DELENA POST-5X22: IT'S REAL

Chapter 1: Come Home

"Please, please come back Damon, I need you," Elena's sobbing was painfully audible throughout the boarding house, "I need you, Damon."

She had been repeating these words all night, and her friends didn't know how to pacify her. She was inconsolable. Caroline, Stefan, Bonnie, Matt, and Jeremy were huddled around the fireplace in the Salvatore living room, their eyes red from crying. Losing Damon hadn't been easy for anyone. After finding out that Elena had been taking witchy drugs to hallucinate Damon as a coping mechanism, Caroline immediately told her friends. They practically had to force Elena to give them up because they were making her dangerously thirsty.

Elena wasn't coping well without them. Her constant pleading for Damon was heard every night, and Jeremy especially couldn't bear to hear his sister in such distress.

"We have to give those drugs back to her," Jeremy stated solemnly as he was met with bewildered eyes.

"Jer, you know how dangerous she became while she was under the influence of god knows what Luke gave her," Bonnie replied, touching his shoulder comfortingly.

"But she was happy, she could be with him. I can't listen to this anymore guys, my sister..." Jeremy stuttered as tears poured down his face, "I'll keep an eye on her, but I'm giving her these drugs back." He got up and was about to ascend the stairs, when Stefan stopped him.

"Jeremy, she can't take these drugs forever, you know that right?" Stefan was on the verge of breaking as well, but he tried to be the voice of reason without letting his own emotions get in the way.

Just then they heard a loud crashing noise, "It's not fair! I was supposed to die with you, Damon! How could you do this to me...how could you, Damon!" Elena screamed as she threw Damon's lamp at the bedroom wall before her knees buckled and she fell to the floor in more tears. Her friends downstairs could hear her whisper while weeping, "You promised you wouldn't leave me. You promised!"

Jeremy threw Stefan a heart-wrenching look and said, "It'll buy us more time to get him back...we can't give up, Stefan."

Stefan simply nodded and moved out of Jeremy's way. He knew as well as the others that Elena wasn't going to be able to live without Damon. That was the truth, and frankly, he wasn't sure if he could get over the fact that his brother - his only family - was gone.

Jeremy knocked on Damon's bedroom door, but no one answered. He pushed it open a crack to see that Elena had passed out on the floor from sheer exhaustion. Grieving the love of her life was draining every ounce of her energy - vampire or not, she couldn't fight the fatigue. Jeremy gently woke his sister up, his face full of sadness as he took in her puffy, tired eyes.

"Drink this, Elena. We're going to keep an eye on you so you don't do anything reckless, alright? You need to see him, and we're going to keep looking for a way to get him back for good, okay?" Jeremy reassured his sister, whose eyes were filled with a mix of relief and confusion.

"Thank you, Jer. I - I don't think I can live forever without him. If you can't bring him back...I don't think..."

"Stop it, Elena. We'll get him back, just drink it," Jeremy couldn't listen to his sister's heartbreaking words. Her implied confession that she would rather die than live an eternity without Damon was too painful for him to hear, but he forced a small smile, "Everything will be alright soon."

Elena nodded, gulping down Luke's witchy drugs. After she had finished consuming it, her face instantly lit up.

"Damon!" she cried happily as she bounded over to the bed, "I'm not crying anymore, Damon. I missed you so much."

Jeremy smiled sadly as he watched Elena snuggle close to a pillow, but he knew that all she saw was Damon. He knew that he had to bring Damon back, and he was going to need everyone's help.

"I know, Damon. I know you'll always be with me. I love you," Elena turned into the pillow, presumably giving Damon a kiss Jeremy thought. He shut the door quietly and returned downstairs.

"We have to get him back," Jeremy stated with determination, seeking support from his friends.

"How, Jer? We've looked at all our options and have come up with nothing," Matt responded, frustrated and upset that his long-time friend and ex was so distraught and that he could do nothing about it.

"I just witnessed my sister's face light up at the sight of a fucking pillow, Matt! I can't do this anymore - she needs him. And wherever he is, I'm sure he's missing her just as much, if not more. And I goddamn know you miss your brother, Stefan. We have to try harder!"

Jeremy had everyone's attention now. Bonnie hugged him and whispered reassuring words to him. Elena's laughter from upstairs broke the silence, "Damon! I shared my day, now you have to share yours. Stop being so stubborn!"

Everyone was smiling slightly as they listened to Elena, and Stefan joked, "Damon was always stubborn when it came to Elena." Caroline laughed at that and added, "And Elena's always been stubborn when it comes to Damon." Even Jeremy was smiling now.

"We should all get some sleep," Jeremy said, getting into his sleeping bag, "Tomorrow we need to come up with a plan."

Everyone agreed as they climbed into their sleeping bags which they had sprawled out on the living room floor. They needed each other during this difficult time. For now, though, sleep was a good idea. Tomorrow would be very busy.