Here's the last bit! Hope you enjoy it!

Chapter Ten

She could feel the sunlight on her face. It was warm. The memories came flooding back. She didn't want to open her eyes. She felt like spun glass, the sort of thing you didn't dare touch because you knew it would break if you did.

"Morning sleepyhead."

That voice. Her heart beat hard, twice. She had to be imagining it. Maybe should could hear it again if she just kept her eyes closed.

"Elena…I know you're awake. Hello, vampire hearing."

She knew she looked confused.

"Damon?"

He cocked that same half grin at her, but there was something a little softer than she remembered around his eyes.

"How?"

He shrugged. "Some witchy mojo from Emily apparently."

He held her necklace. "I went to the old estate this morning and found this. I've been having dreams about it for days… When I touched it, everything came back."

Her breath stopped. He waggled his brows at her. "Oh yeah, every…single…thing." She felt her breath catch in her chest, she reached for him, and then he was there with her, kissing her silly. Elena eventually had to come up for air.

"I'm completely lost.."

He rolled over on his stomach and grinned at her. "Ah…all is right with the world when I am the one dropping the information bombs on you." He kissed the tip of her nose.

"Damon!"

"All right, miss impatience. Where to begin." He rearranged them so she was lying with her head on his chest and he gave a little sigh of relief. "That's better. After you left, Katherine did basically what you said she was planning to do, with a couple of little twists. Emily spelled me and Stephan so that we would remember only Katherine and nothing about her sister…she merged the memories." He rolled his eyes. "Which of course meant that I spent 145 years searching for Katherine…and why her betrayal hurt so much."

Elena's brow creased. "What about me…and Stephan?" Damon frowned. "That all went down the way you remembered it. I have no clue what's going on there since I only regained my memories today…and I sure as hell didn't run to check on my brother first." He kissed her again. "But I can tell you that you are the bravest," he paused to kiss her slowly. "kindest." Another lingering kiss. "most aggravating woman I've ever known."

She closed her eyes. She was so glad he was here, but in a sick, twisted way, she was the cause of all that torment, everything she'd been trying to prevent. He ran a thumb across her lips. "I know that look. That's the patented 'Elena is feeling guilty for something that is not her fault' look." She couldn't smile…not yet. It was all so much to take in.

A voice they both knew very well intruded. "Well, I can probably fill in some of the blanks." An incredibly smug-looking Katherine sauntered into the room.

Damon moved slightly in front of Elena. Katherine chuckled. "Don't be silly Damon. I've gone to a lot of trouble to protect her all these years."

"Don't lie Katherine."

She huffed and rolled her eyes. "Who got Emily to send her back? Who told you that Elena was the doppelganger? Who warned you to protect her? It was all my plan…and my plans, unlike other people's plans, have a marked tendency to work. I used every hint Elena gave me about the future, all of Emily's abilities, and I found a way that made everyone who needed to forget about her forget until the time was right, and the problem with Klaus was over. " She picked up the necklace for a moment. "In fact, you could say I'm the hero of this piece." Katherine gave them the same 'ol impish smile.

"I made sure Caroline was a vampire so she could snare the interest of everyone's favorite psychotic hybrid…Sorry Elena, I compelled Damon after you left, and I knew she was just his type… I imagine they're honeymooning in Paris…it's a good thing Klaus is wealthy, because I've never seen anyone shop like Caroline." She laughed lightly, and it still chilled Elena, just a bit. Katherine was still very, very dangerous.

Katherine just smirked. "Never mind keeping an eye on you and Stephan over the years…even putting off being with Stephan until after Elena took her little trip in time…I knew what I had to do as soon as I realized what she was." She pouted a little. "Ok, so I fell off the wagon once or twice…and I admit I was a little jealous when I actually saw Stefan with her…" She shrugged and excused herself from several terrible acts, including making Elena's Aunt stab herself. Typical Katherine.

"So all's well that ends well. Pearl was able to get out of town with Anna, you are so obviously with Damon." She smirked at them. "And I will retrieve Stefan." She grinned at them. "I never got to marry him you know, and he asked me ages ago. I'll get Carolyn to help with the wedding…Elena, you won't mind being a bridesmaid, right?" Elena choked back something that might have been a shocked laugh. Katherine was gone.

Damon rolled so that he had better access to her mouth. She stopped him for a second.

"Don't you think we should call Stephan and warn him?" Damon smiled down at her. "No…I think little brother is getting all his memories back. He's always insisted that everything he felt for Katherine was the result of compulsion. He's going to have to deal with everything that was real…"

She traced his face. "So your father…"

Damon shook his head. "No, Katherine changed that…" His eyes rolled. "George Lockwood shot both of us, then left our bodies at the quarry for Emily to find." He snorted. "Knowing George, he enjoyed that a bit more than he should have. Our father lived till his mid-nineties, and he had another family. Emily faked her death, and met up with her kids. They moved out west for a few generations, but by 1900 the Bennetts were back in town."

Elena smiled absently.

Damon licked her neck lovingly. Elena groaned a little and Damon shushed her. "Your Aunt is going to hear you…"

Elena's eyes widened. "Jenna?"

Damon cocked his head. "Do you have another Aunt?"

Elena shook her head, unwilling to go into the whole thing. "So let me get this straight. Klaus is gone."

Damon nodded.

"Did we lose anyone?"

Damon shook his head. "What do you mean?"

Elena sighed. "How's Jeremy?" Damon stroked her hair. "He's fine…everything is fine."

She melted into his arms and let herself believe that.

Suddenly he was on top of her. "I do have one bone to pick with you Miss Gilbert."

She dimpled. "Just one?"

She felt his body stir against hers. He ran a hand across her cheekbone as softly. "Just one for now…I'm sure I'll come up with more as I look at my memories. How could you Elena?"

The question was filled with anguish. She cupped his face. "How could I what?"

His eyes bored into hers. "How could you basically sacrifice your entire life? Did you want me to die in the 1800's so you wouldn't have to deal with me?"

Her eyes widened. "Damon! NO. I wanted to spare you years of pain and regret. I wanted you to have a human life and a family…all the opportunities that you have tried to give me over and over. I wanted you to be happy."

She willed him to see it. His face relaxed. "How could I be happy without you? Maybe if you had stayed in 1864 we could have had all those things..." His eyes closed for a moment as he fought off a deep regret. "But even if I had gotten every single other thing my heart ever desired, without you by my side to share it, it would have been hollow. "

She felt the tears welling up in her eyes and they traced paths down her cheek, where Damon caught them on his tongue. He kissed her with the salty taste of her tears on his lips, and she drank him in.

He propped himself up on his elbow and smirked. "Ok, I think I do have one other bone to pick with you."

She didn't trust that smile. That smile was her Damon…the sexy beast.

He raised an eyebrow. "Why did you choose that me to sleep with first?" His hands began roaming her body with purpose, and she gasped. "I have so many more tricks up my sleeve now."

Damon:

He remembered every place that made her body arch, every place that made her moan. Waking up with the knowledge had been emotionally exhausting, but oh so seductive. One day they might talk about everything, but for now, he focused on making her scream his name. When she bit him to keep her muffled cries under control, he couldn't help the self-satisfied smirk that plastered itself on his face. She was his…now and forever.

Elena:

Hours later, Elena looked into his eyes with something like wonder…she was ready for him now. She loved him more than anything in the world. She needed him. The whole package. If his love totally consumed her…well, what a way to go. After all, it was her heart at stake. She could do anything she wanted to with it.

Epilogue

One month later:

"I'm sorry…"

Damon kissed the back of her neck as she brushed her teeth. She'd just smelled the coffee this morning and everything had come up.

His face was softer now. "Elena, stop. There's no reason to be sorry…but I wish you'd figure out what's making you sick every morning."

His words triggered something in her mind…something she should have considered the first time this had happened. Her eyes met his in the mirror as they both put the pieces together.

Damon actually held on to the bathroom wall for support. Elena whispered "1864."

Damon's face was absolutely blank. Elena threw him a worried glance.

"I didn't expect you to be here when I came back…I didn't even think…it was just a week…"

Damon reached up and smoothed her hair. He looked at her with awe in his eyes. "Neither of us were thinking very clearly." He gave her an apologetic half-grin and pulled her close, but he held her like she was made of crystal.

She looked down at her stomach with a kind of awe. Then she looked at him, fire burning in her eyes. "I'm not sorry. I know this changes things…."

Damon laughed. He picked her up, spun her around in her little bathroom and kissed her. "It doesn't change anything Miss Elena." His eyes were alive with laughter. "I asked to marry me a hundred and fifty years ago, it's about time you said yes." He put his hands on her belly. "I can't believe this."

Elena looked at him solemnly. "What?"

Damon nuzzled her neck lovingly. "I can't believe that you are going to have my baby." He pulled her back enough to scowl at her. "And you ARE going to marry me."

Elena laughed and pulled him into a kiss. How could she deny him anything?

"Why yes Mister Salvatore, I think I will marry you." She kissed him lightly and he carried her back to the bed.

As he kissed her neck, a terrible thought occurred to Elena. "Damon?"

He was still focusing on her neck. "Hmmmm?"

"We don't have to make it a double wedding with Stephan and Katherine, do we?"

Damon stared at her for a millisecond and then broke down, laughing so hard that he rolled off her so he wouldn't hurt her. He laughed so hard that he had tears in his eyes when he was finally able to stop.

She brushed to moisture away, and he kissed her lips. "No Elena. Just you and me…forever."

I had a great time writing this…hope you had a good time reading it! I'm busy working on my next project…more Damon goodness because I have to wait till October for more TVD! BTW…I looooove reviews, they make my day!