Gravity

Disclaimer: I don't own anything or anyone from The Vampire Diaries.

THERE IS A CANNONBALL TRAILER!

If you don't know already, the absolutely amazing and talented Ele ( noralsel) and Caro ( _LightToMyDark) have created a movie trailer for Cannonball and it's amazing! Seriously, they have done a fantastic job.

If you haven't watched it already, please do, I promise you won't be disappointed! Just head across to YouTube and type in the search bar "Cannonball" - Official FanFiction Trailer [Delena fanmade] to see their beautiful work! While you are there, check out some of their other videos too! You will be sorry if you don't :)

July 10th 2017

Monday 9.00pm

Mystic Falls

I feel terrible.

I'm over half way through a bottle of bourbon and the pain in my chest still hasn't gone away. I thank God Klaus isn't home to bother me from sitting here alone in the dark clutching this bottle like it's my only lifeline.

I can't stop replaying my last conversation with Elena over and over again in my head. As much as it killed me to hurt her like that, deep down I know it's for the best. She deserves so much more than me.

Sure, it may be fine now but what about after she graduates college and actually wants to start her career? She's said herself that she doesn't think she wants to live in Mystic Falls all of her life.

How would I fit into a life that is going places when mine is going to forever stand still? Nobody in any other town or city in the country is going to want to hire an ex-con. I'd only bring Elena down – socially and financially. She deserves someone who can support her, who can buy her gifts and take her out to nice places. I can barely afford to do even one of those things never mind all three.

I have a deadbeat job and a deadbeat life.

It may not seem like it right now, but deep down I know I've done the right thing in letting Elena go. It may not feel right, but it has to be.

The choice I've made has to be the right one.

I'm interrupted from my depressing thoughts by the annoying sound of my phone vibrating on the table in front of me. I groan and reach out to pick it up, seeing Ric's name flash for what feels like the billionth time makes me angrily hit 'Ignore' and slam my cell back down.

There is a split second every time the phone rings that I hope it might be Elena.

It never is.

I throw some more clothes into my suitcase and eye my near on empty room. There is a pit of nervousness in my stomach but also a bigger feeling of determination.

I'm going to do the right thing.

I hear the front door slam and I cringe. The selfish and cowardly part of me wanted to sneak out of here without anyone knowing.

I've done it before, and as much as I held a hint of regret over it, I was more than prepared to do it again, especially after last night's fiasco.

"What are you doing?" I freeze and my whole body tenses at the familiar but unwanted voice. I clench my jaw and silently continue packing. "Elena?"

I take a deep breath before replying. "What does it look like?"

My Dad stays silent for a moment and I continue to fold my clothes into my case without looking at him.

"You're leaving?"

I nod silently.

"But the wedding is tomorrow." He states like that would be enough to make me stay.

"I know." I answer bluntly. "I'm going to stay with Jenna tonight and then I will be leaving town straight after the speeches have been made tomorrow at the reception."

"Elena if this is about what happened last night at dinner-"

"Dad" I cut him off sternly. "I really don't want to talk to you."

He sighs loudly and I see him running his hand through his greying hair from the corner of my eye. "Okay – well, maybe when you've calmed down a little your mother and I can come up to Whitmore to see you? We can spend the day together before school starts up again. There is still a lot of the summer left and it doesn't seem right you spending it alone up there by yourself."

"You and Mom can spend the day there together but I won't be joining you."

"Elena-"

I swing around to face him while trying to control my anger. I promised myself I wouldn't give in to my temper and hurt. He doesn't deserve it from me, not anymore.

"I need space away from you and Mom; I need space away from this family and this damn town. Not that's it's even any of your business but I'll only be stopping by my dorm at Whitmore to drop off some of my things."

My Dad frowns confused, clearly puzzled by my comment. "Well where will you be staying?"

I shrug nonchalantly. "I don't know yet, and when I do know, I won't be contacting you to tell you."

His eyes widen in shock at my harsh words but I push away the guilt from the coldness in my voice and remember why I am doing this.

"Look, I get that you're upset about what happened at dinner but what did you expect when you brought him into my house?"

"I expected you to show him some respect."

"Respect?" He looks at me in disbelief. "That boy doesn't deserve even an ounce of my respect, Elena."

"He doesn't deserve it? Why, Dad? Because he loved me? Because he served four years in prison for something he didn't even do?" I feel the tremor in my voice but it's one of anger not weakness. "You have absolutely no idea of even half of the things Damon has done for me, to protect me! If you knew even a slither of the things he has done for me, the things he has sacrificed himself for, you would not only be thanking him, but begging for his respect."

My Dad scoffs coldly. "All he has done for you is almost ruin your life! He nearly ruined your education; he ruined your relationship with your family and even some of your friends! He's bad news, Elena. I would never respect the man who took my daughter from me and my family."

I let out a dry bitter laugh. "You think he took me from you? He's the only reason why I'm standing here right now!"

"What are you talking about?"

"Maybe if you had done your damn job properly, this would have all been avoided but you didn't! You were so hell bent on using what happened that night as an excuse to get Damon away from me that you failed to realize that you were chasing the wrong guy! And when you did figure it out, it was too little too late. Damon sacrificed four years of his life for something he didn't do and you let that happen because of who he is, because of who his family is. What kind of man does that make you? What kind of respect do you think you deserve because of that?"

"In case you have forgotten, I'm the reason your boyfriend is out of prison, remember? I was the one who worked for years to get him out! You should be thanking me! I didn't have to do what I did."

I look at him in complete disbelief. "You didn't have too? That's your damn job, Dad! Don't pretend that you did this for any other reason than for yourself!"

"I did it for you! I did it because I love you and-"

"No! You did it because you felt guilty for being a bad cop, because deep down you know you spent six months chasing one guy without even looking into the prospect of there being someone else there that night. All of the hurt, all of the suffering could have been avoided if you had done your job right in the first place!"

"What do you want me say, Elena?" He shakes his head in annoyance, looking at me at a complete loss. "I can't change the past. It's done. Nobody asked Damon to plead guilty; we thought it was a closed case! He was the one who pleaded guilty! He pretty much confessed to the whole thing! You can't save someone who doesn't want to be saved!"

I look at the man who has raised me and realize that right now all I feel when I see him is anger, bitterness and disappointment. "It doesn't matter what Damon does, it doesn't matter because it will never be good enough for you, would it?"

"You deserve better than him, Elena." I wonder if he even knows that he sounds like a broken record.

We both do.

"Damon turned himself in, in Portland because he wanted me to have a better life. I wanted to keep going." I tell him bluntly. "If it were up to me, we'd be in Canada or Mexico right now and you probably would have never seen me again."

I see the hurt and shock flash in his eyes but I keep going.

"That's how much I love him. I would have lost my family for him, my friends for him. I would do it all again too for him, even now." I swallow hard and try to forget the last words Damon said to me about love not being enough. "I made a mistake. I've been living a mistake for the last three years but I won't do it anymore. You think that I deserve better than Damon? Guess what, you've got it the wrong way around. While I was out here living my life, Damon was miserable in a prison cell and it's not because he was a coward. It's not because he had given up. He wanted to fight but do you want to know why he didn't?"

My Dad stares at me silently and I can tell that he is taken aback by this whole conversation. We've had this fight before, many times, but there is something different this time. It feels different and we both know it.

"The night Damon was transported back to Mystic Falls, two of your finest and loyal officers arranged for a meet up with Zach Salvatore." I see the surprise on my Dad's face, clearly he still has no idea this happened, but I continue. "As you can imagine, it wasn't a pleasant conversation. In fact, it was more of a threat. If Damon didn't plead guilty to killing Vaughn, Zach would kill me." I throw my hands up in the air and I see the color drain from my Dad's face. "That was that, Damon pleaded guilty to save me. So the next time you want to rant and rave about how much he doesn't deserve me, you remember that if it wasn't for him I wouldn't be here right now. He sacrificed his whole life for me. You should be on the floor kissing his feet, not kicking him out of your so called home." I zip up my now full suitcase and slam it on the floor for good measure. "You owe that man more than just an apology. You owe him a thank you. You owe him my life."

With that, I brush past my stunned father with my head held high. "I'll see you at the wedding." I mutter under my breath coldly as I leave without looking back.

"You think a breakup with a girl you weren't even officially dating is a good enough excuse to get out of being my best man at my wedding?" Alaric storms into my bedroom and pulls the covers from my face. "Get up asshole, it's my big day!"

I groan, my stomach feeling like something has died inside and my head pounding like never before. "Go away, Ric."

"No. Stop being an asshole." He pulls the pillow from underneath my head and then hits me with it.

"Hey!"

"Get up and take a shower. We are already running late." He orders me firmly and I groan, squinting my eyes against the shining sun.

"And to answer your earlier question," I mutter tiredly. "The answer is yes when that girl also happens to be maid of honor."

"That girl also happens to be my niece and if this wasn't my wedding day I would punch you in the face for hurting her but since Jenna wants everything to be perfect, I still need a best man and unfortunately I don't have anyone else available this short notice."

"Gee thanks. That makes me feel really appreciated."

"Like I said, you're lucky I don't punch you in the face." He stares at me long and hard and I swallow nervously under his gaze.

I hate myself for asking but I can't help myself. "Have you seen her?"

"Briefly." He nods slowly. "She spent the night at our place last night with Jenna but they kicked me out shortly after, apparently it's bad luck to see the bride the night before your wedding."

I take a deep breath. "Was she okay?"

"No." He replies like I'm an idiot and I guess I kind of am. "Of course she's not okay."

"Maybe it's best I do skip this wedding. I don't want to make things difficult for her by being there." I cringe, the thought of seeing her face, angry or hurt or disappointed, is sending a shiver down my spine.

"You need to live with your choice. You did this, Damon. Suck it up and live with it, Elena is."

I frown because there is something in the way he says this that I don't like. "What is that supposed to mean?"

Ric sighs loudly and mutters something under his breath about how Jenna is going to kill him. "Look, I wasn't supposed to say anything but apparently Elena is leaving town tonight."

My eyes widen and my heart sinks. "What? She's going back to Whitmore?"

"No." Alaric shakes his head. "She's not going to Whitmore, at least not until September."

My heart starts to pound uncomfortably in my chest. "Well where is she going?"

Ric sighs loudly, a mixture of sympathy and annoyance. "I don't know, Damon. Why don't you ask her yourself?" He gives me a knowing look and I shift my gaze to the floor. "Now go on, seriously I wasn't playing around when I said you smelled. Go take a shower." He throws a towel off me and leaves the room.

I feel sick.

I've been avoiding my Mom from the moment she showed up at Jenna's house this morning to help her get dressed from the wedding. From the looks she has been giving me, I am assuming she has spoken to my Dad.

"So, rumor has it you're leaving town?" I close my eyes and turn around at the surprising voice to see Klaus looking at me with his signature smirk on his face. "It's not like you not to say goodbye to me."

"Good to know news still travels fast in this lovely town." I mutter sarcastically.

Klaus chuckles and quickly picks up two glasses of champagne from the hired waiters at the wedding. It's due to start in about ten minutes and most of the guests have arrived. As far as I know, Ric and his uh best man are already inside. I arrived a little earlier than the rest of the bridal party under strict instructions from the bride to make sure that everything was running smoothly and to plan.

I take the glass from Klaus silently but look at him with a small smile. "Aren't we supposed to do the toast and drinking thing after the wedding?"

He shrugs casually. "I figured you might need a little dutch courage before you walk in there." I swallow hard at what he is implying. "He's not doing so well."

I look down at the floor, the champagne glass frozen in my hand. "He was the one who made the choice."

"I know." He agrees. "He thinks he is doing the right thing."

"Do you agree with him?" I challenge him slightly, curious to know what the one person who has supposed our relationship the most thinks about all of this.

He scoffs and shakes his head. "Of course not. The guy is an idiot." He chuckles slightly and I smile sadly. "I think he will come around eventually, my only worry is that it'll be too late and you'll be long gone by then."

I let out a small breath and meet Klaus's eyes. "Well," I hand him back my untouched champagne. "You don't need to worry about that." I smile and brush past him as I see Jenna's car arriving.

Here we go.

Beautiful.

Stunning.

Sexy.

I'm not talking about the bride.

As much as I tried to fight it, I can't take my eyes off Elena. The second the music started and she made her walk up the aisle I couldn't stop myself from watching her. I told myself all morning that I wouldn't even spare her a glance, because I knew that the second I did I wouldn't be able to look away.

I wasn't wrong.

Even now, as Ric and Jenna share their beautiful and personally written wedding vows I can't stop looking at Elena. Her eyes are glistening with tears, happy tears for once, as the words are spoken.

I notice that she hasn't yet spared me a single glance. I only know this because I wasn't exaggerating when I said I couldn't take my eyes away from her.

I jump slightly when the crowd of cheers and clapping erupts and I finally tear my eyes away from a beaming Elena to see Ric kissing his bride.

Despite my mood, I can't help but smile because he does seem truly happy. It only takes me a few short moments however to realize what is going to happen next. Ric and Jenna make their way down the aisle and I take a deep breath and look at Elena who is finally looking at me back.

I swallow hard and hold out my arm silently. She nods and loops her own through mine as we begin the longest walk of my life.

My heart is pounding so hard against my chest but Elena doesn't say a word. The second we walk through the doors that separates the wedding, Elena simply unhooks her arm from mine and effortlessly walks away.

I watch her with my mouth agape as I realize that I'm probably the biggest fool in the world.

"I owe you an apology."

I freeze, recognizing the voice instantly but not believing that those words would ever be able to come out of his mouth. I slowly turn around to see Grayson Gilbert standing there in his suit, looking as smart and formal as ever but this time he looks nervous.

I clear my throat. "Excuse me?"

"I'm sorry." He repeats and takes a step closer to me. "For what happened at my house the other night and…well…for everything else that has happened in the last four years, maybe even longer than that." He cringes slightly and I tense.

"I don't understand?"

"No," he lets out a dry laugh. "Neither did I. I didn't understand it at all, a part of me still doesn't but none the less, I owe you an apology so here it is. Maybe I was wrong about you; maybe I didn't give you enough credit. You love my daughter, that much is obvious and I am sorry that I denied it for so long." I blink in shock.

This has to be a dream.

Or a nightmare, I don't know which one would be worse but this can't actually be real.

"I'm probably never going to like you, Damon." He tells me bluntly and I still feel like a complete zombie in a comatose state because I have absolutely no response to this.

I never saw an apology coming from this man, not in a million years.

"And you're probably never going to like me either. Not just because I'm a Gilbert and not just because you're a Salvatore, I feel like we are past that now, too much has happened between us. We both know in an ideal world, I would say sorry, you would say sorry and we would go on and play happy families but this isn't a movie and this certainly isn't a fairy-tale. All I can say to you is that I'm sorry that you spent four years in prison but I am glad that you did. I am glad that you chose to protect my daughter when even her own father couldn't." My eyes widen when I realize that he knows.

Elena must have told him about Zach's threat.

I swallow hard.

"Thank you for making that sacrifice for her. Many men wouldn't have been brave enough to do that."

"Elena is the most important person to me." I finally find my voice. "I would have done anything to protect her back then, I would do anything to protect her right now."

"I know that." He nods slowly. "I also know that you think what you are doing now is the right thing." He looks away awkwardly for a moment. "It's probably not." With that he pats me on the shoulder and walks back into the main room of the wedding.

I let out a breath I didn't even realize I was holding.

There goes a turn of events I never ever saw coming.

It's been an hour since the wedding and Elena still hasn't spoken a single word to me.

I know I have no right to be mad, but I can't help but feel angry that she hasn't come to tell me herself that she's leaving town.

I can't blame her, I suppose, because I am the one who ended things. I am the one who told her that whatever relationship he had was over and that we couldn't be together.

I just…God…I don't even know.

I down the rest of my bourbon, watching as Elena shares a laugh with Bonnie and Caroline. I wonder what they think about her leaving. They are probably both happy that she'll be away from me.

"You know, it's not too late to change her mind."

"Ric, I'm not doing this right now. I can't." I slam my glass of bourbon on the bar in frustration.

"You're going to lose her forever if you don't make a move."

"I ended things with her for a reason." I tell him firmly. "I can't back down just because she's leaving town."

"Why are you fighting this, Damon? You love her, right?"

"Of course I do." I snap defensively.

"So what's the problem?" He asks me in disbelief but then cuts me off before I can even reply. "Actually no, don't answer that. I know what you're going to say. She deserves better, someone better than you blah blah blah. Why don't you let Elena decide for herself what is best for her?"

"It's not as simple as that, Ric." I snarl. "Don't make me want to hit you on your fucking wedding day."

"Don't give me a reason to!"

"Why is everyone suddenly turning me into the bad guy here?" I question him in disbelief, still in a state of shock over my very brief conversation with Greyson earlier. "Nobody wanted us to be together, not even you! Now suddenly I'm trying to do the right thing by staying away from her and now apparently that's the wrong thing? I can't fucking win with you people!"

"That's the point, Damon!" He steps closer to me so we are toe to toe. "You're making it about everyone else when it should be about you and what makes you happy. Elena makes you happy, nothing else. You need to figure out how you can fix this mess before it's too late." Ric warns me but before I can retaliate, some distant Sommers uncle is calling for the toasts to begin and Ric is pulled away.

I clench my eyes shut and call for another bourbon.

I swallow hard when it's Elena's turn.

"Well, first things first, let me say huge congratulations to the happy couple!" She rings out happily, holding her glass into the air as everyone in the room cheers. "It's good to see that after so long they could actually be bothered to eventually tie the knot, wow, longest engagement ever, right?" She teases with a smirk causing the room to laugh and I can't help but chuckle. "But jokes aside, after the initial excitement had passed after Jenna asked me to be her maid of honor, the nerves and…honestly…terror had started when I realized that I then had to figure out a way to write a half decent speech to read out to an audience of people in a reception hall all looking at me." She laughs nervously and there are a few more chuckles around the room.

My heart burns in my chest.

"What can I say about Jenna and Ric that doesn't sound clichéd or has been said before at a billion other weddings. The truth is, there is nothing I can say that would be good enough because what Jenna and Ric have is what everyone should have on their wedding day. True love, real pure love. The kind of love that doesn't fade away after the honeymoon phase is over, the kind of love that people don't just give up on. When I was a kid, I used to watch all of the Disney movies with my Aunt Jenna and I asked her once if we would ever meet a prince. Do you want to know what my crazy Aunt Jenna told her eight year niece? She told me to lower my expectations because most men are lazy and useless and real life isn't a fairy-tale." She smiles and looks at her Aunt who is blushing. "It looks like you were wrong, Aunt Jenna." They share a knowing smile and I freeze when Elena's gaze moves to me. I swallow hard, this is the first time she has looked at me and now she's not looking away. "In some ways she was right though. Real life isn't a fairy-tale, it's better and it's because it's real. The bad times that we wish away so quickly, that we cry over and feel anguish over only ever makes us stronger. That is what love does. It makes you stronger. No matter what happens, no matter how many mistakes have been made, if you love someone like Jenna loves Ric and Ric loves Jenna then you will never give up." I swallow under her hard gaze. "No matter what."

I can't take it anymore; I look down at the table in front of me.

"So everyone, take a good look at a real couple who is better than the fairy tale. To Jenna and Ric, I hope you get everything you ever want in life and more. I love you both and congratulations."

"To Jenna and Ric!" The crowd rings out and I down my champagne in one.

Luckily for me, Ric's cousin was pretty insistent on making the speech for him and I manage to slink away outside for a breather instead.

I take deep breaths as I lean against the wall, wishing the warm summer air was a lot chillier right now. I slacken my tie that is choking me as I try to get Elena's dark eyes out of my mind.

"I thought you might have left when you walked out."

I swing around quickly to see Elena standing just a few feet away from me. "Good to know the best man didn't skip out on the wedding."

"I almost didn't make it here at all." I confess guiltily.

"I know." She smiles sadly and my body crushes with guilt. "I'm glad you came."

I frown confused. "Are you?"

"Yes." She takes a step closer. "I wanted you to hear my speech."

"I heard it."

She shakes her head. "Not that one."

I raise my eyebrow at her curiously but also feeling slightly afraid to where this is going.

"I'm leaving town today."

I suck in a breath. "I heard."

"And you're coming with me."

I freeze, my heart stopping and I slowly lift my gaze back to hers. "What?"

"You're coming with me." She repeats confidently. "The past will never change, no matter what mistakes we wish we could erase. They can't be erased. All we have is the right now. All we have is the future. All I know is that one day I want my best friend to be making a speech about us on our wedding day. That is my future, Damon, with you. I don't want anyone else. I don't want the kind of life that you think I deserve. I just want you."

"Elena…those are just words…we both know that our reality is a lot harder and complicated than that." I try to put her off, as much as I wish it could be that easy, we both know that it's not.

"You told me the other night that love wasn't enough to save us." She takes another step closer and I swallow hard. "Well now I'm going to tell you that you're wrong. Love is enough, Damon. Love is always enough, especially our kind of love." She reaches out and takes my shaken numb hand. "I've tried to move on, I've tried to forget you and it doesn't work, Damon. So why delay the inevitable? I want you and I know you want me. Stop trying to fight it."

"Elena…I'm not doing this to hurt you. I want to protect you."

"You're not protecting me by staying away from me." She argues. "You're not protecting me by pretending that what we have isn't worth fighting for. It is worth fighting for, Damon. You are worth fighting for." She squeezes my hand before letting go.

I watch silently as Elena takes a step back away from me before speaking again. "I'm going to be standing over there by my car in one hour." She lets out a shaky breath and I can see that she's nervous.

Terrified, even.

Well, she's not the only one.

"All of my clothes are in the trunk. I won't be coming back, at least not for a long time."

I swallow hard and find my struggling voice. "Where will you be going?"

She smiles slightly. "I figured it's about time we did a cross-country road trip without the burden of always looking over our shoulders." My eyes widen at her words. "What do you say, want to take a road trip with me as a free man?" She raises her eyebrows and my heart clenches when I see the brief note of disappointment flash across her face when I don't play along.

She nods sadly and takes another step back.

"One hour, Damon. I hope to see you real soon. All or nothing, right?"

With that she turns around and heads back inside leaving me with possibly one of the biggest and crucial decisions I'll have to make in my entire life.

Thanks for reading, don't forget to check out the Cannonball trailer! Seriously it's amazing!

As you can probably tell from the lack of updates, I have been really struggling with this story lately. Please be patient with me, I am trying to complete this and I will never give up on this story. We're almost at the end now, and I just want to say thank you again to all of your support and kind reviews and comments. They are appreciated.

Until next time.