Hello my lovelies! :D Sorry for being away. Exams were a bitch taking up all of my time :( But I'm back and i just have to say... Did anyone see my Klaroline babies?! They were adorable! I swear I nearly screamed when Klaus told Caroline he would be her last love! I confess I actually did cry when Alaric vanished at the end! No more Dalaric friendship :( Why must Julie Plec ruin everything?!

Anyway... just to clear this up... everything from now on is set AFTER chapter One. I asked some of you for help and the response was amazing. i loved every single one of your ideas and i will be incorporating some of them as the story progresses :D So a very big thank you to everyone who gave me their suggestions. I love you xxx

A big thank you to HollieGilbertSalvatore, Elena Prada, Panda0990, DatGirlDest, MsRose91, LucyRider17, sPaRkzZz, DelenaFreak0422, Guest, alwaysnnever, vikkidillard, Guest and Tvdlover87654 for your reviews. They made me laugh, cry and smile :) xx

PS. Sorry if there are any mistakes.

Present Time

Closing the door shut behind her, Jessica sighed heavily and let her head fall against it as she fought to hold back her tears. It felt to her that all she had done lately was cry and she was so sick and tired of doing so. Her confrontation with Damon had been the last straw.

He had begged her not to go; begged her to stay and let him explain his foolish actions but she had left. Jessica knew that she had no claim to Damon, and hadn't done for a while, but love and jealousy were not rational emotions. As much as she knew she was partially responsible for Damon kissing Elena, her heart and emotions were so raw and bloody that she couldn't help but hate the man she loved.

Her friends had been right. Falling in love with Damon Salvatore was a mistake of massive proportions. The girl she once was, was gone. In her place was now a broken down, angry, heart-broken version of the girl she used to be. She was too pitiful to even be considered a shadow of her former self. How had that happened? How had she let Damon become her life? How had she allowed all of her happiness to depend on him?

Hearing the door open and close, Caroline darted from the living room and smiled with relief upon seeing her younger sister. When she had returned home earlier, she had immediately panicked when she noticed that Jessica was no longer asleep in her bed.

"Thank god!" Caroline exclaimed, pulling her sister into a tight hug. "Where have you been?"
"I went to see Damon. Don't worry, we're not getting back together. We just… needed to talk."

Jessica grimaced. They had hardly talked. Yelled, more like. Screamed? definitely. Actually talk? Not so much.

"Where did you go anyway?"
"Oh…"

Grabbing Jessica's hand, Caroline led her into the living room; dreading the explosive reaction that would most definitely come from her sister once she saw who Caroline had brought home with her.

Sat on the cream coloured couch, Bonnie nervously twiddled her thumbs and half-smiled at Jessica when she saw her former friend enter the room along with Caroline. Almost instantaneously, Jessica's expression, which had previously been one of exhaustion, turned murderous. Her mahogany brown eyes shined bright with anger and Bonnie flinched under the glare she was receiving.

"What the hell is she doing here?!" Jessica all but screeched.

After her altercation with Damon, she was in no state to even contemplate dealing with a treacherous 'best-friend'. Her greatest desire in that moment was to just curl up back into the safety of her bed and block out the world with sleep.

From the way her sister's entire body had tensed up, Caroline knew Jessica was about to dart from the room and she could not let that happen. Against her better judgement, she had left Jessica earlier to go in search of Bonnie. Their lives and friendships had become such a tangled mess and Caroline felt that it was about time everything was fixed.

That's how it came to be that, for the first time in almost a month, Bonnie and Jessica were in the same room together. Bonnie had given in to Caroline's constant pleas and demands that she apologise to Jessica and attempt to reconcile the ruined friendship and in all honesty, she missed her friend.

"Bonnie's here to apologise."
"I have nothing to say to her." Jessica spat.
"Jessica, please…" Bonnie began, taking a step towards Jessica who immediately took a step back.
"No."
"I'm sorry-"
"No, you're not! You got exactly what you wanted. You're just sorry Jeremy broke up with you."

It was a low blow, Jessica knew that, but she was angry. So infuriatingly angry. The longer she stayed standing looking into Bonnie's green eyes that were laced with hurt, the more furious Jessica became. It would be possible for Bonnie to fix her relationship with Jeremy. After all, Jeremy was still in love with Bonnie. However, her relationship with Damon was broken beyond all repair. They had both hurt each other so badly that Jessica was certain they were no way back for them, and the injustice of it all did little to dampen the flame of anger that was burning brightly inside of her.

"Jessica…" Caroline said warningly, feeling that, despite Bonnie's actions, the comment was uncalled for.
"No. I deserved that." mumbled Bonnie. "I am sorry, Jess. I never wanted you to get hurt in all of this. I never thought that an argument between me and Damon would lead to this."

Jessica laughed almost deliriously. The fact that Bonnie assumed her fight with Damon weeks before was the reason for her heart broken state was amusing to her. It took her a second to remember that no-one knew the true reason behind her break-up with Damon; how he had hurt her accidentally; how she was afraid of what being with him what do to her sanity and lifespan; how seeing him kiss Elena had destroyed the last of her feeble hold on the barrier to her emotions.

Now, she was an open drain and every single heart-wrenching, sorrowful emotion was leaking out and there was nothing she could do to stop it. It occurred to her that maybe she should reveal the true reason why her and Damon's relationship was in tatters but the words refused to leave her mouth. To do so, she would have to admit how she had used Damon that one night. She had broken his heart just as much as he had broken hers and even in her hate-filled state, she couldn't bear the thought of those around her blaming Damon.

"Jess, are you okay?" asked Caroline, concerned by her sister's laughter.
"Yeah. I'm just peachy."

Caroline's eyes flitted over the Bonnie and the two shared a look of genuine concern as Jessica attempted to calm herself and gain some composure. Wiping away a stray tear that had fallen down her cheek during her laughing fit, Jessica turned to Bonnie and stared at the young woman.

"We didn't break up because you fought with him. So, there's no need for you to carry on pretending to feel guilty."
"Wait. What?" Caroline blurted, completely confused. "If you and Damon didn't break up because of Bonnie, then why did you?"
"It's none of your business."

Caroline frowned at Jessica's blatant, open hostility.

"Now how about you both leave me alone."

Storming away from Caroline and Bonnie and their shocked and confused faces, Jessica headed straight to her room and locked the door behind, locking out the world with it.


"Damon…"

Stefan approached his older brother with caution, watching Damon carefully as he chugged down a tumbler of whiskey in one go. He had entered the house just as Jessica had been leaving. The tension in the air was so thick it was suffocating.

"I fucked up, Stefan." Damon replied.

Stefan was shocked by the calmness of Damon's voice and he frowned when he heard the tint of deep sadness in it. He looked on as Damon sat himself down on the edge of his bed and nursed the empty glass in his hand. A wave of sympathy swept over him. His brother was suffering and he hated it.

"What happened?"
"What always happens. I hurt her. She hates me."
"I'm sure she'll forgive you for whatever it was you did."
"Not this."

Sighing heavily, Stefan took a seat next to his brother.

"Damon, that girl loves you. She loves you like I love Elena. She would forgive you for anything."

Smiling a half-smile sadly, Damon chuckled internally to himself. Clearly, his brother's love for Elena was much stronger than Elena's love for his brother. A part of him wondered whether Stefan truly would forgive Elena, and him for that matter, if he ever found out about the declaration of love and forbidden kiss.

"You don't get it. I hurt her. I physically threw her into a wall when we argued about Bonnie. She's afraid of me and I can't say I blame her."

Damon didn't dare lift his eyes away from the glass in his hands. If he did, he was ceratin he would be faced with shame, judgement and disgust from Stefan for having acted violently towards Jessica weeks before.

It wasn't the whole truth regarding their break-up but it was enough. Damon didn't have the heart to tell his brother how Elena had admitted to wanting him. Stefan did not deserve to have his heart broken like his was. He wanted to spare his younger brother the same pain he was going through because, unlike him, Stefan didn't deserve it.

To say he was astonished was an understatement. Stefan knew Damon could volatile but he never for a second thought his brother would harm Jessica. He was always so careful with her; protective to a fault.

"Why did you hurt her?"
"I was pissed. She was mad at me for fighting with Bonnie even though that little witch attacked me first. I warned her. I told her to leave and she refused. I just… lost it."

Stefan wanted to yell at Damon for being so stupid but he just couldn't find the energy to do so. His sympathy for the man was over-riding everything else. Placing a hand on his brother's shoulder, Stefan let out a tired puff of breath.

"You're an idiot for hurting her but she came back to you last night. She still loves you."
"That didn't stop her from telling me our entire relationship was a mistake."

The words hung heavy in the air and Stefan flinched. Those were painful words; words he was sure how stung Damon. It was no surprise to him that Damon was wallowing.

"She doesn't mean it."
"Yes, she does. I broke her, Stefan. She's better off without me."
"Listen to me, Damon, anyone can see that Jessica is completely in love with you. If you really want her then find a way to fix it. Fight for her."
"There's nothing left to fight for."
"You have two choices here. You can either fight for her and convince her that you're sorry or you can sit back, wallow in self-pity and watch as she moves on and finds someone who is willing to fight for her. It's up to you."

It was brutal but it needed to be said.

Stefan did not sit around and wait for a response. He left Damon to ponder on his options and hoped with all his heart that Damon would choose to fight.


Damon chose to surrender. He had no inspiration to fight. What was the point in fighting for the girl he loved when he was sure to lose?

Instead of fighting, he chose to drink. He drank everyday, day and night, for four days. Time passed in a blur. There was no difference from one day to the next and what did it matter to Damon? He had no reason to behave differently. Thanks to Elena, he had lost the only thing in his life that made him feel like he was truly worthy of love.

He was already on his third bottle of bourbon when Stefan found him hunched over the bar in The Grill. It hadn't even reached nine at night but he was not at all surprised to find Damon in such a state. It had become common place.

"Damon, you need to stop." said Stefan as he stood over his brother.

Damon remained silent. He didn't so much as acknowledge Stefan's presence.

"Damon."

Grabbing his older brother by the arm, Stefan attempted to force him out of his seat but failed. With perfect ease, Damon retracted his arm and continued to drink. Not uttering even a single syllable.

It was evident to Stefan that no amount of begging or physical action was going to get Damon to leave The Grill peacefully. Drastic action needed to be taken and he could think of only one thing that would get through to Damon.


Sandwiched between Jeremy and Kol as they sat together on the large, leather couch that stood proudly in the centre of the living room to Kol's family home, Jessica smiled happily as she listened to her friends banter with one another relentlessly.

"Mate, just admit it, that girl wanted me more." Kol teased, referring to a girl both guys had flirted with the night before.
"No way. You're deluded. Who the hell would want you?"
"Your sister." Kol replied with a wink that earned him a glare from Jeremy.

Not a chance, Jessica thought to herself. Not unless your name was Damon.

"Not cool." pouted Jeremy.
"You asked for it. All you had to do was just admit that I'm the sexier one."
"In your dreams, Kol."

Eyeing Kol when she felt him fling his arm around her shoulder, Jessica smiled in response to the cheeky grin that was plastered over her friend's youthful face.

"Jess, please tell Jeremy that I am much hotter than he is."
"Nope." she replied, still smiling.

The pout that formed on Kol's face caused both Jeremy and Jessica to let out a small laugh.

"See! Even Jessica doesn't think you're hot."
"Whatever. She doesn't count anyway. She only likes Damon. Her opinion is wrong."

Jeremy gasped and stilled. Kol, seeming to realise what he had blurted out, stared open-mouthed at Jessica; apologetic eyes raking over her face.

"Relax. You can say his name. I'm not going to go crazy." Jessica replied, forcing out a half smile. "Anyway… Jeremy is just much better looking than you. Sorry."

The tension in the air seemed to lift away instantaneously and Jeremy and Kol resumed their friendly bickering. The sudden sound of her phone ringing gained Jessica's attention and she answered it immediately when she noticed the caller I.D.

"Hi, Stefan."
"Hey, Jess. I need your help. Can you meet me at The Grill?"
"Sure. Is everything okay?"
"Yeah. I just need to your help with something. Can you get here soon?"
"I'm leaving now. I'll be there soon."
"Thanks, Jessica."

The phone call was brief and Jessica ended it feeling mildly confused; wondering just what it was Stefan needed her help with.


Stefan stood near the entrance to The Grill waiting patiently for Jessica's arrival. Damon's refusal to leave the bar had led him to contact the only person he knew his brother would listen to. He just hoped that Jessica would not bolt once she realised why he had called for help.

"Stefan?"
"Hey, Jess."

He smiled guiltily at the blonde haired beauty and saw the puzzlement in her chocolate brown eyes.

"What did you need from me?"

Pointing to the bar, Stefan averted his eyes when he noticed the angry glint in Jessica's eyes when she spotted Damon.

"Seriously?!"
"He's drunk."
"I don't care." she replied, turning to exit the bar but being prevented from doing so when Stefan grasped her arm gently and pulled her back.
"Please. He won't listen to me. Just help me get him into my car."

Letting her gaze fall back onto Damon, Jessica sighed a deep, heavy breath. She felt like she had been duped and she resented Stefan for begging for her help. Being around Damon would only complicate things further. She was trying to stay away from him; the hope that if she could get him out of her system, she could hopefully move on from their terrible love.

"How much has he had to drink?"
"He's just started his fourth bottle of bourbon."
"Stupid ass." Jessica muttered before making a beeline for Damon.

Jessica reached Damon within seconds and snatched the bottle from his hands just as he was about to drink from it. His ocean-blue eyes which had flashed with annoyance, changed quickly to a look of amazement followed by a look of love and hope.

"Stop being a self-centred jack-ass and stand up."

Damon stood immediately. He had no idea why except for the fact that he was just so glad that Jessica was in front of him and talking to him; even if she was cursing at him.

He swayed a little on the spot and cursed himself internally. He was much more intoxicated than he had originally thought. His swaying continued as he followed after Jessica who had begun to make her way back to Stefan. The swaying turned to stumbling and before he knew what was happening, he found himself being supported by both his brother and Jessica and bundled into the back seat of Stefan's car.

A tight grip on her wrist prevented Jessica from leaving Damon and she witnessed Stefan shrugging at her in defeat.

"No… stay…" Damon mumbled.

Relunctantly, Jessica sat herself down next to Damon and tried to ignore the frantic pace of her beating heart when he grabbed her waist, pulling her body close against, and pressed his forehead to hers; his eyes completely closed and his bourbon-smelling breath tickling her lower face.

"So sorry… missed you… don't leave… love you… sorry… didn't mean to kiss… please stay… miserable without you…"

Damon's drunken ramblings continued; each word tearing a new hole in Jessica's fragile heart. His lips pressed against hers in a brief kiss and Jessica was forced to blink back tears. Too much. Too soon. They were both so raw and emotional.

Stefan drove silence so as not to intrude on the intimate moment taking place between the couple in the back of his car. The journey to his home was over within a few minutes and he quickly went to help Jessica retrieve Damon, who was still rambling his apologies, from the backseat.

They crossed the threshold of The Salvatore Mansion, with Stefan laying Damon down on the couch in the parlour room. Jessica stood to one side. With each word Damon spoke her walls suffered a battering. They were crumbling so fast and she knew that if she didn't leave soon, they would become nothing but ashes. Writing a quick note to Damon, she bid goodnight to Stefan and left.


Awaking the next morning, Damon groaned out loud at the thumping pain in his head. His lifted himself from the couch and grimaced at the creased state of his black shirt and jeans. Despite the throbbing ache of a hangover, he headed straight for the drink's cart to pour himself a drink but stopped when a piece of paper with him name on it caught his attention.

Fingering it carefully, he opened the note to find three words waiting for him. His breath hitched and his head spun. It was Jessica's handwriting. Of that much he certainly knew. Vague memories of the night before returned to him; memories of his ramblings. He studied the three words with fierce determination. They changed everything. No longer would he sit around and let life pass him by.

I'm sorry too xx

Damon Salvatore was no longer surrendering. He would fight. He would fight for her.