Elena hadn't made it fifteen minutes past the "Thank You for Visiting Mystic Falls" sign when she felt herself breaking. She felt as though her heart was being ripped out. She knew she was leaving her heart in Mystic Falls. It would always remain there. She turned on the radio to drown out her crying, trying to focus her thoughts on the music that came blaring through. After a few minutes, she turned the music down. There was no way to escape the pain of what she was doing. But she knew it was right, and she pushed through.
As time kept passing, so did the distance. And the further away Elena got from Mystic Falls, the more sure she became of her plan having a standing chance. They wouldn't look for her, not at first. But maybe as time passed, they would know she wasn't coming back for good. And if by chance they tried to find her, she knew it would be impossible. She would try to change as much as she could about herself, and she wouldn't stay in one place for too long. She would always be moving.
After driving for seven hours, she was well out of Virginia. She had decided to South, following the road trip that she and Damon took when he brought her to Georgia. She smiled at the memory. She stopped at an inn along the road to catch up on sleep. She set her alarm for noon.

Damon was in a full blown panic. He had arrived in the early morning hours to check on Elena. Make sure she was okay. But she wasn't here. When he saw the note lying on her desk saying to forgive her, he felt his heart break. She was gone. She left. She chose to leave. And he picked up the piece of paper, Damon saw the letters. He saw his name in her perfect handwriting. He sat down on the corner of her bed holding it.

Without noticing how long he had sat at her bed, he saw day break through her window. It snapped him out of his thoughts. He turned his attention back to the letter that he held in his hands. He slowly unfolded it. "I know while you are reading this, you will feel anger" It began. Damon smirked. Elena knew him too well. Instead of being like most people and being upset that the love of his life ran off to protect the people she loved, he got pissed. He was livid. He could have killed her, just to bring her back and do it again. "…because I know that you are the one that pulls my blanket over me in the middle of the night." She really did know him. She surprised him. He had been sure she hadn't known. He let the thoughts pass and continued to read. "You have trusted me, loved me, and protected me; now it is my turn to protect you." His smirk left his face. He now understood. Elena was not just gone for the day, or even the week. She was gone and she wasn't planning on coming back. As his anger began to rise, he stood from the bed and paced the short distance of the room. He found himself punching the wall. He rest his head against the wall, and sighed. He had to keep reading. You deserve much better than a girl who breaks your heart. You will find her. I promise." If he ever found her, he was going to rip her throat out. He was going to kill her. She didn't get to do this. Not to him. "I will always love you. It was al…" He finished the letter. He couldn't move. Elena was gone. And not only was she gone, she left a letter confessing her love to him.
So Elena like, always running and giving up. Damon couldn't keep the negative thoughts away, but he couldn't keep the positive out either. Like the fact that she loved him. And though that was the only good thing that came of this letter, he couldn't help but read it over and over again. He had to make sure he wasn't imagining things.
When he had a grip on his anger, he picked up the other letters. Walking out the door, he left Alaric's on the foyer table. He would see it when he walked in. He started towards Bonnie's house know Caroline had been with her last night. Not that either of them would talk to him. He did kill Bonnie's mom, but it was for Elena. And it suddenly clicked in his head. Elena was supposed to be with them last night. So she left because of them.

Damon's speed picked up. He didn't care that it was broad daylight now, he used his vampire speed. He had to know what happened. As he reached Bonnie's house, his hands found the door as he banged them heavily against it, waiting for them to answer.
As ten minutes passed, Damon didn't let up, and when he heard a cough come from inside, he knew they were awake. And within seconds, Caroline was at the door, Bonnie and her mom behind her.
Caroline threw the door open with attitude while her eyes attacked him. "What do you want, Damon? Do you really think that it is a good idea to come around here right now?" He voice was loud.
"What the hell did you say to Elena?" His voice was hard, and more quiet than he thought it would be. He was trying to stay calm. But Caroline didn't answer fast enough. "Spit it out, Barbie. What the hell did you say to her?" Caroline still said nothing.
But Bonnie spoke up. "We told her this was all her fault." Damon watched as she didn't even have remorse in her eyes. "We told her she was the cause of everything. Grams dying. Caroline turning. Innocent people dying. We didn't sugar coat it like you and Stefan do. We all love Elena, but she's not doing anyone any good right now. Klaus is after her. Not me. Not Caroline. Not my mom. Her. None of this ever would have happened if she hadn't." Bonnie's voice had turned spiteful. He never imagined he would hear that from her, even if he didn't like witchy.
"You little…" Damon lost his words as Caroline began to throw the two cents in.
"Don't start Damon. You lost everything you had once, too. You know what it feels like. If" Damon cut her off.
"She's gone." His voice came out whispered. He'd had rage in him on his way over, prepared to let them have it, but when he thought he could, the truth hurt too much to say. He was just glad Caroline had vampire hearing.
"She's what?" Caroline's voice carried outside into the street and caught the attention of people passing by on the street. "What the hell do you mean?"
Damon took a deep breath. "She left." Damon looked down at his hands where he held the letters. "Here." He stuck his arm out towards the door, as Caroline snatched it from his hand.
She tore it open and read it. "You have got to be kidding me. This is all my fault." Caroline had tears on her eyes. With the realization of the letter, she knew her best friend was gone, and to where, no one knew, not even Damon. "Bonnie. We did this. We"
"No! We did not!" Bonnie's voice was sharp. She had no emotion in her voice as she spoke, but the tone in her voice was angry. "She chose to leave. It was her choice. It always has been. She should have made it sooner. Maybe things would have turned out better." Her face was blank.
Caroline's head whipped around to face her. "How could you? Yes, she hurt us. And yes, she is definitely the main reason that everything happened, but you were already a witch, Bonnie. Elena didn't do that. How could you even say those things? She's your friend!"
"Right now, she's the girl I hate for causing me pain in life. And I don't know when or if that is ever going to change." Carolina and Damon had no response, they just stared at Bonnie with a blank expression worn on their face. Damon didn't want to hear anymore. He turned to leave. He still had Stefan's letter.

As he arrived back at the boarding house, he began thinking about what was in Elena's letter to Stefan. Not that it should matter. He knew she loved him, but he knew she still loved Stefan, too.

He pushed the thoughts to the back of his mind as he walked to his brother's bedroom. He knocked on the door and saw Stefan lying in bed next to girl Day #3, as Damon referred to them as.
"Here. Elena's gone. She left you this. Have fun with Day #3 over here. And oh, by the way, did I mention that Elena is gone?"
Stefan looked up at Damon. But Damon saw no sense of urgency in his eyes. Even after what he had just said.
"She'll come back. She doesn't know anything but Mystic Falls and her friends. Don't worry about her. I'm sure she just wants the attention." The girl beside him stirred, and found herself cuddled closer to him. He wrapped his arms around her and rested his chin on her head. "Now if you don't mind…" Damon looked disgusted.

Stefan had finally lost it. There was no going back. It was up to him and Caroline to find Elena and bring her home. To him.