It is officially Thursday morning Danish time, so here is an update! I'm sorry I haven't been answering to reviews yet - being back in Denmark is a really hard adjustment and I'm still trying to get used to it. I will get around to answer to everyone, though!

Chapter 27

- Elena's pov

New Years seemed to change a lot between Damon and I. I now had a way deeper understanding of who he was as a person and while we still hadn't gotten around to the 'make love' part, we were definitely closer and he was trying his hardest to show me as much affection as he could.

It had only been a few days after new years, when he told me to come downstairs, to the parlor. It was a bit of an odd request for him to make, but being that he was Damon, I chose to just go with what he said and follow him. Once I got down there, though, I was surprised to see Bonnie sitting there.

"You have something to talk to her about, Elena, and you know it," he whispered in my ear, as he looked at Bonnie, who was sitting on the couch, looking extremely guilty. As she should, in my opinion. She had, after all, been sneaking around my back with my ex boyfriend, and right now, she didn't even know she had already told me.

"Damon, I don't-"

"Cut it out, Elena, I know you want to solve this. She's your best friend. Just sit down with her and talk to her," he said, pushing me gently towards the couch. He then disappeared behind me and I sat down next to Bonnie. She was fidgeting with her hands and not looking up at me, so I knew she was going to try and tell me again.

"Hey, Bonnie…" I said, trying to sound like I didn't know they had been sneaking around.

"Elena, there's something I really need to tell you. And I've wanted to for a while, but for some reason I haven't done it and you just really need to know," she said, finally looking up at me. I could see the tears in her eyes, and unlike last time, I actually didn't feel angry with her. She was clearly regretting not having told me and what kind of a best friend would I be, if I kept her from love?

"Okay," I said, and took her hands in mine. This time, I was going to take a different route and not yell at her, and hopefully the expensive mosaic windows in the parlor wouldn't burst out, like they did the last time.

"First I want you to know that I'm really really sorry and I should have told you from the beginning. I don't know what's wrong with me and why I didn't just tell you, but I didn't and you need to know… I've been seeing Matt," she said. I tried to act as though I was surprised, but I wasn't sure just how effective it was.

"Does he make you happy?" I asked, after what I thought was a nice pause. She looked at me perplexed, as though she really hadn't expected that answer.

"Yes… yes, he does. Very much," she said, and a small smile made it onto her lips, "I know I shouldn't be dating your ex, but… it just happened and it suddenly seemed so right, even though it was actually so wrong."

I smiled at her and rubbed my thumb over her hand.

"I'm happy you're happy," I said, and she frowned at me.

"You're not mad at me? I thought you would have been," she asked, the tears in her eyes drying up. I smiled at her and held her hand tighter, happy that I officially had my best friend back.

- 5 months later

Term was almost over, which meant that prom was coming up, along with our graduation. Bonnie, Caroline and I had been looking at prom dresses for months now, but prom was only two weeks away now, so we had to actually get serious and pick a dress. Damon had offered to be my date, which I was surprised by - I had actually thought I was going to have to talk him into taking me, but he had asked me during March month, when I mentioned prom the first time. Bonnie and Matt was officially dating now, so they were of course going together and Stefan and Caroline had plans to compel their way in. Caroline had insisted on going, even though her and Stefan had attended prom a few times over the years, compelling their way into different schools. She had been hanging out with me and Bonnie a few times and I think she wanted to go with us to prom. Bonnie thought her and Stefan were there as chaperons, which would be easy to fake.

"I don't know, Bonnie, it's a little showy, isn't it?" I asked, as I stepped out in a red dress. It was very tight and had a sweetheart neckline, plus a very low back. I wasn't sure I felt like it was a dress that belonged at prom - we didn't have a dress code at our school, but I felt like the teachers wouldn't be too happy with that dress.

"A little bit, yes… but you look really good in it," she answered. Her and Caroline were sitting on the couch, with each their own bag. They had found their dresses pretty quickly, so it just left me, who had been through 5 different dresses so far.

"Damon would love it," Caroline added with a smirk.

"Well yeah, the smaller the dress, the more Damon would love it, that doesn't mean I'm going to wear it," I said, shrugging. Although I did like to please Damon, this was a little too over the top. I knew he wouldn't like it, if I was uncomfortable, so I quickly decided that wasn't my dress.

It was getting a little discouraging, not finding a dress, but Caroline and Bonnie were great shopping partners and they kept me on track.

"Hey, Elena, why don't you try this one on," Caroline said and sneaked a dress in through the changing room door. It was beautiful, but not something I would have thought of getting off the racks myself. It was a ball-gown shape, in a beautiful blue color. The neck was a sweetheart, just like the other dress, but this one didn't go so far down my back, that I felt naked. It had sparkles on the skirt and in a nice pattern up the top. I put it on, without larger difficulties, and I was surprised at how well it fit me. When I came out, both Bonnie and Caroline were smiling in a way that told me I wasn't the only one that loved it. It seemed as though I might have found my dress.

"You look beautiful," Bonnie said, smiling at me. I looked at myself in the mirror, turning a little. I would never have chosen a ball gown, had I been on my own - I simply didn't think it was the silhouette for me, but as it turned out, it looked really nice on me.

"You really do," Caroline agreed and stood up from the couch, playing around with the skirt, letting it fall in different ways. The sparkles was shining in the light from the ceiling lamps, and it made me feel like some sort of princess.

"Do you think Damon is going to like this one?" I asked, in a sudden moment of insecurity. It was stupid, really. I knew Damon would love me, even if I had been wearing a sack of potatoes.

"Of course he is, Elena. He's going to love it," Caroline answered, with the biggest smile I had seen in a while. I knew that Caroline felt a bit like she had missed out, since she had never gotten to have the teenage years that we did, but Bonnie didn't know that. She just thought Caroline really liked shopping. That, of course, wasn't a lie either, but most of the happiness did stem from finally being able to be like most other 21st century girls.

"Even though it's not tight fitting and revealing?" I asked, looking at the back of the dress in the mirror.

"Honey, if he can't see how beautiful you are, without you being naked, he has a problem with his eyes. You look amazing and you also look like you feel pretty amazing in it, so I don't see why you shouldn't get it," Bonnie said, smiling knowingly at me. She knew just what to say, to get me to buy the perfect dress.

When we were walking out the shop, all three of us had bags and huge smiles on our faces.

Two weeks later, I was on the verge of having a nervous breakdown. I had been looking forward to prom for so long and now it was here and I suddenly felt very very old. I was months away from finishing high school and then my adult life was going to begin. I was going to turn 18, and I had to start college and my life would take such a sharp turn, that I wasn't sure I was actually up for it.

All those thoughts had been going through my head for a while, when Damon found me, in our room, sobbing in my underwear.

"What's wrong, Elena? Did somebody hurt you?" he sped to my side, making me dizzy and taking me into his arms. I shook my head and leaned against his chest.

"I don't understand," he said, pulling me closer, "what's wrong?"

I guess it would be kind of hard for him to understand. Damon and I rarely really talked emotions, so this was pretty new to him. I also wasn't in the habit of having nervous breakdowns, not even through midterms or my exams, but suddenly this existential crisis had taken a hold of me, and it didn't make it easier, that my boyfriend was over 200 years old and was going to live forever. That did add another perspective to the whole getting older thing. Normally, I wouldn't have to worry about my boyfriend actually looking younger than me, but with Damon, I knew that was going to be an issue at some point. Hopefully, if I ever decided I wanted to turn, he wouldn't go all Edward Cullen on me, and refuse to turn me. Damon didn't see himself as being damned to hell or anything like that (and if he did, he owned it instead of moping about it), so I hoped that if I decided to join him, he would let me. Or else I would just have to go to Caroline or Stefan, even though I would rather have it be him.

"I'm old," I finally managed to say through my sobs. I could feel Damon move away to look at me, his face more confused than I had ever seen before.

"Are you joking?" he asked, genuinely in doubt. Right, next time you decide to tell somebody you're old, remember who you're talking to - if the person is over 200, they will probably think you're joking.

"No, I'm not… it's just, high school is coming to an end and then college starts and my real life starts and I've been looking forward to it for so long, but now that it's here, it's scaring me… I'm scared, Damon. I'm scared of growing older, of having to be an adult, of having to choose what I want to do with my life and leaving everything behind that I've known for so long," I said, suddenly unable to stop the words falling out of my mouth, even though my sobs were coming with me. It really wasn't a pretty sight.

"I get it," he said bluntly, "getting older is scary. I don't think there's anything unnatural about feeling the way you do, Elena. Things are happening, and things change and that in itself can be scary."

I was surprised that he had something as smart as that to say about it. I knew that Damon was smart, of course, but this was still something a bit unexpected. It wasn't that I didn't expect him to want to help me and want to calm me down, and I did know that no matter what he said, just the sound of his voice alone would calm me, but there was a lot of truth to what he was saying. I was sure Bonnie was having the same feelings as me.

I had been in Mystic Falls all of my life, and I'd rarely been out of state. If I had been, it had only been to the next state over, just for a family holiday. Now I was moving away from the city I knew better than my own body, to start at a new school, where there would be people I had no idea who were and who had no idea who I was. I would have to leave the safety of a small town, where everybody knows everyone and move into a dorm room, with at least one complete stranger.

Now that I was thinking about it, I realized that it was kind of a big deal.

Not to mention that graduating high school only reminded me that my parents should have been here for this, and they weren't. In fact, almost everything I would have to go through over the next couple of months, was going to be stuff where I would feel their absence more than I usually did. They wouldn't be there to tell Damon to take proper care of me and have me home by 11. They wouldn't be there to take pictures when I came down the stairs in my dress, and want too many pictures of me and my date, and me and Bonnie, and just me, and then just Bonnie and so on. And they wouldn't be there to see me graduate high school.

I had always imagined that day, and imagined them sitting in the crowd, looking at me with those proud eyes, with Jeremy sitting close by. Now, those seats would be either empty, or filled by Damon, Caroline and Stefan. I appreciated everything they did to make me feel better about my life, but there were just some things where I really and truly needed my parents to be there.

But they couldn't be.

"Just cry it out, baby… it's okay. I've got you" he whispered and pulled me closer, "and when you're done, I want you to pack your prom dress and call Bonnie and ask her to meet you here. I have a surprise for you girls."

The surprise turned out the be, that Damon had arranged for us to get ready for prom, in a salon. We arrived there in the afternoon and spent way too long, getting our nails done, hair styled, makeup put on and chatting with the people who worked there. When we got to the point where we could actually get in our dresses, I felt like a princess. And somehow, Damon had managed to sneak a tiara in with my dress. I initially thought it was going to be too much, but as soon as the hairdressers worked it into my hairdo, I knew it was perfect for it. And I really shouldn't be surprised about that. Damon always knew what would be perfect for me.

When we were done, Damon had given us another address to get to. Caroline was driving, since she could drive all night, even if somebody spiked the punch, so she made sure we got there.

It was a really fancy restaurant, where Damon, Stefan and Matt were waiting for us outside. Matt looked very uncomfortable, which didn't surprise me at all.

He was, after all, having dinner with his ex girlfriend and current girlfriend. He was sort of in a sticky situation and I could imagine that Damon might have said something to him already. It would be very much like him to stake his claim, even though he knew I wasn't interested in Matt anymore.

As all three of us got out of the car, the men's faces changed from the awkward expression they'd had before, into a smile. Damon was looking at me in the way I had seen a few times before. It always made me blush like crazy, but also light up in a way that surprised even me. It made me feel even more beautiful than I already did.

"You look amazing," Damon whispered to me, as he took my hand and kissed it gently. I blushed and pulled him in for a hug. He was wearing a full suit and he looked amazing. I mean, I knew how handsome he was, but this just enhanced it even more.

"You don't look half bad yourself," I answered. He winked at me and took my hand in his, and turned towards the restaurant. Bonnie and Matt were standing awkwardly next to each other, holding hands, but kind of looking like they shouldn't be. In all honesty, they really shouldn't be. I may have forgiven Bonnie for going behind my back and for dating my ex, but they shouldn't be flaunting it too much. Or at least that was what I thought.

We all walked into the restaurant, which was so fancy I felt like we were dressed perfectly for the occasion. Bonnie and Matt were looking around with worried eyes and I understood why - neither of them would ever be able to pay for food in a place like this. It was simply too expensive and too… well, fancy.

"Damon," I whispered, and he looked at me out of the corner of his eye. Right, vampire hearing, he didn't need to bend down and listen to me.

"Bonnie and Matt can't afford a place like this… neither of them has too much money," I said, looking around as the waitress sat us down at a table. I looked at Matt and I had never seen him as pale as that. Damon leaned across the table, pretending to wanting to kiss me.

"Don't worry, baby… I've got it under control. You just order what you want," he said, giving me a soft kiss on my cheek and then sitting back down. I knew I shouldn't trust him too much with these kind of things - however well-traveled and cultured Damon was, he had never been good with humans and how we tend to act. It seemed like he had learned a lot since I moved in with them, but he still wasn't anywhere near perfect, which worried me, since I didn't want to hurt Matt or Bonnie.

"This one is on me, you guys," Damon announced loudly, making everyone look up from their menus. I almost felt my mouth drop as I looked to Matt and Bonnie, who looked even more ashamed. I then shot Damon a look, letting him know this wasn't a way to save the evening. He looked confused, but I didn't have time to explain it. I would just have to talk to him about it later. I knew I shouldn't be upset with him, since his intention had been good, but I couldn't help but feel like he was being tactless. I knew it was going to be hard to explain to him, but I would have to deal with that later.

Dinner ended up being a thing where we didn't really bond as much as a group, as we did in our individual couples. We were all relieved when we got to the school, in a fancy limo Damon had rented, and we officially didn't have to hang out together anymore. Double dating wouldn't be happening anytime soon, if tonight was any indicator and maybe that was for the best. If me and Damon wanted to double date, there was always Caroline and Stefan - we at least had some kind of thing in common and if all went wrong, Caroline and I could just talk and Damon and Stefan could spend their time sulking at each other. At least two of us would be having fun.

I felt weirdly giddy inside, as Damon and I posed for a picture before we went in. Here I was, with the hottest date at the ball about to show everyone just how great my life was going, despite my entire family dying. I was sick of them feeling sorry for me and treating me like a charity case, so tonight was going to be good.

"I feel like people are staring," I said, when we walked into the ballroom. The party committee had been great and rented an amazing venue for the party - I was told Caroline had had something to do with it, but I wasn't sure how much truth there was to it. On one hand, I wouldn't be surprised if Caroline had compelled herself into the committee, but on the other hand, I knew she wouldn't want anyone questioning why she had the sudden interest in a high school dance. I was going to have to ask her, once we got a moment alone.

"I'll get us something to drink," Damon said and turned to look for the fruit bowl, which had probably been spiked at some point. I mean, it was senior prom - we were allowed to have a little fun! And to be honest, most, if not all of us had been drunk before at this point, so there was really no reason why we shouldn't. As long as we didn't create too much trouble, there would be no worries.

Damon came back with two red cups, filled to the brink with punch.

"It's been spiked, so don't drink it too fast," he noted and took a sip from his. The face he pulled after, told me it wasn't the best alcohol in the world. I took a sip from my own cup and instantly agreed with him. There was a lot more alcohol in it, than I had expected and it tasted like someone had mixed gin and vodka in there. Not a good mix, I can tell you as much as that. But it was going to do the job and get people drunk, so who cared about the taste. After a few drinks, I knew I wouldn't.

Damon and I sat down at one of the round tables near the dance floor, together with our punch. People were already dancing, but not everyone should be. At least half the people were moving in ways human beings should never be moving.

"Are you going to tell me what I did wrong at dinner?" he asked and took a swig from the punch. I sighed and did the same - I hated telling him he did something wrong, especially when he so obviously tried his best. I knew he wasn't some moody teenager, so it wasn't like I was going to ruin his day, by telling him he did something wrong, but I still didn't like to discourage him.

"It's not a big deal, Damon," I said, not sure if I wanted to really dive into the details. Even though the drink tasted disgusting, I felt like downing it all in one go - just to get the alcohol in me.

"I know, but you should still tell me, so I don't make that mistake again. Obviously something I did made Matt and Bonnie upset. Was it paying for the bill?" he asked.

"I thought that was very courteous and very gentleman of you… but it can be a bit upsetting, if you're doing it for someone who aren't your immediate friends. I mean, you haven't ever really talked to Bonnie and much less Matt. Actually, if I remember correctly, the last time you met Matt, you threatened him," I said, but Damon didn't look convinced.

"I was trying to make all that better, by paying for their food and making sure they had a good night. I'm not sure what else I could have done to show them I wanted to make amends," Damon said, obviously confused. I smiled - it made me happy to know that he had been trying to get on Bonnie and Matt's good side again. I had gotten over Matt and it seemed like he was over me as well - so knowing that Damon was ready to be friends or at least talk in a civil way, meant a lot to me. He knew how much Bonnie and Matt meant to me, maybe that was why he had decided to try and be nice to them.

"Talk to them. Tell them you're sorry about the way you've been acting and that you were just being protective or something like that. Just let them know that you're ready to leave it behind us, if they are," I said, shrugging. Bonnie and Matt were on the dance floor, dancing together. Bonnie looked a lot happier than I had seen her in a good long while, and I knew I had made the right decision, when I told her it was okay by me, that she was with Matt.

It hadn't been an easy decision to make, but I knew it was the right one. She was my best friend after all.

"I have to be that blunt?" Damon asked, perplexed. I frowned at him and nodded.

"Yes, of course. How else would you expect them to understand you?" I said. Damon shook his head and downed the rest of his drink.

"From the gesture of taking them out. Of inviting them to the salon and then out to eat. I thought it was clear what my intentions were," he said, leaning back in his chair. I smiled and grabbed his hand across the table.

"Thank you for trying," I said. He looked at my hand for a bit and then looked up at me.

"No problem, babe," he said and leaned across to kiss me. I leaned in too, meeting his lips halfway.

"Do you want to dance?" he asked, standing up and putting his hand out towards me. I smiled and put my hands in his, standing up.

"I would love to," I said. We walked to the dance floor together, hand in hand and when we got to a spot where Damon felt like there was room enough, and started dancing. It felt like a cliche, because no more than a few minutes in, the DJ changed the song to a slow one. It was something I had only seen happen in movies, but Damon smiled at me and pulled me closer and my arms went around his neck, as we slowed down.

We didn't talk much - there was no real need for talking. Instead we put our foreheads against each other and slowly swayed back and forth to the music, just enjoying being close to each other. And as we danced around together, memories of all our times together went through my head. Right from the first time I saw him, when I woke up after the accident, the first time I saw him with his vampire features, our first kiss, the countless times he saved my life, up until now, when we were just swaying together, quietly.

And as though it was through mist, another memory came through. It had been the day before my 14th birthday and Vicki had been hanging out with us. That had been just before Matt's father had swept in and taken her away. He had come out of the blue and been ready to take both kids, but Matt stayed loyal to his mom and stayed with her, whereas Vicki was ready to get the hell out and live a new and better life. We were at the grill and my parents had given me money to buy us all sodas. I had been walking up to the counter and ordering when I had noticed a handsome stranger in the seat next to me. I hadn't seen him in town before, which was odd, because I knew everyone. He had turned to look at me, giving me a smirk that had made me feel all warm inside. Not in a sexual way and not in a romantic way, but in a safe way.

The bartender had given me our drinks and I went back to the table, but I couldn't help but look back at him now and again. Who was he and why did I feel that sort of connection to him?

I pulled away from Damon in real life and looked at him, completely shocked. He frowned, but waited patiently for me to tell him what was the matter. I was just about to, when one of the speakers exploded, resulting in a lot of screaming and a lot of panic. The decorations from the ceiling were beginning to fall down, as some of the equipment on stage caught fire and everything turned into chaos.

Damon was at my side quickly and wanted to pull me out, when I noticed someone standing near the stage - it was Bonnie, but she didn't look like herself. Her eyes were completely white and her hair was flying around her, as her skin seemed to glow golden.

"Bonnie!" I yelled, starting to run towards her, but Damon held me back, "Damon, let me go! I have to help her, she's my best friend! She could get hurt!"

Damon held me back, lifting me off the ground.

"Elena, she's the one doing this, I'll help her, I just have to get you out of here first. This isn't safe for you!" he yelled over the noise of more speakers exploding and students running away, screaming.

"No, Damon! I'm not leaving!" I said, trying to get out of his arms. I could see all his features tighten and I knew he was angry with me, but I couldn't just leave Bonnie behind. Whatever was going on, my best friend was in danger and I needed to make sure she was okay.

"Fine. But you stay out of harm's way!" he said, and let me down. The next I knew, he had sped to Bonnie, grabbing her upper arms tightly. I ran towards them, just in time to see Damon drop to the ground, holding his head and screaming.

"Damon! No!" I screamed, falling to my knees next to him.

"Elena, get Bonnie… to stop!" He managed to get out, between his screams. Tears were clouding my eyes, as I got up again and ran to Bonnie, doing like Damon and grabbing her upper arms.

"Bonnie! Please stop this!" I yelled, trying to shake her. Blood was coming out of her nose and she was starting to float a few inches above the ground.

"Please, Bonnie! You're hurting someone!" I yelled, looking down at Damon. To my horror, I saw two other figures lying behind him, but none of them were moving onea bit. One was a blond boy and the other was a girl with long dark hair.

I pulled even harder on Bonnie, trying to get her down, but it was no use. She kept floating and if she was in any way controlling what was going on, she didn't stop.

I was about to go into hysteria, when blonde hair rushed by me and suddenly, Bonnie was on the ground, unconscious.

Caroline had been the one to knock her out, and she was now making sure Bonnie was alright, and hadn't been hurt. The golden glow was fading and even though Bonnie's eyes were closed, it was like we could see her pupils return. As soon as everything calmed down, I ran to Damon, who was standing up, still holding his head, but no longer screaming.

"Damon! Are you okay?" I asked, running my hands through his hair and over his face, as though I would be able to feel some sort of difference in him. He nodded and leaned down to give me a quick kiss and wipe away the tears that had been flooding down my cheeks.

"I'm just fine, baby, it's all okay," he said, and then he grabbed my arm and wanted to pull me over to Bonnie, but I remembered what I had seen before.

"Wait, Damon, you need to help. Someone's hurt!" I said, and now it was my turn to pull him. I gasped in pure horror, as I realized who the blond boy was - it was Matt. As soon as I saw him, I knew he wasn't alive. His neck had been cut and it was lying in a funny way I knew meant it had snapped. His arm was broken as well and there was a lot of blood around him.

"Oh my God," I said and the next thing I knew, I was throwing up next to him. His eyes were open in a creepy way, because it was so obvious there was no life behind them and it didn't look like the guy I had known since I was born. Matt was dead.

Uh oh... yes, I did just kill Matt off! So lots of notes about this chapter - I wanted to make up for Elena freaking out about Bonnie and Matt. She did overreact, but I wanted to put it in there, because she's been through so much, it would be weird if her emotions weren't all over the place.

The Elena freaking out before graduating is actually a pretty personal thing for me. The night before my last day in High School, I was crying hysterically while my mom was trying to calm me down. I was so excited about leaving High school and I couldn't wait for my real life to begin, but that last day was actually really scary. So, I wanted to put that in there.

And what did you think of prom? Of Bonnie freaking out? Let me know everything you think, it's great motivation!