Everyone has been reviewing and messaging me about getting this chapter up. Sorry it wasn't sooner. I got into Michigan late last night and instantly slept. Earlier I was busy and went to a basketball game. So I finally finished. Hope you all enjoy it. Thanks for the 90+ reviews. I feel excited coming up on one hundred. Thanks to all my dedicated fans who read and review this faithfully. I want to send a special thanks to Angela76 who warms my heart with her kind words and constant keeping up with me. Also thanks to everyone who wished me a good time in Michigan. I'm having fun but I leave soon so I will get home and start updating. There will be updates hopefully tomorrow when I get home and definitely on Monday since I have no school. Anyway enjoy:

"Knock, knock." Elena said stepping into the office at Mist.

Instead of seeing Damon liked she hoped, Mani was seated behind the huge desk that Damon and Jeremy usually was seated behind. Mani was going through books and typing on a laptop when she looked up to Elena.

"Oh hey Elena."

Elena waved at her smiling. She looked around to see the puppy Mia usually had in her hands.

"Is Mia here?" Elena asked getting slightly excited.

"Oh yeah, she's here. Jeremy took her around the corner to get some Italian ice."

Elena smiled. Mia was the sweetest little girl she had ever met. Elena really liked her, she thought of her as a niece instead of just Mani's daughter.

"Jeremy really loves that little girl." Elena said sitting down on the couch in the office.

Mani stopped typing and looked over to Elena. She had a conflicted expression on her face that Elena could not quite decipher.

"You think so?" Mani questioned.

"Yea, I do. Jer always wanted a daughter. Niklaus was supposed to be a girl or so everyone was hoping. I totally thought he was a boy, so did Anna. So she and Jeremy decided to keep the gender a secret," Elena explained, "Anyway, Caroline went out and got this shirt made for Jeremy. It was this cute onesie that was pink all over. In cursive it said 'I'll always be Daddy's little girl.' Jeremy thought it was the cutest thing ever. So he kept it in hopes that Anna would have a girl. So he and Anna had broken up for like the thousandth time for no reason at all. She had to be rushed to the ER because she was stressing so much she thought she was going into labor. It was just stress but the ER doctor accidently told her the gender not knowing it was a secret. Anna came home cheering that she was right all along."

Mani laughed than stared off into space.

"So Mia told me her dad got her that dog."

Mani instantly looked to Elena with wide eyes. Elena smiled weirdly at her then Mani's face went back to normal.

"Umm … yea. We're not together so one of the times we were actually like a family he got it for her when she was one. Of course, she doesn't remember that but she loves that puppy. Her dad tells the story of how she begged him for it."

"I notice he's not around." Elena said quietly.

"It's complicated. He loves us being a family but we have issues." Mani said tapping the pen in her hand.

"Oh I know what that feels like." Elena said smiling.

Elena got up and looked around the office. There were new pictures all over the place. There was a new picture of her, Katherine and Caroline from the end of the school year. Elena remembered that day. They were at Tyler's waterhole that day. They were on Stefan's truck acting silly and Jeremy had actually gotten a cute picture of them smiling like models. Elena saw another new picture. It was Elena and Damon. They were sitting on the couch and he was hugging her from behind. Elena was laughing. It was the family night that Mia and Mani had joined in. The picture made her smile without a thought. They looked like everything was perfect; it was at that moment and now. The next picture was of Mani and Jeremy. They were leaning over the bar looking at one another. It looked like they were having a conversation between lovers as close as they were. Elena had to give Mani props for getting under Jer's asshole ways. Elena moved down the row until she saw a picture of Niklaus this summer. He had chocolate smeared over his mouth and Jeremy was behind him, looking down at him smiling. Klaus had eaten the cake that Grayson told him not to touch and then ran like a bat out of hell. Jeremy had chased him through the house until he caught up with him. The only reason he caught him was that Caroline told Klaus to smile for the picture. The last picture nearest to the door was a surprising one. Jeremy was holding Jeremia in his arms. The little girl looked like she was falling asleep and Jeremy was holding her like the most precious gem on Earth. Elena had so many questions running through her mind. Jeremy was playing father to a girl with a complicated parental issue and it seemed like he barely noticed.

"Hey babe." A voice said.

Elena looked to the door to see Damon smiling at her. Elena smiled at him as he came close to her. Damon captured her lips with his own and they let themselves get lost in one another.

"Umm … when did this happen?"

They both turned around to see Mani looking at them with a knowing look. Elena's eyes widened as she remembered that Mani was still in the room. Damon tensed up a bit next her.

"We're not really official." Elena said.

"So does Jer know about this?" Mani questioned.

"No and I would like to keep it that way until we decide it's time to tell him." Damon said.

"I don't lie to Jeremy." Mani replied.

"It's not lying. You just won't tell him about us or what you just saw." Elena told her.

Mani looked at odds as to what to choose. Elena and Damon were both staring at her, hoping she could stay quiet about this one thing. Mani finally sighed and just shrugged her shoulders.

"Fine. I will keep quiet about this, just don't take too long."

Elena smiled and ran over to hug Mani. Mani chuckled as Elena swung her arms around her neck smiling.

"Did I miss a girl moment?" Jeremy asked coming into the room, holding Mia's hand.

"Elena!" The little girl screamed running toward her.

Elena broke away from Mani to scoop Mia into her arms.

"Hey Mia." Elena exclaimed with a giant smile.

"I no see you around that much anymore."

Elena could not help but smile. The little girl was just too cute.

"I know baby girl. I've been busy lately but I promise to come around more."

"You should. I get lonely around here." Mia said with a pout identical to Elena's famous one.

"I hope you don't pretty. No one around here is giving you trouble right?"

Mia giggled, blushing. Her cheeks flushed red causing Elena to smile and kiss her on the right cheek.

"No. Everybody loves me. Georgie and me are the life of the party." Mia told Elena.

Elena laughed putting the girl down.

"You take care of that sweet girl Jer."Elena teased heading for the door.

"Where are you going?" Jeremy asked.

"Damon is going to cook lunch for me since it's my day off being Sunday and all. I really need some good food."

Elena could see Mani smirking from behind Jeremy, Elena wanted to smirk back but she did not need to make Jeremy get suspicious. Jeremy nodded.

"Feed my little sister well Damon. No one is cooking tonight."

Elena stuck her tongue out at her brother as she and Damon headed out the door. Damon draped his arm around her shoulders as they headed out of the club. They got into his Camaro and began to drive. It was silent for the first few minutes until they both looked at one another. Elena just laughed.

"What's so funny?"

"It's just weird. I feel like we're on cloud nine or something. I don't want anyone or anything to ruin it but I know we have to-"

"To talk." Damon finished.

"Yea …"

"We could start the talk right now." Damon offered as they started driving.

"Alright … I guess I should start by saying sorry. I should have talked to you instead of letting rumors and my slutty cousin pull us apart." Elena said as they turned a corner.

"Lena you shouldn't be sorry. I don't want you to feel guilty or bad for it. I understand it. You witness your brother treating women like disposable sheets and it sticks with you." Damon said.

Elena laughed making Damon look at her in a mix of confusion and anger.

"Lena we aren't supposed to be laughing during this conversation."

Elena instantly tried to stop laughing and ended up with a shit-eating grin on her face.

"I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make it seem like this is a joke. I told someone that I felt somewhat stupid to be getting into whatever we were again when you hung out with Jer. His specialty was never fidelity so his friends can't fall to far from the tree."

Damon nodded his head with a sad smile. Elena watched him as he drove down a long street in silence.

"I know differently now." Elena added.

Damon looked over to her without any emotion in his face. However, he did look like he was searching her face for answers. Elena just stared back at him.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked after moments of staring at each other.

"Yes Damon, I know differently now. I wished I had talked to you three years ago. I just feel like I was in my own way." Elena explained.

"Elena I want you to know that I would never do that to you. If I choose to commit to someone then I commit to someone." Damon said looking at her seriously.

Elena blushed and smiled. She looked away from him and saw that they were approaching the Salvatore Boarding House using the long grovel path. The rest of the ride was silent and they just rode up to the house. They both exited the car and walked into the house. Damon walked into the kitchen ahead of Elena. He began to pull out ingredients for food and set them on the island. Elena grabbed his left hand and stopped it from opening up a pack of pasta. Damon turned to her slowly and she cupped his cheek.

"Elena?" Damon said.

"I feel like my heart is beating so fast that I might go into cardiac arrest." Elena said a little above a whisper.

Damon just smiled softly at her. He wrapped his hands around her waist and their lips met slowly. The kiss was short but sweet. It felt like home.

"I want you to trust me with every part of you. Your heart, your mind and your body. I will not lie to you and I don't want you to feel like we can't talk about anything." Damon told her while stroking her cheek.

"I do trust you. All I ever needed was the truth and now I've got it."

"I just don't get why you didn't confront me about the rumor."

"Damon, let's be realistic seriously! You were this nineteen year old sex god! Every girl in town was drooling over Damon Salvatore, badass. You were sex personified, the bad guy, and not to mention everyone knew you and my brother were getting money like running water. I was the fifteen year old virgin who had barely even reached third base. I was Miss little innocent. Then you show an interest that seemed too good to be true, of course, I was insecure about it. Then I come back and find out you were supposedly with Isobel. Isobel was and still is this experienced slutty chick. She wanted you and I felt like she got you." Elena exclaimed.

"Elena I told you I wanted you. I do not like liars and I would never lie to you. There was and still is no one except you. If you are going to believe anything, believe that." Damon said earnestly.

Elena smiled up at him. She stepped up on her toes and kissed him passionately. She broke apart reluctantly due to her stomach growling. Damon laughed then kissed her cheek. His concentration went back to the food and Elena had to let out a little giggle.

"The rumor was stupid anyway. Caroline feels really guilty about telling me."

Damon looked up in shock then his eyebrows knitted together.

"Caroline told you the rumor?"

"Well I was gone for weeks. She had to tell me all the gossip that was going through town, but I think she knows she can't believe anything that comes out of Rebekah's mouth now."

"Stefan's ex Rebekah?" Damon questioned in surprise.

"Yea, she was the one who started the rumor." Elena revealed.

"Why would Rebekah care about me?" Damon questioned in genuine misunderstanding.

"It wasn't you, it's me … well not me … more like Kat … no, it's complicated."

Damon smiled at Elena's rambling mumbles and she looked up at him in irritation.

"It's not funny!" Elena exclaimed.

Damon put the pasta in the water and starting chopping vegetables still smiling at Elena.

"Why would Rebekah have to do something so you would think I snuck around with your cousin?"

"Rebekah thought I was the twin with Stefan so I guess Isobel told her about liking you but you had a girlfriend. I think she may have seen us together one of those days so she plotted. She gave a rumor where people could confirm seeing you both at Starbucks around the same time … I guess she wanted Stefan back more than anyone knew." Elena explained in exasperation.

"Stefan needs to find more girls who aren't clinically insane. One stops dating him and dates a serial beater. The other one plots to ruin his relationship by any means. The current one, well that's Kat. We all know she's a little off the wagon."

Elena let herself laugh at the one joke despite her urge to defend her sister. Elena knew she was crazy especially when it came to Stefan. He was a magnet for troubled girls. Elena walked over and just watched Damon. He was an amazing cook that much she knew. He had to take care of two kids so he needed to cook. Elena just watched in silence as Damon cooked the pasta and made the sauce. When he started on the chicken, she couldn't help but become memorized by him. He was like a deadly panther. His personality was more like a lion, the animal that hunted the gazelle. His moments though, were graceful and powerful.

"So are we going back to what we were building before I made the mistake of doing your brother a huge favor?" Damon asked looking at Elena out of the corner of his eye.

"Yea, we are." Elena said grinning at him.

Damon set the chicken in the oven then looked over to see Elena staring at him. He walked over to her and stroked her cheek.

"Are you going to talk to Jer?" Elena asked out of the blue.

"Yea, but I want us to be together when I do. I won't have Jer thinking I'm just messing around with his baby sister."

"You kind of are messing with me." Elena teased running her hands over his chest.

Damon smiled seductively back at her. He ran his hands over her waist and made circles on her hot skin with his thumbs. He felt her shiver against his touch and left Goosebumps when his hands left her skin. Elena seemed to glow in his presence. No one could deny that.

"That's not all we are." Damon said pulling them closer so their bodies were flush against one another.

Elena leaned into him just as the timer to the oven went off. Damon just smirked at her as he let her go. Elena wanted to drag him back to her but she was hungry. Damon cut up the chicken and put it into the pasta. Elena could only smile. He such a detail orientated person, it was so cute sometimes. He brought over their plates and set them down at the kitchen table. Elena sat down next to him and dug into her plate. They talked about everything and nothing really, as they ate. Damon took their plates to the sink and went back to Elena who was now standing.

"So we've talked …" Elena, said trialing off.

"Yea, we have." Damon said.

Elena did not remember what happened in between, all she knew was that one minute they were looking at one another and the next their arms were around each other in a heated frenzied. Their tongues were like fire and rain battling through a storm. Right when Damon's hand trailed up Elena's shirt and cupped her breast, a ringing sound erupted through the kitchen. They broke apart grudgingly and Elena looked down at Damon's pants. The ringing was coming from one of his pockets. Damon, irately wrenched the phone from his back pocket.

"Yeah?"

Elena could hear someone semi-shouting something into the phone. Damon looked upset over whatever was going on.

"Is that really necessary?" Damon questioned, sighing into the phone.

The person was damn near yelling into the phone now.

"Alright, alright. I'm on my way. Tell Logan not to get Maddox to kill Ben." Damon said hanging up the phone.

Elena looked up at Damon with a pout and he smiled down at her.

"Sorry love. Duty calls."

"Can't Jer take care of it?" Elena asked urgently.

"Sadly no. Jer is getting Niklaus tonight so I promised him I would take care of everything with the warehouse tonight." Damon explained.

Elena frowned and Damon kissed her forehead.

"Don't frown love. I don't want you to get permanent creases like Stefan." Damon teased her with a smile.

"I won't get permanent lines like Stef!" Elena exclaimed slapping her hand to her forehead and making Damon chuckle.

"Come on Lena, I want to take you home before anyone over there kills one another."

"Can't I just come with?" Elena asked curiously without thought.

The smile on Damon's face instantly left and Elena wished she could take back the question right now. She already knew the answer. Her face dropped when she saw how fast his expression had changed.

"You know I can't do that Lena. I don't want you in that stuff or witnessing anything to do with that. I don't know how long I'll be but I will come get you. You can spend the night tonight." Damon said.

Elena's smile returned in full force. Damon always knew what to say to make her mood change instantly.

"If I spend the night, you have to get me the cookies."

Damon just laughed at Elena's comments. Sometimes she could be such a kid and her innocence brightened up his day. He had to grow up to fast for his own liking sometimes. Elena grounded him with enough innocence for the both of them.

"We will get the cookies Lena. The chocolate chip with almonds right?"

Elena just leapt at him, threw her arms around him and kissed him with pure desire. Damon responded to the kiss eagerly and wrapped his arms around her waist to keep her in place. They broke up apart laughing.

"Alright, let's go sweet cheeks." Damon said.

Elena let go of him and walked in front of him. She swayed her hips suggestively and he just smirked. He walked up behind her and smacked her right on the ass.

"Speed it up and stop trying to seduce me." Damon said making Elena laugh.

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