Wow, I didn't really think this story would get so many positive reviews! Thank you, everyone who favorited/alerted/reviewed! It means a lot to me.
Also, this is only a romantic story. Any problems will be purely emotional, not life-threatening.

Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries.

Chapter Two

"I have found the paradox that if you love someone until it hurts, there can be no more hurt, only love." -Mother Teresa

Out of the corner of his eyes, Damon watched Elena as they spoke. He could tell from the look in her eyes that she was purposely giving him vague answers, that she was trying to avoid the questions about herself. It was the strangest thing he'd ever heard of a woman doing. She didn't want to talk about her feelings, nor did she care to speak of her past. She acted as if she wanted nothing more than for him to leave her alone, as if she didn't like being anywhere near him.

Never had a woman wanted to get away from him. Between his looks and his family money, he was a "catch", as the women of the town called him when they thought he couldn't hear. Even women who were just visiting demanded his attention, hoping to catch his fancy.

Of course, until this strangely withdrawn woman came to his town, no other could hold his interest.

At least, not for longer than it would take for him to find his release.

He had never been the type to chase a woman. He much preferred them to easily come to his bed and easily be left behind. Never had he felt such a need to get to know a woman better. Something inside of him wanted to know what this enchanting creature thought about issues plaguing their country, how she viewed the world.

When had these strange thoughts started to assail him? Stefan was the one that was ready to settle down, not Damon. He had no intentions of getting married and having children. He wanted nothing more than to continue to live as he had been, focusing solely on the fun he could be having without a noose around his neck, a chain around his ankle. How could a few hours with this girl change that about him?

"Mr. Salvatore," she finally said, breaking into his thoughts. He glanced down at his side, watching her intently, wondering if she was thinking as he was. Her brown eyes held an almost dispassionate light, as if she were actually bored.

Had he ever known a woman to be bored while in his presence?

He smiled charmingly, however, not letting on that he could read her eyes like a book. "Yes, Miss Pierce? Is there a pressing matter we must attend to?" Wanting it to come out as a joke, he was shocked at the slight hint of jealousy in his tone. Thoughts raced through his mind, wondering if she were attached to some other man outside of Mystic Falls. Could she have a lover or a fiance somewhere else? Could he already have lost his chance at this stunning woman?

Brown eyes narrowing, she crossed her arms over her chest. "I would prefer it if you would not press me about my life. We are not friends nor are we courting. I am a guest in your home; I would like to keep it at that." Turning on her heel, she continued towards the store that he had pointed out moments earlier after explaining that he needed to pick up some things from there. She didn't wait for him or even glance back at him; her purposeful stride did not falter.

Anger slowly morphed into mischievousness. Before, he had hated when women played hard to get. They were both after the same thing, weren't they? So why play the games?

Now, he could only follow after her, planning out his attack on her defenses.

A grin crept across his features as he decided on the way to bring his plan to fruition.

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams." -John Barrymore

It seemed that Elena's cold denial hadn't put Damon off. In fact, it only served to make him even more determined, if she were any judge.

He led her through a small store, grabbing various accommodations, as well as offering her rock candy with a coy grin. Was he trying to flirt with her? Even after she'd so plainly brushed him off? Was he stupid or just obstinate? Either way, she would have to give him another reason to leave her alone.

Once it was just the two of them, that is.

As he continued introduce her to everyone they walked by, she wondered if he was doing it on purpose. He must have known that once they weren't surrounded by people, that she would give him a real talking to. She had to tell him—for both their sakes—that she didn't want to be anymore than a guest to him. Obviously, he hadn't gotten the message before.

And he needed to understand that. If Katherine, Emily, and herself were the only ones to know the Pierce sister secret, no one would get hurt.

Of course, that meant she also had to keep Katherine under control.

Losing herself in her worries, Elena didn't notice until too late that they were most definitely not going back to the Salvatore house. No, they were walking into the wilderness, into the forest that surrounded the town on three sides. If she were a normal woman, she would have been fighting to turn back around, to flee, hoping that he couldn't catch her.

But she hadn't been normal in a very long time.

"Mr. Salvatore, where do you think you are taking me?" she demanded, halting all movement. She kept herself steady by using that magnificent switch she had been gifted with on a fateful day centuries before. If she wanted to, she could easily throw him without a care in this state. And compulsion could clean up any chance of him remembering.

No, she berated herself, turning her emotions back on. It isn't fair to toy with them that way. I'm already stronger than them and immortal; I will not treat them as Katherine does.

He turned back to her, a large, almost childish smile lighting his face. "Come on," he answered, holding out his hand. "Trust me."

Trust him?

How could she trust him? If he found out what she really was, he would kill her. They had only known each other for less than a day; did he really expect her to follow him, to let him bring her wherever he pleased?

But something within her wanted nothing more than to do as he asked. Trust him. When was the last time she had truly trusted someone? When had she become a shell of her former self? The Elena from before would have thrown caution to the wind, would have followed this stranger that called to a primal part of her to the ends of the earth, even if it had killed her.

Once upon a time, it had.

Yet, she couldn't stop wishing for that old Elena back. She regretted everything she'd done up to that point, wanted to take it all back. Perhaps it was her old age, but she just wanted to go back to the time when she didn't have to worry about these things. When she had dreamed of getting married, having children.

Looking into those lightning blue eyes, she reached for that human delight, something sacred to only them.

She took hold of his hand, allowing him to help her up the rocky path. If she hadn't known better, she would have thought that a small light of happiness lit behind his eyes, as if she had done exactly what he had been hoping for. Within her, all her thoughts of remaining less than friends began to soften against him.

Especially when he led her through an almost unnoticeable path in the trees to show her one of the most spectacular sights she had ever seen in her existence.

They stood on a cliff, overlooking the valley and river just beyond the town. Everything was green and lush, bursting with life. Birds flew above the trees, she could see a small family of deer by the river, drinking. Even a bear ambled down a path, moving deeper into the forest.

All of it reminded her of her home, her family. When they'd all lived together, she hadn't known how beautiful life really was. Now that they were gone, she couldn't believe how stupid she'd been.

Tears sprang to her eyes. She couldn't stop herself. A smile graced her lips and she slipped her hand from Damon's to move closer to the edge of their cliff, watching all the life brimming around her. Unable to contain herself, she let out a small cry of happiness and allowed tears to roll silently down her cheeks.

This was what she'd been yearning for. Since she'd been turned, this beauty that nothing could touch—not time, not humans, not magic—was what she had wanted. If only to give her a small, momentary jolt of memory, that was all she needed.

She turned to the man that had given it to her, noting but not caring that he looked shocked beyond words. "Mr. Salvatore, I cannot believe that you would bring me here. It's...so perfect." She glanced back over the cliff, unknowingly taking a step closer to the edge. "Why would you share this with me?"

His hand was on her arm, gently pulling her back. "Don't get too close to the edge, Miss Pierce. It isn't as stable as it looks." When she'd followed his instructions, he slowly took hold of her chin to bring her gaze back to his. "I wanted to share this with you because I haven't showed it to anyone else. In fact, I'm not sure if anyone living here knows about this place." Something held in his eyes, a secret that was chased away by shadows. He let go of her, taking a step back from her to look out at the scene himself. "You just seemed like the type of person who would actually enjoy a place like this."

She searched his face for more answers. She was sure that he was hiding from her what he really wanted to say.

But she decided not to spoil the mood of this secret forest by pestering him for questions.

Suddenly, Damon sat down, giving her a lopsided smile. Patting the grass next to him, he said, "Why don't we sit and just watch for awhile?"

Nodding, Elena sat next to him, careful to keep at least a foot of space between them. "How did you find this place? It's beyond words how amazing all of this is?"

"Someone showed me it when I was young. But they're gone now."

Had she been giving vague answers earlier? If she had, his were most certainly much worse. She was smart enough to read between the lines: someone very close to him had shown him this place, but they were dead now. And he didn't want to talk about it.

Someday, she would know. When her curiosity peaked, there would be nothing he could do to stop her.

"This place reminds me of my childhood, too," she said, knowing that she would regret revealing such a deep thought to Damon later. "It reminds me of all the dreams I used to have when I was just a little girl. Back when everything was beautiful and perfect." She brought her arms around her knees, leaning her cheek on them as well to watch him. "I always wanted to get married and have children when I was little. What did you want to do?"

He smiled as if he had guessed she would say that, looking down at where his fingers toyed with his Confederate hat. "Honestly? I don't know what I want. Really, I just want to travel, to leave Mystic Falls." He glanced over at her. "So have you changed your dreams since you were a child? Is there something else that you would want to do?"

Without thinking, she said, "My dreams have not changed, but I can't have children. My—" She stopped herself before she could say "my kind". Instead, she thought of a quick lie in hope that he wouldn't guess that she'd withheld information intentionally. "I was in an accident," she murmured simply, hoping he mistook quietness for pain.

His eyes widened, then softened. "I'm sorry."

That was all he said. There was no overbearing expressions of pity. He just said a simple apology and left it at that.

Had she ever met someone who didn't ask questions about that fake story of hers? Most wanted to know what had happened, how she knew that she couldn't have children. But Damon, whether out of stupidity or sympathy, didn't ask for more details, only sat there offering silent comfort.

"Why don't you travel?" she asked suddenly, hoping to keep him from asking questions about her supposed "accident"—though it was true enough. "I'm sure you could, if you wanted."

He paused for a moment, as if feeling out the question. Then he grinned and looked out to where the sun was beginning to set. "I've just never had someone to go with, I suppose. I don't want to be alone when I'm busy in places I've never been." Somehow, he didn't make it sound like he was trying to get her to go with him. He glanced at her, blue eyes flashing. "Have you ever been far from home?"

Now, she thought to herself, but instead opted for an easier answer. "I've been to Europe and Canada. I have family there." She couldn't help the small smile that graced her lips when she thought about where she'd once lived. "This place is a lot like there, too. All this lush life"—she made a sweeping gesture to indicate the forest around them—"it was like this everywhere. You could go for miles without seeing another family." Those were the days.

His eyes widened at the new information. "Really? You seem too young to have been across the ocean. Canada I can understand, but not Europe. What country did you go to?"

Too much. Said too much. He's going to figure out that there's something fishy in my answers. I've got to change the subject!

Before she could do what her mind was screaming, Damon scooted behind her, his legs coming around her sides, but keeping them from touching. With his face just above her shoulder, he motioned towards the sun set. Quietly, he whispered, "Look at the colors the sun is creating. This is my favorite part of this particular spot."

She turned to look out above the trees and nearly choked. As the sun set, the sky went from blue to purple to red to orange to yellow, looking more like a painting than a scene in real life. The pure, innocent beauty of it was enough for Elena to be swept into her old self, the self that could hardly contain herself. Her hand gripped his arm absently and she breathed, "Oh my God, Damon."

"There is no surprise more magical than the surprise of being loved: It is God's finger on man's shoulder." -Charles Morgan

His heart skipped a beat at the soft grip on his arm, and he knew he was lost.

This beautiful woman who could go from being so cold to so childlike in the blink of an eye was going to make him fall for her, even if she didn't want him to. He could still remember what his mother had told him when he was little, after telling him the story of Sleeping Beauty.

"But, Mother," I started, grabbing onto her dress so she would listen, "why did Prince Charming do all that? That dragon could have ate him!"

She smiled at me, gently brushing my hair back from my forehead. Leaning down, she gave me a kiss that I would feel long after she died. "Darling, that's what you do when you're in love. You'll do anything to protect that person, to save them. Whether it's from a dragon breathing fire or the person's own mind, that's what you do for the ones you love."

Was this the feeling of falling in love? Could this girl really have started to steal his heart in only a day?

I don't care, he decided abruptly, watching her profile change with the shifting sun. He would gladly fall in love with this woman and never look back.

Another short chapter, but, to be honest, this story is pure romance. It isn't meant to have a mysterious stranger lurking in the shadows. It's about the feelings these characters go through.
Next chapter, Stefan and Katherine return to the story, I promise you.