In the wrong place, at the wrong time.

Chapter Ten

He could feel the adrenalin rushing through his body as the needle moved on the speedometer. It was these moments that made you realize just how much you should appreciate life. Every turn he took, he drifted smoothly. Thierry was behind him while Diego was out of his view completely. He smirked to himself when he realized that this was easier then he thought it would be. As he turned left pressing onto the pedal and hitting the 220km/h, he glanced at the angel beside him. Her eyes were shut, her hands gripping the sides of the seat so much that her knuckles turned white. In that moment all of the adrenalin left his body. He hated scaring her…he hated seeing her so afraid. He knew that he couldn't do anything to calm her down right now. The best he could do was prove to her that she was right to trust him about this race. He glanced in the review mirror and smirked when he saw Thierry trying to pass him. "Not this time, T." Damon smirked as he realized that they were about to take another turn. He decided not to drift to wide this time; instead he grabbed the handbrake and swirled around the corner which caused Elena to squeak. "Damon!"

"Relax…it's just a bumpy turn." He muttered to her as he stared across realizing that he was close to the finish line. He glanced at Thierry in the back…he was close, a bit to close. Damon kept his foot on the gas as he configured the computer to release the tank of nitrous oxide. He glanced in the review mirror and saw Thierry passing him. Damon didn't make a move to try and push him off the road instead he waited until they were even, side by side on the street. He glanced at Elena realizing that she was going to have a heart attack if he went any faster. "Elena, hold on tight…and whatever you do, don't open your eyes." He told her before flicked the switch that was underneath the steering wheel. Everything became blurry…he couldn't see anything that he was passing. The only thing he could see was the finish line coming closer every millisecond. As the nitrous oxide started to fade he realized that Thierry was way behind him and in less than 30 seconds he crossed the finish line. He drifted to the side causing the audience to scream out in cheer.

Elena opened her eyes breathing heavily as she looked around. Her eyes landed on Damon who was staring at her with a huge grin on his face. "We won." He said in this voice which indicated that he didn't care about the race but the trust that she had given to him.

"Go-good." Elena mumbled as she turned around. She didn't know how to act. She didn't know what to say…not after the ride she had, and certainly not after the kiss.

Zander approached the car with a grin on his face as he said. "YEAH MAN!" His hand banged on the hood of the car. Damon smirked at him as he opened the car door. "Congratulations man!" He extended his hand for Damon.

"Thanks man." Damon smiled as he shook hands.

Zander grabbed Damon's hand and held it up. "Let's hear it for Salvatore!" The crowed of people cheered and Damon couldn't help but smile. Back when he used to work for the FBI, he used to always cover for these street races. There was just something about the way these people valued family and loyalty which got to him. His father always used to tell him that family and loyalty should always comes first, no matter what kind of shit you're dealing with.

Damon felt a hand on his back and turned to see who it was. Will smirked at him as he said. "Can I have my money back?"

Damon rolled his eyes as he turned to Zander to ask about the money, but the man was already holding it in front of him. "I've got your dough, Salvatore. You've earned it."

Damon took the money before handing it to Will. "Here, count it." As Will started counting the money Damon's eyes followed over to the car behind his. It was Thierry's and he looked pissed. He got out of the car and started walking in Damon's direction. Just as he was passing Damon's car the door opened and it nearly hit Thierry. Damon watched as Thierry's hand roughly slammed the door back shut. "Fucking bitch!"

Damon's hands tightened into fists as he started walking towards him. "What did you say?" He barked.

"I said that she's a fucking-" He didn't even get to finish the sentence because Damon's fist collided with his jaw. He fell to the ground but Damon didn't stop, he jumped on top of him and started to beat him as hard as he could. He would have continued if it wasn't for Will and Zander who grabbed him and pulled him off of Thierry.

"DAMON!" Will yelled at him as he pulled him away.

"Don't you fucking dare say anything to her, you piece of shit!" Damon yelled at Thierry as he tried to get out of Will's tight hold.

"DAMON, GET YOUR SHIT TOGETHER!" Will yelled at him as he tried to hold him back. Thierry was barely standing on his feet. Blood was coming out of his mouth but Damon didn't care. He had no right to call Elena names especially not in front of him.

Will kept on dragging him away from the scene but he managed to get out of his reach. Just as Will was about to grab him again he growled. "STOP! I'm not leaving her!"

Will understood immediately who Damon was talking about. "I'll get her."

"No, I will."

"Damon-"

"Let's see if he has the guts to say anything now, or I'll rip out his spleen through his back!" He growled as he started walking towards the car. The crowed of people just stared at him as if he had two heads. When he got to Elena's side of the car, he opened the door and said to her. "Are you okay?"

"Yes…I'm fine." She mumbled, but he could tell that she was scared.

"Come on out."

"No. I'll just stay-"

"He's not going to touch you, you hear me."

"Damon, I'd rather stay here." She said with a pleading look in her eyes.

He could tell that she was scared…not of Thierry but of him. He took a deep breath as he said. "We'll be leaving soon. I just…I need to find this guy, but if you want I can ask Will to take you back to the motel."

She nodded her head. "Okay."

"You want to go back?" Damon asked to conform, but deep down he knew the answer.

"Yes." She mumbled not looking at him.

"Okay…I'll let him know." He said to her as he closed the door and walked over to Will. He took out his car keys as he said. "Take her back to the motel and stay with her until I get there."

"What about Mckittrick?"

"I'll ask around." Damon said to him as he nodded in Zander's direction.

"Okay." Will said as he took Damon's keys and gave him the keys to the 1970 Plymouth duster. Damon glanced back at the car Elena was sitting in and he felt like his whole heart was breaking into a million pieces. He watched as Will got inside the car…and then he realized that she trusted Will, a complete stranger, to drive her back to the motel more than him…a man she had made love with last night. He watched them drive off feeling like he was being torn into pieces.

"Where is your girl going?" Znader asked.

"She's not my girl." Damon answered.

"You sure about that?"

"What do you mean am I sure about it? Of course I am!" Damon growled angrily.

"You don't just throw a guy down to beat the shit out of him for anybody."

"She's just a friend."

"A friend that you're falling in love with." The man said with a smirk on his face.

"It doesn't matter…because she doesn't feel the same way, and she never will, not after what I did to her."

They drove in complete silence. Will tried to start up a conversation but she was one of those people who only answered with a simple ''yes and no''. He glanced at her and noticed her shaky hands. "Are you okay?" He asked.

"Yeah."

"Why are you shaking? If you're scared of Thierry let me tell you that you have nothing to worry about. The guy is just an ass who acts all tough but in reality he's scared of a Doberman puppy."

"I'm not scared of Thierry." Elena answered as she looked out of the window.

"Then what's got you so shaky?"

"Nothing."

"I can't be nothing. Is it because I'm driving you to the motel? Look I'm not a serial killer or anything. I won't hurt you." Will tried to relax her.

"No, I'm not scared of you."

"Good, because you had me worried for a second there." He smiled at her. Elena didn't say anything. She just kept looking out the window. She couldn't believe that he just threw the guy down onto the floor and started beating him like that. He was so pissed and angry…but she didn't know why. He had won the stupid race…so why was he hitting the guy?

"-dating Damon."

"What?" Elena asked when she realized Will was talking. The guy couldn't take a hint, he just kept asking questions.

"I asked how come you're not dating Damon?"

"Why would you think that I would want to date Damon?"

"You two seem…close." Will said with a small innocent smile. "I mean there is something going on between you two. " He chuckled. "I haven't seen him go crazy on a guy like that since…Natasha."

"Natasha?" Elena asked confused.

Will smirked. "That got your attention."

"No…I've just never heard of her before. People normally ask about…Katherine."

"That's because, Natasha doesn't exists." He smirked at her as he said. "I made her up to see your reaction."

Elena rolled her eyes and looked out the window. Will watched her for a second before asking. "What did he do?"

"Nothing." Elena mumbled not facing him.

"Has he been acting like a cave man?" He asked but she didn't answer so he added. "I know, he's been wearing his underwear on his head."

That made Elena chuckle, which made Will smirk. "There we go, she can laugh."

Elena shook her head as she continued looking out the window. Will rolled his eyes playfully. "You're seriously going to ignore me this entire ride?"

"I'm not ignoring you."

"Yes you are. You keep looking out the window while you should be looking at my handsome face."

Elena chuckled again as she turned to him. "What do you want to know?"

"What my idiot best friend did to screw up any chance he had with a girl like you?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "It's complicated."

"I have time."

"You don't give up, do you?"

"Nope." He smiled at her before winking.

She shied loudly before saying. "Let's just say that Damon's judgment can be clouded by his trust issues."

"Trust issues huh?"

"Yep."

Will glanced at her before looking back up at the road ahead. "Let me tell you a little story that doesn't have a happy ending." He paused for a second before continuing. "You mentioned people asking about Katherine, well that is no coincidence since she's been with Damon for the last 3 years…until she tried to kill him." Will glanced over to Elena and noticed her staring at him.

"She tried to kill him?"

"Yep, but that's not the worst part…The worst part about dating someone who is paid to kill you, is that you fall for them." He turned to Elena and said. "Imagine sharing a bed with someone who is trying to kill you?"

Elena swallowed thickly before saying. "It's not that hard for me to imagine."

"Having dinner with that person every night. Hearing them tell you that they love you…and then finding out that it's all a lie."

"I didn't lie!" She yelled out.

Will turned to her confused. "No, I wasn't talking about you…I was talking about Katherine."

"I know who you were talking about…but he doesn't see it! He didn't see it!"

"See what?" Will asked with a worried facial expression because Elena looked so pail and shaky. He waited for her to answer but she didn't…she just stared out the window. "Elena?"

"I don't want to talk about this!" She declared.

"Okay…we can talk about something else." Will said calmly as he glanced at her. He didn't want her to get upset…she already looked so pail.

"I just want to sit in silence…please." She spoke in a sad voice as she looked out the window. Will only nodded his head giving up on his attempt to strike up a conversation with Elena.

"This is the bloody hundredth time I've tried calling him!" Nick spat out angrily as he flipped his phone shut. They were on the road to Atlanta with no idea where Damon was currently and Nick was starting to lose his temper. All he wanted to do right now was drag that little bitch Elena by her hair back to Stefan so that he could get his girl back.

"Try Will." Rick said as he focused on the road.

Nick dialed the number and waited for an answer…it rang twice before Will picked up. "Hello?"

"Where the hell is Damon?" Nick yelled over the phone.

"Piss off!" Will yelled back. "Polite people introduce themselves first, ass!"

"I'm not in the mood, Will. Where is he?"

"Looking for Mckittrick."

"Where?"

"At the Atlanta motor speedway."

"What?" Nick asked his voice full of confusion and surprise.

"Long story, Mikaelson, and I don't have the time to tell the tail." Will said in an annoyed voice.

"Fine, just tell me one more thing. Is the little brunette with him?"

"Elena?"

"Yes, Elena."

"No, she's with me right now. Why?"

"Where are you?"

"Heading to the Mableton motel. Why?"

Nick hesitated before saying. "Are you on speaker phone?"

"What the hell Nick, no!" Will muttered annoyed. "I haven't got time to play detective! My phones not hacked, trust me, I'd know."

"Listen to me you moron! Don't let her out of your sight-"

"Damon already gave me the lecture."

"What? Does Damon know about her and Stefan?"

"What the hell are you talking about, Nick?"

"Augh!" Nick growled annoyed and frustrated with this insufferable man. "Whatever you do just don't let her leave before I get there, got it?"

"Yeah, yeah, are we done now?"

"Yes, and tell Damon to fucking answer the phone next time I try to call him!"

"Will do." Will answered before ending the call.

"Idiot." Nick mumbled as he shoved his phone into his pocket.

"What did he say?" Rick asked.

"She's with him…they are heading to the Mableton motel."

"Oh…"

"Yeah…she's working Will now, and that idiot is worse than Damon."

Rick didn't say anything at first. It was just still odd for him to accept that Elena was that manipulative. He still believed that there was an explanation behind it all. She was too sweet and nice to be a mastermind serial killer. Yeah, they all misjudged Katherine, but when he thought about it now there were some episodes that they missed when she acted out that could have led them to see her true motives. Elena on the other hand was too emotional and naïve for him to ever consider her to be a criminal mastermind which is why Rick didn't comment on the current situation.

As soon as they entered the room she headed straight to the bathroom. She needed to splash some cold water onto her face. Her head was pounding, her body felt limp, and her hands were shaking as she reached out to unscrew the tap. Filling her palm up with cold water and splashing it onto her face felt like a breath of fresh air. She needed this after that life threatening ride. She stared at the mirror realizing just how worn out she looked. The sclera part of her eyes wasn't white anymore, but instead it was a reddish color. She had under eye circles that were a dark brown color and made her look at least 15 years older. Her hair was messy and oily. She had never looked more disgusting to herself in her entire life. She splashed on some more water onto her face trying to wash away the image she saw in the mirror.

"Elena…you okay?" Will asked as knocked lightly on the door.

"Yes…I'm just…I'm freshening up." She answered as she grabbed the nearby towel and wiped her face.

"Do you want anything to eat? It's my treat?"

"No, I'm fine." She answered even though her stomach was growling for food. She just couldn't even imagine being near food right now, especially after the race. She still felt dizzy.

"Do you want anything to drink? Coffee? Tea?"

"No, I'm fine." She answered as she took a seat on the toilet. She just needed some time alone. Will was nice, but he wasn't what she needed right now. The only thing she needed right now was to curl up in a ball and have her dad cuddle her like he did when she was little.

"Okay…I'll just order for myself then." He muttered from the other side of the door.

She sat there for almost 10 minutes just thinking about everything that had happened since she met Damon. She tried to put the pieces together. There was a mountain of new information, and a lot more to come since Damon had promised to tell her everything about his past. She needed to hear all of it. She needed to understand if she had made the biggest mistake of her life by giving herself over to Damon last night. A huge part of her was screaming and saying that it didn't matter, not since her pointed a gun at her face and threatened to kill her countless times, but another part of her kept clinging to the explanation he was going to provide. She needed to find out the truth for her own piece of mind.

Another knock was heard from the door. "Elena, you okay?"

It was Damon's voice. He was back. She jumped up from the toilet and it caused a wave of nausea to hit her. She grabbed onto the sink as she answered. "Yeah…just a little dizzy, that's all."

Immediately the door opened and he rushed to her side. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Nothing…I just stood up a little too quickly and it caused this wave of nausea to hit me."

He took hold of her, giving her support. "You should rest. You don't look so good."

"Yeah…can I lie down?"

"Of course." He said as he slowly led her out of the bathroom. As they exited the bathroom and into the bedroom she realized that Will wasn't there anymore. He must have left as soon as Damon arrived. He helped her over to the bed where she gently laid down. "Can I get you anything? Something to eat-of course, you're starving, aren't you?" He muttered more to himself then to her.

"Damon, I can't."

"You haven't even had a proper meal today." He shook his head as he walked over to the phone. "I'm calling room service."

"I'm not hungry."

"Elena, you're eating, no discussion." He lectured her like a small child.

She shied before closing her eyes. She needed sleep. That's all she wanted, but as soon as she manages to close her eyes the pounding in her head returns even louder than before. She heard Damon ordering food and drinks. She knew he was right about her needing to eat but she just couldn't bring herself to consume food in the state that she was right now. She felt the bed beside her shift as he sat down next to her…and then she felt his hand brushing her cheek. Her eyes opened and she stared up at him. He pulled his hand away immediately. "Um…the food will be here shortly."

She didn't comment on the fact that he ordered food even though she told him not to, instead she asked. "You said you'd tell me."

He swallowed thickly knowing what she was asking. "Yes, I said I'd tell you everything and I will, but first please have something to eat so you don't faint."

"Damon…" She called out in this weak and tired voice, her eyes staring up at him as if trying to tell him that she was tired of all the waiting.

He took a deep breath before stating. "It all started a year after my mum died." He turned away from her and looked at the opposite wall. "I was only 9 when she died and year a later my father met this woman...Maria. She was from Italy…actually she was his high school girlfriend or something; I never got the real story. Since she had a failed marriage and my dad was a widower they decided to get married." He paused and smiled. "Maria was a nice woman and I honestly liked her. She never tired to replace my mum, but she was just there for me when I needed her. I could tell that my dad loved her deeply which was why he suggested that she should invite her two kids to America to live with us." He looked down at his lap as if feeling ashamed. "When Stefan and Meredith came to live with us I was more than excited about having siblings, but that all changed when I turned 16 and started sleeping with Meredith." He looked at Elena who was staring up at him with her mouth open. "It's not like it sounds. She wasn't only sleeping with me. She was also sleeping with Will and a bunch of other guys that were my friends." He swallowed thickly as he relived the painful memory. "She got pregnant." He looked Elena in the eyes as he answered her unspoken question. "It wasn't mine because I never had unprotected sex with her, but Will and the others did. She was scared about the pregnancy and in desperate need of money to take care of it." A flash of sadness crossed his face as he spoke about her. "She came to me and threatened to tell Maria that I raped her if I didn't come up with the money." He shied loudly. "I tried convincing her to tell my dad…mainly because she claimed that the baby was Will's."

Elena couldn't help but ask. "Does he know about all of this?"

"Yes." Damon answered painfully. "But he didn't know about it until she lost the baby."

"Lost it or had an abortion?"

"She didn't have an abortion…she lost the baby from severe blows and kicks to her stomach." Damon answered and Elena gasped.

"She-she never told me about any of this." She mumbled more to herself then to Damon.

"It's not something you brag about." Damon added.

"I know, it's just…I never thought that she went through something like that. She always acts so full of life and happiness."

"She is a Schwarzschild after all." Damon muttered. "Expect the unexpected."

Elena sat up a little on the bed to face him as she asked. "You said she suffered severe blows and kicks to the stomach?"

"Yeah…I found her beaten up and bleeding in the basement of our family home." His hands tightened into fists as he continued. "When I asked her who had done that to her, she wouldn't tell me. At first I thought it was one of the guys, but then a week later I overheard a conversation between her and Stefan which led me to realize that it was him who had beaten her up. I overheard him telling her how he was going to hunt down every single guy she slept with and bring back their heads until she told him which guy got her pregnant."

Elena gasped as she placed her hand over her mouth, tears in her doe eyes. Damon locked eyes with her as he said. "She didn't tell him that it was Will because she couldn't risk losing Will." Damon took a deep breath. "So instead she said that I was the one who got her pregnant."

Elena eyes widened as she listened to every word that came out of his mouth. This was so not what she had expected Damon to tell her. She watched as he stood up from the bed and walked over to the window. "To say that Stefan wanted to murder me was an understatement." He walked back to the bed and took a seat. "Stefan and I were never close, not before he found out about us sleeping together and certainly not after. At first I expected him to beat the living crap out of me, but he didn't. He kept asking for money. At first it was only a couple of hundred bucks but then he escalated and started asking for thousands of dollars. Every time that I said that I couldn't get the money he threatened to tell Maria about what happened between Meredith and I. At first I tried to tell him that she wasn't pregnant with my child but he just wouldn't listen. He kept making threats, not only to me but to Meredith as well. Every time I said that I wouldn't give him the money he would use Meredith as leverage and I always came through. I tired convincing Meredith to tell her mother the truth but she wouldn't. That continued for an entire year. I kept giving him money, until he asked for 10 thousand dollars…which I didn't have. He gave me 3 hours to come up with the money or he'd beat Meredith up and that's when I snapped. I tracked him down at our old family cabin and we got into an ugly fight which Will broke up. I would have continued…until I killed him." Damon whispered the last part. "But then Will pointed something out to me. Meredith was nowhere in sight. He was all alone and that's when I realized that it was all a set up. Will and I then set off to find Meredith." He shook his head, anger on his face. "Imagine my surprise when I found her at a disco club dancing. I dragged her out of the club and demanded answers. The only thing she told me was to deliver the money or she'd tell her mom that I got her pregnant, and then covered it up by beating her up until she lost the child." He swallowed thickly. "I was stuck…I didn't know what to do anymore…so I went to my dad." He spoke in a voice full of pain. "I told him everything, including the part about Will being the father of the baby and how Stefan had hurt her."

Elena's hands were over her face, tears in her doe eyes. She knew Stefan was capable of killing her…but hurting his own sister was beyond evil. She grabbed the cushion on the bed and sat up completely. "What did your dad do?"

"At first I thought he was going to tell Maria everything, but he didn't." Damon was stopped by a knock on the door. "It's room service." He said to Elena as he stood up and walked over to the door. The woman walked in with a tray of food and placed it on the coffee table. Damon paid for it and then she left. When he closed the door, he walked back over to Elena and said. "You should eat."

"No, I can't right now…just tell me what happened next."

"Like I said, he didn't tell Maria anything. Instead he had a rough conversation with Stefan in which he demanded to know why he needed 10 thousand dollars. At first Stefan wouldn't say but when my dad threatened to tell Maria, he finally came out with it. He said that he needed the money to pay for an abortion…he needed the money to pay off a girl who was pregnant with his child."

"He got a girl pregnant?" Elena asked not able to believe it because Stefan was always careful when it came to sex…but then again this was when they were teenagers.

"Not just any girl. He got a girl named Amara pregnant…and she also happened to be the daughter of Markos Traveler who is the leader of the Originals. You've asked me countless times who the Originals are and I thought you knew…since you were engaged to Stefan, but since you don't know I'll explain it to you. It all started with Sloan, a woman who used to work in an organization called the Augustine. It was a top secret organization, and I didn't know about it until I started working for the FBI, but apparently her organization did research on parapsychology and let's just say that one of her researcher's, Vanessa, stumbled up on some interesting information. As I said this organization made its breakthrough…but Sloan needed a private donator to continue her studies and that's when she stumbled across Markos Traveler. Apparently she was completely clueless about who he was when she asked for the donation but after some time the Augustine's started spreading all over Europe. People were investing money thinking that this organization wasn't just another fraud, but that all changed when after five years there was no discovery. Then on October 14 1989 in less than 24 hours 28 Augustine organizations were shut down. People started asking about where their money had gone, but there was no answer from Sloan, only Markos, her husband, spoke at a conference meeting saying that he had no idea where his wife was, and one month after that her body was found near the Tiber River in Rome. When forensics analyzed her body they said that she didn't died from drowning…she was murdered. Her throat was slit. A year later, a large sum of money, nearly 30 million dollars was transferred into a privet account that Markos owned. FBI was never able to find out where the money came from. Markos claimed that it was from large investments, but you'd have to be an idiot to invest millions of dollars with the stock market about to turn."

"So you think he killed his wife, and blocked all the funds only to use the money for himself?"

"Yes." Damon nodded his head.

"Okay, but what does this all have to do with you?"

"I'm getting there." Damon said as he took a deep breath. "Markos and Sloan had a daughter, Amara, and that's the girl that Stefan got pregnant. Back then we didn't know who Markos really was. To us he was just the richest guy in New York City, which scared the living hell out of Stefan. He knew that if Markos wanted him out of the USA he could make that happen, so my dad took things into his own hands…He told Stefan to bring the girl, Amara, so that he could meet her. After talking and realizing that the girl didn't want to keep the baby, dad offered to pay for the abortion as long as she never told her father that it was Stefan who got her pregnant. She agreed without a second thought."

"But she was underage!" Elena screamed out frustrated. "How could your dad do that?" She couldn't believe this.

"Hey, calm down and let me explain." Damon said to her, his eyes full of tears. "She wasn't under age. She was 18 at the time, while Stefan was 17, so she wasn't underage which is why my dad offered her the deal. I'm not saying that what my dad did was right, Elena, all I'm saying is that he was trying to protect him."

She nodded her head and swallowed thickly. "I'm sorry…continue."

"She had the abortion…and there were no complications. Everything returned back to normal, and for the first time Stefan started taking interest in being my friend. He kept saying that I knew what it was like to lose a child….I kept telling him that it wasn't me who got Meredith pregnant, but he just ignored it as if he wanted it to be mine not Will's baby. A whole year passed and everything was normal. Stefan and I were heading off to college. He started prompting my dad about giving him a position in Green but dad was pissed at me for not taking an interest in the company and just ignored Stefan request. He was also very upset because Maria was very sick…she had leukemia and the treatment she was receiving wasn't helping her at all. She died two months before Stefan and I graduated. It was hard on dad when he lost Maria and he sort of isolated himself from Stefan and Meredith…mainly because they were reminders of her. I applied to Harvard University and got in while Stefan applied to New York University because he wanted to stay close to home and close to the company. As I was studying, I joined the police united hoping to earn my 3 years of experience on the field, but when I turned 20 my dad was diagnosed with heart disease and only 3 months later he had a heart attack in his office." He stared across the room at the wall, his blue eye full of sorrow and pain. "I didn't even get to say goodbye." He looked away before continuing. "After his funeral his lawyer came to me with the will. It stated clearly that everything my dad owned he left to me. There were also two accounts with 2 hundred thousand dollars in each one for Stefan and Meredith, but everything else was left to me. I informed both of them…and showed them the will, but since I was away at college I asked Stefan to take over the company and work side by side with Mr. O'Connell, who was my dad's trusted friend and work partner. Everything was going smoothly. I had graduated and finally joined the FBI. I felt like my life was finally coming together but then Mr. O'Connell came to me saying that Green was losing enormous sums of money…thousands of dollars were disappearing but without any source where the money was going. He told me that we had a double-crosser in the company, and his guess was on Stefan. At first I didn't want to believe it so I told Mr. O'Connell to bring me proof and in less than a week he did. He brought me the account books which Stefan was in charge of, and I realized that a large sum of money was transferred to a person called Arama Relevart every week. I didn't confront Stefan about this because I still believed that it was some mistake. So I went to an FBI agent for help. I asked her to track down the name Arama Relevart." He shook his head at the memory. "Liz, my FBI friend tracked the name down and told me that it was a private organization owned by literally a ghost. No one had literally met this person before. I spent hours looking though the files on Arama Relevart, until I noticed something about the name." He stared at Elena as he continued. "When you rearrange the letters of Arama Relevart it spells Amara Traveler and then I made the connection."

"He was giving her money, wasn't he?" Elena asked, biting her lip.

"Yes, but when I confronted him, he told me that it was a loan and that he couldn't say no, not after the history he had with her. I told him that he should pull out all the money he invested because this girl…and her entire family were criminals. He said that he'd do it, pull back the money, but he never did. He had people in the FBI who managed to help him set me up. I was on my first big mission." He smiled at the memory. "I was posing as an elite street racer who illegally immigrated to Florida from Italia. My task was simple. I was supposed to track down a drug cartel that kept importing cocaine unnoticed into the country. I only had initials by which this person went by so I had to become part of the lifestyle…which is how I met Zander, Thierry and Diego. Anyway, there was this illegal street race that was like the golden ticket and I focused all of my energy on winning that I completely forgot about the task. After the race, in which I came second, we were all invited to W.G. club. I took a few bears and the winner invited me for a ride in this amazing car…and I said yes. We took a drive around the block and that was it. I went home that night and at 6 am in the morning NYPD specialists had surrounded my apartment building." His hands tightened into fists. "They broke down my door and invaded my apartment in search of drugs and weapons. Underneath my bed they found an AK-47 rifle along with 4 sets of car keys. I was arrested immediately and my badge was taken. I was held in a prison facility in New York for two weeks awaiting my trial. The day before my trial, my lawyer, Elijah Mikaelson, came to me to discuss my defense and that's when I saw on national television that new information had been provided about the rightful owner of "Green". Stefan got the fake will read out on national television, not only to make sure I get the longest sentence possible but also to ensure his own position."

"Oh my god…" Elena whispered as she stared at the man in front of her. She couldn't even comprehend everything that he had just told her…all that he had been through. Being stabbed in the back by so many people…people he considered family. "I'm so sorry…" She whispered.

Damon looked away as if angry with her sympathetic facial expression. "Now you know what Stefan did to me." He stood up and walked over to the coffee table to pick up the tray of food before returning. He placed it in front of Elena as he said. "The story is finished, now eat."

She looked up at him…her eyes glistening with sorrow and pain that she felt for this man. She didn't want to torture him with anymore questions but she had to know one more answer. "How did you escape prison?"

Damon nodded his head as if to say that he was expecting this one. "Liz, the woman who helped me track down Arama Relevart, gave me a 3 minute window, when all the cameras were switched off, to escape while we were taking showers…and Nick's brother Kol, who was off duty, drove me to a secluded place outside of New York." He looked at Elena and smiled. "You hate Nick, but if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be here right now. He's ruff around the edges, but he has a good heart. After that I was caught on camera at a local minimart so Nick suggested that we leave for Tennessee for a while just to change location and get the FBI off by back."

She nodded her head. "Why is he on the run?"

Damon shook his head. "Because of Hayley." Damon answered as he shook his head not believing what Nick had gotten himself into. "Nick is the type of guy who likes to get in trouble because he knows he'll always get bailed out of any kind of shit by Kol and Elijah, but when he got involved with Hayley…he didn't realize what kind of crap he had gotten himself into." He looked up at Elena and smiled lightly. "I hated her the moment I met her because I could tell that she would be the death of him. Hayley Marshall is the half sister of Marcel Gerard the latest leader of the elite gangsters of New York. They're known as the Wolves, anyway, Hayley was dating Marcel's best friend Atticus Shane before she met Nick, but when Atticus popped the question she said no. After that she met Nick and started messing around with him…and he fell for her, but then Marcel intervened and tried to break them up by constantly having Atticus follow Hayley everywhere she went. Nick and Atticus got into countless tiffs, but nothing too serious until Nick walked in on Atticus and Hayley in bed." Damon shook his head as he said to Elena. "You get scared of me…but I'm nothing compared to Nick. He nearly killed they guy. He left him with a broken leg, arm and nose unconscious on the floor…and that's when Marcel went ballistic and arrived with a gun in his hand to our hide out. I was there and that's when I recognized him as the racer who took me for a ride around the block."

"He's the one that set you up?" Elena asked.

"Yes, he was part of it." Damon nodded his head.

"So that's why Hayley hates you."

"Hayley doesn't know the truth." He answered honestly. "And I want to keep it that way, because even if Hayley knew the truth it wouldn't change a damn thing because Marcel is the closest thing she has to family."

Elena just nodded her head putting the pieces together. Damon stood up and took a glass that was filled up with orange juice and carried it over to the night stand. He took out a sachet from his pocket and tore it open. "Come on, eat something. You need to take those supplements so you don't faint again."

Elena sighed as she sat up on the bed. "Okay…" She took the fork and started playing with the piece of chicken and the mash potatoes on her plate. She just couldn't bring herself to start eating no matter how much she tried.

Damon watched her, she was detached completely, as he mixed the supplement with the spoon. He walked over to the window deciding to give her privacy. Maybe it was his presence that was making her uncomfortable to eat. He considered every option especially after the hell he had put her through. A couple of minutes passed so Damon glanced to see if she had started to eat, but the only thing he saw was a broken girl staring into space. "It's not going to change anything…you eating or not eating…the world doesn't care. " he walked over to her. "You take care of yourself…because the world as sure as hell won't do a damn thing about it."

"I…I just can't bring myself to taste food. It's like…I can't explain it." She shook her head.

"Your body is on overdrive just like your mind is, so no matter how much you try to convince yourself that you can eat it just seems impossible, but it's not Elena." He took the fork from her and scooped up some mashed potatoes before he held it in front of her mouth. "Now you're not forcing yourself, I'm forcing you."

She stared at him, her eyes tired and red from crying. Damon stared back at her. "Please, just eat. I…I can't lose you, not now."

"I'm not yours…so you can't lose me." She whispered sneaking a glance in his direction. She needed him to know that nothing could happen…not after the day she had. Not after he pointed a gun at her face. She trusted him enough…especially now that she had learnt about his past, but nothing romantic could happen between them, not now and not ever, the only thing they could be is friends.

"I didn't mean it like that…I meant that I can't stand the thought of you getting even more hurt because of me." Damon said awkwardly. His hand gently placed the spoon back down onto the plate. He stood up anxiously scratching the back of his neck. "Please, just eat…for your own health."

Elena swallowed thickly and picked up the spoon with the mashed potato, she raised it to her mouth and forced it over her lips. As soon as she felt it food in her mouth, she felt like she was going to spit it out but instead she swallowed it fast before she had a chance.

He walked into the house puzzled. His head was pounding, his hands sweaty, and he could feel the anger wanting to resurface. His fist desperately wanted to pound something…preferably Stefan's face. He pulled out the kitchen chair and took a seat. In the opposite wall he could see it all. Every imaginable picture was painted…every scenario he could imagine but the worst part was he didn't want to believe it. This was Elena…his angel like sister. To just think that she could be capable of all the things Bonnie said…it just didn't seem real and the biggest part of his subconscious was still nagging him to believe in her...after all, she is his flesh and blood.

He could hear footsteps coming from the staircase. "Jeremy…sweetheart, where have you been?" Isobel asked as she came to stand next to her son.

"O-out." He choked out not looking at him mother. He didn't want to repeat everything that Bonnie had told him…plus his mother wouldn't hear a single bad word about Stefan. He was perfection to her. He was the perfect son in law, the perfect husband for her daughter…the perfect god damn everything.

Jeremy's head snapped up to look at her. "Why are you just standing there staring at me?"

"Dear god, be polite. I was just worried about you…you seem a little stressed."

"Well, I'm not."He jumped out of his seat and headed for the stairs.

"Where are you going?" She yelled after him, but didn't receive a reply. The only noise that echoed through the house was a loud door slamming shut.

Jeremy watched his father just standing there…not moving a single muscle. His eyes fixed on the cherry tree outside and Jeremy knew exactly why he was staring at that tree. It was the tree his daughter use to climb when she was still little, the same daughter who use to imagine she was daddy's princess…and that's exactly what she was to Grayson. He loved her from the bottom of his heart because she was his and his only. Even at such a young age Jeremy could tell that his father had a special place in his heart for Elena, maybe it was because she was his first or because she was a girl…but either way, he loved her in a different way then he loved his son. He was never jealous, partly because Isobel always favored him so they were kind of even.

He couldn't tell if his father was a statue or a real person because he was standing so still…as if he wasn't even breathing. He wondered what it must be like for him. It must hurt like hell when you don't know where your daughter is…or if she's alive or not. Knowing that you can't do anything but wait must be killing him, but Jeremy also knew that he couldn't help him even if he wanted to. He debated on whether to tell his father about what Bonnie had told him or to keep it a secret for now. Even he doubted he story, so what was the point in telling Grayson about it?

Jeremy took a deep breath as he entered the room. The older man didn't even flinch. He didn't turn to see who it was; he just stood by the window gazing at the cherry tree.

"Dad?"

There was no response. Grayson's eyes were glued to the tree, his lips turned upwards as he breathed through his nose. Jeremy stood by his father's side, not speaking just watching the enormous pink bouquet that was in his garden. "She used to climb this tree when Isobel wouldn't let her have a cherry ripe before lunch." A weak voice broke out of Grayson Gilbert's mouth.

"I remember. " Jeremy smiled.

"She used to say that one day this tree would turn into a factory of cherry ripe chocolates." The older man said with a weak smile on his face.

"And that she would be the princess of Cherry Ripe Land."

Grayson shook his head as he turned to face his son. His eyes were weak and full of tears. "I wish she could have stayed 8 forever."

"And I wish I could have stayed 3 forever."

"Why 3?" Grayson asked.

The young man answered with a smirk. "Because I can hardly remember that period of my life. I was living in the clouds…I practically didn't know how to wipe my ass clean."

Grayson started chuckling at his son before he took him into a hug. He wrapped his arms around Jeremy's back tightly before a strong cry escaped his lips. Jeremy didn't pull away…he knew deep down that his father needed this. For weeks now he had been keeping all of the pain he was feeling to himself, not letting it escape. Now it was time for a few teardrops to slide out of his eyes. They held each other for a while, just being father and son.

Grayson was the first one to pull away. "I don't want to even think about not ever seeing her again…because if do I don't know if I could live with myself."

"Then don't, because my sister…your daughter is out there somewhere…she has to be dad." Jeremy spoke clearly, his voice full of certainty. "She is out there dad. I can feel it." And it was true, he could. Every time that he thought she might be gone…dead, there was something inside of him that kept telling him to still believe…to still have hope to see Elena walk through the front door again.

"I hope so, son, I hope so."

So here is chapter 10 finished. I hope I cleaned up all those unanswered questions about Damon's past. There are still some secrets about Stefan but slowly as the story develops so will the answers. Many of you asked "Who is the man Stefan was talking to in the previous chapter?" Well, all I can say is that it's not the obvious person…think a little deeper and outside the box. That's all I'm going to give away. So what do you think about this chapter? Do you like it? What did you guys think of Will? Do you like him? Dislike him? What about the street race? Any speculations on what might come next?

Thank you guy so far for supporting my stories and reviewing them. I really appreciate it. I know it's been a long time since I updated, but I've been going through a lot right now so just bear with me.

Please REVIEW and continue to follow my stories because I promise I will keep writing. I'm not giving up!

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