Oh my God, you guys, I am so sorry for not updating! I would've updated yesterday, but it was kind of my birthday, sooo... I may have been a bit busy.. Watching Doctor Who... again, sorry! But here you are! There might be a bit of a wait for the next chapter, because I'm running out of pre-written chapters, and I'm trying my hardest to be in front of you guys - thank you for your patience!

So, here's chapter 5!

Chapter 5:

-9 years later

As soon as my plane landed in Mystic Falls, I'd made my decision. I was staying a lot longer than I'd done the past years. I would stay for a year, maybe two or three. I needed to be here.

This time, Stefan didn't even have to call me. It was Elena's 14th birthday tomorrow, and I longed to see her. Also, the fact that she only had 10 years left, before I had to go and destroy her entire world made me want to see her. Just see how carefree she could be, before everything would change. Before I would change everything.

I already felt bad about it. I was going to come into her life, telling her that she had to make a life or dead decision – for herself. She probably wouldn't even remember me. She had only been a child, the last time I'd seen her. She was a teenager now, on her way to becoming a woman.

Time was definitely flying by, way too fast.

As I walked out of the airport, I couldn't help but be mad at my self. I had wasted 9 years. 9. Fucking. Years. I'd stayed away, holding up my promise to myself, and I hadn't regretted anything as much as that.

Stefan had called me over the years, telling me about Elena's school stuff, and how things were going, but I'd stayed strong, and stayed on the other side of the Atlantic ocean.

Mystic Falls would've been hot on our trail, if I'd stayed in the city, though. I had no idea how Caroline managed to stay there, working as an event planner. The towns people would think she'd had more than one plastic surgery during the time, for her to keep the exact same face.

But they weren't my problem. I'd been clever. I'd made sure I hadn't actually talked to someone, without compelling them to forget me. I knew how to clean up after myself, unlike my dear brother and his blonde singer.

Speaking of which, they were the reason that my blue Camaro was parked outside the airport, just waiting for me to get in and drive the 90 minute trip back home. I quickly put my bags in the backseat, not wanting to put them in the back. Then I got in the drivers seat, put on my sunglasses, and headed for Mystic Falls once again.

As soon as I reached the town square, I decided to go in and have a drink. The drive had been pretty long after all, and I hadn't had a drink, ever since I left Spain. I wouldn't mind stopping for a drink. I seriously needed it.

I pulled into The Grill's parking lot, putting my bags in the trunk, before entering the the restaurant. It was early night, only 8. The youth would probably arrive within an hour. Maybe I could find someone to snack on, after a good drink?

Keeping that in mind, I made my way to the bar, surprised when I was met by the stare of a young dark haired man, and not Kelly. She'd entered my mind, just as I'd sat down, remembering how she'd giving me drinks years before.

Oh well. You couldn't expect a woman to work at the same place throughout so long – especially not a bartending job. I shrugged and ordered a bourbon from the boy behind the bar. He looked me up and down shortly, before filling a glass and handing it to me. I rolled my eyes at his gesture, and quickly started sipped. This was exactly what I needed.

I hadn't sat there for long, before I heard the laughs and loud yells from teenagers. I didn't even bother looking at them, before emptying my glass and ordering a new one – on the rocks. I couldn't stay here for too long. Teenagers were annoying.

As the bartender handed me back my glass, I felt the air next to me shift, and I instantly knew she was there. She was sitting next to me.

I fought to keep my eyes on the shelves of alcohol across the wall. It would be more than just rude to start staring at her. She would find me creepy, weird and that would make her stay away from me – not exactly what I needed.

As soon as I felt her eyes on me, though, I turned my head and looked at her. She had changed a lot, during the past nine years. Her dark brown were now hanging over her shoulders and her breasts, completely straight. Her lips were a lot fuller and her face had matured a lot. But her brown eyes, they hadn't changed at all, They were looking at me, happiness hidden underneath the confusion. She probably found me familiar.

I raised my glass, smiled at her, and the returned to looking at the wall, the smirk staying on my lips. She could still remember me.

Out of the corner of my eyes, I saw her look back at the bartender, retrieving her drinks and looking at me one last time, before returning to the table she'd come from.

After sitting there for at least ten minutes, I slowly turned trying to look at casual as possible. She was sitting in one of the booths, talking to a some of her friends. I recognized the brown skinned girl from her birthday party. She'd grown up as well. Her hair was curly now, though, hanging just beneath her shoulders. Her thin fingers were playing with the straw of her drink, turning it around in a way that didn't quiet followed her fingers. Huh, a witch. Interesting.

Next to her was another one of the kids from her birthday party. Geez, didn't she meet any new persons? It was the blond kid – Kelly's boy! He really didn't look like his mother at all. He was obviously still a young teenager – couldn't be much older than 14, maybe 15. His blond hair was cut short, and he was obviously starting to work on getting a body the girls would like. He had a long way to go.

And next to Elena sat a girl that looked much younger than the others. Her, I had no problems finding out who was. She already looked like a little Kelly. Her brown hair was long, already curly, and her pouting face reminded me a bit too much of her mothers. Obviously, she was the blond one's little sister. She couldn't be much older than 8 or 9 years old. Elena was babysitting already? I sure as hell was happy that wasn't me. The girl I was supposed to 'babysit' was soon to be 14 years of age, and perfectly capable of taking care of her self.

I stood up from my chair, not bothering to look around the place for a quick snack, before I made my way out the door. I couldn't let Elena ogle me too much. Couldn't have her go and remember just what had happened back when she was a kid. I still planned on staying away from her, for as long time as possible. I still hadn't figured out what to do when she turned 24, though. Would I let her go or... Turn her?

I shook my head, getting into my car. I so wasn't thinking about that now. I needed to get home, and get everything prepared for Elena's 14th birthday party.

Okay, so 14 may not be a big thing – not to a normal human, anyways. But this was kind of special to me. I had missed her birthdays ever since her 5th, and I was actually back for this one. Of course I would just be another stranger, hiding in the shadows of her party. This time I wouldn't let her see me. She'd already seen me once, and if I attracted too much attention, she would probably start to remember. And we couldn't have that. She needed to live her life fully, without the memories of this weird man, who never changed.

The mental picture of Elena sitting next to me, ordering drinks filled my mind, as I drove back. She had changed a lot. She was growing up, and it was scaring the hell out of me. Some part of me had hoped she would be extremely unattractive. But no. If she kept on evolving like this, she wouldn't be anywhere near unattractive.

Our bond would be stronger. Of course it would, I'd fucking felt it over the years! These past nine years had been hell on earth. Worse than the time I'd spent with the she-bitch – oh, I was so not thinking about her now!

At least, if Elena had grown up to be ugly or fat or something like that, I wouldn't have to be the least worried about being attracted to her. But no, fate wanted something else. God, at least I had, hopefully, at least 4 years until she would start looking attractive to someone like me. She was still a little girl, with a little girl's body. Hopefully she would stay that way for the next many years.

I shook my head, as I pulled into the parking space in front of the boarding house. I needed a drink. A very very strong one. Why did it have to be so hard to be back, but even harder being away? Back when my heart had started beating, I had been so set on just leaving. Leaving and letting her die. But no, I had to stay and see her.

I couldn't help but wonder if I'd been able to actually stay away, if I hadn't seen her that first time. If I hadn't stroked her cheek, and seen her bright brown eyes. If I hadn't gone to see her that night, would I have been able to leave her behind? Forget about it, and just ignore the thumping in my chest, I'd grown to care for?

To be honest, I couldn't really imagine doing that. That would mean not caring that one day, it would just stop beating. And Elena would be...

I couldn't even let the picture of Elena dying come to my mind. Especially not with me somewhere partying, not caring at all that my heart had stopped beating.

I got out of my car, grabbing my bags from the trunk and walking inside. Caroline and Stefan had briefly told me they were taking a vacation. Of course, Caroline had planned Elena's birthday party, and then had to go to the other side of the world, for a three month vacation with Stefan. Just great. I was going to attend that party instead of Caroline and Stefan. People would without doubt come up and ask me just who I was, and I was going to spend the entire evening explaining, that I was the planner's boyfriend's brother.

My plan about keeping in the shadows for the entire evening started to sound inviting. I would be able to keep an eye on Elena, and see her enjoy her evening, without actually talking to her. And this time I could leave her present on the table – she wasn't supposed to know who had given it to her. Hopefully she wouldn't even notice.

Apparently her parents had gone for a much more formal event this time. Caroline had told me to at least put on some fancy pants, instead of jeans. I had to do something about my willingness to do what she told me to. As soon as it had something to do with Elena, I was way too willing to do what she wanted me to, and that was so not me.

I shook my head, as I threw the bag carelessly onto the bed. I had a day before Elena's big party, and I was just sitting at home. Of course, normally I would be out, trying to find a midnight snack. But this time, Elena had to be in my bar. I couldn't go there. Richmond could be a choice, perhaps. But did I really want to drive away again, just to hook up with some slutty blonde?
I almost shocked myself, as I discovered the answer was no. I would actually rather stay home, run a bath and relax with a glass of scotch, and sadly, a glass of blood. Blood-bags would have to do for now. I would have to find a new regular bar later. And this time it had to be far away. A place Elena and her friends wouldn't come visit. I couldn't have her seeing me flirt with another woma- okay, what the hell?
Since when had I cared about people seeing my with women?! And since when had I cared about a fourteen year old human girl's opinion? This singer shit was starting to change me more than I liked.

I shook my head once again, starting to shred my clothes, as I neared the shower. Forget the bath, I needed a shower. Then I would need to get downstairs, and work on finishing off my stash of alcohol. I just had to make sure I was sober in the morning. No way I was going to Elena's birthday party drunk. That would be too embarrassing, and I would attract way too much attention. And I would probably get kicked out. I actually wanted to be there. But only for Elena.

And the next afternoon I was actually there. I was actually standing, in my 'fancy pants', button up black shirt and a blazer. I had actually followed Caroline's orders, and for the first time in my life, I was pretty happy I'd done as she had told me to. I wouldn't have fit in, if I had been wearing my usual leather jacket and jeans. Everyone here was dressed up, like me. The girls in short dresses (not short enough in my opinion) and the guys in button ups and blazers. Some of them had even put on a bowtie or a regular tie. I blended in perfectly, looking like yet another fancy rich man. Elena wouldn't even notice I was here. Thank God for her parent's visions about a big party to show off their perfect girl. If this had been like a normal teen girl's birthday party, I wouldn't have been able to hide.

Of course I'd chosen the bar as my getaway. I was making sure I was the only place she wasn't going to come looking. She was only fourteen, and she probably hadn't started drinking yet. Plus, her parents would probably throw a fit, if they saw she was getting drunk. Oh no, I was just the mysterious, good-looking stranger sitting in the bar, drinking stuff that was way too strong for all the young people.

The girls that would probably talk to me during the evening, would be much more grownup. And who knows, maybe I would take one home and have a little feast. I mean, as long as I made sure I didn't kill anyone, and erased their memory properly, that wouldn't be a problem. I would rock their world, they would forget, and I would get my fill. Oh well, maybe this party didn't suck as much as I had figured it would.

I had made sure Elena wasn't looking before I had placed my present on the table full of them, only a small note wishing her a happy birthday from a person she would probably never figure out who was.

As sentimental as I am, a part of the gift had been a new diary. I still had no idea whether she'd actually begun writing in the one I had given her back then, but I figured that if she had, she would probably have filled it out a couple of years back. A new one would do good.

Another part of my gift had been a collection of classic books. I would've given her the originals from the Salvatore library, but that would probably have been too much. So I had spent my money on buying her a collection of new copies instead.

Truth to be told, I had no idea whether she liked literature or not, and certainly not if she liked the classics at all. But I had went ahead and bought them for her anyway. If she didn't like them, I had made sure she could get a refund.

Now my gift was laying among the rest of them, not looking suspicious at all. I would've loved to give it to her personally, but I couldn't have her remember my face. I would be a part of her life later on, and it would be weird, if I hadn't changed. She would notice.

So, I stayed in the shadows, watching over the party. Elena looked incredible in her short blue dress. Her hair was up, showing off her face and neck. Normally, showing that much skin would make me hungry instantly, but this was Elena. I really didn't want to feed of her – that thought alone made me shiver.

The blonde girl that had just sat down besides me, however...

"You must be new to town. Haven't seen you around before." The girl smiled at me, small dimples appearing on her cheeks. I instantly saw through her act. Oh yes, she was surely going to act like the perfect southern belle, but she would probably be an animal, once I got her into my bed. Maybe she would even like to be bitten by me.

Maybe I should keep her, just for a couple of days. It had been a while, since I'd had a wild child in bed. And it was certainly time for a change. Plus, I would be here for a while now, and I'd already been way too much with Kelly – she wasn't going to be enough this time. This blonde girl, however, was young and would probably be more than just enthusiastic about getting into bed with me. Maybe being in Mystic Falls wouldn't suck just as much as I'd thought it would.

Turned out the blonde's name was Amber. And just as I had expected, she was an animal in bed. At first, she'd kept up the shy act. That had gone away in the exact moment I'd gone down on her, stopping just before she'd reached her height. Now she was asleep, her arm draped across my chest, and her hair being the biggest mess I'd ever seen. And that does say a lot.

Her home was just as southern as she was. Big as well. Still, I kept an ear out for her parents. Surely they would return soon enough, and I so wasn't having them busting us. I'd already made her forget about my bite, told her to not to tell anyone about us, and now was the time for my leaving. No way I was sleeping next to this girl. Sure, I would like to have her in a bed again. But I wasn't taking this any further than that. No way.

I carefully moved her arm, making sure she wasn't waking. If she did, we would probably go at it again, and she would be too exhausted to do anything besides sleep. No matter what, I would get out within an hour.

She didn't even flinch as I used my vamp speed to put on my clothes. Of course she didn't. Sometimes I'd forgotten just how heavy most teenage girls were – yes, she was a teenager. I couldn't bring myself to care at all. I'd been with teenage girls before. As long as nobody found out, I would be good.

I didn't even bother to leave a note, as I jumped out of the window, speeding to my car. I'd parked it a few blocks away, and carried a very drunk Amber the rest of the way to her house. No way I was having her parents come home and see my baby in the garage. Nope, I would rather carry the girl.

As I got in, I could feel the delicious aftertaste of her blood. She hadn't been bad – non smoker, no drugs, healthy person. I was lucky, really. It was rare to come across young people as clean as her. Kelly's blood hadn't been anywhere near satisfying. It tasted so much like nicotine and drugs that I'd gone to see another girl at some times. But Kelly did have spunk, and I'd actually grown to like the woman. She would've been friend material, but as always, I had to erase every single trace of me from her mind, which wasn't exactly the greatest foundation for a friendship.

Time just seemed to flew by, after her birthday party. I actually kept in touch with Amber – and screwed her more times than I cared to count. When we reached September, though, I erased her thoughts one last time – this time totally clear. I was focusing on Elena, now that she was officially starting high school. I'd never gone myself – I didn't exactly look like a seventeen year old, but I knew that it was a big thing. And I knew that now was when the problems started to come. I'd seen enough high school kids to know now was the time people started bullying each other – and no one was touching a hair on Elena's head. Not while I was there. I wanted her life to be as carefree as possible. That included the stuff normal teenagers went through.

Her first day of school went by just as smooth as her first day of elementary school had. She was, of course, sticking to the friends she'd known her whole life. That dark skinned girl, whose name I still hadn't caught, and Kelly's blond boy. Those three seemed to be together, every single time I saw them. Didn't they ever leave each other's sides?

Apparently not. Of course Elena didn't sleep with them each night. Actually, I still hadn't seen her have a sleep over including Matt. The dark skinned girl, though, had been in her room overnight more than just once. I'd actually had the decency to walk away when they'd been together. One thing was spying on Elena. Another was spying on her friend. Maybe I would've caught her name, if I'd stayed around.

I followed Elena around for the most of the school day – hidden in the shadows, of course. It seemed I had nothing to worry about, though. Half the students paid her no mind, and the rest absolutely loved her.

As did the teachers. Not that I should have been surprised... She's a special girl. But only I knew how special.

After her classes ended for the day, I made sure she got home safely, before kicking my own ass for being such a whipped pussy. I hated knowing that I cared enough to hang out at a boring high school all day, just to make sure she was safe. I really did. But what I hated even more, was knowing that tomorrow, I'd be up at the school, doing it all over again.

Soo, I really hope you liked that! Please leave me a review, telling me what you think. Reviews means the world to me, you know! ;) see you next time!