Chapter Two

She cried, she didn't know quite why, but she knew that she missed him. She missed him so much that it hurt. Where was he? Was he ok? These thoughts haunted Elena as she went about her every day routine.

She was sure that Damon hadn't left of his own accord, whatever Stefan, Bonnie or Caroline might say. Alaric and Jeremy agreed with her, they had both grown unwillingly fond of Damon and were sure, if not only for his blatant attachment to Elena; he wouldn't have left without a word.

And yet still no one would really get on board with looking for him, they had checked the usual threats, Katherine, Jules, John; with no such luck. Now everyone had decided to let it go, he would turn up, they said. He would be fine; he's a big boy. Elena wanted to search, she wanted to turn the whole fucking world upside down until she found Damon. Her sarcastic, narcissistic, blue eyed Damon.

As it was, she contented herself with hiding his box of treasured things under her bed and mentally promising herself that she would, without a doubt see him again.

She may love Stefan, but Damon was, Damon. There had always been a connection, a connection that Elena had fought for even when he had done his best to make her hate him. Even when she saw red because she was so angry at his arrogant ass, she knew that she would give her own life for his. And now that he was, essentially MIA, the thought of what he might be suffering at the hands of some long forgotten enemy, physically hurt her.

Stefan was worried too, she knew that deep down he cared about Damon but he cared about Elena more, so his priority was to keep her safe, not search for his elusive brother.

So as it was, Elena spent her days returning Stefan's kisses and embraces halfheartedly. She traipsed through her life, with the ever-present doom and gloom hanging over her head. The only people that were keeping her smiling were her loved ones. Jenna, Jeremy, Caroline and Bonnie. Stefan of course, was there as well but things were getting more and more strained; she always felt tense when around him.

It was a Saturday, exactly one week after Damon's disappearance when Elena's cell phone buzzed with a message from Stefan. She got up from where she was lying sprawled on her bed, threw the book she had been reading onto her bedside table and reached for her phone.

There's something you need to see, can you come over? S.

She sighed and grabbed her well-worn leather jacket from the back of a chair. Slipping on her shoes she headed for the car. She was curious and slightly apprehensive, Stefan was rarely so mysterious.

She pulled up in the familiar drive and felt the normal pang as she walked towards the door, remembering how Damon always used to open it just before she knocked. She sighed and let her self in.

"Stefan?" She called.

"In the library." Came his reply.

She shrugged off her jacket and threw it onto a counter before traipsing into the old Salvatore library. Stefan was sitting in one of the large armchairs with a piece of paper in his hand. He looked up when she walked in and gave her a weak smile.

"It's from Damon." He said quietly, holding up what Elena now saw to be a note.

Stefan didn't miss the way her eyes lit up at the mention of his brother. He looked away.

She ran up to him and grabbed the paper from his hand.

"Is he ok? What happened? Where is he?" She asked frantically.

He sighed.

"He's fine, perfectly fine." Stefan said, a hint of bitterness mixed with the relief in his voice.

Elena frowned and scanned the paper in her hands. She tried to hold back the tears that were threatening to spill from her eyes.

Stefan and Elena,

I hope you're both well.

Sorry to leave so suddenly, it was a spur of the moment sort of thing. Something came up and I had to take care of it, I'm going to stay on this side of the pond for a while, I had forgotten how much fun Europe can be…

Feel free to clean out my room and put it to good use.

Damon.

The note was typed, and brusque. There was no emotion, no sign that he cared. Elena turned away from Stefan to hide her tears.

She tucked the paper into her pocket and left the house without a word.

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