To Change or Not To Change: Time Traveling AU

Chapter 9: The Founder's Party

It had been a week since Mr. Tanner's death. His classes had been cancelled, the school deciding it was a well needed time to grieve. So Elena had an off class during that time. She was still unsure who had killed Mr. Tanner even though the news kept saying it was from an animal attack.

It always is.

Elena was haunted by dreams, ones that didn't make much sense. She'd be walking down the stairs, could hear the news on the TV, and then would come face-to-face with all of her loved ones- including Damon- all over the living room, necks ripped open in ways that only suggested vampires. Elena would stand in shock, in utter shock, at the sight.

The dream would show Elena's parents' bodies first, bloody and watery. Their eyes unseeing and hopeless…. Then it was Aunt Jenna's body, covered in blood and neck ripped apart; her mouth hanging open, blood dripping from her lips and her eyes wide in fear and yet unseeing. Then, it was Jeremy. His whole body was barely together, his hunter's mark showing and his body covered in blood in such a gruesome way. It appeared as if his death had not been merciful. And in the middle of her family's bodies, lay Damon whom was barely holding on. She would walk towards him and he'd look at her before saying,

"You can't stop the fates."

Let's just say, Elena could barely sleep.

|x|

"Knock knock,"

Elena had just left her bathroom that was connected between hers and Jeremy's bedrooms. She turned, still in a towel and smiled at the sight of her mother. Miranda looked comfortable and collected, and Elena was hit with the reminder of her dream and what Miranda's body had looked like.

"Hey, what can I do for you?" Elena asked, walking over to her dresser to grab her brush.

Miranda walked into her teenage daughter's room. "I was wondering if Bonnie or Caroline are coming over to get ready with you."

"Err….no, they're too busy." Elena lied. In all truths, Elena wasn't ready to see her so called friends. She knew how close they all became in the future, and if the fates were in control then of course they would become as close as before, but Caroline wasn't…Caroline yet. She was the past Caroline, who was cruel and liked sleeping with guys. Bonnie had no idea what power she had and just wanted to finish school with all her friends. They weren't her friends and Elena was kidding herself into believing everything was okay. This wasn't her life anymore and she was just fooling herself.

Miranda frowned. "Well, that sucks. Would you like to get ready with me?" Miranda offered. She had convinced everyone in the family to go. She even got Jeremy to agree to a tux.

Elena smiled. "I'd love to!" And so, mother and daughter got ready together.

|x|

The Gilbert family came together. Aunt Jenna had gotten a date with a man by the name of Jason. Jeremy had come with a girl in his class with the name Lily. Miranda and Grayson of course were together. And Elena, she was looking for Damon, praying he decided to show up. She had sent him a quick text earlier that week asking him to the party. Damon of course agreed and said he'd meet her out front.

Elena watched as her family all went inside with their respectful dates, and she stood there waiting. She watched Vicki whom looked very tasteful in her yellow dress go in the back with Tyler. Elena shook her head with a frown. She wore a short pink flowered white dress and her hair was done up in curls. Mrs. Lockwood waved to Miranda and Elena watched her mother go up to join her in greeting the guests. Miranda had been helping plan this for awhile.

Miranda was in a long dark blue dress that came down to her knees. Aunt Jenna was in a short green sundress.

"Well, don't you look ravishing?"

Elena turned and found Damon, wearing a very handsome suit. "You came!" She said smiling brightly.

Damon chuckled. "I could not stand by and let such a beautiful woman come without an equally handsome date." He winked before kissing her hand.

They laughed together before going up to be greeted and invited inside. Damon got invited in without a second thought for Mrs. Lockwood. The party was amazing.

|x|

As the party died down, the night coming, Elena found herself wandering towards the artifacts. Her mother was in charge of this, but was chatting with one of her friends. Elena smiled before she felt a hand touch her waist.

"Damon-"

She turned and found Stefan. She jolted back. He looked at her with sad eyes. "It's not Damon," he mumbled sulkily.

Elena stood frozen in place. She hadn't spoken to Stefan in awhile, as she could barely look at him anymore. Stefan was doing everything he could in his power to make Elena see him, and everything she saw, she did not like. Stefan wasn't her Stefan. This Stefan was too…too distant. Maybe it was because he didn't know she knew he was a vampire or something of that sort. But it didn't matter.

She knew all of his demons and this Stefan did not want her to see him for what he was. She couldn't stop staring at him. "Is something wrong?"

"What are you doing with my brother? He's… he isn't good Elena. He's only using you and-"

"Stefan, Damon isn't using me." Elena interrupted her friend. Or what should be her friend. "He's different with me."

Stefan stared with his mouth hanging open. "Are you crazy? Damon isn't a nice person! You have no idea!"

"I do have an idea," Elena snapped at him, forgetting that she shouldn't rival anything about the future. "He just wants compassion and he misses you as a brother! He just doesn't want to be forced to be something he isn't- so he doesn't hide anything about his dark side! Unlike someone we all know!"

She placed her hands on her hips. She could be a right spitfire. Stefan was gaping at her. "What is that suppose to mean?!"

"It means Damon is truthful about who he is! Stefan, you're hiding behind a mask of who you once were!"

They were drawing attention and Elena barely noticed. "Is everything alright over here?" Elena turned and found her dad standing there, giving Stefan dirty looks. Elena turned and looked at her so called friend, and she could see how upset he was because of her words. Elena knew she might have just screwed up her friendship with Stefan but she couldn't bring herself to care.

"Everything is fine," She said before turning and walking away. Stefan nodded and left as well.

Elena was boiling mad. She couldn't believe Stefan sometimes and wondered what she had ever seen in him. Damon appeared a moment later. "Elena?" He looked worried.

She looked up at him. She moved into his open arms and she buried her face into his neck. "Your brother is an idiot," She mumbled.

Damon wrapped his arms around her and held her close. "Tell me something I don't know," He said. Elena sighed. "What happened?"

"I may have spilled some stuff I shouldn't have," Elena admitted, "But he just made me so upset! He kept saying you were only using me but I don't think you are. You're a nice guy Damon, and I know you won't use me."

Damon was silent. He looked up, noticing Grayson was walking over, stopping upon seeing Elena in Damon's arms. But Damon didn't care. Elena was hurt and he was going to help her.

He kissed her forehead. "Why don't we go dance, get your mind off my idiot of a brother?" He offered. She nodded and he led her to the middle of the room, unknowingly being followed by Stefan whom was going to get a drink and wanted to watch them. Stefan thought Damon would hurt Elena.

Elena laid her head against his chest and closed her eyes. All We Are began to play (by Matt Nathanson). Damon swayed them back and forth to the music, Elena getting lost in the moment. Everything that had happened became lost to her and she focused only on this moment- this moment Elena had missed out on because she had been so in love with Stefan. She didn't realize just how perfect Damon was, even back here when he had been considered the monster.

How had she let him slip through her fingers?

She looked up at him, and Damon just looked content in this moment as well, his eyes closed and just a pure relaxed look on his face. She smiled.

"It's rude to stare," Damon mumbled.

Elena blushed as her chocolate eyes met his icy blue eyes that looked so blue. "I can't help myself," she admitted, "You're so handsome…."

Damon smiled back and then he leaned down towards her face. She wanted nothing more than for him to kiss her lips. She leaned up to him and her eyes fluttered shut, their lips meeting in a soft gentle kiss- something she was sure this Damon rarely had anymore.

The couple ignored the world as they danced slowly to the music and shared their first kiss. The perfect first kiss… Elena thought with a flutter of her heart.

She let the thoughts of the future leave her and she just focused on right now. She was sure she could never leave this timeline ever again. She wished time would freeze in this moment.

But alas…happy moments such as these never last very long.

Please review!

Note: I just want to let you all know school for me starts up NEXT WEEK. I started doing an online course for college as well, so I'm gonna be super busy. Updates will be random, but hopefully kind of weekly. I cannot promise. But I do want to finish this story; I also have half the epilogue in my head so that's good, right? :D Anyway, please review!

Also, whoever is the 100th reviewer; I will write a one-shot of your choice. If you'd like! It can be mostly anything you want, as long as I know what it is. M'kay? Also must be either T rated or lower, sorry guys. No smut.

Lots of love!

Nerdy~

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