This is my first Delena fanfiction, I hope readers will enjoy it! I've had this idea in my head for a while but I've been hesitant to put my ideas into words because I simply have trouble expressing my thoughts (aka I'm not a great writer). However, I will try my best to create a well-written story for you all. My goal for this story is not to get many followings/likes, but to actually finish it with a beautiful ending. I want to make a story that I will look back on later in my life and be proud of myself for writing it.

Anyway, without further ado... here is Chapter 1 of Perfect Strangers!

Five seconds.

Five seconds was all it took to have Elena's un-dead life turned completely upside down. How could this happen? Why did this happen? Why us? Why today? These were all the thoughts that were going through Elena's head as she was sitting by Damon's bed, squeezing his hand as if she were going to lose him at any second.

"You can't do this to me again Damon," Elena whispered as tears continued to roll down her face. "I can't live without you."

2 Hours Earlier

It was the day of their 5th anniversary. Damon set up a romantic picnic in the same area where they had shared a kiss under the rain. He laid out a checkered picnic blanket and set a vase filled with beautiful red roses as well as scented candles on top of the blanket.

"Wow Damon, you really went all out," Elena said with a giggle. "How shockingly romantic of you."

"Hey, don't act so surprised. I can be pretty smooth when I want to be." Damon replied giving her the signature Damon Salvatore smoulder. Ah, the eye thing. Even after 5 years, Elena couldn't help but swoon every time her boyfriend gave her the special look with his enchanting blue eyes.

"So what's on the menu?" Elena asked excitedly as she tried to take a peek inside the picnic basket he was now reaching into.

"Ah, ah, ah," Damon chided, hiding the picnic basket out of Elena's sight with one hand while using his other hand to wag his index finger back and forth in a disapproving motion. "No peeking."

Elena scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Well I wouldn't feel the desire to peek if you weren't being so slow with taking out the food!"

Damon let out a hearty laugh and responded, "Someone's being fiesty today."

"No," Elena pouted. "I just haven't eaten in 8 hours because you told me my stomach needed to be prepared for this huge meal that I thought was supposed to be 5 hours ago!" Elena retorted.

Damon laughed again. "Alright, alright." he said giving in and reaching into the basket once again to bring out the first tupperware of food. Thanks to her vampire sense of smell, Elena was able to sniff out the delectable food in the container without even having to open it.

"Is that..." Elena began to ask as her mouth started watering at the thought of her favorite food.

"Yep," Damon said, making a pop noise with the "p" at the end like he usually did. "Eggplant parmesan for my warrior princess."

Elena didn't wait for Damon to set out the other food he had brought. She immediately reached for the container and filled her plate completely before digging in. Eggplant parmesan had become a tradition for Damon and Elena ever since their first date at the Italian restaurant where they had eggplant so good you actually thought you're eating people.

"Mmm," Elena moaned, closing her eyes as she took her first bite. "Damon, this is-"

"Delicious? I know," Damon interrupted with a wink.

Elena would normally make a comment about Damon being so full of himself, but the glorious food before her seemed to be beckoning for her to eat it. She brought her attention back to the food and enjoyed it until every scrape was gone from her plate.

"What's the record for fastest eating?" Damon questioned with amusement in his eyes, "Because I think you just broke it."

Elena's cheek turned red at his comment as she looked up at him. "So, what else did you bring?" Elena asked, avoiding the question. She finally glanced around and noticed that there were two mugs in front of her. They were both similar in that each had a big pink heart on the front of the white cups. The only difference was that one had a picture of Damon's face while the other had a picture of Elena's face.

Elena started to laugh when Damon said, "Before you ask, it was not my idea. Blondie gave these to me and insisted that 'every couple needs their own couple object' - whatever that means - and refused to take no for an answer. And I thought you might like them."

Elena broke into a huge grin. Typical Caroline. Although she had to admit, it was kind of cute. "Damon, I love them. Thank you."

She picked up the Damon cup and spun it around in her hands. She noticed the words "Team Delena" written in small print at the bottom of the mug. She smiled at the words and wondered what it meant, though she had a good idea about what it was. She decided she would have a talk with Caroline after this about her creepy and unhealthy obsession with her and Damon's relationship.

Her thoughts were interrupted when she smelled Damon pouring the one thing that aroused her taste buds more than eggplant parmesan into her Damon cup. Blood. And it was fresh. She frowned at the last thought but Damon, knowing full well how she would react, quickly assured her. "Don't worry, no one was hurt in the process of obtaining this blood. At least, no one was hurt by me," he smirked. "Those hospital nurses can be pretty scary with a needle."

With his words, Elena relaxed and nestled her body into Damon's chest. He had poured himself his own cup and wrapped both of his arms around her body, securing her tightly into him with his chin on top of her head.

Elena sighed in content as she took a sip from her cup. O-Negative. Her favorite. "This is nice. I like our life when it's like this. All peaceful and quiet."

Damon took a sip from his Elena cup and replied with a smirk, "Elena, remember what happened the last time you said that."

Elena groaned, thinking back to the time that they were peacefully snuggling on his couch by the fireplace when they were rudely interrupted by Silas, the great witch who got sucked into oblivion. But there's nothing out there to threaten them now. Or so she thought.

A few feet behind them, they heard a low growl coming from the bush. Damon instinctively went into protective mode, setting both the Damon and Elena cups down next to them and positioning himself in front of Elena. The bush started rustling and before they knew it, a vicious wolf was lunging at them.

With heightened senses, Damon was about to sense the wolf in mid-air and used his speed to tackle the wolf to the ground. With the wolf held down, Damon yelled, "Elena RUN!"

Elena frantically searched around for a weapon. I am NOT leaving you here Damon she thought. The wolf was struggling hard to get out of Damon's grip, and he was struggling to keep it still while trying not to get bit.

Elena ran to the small dock where she and Damon had their rain kiss and broke a piece of the wood off before using her vamp sped to run back to where Damon and the wolf were fighting for dominance. As she was running, she could tell the wolf was starting to slip out of Damon's grip. As soon as she got close, she plunged the piece of wood into the wolf's chest, but not before it had a chance to bite Damon's shoulder.

The wolf scurried away back into the bush that led to the woods, yelping at the pain along the way. Once the wolf was completely out of sight, Elena turned around to see the bite on Damon's shoulder. That was definitely not just an ordinary wolf. It was a werewolf, and it had bitten Damon.

Present

"Elena..." Damon whispered in a hoarse voice. Elena immediately lifted her head up to meet his eyes. Even at his current state, his eyes still shined bright like the ocean. Upon hearing his voice, Elena's tears began to flow down faster.

"Damon," Elena whispered back. She sniffled and willed her tears to stop. She had to be strong for him. There was still a chance that he could survive. Caroline had tried to contact Klaus as soon as Elena broke the news to her. Caroline, being the great friend that she is, had said she would run to New Orleans if she had to.

"You're going to be okay. Care and everyone else is searching for Klaus. We're going to get his blood and save you. I promise." Elena said, caressing his cheek.

Damon closed his eyes and rested his cheek on her gentle hand and reached up to take Elena's hand in his. "Shh. Elena, we haven't broken any of our promises so far," he murmured while carrying a half-smirk, "and I don't want to start now."

"No, Damon," Elena quickly responded. "Don't talk like that. We will get you that cure." Her eyes dropped low again as she felt her tears starting to well up in her eyes. "We have to..."

Before Damon could speak up, Elena's phone started ringing.

Caller ID: Caroline

Squeezing Damon's hand, she answered her phone with the other. "Hey, any news?" Elena asked hopefully.

"Elena.." Caroline replied tearfully. "Klaus is gone."

She stood up, knocking her chair down to the ground. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. "What?" she asked with disbelief. "N-No. Care. Please. No-"

"I'm sorry Elena," she replied remorsefully. "Klaus left the country and we have no idea where he is now..."

No. This could not be happening. Her Damon, the love of her life, her soulmate, was not dying on their 5th anniversary. She looked down at him, still holding on to his hand. He had his eyes closed as if he was at peace with his death. This time, she couldn't stop her tears. The phone fell out of her hands as she fell down next to Damon's bed, hugging him close and letting her tears fall onto his shirt.

She felt Damon's hand rise up to her head, stroking it to sooth her as he managed to whisper, "Elena. I love you." She looked up at him with her tearful eyes and quivering lips. "I can't live without you."

Elena sat there, holding on to her boyfriend for dear life fearing for the time she would have to say her final goodbye. Suddenly, she felt a sudden burst of courage go through her.
What am I doing? I shouldn't give up. I CAN'T give up. We are Elena Gilbert and Damon Salvatore, we always survive.

With that thought, Elena lifted herself from the bed and looked down at Damon who was asleep, exhausted from the constant pain he was feeling from the bite. "I am not going to break my promise to you. I will find a way."

She hated to leave Damon at a time like this and risk not getting her final goodbye but she knew she had to do this. She hoped that she would be back before Damon woke, but she left a note just in case.

"I won't break my promise. I love you. Keep fighting.
-Your Elena"