents, and Jeremy, and Klaus. My mind is too full. When I kiss you again I want to be thinking of nothing and nobody but you."

Did Elena just say she wanted to kiss him again? Those words would definitely be saved in his mind to be played over and over again at will.

"I think I can handle that. Now come back here," He smirked, arms outstretched. "I double promise I won't try anything again. I just need to hold you in my arms so I know without a doubt that you're safe."

She smiled and turned back around and shuffled closer to him. Within minutes he heard the change in her breathing signifying that she was sleeping. He pressed a soft kiss on the top of her head and whispered into her hair,

"I love you,"