A/N: Sorry for taking awhile to update with this chapter! Thank you for reading, the faves/follows and those of you who left reviews :)

Chapter 2 - It's not over by a mile.

When we were younger and free

I've forgotten how it felt before the world fell at our feet

There's such a difference between us

And a million miles

Lyrics from Hello, by Adele

{****}

I stared despondently at the pile of papers in my hands, they were just one big blur of meaningless crap. I could care less about the financial mess this guy had gotten himself into and that was my job fixing other people's mistakes. Spinning the chair around I reached for the phone buzzing through to my assistant, Andie. "Clear the rest of my day. I'm going out."

"When will you be returning? Mr Lockwood is due in at three?"

Shit I'd forgotten about him. The local mayor of this god forsaken town. "Get Alaric to deal with Richard. I won't be back."

"Mr Salvatore, what about the-"

"Did you not hear me the first time? I'm out of here as of right now."

Without waiting another second I hung up and disappeared through the back door. The air was cool and crisp against my face, a refreshing change from being stuck in that damn office all day. I was going insane maybe I should take holidays or some type of leave because I'd been doing sweet fuck all for days.

Ever since my wife told me she wanted to divorce me when my ex-fiancée turned up with a child, my son I'd never known. If this wasn't all so real, I'd swear I was caught up in some twisted dimension hovering between the past and the present.

There was no denying Lucas was my son, with the same thick dark hair and piercing blue eyes. The DNA just confirmed what I already knew, he was mine. Katherine was in the early stages of pregnancy when the accident occurred and he'd survived safely tucked inside his mother's womb. Was I angry at her when I found out she'd been pregnant? I should of been, because among the many issues in our relationship, having a child together was not on the cards. And yet Katherine had lied telling me she was taking the pill every day. I'd found her stash of pills hidden away in a drawer and judging by the packets months of them had remained untouched. But I thought nothing more of it when I assumed that she'd left me.

That night had been the first major storm to hit Chicago for the winter-thunder boomed across the skies and lightning sliced through the air. It was raining with the pitter patters hitting the roof before turning into a full on downpour.

We were sitting in the living room, I was watching a documentary about Ancient China on Fox and she had a wedding magazine in her lap, Brides. My bourbon bottle was half gone and I was thinking about knocking the rest off but the thought of a lousy hangover the next day changed my mind.

Katherine glanced over at me, a scowl on her face. "Interesting story. I think you should read this." She tossed the mag towards me hitting me in the chest.

I knew then something was up, and it'll lead us into another argument about my inability to let go of her, Elena. Grasping the drink in my hand, I feigned annoyance. "Kitty Kat, c'mon you know I really want to watch this. Can't you go grab a bottle of wine and switch off from all this wedding stuff?"

"Damon why won't you set a date? I want to get married and you're constantly dragging your feet."

"What's the rush? We are still young and have plenty of time."

"I don't believe you. Is there another reason why you are reluctant to make me your wife?"

"What are you saying? I proposed with that huge rock on your finger and took you to the Greek Islands. That's something isn't it?"

"Yes you did and I've never felt like I was in with a chance. She's always been there haunting us, just admit it-you still love Elena, you've always loved her. And wish it was her you were marrying."

"What does this have to do with Elena? I moved on from her along time ago Katherine. What I had with her is history."

"God just be honest Damon. You don't want to marry me because then you'll really lose her forever, your precious fucking Elena. I hate her and the hold she still wields over you. What is it about her that you can't let go?"

There it was, the words were left hanging in our living room with nowhere to hide. It was like the white elephant in the room which had plagued me for years was gone. I met Katherine's tear stained eyes and I knew, I didn't want to marry her when my heart was with another. It wasn't Katherine's fault I was in love with someone else and yet couldn't have. Grasping her hand I held it tightly, it was time I told the truth. "I care about you Katherine, I really do. But I can't marry you, not now or ever. I'm so sorry."

Yanking her hand away, she screamed, "Don't say another word, you son of a bitch. I loved you. You're a god damn liar. I'm getting out of here I need some air."

She bolted out the front door with only the car keys she'd swiped from the coffee table. I followed calling after her but Katherine had already jumped inside the Porsche, and I watched as she disappeared into the night. I thought about going after her but the bourbon's I'd consumed just might put me over the limit and I had no idea where she was headed. I'd broken her heart and strung her along for far too long. Yes she deserved better and right now she hated me. Who could blame her?

But just maybe if I'd cared enough or had been sober the chain of events that followed may never of occurred.

{****}

I grabbed my cell making a quick call to Stefan. "Hey meet me at the Grill in five?"

My little bro was a sales agent and when he wasn't busy doing his thing he'd had some spare time on his hands. And right now I needed a drink and a sympathetic ear to listen to my marital woes.

Stefan owned the business with his now wife Caroline. Yep their college fling was the real thing and they'd never wasted the years in between: a relationship built on a pillar of strength and bonded forever with the birth of their twins, Luke and Liv.

To be honest maybe I was pissed that they'd had an easy path from college through till now. They knew what they wanted and gave it their all with no painful breakups or ex's to turn everything upside down. Well that's my take but maybe I'm someone who's become all bitter with my life in utter chaos.

I slid into an empty booth at the Grill and took a glance at the menu. Not that I was hungry, my appetite was shot to hell but I motioned for the waitress, a young teen named April. "Give me two hamburgers and fries. And a double bourbon on ice make that a priority. Got it?"

The brunette was busy scribbling my order and nodded in agreement. "Thank you," she said, walking towards the bar.

Tapping my fingers against the edge of the table I wondered how long my brother was going to keep me waiting, maybe it'd only been a few minutes I was just being impatient. When April returned with my drink, he slid into the empty seat across from me.

Smiling, he said, "I'll have whatever he's having and take your time, no rush."

Scowling, I muttered, "Are you always this pleasant? And to think, you used to be the broody one."

He shrugged. "Maybe. So what's the emergency? Has Katherine skipped town and left Lucas with you?"

I scoffed on my drink. "You can't be serious? She doesn't remember me but she knows her son and their bond is unbreakable. No chance she's going anywhere."

"Sorry I was trying to lighten things up a bit. It can't be easy on the three of you. What a shock."

"I love my son and getting to know him is such a joy. Do you know I think he might of called me Dad yesterday? It totally blew me away, I'm a father."

"He's your own flesh and blood and you'll never turn your back on. I've grown fond of my little nephew too. How's Elena going with all this? I heard she came by the house the other day?"

I massaged the golden wedding band sitting on my finger. Well, there was no point in sugar coating it, even though Stefan adored Elena and thought of her as the sister he'd never had. "My wife waltzed into our home after a month of utter silence and presented me with divorce papers. Can you believe it?" His face remained impassive and fuck it I wanted to see some type of reaction, who's side was he on?

"Christ a divorce? What did you say?"

"I told her she was out of freaking her mind. There's no way I'd agree to it. Elena loves me and I love her this is bullshit Stefan." I downed the drink along with my sorrows. No one knew what I was going through. I was sick of hearing them say they understood and all that other crap when truthfully they had no fucking idea.

"That's rough. Shit. What a mess this has turned into. Your torn between the life you were supposed to have and the one who turned up on your doorstep."

I slammed my empty glass on the table. "She can't do this. Yes I cared about Katherine once and we share a kid but does Elena honestly believe that's enough to make a happy home?"

His brother shook his head. "She loves you Damon. Always has. I think Elena carries a lot of guilt and is just doing what she thinks is right."

I sneered. "She loves me huh? What she is doing is pushing me into a lifetime of misery. Why can't she see that? It's her or nothing."

"So go find her. Fight for your wife. The love you share is undeniable. Work this out and make it right."

{****}

Of course I'd find myself here at Mystic Falls High, it's where she taught the middle graders and had done for some time. And they loved her-what with being a past student, cheerleader and all that jazz. Elena Gilbert was a name synonymous with this town, just like her father, John Gilbert who was once the school principal.

I bolted up the stairs two at a time and found myself inside the now empty halls. Walking swiftly to room 10a I peeked through the glass doors and saw her standing at the front. She was motioning to a guy in the last row with a mop of bleached blonde hair and obviously he'd answered her question correctly, Elena nodded then turned her attention on someone else.

When I saw my opening I tapped loudly on the door. Thirty pairs of eyes turned in my direction as did hers. Her face remained neutral as she spoke to them and made her way towards me. Closing the door behind her, she said, "What are you doing here Damon? I'm in the middle of a class."

What the hell was I doing? I wanted to fix this mess and the life I was supposed to have with her. She could curse me out or tell me to take a hike but I didn't care. "I know. I just wanted to see you."

She pursed her lips in a tight line, and waving her hand, she said, "You shouldn't be here. I can't do this right now, can you leave please?"

Leave? Oh I don't think so. Who did she think I was, some annoying insect she wanted to swat away? "Fuck. Is that it Elena? Ever since you left I can't concentrate on anything. I'm feeling completely lost and this divorce talk is ludicrous. Just give me five minutes? Where's the harm in that?" I held my breath because we weren't embarking on something new and adventurous, I was trying to save both of our lives, the one we were meant to have together. Elena could try and run but I've always been there to catch her. I loved this woman and living without her was not an option.

August 2009

It was still summer, and I'd been feeling a little bored. College life hadn't been all I thought it would be. But hey, maybe that was just me, a bit of a slacker. Who wanted to be stuck in a classroom, when we could be outdoors or drinking instead? I was never going to be someone who'd change the world, like the scientist who'd found the cure for some deadly disease, so remind me again why I was here?

That's right I was going to follow in my father's steps and venture into the world of finance. Which also meant a short stint at Whitmore of only three years. After that who knows? Maybe I'd move to New York City and become one of those high flying businessmen or something. I could party and play, a win win.

My best friend, Enzo and the others in our group were a mixed sort. But one thing was certain, we all loved to party and there was ample invitations every night of the week. So when Mason Lockwood informed us, we'd be attending a twenty-first on Friday night, we barely acknowledged it. We'd been out the night before to a bar, one that lasted late into the night and kind of messy I'd barely made it through the day. "So who's it this time?"

"Some girl from Whitmore. Vicki Donovan."

I had no idea who she was. Although the name sounded familiar-Donovan. Quarterback. All American. "Is she the sister of the Whitmore Golden Boy?"

"Yeah. And I've seen her, she's hot. God I love parties with ample free booze and meeting up with the ladies."

I shrugged. Another party like all the others-what was going to be so different about this one? So we'd rolled up to a sprawling mansion not far from Whitmore. Where the tunes of Beyoncé could be heard blaring from the stereo and crowds were already gathered inside and out. We gave our obligatory greetings to Vicki, who could barely stand straight, after spending most of the afternoon at a funky new bar. I noticed her eyes roaming over me in a not so subtle way and when she tried it on I had to let the poor girl down gently, there was point in ruining her birthday now was it?

Disappearing to the bar I filled my plastic cup with bourbon and tossed in some ice. Observing the other attendees I wondered why the hell I agreed to come. Contemplating on making an early exit, I downed my drink and escaped through the side gate. Thank fuck there was no Bullmastiff or some other beast waiting for me at the other end. I opened my car door where I was parked down the street, when I heard a couple arguing not far from where I stood.

"Are you serious? You want to do this now Elena?"

My curiosity was peaked when I heard the name, Elena. Could it be the brunette beauty from the beach? Craning my neck I saw two figures standing in an impasse on the sidewalk. The woman had long dark hair cascading around her shoulders, and a blonde dude with a stocky build blocking her path. She tried going around him, but he grabbed onto her arm.

"So we're over huh? Nobody dumps me, do you know who I am?"

"I know about Rebekah. You can't keep your dick in your pants. Just leave me alone. I'm going home."

"You're coming to my sister's party with me. After that you can do whatever the hell you like."

"Let go of me Matt."

So it was her, and her boyfriend who'd done the dirty, the dumbass. I locked my car and headed in their direction. They looked up when I approached and when I was close enough I elbowed him in the chest sending him backwards.

"You wanker, watch were you're going," he hollered.

Ignoring him, I asked, "Is everything OK here Elena?"

Her eyes widened in surprise when she realized who I was. Yes she remembered me and why wouldn't she? I was half naked when we met and I had the body of a Greek God, a modern day Achilles if you like, and I could fight like him too.

Elena glanced at Matt, and then back to me. "Uh hey. I was going home actually."

Matt glared at her. "Fuck off and go then. There's plenty of girls for me to screw."

Without missing a beat I yanked him up by his shirt, and said very calmly, "That's no way to talk to a woman. Did your father teach you anything about respect?"

He shoved me back. If he wanted a fist fight he'd get one. "You piece of shit. Do you know who I am?"

Pushing him off me, I snarled, "Time for you to leave. I'll see Elena gets home safely."

Matt must of figured getting into it with me wasn't worth the effort. Not when he could end up with broken fists or worse. How could he play ball if he was out of action? And any chance of going pro gone?' He adjusted his blue polo shirt before turning around and leaving without a word. I looked at Elena, who was staring at his retreating back, and boy was she pissed.

"What an asshole. I had no idea he was such a jerk. Thank god we weren't dating for long. Goodluck to the next girl who takes his interest. Loser."

I smirked. She was already over it. Blue eyed boy was an easy one to forget. "Next time can I suggest choosing your boyfriends a bit more carefully?"

Her eyes met mine and even in the darkness I felt the electricity pulse between us. Her hand rested on my forearm, and quietly, she said, "Thank you. I'll admit I was wrong about you."

I stared at her. She sure was one of a kind. I'm not the one who'd had the lousy night and yet here she was apologising to me. For the first time I felt something click in a way I'd never felt before. The more I saw of this girl, the more I liked her. So I asked her again, and even if the answer wasn't what I expected, I'd try time a third time and more. "Does that mean you'll reconsider a date with me?"

She smiled. "Yes and don't make me regret it."

Hell yes. That made me feel like singing at the top of my lungs. Grasping her hand in mine, I led her towards my car. "I'm holding you to that, you said yes. C'mon let me drive you home. Scouts honour I'll be the perfect gentleman."

{****}

My wife stared at me and her face immediately softened to the one who actually cared how I felt. "Are you OK? How is Lucas?"

Shaking my head, I said, "I love him Elena. He's my son."

Her fingers tilted my head back towards hers, where I gazed into her beautiful brown eyes, the ones I'd memorized for years. "I know Damon. He needs his father. It's not his fault."

"It's not yours either. I miss you." I reached for her hand expecting her to flinch from my touch. But she didn't pull away, instead Elena leant into me with her forehead just touching mine and our hands firmly clasped together. We stayed like that for awhile and it felt like I was home-the familiar smell of her shampoo wafted through my senses along with the perfume she wore one of my all time favourites. If only we could stay like this just the two of us, the way it was supposed to be.

She broke the silence first. "I need to finish my class. We'll talk afterwards OK?"

Staring into her perfect face so close to mine and with the hardness in her voice gone, I sensed her resolve at pushing me away was breaking. I felt a flicker of hope creep inside my chest. "Elena, I'll..." but just as I started to say the words my cell phone rang echoing down the empty halls.

She stared at me when I made no move to answer it. "Are you going to take that?"

I shrugged with indifference. "It's probably my assistant. This is far more important."

The ringing stopped for a few seconds only to pick up again. Cursing, I grabbed the damn thing from my pocket and was about to swipe reject call when I saw who was calling, Merideth Fell from Mystic Falls Hospital. Hitting the green button, I said, "Damon Salvatore." The nurse on the other end spoke fast and my heart lurched at hearing the news and I told her I'd be right there.

"Damon? What's wrong?"

"It's Lucas. He fell off his scooter, he's in hospital."

Elena's face dropped. "Oh my god. Is he going to be OK? You need to go."

"I don't know. They think he might have some broken bones." I tugged on her hand towards the exit. "You're coming with me." When she pulled herself free I knew the walls had engulfed around us once more, the moment we just shared was gone.

"Go be with your son. He needs you. She needs you," Elena cried out.

She turned away but not before I saw the tears falling from her eyes. "Elena. We're not finished. When are we going to talk?" I hated leaving her like this. She was hurting and I was the cause of so much of her pain. I felt like I was being pulled in every direction and no matter what I did it always seemed like I was going the wrong way.

Wiping her cheeks with her palms, she whispered, "I can't Damon. It was a mistake to see you. I'm sorry. Go be with your family it's where you belong." Elena ran off towards the staff toilets leaving me there alone.

I stormed out of the school, shoving the doors open with a bang. Fuck. We were getting somewhere and now every minute felt like it was slipping away. She may have escaped this time but I'd continue to wear her down until she accepted the fact we were meant to be together, forever.

But right now Lucas needed me and that's were my priorities should be.