Ok, sorry for the random authors note. I said I wasn't going to do this, because I hate when I get a notification that a new chapter is up and it's just an author's note. However, after some recent comments I deemed it necessary.

Let me first say that I appreciate all comments, critical and all. Of course, it kind of sucks when you get a review of someone who says they are disappointed in the story. It always kicks my ego a bit. However, I'm starting to embrace it and take each critical note as it is. It is a critique, and that will be found everywhere.

The most common problem that my readers have with this story is that they feel it is unrealistic in terms of Alex's attitude toward Elena and her friends taking her in. I would agree that it is fast, but unrealistic? Maybe. But we all have to remember that everyone is different in how they forgive one another and how they interpret things.

Alex is meant to be sarcastic, shy, and strong underneath all of the pain she has been put through. I can understand that she doesn't seem that way, but I guess that I would rather Alex move on from the situation instead of being bitter about it. Elena, Jeremy and their parents were not the ones who left Alex's mother, that was John, and let me tell you that's a whole other ball game.

What more can Elena do? She apologized, she is finally accepting that she was wrong to alienate Alex and she is trying. Should Alex write her off and be cruel? That is not how I was Alex to be. If you think about it, Elena has never said a cruel word about Alex. Her methods of pretending she wasn't there were very messed up, but we have to remember that she is in high school and not all of us are mature at that age.

"Don't condemn my sister because she is trying." Jeremy said this in chapter 7 and when I wrote it, I interpreted it as "Hey, listen she's trying here, give her a break." He was not demanding she forgive Elena, he was simply saying that she was doing her best and that she knew that she was wrong.

Alex has every right to hate Elena and the Gilberts. But where would that get her? She would still be alone and it would be her that put herself there this time, not anyone else.

Alex is strong, but she doesn't have high self-esteem. This will grow with time, but right now she is just taking it day by day. I want Alex to mature and move past all that has been done to her. I don't want her to be bitter and mean. I want her to be happy, which I assume most of you do as well.

As for Damon, let's face it, for most of season 1 he's an ass. He's abusive and mean and what he is doing to Alex is not ok. However, as we watch the show we find that really he is sensitive and his heart breaks easily. This will be shown the further the story goes along. I am not trying to promote abuse with this story, and if it seems to be that way I apologize.

Let's just let the story flow and you will see what I have planned. I have thought a couple times of taking the story down, maybe restructuring, but then I thought… I thought it was good enough to post then… why should I take it down because a few people don't like it.

There will be people who don't like my story, and that is ok. There are still people who like it, and I like it. I'm not doing this for the reviews or for all these people to say that they love it. I am doing this for me, and that person who is sitting alone in their room bored to death and can't wait for an update.

I was that person, I still am sometimes. Let me go further to say that I do not mean to come off as rude or mean when I write this. A guest reviewer asked why I didn't explain myself and here it is. I am explaining where I am coming from, and like how I try to understand your point of view, I hope you try to understand mine.

I hope all of you have a great day and hope that this clears up any questions you may have. If you have anything further, please feel free to message me. I will respond as best I can unless it is just hate mail, but I haven't seen any hate so far which is great. I want all of us readers/writers to support one another, because fanfiction is supposed to be a place where people can post and have fun.

Thank you everyone for your continued support and comments. I appreciate them all.

P.S I am having some health problems at the moment so updates may slow a bit, but I will do the best I can.