Author's note: I'm sorry I'm very bad at summaries, but I didn't want to give away some of the plot ideas I have. I do not own Vampire Diaries. Please enjoy!

Recommended Listening: Coldplay- The Scientist

~DAMON'S POV~

I rushed into the hospital, not having cleaned up from my fight with Alaric. As I ran through the emergency room I earned a few stares for my bloodied appearance. I locked on to Meredith's scent and began tracking her down.

~~1 HOUR EARLIER~~

My cell phone was ringing as I held Alaric's lifeless body. It took me several minutes to even comprehend that there was sound coming from my pocket and by the time I reached for it, the ringer was silent. As I was about to check the caller ID, the phone beeped and a text message from Jeremy appeared "GET BACK NOW!"

Why should I go back, she was dead, there was nothing left there and nothing that could change the fact that she was gone.

As I was lowering the phone, about to ignore its existence, it rang, this time it was Meredith's name on the ID and a small spark of hope ignited. However before she could speak I answered the phone with "I know."

"W-what? How?" she stuttered.

"Alaric is dead and I didn't kill him." The words hurt and I let them fall as if I were exhausted.

"Oh..." Meredith hesitated, she was clearly unsure of what to say, and my spark of hope grew dim. "I...I think you should come to the hospital." She finally stuttered.

"What's the use?" I said dryly.

"You could say goodbye..." I cut her off by hanging up, not wanting to hear anymore but accepting that I probably should go back, at the very least to kill whoever killed her. That last thought gave me enough fire to load Alaric and Klaus's remains in the SUV. Finally I located the stake where it had rolled away from our struggle

~~END FLASHBACK~~

I found Meredith swiftly and demanded "Where is she?" but as the words passed my lips I sensed Stefan and Elena, although faintly. I started to push past her, but she tried to stop me. "No, Damon, wait..."

"Where is she?" the words came out with a growl, but she still blocked my path. I started to push past her but stopped when she started explaining.

"You need to know, when Jeremy brought Elena in here earlier tonight her injuries were worse that I let on. It wasn't a concussion; it was a cerebral hemorrhage, bleeding on the brain." She paused, while I tried to figure out where she was going with this.

"What are you saying?" not that I needed to ask, I was putting the pieces together and I was pretty sure I knew where it was heading.

"He was so worried I didn't want to tell him, but I... I helped her. She needed my help." Meredith finished cryptically, but I knew exactly what she meant. My mind reeled at the consequences of what she was saying.

"You what?" were the words that formed in shock and slight disbelief. However my spark of hope was back and glowing. Slowly and quietly I let one question fall from my lips "Who's?"

But before Meredith could answer, I knew because I felt Elena wake up, I felt her panic. I shamelessly used every ounce of my speed tracing the sensation to the morgue, where the smell of death masked her smell. As I entered the room I saw Stefan, head in hands brooding in a chair, while Elena's beautiful form occupied a metal tray.

~ELENA'S POV~

Stefan was at the window and I felt relief, despite the water seeping into my lungs. He broke in and began to reach for me but Matt had to go first. He was already unconscious. Rather than drag out the protests, Stefan pulled Matt from the truck when I told him too. Then all I remember is darkness. I shook my head at the memory as I walked away from the party. It wasn't even a memory, it never happened and who was Stefan? Why was I so confident that was the stranger's name? Why did he provoke so many emotions? Fear, Love, Confusion.

As I looked at the cell phone in my hand remembering I just finished talking to Bonnie, I heard what sounded like a large bird flapping its wings fly in front of me. When I looked up I saw a raven in the middle of the road. It looked right at me with eyes that appraised my soul. It then squawked and took flight. I shook my head as a name echoed through my mind, but it was gone to swiftly to remember. As I tried to remember a curtain of darkness took me again and I arrived back at the party about to walk away from Matt.

As I walked away I dialed my house to ask for a ride home. Jenna answered and after handing me off to Mom, Mom and Dad agreed to come get me. Next I called Bonnie before Caroline had the chance. I briefly explained the situation.

"I know Bonnie, You're right. You and my mom both are. I just can't bring myself to tell him... at least not tonight. I'll call you later" I looked up suddenly conscious of how far I had wandered down the road.

"Katherine?" The familiar voice shook me and darkness fell again.

Once again I was at the party walking away from Matt. I was slowly becoming aware that I wasn't living, I was remembering or dreaming or both. Everything happened the same way again but this time when the voice said "Katherine?" my mind said "Damon." His was a question, but mine was a statement. I questioned myself as to how I knew this second stranger and why he too evoked strong emotions, possibly stronger emotions. Love, Lust, Frustration, Confusion.

"Uhm... no... I... I'm Elena." It was my voice but I didn't control it.

"Oh. You...you just look..." The stranger struggled for words. Finally I watched him give up on confusion and go for confidence. "I'm sorry, you just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon." He gave the same name my mind had supplied earlier and the same emotions followed, along with a faint memory of a kiss.

"Not to be rude or anything Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." Once again it was like my voice wasn't mine to control.

"You're one to talk." Damon (Stranger) replied "You're out here all by yourself."

"It's Mystic Falls, nothing bad ever happens here." My voice replied, however I felt my subconscious chortle as if I had spoken a great irony.

After a few moments of silence my voice offered "I got into a fight with my boyfriend."

"About what may I ask?" Damon replied in a cordial voice.

"Life, the future, he's got it all mapped out..." I sound exasperated and annoyed.

"And you don't want it?" When he said it, it was so much closer to being a statement rather than a question.

"I don't know what I want." I was defeated.

"Well that's not true. You want what everyone wants." He sounded so sure.

"And what is that, Mr. Mysterious-Stranger-That-Has-All-The-Answers?" my voice sounded almost flirtatious now and as I really started to observe the man in front of me, I couldn't blame her, it, me? Damon was in tight black jeans, black boots, black t-shirt hugging his form and it was a nice form, completed with leather jacket. His skin was pale but not gross pale and his black hair was messy in a stylish way. But his posture and his eyes were the things that set him apart. His posture exuded power, sex and danger, his eyes were icy pools that saw through me.

"Well let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things." he drawled.

"So Damon, tell me, what is it that I want?" My voice seemed to disbelieve that this man could have the answers but I felt differently. I felt he might indeed know what I want.

The stranger stepped closer and turned up the charm. "You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure, and even a little danger." He smirked as if he knew the words would strike me like a fist in the gut. But the girl controlling our voice seemed more concerned with the stranger's intensity than his truth. "So... What do you want?" I stammered.

Our heads turned towards a car horn in the distance, and I said "It's my parents." I was relieved to have something to break the moment. I turned back from the direction of the sound to find Damon inches from my face blue eyes burning my soul "I want you to get everything you're looking for, but right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet." He paused and darkness closed off my vision. "Good night..." He was whispering in my ear. "Elena". Like my name was a shot of adrenaline my eyes flew open.