Owen:

I took Damon to the airport this morning. I'm really worried about him. Despite everything, I know he's not a liar so while I want to trust him about staying away from alcohol, I'm still going to ask my twin sister, Olivia, to check in on him now and then. She and her husband only live a few miles away from my house. Olivia and Jim were in the Caribbean when Damon and I were in Florida for the auction. Their children sent them on a cruise for their twenty fifth wedding anniversary. After stepping into the building, I walk directly to Stefan's office to tell him what's going on.

"Dad? Did you need something?"

"I just wanted to tell you that I'll be filling in for your brother for several days. He needed to get away, Stefan."

"Why? What happened?" he asks, clearly concerned.

"He has strong feelings for both Elena and her son. As you can imagine, he feels guilty."

"Dad, you know I love him but he needs to get over it."

"Stefan, you can't know what he's going through unless you live through it. I'm grateful that I never had to experience what he has in his young life. I'm very worried about him but he needed to do this. The least I could do was give him a place to run to."

"I know you're right. He really seemed to perk up after meeting Elena. But sadly, it seems it was all a façade?"

"No Stefan, it wasn't, he's in love with her and he loves her boy. Hence the guilt."

Then it's as if a light goes on for Stefan because a look dawns on his face.

"I understand now. Where did he go and how can we help him?"

"He went home to Florida. He's staying at the house for a few days. He told me he'd call me when he arrived. I think giving him some space to work things out is exactly what he needs now. I talked to Olivia. She's going to keep an eye on him."

"He'll have to behave with Aunt Liv on his tail," Stefan laughs.

"Indeed," I chuckle.

"Do you want to have lunch with me?"

"No Stefan. I'm meeting Liz for lunch," I inform him, stepping out his office to go into Damon's to take care of payroll among other things.

"I just want to help him Liz. He's only twenty six and he's lived through enough heartache to last a lifetime."

"I know. It's really tragic what happened to him. I can't say that I'd be any better if I were in his shoes," she says, taking my hand in hers. When I look at our enjoined hands, I smile then lean forward to press a kiss to her lips.

"Thank you for being so understanding."

"Of course, Owen. Caroline cares a lot about Damon too. She's told me that she worries about him. But how is Elena doing?"

"She hired her son's old nanny to babysit for her so she could work. Damon gave her several days off to help get Chris settled. I believe he told her that he was leaving for awhile but I don't think that he told her where he'd be."

"Caroline is really fond of her too. I hope things work out for the two or shall I say three of them."

"Me too, Liz. Me too," I whisper, giving her hand a squeeze.

Damon:

Strolling along the beach, I pick up a rock and toss it into the ocean then continue on my way. It's a cloudy day. It almost looks like it could storm but I love the smell of the salty sea air. Honestly, I don't care if a wave crashes onto the beach and pulls me out to the sea. I'm so in love with Elena but I feel so broken too. With everything that has fallen on her lap, she doesn't need to have to deal with my problems as well. Kicking the sand, I don't even notice my aunt coming towards me till I hear my name. When I look up, she's still several yards away from me, her yellow lab in tow. She lets go of his leash when he starts barking at me.

"Hey Yeller," I greet him when he runs towards me. Leaping up, he knocks me over, proceeding to lick me to death. I can't help but laugh as he licks my face and my neck incessantly. I'm almost begging for Aunt Olivia to take his leash so I can stand up.

"What are you doing here?" I ask once I get to my feet.

"Your dad asked me to check up on you."

"I should've known."

"Now don't you be angry with your dad. He loves you and he's worried about you. You don't stop being a dad just because your child turns into an adult."

"I know that. I'm grateful to him for everything he's done, really I am. I just don't want to be a burden to him or anyone else anymore."

"Shame on you for thinking like that. You're not a burden. If you do something stupid, you'll leave a much bigger burden for him to bear. You of all people should understand that!" My eyes whip to hers when she says that to me.

"Please don't go there, aunt Liv."

Turning my eyes towards the choppy waters of the ocean, I just stare in awe at its beauty. The wind is blowing my hair in every direction but out of habit, I reach up and rake my hand through it.

"Oh you bet I'm going to go there young man," she warns, linking her arm with mine. Smiling tightly, I turn to look at her again and nod my acquiescence.

"Come on, take a walk with me."

Raising my other arm, I gesture for her to lead the way.

"Let's go inside."

Following my nod, she leads me into her house after our stroll along the beach.

"I see she found you," my uncle Jim says, extending his hand for me to shake.

"She sure did. It's like she's got this built in radar," I utter, shaking my head. I take a moment to look around the room a little bit. Nothing has really changed since the last time I was here.

"Where family is concerned, she absolutely does."

"How did you know where to look for me anyway?"

"I know that you like the ocean. When you weren't at home, I took a chance that you'd be at the beach. You always did love overcast days."

"It's true."

"How about you stay for supper?" Jim asks, giving my upper arm a pat.

"I'd like that."

"Good. Have a seat. The TV remote is there on the end table. Would you like a soda or a bottle of water?"

"Do you have diet Coke?"

"I do. I'll be right back." he tells me, walking out of the room.

"What would you like for supper?"

"Whatever you make is fine Aunt Liv. Don't go to any trouble for me."

"Oh believe me, I won't. Jim and I were going to grill some burgers. Does that sound okay to you?"

"Perfect," I start to say when uncle Jim walks back in and hands me a bottle of diet Coke. Liv smiles at me then turns around, looking back when I ask if she needs any help. Shaking her head no, she walks away, leaving Jim and I to watch the baseball game on TV. After we eat, I tell them both goodnight before leaving to walk home. Just as I reach the sidewalk, Jim runs out behind me.

"Come on," I'll give you a ride home. I don't want you walking when it's dark out. This city isn't crime free you know," he tells me, motioning for me to come back in the house for a few minutes. With a sigh, I turn around and follow him back in. Once he grabs his jacket and car keys, we walk to the garage and get in the car. Once he pulls into dad's driveway, I jump out and walk around to the driver's side to shake his hand.

"Don't make yourself so scarce," he admonishes me before rolling his window back up and pulling out of the driveway. Stepping into the house, I go straight to the bedroom, slip off my clothes, take a nice hot shower before going to bed. I'm asleep in no time, beautiful brown eyes filling my dreams.

Elena:

"Where is Damon?" Chris asks me, looking up from the floor where he's playing with his little cars.

"He had to go bye bye for a little while."

"I kind a miss him."

"I miss him too."

Forcing a smile onto my face, I join him on the floor to play with him for a little while. I've gotten a couple of texts from Damon since he left but they're short, lacking affection. I need to know what I did or what happened to make him pull away from me. I know I've put all my energy into my son but I'm certain he understands that. Needing some answers, I make up my mind that I'm going to try to talk to Owen. Looking at the clock, I see that it's almost eight pm so I gather up Chris's toys and put them in the toy box that Damon bought for him. Running my hand along the edge makes me miss him even more. Taking his hand, the two of us walk down the hall to the bathroom. I run a bubble bath, letting him crawl in. I pull the shower curtain across to give him a little privacy. Afraid that something could happen to him, I stay in the bathroom while he plays with his bath toys a little bit.

I let him play for quite some time before I pull back the curtain so I can wash his hair, after which he stands up to get out. As soon as he steps out, I wrap him in a big fluffy towel and help him into his jammies. Then we read a book before I kiss him goodnight and close his door. I think he's already asleep by the time I pull the door closed. Once I get to my bedroom, curiosity finally gets the best of me so I pick up my phone to call Owen. Damon has already been gone for almost a week.

"Hello?"

"Hi Owen. It's Elena."

"Hi... Do you need something?"

"I was just wondering if you've heard from Damon? I really miss him."

"I do too, Elena. Why don't you come over tomorrow so we can have a chat?"

"What aren't you telling me? Is there someone else?"

"No, no, of course not, Elena. He loves you. He's just going through some stuff right now. I'll tell you about it tomorrow."

"Okay. What time?"

"Why don't you bring Chris and come over for lunch. My friend Liz will be here. She can keep Chris occupied while you and I talk."

"All right. I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Goodnight, Elena," he says, clicking off the phone. Sighing, I hang up the phone. It doesn't take long for my eyes to fill with tears. I miss him so much. I just wish I knew what was going on with him. Standing up, I walk into the bathroom to take a hot bath. Once I step in, I lay back in the tub, just enjoying the feeling of the hot water lapping against my body. I take long enough to wash my face and hair before getting out. After drying off, I slip into my pajamas and get into bed to read for a little while. When I find myself reading the same page for twenty minutes because my mind is on Damon, I close it and set it back on the bedside stand. Turning off the light, I slink down in bed, curl on my side and hug the pillow that Damon always uses when he's here. Breathing in the smell of him fills my senses allowing me to fall asleep.

"Come on in, Elena. Hello Chris."

"Hi Owen."

"This is my friend, Liz," he says, introducing us.

"Elena, it's good to meet you. Both Caroline and Owen have told me so much about you."

Although a little perplexed about how Caroline fits into this, I take the hand that she offers, shaking it.

"Caroline is my daughter," she reveals, smiling at me.

"Oh, it's nice to meet you too. This is my son, Christian. Chris can you say hi to Miss Liz?"

"Hi," he says softly, clutching my leg.

"Chris, do you want to come and play with me for a little while? Your mommy wants to talk to Damon's daddy."

"Okay."

After looking at me for reassurance and although a little hesitant, he takes her hand when she offers it. She gives me a smile then leads him into the living room. After watching him walk off, I turn my attention to Owen. The two of us go into the kitchen. Taking a moment to pour us each a cup of coffee, he hands one to me then sits down beside me.

"What is it, Owen? What's troubling him?"

"Damon has been through a lot in his life, Elena. There's so much that you don't know. Life hasn't been kind to him in a lot of ways. Sure he's brilliant and has earned a lot of money doing something that he loves but a lot has happened in the last year...," he begins, taking a sip of his coffee. He continues telling me all about Damon's childhood and young adulthood.

"If you'll excuse me for a minute, I'll be right back, I want to show you something," he says, then walks out of the kitchen. In a few moments, he's back, carrying a picture frame.

"This..., this is Damon's son and he died." he says sadly, handing the picture to me.

"What?" I utter, completely stunned. Taking it in hand, I run my fingers over his beautiful face. His little boy looks like he's maybe five or six years old. And he's nearly a carbon copy of his father with his dark messy hair and brilliant blue eyes.

"I had no idea. He never said anything to me," I blurt out. Now knowing what he lost, tears start to well in my eyes. Although still in shock, I take the tissue Owen offers, using it to dab my eyes.

"I'm sure he believed you had enough to deal with, Elena."

"I know this is a lot to ask but can you and Caroline's mom watch Chris so I can go to him?"

"You want to go to him?"

"Yes, I really do. I love him so much. I want to show him."

"Honestly, I think that would mean the world to him. Of course, Liz and I will take care of Chris."

"Thank you so much. I need to see about a plane ticket and pack a bag for myself and Chris. Um, can you keep him here? I'll get done faster if I go to the house alone."

"Absolutely," he says. When the two of us stand up, he pulls me into his arms to give me a hug. I quickly run to the living room to say goodbye to my son then practically gallop out of the door. Once I have bags packed, I run Chris's things back over to Owen.

"Chris, mommy wants to talk to you for a couple of minutes okay?" I smile when he looks up at me, his eyes so like my own. I pull a chair out beside him to help him color for a little bit.

"Mommy is going to go bye bye to see Damon. I hope to bring him home with me. Damon's daddy and Miss Liz are going to take care of you. You'll be safe, mommy is going to come back, I promise."

"You're going to go away?"

"Yes, baby."

"I wanna go too," he pouts, sticking out his lower lip.

"No sweetheart. The next time we go, you can come along too, okay? But this time mommy needs to go alone so I can help Damon."

"Chris, I know a little girl named Anna. Perhaps we can go play with her while mommy is gone. How does that sound?" Owen asks, taking the chair on the other side of him.

"I can play with a little girl?"

"Yes, sweetheart. Anna is a very nice little girl. I have to go now sweetheart. You be a good boy for Mr. Owen and Miss Liz."

He picks up his crayon to put the finishing touch on his masterpiece before tearing the page out. Handing it to me, he says, "This is for Damon."

"Damon will love this. Thank you. Give mommy a kiss."

Setting his crayon down, he slides out of his chair, wraps his little arms around my neck and squeezes hard. Closing my eyes, I realize how very lucky I am to have my little boy in my arms again. When he lets go, I give him one more kiss to the top of his head before standing and picking up my bag. Owen picks up his car keys and follows me outside. Looking back, I wave when I see Chris in Liz's arms standing at the door waving goodbye to us. After getting in the car, I roll down the window to give him one last wave before we drive to the airport. After he drops me off, I quickly check in and go to my gate. In no time, I'm boarding my plane. Once the plane starts taxiing toward the runway, I buckle up my seatbelts, my mind focusing on everything that Damon must be feeling right now.

Thank you so much, Eva. I love you, my sister. You're truly brilliant.

'Old Yeller' has to be the saddest of Disney movies but it's a classic and I love it.

And also, thank you all so much for all of the reviews. I appreciate them more than you know.

Chapter title: 'Turn Loose the Mermaids' by Nightwish

Please have a look at 'Dig' and 'Angels Fall'. Both still have quite a bit left to unfold.

I did post the first chapter of 'Nothing Left to Fear'. I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

If you want a canon read, a valiant effort to fix what's broken with S7, try 'Dream A Little Dream of Me' by EldestSalvatore. It's very well done. He really does a stellar job of getting inside Damon's psyche.

Be safe and have a wonderful day. We'll see you again next weekend.