I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.

Thank you for all the positive reviews. Keep em coming!

SORRY FOR NOT UPDATING SOONER. I had the chapter written and then I wanted to go a whole new route with it (blame the pregnancy hormones) so I re-wrote the whole thing. I hope you aren't mad at me and YES I am writing the next chapter now and I have every intention of finishing this weekend. Unless I get so sick I can't write because morning sickness should have been called all the time sickness and IT SUCKS. Now on with the story...

Unfortunately their weekend has to end and they have to be sent back to reality. It sucks I know. This chapter like the last will be from Damon's POV. That's important to remember that. Damon will start to learn more about his birth mom and it will come from the last person he'd expect.

Read and Review. Let me know what you think.

Chapter 10.

I woke up happy to find Elena still next to me. Last night was...indescribable. I look down at my first and only love and stroke her cheek with my index finger. I lay there staring at the girl in my arms and so many thoughts hit me all at once.

Would she ever be able to fully forgive me? Yes we are heading forward but I'm not an idiot. We still have a long way to go and I know that what happened between us cannot be fixed this easily. We have a long road ahead of us. A bumpy one as well.

What exactly are we? Elena, to me, is not my ex-wife. She never was, well only on paper. She's always been my Elena in my heart and now here she is again in my arms. We've had a fun weekend and we're closer than we've been in months.

How am I going to leave and get on my plane tonight? I don't want to leave. Does she want me to leave? I hope she doesn't. I need to go though so I can take over for Dr. Jones when he signs over his veterinary practice to me when I graduate. I know one thing for sure It'll be hard as hell that's for damn sure.

I glance at the clock and see that it's 6am. Shit. We need to leave soon or else I'll miss my flight and damn I wanted to spend some time with Kaylee before I left. I gently start to shake Elena in hopes that she'll wake up. For all the effort I put in all I get is a mumble in response, not surprising she always slept like the dead. That is unless Kaylee is within 100 feet of her hearing, then she hears every cry or call for mommy and daddy. I sigh finally giving up on the gentle approach so I rip the covers off her and watch as she shoots up off the bed and gives me 'the stare'. Hmm surprisingly I've missed that.

"What the hell Damon?!"

I smile up at her. "Good morning beautiful. How did you sleep?"

"Quit joking around. I slept fine though." She looks at the clock and lays back down next to me. "It's 6am Damon."

"Yes it is Lena. You get a gold star." She slaps me on the arm but cuddles into me more. Progress. One step forward for Team Salvatore. "We need to leave soon and go home. Maybe if we don't stop a lot I can spend some time with Kaylee before I get on the plane. You can sleep more in the car if you want."

"Mhmm." She mumbles against my chest. I look down and her eyes are closed now so I shake my head.

"And I suppose you want me to dress you as well?"

"Mhmm."

"And carry you to the car?"

"Mhmm."

"And put you on top of the car?"

"M...hmm."

"And fly you to the stars?"

"Oh...mhmm."

"By...setting you on the top of the car and driving off at 100mph."

"DAMON!" She jumps up and hits me on my chest over and over. "You ass."

I laugh as she continues to hit me and call me names. After 5 hits to the chest she stops and is overcome by her laughter. I've definitely missed joking with her. "I'm sorry kitten. I didn't mean it. I will dress you and carry you if you wish though."

"Maybe I'll let you carry me into the apartment when we get there."

The mood changes and we both kiss each other once more before we get up to get dressed. After months of not being with her everyday it's amazing how simple we move together still. We don't have to be looking at each other but we still move in sync. It's like our bodies are connected with each other on some higher level, like magnets almost. We pack up our things and clean up the room before we take each others hands and head downstairs. I lock our fingers together and Elena rests her head on my shoulder as we take the elevator down and walk to the check out desk. Once that is taken care of we put our bags in the backseat and get in the car. Like I expected Elena lays her seat back and is asleep before I even hit the highway.

The ride back is way easier because I don't need to stop as much when Elena was asleep. Sometimes I think she likes to stop just for the hell of it, I mean who has to go to the restroom at every fucking rest stop. Maybe it's a woman thing. I have my iPod plugged in and the music playing low enough so it doesn't wake her but loud enough that I can hear it. When the fifth song comes on I barely feel myself smile and look over at her remembering the first time I had played it for her. The first day we met. The first time she said she'd be my girlfriend. The first time I'd ever wanted more with a girl.

We had long since finished the pizza and the movie credits were now playing. We were sitting against her couch, her with her legs curled under her and me with my arm around her and my legs stretched out in front of me.

"So tell me Damon, what hidden talents do you possess?" I smiled at her flirty tone and wiggled my eye brows at her which caused her to blush. Damn she's even more beautiful.

"Well Elena, my skills in the bedroom are out of this world." She laughs and mumbles something that sounds like 'of that I have no doubt.' I laugh along with her for a few seconds before giving her a serious answer. "I play the piano. And I'm an okay singer."

Why did you tell her that Salvatore? No one knows about that, not even Stef and Kat. I can't find an answer to give my subconscious other than she's different. That is completely true. Elena Gilbert is different than any girl I've ever met. She actually wants to get to know me not just The General. I still laughed in my head at the fact that she told off Andie Starr. That was one of the first things she told me that had me completely interested in her. She said she had walked into the pizza hut to pick up the pizza and heard Andie and her minion (her word not mine but yet it fits) Sara talking about me. Normally I'd find nothing wrong with that, on the outside at least, but Elena said she'd had enough. Said between the mystic falls rumor mill and then Andie she just blew up. She gave Andie a piece of her mind and said 'maybe he'd want something more than sex with you if you got to know him for more than his dick. Either that or get someone to tell you how to fix that horrible make up on your face so that maybe you might be a bit more attractive and not look like a common whore.'

"Will you play for me?"

I snapped out of my thoughts and looked at her. It only took me one minute to make up my mind. "Come on. You can't tell anyone though. I have to keep up my bad boy image." I stand up and offer her my hand and she takes it. Fuck. There's that electricity again.

"I'm sure that it's. But your secret is safe with me."

I know that Ric has a piano in the family room because Jenna tried to learn play once but gave up when she couldn't even get the scales down right. A part of me know he kept it so I could play it since my dad never would let me get on for our house but I also knew that he'd never admit it. I sit her down on the bench beside me and start playing nervously. I have no clue what song I'm going to play but it seems my subconscious knows because I start playing the one song that has been playing throughout my head all night. It's been impossible to think about anything else, already I know Elena has changed something in me.

It's the light that falls around the place she stands.
It's the way you know she makes you a better man.
Then you walk away like you do so well, and you ask yourself.
And I ask myself.
Would it be so hard to let yourself feel something?
Would it be so strange to let yourself go?
Would it be such a drag just to finally let somebody get inside your lonely life?

I hadn't realized my eyes were closed until I opened them and saw her looking at me out of the corner of my eyes. I didn't look at her. I was afraid to see what emotion was in her eyes. I knew there would be something because I could feel the shift in the room. Something was changing inside both of us whether we wanted it to or not. I kept singing to her. Meaning every single word.

My lonely life gets cold, I wish I could wrap her up inside my soul.
I wish I could call her up and tell her all the secrets that I keep.

But these words are said inside my head.

I finally meet her eyes after the next chorus and sing the rest of the song that I can manage.

I don't wanna be here.
I don't wanna let her go.
How did she get in here?
Then she whispers, she whispers,
Would it be so hard?

As I finish the song I can see it there in her eyes. She cares, or maybe she wants to care. Do I care about her and can I admit it? Yes. My subconscious answers for me again and I find myself agreeing. I do. I care about Elena Gilbert and that thought scares me. I've never cared before, not for any of the girls I've slept with but I care about her. I notice that I've stopped playing and we are just sitting here looking at each other. Neither of us realize we are learning towards each other until our lips touch. Her lips feel so soft. So right. Then she's gone. She's pacing around the room running her hands through her hair.

"Elena. I-"

"I shouldn't have done that Damon."

I turn around and stand up in front of her to stop her pacing. "Why not?"

She sighs before she answers me. "Because...after Matt...I don't think I could be in another relationship."

I take in her words and think about how to answer her very carefully. "I'm not him. I'm not him Elena. I...care about you. I want to let you in. I've never wanted to let anyone else in, never wanted a relationship before but with you I can see myself trying."

Blue and brown, our eyes lock once more. "I want to let you in too Damon. I want to try too. I'm scared though. I've already been broken once."

I bring my hand up to her cheek and tuck a string of her hair behind her ear and rub my thumb over her cheek. "Then we can take it slow. I'm scared too. Hell at least you've done this before I haven't. I don't want to ever hurt you Elena. I only want to make you happy." I take a deep breath and ask the one question I've never asked anyone before but it feels so right asking her. "Will you be my girlfriend Elena?"

I can't help but wonder if I ever propose to her if it will take this long for her to answer. She hasn't moved. She seems to be searching my eyes for something, hesitation maybe, I'm not sure. Finally after what feels like forever she says "Yes."

Before she has a chance to say anything else I bring her lips back to mine and pick up where we left off on the piano bench.

"What are you thinking about Damon?"

"Oh you're awake baby." I look to the passenger seat and see her eating a bag of sour cream and onion chips and drinking a Gatorade. How long has she been awake?

"Have been for a while. I didn't want to break you out of your daydream but when you ran that red light back there I figured it was time babe. What were you thinking about?"

Shit! I ran a red light? I look around shocked that we are already only about 30 minutes from Mystic Falls. How long was I daydreaming as she pointed out. "The first night we met. You also agreed to be my girlfriend."

"You sang to me."

"Yes I did. And by the way seeing you with Rebekah made it hard to believe that she was the one who Matt cheated on you with." I raise my eyebrow at her as I slow down and actually stop at the red lights now.

She shrugs her shoulders. "I guess that's because she's my best friend and I couldn't stay mad at her. That and karma came back to bite her in the ass because he cheated on her too."

I laugh at that. I know I shouldn't but the way her voice sounded saying that last sentence was just hilarious. "Karma."

"Yes karma. That ugly beast that seems to rear its head and bite people in the ass."

I fight the urge to be childish and stick my tongue out at her. "I am aware of what karma is. No need to get smart about it."

"You like my smart mouth or spunk as you first called it."

I nod. "That I do."

"OH!" She yells it so loud I almost swerve the car into the wrong lane. "You also got a text from Kat. She said there was a storm last night and so your classes are canceled tomorrow and Jenna and I decided to postpone your flight to tomorrow at 5 so you could spend more time with Kaylee."

Stunned. That's the word. For a moment in time I am stunned. More progress for team Salvatore...I hope so. "I can stay longer?"

She gives me this 'duh' look. "Of course you can. What did you think that I'd want you to leave?"

I open and close my mouth a few times. "I...I didn't..." I stop talking when she takes my hand and squeezes it with both of hers.

"Of course I want you to stay Damon. I never wanted you to leave the first time. I know you have to thought because they have one of the best vet programs and you got a scholarship but yes I'd love for you to stay and spend more time with Kaylee. And me."

I pull into our parking space and press my lips to hers. It's a quick and soft kiss but full of such promise. "I'd love to stay Elena. Come on. I'll carry you upstairs. We can get our stuff later."

She giggles but nods her head. I walk around the car and pull her into my arms. Her arms wrap around my neck and I'm carrying her bridal style into the lobby. My mind momentarily goes back to the first time I did this when we first got the apartment when Kaylee was a year and a half. Stef and Kat were right behind us carrying Kaylee so I could carry Elena. I smile down at Elena and she gives me the same smile. The one that tells me we are both remembering the same thing. I'm brought out of the bubble Elena had me in when I see the man standing against the wall across from our door. Elena goes to get out of my arms and I let her only so she can stand behind me. I still don't trust this fucker.

"What are you doing here?"

"I was hoping I could talk to you Damon."

I laugh. "You've had years to talk Guiseppe. In fact the last time we did talk you tried to convince me to turn my back on Elena and Kaylee who wasn't even born yet. What makes you think I'd have anything to say to you?"

He looks down at the floor and for once I feel something for the old man. Yet it disappears as quickly as it came. "You're right Damon. You shouldn't have anything left to say to me you said it all that day. I was hoping you would listen to what I have to tell you actually."

"Why would I do that?"

"Because I'm more like you than you think. Especially now that you found out Tyler is your brother."

My mouth drops open but I quickly close it and mask my emotions. How the hell did he know? I feel Elena stiffen behind me and I hand her the key so she can open the door.

"Caroline told me. She told me everything because I've been waiting here since Stefan called me when she told him."

I should have known. I knew Care had told Stef and I knew Stef would probably call his dad. That still doesn't explain why he's here.

"I know what you're thinking Damon. I'm here to tell you about your mother. Liza was amazing and smart and beautiful and Richard was the worst thing for her. They were high school sweethearts just like Abigail and myself. Liza was in love with him but Richard turned his back on her when she needed him the most."

"My moms name is Liza?" I interrupt him and he looks to my eyes.

"Yes."

"You knew her?"

Some emotion comes across his face but it disappears quickly. Almost as if he's masking it. "Yes."

"How?"

He sighs and pulls out his wallet. What could be in his wallet? He hands me a picture and I take it from him cautiously. We are still in the hallway and I can feel Elena looking over my shoulder at the picture. It's a black and white wallet sized picture of a woman and a baby in a hospital. There isn't anything written on the back but I assume the woman is this Liza but who is the baby?

"I have a brother? Besides Tyler?"

He shakes his head. "No. Liza...passed away." His expression goes sad and he squeezes his eyes shut like he wants to cry almost.

"You loved her?"

"Yes but not like I love Abigail."

I try to make sense of everything in my head. I arrange the facts I know. He told me he's more like me than he thinks. He talked about this Liza woman like he was close to her. He seemed upset by the fact that she died.

"You're almost there Damon. Would you like me to tell you about Liza?"

I nod. "Who was she...to you?"

He takes a deep breath and then answers me. "Liza, your mother, was my sister."

I step back and Elena guides me to sit on the couch inside the apartment. I vaguely register that she invited Guiseppe to sit too. She's too polite for her own good although given the information he just gave me I need to talk to him some more. Liza was his sister. That would make him my uncle. Whoa Stef is my cousin.

I'm more like you than you think.

Those words keep going through my head over and over. There is something there.

Richard turned his back on her when she needed him the most.

Not surprising. I couldn't see Tyler ever sticking around if he fathered a child.

That's when it clicks. Tyler did father a child. He's my biological brother and Care showed me the DNA test said I was only related to Bonnie's baby as an uncle.

"You adopted me?" I finally say the words and Guiseppe looks at me with an unreadable expression on his face.

"Yes. Your mother had it set up before you were born. She wanted you to have two parents who loved you and who could provide for you. She loved you Damon, more than anything in this world. I know that for sure. She couldn't provide a good home for you though she was barely holding down her part time job and Richard made her reputation shit so she couldn't get any other job. Does that story sound familiar?"

I nod. "Bonnie."

"Yes. Can we have that talk now?"

I take a deep breath and sit up straighter on the couch and pull Elena down next to me. I want her here. I want her to know everything. Guiseppe moves to the chair across the coffee table from us. It takes a few moments but I finally find my voice and answer him.

"Yes. I would like to have that talk now."