Silence. It filled the entirety of the Salvatore crypt, making so you could hear the wind outside, and water fall from the old roof. It was like a dream, a dream she'd had over and over again, in those first few months of his death. Only this time, she was wide awake, she wasn't going suddenly wake up.

It was him that broke the overwhelming silence "So what? Gone a couple of months, you two think it's okay to waste a perfectly good bottle of bourbon?" Titling his head back, he took a swig from the bottle, before looking back at them.

"Damon?" Stefan says his name in a soft whisper, while Amelia remained silent and frozen.

"Yep" He answers, popping the p, smiling a little "In the flesh"

"How are we seeing you right now?" The youngest brother asks slowly, unable to to believe what was right in front of him.

Damon took a few steps toward them "Because I'm not dead, guys" He tells them gently, shaking the bourbon bottle "I mean, this stuff's good, but it's not 'I see dead people' good" He jokes "It's a hell of a long story, guys, but... I'm back. I'm back"

His expression turns from joking to serious, now stood right in front of his little brother, who has eyes rimmed with tears. Slowly, Stefan reaches out a hand, and places it on Damon's shoulder. It was like they expected him to disappear. One touch and he'd be gone, and they would realize they'd imagined it all. The bourbon had truly gone to their head.
But, he remained stood their, the corner of his lips slowly turning up into his infamous smile.

With that, Stefan doesn't wait any longer, embracing his brother into a tight hug. He holds Damon tight, the tears finally spilling down his cheeks, as Damon hugs him back just as tightly. "I'm back, Stefan" He assures, his head rested on his brothers shoulder.

When they pulled apart, Amelia watched as both of their eyes fell on hers, Damon's ones staring at her intensely. She opened her mouth, but the words wouldn't come out, only letting out shaky breaths. Their eyes locked on one another, a look of longing on Damon's face.

"Amelia..."

While in the Prison world, he'd imagined this moment on repeat, especially when he found out coming home was possible. He'd thought about holding her again, hugging her, kissing her. Feeling her breath against his skin. Within seconds, it was like this dream was shattered, and he no idea why. As he went to walk toward her, she sped out of the crypt at vampire speed, with tears spilling from her eyes.

****

She didn't know why she ran away, it had just happened. Damon coming back, it was all she had wanted for months. Then, in the moment she'd waiting for, she froze then ran. It was like she was scared, yet she didn't know why. All she did know was, until she figured out why, she was going to avoid him like the plague.

She ended up with Caroline, Matt and Alaric, who all had given up questioning her on why she ran, and instead had began to focus on Enzo. Apparently, Enzo had been locked up with Tripp since the swim hole party, and Matt was only now informing them of this.

"Why didn't you tell us Enzo had been locked up this whole time?" Caroline asked, a baffled tone to her voice, as she looked at Matt with folded arms.

"Honestly?" The Donovan boy began "I didn't know anyone was missing him"

"Matt!" The two female vampires snapped, scolding him.

"I'm sorry" He apologized, putting his hands in the air innocently "I was confused about which vampires we like and which ones we don't"

Amelia pinched the bridge of her nose, shaking her head "Great. That's just great. Good job, Matt" She praised mockingly, sarcasm dripping in her tone.

"Okay" Caroline began, trying to keep calm and rational "Well, what about Ivy? Is she there, too?"

The Donovan boy shook his head "Tripp drove her and two others across the border last night"

Alaric leaned forward, as Caroline took a seat, trying to process everything. Amelia leaned back against the wall, pulling out her buzzing phone, and hitting reject call for the millionth time since she fled the Salvatore crypt. She knew who it would be, and she wasn't ready to answer that call yet.

"Well do you know where Tripp is now?" Alaric asked hopefully.

"He's running down another lead but he didn't tell me where" Matt told them.

"Well, find out where if you can" Amelia ordered, pushing herself off of the wall "We need to find out who his next targets will be"

Matt nodded, then realized something "If Enzo talks, it will be you guys"

"Well that's not gonna happen" Caroline scoffed, now wearing a determined look "Because we're busting him out, right, and if for no other reason than so I can kick his ass for getting caught in the first place"

The Evans girl raised a brow at her "Priorities, Caroline. We can scold him, after we've taken down Tripp"

"You have any ideas how Tripp managed to get his hands on him?"

As Alaric asked this, the office door opened, and Stefan walked in wearing a guilty look. Instantly, Amelia knew what was about to be said, and shot dagger glares at him. Not wanting to hear it, Amelia stormed out, elbowing Stefan harshly in the ribs as she went.

****

In the girls Dorm, Amelia slipped on a jacket, quickly texting Caroline that she would come meet her. She planned to help find Enzo, and end this vampire hunter threat, so they could all breath a little easier. Seeing the box on the bed, she opened the box filled with Damon's things, and went to slip on his jacket.

It was like instinct. It made her feel comforted, like the way having his arms wrapped around her did. Closing her eyes, she took a deep breath as she felt tears build, and quickly slipped off and put it back in the box. Grabbing her own jacket, there was knock on the door as she went to leave.

"Who is it?" She called, her hand about to twist the door handle to answer it.

"It's me" His voice sent a chill through her, stopping her opening the door.

She's missed it so much. Yet, once again she'd lost the ability to speak. She had the words in her head, she just couldn't say them aloud. There was so much she wanted to say. So much she wanted to tell him.

"Amelia, I just want to talk" His tone is a pleading one, making guilt run through her "Please, just let me inside. I need to see you"

Gulping, she leans her head against the wooden door, placing her hand on it flat. In the hallway, Damon leaned against it also, placing his hand in the same place on his side. He just wanted the door to disappear. He needed to see her. It was all he had wanted for four months.

"Oh, you're breathing" He says suddenly, making her step back in confusion "You have no idea how long I've wanted to hear you breathe" she could hear the genuine sadness and relief in his voice, making guilt rack up even more "Just... please, open the door, Amelia. And everything can go back to normal. To the way it was"

Leaning her back to the door, she slid down it, so she was sat on the floor. Tears were leaving her eyes, as she realized why she'd ran before. Why, despite how much she wanted to, she couldn't let him in.

"I-I... I can't" She sniffles out, finally able to speak, her voice cracking "I really want to, but I can't. If I let you in, I have to let in the possibility I could lose you again. I can't do that, Damon. Not again. Not ever again. These past four months have been hell"

Hearing this, his face falls "Amelia... please open the door. Or step back, because I'm going to kick this door down" He hesitates before speaking again "I promise you, I won't leave you again. I know I promised I'd come back to you and I'm sorry. Just let me in, I won't leave. I'll make sure of it"

Taking a deep breath, she got to her feet, and gripped the handle with her hand. Closing her eyes, she undid the lock, and opened it a small way. As he went to walk inside, she sped to window and jumped out of it, leaving it open behind her.

Seeing the open window, Damon sighed, looking around the empty dorm with a look of disappointment.

****

In a perfect world, her feelings wouldn't be as mixed as they are. In a perfect world, the second he appeared in that crypt, she would of ran into his arms and refused to let go of him. But, her world was the opposite of perfect. She had let fear rule her heart, rule the way she acted, and know it was coming back to haunt her.

After she left the dorm, Tripp had managed to capture Damon, and was planning to drive him and Enzo across the border. So, she, Stefan and Alaric were just outside the border, preparing the plan they had all set. They were going to save Damon and Enzo, then, she was going to stop letting fear control her.

The car parked, they opened the hood of the car, and Stefan started to take apart the engine. It needed to look like they had broken down.

"You don't have to take apart the whole engine" Alaric said, watching the youngest Salvatore carefully "We just need to lure Tripp in so we can grab him" But, Stefan ignored him, getting more forceful as he tore the engine apart "You know, it's not your fault"

"Pretty much is" Stefan muttered in reply, not looking up.

"Look. You're not the only one who gave up. You know every second for the past four months all I could think about was when I was gonna get my next sip of blood, when am I going to screw up and hurt somebody, why did I come back to life just to be this thing" Alaric begins to tell him, occasionally glancing over at Amelia, who was pacing next to the border "That I used to hunt vampires and I suddenly was one. Searching for Damon was the only thing that could take my mind off it, but I was basically going through the motions as a distraction because, honestly, I'd give up too"

Finally, he gives up taking apart the engine, nodding at Ric's words thoughtfully. Then he laid eyes on Amy, who was throwing stones over the border angrily, all the anger and frustration that had built dying to come out.

"That's not gonna help" He told her, making her stop and glare at him.

"Okay, maybe this will" She said, taking a stone and throwing it at him, bouncing it off his chest "Nope, nothing. So, unless you want me to aim the next one at your head, I'd leave me alone"

He ignored her, walking over and grabbing hands, forcing her to look at him "We will get him back"

"What if we don't?" She fired back, tears welling up in her eyes "Cause, I won't be able to live with myself if he dies again, and I just spent all this time avoiding him. I let fear control me, knowing if I let him back in, there would be a chance I'd lose him again. Now look what's happened"

Stefan grabbed her chin, making her look him in the eyes "We will get him back, okay? Then, you can do what you've been afraid of. Trust me, he's not going to be mad or push you away. He wants you more then anything, Amelia"

Headlights approaching interrupts them, and Stefan recognizes Tripp in the approaching van. Quickly, Amelia speeds and hides in the trees, her part of the plan set in her mind. Alaric distracts and grabs Tripp, with Stefan's help, while she gets Damon and Enzo free. From her position, she carefully listens as Ric approaches Tripp's van.

"Evening" Ric greets politely, as Tripp rolls down the window "I tried to get my buddy to a bachelor party and our car just stopped. You think you can help us out?" As he spoke, he sent a discreet nod in Amelia's direction, setting her in motion.

Swiftly, she sped over to the van, making sure not to get seen. Grabbing the handle, she uses her strength to break the lock on it, and quietly pulls the door open. As it opens, Enzo and Damon's heads snap up, looking at her in surprise.

"Hello gorgeous" Enzo smirked, as she stepped inside looking at their chains, thinking of the best way to free them.

She rolled her eyes, sending him a narrowed look "Shut up" She hissed, putting a finger to her lips.

She then turned, locking eyes with Damon, sending him a small smile. It was enough to put a grin on his face, despite the current situation. Bending down, she grabbing holding on the chains hook, and began to pull at it to break it. That was when everything went wrong. The car began to move quickly, sending Amelia flying forward, smashing into the back wall of the van.

She landed on the floor with a groan, quickly grabbing hold of something, as the van began crash and flip. When they finally stop moving, one by one, the three vampires felt it. Damon's shirt began to soak in blood, Enzo turned pale and sickly, and blood poured from Amelia's neck. They'd been drove across the border, meaning, the magic was beginning to get stripped away.

"Ugh, I came back for this" Damon grounds out, pain in his tone, as Amelia crawls toward them weakly.

"Consumption" Enzo says, noticing Damon looking at his sick appearance "wasn't much fun the first time around either"

One hand over her neck, Amelia made it over to them, just as Stefan appeared with a crowbar. Like Damon, he had blood soaking his shirt, both of them suffering from the gunshot wounds that made them vampires. Letting go of her neck, Amelia began to break Damon's chains with the last of her strength, as Stefan used the crowbar to free Enzo.

"You are not dying on me again" Amelia muttered weakly, wrapping a arm around Damon's shoulder when the chain's broke, pulling him out of the smoking van.

Damon let laugh, groaning a little "I was beginning to think you didn't care anymore"

Working together, the four vampires began to head toward the border, panting as they made their way away from the van. They pull one another long, each of them trying to ignore the pain of their wounds, falling to the ground as they finally cross back over the border. Instantly, they feel themselves beginning to heel, panting in relief.

Amelia pushes herself up, looking over at Damon, who's on his knees on the ground. Walking over, she takes his hand and squeezes it, as they watch Alaric and Jo. They were still across the border, Jo attending to Alaric's wounds, not able to get him back over the border in case he died.
Damon squeezed her hand back, fearful as they heard Jo begin to panic, Alaric slipping out of consciousness. Suddenly, his head snaps up with a gasp, making relief flow through them all. He was alive, he was going to make it, even if he wasn't a vampire anymore.

****

She stood inside the crypt, pacing back and forth nervously, waiting. After the accident, Jo had gotten Alaric to the hospital, where he was now being tended to. He was going to be okay, and human again, which no one thought would be possible.

"I thought I'd have to come find you" Damon comments, as he walks inside.

She looked at him, smiling, putting her hand out as he walked toward her.

"Wait, I need to say something first" She said, taking a deep breath "I didn't react well earlier, when you came back. I was confused, as all I wanted for the past four months, was to have you back again. Then, I realized why, and I felt so stupid. Because my fear nearly came true, and because of Tripp, I nearly lost you again tonight. I didn't want to believe you were back, because if I let you back in and you died again, I wouldn't be able to cope"

As she spoke, silent tears feel "I don't want to lose you again. So, I need you to promise me, you aren't going anywhere"

He didn't say a word, and instead strode forward, and cupped her face in his hands. She took in a sharp breath,as his lips collided with hers, being caught off guard. Like all those months ago, the same passion and spark ran through them, the overwhelming emotion inside taking over them.
When the pulled apart, Damon wiped away her tears with the pad of his thumb, looking her straight in the eye "I promise, I'll never leave you again"

Not needing to hear more, she clung onto him tightly, burying her head into his shoulder. Placing her hand on her hips, she lifted her off the ground, spinning her around in joy. She squealed through the tears, unable to stop herself laughing.

"I've got you" He whispered soothingly, holding her even closer to him, never wanting to let go "I've got you, baby. I'm back. I'm back, and I'm not going anywhere" As he spoke, he took in the scent of her hair, having missed the strong scent of her shampoo.

He'd missed everything about her, and having her in his arms once again, was all that he could ever ask for.

I hope this was good. I dragged out their reunion, I admit. I just wanted it to be realistic, and I wrote it three times, till I finally got a version I was happy with. Amelia wanted Damon back, but refused to reunite with him, because that meant he was in her life again. Which meant, she'd have a chance of him leaving again.

She didn't want to risk going through that pain once again, if that makes sense. In the end, it was this fear nearly coming true, that helped her get over it.

But, anyway... DAMELIA IS BACK!

I hope you all enjoyed, I'll update again soon :)

(I know I used a Delena gif, but just pretend it's Amelia)