AN: Hello fellow readers. Here is the official first chapter of Finding Love and takes place two years before the prologue. Also just so you know Elena is 23, Stefan is 24 and Damon is 26 now.
Also, thanks to everyone who read, favorite, followed and reviewed the first part. I really appreciate it and as a thank you, I will try to update the story every Thursday or Wednesday. Also feel free to leave a review by clicking the button at the end of the page.
Anyways, enjoy this chapter.
September 2010
"ELENA GILBERT! ARE YOU AWAKE YET!? YOU DON'T WANT TO BE LATE FOR WORK SO MOVE IT!" Caroline Forbes yelled from downstairs in the kitchen with an annoyed tone in her voice.
"I'M COMING CAROLINE, JUST GIVE ME A SECOND!" Elena replied to her best friend with the same annoyed tone. She then looked in the mirror and let out a big sigh; Caroline was a great friend, but the blonde does have her annoying moment at times.
Elena then puts on a red tank top, blue caprice pants and white sneakers. She also does her makeup light and puts her hair up in a ponytail. Feeling satisfied with her appearance, Elena then heads downstairs into the kitchen only to find her blonde best friend sitting down at a table with a frown on her face.
"Well, it's about damn time you show up!" Caroline speaks with anger in her voice. "I have been really busy this week planning this Halloween party for next month and when I come home to tell my best friend the news, she's still in bed!" Caroline throws her hand up in the air while saying her speech which makes Elena raise her eyebrows in confusion. "Also, you are going to be late for work as well which is really bad which I know", Caroline continues trying to get her point across which makes Elena let out a big sigh. She understands how seriously Caroline takes her career as an event planner, where she is in charge of every event.
"Caroline, you know that the diner doesn't open until later so you don't have to panic about it. Also, I thought we were planning on discussing the Halloween party next week"? Elena asked knowing that her bubbly best friend was having a blonde moment.
Caroline then slaps her head in realization, "Well of course we were going to discuss it next week; I just forgot what week it was that's all". Elena rolls her eyes at Caroline's forgetfulness. "Also, I know what time the diner opens, it's just good to be ready for work and be there in good time" Caroline tries to explain herself.
She then changes the subject, "Anyway, the main reason that I came over here is so that you can tell me how it went with Jason last night? Did you kiss on the cheek, or did you jump each other's bones"? Caroline asked since she was the one who set them up in the first place.
Elena rolls her eyes at her friend's excitement, "No Caroline we didn't kiss or "jump each other's bones" Elena quotes her friend's strange words for the situation. "We just had a nice dinner and then I told Jason that wasn't interested then the night was over".
Elena then notices Caroline frowning clearly unhappy that the day didn't end well. Ever since Elena broke up with her ex-boyfriend and childhood friend Matt Donovan, Caroline has set her up with a new guy every week hoping that Elena will meet someone. When they were six, Caroline, Elena and their other best friend Bonnie would dress up and pretend to act as princesses getting married to handsome princes and living happily ever after. 17 years later, Caroline is now dating her high school sweetheart Tyler Lockwood while Bonnie is with Elena's younger brother Jeremy.
"Well that's totally a big bust! Caroline interrupts causing Elena to snap out of her thoughts. "Now we need to find a new hot dreamy guy and hope that he is Mr. Right. I mean after all you can't just work at the diner and not have a love life forever. Don't you want to spend the rest of your life with that special someone who you can wake up to every morning?" Caroline really hoped that Elena would find someone since she didn't want her best friend to end up being alone for the rest of her life.
Elena just smiled at the blonde. Although Caroline is very persistent at times, Elena knew that she was just being a good friend. However despite this Elena is still not interested in meeting someone now since she's too busy running the diner with her best friend Bonnie. The Gilbert Diner used to belong to her parents, but it was given to Elena after they died in a car accident. At first Elena's confused since she thought that the Diner would go to Jeremy since he was the man of the house. It wasn't until later in court that Elena found out that Jeremy wanted to pursue a career as an artist and that they signed a contract in Elena's name if anything ever happened to them. Ever since then, Elena has made her living working as a waitress which isn't the greatest job, but she enjoys it.
Elena snaps out of her thoughts forgetting for a second that Caroline was still there. "Well sorry to say this Caroline, but I am actually not looking for someone now. I just don't think there's anyone out there for me. Now if you excuse me I need to go meet Bonnie at the Diner soon".
Caroline sighs and then does a half-smile, "Fine you can go, but we are still going to talk about this later on." She then gives her friend a big hug and goes out the door. Elena then looks out the door pondering over what Caroline said. She knows that her blonde friend is very passionate about something and won't give up on it easily. Elena isn't that interested now, but she does want to find her Mr. Right one day.
"BUZZ, BUZZ!" Elena nearly jumps where she's standing and takes her phone out of her pocket to check the message
Hey you.
Can I come over later on?
D
Elena smiles immediately recognizing the message is from her best friend Damon Salvatore since he usually ends them with a D.
Sure you can. I'm just on my way to the diner now so I will see you there.
Elena
She then sends a message and receives a short one shortly after it.
Awesome!
See you then Brown Eyes.
D
Elena rolls her eyes at the nickname but feels better after reading the message since that's what usually happens when you have a friend like Damon Salvatore.
"Damon! I need you to fill out another report from Klaus Mikaelson so don't slack off now!"
Damon Salvatore rolls his eyes at his boss, "I got it boss! Just give me a little while to get everything ready".
He then frowns at the papers on his desk. The last thing Damon wants to do is be here; none less fill out papers for the rival Klaus Mikaelson. Just hearing his name makes him growl and just because they are more popular doesn't mean that Damon's company has to do his damn papers!
Damon then looks around and sometimes when situations like this arise, he wonders why he had to get a job as a lawyer in a small town like Mystic Falls. It's a place where everyone knows everything which means no secrets and not a lot of work for a lawyer. It's completely different from Florence, Italy where he used to live. However, even though Damon hates small towns, there was one thing that was keeping him here in Mystic Falls.
That one thing was a 23-year-old woman named Elena Gilbert who happened to be his best friend.
She was the only one who could understand him, sometimes more than his younger brother Stefan. Damon could still remember the time when he first laid his eyes on her…
May 1997
"Now boys, I know it's a big change moving to a new town, but this is town that your mother and I used to live at before we decided to move to Italy. I also expect you to like our new home and do well in school" Giuseppe Salvatore tells his two young sons as they pass the "Welcome to Mystic Falls" sign.
Stefan just nods his head at what his father says although he isn't sure what's happening around him since he's just an 11-year-old boy.
Damon on the other hand is not impressed with his father's attitude. At the age of 13, he's old enough to understand what's happening around him and that the main reason they moved here was because of his father's business. Plus, why they are living in a large house is so that his father can show off how much money he has and how good of a father he is which he hasn't been since their mother died.
A few hours later when everyone is all moved into their new house which is more like a mansion. Giuseppe suggests that they go meet their new neighbors down the road. This eventually lasts a while and when Damon is just starting to already get bored with this small town, he spots a little girl around the age of ten chasing a puppy. Damon observes her and realizes that she has long brown hair, big doe eyes and has the biggest smile on her face.
"Elena honey! Come in the house before you get sick" yells a woman who Damon assumes is the girl's mother.
It turns out he's right since she spots the Salvatore's and gives them a big warm smile. "Hello you must be our new neighbors. Would you like to come inside?"
"That's very kind of you ma'am thank you" Giuseppe responds in a polite tone and the family heads towards the house with the name "Gilbert" on the mailbox.
When they get inside, Damon looks around and sees that it's a nice house with everything in it including a staircase leading to the second floor.
The woman from earlier and a middle-aged man then come to greet them, "Hello, my wife tells me that you are our new neighbors that just moved in. I'm Grayson Gilbert and this is my wife Miranda".
He then puts out his hand which Giuseppe accepts, "That's right, we just arrived here. I'm Giuseppe Salvatore and these are my sons Stefan and Damon. We just moved here from Florence, Italy and so far this seems like a nice town".
"Well, I am glad that you are enjoying your stay so far. We have two children as well around the same age as your sons" Grayson responds with a kind voice in his tone. He then turns to face the staircase, "Elena, Jeremy! Come and meet our new neighbors!"
A few minutes later, a boy around the age of nine and the ten-year old girl from before appear from upstairs and go to stand beside their parents. "Stefan and Damon, I would like you to meet my son Jeremy and daughter Elena. I hope the four of you will become good friends"…
Damon smiles at the memory. Grayson Gilbert turned out to be right since after that day, he and Elena were almost inseparable. It all mostly started when Damon came to school one day with no lunch since sometimes his father didn't bother packing one. Luckily for him, Elena quickly began to notice and shared some of her lunch with him which shocked Damon since no one ever done something so nice for him since his mother died. The days went by which turned into weeks and every day, Elena would share her lunch with Damon who found himself wanting to return the favor. He was given the chance to one day when he helped out Elena who was being bullied by one of the older kids.
13 years of friendship later and the two were closer than ever to a point when they now couldn't imagine a life without each other in it.
Damon also became close to Miranda and Grayson Gilbert as well. When his father would sometimes come home drunk after a bad day at work, Damon and sometimes Stefan would go to the Gilbert house where Miranda and Grayson would offer comforting words and let them stay overnight. This would eventually make Damon think of them as a second family and was devastated when they died in a car crash. He cried more at their funeral than he did at his own father's when he died of a heart attack.
Damon wiped away the tears that were now running down his face. He had to leave the past behind now since he no longer had to worry about his father and he had Elena now. Damon then looks up at the clock and realizes that it's already 4:00PM which means that he has to meet Elena at the Diner soon. He then grabs his things not worrying about the report for Klaus and heads out the door to meet up with his best friend.
AN: Well that's it for that chapter! It was a long one but it was necessary so that I could add all the important background information.
Next chapter we will see them meeting up at the diner and learn more about Damon's rivalry with Klaus. Later on, I will talk more about Stefan who also happens to be close to a certain blonde
Review please and thank you!
Until next time!