The Fate of Us

Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries. I wish I did. I do own this plot, but the characters belong to the CW and L.J. Smith.

Summary: Elena has just graduated high school. She and her friends are embarking on a cross country road trip for a few months before college. However, their bus is stopped by masked men and one of the men is immediately drawn to Elena. He takes her from the bus and will do anything to keep her…anything.

Author's Note: Hello everyone! I hope you like this update. I am so sorry for the delay. Real life has been absolutely crazy lately. Thank you so much for your reviews! They make me write faster. I hope you like it. This is a short chapter, but I still wanted to get something out to everyone. I started with a brief overview of last chapter since it has been so long. I am so sorry! Enjoy!

Chapter Eight – A New Start…Kind of…

Elena awoke in the dark room and felt incredibly warm. She felt warm arms wrapped around her body and warm slow, even breath on her neck. She smiled a little to herself as she remembered Damon holding her last night. It had helped her sleep peacefully. She thoroughly enjoyed being with Damon here in his bed like this. She knew she should fear and hate her kidnapper, but she knew she no longer felt that way. She climbed out of bed and padded her way into the master bathroom. She saw her toothbrush and toothpaste on the counter along with her shampoo, conditioner, and soap.

"I thought you might want some of your things," Damon's quiet voice startled her and she spun around.

"Thank you," she said sincerely.

Damon looks at her in bewilderment. "Something has changed in you."

She nods at him and smiles. Damon smiles a crooked grin back at her. "Please, accompany me for a walk around the grounds after breakfast."

Elena nods. "Should I shower here?"

Damon nods as well. "Of course, I will go see to breakfast." He whirls around and almost runs out of the room anxious to return.

Once in the shower Elena focuses only on the warm water and cleansing herself. She can't allow herself to be so overcome with the smell or Damon, the scent of him, the taste of his mouth. She had to be calm and collected about this. Things had changed and they needed to have a serious talk. Elena wanted to tell Damon how she felt, but she didn't know how he would react.

Damon brought breakfast up on a tray to his room. There were croissants, fruits, and bacon. Elena nibbled on a piece of bacon and moaned in pleasure. Damon stared at her with eyes filling with desire. They looked away from one another to focus on eating.

Elena had chosen to wear a bright yellow sundress, strappy sandals, and her long brown hair cascaded gently down her back in damp waves. She didn't blow dry her hair. She just let her hair dry naturally. Damon held out his arm for her and she slipped her arm through his as they walked through the vast gardens surrounding his estate. They walked in comfortable silence without speaking, but Damon stopped them next to the beautiful primrose bushes.

"Elena, please tell me what you are thinking about. What has changed?"

Elena took a deep breath. "I have changed." She turned away from him for a moment to compose herself. "I know you took me. I know you technically abducted me. I know I should fear you, hate you, and want to leave you…"

Damon broke into her thoughts, "But you don't." He whispered softly and Elena turned to face him with a fire burning in her eyes.

"No, I don't. I don't want to leave, Damon. I want to be here with you. I want…I want to truly live for the first time in my whole life."

Damon walked quickly the few steps that separated them and engulfed her in a kiss. His lips moved over her own in perfect harmony as they both poured all their passion into that one kiss Elena was overcome with so many feelings and when they finally broke apart she knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that she was in love with this man.

"So, now that I have told you how I feel may I make a request?" She asked softly.

"Anything," Damon said without question.

Elena took her cue. "I want to contact my brother, my friends, and Stefan. I want to let them know that I am not here against my will. This will absolve you and people will stop looking for me. I will say that you saved me from the masked man if you want. I wish to see them. I want to hug my brother. I want to reassure my friends. I want…I want to officially end things with Stefan."

Damon's heart was beating out of control. She wanted to choose him over Stefan? He thought over her other wants and they weren't out of consideration. However, she had no idea how much attention her case had attracted. They would have to reveal it carefully.

"Very well, you shall have your wish." Elena smiled and Damon continued. "First, we must get you to the local police. We will concoct a believable story about how I found you alone in the woods behind my house and how I took care of you until you were able to tell me who you were."

Elena agreed and they went down to the local police station that very afternoon. She told the police her version of the story and then they called Damon in to tell the exact same story they rehearsed. She described Kol as the man who had abducted her and the police put out an all points bulletin to apprehend Kol. Elena and Damon both felt relief when it was over and the police agreed that she should be the one to tell her brother, her friends, and Stefan that she was ok.

That conversation was long, but Elena didn't say much. She just gave them Damon's address and told them to come and see her. She told them she was not going to continue on the road trip with them, but that she wanted to see them. She only talked to Jeremy. Klaus was also in the mansion and perked up when he heard that Elena's friends were coming to visit.

The next day, the group showed up at the mansion and stared around in awe.

Jeremy saw Elena first and threw himself into her arms. She hugged him tightly and Jeremy cried tears of relief. He turned to Damon and held out his hand. "Thank you. Thank you for finding my sister."

Damon nodded and shook Jeremy's hand. Matt stepped up next and hugged Elena tightly. Damon had to bite back a growl. It was clear the young man was still in love with Elena, but it was also clear that she treated him as a best friend and nothing more – Matt seemed to accept this. Matt nodded and thanked Damon, but Damon thought Matt looked at him seriously – almost like he knew him. Damon fought the chill and knew that as long as he and Elena stuck to the story that everything would be ok.

Caroline and Bonnie both hugged her next. They both started crying. Tyler hung back awkwardly and alone. He came forward and gave Elena a small hug. Caroline didn't even look at Tyler and it was clear there was a great amount of tension between the two of them.

Stefan was next. He leaned in to give Elena a kiss and she avoided it gracefully and wrapped him in a hug. "Can we talk?" She asked him quietly. Stefan nodded, but look disheartened.

Damon ushered the rest of the guests into the house and introduced them to Klaus. Caroline looked Klaus up and down once before smiling softly and following the rest of their group into the living room.

Elena sighed as she leaned back against the kitchen counter. "Stefan, I want to be honest with you. I…I've changed. I am not the same person I once was. I can't be with you any more."

Stefan looked crushed. "Why? What has changed? Did those monsters harm you?"

Elena shook her head. "No, nothing like that. When Damon found me, I started to feel things for him. I knew then that what you and I had was friendship and nothing more…not anymore. I am sorry."

Stefan's face went red with anger and he pushed her back against the cabinets behind her. "Elena, you are confused. This isn't over."

"Stefan, stop it. You are hurting me." Elena complained quietly as the counter dug into the tender flesh of her back.

"You aren't seeing things clearly. We belong together."

Stefan leaned in to try and kiss Elena and it pushed her back into the cabinet more and Elena yelped in surprise before yelling out a little louder. "Stefan, you are hurting me, please…"

And then he was gone. Damon was standing in front of her and shielded her from Stefan.

"What the hell, man?" Matt yelled as he stood beside Elena. Elena looked down and noticed that there was blood on her dress. She felt the pain for the first time in its entirety after the shock wore off. Caroline unzipped the side of the dress to check the wound and saw an ugly red bruise forming and two small streams of blood from each point of contact with the counter.

Stefan seemed to snap out of it and looked stunned by his actions. "Elena, oh god. I am so sorry, Elena. I am so so sorry." He moved forward to give her a hug, but she shrunk back and Damon stood immoveable in front of her.

Damon's voice was icy cold. "You will not lay a finger on her ever again. Are we understood?"

Stefan didn't say anything and stormed out of the room leaving everyone gaping after him.

"Stefan always did know how to make an exit." Tyler grumbled.

Okay so what do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts. Should Klaus get Caroline? Have we seen the last of Stefan's reaction? Will Damon become even more possessive of her? Please review!