Summary: Elena's been asleep for 20 years. What happens when her friends find a way to wake her up without Bonnie having to die? Will they be happy she's back, or will the guilt of all the horrible things they did to get her back be too much to bear? Find out as you read about your favorite characters, and maybe learn to love some new characters that will be introduced.

Author's Note: Sad to say, I do not own The Vampire Diaries. This is story's characters are taken from the show, but the plot is my own. I am a huge Delena supporter, but this story only has a few scenes with the two characters together. I hope you enjoy. :) Let me know in a lovely review. xoxo ~ Rebekah

Chapter 1 – "Hope"

~November 2037~

The Boarding House

Forty-two vampires, fifteen werewolves, eight hybrids, four witches, and a countless number of humans. That's all the people that Damon, along with everyone else on the "Bring Elena Back" committee, had to kill or watch get killed in order for them to be where they are now.

And where are they now? That's the exact question that Damon wanted to know the answer to as he watched Bonnie walk into the boarding house holding one of those worthless spell books.

Walking over to his cabinet of stocked alcohol, he pulled out a bottle of his favorite, bourbon. If he had to listen to another person tell him that they did not find anything, he needed to have a drink in his hand.

Finally, he turned his head toward the witch that was watching him expectantly. He sighed out loud and took a long drink from his bottle before he asked the question that he had asked countless of times, "Did you find a way to bring her back in that worthless book?" Not wanting to hear the same depressing answer, but not being able to take his eyes off of Bonnie, he waited for her response.

"Yes..." he heard Bonnie's quiet, but confident voice say. Damon kept starting at one of his best friends like she had grown a second head. He knew that Bonnie would not lie to him, not about bringing Elena back. Maybe he had misheard her.

"W-What?" he finally choked out. He could not fight back the tiny shred of hope that slipped into his voice. His feet stayed rooted to where he stood as he watched Bonnie slowly walk towards him.

"I found a way to bring her back, Damon." Bonnie explained as she stood in front of him, watching as he fought to keep back the glimmer of hope that she had seen in his eyes.

He stared down at Bonnie and shook his head, unable to open his mouth to speak. "Bonnie…Are you?... how?" he finally blubbered out in a shaky, uncertain voice.

Bonnie's mouth formed a small smile as she stared into the eyes of her best friend. She, of all people, knew how much of an ass Damon could be, but she also knew that there was not a person, dead or alive, that loved Elena Gilbert as much as he did. He had lost the only person who had seen the good in him even when everyone else saw the evil mask he had for so many years. Bonnie's smile grew just thinking about being able to reunite her best friend with Elena, one of her other best friends.

Snapping out of her thoughts, she focused her attention back on the vampire that stood in front of her with that almost hopeful expression on his face. "There's a spell in one of those "worthless" books as you so like to call them that will wake her up without me having to die." Bonnie stated proudly as she beamed up at Damon.

Despite Bonnie's sureness, Damon still could not hold in his doubts. He had lived too long and had witnessed too many bad things in his life for him to believe. He knew that spells did not always work out how they were supposed to. But still, looking at his best friend, and hearing the hope and confidence in her voice, Damon could not help but think that maybe this time it would work. Maybe he would get Elena back, his Elena. Allowing a hesitant smile to appear across his lips, his hopeful eyes met Bonnie's. "What do we have to do?"

~ end of chapter 1 ~

Author's note: So what did you think? I know It's short, but I just wanted to test the water with this first chapter. It's my first story and I just had to post it for you all to read. Should I continue? All honest reviews please. :)