"A Journey To Find A Lost Soul"

Chapter 1: Time Out

A/N #1: I know I shouldn't be starting a new story but I just couldn't resist and I figured since I'm going on my vacation tomorrow, now would be a good time to post this new story. This idea has been in my mind since episode 2x12 of Vampire Diaries and if you've read my one shot "I Miss Being Human" then this story is kinda of a prequel to that. Anyways, I hope you enjoy!

NEW: If you noticed, I changed the summary for this story because I originally planned to post the three installments of the story (I planned it that way) as three separate stories but I decided to post it all under this story and just tell you of the time jumps between installments, so the new summary refers to the whole story.


Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries. They belong to their respective owners (I thank them for creating them in the first place). Recognizable dialogue comes from VD episode 'Bloodlines'.


OLD Summary: After Damon rescues Elena from her car accident, he takes her out of town…what if instead of taking her to Atlanta, Georgia, he takes her up north for a night that will truly open her eyes. Elena is in for a surprise when she sees Damon with a certain girl with big blue eyes. [Crossover yet VD-centric]

NEW Summary: Instead of visiting a dear friend alone, Damon takes along Elena just when a rogue vampire flips her car over [1x11]. As time goes on, Damon learns that it might not be Katherine that he needs in order to gain what he's missed most in the world. Will Damon finally get the ending he's been waiting for since he turned or are there just too many obstacles for him to handle? [Crossover yet VD-centric]

Remember: For Vampire Diaries, this is right after the episode where Elena sleeps with Stefan for the first time just before finding out that she's an exact physical replica to Katherine Pierce.


Vampire Diaries Timeline: starts off at the beginning of Episode #1.11 – 'Bloodlines' (with focus only on Damon and Elena)


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Elena Gilbert was feeling a little groggy and light-headed when she woke up to the warmth of the sun shining down on her face. She groaned as she wiped the sleep from her eyes before realizing that she was in a car as the scenery outside blurred before her eyes. Before she panicked, once the events of last night's accident popped back into her mind, she couldn't help but be relieved that at least the driver was someone she knew; it may have been someone she disliked but it was better than the man who was after her.

"Morning Sleepyhead." Damon Salvatore greeted the now alert teenager in the passenger seat of his car.

She groaned. "Where are we?" She questioned as she rubbed the sleep from her eyes.

"New York." Damon answered as his attention was focused on the road as he awaited for the inevitable freakout.

Elena's brow furrowed out of confusion; not believing that the vampire beside her was telling her the truth. "New York? No, no. No, we're not. Seriously, Damon. Where are we?" She protested as she surveyed her passing surroundings with no luck finding anything that she recognized. This is not good, she thought immediately.

Damon rolled his eyes as he mentally questioned why he brought Elena along with him in the first place. "Seriously, we're...we're in New York." He deadpanned before he looked to the brunette beside him. "How are you feeling?" He asked softly as he took in her confused expression.

"I…I…" She hesitated, not really sure how she was at the moment but Damon saved her the trouble of answering by jumping right into it.

"There's no broken bones. I checked." He announced as he returned his focus back onto the road.

Elena nodded her head slowly as she tried to process everything that happened. "But my car. There was a man. I hit a man. But then he got up and-who was that?" She questioned with each realization being emphasized by her panicked tone.

"That's what I would like to know."

Elena started shuffling in her seat as the idea to call home had suddenly hit her. "Where is my phone? Okay. We really need to go back. Nobody knows where I am." She exclaimed but when she realized that he wasn't listening to her, she turned her body towards him. "Pull over." She demanded but he continued on with his driving. Elena's anger only grew. "I mean it, Damon. Pull over!"

Damon turned his head to face her with an arched eyebrow expression while he still continued down the road they were on.

Elena was furious at this point yet panicking on the inside. "Stop the car!"

Damon growled under his breath as he looked towards the clock on the dashboard. I'm already late because of her. He angrily thought to himself before he spoke. "Oh you were so much more fun when you were asleep." He sarcastically stated as he pulled his blue 1967 Chevy Camaro over.

Both passengers get out of the car, Elena with a little trouble as she felt the bruises her body had collected during the crash. As she slumped over in hopes that it would ease the pain, Damon used his vampire speed to race to Elena's side to help her. His presence and his obvious concern for her threw Elena off but she couldn't help but reassure the vampire that she was alright.

Elena took a few steps forward as she got her bearings back before she turned back to face Damon. "We have to go back." She stated firmly as she thought back to how she had left things in Mystic Falls; leaving Stefan, not going home for the night therefore causing worry for her Jenna…she had to go back.

"Oh come on. Look. We've already come this far." Damon argued back with a smirk as he closed the distance between them.

Elena shot him an incredulous look. "Why are you doing this? I can't be in New York. I wrecked my car. I have to go home…This is kidnapping." She pointed out to him, one by one, as she gave him a heated glare.

Damon shook his head in mock disappointment as he lightly placed his hand on her shoulder. "That's a little melodramatic, don't you think?"

"You're not funny." She deadpanned, causing the vampire to remove his hand and take a step back. "You can't do this. I'm not going to New York." She declared as she watched Damon cross his arms over his chest as he leaned against his car.

Damon scoffed. He couldn't believe that she actually thought that telling him all this crap would make him change his mind. "You're in New York and we're just outside of Buffalo." He countered causing her to turn away with a huff. He smirked at the sight. "Without your magical necklace I might add." He was satisfied when he heard a catch in her breath before he saw her hands move to her neck as she felt for the jewelry that was no longer there. "I can very easily make you...agreeable."

"What are you trying to prove?" She sneered as she turned to face him.

Before Damon had a chance to answer, they were interrupted by a cell phone's ringer. Elena's eyes widened when she realized that it was her phone and she immediately glared at Damon once again when it become obvious that he had her phone on him somewhere.

"That's my phone."

Damon smirked before he pulled the object in question out. He took a look at her screen and he snickered at the flashing name. "Mmm. It's your boyfriend." He stated as he handed her the phone but he was more amused when she refused with a turn of her head. "I'll take it." He declared before he clicked the appropriate buttons to accept the call. "Elena's phone."

"Where is she? Why do you have her phone? Is she okay?" Stefan's voice questioned in a hurry with obvious worried laced in his tone.

"Elena? She's right here. And, yes, she's…fine." Damon deadpanned while he watched Elena.

"Where are you? Let me speak to her." Stefan demanded.

Damon rolled his eyes before he offered the phone back to Elena. "He wants to talk to you."

Elena glared at the phone while her hand was still around her neck. "Uh-uh."

Damon pulled the phone back, very pleased that the blissful couple seemed to be having a lover's quarrel, before he continued to speak to his brother. "Yeah. I don't- I don't think she wants to talk to you right now."

Stefan growled under his breath. "Damon, I swear to god, if you touch her…"

Damon smirked into the phone due to his brother's attempts of being intimidating. "You have a good day. Mm-hmm. Bye now." He immediately disconnected the call with a mischievous look on his face.

When Damon turned his attention back on Elena, he noticed that she was now standing a few feet away from him. He slowly approached her yet he wasn't surprised when she started to talk to him again.

"No one knows where I am. Can we please just go back?" She asked before she turned around to face him.

"We're almost there." He countered back without missing a beat.

"Where is there?"

Damon sighed. "HSBC Arena." When he saw her confused face, he continued his plan to persuade her into continuing on with their trip. "Oh, come on, Elena. You don't wanna go back right now…do you? What's the rush?" He questioned as he watched her resolve slowly break in her eyes. "Time-out. Trust me. Your problems are still going to be there when you get home…Look, step away from your life for one night." He offered and he was very pleased when she turned to give it some thought.

Elena didn't know what to do. It was a tempting offer but it wasn't that easy to forget all your troubles and she couldn't help but feel guilty for all the worrisome thoughts she's caused her family to endure with while she's been traveling with Damon but what choice did she have? It seemed like Damon would do anything to continue on with their journey whether Elena liked it or not.

Elena turned to Damon with a fierce look in her eyes. "One night." She stated which caused Damon to give her a triumphant smirk but before he could say anything in return, she cut him off. "Am I going to be safe with you?

"Yes."

Elena nodded her head. "Will you promise not to do that mind control thing with me?"

Damon rolled his eyes. "Yes."

"Can I trust you?" She softly questioned him as she looked him in the eyes, an intense stare-down started between the two of them and she was sure that she knew what his answer would be but what he said had her feeling a little disappointed.

"Get in the car." He told her before he made his way towards the driver's side of his Camaro.

She remained frozen in place as she released a sigh as her thoughts kept running through her mind. How can I be safe with him if I can't trust him?

"Come on." His voice broke her out of her thoughts, causing her to move towards the passenger seat as he settled into the driver's seat.

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Their drive was silent as both for the Camaro's passengers were stuck in their thoughts; Elena with her thoughts on the previous night and Damon with his thoughts on what's waiting for him at their destination.

Elena noticed Damon tapping the steering wheel a few times as well as a few secretive grins before she had enough. She wanted some answers and she was definitely going to get them.

"So, where's my car?"

"I pulled it off on the side of the road. I don't think anyone will bother it." He stated with a nonchalant shrug as he continued to tap an imaginary tune onto the steering wheel.

"What about that man in the road? Was he a...?" She trailed off as if she couldn't even udder the word at the moment.

"From what I could tell…yeah." Damon stated in a frustrated tone because he never liked not knowing things. He always liked having the upper hand when it came to situations.

Elena's brow furrowed out of confusion. "You don't know him?"

"If I've never met him, I wouldn't know him." He clarified with an eye roll before he turned to look at her. "I mean, it's not like we all hang out together at the vamp bar and grill." He quipped with a smirk before he turned back onto the road.

Elena thought that over for a moment. She didn't know why she assumed that one vampire would know every vampire out there…that would be impossible. Before she could say anything on the subject, she was interrupted by another ringing of a cell phone. She instantly groaned at the idea of having to come up with a lie pertaining to her whereabouts, not even realizing that the ring wasn't coming from her phone.

Damon took a quick look at the dashboard's clock before he cursed under his breath as he reached into his jacket pocket to retrieve his phone. "Hang on." He said when he noticed that Elena's attention was on him the moment he cursed. He managed to answer the phone on the fourth ring. "Yeah?"

"Damon where are you?" The caller shouted over the line, loud enough for Damon to move the phone away from his ears and for Elena to hear and realize that it wasn't a voice she recognized.

Damon growled a bit before he placed the phone back to his ear. "Hey now, there is no need to shout at me. I can hear you perfectly fine thank you very much." He sarcastically stated.

The caller sighed. "Sorry it's just…it's already half time Damon and you promised you'd be here." Damon could hear the desperation in his caller's voice and he couldn't be mad at the kid anymore.

"And I'll be there. I just had a small…delay when it came to leaving town but I'm just reaching the city now and with my driving, I'll be there in five minutes." Damon declared as he looked to Elena before turning his attention back on the road. Elena couldn't hear the other side of the conversation anymore but she couldn't help but watch Damon as he spoke on the phone while her peripheral vision picked up that they were now reaching the city's limits.

"Okay." The caller sighed but Damon could hear that the boy's voice was a little tense due to the game.

Damon scoffed. "Don't sound like your dog died. I said I'll be there and I will be there. Have I ever broken a promise before?"

There was a slight pause before Damon got an answer. "From what she's told me, no you haven't."

Damon chuckled under his breath. "And I'm not gonna start now so lighten up and go win or I'll be giving you hell afterwards." The vampire quipped as he maneuvered his car throughout the streets of Buffalo.

Although Damon couldn't see him, the caller was smirking on the other line. "Got it."

"Good. Now what number are you again?"

"Twenty-three."

Damon laughed as so many representations came to mind when associated with that number. "What a coincidence."

"What is?" The vampire could hear the confusion in the boy's voice and he couldn't help but snicker. All in due time my boy…all in due time.

"Nothing. I'll tell you if you win. Now go." He commanded before he immediately ended the call and returned his phone to its rightful place.

Elena remained in her seat with a stunned yet confused expression on her face as she tried to make sense of Damon's phone call. When she had no luck on her own, she tried a different approach. "Who was that?"

"The reason why we aren't leaving." He firmly stated as he sped down the main streets of Buffalo.

"Oh." She stated in a defeated sigh when she felt like that's all she was going to get from him.

Damon groaned when he heard her tone. "Whether you got in that accident last night or not Elena, I'd still be here right now. Granted I wouldn't be late but you get my point." He explained as he glanced at the clock before he stepped on the gas.

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Just as the vampire promised, it was five minutes from the phone call did he arrive in the packed parking lot of the HSBC Arena. Whether it was packed or not, that didn't stop this vampire from finding a spot for his Camaro.

Damon was out of the car before Elena could blink and before she knew it, her door opened up on its own. It wasn't until she had her feet planted on the ground did she look up into Damon's ice blue eyes as he waited for her with his hand stretched out for her. She gave him a quizzical look before she took it, having him pull her up from her seat. "So why are we here again?" She questioned as she moved out of the way so that he could close her door.

Damon sighed when he started leading her towards the arena, with his hand at the small of her back. "Championship hockey game in the post-secondary tournament circuit is going on right now and if we go now, we'll be able to catch the rest of the second half." He explained in a hurry as he could easily hear the crowd inside the arena with his vampire hearing.

Elena didn't have time to register her surroundings as she was more focused on not tripping. It wasn't until they were inside the hallways of the HSBC Arena did she notice all the promotional banners that covered the walls.

She turned to give Damon a curious look as they made their way down one of the main hallways. "Hockey? I thought you were more of a football kind of guy."

Damon smirked as he flung his arm around Elena's shoulder. "I am but that doesn't mean I can't watch the sport."

"Oh." She stated before she shrugged her shoulders to get Damon's arm off of her.

Damon rolled his eyes for her not-so-subtle action but when he noticed that she was about to enter the main arena area, he quickly pulled her back. She gave him a confused look but he ignored it before he spoke. "Alright and before I forget, do not say my name unless I tell you that you can."

Elena shot him a confused glance. "Come again?"

Damon could hear the buzzer going off inside the arena, followed by many cheers which gave him the conclusion that someone scored a goal. He groaned before he looked Elena directly in the eyes. "Just don't say my name and I'll explain why after the game." He stressed to her and by the look in his eyes, Elena knew that she needed to follow him just this once.

"Um…" She stated with a slow nod before Damon started rushing them through the arena doors.

Elena was surprised to see the stands crowded with fans as they supported the final teams in the championship game. She could see all the different school colors as she followed Damon up the bleachers and to a pair of empty seats at the end of a row. She could see a sea of white and purple on one side of the arena with banners associated with New York University (NYU) while the other side had banners that consisted of blues, yellows and reds that went with Queens University.

She watched as the two teams skated around the ice as they went after the black rubber puck. She was so involved in the game that she didn't realize that Damon was invading her personal space until she felt his cool breath on the side of her neck.

"We're looking out for Golden Gaels' player #23." He whispered into her ear, causing a shiver to travel down her spine for no reason but she instantly chalked that up to her body being cold since she didn't have a jacket. Damon snickered (because there was no doubt that he noticed) before he shrugged his leather jacket off and placed it over Elena's shoulders. The temperature had no real effect on the vampire so he didn't mind but when he felt her curious gaze on his face, he didn't look back at her as he focused his attention on tracking down the player he came to watch.

It wasn't long before Elena understood all the talk around her, with Damon's assistance of course at some points. She learned that the Violets, aka the NYU team, was playing against the Golden Gaels; the team from Queens University which was located in Kingston, Ontario, Canada and that the specific player that Damon wanted her to look out for was the captain of the team, a guy by the name of Venturi. She couldn't help but feel that the name felt familiar to her but it was one of those moments where the thought was on the tip of her tongue yet she couldn't place where she had heard it before.

Elena was too enthralled with the hockey game to notice Damon's attention being shifted from the game to scoping out the crowd as he tried to locate the second person he was supposed to meet up here in Buffalo.

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Elena was on her feet, screaming her heart out like the rest of the crowd when the buzzer rang only seconds after the Gaels' captain scored another goal and winning the championship game for Queens University.

Damon couldn't help but smile when he saw that Elena was enjoying herself. He too was having fun as he watched the hockey game before him. He's been to many championship games in practically all the leagues over the years but he couldn't help but feel that this particular one was his favorite.

They watched as the two teams shook hands before they were awarded their respective medals. Once a player had received their medal, they would take a lap, causing cheers to erupt among the crowd before the player would wait near the rink's exit that led to the locker room.

It was only after the winning team members received their medals, did Damon lead Elena out of the bleachers and back into the halls. "So what'd you think?" Damon asked as he led the way to where they needed to go.

Elena didn't know how to respond as the sheer adrenaline of watching the game was still coursing through her body. "I didn't think college hockey could be as aggressive as the NHL." She immediately wanted to smack her forehead for her answer, not believing that that was the first thing that popped into her head when it came to Damon's question.

Damon chuckled. "Any sport at any level could be…aggressive Elena." He stated before coming to a complete stop since he could see that the locker room was just a bit further down the hall.

They would have continued down the hallway but he could sense that a few people were waiting by the doors and one of those people was someone he didn't want to see just yet.

Elena looked to Damon with a confused look when he had stopped her in his tracks. All he gave her was a mischievous smirk before he whispered to her that they would just wait right where they were.

Elena turned to take a look around her but when she saw that no one was in hearing distance of them, her confusion only deepened. "Why are you whispering?" She stated yet she couldn't help but whisper the question back to him.

"You'll see." Just by the way he said those words did Elena know that Damon wasn't telling her something and she didn't like that. She didn't like being kept in the dark but if she's learned anything by now about the vampire, it was that he was one stubborn immortal so she wouldn't be getting any answers unless he wanted her to know them.

So they waited.

Damon was leaning calmly against the wall with his arms crossed over his chest as he shifted his gaze from the Gaels' locker room door (that he could perfectly see from the far distance due to his vampire abilities) to a pacing Elena, whose patience seemed to be wearing out. She had on many occasions tried to get Damon to answer a few questions but he always managed to stop her from uttering more than three words at a time and that fact really infuriated the teenager.

It was about fifteen or twenty minutes after they arrived in the hallway did Damon finally see some of the players exiting the locker rooms and being greeted by their friends and family members. It wasn't long before Damon instantly spotted the Gaels' captain as he tried to weave his way through the growing crowd around the locker rooms. He watched as the captain managed to find an empty spot before he was tackled by a girl as she gave him a victorious hug.

Damon smirked when he saw the girl in the captain's arms. There she is.

Before Elena could process what was happening, Damon was leading her towards the locker room crowd…to the captain and the girl to be more precise.

"I know you scored the game winning goal Venturi but that doesn't mean you get to hog the girl." Damon quipped at the captain when him and Elena (who now stared at Damon with wide eyes for his comment) were close enough to the hugging couple.

The captain turned his attention to Damon with a smirk on his face as he still held the girl in his arms. What surprised Elena the most was the girl's reaction to Damon's comment as her head whipped around to the vampire only to have her irritated expression turn into one of shock before it turned into one of glee.

Elena watched as the captain, Venturi, released his hold on the girl as she turned in his arms to face Damon before she took off and ran towards them as she shouted out Damon's name. Elena turned to face Damon for some answers but she was thrown for a loop when she saw a genuinely excited smile on the vampire's face as he waited for the girl to come to him. The vampire didn't hesitate to catch the girl when she threw herself into Damon's arms, her arms instantly wrapped around his neck as she hugged him as if her life depended on it. Elena watched in amazement when she noticed that Damon was holding the girl just as tightly as he twirled her around, earning a few giggles from the girl and to Elena's surprise once again a few genuine laughs from the vampire himself.

"I missed you so much!" The girl exclaimed into Damon's neck as her grip on him tightened.

Damon sighed as he held her tightly in his arms. "I missed you too!" He sincerely stated before he stopped his twirling and placed the girl back on the floor. It had been seven years since the last time he's seen her and Damon didn't want to let her go. She pulled back from the hug but she still remained in his arms. "I'm sorry I couldn't make it last month." He apologized.

The girl raised her hand to Damon's cheek as she giving him a beaming smile. "I know and it doesn't matter, you're here now. That's all I care about!" She excited stated which got her another smile from the vampire.

Elena continued to look between the two before her and she couldn't believe how Damon was behaving at the moment. Was it all an act? She couldn't help but wonder since this was a side of Damon Salvatore that she hadn't been exposed to in the three months that she's known the vampire.

She took this time to actually look at the girl who held Damon's attention and Elena couldn't believe how stunning she looked. She had beautiful black hair that flowed in flawless ringlets that ended just above her shoulder, she had a body that any girl dreamed of having and it showed in no matter what the girl wore whether it were a beautiful dress or in a simple outfit such as a pair of blue skinny jeans and a tight-fit red sweater underneath a thin yellow vest (it wasn't long before she realized that the outfit was in the Queens University colors). She also seemed to have this pleasant aura surrounding her and Elena had this sudden feeling of envy towards the girl for reasons she wasn't quite sure of…were they for her gorgeous looks or was it the fact that she held Damon's interest?

"It's about time I got to meet you face to face Damon." The captain's voice broke through Elena's stunned stupor causing her attention to turn to the young man just as he approached them with his hand held out.

Elena noticed that the young man was definitely handsome and he could be a couple years older than herself which was evident when she noticed that on his team jacket it had four stripes which gave her the conclusion that the captain before her was on the team for four years. His slightly shaggy brown hair seemed to be covering his chocolate brown eyes as he sported a playful smirk on his face as his attention was on Damon and the girl. Elena noticed his hockey bag was slung over his shoulders as he waited for Damon to take his hand in a greeting shake.

Damon chuckled when he shifted the ecstatic girl in his arms to the side, her arms instantly wrapped around his waist, as he returned the hand shake to the hockey player. "At least you had a name to a face before today. All I had was your name." Damon quipped back with a smirk, earning both a chuckle from the hockey player and slight smack to the chest from the black-haired beauty.

"That's not true and you know it." The mystery girl playfully chided which just stunned Elena even more on how comfortable the girl seemed to be in Damon's presence.

Damon rolled his eyes as he gave a playful glare down at the girl in his arms. "Whatever."

Elena cleared her throat, finding herself feeling a bit uncomfortable around the newcomers when Damon seemed to be so completely at ease with them in his presence. "Um, Damon?"

Immediately three heads snapped towards Elena as they gave her their undivided attention; Damon with a curious smirk aimed at Elena while the girl was still firmly in his arms, the captain with a slightly shocked expression on his face when he looked at Elena and then there was the girl, who's expression stunned the brunette the most. Elena's breath hitched when their eyes locked as it wasn't the wide-eyed expression on her face that stunned the teenager, but it was the fact that she was staring at Elena with these deep oceanic eyes of hers that instantly reminded the brunette of the vampire who held the blue-eyed beauty in his arms.

The black-haired, blue-eyed beauty seemed to recover faster than Elena as she gave the brunette a pleasant smile. "You must be Elena." Her melodic voice stated causing both Damon and Elena to look at her with quizzical expressions yet the beauty in Damon's arms ignored their gaze as she continued on with one of her hands stretched out towards Elena. "I'm Casey McDonald."

Elena shook her head a bit before she took Casey's proffered hand in hers. "Elena Gilbert."

There was a brief pause the moment their hands touched before Casey's smile widened with a mischievous gleam in her blue eyes. "I know."

Damon continued to look at his best friend suspiciously as he had felt her tense up in his arms during that brief pause moments ago. It reaction wasn't as obvious anymore but he learned long ago that it was a common occurrence with Casey McDonald shortly after he met her when he was seven. Damon Salvatore knew practically everything there was to know about Casey McDonald and vice versa but then again how could they not after spending 162 years together traveling the world while dealing with their vampiric natures. The thing is they weren't just best friends; they were also family and only a selected few knew that fact after they turned. Over the decades she's gone by many names but when they were human she went by the name of Cassandra Salvatore. Very few people knew that Casey was actually Damon's biological half-sister thanks to their father Giuseppe Salvatore, who had a short affair with Esmeralda Mereana (a witch) two years after Damon was born. The town just believed that the Salvatores adopted Damon's best friend after she became an orphan at the age of ten (due to her mother's passing). Damon's own mother never knew that Casey was Giuseppe's illegitimate daughter yet Cecilia Salvatore loved Casey as if she were her own daughter.

"Yeah, how did you know that? Bringing Elena was a last minute decision." Damon interjected after snapping out of his thoughts pertaining to his human life with his half-sister.

Casey turned her attention back to Damon with a knowing smirk on her lips. "You know I have ways of finding out things Damon. You of all people should know that by now." She quipped as she stared Damon down as if they were having a silent conversation with one another, which was quite possible between these two.

The captain snickered when he noticed the start of the stare-down before he turned to face Elena with his hand stretch out between them. "Glad you could make it Elena. I'm Derek Venturi, Casey's boyfriend." He introduced himself while they shook hands.

Elena gave Derek a grateful smile as she felt that nagging feeling that she knew this hockey player from somewhere. The name sounded familiar to her and with the way he was looking at her, as if he knew who she was, gave her the impression that they have met before. "This may sound odd but have we met before?"

Derek chuckled as he looked Elena over. He was stunned at first when he first saw her due to the many pictures and stories Casey's told him pertaining to Miss Katherine Pierce but when he heard her name, he couldn't believe that it was really Elena in front of him and not the vampire ice queen herself.

"Does Little Lena ring any bells for you?" Derek teased and he was very pleased when he saw her dark brown eyes widened.

Both vampires heard the little catch in Elena's breath when they heard the nickname, leaving a curious Damon and a pleased Casey. "No ones called me that since I was a kid." She whispered as she tried to wrap her mind around the person who usually called her that specific nickname.

Derek smiled as he titled his head to the side, putting up the façade that he was deep in thought for the moment. "Well it has been awhile since I've been to Mystic Falls."

As the words left his mouth, it all slammed into Elena so fast she thought that she couldn't breathe. She remembered a preteen with shaggy brown hair and mischievous brown eyes visiting the town whenever there was a holiday. She would remember him playing road hockey with Tyler and Matt as she watched at the side of the curb with Caroline, Bonnie, Jeremy and another little boy with short brown hair and big brown doe eyes like his brother. Her mind suddenly flashed to the moment she first met Derek.

"Is it wise for a young girl like you to be out here alone?" She was sitting outside by the quarry when she heard the voice behind her. Her seven-year-old self turned to see a boy she'd never met before but he seemed friendly enough.

"No but now I'm not alone. Are you new here?" Elena questioned the boy with shaggy brown hair and big brown eyes as he slowly approached her to take a seat right beside her.

"I'm visiting some relatives for the summer. I just got into town actually." He stated as he looked out towards the water.

She continued to watch him, not wanting to make herself vulnerable with a stranger so close to her. "Who are you visiting?"

"My cousin Tyler."

Her eyes had widened at the name. "Tyler Lockwood's your cousin?"

The boy turned to face her with an amused expression on his face. "Is there another Tyler in town?"

Elena slowly shook her head from side to side. "Nope."

The boy smirked as he leaned back with his hands supporting him up as he watched Elena. "Then that's him. I'm Derek, Derek Venturi."

Before Elena knew it, another moment flashed to the forefront of her mind.

"Aww, is Little Lena afraid of getting dirty." Derek mocked as he gestured towards the muddy soccer field where Matt, Tyler, Jeremy and his brother, Edwin, were kicking a soccer ball around. Bonnie and Caroline had family obligations that day so Elena only had the guys to hang out with that day.

"Why do you call me that?" She shyly questioned as she changed the topic, not really feeling like playing soccer that day.

Derek shrugged with a smirk on his face. "Because it's true."

Elena pouted as she placed her hands on her hips. "How so?"

Derek snickered. "You're younger and you're smaller than me."

"By only four years and girls are supposed to be smaller than boys." She protested with a huff.

Derek laughed as he started to walk backwards a few steps. "We can argue it all you want Elena but you'll always be Little Lena to me."

The memory started to fade and Elena couldn't help but smile at the memory. At the time she would get annoyed by the name but now she found it very sweet.

"You're Tyler Lockwood's cousin Derek right?" Derek nodded as his smile widened when she finally made the connection. Elena smiled right back at her former tormentor. "I thought your last name sounded familiar."

Derek chuckled. "Small world huh?"

Elena nodded, feeling a little more at ease that she at least knew Derek from her childhood. "Tell me about it."

Damon cleared his throat with Casey still wrapped around his side. "Now that everyone knows…everyone, let's get out of here and celebrate." He suggested as he started to head towards the exit, immediately grabbing hold of Elena's hand with his free one.

Before Damon could pull Casey too far ahead, she grabbed a hold of her boyfriend's hand before she continued on the path Damon was setting for them. "And I have just the perfect place in mind." She stated with a playful gleam in her eyes. This is gonna be one hell of a celebration!


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Second Fandom: Life With Derek (only two main characters will be present while the rest will only be mentioned)

Casey McDonald (aka Cassandra Salvatore) – Witch/Vampire - Age: 168 (turned at 23 yet she physically looks like she's 21 at the moment due to a spell)

Derek Venturi – Human - Age: 21

I was too lazy to create two new original characters when I really wanted to write Derek and Casey in this position so I figured this would be a slight crossover since I will be using the simple back story of these characters from the second fandom but with a twist that incorporates the whole vampire thing. You don't need to have watched Life with Derek beforehand as anything involving that fandom, I will be sure to explain it in the story if it's relevant.


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A/N #2: So what did you think? I know it's long for the first chapter but I really wanted Elena to meet Casey in the first chapter as she takes a first glimpse of a different Damon when he's around Casey, his sister (a fact that Elena is unaware of at the moment). So please let me know what you think in a review!

A/N #3: So if you haven't already, check out my one shot "I Miss Being Human" which takes place a couple months into the future from when the events of this chapter take place.

A/N #4: Before I forget...has anyone else seen the new season 3 sneak peek with Damon/Elena? *fans self* Elena is one lucky girl in that scenario ;D

NEWS: Alright so I created a master list for this story (through my LJ account) and that is where you can find the links pertaining to the Salvatore/Mereana Family Tree (I finally finished it and posted it in 4 parts...5 files total.) For some reason I couldn't continuing writing until I finished the family tree so I hope you all take a look at it! Thanks!


Originally Published: July 29, 2011

Edited: August 18, 2011