AN: Thank you, thank you for the lovely reviews on Chapter 9. Finally decided on how the twist is going to play out for this story and the next chapter after this one will introduce it briefly. Get ready for a somewhat steamy scene between Elena and Damon in a flashback during this chapter. I listened to Katy Perry's "Dark Horse" while writing it so I recommend you do the same. Leave me your thoughts in a review. Thanks for reading.

CHAPTER 10.

With only a slight buzz going and quickly fading, Damon hoped his lunch with Stefan wouldn't be too disastrous. They walked down a block to a small bistro wafting its aroma of pressed sandwiches and soups out on to the streets of the people passing by. His stomach growled and he couldn't wait to scarf down some food.

Finding a table, they sat down and he immediately picked up the drink menu. If Stefan was offering to indulge in his addiction agreeing upon it being his absolute last day of destruction than he was going to hold him to it. His eyes scanned the wine list and searched for something more his style. When he didn't find it, he slapped the menu on the table and stared at his brother.

"All they have to drink is wine." Damon whined.

"I didn't say I was going to buy you what you liked." Stefan said not looking up from his menu. "And I happen to like wine."

"Prick. I should have known it was too good to be true." He replied scanning the list for something that sounded good. Nothing sparked his interest.

An elderly woman approached their table. She was dressed in all black and her hair was pinned back. Her name tag read, Martha and he desperately searched for something to drink. He couldn't make up his mind. When it came to wine he was lost.

"What I can I get you gentlemen to drink?" She asked.

"Can I get a glass of Merlot for myself and a friend who will be joining us soon?" Stefan requested.

"You?" The waitress directed it toward him.

Damon glared at his brother with the information he just learned. A friend? What friend was this and were they going to get him in trouble? Maybe this was a set up all along.

"Water, thank you." Damon smacked the menu down and the waitress walked away. "When were you going to tell me about our lunch date was turning into a threesome?"

"Now because I knew you wouldn't come if I told you beforehand." Stefan answered.

"And why is that? Who is this person?" He asked.

Just as he asked the question, it was answered. Through the glass doors walked in a tall blonde wearing nude pumps and a navy blue dress speaking to the hostess. Immediately he recognized her as Elena's best friend, Caroline. His stomach dropped.

"Caroline?!" Damon whispered. "No, I'm out."

"No, you're not." His brother grabbed his hand. "Unless you do want me to spill the beans to your buddy Alaric. I don't think you want that, do you?"

It was either be busted or have his ear talked off on topics he could careless about or didn't want to discuss. Both seemed equally painful, but the thought of being outted wasn't ideal. Damon noticed Caroline waving at their table and Stefan straightened up.

"When did you and Forbes become friends anyways?" Damon questioned his brother.

"We've been connecting," he murmured. "She needed a shoulder to cry on and I lent it to her. It sort of just evolved from that."

His face smashed together in disgust and he rolled around in his chair. Diverting his eyes back and forth between Stefan and Caroline, he inquired the obvious.

"Oh no, tell me it didn't evolve into you putting your dick in her?" He raised his suspicion while being utterly disgusted.

Judging by Stefan's reaction to his comment it had. As Caroline bee lined for the restroom it left him more time to catch up on his little brother's life that had become quite interesting. Stefan shuffled in his chair and their drinks arrived. The taste of water was bland and he wished he had anything but water in front of him to drink.

"Caroline and I are just friends." Stefan stated sipping his Merlot.

"With benefits." Damon added.

"Fine. We've been hooking up, but it's only happened like twice." He confessed. "And you will make no mention of this while she is here. Right now things are good between us."

"No offense, but Caroline really?"

Stefan glared at him. "She's actually very nice once you get to know her and she means well. Cut her some slack." He asked of him.

"I have for the past three years." Damon gritted through his teeth.

"And you will continue to do so." He demanded. "Caroline."

The clicking of her heels indicated their conversation was over. Never in a million years had he pictured Stefan and Caroline. Reserved and quiet was no match for the loud and out spoken Caroline, yet somehow the two worked in Stefan's tiny head. Damon observed them and watched them embrace shortly. The smile on Stefan's face was more than friendly. His brother was completely infatuated. He just wished it wasn't because of her.

"Damon." Her voice dropped and he stood up straightening his shirt. "How have you been?"

"Been better." He uttered.

Her face fell and pulled him into a hug. The last time he saw her was at the funeral. It was pleasant not to see her cheeks tear stained for once. He had been the one to break the bad news to her. He had been the one who she embraced the day of the funeral before anyone else arrived. For the first time in his years of knowing her, he didn't loath her in those moments. He simply accepted her as Elena's broken hearted best friend. In the end they both loved her equally. But that was then, and even though it wasn't long ago, he had come back full circle to having a great dislike for her.

"You reek of bourbon." Caroline stated and pushed him away. "You reek of bourbon! What the hell?"

"Here we go." Damon rolled his eyes and sat back down.

"Caroline, let me explain." His brother tried to calm the situation. It wasn't working.

"Are you fucking kidding me? You've been drinking again?" She scowled him. Her body towered his in disapproval. "After everything Elena did for you, this is how you repay her?"

"It's not what you think." Stefan interrupted.

Stomping her foot, Caroline shouted, "Don't defend him. As his brother you should be sending him straight to recovery. Don't you care that he's drinking again?" Thankfully no one else was in the bistro with them. She was already causing a scene that no one needed to see or hear.

"Please continue, Caroline. I love to hear more of what you think about me." Damon murmured under his breath.

"You're disgusting." Caroline said distastefully. "You think this is a joke."

"No!" He flew up from his seat and got in her face. "I don't think any of this is a joke. Do you see me laughing? I don't think so. Why don't you take your nose and stick it somewhere else for once."

"I stick my nose where it belongs thank you. And I think I have every right to be upset about this considering you were my best friends fiancé, who happened to care if you drank or not!" She yelled back at him. "I wish she was here right now to see the low life you've always been."

"Well she's not because she's dead." Damon spat. He knew how sensitive this had become and they were both filled with emotional energy. Tears began to well in Caroline's eyes and he should have stopped, but instead he continued to scream. "Dead! I said it, DEAD. And because Elena is dead is the reason why I've become the low life you think I am again. Congratulations Caroline you've successfully passed at stating the obvious...you fucking bitch."

His last words were the final straw. Caroline busted into tears and ran out the door. He regretted it the moment he said it, but was too stunned to even move. Rising from his chair, Stefan mumbled something to him and chased after her. He plopped back in his seat and held his head in his hands. Him and Caroline had not fought like this in years. They had their disagreements, but never got into screaming matches like this. The first time they had it fought was even before him and Elena had started dating. He remembered that night well.

The drinks were flowing and the music was pulsing in the swanky club Damon found him in for the night. His hips grinded and swayed to the music as a beautiful girl danced in front of him. He had done this every night in hopes of erasing his mind of one thing, Elena. Like an artifact in a museum she was too beautiful to touch. He could only look and it killed him, so naturally he tried to forget about her all together. Girl after girl he made out with and fucked them in different places to get his mind off things. He even changed his route for running hoping to not see her before work. It was the only way to shake this feeling he had for her.

A tap on his shoulder interrupted his steamy dance and he looked to see who it was. Tired and angry, Stefan stood with his phone in his hand.

"You called?" He asked furiously.

In the front pocket of his jeans he saw his phone. Taking it out, he noticed he had been mistakenly dialing his brother's number all night. He had to blame the girl grinding on his junk for that.

"Accident. Sorry." Damon yelled.

"You should go home." Stefan insisted. "You look trashed."

"I'm fine." He denied the request to leave. "I feel great. Maybe instead of leaving you should stay. Enjoy the night."

"No way. Come on let's go." His brother tugged on his arm.

It happened all so fast. The girl dancing on him was knocked to the ground as he tore his arm away. Stefan stumbled back and eyes from around the dance floor stopped upon the commotion. He may have been wasted, but he was still smart enough to know not to cause a scene. A large man stomped his way toward them and he bent down to help the girl.

"You okay?" The bouncer asked her handing her to another muscular man guiding her away. She nodded her head and a glazed expression spread upon her face. Drunk and oblivious, she left. "Which one of you did it?"

"He did." Damon spat.

Throwing his own brother under the bus for something he hadn't intentionally done was low. She merely had been in the way as his arm swung out to rid him of Stefan's grasp. However, him showing up had ruined his mood and he was pissed. To blame him meant only one thing.

"You." The bouncer pointed at Stefan. "Out."

"You son of a bitch." Stefan yelled. "It wasn't me. I didn't do anything."

Much like the girl he was being led away, but by force. The toleration for fights or being too aggressive with girls was not allowed here and a brief smirk lifted upon his cheeks as he watched his innocent brother being kicked out he bar. Feeling pity for the downfall that just happened Damon knew how to get rid of the guilty conscious he was growing. The bar was the only thing on his mind.

Taking a few drunken steps off the dance floor and toward the crowded bar, he stopped dead in his tracks. Were his eyes deceiving him or was he really starring at the perfectly formed ass he had been trying to forget? She turned her face to the side and the brightest, most lively smile was plastered on her face. Immediate betrayal took over his body as he felt every muscle tighten and his dick harden. In dark jeans and a top that led him only to believe she wasn't wearing a bra, he wanted to devour her. However, as much as he enjoyed the image of her losing every article of clothing, he halted his dirty mind. She was forbidden. That didn't stop him though in his altered state of mind to still approach her.

"Elena, we have to stop meeting like this."

Her hair tossed over her shoulder and her smiled faded the slightest bit as she discovered his presence. A blonde girl stood next to her staring at him with curiosity and hunger.

"Uh, Damon." She said stunned. "What are, what are you doing here?"

"Just enjoying a night out on the town." He smirked.

"I can see that." Elena nodded her head.

Was it that obvious he was trashed? He ran his hand through his hair and tried to seem less intoxicated. "Can I buy you a drink?" He asked in hopes of not being turned down.

A soft chuckle came from the blonde girl attached to her side and she rolled her eyes. Whatever her reaction was to his question, he tried to ignore it.

"I'm good." She answered.

"Oh come on, just one." Damon begged.

"She said no." The girl barked next to her.

"Caroline." Elena stated in annoyance. Putting a name and a face together he realized the girl standing next to her had been the same trashed, incoherent girl the night they had first met. Tonight she seemed less of a nuisance, but still making her presence known. "Sorry."

"I can take a hint." He responded.

Every ounce of him pretended to not care and not be offended by his turn down, but he was. He moved pass them showing disinterest, a tactic he liked to use when girls gave him the cold shoulder initially. Ordering his drink, he counted to ten in his head before he heard the small voice belonging to her say his name. A wicked smile spread across his face knowing his tactic had worked.

"Damon." She stated. Turning around, he saw only her. Wherever her friend had gone she wasn't close by. He was thankful knowing Elena had probably sent her away. Even in a bar full of people, he felt like it was only just them. "I'm sorry about Caroline. She sometimes forgets how to keep her thoughts to herself."

"It's fine." Damon replied.

The sweetest, shyest smile blossomed from cheek to cheek. She was the epitome of beautiful.

"Are you sure you need that?" Elena asked looking down at the drink that was now in his hand. "You seem like you're…"

"Drunk." He finished her sentence. "No not at all."

"Sorry, I don't usually go out much and when I do I'm usually playing the mom role." She explained. "You know make sure everyone is okay and doesn't do anything stupid."

"That doesn't sound fun." Damon said. "You haven't lived if you haven't done something stupid."

Elena shrugged her shoulders. "Someone has got to do it. I don't mind." She looked over her shoulder. "Which, by the way, I should probably go make sure Caroline doesn't get herself into too much trouble on the dance floor."

"I'll walk with you." He suggested. "I'm headed that way myself."

His eyes roamed the bar for the jock she called her boyfriend. He was waiting for the prime moment for him to show up and try to knock him square in the face for simply talking to his girlfriend. However, he did not see him anywhere.

With Elena not far behind, they both made their way on to the dance floor reaching the center were the heart of intoxication took place. So many sweaty bodies and borderline sexual actions were taking place. Damon gulped down his drink fast and placed in the hand of some drunken girl passing by.

"Do you see her anywhere?" Elena shouted near his ear.

"No." He answered. Something dared him to take the risky move he desired so badly to do. He knew better, but he didn't know the next chance he would get with her like this. "So where is your boy toy?"

"Working." She told him. Her attention wasn't upon him, but the crowd of people.

The beating of his heart in his chest almost made him lose his balance. He was actually nervous about this. Why was he nervous? She was just another girl or was she? Stepping in front of her, he witnessed her go into immediate recoil and tried to back away.

"Forget Caroline." Damon demanded. "You told me you're always worrying about others when you're out. Why don't you take five minutes of your night to just have fun."

"But…" She argued, but he cut her off.

"Not buts." He shook his head. "Just take five minutes, it's all I ask and focus on yourself. Do something for you for once in your life."

It was taking a lot to convince her to do this. She wasn't easily swayed and he wished she could be. However, he was beginning to realize why he was attracted to her so much. Elena was a challenge. Unlike the girls he usually ended up with night after night, she didn't fall for his spell. She resisted and denied him. It was all so new and something aroused him thinking about the chase. Damon knew he couldn't give up.

"Come on." Damon pleaded moving his shoulders to the beat of the song.

Elena stared at him as he tried to not make himself appear as a fool before her. She bowed her head and he appeared embarrassed. Why was it so hard for her to just let go? Feeling free and high on life, he continued to move and he grabbed her hand. The look she shot him warned him she wasn't comfortable with what he was doing.

"Sorry," he held his hand up. "I just want you to have fun. You don't look like you're having any fun at all."

"I'm just worried about Caroline." Elena answered.

"Caroline is a big girl and I'm sure she can take care of herself." Damon insisted. "Just one song. Please."

Clenching her jaw, Elena looked around the dance floor and bit her lower lip hard. Her head bobbed slowly to the pulsing beat of the song playing through the loud speakers. A smirk cracked upon his face at the sight of her unfolding before him. Steadily, the rest of her body began to move and he loved seeing her dance to the music. Her body was perfect and it was glorious in this light as she closed her eyes and lost herself in the music.

Damon was cautious closing in some distance between them. He understood perfectly she was not comfortable dancing with him in any sensual way, but he had every intention of changing that. Both facing each other, Elena laughed as she danced. Soon she was singing a long with the lyrics. Watching carefully his vision fell to her lips. The desire to kiss them was so strong, but he resisted. Just being only inches apart he was fully enjoying himself and her dancing. Not touching, but not ignoring the electricity they were forming between them in the empty space between was quite a turn on.

As the end of the song faded into a new one with a low bass, he noticed she didn't stop. In fact, Elena was becoming consumed by the beat and he realized it wasn't him closing in the distance between, but she was. Whether it was intentional or not, he wasn't complaining and he wasn't stopping her. Damon tried his very best to keep his hands at his side. Her hair bounced over her shoulders and his gaze fell down to the cleavage she was bearing. Suddenly, his mouth grew dry and he felt the constriction of his pants. She was such a tease.

This was torture not being able to reach out and grab her. He wanted to grind up on her and show her the time of her life, but he told himself to hold back. Just the mere fact that she was even dancing, let alone with him was more than he could have ever imagined from her. Then it happened. She rolling her body and circling her hips creating contact. His hands like an initial reaction went to her hips and she didn't pull away. This trance she was in was hot. He couldn't even blame liquor for her actions right now. Elena was sober and dancing on him. It was bliss.

His fingers gripped her hips as she rolled them into his and as he brought his stare from their lower bodies up, he saw how close they really were. All he had to do was move an inch forward and they would be kissing. The feeling of her arms snaking around his neck and resting on his shoulders made it even harder to not act upon his deep desires. God, he was getting a raging boner from this.

"Elena!" The sound of Caroline's shrill voice brought from them out of their heated and steamy state of mind. Jumping off him, she breathed heavily and placed her hand to her forehead. "What are you doing?"

"I…I don't know." She answered shaking her head. Her eyes darted back at him and he held his breath. "I have a boyfriend. Oh my God."

"Elena." Caroline stated her name again.

"I'm sorry. I have to go." Elena told him and ran off the dance floor leaving him confused and in extreme discomfort from his erection behind the material of his jeans.

"Wait," he shouted after her, but was blocked from doing so. A hand pushed against his chest and her blonde friend was standing in front of him looking ready to explode.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Caroline yelled. "She has a boyfriend."

Damon rolled his eyes. "It takes two to tango, honey." He told her.

"I don't care. She has one and she shouldn't be dancing with you." She warned him tossing her hair over her shoulder.

"I was showing her a good time. Calm down, blondie." Damon's tone was bitter. "God forbidden your friend have fun instead of following you around making sure you don't do something stupid."

"You're a douche." Caroline snapped. "Just stay away."

"Or what?" He challenged her.

"Or you'll end up with a black eye and probably a trip to the hospital." She smirked.

"Unless you're packing underneath that barely there dress you're wearing, I think I'll be okay." Damon laughed.

She stepped closer and pointed her finger in his face. "Not me, but Elena's boyfriend." Caroline threatened.

"I'm so scared." He joked.

What came next he didn't think he deserved, but Elena's friend was feeling feisty and so the stinging pain on his cheek from her hand slapping his face made him boil with fury. Stretching out his jaw, he tried to keep himself composed. The only thing he could think of doing was swearing and so the word, "bitch" left his mouth resulting in Caroline storming off. He scanned around the dance floor to see how many people had just witnessed that. Only a few were staring and he turned on his heel to go the opposite way of her. He had to get out of here before he completely lost it.

Stumbling off the dance floor, he made his way to the back entrance and felt the cool air of the alley way strike his warm cheek. He leaned up against the building and pounded the brick. They had been seconds away from kissing, he knew it. Whatever magnetic force that brought them together tonight, not only just at the same place and at the same time, but what had happened on that dance floor made him believe that maybe this wasn't just chance. Maybe his infatuation with her was more than a hardcore crush. Something ignited in him. He knew he could draw her out farther. It would only take time.

Still fuming from his argument, he glared to the left of him and out of the windows where his brother and Caroline stood talking. Her hair was hanging in front of her face as she shook it back and forth. Her shoulders bobbed up and down at the sign of her crying. Elena would have never tolerated this and he knew immediately that he needed to apologize even if he didn't want to.

Getting up from his chair, he made his slow strides to the door. He had to fix his mistake.