Hello all.

Well, I felt uber guilty when I got a review for this story a few weeks ago and I realised that it had been over a year since I last updated :( So I was reading through it to refresh the story in my mind before I wrote the next chapter and i saw that I had A LOT of mistakes, so I'm here doing a clean up before I write the next chapter.

I'm really sorry for unintended haitus :(

Disclaimer: I do not own the Vampire Diaries. Nor do I have any writes to the characters, setting or any other features which may come up in this story, including the 3 Doors Down Song: Here Without You which appears in a future chapter.

For anyone who is just now starting this story, I hope you enjoy it and I hope you don't have to deal with any more of my long absences.

Please be forgiving of any spelling/punctuation/ grammer mistakes whic have not been corrected, I have dyslexia and it isn't easy for me to pick up on then all the time.

So this story takes place a while after episode 14 Fool Me Once (which by the way I loved!) Damon is over Kathrine, forget the bit at the end when the vampire escaped and the bit where Jeremy searches vampires on BING, other than that everything that has happened in the series is okay with the story, it may or my not be important. So all you really need to know is that a lot of evil vampires have come to Mystic Falls scince then and everytime Stefan tells Elena she should stay away from him and that he is going to leave, like he did earliar in the season.

Enjoy!

Elena POV

I sat at my desk tapping my nails against my text book and staring at the screen of my laptop, completely unable to focus on homework so I took my journal out of my draw and picked up a pen.

Dear Diary,

I am so frustrated! I mean it was me who found that body and saw the other vampire. I got away without any help from Stefan for once. I'm fine with all the danger and he knows that. But there's a new vampire in town – again. Stefan has broken up with me for my own good – again. He is out hunting him with Damon – again. He says that once they've staked him they're leaving – again.

I hate it!

I can't believe I'm actually thinking this but I wish Stefan was more like Damon. Well, in these situations anyway. Damon isn't afraid to get me involved in vampire stuff because I'm involved already but he always gives me a choice. It's like he cares. I know he cares. When no one else is looking I see it in his face, and then a few seconds later his mask falls back into place, his smirk returns and he goes back to being an ass.

Why can't Stefan see that I can handle all of this?

Well Alaric won't be getting my homework tomorrow.

Just then I heard a familiar whooshing sound at the window. I looked up to see Stefan sitting on the window ledge.

"Did you get him?" I asked already knowing the answer. He nodded, his mouth in a straight line as he wore his usual serious expression, the same one that was on his face whenever we were talking about something even remotely related to his species.

"Yeah we got his little girlfriend too," I practically jumped out of my seat as, the all too familiar voice with a sarcastic edge, was coming from right behind me. "Thanks for warning us about her Elena."

"I told you everything I saw and I only saw one of them. D'you expect me to know every little thing about him?" I snapped back. I'd never admit it but I quite enjoyed the banter Damon and I shared.

"Oh well. It was fun watching a twelve year old girl beating the crap out of Stefan," he said with a smirk. I rolled my eyes and started to get up, I couldn't though because the elder Salvatore was right behind me, so close that I couldn't move my chair (strangely I wasn't uncomfortable with that proximity). I looked at Stefan, sending him a silent call for help.

"Damon? You going to let Elena get up?" it was clear from his voice that this wasn't a question.

"Hmm..." I twisted in my seat so I could see him. His voice was suggestive as he smirked and raised an eyebrow saying, "Am I?"

I rolled my eyes at him, "Move Damon!" I demanded. I couldn't help but think that he looked cute when he put his hands up, stepping back in mock surrender. Wait! Damon cute? I could not believe that I had just thought of Damon Salvatore, the psychopathic, murderous vampire, as cute. I must have been tired.

"Wait can I make a prediction before you start?" the aforementioned psychopath asked with humour clear in his voice. I furrowed my brow in confusion, "Stefan's gonna give me the 'get out' look, Elena will go sit next to him, the two of you will ask each other if you're okay, then start making out and you'll be the perfect teenage couple again. Until another dangerous vampire shows up. You know it's getting really boring. You know what I want?

"We don't care Damon," Stefan interrupted but Damon didn't take any notice of his little brother.

"I want ice cream. Italian ice cream. And I mean real Italian ice cream, not the stuff they just call Italian in this town. So who fancies a trip to Rome?" Stefan and I just stared at him wondering where the hell this had come from. "Nobody? C'mon I'll make it a road trip, that's thing isn't it Elena," he smirked and I rolled my eyes at him before flopping down on my bed.

"Damon!" Stefan yelled. I shot him a warning look, hoping Jeremy still had his headphones on. Stefan looked at his brother with hard eyes and nodded his head slightly in the direction of the window.

"And there's the look," Damon smirked, "Well good luck with the episode repeat. I'm going on vacation. Don't fall asleep Elena," he winked at me and then vanished before I had time to blink.

I sighed, stood and went over to sit by Stefan.

"You okay?" Stefan asked.

"Fine. You?"

"Okay. I'm just glad they're gone," He put his arm around me and I leant against him, "I'm glad you're safe." Stefan leant in and kissed me softly on the lips. Normally I would have kissed him back, but that night I pulled away.

"Stefan stop."

"Why?" he looked both worried and confused.

I sighed, "Because Damon's right. Stefan, every other week there is another vampire, another threat. Every time you come to me and say that I should stay away from you and that as soon as you can get away without suspicion you're leaving. And every time I wonder if it's really going to happen. Then you come back and we're together again. I can't take it."

"Elena, I'm just trying to protect you. It's da-"

"I know the danger Stefan!" I wasn't shouting but I was showing my anger and frustration. "I can't live like this Stefan," I ran a hand through my hair nervously and looked away only to turn and meet his gaze again, "I can't be in a relationship that ends and restarts on a regular basis," I paused and took a deep breath, "I'd rather live without you than always be worrying that I might have to, than have to be ready to say goodbye every other week."

Stefan looked shocked. For a while he just sat there staring. The look on his face almost bought me to tears but I managed to keep a hold of my composure.

"Is this because of what Damon said?" he asked finally, "Because he does-"

"This isn't about Damon. I was already thinking about this." I realised that it was true. In the back of my mind I had been considering this since the last time, maybe even the time before that. "Stefan, I can't be with you anymore. I'd like it if we could stay friends but I understand if you don't want to," I was trying to make this as easy as possible because I really did care about him. Whether or not I loved him – I wasn't sure.

He stared at the floor for what felt like forever. His brow furrowed, deep in thought.

"Okay Elena, I understand," he said with a heartbreaking look in his forest green eyes.

"I'd like to be alone Stefan," He nodded, not meeting my gaze. "I'll see you at school." He nodded again and then he was gone. I collapsed on my bead and stared at the ceiling.

I couldn't understand how I was feeling. I thought I would be upset, and I was just, not as much as I expected. I was confused. I was in shock of what I'd just done. I was scared of how we were going to work out as friends. And I was in serious need of some comfort food so I grabbed my car keys and went to the store to buy a tub of Ben & Jerry's chocolate ice cream.

Damon POV

However fun it was to annoy and bicker with Elena, I knew it was time to leave... as far as they were concerned. I winked at Elena and ran to the big, old oak tree cross the road. I wanted to see if they changed the routine after my little prophesy. They didn't. I was smirking to myself when Elena surprised me.

"Stefan stop," she told him causing me to frown in confusion, that wasn't in the script, what was he doing to her? I wondered. I could hear them clearly but I couldn't see what was going on.

"Why?" my brother asked sounding like the confused idiot he is. Elena's next words surprised me even more.

"Because Damon's right," I'm always right, but I nearly fell out of the tree with the surprise of her admitting it! I would have jumped back over to her yard if it wasn't for the fact that Stefan would hear. "Stefan every other week there's another vampire, another threat..." I under stood then. Whenever I saw Elena after that convocation, I noticed the frustration and annoyance in her posture. Sometimes when I saw the actual convocation I saw her tense as Stefan said to stay away from him. The hurt in her eyes when he said he would leave. When I saw that hurt I felt a wave of emotion hit me on all sides. I didn't know what emotion or why but it came and I hid it beneath my smirk and bickering, which seemed to cheer Elena up slightly as well. I guess that wave was the reason I always gave her the option of being involved when there was a vamp to find. Elena knew the danger; if she was being perfectly honest with herself she'd admit that she has a taste for it. So I always gave her the choice of helping if there was away, that way she didn't feel pushed into anything and Stefan put up a little less of a fight against it. If she was with us then I fought better anyway, if I didn't she could be hurt. The very thought of that for some reason made me feel physically sick.

I was pulled out of my thoughts by the sound of a car starting. Elena reversed out of her driveway and headed towards the high street. I followed her, keeping to the shadows and level with the driver's seat at all times, until she pulled up outside of the store. She went it and emerged just minutes later carrying a magazine, the evening paper and a tub of chocolate ice cream.

I decided then that I would change my vacation plans. Instead of catching the ferry and then spending a week in Roma, I would compel my way onto a first class flight and go for a weekend. And that's exactly what I did.

Six hours later I was walking through an Italian market place with a backpack, which held a change of clothes and a bottle of my favourite scotch, and an ice cream cone in my hand. I went in to a hotel and walked purposely up to the girl behind the desk.

"Ciao," the girl greeted with a flutter of her eyelashes and a flirtatious smile. With her blond hair and instant need to flirt with me she reminded me of Caroline when I first returned to Mystic Falls, "Mi chimao Stella. Coma ti chiami?"

"Damon," I replied making my American accent more profound so she would speak English. I could speak fluent Italian but in my experience European girls like showing of their knowledge – which is usually very limited – of the English language. "Damon Salvatore. I have your best suit booked," I said with compulsion.

Stella's eyes glazed over for a second before she nodded and handed me a key card.

"Would you like anything sent up for you Senor Salvatore?" I leant forward on the desk so that I was but a few inches from her face.

"You when your shift finishes," I winked and proceeded to my suit. I had a snack for later then I would go to a few clubs and use my many charms on all the exotic beauties.

Stefan POV

I walked home at human pace. Elena's words running through my mind. 'I can't live like this Stefan ... I'd rather live without you than always be worrying that I might have too.' I couldn't believe that I'd made Elena so unhappy, just by trying to protect her. I thought about leaving, after all Elena had been the whole reason for me coming home to start with. Then I thought about her wanting to stay friends. I thought about the possibility of more vampires showing up. Damon would most probably follow me and make my life hell, so who would be around to protect her? That settled it; I was staying. I would try and be friends with Elena. I'd be here to protect her if she needed it. And maybe, one day, she would change her mind and we could be together again. But I wouldn't push for that; it was entirely up to her.

I got home and collapsed on my bed. Well at least I was free of Damon for a bit while he's on his quest for ice cream – and the blood of an Italian girl no doubt...

Three days later

Damon POV

I was back in Mystic Fall feeling care free. On my way back to the boarding house I stopped by Elena's and left her present on her bed. Before seeing how my brother was holding up.

I walked through the door, "Stefan?" I called out.

"I wasn't expecting you back so soon," he drawled from the living room.

"Well I heard about your break up and decided to cut my trip short and be here for my little brother in his time of need," I said mockingly and, just to freak him out, I went up to him and hugged him - it worked.

"Okay... whatever. So, how many people have Rome lost?" He quickly changed the subject.

"Just one actually. There was this sweet girl who worked on the check in desk in my hotel; she died in a tragic fire that broke out in the office. A few other girls gained some...love bites but they enjoyed it."

"I'm sure," Stefan said turning his back on me.

"Hey, I got you something."

He turned back looking puzzled, "Why?"

"Isn't that how it works?" I asked sarcastically, "Big brother goes off on a trip, brings little brother a present back." I reached into my backpack and pulled out a football with 'I heart Roma' on it and tossed it to him.

"Thanks."

"No problem. So how have you been holding out without Elena?" I asked like the caring brother I am.

"How did you know about that?" Stefan asked suspiciously.

"I overheard," I shrugged.

"You eavesdropped," he corrected.

"Eavesdropped makes it sound so sneaky and deceitful. I prefer overheard."

"Whatever. I'm fine Elena was unhappy with me so we broke up. She wants to stay friends so we will. Now I actually have plans so try not to cause anyone too much misery while occupying yourself.

Elena POV

I got back from Bonnie's and went up to my room. Sitting on my bed was a cool box. I frowned and opened it. Inside there was an ice cream tub with foreign writing on it. On top was a small note cardI picked it up and read it:

Heard about the break up. This is much better that Ben &Jerry's.

-Damon.

PS. Don't ask how I knew, I know everything ;-)

"The little eavesdropper," I mumbled with a smile. I took the tub out along with the spoon that was in there and tasted the chocolaty goodness. After a few spoons I put a 'do not touch' label on it and took it down to the freezer. I then got a text from Caroline summoning me as her shopping partner so I got in my car and drove to the outlet to meet her.

Well I hope you liked it.

Please leave a review! :-)

Love Thalia x