A group of men makes their way along a narrow path through the dense, lush rainforest of the eastern slopes of the Andes. Ragged, jutting canyon walls are half-hidden by the thick mists. At the head of the party is an American, Damien Swain. He's wearing a leather jacket, a flapped holster and a brimmed hat with a weird feather stuck in the band. Behind him follow his Peruvian Guides while bringing up the rear are five Yagua. They act as porters and are wrangling the two heavily-packed llamas. The Indigenous people are becoming increasingly nervous. They speak to each other in bursts of Quechua. Damien glances back at them.

His guide, Xavier, is irritated with his American counterpart. "They're talking about the Curse again!" He turns and yells at the men in Quechua, his anger indicating his own fears. The party reaches a break in the canyon wall and takes the trail through it. When they emerge, their destination is revealed to them in the distance. Beyond a thick stand of trees is the vegetation enshrouded Temple.

The entire party is struck by the sight. People are terrified now, and chatter away. Suddenly the three at the back, turn and run, dropping their packs as they go. Xavier yells at the fleeing men and pulls his pistol out. He starts to raise his arm to aim.

"No," Damien cautions, restraining his arm with a muscular grip.

Xavier looks evilly at Damien's hand upon him.

He releases him and smiles in a friendly way. "We don't need them."

"I do not carry supplies," Xavier sneers, glowering at Damien.

"We'll leave them. Once we've got it, we'll be able to reach the plane by dusk," he explains, turning back to the trail.

Xavier gets the two remaining men, moving behind the American. He and Acarapi, the other guide, have a fast, silent communication: Xavier indicates his desire to slit Damien's throat; Acarapi gives him a look that says, "Be patient, you idiot."

In the undergrowth, there is slithering movement. One of the Yagua men draws aside a branch and is faced with a horrific stone sculpture of a Chachapoyan demon. The man is so frightened no sound comes out when he screams. He turns and runs silently away. The other calls to his comrade. Getting no response, he steps in that direction. A huge macaw, flushed from the undergrowth, screams, and flies away. Terrified, he runs to catch his friend.

Alcarapi and Xavier look back, watching the men retreat while Damien turns to face the ancient Temple. It's dark and awesome. Vegetation curls from every crevice, over each elaborate frieze. The entrance - round, open, and black - has been designed to look like open jaws.

Damien takes the weird feather from the band of his hat. From around its point, he slips a tightly rolled piece of parchment. They all kneel as the American spreads out the parchment. On it is one-half of a crude floorplan of the Temple.

"No one ever had what we have..." Damien mentions and fixes them with an expectant stare.

Alcarapi produces a similar, but folded, piece of parchment. He lays it - the other half of the floorplan - next to the other. They all regard it for a moment, then Damien stands and walks toward the Temple.

Xavier's eyes are shining as they dart between the floor plan and his friend. Suddenly he's on his feet, quietly drawing his pistol and raising it toward Damien as Alcarapi realizes with alarm what he's doing.

Having heard the click, Damien's head turns and his next move is graceful and fast, yet unhurried. His right-hand slides up under the back of his jacket and emerges grasping the handle of a neatly curled bullwhip. With the same fluid move that brings his body around to face the Peruvian, the whip uncoils and flashes out.

The fall of the whip wraps itself around Xavier's hand. Damien gives it a short pull, jerking down the Peruvian's arm. The gun goes flying, discharging when it crashes to the ground. The man's face contorts in fear and he quickly runs off.

Alcarapi raises his arms in supplication. "I know nothing."

Damien looks him over before his eyes sweep the surrounding jungle.

"That's a wrap," the director yells. Damon Salvatore whips off his hat and wipes his brow. It's been a long three months of shooting; he hasn't seen his fiancé in almost that long, as she's been busy filming on location too. As anxious as he is to get reacquainted with her in a primal way, right now, all he wants to do is take a long shower and go to bed...

Damon bounces his foot on the tile floor as he waits to board his plane. Rio de Janeiro/Galeão airport is a madhouse. Plasma screens showing the arrival and departure times are scattered throughout the concourse. People are lined up at the check-in desks with suitcases and baggage. His flight is delayed due to a storm somewhere north of this location. His is only one in a sea of irritated and annoyed faces, there are old and young all of who whine with an equal premise of complaints.

Like everyone else, he wants to get in the air, but he knows there's nothing to be done but to sit and wait. Two hours later, Damon's able to board his plane. And soon as he takes his seat in first-class, he leans back and closes his eyes...

After arriving at LAX, Damon disembarks the plane and enters the concourse. He barely makes more than a few steps before he's stopped. Paparazzi, reporters, and just plain curious people surround him.

A security guard comes over to help. He guides Damon through the mob and stays with him until he's safely inside the limousine. After a forty-five-minute ride, he's finally home. The driver sets his luggage on the ground. After paying him, Damon picks up his bags and goes inside.

"Sybil?" he asks, setting his Louis Vuitton bag on the floor. Not hearing an answer he goes to look for her.

And there she is lounging poolside. Flawless. Beautiful. Perfect.

"I thought you'd meet me at the airport?" Damon calls from the patio door as he opens it.

"Darling, I've missed you." Sybil jumps to her feet.

Damon stares at her keen dark eyes as she runs her tongue along her lower lip. He moves forward, stalking panther-like towards her. He's so close that there's barely an inch between their bodies. He plunges his hand into her hair so that he can pull her closer still and his lips hover right over hers.

"Your eyes are begging..." he contends, deliberately biting down on her lower lip, knowing the pain will arouse rather than repulse her.

"Yes, Damon, I'm begging, it's been me and the vibrator for too long," Sybil groans, unable to turn away.

Damon's eyes are burning with blue fire as he reaches her, spinning her around so they're back to front.

Sybil tilts her head to one side so he can nuzzle a path up the side of her neck.

"I want you right now," Sybil grunts and wiggles her backside against him.

She moans low in the back of her throat, and he immediately senses her desire is as keen as his own.

"You need to be screwed senseless!" Damon drags out the words.

"I do, I really do," Sybil purrs as she runs her nails down his arms.

Damon throws her over his shoulder and carries her inside...

"Do you see him?" Anna hops up and down, trying to peer over the heads of the people crowded in line in front of them.

"Not yet." Hope steps onto the lower rail of the barricade and leans over as far as she can, straining for a glimpse. She can make out the steps leading into Katherine Pierce's studio, but the black curtain along the side blocks her view.

A security guard steps toward her and she quickly gets down. She still can't believe she's there, among the throngs of women and men too. "We're moving!" Anna squeals as they slowly shuffle toward the platform. Her heart pounds harder with every step.

"I see him! I see him!" Hope jumps up and down, waving and pointing, and she stretches up, tilting her head.

Then, finally…

Finally.

They round a corner and she catches a glimpse of messy, black hair, a glint of sparkling white teeth, the curve of his fingers gripped loosely around a Sharpie.

Wow.

"Keep the line moving, please." A guard urges them forward.

But then, she sees him – full profile in all his chiseled glory. The afternoon sun casts a glow behind him, and she blinks, blinded for a moment by his stunning beauty. All these years listening to his music and now in movies and nothing…nothing prepared her for the sight of Damon Salvatore in the flesh.

"Holy crap," Anna murmurs.

Then, they're there, right in front of him. He looks up at Hope with a dazzling grin and accepts the photo of himself.

"What's your name?" he asks, sharpie poised over the glossy image, his fingers – curled around it gently.

"Hope," she replies on a sigh, toying with her hair. "I'm your biggest fan. I can't wait to see your movie and I've seen all of your music videos a million times," the young girl gushes.

"That's great!" Damon smiles, turning his attention to the photo as he scrawls his name.

"Hey!" the bodyguard shouts, "Get the line moving."

Damon laughs and waves him off before turning to Anna.

"And you are?" he asks, reaching out for the photo in her hand.

"Huh?" her voice trails as she's caught in his mesmerizing blue gaze...

"Thank God, that's over. It always feels like walking the gauntlet," Damon huffs and empties a miniature bottle of Blanton's Kentucky Bourbon once they're in the green room where they wait to be called onstage. Before he can sit down, stretch out his legs and relax for a moment, there's a rap on the door.

His eyes meet Sybil's as he grips the knob and opens it.

"It's time," she states.

With a sigh, Damon takes Sybil's hand and follows the woman to the stage.

As soon as her theme song starts to play, Katherine Pierce takes one final look in the mirror before walking out from behind the curtain and into her studio. The Katherine Pierce Show is the top-rated one in its time slot.

"Hello everyone, how are you all today?" she smiles when the audience stands and erupts in applause.

"We have a great show for you today, not only do we have Buffy the Vampire Slayer herself, Kristy Swanson," Katherine coaxes applause from her audience. "We also have rock legend Damon Salvatore to tell us about his upcoming movie and his fiancé, Sybil Cade."

The audience breaks out in applause, oohs, and ahs at the mention of his name. Katherine goes on to give her monologue and after a commercial break, she calls the A-list couple out.

Damon and Sybil enter from the side of the stage; the applause is thunderous. He nods at the crowd then approaches Katherine, kisses her cheek, and whispers a few words in her ear. He watches Sybil greet her, taking a seat only after she sits.

"Damon, Sybil how are you? How are the wedding plans coming?"

"We're both doing great," Sybil replies, leaning against Damon whose left arm is draped around her shoulders.

"Why don't you tell us about your new movie, Damon? I understand you just finished filming..."

"It's going to be great; I play an adventurer along the lines of Indiana Jones. Harrison Ford was kind enough to invite me over for an afternoon, he taught me how to crack the whip," Damon explains, pausing when the audience bursts into spontaneous applause. "Harvey Keitel plays my mentor and Nina Dobrev plays my love interest," he wags his brows teasingly at Katherine.

"Yes, I heard that," Katherine claps along with her audience. "Sybil, I understand you've just signed onto a new production?"

"Um, yes, I have," she admits, a little unnerved at the way Damon's muscles tense behind her. "I'll be in Eastern Europe for at least three months. The separations are difficult but it's such a great part, I couldn't turn it down."

"And the wedding plans?" Katherine prods, her eyes drifting to Damon's.

"Well, we have to postpone them. We're going to pick a new date. My director says the part has the potential to earn me an Academy Award nomination. I couldn't say no."

"How do you feel about that Damon?" Katherine asks, curious about his uncomfortable body language.

"Whatever my girl wants," he offers, smiling tightly, hoping the audience doesn't pick up on his displeasure.

"I'm expecting an invitation," Katherine remarks.

"Of course, when they're ready, you'll be the first to get one," Sybil agrees, smiling widely.

"Everyone, give Damon and Sybil a big round of applause," she instructs when the two stars stand to exit the stage. "We're going to go to commercial break and when we return, Kristy Swanson and Superman, Dean Cain will be here to tell us about their new movie," Katherine announces just as the camera zooms to the audience.

"What the actual fuck?" Damon growls as soon as they're out of earshot. "You could have warned me," he rounds on Sybil.

"Damon, calm down, you don't want the staff to hear you. We'll be on every tabloid in the country if they do," she tut-tuts him.

"You promised not to take another job until after the wedding. And how did Katherine know about this 'Oscar-winning' new part," he grits out, air quoting the words before continuing, "and I didn't?"

"My manager may have mentioned it," Sybil admits softly.

"It was humiliating," Damon stomps out of the studio and into the fresh air. He doesn't hesitate to light a cigarette despite the no-smoking signs that are everywhere.

"Damon, you know I love you, don't act like this," Sybil gently chastises after catching up to him.

"Act like what, Sybil? We're supposed to be a couple, couples communicate with each other and aren't left blindsided by news of our wedding getting postponed."

"Damon, you need to stop. People are eavesdropping," She adds with a phony smile on her face.

"Fine," he grumbles, takes her hand, leading her to the valet. As soon as his vintage Camaro appears, he floors the gas pedal without waiting for her to even buckle her seatbelt.

"Do you feel better now?" she barks and fastens it.

Damon shoots her a disgruntled look just as he exits onto the Pacific Coast Highway for the drive home.

Pulling onto the long driveway that leads to the farmhouse, Elena drives slowly down the gravel road, finally pulling to a stop in front of the 19th-century home. She reaches into the backseat for her bag and slams the door closed.

Elena's a little surprised that Giuseppe hasn't come outside to meet her, something he always, always does. Although she has an uneasy feeling, she walks over to the horse barn to check on the new foal.

"Guiseppe are you in here?" Elena calls out as she slides the door open. It's eerily quiet which only compounds her apprehension.

Elena enters the stall to look at the baby horse. She pets and talks softly to Schotzli for a few minutes before moving to the foal. Elena checks his mouth and then runs her hands down his limbs. Reaching into her bag, she grabs her phlebotomy kit to draw some blood which the little guy doesn't like one bit. She checks his temperature, soothing him when he protests the intrusion.

When she finishes up, there's still no sign of Guiseppe which is so out of the ordinary for him. As she walks back to her car, she catches a glimpse of his vehicle which raises the hairs on her neck. Elena puts her vet bag into her car before cautiously approaching the house. She raps on the door and when no one answers, she twists the knob and pokes her head through. Finding nothing amiss in the entryway, she goes further into the house.

"Giuseppe? It's Elena," she calls aloud, hoping for a reply. Having been answered with a barking sound, she goes further into the house. Catching a glimpse of the kitchen door hanging wide open, she picks up a fireplace poker and walks softly checking her surroundings as she moves closer. It's only then that she hears a groan and notices a pair of feet just outside the door. After dropping the poker, she runs to check on him. Elena finds Damon's dad laying on the ground barely conscious.

"Giuseppe, it's me," she runs her palm across his forehead, finding him pale and feverish. "How long have you been here?" she asks although she knows it's futile. Grabbing her phone out of her back pocket, she quickly dials 9-11.

Running into the house, she pulls a bottle of water out of the fridge and grabs a hand towel. She moistens it with water and presses it to his lips knowing he's not alert enough to swallow. Before long emergency sirens call out, filling the otherwise tranquil morning.

As soon as the ambulance stops, Elena calls aloud and leads them to Giuseppe.

"Elena, do you know how long he's been here?" Kol asks as he examines his patient.

"He called me yesterday morning to come out to see his new foal." Elena blows out a harried breath. "I knew something was wrong when he didn't come outside to meet me."

"We know it's not longer than twenty-four hours then," Kol remarks while inserting an IV into the older man's arm. "Looks like his hip is fractured."

"That's what I thought too," Elena agrees and steps back when the men transfer him to the litter. She walks alongside Kol and Aaron to the ambulance. "I'll follow you in my car."

"Try not to worry." Aaron meets her stare for a moment before he climbs behind the wheel.

Elena watches as he turns on the siren and disappears down the gravel road.

Elena has been looking everywhere for Damon. She finally finds him sitting on a downed tree log in the woods outside of Mystic Falls.

"You're a hard one to find," Elena remarks as she sits next to him.

Damon looks at her silently.

"What's wrong, Damon?"

He looks away for a moment. He rubs his palms over his lap before shifting to face Elena. "My parents are getting a divorce. Mom and I are moving to Los Angeles next week."

"Wha...what?" Elena's mouth falls open in shock.

"You heard me right..." Damon fingers the loose tree bark and tosses it over his shoulder.

"But you can come back, right? I mean to visit your dad."

"I don't know, Elena." Damon takes her hand. "What I do know is that I will miss you." He moves closer, cradles her cheeks, and brings her lips to his...

"Elena?" Elijah remarks, still dressed in his surgical scrubs.

"How is he?" Elena jumps to her feet.

"He'll be in post-op for an hour or so. You can see after he gets to his room."

"But how is he, Elijah?"

"He fractured his hip and some of his labs were off from laying outside all night. Where was Sheila?"

"She's with Bonnie and Enzo. They're vacationing at St. Bart's in the Caribbean. I haven't called her because I know she'll want to drop everything and come back."

"Giuseppe woke up to give us permission for surgery but someone should call Damon." Elijah rakes his eyes over Elena.

"I haven't spoken to him in years. After he and his mom left, he never came back. At first, Giuseppe would visit him in LA but..." her voice trails off.

"He should know, don't you think?"

Elena nods. "Yes, I'll call him. Thank you, Elijah."

"Of course. He'll be in room 421." Elijah glances at his watch. "I have to run; I have another surgery," he calls over his shoulder before disappearing down the hallway.

Elena sits back down, pulls her phone out of her pocket, and finds Damon's image. Giuseppe gave her his number in case of an emergency but she's never actually called him... She sucks in a deep breath and presses the icon...

"Hello?" Damon picks up his cell phone. Although the number isn't familiar, he recognizes the area code.

"Damon?"

"Yes, who am I speaking to?" Damon asks tentatively.

"It's Elena. Elena Gilbert. I'm calling about your dad."

Damon's stunned into silence for a few seconds.

"Damon? Are you there?"

"I'm here. I'm in shock. It's been a long time, Elena, a lifetime almost...You said, my dad?"

"Yeah, he fell and broke his hip. I thought you'd want to know."

"How is he?" Damon asks, his brows drawing together.

"He's not in his room yet so I haven't seen him. I know it's none of my business but I'm sure he'd appreciate it if you could come."

"Yes, of course. I need to clear my schedule and make arrangements. When you see him, tell him I'm on my way."

"I will. Goodbye, Damon."

"Bye," he says just as the phone clicks off. Damon takes a deep breath as he rises from his desk. He steps in front of the window overlooking the Pacific Ocean. He shoves his hands in his pockets and stares at the waves breaking on the sand.

Damon is sitting on the steps, his chin in his hands in the barn loft. He looks up when Elena steps from the ladder and moves to sit on a hay bale in front of him.

"It's okay to be sad, Damon. You'll be fine, you're smart and talented, and handsome," she whispers the last part.

"It feels like I don't have a family anymore."

"Damon..." Elena stares at him briefly before blurting out, "Let's get married."

"What?" Damon looks at her like she's grown an extra head.

"We should get married. We can be each other's family."

"We're 13, Elena, we can't get married, it's not legal."

"I know that Damon, but we can do anything we want."

"My uncle's a minister. I've seen him marry people a hundred times. How hard can it be?" Enzo pokes his head over the ledge as he climbs up to join them.

"I'll be right back," Damon runs out of the barn and into his bedroom. He digs through his things until he finds what he's looking for. After pocketing it, he runs back outside, stopping long enough to pick some wildflowers for Elena. When he returns, he hands her the flowers and takes his place beside her before they both turn to Enzo.

"Since you want to be friends forever; I ask you, Damon, do you take Elena to be your wife forever? Do you promise to care for her and obey her?" Enzo asks, looking at both of them.

"Obey?" Damon draws his brows together.

"That's what it says." Enzo points out the words in one of his uncle's books.

"I'm not obeying...at least not all the time."

"Damon, do you or not?" Enzo asks, his finger tapping on the page.

"I do."

"Me too," Elena pipes in.

"Um...do you have a ring?" Enzo looks at Damon.

"Yes." Damon pulls it out of the black velvet pouch.

Elena gasps. "It's so pretty."

"It was my grandma's," Damon explains and places it to the first knuckle on her left ring finger.

"Repeat after me," Enzo starts, "With this ring, I thee wed."

Damon echoes the words and slides the ring on Elena's finger.

"I now pronounce you married. If you want, you can kiss her now."

"Whatever you say," Damon smirks and kisses Elena...

"Something wrong?" Sybil's voice pulls him from the memory.

"I have to go home. My dad had a fall; he broke his hip."

"What? I'm sure he's fine," Sybil remarks while staring at her manicure.

"Maybe he is or will be but I want to go. Despite our issues, he's still my dad, Sybil," Damon explains as he sits down in his chair.

"How insensitive of me. Of course, you should go." Sybil rests her hands on his shoulders.

"Thank you," Damon looks up and smiles at her. "I need to book a flight."

"Are you going to try to leave tonight?" she asks, squeezing his arm.

"I'm going to take the first flight I can find."

"I'll just go..." she points her thumb toward the door, "and pack your bag."

"Thanks," he calls over his shoulder as she leaves the room.

The lights turn on, and Damon hears the voice of a woman saying, "Welcome to Richmond. The local time is 2:32 am." He looks out through the Airbus A320 only to see a dark runway, half blurred by the heavy rain. Not the weather he's looking for.

Sighing, he waits patiently in his seat as the front 13 rows of tired and over-packed passengers make their slow way out through the narrow cabin door. Once out of the plane, Damon makes his way through the half-lit terminal, carrying only a duffle bag. The only visible signs of life are those of the airport's maintenance crew.

He skips the baggage claim and walks over to the rental car area. A couple is chatting while standing next to each other on the drop-off curb outside the terminal.

"Can I help you, sir?" the clerk asks, grabbing his attention.

"I'm going to need a car for a few days. I'm going to Mystic Falls," Damon informs her.

"You! You...you're Damon Salvatore," the blonde stammers.

"I am. I'll give you an autograph if you can get me a rental." Damon smirks.

"Of course. It's always a surprise to see famous people come through here." She drops her eyes to her computer. "Will a Jeep work?"

"Whatever you have is fine. I should've ordered online but my mind was elsewhere."

The woman nods and hands Damon a set of keys when she finishes filling out the forms. "You can go outside, Bob will drive it out for you."

By the time he gets outside, the car is waiting. Damon hands the man a few bills before climbing in and driving out into the rainy Virginia night.

Damon groans as sunlight pricks insistently against his eyelids. He peels one eye open long enough to realize that he isn't at home. Wincing, he forces himself to sit up, swings his legs to the floor, and stumbles into the shower.

When he's clean and dressed in jeans and a t-shirt, he contemplates his childhood home over a cup of hot coffee. It took a long while for Damon to realize the difference between a house and a home. He has so many good memories here although the breakdown of his parent's marriage added a stain to the once happy times. Sighing, he gets up to put his mug in the sink when he notices an unfamiliar car parked near the barn.

Determined to find out who it is, Damon pockets his rental keys and half jogs to the barn. It's still a shiplap plank bloomed poppy-red by an artist's brush. He steps through the already open door, grabs a hay fork, and wields it as a weapon as he ventures inside. As he moves further inside, he hears someone talking. Cautiously he moves closer, only then noticing a brunette inside one of the horse stalls.

"What are you doing..." The words die on his lips when she stands up and meets his peering gaze. Damon's grip loosens and the rake drops to the ground.

"Elena?"

Elena jumps to her feet and approaches him. "Hello, Damon."

"The last time I saw you, you were a skinny little girl with brown pigtails and freckles."

"You seem to have outgrown your awkward phase too but then again, you never had an awkward phase. It's been a long time, Damon," Elena says softly as she hugs him.

"I should've come home sooner."

"Well, time flies when you're busy becoming a superstar of stage and screen, not to mention getting engaged to Sybil Cade...I'm happy for you, Damon," Elena adds, bending over to pick up her veterinary bag.

"So you've been following my career?" Damon smirks, his eyes twinkling with mischief.

"Not exactly. Your dad keeps me abreast of your exploits."

"Good to hear. So...Elena, you never left Mystic Falls?" Damon asks as he closes the barn door and follows her to her vehicle.

"No. I love it here. I have everything I want." She opens the car door and sets her bag inside before turning to face Damon again. "I need to get to work," Elena informs him as she slides into her car.

"And I need to go to see my dad." Damon watches as she slams the door shut and rolls down the window.

"Maybe we can have lunch or something? Catch up?" Elena suggests, tilting her head slightly as she looks at him.

"I'd like that."

"Bye, Damon," she waves as she drives off.

"Goodbye, Elena," Damon says softly, watching as she pulls out of the driveway and disappears.

Happy 2022! I hope this year will bring much better things than the last two years. Truthfully though, I guess there's always good to be found if we look hard enough.

This is a short story, that started out as a one-shot but grew into more. Eva separated it into chapters. I was looking on Amazon for some Christmas gifts and found a synopsis that inspired me. It's from an older Hallmark movie that was made into a book. By far, most of this story is original although there are a couple of similarities. I'll reveal it at the end. Hope you all like it, excited to read your comments.

Chapter title: 'My Hometown' by Bruce Springsteen.

Thank you, Eva. You are awesome.

Have a wonderful day and we'll see you next time.