Hello all! Welcome to my new story, Count On Me! I have not updated a story in over a year. If you are someone who reads my OTH stories, I plan to finish them someday, but I fell out of One Tree Hill. I found new shoes, TVD being one of them, and Supernatural (which I am also working on a story for). Leyton just isn't my favorite couple anymore, unfortunately.

This story is NOT going to just be focused on Delena. There are other issues in Damon's life that Elena is going to help him through. Basically, they are best friends, and have been for years. Damon and Stefan, are not brothers, they are cousins, and very close.

The title comes from the song Count On Me by Bruno Mars.

Chapter 1

It was finally senior year for the gang at Mystic Falls. There had been so much drama in the last 17 years and now, in one year, that would be over. No more fake bitches trying to manipulate them. No more intimidating bullies. And for some people, no more crappy family members to deal with everyday. But, in one year, they would also have to bid farewell to their best friends. To the best and worst years of their lives.

Elena waited by her locker as she waited for the Salvatore's. Damon and Stefan were two of her best friends. They grew up together before she had met Bonnie and Caroline. Elena's family had lived down the street. Damon and Stefan were cousins and lived across the street from each other.

Damon and Stefan and been there for Elena through everything. Through her breakups and her grandparents deaths. Elena had also been there for the boys. Especially when Damon's mother had passed away.

No one expected it. She was driving to pick her twelve year old son up from school when the accident happened. Damon had always blamed himself. When he lost his mom, he was miserable. Stefan couldn't help him and his dad quickly became an alcoholic. He had always looked up to his father until then.

Elena was the one who didn't let Damon go down the path of destruction. She built him back up and helped restore his confidence. Still, Damon was never the same after that fateful day.

"Hey 'Lena!" Damon called to her as the boys approached her.

"Hey guys! Please tell me that you have Palmer first period for Physics!" She prayed. She hated Mr. Palmer with a passion.

"Unfortunately." Damon mumbled.

"I got Mr Joans for Physics, thank god almighty!"

"Nerd." Damon jokingly told Stefan. They were like toddlers sometimes.

Elena laughed at the boys playful banter. "We should go. Come on, Demon." That was her nickname for Damon that she had had for the past ten years, because she thought she was so clever when she was seven.

He groaned at the thought of the first of many boring hours in Physics.

Later, at lunch, she was happy to find that all of her friends had the same lunch, so they all shared a table. Elena sat next to Damon and Caroline. Next to Damon (in order) was Stefan, Klaus, Tyler, Matt, Rebekah, Enzo, and Bonnie who was also next to Caroline. This was how the lunch table usually was in the years before. It would occasionally changes based on the drama of their friend group.

In the past, Caroline had dated Klaus and Tyler on and off. Matt was a short fling in freshman year.
Elena had dated Matt for a while. A couple times in Middle School and for a year (from sophomore to junior year) before eventually deciding that it didn't work, so they stayed friends.

Matt and Rebekah are currently dating, and have been since he romantically asked her out on Valentine's Day of that year. Elena had dated Stefan for two weeks in freshman year, then they realized that it was too weird.

Bonnie dated random people that she brought to the table, but was currently with Enzo as of July.

Damon didn't date often. He just didn't like relationships and commitment, which would sometimes worry his friends. He briefly dated Rebekah for a month junior year, but she broke up with him when he couldn't commit. The same thing happened with Caroline in sophomore year. His only long lasting relationship was with Elena's cousin, Katherine, but she had broken his heart. They all loved him, and he loved them all, but not enough. He was scared of getting hurt, and the only person who knew about his fear was Elena, because he couldn't hide anything from her.

Elena looked at Damon, who had been pretty quiet throughout the day. He wasn't his usual self and that made her worry.

"Hey, you okay?" She whispered, so no one else would hear.

He nodded.

"You know that you can tell me what's bugging you, right? I'm your best friend."

Once again, he nodded. She was getting a little annoyed.

"Don't do the 'I'm Damon and don't need help with anything' thing. I see right through it." She told him before going back to her food.

Suddenly, Damon got up and walked out. Everyone paused, shocked.

"What just happened?" Caroline, of course, was the first to speak.

"I don't know." Elena answered, looking to Stefan, who would be the only other person who might know what's going on, but he looked just as shocked.

She stood up and went after him.

Elena found him by the stairs, just sitting, looking deep in thought.

"Did you just happen to forget that I'm your best friend and that I can see right through you?" He was startled by her voice. "What's wrong?" She demanded to know.

"'Lena, just let it go," he sighed, "Please."

"No, I want to know who thinks they can mess with my best friend. That's my job."

He looked at her. "I'm just thinking."

"Thinking? Damon Salvatore does not think. Who's the girl?"

He laughs slightly. "There is no girl."

"So who pissed you off and why haven't you gotten in a fight with them yet? Stefan?"

"No, it's not Stefan, Elena. Can we just let it go?"

She sighed and sat down next to him on the stairs. "For now. If someone messes with you, they come to me. No one messes with my Demon." She rests her head on his shoulder.

"And no one messes with my 'Lena."

Damon walked into his house at seven that night. He had gone to the diner with Stefan and Elena for dinner, something that they do quite often.

He heard footsteps coming from the living room and prepared himself for the worst.

"WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN?! YOU WERE SUPPOSED TO BE HOME FOUR HOURS AGO!" His father screamed at him.

"I went out to eat with Elena and Stefan. I didn't think you'd mind. I'm sorry." Damon said cautiously, he doesn't usually apologize to people, but it seemed like he had been doing an awful lot of it lately.

"Well, sorry doesn't cut it, son!" Giuseppe yelled.

The next thing he knew, he was laying on the floor in a painful heap, holding his bleeding head.

"Go to your room."

When Damon reached his room, he locked his door and fell onto his bed, reaching sleep almost immediately.

So this is only the first chapter, but I promise that it'll get better AND longer! I already have a lot of surprises for you guys ;)

I have a few chapters done already and I know basically most of what's going to happen, so I don't think it'll take that log for updates. I do have a job and a busy but hopefully I'll update frequently.

I have been inspired by Not Quite Broken, a fanfic by imdrowninginfootwear. I encourage you all to check it out! But I would like to let the author know that I am not stealing the story by any means. Giuseppe beating Damon is where the comparisons stop, I promise! But that is probably my favorite (completed) TVD fanfic next to Crying Lightning.

REVIEW!