I'm sorry about the wait but here it is. The next chapter is ready to go and will be posted next week. Thank you guys so much for the great response this story has gotten. It's been my favourite to write thus far so I'm glad you guys like it too.
"Do you think me dating Elena would be bad for her case?" I finally gathered up the nerve to ask my father. He would be the only person who could possibly know the answer to that question.
"What makes you think that?" He asked looking up from a pile of Governor related paperwork on his desk. I hated disturbing him when he was working, but I needed to this time. I really liked Elena and I wanted her to be my girlfriend but then she tells me that she's supposed to go back to living life the exact same way she had been before me. I just need to know if I am included in that. If dating me could somehow cause her to lose Scarlett, then I completely understand and don't blame her at all for not risking it.
"It's just something that Elena said when she left tonight. She basically said you said to not change anything about her life at all. Live the exact same way she did before he ruined everything for her.
"Oh, yeah I did say something like that. But I didn't mean anything about the two of you. I just meant she should continue going to school, she should continue doing her Karaoke Girl thing once a week. Everything she does shows that she's a completely stable person who can take care of her own. When it comes to you, I think you would be good for them. It could benefit Elena's case to have you in her life because you care about Scarlett. Scarlett clearly likes you as well and the fact that it took you so long to get into their lives shows how protective she is. Everyone needs someone in their life besides in Elena's case her best friend and her daughter. A little romance will do her good. I think she's very good for you and I think you're going to be very good for her. No judge would ever expect her to be single for her entire life. He would be suspicious if she was. You're normal for her, so don't worry about ruining anything. You go ahead and convince her to be with you. Especially since your mother told me that she wants to see Elena and Scarlett around here more and more. She really loved having a little girl to play with today." He told me, and I smiled.
"Thanks dad. I'll let you get back to work now." I said.
"For the record son, I approve massively. I can't imagine someone more suited to be your girlfriend. She's perfect." He said, and I had to smile. I turned and walked out of the room and towards the stairs where I saw Stefan sitting.
"So how long have you been dating Elena Gilbert?" He asked me, and I laughed.
"Jealous?" I asked.
"No, but as my brother you should have told me, mainly because of my feelings for her best friend. I really like Caroline, but I can't speak to her because she's popular and I'm not." He told me.
"If you want to talk to Caroline, you have to do it yourself. I am definitely not going to help you hook up with the best friend of the girl I'm trying to date." I told him.
"Since when do you date girls? It's wrong to screw over a girl with a kid, especially when that kid looks like she likes you." Stefan said, and I shook my head.
"For the record, it's not like that with Elena. We've literally kissed only once, and I've held her hand once unless you count when she was nervous while we were talking to dad today. I'm in uncharted waters here and I may end up drowning, but I like it a lot." I told him, and Stefan shook his head and smiled.
"Wow, this is completely unheard of. Damon Salvatore actually liking a girl and caring about her for more than just sex?" He laughed.
"Yeah, you better get used to it. I'm going to be like this for a while." I said feeling my phone vibrate in my pocket and pulling it out. It was a text from Klaus inviting me over to his place for a couple beers.
"Hey man." Klaus said when I walked into his apartment. The usually all manly apartment was now covered in girly shit. There was an open suitcase sitting in the middle of the floor with all sorts of clothes tossed all over the place. There was some sort of makeup palette sitting on the coffee table and I didn't understand any of it.
"Hey, what's all this?" I asked.
"I don't have a spare bedroom, so this entire living room is Bex's bedroom." He said gesturing to all that was around him.
"Wow. I think to protect myself from all of this crap I would have just given her my bedroom if I were you." I said, and I laughed.
"I'm beginning to think that would have been a wise idea." He said.
"So, I'm kind of in a pickle." I told him, and Klaus whistled.
"Its girl related. Judging by the look on your face, you're in love and you're not sure how to make her love you back." He said, and I shook my head and chuckled.
"Damn you're good. I want to date her but she's afraid of it ruining certain things." I told him, not sure whether I should tell him about Scarlett or about the case.
"Well if you want to date her, you date her. Tell her it won't screw anything up between you. Promise her you'll take care of her and then everything should be good. Don't take no for an answer and go over to her place immediately. I know it's late but if you've already talked to her about it tonight, then the conversation will still be fresh. Do not procrastinate." He told me, and I laughed.
"For a guy who doesn't do relationships, you sure do have some really good insight." I told him.
"I know I do. I learn this shit from my sister. She's totally the romantic type and she's in her perfect relationship with Donovan. You go talk to your girl right now." He ordered, and I stood up and grabbed my keys.
"Alright, fine. Thanks for the wisdom." I said, and he saluted me as I walked away.
I made the drive to Elena's apartment slowly, ready to change my mind at any time. I wasn't used to putting myself out there, usually it was just sex. It wasn't like that this time. When I parked there were still lights on in her unit. I just wasn't sure if it was her or Caroline. The front door was unlocked so I walked into the building and up the stairs to the apartment that I remembered to be Elena's. I knocked softly knowing that Scarlett was probably asleep at this late hour.
"Who is it?" She asked from the other side softly.
"It's me, Damon." I responded. She quickly opened the door and stared at me.
"What are you doing here? It's 11:30." She asked me, and I took a deep breath.
"I just had to come here and tell you that I need to be with you. I really care about you, enough to have asked my father if I could screw up your case. He said I wouldn't. My parents love you and your daughter. I really like you and I really like Scarlett. Please, Elena just let me try this with you." I told her very aware at how pathetic I sounded.
"Scarlett spent all evening trying to convince me to date you. Caroline would have too but she's out tonight with some guy she met at the bar one night. She said she's surprising him at his place which is a decidedly not Caroline thing to do. She said she's not coming home at all tonight." She told me.
"I think you should listen to your daughter." I told her, and Elena sighed in response.
"I really wish I could Damon, but I'm just afraid. What if Liam finds a way to use you against me in the fight for Scarlett? I can't lose her Damon." She said her me, her eyes showing how tormented by this she was.
"He can't use me against you. There is nothing in the rules that says you can't have a boyfriend. I asked my father if it would screw things up and he said that it wouldn't. That it might actually be good for it." I argued.
"I wish I could believe that. I really do, Damon. But I'm just afraid and I don't need anything else on my plate right now." She insisted.
"So, I would just be another thing you have to make it through?" I demanded.
"No, absolutely not. That is not what I meant Damon. No matter how good it would be between us, it's just a really bad time for it. I want to be with you Damon, really, I do. I want it more than you can ever know, it's just with everything going on it's a really bad time." She pleaded with me. I could see the truth in her eyes and I hated that I was putting her in this position, but it didn't change my feelings.
"I could help you through all of this." I promised her.
"I know, it's just I can't be a good girlfriend to you right now. Maybe once the court situation is over, but for right now I can't even imagine being a girlfriend. I can't let anything get in the way of the fragile balance my life has. It's too much." She said.
"So, I am a burden." I stated.
"No, Damon it's not like that. Will you just give me time to figure some stuff out. You can't even begin to imagine how badly I want to be with you, it's just the timing couldn't be more wrong." She pleaded. She reached out and took my hand, holding it tight making sure I can't pull away.
"So, all you need is time? When you make it through this, then you'll consider being with me?" I asked her carefully.
"Yes, the second this is over I will run straight into your arms and never let you go." She told me seriously and I nodded my head. It wasn't ideal, but I could understand where she was coming from.
"Okay, let's do this. I will be your friend until such a time comes that this whole custody thing isn't hanging over your head. It's going to suck but I will be whatever you need me to be until it's all over with." I told her, and she smiled and laced our fingers together with a smile.
"Thank you, Damon." She whispered, stepping closer to me. She wrapped her arms around me and buried her head in the crook of my neck.
"You're the only girl on the planet that's worth this to me." I told her, and I felt her smile against my neck.
"Thank you for everything Damon." She said before pulling back. She took a deep breath and stepped up onto her tiptoes, so she could press a feather light kiss to my lips. It was brief, but I still felt the jolt of electricity between us. When she pulled back I took a deep breath and shook the cobwebs out of my head.
"I should probably head out. I'll see you at school tomorrow." I told her.
"Goodnight Damon." She said as I walked down the stairs. I heard her door shut moments later and I walked out to my car, ready to head home and wait as patiently as I could for Elena to be ready for me.