A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed; itsCaroline, jo, livelaughlove143, KahlanDarcy, kaybaby1127, and especially to bluestriker666 (for your continuous reviews on 'Puzzled Hearts' and here). You guys are my inspiration to keep writing. If you are following 'Puzzled Hearts', just know that I will not be updating today, sorry.

And now, I proudly present chapter one of 'Lover Come Back'. *smiles*

The crooked smile of the pale moon far off in the pink sky began to slowly fade. The early birds chirped in the desert-like temperatures, while the lizards sprinted across the sandy ground, their feet moving at inhuman speeds. Slithering snakes head full throttle onward, their forked tongues hissing out to taste the molecules in the surrounding humid air.

Meanwhile, in a Victorian-styled hotel, with a pristine, green sign with the name 'SLS Hotel' printed, the glossy finish glimmering in the pale sunlight shining over the rims of the hilltops, Elena Gilbert… err Elena Salvatore was still screaming, eyes wide, her left hand pressed firmly against her mouth in disbelief.

"No." She whispered, hoarsely. Damon's hands were rubbing his temples after receiving a headache from the eardrum-shattering screams that escaped Elena's thinly-lined lips.

He glanced up, eyes softened, baring his soul, "Elena, this comes just as much as a shock to me as it does to you." He looked down to the ground as he inwardly smiled, trying desperately to hide it. Apparently not quick enough as Elena gripped the round, metallic-colored pillow that was behind her back and forcefully threw it at his head.

"This is not the time to be smiling, Damon!" It came out as a yelp more than a scream; this resulted in Damon snapping his hand up to catch the pillow just before it smacked him square in the jaw. His eyes glanced up to her as she slumped against the headboard in shock.

His legs were spread out across the floor; he was once sitting on the bed nearly half an hour ago, but once he began to smile at her anxiety, Elena literally kicked him off the bed. His hands were fiddling with the chestnut brown fringes on the carpet, imagining the entire time that it was her hair, her soft, chestnut brown hair.

A sigh escaped his lips once more as he began to hum lightly, trying to at least break off a bit of the ice that was beginning to thicken with each second that ticked by. He began humming a childhood song that his mother used to sing to Stefan and him, his fingers tapping along to the beat. Elena had been glaring at the ring on her hand when the sweet notes caressed her eardrum. She lightly fluttered her eyes closed as she listened intently. The notes became sweeter, seemingly dripped with healing honey that could soothe your mind with its gentle fingers, massaging each worry and anxiety away.

She slumped further back onto the headboard, trying to listen closer to the notes as they became softer and sweeter. Damon glanced up from staring at the carpet to find Elena's eyes fluttered shut, listening to the melodic notes of the childhood song that he remembered so clearly.

When he pressed his lips together to stop the song, she immediately protested by snapping her eyes open, the anxiety returning as she saw the ring still placed upon her finger.

No, this is just a dream.

She pressed her eyes closed, trying to draw herself back to her own reality. When she snapped her eyes back open, she found herself still in the hotel room with the same figure sitting on the floor, amusingly watching her. She clenched her jaw, pressed her eyes closed once more, and forcefully pinched her arm, drawing blood to the spot where she had pinched. It felt like a crab's vicious pinch to her.

"Ouch." She lightly whispered as her face twisted to show light pain. Damon's ears perked up, now fully aware that she had harmed herself.

"Ah, ah, no need to harm yourself." He strutted towards the bed, eyes the softest she had ever seen them. His knees indented into the covers as he began to kneel on the bed, inspecting her arm. She was lost in thought as her eyes searched his face.

That perfect, angel face.

Without thinking, she pulled her arm away and wistfully jumped off the bed, the covers wrapped firmly around her figure. She looked back over to Damon who was watching her every move, causing a slight brush to pass over her face, in which she immediately hid.

Snapping her head around to try and find her clothing, her eyes landed on the pile of clothing that were strewn across the floor, slightly ripped. She plucked up her silky, ivory, one-strap dress. She had no idea where it came from, but it was quite a sight. She then collected her other paraphernalia. Her feet ventured on to the room just off the main room where, hopefully, the bathroom would be located. Once she stepped into the darkened room, Damon chuckled.

"That's the closet, sweetheart." He smiled wickedly, arms crossed behind his head as he slumped against the headboard, as Elena did just minutes before. Elena's darkened eyes widened as she blushed wildly and stepped back out. Her eyes darted over to Damon pleadingly. He sighed before pointing to the room east of the bed.

She gratefully shut the door and began to dress, the lights above almost blinding her as she glanced, for the first time, in the mirror. Honestly, she had to admit, she didn't look too bad. Her make-up was, thankfully, not a smudge out of line; her hair was naturally cascading down her shoulders. She smiled warmly at her outfit, doing a 360 degree twirl, before she plastered the frown back to her heart-shaped face. Suddenly, there was a definite sound of rock music being played from the room. She tilted her head as she walked towards the door.

Her fingers wrapped around the doorknob, inhaling a deep breath she slowly opened the door. There before her, his shirt nowhere to be found, was Damon. He had somehow located the small refrigerator in the corner and had begun to drink bottles of bourbon. A devious smirk was placed to his face. On the beams just above, he was dancing slowly and seductively; Elena froze, her eyes watching him the entire time. He swayed with the beat, eyes shut closed.

He jumped from beam to beam, using his vampire abilities, only stumbling when the bourbon had finally entered his bloodstream. After minutes of watching him, Elena opened her mouth to speak, "Damon, what are you doing?"

He snapped his eyes open, his smile growing wider, "Just enjoying the married life." Elena covered her eyes with her small hands as felt like screaming, a smile somehow forcing its way through.

She glanced up, eyes glimmering, "You drive me crazy, you know that?" She sat down on the bed and continued to watch him.

He jumped down to the ground, his feet smashing against the wood, creating a loud echo throughout the large hotel room. He slowly prowled towards her, "Oh, I know, alright." He was becoming dangerously close to the bed when he suddenly turned, used his speed to button his shirt up, and sped downstairs to do God-knows-what, leaving Elena bewildered.

Elena leaped to her feet and began to walk towards the hotel door, whipping it open. She lightly shook her head, "He's going to wind up putting me in the nuthouse."

A/N: Well, how'd you like it?
Next Chapter:

We find out where Damon headed off to. Elena begins to book her flight back home, slightly second guessing herself.

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