So this is my first every story posted, but it's far from the first one I've written. I fell in love with The Vampire Diaries almost four years ago and I've been writing Damon and Elena for about three years.

This story was inspired by the movie Safe Haven, so if you've seen it you will notice a lot of similarities. However, I've put my own twist on a few different aspects and of course it's all Damon and Elena.

If there's any interest in this story, I'll continue to post. The story is completely finished except for the epilogue which I'm still working on.

Let me know what you think!

Silver Linings

Chapter 1

As I watched the break of dawn through the cold glass window of the bus I was on, I wondered what state I was in now and if it was far enough away from Virginia. The vibrations from the rumbling engine began giving me a headache from where I had been sleeping against the glass, not that I was getting any sleep anyways. I sat up straight and readjusted the pillow case filled with clothes and the essentials beneath my shirt just as I noticed that an older woman had taken the seat next to me.

I glanced over at her and she smiled, motioning to my stomach, "Congratulations."

"Thank you," I whispered back with a small smile.

"Is it a boy or a girl?"

"Um…" I hesitated, nervously glancing down. "I wanted to wait until it was born to find out."

Good to know that my plan of appearing pregnant was working. The less I looked like myself the better. I pulled my hood further down over my hair and face as the woman next to me nodded and left me alone. I caught a smudge of brown hair dye on my hand and rubbed it with my thumb, but it didn't come off. I guess I'd have to wait until I found a sink to get it off. I'm still not used to how short it is either. The long, straight, blonde locks no longer reached the small of my back like they did just the other night. The loose brown curls now fell to my breasts like they did in high school.

He made me dye my hair blonde because he thought I looked better like that. I thought that the color was too light for my tanned olive complexion and it made me look like some bottle blonde slut, but he didn't, so I did it. It was kind of nice to be back to my natural color now.

Just like it was nice to finally be getting away from him. I saw a sign on the highway that read Bangor, Maine, ten miles ahead. I wasn't sure what our next stop was, but this bus was a tour bus so we'd be stopping soon. I caught a bus originally headed for Quebec, but my passport wasn't on the top of my list of things to bring when I ran. So when we reached Albany, I snagged a ride on another bus. It was a tour bus of sorts headed up the east coast. It stopped in a few coastal cities so the tourists could see the sights, then it crossed into Canada to New Brunswick.

I'd have to get off before then, so now I was just deciding which town would be my indefinite home for the indefinite future. My stomach churned at the thought of what could be happening right now back in Virginia, so I quickly banished the horrific images flashing through my mind and focused on the scenery. The orange rays from the sun began drenching the greenery in their light, and the occasional tree cast a long shadow that flickered across my face as we drove down the road. I squinted in the harsh light, still not quite prepared for what comes next.

I guess I'm not really even sure what comes next.

I closed my heavy eyes again and decided against looking out the window. Maybe I could catch a few more minutes of sleep, if I'm lucky. Just as I was on the brink of falling into that sweet slumber, more images of blood, pain, and fear flashed through my mind. I saw his face, contorted in surprise and pain as he fell to the floor. I saw my hands stained red with the sins I never imagined I'd commit. I saw my tear streaked face as I sobbed in the bathroom mirror of my best friend's house while her hands worked the brown dye into my hair.

I could hear Bonnie telling me that everything was going to be okay, but for the first time in my life I didn't believe her. Nothing was going to be okay. I'd never be the same, not that I really wanted to go back to the woman I was. She was scared. She was a coward. She just sat there and took it.

This new me, though incredibly damaged, didn't take anything from anyone. I was through with feeling so small and useless. I couldn't take anything back now, so there was no point in pretending to be who I was. I was different now. I don't know if I'd call myself stronger, but at least I finally did something about it.

Bonnie told me not to blame myself and feel guilty for what happened. He brought this upon himself. I don't feel guilty for it either. I feel relieved that I'm finally a thousand miles away from him. I'm starting over. New beginnings, and all that.

It's funny; I always imagined what it would be like to escape him and give life another go. I just never thought that this was the way it would have happened. With Bonnie giving me all the cash she could find along with some clothes, the basic toiletries, and a ride to the bus station. I don't know what I would have done without her. I'll never be able to thank her enough.

When I got settled somewhere, I promised her that I'd call to tell her that I'm safe. I'll have to find a way to make this up to her later when everything has smoothed out. If everything gets smoothed out.

All I can hope for is that he doesn't find me; no, that he can't. I left all of my credit cards at home and took only my driver's license so he couldn't track me. I was careful to hide my face and change my appearance as much as possible. I knew all of the tricks. It was one of the perks to being with a cop.

I was just hoping that it would be enough to escape the same cop that I learned them from.

I'd like to think our relationship had always been great. He was my high school sweetheart. We moved in together right after graduation, and I began college while he went to training to be a police officer. We had been happier than anything back then. I thought he was the one. I thought that we were going to live happily ever after with kids and a white picket fence.

But things went south around the time that I graduated college. I scored an amazing job making a six figure salary. Matt had known that it would have taken him years to make as much money as me, if he ever did. He felt intimidated, so he made sure to put me in my place. He made sure that I never thought I was better than him. He made me think that I was nothing without him. That without his guidance, I'd never survive. It was like I didn't have a mind of my own. He destroyed me to the point that I was emotionally dependent on his praise. I would have done anything for it, even though I knew how wrong it was.

Actually, I did anything for it because the alternative was worse. If I disappointed him, or did anything he didn't like, his fists made sure I never made the same mistake twice. In a way, his words were worse than the physical blows. He took my confidence and self worth and shredded them to tiny bits until I was a shell of myself. At our five year high school reunion, I barely even recognized myself in the pictures of us smiling with our friends and making faces at prom. I had to do a double take just to make sure it was me.

It was from that day on that I fully understood how unhealthy our relationship was. I no longer loved him, but I couldn't leave him. He would come home drunk telling me how much he loves me and how much he needs me, and a part of me was scared that if I did try to leave he'd track me down and bring me back. He'd make my life a living hell. If I thought it was bad before…well, if he found me now I'm not so sure I'd live to tell the tale.

Alcohol was his choice of coping mechanism. When he wasn't happy with his life, he'd resort to getting drunk and controlling me. I had clung so tightly to who he used to be that I couldn't see who he had become. I didn't want to see who he became, because if I did then that meant everything people tell you about abusive relationships is true, and that I just became another statistic. I became one of those women that stayed with their abuser and nobody understood why. Nobody could understand why because even I wasn't entirely sure.

Even just thinking that I was one of those women was too much, so I pretended that I was fine. Nobody knew anything was wrong, only Bonnie. But even she didn't know the depth of how bad it was.

From the outside, we were Matt Donovan and Elena Gilbert: the picture perfect couple. We went out to eat every Friday night to the same restaurant where everyone knew us. Our favorite waitress would always ask me when we were going to start our family, and Matt would assure her that he had plans on having children soon. We would go to all of his friends' houses for work parties and his buddies on the force would tell him how jealous they were that he scored a woman like me. While the guys sat around drinking beers I would go into the kitchen with their wives and girlfriends and listen to them gossip and tell me about how good Matt and I were together.

But behind closed doors, we were both living in hell. Or at least I was. Matt wasn't happy either, but he'd never admit it. It would have wounded his pride and worsened the violence. I feared even sleeping in the same bed as him, but the one line he never crossed was forcing me to have sex with him. He was usually too drunk to even try having sex anyway. Half the time after he passed out I'd go into the guest room just so I wouldn't have to be near him when he woke up hungover and angry.

I did everything I could to avoid the brunt of his violence. I would make him breakfast everyday and kiss him before he went to work. I'd make him dinner when he got home and I'd walk on eggshells around him, always making sure I didn't say the wrong thing. Even little things like not asking if he was finished with dinner before taking his empty plate would set him off. I think he was just looking for excuses to hurt me. To control me. To make sure I knew that I couldn't leave him.

And if you asked me why I didn't leave him sooner, I wouldn't be able to answer. I couldn't understand it myself. I felt empty inside, like I didn't know anything without Matt in my life. I even began believing that I wouldn't be able to survive without him. But then I was forced into a reality check.

I never thought that the night before last would be the day that I finally left him. But then again, I never thought that I'd have to go to the extremes I had just to leave. I shouldn't be surprised though; his outbursts were unpredictable and based on how drunk he was. He wasn't above using any method of hurting me he had.

I was scared for my life that night, so I did what I had to in order to survive. I won't apologize for that or feel guilty. Everything he got he had coming.

The bus driver announced, "Attention passengers, it is 7:30 in the morning in Ellsworth, Maine and we have approximately thirty minutes until we reach our next stop, Bar Harbor. It is sixty five and sunny outside today with a high of eighty four degrees—a perfect day to visit the beach or go whale watching. We will be stopping briefly on the edge of Bar Harbor for a restroom break and to refuel, then we will get back on the road and into town to the hotel. We hope you have a great day, and welcome to the beautiful state of Maine."

I guess Bar Harbor will be my stop. A nice little coastal town sounds nice. I've only lived in Virginia my entire life, and aside from the occasional trip to the beach I haven't done much traveling.

I think the change of scenery will be nice.

My eyes burned as I blinked them open, and I rubbed the sleep from them with the heels of my hands. I stifled a yawn and pulled my hood off of my head, smoothing my hair down and tucking a strand behind my ear. My body was begging me for a full night's sleep, but my mind was racing with too much adrenaline to grant it mercy. Maybe tonight I'd get some sleep if I could find some place to stay. A hotel, a rental house, an apartment…anything would do. I had enough money to cover a hotel for at least a month, and hopefully by then I'd have a job and be able to find some other place a little more permanent to stay.

I was not going to run for the rest of my life. The best way to get away would be to disappear in a small town just like this. And I've always liked small towns, having grown up in one. It felt comforting and familiar. My parents had moved from the city to Mystic Falls before I was born because they both hated the commotion of the city. They were really involved in the town and they helped the mayor plan different events, too. I even competed in the Miss Mystic Falls beauty pageant when I was seventeen and won first place.

I doubted Bar Harbor was going to be like Mystic Falls, because my hometown was one of a kind. But I didn't mind. I welcomed the change. The last thing I wanted right now was another Mystic Falls filled with terrible memories and a painful history.

The bus came to a stop on a dirt road in front of a small shop, a pier with a couple small motorboats docked, and a few houses placed to the opposite side of the road. The ocean beyond the pier was sparkling in the morning sun and when the bus engine turned off, I could hear seagulls squawking. We filed off one by one and most went into the shop to use the restroom.

I opted to enjoy the view and relax for a minute. The crisp morning air was already warming up and I relished in the calming sound of the waves crashing into the shore. This place was going to be my home for the unforeseeable future, and I was pretty sure I was going to like it.

The salty breeze rustled my hair and I breathed it in, feeling an unfamiliar sense of peace wash over me. I was already in a better mood; now all that was left to do was to forget. I looked over my shoulder when I heard the bus start up again a few minutes later, and everyone started piling back on. I then watched the door close and the driver pull away, heading down the road and into town.

I was on my own now, and something about that was comforting. I didn't have to make decisions based on someone else anymore. I could be my own person and I would embrace that freedom.

Removing my makeshift pillowcase bag from my shirt, I walked towards the store intent on figuring out what to do next. The old wooden screen door swung open easily, ringing a little bell to alert everyone that someone entered. It was a small place, much like a gas station shop only more coastal looking with large screened windows and wooden floors and walls, that carried a limited amount of snacks, drinks, and toiletries. The floorboards creaked beneath my feet as I walked down the aisles, looking for some sort of improvised breakfast until I could find an actual restaurant. I grabbed a small bag of trail mix and a bottle of water from the refrigerated display, then walked to the counter.

I frowned slightly when I saw a little girl, no more than four, sitting in a chair behind the counter looking up at me. She smiled up at me with her mismatched baby teeth and said, "Hi, I can help you buy that."

A small grin pulled at my lips and I set down my things, "Okay. How much do I owe you?"

Her little brown pigtails bounced as she squirmed in her seat to get a better look at what I was buying. She grabbed the bag of trail mix and scanned it to the computer, then the bottle of water. I could see the total was a dollar and forty nine cents from the monitor facing me, but she said, "That will be one, four, nine."

I laughed softly and handed her two dollars. She frowned slightly at the money before opening the drawer to the register and putting it inside. I could see she was trying to figure out how to give me the change, so I leaned over and said, "I gave you two dollars, so you owe me fifty one cents. Do you know which coins make fifty one?"

She shook her head and I smiled, "I need two of the big coins in the corner." She grabbed two quarters and set them on the counter. "And I need one of the brown ones." She put a penny in the pile and as I gathered the change I asked, "So do you own this store all by yourself?"

She giggled, "No, my uncle does. But he lets me work the counter sometimes when there's not a lot of people."

"Well would you mind finding him for me? You did such a great job helping me out that I want to tell him directly how happy I am with the service." I told her, smiling at the pleased look on her face.

She nodded and hopped down from the chair, her pink skirt falling to her knees, "Okay, I'll be right back!"

She skipped over to a door off to the side and disappeared behind it. I looked around the shop and saw a map of the town framed behind the counter. I imagined that this place was a popular stop for tourists, and as I spied a rack filled with postcards and knick knacks in the corner my suspicions were confirmed. There were even some stuffed animals including whales, seagulls, and fish. T-shirts and hats with Bar Harbor written across them sat on a table as well.

The sound of the same door the little girl went behind opening diverted my attention. I stood up straight and smiled, prepared to greet whoever owned this place, but I faltered a bit when I saw the man standing before me. He looked a few years older than me with dark, raven hair that was simultaneously styled and messy. He wore a fitted black t-shirt that showcased the hard lines of his muscles, his biceps straining against the sleeves. His faded jeans fell low on his hips and I had to consciously make an effort not to stare. I wished I had looked a little better than I did, not that I'm even close to being ready to pursue anything in the same realm as the word romance.

Dark stubble dusted his strong jawline and as he got closer and closer I noticed his eyes. They were the most piercing light blue I'd ever seen on a person, and I swear they just about had me pinned in place.

He smiled and held out a hand to me, "Hi, I'm Damon Salvatore. I own this shop."

I slipped my hand into his larger one and shook his hand, "Elena Bennett. It's nice to meet you."

No, that's not my real last name. But Gilbert was on a hit list and I didn't want to be found.

He motioned to the little girl next to him by placing a hand on top of her head, "This is my niece, Mia. She said that you were very happy with her help?"

He had the slightest smirk on his mouth and I bit my lower lip to stop from smiling too widely, "Yeah, that and I wanted to ask you if you knew of any houses near here for rent."

"A house for rent?" He questioned, lifting Mia into the chair behind the counter. "So you're staying?"

I nodded, "Yeah, I think so. I like this place and I needed a change, so I'm staying."

"It's not often Bar Harbor gets a new resident, so welcome to town." He said, glancing down my body and back to my face. I cursed myself yet again for wearing the same outfit for forty eight hours straight. Changing clothes wasn't really at the top of my list of priorities.

I smiled, "Thank you."

We stood there for a moment just taking each other in, and I couldn't help but wonder if he was as attracted to me as I was to him. I doubted it. My hair desperately needed washed, my eyes were probably still slightly red from all the crying I had been doing, and my old sweatshirt and jeans weren't doing anything to accentuate my figure. Well, the jeans and sweatshirt were Bonnie's so they didn't fit me exactly right. I kind of had to change from the dress I had been wearing for Matt so I could leave without him recognizing me on any cameras. I probably looked homeless, and I guess I technically was, while he looked like a model straight out of a Calvin Klein magazine.

He abruptly interrupted the silence, "Caroline Forbes owns a restaurant called The Grill just down the road. She owns several properties that she rents out, so you could talk to her. She'd be happy to rent you one."

"Alright, thanks for the help." I told him, grabbing my things and turning to leave.

I got one foot out the door before I heard him call my name. "Elena!" I looked over my shoulder. "I'll see you around."

I smiled and nodded my head. I really hoped that was true.