"We have to go back!" I could feel panic rising up inside me. I couldn't lose them. Caroline. Tyler. Stefan. Damon.

"Listen to me Matt! If Klaus is the one who turned their bloodline they're all gonna die!" Tears pooled in my eyes, threatening to overspill. He wasn't even showing a slight reaction.

"We have to go back Matt!" I yelled in frustration. He didn't get it. I couldn't drive away while they were dying.

"Elena-" Matt began.

"What?"

"Damon's not with them." His eyes sad. This could not be happening.

"What?" I said much softer this time, hoping I heard wrong.

"He's a hundred miles out of town." He looked at me sadly "I can keep driving to him, or I can turn around and go back to Stefan."

No. I couldn't make this choice. If I went to Damon I would be leaving all my friends but if I went to Stefan, Damon could possibly die alone. Without anyone. Without me.

"It's your choice." I didn't reply, memories flashing through my mind.

/

My phone ringing woke me from my thoughts. Elena. I sighed.

"Let me guess, your calling to see if the grim reaper's paid a visit?" I could hear her breathing heavily on the other end of the line. In a car. Driving somewhere.

"How are you feeling? Are there any symptoms?" She'd ignored my sarcasm. This wasn't good.

"Not yet." I said as I stood up. "But I'm sure we'll have a laugh when we find out Klaus is a big, fat liar."

"Yeah, I'm sure we will." Her voice wavering. Yeah I could definitely hear a car.

"Hey, uh where are you?" I could practically feel her hesitate.

"About twenty miles away from you." Her voice cracking "Just hang on Damon, okay?"

Did she really just say that? She's coming to me?

"Elena..." I couldn't believe I was going to say this. "What about Caroline? Tyler?" I swallowed. "What about Stefan?"

"They have each other, I couldn't leave you alone. You've never left me." She was crying. I could hear her.

"It's okay Elena. It's okay." Slight worry settling in my stomach. "Get here soon."

"I will." I heard her swallow. "Goodbye Damon."

"Goodbye Elena." The worry was growing with each moment. What is Klaus had turned our bloodline? She may be on her way but she may not get here in time. I settled down into my original position and I waited, listening out for her heartbeat.

/

"We're here. Go on Elena. Go find him." Matt's constant acceptance made me want to cry. Without another word I was out the car flying into the building.

"Damon!" No answer. Tears filling my eyes, threatening to overspill. "Damon, where are you?"

I ran through the maze of lockups trying to find him. What if he was gone? A lump formed in my chest. I flew around corners hoping he'd be standing here. I tried calling his name but he never answered. I sank to the floor leaning against the cold, metal of one of the storage rooms. I held my head in my hands. Why hadn't he answered? He couldn't be gone, this couldn't happen to me.

"Elena?" Damon's soft voice filled my ears, my head snapped around, tears finally spilling down my cheeks. He was standing near me, unsure of what to do. I flew at him, hurling myself into his arms, holding him with all my worth. I crashed my lips to his much like I'd done at the motel in Denver. His hesitation was obvious at first but he soon responded with so much love the world could have set alight. I broke away and looked into his beautiful eyes. Tears spilled down my cheeks.

"Damon. Damon. Damon." I felt his hand stroke my hair, the other holding me tightly against him. He sank against the cold metal, much like I had done, still holding me tightly in his arms. He buried his face against my neck.

"You came" he murmured softly "You really came."

I held him tighter, whispering softly to him "Of course I did, it's you."

He didn't say anything, he just held me in his arms murmuring soothing words, rocking me gently. He didn't try to make me talk to him, he was content to just hold me until the world stopped spinning.

"I need to tell you something." I froze. He smiled softly. "It's nothing bad, I just need you to remember."

He unclasped my vervain necklace and set it on the ground. He compelled me? When did he compel me?

"I need you to remember what happened and how you felt the first night I met you." He spoke softly I tried to make sense of his words until a memory flashed through my mind.

I was standing alone in the parking lot waiting for my parents to come pick me up. I should never have blown them off. I closed my eyes sighed and shook my head. When I opened them I saw the most beautiful man standing in front of me.

"Katherine?" Who's Katherine? I looked around nervously. I wasn't completely comfortable with standing alone in the dark with a stranger.

"I'm Elena." I said softly. He looked so confused and sad.

"Oh. You-" he shook his head "You just look-" he looked amazed. "I'm sorry." he said it sweetly, almost as if he was embarrassed. He started to walk closer to me.

"You just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon." I should probably have been more cautious about this man but I wasn't. I felt safe. Though I should probably be slightly more suspicious.

"Not to be rude or anything Damon, but it's kinda creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere." He thought about that before answering.

"You're one to talk." He smirked at me, doing something with his eyes that utterly melted me. "You're out here all by yourself." He turned his head slightly. This man was amazing.

I was feeling more relaxed by the second. "It's Mystic Falls, nothing bad ever happens here." He just looked at me with those gorgeous eyes, silently asking me to explain.

"Got into a fight with my boyfriend." I said softly.

"About what may I ask?" he raised his hands in surrender. I shook my head.

"Life. Future. He's got it all mapped out." I wanted to open up to him. Get to know him.

"And you don't want it?" He questioned me. I shrugged.

"I don't know what I want." He rolled his head to the other side, doing that 'eye thing' I would certainly never forget him.

"Well that's not true, you want what everybody wants." He rose his eyebrows, looking at me intently. I cocked my head to the side coyly.

"What? A mysterious stranger who has all the answers?" I smiled, I was definitely flirting now.

He laughed slightly then looked away. When he turned back he had a smile on his face. It lit up his whole face making him look absolutely beautiful.

"Well let's just say I've been around a long time. I've learned a few things." He looked at me, he was flirting now too. He felt this connection. This was something I had dreamed about since I was a little girl- meeting a tall, dark stranger, feeling this.

"So Damon. Tell me. What is it that I want?" I put my head slightly to one side. Not getting enough of this man.

He walked closer to me, capturing my attention and my heart with his next words.

"You want a love that consumes you. You want passion and adventure." He smirked, utterly melting me. I was mesmerised. Hooked on this man. "And even a little bit of danger."

We stood for a few moments, eyes locked. Sparks flying.

"So, what do you want?" He tensed up slightly before sighing in defeat. A horn beeped somewhere near by. I turned around to see my parent car driving up.

"It's my parents." I turned to face him, he was so close I could have reached up and kissed him.

"I want you to get everything you're looking for. But right now I want you to forget that this happened. Can't have people knowing I'm in town yet." He smirked slightly at me, I looked straight into his eyes, wishing my parents had turned up later.

"Goodnight Elena." I closed my eyes and when I opened them again he was gone.

I opened my eyes and looked at Damon, completely blown away by what I'd just experienced.

"Damon." was all I could say before I crushed my lips to his, attacking him with new passion and love that I felt I could finally admit to myself.

"You have no idea what you do to me Damon." He cocked his head to the side, confused.

"You turn up in the middle of the night when I'm alone and you capture my heart within minutes of meeting you. You tell me what I want in life and then you give it to me without me even noticing." His eyes lit up. He buried his face against me while whispering softly.

"If I'd let you remember, things would be so different." His eyes full of pain when they met mine again.

"It doesn't matter about what could have been. It matters about right now." I pressed my lips to his once more.

His love consumed me. It gave me passion, adventure. It even gave me danger. It was exactly what I had been looking for. I'd finally found it.

AN: THIS IS WHAT SHOULD HAVE HAPPENED. ASDFGHJKL

well, something alone these lines, even if Elena had called him and told him she was going home and then turned up it would have been amazing. Grr.

-Ex