It was well after midnight when he opened his eyes again. He was still sitting in the bushed behind Elena's house. He stood up quietly and brushed the dirt off his pants and shoes. He didn't want to leave anything inside the house.

Inside the house was as dark as it had been the night before but he had no trouble finding his way around. Nightlights put off a soft glow from the kids rooms but the doors were closed most of the way so the hallway was still mostly dark. He stayed to the dark side of the wall to Elena's room. She was sound asleep breathing deeply in her dreams. Looking around he noticed all of the pictures were off the walls, "obviously preparing for the big move." He whispered into the dark. He went to Elena's beside and looked down at her sleeping face. She was beautiful even in her sleep. He softly moved hair away from her face then bent over and kissed her soft cheek. "We'll meet again Elena." He whispered.

Elena stirred and tried to open her sleepy eyes, "Damon" She said.

"Sleep love" He said and walked out of the room and out of the house.

Back at work Monday everyone seemed to notice a change in Damon. A few students had said things to Elena but the worst teasing she got was in her third hour class. It was her favorite class of the day. Full of mostly seniors on their way to college to major in English or creative writing of some sort. She loved watching their imaginations come alive in the stories they wrote. There were also a few juniors, sophomores and one very promising freshman the Elena had taken a special interest in.

She was writing on the chalkboard as her students took their seats. When the bell rang starting the hour she turned around and was greeted by twenty smiling faces. "What are you all smiling about?" Elena asked with a laugh.

"Well the word around campus is that it must have been a pretty awesome spring break." One student said.

"Really, and why are people saying something like that?" Elena asked blushing. Knowing where the conversation was going.

"Mr Salvatore is being nice."

"Yeah someone said he was actually smiling."

Elena laughed, "Come on guys. I know he's pretty tough but he's a really great person. Besides, those of you who've had him have to admit that he is a fantastic teacher, right?"

"Tough? The man is a barbarian." One of her seniors said.

Elena laughed and noticed her freshman and favorite student politely raise her hand in the back of the class, "Yes Shannon?"

"Well, I've only been here this semester and have no idea who you all are talking about. What's he teach?" She asked.

"US. History and American Government, and he's not a barbarian. Now how about we get to the reason we're all here shall we?" Elena said and gave the class her all business look.

"But you didn't tell us about spring break." A student said.

"And I'm not going to. You have imaginations, use them." Elena said and winked. "Now writing prompts are on the board. Pick one. Same set up as last time only this time I want character profiles and summaries. Your genre is folklore. Think of beings that may or may not have existed."

"You mean like vampires and unicorns?" A student asked.

"Exactly." Elena said, "Five chapters. You have until next Friday and no less than twenty-five hundred words per chapter."

When the hour ended Elena dismissed her class and went to her desk in the office. she started grading papers while her computer came to life. When Elena checked her computer she saw she had a dozen emails. Mostly from students. One from Damon and one from an address she didn't recognize. She opened the email from Damon.

"I just wanted to say I love you. Lunch today?

D"

Elena smiled and clicked reply.

"I love you too. Can't do lunch today. Way too much work to catch up on. I'll see you at home.

That sounds weird but I like it!

E"

Elena opened the last email thinking it was from a parent regarding an assignment or a grade they didn't agree with. When she read the email her heart stopped and she began to shake.

"How do you think your dead husband would feel if he knew you were sleeping with someone else while his pictures hang on your walls and sit on the night stand next to your bed?"

Elena was temporarily paralyzed in a kind of fear she had never known. Someone she didn't know had been in her home. Elena printed the email and quickly walked to Damon's classroom.

Damon was sitting on the edge of his desk giving a lecture and throwing questions out to the class. Several hands were raised, Damon picked one then another, both had wrong answers. "You guys had all week to read one chapter. Did anyone read the chapter? Well tonight for homework everyone is going to read it and write a two page essay on why the Battle of Shiloh was significant."

Elena smiled despite her fear. Damon was clearly back to his tough as nails self. The whole class groaned and Elena giggled out loud which got Damon's attention as well as most of the class.

"Hello Mrs. Montgomery, would you like to give the class your view on the significance of the Battle of Shiloh and why it was pivotal in changing the direction of the civil war?" Damon said smiling.

Elena smiled back at him, "Ah no thanks. I'll leave Generals Grant, Johnsten and the Tennessee river valley to you. My history essay writing days are over, but I do need to talk to you for a minute please."

"Sure," Damon said. He gave his class an assignment to keep them busy and went into the hall with Elena. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost."

"Damon someones been in my house." Elena said handing Damon the email. "That came to my school email over the weekend."

Damon read and reread the email. "It's probably just a prank babe. How would someone have gotten in?"

"I don't know but someone was in the house Damon. How else would they know what was on my walls. Damon what if they come back?" Elena was scared and a little irritated at Damon's lack of concern.

"Just a really good guess I'm sure Elena. Do you have any angry parents or students?" Damon asked.

"No not at all."

"Then I think it's just a prank babe. Besides, you have nothing to worry about. You don't live there anymore." Damon said smiling his irresistible smile.

When Damon got home he dropped his things by the door and went to change. He put on an old pair of jeans and a t-shirt. Things he didn't mind getting dirty. The back room of the house was unused and full of boxes and old furniture. Things that had been in his family for generations. At the back of the long closet was a staircase to the attic. Damon closed the closet door behind him and went up the stairs. In the corner of the attic sat a small table with a lamp and a chair next to a window.

Damon sat down and opened the window, he could see for miles. Looking out over the green rolling hills he thought of a time when things weren't so complicated, before it all happened. He picked up the journal sitting on the table and began to write.

"I don't know how long I can keep things from Elena. Maybe having her move in was a mistake. It was an impulsive move on my part. I know that now. It's just a matter of time before she finds my hiding place. I do love her. That isn't the issue, but lately every time I'm close to her or we're making love my natural instincts want to take over. Elena can't know. She can't be hurt. She's been through enough. I need to leave town for a while. I've been thinking about renovating the old family plantation. I know it seems as though I'm running away but I feel as though I'm about to lose control."

Damon read back through years of journal entries. Memories flooded through his mind. He missed his old life. Not to say he didn't love his new life and all who were in it, but the times were different. Life was less complicated back then, until the days of the burnings. As the sun started to fall behind the hills he came to a journal entry he'd almost forgotten about.

"They arrested Rachel today. How they found out about her I do not know. She was always so careful. Someone must be giving names and information to the town council. They took her right from my arms and took me in for questioning as well. They asked me if I knew what she was, I said no it wasn't true. She wasn't one of them. She was innocent. The truth is she is one of them and so am I but they cannot know that. I must leave Mystic Falls before I am found out."

Damon skipped ahead several weeks in his journal. He didn't notice that the sun had set nor think that Elena must be home and looking for him. He was lost in his past.

"I made it to Richmond without much notice. I left a note to my family. I told them I could not stay without my Rachel and that I've gone to join the army, which of course was a lie."

Damon stayed away from his family home for several years. His family had never known what he had become nor never tried to contact him when it was discovered that several whom had been arrested that day had escaped, Rachel included. Damon didn't find out about Rachel's escape until decades later. By then finding her had been impossible. Damon had put the past behind him and had gone on with life. He found love again and somehow fathered children. It was suppose to be impossible for his kind. He'd lost control with his wife and she'd found out what he was. He'd had no choice but to send her away with no memory of him or their children. Now here he was again. In love with someone he shouldn't be and no idea what to do about it. Damon jumped when the attic door opened unexpectedly.

"Daddy dinner's ready and Elena's been looking for you. I think she's getting upset." It was his daughter Haley. Haley went up the stairs to see what Damon was doing. "Reading your journal again?"

Damon looked at his daughter with sadness in his eyes, "Yes"

"Are you going away again?" Haley asked.

"Not like before. Just for a few days." Damon put his journal aside and turned out the light. "Come on lets go eat."

"Damon I've been curious about something." Elena said while getting ready for bed later that night.

"What's that?" Damon asked.

"I'm curious about the ring you always wear. I've never seen you without it and I've never asked about it." Elena said.

Damon looked at the lapiz ring on his left hand. "Don't you like it?"

"It's not that, I mean it is kind of big and um, strange." Elena said blushing. Hoping she hadn't offended Damon. He was obviously very attached to the ring if he never took it off.

"It's sort of a family heirloom. See it has the S for Salvatore on the stone." Damon couldn't tell her the real story of the ring. How it protected him. Made it possible for him to live a normal life. As normal as he could. "What else is on your mind?" Damon could tell something else was bothering her.

"Where were you today? When I got home?" Elena asked.

"I was here. In the back room going through some boxes." Damon lied.

"I called your name several times and looked for you."

"Obviously I didn't hear you. I had my iPod on." Damon lied again.

"I looked in there Damon. I didn't see you."

"Don't go in there Elena. It's just full of old furniture and boxes." Damon said trying not to be angry.

"I know that Damon." Elena looked at him her face full of questions. "Damon are you hiding something from me?"

"Don't be silly. What would I be hiding?"

"I don't know but when a person is told not to go into a room in a home they live in ti tends to make them feel like someone is hiding something." Elena said getting angry.

"Elena, I'm not hiding anything. Now can we go to bed please!" Damon said. On the edge of losing his temper.

Elena looked at Damon with anger in her eyes. "Sure Damon, what ever you say." She got into bed and turned out the light without a kiss or another word to him.