CHAPTER 2

Damon's POV

-FLASHBACK-

Pain. At this moment, it was all Damon could feel; excruciating and unbearable pain. It started at the very center of his heart, radiating through it, and to every nerve ending he had throughout his entire body. This pain was nothing compared to any other he had felt before. If he had thought that Elena choosing his brother over him, and leaving him to die alone, had been the most excruciating pain ever; this, right now was at least ten times worse. Because, when Elena chose to go back to Stefan, he was sure that he, at some point, would get to see her again. But now, as he saw Ric's body turning grey, and those sickening veins bulging everywhere. He was sure that he would not.

He refused to believe what his mind was screaming at him. No. He refused to believe that all he had done to protect the woman he loved, had, in the end, been useless.

He felt as if the agonizing pain in his chest would swallow him whole. He would have done everything he possessed, for something to stop this torture. Throughout his very long existence, both as a human and as a vampire, he had endured many different kind of pain. From his father hitting him with anything he could get his hands on, as a human. To having been drowned in vervain, staked, stabbed, decapitated, and once having been starved to desiccation. But nothing; not even all of the above put together could sum up to the excruciating and tormenting pain he was going through right in that moment.

It felt like the only way he could placate it was by pulling out the source of his torment. His heart. But he wouldn't. At least not until he had seen her dead body with his own eyes, and convinced himself that she was really de-. He couldn't bring himself to even say that word. By saying it, it would become real. And he refused to believe it until he saw it himself.

With newfound courage, he picked Ric's dead body from the ground and carried it to the car, putting it in the trunk. He walked around the car and got in the driver's seat. Then, he took off, speeding to Mystic Falls. The miles disappearing beneath the tires; but his misery increased per mile covered.

While driving, the same image was crossing his mind: Elena, lying lifeless on a cold metal bed. The girl that had given his life a meaning, but that had also screwed him over, time and time again. He wanted nothing more than to erase her from his mind forever so he didn't have to think about her, and the heartbreak she had caused him.

As the image passed through his head, over and over again; his foot pressed even harder on the gas pedal. He was breaking the speed limit by far, but at the moment he did not care. The only thing he cared about was getting to Mystic Falls and seeing for himself the image he refused to believe. Then, he could get the hell out of there and disappear forever.

When he was nearing the 'Welcome to Mystic Falls' sign; he got a text from Jeremy.

'She's at the hospital. In the morgue'

It was short, but it was obvious that the youngest Gilbert already knew that he was on his way back home.

He flew through Mystic Falls roads, until he finally found himself at the entrance of the ER.

"WHERE IS SHE?" he roared at Meredith upon entrance. His torment increasing with every second passing, that he didn't know where Elena was.

-END FLASHBACK-

Damon shook his head, to get rid of that memory that brought him pain and nothing else; and focused on the road ahead of him. He still had quite some miles to drive before he could get to the hellhole, also known as Mystic Falls. He breathed deeply and prepared himself for what was ahead of him. He willed himself to be able to face his idiotic brother and the girl he had hurt so much over; together as a couple.

If you had asked him, a year ago how he felt about them; he would probably answer you with a bitter comeback, and said that he was over it and hated them both. But, if you looked closely –which you could never be able to, because he was so on edge that every person that'd come 10 yards near him, would end up dead-, you could have seen in his eyes the immense heartbreak the idea of them together still caused him. He would deny it with all he had, but his eyes wouldn't lie. But you could also see in his eyes the anger and bitterness he contained within himself, and all of it was aimed towards those two people.

However, if you asked him now; he, once again, would say that he was over it and that he hated them both. But the difference is that this time he'd mean it. And if you looked into his eyes, you wouldn't see heartbreak anymore. Only anger; that was, still, aimed towards the couple.

One would think that the reason for his anger was the fact that he had been second choice to his brother all over again. But in truth, it was not. Because he was, indeed, over that.

No. There were only two reasons for his anger. For one; it was the fact that he was still bitter over being left to die alone, in the hands of none other than the man that had been his only and best friend in his 172 years. And the other reason was that he felt betrayed. And he wasn't talking about not having been chosen, and having been second best to Stefan; he was used to it anyway, and it wasn't as if he was expecting something else. No. he was talking about the betrayal he felt over his brother's actions. When he was first informed of Stefan's little hero act, he had yearned to grab a stake and plunge it through his heart.

Look at where all his I'll-let-her-make-her-own-decisions bullshit had gotten him –and Elena-. Thanks to the goody-two-shoes he had for a brother, Elena was forced to become what she never wanted to be; even though, it had saved him from Evilaric. But he liked to think that he would rather have died, than to let her die. Or force vampirism on her. Not again, that is. He had learnt his lesson from the previous times he force-fed her, his blood.

He closed his eyes tightly, willing those thoughts out of his mind. Even now, after three years; he got worked up any time he'd think of that. It angered to know that Stefan had gotten off the hook so easily, while he had to go through hell and back for her to forgive him. Stefan had been easily forgiven after justifying his actions with his righteous speech of the importance of free will and all that crap that made him, Stefan.

Damon opened his eyes and knew that his car had now crossed the town's border line. Through his rear view mirror he saw the 'You're now leaving Mystic Falls sign'; which meant he had already crossed the welcoming one. He breathed deeply, and prepared himself for what awaited for him when he'd arrived to the Boarding House.

He couldn't believe that in less than 5 minutes he would be seeing the woman that had haunted his dreams and thoughts. The woman he had needed two years to move on from. The woman he still, somehow, loved, but had been his worst nightmare.

He felt a comforting hand being placed on his tense shoulder; and he looked up to meet the warm violet eyes that had been his support for the last two years that he had been hurting and alone.

Those eyes belonged to a very good looking woman, whom was sitting aside him on the passenger's seat, and was looking at him with love filled eyes. That woman's name was Irina. Irina Kuznetsova. She had straight blond-white hair that went to the middle of her back; she had violet eyes that you could look all day into; she was about 5'8 tall, with a body to die for. In summary, she looked like a Russian model.

He and Irina had stumbled upon each other during one night drunken stupor in Russia, with him trying to drown his sorrows in vodka. She was working as a bartender in the bar he was at. They had talked, and Damon had managed to find out that she was grieving over his death boyfriend. He found their situations, somehow, similar. Although, Elena wasn't dead-dead; it felt really likewise. They kept talking throughout the night and told each other their stories. He even revealed, accidentally, that he was a vampire; and it shocked him, when she told him that so was she. Yes; Irina was a very old vampire, with her 850 years.

Damon had been left fascinated by her and had come back to the bar every single day for the next week. They talked about and bonded over their mutual heartbreak; but had found friendship on their lighter talks, and late night walks through Moscow's roads.

In a matter of one month they had become the best of friends, something that was pretty rare for Damon to do. Usually, it would take him years to even let in a person, but with Irina had been as easy as breathing. Another month later into their friendship, she proposed him to travel the world together. A proposition that he hadn't said yes immediately to. But, with time he reluctantly accepted.

So, they had spent the last two years travelling and terrorizing the world together. They had gone to NYC, London, Paris, Tokyo, Sydney, Beijing, Cairo, Monte Carlo, and every city they wanted to go. It was a never ending adventure that Damon enjoyed immensely.

It wasn't until a year ago that they had proclaimed to have deeper feelings than friendship for each other. The first to notice it, was Damon; but had been reluctant to say it out loud. After all, he had already been burned twice, and he didn't want to have to go through all of that again; so he kept quiet. At least until Irina said something first. And she did. She told him that he was an amazing man and that her feelings for him ran deeper than those of friendship. Damon took this as his chance and proclaimed that he also had deeper feelings for her, but given his luck, he thought they should stay friends, at least for the moment. Irina had been disappointed to say the least but, in the end, she got where he was coming from. So, she reluctantly accepted to keep the status of their relationship as friends.

They kept being friends for quite some time, until last month, Damon told her he was ready to start a real relationship with her.

He knew that he loved her, but he couldn't say that he was in love with her. But he knew that he was getting there. And he also was aware that she was in love with him. More than once, he had been tempted to say it back but he didn't want to lie to her, so he waited.

He kept on driving, until he found himself parked in the Boarding House's driveway. He took a deep breath and closed his

"You're gonna be okay. We're gonna be okay. As soon as we get this over with, we'll get the hell out of here faster than they can say goodbye" Irina pronounced with her Russian accent. Damon smiled at her, and nodded. But he knew that as long as Elena Gilbert was involved, it would never go as planned.

"Okay" he simply said and got out of the car, walking around it and opening her door. He extended his hand, and she took it, squeezing it a little for support.

Together they made their way to the wooden door; he knocked on it and waited for his brother to open the door.

However, who opened it, hadn't been his brother, but the girl that had broken his heart three years ago. His breath got caught in his throat at the sight of her. She was the same as she was three years ago; and he had to ask himself what he had expected. He already knew she had chosen to complete her transition.

He felt Irina tightening her hold on his hand as a kind of support, and it was what had finally shook him out of his reverie. He shook his head, and put on his usual smirk.

"Hello, Elena"

Elena's POV

No matter how ready Elena thought she was, nothing could stop the catching of her breath in her throat at the sight before her. There he was. The one that got away. The man that was the object of most of her dreams, and nightmares. The man she never expected to leave her, but he had. The man she had spent the last three years obsessing over.

'He is here. He is finally here! After three years he's come back for me; because he loves me. Because he can't be away from me, any more than I from him.' Her mind was on overdrive, conjuring up uncountable scenarios, where Damon would lift her off her feet and take her to his beloved Camaro, and they would live happily ever after.

She was shook out of her thoughts by that sexy voice she thought she remembered; but in reality, her memories never made it justice.

"Hello, Elena" she almost swooned at the way her name still rolled off his tongue. But what was really her fatal shot was that arrogant smirk she thought she would never see again.

She had him in her arms before she could stop herself, squeezing him tightly, intending on never letting go, ever again. Damon's arms hung motionless at his sided; until the lifted on their own accord and wrapped awkwardly around her. She was squeezing him so tight, that it was becoming hard to breathe, so with all with strength, he grabbed her shoulders and pushed off of him.

Elena was more than a little hurt that Damon had actually pushed her off of him. Wasn't he supposed to hold on to her just as tightly as her? Wasn't he supposed to carry her bride style to his car, and then take off to live the rest of eternity together?

She had been so consumed with her fantasies that she hadn't noticed the woman figure standing next to her Damon, and whose hand was tightly grasped by one of his. Elena's heart dropped a little at this. Who was that fucking bitch, and why the fuck was Damon holding hands with her, when he should be holding her hand?

"Who is this?" Elena spat through clenched teeth; when, after a minute Damon still hadn't dropped her hand.

The bitch smiled and extended her right hand, the one that wasn't holding Damon's and introduced herself.

"Hi. I'm Irina" the bitch said in a thick Russian accent. "You must be Elena. I've heard so much about you" she turned to look at Damon and her insides churned at the secret look that passed between them. But what really awoke the green eyed monster completely, was when Damon smiled down at her, one of those smile even she herself had seen very rarely. She opened her mouth to tell that whore to back the fuck off and that Damon was hers, when the bitch spoke again. "It's nice to finally meet you" the tone of her voice and the hatred in her eyes told Elena that it was anything but nice meeting her.

"Likewise" Elena responded dryly and coldly. She then turned to look at Damon, who was looking at the bitch with adoration in his eyes. She wanted to scream, she wanted to kick, but most of all, she wanted to kill that shrew. 'How dared she, set her eyes on her man?' In her mind, Elena was doing every imaginary painful thing she could think of, to that motherfucker whore. But on the outside, Elena fought with everything she had to keep her composure and not snap at that friend of Damon's. 'You must be delusional if you think they arefriends' her unconscious snapped at her. Elena took a deep breath and tried to relax her tense muscles. "Who is she, Damon?" she asked like the pronoun 'she' was poisonous. If they were more than friends, she wanted to hear so, from Damon's mouth. Even though she knew it was coming, his next words shattered her heart. Just as she was sure, her choice had broken his, three years ago.

"She's Irina; and she is my girlfriend"

In that moment, Elena's world came crashing down.