AN: This is my first fic ever and I only had the courage to write it thanks to Whitty (northmanwhore on twitter) and to post it because of Jess (RebekahAteMyUN on twitter), so thanks guys. NOTE: everything after 3x15 doesn't happen, and Klaus, Elijah, and Kol kill Finn and Esther on the night of her spell in 3x15. Also, we're going to pretend Rebekah didn't promise to torchure Elena for the rest of her life.

Chapter 1: One Year

I'll make a wish

Take a chance

Make a change

And breakaway

Out of the darkness and into the sun

I won't forget all the ones that I love

It had been a year since she had graduated from high school, a year since she had left Mystic Falls and everyone she cared about most behind. Elena had left for sunny California the moment she got her diploma, in hopes of a new start, leaving all the death and pain behind her. Looking back, something she didn't like to do often, she's still surprised how things worked out so well for everyone else.

Klaus had accepted her deal to send a couple bags of her blood to him once a month in exchange for him not hurting any of her loved ones and most importantly her, not that Caroline would let him anyway. Elena is still baffled by their romance, which had all started when Caroline agreed to let him show her the world once it had become obvious that Tyler wasn't coming back from where ever he disappeared to. Bonnie had accepted the issues with both Damon and Elena about her mom being turned and moved on. She had even decided on going to Duke, just to stay close to Abby. Matt got a full ride football scholarship at the University of Georgia. Elijah and Kol both left to do their own thing, enjoying the freedom of being alive and far away from Klaus. Rebekah had stayed in Mystic Falls to finish off senior year and to be with Stefan. He had been a little hesitant because of his still undefined relationship with Elena, but once Elena had accepted that she and Stefan were never meant to be, she gave them her blessing.

Thinking about everyone always brought back the memory of the day she told them she was going to be going to Stanford…

******** one year ago *******

Elena looked at the acceptance letter from Stanford for the thousandth time that day. She still couldn't believe that she had been accepted to the college she had wanted to go to since the day her mom had told her she would be a good writer.

She looked up when Alaric knocked on her door, "Elena? Are you coming downstairs? Caroline, Klaus, Bonnie and Matt just got here."

"Oh, yeah, coming." She folded the letter and put it in her pocket as she followed Ric down the stairs to see Jeremy following Stefan and Rebekah into the living room where everyone else was sitting. She could hear someone in the kitchen, presumably Damon, grabbing a glass out of the cupboard. Everyone was looking at her, waiting for her to explain her text that simply said, "Need to talk, come over at 7."

"So, why are we here? Did you find a new death threat? Make a stupid deal with a different Devil?" Damon had finally made his appearance, coming from the kitchen to stand next to the mantle, setting his glass of bourbon down before continuing,"Decide you need all of us to help you dust? Because frankly, this is just gross." He showed everyone the tip of his index finger now covered in dust.

Elena glared at him, "No, Damon, no one is going to die, and just yesterday you were telling me how you had decided Klaus wasn't such a bad guy after all, so don't even go there. And feel free to dust my house when I go to school in California, because I'm sure you'll be missing the days when my near death experiences gave you something to do other than drink all day!" Elena didn't realize what she had said until she saw the blank looks on everyone's faces. All at once they recovered and started yelling at her,

"What about my blood? We had a deal!"

"What do you mean California?"

"Why didn't you tell me? This is fantastic!"

"You can't leave me all alone with Ric!"

"I can't take care of Jeremy all by myself!"

"Thank God, I thought you would stay here forever."

"I don't think going that far away is very safe…"

"NO. YOU ARE NOT GOING TO CALIFORNIA. END OF STORY, SORRY." Everyone fell silent as Damon blurred to stand directly in front of Elena, continuing his rant, "ARE YOU STUPID? DO YOU REALIZE HOW MUCH DANGER THERE COULD BE THERE? JUST BECAUSE KLAUS AND THE OTHER ORIGINALS HAVE CALLED TRUCE DOESN'T MEAN THE REST OF THE WORLD KNOWS OR CARES! YOU'RE THE BIGGEST DANGER MAGNET I'VE EVER MET! YOU CAN'T JUST GO TO CALIFORNIA."

Ric finally pulled Damon away from Elena as Stefan said, "It's her choice Damon, if this is what she wants, let her do it."

Damon turned to glare at Stefan, "You always say that! What happened the last time she decided something? Oh yeah, Esther nearly killed all of us! Or all the times we had to trust Elijah because that's what she wanted. Remember how that all turned out? John had to die to save Elena, Jenna had to die for the sacrifice, I nearly died, and you were forced to turn Ripper and be Klaus' bitch for six months! You know what that tells me? Every time she makes a life choice, people get hurt!"

"Damon, I'll be fine. I'll take some stakes, vervain and wolfsbane with me. But I need to get away from everything you just listed. Most high school seniors have been worrying about what to wear to prom and hoping the perfect guy would ask them out, while I was hoping I would live through the day! I need at least one year of a normal, human college experience!"

"People talk, Elena! Katherine fucked over a lot of people and you look exactly like her! Now that they know she's alive they're going to look at you and see her! Or, they'll see the doppelganger that 'Klaus the Evil Original Hybrid' has been looking for, and want to turn you in for some sick reward! It'll just be a repeat of your experience with Rose and What's-His-Name! You won't get a human experience, Elena, no matter how hard you try!"

"You know Damon, I take some offense to that title, but he's right Elena. I have been all for the "Take Elena, Give Her A 'Human' Life, All Under My Protection" plan since I found you, but you moving across country does not fit into it. Nor does it fit into our agreement!"

"Klaus! Your 'agreement' with Elena isn't the important thing here! Elena has always wanted to be a writer and this is a great opportunity for her!" Caroline went over to her friend to give her a giant hug, "This will be really good for you. I'm so proud of you, 'Lena." Bonnie joined them then, adding, "We all are." Ric, Jeremy and Matt also got up to join in on the group hug, leaving Klaus, Stefan and Rebekah to watch and Damon to fume.

"Fine! Let's all just be happy for Elena and say 'whatever, you die in California, it's not my fault!' Ugh you all disgust me." Damon walked out the front door, ignoring Elena's protests.

It felt like forever since that day, mainly because that had been the last time she had talked to Damon. Every time she talked to Ric or Stefan, she would ask how he was doing, but she always got a version of one of the same three answers; "He's been on a bender all day", "Snarky, same as usual" or her least favorite, "I haven't seen him. He disappeared last night and has yet to answer his phone to tell me where he is". The last answer always worried her the most, she knew he was capable of handling himself but she also knew he liked to get himself into trouble. If he ever told anyone where he went during his disappearances, they didn't tell her, and as she passed the sign welcoming her back to Mystic Falls, she knew that was just one of the answers she was going to get from him.

Well how'd I do? Read and Review please?