A Bridge Too Far

Guilt

Damon really didn't want to leave Elena but she needed him to go back to the party to warn Elijah.

"The welcome toast would have happened by now, it can wait until tomorrow," he argued.

"Please, Damon, go," she says, "Really, I'm all right. I'm sorry I invited Finn in, but when I didn't let him in my house and he couldn't get into the Boarding House either he started getting frustrated and angry and-"

"Hey, it doesn't matter," Damon says brushing her hair away and lingering one of his hands against her cheek... whether to soothe her or himself he couldn't tell you.

"You did what you had to to keep yourself safe, that's what's important," he tells her.

Elena nods covering the hand against her cheek with one of hers, savoring for a moment the comfort Damon is offering. 

"I know they've all done horrible things but I can't be responsible for killing them all Damon," she explains, "I don't want that on my conscious."

"I know, and it won't be, okay? This is on Esther not you, I'll get the note to Elijah, I promise," he tells her taking the note and agreeing to leave.

"Thank you," she says still not letting go of his hand just yet lingering a bit longer under his touch.

Damon can't help but lean closer to her and linger in the moment himself.

He sees her eyes drift down to his lips no doubt remembering their last kiss but then she must have second thoughts again and steps back.

They really needed to finish the conversation they started earlier tonight but now wasn't the right time.

"I'll text you when it's done," he says before zooming away and heading back to the Ball.

Upon walking back into the Mansion Stefan was the first to go over to him.

"She's not here, Damon," he says sounding panicked having searched every room.

"I know, I found her, she's alright, Finn Mikaelson has an invite to our house tho," he says and Stefan starts to calm down.

"You seen Elijah anywhere?" he asks.

"Behind you," Elijah says coming over having also seen Damon arrive back.

"Did I hear correctly, Ms. Gilbert is home safe now?" he asks.

"Yeah but she wanted me to pass this along," he says handing Elijah the note Elena wrote earlier.

- Elijah, I'm sorry your mother took my blood against my will and used it to link you all during the champagne toast. Finn is working with her, they want to undo her crime of creating vampires, she's after all of you.

"I see," he says after reading, he can't say he's surprised but that doesn't make the revelation his mother is after him hurt any less.

"I think you both should leave, the party is definitely about to come to an end... wouldn't want to be caught in the crossfire," Elijah warns.

Damon nods and he and Stefan round-up Caroline and Matt, who somehow broke his hand during the festivities, and quickly make their exit.

Rebekah is the first one Elijah seeks out to share Elena's message with, knowing Klaus will react too volitively.

He finds her in her room, she was sulking a bit, apparently, there was drama earlier he missed with Kol and Matt and now the young human had rejected her... seems if it wasn't Klaus standing in the way of her love life Kol was more than happy to fill that role.

"What is it, Elijah, it's been a long night," she says as she senses him enter her room.

"I'm afraid we have a problem," he says and Rebekah turns to him.