Title: The Reason

Author: foxs-dana

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Rating: PG-13

Category/keywords: delena, Damon/Elena angst

Spoilers: Any of the novels before The Return: Nightfall

Dedication: To all fans of the Vampire Diaries both novels and television series. To all the delena shippers out there. To my friend Alex who helped me in writing this story who is a GREAT writer and inspiration with her great characterization of Damon. To the group Hoobastank for writing the song "The Reason" which inspired this story

Summary: Elena has always believed that she had Stefan were meant to be together. But what if it wasn't Stefan that actually saw her first? Can Damon strive to change and embrace human emotion that he has tried to shut out for over 500 years?

Feedback: Please, I love it!

Archive: Sure, just let me know where it's going!

Disclaimer: Damon Salvatore, Elena Gilbert and other characters of The Vampire Diaries do not belong to me but rather L.J. Smith

Damon entered his room. It had been a long night and he was going to catch some z's before Stefan came in to annoy him. Their rooms were linked by a bathroom. They were what most people called a Jack-and-Jill. Not very good. Damon did not enjoy sharing a bathroom. So far, Stefan had twice walked in while he was showering. Now, Damon wasn't shy about being naked, but Stefan just walking in without knocking had bothered him. Was it really that hard to knock on the door?

Now, Damon was pacing as he thought. It was strange, really. He should be exhausted and falling into bed. But, no. Here he was, pacing in his bedroom, thinking about nothing. Glancing around the room, he admired its style. It was his style.

The room was black. If anyone had to describe it in one word, that's the one they would use. Black. The walls were painted black and the comforter on the bed was black. Everything was black. There were posters on the wall. Posters of Damon's favorite bands and his favorite TV shows. It looked a little like a teenager's room. But, Damon didn't care. It was his space and no one else needed to live in it.

He went over to his closet. Maybe, if I change into something comfier, I'll be tired. It was a comforting thought. He pulled off his shirt and searched for something to sleep in. Damon didn't really have pajamas. Those were for kids. He just wore whatever he felt like. Today, he decided to sleep in his boxers.

He was walking over to his bed, when something on the bookshelf caught his eye. It was a journal/notebook/thing. He opened it. There was only one entry. One entry from the worst night of his life. The night they had saved Stefan. The night Elena had chosen Stefan over him. Or, at least, he thought she did. They had kissed, and they were together again. Ugh.

Suddenly, the door burst open. Damon shoved the journal into a space in the bookshelf and turned towards the door.

"Whatever happened to knocking?"

It was hard to believe it had already been a few months since Elena had been returned to the land of the living. She had helped to defeat Klaus who according to Stefan made Katherine look like a kitten. Katherine had been defeated through being exposed to sunlight whereas Klaus was taken out by supernatural forces. The battle against Klaus had drained her immensely which is why Stefan took great caution in helping her restore her health. However on top of that Elena discovered that she apparently had some kind of special powers that were from her being on "The Other Side". It also appeared that she had reverted to an almost child-like state which made her quite vulnerable to the forces of darkness. Stefan did everything he could to help her overcome this time and she loved him even more than she had before. Instead of keeping her at the boarding house he chose to keep her at an abandoned home where he knew her secret would be safe. He also knew that he had to keep her away from Damon due to her invulnerability. As far as he was concerned the less his brother knew the better. As far as Elena was concerned she could not imagine her life without Stefan. He was her best friend, her lover and her savior. He gave her the reason to wish to keep living. Even though he was hesitant Elena knew that she wanted to be with him forever and she intended to tell him so. She didn't care that he was a vampire and as far as she was concerned they could work though that. After all he didn't feed on human blood and animal blood could easily be obtained. They could live a semi-normal life right?

Picking up her diary she started to write her thoughts just as she had been ever since she was ten. Except this time her thoughts were a little deeper than talking about having tea parties and having a crush on the neighbor boy who had a swimming pool. She lay across the bed and began to write:

Yeah we would both be like Buffy and Angel. The human and the vampire with the dark past. Of course we all remember what happened with Buffy and Angel in the end…but that won't happen with me and Stefan. And besides I'm not a normal human anymore because I have been to the other side. I have died twice and even been a vampire. That hardly makes me like Buffy does it? Although…technically she did die once too and dealt with the supernatural. Wait, why am I even comparing myself to Buffy who was a fictional character? Stefan is hardly Angel and besides he is better looking. So is Damon supposed to be Spike? Well before he became good anyway. There I go again! It is kind of interesting the comparison although I doubt Stefan and Damon would have no idea what I was talking about. So, I have decided that today is the day I am going to talk to Stefan about spending the rest of my life with him. I've decided that I have been patient long enough and am sure now that it is what I want to do. After everything that I have experienced I cannot think of anyone else who would be able to understand and help me. So what do I do about Damon? It is not like I am not appreciative for what he has done and keeping his promise to help his brother. And of course we are more like than Stefan and I but….

But what? Why could she not finish the sentence? There should be no "buts" if she was so certain that she wanted to be with Stefan. What did it mean? Holding her pen for a few moments she paused and twirled it between her fingers before putting it down and then closing the diary. She decided that some sleep would help her sort her thoughts and Stefan would be back soon.

Some hours later she awoke to find the moon shining in the window. Sitting up she glanced over to the other side of the bed expecting to see her love sleeping peacefully but instead found it vacant.

"Stefan?"

After waiting for a few moments for an answer she got up and pulled on some clothes before heading downstairs. She kept searching the house calling out the name of the man that she had decided she wished to spend the rest of her life with but saw no sign of him. Even though she had some supernatural gifts now she did not need them to tell her that something was wrong. Searching the house she found that his clothes were still in the closet. She ran her fingers through her long blonde hair trying to think of where Stefan might be. It was then that her eyes caught something that was draped over the chair and her eyes narrowed. She could feel her blood boiling as she picked it up and then went storming for the door. She stopped and found a pair of keys on the table putting them in her pocket. Heading out the door she used a key to start the car that was out there and then sped off into the night. Her anger was consuming her as she pulled up to the boarding house and used Stefan's key to get inside.

If he is inside then I will not jump to any conclusions. Maybe he just went to see Damon?

She looked down at the object in her hand and gripped it tightly. "Then why would he have left this behind?" Elena whispered. "And why would he not have left me a note or called me?" Heading upstairs she went to Stefan's room. "He's probably in here safe and sound. Now no need to worry, Elena. He just probably thought you would sleep and then he would just see you in the morning." She then opened the door to find it empty. "Well, so much for thinking positive. Now it is time to follow the assumption I had in the first place."

Heading out of Stefan's room she closed the door and headed down the hallway. She knew precisely where she was going and when she reached the door simply opened it without knocking. Now was not the time for being polite.

"Where is he, Damon?" Elena asked with an irritated voice as she stood in the doorway. "And don't lay there and try to tell me you have no idea either." She then threw his leather jacket at him. "It appears you were a little careless in your haste and left THIS behind."

Damon stared. Elena Gilbert had just barged into his bedroom. He was a little proud of her recklessness, but the fact that she had entered his space annoyed him. To add to his irritation, she was demanding things of him. Nobody demanded things of Damon Salvatore. No, with him, it was the other way around. Then again, Damon had never met a girl who was anything like Elena Gilbert. Nor, had he ever met a girl who could resist him as she did.

He watched her temper rise. She lifted his leather jacket. Damon frowned. What was she doing with his jacket. Had his little brother stolen it? No, why would Stefan want Damon's jacket? So, the question remained: What was Elena doing with it?

"Well, princess, I honestly have no idea where my brother is. But how, may I ask, did you get my jacket?" Damon was angry now. She had barged into his room while he was having a moment. Now, she was accusing him of...well, something. What was she accusing him of, anyway? Why would he have any idea where Stefan was? It wasn't like they were close. Elena was simply being irrational. But, because she was Elena, Damon made an effort to remember the last time he'd seen his brother.

It was in the forest. With that boy, Shinichi. The strange boy with the golden eyes and the too black hair with the red tips. Damon had a funny feeling about Shinichi, but they were allies so he didn't dwell on it. Surely, though, Stefan would've been back by now. After all, they were only supposed to talk. But, he couldn't tell Elena about Shinichi. He had no idea why, but he just...couldn't. He physically couldn't open his mouth to tell her. Now, that was odd. But, no sooner had he thought this, it disappeared.

He looked back at Elena. She was still holding his leather jacket, looking at him like she expected some sort of an answer. It was just too bad that Damon didn't have one. He could smell her blood from across the room. It was tantalizing. Suddenly, in his mind's eye, Damon saw himself with Elena. They were sitting high in the branches of a tree. But, Damon wasn't drinking her sweet blood. No, he was kissing her.

He shook his head. What was wrong with him? He was a vampire! He wanted blood, not kisses! Sharing blood was the vampire equivalent to sex, so why hadn't he seen himself sharing blood with Elena?

Damon was beginning to grow weary. Of course, now that he couldn't sleep, he was getting tired. Now, he had to deal with the problem that was Elena.

"Well, if Stefan's not around, you can always spend the night with me. One night, and you'll never want Stefan again." He smiled alluringly at her. She would surely do one of two things. A: Decide to stay with him. Or B: Yell at him and leave, slamming the door behind her. Either option was a win for Damon. If she stayed, great. He would have a good night. If she went, he could finally get some sleep.

Did he just call me, PRINCESS?

"I would have thought you could answer me that question," Elena replied back snarkily. "Or did you think that all of a sudden I had a passion for collecting leather jackets? Trust me if I DID want one it would NOT be one of yours."

Even though it does smell nice. And your scent is kind of intoxicating. What am I saying? I am mad at you! You will not distract me! I need to find Stefan!

"Do you really expect me to believe that you have no idea where Stefan is when you left a distinctive part of you at the scene?" She crossed her arms and let out a huff. "Or I suppose that someone just came in here, walked into your room, took it and then planted it back where Stefan and I were? Yeah that is VERY likely. And if you cannot tell that is sarcasm dripping from my lips then there is something wrong with you."

It was at that very moment that she briefly glanced over at Damon and saw the attire he was wearing. Or rather the lack of it except for boxer shorts. Ok this was not going to help things much. Even though she would never admit it to Damon she was drawn to him and seeing him half naked was not helping her in this situation. In her mind she was picturing her lying next to him on the bed and caressing that nice chest of his.

Dammit! He did this to me on purpose! He knew that I was coming over here with his jacket and thought that he could try and seduce me! He is trying to distract me from my mission to confront him about Stefan! I'm surprised he isn't posing for me! Damn you, Damon Salvatore! Why do we have to be so similar?

"Spend….spend the night with you?" Elena asked as she tried to keep her composure and then let out a nervous laugh. "Surely you must be joking? You think that after I burst in here accusing you of doing something with Stefan that I am just going to throw it all away and leap into your arms? Oh my god you truly are a piece of work do you know that?"

Oh god he is giving me that sexy smile of his. What the hell is he doing reading my mind? No! No, I have to stay strong! Even though I am thinking thoughts that he would just love to know. Put on that jacket and cover yourself!

"So… it appears we both have some questions that need to be answered. And as for me I do not intend to leave until they are. I want to know what you did with Stefan, Damon. It is no secret that you are jealous of my relationship with him and would love to get him out of the way. And it is not my fault that you just happened to drop your jacket on the way out. Of course the other thing that I want to know is how did you know where to find us? As far as I knew Stefan told NO ONE about where we were because of how vulnerable I was. So what did you do, follow him?"

As long as Elena remained in the security of the doorway and Damon remained at a good distance she would be able to keep her wits about her. However she didn't like that expression on Damon's face and knew that he could change the tables on this situation very quickly. Unlike his younger brother Damon was sly like a snake and had no morals whatsoever. He would expose someone's weaknesses and use it to his advantage. And this time she did not have Stefan to save her. She took a slight step back in the doorway and then raised her head almost defiantly at him. Taking a breath she then cleared her throat.

"So, I will ask one more time. WHERE is Stefan?"