"It is strange to be sitting here. It seems like yesterday I was waking up here, different and changing." She sighed lightly before picking at a piece of lint from her pants. "Well let's get this party started Baby."

"I can't believe that you of all people would agree to 'guide' me." He uttered the statement sharply, moving more confidently into the room.

"Don't think I came for you. I could care less what happens to you. You don't deserve my help and you certainly don't deserve this opportunity." She seemed to spit this reply at him and he knew if words could harm, he would be writhing in agony.

"Then why are you here Vicki?"

"It was my only shot to say goodbye. It's my only chance to give a little closure after all of this."

"For the Gilbert boy?" She glared up at him swiftly and he was struck by the intelligence in her gaze. Vicki had always seemed shallow and vacant but in death she was aware, sober, and not at all as she was alive.

"Yes and no. We were never healthy for each other but he certainly deserves the closure that only I can give him." She stood abruptly, her movements graceful yet somehow juvenile. He had truly ended her life before she had grown into it. She was not at all like Elena, who had clearly grown into herself by the age of seventeen. She was graceful while passionate, mature yet youthful in her movements. He shook his head lightly. It was never good to dwell on warm, fuzzy thoughts.

'She is turning me into Stefan,' he thought suddenly. He wiped the thought from his mind and turned to Vicki once more.

"Well let's tumble down the rabbit hole Alice."

"Well come on then. You drive." She moved out of the room and hopped in his car, sliding around until she was comfortable. He followed her and plopped down into the driver's seat. "I always liked your car. It's the perfect blend of wild and romance wrapped into one."

"So let me guess...you're trying to earn your wings Clarence?" She glared at him for a moment before flipping her hair over her shoulder.

"Don't call me that! I just wasn't given all those nifty special powers yet."

"Uh huh...so where to Clarence?" She gestured angrily to the right and he turned the car. They drifted towards the unknown location for long moments until finally she gestured for him to stop the car. She was out of it before he could take in their surroundings.

"Well come on! I don't have all night." He rushed out of the car, realizing he was in front of Elena's house. Vicki was standing in front of the windows outside of the living room, staring in at the scene. Damon turned and glanced in the window surprised by what he saw. Elena was sitting on the couch just staring at the tree, no Stefan in sight. She had her cell phone sitting by her on the table and she kept glancing at it, hoping he thought for some indication she had a message.

"Why are we here Vicki?" She chose not to answer his question, instead choosing to watch the scene unfold. Elena turned and lifted the phone, typing in a short message before hitting send. She stood abruptly and walked towards the front door. Quickly, Vicki and Damon moved to the side of the house.

"Don't worry, she can't see your car. I do have that ability." He didn't comment as Elena stepped outside, moving to sit on the porch swing. It creaked loudly as she swung in the cool air. Long moments passed as she simply stared in front of her, thinking something over. Damon noticed she looked pained as certain thoughts crossed her mind.

"Elena, honey?" Her head shot up at the sound as Jenna stepped onto the porch. "What are you doing up? Where's Stefan?"

"He ran home to check on Damon." Jenna moved to sit beside Elena, wrapping a blanket around their legs. They sat in silence, the only noise coming from the swing.

"What's wrong Elena? You've been distant all night."

"I'm worried."

"About?"

"Damon. I really wish he had come tonight. I...I wanted him here." Jenna said nothing at Elena's words but she did move forward until she was standing in front of the railing.

"I can't tell you what to do Elena but...you should think about that and maybe realize something. You missed him tonight and maybe there is more to that then you'd like to think."

"I'm not stupid Jenna. I know what it means but he's...well he's in love with someone else. It wouldn't be a good idea to dwell on it. I'm better off just...continuing on."

"That's not fair to you or to Stefan."

"I know," Elena sighed loudly. She leaned back and rested while Jenna continued to stare down the street.

"You should tell him how you feel. That's the best advice I can offer you."

"I would love to take it. I was hoping he would come tonight but now I can only hope for tomorrow. I don't want to tell him while he's still hung-up on his ex but I..."

"You haven't been sleeping."

"No I haven't." After those words, Vicki pulled Damon away from a conversation he very much wanted to hear. She continued to pull at him with an undeniably strong force until they were standing in the cemetery, three blocks over.

"What the hell did you do that for?"

"It was a private conversation and you heard enough." She stomped off a little ways until she was standing beside the grave where Damon had seen Elena once. "I remember this funeral. Jeremy was drunk of course, swaying against that tree," she gestured towards the oak tree nearby before continuing, "Elena wasn't here. She was still in the hospital. She was there for a few more weeks but when she came back she was different." She paused in her thoughts clearly swept away by memories.

"How was she different?"

"She seemed to be looking for something...someone. She hunted constantly, frequenting places like...well a ghost."

"What was she looking for?"

"I'm sure you can figure that one out. What were you looking for when your mother died?"

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They made their way back to Elena's house, to retrieve the car she had said but he felt as though something was missing. He noticed with utter distaste that he was sobering up and he didn't quite like the reality he was waking up to. They walked quietly as they approached the Gilbert house, but stopped quickly when they noticed Elena standing a foot from the cloaked car.

Vicki held him back as they watched her stare intently at the space, her chocolate hair blowing in the soft wind. Damon didn't like what she was wearing for the temperature outside. She was wearing some sort of dress that fluttered beautifully in the wind, a wrap fluttering behind her. She looked like some perfect maiden come from the heavens to find someone. She would be the angel, warm and soft, who could warm a man's bed and make him forget all his troubles. He shook his head to rid himself of the old stories his mother used to tell him.

"Elena?" She whipped around quickly to meet the gaze of Stefan. He moved forward, shrugging out of his jacket before he wrapped it around her, effectively claiming her in the night air.

"Stefan?"

"What are you doing out here?"

"I thought I felt...well I mean, I thought I heard..." She turned to stare at the space the cloaked car rested.

"You thought you heard his car again."

"Yes."

"How long are we going to pretend Elena?"

"I don't know...do you not like pretending?" He murmured something low that even Damon with his advanced hearing, couldn't quite catch.

"Elena...the choice is always yours and I'm willing to be second best if it means I can still keep you." He could taste her tears on the air and he made a quick move to step into the light and make his presence known.

"No Damon. We aren't supposed to really be here." He stepped back more fully into the shadows as the scene continued to unfold. Elena turned until she was framed in the moonlight. She was a vision of beauty, of purity and innocence. Tears streaming down her face, her hair swirling around her and her heart fluttering wildly beneath her breast.

"I'm going back inside Stefan. We can talk about his more in a day or two. We should attempt to at least enjoy Christmas." He nodded slightly before leading her back into the house. Vicki sighed and pulled Damon back to the cloaked car. Soon he was driving down the road, the cool winter air whipping in his face. Vicki made some sort of murmur and Damon glanced sideways at her.

"What is it Clarence?"

"She knew the car was there, I'm sure. How did she know? She couldn't see it...couldn't possibly know it was there," she trailed off as she continued her thought process.

"Well maybe your powers are faulty."

"No, definitely not. Stop calling me Clarence. I always hated that movie."

"How can you hate that movie? I don't like Christmas but that movie was well-done and a classic to boot."

"Sweet on Donna Reed loverboy?"

"Well she was attractive in that movie, but I've always preferred long chocolate hair..."

"Of course." Vicki drifted into silence as she continued to think about the meaning behind Elena's sensing of the car.

"Well anywhere else or are we done for tonight?"

"It's nearly 5 and you have more to see before sunrise."

"What's the deal with sunrise anyway?"

"Have you ever heard of a moment, that one chance you have to change the course of history that could change your life? That's what sunrise is for you today. You have one shot to get it right or you'll be too late."

"And if I don't get it right?"

"We'll cross that bridge when we get to it."

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"Goodbye Damon."

"You're leaving without your closure?" She walked down a few steps until she was standing on the gravel of the walkway.

"No. I have one more stop but I needed to see you back here. Lexi should be around soon to prepare you for your last visit. It was nice to see you again Damon. I never did thank you."

"Thank me...for what?"

"I wasn't meant to last long here. I was too destructive, too messed-up. I would have died with a needle in my arm. You...offered me an easier way out. It was something that saved a lot of people heartache. It was better this way."

"I don't get thanked very often." She nodded quickly before continuing down the driveway.

"I hope I don't see you again Damon. I really hope you do get this. It would be better for everyone."

It was the last he saw of her as she walked away from him. Soon she was out of sight and he stared after her, thinking over the thanks she had given him.

"I like her. She's different than most." Lexi slid up next to him, staring down the road as well. "It's starting to lighten a bit. We don't have much time." She moved to sit on the railing of the house, her legs dangling over the small garden that had been planted decades ago.

"Have you learned anything?"

"Perhaps." He moved to enter the house again.

"I should warn you that the interior of the house is different. You'll meet up with your...guide later."

"Whatever you say Marley." He heard her laughter erupt as he opened the door. He was inside the room before he realized that this was not the home he had left a few hours before. The door slammed shut behind him and he realized very quickly that he had walked right into the future.

"Damon?" The soft voice echoed through the house and he turned to see the speaker. He froze in her gaze, a questioning look graced her features as she moved towards him. Her hand reached out an she caressed his face gently before leaning up to kiss his cheek. "Are you alright Baby?"

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So there's the present. Tomorrow we'll get to look at the possible future he could live. His guide will be along later but I feel as though he should discover some things on his own. Let me know what you think.

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