Chapter 8: Details

A/N: Hello! First of all, I KNOW! It has been SO long, but don't be mad! So much has happened and so fast! I left college and went straight into a job, then I had a loss in the family. I've only just got some inspiration back. I'm really sorry for the wait and I promise I will try to move my butt and get more chapters out :) I'm hoping for another chapter of Desired to a God to be out next. Fingers crossed!

Sorry again and thank you!

Shauna

xxx

The wheels hit the tarmac as the plane glided down the runway, coming to a slow and steady stop. The weather was the same as usual. The sun was high up in the sky, a few clouds surrounding it as the heat burned down onto the surface of the plane. The heat was smothering the cabin as people were fanning themselves, with either a magazine or their hands. Elena stretched her legs out, her eyes glued to the airport outside the window. It had been an extremely long flight, especially since she was bored and she already missed Damon. Looking around the cabin, she watched people swallowing back the remainders of their drinks. Jenna had booked her into 1st Class which made Elena laugh because her mom would do the exact same. Elena didn't mind any class, she hated making such a fuss.

As the doors opened, everyone began making their way off of the plane as the flight attendants said their goodbyes to the passengers. Getting up from her seat, Elena smiled and walked over and began descending the stairs. A breeze swept against her as she took her suitcase from Leo, a grin on her face. It was nice to see a familiar face. Moving round to the trunk, she lifted her suitcase in as she liked doing it herself. Shutting the trunk, she got into the back and closed the door over.

Resting her head back, she closed her eyes with a smile. She was going home at last. Unfortunately, Damon wouldn't be back for a while yet, but she always had a piece of him with her. Wrapping her fingers around the cute little necklace that took her breath away, she seemed calmer. It is still all of a shock to her, considering her and Damon are very different people, not that she'd have their situation any other way.

Home sweet home. Walking down the corridor and towards the kitchen, she took a shaky breath and rubbed her hands together. They were going to be asking her everything about the trip. Since it was a lie from the beginning, she was going to have to not blurt anything out by accident. Stepping into the kitchen, she smiled gently.

"I'm back." Elena spoke above the television.
"Lena!" Caroline rushed over and threw her arms around her, hugging her close.
"Hey!" Elena hugged her close, smiling over Caroline's shoulder at her mom.
"Just in time for breakfast sweetheart." Miranda smiled at her.

Caroline pulled away with a grin and took her seat at the counter again as Elena sat on the stool next to her. Miranda placed a glass of orange juice down in front of her and sat opposite, pushing the plate of pancakes towards her. Letting out a breath, she took one and bit into it with a smile, sweetness invading her taste buds.

"Elena, your performance was amazing!" Caroline gushed excited.
"Yeah honey, that song was beautiful."
"Thanks momma, thanks Caroline."
"Did you have fun with Jenna?" Miranda questioned with a smile.
"Uh yeah, it was lovely to catch up mom."

Miranda's phone rang from the living room as she excused herself and walked out. Caroline clapped her hands together and turned on the stool, facing Elena as she rubbed her arm.

"So, you had fun?" Caroline raised an eyebrow.
"Yeah, it was amazing Caroline."
"Your make up and hair was lovely, I mean, not as good as mine, but still, what can you do?"
"Oh Caroline, I missed you!"

Caroline grinned cheekily, raising her eyebrows as she pulled Elena into a tight hug, their laughter echoing within the kitchen. Miranda walked in after hanging up the phone and smiled at the two of them. Caroline jumped up, excusing herself for the bathroom as she rushed out. Miranda ushered Elena into the living room as Elena exhaled. So far, so good. Lifting herself down from the stool, she walked into the living room and took a seat on the couch next to her mom.

Miranda rubbed Elena's shoulder with a gentle smile, "So you had fun, huh?"

"Yeah momma, I did." Elena answered and placed her hand over hers, "It was great to see Aunt Jenna again and New York was just beautiful. So beautiful and amazing, I would go back again."

"Well, you did a wonderful job sweetie." Miranda paused, tilting her head, "Why haven't I heard that song before? I usually know them all."

Elena swallowed, forcing a smile, "Last minute thing mom."
"Last minute thing?"
"Uhm."
"Elena, is there something you need to tell me?"

The room filled with silence as Elena's heart raced and thumped through her ears. Did she know? Did she know why she really went to New York? Did she know about her and Damon? Miranda watched Elena, waiting for an answer as the phone rang. Elena jumped from the couch and rushed into the kitchen, lifting her phone.

"Hello?" Elena greeted, her voice shaking.
"Elena, honey, its Jenna."
"Oh hey, is everything okay?"
"I had a weird feeling, I was worried about you."

"Jenna, I'm okay. It was a nice and smooth flight. Nothing to worry about, I promise."
"Elena, while in New York, were you safe?" Jenna questioned.
"Huh? What!?" Elena went wide-eyed and blushed furiously.
"I don't mean like that Elena. I mean with paparazzi!"
"Oh yeah, of course. Me and...we were careful."
"If you're sure."
"Of course I am."

Elena took a deep breath and rubbed her stomach, trying to rid of the butterflies. Everything was perfectly fine, even she knew that. At least she thought she did. Looking up at the time, she inhaled. She promised she'd get to the recording studio for 10:30 am, so she needed to start heading as soon as possible.

"Jenna, I better head off. I have to be at the studio for 10:30. I'll call you later okay?"
"Alright honey, I'll talk to you later, bye."

Dropping her phone into her bag, she lifted her bag and walked into the living room, giving a nervous smile to her mom, "I'm off to the studio. I won't be long."

"Alright honey, we need to talk when you get back."
"Yes mom. Alright, bye."

Elena walked into the studio, smiling as she made her way down the hall and into the room she would be using. Dropping her bag into the chair, she pulled her cardigan off and ran her fingers through her hair.

"Hello beautiful." Steven smiled.
"Hey Steven."
"You ready to record sweetheart?" Steven sat in his chair.
"I always am." Elena smiled.

Taking her phone out of her bag, she checked for missed calls or texts and placed it down on the table, before walking into the recording booth. Elena sat on the stool and placed the headphones over her head, fixing them into position, so they were comfortably sitting on her ears. Elena gave Stephen a thumbs up as the backing track began playing through the headphones. Taking a deep breath, she read the lyrics on the paper which seems so long ago from when she wrote them. It was when her and Damon were just getting serious, she would just sit and write with him around. She felt comfortable with him, straight from the start. She could always remember when they became somewhat official, or a few weeks after.

Elena was curled up on the couch, leaning against the armrest, her hand holding her head up as she stood at the paper down in front of her. Why was it so hard to think? Inhaling, she closed her eyes, the sound of the television in the background ringing through her ears. Feeling the back of the couch dip, she lifted her head and looked over her shoulder, trading a soft smile with Damon.

"Hi." She murmured.
"What's the matter, mmh?" Damon asked, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek.
"I just can't think. I'm blank."
"You're just tense is all." He gently massaged her shoulder, kissing the top of her head.

Elena but her lip, "Of course I'm tense. I'm beyond stressed Damon! How do you do this? I feel like I'm suffocating."

Taking a shaky breath, she closed her eyes as Damon moved around the couch, sitting beside her as she opened her eyes to look at him, a heavy weight resting on her shoulder. Damon took her hand in his and pressed soft kisses to her knuckles and then to each of her fingertips. Elena bit her lip as he gave her a gentle smile.

"Lena, I think you're putting the pressure on yourself sweetheart." Damon began as she furrowed her eyebrows in confusion, "You're sitting here panicking and have the same mantra repeating in your head, which is 'I need to do this', but you don't. You don't to do anything alright? You choose to do something. If you want to write a song, then you will write a song. If you don't want to, then you won't. You feel suffocated because you're worrying that you have to prove something, when you have nothing to prove. You do not have to prove a single thing to any of them out there. I don't care about anyone but my fans and if they support me, then they'll support the person I am. That's all there is to it, that's all you have to remember."

Elena stared at Damon astonished, his words sinking in as she bit her lip again. He was right, she was putting the pressure onto herself. Damon looked up at her as she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his, her fingers curling into his hair as she held him close. She could automatically feel the tension pouring out of her. Pulling back, she smiled shyly and looked at him as he cleared his throat, a smile on his face. They were still new to this relationship, so it was still that shy stage, well for Elena anyway. Damon liked teasing her, whatever chance he got.

"Thank you." Elena smiled.
"Do you feel better?" Damon asked, tucking a curl behind her ear.
"Much, I feel like the words can flow without banging my head against the wall for an idea."
"I'm glad that I could save your head from a beating." He laughed, "Drink?"
"A juice please Damon." Elena turned her attention to the paper again with a smile, remembering why she loved being at Damon's place.

"I'll be right back." He pressed a kiss to her temple as he watched her with a smile. Getting up, he grabbed the used glass that was sitting on the coffee table and looked at Elena again, watching as she hummed and wrote down lyrics. She's back. Smiling, he walked out and to the kitchen.

"Elena, are you with me?" Stephen called through the microphone.

Jumping out of her thoughts, she rubbed her forehead and took the headphones off. Just as she did, she heard her phone spring to life as she walked out of the booth and send an apologetic glance to Stephen, "Sorry, my head was elsewhere."

Lifting her phone, she hit the button as she held it to her ear, "Hello?"

"Elena?"
"Mom, what's wrong?" Elena frowned.
"You need to get home right now." Miranda told her.
"Mom-"
"Now Elena."

The line went dead as Elena dropped her phone into her bag quickly and lifted it over her shoulder, "Sorry Stephen, I gotta go, I'll call you."

Grabbing her cardigan, she rushed out and moved down the hall as she made her way outside the studio as she was hit by paparazzi, left, right and center, causing her to gasp. They surrounded her as she looked around for the car. Where was Leo?

"Elena, what happened in New York!?"
"Elena, are you involved in a secret relationship!?"
"Elena!"

Elena felt her heart racing as she covered her eyes from all of the flashes that were blinding her as she searched. Leo pushed through the crowd, taking Elena into his arms as he led her through the crowd of paparazzi and to the car. Elena swallowed back tears as Leo opened the door and got her inside the back, closing the door over. Her body was shaking as she hugged herself and sniffed. What the hell happened? New York? Oh god, what did they know?

After pushing through another mass of paparazzi from the help of Leo, she got inside. Dropping her bag, she cleared her throat and looked around. To say she was scared was an understatement. Walking into the kitchen, she seen her mom and Caroline sitting at the counter.

"Mom?" Elena bit her lip.
"Elena, I received a call from a reporter about you."
"Oh." She took a deep breath, waiting for her to continue.
"Asking me about your trip to New York. Elena, what do you need to tell me?"

Elena shook her head, walking out quickly as she searched through her bag with shaking hands, trying to find her phone. After grabbing it, she dialed her publicist and held it to her ear as she tried to calm down.

"Elena, I was just about to call you." Maggie spoke.
"What's going on here?" Elena questioned.
"Honey, we've got rumors coming in and out about New York."

"What about New York?"
"About your sleeping arrangements Elena. We've received quotes from people inside the hotel you were staying in, which supposedly was with Damon Salvatore."

Pressing her hand to her forehead, she felt her heart beat in her ears as she looked around, trying to catch up with reality. Hanging up the phone, she walked back into the kitchen, seeing that the television was switched onto the news.

"As you all know, Elena Gilbert had a guest appearance in New York on Lyla Mosco's show. When asking her about it, we were told that the interview had not been arranged until the day before. She says it was a surprise to her."

Leaning against the wall, Elena took a deep breath as the news played out in front of her. She didn't want this happening. Stepping forward, she placed her hand on her mom's shoulder. She needed to tell her before the news come out, "Mom."

"Elena's mysterious trip to New York suddenly becomes clear to us all. Her getaway to see her rumored boyfriend, bad boy, Damon Salvatore. Pictures have surfaced of the couple hugging, which we have here for you."

A picture of Damon and her hugging appeared on screen. Her arms were wrapped around his neck, his arms around her waist as she grinned up at him, staring into his eyes. It was taken within the airport, the leaving lounge. Elena stood, tears shining in her eyes as she moved back, her eyes glued to the television.

"We also have word from a young lady working in the hotel, who was on room service for Damon Salvatore's room, that it was early morning and Elena had answered the door dressed in a shirt of Mr Salvatore's."

"Elena..." Caroline turned to her.

Elena rushed out of the kitchen and up the stairs to her bedroom as she shut the door and burst into tears. How can someone do that? Pry into your privacy? Pushing her hair back, she walked over to her bed and fell onto it as she hugged the pillow and took a shaky breath. Why was this happening to her? Slowly reaching across to the bedside cabinet, she lifted the remote and switched on the television, which was hanging up on the wall. The news was on as she seen they switched to a clip of Damon in New York, where he was standing outside of the airport.

"I'm disgusted with the way Elena was treated by the paparazzi today and if I find that she was hurt in anyway, I will be dealing with it."

Elena smiled weakly, shaking her head, "So, it has been confirmed everyone. Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert are an item!"

Elena looked up as there was a knock on the door and sighed as she sat up and swiped her fingers along her cheeks, wiping the tears, "Come in!"

"Hi." Caroline stepped in, closing the door behind her.
"Hi. Are you mad?" Elena sniffed, rubbing her nose.
"More like shocked. Who knew you...miss innocent had it in her."
"Apparently I did." She murmured softly.
"How are you feeling?"
"Horrible. How can someone pry? Pry into our privacy like that?" Elena frowned.
"When the hell did this all happen? How?"
"Oh Caroline."
"No, come on! You owe me details and good ones too!"

A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed this :) I hope you hear from me soon :) Bye!

Shauna

xx