Damon had caught the end of the conversation between Elena and Wyatt, and Carolina had seen his face twist in pain, like someone was actually driving a stake through his heart. It hurt him, to see Elena so fine. And he wanted to leave after he saw her with another man, but he knew that this was, ultimately, what she wanted. A normal life; where she could get married. And have children. And grow old. And… die. If he wanted Elena happy, he would have to protect her from afar.

However, when the next day came, Elena didn't go to meet Wyatt. She left town. He watched the situation play out slowly in front of him. He watched as Elena set out from her hotel room towards the bar and when the bar was in sight, she froze. He saw as she focused her eyes set upon the building, searching the window panes for the man she was supposed to meet, but then her eyes grew hazy and she hung her head, slowly pulling out a piece of paper. Damon was mesmerized by the scene folding out in front of him. Elena could not meet Wyatt. The sight of her movement caught him in his thoughts as he watched her slowly back up towards the street where she had come from. He saw tears streaming down her rosy red cheeks, and he hated her for taking herself out of his life. He thought this was silly. Watching her instead of going to be with her, to hold her, to love her, but something kept his feet planted where he stood atop the roofs. He just watched. It was all he could do.

Elena found her way back to her hotel, grabbing her already packed bags and headed back towards her car. Caroline wanted to jump out at her. Grab her. Tie her up. Lock her in the Salvatore basement. Anything to help keep Damon sane. Her attention turned to him.

"Damon." She was quiet to say his name. Knowing how unstable he was, but still, he ignored her. "Damon, what are we doing? Either we are going to take her back home, or we leave."

"I'm going to watch over her, Caroline." His voice even sounded week. "She wants a normal life. She wants to live. I'm going to let her."

"Damon, that's crazy! You can't let her go! She's going to get herself killed! This is one of your most stupid plans. I swear, I'm going to kill you both. Why don't you just come out to her and say you love her because we all know that she loves you. My God. Didn't she write you a letter. I'm surprised she didn't confess everything." She stopped rambling as she saw Damon's hand shoot towards his jeans pocket. "That's it, isn't it. She did write you a letter." His eyes widened. "And she told you that she loved you. But…"

"But what, Barbie. That isn't going to change anything. She left Mystic Falls. She left me. She chose what she wanted." He snapped at her.

"No. She chose to protect us. You aren't going after her because you're afraid. You can't give her a normal life, and that's what she wants. So, you're going to force a normal life on her, by not going after her." The realization hit Caroline like bricks. "Do you know how sick that is? Damon, this is wrong! She didn't decide not to go into the bar because she was scared. She didn't go into the bar because she loved you!"

"Shut up, Blondie!" Damon's hand was around her throat. "Me and Elena will never happen. It's time everyone realizes that. Me. And especially Elena. We are complete opposites. Starting with the fact that I am dead, and she is alive."

"And the fact that you both love each other, you are just too stubborn to admit it. And you want a family more than anything, but you don't want to let your soft side show. And you hate Stefan not just for turning you when you didn't want to be turned, but for him giving you this life and meeting Elena, the one girl who you think you can't have. And for treating her the way he did when you wouldn't have." Caroline had never been so angry with Damon. "She is right in front of you, Damon. Elena is right there. And you are letting the best thing walk out of your life like she means nothing!"

"Because she means too much to me to condemn her to a life like this. She deserves someone more worthy of her." Damon had released her and walked to the back of the roof top to jump back down to his car. "She deserves a normal life." He landed at his car and got in. Caroline following seconds after.

"And how much of a life do you think she can have living on the run, constantly in fear, and in love with you?" Caroline shut her mouth and didn't say another word as Damon turned his car on. He traveled towards Elena's hotel. He would only watch. He repeated it in his mind; he would only watch.

"Hey, pretty momma!" The man yelling at Elena was hanging out of his truck, which was covered in mud. He was shirtless, and from what she could tell, highly unattractive. "Do you need some help pumping that gas?"

"No. I'm good." Elena kept her face at a downwards glance to where she was putting the gas inside of her car.

"You sure? I'm pretty good at it. You know, putting things this big side of small things." He laughed and she could hear his buddies in the car laughing, too.

Elena grimaced and tried to put the cap back onto her car as fast as she could. She got in her car and began to pull out when another truck pulled in blocking her way, just as the man who had been talking to her had gotten out of his truck. She immediately put her car into reverse and slammed over the grassy median separating the gas station from the road. At least she was out of the parking lot. She drove off, trying to get her mind off of things.

But the truck appeared in her rear view mirror minutes later, and he began to drive faster. She didn't know what to do but drive. She couldn't call anyone. But after a few minutes, she noticed the truck lost speed, and turned onto another road. She continued on, not wanting to think of what could have happened to her.

"You sure are stupid." Damon was laughing as he stood on the hood of the truck containing the men. He was just glad they had given up pursuing Elena. Otherwise he would have had to jump on the truck when it was moving, and he didn't plan on getting too dirty today. "You couldn't just leave her alone."

"Hey, buddy. Why don't you go and mind your business? It's four to one. You'll go down without so much as a fight." He grinned and like with Elena, his buddies laughed in unison.

Damon attacked them. One by one. Killing them. Enjoying the struggles from them. "Don't mess with girls who are out of your league." Damon smiled as he piled the bodies and set fire to them to cover his tracks. "Just watching." He said as he walked away from the smoke beginning to overwhelm the bodies. He almost floated towards Caroline, as if he were gloating, or proving a point. "Just watching, and protecting." His smirk made Caroline smile.

Hey you guys! Thank you ALL so much for reading! I am so sorry that it has taken me so long to update! Just went through a breakup! You all know how those can go! I hope you enjoy what I have been writing, and please, I'd love some ideas! I'd love to hear your thoughts about what you think is going to happen, and where you would like to see it go! Follow me on Twitter laaurenlewis or you can follow my blog at .com

Again, that you guys for not hating me for taking so long to post! Have a great night! Enjoy!