Not everything will match up with the shows background so take it as you will and enjoy. (:

PROLOGUE

She is not the same loving, compassionate, Elena I used to know. It's been three long years since I've seen her last. The night she disappeared is forever burned into my memory; I'm trying to ignore the burn but the pain is inevitable.

It was after graduation on a sunny day. A midst the unavoidable darkness brewing between us, the undead, and Silas, there she stood in her cap and gown looking just as exceptionally beautiful as ever. Something seemed off in the way she spoke, as if her words were not her own and someone had put them there, shoved them down her throat till she couldn't breathe her own thoughts anymore. I should have guessed, should've known that she was thinking of doing something incredibly selfless/stupid.

"Hello, Damon." She said in a shy voice for once in her life. "You look incredibly sexy in that cap I must say" I responded, trying to lighten the mood. It did not work. "Thanks". That was all she said, how unusual for her to take my flirting with suck a lack of feistiness. She looked like a six year old that just found out her pet goldfish had died. Deciding to ignore this and sum it up to the fact that her dead brother was back from the dead for a short period of time which seemed to close in all too fast, I left her side. I heard Caroline's incredibly recognizable voice and headed in that general direction, hoping I could distract myself from the unusual Elena. As I get closer I hear another recognizable voice; Klaus. I only catch the last few lines and it went something like: blah blah Tyler's free, he's your first love, and I'll be your last. The sort of thing that makes me nauseous to hear coming from the "Oh, so powerful, Klaus", well anything he says makes my stomach churn but this was exceptionally worse.

After the ceremonies had finished I ran to catch up with Elena, she booted it out of her seat into an almost half jog type thing in order to escape the crowd, or so I thought. She was running from me. When I finally thought I caught up with her she was no where's to be seen. The only thing remaining was a red graduation cap laying on the ground which I picked up and fondled with for a few minutes.

I gave up trying to catch her scent in the crowds of people unloading from the graduation ceremony and called Stefan "have you heard of or seen Elena after her graduation?" "No, I thought she was with you?" "Are you saying she isn't with you….Damon?" "Of course that's what I'm saying or why else would I of brought it up! Fuck! Meet me at the house in 5."

I got to the house first and caught her sent. She's here either that or she just left, no need to panic, I kept telling myself. I flew myself up the steps; the scent was coming from my bedroom. I nearly ripped the door off the hinges just to see for myself that she was okay. She was more than okay, she was dressed in all lace. Her bra and her panties were a soft red, the kind of red that you get when you nervously blush. Which I could see she was doing right this very moment. My heart started beating faster and faster. I hadn't exactly been sure where our relationship/non-relationship stood after the past couple weeks of her losing her humanity and finding it again and the lack of the sire bond as well. I was terrified that she didn't feel the same but as I looked at her rosy cheeks and the stars in her eyes I could tell I was all hers. Taking out my phone I dialed Stefan before he could come and ruin this precious moment "hello brother, don't bother coming back to the house she called me and told me she's at the grill" I said, adding a little white lie on at the end so he didn't barge in looking to make up some excuse to talk to her.

"Say it Elena, if you want to do this I need to hear you say it." She knew exactly what I meant as she stood up and slowly walked to my side. She leaned in and whispered "I am in love with you Damon". That was it, I couldn't stand it anymore; I threw her onto my bed.

That night was the last time I seen her. I knew she was acting strange after our sexual explosion but I didn't know why. She started crying and I didn't ask why I summed it up the fact that it was really good sex but that's just my ignorant self kicking in, stupid me thinking they were happy tears. I just held her until we both fell asleep. It was the best sleep of my life. I woke up in a dazed state, I could smell her on my sheets and clumsily rolled over to meet her skin with mine. Nothing was there to touch except a small piece of paper which read:

Damon,

I'm sorry I had to do this, I really do love you, but I can no longer see you anymore. It's gotten to the point where I've endangered everyone i care about lives. I can't continue to be so selfish so this is my goodbye note to you. You challenged me in ways I didn't know were possible, you pushed me, pissed me off, and made me love you. I will never forget you,

Your Elena.