So, as an apology for the short prologue, I'm giving you the first chapter right away, haha :p I do hope that people will like this. I'm not really sure where this is going, but I hope it'll be alright :p

Elena sighed as she saw the familiar sign, telling her she had crossed the borders to Mystic Falls. There was absolutely no way of going back now. It was exactly the same sign, that had been telling her she was leaving Mystic Falls, 40 years ago. It was just as ugly, as the last time she'd seen it. Wasn't things like that supposed to change over 40 years?

Back then, the ugly sign had been a thing that confirmed that she was actually doing this. She was actually leaving Mystic Falls behind. Along with everything, and everyone. Back then, the sign had been a good thing. Even though she'd been crying, she had known it was the right thing to do.

Now it only confirmed that she was going back. There was just no way of leaving that city for good. Not for her, at least. And she hated it.

As she drove through the small town, she found her self missing Scandinavia. She missed the small streets, the small shops, the small towns. Mystic Falls suddenly seemed surprisingly big. Nothing like her new home in Scandinavia.

That was where she had been hiding. A small country named Denmark. She was sure as hell no one was able to find her there. And she had been right.

She was finally able to start a new life, trying to deal with the whole vampirism, without anyone from her past. A fresh start, in a small country, far away from her past life. And it had been great, spending 40 years in a completely different environment, far away from everyone she had once known.

Of course she had missed some of her old friends. It was hard, saying goodbye to Caroline and Bonnie, but it had been necessary. And this time she had remembered not to leave anything behind. This time, she was leaving for real.

She wished her new life in Scandinavia could have continued, but something brought her back to Mystic Falls. Would she always end up in that God forsaken town? Would she never be able to escape? Probably not. The odds of being able to not go back throughout all of her immortal life, was small. Sadly.

She had promised her self, that after attending Matt's funeral, she was going right back to Scandinavia. She had received the letter from Bonnie two days before, and had shed tears when she read it.

Matt had died from a heart attack. He had died on the spot. Elena's best friend since kindergarten was gone. Even though she had been away for so long, she couldn't help but feel empty. It felt like something was missing. And she knew that something was Matt. He had been there since she was a small girl. He had been her first real love. They had been the perfect couple. The cheerleader and the quarterback. And now that boy was gone.

But she knew that he had died happy. Even though he didn't got to live a full human life, he had been married, and had had two children. He had been loved.

She had been prepared for all her friends dying. How couldn't she? She was going to live an eternity. She would never grow old. But people around her would. It was exactly the same in Denmark.

She had been moving around on the small islands, every time she had spent a little too long in one place. People started noticing she wasn't growing old, when she was supposed to. Nobody knew about her, except for her old friends, back in Mystic Falls. Friends like Matt.

She had never really let herself trust another person, since back then. The thought of losing people was simply too scary. She had gone to the university in the capital, Copenhagen, to finish her education. And she had finished it, graduating with top grades. And she had enjoyed being in the comfortable city.

But after 15 years in the capital, she had moved to the other end of the country, a smaller city called Århus. And she had enjoyed her self.

Then she moved again, and had been living in Svendborg for almost a year, when Bonnie had contacted her about Matt. And she had packed a bag, and gotten on the first plane to the US. And now she was back.

She couldn't help but think of all the great times she'd shared with Matt, as she passed by The Grill. They'd been playing in front of The Grill as children. Their moms had been inside, surely drinking alcohol and eating, while keeping an eye on them.

Did that place still exist? Some things just never change. She tried not to look around, as she drove to the only place she knew she could stay. The place she really didn't want to go to, and the house she begged was empty.

The boarding house.

She had left everyone behind, when she left Mystic Falls. She hadn't even left a note for Stefan and Damon. A few weeks after she'd turned, and had broken up with Stefan, she had realised something, that made her see, that she needed to leave. She was too scared to stay. There was too much at stake. Things were getting complicated, and too many people had died.

No, it would be best if she left. Everyone would be better.

She had fled, when she knew everyone was a sleep, only a small bag of clothes and a flight ticket in her car. A one way ticket. She had left the car at Virginia airport, and had gotten rid of her cellphone. She didn't want anyone to track her. She knew that Damon would be trying to find her, and that he'd surely figure out where she went. But he didn't. Nobody figured out where she went. Nobody came looking for her. Not even Damon.

And now, she was walking into the lion's den. She knew it had been a terrible idea, going back to Mystic Falls. She had been crossing her fingers that Damon and Stefan had left town, maybe even left the country.

They were the only ones she really didn't want to see. She didn't even know if she would be able to keep her self from breaking down, if she saw the brothers again.

Caroline and Bonnie had both forgiven her, as soon as they knew she was going back, to attend Matt's funeral. The Salvatore brothers wouldn't be just as forgiving. She had hurt both of them, by leaving. One more than the other.

But how could she ever stay away? No, Matt had deserved better. He'd been her best friend, and he'd been there for her, ever since they were kids. She would have to pull herself together. She was a grown woman now.

And why should the brothers be in Mystic Falls? They'd only come back to Mystic Falls back then, because of her. None of them cared about Matt, and who should have told them about him? Nobody. Stefan and Caroline had been good friends, but Caroline had told her that they'd lost contact over the years. Bonnie didn't know anything about them either.

Filled with insecure confidence, she stepped out of the car, and looked at the big house in front of her. It hadn't changed at all. It still looked exactly as it had looked when she'd left. She locked her car, and started walking towards the house. She almost felt shaky. It had been a long time since she'd felt as nervous as this.

But she found, as she walked to the mansion, that she felt just like a teenager again. Her heart were pumping, way too fast. Her heart did still beat. It was slow, and very vague, but it did still pump blood.

But now, at the sight of the boarding house, it was pumping, as if she was human again. It didn't feel nice, at all.

As she reached the door, she pulled her self together. What were the odds? Of course Stefan and Damon wouldn't be here. Stefan would be overseas, and Damon would probably be in Las Vegas, feeding and partying, bedding every woman in a radius of 100 km.

No way they'd be in Mystic Falls. She put her hand on the door, and opened it. Then she stepped in side. Everything looked exactly like she'd left it. All the couches were in the right places, the same wallpaper. Nothing had changed. She smiled as she walked into the living room. Even though she had try to deny it, she had really missed this.

The fireplace didn't burn, and no light was turned on, but she still saw the house just fine. The couch in front of the fireplace, where Damon used to sit, nursing his glass of bourbon. The chair in the corner, where Stefan used to sit and read.

She sighed at the memories. She did miss the two brothers. One more than the other, but she would never admit that. After all, that had been the reason why she fled.

Her vampire hearing told her that she was alone in the big house. No sign of anyone living in the boarding house. She walked to her car, fetched her bag, and went back. Why had she been so worried? She walked back inside and closed the door.

Then she made her way up the stairs, and found the guestroom just between Stefan and Damon's old rooms. She wouldn't be going in there, that was for sure. Even though they didn't live there, it felt kind of... Private. She had been in Stefan's room lot's of times. She had been his girlfriend for a long time, after all. And she'd visited Damon's room a couple of times as well. When he'd been dying from the werewolf bite. The kiss they'd shared on his bed.

No. Elena didn't want to think about that anymore. All of those things were in her past. She couldn't let her self think about that kiss forever. The wonderful experience of Damon's lips on hers... No, it had to be forgotten.

She put her bag on the bed, starting to unpack. She had only brought the most necessary stuff. A black dress for then funeral, PJ's and a couple of outfits. She had decided to stay for a short while after all.

She wanted to visit Bonnie and Caroline, make sure everyone was okay. But only for a week or two. She couldn't stay in this town for too long. She didn't want to get attached to it again. Or to any one. Stefan and Damon would be able to find her in Mystic Falls. They wouldn't be able to find her in Denmark.

They hadn't found her within the last 40 years, and if she had to decide, they wouldn't get to see her again for the next 40 years. She was done with the Salvatore brothers. Even though it hurt, she had to let them go. Just as they had let her go. Hopefully.

The room she'd chosen had a bathroom attached, which she decided to use. The flight from Denmark to Virginia had lasted almost 10 hours, and she was tired as hell. She fetched her towel, shampoo and body soap from her bag. She was going to soak in the big tub for at least an hour. She had a lot of time. Matt's funeral was tomorrow.

She found that she had missed America's sizes of everything. The tub was no exception. She started filling it, while she stripped down to her underwear. Then she started brushing her hair, and removing her make-up. Why she'd worn make-up didn't really make any sense, but she'd put it on none the less. It had become kind of a habit throughout the years.

She was a vampire for God's sake. She didn't need make-up or anything like that. But she wanted to keep the feeling of being human. She wasn't going to turn it off, like Damon and Stefan.

No, she was way stronger than they had been. And the first 40 years had been easy. She didn't have any kind of troubles, controlling the cravings. It seemed unrealistic, looking at what the brothers had told her, and from what happened to Caroline, but Elena was clean. She still hadn't killed a single person. Somehow, she had managed to stop in time.

She felt amazing. She liked being a vampire. And she still had all of her emotions, like she'd had when she was still human.

The only feeling she really didn't appreciate, was that she really missed the brothers. But she had managed to put that to the back of her head, and focus on getting her new life up and running. And she had succeeded.

She was ripped from her thoughts, when she noticed the tub had been filled. She stripped down to nothing, and careful put one food in the water. She liked the warm feeling against her cold skin. Slowly, she sank down in the water, letting the bubbles caress her skin, like a lovers gentle touch.

God, it had been far too long since she'd been with someone. But she couldn't help it. She couldn't force her self to be with a man she didn't love.

But wasn't that why she left?

Because of love?

Yes. Love had been the only thing driving her away from Mystic Falls. Because no matter what she did, she couldn't deny it anymore. And that was what made her leave. She couldn't deny that she didn't love Stefan anymore, but she had fallen in love with someone else. Maybe the only person on the planet she shouldn't be in love with. But she just couldn't help it. And now, 40 years later, she found her self crying, because she knew his room was so close. The room filled with their memories.

It was crystal clear to Elena, and it had been for a long time.

She was madly in love with Damon Salvatore.

Far away from Virginia, in the city of Las Vegas, a man laid in his king sized bed, an empty bottle of Jack Daniels firmly in his hand. One arm, the one with the bottle, was slung to the side, carelessly. The other one was hugging a female tanktop, as if his life depended on it.

He was only wearing a pair of boxer briefs, his body half covered by the bed sheets, only showing his naked torso. His black hair was messy. If one didn't know better, it would seem as though he hadn't left his bed in over a month. But one would know better.

His eyelids were shut, covering his beautiful blue eyes. And as he lay there, firmly asleep, he looked almost peaceful. But the bottle in his hands, and the tanktop in his arms told a different tale.

No, Damon Salvatore was no where near peaceful. He came close, though, when he was asleep. Because when he was asleep, he was able to see her laughing face. And that was the one thing that made him hang on to his miserable life.

The silence in the bedroom broke, as a cellphone rang, the screen enlightened the dark room. A name was written across the screen, showing that 'Alaric Saltzman' was calling him.

With a loud growl, Damon let the bottle go, and picked up the phone. Whoever called him at this time at the day, had to be suicidal.

"This better be important," he said, not even bothering to look at the screen. At that moment he didn't really care who called him. He was hungover, tired and hungry. He just put the phone to his ears, not opening his eyes.

"You better pack your things and get your ass to Mystic Falls, now." Damon's eyes went right open as he heard the familiar voice. He hadn't talked to Alaric in almost 20 years. Now he was calling him, demanding that he returned to the town that held all the most painful memories of his. Damon felt confused. He had told Ric that he didn't want to come back, ever. Not after what had happened back then.

"And why do you think I have any interest in returning to your little hole of a town?" he said, slowly sitting up. As he moved, he felt the tanktop fabric against his torso. The hole in his chest where his heart used to be felt painful.

The purple tanktop didn't smell like her anymore, but it was the closest he got. That piece of clothing had become very important to him, over the last 40 years.

"Because there is a certain vampire here, that I think you would be very pleased to see again," Ric said, taking Damon completely off guard.

It couldn't be...

No. She would never return. He had been certain of that. He had waited for her. He had waited in that fucking town, for almost 20 years. It couldn't be her. It wasn't.

"Elena's back, Damon."

Damon was filled with a warm feeling, that could only be defined as one feeling.

Hope.

He stood up from the bed, suddenly feeling completely sober. Ric wouldn't lie about stuff like this. And if it was the truth, he needed to go back, right now.

He had promised him self that he would never return, that he was completely over her, and woul never ever see her again. Screw that. He needed to see her. Needed to find out what happened back then.

"I'm on my way," he said, and then hung up. He didn't need any kind of comments from Ric. He already felt bad about his drinking buddy getting old. He wouldn't last long. And Damon knew he wasn't ready to loose another person he cared about.

But it wasn't Ric that was on his mind, while he packed a bag. No, it was the girl.

Elena.

She was really back. He was going to see her again.

The door to his apartment opened and a blonde girl walked in. Barely noticing her, he closed his suitcase, and walked towards the door.

Elena. He was going to see her again. Elena. The name kept repeating in his head, trying to make it all seem more real.

"Damon, honey. You just left yesterday. I thought we were going to have some fun," the girl said, a silly smile slowly spreading on her lips. Damon lifted an eyebrow and looked at the girl. She was dressed like a cheap prostitute, only wearing a very short skirt and a bra. How dared she call him honey?

Hmm. Maybe he would have a small snack before he found the first flight to Virginia. Smiling back at her, he found him self changing, while slowly compelling her.

"You are not going to make a sound, and you're going to forget everything about this conversation," he said, before biting into her neck, not caring about her life. She was standing completely still, not even trying to fight him, while he sucked her dry.

As the blood stopped flowing, he let her lifeless body fall to the ground, with a small shrug. He couldn't even remember meeting her, and he really didn't care about her at all. The only thing he cared about, was getting back to Elena, and when he saw her again, he wasn't going to be hungry. The only thing occupying his mind at that point, would be Elena.

Grabbing his bag, he made his way past the body on the floor and went out the door, locking it to keep curious people out. He didn't need a murder case right now. Actually, he didn't need anything else, than the brunette that was waiting for him back in his home town. Well, sort of waiting for him. She might not know yet, but she was missing him, and she had been for 40 years. He was sure of that. And he was going to make her see it.

So yeah, here's the first chapter! PLEASE leave a review! Really! I need them. They're like fuel to my inspiration.

I'll see you guys!