Chapter 13: Start a New Life

Time was passing by quick. Damon had searched high and low for hours, but no sign of Elena. He was soaked to the bone, the rain having not stopped for a straight hour and a half. Raking his fingers through his hair, he looked around, his body drained and numb from the cold. The more time that passed, the more worried he became. Trying to run through his thoughts, he continued walking as he was trying to think where Elena would go. A memory hit him as his eyes lit with hope. She had only mentioned two places to him. That was home and the falls. He was sure he had already been to the falls, but for all he knew, the falls could have been the whole of Mystic Falls, considering he didn't know it. Looking around him, he happened to see a sign on the side of the road directing him towards the falls. Following the road, it turned off on to a dirt road as he heard the sound of crushing water. Picking up his pace, he rushed ahead and stopped in amazement, seeing the waterfall.

Well this was new to him. He hadn't seen this. Looking around him, he seen no sign of Elena and sighed in panic as he tugged at his strands of hair, wanting to tug it out. Walking along a broken path, he seen that the trail led behind the falling water. Hope flickered within him as he hurried along, stepping behind the waterfall. A gentle smile broke out on to his face when he spotted the familiar brown locks that he loved to run his fingers through. Elena was sitting with her arms wrapped around her knees as Damon stepped further in, his presence alerting her attention.

"About time." Elena croaked, trying to add humor into her voice, but her voice cracked as more tears fell down her cheeks and joined the puddle of water on the hard rock floor.

"You're not exactly the easiest girl to find, but you know what they say," Damon moved closer to her, coming to bend down in front of her as he checked her over for any damage, "The special ones are harder to find."

"Oh Damon." Elena sobbed, her body shaking as she covered her hand over her mouth.

Reaching out, he tucked her hair back behind her ear as he ran his finger along her cheek, smiling sadly, "I know El, I know."

Throwing her arms around his neck, she pulled him close, her face finding the curve of his neck as the tears wouldn't stop falling. Damon pulled her close, his hand cradling the back of her head as he pressed kisses to her temple, swaying them slightly. Elena took a shaky breath, clinging to him like he was her oxygen.

"You're soaking." Elena muffled into his neck, sniffing.
"I don't know if you've noticed, but it's pouring rain out there."
"Oh god, I'm sorry Damon, I-"
"Don't you dare apologise. You have absolutely nothing to apologise for, you hear me?"

Elena tightened her arms around his neck, feeling the pain fade slightly, the heaviness on her heart lifting just that bit so she could breathe again and feel safe. "Thank you for coming for me."

"I'm sorry for making you come here, I really am. I'm going to bring you back, we're getting our things and we're returning home."

Standing up, he took her hands and gently tugged her to her feet, placing his hands on her cheeks lightly as he kissed her nose, "Damon-"

"I don't want you catching a cold, but it's quite a trek back to the house. Maybe the rain is starting to calm down. Did you want to walk or-"

Elena pressed her fingers to his lips, her heart racing as his eyebrows furrowed, watching tears building in her chocolate eyes once again, "Damon."

"What is it? Talk to me please."

The brunette was in a bad place right now, her heart demolished, her thoughts cluttered. She was only sure of one thing and that was Damon, "Right now, all I want is to scream and cry. You know what is holding me together?"

"No, no I don't." He whispered in pain, knowing she was breaking inside.

Elena cupped his face in her hands, stroking her thumbs along his cheeks lightly, "That would be you." Elena whispered, watching as his eyes lit up.

"Me? Why?"

Sinking her teeth into her lower lip, she felt nerves and the butterflies in her stomach as she thought of the right words to say. It was time. It may have been terrible timing, but her emotions were growing stronger by the second and it was happening fast.

"I love you Damon."

Thunder erupted the sky, the sound of the rain growing heavier as the two stared at each other, love filling the small spaced atmosphere as Damon stared at her, his eyes full of adoration and love as Elena stared back, feeling nervous and shy.

"I never felt this way with Stefan. With Stefan, it was a simple love, like...this is comfortable and maybe I could live with it, but now...I know what it feels like to be loved because of you. This love, us...it isn't comfortable. It's exciting, daring, overpowering and I love it. I love it more than anything else in my life right now. You are the glue to me. You fix me when I don't even know there is anything to fix, but you, you always know. You know ME. You get ME."

Elena's voice broke as she was confessing her inner darkest secrets because it was finally out in the open and she was no longer bottling it up. She felt free, she felt like everything she needed was right in front of her and with his help, she would make it through all of the hard times that when alone, felt like she was walking on glass, whereas with him, she was walking on water.

"I love you Damon. That's all there is to it.

Damon was quiet, too quiet as he stared at her. Elena's worry grew as she watched him, her heart racing. Just as she was about to speak, he moved quickly, his body colliding with hers as he kissed her, his arms holding her hips in place as she moaned in surprise, her hands finding a place on his neck as she pressed against him. The only sound that could be heard was the rainfall and the mix of their heavy breaths as their lips broke apart and their eyes found each other.

"Damon?"
"Elena, I love you." He whispered, his voice quiet but she heard because her eyes widened.
"You do?"

"Are you kidding?" He stroking his hand under her curtain of hair, resting it on the back of her neck as he pressed his lips against hers again, "I've loved you since our first dance together at Caroline's wedding. You really made me feel something that night, you made me feel right. Honestly, I haven't felt right in a long time, but you did that. You made me open up and be able to love you. You're it for me. There's no one else but you Elena."

A grin made its way on to Elena's face as she threw her arms around his neck, kissing him as he held her against him, stroking his hand down her hair, her hands gripping on to his hair as she laughed, the first sign of happiness breaking out of her.

"Damon?"
"Mmh?" He answered dreamily.
"I have a phone." Elena spoke quietly as he laughed, hugging her close and kissed her face all over.
"A cab it is."

They made their way straight upstairs when they got inside the house and to Elena's room. They didn't want to talk to anyone and they didn't care what anyone else had to say. They were going to get a flight home to New York tonight. Elena walked over to her case, thankful she hadn't bothered to unpack anything because she knew something was going to kick off. It wasn't obvious what, but now she knew, she had a feeling she was going to get hit with something as bad as that. Damon kissed her shoulder, grabbing her case as he stood it on its legs and did the same with his own case. Hearing a knock, Damon looked up and seen Klaus in the doorway, a look of sympathy on his face.

"Did you two, uhm, want a lift to the airport?" He questioned, tilting his head.
"Thanks, but no thanks." Damon nodded, giving him a smile. Poor guy was just as clueless as them.
"I'm sorry about all of this."
"Let's talk downstairs." He spoke, turning to Elena, "I'll call a cab, alright?"
"Alright." She smiled softly as he returned her smile, walking out with Klaus.

Elena took a shaky breath, all the memories hitting her like a ton of bricks. They were all fake memories, all lies. The same as her life, it was a whole lie. Walking over to her vanity table, she looked at the pictures that she had stuck to the mirror back in high school. Pictures of her, Bonnie and Caroline at graduation. Pictures of her, Jeremy, her mom and dad camping. Swallowing, she stroked her finger along another picture that was her favorite. Her mom and dad hugging in the background as Jeremy had Elena pinned to the ground, tickling her. Tears reached her eyes as she took a deep breath, trying to keep calm.

"You were gorgeous back then." Damon spoke, his arms circling her waist from behind.
"Turns out it was all lies." Elena whispered, leaning back into him as she seeked comfort.
"At least Jeremy wasn't a lie." He stroked his thumb against her stomach.
"He probably hates me." She whispered sadly.
"He would never hate you Elena. He loves you. He will always be your brother."

Elena swallowed, turning into him as he held her close, cradling her head in his hand as he inhaled. Fisting his shirt in her hands, she stared up at him as he gave her a gentle smile, pressing his lips against hers as she tip toed, kissing him back. Hearing footsteps, they pulled back and looked over to the doorway, seeing Miranda standing.

"Elena, can we talk?" Miranda murmured, her voice hoarse and her eyes filled with tears.
"Do you not think you've done enough?" Damon narrowed his eyes, his hand rubbing Elena's back.
"It's okay Damon." Elena whispered, looking up at him as she smiled weakly, "I'll meet you downstairs."

Pressing a kiss to her forehead, he lifted the cases and gave Miranda a look as he walked out past her. Elena lifted her bear off of the bed that use to be her bedtime buddy in high school, giving its head a stroke as she turned to Miranda, tears gathering in her eyes as she didn't know what to say. No right words could make this moment okay.

"The only thing that was real." Elena spoke, staring at the bear in her arms.
"Elena-" Miranda started.
"Did you have any love for me?" Tears poured down her cheeks, "Did you hate me from when you first had me? Was I that bad of a child? You didn't care about someone hurting me, you let them do it as long as YOU were safe! I loved you, you were my MOM! How could you hurt me like you did...for HIM?"

Elena rushed out past her, before the sobs started and made her way outside, walking into Damon's awaiting arms as he hugged her close, frowning as he felt her body shaking with sobs. Stroking her hair, he looked up seeing Miranda at the front door and glared, not liking that Elena was hurt. Jeremy and Bonnie walked out past her and over to them as Damon pulled back, watching as the cab pulling up.

"Oh Elena." Bonnie hugged her tight as she hugged her back, taking a deep breath.

Jeremy wrapped his arms around both of them, hugging them tightly as he kissed the top of Elena's head. Damon smiled, lifting their cases as he placed them in the trunk, closing it shut. Elena pulled back, looking at both of them as she smiled weakly.

"Elena, nothing is going to change. I promise you that." Jeremy told her with a smile.
"Bye Jer, bye Bonnie."
"We will come visit." Bonnie smiled.
"Please do." Elena whispered.

Smiling weakly, she held the bear close as she looked at Miranda one last time, getting into the cab as Damon held the door open for her. Nodding at Bonnie and Jeremy, he smiled as he got in after her, pulling the door shut. The cab pulled off, driving down the road as Elena snuggled into Damon's side, hooking her legs over his.

"Ready for home?" He whispered, playing with her hair.
"More than ready." Elena looked up at him, "I'm ready to start a home with you."
"Then a home we shall make."

Damon smiled and leaned down, joining their lips together as Elena reached up, placing her hand on his cheek as she held him in place, feeling herself relax. Damon was her home, whatever way she looked at it and she was ready to move on and start a new life with him.

A/N: Hey everyone! I hope you enjoyed! Let me know! :)

Shauna

xxx