AN: Hello everyone! I've missed you all! First, I apologize for taking this fic down. I had lost my writing mojo for a long time. I was afraid I'd never finish it and thought I should remove it. I changed my mind. I feel like you awesome readers deserve an ending. I am going to edit each chapter, because I notice now how many mistakes I left in. I may make some small changes during the editing process, but nothing major. I'll re-upload the chapters one at a time and then actually finish the fic as well. I hope my old readers come back and enjoy this flash from the past and hopefully I'll get some new readers along the way too. I may be a bit slow uploading... While I am working on this I am also working on converting, Don't give up, into a real novel with my own characters and some changes. Once that is ready for the E-book world I'll let you all know where to find it. And now back to... I'm coming home, hope you all enjoy it again! :)
I'm Coming Home Again
Prelude
May 2006
"Lena you ready?" Miranda Gilbert called from the bottom of the stairs.
"Almost mom!" Elena cried back from upstairs.
She fumbled through her closet until she found her lavender pajama shorts and a white fitted tee-shirt. She sighed, wishing she was more than knees and elbows as her stupid uncle John put it.
She frowned in the mirror as she looked at her hair. Ever since she got gum stuck in it last year and to cut it, it seemed to be wavier and more unruly then it ever was before. It fell to her shoulders and was a dark brown color. She looked a lot like her grandmother on her dad's side, dark hair and large brown eyes with dark olive skin. Her grandmother's hair was a rich shade of chestnut and the curls looked fantastic on her. Elena hoped they would on her someday too. For now, she was straightening the frizz.
Her mom had said no to a hair straightener claiming that fourteen was too young to spend that much time on vanity...eye roll please, Elena thought. She knew full well her mom spent lots of money making her hair appear to be blond instead of the natural red color it was. Luckily, it just took one little shopping trip with her dad to get her hands on one. He didn't even realize what it was much less that Miranda had forbidden it until it was too late and Elena had it in her eager little hand.
Once she was satisfied with her hair she studied her face. She grabbed a little compact from her drawer that her best friend Caroline had smuggled it to her. Makeup was forbidden until she was sixteen though Elena had no idea why. She thought it was a silly rule. How was she supposed to look older without make-up? They would just never get it.
"Geez Lena, aren't you going to go sleep in a tent?" Her little brother Jeremy asked as he walked rudely right into her room.
"Just mind your own business and get out!" Elena snapped, rolling her eyes in annoyance.
"You know you're supposed to knock!" She added.
"Jeremy leave your sister alone." Grayson's commanding voice came in from the hallway.
"Elena's putting on makeup!" Jeremy tattled as he raced down the stairs.
"Elena!" Miranda's voice floated up the stairs with her. Elena quickly shoved the compact into her bag and feigned innocence as her mom walked into her bedroom.
"He doesn't know what he's talking about. I was putting perfume on." Elena lied as she started spritzing herself with the lavender spray.
"Mm hm, are you finally ready?" Miranda asked with a smile in her face.
"Yes." Elena said grabbing her bag. "What's so funny?"
"You sure spent a lot of time getting ready to go camping." Miranda said in a teasing voice. "Do you have an eye for one of the boys, Lena?"
"No." Elena defended folding her arms around her chest. She avoided looking at her mom as they headed down the stairs and out the door.
"Maybe Stefan or Matt?" Her mom continued. "Is it Ty? He's such a little cutie."
"Mom please, those guys are like my brothers." Elena rolled her eyes.
"Mm hm." Miranda said looking amused.
Finally they arrived at the Salvatore estate and Elena was second guessing her outfit, was it too obvious? Her mom thought so. She was surprised her mom let her wear the short shorts, then frowned realizing it wasn't like she had any curves on display yet. She wished she would develop faster like Caroline. Too late to change now, she sighed.
"We're here, you coming in?" Miranda asked.
"Yeah." She said quickly climbing out of the car.
For lack of anything to do in this town Elena and her best friends, Stefan, Caroline, Tyler, Matt and Bonnie decided to try and rough it for a night. The brat pack, as Stefan's brother had donned them. They wanted to really go camping but the best they got was this. Stefan's dad was going to let them camp out on their property with tents and everything. He even promised to help them make Smores. They boys were super excited about it. Elena was excited too…but she wished they were sleeping inside the large house.
Miranda walked with her inside, Mrs. Salvatore who insisted they call her Maria or Ma was waiting in the kitchen with coffee and peach cobbler, Elena's favorite. Maria was the most beautiful woman Elena had ever seen. She was tall and slender and all her movements were so graceful. Even with two sons her flawless porcelain face never showed a hint of age. She had dark black curly hair and amazing blue eyes, a unique shade that reminded her of the ocean only one other person she knew had eyes like that. His seemed even brighter. Her heart started to race just thinking about it. The two women engaged in small talk while Elena enjoyed the dessert.
"Hey Lena." Stefan tore into the kitchen with both Matt and Tyler behind him. Stefan was a short stocky boy with curly brown hair and green eyes. He looked a lot like his dad. Matt was tall and kind of lanky he had dark blond hair and hazel eyes. Fourteen hadn't been kind to him, he broke out pretty bad and he was very insecure about it. Tyler was such a tiny kid, he was cute but in a little boy way with his dark unruly hair and little puppy dog brown eyes. He was short and skinny her dad called him a little runt compared to his uncle Mason and his dad. But Ty swore he was going to get big someday. They looked at Elena's special dessert and almost collectively frowned. Maria laughed and got up to produce cookies from the pantry for them.
"They never grow out of certain things." She said to Miranda who nodded in agreement.
They all grabbed a bunch of handfuls and ran back outside where Stefan's dad was setting up the tents. Elena decided to wait inside for the girls.
"How do I look Ma?" The velvet voice of Damon Salvatore from behind her made her heart race and her palms sweat instantly.
Be cool Lena, she told herself, but then she had to turn around and look at the guy who owned both that melodic voice and unknowingly her heart.
Damon was breathtaking he shared his mother's unique looks, he had raven black hair that he had combed over to the side today. It looked like he gelled it to make it look straighter. His porcelain skin was flawless as ever. His cobalt blue eyes seemed to be twinkling, she wished they would twinkle at her. His perfect kissable lips were set in a frown. He had nothing to be unsure about. He looked amazing in his black suit with the blue shirt underneath it. He was really tall and lean but his body had filled out a little more since he turned eighteen. His shoulders seemed wider and she could see all the working out he did was starting to show. She noticed his arm muscles last weekend when he came over and helped her dad move a dresser.
"Oh my son, you look so handsome." Maria cooed, standing up to look at him closer.
"That's right it's prom." Miranda smiled. "You look great Damon. I'm sure Katherine won't be able to pull her eyes away."
I'm sure she won't, Elena thought with an anger cursing through her, it was so unfair.
Sure Katherine was pretty with her auburn hair and stupid long legs and boobs of course but she wasn't a very nice person. Elena thought she was pretty selfish and rude. Damon deserved someone better then her.
"You think?" He asked, his frown turning into that cocky smirk that drove her crazy every time.
"Think? My son we know." Maria said wisely, kissing his cheek.
"Whatcha got here? My fave." Damon grinned at Elena as he stole her fork and took a big bite of her dessert.
"It is not! It's my favorite," Elena giggled.
"Oh... my bad." He grinned and ruffled her hair, a move she used to love but now it made her feel like a little kid and she hated it.
"What do you think Lena, how do I look?" He asked.
She gulped and could hardly manage to pull herself together with him standing so close.
"You look like you're going to church or one the founding events or something." She shrugged, managing to sound casual.
Success! She thought with relief, she was so close to breathing out the word, amazing and trying to run into his arms or something, only in her stupid fantasies.
He laughed and sat down. "Close, prom."
"Oh it will be fun Damon you'll see." Maria rolled her eyes.
"Why go if you don't want to?" Elena asked. If he was her boyfriend she'd be happy to keep him all to herself all the time.
"It's prom, little darling. I have to go." He winked at her and gave her an adorable lopsided grin that he seemed to only use in her presence. She was stunned silent and certain her cheeks had turned red, but he didn't seem to notice her reaction. He got up and kissed his mom who had a strange little smile on her face. Elena was too dazed and numb to notice.
"Wish me luck." He drawled as he exited the room.
"Wait I need pictures." Maria shrieked, racing after him.
"I'm going to get going honey, wear your bug spray and go inside if it rains..." Miranda's trailed off but Elena didn't hear a thing she said. He called her darling, darling not kiddo or Lena but darling. It was grown up name of endearment and he winked at her. Okay maybe she shouldn't read into the wink, he winked at her all the time and he always had that special little grin for her, even when she was a little kid, but this time he called her darling.
She wondered if he called Katherine darling, she hoped not. She never heard him call her anything but babe or Kat, but she didn't see them all the time either. She saw less and less of Damon as soon as he started dating her and it made her feel really sad. She wished she could just be older so he could see her like a woman.
"Okay Elena?" Miranda raised her voice lightly.
"Uh yeah okay mom." Elena gave her a dazed hug, before she wandered into the yard to join the boys.
"I'm telling you guys, it's happening." Elena urged later that night in her girls tent with Bonnie and Caroline. She was telling them for the twentieth time about what happened in the kitchen.
"Lena he's eighteen and he's with that Katherine girl." Bonnie said again with a sigh. Her brown curly hair was messy from them laying back in their sleeping bags.
"Yeah and she's all va-va voom." Caroline said holding her shirt out for emphasizes. She had her blond hair curled into little ringlets and a pair of pink pajamas on. Elena was just glad she wasn't the only one who got ready to sleep in a tent.
"So what? I will be too... someday." Elena frowned looking down at her flat chest.
"I'm starting to get 'em." Caroline said excitedly. "My mom said maybe we can get a bra a real one before school this year."
"Quit bragging." Elena groaned.
"Shut up you guys! I'm still a ninety pound midget. I'll probably never get boobs." Bonnie groaned.
They moved on to gossip about the girls in school who obviously stuffed their bras. After a few hours of girl talk Care and Bonnie both fell asleep. Elena was wide awake, she kept thinking about Damon. She wondered how prom was going. She bet Katherine looked beautiful in her dress and her heart churned with jealousy.
She got kind of cold and tried to snuggle under her sleeping bag but she just couldn't warm up, maybe the shorts and light tee shirt was a bad idea. She got up and walked towards the house, she decided she would grab a sweatshirt from Stefan's closet.
She jumped when she head a door slam. She ducked behind the couch in the parlor and watched. Damon walked into the house and he looked really upset. She followed him with her eyes to the liquor cabinet where he snuck himself out a bottle. He started up the stairs muttering something under his breath.
Her curiosity got the best of her and she followed him up to his room. She crept slowly down the hall and peered into his open door.
"Stupid bitch!" He muttered as his fist hit the wall and she jumped and yelped on instinct.
He whirled around and his eyes widened when he saw her.
"Lena? What are you doing in here?" He asked in a tried voice.
"I got cold." She said taking a tentative step inside. "Are you okay?"
"Peachy," He said.
He sat down and sipped from the bottle he stole. His face was impassive, even his eyes were void of their usual spark like he was putting a wall up around how he felt and what happened. She frowned she didn't like that too much.
"If your parents catch you, you'll be in big trouble." Elena whispered, shutting the door quietly and walking over to him.
"I don't even care right now." He snapped, closing his eyes and putting the bottle across his forehead as if her voice gave him a headache. She flinched, Damon was never harsh with her. Something really bad must have happened, she decided.
"What happened Damon?" She asked, sitting next to him and glancing at him.
"I don't want to talk about it." He said, his eyes staring straight ahead.
"Okay well, you just seemed really upset..." She pushed him by glancing at the hole in the wall he was going to need to cover.
His eyes followed her gaze and he took a sharp breath then turned to glance at her. The emptiness in his eyes a moment ago gone and replaced with a realization of where he was and who he was with. He looked at the wall and his eyes filled with worry.
"Elena...I'm not in a good place tonight." His voice had softened as he turned to look at her.
She just nodded, words failing her under that gaze.
"I'm sorry did I scare you? Are you okay?" He asked the concern heavy in his voice. She struggled to function enough to talk to him. It used to be so much easier. It took her a few moments, which seemed to make him more worried and finally she shook her nerves and managed to speak causally.
"I'm fine. Lemme see your hand." She said, holding out her small hand. Her breath hitched in her throat at the idea of touching him. Not that she hadn't before. He ruffled her hair all the time and they hugged lots of times, she had even danced with him at different founders events. But the idea of sitting here in his bedroom with him holding his hand filled her with so much emotion, she wasn't sure she could handle this without blurting out her feelings. She knew she couldn't do that though, she couldn't bare the sting of his rejection.
"Its fine, it doesn't even hurt." He scoffed, always the tough guy.
"Right," She rolled her eyes and shoved her emotion down, be normal Elena, she chided herself silently.
"So what did the wall do to you?" She asked.
"Prom was a bust, let's just say that." He said.
"Okay." She grabbed for his bottle. "Can I have a sip?
"No." He scoffed pulling it out of her reach.
"Come on, just one." She begged him.
"No Lena I'm not giving you booze." He said looking amused.
"Please Damon? I just want to try it." She begged pouting at him and widening her eyes.
He always seemed to give in when she did that.
"Fine one sip and that's it, you're going to hate it." He warned her.
"It looks good." She shrugged, trying to seem as grown up as possible. She took a sip and her face puckered instantly from the bitter taste. It burned down her chest and she felt her face turning red. Damon was laughing, his blue eyes dancing with amusement.
"Told you so." He smirked, taking it back from her.
"Now get back to your tent, you can't be in my room with me in the middle of the night." He shook his head and stood up.
"But it's cold out there." She pouted.
Just five more minutes! She wanted to beg him but thought better of it.
She wished he was still sitting next to her on the bed, if only she liked the whiskey more, maybe he wouldn't think she was such a kid then.
"Here." He handed her his sweatshirt that was lying on the chair. It was one he wore all the time and it smelled deliciously like him. It was huge on her and hung down almost to her knees.
"You're swimming in that thing." He gave her his lopsided smile and her heart fluttered in her chest.
"I'm sorry prom was a bust." She said reaching out and touching his arm.
"My date ditched me for another guy." He admitted his beautiful face falling.
Elena gasped who could possibly ditch him? Katherine was not just a snob but a stupid one at that.
"Well then she's blind or stupid or both." Elena said tightening her gentle squeeze on his arm. His cobalt eyes met hers for a second and flickered.
"Thank you." He said softly he leaned forward and her heart stopped in her chest,
literally stopped.
He kissed her cheek softly, his lips sending sparks through her whole body.
She wanted to wrap her arms around his neck and pull his lips down to meet hers instead of just her cheek, but she couldn't act she could hardly even move even after he pulled away.
"Good night, Elena." He said giving her a little smile.
She somehow managed to make her legs work and left his room. The second she was out of his sight her hand went to her cheek. It was still burning hot where his lips had been. She floated back down the stairs and to the tent.
2 weeks later
"So Lena I heard that Matt like likes you." Caroline grinned.
They were sprawled out on her bedroom floor having a slumber party with Bonnie.
"Ewe no thanks." Elena grimaced.
"He's so sweet though and his face is clearing up." Bonnie pointed out.
"He's just not my type. I need an older more worldly man." Elena said.
"Like Stefan's brother." Bonnie rolled her eyes.
"I told you guys he kissed me." Elena said.
"On the cheek," Bonnie pointed out.
"For now. I'm too young for him, but someday soon I won't be. I'm growing up fast, my dad says it all the time." Elena said.
"Still, he's going into the army." Caroline said. "He leaves for basic training next week."
"I know." Elena frowned, her heart ached at the thought of it. He wouldn't be home for almost a year and then who knows how long he would stay home until he had to go to war.
"But when he comes home from war. I'll still be here and I'll be all grown up." Elena said.
"You'll probably have forgotten all about him by then." Caroline said.
"No way, a girl never forgets her first love." Elena said firmly.
"Elena how can you love him? You're not even his girlfriend." Bonnie said softly. "He thinks of you like a kid sister."
"A kid maybe but not a sister. Caroline and you, he treats like little sisters, he's different with me." Elena said.
"She's right, Damon watches out for her more than anyone and he never says no whenever she asks for anything. He even talks to her about stuff. If any of the rest of us came up there that night he would have yelled at us to go away." Caroline said. "He treats Elena in a special way, I think maybe he does love her."
Elena smiled happily at her friend but Caroline wasn't finished.
"But I don't think he loves you in the way you want Elena. I wish he did for you." Caroline added patting her arm.
"He will love me that way. He will someday I know he will. He'll come home and I'll be all grown up and he'll fall in love with me."
Her best friends exchanged a worried glance but she ignored it.
"Just wait." She said. "You'll see."
"I'm going to marry Damon Salvatore someday." She said, her chocolate brown eyes determined.
***Thanks for reading. I'll do my best to have the next chapter up as soon as I can. My internet is limited so I'll probably be able to upload one chapter a week maybe, sometimes every other week. Reviews are like chocolate, hint, hint. ***