A/N: Hey all! I am a huge Delena shipper, have been for a while. I just never wrote a story about them. This one will have elements from the show and books combined. I haven't decided if it will be a long or short one. Probably long one. I'm working on the next chapters coming, I should have them out soon. I can't wait for Nina to come back to TVD! I've been waiting to see Elena for a while. I'm trying to not copy the show but as you read this, the basics of the characters will be there, nothing too OOC. On to it! Thank you for reading. Let me know what you think so far. Bye all! :)

Elena Gilbert slammed her trigonometry text book and huffed back in her seat. Her friend, Bonnie Bennett gave her a side eye but Elena's attitude shot up higher.

"What is the point of all these? It's not like we're going to use any of this in our lives."

Bonnie saw her point nodding along but completing the task anyway. "It's a law apparently. We're forced to suffer for two more years of high school slavery. It's OK, we can make it."

Elena cringed. "Yeah, how can you be so calm about it? Every time I walk in class I feel like killing myself."

Bonnie looked up playfully with a raise of her eyebrows. "Need a spotter?"

"Whatever..." Elena's smile curved slightly as she heavily exhaled. "This is gonna be a long two freaking years. I just don't see the purpose anymore. I look at this book and I don't see my future, I see...I don't even know. I just want a quick death of this shit already."

Bonnie looked at her friend and tapped the end of her pencil against her cheek. She watched Elena time and time again complain about school as if it was a slow torture. She could see her point, but lately Elena's mind was much more distracted than usual. There were moments where she was concerned for her well being. Bonnie thought for a moment, daring to ask what came next.

"Do you still get them?"

Elena took the clip out of her hair and relaxed her deep brown tresses. In deep thought she came to a full answer. She knew exactly what Bonnie was referring to.

"Every night; I can't make them go away. I don't know how I feel when I wake up. I just have this need to find out who it is. Why do I keep seeing him? There's this guy there always. I feel like he's following me even outside of my dreams."

"This is deep girl. I don't think there's anything we can do. Maybe, try not to think about it so much?"

"Really?" Elena gestured. "That's what you're gonna give me?" Elena moved to get up and grabbed her jacket putting it on roughly.

Bonnie winced almost getting up herself. "Where are you going?"

"Out. Need to get out. Get some fresh air. Been here too long."

"Want me to come with?"

Elena waved her off getting her keys walking to the front door. "It's OK. Thanks anyway."

Before she left Bonnie called out her name, Elena reluctantly yet impatiently turned around.

"Be careful OK? Don't stay out too long." The look in Bonnie's eyes was nothing short of typical.

Elena rolled her eyes, mumbling something under her breath as she made her way outside into the slightly breezy weather of Mystic Falls. She pulled her hair out of her jacket as it blew in the wind away from her face. Normally she'd hide behind her hair as a defense mechanism but tonight she didn't care. She didn't care much about anything. It's been a while since she spoke with Matt, her parents were killed in a tragic car accident, when it's not Bonnie, Jenna keeps tabs on her like she's a tracking device and she was wondering if she was ever going to develop the need to move on from all of it.

She supposed it was wishful thinking. Elena was only sixteen, junior, unfortunately stagnant, her brother's drug habit would make Keith Richards say "that's enough" and she was wondering if she could survive mentally from the worst of it.

Going out at this time a night was a risk, even if you supposedly lived in the safest, most affluent neighborhood. Elena didn't care; she was apathetic to anything that would come her way. Strangely, being alone seemed to give her a solace she didn't have if she was around people who claimed to care about her.

She spotted a small meadow, leading into a forest. Being that it was sundown, you couldn't make out the tapestry and small cottages that were placed above the meadow. You could see a faint sugary atmosphere in the distance. Elena grew curious in that moment but she thought against it, knowing Bonnie would flip her lid if she went out exploring. But Elena couldn't help herself. She always wondered what was on the other side of that meadow.

Looking from side to side, cautiously she stepped forward trying not to fall off her balance going down the grassy knoll leading to the cottage. She thought someone older must be living her. Mystic Falls had its legends and tall tales, Elena wasn't like the rest who ignored the stories. There had to be some truth to the findings. If Elena really wanted to, she could disappear for a few hours just to prove everyone wrong. She had a feeling people were hiding something each time she asked about the legends.

When she moved down the hill she peered around the cottage, smiling slightly at the rustic look. The small abode looked like it was built in the early 1800s, although Elena couldn't tell the difference between the 1700s and the 1800s, she opted to think it was probably 1800s based on what she learned in history class when she wasn't zoning out.

She stepped on something that sounded like a tree branch and rolled her eyes. She didn't realize the slightest things get her heart up and working. She hated being scared so easily. She looked behind the cottage, sighing before making a move.

"You know...I wouldn't do that if I were you." A male tone whispered, laced in sarcasm in her ear.

She whipped around and stared into a stark pair of ice blue eyes, dark brows, white almost pale skin man with raven hair. He looked older, for sure not that much older than her. The permanent smirk on his face made Elena pull in her bottom lip. He raised those already arched eye brows, circling her then gesturing to the cottage.

"You never know what might get ya, you know?"

Elena's face contorted in confusion. "Who are you?"

The man smiled, looking down with an amused expression, his eyes flickering back, "You'll know, soon enough."

Elena backed away only to crash into a body.

"Ouch, hey, Elena it's me." Bonnie huffed and straightened herself as Elena's attention returned slowly. "You OK?"

Elena looked back at where the man she just talked to stood and there was nothing there. She thought for a second maybe she had fallen asleep.

"Yeah, I think so. Why were you following me?"

"Because it's a school night and our parents would kill us if we weren't back by curfew. I hate it too but I didn't want to cover this time. My mom can totally tell when I'm lying now, it's scary. Come on, let's go." Bonnie took her hand as Elena's eyes looked once more back at the area she saw him stand.

Funny thing was this didn't seem like a dreams she had had, this seemed strangely real. Almost like the man...vanished, or she dared think of it, could vanish.