Title: Forgotten Memories

Author: Jade Dupree

Rating: PG

Show: The Vampire Diaries

Genre: General

Story Type: Short Story

Warnings: None

Pairing: Sorta Damon/OFC (Destiny Crawford)

Complete: Yes

Summary: Damon has to deal with the flashback of a past relationship that he wished hadn't ended the way it did.

Disclaimer: I don't own any part of the TV show 'The Vampire Diaries', any and all characters from TV show belong to the creators of said TV Show. I do not own, know or have anything to do with Ian Somerhalder or anyone from the show. I do own the character 'Destiny Crawford', I am not making any money from this fan fiction, it is simple an idea that wouldn't leave me alone.

Author's Note: This is actually the first short story of a series I plan on doing, which I haven't decided on the name yet, but they will all be done in short stories, unless an idea changes. Though this is a flashback for Damon, it is set in Season 2, after both Katherine and Elena have rejected him, but before he'd 'given' Elena up to Stefan.

Damon woke out of a dead sleep. For a moment, he laid in his bed and tried to judge the situation. No one was in the room, that much he could tell. So what had woke him up? He glanced at the clock, the red numbers read that it was half past three. Well, he wasn't hungry, maybe he hadn't needed as much sleep as he thought. With a small shrug, he moved to get up and headed in the direction of the bathroom. A hot shower sounded pretty good right now.

As he passed the calendar that was on the desk, he froze. No, that wasn't the date, he thought as he moved to look back at it. The date didn't change, even as he counted in his head. No wonder I woke up, he thought bitterly as he sank down into the chair, his eyes off in another time. For a moment, he continued to stare until his eyes closed of their own accord.

"Please."

Though word was spoken low, the desperation was still there. He could hear it easily even without the enhanced hearing ability. His blue eyes cut over to the owner of that voice, away from the rushing water of the river that lay below the bridge they stood on. Tears were gathered in her eyes, her dark sapphire eyes, the moon's light reflected off of them. He knew he should feel more then what he did, more sorrow in his heart, but he couldn't bring himself to open that part of his heart to her.

"Damon," she said.

No, he thought as he glanced away from her. She begged. He never thought he'd see her beg anyone for anything, much less him. She was always so strong, confident, which was why he'd been attracted to her. This was something she shouldn't be doing, he shouldn't have let her reach this point. He'd have to stop it before she got hurt. Still, the words remained locked inside of him, those words that would quiet her and ease her aching heart. Why did he do this, he cursed himself. Why did he torture her like this? What had she ever done to deserve this from him?

Damon felt her grab his arm tightly as she tried to gain his attention. As if he could care less that she was there, he looked at her, his brow moved upward. His whole attitude was asking her why she was touching him now. As soon as he connect with her eyes again though, he knew it was a mistake to pull that game with her. At this moment, he knew she couldn't see through his masks, the pain he was intentionally causing her clouded up her ability to see him clearly.

"Please Damon," she said, her voice a bare whisper. "I don't want to leave you. Please, I'm begging you." She threw her arms around him before she buried her face into his neck. He could feel the shake of her body as a sob tore from her throat. "Just say the words, just give her up, please? Would it really be so terrible to spend the rest of your life with me instead of her? She hurt you! She betrayed you, she didn't love you!"

At that he roughly shoved her away. "You don't know anything," he said darkly.

"I know that she could never love you like I do," she said stubbornly.

"That doesn't mean I have feelings for you." A complete and utter lie. Of course, he was very good at that. "Do you honestly think that I meant to keep you for this long?"

Instantly she shook her head. No matter what anyone said about blonds, Damon knew for a fact this one was smart as hell. Another reason he'd been attracted to her, yet that attraction didn't make him forget the past or the one he desperately wanted. He knew this one could never replace her and yet, he'd toyed with her in a vain hope that it might work. Now look where they were.

"I know that you meant to kill me all along," she answered. Though her voice shook, he could still hear the strength in it, her voice didn't shake from weakness that was for sure. "I'd hoped the reason you hadn't meant something."

"Don't flatter yourself."

Again she grabbed him, forced him to look at her. "Don't do that," she demanded, "don't pretend with me. I know you better than that, Damon."

"Maybe you don't know me all that well." The wicked smirk he was famous for spread over his face. Even as he mocked her, he knew what she said was true. He hated that fact, that he had allowed her to get as close as she was. Things were so much simpler when he just wanted to feed off of her and screw her. Then she somehow wormed her way under his skin, which was why he couldn't take once or twice from her. No, he had to have her, in every way possible. That still didn't erase the last one from his mind or his heart, which he kept hidden for a while, but she knew he held back from her.

"I know you don't want me to leave," she said as she leaned upward. Her lips barely grazed his. "Damon, say the words, please! Let me take care of you for a change. You know I love you, you know I'm so much better for you then she is. I'll give you whatever you want, I'm yours forever. I've never asked you for anything, I've accepted you as you are and what you've given me. So now I'm asking you for one thing. I know it's big, but it's so simple and you benefit the most from it. Just please, please give her up. Surrender to me as I've surrendered to you."

He thought about what she said. Yes, he could honestly see a life with her, clear as the sky without a cloud in sight. However, he knew there would also be that thought in the back of his mind, that what if thought. What if he had gone through with what he planned, if he hadn't chosen this one that held him, but went for the one he wanted to hold? That would never leave him alone, he would go crazy for all of eternity wondering. Plus, he couldn't lead her on anymore then he already had.

Damon grabbed her by the arms to force her away from him, but he didn't let her go. Instead, he stared her directly in the eyes. "I will never surrender to you," he said firmly. "I'm in love with Katherine and she is the one that I want. Understand? I won't have anyone else by my side for the rest of my life but her. If you don't like that, then go ahead and leave."

He watched in complete silence as everything she hoped for, everything he had silently promised her, died in her eyes. Crushed didn't even begin to describe what she was. He knew he had been unnecessarily cruel, he had hurt her beyond words. Even he felt the pain that came from her, the sudden weight of it seemed almost too much for him to shoulder, yet she still stood before him. Tears slide down her cheeks, but she didn't drop her head in defeat. Instead, she gave a small nod of her head before she turned away from him. As he watched her walk out of his life, he hoped it would be forever, but a small part of him demanded for him to go get her back. He remained where he was on the bridge. This was how things had to be if he ever wanted to get Katherine back.

With a hard swallow, Damon opened his eyes. He hadn't expected that trip down memory lane, normally he was better with it. The first year had been bad, but every year after that, he avoided the memory at all cost. This year he had honestly forgotten all about it. That also made him feel like crap.

A heavy sigh left him as he moved to stand, his legs carried him over to the window. Gently he opened it, the breeze blew light into his face, this would have been a night she would have loved. Funny enough, thirty years later and he was still only realizing how stupid he was to have let her walk away that night. Like she said, Katherine had never loved him like she had. Honestly, he doubted anyone had loved him the way she had and yet he had sent her away from him. All she wanted was his love in return, same thing he wanted from others, love, which he was denied. Which was what he had done to her, denied her his love.

A twisted chuckle slipped from his lips as he stared out into the night. "Forgive me," he said, as if she could hear him. "Forgive me of stupidity and arrogance. Forgive me for the lies, the pain and everything else I'd done to you." He paused as he took a breath, a tear slide down his cheek. "And please, have a happy birthday, Destiny. You deserve to have everything your heart desires."

The End