Outlook on Life

Damon

After Elena's speech yesterday Stephen had told him to go home since the two of them only seemed to be pissing each other off. He had done as his brother wanted but he knew he wasn't going to give up on her.

And so he did something he probably shouldn't have done.

"Damon" Kol knocked on the glass door as he entered Damon's office shutting the door behind him with a large and thick vanilla folder clutched tightly in his hands. Damon knew instantly what was in that folder judging by the hesitant expression of Kol's face. Last night Damon had come back to work and told Kol about Elena and his feelings for the woman. Kol seemed to understand slightly, even he himself didn't really like Elena. Damon had asked for Kol, who's family run background checks for companies, to run one on Elena.

"What is it Kol?" he asked as Kol slowly sat in front of him placing the thickest folder he'd ever had Kol bring him down on the edge of his desk, looking at it like it had done something personally to offend him. "It's bad" he sighed knowing Kol enough to read the dread on his friends face.

"She's smart and I almost missed a few...important...details. She covers her tracks well with things i'm assuming she wanted to put some form of protection for herself against" Kol admitted and that was as close to a compliment Damon had ever heard the man give "But she was right, although in one hell of an understatement, but she was right that you can't have her name associated with yours unless she's willing to make some serious changes to her life" Kol explained

They both fell into a silence as Damon remembered her words from yesterday 'I won't change for you and you can't change enough for me' her words taunted him as he started at the file. He was burning with curiosity but also dread for what he'd find in that file.

"You can't ever tell her I did this for you" Kol announced snapping him out of his thoughts, Damon looked up to find Kol shifting his weight nervously "She's friends with my brother and his friends...they all have a close bond and my brother is fiercely protective of the woman" Kol explained surprising him, Damon vaguely remembered Kol saying his brother Klaus was in the military and attending a group therapy session. "You even say a bad thing about her and he'll beat the shit out of you. I told him I deleted the file but if he ever finds out I lied to him, he won't be happy and he and his marine friends will come after you" Kol warned completely serious and Damon nodded still a little surprised at that information.

Kol quickly left the room and Damon alone with the large folder on his desk. One he knew he shouldn't have or look at since the thing Elena had been saying from day dot was: 'I don't want people to know more about me than i'm comfortable sharing'. he knew she saw this as an invasion of privacy and would be utterly furious if she found out but he had to know what was so bad.

He didn't want to miss a chance with a woman like her over something stupid; But from the sounds of it, and the look of her file, it's not going to be one small thing or even just a few small things.

After 30 minutes of just staring at the folder Damon flicked it open and scanned through the pages and pages of notes.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert, 23 years old.
Birth parents: John Gilbert and Isabel Fleming. Adopted at 1 years of age by Greyson and Miranda Gilbert.

Elena's only 2 years younger than him and her uncle adopted her? why? Damon thought but their didn't seem to be any answers to that in the folder. So he kept reading.

Car accident on 'Wickery Bridge, Mystic Falls' two dead one injured. Miranda and Greyson confirmed dead on the scene, 4 years old Elena Gilbert taken to hospital after crash into lake.

Adoptive brother Jeremy Gilbert age 16, found by 5 year old Elena Gilbert committed suicide confirmed dead on scene.

Holy shit! Damon cursed himself for even opening her file, it was too private seeing the traumas she lived through. Reluctantly he opened it back up again knowing it was too late to turn back now.

Elena Gilbert - birth mother found dead, overdose. Birth father incarcerated, fraud charges for 10 years. Elena age 5 sent to Doc workers to be take into the foster care system.

Skimming over the main information to maintain as much of her privacy as possible he found a summarised list of dates for all the homes she was placed in.

Total over 14 years of foster care, Elena Gilbert placed in 50 homes.

1) age 5, Fells Church CA, one year. Removed from home for not attending school.

2) age 6, west Philadelphia PA, 2 months. Removed from home after injuries sustained deemed suspicious by hospital. Investigation found continued pattern of abuse - no criminal charges filed.

3) age 6, Centre city Philadelphia PA, 1 month. Ran away from home.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert found after 2 months missing in hospital badly beaten, broken leg and concussion. Signs of sexual abuse. Cleared by hospital no criminal investigation.

4) age 6, Centre City Philadelphia PA, 1 month. Removed from home due to schools abuse investigation of host family. Charges made against Raymond Miles - neglect and assault.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert ran away from doc workers attempting to remove her from Miles home. 6 months missing, found by police in New Jersey.

5) Age 7, Trenton NJ, 3 months. Requested for removal by host family due to child's violent behaviour endangering others.

6) Age 7, Trenton NJ, 6 months. Removed from home due to hospital visit showing signs of physical, emotional and sexual abuse investigated by school and hospital. Charges filed against Jessica Lowe - forced prostitution, child abuse, sexual assault, rape of a minor.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert ran away from Doc workers at court house after giving vital testimony in Lowe trial. Missing 4 months found by security at train station Standford New York. Fine was excused by government.

7) Age 8, Standford NY, 8 months. Ran away from home possibly with 2 other children.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert found missing for 2 weeks stealing from local store, returned to previous home.

8) Age 8, Standford NY, 1 month. Removed from home after hospitalised for malnutrition. Joseph family taken off of registry for foster care homes with third such incident in past year.

9) Age 9, Albany NY, 3 weeks. Ran away from home.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert found missing after 1 week in Hartford Connecticut. Stopped at train station by security. Fine for failure to pay excused by government.

10) Age 9, Hartford CT, 4 months. Taken back by state after home invasion murder of both carers. Case unsolved.

Damon felt physically ill after reading only the brief details of her first few years in foster care. It's obvious to anyone that these homes weren't safe yet nothing was done about it. Hell Elena was living on the street the first time when she was 6 years old. It made him sick to think of what could have been happening to her to make a child as young as that was made to even contemplate running away... and then the things that could have and probably did happen to her on the streets.

Damon rubbed a stressed hand over his face and flicked through the pages to find more information from her older years.

20) Age 11, Washington DC, 1 month. Removed from home when child in care reported dead. No criminal charges filed.

Flicking through more pages the same patter happened over again except she never stayed in anymore homes for longer than 3 months again. but she also never managed to stay on the streets for more than a month at a time before getting caught. Damon remembered around that time the government had implemented a nation wide program to get kids off the streets - something his father had donated money towards.

31) Age 13, Carson City NV, 2 months. Removed from home and taken into police custody after suspected stabbing of George Hills - foster care resident of placement home. No charges filed.

Shit! so Elena may have possibly been involved in stabbing the guy who was her guardian? But no charges were filed which means either no evidence or she didn't do it.

Elena Elizabeth Gilbert legally taken out of social services care for 3 months due to incarceration.

"Incarceration?" Damon repeated to himself confused as he reread the little explanation it gave before flicking through a few pages finding her criminal record which was longer than he had expected it to be.

Officially Sealed documents granted by judge at Elena Elizabeth Gilbert's request:
Summary includes:

Age 6 Fare evasion - community service order 10 hours
Age 6 Fare Evasion - fine (pardoned)
Age 7 theft - community service order
Age 7 fare evasion - fine (pardoned)
Age 7 theft - no charges pressed, resolved privately
Age 8 possession - substance abuse mandatory assessment. cleared.
Age 8 - fare evasion - fine (pardoned)
Age 9 theft - community service order 50 hours
Age 9 possession - fine
Age 10 assault - provocation/ self defence plea accepted
Age 10 Fare evasion - fine (pardoned)
Age 11 assault - anger management mandatory assessment. cleared.
Age 12 possession - fine
Age 12 theft - no charges pressed, resolved privately.
Age 12 possession - fine
Age 12 assault - charges dropped.
Age 12 possession - fine
Age 12 possession - substance abuse mandatory assessment. cleared.
Age 13 fare evasion - fine (Pardoned)
Age 13 assault - charges dropped
Age 14 theft - incarceration 3 months girls juvenile detention
Age 14 incarceration extended due to assault in detention centre. Released one month later.
Age 15 bail conditions violation - (pardoned)
Age 16 Fare evasion - fine (pardoned)
Age 16 possession - substance abuse mandatory assessment. cleared.
Age 16 destruction of private property - charges dropped, settled privately.
Age 16 assault - charges dropped, settled privately.
Age 17 assault of an officer - 1 year incarceration in prison. charged as an adult.
Age 17 Fare evasion - fine (pardoned)
Age 17 Bail conditions violation - (Pardoned)
Age 17 Bail conditions violation - fine
Age 18 Fare evasion - fine

"Oh Shit" Damon sighed after reading through her criminal record and the next page of open/suspected crimes she's committed. Too engrossed in the file Damon didn't even notice his father walk in his office. "Fuck" He sighed when he saw his father looking at him from where he was leaning in the door way.

"Damon" his father acknowledged walking further into his office and taking a seat on the chair opposite his desk "I thought Elena was supposed to sign a contract to attend events with you, what happened and why isn't it done?" his father asked but Damon didn't really know how to say any of this to his father since the man seemed to really like Elena.

"Dad" Damon sighed and pushed the file in front of his father who intently scanned the documents, his face still a blank. Damon watched as his fathers eyes lingered on the criminal record rather then the pages of Doc placement records.

"Did she give you permission to dig into her past?" his father asked not removing his eyes from the file as he scanned over her booklet sized hospital records.

"Well no-" he started to reply when his father shot him a glare cutting him off with a dismissive wave of his hand.

Giuseppe's brows pulled together in a frown "This hospital record was from last month" his father pointed out and cautiously Damon looked over the document seeing a detailed report of fractured ribs and bruises common from abuse victims. "She has a few of them from the past 5 months she's been here...you've known her for as long too" his father pointed out but Damon had no idea what any of these were about.

"I..I don't know, she never looked hurt" he said more to himself than his father as he racked his brain for times when Elena would have shown some kind of injury but found none.

"I guess you know about her true employment history then" His father sighed loudly and Damon raised a curious brow at him, not having gotten that far into the file yet.

"What about her employment history?" Damon asked "And why didn't you look surprised to see anything but her recent hospital visits?" he wondered and his father ran a hand through his hair, a sure sign he was stressed. One which had not been used as a reaction to a person in years.

"She's smart by covering her tracks" his father announced, the side of his lip tugging into a small smile, one Damon hadn't seen in a good 10 years unless talking to or about Elena. "I had it investigated a few months ago before I even met her but then when you invited her to the party, one of the lawyers recognised her and told me...I connected the dots on my own from the stuff she had confided in me about her past"

"Elena...told you about her past?" Damon repeated slowly as he stared at his father in shock while he nodded in confirmation. "So, you knew about the criminal record, lack of education and foster families...you knew about her living on the street when she was 6...about her family?"

"The brief overview of it, yes" his father nodded at him "No details, just rough outline from what she had told me" his father smiled again. Two smiles in 10 minutes while talking about Elena and his father hadn't even smiled at him twice in the past 10 god damn years!

"Oookay" Damon slouched back in his chair looking at his father expectantly "So, where is it our lawyer recognised her from" he asked praying it wasn't anything bad or porn.

Giuseppe's lips turned up into a full genuine smile as he explained it "Do you remember how we had quite a few of our good lawyers deals going wrong over the past 9 months or so?" he gave his father a slight nod and so he continued to explain "Well that's the same time a 'Miss Lena Flemming' started working as a dancer at the Electric Pony-"

"Wait" Damon cut his father off bolting up right in his chair "The strip club? the bluff deals and the ones we need a distraction to get done?" he questioned his father seeing him nod yes and his smile broaden.

"Yes" Giuseppe chuckled and continued explaining "Well one day Ronald came into my office to talk to me about 6 months ago and told me it wasn't only our simple deals getting screwed up in that club but it was the same thing for investment bankers, stock exchanges, other lawyers, basically any rich guy in a suit their for business"

"What exactly does that have to do with Elena?" Damon sighed not seeing the point of this story but he could tell it was one his father found highly amusing judging by the large grin he was wearing while telling it.

"After he told me that, we slowed our frequency of deals at the Electric Pony down and I sent in one of the lawyers to just watch the dancers...see who gets close to the guys in suits" his father laughed outright at that "Apparently it was just one little brunette messing up hundreds of business deals, one of the dancers told him that Lena does it because the suits are rich ass-holes"

"Still-" Damon started to but his father cut him off again.

"Aaron the lawyer I sent couldn't get anything from the owner of the club who said his girl was too stupid to be capable. Then at the party you brought Elena as your date...Aaron recognised her and came to tell me that Lena Flemming was with you. Now I had though you just brought along a dancer as your date but the more I watched you two interact the more I doubted that theory and then when I heard Caroline and Stephen talking about how you've been leaving work earlier go talk to her at Stephen's bar..." his father trailed off and it all clicked in Damon's mind.

"You think Elena is a stripper called Lena Flamming?" he asked, mouth open in shock as his eyes bored into his fathers who was watching amused by Damon's surprise.

"Lena short for Elena and Flemming her birth mom's name, I had it checked and Lena Flemming has an employment history of her own, mostly as a stripper, Victoria secrets model, sex store employee and currently employed at the one and only, Electric Pony" his father finished with a wide grin as if they were talking about her getting medals of honour not stripping.

"But she said she wasn't a whore-" Damon said more to himself than his father when the smile on his fathers face faded and he stood up abruptly "Listen to me Damon" his father commanded "I do not ever want to hear that word in the same sentence as Elena ever again, this girl is not a whore...you've grown up surrounded by privilege that girl hasn't and she got the only job she could get hired on the spot for and payed in cash while not committing a crime" his father defended before stalking out of the office slamming the door shut behind him.

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Elena

Giuseppe called, the man was seriously hard to argue with. He had called after finding out about the argument she'd had with Damon and he managed to convince her to sign the contract that he amended himself. She had been a little worried when he first called that he wouldn't understand why she was so pissed about the situation. To her surprise he understood and without her even having to explain it to him.

Although she was less willing this time, she allowed Giuseppe to send his lawyers with the new contract and it was only a day later that Elena received a call from Damon letting her know he had an event that night for a company celebration of one of their major clients mergers.

Damon arrived at her apartment at 4 on the dot and Elena opened the door exchanging a smile with him. He handed her a simple black fitted dress that clung to her curves and highlight her chest. She was quick to get ready while Damon waited for her on her new bed. When she put the dress on she wore her best black lace push up bra that she usually wore for her work at the Electric Pony. Damon's stylist had also provided black healed ankle boots like she had requested. Elena quickly and efficiently pinned her hair up in an elegant up-do leaving curly pieces out to frame her face, with a little makeup.

"Okay, I'm done" she called out hearing his surprised voice "Your done in 30 minutes?" he questioned a little disbelief in his tone and she chuckled walking out to stand in front of him with her arms out, presenting herself to him "Suitable?" she questioned.

Damon's head slowly nodded as his eyes raked over her body and his tongue darted out to lick his lips. Obviously judging by his very male reaction, she was more than suitable looking. "You're beautiful" he breathed out and if she was someone who normally blushed, she would have been blushing like a school girl, right now.

"Well, you ready?" Elena prompted and he nodded holding out his hand to her, which she took without complaint, secretly liking holding his hand as he led her down to the parked SUV. The drive to his companies headquarter building was 40 minutes from Elena's apartment and she was surprised to hear that his father had designed a large hall on the top floor for events such as these so that the company wouldn't have to rent out spaces. "Wow" Elena breathed out seeing the skyscraper in front of her again, she had yet to stop being amazed at seeing it.

Damon smiled taking her hand, helping her out of the SUV and onto the red carpet splayed out on the floor making a path with areas for interviews and photos to be taken by the hordes of paparazzi. "You really are a natural" Damon laughed through his smile and he posed for the camera's with his arm draped around her waist.

He held her hand the entire way into the building after stopping them both pose for pictures, ignoring the questions that the interviewers had about the statement Damon's PR people released about their 'Relationship'.

When they were inside the building she spotted Giuseppe already sitting down at a table "Hello, Elena" Giuseppe greeted as she took her seat and they all exchanged pleasantries before they were joined by the head of the Merging Company Matt and Vicky Donovan, who were sat across the table with them.

Though Elena wasn't qualified or had any experience in the Salvatore or Donovan industries, from her time eavesdropping at work, she understood all but the politics of the conversation. The dinner was extremely boring and felt like it was dragging on forever. There were a few times she had to bite her tongue when Mr. Donovan bragged about screwing over a smaller company and putting the mans family in large debt.

"I can hear you gritting you teeth" Damon whispered in her ear and she chuckled lightly before continuing her internal mantra: shut up, sit, behave, smile and don't call them out on their bullshit!

With a fake smile plastered on her face that after years of practice looked to be real, Elena lent over to Damon "I'm repeating my internal mantra over and over in my head but the more this guy talks the less my mantra is helping me" she sighed watching a smirk grow on Damon's lips at her comment.

After he made another business related comment he lent back over to her wrapping an arm over her shoulders to bringing her closer to his side so he could whisper in her ear "This mantra helping you exercise your self control would be?"

Chuckling Elena smirked as she lent over to answer him "Shut up, sit, Smile, behave and don't call them out of their bullshit!" she snarked making Damon snort loudly drawing the attention of everyone at the table.

"Sorry" He mumbled trying hard not to laugh. While everyone else continued with their conversations, Damon's snort had drawn the attention of Mr. Donovan, who shamelessly let his eyes wander over her exposed chest. Elena cleared her throat as subtly as she could when his eyes never wavered from her boobs throughout his conversation, her brow raised in his direction but she knew that her behaviour had to stay professional. Damon's hand was resting on her knee as he introduced her "Mr. Donovan this is Elena"

Finally Matt's eyes raised to hers "Hello miss Elena" he smiled with a look of interest written clearly across his average features, Elena shot him her best sweet smile despite the urge she had to jab a fork in his eye. "Tell me about yourself, I haven't heard anything about you before" Elena straightened in her seat more uncomfortable now than when he was blatantly staring at her boobs.

God she should have just let him ogle her!

"I don't know what you want to Mr. Donovan, i'm just a regular girl" she smiled at him hiding how uncomfortable she was at his questions but by Damon's slight squeeze of her knee let her know he recognised her discomfort with personal questions.

"I doubt that's true, your a rare beauty...Just from looking at you" he let his eyes wander again landing on her chest as he continued to speak "there is nothing average or regular about you"

If Elena weren't fully comfortable with her body and used to people staring and touching, than she probably would have taken his inappropriate words as uncomfortable "Well, thank you Mr. Donovan" instead of just factual observations.

Apparently Mr. Donovan is not married and in fact Mrs. Donovan is his married sister who also works in his company alongside him. So, he freely allowed himself to keep regular eye contact with Elena's boobs and throughout the rest of the night she could feel the agitation it was causing Damon. Obviously, he wasn't used to that kind of attention occurring around him. "It's okay, Damon" she assured him for the 5th time tonight, she could see Damon getting agitated by Matt's appreciation.

Elena had whispered to Damon that it didn't bother her and, in fact, this kind of staring wasn't uncommon or uncomfortable for her. Although that didn't seem to comfort Damon at all.

When the meals were brought out Elena was surprised at the expensive food and over the top presentation. As soon as it was placed in front of her her nose instantly scrunched before anyone other then Damon could notice, she schooled her features. Damon had a good chuckle to himself at her reaction to the fancy food.

After a few more torturing hours of boredom and annoyingly complicated food in small portions, the event was over and Damon was practically dragged out of the event by Elena who was eager to go anywhere but back in the Gala.

"You really are eager to leave aren't you" Damon laughed in her ear moving to stand behind her as they waddled out of the hall with his arms wrapped around her waist, while he tried to walk by stepping to the sides of her feet. Elena laughed not at all ashamed "Can you say your not?" she challenged only making him laugh louder.

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