Hello all! I'm so glad you all are still with me! So, I apologize for the long-awaiting update. I enjoy this story so much, and I actually have new ideas now, so things will probably be updating quicker. Thank you to all the 150+ readers, and the wonderful reviews. I smile every time I get them.

So as we left off, Elena has found out that Damon is leaving. I love "Feels So Close," more than ever now, because of the Delena scene on TVD. So this song is very centered of this fanfiction, and so is "With or Without You," by U2. There's a new outfit up on lexismolderhalderx dot polyvore dot com for Elena. ;) It comes later in the chapter.

love you all xo

Elena found herself awake most of the night. Her feelings were taking over as he kept her up. Tossing and turning like always. He was leaving. The monster that was going to take her company through hell and back is leaving.

Shouldn't this make her happy? It should. So why does she feel this way? As her alarm clock goes off to start the fresh Thursday morning; it plays a song that doesn't need to be echoing in her head; especially right now. It was a classic from U2. It irritated her, if she was honest. Rolling her eyes, she let the song continue to play.

I'll wait for you, sleight of hand and twist of fate
On a bed of nails she makes me wait
And I wait without you
With or without you, with or without you
Through the storm we reach the shore, you give it all but I want more
And I'm waiting for you, with or without you
I can't live, with or without you

She proceeded with her daily routine, and hurried out the door heading for work. A new author was coming through from North Carolina anyway. Her mind would be completely preoccupied by a new book dropping on her desk.

"Morning, Caroline," she smiled forcing the worst disappointed smile.

"Hi, Lena, did you have a good night with—" Caroline said but was quickly interrupted by Elena raising her hand to stop talking.

"I don't want to talk about it," she grumbled to her best friend.

"Oh, well someone is in your office—" Caroline tried to talk again to Elena, who was extremely short with her.

Elena cut in once again. "I know North Carolina, I'm on it," she whispered in disgust and walked away quickly not wanting to bring up the D word. As she hurried to her office, a man was sitting down awaiting her arrival. "Good morning Mister…" Mister? She frowned not expecting a woman sitting in her seat.

He turned his body around and to her shock it wasn't North Carolina. "Hello, Elena."

His smile was devilish, as his piercing blue eyes stared deeply into hers. She walked passed him almost missing the desk as she laid her purse down. "Hi, Damon," she whispered in a state of shock. He was still in her building. Why wasn't he gone?

Damon cocked an eyebrow and smiled. "Why do you look like you've just seen a ghost?" He was almost laughing.

Elena frowned. "I thought you were gone already."

Damon smirked softly. "Not quite, I was doing last minute preparations; which included the growth of your company, and how well sales have been going. I have arranged a celebration party for Miss Bennett. Her book has done so well, she's on the New York Times Bestseller list you know?" Damon was blunt and informative all at the same time.

Elena almost fell into her seat in more shock. "Are you serious? Really? That's amazing," she smiled. "When's the party?"

"Tonight, I've been trying to get things settled, Bonnie just thinks it's a dinner for the girls," he chuckled to himself seeming quite pleased.

"Oh. Then you are leaving, I suppose?" she assumed, hoping she was wrong.

He raised his head to look at her and nodded. "My pilot has scheduled my flight for tomorrow morning," he shrugged. Was it bothering him like it was bothering her?

"Oh well that's nice—what you did for Bonnie. It's a first for you, after the way you treated her at the party…" Elena bluntly argued.

He gulped. "I have made my apologies for that outburst. They didn't pertain to you, so that's why you had no clue," he fired back coldly.

Elena stood up defensively and walked around the desk. "But she's my client, you were rude and hateful to her—" Elena cut herself off before she said anything else. She was still pointing a finger at him. As her finger was still directed to his face, he had risen from the chair and grabbed her hand out of his face.

"I apologized, Elena. Nothing else was said; we let the topic drop soon after. It was her choice of not telling you," he talked through his teeth.

Her face was now full of grimace. She hated not knowing what to say. He had backed her up in a corner that she could not remove herself from. "Fine, if you want to keep secrets. Keep them. See if I care," she said finally escaping his grasp around her wrist.

Damon chuckled once again, like he knew he had defeated her once again with his impeccable charm. "You are going to go right, Miss Gilbert?" he asked as she turned her back to him.

"Of course, I'm going!" she retorted. Damon was full of egotistical smirks. He was holding his pride firm. She rolled her eyes and made her way back to her desk, sitting back down. "You may leave now, don't let the door hit you on the way out," she muttered grabbing a pen and scribbling on a piece of paper.

"Oh, are we doing this again?" He smirked playfully. Damon looked back at her and chuckled starting to walk to her door.

"I don't know, Mr. Salvatore, are we?" she questioned his reply to her snarky remark. Elena continued with what she was doing and found herself engrossed in her iPad full of dates and plans, completely ignoring him, and not looking him in the eye.

He simply rolled his eyes and opened her door, "Of course not." With him having the last word, he left her office, leaving Elena with the anger settling in. She pulled up her schedule trying her best to get Damon off her mind. The dates were popping out at her making her cringe to think he was almost gone. She still couldn't convince herself this was a good thing.

She completed all her updates and scheduling quickly and to her liking. Caroline's perky voice over the small radio sitting on the desk buzzed. "Elena! Rose Carlton is here!"

Rose Carlton was her new author debuting. Elena had the spirits to give anyone a chance. Her door was always open for new opportunities.

The perky early thirtyish year old woman walked through the door, and smiled.

Here we go, another day.

Elena finished the last of the paperwork, and copyright agreements as Rose finally signed the last of them. She smiled and nodded. "We'll keep in touch."

Letting a breath of relief out, Elena had made it through the day. She turned off the light of her office, and locked it behind her. It was a trying day for Elena at least now; she was on her own again. The office was dark, and quiet. There was no sound all around her. Then, there it was a shock, a cold broad strong grasp latched onto her as she jerked away scared out of her mind.

"Hey, hey; it's just me," the soothing voice whispered. "Scaredy cat," he continued to egg it on. His voice was familiar, and a relief.

"Hey, I have to keep my guard up for creepers," she fired back. She rolled her eyes and looked behind her at his smiling face.

He cut off the path and walked next to her down the long hallway towards the elevator. "I thought I could pick you up, if that's okay with you," he shrugged. It was a sweet gesture.

"I appreciate that, but I'm not ready," she answered pressing the down arrow on the wall waiting the elevator.

"I'll take you home," he was being pushy again. The dominant man she had grown to hate and love was at it again. If it wasn't obvious, Elena couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Oh…" she stopped talking as she walked into the elevator as he followed. "Thanks."

After stumbling in the dark, unlocking her door, Elena threw her purse down on the table, still seeing Damon standing outside glancing around in his own little world. "You can come in if you like…"

He snapped out of his thoughts and smiled walking in. "Thank you, Miss Gilbert."

Damon shut the door behind him, and sat on the edge of the leather couch folding his hands in front of him. He waited patiently for Elena to finish getting ready. It was odd for him—waiting on a girl.

In a way, Elena was different to Damon. He knew things had changed. Suddenly the mission of taking down a company had left his mind, and he was focused on the co-owner herself. Damon wasn't always the luckiest person in the world, he had dates and that was the extent of his love life. He glanced around in her condominium. It was full of life, pictures of her and her father, and her mother. There was something about Elena. She cared. Was this her real dream to become the owner of her deceased father's company?

Thoughts ran through his mind, for once the heartless entrepreneur felt his emotions bleeding through his thoughts. He placed the picture down back on the table, and smiled, being caught off guard by Elena's entrance. "Something interested you?" she giggled wrapping her scarf around her neck.

"You just have a lot of memories in this room don't you?" he said stating the complete obvious.

She half-smiled looking down to the ground. "I strived for it."

"You look beautiful, if it isn't obvious," he whispered.

Elena stood up straight and grinned. "Thank you, that's really sweet of you."

The silent tension could be cut with a knife, but suddenly Damon broke it. "Um, I presume you are ready. We should get going."

She nodded and walked toward the door with him, going to his black Audi. "No driver tonight?"

He chuckled and shook his head. "I thought it would be better if we went alone," he whispered getting into the driver's seat after letting her in the passenger seat and shutting the door behind her. She glanced over at him and nodded.

"I see."

He breathed out, starting the ignition and put the car in drive. "I apologize for last night…I probably came off too powerful. I tend to do that."

"Thank you for stating that well-known fact," she scowled.

"I know you're mad, but I can't seem to wrap around the thought of why. Could you explain?"

Elena stared at him blankly disgusted. "I am not having this discussion with you, Salvatore," she growled.

"You will miss me, won't you?" he grinned. Elena bit her lip and frowned.

"I will not!" she fought back.

"Hostile much?" he laughed turning down another road as their eyes met quickly. She rolled her eyes playfully and shook her head.

"Maybe I will…" he spoke up again making her eyebrows furrow in confusion.

"You're going back to your kingdom aren't you? Why would you miss me?" she retorted.

He shrugged. "It's the torture, the nail-biting torture I will miss," he laughed jokingly.

"You are such a dominant asshole!"

Damon laughed and threw his head back. "Me?"

"We are still having this conversation!"

Damon drove up at a place lit up, entitled "Lavo." Elena cocked an eyebrow and frowned.

"What is this place?" she growled.

He shrugged. "Popular nightclub and restaurant," his response was quick and simple as he parked the car. "I hope you brought your dancing shoes…" He quirked getting out of the car and walking to the entrance as Elena quickly followed.

"Bring my what? No. You are not getting me dancing. I don't dance."

"If I remember correctly, you danced with me at the book launch…" he sang into her ear and then quickly opening the door.

"That wasn't anything! This is dancing! This is a club, Damon!" she argued following him deep into the club.

"Miss Gilbert!" he swung his body around and looked at her. "Have you ever done anything fun in your life?" he muttered.

She went to speak, but couldn't find the words.

"That's what I thought, now come on!" he said grabbing her hand leading her to the back.

He walked into the restaurant part finding Bonnie, Caroline, Klaus, and a few other people privately in the bought out place. "Hi Bonnie!" Elena smiled rushing up to her with a hug. "Congratulations on your book being a New York best seller!" she smiled.

"Oh thank you! I'm so excited, and I appreciate this dinner, Damon decided to throw," Bonnie said turning her attention to Damon.

"You're welcome, but I must say that is not all of it," he smiled grabbing a glass of champagne, passing one to Elena, and then picking up another glass handing it to Bonnie. He walked over to the large grand doors leading to the nightclub and smiled. The doors swung open and unveiled the nightclub with hundreds of friends and "Feels So Close," by Calvin Harris playing.

"Party's always are good too…" he smiled. "It's completely rented out for this night. So congratulations Bonnie to your accomplishment. To Bonnie," he grinned holding up his glass.

Everyone held up their glasses and took large swigs of the clear liquid and clapped. "Now let's have some fun!" He smiled laying down his glass on the table and walking out of the room. Caroline glanced over at Elena, nudging her as she passed.

As she entered the large room, she was caught off guard once again by Damon standing there. "Now how about that dance?" he smiled extending his hand to her.

"Fine, one dance," she said, grabbing his hand as he led her to the dance floor. The DJ began to play "You Make Me Feel…" by Cobra Starship as Damon moved closer to her swaying against her. They were closer than ever and not even drunk yet.

"Gilbert, are you having the time of your life?" he smiled almost shoving another drink into her. She laughed, and accepted the drink, throwing her free hand around his neck.

"The time of my fucking life," she whispered. Elena giggled to his dismay; he was confused by the outrageous side of Elena. She closed the distance between them, beginning to dirty dance against him.

"Gilbert, you are something when it comes to dancing and alcohol." She stared at him and continued to dance.

"Salvatore, you have not seen anything yet."

So what has Damon not seen of Elena yet? And will he even leave? Reviews are love xo