AN: I guess this isn't a 'story' per say, just a couple of, sometimes short, vignettes using lyrics from Evanescence. Let me know what you think, and if I should keep going.

I am so tired, but he is still here. I have made a habit of walking by myself through the park. I don't know why, but truly being alone for that time somehow makes me feel better. I'd like to think that that means that I don't love him anymore, but that is a lie. I can still feel that dull ache in my heart every time he walks out the door and the panic that one day he isn't going to come back.

I know that he waits for me at the end, but he still does not intrude on my time, and I appreciate it. My walks give me time to relax my shields and let my emotions out. I don't have to worry about what thoughts Damon might accidentally 'hear'. Usually, after my evening walk, I can keep a hold on my emotions, but tonight something inside me broke. I don't know what it was, or why it happened. We were sitting in front of the fire, like usual, and I yawned…

"You should probably go to bed, you have to work tomorrow."

I shrugged,

"It doesn't matter."

He shook his head at me,

"Goodnight, bella."

For some reason I just started to cry. I know that Damon was surprised, I felt his questions as his mind brushed mine for a brief moment. He didn't say anything. It felt like he was warning me by saying nothing that I was right to be worried. I knew then, he was going to leave me, soon.

But not tonight. He dried my tears and pulled me onto his lap. I wasn't going to waste what little time I had left. Life was too short, well, my life anyway. So, I took advantage of this and snuggled closer. Damon didn't try to send me to bed again. I think that the phone rang at one point in time, the answering machine picked up. I didn't really pay attention to who it was on the phone; that didn't seem important to me at that moment. Damon and I watched the fire burn. The flames danced and leapt causing the shadows to perform intricate dances across the gleaming hardwood floor. He held me as I slowly drifted off to sleep…


Goodnight, sleep tight
No more tears
In the morning I'll be here
And when we say goodnight,
Dry your eyes
Because we said goodnight,
And not goodbye
We said goodnight
And not goodbye.