a.n.: Another after season 2 finale story – can't you tell? (^.^)
This isn't a 1864 story, the 'past' will be set during season 1 (in the second chapter).
We always knew Damon and Elena would get together, just a matter of when. Yet there is everyone's reaction to consider and not everyone will be happy about their union. Hope you all enjoy.

~Ѱ~

May 2014

"Why is it so hard to pack things neatly in one suit case?" Elena wondered out loud as she stood back from her bed and the massive collection of clothes that suddenly seemed to be fighting her.

While Elena concentrated on the mess while trying to sort it out, a set of masculine arms wrapped around her waist before planting a gently kiss against her pulse, "Perhaps you're trying to take to much? We're only planning on staying a week, Elena," the owner of the voice argued.

Of course, girls and their clothes – she wanted to be prepared for the Virginia weather she missed while attending university. Of course, she wasn't about to admit she might be taking too much.

"Oh, and what are you packing? Black shirt and jeans…at least I'm trying to have diversity," Elena countered before turning to face him, "Damon."

"Hey, that outfit has worked so well for me over the years. And why mess with perfection when it got me you," he gave his usual mischievous smile before wiggling his eyebrows.

"You're outfit is definitely not the reason we are together," she answered back before removing herself from his arms.

"Not even in the top ten?" He asked, following her across the room to in front of her vanity.

"Nope," she smiled as he withdrew her back into his arms, smiling back at her through the mirror.

"Then why, pray tell, are we together, Ms. Gilbert?" Damon whispered, drawing out his slight southern accent.

"Because…I find myself infatuated with you and I might love you," she whispered back before she turned around to kiss him.

Damon wasn't about to waste any opportunity to kiss Elena but dreaded the knowledge he would have to cut it short of the usual average for their kisses, "You're going to make us late for the airport, Elena," he warned as she fiddled with the buttons on his shirt.

"I was on time for once before you came in here, Damon," she countered, emphasizing his name just as he did with hers.

"Point taken, but I'm already packed and it feels like your taking forever," he jokingly whined as she returned to her clothes covered bed.

"You're telling me a hundred and fifty year old vampire has no patience?" she smirked as she managed to zip the bag shut.

"For you Elena," he said as he picked up her cases, "I'd wait life times – but we need to get to the airport hence we are kind of in a hurry so – let's go," he finished before pushing her through the door of their apartment flat.

"Welcome home!" Jenna greeted her at the door, Alaric not too far behind.

"Hey," Elena greeted as she embraced her aunt and her future uncle, "So glad we can make it."

Alaric gave her a look at the 'we' part but Jenna spoke first, "Where's your bags?"

"She'll be staying with me." Right on clue, Damon appeared behind Elena with a "pleasant" smile, "Jenna, lovely as ever. So happy you two crazy kids decided to tie the knot after…well, everything."

"Damon what are you doing here? More importantly, what are you doing with my niece?"

"Well, I'm Ric's best man here and…I'm sort of seeing your niece in the romantic sense."

Jenna gave her soon-to-be yet possibly-not-now-after-all-this husband a look before turning to Elena, "I thought you were through with…vampires," she whispered, not too sure of the fact still.

"Jenna, things have changed and…Damon has been there for me," she tried to explain but wondered why she even tried. They knew this was the exact reason they kept this a secret from everyone, well – except Caroline (who told Tyler) and Stefan. She wasn't exactly looking forward to explain all this on top of everything from the past. Elena just wanted to move forward with her future.

"It's just…I knew Damon went to visit you in college but I thought that was just how Damon is not that he…does he?"

"No worries Jenna, my intentions with your niece are honorable," he tried to reassure her before glancing to Ric, knowing his friend knew how he felt about Elena but never brought it up to his girlfriend. 'Way to make things easier on me, Ric.'

"I didn't mean to drop this on you before the wedding I just…we should have thought about this more," Elena admitted as she took a seat on the couch – a new couch in her old home.

"No, no…it's okay. I can…kind of understand. Just a surprise after everything with Stefan," Jenna admitted as she grabbed a four glasses and a bottle of wine.

"Damon would never do that, he couldn't do that," Elena responded as Damon took the seat with her, lacing his fingers with her.

"But on to better and brighter things," Damon announced while gazing into Elena eyes before turning to Jenna and Alaric, "Your wedding."

Elena took a deep breath before knocking on Bonnie's door, Damon's words ringing in her ears.
"She might not be as forgiving as Jenna, Elena. Bonnie has never been my biggest fan."
Yes, but that had been years ago – thought they had gotten past all that as they matured.

"Elena!" Bonnie cried as she hugged her dear friend while Elena eagerly returned the gesture. While years and miles had separated them, seeing one another again seemed to rekindle the relationship even death and tragedy couldn't destroy.

"So glad you've come for Jenna and Ric's wedding. Jeremy is so excited he left as early as he could from campus. Unfortunately, he won't be here till before dawn," Bonnie informed Elena as she led her into the house. Elena knew this house well too – it use to belong to Shelia.

"You and Jeremy are still…doing alright?" Elena cautiously asked, not sure how much detail she wanted into her brother's dating life.

"The long distance gets hard at times but with technology now it's like he's in the room with me. We video chat all the time, can even sync movies to watch them together. It's been okay but it will be so much better with both of you in town. Do you know if Caroline is coming?"

"Yep, with Tyler in tow," Elena answered, not sure how much she should tell. Bonnie and Caroline really hadn't been talking when they went off to college. And Elena only talked to Caroline so much was because they happened to go to school in the same part of the state.

"God, it's been so long since I've been able to talk to her. Glad to here she's still with Tyler. Once they worked everything out they've been good for one another…other than Tyler possibly biting her," Bonnie mused as she fixed drinks.
"So this leads us back to you. How have you been? Hooked up with any college guys I should know about?"

Elena released a forced laugh that sounded too anxious, unfortunately Bonnie picked up quickly on that fact.

"Oh god, you're pregnant?"

Now Elena was just caught off guard. "No Bonnie, you don't have to worry about that. I am seeing someone – someone you know," she admitted, but still delaying the actual truth.

"Oh really? So someone from town but I can't really imagine who – at least anyone off the top of my head…it's not Matt is it?"

"No…no, he never really talked to us after the whole finding out ordeal," Elena paused but Bonnie just gave her a look just asking for her to continue, "Before I tell you exactly who it is you should know he's been really helpful the last year with college and everything. After everything with Klaus and Stefan I don't think I would have gotten through it all without him. He's been there, never giving up and I just thought it was time I stop keeping him waiting and…"

Elena looked up to see Bonnie's stiffen stature and wide eyes – as if everything Elena had said physically hurt her – or maybe Bonnie had become overcome from realization.

"Bonnie?" Elena asked out to her friend, which seemed to snap her out of the shock.

"Damon…" Bonnie whispered before he voice gained strength, "Damon Salvatore? Elena, please tell me I'm wrong or at least, you're joking!"

"Bonnie, I would never joke about something like this." Elena paused to push a strand of hair behind her ear before she rose her eyes to her friend, "Everyone knows how he feels about me and I've grown to feel the same."

"But Elena…how can you be in a relationship with a man whose done…all those things?" Bonnie argued, she could never forget how cruel Damon could be even if Elena was willing to.

"Bonnie, he's changed – you know this," Elena's irritation rising – she thought they were past this, "And most of those things were done to save people we know."

"That doesn't absolve him of everything he's done!"

"I know that but I just thought you would be…never mind Bonnie, I'll see you tomorrow but my trip was long and I just don't have the energy to fight with you," she turned towards the door with a sigh, trying to release the anger before she left.

"Okay, I'll see you at Jenna's in the morning," Bonnie answered, knowing she would run into Elena when she went to visit Jeremy once he got home.

"I'm actually staying at the Boarding House with Damon so maybe I'll see you tomorrow," Elena answered.

"But Elena…" Bonnie began before Elena cut her off, "Bonnie, don't…just don't."

Elena turned back to her friend with a forced smile before she turned and shut the door behind her.

Bonnie watched the closed door for a while after hearing Elena leave in her car before she decided to act. "Sorry Elena. You might think I'm a terrible friend but…" Bonnie turned to her book case to retrieve one of her grimoires, "but you need to remember what kind of person Damon Salvatore really is."

Elena climbed the dark stairs to Damon's room before the door swung open and she landed on the bed.

"Hey," she smiled up into his clear cerulean eyes.

"Hey," Damon replied, smiling – possibly just to be happy to see her or the fact she was comfortable with his vampire powers, "What took you so long? Not that I'm trying to sound like the jealous boyfriend or anything…"

Elena just smiled as she situated herself on his bed before stripping out of her clothes, "Maybe I was out with some hot guy instead of you?" she questioned, playing into his game.

"Really?" he raised his eyebrow in challenge as he magically seemed to appear under the covers beside her, propping himself on his elbow to look straight at her.

"Yes, some hot steamy…fireman," she replied as she tried to stifle her giggle.

"Elena? You take writing courses in college and that's as original as you can get? A fireman, really?" Damon scoffed as he rolled back against his pillow.

"No, I was with Bonnie and took my time getting back here…I just don't want to talk about it," Elena answered honestly as she rested into the crook of his arm.

"She found out we were dating and she wasn't too happy about it," he figured out on his own. Yet when Elena gave him her usual 'look', he continued, "Sabrina is not fond of me and I could see that coming from a mile away – without my vampire abilities."

"Maybe if you didn't call her Sabrina…" Elena countered.

"You guys will be fine by the morning and this whole week you, her and Caroline with be buddy-buddy like old back when before…"

"Before everything happened," Elena finished for him as they settled into each other's arms for the night, "I hope your right," she yawned as she fell asleep after he gently kissed the crown of her head goodnight.

~Ѱ~

a.n.: So when (if) you look at the trends of stories written for Vampire Diaries, there are a lot of "send Elena back to 1864" stories (and I like quite a few). So I wanted to write a future story (just to contrast) but also a past story (because they're interesting) and then I came up with this (and I just don't seem to like Bonnie's character…).

Hope you've enjoyed this story, thank you for reading.