The car rolled several times before creaking to a stop in the middle of the vacant highway. The crumpled figure lay in the highway, silent and still. Elena was nearly knocked unconscious. Her head was bleeding and she ached everywhere. She blinked hard and craned her neck to see who she had hit. She was shaking from shock and fear, and when she saw her victim, she began to hyperventilate. The figure slowly sat up with a sickening crack. It began snapping its bones back in to place, Elena's mouth opening with horror. It walked towards her at a moderately slow pace with even, menacing steps. She could feel the scream building in her throat before it made its appearance. When it did, the figure moved to the car in an instance, before putting its finger to her lips.

"Don't be dramatic." An impossible-not-to-recognize voice said.

"D-d-damon?" Elena stuttered. The dark figure nodded and rolled his eyes. "You scared me." She whispered.

"You hit me with your car. Consider us even." His witty voice responded. "Come on, we've got to get you out of there." He reached in to the car and tried pull Elena out, only realizing that the car was too caved in to get her out. He popped the roof up with a nudge of his hand and pushed away the shattered glass in the window. He once again reached for Elena, this time coming up successful, and pulling her out of the wrecked car. She was a mess. She had blood dripping down her forehead from a cut near her hairline. The skin that was visible was covered with bruises, but nothing seemed to be broken, and he couldn't detect any internal bleeding. He carried her to the side of the road before setting her down, with her head against his leg. He thought for a moment about what he was going to do. Elena appeared to have lost consciousness and was sleeping in Damon's arms, unsuspecting and innocent.

Damon picked her up and started running towards where he remembered leaving his car the night before.

It was only about a twenty minute run, and his classic 1969 Mustang, which he treasured beyond almost anything, sat.

The car was in mint condition. It was a glossy black and had black leather interior. He may not have been human, but he was definitely still a car-loving man.

He opened the passenger side of the car and gingerly placed Elena in the seat, buckling her seat belt just in case. He slowly walked to the driver's seat, taking his time, thinking about where to go. If he were smart and considerate, he would take her home to Stefan, but he hardly ever got to be alone with Elena, and he was going to take advantage of it while he could.

Elena woke up with a pounding headache and a stiff neck. She tried to remember where she was when she recalled the events of last night that she had been awake for. Stefan…the crash…Damon…She couldn't remember all of it, her mind felt unnaturally foggy. She blinked hard and opened her eyes. It was pitch dark out, the only light in the sky was the moon, twinkling down from above. She realized she was in a car driving down an empty highway.

"Good morning, Elena." Damon said in a chipper voice. She cleared her throat and swallowed, feeling an ache in her esophagus.

"What time is it?" She asked. He tapped the dash of the car, pointing out a small clock embedded in to it. The hands read 8:30 AM.

"I've been sleeping all night? Where are we going?" Elena asked with a little bit of panic. She didn't if Jenna had noticed her absence, but how could she not? She had to call Jenna and let her know that she was all right.

"We're going on a little road trip to New York…at least I think that's where I was headed." Damon infused a bit of false-concern in to the last part. "We're just taking the more secluded back roads." He was smiling his cocky little grin, the one that Elena loved and hated all at once.

"I can't go to New York, Damon." She stated firmly. "For one, Jenna is going to freak out when I don't come home. And, I have this thing called school, and if I don't attend, I don't get to graduate." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Calm down, Princess. I already called Jenna, I informed her that I was your biology teacher, and to better understand the wilderness, or something, I was taking the entire junior class on a two night hiking trip, which the entire junior class is now taking, in case you were wondering. I then just called the school and pretended to be your uncle and told them you had a bad case of mono from spending a little too much time with Stefan. Hah, kidding. Seriously, though. It would not be difficult to kidnap you and never bring you back. Your aunt is a little gullible…actually, so is your school." He now seemed to only be talking to himself.

"No. Take me back. I mean it, take me back!" Elena said loudly, in a firm voice. Damon didn't remotely waver.

"Sorry, no can do. One way ticket." Elena was shaking with anger, but she knew it would do no good. She sat back in her seat and stared miserably out the window at the utter blackness.

"You know, you could try to look on the bright side. We can go shopping…or go out!" His attempts at persuading her failed. Elena liked shopping, but she had never been a huge partier, and was way too irritated to be in a good mood. She was no longer afraid of Damon, but she was still annoyed beyond comparison by him. "You'll change your mind." He said, still cheerful. Elena felt her phone vibrating in her pocket. Wondering how it hadn't been broken in the crash, she pulled it out of her pocket and looked at the screen. The phone flashed 'Incoming call: Stefan Salvatore'. She was about to shove it back in to her pocket when Damon reached over and snatched the phone out of her hand before she could react.

"Damon, don't you dare!" It was too late. Damon had already hit the answer button.

"Elena Gilbert's phone, Damon speaking." He said in a faux-secretary voice. Elena couldn't understand what was being said on the other line, but she could tell that Stefan's voice was very strained. "Relax, little brother. She's with me… and yes, she's safe." Damon added unwillingly. Elena strained her ears to try and understand what Stefan was saying, but to no avail. Damon smiled.

"I'd hand the phone to her, Stefan, but I'm not so sure she wants to talk to you." He was obviously referring to her looking and the phone and ignoring the call. "But here you go." He handed the phone to her with a stupid gloating grin on his face. "It's for you."

"Thanks." Elena mumbled sarcastically before taking the phone and putting it against her ear. "Hello?"

"Elena!" Stefan said, obviously relieved. "I'm so sorry; you have to let me explain."

"No, there's nothing to explain. What was I, some sick sort of replacement? That is beyond twisted." She said in an exasperated sort of mutter.

"Elena, you have to know, you were never a replacement. You are nothing like Katherine. She was selfish, self-centered, and spoiled and nothing at all like you. I love you. Please, tell me where you are and I'll come get you." Stefan pleaded.

"No, Stefan," Elena said, gentler this time. "I kind of get it, but that doesn't mean I forgive you, and it doesn't change that you lied about me looking like a carbon copy of your vampire lover from the 18th century. I need some time to cool down, mull over things…you know, move on. I'm with Damon…so I'm safe up to a point. I'll call you when we're on our way back." Stefan tried to say something but Elena hung the phone up.

"Well aren't you the little heartbreaker. Looks like you came around to my ideas faster than I thought you would…" Damon said, still smiling.

"Just keep driving."

It was almost ten when Damon pulled in to the New York Palace hotel. Elena had fallen back asleep for another hour and Damon gently nudged her arm to wake her up.

"Elena, we're here." She woke up, looking groggy. She looked up at the hotel and smiled.

"Really, Damon? Do you have enough money for this hotel?" Damon pretended to be insulted.

"You should know, Elena, that over the years, the Salvatore family has collected quite the little stash. You'd be surprised." He raised one eyebrow at Elena who rolled her eyes.

Damon rolled the window down as the valet walked towards the still car. "Here you go." Damon slipped the valet a twenty dollar bill. The valet nodded gratefully as Damon opened the car door and stepped out. He walked around to Elena's side of the car and opened the door for her.

"It's good to know that chivalry isn't dead after all." Elena said teasingly as he offered her his hand. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Only within the society of the undead." He corrected her in a mutter. Damon helped her out of the car and steadied her, as she was a bit dizzy from sitting in a car for so long. "After you." He said, gesturing for her to walk in to the lobby.

"Damon, what are we going to do about clothes? I don't know about you, but I definitely didn't pack a suitcase." Elena said, stubbornly.

"Ah, you're a slow little human, aren't you? I'd have thought that you would have thought about that many hours ago, but no. You're too concerned about things like school and parental units. Figures." Damon ranted. Elena had a look of utter stubbornness on her face. "And, btw, that means 'by the way,' we're going shopping." Damon added. Elena couldn't help but smile, in spite of herself, as she anticipated the remainder of the week.