I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.
This takes place after the events in my fanfic Soulmate always find a way.
The POV's will be from Damon and Elena.
Enjoy.
Feedback is appreciated.
Chapter 1 – Going back
Elena's POV
I've been sitting at the desk staring at the date in the journal wishing it were a dream. 1862, how did I end up here? Why am I here? I get up to go look in the mirror in the corner, it's me. I look younger, I look like I did when I was 14. This can't happen. I open the diary again, this time to the front and I find a note.
Elena-
I hope you like the journal.
Now we both have one.
Happy birthday.
Yours truly, your best friend,
Damon Salvatore
I nearly drop the book. The handwriting looks like a little kid wrote the note, maybe when he was 8 or 9 years old. Damon is my best friend? Damon gave me the journal? I shake my head, I can't be in 1862. It's not possible. I hear a knock on the door, before I can answer I hear the door open and I shove the journal back in the drawer.
"Elena. Father would like to see you in his study."
It's a boy. He doesn't look much older than me, maybe 16 or 17. I nod and make my way out the door. Why am I being called into a study I have no clue. The boy walks with me and he has this sad look on his face. When we reach the stairs he grabs my elbow and turns me to face him.
"Is it true what Amelia told him?"
Why would he ask that? Who is Amelia? Is she the girl from the garden earlier. I try to think back to what she asked, she had asked if I was alone with Damon and if he had asked to court me. I look at the boys face and suddenly a name pops in my head, like I remembered it from long ago. Elliot. I decide to try the name out, if I'm wrong then maybe I can say I got hit on the head or something. I need to try to at least fit in here until Damon can get me back in 2012.
"Is what true Elliot?" That must have been his name because he doesn't correct me when he answers.
"Elena. Were you alone at the lake with Damon Salvatore this morning?" Why was being alone with him such a big deal? I don't know how to answer so I just look away from his eyes. I guess he took that as a yes, "I know what's going on Elena. Half the town knows but he needs to ask father to court you before he takes you off alone. It's just not proper little sister." He sighs and continues to walk with me to the study. We reach the door and Elliot knocks on it 3 times.
"Come in Elena."
I don't move, what am I supposed to do? I don't belong here. Elliot pushes me inside and mouths the words 'I'll wait here.' Is this going to be a bad thing? I close the door behind me and turn to face, my father I guess. It's Johnathan Gilbert, from what I'd read in his journals they only had 3 children right? I also see the girl from this morning, Amelia. I take a seat next to her, this is not going to pleasant I can tell that much by the look on his face.
"Amelia, please let me talk to Elena alone." She nods and I watch her leave the room. When I look at Johnathan again he has his head in his hands. "Did Mr. Salvatore ask to court you?" Wow, this is a popular topic today. What is the big deal? I, again, don't know how to answer so I opt to say nothing. "Elena, I know that you two are close but he is nearly 4 years your elder. You are 14 and he is about to be 18, it's not acceptable. If he wants to court you he needs to ask my permission, until then you are not to be alone with him again." I can't hold back anymore.
"Why not...father?" I add in the father to try and be polite.
"It's not proper Elena!" I'm shocked when he starts raising his voice. "He may not care about what people say about him but I do care what they say about my daughter. If he wants to see you again he needs to ask permission to court you. After I talk to him and give him my answer then you may see him again, until then you are not to see him. Are we understood?" I nod my head and he points to the door. I guess that means I can leave. I walk out and Elliot grabs me in a hug.
"I'm sorry little sister. I'll talk to him okay? I know how much you mean to each other." He lets me go and knocks on the door. He pushes me towards the stairs as he walks in the study.
I make my way back to my bedroom and sit on the bed. What would people say about me and Damon? I know that it can't be the age difference, can it? I mentally slap myself, that has to be it. This isn't 2012 and it's probably not okay for someone like Damon who is about to turn 18 to want to date a 14 year old girl. I go get the journal again, I need to read some of it so I at least know what's going on. As I make my way back to the bed I hear doors slamming downstairs, I look out the window and Elliot seems very mad as he walks to the barn. I hope I didn't get him in trouble.
I open the book and I see the note again. I calculate the ages at the time she, well I, had to have gotten the journal. If Damon was 9, he was probably around that age because the writing was somewhat neat, that would have made me 6? He wrote that we both have one now, does that mean he has a journal too? I flip the page and find a picture, or rather a drawing. It looks like someone drew a picture of Damon and I when we were little. I notice my nose and my cheekbones, how could Damon have known what they looked like back then? I flip another page and find the first entry, it's not long at all and it doesn't look as neat as Damon's note.
Dear Journal,
Stefan took my bear today. I cried. Damon got it back for me. I like him better than Stefan.
Goodnight.
I smile to myself. I read a few more of these little entry's and almost every one mentions Damon. They must have played together a lot. The writing gets neater and the entry's get a little longer.
Dear Journal,
Damon hugged me today. It was different this time. It felt different. I liked it. I wonder if he did too? He wants me to meet him tonight, I don't know if I should.
Elena
I look at the date, 1858, I do the math. 10 years old, that would make Damon either 13 or just turned 14. Is this when things had changed between the Elena who kept the journal and Damon? I hadn't realized I'd fallen asleep until I hear a sound.
Clink.
Clink.
Clink.
What is that? It sounds like...pebbles. I sit up and hear one more. I walk to the window and open it, "Damon?"
"Shh!" He puts his finger over his mouth and waves his other hand. "Move back Elena." He's whispering. What time is it? Before I can gather a thought I see Damon climb the tree and climb in the open window. "Elena. I'm so sorry, Elliot told me what happened." He quickly closes the distance between us and hugs me hard. His hands are rubbing my back and he kisses my head over and over.
I pull out from his hug and notice I'm still in my dress. I walk to the bed, grab the journal and put it back on the desk. Damon is now sitting in the chair behind me and pulls me on his lap. I can't help but laugh. It seems so normal for him to do this, like he does it all the time.
"Shh. Elena be quiet." I turn my head and his eyes are staring into mine. Those bright blue eyes, I could drown in them. "Come on. Let me help you out of this dress." He gets up and leads me toward the bed. I stop and yank my hand from his. Surely if dating someone who is older than you is unacceptable now then having them help you undress in your room is worse. He shakes his head, "Just let me get the corset off at least. Then I'll turn around and you can get dressed okay?"
I nod my head. His fingers have no problem unbuttoning the dress, he actually seems to do it quite quickly. He pulls the dress down over my shoulders and wherever his fingers touch my skin it makes my heart beat faster. I try very hard not to blush, but I'm not successful. I can feel him hide a laugh behind me as he undoes the corset. I feel his hands leave my back. He gets the chair from the desk and turns it to face the window.
"Well get dressed and in bed. I'll look at the stars."
I roll my eyes and quickly slide the dress off. What am I supposed to wear? I pick it up and walk to the wardrobe. I peek back at him and he seems to be keeping his word. After I remove the corset, I grab what looks like a nightgown and slip it on. I pull the covers back on the bed and slide inside. "Okay, I'm..."
"Done." He quickly turns around and sits on the bed. I look in his eyes and feel myself blush again. This time I see he is too. "I wanted to tell you that I talked to Elliot today. I'm going to talk to your father Elena."
"Damon. What if he says no?" I figure as long as I'm stuck in 1862 I might as well be with Damon. But what if Johnathan Gilbert says no.
He shrugs his shoulders. "Then I'll keep asking."
I see the truth of those words in his eyes. I don't know what causes me to say the next sentence but I can't help it. "Maybe he has a point. Maybe you should da...court someone older." I caught myself right before I said date. This Damon probably wouldn't know what dating is.
He looks hurt. "I don't want to. I've told you before but I'll tell you again, I want to be with you Elena. It doesn't matter what people say." He leans down and kisses my forehead. I smile at him and nod. "I'll let you get some sleep. Goodnight Elena."
I don't want him to leave yet. I wonder what he'd do if I invited him to stay. I decide to try. "Damon?" He's almost at the window and he turns around. "Stay with me?" I pull the covers back and scoot over. He raises an eyebrow and for a moment I think he's going to leave.
He shuts the window and walks back to the bed. He takes his shoes off and slides in the bed next to me. He puts his arms around me and pulls me against his chest. "Only for a little while Elena. Go to sleep." I snuggle closer to him and I can feel his heart start to beat faster. I smile, maybe this won't be so bad anyway.
Damon's POV
After spending hours with Bonnie and now Jeremy trying to reach Emily for some answers, we have nothing. This is fucking perfect! Jeremy goes to his room, which is the one right next to where Bonnie will be staying. When will they admit that they still want to jump each others bones or at least that they still love each other?
"Night kiddos." They both respond with eye rolling and comments under their breath that I can't hear.
I shut the door to my room and instantly flop down on my bed. Where are you Elena? I swear if you're in some parallel universe or something and someone is hitting on you in 186whatever, I will kick their ass. I grab her pillow, it still smells like her shampoo, and cuddle into bed. Sweet dreams Elena, if only I could hold you instead of this damn pillow. I guess at some point I actually fell asleep because I roll over and hit someone. My eyes fly open, "Jeremy get the hell off my bed."
"I would, but I have a message for you. My sixth sense is acting up and there is someone here who knows exactly what is going on."
I sit up, "Ok. Who is it?"
He shakes his head. "You won't believe me. Bonnie is working at getting the barrier down for a few minutes so he can talk to you himself. He said he's seen Elena though."
Who has seen my love? Bonnie walks in and thankfully I fell asleep in my clothes so this isn't at all awkward. I'm about to ask her if the spell worked when I hear my name from behind me.
"Well, well, well. Damon Salvatore."
No fucking way. He's dead, has been for over a century. "Elliot Gilbert?" I turn around and he's leaning on my desk.
"So it would seem. Due to the lack of time Bonnie has told me about lets get to this okay? Elena is...okay. Confused but okay. I can't believe the ring worked but now it's time for you to remember too Damon."
He knows about the ring? Elena's okay. "Remember what?"
"How it all began. Look the ring you gave Elena, it would only work if you gave it to Elena. There was also another one that matched it, a mans ring. You still have it right?" I just nod my head. I wasn't going to wear it until after we said our vows but I have it. "Good. That's the key Damon. Those rings were made for you and Elena, to help you both remember. You both have to go back and see what really happened. Believe me I was shocked when all of a sudden I was back in May 4 of 1862 but Elena was there, I knew it was happening."
He's crazy. "What are you talking about? I remember 1862. I..." I don't really remember 1862 that well. I should right?
"No you don't. Not entirely." He smiles. "You remember some of the story. You don't remember Elena. Look trust me, I was your best friend aside from George Lockwood. Your dad along with mine and Elena's sought out a witch when things got bad Damon. They had to keep Elena safe but that meant paying a price. They had to take Elena away, from everyone. The rings are meant to help you remember how it all began. If you don't believe me, put yours on and see where you wake up."
He's right. I don't remember entirely. He's talking like I had known Elena when I'd been human, of course I'd remember that. I get up and go to the same place I'd gotten her ring from in my dresser. I pulled the other one out and held it in my hand. If what he said was true, all I had to do was put it on and it'd take me to where I was when everything began. Maybe it would take me to Elena. I could help her until Bonnie could figure out a way to get us back.
"Bonnie. You have to find a way to get both Elena and I back here okay?" She nods her head, but then the Elliot ghost speaks again.
"She can't. Only you and Elena can do that. Once you remember everything you need to, you can make a choice. You'll see what that choice is later, but I'll be there to help you. I'm the only one who knows what's going on but we have to act like we don't. Damon, if one thing changes, a touch, a kiss, a proposal, anything. If anything changes I don't know if you'll be able to ever get back. I'll see you when I see you Damon."
He's gone. How can I not change anything if I don't remember what happened entirely in the first place? I guess I'll have to go with my fucking gut instinct. I slip the ring on the finger where my wedding band would go and I feel the pull. It's like I'm being pulled back through time. I blink my eyes open a few times and I feel someone in my arms. I look around and the room looks familiar but it feels like I've been here in a dream. I look down and my breath stops. "Elena?" I'd know her anywhere. That gorgeous brown hair, and the way her eyelashes flutter when she wakes up suddenly. I can see it now, she's younger. Much younger.
"Damon. You have to leave now?"
She sounds so sad. I want to tell her no but something in the back of my mind is reminding me that it's 186something and this is definitely not acceptable. I nod my head and lean to kiss her forehead. I slip out of her covers and put on my shoes. "I'll see you tomorrow Elena."
"When you talk to my father?" Well at least she can somewhat talk like a lady of the times. What am I supposed to talk to her father about? Who is her father?
Instead of answering I just nod my head. She lays back down and I can tell she's asleep again. I debate going out the door but as I don't know who's house this is I think I'd have better luck with a window. It opens easy and there is even a tree conveniently right next to it. I climb down and try to get my bearings. I've lived in this time before, something should look familiar.
"Damon. I'll walk with you to your horse." Elliot. Does he remember being in my room not 5 minutes ago? Should I ask? Hell no, I'd seem like a lunatic. I look back up towards the window, "I'll explain it Damon." He grabs my elbow and I start walking with him.
"So you remember..."
"Being in your room earlier? Yes. I also remember this talk Damon, it went differently back then so I'll add the lecture in. You have to ask my father Damon. Elena is my sister, she's 14 and I know you're a good man but you need to prove it to my father and talk with him. He might surprise you. I'll go with you and give him my I approval as her older brother. Be at our house after breakfast and we'll go then alright?"
He gave me the big brother lecture. Elena is 14? How old am I then? We're at my horse now, I climb on and in no time I'm back at the Salvatore Mansion. Well, I can't say I missed this place too much. I take Duke back to the barn and put him in his pin. I did fucking miss my horse. Maybe it won't be completely shitty to be back here if I get my horse and my Elena. I walk through the house and I really don't care if I wake anyone or not.
I open the door to my bedroom and it looks exactly the same. I go to my wardrobe and pull out a journal, this will tell me the year. I never told anyone I wrote in a journal, yes even in this time I had to protect my fucking ego. I flip to the last entry and when I catch her name on the page I read the whole entry.
Journal,
I'm taking her to the lake tomorrow. I think I'll tell her that I've been in love with her my whole life. I know I should talk to her father first, but I love Elena. She's my best friend and she makes me feel whole again. I want to give her everything and I feel if I go to her father I won't get that chance. I need to know if she returns my love. If she does then I'll do the right thing by her and go to her father. She stayed with me last night after her and Elliot fought. I loved the feel of having her in my arms. I couldn't enjoy it because alas I know I'm the reason her and Elliot fought. He might be one of my best friends but he's her brother.
I did have a pleasant dream with her here. I want it to be real between us someday soon. Mrs. Elena Salvatore. It has a nice ring to it and I know Stefan would love to have Elena in the family.
I've made up my mind. No matter if her love is returned I will go to her father. I love her too much to have people say the things I know they are about her.
Goodnight.
Damon Salvatore
3rd May, 1862
1862? Did I know Elena in 1862? I flip back and read the whole journal from the first entry to this last one. I'd known Elena my whole life, so did Stefan. What the hell happened then? Why can't I remember her? I lay back on my bed, I know what I have to do. I have to meet Elliot like he said and go see Elena's father. Johnathan Gilbert. This should be one interesting trip. All I can do now is sit back with Elena and see how this plays out. Will we ever get our fucking happy ever after?
