A/N: Hello everyone. Yes, it's true. I'm finally back with a new story. I know, it took me ages to come up with a decent SL & opening chapter but I really wanted it to be awesome. I'm not utterly satisfied with the result (as usual) but I can live with it. I hope you'll give this new story of mine a chance.
I don't want to say too much about the SL and the upcoming chapters. I know where I want to go with this and have the next few chapters already mapped out in my head. I hope this chapter is understandable and you can all follow. If there are any question, don't be afraid to ask.
The title of the story is inspired by the song "As Long As You're Mine" from the musical "Wicked - The Untold Story of The Witches of Oz." It's absolutely brilliant and you should definitely listen to the music!
"Lift Me Up" by The Afters helped to get through this chapter. I love this song so much! You should really check it out! It's beautiful.
Okay, enough rambling. Enjoy! xx

As Long As You're Mine
Chapter 1

"You are here to lift me up when I am weak,
your arms wrap around me,
your love catches me so I'm letting go.
You lift me up when I can't see,
your heart is all that I need,
your love carries me so I'm letting go."
[The Afters – Lift Me Up]

I had often asked myself why I kept fucking things up, big time. I haven't found an answer to that very important question yet. My mom had always taught me to stay strong and to overcome all the bumps life seemed to throw constantly in my way. But that was easier said than done.

My name is Elena Gilbert, I turned twenty-five last month and I've just moved to New York to start working as a journalist for a very popular newspaper. I shared an apartment on the Upper East Side with my boyfriend Matt. We have only been together for a year but despite my doubts he had finally convinced me to move in with him. His parents were very wealthy and had given him the apartment as a birthday present. It was huge and everything a woman could possibly dream of.

Matt himself was a great guy. I had met him last year when I used to work in Atlanta and we instantly became friends. I hadn't been ready for a new relationship so I had turned his romantic intentions down at first. Matt had waited patiently for me, always listening to my problems and insecurities, and when I had finally given in to my romantic feelings for him, he seemed to be the happiest man on earth.

Matt was not my first real boyfriend though. That was a whole different story and the memories still made my heart ache and my eyes teary. It hurts when you lose your first real love.

Your only real love, Elena. I shook my head to get rid of that thought and tried to concentrate on the article I was currently correcting. At least the week was almost over and I would finally have some time for myself since Matt left yesterday to visit his parents in Georgia.

My personal "Elena time" was desperately needed and I couldn't wait to get out of the office. But time always seemed to slow down when you were really looking forward to something.

My thoughts were interrupted as my mobile started ringing. It was Caroline, my best friend since kindergarten. What could she possibly want on a busy Friday afternoon? Well, it was actually not that busy since I had time to sit around and get lost in my thoughts and endless rambling.

"Elena Gilbert." I said in my most serious voice because I knew it would make Caroline laugh. We always used to play these ridiculous "use your most serious voice when you pick up" games on the phone. We were crazy, but I loved it.

Caroline giggled on the other end of the phone and I immediately ached for her to be here in New York. I missed her like crazy; we hadn't seen each other in person since I had moved to New York six months ago. We were both busy with our jobs and boyfriends.

"Hi Lena! Gosh, it's so nice to hear your voice. How are you doing?" Caroline responded as her giggling had died down. She seemed much more reserved and serious all of a sudden.

"I'm good, work is just very busy and I hardly have time to myself. But Matt left yesterday for Georgia which means I can focus on myself this weekend. Are you okay, Care? You sound … strange." I asked worriedly. Please let her be okay.

"Well, …" she started "No, actually I'm not okay, Lena." Her voice began to shake and I just wanted to hug my best friend. I could already picture her sad angelic face with teary eyes and trembling bottom lip.

"What's wrong?" I wanted to know and decided to go outside for a minute since some of my co-workers suddenly seemed to be very interested in my phone conversation.

"It's about Stefan …" she whispered and I knew on the spot that she was crying. "He broke up with me yesterday. He just packed all of his stuff, told me that he's sorry and doesn't want to hurt me and all that crap. I don't understand him, Lena. Everything was fine, we were planning to get married … what could I have possibly done wrong?" she sniffed in a not very lady-like way.

"Listen, you haven't done anything wrong. He's probably just scared of having a serious future with you. I'm sure he will get over his insecurities and beg you to take him back in a few days. He loves you, Care. I can't imagine him being with somebody else. Just give it time. And you know the Salvatore boys … they're complicated." I finished lamely and prayed that Caroline would not get deeper into that topic.

"Stefan is not like …" Caroline protested but I interrupted her before she could continue.

"Don't you dare say his name, Caroline. You know I hate talking about him and that thing that was between us." I scolded her.

"Oh c'mon, we both know that this was not just a thing, Lena. I mean, I know it's hard for you that he cheated on you on the night before your wedding. And yeah, to top it all he didn't even bother to attend it and left you standing in front of the …"

"CAROLINE!" I shouted "Just stop it, okay? I don't want to talk about it. I'm with Matt now and that's all that matters to me."

Caroline snorted. "You keep telling yourself that, honey. Anyway, I wanted to ask you if you could come down and pay me a visit in Mystic Falls. I really need my best friend right now and I haven't seen you in ages. Besides, I'm sure Jenna and Ric will be delighted to you as well. Please, Lena!" She said in her sweetest voice and I couldn't help but feel tempted to give in.

Even though it would be amazing to see my family and Caroline, there was a huge risk that I would accidentally walk into him. I wasn't ready for that.

"I don't think this is a good idea, Care. It's not about you but I don't want to be in the same town as … you know who. I couldn't bear to see him, probably with another one of his conquests being attached to his hip. It hurts too much. And in addition to that, I'm not sure if I would get the time off my job. You know that I only started working here six months ago." I tried to reason with my best friend.

"Then just fly down for the weekend and ask your boss if you could get Monday off. Please, Lena. I just happen to know that Damon …" I winced as she said his name. "Sorry, hun. He's not in town this weekend. Stefan told me that he'll be on a business trip with their father." Caroline's arguments were really good and I felt my resistance melting.

"Well … yeah, I could probably do that. I'm sure there are still tickets available so that I could already fly out this evening …" I began but I was interrupted by Caroline's girly squeal. I could also hear her clapping her hands. She didn't seem as sad as moments ago.

"Thank you! You are the best! I can't wait to see you, Lena. I have to call Jenna to let her know that you are coming to visit us. She will freak! Just text me at what time your plane arrives and I'll pick you up from the airport." She said joyfully.

It was one thing I loved about Caroline. She was so positive and always managed to infect you with her excitement.

"Okay, I'll text you as soon as I know more. I have to talk to my boss, book a flight and call Matt to let him know that I'm going home for the weekend. We'll figure out how to win Stefan back, Care. I promise." I said and the mood of our conversation shifted again – from light to serious.

"Thank you, Lena. I really appreciate that you are always there for me." Caroline replied sincerely and I could feel my eyes water.

"That's what friends are for, right?" I answered quietly and felt a single tear sliding down my cheek. We had been through so much already. Caroline had always been there for me during the rough times, it was time to return the favor. "I'll see you soon, okay? I love you."

"I love you, too. Can't wait to see you, Lena. And stop the crying already!" I laughed, she just knew me too well. "Laters." She hung up.

That was what happened in my life all the time. People – exc use me – friends or family interrupting my much needed personal time. But I guess that was what came with the package of being me – compassionate, warm, kind, caring … the list was endless according to my loved ones.
Well, at least the upcoming weekend wouldn't be calm and relaxing at all. Caroline was such a bubbly character and would hardly give me a second to breathe. But the main reason to fly down actually was distracting my best friend while helping her to get back together with Stefan. Piece of cake.

My plane arrived at 9:30pm at Richmond airport on Friday evening. Caroline had promised to pick me up and I hoped that she would be there on time. As I was waiting for my luggage, I still couldn't believe that my boss allowed me to take a vacation. I only had to return to work on Wednesday and – surprisingly - even Matt was delighted to hear about my short trip to Mystic Falls.

"Enjoy it, babe. I know you don't see your family and Caroline very often. Stay as long as you need to. Call me once you have arrived. Have a nice time, I love you." He had said and a huge grin had been spreading over my face. He was such a sweet and understanding boyfriend and I loved him for it.

"Thanks Matt. I promise to call you so that you don't have to worry. Send my love to your parents. I love you, too."

Luckily, I spotted Caroline immediately in the huge arrivals hall. It was so good to see her and I began to admit that it was the right decision to come here. Home is where your heart is and mine definitely still belonged to Mystic Falls … and its people.

Once Caroline had noticed my presence, her eyes lit up in excitement and she started to run towards me.

"LENA!" she squealed and pulled me into one of her bone-crushing hugs. "It's SO good to see you again. I've missed you so, so much. How was your flight?" She held me at arms-length now to examine my face and body closely. "You look good but you've definitely lost some weight."

"I'm glad to be here. I've really missed you, too." Now it was my turn to embrace my best friend and enjoy the smell of her strawberry shampoo. "My flight was okay." I smiled and released her but Caroline didn't let go of my hands. "You look as hot as ever, Care."

Caroline's blonde curls bounced freely around her beautiful face and her blue eyes were shining brightly. Her make-up was perfection and she simply looked stunning in her high-heeled boots, skinny jeans, red camisole and leather jacket.

"Well, being broken-up doesn't mean you should stop looking after yourself. Besides, lurking around in sweatpants won't help me to get Stefan back, right?!" She winked and linked her arm with mine. "Shall we?"

I nodded and together we made our way out of the busy airport. The drive to Mystic Falls would not take long but it gave us enough time to catch up. Caroline filled me in on all the new rumors and gossip in and around Mystic Falls while I told her about my exciting and busy life in New York.

As soon as we had passed the "Welcome to Mystic Falls" sign, I felt butterflies erupting in my stomach. I hadn't been here for a very long time and I didn't know if I should be happy or nervous to be back. As usual, Caroline interrupted my train of thoughts.

"I thought you would prefer to stay at my place. Jenna and Ric know that you're coming and we can visit them now or tomorrow. What do you think?"

"I'd love to have a nice long bath and jump straight into bed afterwards. I'm exhausted." I answered honestly and pouted.

Caroline threw her head back and laughed, but didn't reply to my statement. She just accepted my decision and kept on driving towards her house which she used to share with Stefan. The conversation stayed light and we couldn't stop giggling and making fun of each other. It was great to be back. I've really missed my best friend and nothing would be able to sour my mood.

When Caroline pulled into the driveway of her house, I noticed two dark figures standing on her front porch.

"Are you expecting someone?" I asked worriedly and tried to identify the two persons – probably men – who waited for us to climb out of the car.

"No." Caroline simply replied and I could tell that she was scared. Who the hell was that? Who would come to Caroline's house in the middle of the night? I was beginning to get nervous myself but tried to stay calm for Caroline's sake.

"Well, they're probably people you know Caroline. Let's not hope for the worst. Besides, you're not alone and I'm going to kick their asses if they're trying to harm you." I smiled at my best friend and gave her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I'll be right behind you."

Caroline took a deep breath, unbuckled her seatbelt and got out of the car. As soon as she started to walk across the front lawn towards the two strangers, I got out of it myself and followed her.

Even though I took several big steps to catch up with Caroline, she reached the nocturne invaders before me. All I could make out from my current spot was that both of them were definitely men and Caroline seemed to know them – thank God.

"Seriously?" I heard Caroline shout into the night. She seemed to be quite worked up. "You scared us. Why couldn't you come here tomorrow morning? Do you have any idea how scary it is to find two strangers standing on your front porch in the middle of the night?"

"C'mon Blondie, it's really not such a big deal. Besides, we are no strangers to you." A velvety, smooth voice replied calmly.

I froze. I could feel the blood pumping faster through my veins and my heart skipping a beat. There was only one person on this earth who possessed that kind of voice. And there was only one guy I knew who called Caroline "Blondie".

Damon.

No, no, no. This was not happening. I was so not ready to face him yet. I wanted to run away; avoid the direct confrontation with him. I just couldn't bear the thought of him being here right now. But he was in all his bad boy glory.

As if he could read my thoughts, his eyes found mine. Oh my God … those eyes. They were bright and crystal blue and as soon as you looked into them, it felt like you were drowning. He looked as perfect as usual. His beautiful face was framed by his silky and soft jet black hair. He was wearing a black and tight shirt which hugged his muscular chest in all the right ways.

He didn't seem surprised to see me, apparently Stefan or Caroline had filled him in on my upcoming visit. His eyes left my face and travelled over my body appreciatively. When he was done ogling me and my body he smirked and his eyes were shining even more.

That was my undoing.

How dare he to come here? After all he had put me through, after all the heartbreak and pain he had caused me … I wasn't ready to forgive him yet. I wasn't even sure if I could ever forgive him. But despite all my cursing and negative thoughts, I could still feel my stomach flutter and my skin erupting in Goosebumps as soon as he had laid his eyes on me.

I shook my head in disgust.

Elena Gilbert, you are not attracted to him. Not anymore at least. This chapter of your life is over for good.

I saw Caroline's lips moving in the corner of my eye. Obviously, she was saying something to me but I didn't pay attention to it. I was too wrapped up in all the feelings that this man always seemed to cause inside of me whenever he was around.

Caroline had promised me that we wouldn't be in town. Why do I always get into this mess? My heart couldn't bear it anymore. It was broken and although Matt was amazing he didn't manage to put the pieces back together yet.

And deep down I knew that the biggest part of my heart still belonged to this handsome guy standing a few meters away from me.

I could feel my eyes welling up with tears and my knees started to shake. I was about to pass out.

Of course, Damon noticed my state of mind immediately. His smirk was now replaced by a worried expression and his gaze became soft.

A sob escaped my throat and the tears started streaming down my face. I didn't want to cry but I couldn't help myself.

His expression became even more pained at the sight of my tears and he took a few steps towards me.

NO! My mind screamed at me. I couldn't let him invade my personal space; couldn't be close to him. This was too much.

So I did what I always did. I ran.

That's it for now. But don't worry there is much more to come. I can't promise a regular update. At the moment, I'm quite busy with moving since I'm going to start college shortly. I'm trying to finish the next chapter as soon as possible.
Reviews are very welcome and appreciated. Thank you all for reading.

Special thanks to my wonderful beta Sandra

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