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Okay, sorry for the notes, but I wanted to clear something up.
In the U.S, you can only be prosecuted for statutory rape if you are over the age of consent, sleeping with a person under the age of consent.

Chris is 15, turning 16. A Minor.
April is 15. A Minor.

Both are under the age of consent, which is 18 in Virginia.

There is a law for Virginia that allows minors, of the ages 15-17 to engage in sexual activities without prosecution, if their partner is under the age of 18.
Most states have also inacted the "Romeo and Juliet" law, to excuse persecution of minors for having sex with minors.

So though personally, I don't condone it, it is pretty certain that Christian can't be tried for statutory rape, or arrested, or put in jail, or registered as a sex offended, seeing as he is also a minor.

However, Damon could have been, seeing that he was 18 when Elena was 16.

So Damon understands the risks, not to mention that it resulted in a teen pregnancy back then, so he will definitely have some things to say to Chris when it all comes out.

Anyway, just wanted to clear that up.
Hope you guys enjoy the chapter!

Damon could barely watch the road, as he was so entranced by the woman next to him.
Elena's mood had improved since they left the lake house, and she was now singing along to the radio.
Her voice was still so beautiful.

He sighed.
Eventually, he knew they had to talk about what had happened.

She had finally let down that wall that kept her emotions locked up from him.
He just hadn't realized how much he had hurt her.
How much pain she had suffered.

But he would make it up to her, a thousand times over.
He had to.

They still felt something for each other, and he had to give them a chance to really be together.
And if that kiss was any proof, it would definitely be worth the wait.

God, he could still feel her on his lips, and knew that he wanted that again.
Needed that again.

He'd never felt anything like the passion that bloomed between them, and he wanted her more than he had ever wanted anything.
And he would have her.
One day, they would be a family, the way they were meant to be all along, with Christian.

They pulled into the drive of her house, and got out of the car.
She looked over at him and he held her gaze.

Finally she sighed, "I'm sorry about your shirt."
He looked down, noticing the rip down the front of his black button up.

He ran a hand across it, and glanced up at her, "Well, it's not like it's the first piece of clothing you've ripped off of me."
Her blush made him smirk, and she shook her head, as they made their way inside.

She unlocked the door, and let them in, their unspoken words were as thick as they were obvious.

He cleared his throat, just as she began to speak.
"We should talk...really talk."

He shook off whatever he was about to say, and nodded, "Yeah, okay."

She sat down on the couch, motioning for him to join her.
Once he was seated, facing her she sighed.

"You were right…about me hiding…," her eyes were on the floor, but he knew she'd say what she needed, "I think it's just easier, than dealing with all of this. Easier to act like we can just be friends, and skip the hard part…"

"But we can't," he acknowledged, "I hurt you too badly."

She nodded, "And I hurt you, by keeping Chris from you…the only difference is, you've had a week to deal with it. I've been repressing everything I've felt for the past fifteen years, and I don't want to do that anymore…I can't. Not with you."

"I don't want you to," he admitted, "I want us to be able to move past this. You know where I stand…what I want."

"And you know that I want the same," she insisted, finally meeting his gaze, "I want to give Chris a proper family. I want to have someone in my bed again, and I want to remember what it was like to be in love with you…but we have to give it time, Damon. We're fooling ourselves into thinking that that could just happen, without considering all of the variables."

His brows furrowed, "If you're worried about Chris-"

"It's not just Chris, Damon," she told him, "It's me. I can't just jump into something like this. I've worked hard to get where I am, and for the most part, I have a happy life. You can't just expect me to jeopardize everything, by going out on a limb and putting my faith in you. Because if for some reason it doesn't work, I'm the one that's going to lose everything, and Chris would be hurt in the process, and I can't let that happen."

Damon nodded, "I understand that, believe me, I do. I know that it's going to take a lot longer than a week for us to get where we need to be. I'm not expecting you to immediately trust me. But I want the chance to prove to you that you can. And not just with Chris."
He leaned forward, taking her face in his hands, "But with you as well."

Her eyes closed, "I gave my heart to you once Damon, and you broke it."

"I know," he used his thumb to catch the tear that was sliding down her cheek, "And I can't even give you an apology that would encompass how much I regret what I did. If I could change the past, I would Elena, but I can't. And I hate that, because you trusted me and I hurt you."

Her watery gaze held his as he continued, "But if it means anything, my heart broke that day too. I really did think that I was doing the best thing I could…but it was a lie. I wussed out, Elena, convinced that I'd ruin you…but I guess I did that anyway...I am so sorry…but you are the strongest person that I know, and the way you managed to survive, to do this on your own…it's amazing."

Her hand came up, covering his, "I don't want to be angry anymore."
He chuckled slightly, "I don't want you to be angry anymore either, sweetheart. I also don't want you to be in pain…so whatever you need me to do, I'll do it."

She shook her head, "How am I even supposed to know what I need?"

His thumb still caressed her skin, as he asked, "What is it that you want?"
She swallowed, "You shouldn't ask me that."

His eyes held hers, "I am only asking that you let me be here for you," his eyes drifted down toward her lips, and she became increasingly aware of how close their bodies had gotten, "I just want to ease your pain, Elena. Help fix the mess I made of your heart."

He heard her breathing hitch as he slowly leaned in, whispering, "But I need you to let me help you. Let me be here for you…let me make it better."

Her eyes had closed, and he pressed his lips against hers.
Unlike the first time, there was no raw emotion.

This wasn't about their built up lust, it was comfort.
They both needed this. Had needed it for so long…

Elena hesitated slightly, her mouth barely moving against his, almost nervous.
But if nothing else, he could give her this.

So he slid an arm around her shoulders, pulling her body against his, shifting so she fit into him.
Her hands came up to his jaw then, cupping it, as she pulled his mouth harder against hers.

He kissed her good, almost as if their lips moving in sync would hold her together.

She moaned a little, against his mouth, and he had to use all the self-discipline in his body not to ruin this moment by taking her to the floor.
Sex wasn't what this was about.

She needed him, his comfort, and to know that he wasn't going anywhere.
He had to reassure her of that first.

So he kissed her, slowly, burningly, giving her an outlet for all those pent up feelings.
He was just happy that she was leaning on him, letting him take care of her.

Then maybe one day, she'd let him take care of her body's other needs as well.
But for now, this was perfect.

Her tongue darted out, sliding across his bottom lip, and he smiled as he gave her access.
It was hard to let her set the pace, when he was so use to taking control, but she seemed to read him well enough that it didn't matter.

Her tongue danced with his own, as he tangled his hand in her hair, and pulled her taunt.
He felt as though he should pray in reverence to whatever God had answered his prayers.

Having Elena like this was a dream he thought he'd long since lived through.
But somehow, here he was, with her in his arms, kissing her like his life depended on it.

Not that she seemed to mind, and he certainly wasn't complaining.

Until his phone rang, shattering the bliss that had surrounded them.
"Fuck," he groaned, pulling away from her.

Elena let him go, her chest lifting as she tried to regain her breath.
He dug in his back pocket, finally pulling the damn thing out, and read the I.D

Alaric Saltzman. Great.

Sliding a finger across the screen, he answered.

"It's not a vacation if the boss is calling at the end of each week," he stated, and heard Alaric's chuckle.

"Oh, can it, Damon, I was just checking on you. As a friend, not an employer."

Damon smirked.
If there was anything he was going to miss in L.A, it would be his drinking buddy.

"Well, I'm alive."
"Good to know," Ric stated, "It's good that you finally got to visit your family."

"Mmhm," Damon agreed, raking his eyes over Elena.
Her lips were swollen, and if she didn't stop biting them like that, he was going to hang up on his friend and put them into a compromising situation.

"So how's that going?" Alaric wondered.
Damon sighed, "Um, well, to be honest….it's a little complicated."

"How so?" he asked, his tone serious.

Damon knew that he was going to have to explain everything to the guy anyway.
So he sighed, "Hold on Ric."

Looking at Elena, he took her hand, "I need to go deal with this…I'll be right back."
When she nodded, he kissed her head, then stood, making his way to the door.

Elena watched Damon step outside, and shook her head.
If she wasn't careful, she was going to fall head first for that man.

But she couldn't afford that yet.
That didn't stop it from feeling so right, though.

She brought a finger up to her lips.
Damon could kiss, she'd certainly give him that, because she was still on fire from his touch.

She enjoyed it a lot more than she should, but how could something so good be wrong?
Was she making a mistake in putting "them" on hold, until she could sort herself out?
Or was it the smartest thing to do?

Was she thinking about this from a rational standpoint, or a lust filled mind?
It was so hard to be sure.

However, the one thing that she was certain about, was that Damon still meant something to her, even after all this time.
She couldn't deny that.

Just as she couldn't deny that she wanted him…in more ways than just in the bedroom.
Not that that wouldn't be amazing if they finally made it there.

She and Damon had always had a fire between them.
The problem was avoiding the burn.

And maybe it was good to take it slow, for just that reason.

If they were going to have any chance at a real relationship, they were going to have to work at it, build on it, and make sure the fire stayed limited.
Or they'd burn out before they even really had a chance.
And she cared too much to let that happen.

"What do you mean you have a son?!" Alaric demanded.

Damon rolled his eyes, "You heard me the first three times."
"Yeah, I heard you," Ric agreed, "I'm just having trouble wrapping my mind around it…how old is he?"

"Fifteen," he stated.
"Fuck, Damon."
Damon smirked, "Yeah, tell me about it."

"How could you not know you had a kid?" Alaric questioned.
"Elena kept it a secret…asked everyone else too as well. Apparently she had wanted to tell me herself, but seeing as I spent the past decade and a half avoiding her…"

"Shit," Ric sighed.

"You realize what I'm telling you, don't you?" Damon prodded.
Alaric was silent for a moment, "As your friend, I'm sure I do, but as your boss, I'm hoping I'm wrong."

Damon sighed, "My music has been the only thing in my life for years, Ric…but this is my family. My son. I can't just leave."

"Of course you can't!" Alaric huffed, "But that doesn't stop us from being put in a bind here…I'm sure you're aware that you are still under contract."
Damon had thought about this already, "All the contract requires is that I produce a set amount of hits per year, and I can do that from here just as easily as I can from my apartment up there."

"What about your recordings?" Alaric pressed, "Your concerts? And benefit performances. Not to mention tours, label signings, press conferences…"

"I'll fly up to L.A as many times as I need to," Damon told him, "But we are going to have to work something out, Ric. It's safe to say that I'm the biggest name the company has ever put out. I don't want to drop you, but you know that I have the money to break the contract if I have to."

Ric groaned, "Hopefully it won't come to that."
A sigh, "Okay, well just finish your month in Virginia. I'll call you in a few weeks, and you can fly up here so we can work something out for a more permanent arrangement. Sound good?"

Damon nodded, even though the guy couldn't see him, "That works for me."

"Alright…take care of yourself, Damon."
He smirked, "Save me some Bourbon."

Elena had pulled out everything in her fridge that could go on a deli sandwich, and was building a masterful creation when Damon finally came back through the door.

"In here," she called out.
He came into the kitchen then, "Lunch?"

She nodded, "Yeah, I thought this would be easy, and it's a guarantee that I can't ruin it."
He chuckled, coming up behind her, "A sandwich actually sounds really good right now."

She could feel his eyes on her body, and wasn't surprised when his hands slid around her waist, pulling her back against his hard form.
She sat down the knife she'd used to spread out the mayo, and let herself lean against him.

He set back against the counter, using it to support their weight.

"So, who was that?"
His chin rested on the top of her head, "Alaric…the friend that I work for."

Elena stiffened, an apparently Damon noticed.

"Everything's fine," he said quickly, "He was just checking on me…but I had to tell him about Chris. I had to explain that things had changed."
She nodded, "Is he angry?"

"No," Damon assured her, "He gets it…but he's wanting me to fly back to L.A, after this month, so we can work something out."
She turned in his arms, "What does that mean?"

He shrugged, "We'll find out then…but I'm hoping we can find a way for me to meet their quota, and stay here, in Mystic Falls."
Her gaze fell, "And if that's not possible? What then?"

Damon's finger slid under her chin, lifting her eyes, "Hey…I'm not going anywhere. I told you that. If Ric needs to see me, then I'll make the trip, but then I'm coming right back, to you."

She shook her head, "You can say that now, but what about when you are away from us, back in all the fame and stardom…will you still feel this way?"

"Of course I will," he promised, "I'll need to make the trip out of necessity, but I'm coming home to you and Chris. I give you my word."

She nodded, "I want to believe you…but I'm scared Damon. You want me to believe that just because you said it, and I'm not sure I can."

"That's okay," he assured her, "I'll just have to prove it to you. I'm in this for the long run, Elena. I'm not going to leave Christian, or you ever again…but I'd also like to keep my career. And if there is a way for me to work that out, while staying in Mystic Falls, then I have to try."

Again she nodded, "Yeah you're right…"
She couldn't expect him to give up his life's work, even though he made it clear that he was willing to do so, if needed.
But if he could find a way to still play his music, and be in Chris's life…in her life, then she wanted that for him…she owed him that.

"I hope it works out," she told him, truly meaning it.
He smiled kindly, running his hands down her side, "Me too, but luckily, we still have a month before it even becomes an issue. So let's not worry about it, okay?"

She nodded, "If that's what you want."
He smirked, his hands gripping her hips, pulling her flush against him again, "Baby, what I want right now is a little simpler than that."

She blushed, as his mouth captured her own again.
He kissed her much like he had the last time, slow and hot, teasingly.

With an exhale, she pulled away.
"Damon-"

He seemed to fight with himself, before taking a breath and leaning back from her, "You aren't ready…"

She cupped his face, "It's not that…not at all. I just think that we should take this, you know, a little slower."
A little smirk played on his lips, "Elena, we've been taking it slow for fifteen years now."

"That doesn't count," she insisted, "I'm being serious. I think slower would be best right now."
He leaned down, his lips drifting over her neck, "I can do slow, if you want."

She had to focus as he began trailing kisses across her throat at an agonizing pace.
"That's…that's not what I meant," she managed, "This, all of it, has to slow down."

He pulled away then, and she took that moment to step back, knowing that she'd think more clearly if her body wasn't pressed directly against those bulging muscles.
He sighed, "Okay, slow then...but does that mean that you are agreeing that there is something going on?"

She smiled at his hopeful expression, "I'm agreeing that something might happen, or could be happening. But we need to slow down, and let it happen naturally. Not force it because we want to skip to the good parts."

Luckily, he didn't tease her about that, even though the smirk was back on his face.

"It's the only way this, whatever it is, will work between us," she insisted.
He nodded, "Okay, fine…if that's how you want it, then we'll go slow…but I need to know what's allowed at this stage. What you're okay with, and what I need to avoid."

She exhaled, "I really don't know….I can't explain this right, or put limitations on it. I just know that we can't jump head first into this…not when Chris is involved too."

Damon eyed her for a moment, then seemed to decide something.
"Okay, you're right. Chris still has to come first."

She nodded, "Yes."

"So he'll come first," Damon promised, "But right now, he's not here, and I need to kiss you again. So if that isn't allowed in this slow burning phase tell me now."

She bit her lip, overheated by the intensity in his eyes, to the point where she could only nod.
Because she needed to kiss him too.

Never one to disappoint, Damon grabbed her face, then slowly and deliberately kissed her.
It wasn't demanding or hard like the others, and he pulled away a little too soon.

"There," he breathed, "Slow."

Then before she could answer, he had kissed her forehead, and moved to the other side of the island.

Blinking, she turned to look at him, only to find him holding up the deli meat.
"So," he asked, "Turkey or Ham on your sandwich?"

She smiled a little at how normal he played this.
As if they hadn't just made some sort of phenomenal breakthrough in their tedious relationship.

But the simplicity calmed her, and she simply answered, "A little of both please."
He nodded, and proceeded to help her make the food.

Like a regular couple, for a regular lunch, waiting for their child to come home.
Maybe this really could work.

Okay, so more kisses, some relationship defining, and a little fluff! This was a simple chapter, and I felt like they really needed it!

Hope you guys enjoyed!

Please please review! :)