Damon's POV

Elena still hadn't turned on her emotions.

She left town a few months ago. I stayed until recently. I was in New York again. Stefan disappeared after we couldn't help Elena. It was night and I was hungry. I saw the perfect girl and followed her. When we were alone I ran in front of her.

"You aren't going to scream," I compelled her before biting her neck.

"Damon." I froze and pulled back.

"Which one are you? You're both evil bitches now."

"Elena," she said, shrugging. "Gonna share?" she asked.

"Go home and forget about this," I told the girl.

"That wasn't nice," she pointed out.

"I'm not a very nice person, Elena."

"We both know you are. Unless you turn it off. Why don't you turn it of,f Damon? We could travel the world together."

I thought about it. I couldn't really turn it off anymore. I have been trying for months. I could pretend to for her. Elena. I loved her more than anything. I could be with her forever.

It's not her anymore, Damon. Your Elena died on the bridge that night.

No, she died when you told her to turn it off. It's your fault.

It was my fault. It was my job to fix it, but there was no way to fix it. Stefan realized that long before I did. It'd only make things worse being with her. I couldn't let her do what she wanted. It would kill me to see her like this. This girl wasn't the girl I fell in love with. She just looked like her.

"I don't think that's a good idea, Elena. I've been trying to turn it off for months. It doesn't work anymore. It probably won't work forever on you. Enjoy it while you can," I told her before walking away.

Ten Years Later

I was at Stefan house in Italy. He had somehow managed to get in the place our father and his family before them. Stefan had refurnished it and modernized it. He was dating Rebekah. I was honestly shocked at this, but they both seemed happy. Rebekah wanted to stay in Mystic Falls, so they only stayed in Italy for the summer.

"Are you doing okay, Damon?" Stefan asked me. We were walking in the vineyard outside.

"I'm fine, Stefan. You?"

"I'm the best I've ever been. I can also tell you're lying. You can tell me anything. We're brothers."

"I know, Stefan. There's no point to tell you though, baby bro. You already know what's wrong. I'm honestly happy that you're happy," I said, patting his back.

"Rebekah wants us to go to some club tonight. She kinda already got you a date."

"I hate your girlfriend sometimes. When are you guys gonna get hitched?"

"I told you, we're taking things slow. We have forever. And I hate you sometimes as well, Damon," Rebekah said, walking up.

Stefan wrapped an arm around her waist. I was happy for him, for them. They both deserved happiness. I just couldn't help but want the same.

"Stefan told you about tonight?"

"Yes. I'm not going." I grinned.

"Wait till you see your date at least." I rolled my eyes.

"Well, where is she?"

"Inside."

I headed inside. Well, Rebekah was right about waiting. I walked up to her and grabbed her hand before kissing it. She had a look of amusement in her eyes. She had black hair that ended in curls and bright blue eyes.

"Damon, this is Ariana. She's our friend from California. She is visiting us for awhile," Stefan told me.

"Hello, Ariana."

"Hello, Damon."

"Is she a..." I asked, trailing off.

"Am I a vampire? Yes, I am."

"That's good to hear," I said, smirking.

"I should be a match-maker." I heard Rebekah say.

*******

I was sitting on the beach behind the club. I wasn't as into it as I was when I got here.

"Damon? Why are you out here?" Ariana asked.

"Bored."

"We could go back to the house."

I looked at her with a grin. She had the same one

"Sounds perfect." We started walking back to the house. When I heard crying.

"Do you hear that?" Ariana asked me. I nodded. We followed it.

There was someone crying in an alley.

"You okay back there?" I asked.

"Damon?" they asked back.

"Elena?"

They stood up barely. I grabbed them before they could fall.

"Elena," I whispered.

"Damon. It wore off. You were right. It hurts, Damon."

"Ariana. Go get Stefan."

I picked Elena up.

"It's okay, Elena. I'm here."

"Damon? Elena?" Stefan asked.

"Elena? What the hell is she doing here?" Rebekah asked.

"She turned it back on. I don't think she meant to," I told them.

"Come on. We'll take her back to the house." Stefan said, grabbing Rebekah's hand. We took off running. I felt bad that Ariana had no idea what was going on, but Elena came first.

"Put her in this room." Stefan showed me.

I set her down, but she wouldn't let me go.

"Please don't leave me."

"I won't," I promised. Rebekah came back with a bag of blood.

"No! Get it away!" Elena yelled.

"It's animal blood, Elena!" Stefan told her.

"I don't care! I don't want any more blood!"

"Elena, you looked like you need some. How long has it been since you fed?" I asked.

"Not long enough. I don't want it."

"You're still a vampire. You have to drink to survive. You may not want to live, but if I don't leave you, you can't leave me."

She nodded after a while and took it from Rebekah. After she finished, she started crying.

"Elena. I know the guilt, I know it hurts. You can't change the past, but you can change the future. You don't have to feed off humans anymore," Stefan told her before leaving with Rebekah.

I stayed with her until she fell asleep. She told me everything she remembered. Every kill, everything. I told her I'd help her through this.

I was standing outside, trying to clear my head. It was still dark out.

"Damon? You left," I heard her say before walking up beside me.

"You were asleep."

"Thank you. For everything. I'm sorry."

"It's okay, Elena. Your emotions were off."

"You're the reason they came back on. I saw this couple arguing. Then he said something that made her laugh. She kissed him and they were fine. I thought of us. The memories wouldn't stay out of my head. One day I just felt something. I missed you, that was my first feeling. Then I missed everyone else. I missed me. Then I felt I loved you. I do. I love you. I never thought I'd see you again. I figured you had met someone else, someone better."

"I never stopped loving you, Elena. There's no one better than you for me. I'll help you through this. I won't leave this time. No matter how much you want me to."

She laughed before pressing her lips to mine.