HEY WHAT'S UP HELLO!

Thank you guys for being so patient with me through all the breaks I needed to take. BUT I finally have free time, and a good direction for the story, so I should be back to semi-regular updates :) I'm not putting myself on a schedule, but I'm definitely going to do my best!

Please check out the full A/N at the end!

DISCLAIMER: I DO NOT OWN TVD, JUST THE PLOT!

-Katia

There was fire everywhere, and he couldn't see her. He couldn't find her. No matter how hard he tried. The smoke was starting to fill up in his lungs, and no matter how many times he tried to gasp for air, he couldn't get to it.

"Help!" he soft voice called out to him, and he wanted nothing more than to call back to her, wishing that he could help. But, the smoke was filling his respiratory system, and he couldn't bring himself to call out to her. It was so painful. Not the fact that he couldn't breathe; that somehow didn't hurt. But, knowing that she was out there, hurting, and he couldn't stop it…

"Damon, please," he heard her whine, but he couldn't get there fast enough.

Damon shot up in the darkness that was his room, looking around as he tried to make sense of everything that he saw so far. He knew that it was a dream, but that didn't stop him from needing a minute to take everything in. After all, he had just witnessed a horrible nightmare.

It had been two days since the night he had fallen asleep in Elena's room. The one night in months that he hadn't woken up sweating, and calling out his ex-girlfriend's name. He sometimes thought about crawling into her bed, just to get them to go away again, but he knew that Elena just wouldn't understand that. At least, not right now. So, he settled for suffering in the silence of his bedroom.

Being alone with his thoughts wasn't much better than sleeping, if he were being completely honest. He kept replaying the same scene from his memory over and over again, unsure of what to do to make it stop. He didn't want to see her die anymore, yet he felt as though he was condemned to watch it over and over again for the rest of his life.

That event was nearly three years ago, just before he became a bodyguard. It was what had pushed him to be a bodyguard, if he were being completely honest. Seeing her so helpless...he wanted to make sure that something like that never happened to anyone again. At least, not on his watch. So, he undertook training session after training session to become a bodyguard. He was the top of his class. In doing so, he landed himself into Elena Gilbert's case.

He still couldn't tell if he enjoyed being assigned to Elena Gilbert. She was a handful, but he supposed she really was rather fun to be around. He just wasn't sure if that made up for how much of a brat she tended to be. Though, if he really thought about it, he supposed that anyone he was assigned to would be a diva. They all had to be rich enough to warrant protection that they could pay famously for. As the company's prices were, in no way, cheap.

With a grumble, Damon knew that it was time to get up. If he didn't, he would stay in bed all day. And if he stayed in bed all day, so would Elena. While she might not be allowed to go to school anymore, Damon wanted to make sure that she didn't spend her days sulking away in her bedroom. He agreed that it wasn't fair that she got kicked out of school, but he didn't want that one little facto to ruin her life.

He burst into her room after getting dressed. And, sure enough, there she was, wrapped up in all kind of blankets. She was in the dead center of her bed, which is why it was incredibly easy for him to jump and plop himself down onto the bed next to her.

Hard.

Elena was startle awake, looking up at him with a confused expression etched onto his face as she did so. Damon could here the sleep still on her voice when she spoke. "What are you doing in my room?"

"I can't let you sleep all day, so I had an idea," he said with a grin, turning onto his side as he looked at her, laughing the tiniest bit. Elena didn't think this was funny - that much was evident - but Damon did.

The brunette laying next to him put a pillow over her head. "I don't want to hear about your stupid idea."

Damon clicked his tongue at her. "Don't call it stupid. I mean, technically, you came up with it."

That seemed to get her attention, as Elena sat up, the pillow falling into her lap. She looked a bit skeptical as she stared down at him, and Damon grinned.

"What do you mean?"

"I thought we might cross something off of The List," he finally said with a soft smirk as he looked at her.

Elena looked skeptical, but that didn't make Damon's grin falter. "Most of the things on The List aren't...well, normal."

And, in that moment, Damon realized what she must have been thinking, and he couldn't help but laugh at her. "Oh, God, no. We aren't doing number eight, missy. I was thinking number five."

"Number Two: kiss someone of the same gender," Katherine murmured as she looked at some of the few things that she had yet to cross off of her list yet. She wasn't quite sure what she had left, as she had already done most of these things already. That's just who she was. After all, most of The List had been things she had done that Elena had wanted to do.

"You aren't seriously going to just kiss some random chick, are you?" Caroline asked from her spot perched on Katherine's window-seat. She had come over after school that day, since Elena still wasn't answering her phone. They were both kind of worried about her. Okay, maybe more than just 'kind of'. Elena wasn't ever like this, avoiding their phone calls.

Katherine had suggested that they call Damon, to make sure she was okay, but Caroline didn't think that was a great idea.

"Besides, we don't even have Damon's number," Caroline had said to her.

"You don't have Damon's number. I got it that very first night." Katherine had said triumphantly.

Still, they had decided to not call, so that they weren't barging in on Elena's privacy. So, instead, they opted for worrying together, while sitting in Katherine's bedroom and pondering over The List, and what things they could and couldn't do before the school year was over. Like kissing someone of the same gender. "I hadn't really thought that far ahead." Katherine finally mused, leaning back into her pillows some, and looking over at her blonde friend, raising an eyebrow. "Who are you kissing?"

Caroline snorted a bit, casting a look over to Katherine and shaking her head some. "I don't do the whole List thing. That's more you and Elena."

To which Katherine also snorted. "Oh, don't pretend you're so mighty. You've been just as concerned with crossing things off as me and Elena. So, who are you kissing?"

Caroline was silent for a few moments, and for once, Katherine thought that she had managed to shut the blonde up. It wasn't that Caroline was 'annoying' per say, but she did talk a lot. So the fact that she hadn't been able to automatically come up with a reply felt like a tiny victory to Katherine, if she was being completely honest with herself. Katherine liked Caroline, obviously, otherwise she wouldn't put up with her. But, she did tend to get on Katherine's nerve, as was expected from time to time. Besides, she was so boring.

"We could always just kiss each other."

Okay, so maybe she wasn't that boring after all.

The giggling had started about a half an hour ago.

"I really didn't think bodyguards were allowed to do this kind of thing," Elena's voice came of light and airy. Honestly, she hadn't realized smoking weed would make her feel so...relaxed. With every bad thing that had been happening lately, she really needed this feeling. It was like the weight of the world had been bearing down on her shoulders, and now it was lifted away, like it was nothing.

Damon chuckled. While he had smoked the same thing as Elena, they were on two very different levels at the moment. It had hit her harder than him, and he couldn't tell if that was because she had more than him, or because she had needed it more than him. "There are no set rules of being a bodyguard, other than keeping you safe. I feel like I'm doing my job as long as we stay out here," he said with a laugh.

They were sitting on Elena's balcony, that way there was no danger of her father smelling the weed inside the house. Technically, it wasn't against any specific bodyguard rules, like Damon said, but weed was still illegal, and therefore, probably frowned upon by the vice presidential candidate.

"Oh, right. You're job. God, how sick is that? That your job is to hang out with some boring teenager all the time? Don't you ever get sick of it?"

Damon had to stop and think about that for a moment. It wasn't that it was difficult to answer. It was just...hard to explain. Which, yeah, sound a lot like the same thing, but they aren't. Damon pushed out a soft breath, before casting a look over at Elena. "Yeah, I do. I mean...I haven't always been a bodyguard. Something in my life pushed me that way. So, a few years ago, I wouldn't have told you this was my dream day, but I do handle it. I mean, you aren't that bad, and you could be a lot worse. That's how I choose to look at it."

Elena was quiet for a few moments, before pushing out a soft breath as she pushed her hair behind her ear. The effects of the weed they'd smoked seemed to die down - even if it was just for a second. She was taking in each and every word that Damon said, which was hard, because her drug-hazed mind wasn't doing the best job of keeping up. "What happened?"

"Hmm?"

"What happened in your life to push you towards being a bodyguard?" Elena said, her eyes glancing over towards him.

He was quiet, before shaking his head. "I can't talk about it."

"Damon, come-"

"I said no, Elena. Leave it alone."

With that, Damon stood up and walked inside the house, leaving Elena alone on the balcony.

"Oh, just shut up and kiss me already!"

Things between Katherine and Caroline were starting to heat up a bit. Not in some weird, sexual way. They just clashed personalities sometimes (most of the times) and right now, they were arguing a bit. Things after Caroline's proposal had kind of fallen like a domino set, and somehow, they had ended up here, both sitting on the window-seat, and facing one another.

"That is so not fair," Caroline said, giving Katherine a look. "You were the one who was complaining about not crossing it off yet. You should have to make the first move."

"Yes, but it was your idea!"

"Oh, please, we both know that you were thinking it too."

"No, I wasn't!"

This should have been easy. They should have been able to pucker up their lips, kiss once, and call it a day. But, something in both of them was demanding that they make it harder than that, for whatever reason. They both wanted the other to make the first move - as if it was some big, defining moment, and not just some kiss to cross something off a bucket list.

Katherine Pierce and Caroline Forbes were nothing, if not dramatic.

"How about we compromise?" Caroline finally said, and it looked as though she was going to launch into a big explanation. And, sure enough, she began. "So, we both don't want to make the first move, right? So, how about, we just sit about this far apart, and we start to inch closer and closer to each other until-"

Katherine had enough. Caroline was putting too much thought into this, and the brunette honestly just wanted this done. So, she reached her hand up, hooked it around the back of Caroline's neck, and pulled her into a kiss.

It was nothing, okay? It was just a little kiss, between two friends, to cross something off a bucket list.

It was nothing.

Maybe if they keep telling themselves that, it will start becoming true.

I hope you guys enjoyed this story! Sorry if the representation of Elena/Damon being high is not good xD I have never done anything like that before, so I had nothing to write off of, except TV show/book portrayal lol!

I have a question for you guys this part, though! As you can see, I kind of hinted at a possible relationship between Katherine/Caroline in this chapter. I was wondering what you guys thought of that? I've been toying with it for the whole story, and I wrote this scene and it felt good. But, I want to put into the story, what you guys want to see!

And, now, for the REVIEWS! (There were a lot so I only responded to the ones who needed a bit more than a "Thank you!" but, I do love each and every review and you are all beautiful!)

Undaunted One: (Chapter 9) My sweetest, dearest Undaunted One, your reviews never fail at making me smileeee :) I hope you liked this chapter, and thank you for your advice during my break :) lots of love!

Sara: (Chapter 9) As expressed in earlier chapters, there are going to be a few plotholes in this story, just because of how I've changed my mind during writing them and such. I asked a while back if people would like me to start over to fix them, or to just keep going. And majority ruled that I keep going :) Sorry for confusing you, and I hope you continue to read!

Guest: (Chapter 2) "At least Damon sounds fun, she could have gotten a lot worse or someone rather stiff and old." That's what I'm saying xD Elena needs to get over herself xD (and yes I do say this as I continue to write the main character as someone who is upset Damon is her body guard lol. the irony is not lost on me!)

Guest: (Chapter 3) "Tell me that Dathrine will not be hooking up in this story." I don't reveal the secrets of my stories ;) (But in this case, no, Datherine will not be hooking up in this story :))

Guest: (Chapter 4) "How come Damon didn't know Klaus if he and Rebekah dated for 2 years?" All will be revealed in good time my friend :)

Guest: (Chapter 7) "Damon to the rescue. Elena's idea to drive through a brick building at full speed was kind of naive but cute. You gotta give her points for bravery and strength though" I feel like the best way to define Elena Gilbert is naive, but cute xD

vamphony: (Chapter 3) I totally get where you're coming from! However, a small "spoiler" like, Damon won't end up with X Person, isn't a spoiler in my opinion :) This story is Delena endgame, and I make no secrets about that! But, your review was definitely appreciated, and thank you for your kind words :)

Alright guys, until next time!

PLEASE DON'T FORGET TO REVIEW! I LOVE HEARING YOUR GUYS' THOUGHTS :)

-Katia