Author's note: Thank you, everyone, for your super-delightful commentary!

As promised, this is going to be a lighter chapter than the previous ones. I wanted to get it out as quickly as possible because I don't like leaving things on a super-angsty note. :D

The night before

Elena had wandered off from the party to take in the night air – to look at the stars, marveling in wonder at how being in the forest, and therefore sufficiently far away from civilization, allowed the majestic beauty of the Milky Way to come forth. Anna mentioned that the Lamia Comet, which would be visible to the naked eye, would be visiting them within the coming months, due in Autumn. Their newest friend's excitement about it was so contagious that all four girls planned a star – and comet – gazing trip when the temperatures turned cooler, with soft sweaters and wool blankets their ever-present companions.

But for now, Elena was thrilled for Summer, because that meant her birthday. In less than a month, she would be 17-years-old – only a year away from complete independence, when her overprotective parents would have absolutely no say over how late she stayed out.

She would be free. Finally.

Free to discover and adventure to her heart's content.

She couldn't wait to leave Mystic Falls and explore the world around her. College would be her ticket – she'd try and see and feel and learn everything imaginable. While her parents took her traveling when she was a child, it always came with rules and regulations and exhaustive precautions for her safety – but the bug had already bitten, and Elena's heart was alight with wonder at all that she would be able to uncover without those restrictions. She loved them dearly for it, and she took the chiding words of her laughing mother that she would understand when she – herself – had children to heart, but that would be a future Elena. A more grown up and settled Elena.

An Elena who had a chance to fulfill her passions.

An Elena who had already experienced all the adventure that life had to offer and would be content to pay special heed to safety and precautions and yes, even rules, when the time came.

But for now, she was almost excited by the hint of a little danger.

For now, she wanted to try everything, learn everything, feel everything – to explore her insatiable curiosities to her heart's content.

"Katherine," she suddenly heard a voice, a breath, a whisper of pure reverence. Turning to its source, she was confronted with the bluest eyes she'd seen in her life, belonging to a man more beautiful than she could even imagine – but there was an allure about him that transcended the physical. It was something in his eyes – his gaze – she felt indescribably and irrevocably drawn to him, and she couldn't quite figure out why.

She had to fight her instinct to gasp at the sight of him, a strange feeling deep in the pit of her chest telling her that this meeting – this moment – was vital and important and altogether world-changing.

In the next instant, she chided herself for being such a silly girl. She obviously wasn't Katherine, and he was looking for someone else. She looked around self-consciously before speaking in her best effort to avoid becoming that awkward cliché of waving back at a greeting clearly not meant for her, but no one else had been around.

"No, um," she replied with that same awkwardness she had just unconsciously talked herself into and desperately hoped to shed. "I'm Elena."

"Oh, you just look," he replied reflexively with something akin to disappointment. "I'm sorry," he followed, having evidently collected himself, a dangerously alluring smirk gracing his lips. "You just really remind me of someone. I'm Damon."

"Not to be rude or anything, Damon, but it's kind of creepy that you're out here in the middle of nowhere," she teased, hoping to quell that ache in her heart – or at the very least convince him that it couldn't possibly exist. Maybe if she appeared standoffish? Her mind immediately pivoted to all those examples of the Tsundere archetypes in fiction Jeremy seemed to find so attractive – or perhaps that was the way he explained it.

"You're one to talk. You're out here all by yourself," he replied, his eyes dancing with mirth.

"It's Mystic Falls," she explained with an inward roll of her eyes, only vaguely aware of contradicting herself. "Nothing bad ever happens here."

Now he seemed to be fighting an actual grin, clearly amused by the line of conversation, though Elena couldn't quite figure out why.

"I got into a fight with my ex-boyfriend, and just needed to get some air – some space," she gave by way of explanation to the silent query in his expressive eyes. Matt had indulged in a few too many beers with the rest of the football team and had been hounding her all night. It took nearly all her resolve to break up with him in the first place, steadying herself for what felt like hours to finally face the pain in his eyes and not acquiesce to its pleas.

She hated hurting him.

But both her mom and Anna had been right – the pain would be temporary, and they'd both be in a better place ultimately. It would be a healing pain, like a surgical instrument cutting away a growth – a growth that should have never taken place when their relationship was always meant to be friendship, never straying to the realm of the romantic – that left her feeling trapped and stifled and panicked that the only way for her to achieve her dreams was to break her friend's heart.

And it wounded her to do so, herself aching at what she imagined to be his pain.

Perhaps removing this would finally help them get back to the place they belong, Anna assured a tearful Elena, who was afraid that she'd hurt Matt so irrevocably that even their friendship wouldn't survive.

Anna just laughed in that mysterious way of hers, with eyes that at times looked entirely too ancient and worldly for her otherwise youthful appearance, and told her that time heals nearly all wounds – but especially broken teenage hearts.

"About what?" the man charmingly inquired, then raised his hands in mock-surrender, indicating that he had no intention to pilfer into business that wasn't his. "May I ask."

"He wanted to get back together, and it took everything I had to gather the courage to break up with him at all," she sighed, wrapping her arms around herself, surprising herself at her sudden vulnerability with this stranger.

The man narrowed his eyebrows pensively, scrutinizing her. "Why was it so hard for you?"

Elena just looked at him for a few seconds, surprised at the inquiry and said, "because I didn't want to hurt him," like it was the most obvious answer on Earth.

He seemed a bit taken aback by that, but recovered quickly, though she noticed the surprise in his gaze; followed immediately the barest hint of a soft, affectionate smile; quickly overtaken by curiosity – he was looking at her as though she was a puzzle. There was a fierce and calculating intelligence in his gaze, but also a sense of mischief. She ached to know what was really on his mind – in his heart. She got the distinct feeling that he was hardly the type to wear his deepest emotions on his sleeve – a mystery.

"So why the break-up, then?" he followed.

"I –" Elena began, prepared to launch into an explanation, then thought better of it. She laughed, though the sound was hollow. "Life, future – he's got it all mapped out."

"And you don't want it?" he asked with a knowing smirk.

"I don't know what I want," she admitted with a shrug. It seemed to be her perpetual dilemma. Everyone around her seemed to have their futures so beautifully planned out. Caroline was already scouting Ivy Leagues and prepping her application. She had every proverbial 'i' dotted and 't' crossed – perpetually punctual, organized, capable, efficient – with her mark in every major club, committee, and town event.

Elena just wanted to explore – with no real clue as to what would give her heart and mind enough pause. She wanted to try everything, to learn everything – a grand adventure.

She wanted to be happy. To find love – to live a sincere and authentic life catering to her passions, her dreams, the realest her. Shouldn't she be given a chance to find out who that was?

And yet, when she communicated this to her guidance counselor, she was only met with derision. 'A grand adventure' wasn't a life plan. Her father had known he wanted to be a doctor since he was a child – and Elena was incredibly interested in medicine, and writing, and …

And that was the problem. There were too many 'ands.'

Conclusively, she had no idea what she wanted. Not really.

"Well, that's not true," the dashing stranger that seemingly captivated her heart already replied with an easy grin. "You want what everybody wants."

"What?" Elena retorted, her own smile growing like an unstoppable force, bubbling forth to tease him. "Mysterious stranger who has all the answers?"

He laughed – a real, genuine laugh that had overtaken the sardonic smirk for the briefest of moments, and yet another piece of Elena's heart jumped into his of its own accord. "Let's just say I've been around for a long time. I've learned a few things."

Elena could have scoffed at his cockiness – he couldn't be much older than her. Challenging him, she took an incremental step forward and lifted her chin in a playfully measuring gesture. "So, tell me, Damon. What is it that I want?"

The jest in his eyes was suddenly replaced by intensity, and he took a step toward her confidently. Elena immediately felt her heart speed up. There was a certain danger to him – an unpredictability – and she found it wildly exciting. "You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, and adventure – and even a little danger," Damon said to an altogether mesmerized Elena. To hear her heart's dearest wish spoken aloud by a dashing stranger was almost more than she could handle that night. Her heart had already beat in allegro, its tempo increasing by the second – how did he know? How could he possibly know?

Only marginally aware of the stars shining in her midnight eyes, she fought every romantic urge within her for an ounce of control – to let her speak again. She wanted to know him. She wanted so very much to know just everything about him. Smiling – unable to stop her smile, really, she asked, "And what do you want?"

He looked taken aback, as though the question surprised him. Elena ached in anticipation when his eyes lit up – he was going to answer – she would learn his heart's greatest desire, but they were suddenly interrupted by honking, and her heart fell a bit heavily.

"It's my parents," she explained, gesturing to the approaching vehicle. She took out her phone, hopeful that he'll ask for her number, when he was suddenly directly in front of her, his pupils shifting in the most peculiar way.

"I want you to get everything you're looking for, but for now –" he began, in a soothing, dulcet, almost affectionate tone.

"Damon! What an unexpected surprise!" Anna announced in interruption of Damon's compulsion, seemingly coming from out of nowhere, and coming to stand directly between them, so that he no longer had a clear line of sight to Elena's eyes.

Elena could have sworn that was decidedly forced – and almost sardonic cheer in Anna's voice – and resolved to ask her about it later.

The honk sounded again, and she looked away for only an instant, but when she turned back, Damon was gone, and the only name she could think of to explain the expression on Anna's face was 'determined.'

Present day

Anan stared at Elena for a few brief seconds as her friend seemed lost in thought.

Damon. The person that she was when she met him might as well have been someone completely different – a veritable stranger to her now.

She was adventurous, passionate, curious, rebellious – romantic.

These qualities got her parents killed.

She wouldn't – couldn't – be that person anymore. No, now Elena had to cling to safety – to follow the trusted, surest, most frequented roads. Because what she did before spelled danger – what she did before nearly destroyed her whole, or maybe was still wrecking her down to her very soul.

What she did before left her a shattered, gaping chasm – completely hollow on the inside – held together by tears, fear, and heartbreak.

No, Elena didn't want a life of a love that consumed her, passion, adventure – and certainly not danger.

Because it was the search for adventure that led her to sneak out that night – her own stupid, selfish desire to live a life that's free and full of passion. Now the thought just filled her with abject fear. No, she didn't want it.

And love? Especially love that consumed her? She knew what it felt like now to have loved ones die now – and if she ever lost the kind of love of which she'd dreamed, there would be nothing left of her.

No, she didn't want it.

Not anymore. The price she paid for being that girl was far too high. That girl – that free, that wild, that romantic girl – withdrew deep into Elena until she could scarcely hear her voice. She shut her away, locking her behind reinforced doors and nigh-impenetrable walls, where her sounds of laughter and play couldn't be heard anymore.

Where her once-cheerful voice was but a hushed whisper, sometimes its barest traces fighting free – reflected in the water and riding on the waves, playfully caressing the wind – but altogether far away, unreachable, a ghost of yesteryear.

New Elena had taken her place. And new Elena was careful, and solemn, and she would prize safety above all.

The night before

Unbelievable. Damon fucking Salvatore was back in town, and by the looks of Elena's starry-eyed expression, he'd already gotten his hooks into her. He fled the second Anna confronted him, because he always had to be astoundingly difficult. Even when he was a sweet and earnest human, there was always that mischievous fire just beneath the surface. She could only imagine what decades of vampirism had done to stoke it.

Mumbling a quick excuse to Elena about not needing a ride home with her folks after all, she barely caught her in a quick hug before dashing away into the night at normal human speed, until the Gilberts' car was no longer in her peripheral vision, and she was free to give superhuman chase to Damon.

She finally ended up tracking him to a bar just outside of town, flirting with an attractive – and clearly proud – member of the Tri-Delta Sorority, if one were to take her prominently displayed pin as evidence. The girl twirled the tip of her tightly-wound ponytail in her hand, giving him ample view of her neck, which Anna fully understood was his real target, and would likely be subject to the kind of wounds that would require scarves throughout the summer as soon as she followed him to a place without prying eyes. By the looks of their increasingly physical flirtation, it wouldn't take much longer.

Or it wouldn't have, if Anna hadn't every intention to disrupt his evening, because she had much more pressing plans.

Summoning all her obnoxiousness with the greatest pleasure, she pulled up a stool and took a seat between Damon and his intended snack. "Hi!" she cheerfully greeted, to the shocked eyes of the lady in question and Damon's increasingly annoyed gaze.

"Annabelle," Damon deadpanned unenthusiastically, his fingers seeming to find the bridge of his nose of their own volition. "What an unexpected pleasure," he added, throwing a version of her own words back at her, and sounding every bit like the exact opposite was true.

"I actually go by 'Anna' now," she said with the sweetest, most faux naïveté she could possibly muster, which Damon didn't buy for a second.

"Who is this?" growled the woman possessively.

He smirked, in a way that Anna found to be profoundly annoying. At least when he was a human, he had the decency to hide his sarcastic retorts and mocking nature, but vampire Damon clearly had no such desires. "My annoying kid sister," he said with fake affection, ruffling Anna's hair like the king of all douches, as far as she was concerned. "Thinks she's all grown up now that she finally stopped wetting the bed at twelve – gave herself a new, big girl name and everything," Damon explained dramatically, pressing a hand to his heart to show his immense pride, then pulled closer to Sorority Snack for a loud stage whisper. "Our folks said I have to spend time with her as a reward, so she keeps up the good work."

Anna narrowed her eyes, having it up to the tip of her admittedly not very tall stature with digs at her apparent age. Yes, she was young when she was turned – and it's proven to be profoundly annoying for the last 550 or so years. Not that a comparative baby vamp like Damon would understand, having had the good fortune to at least spend his undead life looking like an adult – even if his behavior clearly resembled her physical age more, Anna thought derisively.

And the fact that he'd already discovered Elena's existence had her worried, but his presence here could be potentially useful.

"At a bar?" the Unnamed Snack raised a dubious eyebrow.

Damon just shrugged, not willing to go into an explanation with his next meal and took another sip of his bourbon while evidently contemplating the best way to get rid of Anna, or whatever she called herself these days.

"Congratulations, honey!" the Tri-Delt cheered in a manner that didn't convince anyone, an irritated smile frozen on her face. "You don't look twelve."

"Thank you!" Anna shot back, glaring at Damon. "That would be because –"

"Aw! Aren't you almost a grown-up, sweetie?" he mocked with the most ostentatious affection. "She'll be thirteen in just eleven months! So soon."

"You forgot your gonorrhea medication at home again, big bro," Anna replied with the widest, most innocent eyes she could muster. "I just wanted to make sure you took today's dose, unlike the last few days," she followed in a sing-song cadence, pursing her lips in apparent disapproval. Then she turned to Damon's prospective-food-slash-lady-friend and shook her head sympathetically. "My poor brother. He sounds like an emo banshee whenever he has to," she dropped her voice meaningfully, "relieve himself. Mom said he was becoming way too vocal in acting out all his gonorrhea symptoms, and she thinks he might actually be doing it for attention" she added shaking her head, then grew immediately energetic again. "Oh, and how he loves discussing those sores. What did you say the pus looked like, Damon? Was it –"

"Poor, sweet Anna," Damon interrupted, stroking her hair in mock affection, which Anna promptly knocked away. "She had a little accident when she bolted out of bed – during one of her regular nightly accidents – and hit her head—"

"Okay, I think I'll leave you two to your sibling bonding," Snacky-Snack said, growing visibly uncomfortable, and trying to extricate herself from the group.

"No, stay," Damon quickly said, compelling her. "Or better yet, go outside. Wait for me."

"No, leave," Anna turned, placing her compulsion over Damon's. "Go home. Forget this ever happened."

Damon tried compelling her again, but the woman wouldn't be affected. By now profoundly annoyed, he turned to Anna's obnoxiously smirking face.

"Your compulsions have nothing on mine, baby vamp," Anna needled, unable to resist after having been called a 12-year-old for nearly an entire conversation.

"I know you're obsessed with this sexy body, Anna," he stressed her preferred name sarcastically. "But you can't have it. You didn't have to chase my dinner away in a jealous rage. I told you before," he wagged his finger disapprovingly.

Anna just rolled her eyes. "Wow, so your need to use jokes to cover your feelings went from covert to overt with vampirism. What a sad little baby vamp you are, Damon," she deadpanned. "Because the idea of an obsession with 'your sexy body,' as you called it," she prompted with air quotes, "is exactly that – a joke. But I guess you're going to tell me that you're saving yourself for Katherine."

Damon smirked, with it deepening with every second. "Not exactly, though I'm very curious about that human friend of yours – "

"Stay away from her. She's not Katherine," Anna growled.

Damon raised both eyebrows in surprise of her ardent defense, giddy with discovery, then leaned forward to make a show of scrutinizing her, analyzing Anna's suddenly serious demeanor, before she schooled her features to neutrality again. "Obviously not. Way too open and earnest – and so genuine," he added in a way that was almost bewildered. "I can't even imagine associating those adjectives with Katherine – and it all seemed very real," he added with narrowed eyes, then grinned obnoxiously. "But you, my dear Annabelle, prevented me from compelling any memory of me away, so maybe she's the one who won't be able to stay away," he added smugly.

"Oh, she will," Anna insisted. "I'll make sure if it."

Damon just grinned wider and wider and wider. "We'll see about that."

Present day

Anna reached for Elena's hand, concerned that she seemed to drift off into her own world again. On the one hand, dissociating so often after a trauma of this magnitude was completely normal; on the other hand, it was vital to get her to stay mindful and in the moment. Maybe she could convince her to go to therapy?

"Elena?"

"What?" Elena suddenly reappeared. "Sorry."

"It's okay. Where did you go?" Anna asked, concerned.

Elena just shook her head, clearly not wanting to explore that dreary train of thought, and instead smiled, choosing to focus on a more pleasant avenue. "So why do you want me to stay away from Damon, anyway? Who is he? You obviously know him."

Anna thought for a moment. Telling a girl that the guy she's clearly attracted to is dangerous could very easily backfire – and the Elena she knew, at least prior to the events that took place the night before – had been thrilled by a little element of danger. No, this would have to be done a bit more methodically – with some finesse and flair.

She smirked, and thanked Damon for the idea. She'd take it right out of his playbook, after all.

Affecting her most sympathetic gaze, she squeezed Elena's hand. "Oh, Damon, poor Damon. There was an accident last month – he hit his head and developed a very serious case of retrograde amnesia. He thinks he's twelve-years-old again," she sighed morosely, hoping Elena bought it. Anna was certainly having difficulty keeping a straight face.

"Oh my God!" Elena gasped, her hands covering her lips on sympathy and horror. "That poor guy! But – he seemed so…" she trailed off, suddenly shy. Seemed what? Alluring? Sexy?

Anna bit her lip in sympathy, mirroring one of Elena's physical tells, and shaking her head. "I'm afraid it's true. That 'really romantic speech' he gave you? He got it from a YouTube video called 'How to Score Hot Older Chicks.' He'd been trying it out all evening – you were just too busy fighting with Matt to notice," Anna said with profoundest empathy. "I had to hear it at least thirty times," she emphasized. "It's really practiced – perfectly rehearsed," she added with almost a touch of pride. "Maybe it's a good sign that his brain is healing."

"But, couldn't we help him somehow?" Elena pleaded, her heart going out to this poor soul. "How do you know him? Did his doctors say if there's any hope?"

"I know his mom," Anna said, suddenly serious, "and she's the biggest Karen in existence."

"Like Carol Lockwood?" Elena winced.

"Bigger!" Anna stressed, trying to keep track of her growing lies. "And you should stay away – trust me. You don't want her to catch you talking to him – 'corrupting her sweet angel' – she'll make your life miserable."

Elena nodded, though Anna could have sworn she saw an empathetic determination in her eye, her bleeding heart unable to resist the allure of helping a wounded soul, but she chose to ignore it for the time being. Damon was unlikely to return until the comet appeared, anyway, and hopefully, by then, they'll have moved on from acknowledging his existence.

Inwardly, Anna smirked. Now who's twelve? And the added bonus was that Elena would probably not consider him a romantic candidate, thank goodness. The last thing she needed was to be attracted to a man who was in love with her evil twin – who spent decades waiting to free her from a tomb in which she was never prisoner.

When they opened the tomb, and now that Damon had reluctantly agreed to share the knowledge of the crystal with her, they most likely would – she'd probably had to deal with the fallout of his inevitable heartbreak when he would learn the truth about Katherine's whereabouts, and the possible resulting tantrum.

But that's a future Anna problem.

For now, she had to ensure the release of her mother, protect her best friend, and keep the Founders Council in the dark about the existence of vampires in Mystic Falls.

Easy-Peasy. Right?

My subconscious gave pre-accident Elena real Belle vibe here. Fellow INFP, I suppose? Let's go with that. :D I also kind of wanted to expand the "I don't know what I want" to be a sign of her adventurous nature (and how someone her age might misinterpret being very passionate as not knowing what she wants - when in reality - she just wants the unconventional) - since in this story, she already broke up with Matt. It wouldn't just be about him anymore - it would extend beyond him and into something a lot more meaningful.

I thought it would be fun to explore a very free and romantic and adventurous Elena pre-accident, and then her (temporarily) suppressing these qualities since she believes they're what led her to behave in a way that caused the accident. Juxtaposed, you can see the difference. But she'll get this part of herself back – since it's such a vital part of who she is. :D We see glimpses of it throughout the series, then a lot more in S5, and especially in S6, where she's ultimately at her healthiest (by the middle of the season, anyway). Both Damon and Anna will help her get it back, in different (and sometimes similar) ways.

The 'Damon has amnesia and thinks he's 12' bit started out as a joke, but I was convinced to put it in, and it ultimately led to an idea that's going to carry some of the more playful parts of the story. :D

So, yay, what does everyone think of Damon's entrance? We'll see him again very soon. Maybe another chapter or so taking place in May, and then we'll do a time-skip to the start of the school year, and the return of the comet.

I decided to name it Lamia Comet as an homage to the supernatural. :D 'Lamia' means "witch, sorcerer, vampire" in Latin.

I went back and forth about whether or not to keep the original dialogue from the first Delena meeting, and ultimately decided to just make a few minor adjustments, but overall leave it the same. She and Matt are already broken up here, but she's still more or less the same person she was at this point in canon. The real changes start happening after Elena learns about Anna's vampirism.

The scene at the bar is told from Anna's perspective, so these are really just her interpretations of his behavior.

So this chapter has been a mix of angst and playfulness, which is honestly probably a realistic description of the rest of the story (at least so far) with eventually decreasing angst, and increasing playfulness.

Thank you all for being utterly delightful! :D