Any Other World

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaires!

Okay, so I'm back a lot sooner than I thought! After a couple of days debating back and forth in my head I've decided I'm going to give this story a shot. I hope you all enjoy it.

Elena

"Elena, let me take you home." I hide my smile from my red plastic cup and shake my head. "You're killing me here."

"Sorry Liam, but I'm big enough to walk myself home." I lean back against his parked car with a smile. "Maybe next time." I hand him the now empty red cup and turn and walk further down the street. I smirk when I hear him call my name again but he thankfully doesn't come after me.

The guy is cute, but he is a little too eager for my liking. I only came to this party because my friend Liv pretty much forced me in to. She convinced me to come to try and impress Liam, but it didn't take me too long to figure out that it was Liam who was trying to impress me.

I make the short walk home because it really isn't that far, and I pray that my Mom and Dad are still asleep and hadn't noticed that I snuck out. It's three hours after my curfew and to make things worse, I didn't even tell that I was leaving the house tonight, instead I quietly crept down the stairs and slid out of the door without a word.

I turn the corner into my street and let out a breath of relief when I see the lights are all out.

Thank God for that.

I check my phone to see a couple of text messages already, one from Liam asking me to let him know when I'm home safe and the other two from Liv asking where I am and another of how things went with Liam.

I start to up my pathway when I almost go flying face first onto the ground. "Shoot," I bend down as I realize my shoe laces are loose and that almost caused my near accident. My knee hastily lands on the floor as I hurriedly tie them back up.

I stand up and that's when the loudest sound I have ever heard stings my ears. My body falls back, flying at least two feet into the air and I slam back against the hard pavement with a heavy thud.

I gasp, my body throbbing with pain. My head heavy. All I see is orange and red. I feel the heat and can smell the strong distinctive smell of heavy smoke.

And then I pass out.

Everyone is gone.

One tiny malfunction and a unsuspected gas leak and boom – my life literally blew up in front of my eyes.

Ten seconds.

Ten simple seconds and I would have been gone too. That's all it would have taken for me to disappear. Ten seconds to walk up our pathway, unlock the door and sneak back inside three hours after my curfew.

I think about what would have happened if I didn't stop to tie my shoe laces. I would have been inside of the house.

I would have been gone.

I regret every action, every word, every choice I made that night, including stopping to tie my shoe laces because what is the point of living now?

Everyone I loved was inside of that house – everyone who mattered.

"Elena?" I look up to see my social worker standing in the doorway, a sympathetic smile on her face as she looks at me up and down. "How are you feeling?"

"Peachy." I snap at her coldly before reminding myself that she is only trying to help. "Sorry."

"It's okay." She takes a seat next to me and I realize that I don't even know her name. I know that she told me, she introduced herself to me last night in the hospital but everything was a blur and it feels like it would be too late to ask her now. "I know it's a terrible time, and nobody should ever have to go through this, especially someone of your age."

I refrain from rolling my eyes. Nobody, regardless of their age, should have to witness their family literally blowing up into flames in front of their eyes.

"What happened was a terrible accident." The lady continues, clearly not reading my body language screaming out to her that I don't want to listen to this. "Your family didn't deserve it. I know your father well, he was a good man, a very good man."

I'm not all surprised that she knew my Dad, everyone in town knows him, he's one of the few doctors around here in our small town.

"You're not alone, Elena. Your Uncle and Aunt are on their way from Mystic Falls, they shouldn't be much longer."

A surge of panic hits my chest as I remember an earlier conversation we had when I had woken up in a hospital bed all alone. "Do I have to live with them?"

The social worker looks at me with what I can only describe as pity. "You're only sixteen, Elena."

"I don't want to live with them. I can live by myself. I want to stay here."

"Elena, sweetheart, you know that's not possible. They are your family, they love you."

"My family is dead." The words sound harsh coming from my mouth and suddenly I have the urge to throw up.

Oh god, they are dead.

They are dead.

I jump up to my feet and run towards the bathroom, emptying what little food was left in my stomach.

Nobody knows what to say me. It's been two weeks since the explosion and not a single part of me feels better. Nobody can help, how can they?

What can you say to the girl who lost her mother, father and brother all in one night?

"Are you sure you're not hungry, Elena?" My Aunt Isobel asks me gently. I can tell that she is nervous around me. She doesn't know how to act or what to say and part of me wants to make it easier for her but a bigger part just doesn't have the energy.

I shake my head silently as a silent no. Food is the last thing on my mind right now.

"You need to eat something." My Uncle John states almost coldly. I look up at him with a glare. The second he arrived at the hospital he pulled me into a stiff awkward hug, telling me that everything will be okay and that he was so sorry. Ever since then he has barely looked at me in the eye.

"I'm not hungry."

He shakes his head and goes to say something but I notice Isobel squeeze his arm tightly and he stops.

"Well, since you're not eating, we should probably leave soon. We need to go back to Mystic Falls."

I look up with wide eyes, my chest squeezing tightly. "Already?" I wheeze out in panic. The funeral was only yesterday. They want to take me away from my family right after I've buried them?

I can't. It's too soon. I'm not ready to leave.

"I'm sorry Elena but we have to. We can't stay here forever. Isobel has to get back to work and we can't leave Katherine on her own for much longer."

"This is my home." My voice shakes in protest. "My family are here. I can't leave yet."

"I'm so sorry, Elena." Isobel at least has the decency to look guilty.

"Elena, we've discussed this." John's voice is almost cold and it sends a shiver up my spine. I was never close with my Uncle, to be honest I rarely seen them growing up because they live in a different state. But this isn't the funny and kind man who we spent Thanksgiving with three years ago. "We're leaving for Mystic Falls tonight."

He walks out of the room without another word and I feel my eyes start to sting with tears.

Isobel looks at me sadly and presses her hand against my arm. "He's upset, Elena. He loved your father, they were brothers. He's lost his brother."

I look up at her sympathetic eyes and I feel my face harden.

"So have I."

I don't bother saying goodbye to my friends. What was the point? I blamed them.

I knew it was irrational, but that's how I feel. They were the ones who convinced me to sneak out that night, they were the ones who invited me to the party just to try and impress a boy who I've now realised I don't even care about.

They are the reason I wasn't in that house. They are the reason why I didn't die with my family like I was supposed too.

The drive to Mystic Falls was painful. John drove the whole five hour journey from my small town in North Carolina to their small town in Virginia and not one word escaped his stony mouth. For the first hour, Isobel tried her hardest to engage me in small talk but I was in no mood to entertain it and she eventually gave up.

Luckily, my social worker had gifted me with some headphones and an iPod so at least I didn't have to suffer in silence.

I stare out of the window as we drive through the town's main street. It's a small town, even smaller than the one I've came from and I can't shake the feeling of dread that runs coldly through my body.

It sits uncomfortably in my stomach, along with the feelings of loss, pain and heartache. I think of my family who I now feel even more estranged from with this new distance separating us.

When we pull up outside of the house that belongs to my Aunt and Uncle I know instantly that I don't belong here.

I don't think I will ever belong.

We go inside and I feel awkward as I hover in the hallway while John and Isobel unpack their things from the car.

I only have one backpack. I lost everything in the fire except from the clothes on my back. Isobel promised me she would take me shopping.

Honestly, I would rather her just give me some money and I'll go buy my own clothes myself.

"Katherine! We're home!" Isobel shouts up the stairs for my cousin and I instantly feel nervous.

Katherine and I are the same age, in fact, she's only a couple of months older than me. I haven't seen her since we were thirteen and honestly, it never bothered me much. We never had much in common back then and I doubt anything has changed now.

I hear a bit of commotion coming from upstairs but John and Isobel seem oblivious as they shake off their coats. Katherine appears soon after, her hair messy and her face flushed.

"Hey," she forces a fake smile as she comes down the stairs. I blink surprised at how much she has changed. She looks nothing like the thirteen year old version of herself that I remember. She's taller, slimmer and to be honest, she looks more like a woman than a teenage girl. There is something about her which oozes confidence and now not only do I feel awkward, but also slightly intimidated. "I didn't think you would be back so soon." She kisses John on the cheek and for the first time since they came to 'look after me' two weeks ago I see him smile.

"There wasn't much traffic." He replies softly, his gaze loving and I swallow hard because I recognise that look.

It was the exact same look my father used to give to me.

"Elena, hey." Katherine finally turns to me, a somewhat pitiful look on her face that sends a shiver up my spine. "I'm sorry about what happened."

I swallow and nod slowly. "Thank you.." I answer automatically. My body has been programmed to act in a certain manner now.

"Kat, why don't you take Elena up to her new bedroom?"

That sentence hits me hard. This is where I live now. My old bedroom is gone, it literally burnt up in flames. All of my childhood memories have turned to dust.

I have nothing left.

I swallow the lump in my throat and push back any tears threatening to fall.

I follow Katherine up the stairs in silence, she gives me a quick tour pointing out her parents room with their own en suite, her bedroom and the other bathroom which I realise she will now have to share with me.

I wonder how she feels about this – a near stranger coming to live in her home, interrupting her life.

She doesn't seem to mind much, but then again, she doesn't exactly seem pleased to see me either. I suppose there is nothing about this situation that is remotely pleasant, however there is something in her voice that puts me on edge.

We finally make it to what Katherine explains was previously the guest room, but is now 'my' room. I follow her in to the room and it's cold, and bland. The walls are white and the carpet grey and the double bed looks lonely in the middle.

This is nothing like my colourful room back home, full of pictures and memories and life.

"I'll leave you to get settled." Katherine says, briefly glancing down to my single backpack and then darting out of the room before I even have time to mutter a fake thank you.

I close the door after her and sit down on the lonely looking bed, my one bag resting at my feet.

My eyes sting with tears and I will myself not to cry because I feel like once I start I will never be able to stop.

I have never felt so alone in my entire life.

Ok so here was Elena's introduction. We will get to see Damon in the next chapter. This is going to be a DE story, but it's also going to be about friendship and family.

Please let me know what you thought, if you guys want to read more? Don't be shy :)

Thanks for reading, until next time!