Yay!

So the reviews were, as always, very positive and motivating!
I love you guys, really! Thanks for showing such amazing interest and encouragement each time I post!

Also, I need to mention that I will be without Wi-Fi next week, but i promise an update by Sunday, the 25th!

Anyway...on to chapter three!

For the first time in a while, Elena actually beat the school bus to her house.
She took advantage, and decided to tidy up some.
Not that the house was really dirty, but she worked a lot, and Chris tended to let the dishes and laundry pile up.
She wished she could be home more, but working full time was the only way she could afford their little two bedroom home, her car, plus living expenses.
She sighed, trying not to let it get to her.

She was exchanging the dishes out when Christian walked in.
"Hey, sweetie," she smiled at him.
"Hey," he answered, walking into the kitchen, "You're home early."
She nodded, as she finished stacking, "I got the column turned in sooner than I thought, and anyway…how was school?"
He shrugged as he slid off the shoulder strap of his backpack, and put it on the counter.
"School's school. Boring classes, too much homework…you know."
She nodded, as he turned to the cabinet, "Do we have any snack food?"
"Check the top shelf."
He raised a brow, before reaching up there, and pulling down some chips and snack cakes.
"What?" she shot, "If I don't keep them out of my reach, I'll eat them."
He chuckled, "It's sad that I'm so much taller than you."
She laughed with him, "That's because you inherited your father's legs."
Christian's joking mood diminished, "Yeah…and his hair, and his eyes, and his bone structure, and his attitude, or so Grandmother says."
Elena smiled gently, "Oh no, baby, that attitude was all mine."
He smiled reluctantly, then sighed, taking a seat on a stool next to the island across from her.

"Do you ever think about him? My dad?"
Elena paused, before looking over at her son. In truth, Valentina was right, he was the spitting image of Damon. From his black hair and blue eyes, to his narrow build and long legs, not to mention that sarcastic smirk.
It would be impossible to see the boy and not think of Damon.

"All the time," she answered truthfully.

Chris nodded, opening up the chip container, and pulling a handful out.
Elena wanted to press further, but she knew that Christian was a lot like her in that area…he would open up when he was ready.
So she remained silent, and sure enough, a few minutes later, he spoke up.

"Mom?"
She stopped wiping the counters and looked at him, "Yeah?"
"Is it okay to hate him?"

Elena stared at him for a few seconds, measuring her answer.
"I think it's…natural, to be angry…to want to hate him…but I also think that this is a situation where there really isn't a blame to be placed."
Christian raised a brow, "But he left us…he never bothered to come back…"
Elena nodded, "I know, baby, I know…but you have to remember, he doesn't know he has a reason to come back."
"Because he doesn't even know I exist," Christian reminded her accusingly.
Her head hung a little, "At the time, that's what was best…and then all these years passed, and it's hard to just come out with something like that."

"Because not having him know is so much better," Chris challenged.
Elena met his gaze, "I never said that. Look, I've made mistakes, Chris. I'm not perfect. But I love you, and I've only tried to do what's best by you. And to be honest, after all this time, I have no idea who Damon is anymore. And even if I did tell him, I don't know what to expect. I don't know if he'd want to meet you, or if he'd even want anything to do with us…and I love you too much to put you in that position."

Christian considered this, then nodded.
"I get why you did it, Mom. I just wish…," he huffed, trailing off.
"Wish that what?" she asked.
"I don't know," he shrugged, "That I things were different, I guess."
Elena nodded, "I wish they were too, babe. But you and I have done alright, haven't we?"
Chris smiled a little, "Yeah."
"Good," Elena smiled back, "Now…what are you doing this weekend?"
Chris raised a brow, "Nothing…I'm grounded, remember."

Right.
"Well, Caroline and Uncle Stefan are taking Gabe and Emma to the lake house. They invited you too."

His mood literally raised, "Are they going to have the four-wheelers?"
Elena shrugged, "Not entirely sure, but I don't see why they wouldn't…do you want to go?"
He nodded, then hesitated, "So am I ungrounded?"
Elena considered this, "Maybe…but we need to discuss terms of surrender."
Chris grinned, "Okay, what are they?"
Elena thought it through, "You are free this weekend. But when you come back, you will still have certain restrictions."
He nodded, so she continued, "No going out on weekends, for the rest of the month, but we can negotiate on week days…and you can use your Xbox on weekends only, if you forfeit a month's allowance, and help set up for the Christmas ball in a few months."

Chris's brows furrowed as he considered this, "Okay…but can I at least have April come over on the weekends?"
Elena knew April Young was Christian's girlfriend.
"Saturday's. And she leaves by nine-thirty."
"Deal," Chris smiled.
"But all of that is only affective if you stay out of trouble."
He nodded, "And keep good grades, and don't get in fights, and say my prayers, and do community service, and sacrifice a virgin on an altar of fire…I get it, Mom."
He smirked in a way that reminded her scarily of his father, "Okay, smart ass."
He just grinned and began to pull his homework out of his back pack.

Damon propped his feet up on Alaric's desk, knowing that it irritated the man. But he was too bored to care.
He'd been sitting in the same room for over an hour while Alaric was in a meeting, and Damon knew that it was only postponing the lecture he was going to get for something he'd probably fucked up without even knowing.
It seemed like he did that a lot.

Still though, pissing off his one, and only, friend in this business probably wasn't a very good idea, especially since his job, or lack thereof was determined by it.

Sighing, he dropped his feet back to the floor, just as the door opened.
"Damon…you're actually here."
He nodded, "Yeah, and on time, might I add, which you, coincidentally, were not."

Alaric took a seat in his chair across from Damon.
"Sorry, once those old men get talking, there is no shutting them up…I see you found my bourbon."

Damon glanced at the drink in his hand, "Oh, yeah, I'll replace it, but I got tired of just waiting…especially since I could be at my apartment, having hot shower sex with a needy blond whose name still escapes me."
Alaric raised a brow, "Long night then?"
Damon sat up, "They're all long…but we can skip the idle chit chat. You called me in here for a reason?"

Ric nodded, "Yeah, I did, actually."
He pulled a folder from his desk, and handed it to Damon.
"Oh, song lists," Damon commented as he took it, "Yeah, I snooped through the stuff you had laying around while I waited. Why do I need these?"
Ric shook his head at his friend, "Because the company wants you to sing them."
Damon chuckled dryly, before seeing the guys face, "Wait…are you serious?"
"Yep, and I told them there was no way in hell that you'd agree to it."
Damon scanned the list, "You're right. There's no way in hell."
Alaric sighed, "So that's where our issue is."

Damon leaned back in his chair, "What issue? I'll sing what they give me, same as always, as long as it isn't this crap...seriously. A five year old could come up with better lyrics."
Ric stared at him, "That won't work anymore, Damon. The board thinks that you've lost your edge. Whatever was inspiring you when you started here…it's gone now. It's obvious to everyone that there is no emotion in anything you perform. None of it's real. They want to try you out on something else."

"Real?" Damon tested the word.
"Yeah…now this," Alaric pulled open a different file, "These are some of your hits from a few years back."
He handed Damon the file, "This is what the board is looking for."
Damon looked it over, then closed it, "That's because I was actually writing back then."
"So why don't you write now?" Ric challenged.
Damon sighed, "Out of practice, to be honest."
"No," Alaric chided, "You got lazy. You got use to them telling you what to sing, and where to sing it…but that's not what you came here for."
Damon raised a brow, "And what do you know about what I came here for?"
Ric scoffed, "Please, Damon. I've known you longer than anyone else in this city. When you came here, you had passion, drive, aspiration. You need to find that again, or you can say goodbye to your career."

Damon rolled his eyes, "Yeah, well, that's not exactly something the doctor can prescribe for me on demand, Ric."
Alaric nodded, "Oh, I know. That's why I asked the board to extend you a leave of absence."
This got Damon's attention, "A what?"
"A leave of absence," Alaric clarified, "I want you to get your ass out of town. I don't care where you go, or what you do, but you go, get refreshed, and in a month or so, come back with some new, fresh material."

Damon blinked at him, "Are you being serious, man?"
"I wouldn't joke about this, Damon. You are losing yourself here. You need to get away. And I say this, both as your manager, and as your friend. I'll be in touch with you through email, so you can send me the new stuff as it comes to you."

Damon raised a brow, "And where exactly am I supposed to go for this fresh outlook on my inner being? A beach in Pompeii?"
Alaric sighed, "Home, Damon. Just go home."

Huh. Home.

Now there was an idea.

Hell, he hadn't been to Mystic Falls since…since Grayson Gilbert all but ran him out of town.

He recalled that night with clarity.
Grayson had caught him sneaking out of Elena's window, and of course, the man had plenty to say.
He'd never liked Damon.
Had never liked the fact that Elena was in love with Damon.

But it wasn't until that night that Damon really understood why.
The words echoed in his head.

She's too good for you.

She deserves better.

What kind of life can you give her?

She's on a path to success.

You are only dragging her down.

Distracting her.

The list of reasons he was wrong for Elena Gilbert was endless, but Grayson had certainly tried to fit them all in, that night.

Damon remembered the overwhelming feeling of it all crashing down.

Because it was all true.
He didn't deserve that girl.
She was going to grow up, and be a doctor, and have a good, successful career.
And even though he'd made a name for himself, Grayson was right.
He wouldn't be able to give Elena the life that she deserved...the life he hoped she'd find.

And then Grayson had told him to leave her. To let her go.
Had even thrown in a few connections in the music business with the deal.
So Damon did what he thought was best.
He backed out, broke Elena's heart, and skipped town.
With too much regret, but no reason to come back.

Until now.

End of Chapter 3!

Please review! Let me know if you loved/hated it, and what you'd like to see next!

Thanks!