1. If You Leave

A fanfic following the popular idea of if Stefan and Damon left. This takes place before Klaus comes to town. So I guess it's kind of an AU.

"I'm done, Elena, it's over...As long as I stay away...you may have the chance of living a normal life..." Stefan said, his dark green eyes switching from looking into my own brown ones to the white hardwood of my porch.

"Stefan, please...after all we've been through-"I begged, the tears I'd fought to keep from spilling finally overflowing.

"It's because of all we've been through." He shook my shoulders lightly, as if trying to get me to see it his way...but I wasn't in that mindset. My brain kept repeating, over and over, he's leaving you, he's leaving you. It was beyond my comprehension to see reason."Can't you see, I'm not good for you."

"You sound like...like..." Like Edward from Twilight. This was my life, I wanted to choose. They always choose for me. But not that time, I wasn't going to let him. "No. Stefan you can't. I won't let you. You said we'd talk about our future when I was ready. Together. You didn't just get to open the box on your own, it's not your choice to have to decide together what's best."

"Well, this is my choice, I decided what was best for me. For you. I'm the vampire in this situatuion, Elena, I'm the one keeping you from your human life. I'm the one-!"

"No, the curse is what's keeping me from that. It would have found me eventually. Without you,Stefan, I would never have lasted this long."I shook my head, trying to get his words, every doubt I'd ever had, out of my head.

"No, Without me, no one would have ever known you existed. It's my fault, and I fixed it, I solved the problem. As far as Klaus knows, you don't exist. So, I can go. Without me in your life, you can live normally."

"Stefan, don't-!"

"Stefan." Damon's voice sounded outside of Stefan's attic, his voice solemn and empty," Ready?"

"You guys are leaving together?" I knew that they were both leaving, but I had no idea that they were going together. I thought Stefan had had enough of Damon a long while ago.

"Yep,"Damon said, moving into the room carrying suitcases. "Best Bro's" His voice was a sad attempt at sarcasm. No one laughed or had a reaction of any kind.

"I'm ready." Stefan said, moving closer to his door.

"Stefan, please."

"Goodbye, Elena." He was gone before I could blink. They both were. All there stuff was gone to, it was as if they'd never existed.

I fell to the floor, breaking into pieces, sobs wrenching from my torn body, tears falling from my already aching eyelids.

2 1/2 years later

The sound of the door unlocking startles me out of my daze, causing me to jump."Hey, you guys home already?"

"Yep, and we had a fabulous time...Guess where 'rick took me to? It was amazing." Aunt Jenna says, walking gracefully over to me and plopping down on the cushion next to me.

"I don't know...the ice show?" I try to sound excited, but I already feel as if I'm failing at it on my first daydream, the past memory that haunts me even now is a scar that makes me feel even emptier each time I remember it. A bruise that never fades.

"'Ric told you, didn't he?" Alaric had taken Jenna out for their second wedding anniversery.

"...Maybe..." I say, looking away and putting far too much energy into this than I'd like to.

She sighs, her smile fading, and then it perks right up again, "So, how are my babies?"

"Well, Annemarie hasn't woken up at all yet, while Davie, well, you know Davie. But they're all well fed and taken care of." I say, smiling again. Jenna and Alaric's two one year olds always put a smile on my face, no matter how horrible a day it's been.

"Well, thank you for watching them; we had such a nice time." She smiles and Alaric finally joins us in the room.

"Yeah, thank you, Elena, we owe you."

"It's fine," I say, then forge a fake yawn even though I'm not really tired. All I want to do is change into my pjs and snuggle up under my covers, try to forget my daydream...or daymare; I guess you could call it. "Well, I think I'm going to call it a night." I get off the couch and work my way to the stairs.

"Night." They call as I trudge up the stairs. My legs feel sluggish and weak, as if they feel as weak and empty as I feel inside my center.

I grab my pjs from my dresser, starting to peel of my tank-top when I hear a noise from behind me. I turn sharply around to face the figure sitting on my window seat by my closed window. I take a deep breath, "Stefan."