A rather quick update thanks to my pre-reader Bibi! Thanks, hun. And of course also a thank you to my beta Jamie! You girls rock!

Another thank you to Babi for writing me such a lovely review last chapter! I couldn't stop smiling when I read your words. And of course to all my other amazing reviewers! You're the reason why I keep writing fanfics!

This chapter is a long and important one that includes lots of emotions. I hope you will all enjoy it.

Disclaimer: As always, I still don't own The Vampire Diaries. However, I do consider the plot line as mine.

Unexpected Visitor

Chapter 9

The Beauty of Hope

Day 21

A week had gone by, and Elena still hadn't talked to Damon since that day, when he practically closed the door in her face. He seemed to be avoiding her, because the only time she saw him was when he got home from work (rather late at night, she might add). Even then, he didn't give her more than a simple 'goodnight' before running upstairs like a coward.

She was so sick and tired of it, however, she didn't know how to solve their current situation. Dear god, she didn't even know what the hell was going on. Ever since his 'fight' with Stefan, he had been acting differently. He kept his distance from almost everyone and spent more time in his room than he ever did before. It was a hopeless situation.

The phone started ringing, bringing her back from her train of thoughts and she quickly ran towards the closet where the phone was located and picked it up, making an end to the annoying noise. A sweet female voice asked her if Damon might be home. She could practically feel the jealousy boiling through her veins. She quickly told the bitch that he was not and asked if she had to leave him a message.

"Oh, just tell him that Alaric and his wife are coming by later this week," the woman told her. Wife? Elena thought embarrassed. She just got all defensive and jealous for no reason! The woman was married to Damon's best friend! Jesus, what the hell was wrong with her? She usually never got this jealous.

After she quickly said her 'goodbyes', she hung up and walked back to the closet to put the phone back in place. The past days had made her rather cranky. She still couldn't believe that Damon was ignoring the obvious chemistry between them. The 'no strings attached' was okay for her if it meant that they would still talk to each other. She just plainly missed him. Their usual banter, honest conversation, even his smart-ass remarks… She never realized how important he had become to her until he started to keep his distance.

He was the first person she gave the chance to get to know the real Elena Gilbert. Usually, she made sure people stayed far away from her and her past, but he easily broke through all her defense mechanisms and found a way to her heart. He made her realize that she was still at the beginning of her life. There were still so many things she could achieve if she fought for what she desired most. He made her feel whole again.

Two days ago, she even had a girls night with Caroline so she would be able to forget about him for a little while. They'd watched a romantic movie and ate ice-cream to make her feel better, though it didn't exactly work out that way. She was too much of a brooding person to be distracted by a simple slumber party. There was simply no way to get the haunting images of the blue eyed man out of her head.

Flashback

"What movie do you want to watch, Titanic or the Notebook?" Caroline asked smiling, while holding up both movies. After she noticed that Elena was feeling bad, the blonde, of course, had to make sure her friend was okay. Especially because it was actually her fault that Elena ended up going on a date with Damon.

She'd known all along that their chemistry would lead to more than a nice conversation; however, she didn't think that Damon would still have such issues regarding relationships. She'd thought that he was over the entire 'I don't need a woman' phase, though he clearly was far from ready to start something serious.

So being the good friend she always tried to be, Caroline had called Elena to ask if they could have a slumber party. She knew her friend could use someone to talk to and a chill girls' night. A few romantic movies and popcorn would surely do the trick. She even brought a box full of Ben & Jerry's ice cream in all kind of different flavors since she didn't know which one was Elena's favorite. Caroline, was a big fan of the cheesecake brownie and Banana split. Every time she felt down or had a fight with Stefan, she would go running towards the closest grocery shop and buy herself a bunch of ice cream.

Although, trying to cheer Elena up was much more difficult than she expected it to be. Of course she knew that the brunette could be pretty stubborn, though at the moment she could kill the woman. Elena wasn't even trying to smile, she just stared in front of her, not even listening to her friend.

"Elena?" the blonde asked, before repeating her question.

"You choose," was the only answer that left Elena's lips. She still couldn't believe that Damon wouldn't talk to her. What had she done wrong? She knew he had this crazy fight with Stefan, butthat didn't mean that he had the right to ignore her.

"Okay, Miss. Broody, if you don't want to choose, we'll watch the Notebook. It's my eternal favorite. I just can't seem to get bored of watching Noah and Allie together. They're like the perfect couple!" Caroline exclaimed happily, taking the disk out of its box and putting it in the DVD player. If you ever wanted to watch a chick flick, you certainly had to come by Caroline's house. Her DVD collection of romantic movies was spectacular and unrivaled.

"Did you already ask Stefan to move in together?" Elena asked, trying to start a conversation that didn't include the elder Salvatore. She wasn't really in the mood to watch a romantic movie, though she didn't want to disappoint Caroline. She knew the woman was trying her best to cheer her up, however it wasn't really working.

"I did, as a matter of fact," the blonde answered, a bright smile across her lips.

"I take it went well," Elena answered happily when she saw her friend's lips curling upwards. She'd always known that the two of them were a cute couple and she was honestly looking forward to living together with them.

"It went very well," Caroline chirped, her smile widening even more. "He told me that he'd wanted to ask the question for a long time, though he had no idea if I was ready to take our relationship to the next level. He was afraid that he would scare me away, though I made sure that he knows just how happy I am to move in together."

"Did you already decide on a specific date?" the brunette questioned.

"Not really, I'm just going to move my stuff gradually while staying at the boarding house more often than usual. That way, we'll get used to living together. After all, we've always taken our relationship slowly so why suddenly rush everything? I kind of like the pace and direction we're taking. My relationship with Stefan is very solid and I know I can trust him. We're very happy together. He's honestly the reason why I smile so much," Caroline explained, dreamily staring in front of her.

"You're the cutest couple I've seen in ages," Elena told her friend, before pushing the 'play' button to start watching the movie. The rest of the night went by quietly, both girls thinking about another Salvatore brother.

Trying to forget about him, Elena went to her room and sat down in front of her desk. She still had a lot of work to do. Only three days ago, she started at the Mystic Falls Gazette, but she already got tons of assignments. Carol clearly had exaggerated her abilities to write, cause all the people at the Gazette seemed to be super excited about the fact that she accepted the offer to start working for the paper.

Work had been a nice distraction from her current worries and she truly loved her new job. Working for a local paper was entirely different from working for a city paper. She actually got to know the people she was writing about, all of them and not just one person that had to speak for all the others. It was very nice and she really liked her colleges. They were all friendly and had immediately accepted her in the group. She truly felt like she belonged there.

Her new boss, Maggie, had even asked her if she wanted to start her own blog. Apparently, she read a few of her articles and she thought Elena was very talented. Carol Lockwood had told her that Elena would like to write her own novels and Maggie seemed to be very interesting. Elena had been taken aback by her offer, she wasn't expecting such a huge opportunity before she even started working for them. She'd told the woman that she would think about it, however, she still hadn't made her decision yet.

Taking risks was never one of her habits, she liked to stay in control. Accepting the offer would mean that she could either fail miserably or become successful. It was a risk she didn't know if she wanted to take.

After ten minutes of staring at a blank Word document, she shut the computer down and took a deep breath. Her inspiration had been gone for the past days, and now she finally had a job. It was irritating. If she only could stop thinking about her blue eyed, charming housemate. She had to solve her issues before she would be able to start writing again. He was the only thing she could think about which made it very difficult to become a successful writer. In order to overcome her boundaries, she had to talk to Damon which something she wasn't particularly looking forward to.

It was already late at night when Damon finally got home from work. He had been avoiding Elena for almost a week now and he missed her like crazy, but he knew it was for the best. He only wanted a casual relationship andshe wanted lots more, deserved more. She was an amazing girl who needed to find a nice guy that wanted to have a serious relationship with her; not some guy that only used her for sex.

He couldn't offer her more than a few sleepovers because he wasn't the type to start dating seriously. He had been able to stay away from women like her for years now, though she was making it incredibly difficult not to take advantage of her innocence. He wanted her, it was as simple as that and, after last week, he knew for sure she wanted him, too. He should've never slept with her, though he didn't regret their night together, not at all. He knew it shouldn't have happened.

She wanted the whole fairytale: a white picket fence, kids, loving husband, and a cute, little was also the exact thing he couldn't give her. He was damaged goods, he didn't want a family of his own. After everything he went through during his youth, he didn't want to bring a child into this world. He was too afraid he would turn out to be more like his dad than he thought. He was afraid that he couldn't be who people wanted him to be.

He rather stay alone his entire life than try a relationship only to ripsomeone's heart out. He just couldn't be in a real relationship that was something he knew for sure. Elena had to realize that he wasn't who she was looking for and the only way to give her a chance at happiness was to leave her alone. She already cared too much.

Closing the door behind him, he placed his keys on the shelf and put his coat away. He hadn't seen a car in the driveway and thought he was the only one at home so, when he saw Elena standing in the middle of the living room, with adetermined look on her face, he was kind of surprised to say the least. He wasn't expecting an encounter with the girl that haunted his dreams for the past week. To be honest, he wasn't in the mood to talk to her either. He had a rough day at work and was not looking forward to a discussion with the beautiful brunette in front of him.

"Someone was trying to call you today and left a message," she told him softly, looking down at the floor. She chose her words carefully, trying to decide how to start the conversation. She knew she needed answers from him, though she had no idea what she had to do in order to get them. He wouldn't just give himself away and tell her his thoughts.

"You're friend Ric and his wife will be stopping by this week," Elena explained before finally looking up, her eyes piercing his before as she slowly started to walk towards him while swaying her hips with every step. Only a few centimeters away from him, she stopped abruptly and stared deeply into his eyes, as if trying to find the answers she was looking for.

"But that's not what I wanted to talk to you about," she finally said, taking his hand in hers. She was surprised when he didn't immediately pull back, though her victory didn't last long. He shortlytook a step back and turned around, starting to pace through the living room.

"I honestly don't know what you want me to say, Elena," he told her, not once turning to look at her. He was expecting her to say something like that, though he really didn't want to talk about it. It was hard enough to stay away from her after he knew how wonderful they could be together; however , them being together would only bring more trouble for the both of them. He was no good for her and she would only make him realize what he was missing out on. She was addicting in every way, though he was far from ready to start dating.

He couldn't trust anyone, not because he didn't want to, but because he just couldn't. There was always this fear that he would be let down. He knew how it felt to be hurt by someone, which was the exact reason why he kept his distance. He couldn't have a normal relationship as long as he had trust issues. "I think it's obvious by now that I'm keeping my distance. I don't want to hurt your feelings, Elena, but I also don't want a relationship with you," he added, a sting of pain ripping through his chest when he spoke the words. Somewhere deep down, he knew he wasn't being entirely honest.

"I never asked for a relationship, Damon. You made it pretty clear that you weren't interested in more than just sex and I had no problem agreeing to that. I don't regret what happened, not at all even, but I don't want this 'encounter' we had to ruin our friendship. I don't want you to stay away from me. I want you to be my friend. I need you to be my friend," she told him passionately, taking a step closer and caressing his cheek, giving him an understandinglook.

"You say that now, but I know you, Elena. You're not the kind of girl that sleeps with a guy without wanting more. You may think that you're okay with the entire 'no strings attached' kind of relationship but, deep down, you're just lying to yourself. You want much more than that. You want a real relationship and that includes a diamond on your finger at some point. I'm not that guy; I won't ever be that guy. I've been through way too much to ever be that guy. So please, stay away from me. I'm bad news, Elena," he threw back with just as much fire and passion in his voice.

"How can you say that? You don't know me, Damon, you think you do. I'm still an adult. I can make my own decisions and, right now, I'm choosing to be your friend and stay close to you, whether you like it or not. And if anything more happens between us, well than that's just nature telling us we both have our needs. I won't ever drag you into something you don't want. I know you're not ready for a relationship of any kind and I'm not asking you to start one. I just want us to be friends and stay close."

"You honestly think that'll work? I can assure you that it won't take long before we're back between those sheets and then what? We just act like there's nothing going on between us? I can't make you happy, Elena. You're going to feel miserable when you realize that you do want more out of this."

"Oh please, you really think that I can't stay away from you?" she asked him, shaking her head. Did he honestly think that she would jump his bones the first chance she got? She stayed away from him the first weeks, she surely could do that again. It wasn't because they slept together that it would keep on happening.

"I'm sure you'll try, though we both know what happens when we give in to our lust," he fired back, taking a step closer until their bodies were touching. He took both her wrists in his hands and pulled her flush against him, pressing her lower body to his, making clear just how long it would take until they were back in bed together. "There's no denying that I want you, Elena. Hell, I would love to have an affair with you, but I'm trying to be better than that. I don't want to hurt you, but one way or another I will," he added, releasing her wrists and taking her chin in his hand so she would look him in the eye.

No matter what, you will always hurt me, she thought sadly. "I don't care about your warnings, Damon. I know that I want you in my life and you can try and fight as much as you want, but when I want something, I will make sure I get exactly that." It was the last thing she said before her lips attacked his. She kissed him with all the passion and hunger that she'd kept to herself for almost a week now. Their kiss was desperate and needy and ended just as abruptly as it begun.

"Well, I hope I at least gave you something to think about," were her last words before she left the room and ran upstairs.

Day 23

Two days had passed since their heart to heart conversation and Elena felt kind of proud of herself. Ever since she'd kissed him, he'd started to act more and more like himself again. Although he didn't kiss her anymore, he did talk to her again. He even promised to cook another pasta dish tonight when she came back from work.

They had their civil conversations and silly banters, however she did miss the physical contact. He didn'teven touch her anymore, though she couldn't say she wasn't expecting this kind of behavior. He was still deflecting, trying not to push their boundaries. It wouldn't take much longer before something would happen. They were both practically walking on eggshells around each other. It was frustrating and tiresome and she truly hoped that their relationship would soon be back to normal, whatever that meant.

Being separated from him had given her the needed time to think things through. The realization that a plain and simple friendship between them wouldn't work anymore had occurred to her more than once. However, she still tried to stay positive and hope they'd find a way to rebuild their bond. The only thing she knew for sure was that she wanted him close to her side, no matter the cost.

Although he had been right, she was indeed not the kind of girl that slept with men without expecting more out of her relationship. However, she was willing to take the risk if it meant being with him. The past days had clearly showed her that she already cared too much about him. She was slowly starting to develop deeper feelings for him, feelings that went beyond a simple friendship. She could almost feel herself falling for him, step by step, drowning deeper into the darkness that surrounded him.

He wasn't ready to have a serious relationship with anyone. She knew that and accepted the fact that he didn't want more at the moment. He deserved to be loved deeply, he deserved to have a strong connection with someone. And even when she knew it was foolish, she kept hoping that, that girl would be her.

But before any of that was possible, she needed to connect with him on a different level and earn his trust. It was the only way they would ever be able to have more than a physical relationship. He needed to trust her not to hurt him, to let her inside that head of his, and talk to her openly instead of hiding behind that mask he created.

So instead of pushing his buttons and ordering him to talk to her about his, she simply let him be while trying to find a way to make him trust her. He was already much more open to her than in the beginning, though she suspected that he needed time, lots of time, to get over his issues. He clearly never talked about his youth, instead he bottled everything up. He was like a ticking time-bomb running around, ready to explode at a moment notice. He needed to clear his head and pour out his soul in order to get past his problems. However, he didn't seem to be ready to take the next step.

Parking her car in front of the boarding house, Elena walked inside. Once she closed the door behind her, the smell of delicious food hit her senses and a smile was placed on her lips. She'd almost forgotten just how much of a great cook Damon Salvatore actually was. Every time he made something especially for her, she had to do her best to bite back the moan that would often leave her lips when she tasted the food. He was a remarkable cook and had great talent. She truly believed he would be able to organize his own restaurant and make a huge success out of it.

After putting her coat on the peg and taking of her shoes, she walked towards the kitchen. Today had been the first time that she had seen one of her articles published in the Gazette and she actually felt quite proud. Most people had congratulated her and told her she was a very talented writer.

Her job was very diversified and she felt content working with her colleges. She actually enjoyed going to work, which was a relief after working in San Francisco for so many years. It was the first time in her life that she was actually looking forward to going to work.

When she walked in, Damon was busy stirring the sauce. He quickly gave her one of his typical smirks before finishing their meal. He was in quite a good mood today, she noticed. He usually ignored her presence when she walked into his territory, in other words the kitchen. "Evening, beautiful," he winked, giving her one of his charming smiles. He truly was a professional at making her blush. The effect he had on her body was just incredibly powerful and became more intense every time he looked at her.

"Hi," she answered joyfully, leaning against the other side of the cooking island. He was using his magic in the kitchen and she couldn't wait to taste the dish. Today, he was making her another kind of pasta. After the many Carbonara's and Spaghetti's, he wanted to show her something different: a Tagliatelle with king prawns and lobster sauce. It was one of his new recipes and he wanted her to try it and give her honest opinion before he put it on the menu, at the Grill.

"How was your day?" he asked her casually, while decorating the plate. He first put the Tagliatelle in the middle before pouring a little oil on top of it with sliced onion. After that, he put the vegetables and king prawns on top of the pasta and finished the meal with a few tablespoons of lobster sauce. It looked fantastic and smelled even better.

"Very good, actually. My first few articles got published," she told him, a wide smile across her lips. She still couldn't quite believe it. She never thought that she would be able to publish an article so closely after they hired her. Back in the city, it took her almost a year before Mark actually let her write an entire article. Most of the time, she had to work as an assistant for one of her colleges.

"I noticed. I read the Gazette at work this morning. You truly are talented" he complimented, before putting their plates on the kitchen table and helping her in her chair, like a true gentleman.

"Thank you," she answered shyly, her cheeks once again burning like a wild fire. She gave him a quick smile before taking a bite of her food. No matter how high her expectations were, every time he seemed to surpass them. The pasta was absolutely exquisite and she was impressed for the hundredth time that month. He was a true talent at almost everything he did; it was becoming quite scary to see what perfection looked like.

"I don't think I've ever tasted something quite as amazing as this," she told him while taking another bite and emptying her plate at a quite remarkable pace. She just couldn't seem to get enough of the delicious pasta. Honestly, it was soon becoming her favorite dish.

"I'm glad you like it," he answered, smiling proudly. He would probably never admit it out loud, but he truly had been anxious to let her taste his new recipe. For some reason, it seemed to be very important that Elena liked his new pasta. He constantly tried to impress her without actually realizing it.

After the conversation about their current relationship, he had been thinking a lot about her and what she meant to him. He came to the realization that he wouldn't know what to do without her anymore and it scared the hell out of him. He'd even started his old, little drinking habit the day before. Luckily, Elena hadn't noticed him coming home last night, drunk as a skunk. She probably would've been disappointed and that was exactly what he was trying to avoid.

In the morning, he'd promised to make her dinner. He just wanted to do something nice for her after being such an idiot. Even if she didn't know he'd been drinking, he still felt bad about it. He wanted to be a better man for her, another realization that had freaked him out at first.

He knew that if he wanted to get away from whatever was going on between them, he had to run fast! However, something was keeping him right in place. Deep down, he actually wanted her to be his girlfriend. That probably scared him most out of everything. He'd never wanted to be in a relationship again after Katherine happened. Still, here he was, slowly falling in love a beautiful brunette.

It was already too late to get away and he knew it damn well. He was even trying his best to learn to trust her; however, it wasn't as easy as he thought it would be. Over the years, he'd built a solid wall. He never realized just how secluded he had come. There wasn't a single person he talked openly to, not even his best friend, Ric.

He still had a long way to go if he ever wanted to have a normal relationship, but he was trying. That seemed to be themost important thing at the moment. Although he hadn't talked to Elena about it because he didn't want her to get her hopes up. He couldn't promise that he'd ever want more than a 'friends with benefits relationship'.

"Where did you learn how to cook?" Elena asked, while putting the plates in the dishwasher. She simply wanted to start a conversation, but she did not realize just how personal the question actually was.

"A long time ago," he answered softly, closing his eyes for a second and picturing his mother in front of him. He still remembered her as if it was yesterday. She had been the most important person in his life; she had been his rock, his best friend. Losing her had been like losing a part of himself. Suddenly, he was all alone in the world.

Every single time he looked in the mirror, he thought of her, seeing her beautiful, ocean blue eyes staring back at him. She had been an amazing woman, always full of life and smiling at every single person she met. She had been his true example sowhen she passed away, she took an important part of him with her. His smiles were never as bright anymore.

"My mom was actually the first one to ever show me how to cook," he went on, taking Elena by surprise. She hadn't expected him to talk about his mom. "She was a very passionate Italian who loved cooking. She always dreamed of having her own Italian restaurant, however, Giuseppe wanted to move to the States because of his job. He tore her dream into pieces when they arrived here because he wanted her to become a housewife that took care of the children. He didn't want her to reach her goal because he was so self-absorbed. All he wanted was to make his own dreams come true. He didn't realize how important her dream actually was to her until it was already too late."

He took a deep breath before going on, taking Elena's hand in his. "After that, Giuseppe kind of lost his mind. He didn't care about anything anymore. He'd realized too late how much my mom meant to him and he knew damn well that it was his fault that she didn't get to live her life fully. My mother had always been the sunshine in our family. She was kind and passionate, but more importantly, full of love. She was the best mother I could imagine and she showed me some pretty important things when I was little. Her passion for cooking was something that inspired me. It was our thing and it was also the only thing that kept me going after she passed away," he told her, quickly looking away when he felt tears welling up. He didn't cry, he was stronger than that!

They finished the dishes and without another word, he took a step back and ran upstairs. At the top, he glanced back at Elena before running towards his room.

The entire night, he lay awake in bed because every time he closed his eyes, he saw Elena's sad face with a single tear rolling down her cheek.

Like I told you guys in my replies to the reviews, this chapter included some huge progress on Damon's account. He's still far from being ready for a relationship, though he's trying to open up to Elena.

Please let me know your thoughts and leave me a review!

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xoxo