Chapter six

It was night time and it seemed like she was in another world, not boring Mystic falls where she'd lived all her life. Everything was silent and everything looked perfect...like it was the set of a movie or something, before they had started filming. There weren't any cars or people walking their dogs late at night, or jogging or running or...anything. It was just her. Normally that would have made her feel frightened but somehow she felt perfectly safe...as if someone was watching over her.

She continued to walk staring around her in wonder as if everything was brand new. She could feel the moonlight shining down on her making things seem touched by silver and she could hear the wind in the trees, the sound of a nightingale that she would have normally missed. The sound of the waterfalls of Mystic falls.

That was where she was headed and then she realised what she was wearing. A beautiful white dress made of silk and shoes that were the closest thing to glass slippers that she had ever seen. She had little fake diamonds intertwined in her hair only seen at a certain angle in the light and she held a bouquet of white roses and on her left finger...the most amazing engagement ring she had ever seen. It was white gold with a single diamond sparkling away at her, making her smile. She could feel the inscription engraved on the inside making her smile even more. I'll always be there for you.

It wasn't something like I will always love you, a name of a song she hated and something she was sure many other people had written on their engagement rings. But it meant the same thing and she was glad it was on her ring. Even if lots of other people had the same idea this was special for her.

She made her way up to the waterfall, watching as the water spilled into the river below. Miraculously no water got in her hair or ruined her dress and that was when she saw him. He appeared out of the slight mist that was made by the splashing of the water behind them and she couldn't see him clearly.

She tried to call out but at first she couldn't find her voice. "Stefan?"

Instantly she felt that that was wrong, that she had made a huge betrayal in saying that and when she saw Damon's face she flinched at the look he was giving her. Tears sprang to her eyes and she reached out to him. "I'm sorry I don't know what's happening..." she felt as if she was fading, being pulled away from him when she had only just found him.

"You will know Elena," his voice sounded so sad and distant.

"Are we saying goodbye?" she knew the dream wouldn't last much longer and she was trying desperately to fight it. It could be such a lovely dream.

"Only for a little while I promise. We'll be together again..."

...

Elena woke up with a sudden gasp of breath. She placed her head in her hands hoping the pounding of her heart would slow down, but no such luck in that happening. She looked around her and then suddenly remembered her necklace that Stefan had given her and reached up her fingers to touch it.

Wow, confusing much? Why was she dreaming about Damon? Stefan...she was with Stefan wasn't she? She wanted to be with Stefan. It was true she didn't know if it was love yet...it had only been a few weeks but...she had thought it was going to lead to love. It had felt passionate enough to be love. It had felt epic for her. So why was she dreaming about his brother? It was confusing and it was giving her one hell of a headache!

She slowly got up and thought she had better eat something, it might make her feel better. Something ridiculously unhealthy...but she was watching her weight. She didn't stay looking this good with no effort. She couldn't afford to indulge in that sort of thing.

And then she remembered. Oh yes, the founder's party. Mrs lockwood had been asking for her family heirlooms for the party. Jenna was watching the morning news and raving on about the news guy...Logan something who she used to date and Jeremy was throwing a hissy fit about the pocket watch that was supposed to belong to him. Even though she explained that she wasn't giving it away it was a loan...sometimes her brother could be such a ...such a teenager!

She needed to talk to her best friend about all this...although at the moment with Bonnie not trusting Stefan much at all these days she wasn't sure she was the best one to talk to about all this. But who else did she have? Caroline was more then likely to tell the whole school and she could never face the world again! It wasn't as if she could ever tell Stefan!

Speaking of Stefan when there was a knock on the door there he was looking as handsome as ever...but for some reason she was feeling uncomfortable as she kissed him and it was making her nervous...she was glad when he stopped their very heavy make out session and that made her feel even more guilty and she really didn't know where all this was coming from. She didn't like it at all.

When Bonnie came over she was more interested in not having a date to the founder's party then anything else...so Elena felt it was hardly appropriate for her to be bringing up her relationship problems.

The party was its usual boring affair...all the towns folk gathered at the mayor's house but it was something Elena did because she was supposed to. Elena Gilbert never went to a rave, never came back drunk or high or anything that was a loss of control. She had a sense of having to look out for her family and family image had always been a part of that...although her parents and her aunt never asked anything of her she always felt that she had to behave.

As she showed Stefan all of the history of the town she had a sense that he was like that too. That made her smile. Here she was on familiar ground with no weird dreams to haunt her when she was awake making her doubt herself...

And then came the shock of seeing Stefan and Damon's name on the original party invite list...and Damon's explanation that they were their ancestors didn't sit right with her but she had to believe it because what else could explain it?

Seeing Damon made her feel flushed and embarrassed and she knew that he sensed it by the strange smile he was giving her. But he looked genuinely puzzled when she turned away from him and headed off to find her friends.

"You ok Elena?" asked Bonnie. Surprisingly Bonnie was sitting next to Matt and Elena found herself glad that at least they weren't both alone...even though she herself felt surprisingly alone. She had this problem that she couldn't talk to anyone about because she didn't even know what it meant herself.

"I'm ...I'm fine." Her hesitation wasn't lost on Matt who frowned up at her.

"I wasn't expecting to see you here," she was looking at Matt not Bonnie.

Matt shrugged. "I used to go to these parties with you all the time...and I figured since it's the town's founder's party it's an open invite. And Bonnie's good company."

Elena nodded. " I had this dream that confused me about Stefan and Damon..."

"And Damon?" Bonnie raised an eyebrow. "Where did that come from?"

"That's what I would like to know. But we can talk about this all later. I suppose I'd better mingle," she gestured to the crowds around her. "Good impressions and all that." She didn't think that Matt would like to hear about her romantic life at all at the moment but she had wanted so badly to talk to Bonnie. Maybe one day they would be comfortable friends again but not now.

Bonnie watched her friend go feeling a little sad. "She's always trying to do what's best for other people...she should take some time out for herself."

"I think Stefan's helping her with that," Matt said a little bitterly. "But it would help if she knew what she wanted and I don't think she knows herself what she wants any of the time."

"Oh Matt I'm sorry...I didn't mean..." Bonnie was instantly embarrassed.

"It's...most days it's ok. You know? But then I just get so angry. I find it hard...she lost her parents it's a messed up time and I know that can change a person and how they feel...but it was out of the blue her dumping me. And now all of a sudden she's with someone who...in all appearances is a million miles better then me..."

Bonnie shook her head. "You can't go comparing yourself to anyone Matt because you're special in you're own way. Don't forget that. I'm sure you're meant for someone special too...and that you will be meant for special things."

Matt laughed. "Like winning the lottery?"

"I mean it Matt."

"I know. It's just I wish things would get easier."

...

"Elena you've been ignoring me," Damon slipped up behind her easily and gracefully and she jumped because she hadn't heard a thing.

"I think it's only fair that we get a dance. You can owe me because of the whole ignoring me thing ok?"

He took her hand and led her out onto the dance floor and she knew she should be worried about what Stefan might think. But then, another part of her thought that the party had suddenly got a whole lot more interesting.

"Damon," she said softly, leaning into his embrace. "I don't want to get into the middle of whatever it is between you and Stefan. I've told him that and now I'm telling you."

Damon nodded seriously. "And that's not what I want either. Elena he doesn't believe me but I want for things to be different between us. I want us to be brother's again."

She laughed. "Stefan can be stubborn...you just have to give him some time."

Damon was so amazed that Elena had had agreed to dance with him and happy that she hadn't run away screaming that when he stepped outside the party he didn't bother to stop and smell his drink if he hadn't been high on the atmosphere that was around him. There was something seriously wrong with him. He was a vampire...the future of blood and death and pain and misery should have been like heaven to him but the moment he and Elena had just shared was heaven. It was all leading to something beautiful and good and even though she was confused at the moment he was hoping this would turn out right so that no one got hurt. She wouldn't be confused for long.

It was at that moment that he made a mistake that he wouldn't normally make if he had been thinking clearly and later he would be deeply ashamed that he had let someone trick him like that, had let his guard down even for a minute. In the original timeline he had figured out what Stefan was doing but then Stefan had tricked him anyway by spiking Caroline's drink. But since Caroline in this timeline didn't know about the supernatural yet and he wasn't planning on biting anyone at this party Stefan had tried the drink idea again. And second time lucky because he had been distracted idiot fool that he was!

He felt dizzy and weak and then the world went dark

TBC

Next chapter I promise I will cover at least two maybe three episodes all in one chapter so we can get a bit further into the story lol just today I was recovering from a horrible hangover and headache and everything and only managed to get the effort to turn on the lap top and write anything! Hope everyone had a good new year and thank you for all my reviews!