Chapter one:

Elena gazed out her window much like she had done every night now for about a year. It was almost pitch black outside but she could still see the heaps of snow that lay in the garden in front of the house. She was so lost in thought that she almost didn't notice the tall, dark figure walk up behind her.

"Staring at nothing again I see?," Damon smirked as he sauntered into her room and flopped down on the bed. Elena slowly got up from her seat by the window and turned to face him.

"Haha very funny Damon," she said with a smirk of her own.

Damon and Elena had fallen into a steady routine over the past year after Stefan's abrupt announcement that he was moving away from Mystic Falls and wanted nothing more to do with either Damon or Elena. Elena was heart broken at first and for a long time she retreated into a shell and refused to socialize much. Damon, ever the white knight had come to her rescue and had been there to console her and pull her out of the dark place.

"I got an email from Jeremy today," Damon stated matter of factly as he reached for the slim mac book air on Elena's bedside table and powered it up. She made her way over to the bed and settled down next to him.

"I still don't get why he sends you emails more often then me," Elena pouted slightly. Ever since Jeremy had decided to drop out of high school last year to travel the world, Elena and Damon had been getting emails and postcards from him informing them that he was either in Cairo or Bangkok or Australia.

"What can I say?" Damon chuckled "The kid and I have bonded".

Around the time Stefan left, Jeremy had packed up and taken off on his travels last year. Jenna had stuck around until Elena had finished her senior year and graduated but even Elena could see that Jenna was itching to leave the small town. Her aunt had never been one for the domestic life and Elena felt as if she were stifling her aunt's life. After some persuasion though, Elena managed to convince Jenna that she and Alaric should take the trip to Italy that they had always dreamed of and one year later, the couple were still happily touring the historical European country.

Elena was happy for Jeremy and her aunt, and despite her broken heart, she even found it in herself to be happy for Stefan. But even though it had been her decision to put off college and stick around in Mystic Falls, she was beginning to wonder whether this was what she really wanted.

"Penny for your thoughts Layna," Damon's voice brought her back to the present and she felt herself smiling at the nickname she had grown accustomed too.

"It's nothing really, just wondering what Jenna, Alaric and Jeremy are up to on their travels,".

Damon was nothing if not a perceptive guy. In the last year that he had spent here with Elena, he had become so good at reading her thoughts and so attuned to her feelings that he rarely had to ask what was on her mind. And it was obvious tonight that this beautiful brunette sitting in front of him was missing her family. The first ten months had been great, with just the two of them, with Damon dropping into the house every night and the two of them going to the Grill most days and shooting games of pool. But as the year was drawing to a close and with the Holiday season just around the corner, Damon could see hints of Elena's loneliness slipping through. Sure, they had become great friends and they had shared the odd kiss- though it had never gone further than that- but Damon couldn't replace all her family and friends. Bonnie and Caroline had left Mystic Falls to attend Universities in different states and even Tyler Lockwood and Matt Donovan had both taken up football scholarships in California.

Damon breathed a sigh before opening his mouth again. "Layna," he started, lightly pulling her chin so she faced him. "I know we've had fun this past year and I know that you said you were ok with everyone leaving and putting off college and all that but I think we both know you can't stick around in this little town for much longer,"

Elena looked at him with her big doe eyes and suddenly tears began to form. Damon watched as they silently slipped down her gorgeous face and he cursed himself for making her upset. Suddenly Elena got up off the bed and turned to face her window once again.

"I know what you mean Damon, but I've been fighting it for a long time,"

Damon just watched her in silence not quite sure what to say next. He was about to say something when she turned back around to face him.

"I don't want to be alone in this empty house anymore knowing that it will stay empty… but I'm also scared to leave," She looked so lost in that moment that all Damon wanted to do was bundle her up in his arms and whisper in her ear that he would never leave her and that it would all be ok.

Elena made her way back over to the bed and Damon reached his arms out to embrace her. She settled back into his chest and they lay there content in silence for a long while.

Elena could feel Damon lightly dragging his fingers up and down her bare arm and she couldn't help but wish that she could lay in his warm arms forever.

"Damon?," she asked softly after what seemed like an eternity.

"Hmm," he answered back, sending vibrations into her hair.

"How about we take a little trip of our own?" she asked, a sudden hope creeping into her voice. She had thought about traveling a few times in the last year. It seemed to be working for her brother and aunt and Elena had never left the country before so it seemed like a good idea.

Elena felt Damon's arms tense around her and the smile fell from her face. "Damon say something," she almost pleaded.

Finally Damon opened his mouth to give her an answer. "Layna, I think it would be a great idea for you to go traveling, maybe go see your brother or you could even check out the possibility of going to college," he chuckled and continued "You must be the only person in this country that scored a 2300 on the SAT's and then decided not to go to college,"

Elena hadn't really heard anything Damon said after she realized that he had used the word "you" and not "us". Even though the two of them had not really acted on their obvious attraction to each other in the last year, it still hurt to even think about being apart from him for even a day. He was all she had left.

"You don't want to come with me?" she asked, cautiously extricating herself from his arms.

For the second time that night, Damon was unsure of how to proceed. "Please don't take this the wrong way Elena," he said, using her full name for the first time that night "the last year has been great. I had a good time really getting to know you and just hanging out without all the drama attached," he slowly reached out to stroke her cheek. God her skin was so soft. "I just think it's time for you to go and experience the world, maybe meet some new people and try new things." he finished, bringing his hand back to rest in his lap.

Elena once again looked up to face him with her huge chocolate eyes. "But what will you do?" she asked scared of his answer. She had managed to stay in denial for most of the year, telling herself that she and Damon could go on with their strange little relationship and not have to worry about the outside world. But tonight she could feel the little bubble she had built around them begin to crack.

Damon struggled to find the right words. Words that would explain his need to be away from her but words that would not hurt her. "I need to stop pretending to be something I'm not Elena. This past year I've been denying the most imperative parts of my nature and I really need to get out of this claustrophobic town and go back to doing what I was doing before I came back here in the first place," For a moment he thought he had gotten through to her, that he had managed to convince her that this was the best course of action and he looked up at her with a sad smile on his face. But then he saw it. The angry twitch of her jaw, the steely cold look in her brown eyes.

"Damon Salvatore, I let you into my life, became your friend when EVERYONE warned me not to and was here for you every time you had one of your existential crisis but today, you've shown me your true colours. You are the most self-absorbed jackass I have ever met. I hope I never see your face again. Get out of my house." She was breathing hard and she could feel the tears daring to slip out but she held them back with all her strength. She'd be damned if she ever showed Damon Salvatore how much he affected her.

Damon got up from the bed and started to say something. The pain he could see on Elena's face was ripping him apart inside. But he told himself that this was necessary. She had to let go. It was the only way.

"Get. Out. Of. My. House," Elena bit out in a harsh, barley controlled whisper.

Without a trace of humour on his face- which was a first for Damon, he gently stroked the side of her face and whispered "Be safe Elena. Always." And with that, he was gone.

The moment she felt the door slam shut from downstairs, Elena Gilbert burst into tears.