Disclaimer: "The Vampire Diaries" and all of its characters belong to the CW Network and its producers.

I'm sorry that it took me so long to write this next chapter. My hours at work got boosted up since we lost one of our co-workers due to maternity leave. And of course my son takes most of my time too. Thank you for being so patient with me, and thank you for reading my story.

Mending Forever

"A man is not old until regrets take the place of dreams." –John Barrymore

Chapter Four: Void

Elena was getting married. It was like some bad horror story. Damon couldn't wrap his head around it. Ten years later he finally comes to his senses and decides to come back to sweep Elena off her feet just to find out that someone had already beat him to the punch. Some other guy had snatched her up. Another man had recognized the treasure that was Elena Gilbert. Oh, it hurt so much.

Damon held his chest where his heart lay in tatters beneath. Agonizing pains left him paralyzed. It was his own fault. Why had he waited so long to return? Or better yet, why had he left ten years ago? He had thought he was being noble so that Elena could spread her wings. But really he had just been stupid for not realizing the truth sooner. And the truth was that Elena is it for him. She's the epitome of every one of his dreams.

His heart came to a shuddering stop. It was crippling to realize that the dreams he'd had, the plans he had made were now null and void. Now those dreams belonged to someone else. The story book fantasy of him and Elena cooking dinner together was gone. They'd always enjoyed making a meal with one another. The two children he'd envisioned, a mischievous little boy that looked like him and a girl that could get away with anything because she was the spitting image of her mother, had dissipated. It could no longer be possible. Damn the man who got those dreams now.

Damon didn't even have the courage to ask his mom who the lucky son of a bitch was. He didn't want to know. If he had the information he might go kill him. All he desired was the knowledge of whether or not the guy was good to her. Elena deserved nothing but the best. But he hadn't asked that either. The only thing he'd been able to do when those horrible words left his mother was walk away. The knowledge that his woman belonged to another man had slammed into his gut and had stolen his breath. He had waited too long. He'd really fucked up this time. He lost everything that had ever truly mattered to him.

Sofia watched her son throw a glass of brandy into the fireplace from afar. The glass shattered just like his heart had. Her son was struggling to come to grips with the way things had turned out. It had hurt her to be the one to tell him. She had seen the light go out of his eyes. It was at that exact moment that her precious little boy had died inside.

It was a mother's compassion that drove Sofia to empathize with Damon, and she could feel the waves of anguish and frustration rolling off of him. It broke her heart to know that her son was hurting so much.

Why had he waited so long to return? That's what she couldn't grasp. She had understood when he had left. Yes, the only contact they'd had was over the phone and email, but she had been comforted by the fact that her son was successful in his profession. He had gone on to do bigger and better things, so she'd been okay.

However, after six or seven years had passed she had begun to wonder if he'd ever return. He had left so much behind. He had left Elena unanswered.

Sofia had watched Elena struggle too over the years. That girl had struggled to function after Damon had disappeared, and it had only gotten worse after Grayson and Miranda were killed. The only thing that had kept her moving, that had kept her sane was having to take care of Jeremy. Sofia had tried to help as much as she could, but Elena had been determined to do it on her own. She had only been eighteen at the time, a baby herself. Elena had put her life on hold so that Jeremy could have one. So that he wouldn't feel the sting of abandonment again. She didn't want to ditch him simply for her desires.

Elena had gotten rip-roaring drunk one night and came by the Salvatore boarding house to confess all. She had such beautiful aspirations, Sofia recalled. But she had delayed going to college until Jeremy went himself, and even then she had only went to the community college fifteen minutes away. She had become a kindergarten teacher when she really wanted to be a professor of American and British literature and teach at an Ivy League university. But she had compensated. She had simply taken what she could get on a short term education. It made Sofia see red anytime she thought about it. Elena had such potential and because of one moment in time it had all changed. Her circumstances had changed, which had made life totally unfair for Elena. She had been cheated.

She had needed Damon so much. Elena had never said such words. Nevertheless, Sofia had caught her more than enough times sneaking into Damon's bedroom those first two years he'd been gone. She knew that Elena missed him. Even more so after her parents died.

Why hadn't Damon picked up his phone all those years ago? If he has looking for absolution from Elena it just wasn't going to happen overnight. Elena had been so angry to the point that Sofia finally had to move Damon's pictures and accomplishments into one room. If Elena visited, which was at least once a week, then Damon existed only in the den. And Elena never went in the den. She had stopped going into his bedroom eight years ago. In all appearances Elena had finally gotten over Damon. But Sofia knew better. Elena had never forgotten about Damon, just like Damon had never forgotten about her. She knew it'd be a matter of time before one of them acknowledged it. Miraculously, it had been her son to take that first step. She could hardly believe it.

Nevertheless, Sofia focused on her son again. He was sitting on the couch with his head in his hands. It seemed as if the weight of the world was on his shoulders and he could drop it any minute. After all these years Sofia could finally see the man that he had turned into.

"Are you scared, Miranda?"

Sofia looked at her best friend. Miranda Gilbert was so beautiful. Back in high school Sofia had been a little envious of her. Everyone loved Miranda. She was captain of the cheerleading squad and editor-in-chief of the school paper. She had ran for president their senior year and had won by a landslide. Miranda was outgoing. Sofia was shy. However, when Sofia was around her best friend she turned into a different person altogether. She became someone.

Miranda was even more stunning pregnant. She literally glowed from the inside out, while Sofia felt frumpy and undesirable. She could only thank her lucky stars that her due date was three weeks away.

"Scared of what, Sof?" Miranda asked.

Sofia rubbed her pregnant belly trying to calm her son down. He was such an active little thing. "Scared of being a mom?"

Miranda grinned. "I think it'll be a grand adventure. I'll get to watch her grow up. I'll get to watch her see the world for the first time. That in itself is a gift." Suddenly her face frowned. "But then again, I am terrified."

"Why are you terrified?" Sofia questioned her. She'd never known Miranda to be terrified of anything.

"I'll have this little person depending on me for everything. She'll look to me to give her all of the answers and I'm afraid I won't have them." Miranda looked down at her own pregnant belly. She was just now starting to show.

"I'm afraid I won't be a good mom," Sofia admitted.

Miranda was startled. She'd never heard her friend speak so candid. "What are you talking about? You'll be the greatest mom ever, Sofia."

"How? I mean, I could mess this up and my son will pay the price. What will I do then, Miranda?"

"You're the most amazing friend anyone could ever have. I am so lucky to have you as mine. You help me through every crisis. You make me laugh even when I believe there's nothing to laugh about," Miranda chuckled. "But most importantly, you love no matter no matter the mistakes that I make. That's unconditional love. Do all of those things for your child that you do for me and you'll be the perfect mom."

Sofia couldn't hold the tears back anymore. She grabbed her best friend in the biggest hug she could manage with her gigantic belly in front of her. She felt her son kick, but she also felt a slight fluttering against her that she knew didn't belong to her child.

Miranda pulled away from her. With a sparkling smile she said, "I think both of our children just agreed with me."

"Let's just hope they agree on lots of things. We don't want our children to fight all of the time and eventually hate each other," Sofia joked.

Miranda shook her head. "They're not going to. They're going to be the best of friends." She took Sofia's hand in hers. "Like us."

Sofia had stepped away from the doorway of the library once that memory came to the front of her mind. Tears were falling down her cheeks at a fast rate. That particular memory was one of her favorites. Miranda had always been good at putting things in perspective for her. But she had been right. She had given Damon all of her love unconditionally. She had led him into manhood with an iron fist and a gentle heart. Patience was thrown in there somewhere too. Looking at her son now Sofia realized that she'd done right by him. He was a good man, and Sofia could only be grateful.

The only thing she wished for now was the strength to help Damon through the days that were coming. They were probably going to be some of his darkest and Sofia couldn't help but feel apprehensive about it. Elena was getting married and Sofia was helping her plan the wedding. That was one detail she had left out. She wondered how Damon would react once he heard the news. 'Sofia, you're kidding yourself if you think he'll be calm about it,' she thought to herself. Best case scenario he would turn whiny and depressing. Worst case scenario he would turn livid and violent. He had his father's temperament after all.

She peeked around the corner one last time. Her son would be okay for right now. He just had to accept the changes that had taken place.

But until then, she had some place to be.