Damon and Caroline step into the church and slowly make their way to one of the pews in the middle

The church was mostly empty only the first two to three rows from the front were full with the parents of the wife and groom, the maid of honor and best man, other members of the wedding party, and a few other close relatives.

They had missed most of the wedding, the couple having already exchange vows and the Father seemed to be wrapping it up, so to speak.

Caroline feeling betrayed by Damon breaking the holy sacrament of marriage had tried to keep a blank look on her face. She admired the bride and the groom saw how their love was there for all their loved ones to see. She had that once. Could she still have it? Did she still want it?

While Caroline sat contemplating her marriage, Damon while also focused on the bride and groom and the looks of honesty, longing, and love being exchanged was remembering his own wedding. Remembering how after years of knowing Caroline he wanted to do right by her and complete the religious sacrament that would bind them together till death do them part.

His mind was filled with his memories of her, of when he knew he loved her and wanted to make her his wife. Damon could still picture how beautiful she looked dressed in white that day. Their moment upon the altar, the vows they exchanged, the wedding party, Caroline becoming pregnant with his first child.

"God is giving you, in the holy bonds of matrimony, a trust. She is young… and inexperienced. Guide her and love her…keep and protect her from all harm." the priest spoke breaking Damon's trance as well as causing the dams holding back his tears to crumble. As he turned to his wife, he could see how much he hurt her. He knew it, but he wanted to do the right thing. He wanted, he needed to earn her forgiveness and save their marriage. She was the only woman he ever truly loved and desired, she was the one who stood before him, accepting him despite his faults and failures.

One after the other tears stream down his face. She had been right. She had always been there through everything. She had seen him at his worst and yet she was able to accept him and want him and he threw her away.

"Wilt thou Love her?"

As if he was the one being spoken to Damon nods his head furiously holding on to Caroline. His head falls forward on her lap in repentance.

Caroline had seen him cry and her heart hurt she knew he regretted hurting her. She hugged him softly and a bit strained before hesitantly placing a kiss to the top of his head. She had always been there to comfort him and despite how he hurt her she knew she would always love. She rose softly as to not draw attention this time with her leading them to an abandoned part in the entrance of the church.

"Forgive me!"

Caroline gulped as he stared at her he had fallen to his knees his hands grabbing hold of her peach colored dress that somehow managed to remain clean and intact after her run in the woods.

"Please. I am so sorry. I never… I…" Damon tried to plead but his breathing had picked up his voice being interrupted by a mix of him gasping for breath and his breath hitching in hiccups.

Caroline kneeled down so they were at eye level, she hugged him waiting for him to calm down.

"I don't d-deserve you. You were always far too good for me." He managed still breathless.

"Damon."

"I need to say this. Please Blondie." He raised his palm to her cheek to brush the tear that had fallen from her eye without her knowledge.

"I love you. I love you. The first time I saw you, I thought you were beautiful. I never thought that we would be together, but I wanted you. I wanted you for at least one moment and then that wasn't enough. And you just kept coming over till eventually, you were family. I could be myself around you. I didn't have to hide. I didn't have to be strong. Not in front of you, because you always told me that no matter what happened you would be there for me. That I could trust you with my feelings. And yeah it took a while for us to admit to each other, but we did, and you told me that you had loved me since the beginning too."

"Damon- "

"We stood together upon that alter and I promised to take care of you. I told you that 'A long time ago I made a promise. I made a promise to my mother, to my family that I would protect them. From this day I will not only protect you but take care of you. I will love and I will stand by you, till the end.' I never meant this. I wanted you forever not just fifteen years."

"I know."

"I will do whatever you want me to do. Whatever I have to, to make this work. We'll go see a couple's therapist if you want. I can sleep in the barn. I will cook your meals for you every day. I'll do the dishes I know you hate those the most. I will take every turn at night when Bonnie wakes up crying. I'll let the mutt come inside the house even though you know how much I don't like for animals to be indoors. First, it's the dog next- Doesn't matter. What matters is that I will fight and I will wait and if you want space then I'll give you space just give me one more chance. One final chance I swear I won't mess it up. I will talk to you more. I- I will stop drinking… excessively. I will never let you wait up for me again. I will- "

"Damon please stop. I want you to stop talking." Damon closed his mouth midsentence and nodded.

"You hurt me. You hurt me so much."

"Caro- "

"Damon, I love you. I have loved you. I have been honest with you. Trusted you. We made a family together… I just don't understand why. How was I not enough for you? How?"

"You are enough. You are everything."

"No. I'm not her. There was something you saw in her that made you want her and made you want to get- kill me."

"I could never kill you."

"But you were going to. You planned it!"

"I was an idiot. I wasn't thinking clearly."

"Obviously."

"I am so sorry."

"Was she better than me?"

Damon hesitated for a second shocked that she would even ask him that. "No. Don't think that. Never think that. She couldn't comp- "

"Then why!"

"At first it was just because I wanted a drink. But she was different you know we talked she told me about her life. I told her about mine. Then one day she just kissed me, and I told her I wouldn't see her again. I loved you but then. Well, we just kept bumping into each other. I know that's no excuse."

"A drink? You told us you were with Mason Lockwood."

"I know."

"Gosh, I introduced you to her."

"No, I had already known her. Before I could explain she introduced herself like if we hadn't and if I said anything, I knew you would be suspicious and think that something had happened."

"Which it did."

"Not then, we only talked."

Caroline sighed, "What about Stefan? Did Stefan know?"

Damon sighed, "Yes. I don't know how he figured it out I'm guessing he knew for a while. He caught me last night when I was sn… sneaking in. He punched me in the face for hurting you, told me to stop."

She smiled that was something Stefan would do, something he would have done for her once. "Did he know you wanted to- ""I wish he did. He would have smacked some sense into me, and we probably wouldn't be here. He'll probably kill me when we go back."

Caroline looked at him not sure what to do her insecurities acting up. She could keep asking him questions about Elena, but she didn't want to know. Oh, she will figure out the whole story one day, but for now, she had enough. She had known him for long enough to know when he was telling the truth. He really did regret what he did. He was scared of losing her too.

"I forgive you."

Damon looked at her with love in his gaze, "You will not regret it I promise."

"But I have conditions. You will never lose me. I love you and you are right we owe it to each other to try, but you will have to earn back my trust."

"I understand. I will gain your trust again."

Caroline wanted to tell him that he would, but she wasn't sure of that herself. He wants to pull her to him but hesitates and offers up his hand for her to take instead. Baby steps.

They were walking around town he had seen a flyer for a fair going on tonight when he got her flowers earlier. He could take her there. He felt a tug in his arm and saw how she had stopped. He looked at the building it was a photographer's studio. The photographer had put up several samples of the pictures he had taken in the windows. On one side they saw several photographs of married couples and to the other side were several ones of children or family portraits.

Caroline found one of a baby girl and smiled. She was adorable.

"Let's go in and have our picture taken," Damon said noticing how entranced she was by the display.

"I don't think that's a good idea."

"Why not? I mean besides the obvious. You promised to give me, give us a chance so why not. We'll test it out see if we like the photographer and if we do the next time, we come will bring Bonnie and get a family portrait."

She smiled slowly, "You're right but you can't go in there."

"What? Why not?"

She leaned closer took a breath and gave him a small peck on his stubbled covered cheeks before messing up his hair. "You need a haircut and a shave. I'm sure we can go say hello though if you want, we can get their number…"

Damon frowned, but he wouldn't push her, "You're right. We should go home right now."

Caroline's eyes widened as she looked at him. She could see the pain in his eyes. "No."

"Caroline, you obviously don't want to be here. You can barely even kiss me. I don't want you to make more bad memories of us together so when you want, I'll bring you back and we'll go get our pictures taken, I'll take you to dinn- "

Caroline cut him off by placing a hand on his jaw and kissing him. It was just a light press of their lips before she pulled back.

"Care?"

"I'm sorry. I want to stay and if you want, we can have our picture taken too."

"Do you want to? I won't force you. I won't pressure you. Just say the word and I will take you home."

She nodded and cautiously put her arms around his neck, "I was promised a date and dinner and whole day alone with you. So, let's do it. Let's get our picture taken."

He searched her eyes and found the honesty and anxiousness in them and placed his hand on her cheek, "You know in a place like this there is bound to be one good barber in town."

A/N

Hey so this is super short compared to the last chapters I'm trying to cut the scenes in the film into smaller parts so that by the time I finish posting the last flashback it'll go with the final scene in the film.

Also I did plan on throwing a flashback in there to pre Elena drama but it it didn't make the cut. I did however and up writing a TON of drabbles of events between Damon and Care and Stef as friends when they were younger/ post marriage etc but I'm gonna keep that on the back burner till later and just post it as a new story and tag it to this.

I noticed that I really deviated from the film plot by having Caroline stand up for herself and argue back a bit so I had to rein her in slowly so I can get to the romantic montague. Which should be in chapter 6 there is a scene in the film where the man is at the barbers and the wife is waiting for him by the chairs by the door and this creep goes up to her and sits next to her tries to grab her etc and then the man goes in and threatens him winning her affection. Yeah like Ive said its kinda cheesy.

Anyway moving on. I will post chapter 5 on Monday and will be a flashback of Delena and then chapter 6 next Saturday with Daroline at the Barber's/ Photographer. Oh quick question I need a creep for Damon to threaten so give me suggestions and before you say it can't be any of the Originals, Alaric, or Tyler since I kinda made him a dog lol sorry Ty and I already have parts set up for the rest of them.

I also want to thank those who reviewed, faved, and followed since the last chapter went up so Thank you so much daroline, Miss Mystic Falls, and zpire you guys are so awesome!

I really hope you guys liked this more or less I know it was just dialogue but I'm trying to bridge the gap quickly so I can get to the fluff again and drop the angst.

Thank you all so much for reading

~Agent C.