Title: The heart doesn't forget

AN: Don't worry I'm still working hard on my other story. But this idea came to me on vacation and I just had to post it. Just a warning updates will probably be slow until Second Best is finished.

Summary: Post finale 1 year later. AU and probably slightly OOC. Elena has been missing since the night Katherine came back. One brother never stopped looking for her.

Chapter 1: "I won't give up"

Damon grunted as the sun hit his eyes. He was driving through Georgia again. For some reason he hoped Elena would have tried to find her way back to here. He had been to city after city town after town and state for almost a year looking for her. He wasn't going to give up. He cursed as he drove through the town that brought on so many fond memories of the short little road trip that he and Elena had solidified their bond on.

"This is all the bitch's fault and whatever blame doesn't rest on her rests on Stefan" Damon said out loud. Remembering the night she returned to Mystic falls and he lost Elena. Katherine had pretended to be Elena and had stolen a very private moment from him. By the time Damon had realized what had happened Elena was long gone.

After weeks of hunting her with Ric and Stefan's help Damon eventually managed to trap Katherine he tortured her in the cellar for almost a month. He was sure she would eventually break and tell him where Elena was.

"I should have sensed it" Damon muttered. Stefan started visiting her more and more. Katherine wasn't as weak as she should have been. Stefan had been helping the bitch. Granted she manipulated him into to it but still. Damon grunted as he remembered how Katherine had somehow managed to mysteriously escape and Stefan was clueless about the whole thing.

"I think she's telling the truth Damon" Stefan had said "Maybe Elena really did just run off"

"Idiot" Damon said out loud still glad he punched Stefan in the face then for his sheer stupidity. Damon didn't waste anymore time. He tried to convince Bonnie to do a locator spell but she refused to help him so he went off in search for her.

He wasted very little time in each town. He would wander around ask people if they had seen her. Try to get a sense of her. Then he would find someone to feed from and leave. He didn't even take joy on feeding anymore. It was just necessary to keep going to find Elena. He wasn't sure he could ever feel anything again until he found her. He had to know she was okay. His mind raced constantly with fears of the different things Katherine could have done to her.

He tried to avoid his feelings for her but the longer her way away from her the more he hurt. It tore at his very core hurting over a woman again. But he couldn't help it. Elena had opened up something in him that had been closed for a very long time. he let her in and he would never regret that. He knew how much it was going to hurt now when he did find her and she would end up going back to Stefan.

But he didn't care so long as he knew she was safe. If he had to spend the rest of her life as the buddy she bantered and augured with and even sometimes flirted with. He didn't mind. He would suffer through it because nothing was worse then this year had been without her. He felt like he had a huge hole on his chest that no amount of blood or anything could fill. And it wasn't for lack of trying.

He kept driving trying to focus on where she could be what Katherine could have done with her. He suddenly wished he hadn't killed Bree he could really use a witch right now. He stopped off at a bar to grab a drink and tried to bury his sorrows but found memories of Elena overtaking him as the guilt set in on him.

He should have known better.. he should have known it was Katherine on the porch that night. No matter how much he loathed and hated both Katherine and Stefan for this. He couldn't help but hate himself for the role he played in all of this.

"I wont give up" he said softly whispering the same promise he whispered to her every night.

A young brunette woke early to the sounds of her roommates footsteps clamoring down the hall.

"Happy birthday Janie!" The blond said excitedly bring a tray of pancakes into the room and smiling. Her blue eyes glittering.

"Thanks Ashley" The girl smiled a but her deep brown eyes remained sad "But we have no idea when my birthday really is"

"I know Janie" Ashely smiled "But you have been here for exactly a year today so your birthday had to have happened. We might as well celebrate it today"

"Okay" Janie said trying to feel some sort of excitement but she just felt sad knowing a full year had passed and they still knew so little.

"You know Andrew was kind of hoping we could go out on his boat today" Ashley suggested innocently.

Janie sighed "I don't want to give him any false hope Ashely. I could never be with him"

"Oh my little Jane Doe. I have come to think of you as sister over this past year. I have to be honest with you.. you may not ever remember and we might not ever find your family" Ashely said slowly "It may be time for you to start moving on and accepting the life you have now"

"Ashely... I can't give up." Janie said tears brimming in her eyes.

"Because of the dream you keep having?" Ashely said taking her hand.

"Its not a dream" Janie said firmly 'Its a memory I know it is."

"But Janie.. how could your entire memory be gone except for one moment?" Ashely asked gently.

"It must have been an extremely important moment in my life. To strong for me to forget" Janie said sitting up and staring at Ashley thoughtfully.

"I suppose" Ashely said "I just hate to see you so sad. Andrew is a really nice guy you know."

"I know but I'm pretty sure I love him" Janie said.

"The man in your dream" Ashely stated.

"Memory" Janie corrected. "Yes I know actually. I know I love him. The man in my memory. That's why it hurts so much whenever I wake up and he's gone"

"I wont give up" Janie said somberly "I have to find him"

~Please review!