This is for my dear friend, Kate.

With the circus opening tomorrow, everyone has to pitch in to raise the big top today. But because of the ropes and support poles, it can be dangerous. As such, the younger kids are kept at a distance. With the men busy, the children feed the less dangerous animals and do other little odd jobs. Once the big top is raised, they all help get the bleachers and the inside equipment ready. As soon as the trapezes and the nets are in place, Lily takes Damon by the hand and urges him up the ladder. She climbs up behind him and when they reach the platform, she rubs some chalk on her hands and then takes a hold of the bar. With a wink at her son, she leaps off of the platform and swings freely through the air with the greatest of ease. After doing a couple of somersaults, she lands back on the platform.

After his mom puts the safety harness on him and after he rubs the chalk between his own hands, the young boy grits his teeth and then takes the bar from his mom. Although he's scared, he's also pumped with adrenaline and excitement. Stepping to the edge of the platform, he looks down, smiling when he sees his dad watching from below the net. When his dad gives him a nod, Damon leaps off of the platform and flies back and forth though the air just like his mother did before releasing his grip and free falling into the net. It's what his father taught him to do until he's strong enough to get himself back to the platform. He loves the feeling of being airborne. After taking a couple more leaps, Lily tells him that they're done for now because the adult swingers need to practice. As soon as she removes his safety harness, she takes his hand and they walk over to take a seat so they can watch Katherine and Louisa practicing their tricks along with some of the other girls their age. Having had a hard workout, it doesn't take little Damon long to fall asleep, his head laying on his mom's shoulder and his mouth hanging open.

Smiling at her little boy, Lily picks him up and carries him safely back to their train car so he can have a nap. Once he's tucked in, she drops a kiss to his forehead and then feeling tired herself, she lays down on the couch and closes her eyes, sleep soon overcoming her too.

"Mama, I'm going to take Spotty outside to go potty," five year old Damon announces.

"Okay, sweetie. You stay right outside the train though okay?"

"I promise and Spotty will protect me." Squatting, he starts to play with this dog, laughing hard when the dog starts to bathe his face with its tongue. Laughing herself, she helps him up and then holds his jacket so he can slip his arms through it. After giving her a hug around her middle, he takes the dog and slips through the door and outside. Standing on the landing, she watches him. Although she didn't grow up in the circus, her grandpa did. The Salvatore family has been in the circus for generations. His parents emigrated to the United States at the turn of the century, Giuseppe being the first Salvatore to be born an American citizen.

Their love story began when she and one of her girlfriends, Liz Forbes went to see the circus in their hometown of Cedar City, Utah. It was there that she met Giuseppe. He is a master at the trapeze and with his dark hair and azure blue eyes, Lily was completely smitten the first time she laid eyes on him. As soon as she was old enough, she packed what she could, ran off and married the man. Having never looked back, they're now the proud parents of four children, twelve year old twins, Katherine and Louisa, ten year old Stefan and their baby, young Damon. Although the older three children resemble her, Damon is all Salvatore. Even at his tender age, he's already well into his training to become a trapeze artist like his father. Giuseppe spends a lot of time grooming him to follow in his footsteps. Stefan however is more interested in the animals, wanting instead to be a lion tamer or work with the elephants. Fortunately they work for an upscale circus and the animals are all treated humanely.

The girls perform a variety of tricks from acrobatics to unicycles. Stefan walks on stilts and performs tricks with the clowns. Feeling the chill herself, she walks back inside of their train car. With six in the family, they're lucky they were given a nice sized one. It does get cramped and the children complain of boredom from time to time but for the most part, they're a very close knit family. The circus does supply a school teacher so all of the children that are of age attend classes everyday. When the Ringling Brother's train is steaming forward towards their next venue, Lily insists that they study. Neither she nor her husband will force this life on their kids. When they're old enough to venture out on their own, she wants them prepared so they're able to adapt and adjust to a 'normal life' if that's what they choose to do. With the girls visiting with some of their friends and Stefan and Giuseppe helping to feed the animals, she and Damon are all alone. She peaks outside once more to make sure Damon is safe and then she picks up her book and sits down to wait for him to come inside.

"Come on Spotty, we gots to go inside now," Damon says and starts to walk back towards their train car. When the dog scampers a little further into the woods that are close to the train tracks, Damon chases after him. "Spotty, where are you?" he cries aloud, running further into the trees. Even though he's scared because it's getting darker outside and because he knows his mommy will swat his behind for running off, Damon calls again for his dog. He would be devastated if something happened to Spotty. With tears beginning to form in his eyes, he frantically calls for his dog again and finally he sees him running towards him. Grabbing him by scruff to pull him back to the train, Damon jerks his hand away when Spotty bares his teeth. Latching onto Damon's coat sleeve, the dog tries to pull him further into the forest. Finally it dawns on the boy that the dog wants to show him something.

"Okay, Spotty, I'll follow you." Letting him go, Damon runs after him. Stopping at some bushes, Damon gets the shock of his young life when he sees a baby. With his mouth hanging open, he looks all around. Hearing nothing or no one, Damon kneels down onto the grass. With the backs of his knuckles, he runs them wispily against the baby's chubby little pink cheeks. Because she has a little pink outfit on, Damon guesses that it's a girl but he has no way of knowing for sure till he takes her to his mommy.

"Hi there," he says to her. Feeling how cold her cheeks are, Damon slips off his jacket and lays it on the grass. As careful as he can, he puts one hand behind her head and the other under her bottom and lays her on the spread jacket. After wrapping it around the baby, he picks her up. Staring at her with all the wonder of a five year old, Damon is mesmerized by his find. He drops a kiss to her forehead and then very slowly and with utmost care, he carries her back to the train. As soon as he reaches it, he starts yelling for his mom since he needs both arms to crawl back onto the train. Hearing his frantic cries, Lily drops her book and runs outside, stunned herself when she sees what's in his arms. Taking her from him, her mouth opens and closes for a few seconds before dropping her eyes to Damon's.

"Damon where did you find her?"

"She was under a bush. Spotty found her."

"She's cold, we need to get her warmed up," Lily says, her eyes now fixed on the baby's big brown eyes. With the baby secure in one arm, Lily presses her palm against Damon's back, urging him to go inside. Laying the baby on one of the beds, Lily covers her up then turns to her son. Seeing that he's shivering, she wraps him in a blanket too and rubs her palms up and down his arms. Unable to take his eyes off of the baby, Damon asks, "Can we keep her, mommy?"

"How do you know that it's a girl?"

"She gots pink on."

"You go put your jammies on while I check the baby okay?"

"Okay mommy but please can we keep her?"

"Damon, it's not our baby. But you found her under a bush?"

"Yep," he replies, bobbing his head up and down.

"Was there anything else there, a bag for clothes, anything?"

"No, I looked around."

"Okay, you go wash your face and get those jammies on then mommy will tuck you in."

"But mommy, I want to sleep with the baby."

"I know sweetheart. But it's not safe, you sleep up high. If she rolls off, she would get hurt really bad. We don't want that."

"I guess not," he pouts, fisting his eyes when they moisten with tears. Dropping to her knees, Lily gives him a hug and drops a kiss to the top of his head. When the moment passes, he walks to his bed and pulls his pajamas out from under his pillow. Since only his mommy is here, he pushes his suspenders over his shoulders and then kicks off his pants. After he takes his shirt off, he puts one foot and then the other inside his footed pajamas. Once he buttons them up, he goes back to his bed where his mom is looking over the little girl. Not knowing if Damon would be their last, Lily still has some baby things. After wiping her bottom and putting a fresh diaper on her, Lily puts her in a sleeper then goes into the kitchen to heat a little milk for her. She breathes a sigh of relief when she finds a couple of bottles in the same box with the baby stuff. While the milk is warming, she washes the bottles. As soon as it's warm enough but not too hot she fills one.

With it in hand, she picks up the baby and sits down on the couch to feed her. Feeling a tug on her dress sleeve, she smiles at her little Damon. When she nods, he crawls up and sits beside her, burying his sleepy little head against her side. Not wanting to be left out, Spotty ambles over and lays down at her feet. It doesn't take long till both Damon, the baby and the dog too are soundly sleeping. As carefully as she can, she lays the baby down on her other side then carries Damon to his bed. Once he's tucked in, she lays the baby on her bed surrounding her with pillows. Stepping outside to get a breath of fresh air, she looks up at the sky. It's moon bright tonight. The man in the moon is casting a light glow on everything. And that's how the name comes to her, Elena means shining light.

When her husband and the rest of her children got home that evening, Lily showed them the baby. It was love at first sight for all of them. Still she wasn't their child and they knew in good conscience that they couldn't just keep her, not without at least trying to find out where she came from anyway. Although they did make a conscientious effort to find Elena's mother or anyone knowing of her, every avenue they searched turned out to be a dead end. The circus stayed in town for a week. During that time, they first went to the police. Since there were no orphanages or any facilities for abandoned newborns in the area, they kept the baby in their home. Everywhere they looked, they came up empty handed No one had reported any missing infants or bodies in and around the area where Damon found her. Because the family had already grown attached to the baby girl, Elena became a very much loved member of the Salvatore family. Having grown up with two big brothers and two big sisters and a doting father, she's a sweet child but she does have a bit of fire inside, even for a five year old.

"Mommy can I go with Damon?" the little girl asks, twisting her feet together.

"Sweetheart, Zelda is going to give you a lesson on the miniature horses today. And Damon needs to practice the 'Cut' with your daddy.

"What's that?"

"Well little girl, the flyer, Damon, is caught in a legs catch and swings out into the apron. The apron is the net in front of the catch trap and the back apron is the net in back of the board. On the next swing into the apron, the flyer thrusts their body up, and the catcher, that would be your daddy, lets go of Damon's legs and grabs his hands."

"That sounds scary," Elena says, pressing her lips together. With her brows furrowed in concentration, she looks up at her mother. "But I wants to watch him."

"When you're done with your training, we'll go over to watch Damon and daddy okay?"

"No," she pouts, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Elena Marcella Salvatore, I love you to death," Lily starts to say, pinching her pudgy little cheeks, "But you need to learn to listen to mommy."

"Okay, mommy. Can we please go see daddy and Damon when I's done?"

"When we're done. Now let's go." Taking her hand, Lily and Elena walk out of their train car and towards the animal stables. The miniature horses are gathered together with their trainer Zelda. As soon as the woman sees Elena, she squeals excitedly.

"Elena, I'm so happy to see you. Prancer and Vixen are ready and waiting for you. Rosie is waiting for you too." Taking the girl's hand, Zelda leads her over to Rosie. She lifts first Elena and then Rosie onto the horses. Handing her the reins, Elena pulls back on them and immediately Prancer takes off, trotting around the circular shaped pen. Jumping on and off in time with the other girl, Lily is soon impressed with her daughter's abilities. With skills not often found in a girl her age, Elena very carefully starts to stand up, holding her arms out for balance as the little horse trots gently. When she happens to look at her mother, Elena smiles as wide as she can when she sees her mommy clapping loudly. When she starts to lose her balance, she sits back down, pulling the reins till the Prancer stops.

"I did it mommy," she squeals, jumping off the horse into her mother's arms. "Can we go watch Damon now?"

"Yes, little girl. But before we go, you have to take care of Prancer. It's important that we take care of our animals. Once you finish, we can go to watch them.

"Okay mommy," she says, leading the horse into the barn. With a little help from Lily, she gives him some fresh water and hay. And after brushing his coat down, they walk out of the barn.

"Can we go now, please, mommy?"

Yes, but what do you say to Zelda?"

"Thank you, Zelda. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye Elena," the lady says. Elena waves then takes her mommy's hand and starts pulling her towards the trapeze stands.

With her hands wet and soapy from washing the animals, Elena looks over at her father who's doing the same thing. With her frustration level building by the second, she slams her rag to the ground. "I want to learn how to do the trapeze. You all know how except me," Elena snaps, irritated with her father for discouraging her dream. Although she doesn't quite understand it, she always feels a little different and apart from her family because they won't let her participate too.

"Young lady, now pick that rag up. We still have to clean up the elephants for the show tomorrow," her father scolds, a stern look on his face.

"But daddy," nine year old Elena protests, kicking her feet in the dirt.

"Katherine and Louisa aren't trapeze artists either."

"So, that's them. It's what I want. Why can't you teach me?"

"Elena, that's not true and you know that. You're not suited to be a trapeze artist."

"How do you know? Did Damon and Stefan or even you do it perfectly the first time you tried?" she retorts, her brows quirked in anger.

"That's enough, Elena. Now pick up that rag and get back to work. If you insist on being so contrary, I won't help you."

Although she's fuming on the inside, she does what she's told and spends the rest of the afternoon doing her chores. When her father leaves, she puts her buckets and rags away and then wanders towards the big tent. Looking up, she gets even madder when she sees Damon swinging through the air as if he were part bird. Marching over to the ladder, she starts to climb up as he starts to climb down.

"Elena, what are you doing here?" he asks, his eyes darting around to see if any of his family is here too.

"I want you to teach me how."

"You know what mom and dad say about that."

"I don't care. I want to fly too."

"Elena?" he utters, raking his hand through his mop of dark hair. When she flashes those big brown eyes at him, he's powerless to say no. Although he nods, he keeps climbing down the ladder much to her consternation.

"What are you doing?" she snaps, being forced to climb down herself when he keeps descending.

"I'm coming down because the first thing we all have to learn are safety guidelines and the basic take off position."

"But Damon!?"

"No buts, if you want to learn, you're going to do it the right way. Leading her a short ways from the camp, he looks around. When he doesn't see anyone lurking, he tries to go through everything, snapping at her when he notices her eyeing a butterfly instead of paying attention to what he's trying to tell her. He threatens to quit when he sees her roll her eyes at him. Shaking his head, he starts to walk away, stopping only when she grabs onto his arm. Although he's young himself, he's been working on the trapeze since he was just a little boy so he's well skilled at what he does. Despite his better judgement telling him to quit, he then leads her back to the row of practice trapezes. Finding the area nearly empty, he has a hard time believing his luck when only a few people are nearby and not paying attention. Taking the safety harness, he straps it on her and then climbs the ladder behind her. Stepping onto the platform, he attaches the safety lines. When he sees Stefan wander over, he drops his chin to his chest but then figures he might as well help them.

Since Elena is the baby of the family and has everyone wrapped around her little finger, Stefan agrees to help out. Taking the position of the line puller, he holds onto the safety lines from the ground. When Stefan nods, Damon tells her to chalk her hands after which he hands her the fly bar. Even though she's a little scared, she excited too. Looking over her shoulder at her brother, she gives him a beaming smile then leaps into the air. Stefan instructs her and when she lets go, she lands safely next to him.

They keep up the cloak and dagger sessions until one day when their parents catch them in the act. Although they watch her show them what she can do, Giuseppe sees awkwardness but he's also impressed with her determination. But the fact that they went behind his and Lily's backs to do this gets his dander up. After telling them in no uncertain terms that they are to quit, he takes her aside and leads her over to the animals. In no mood to listen and angry beyond measure, she refuses to do as she's told which earns her a swat on the bottom with his firm hand. Hearing the commotion, Zelda walks over.

"What's going on?" she asks, her hands on her hips.

"Elena has a gift with the animals but not so much with the trapeze. I want you to keep her busy, Zelda," he explains, his eyes drifting from his daughter to Zelda. When she nods her understanding, she puts her arm around Elena's shoulder and leads her away and towards the rows of cages where the animals are kept.

Standing behind his now sixteen year old sister, Damon closes his eyes when he breathes in her sweet scent. Parts of him feel anything but brotherly for the girl who has been raised since infancy as his sister. As far as Damon knows, his parents never formally adopted her. Although he's gone out with a couple of girls that he met at circus stops, she never drifts far from his thoughts. It's not any of them that Damon would like to feel moving beneath him, it's her. It's always been her, well at least since he's been old enough to recognize his body's urges. Despite the fact that his parents had pretty much forbidden her to practice on the trapeze, she always, always knows how to finagle him into helping her with it anyway.

"What are we waiting for Damon?" she asks when he doesn't say anything.

"Take the fly bar, Elena," he says, snapped out of his reverie. After making sure her harness is on her securely, he gives her a nod and she leaps off of the platform, flying to and fro, surprising him when does a somersault and safely latches back onto the bar. Pumping her legs, she works up enough momentum to fly again, this time back towards Damon. When she's within reach, he pulls her to safely and breathes a sigh of relief. Not only would he hate himself, his parents would murder him if he had let something happen to her.

"Why didn't you tell me that you were going to do that?"

"You wouldn't have let me make the jump."

"You're damn right I wouldn't have. Where did you learn to do that?"

"I've been practicing with Bentley."

"You stay away from him, Elena. He's only interested in one thing."

"You're not the boss of me. If I want to see him, I will."

"I don't like him, Elena. And besides, isn't he seeing Rosie?"

"So what? I'm not seeing him, I'm just letting him teach me because he doesn't treat me like a porcelain doll that you do."

"Because I love you and I'd never forgive myself if you got hurt on my watch."

"I love you too, Damon," she tells him, and she does in a lot of ways that she shouldn't love a brother. She can't tell him that. It's wrong, she thinks to herself. Giving him a hug, she drops a quick kiss to his cheek and then takes off her harness and goes down the ladder, waving goodbye as she disappears out of the big top.

"Stop it Damon," Elena yells when he launches himself at Bentley.

When Damon found the creepy bastard trying to force himself on Elena, his fuse lights, burning so hot, it feels like someone threw gasoline on an open fire. Reeling back, he lands a punch to Bentley's jaw, laying him out. Panting, Damon bends over, hands on his legs as he stares at the guy. As soon as he gets up, he charges at Damon, sending him sprawling onto the dirt. Rolling back and forth with punches flying, Elena doesn't know what else to do so she runs after her dad. Moments later, Stefan and Giuseppe join the mix and pull the two young men apart.

"What's going on here?" Giuseppe asks, his arms wrapped around Damon's, holding him back while Stefan has Bentley pinned on the ground.

"I caught him trying to put his hands up Elena's dress," Damon spits, trying to reach up to wipe the blood from the corner of his mouth.

"Elena is that true?"

"Yes, daddy. I told him no but he kept trying to feel me up anyway."

"Go with your sisters," Giuseppe tells her when he sees Katherine and Louisa standing a little ways away.

"But daddy, Damon is bleeding."

"Elena, go with your sisters. I'll take care of your brother."

"Dropping her eyes, she blows out a breath of air and then walks over to her big sisters."

"Are you okay?" Louisa asks, giving Elena a light hug.

"Yes, I'm okay."

"What were you doing out here alone with Bentley anyway? Rosie is going to hate you," Katherine adds, walking along beside her.

"I know he likes Rosie but he said he was going to show me some more tricks on the trapeze. That's what I want to do."

"Let's get you home. Mom is probably having kittens wondering where we are." Elena nods, walking between her sisters as they head back to their home. Once they arrive, Katherine says goodnight to their mother then leaves to go home to her own husband. Louisa does the same since she married only recently too. After saying goodbye to them, Elena thoughts return to Damon. She can't seem to get the look that she saw on his face out of her mind. It almost looked like he was jealous. Shaking her head at her silliness, she steps into their train car and into her mother's waiting arms.

The next couple of days, it seems to Elena like Damon is avoiding her. Knowing that she didn't do anything wrong other than follow Bentley, she stiffens her shoulders and goes out to find him. They arrived at this destination a couple of hours ago and she knows that he's likely helping set up the big top. When she tells her mother that she's going for a walk, Lily insists that she take the dog with her for safety. It's not that she doesn't trust Elena, she doesn't trust Bentley not to pounce upon the young girl again. Just as she, with Brutus's leash in her hand, leave the train car, she sees a woman walking alongside the circus's ringmaster, Tobias Fell and they're headed this way. Shrugging her shoulders, she and Brutus walk off into the distance and towards the big tent. A funny feeling envelopes Elena but she doesn't know why. Pausing, she turns around for a moment just as Tobias and the woman step up and onto their train car.

Brushing it off for now, she walks along, letting the dog snoop around a little till they have change directions to find Damon. Walking into the tent, she notices Damon, Stefan and their dad engaged in conversation. Moments later, Damon looks around then disappears out of one of the other exits. Determined to speak with him, she backs out and runs around till she sees him walking into the woods.

"Damon, wait," she says aloud, determined to find out what's up with him. When she finally catches him in a clearing, lit only by the moonlight, she marches up to him and grabs him by the arm. Before she can utter a work, he pulls her close and captures her lips in a kiss so intense, she can feel her knees weakening and with her hand relaxing, Brutus meanders off into the brush. Although his kiss immediately awakens things inside of her, she's confused by them.

Forgetting all about the dog, she asks in a breathy voice, "What are you doing?"

"I'm crazy about you Elena. When I saw him touch you, I went nuts on the inside. I love you and not as my sister."

"Damon, we can't."

"Yes, we can," he says. Scanning the area, he sees that the dog is laying down, so he takes her hand and leads her over to a tree trunk. Gesturing for her to take a seat, he blows out a puff of air. Pacing back and forth in front of her, Damon doesn't even begin to know where to start.

"I don't understand. I.. I won't deny that I feel things too but you're my brother."

With his heart slamming against his chest and his blood ablaze, he turns to face her. Raking his fingers through his hair nervously, he blurts out, "Oh hell, Elena. I'm not really your brother. You were abandoned as a baby and I found you when I was five years old. It was a moon bright but chilly spring night. Spotty found you first and he led me to you. I looked all around but I didn't see anyone or anything so I picked you up and took you to mom. I have always loved you, Elena."

Shaking her head back and forth with her mouth open, Elena is too stunned to say anything. Gawping like a fish, she finally finds her land legs and stands up. Reeling back, she slaps him across the face. "How could you?"

"Mom and dad tried to find your parents but no one in the town knew anything. We all loved you the moment we laid eyes on you," he implores her, pleading for understanding with his now cobalt blue eyes.

"All this time you led me to believe I was a member of this family. How could you?"

"You are my family, Elena. I want more with you. And although I know we were raised like brother and sister, I'm not ashamed of what I feel for you. Different blood runs through our veins, Elena. I want you," he adds. His heart plummets when she steps away when he tries to close the distance between them. With her own heart pounding in her throat, she backs away, turns her back on him and runs off towards their train. Not yet ready to go inside, she walks along the train tracks. It's only when she hears Lily's voice that she turns around. Despite what she now knows, the Salvatore's have been her family. And as angry as she is with them right now, she can't just turn off her feelings for them. Determined to hear what her mother has to say, Elena walks back to the train cart, surprised when she sees that the woman from earlier is sitting inside. Swallowing thickly, she walks up the stairs and steps in, her eyes darting back and forth between her parents.

"Daddy?" she asks, when she sees tears in his eyes. Giuseppe Salvatore is not one to show emotion so it stuns her.

"Elena, sweetheart, you know we love you right? And that you're our daughter by every meaning of the word but darling, you weren't born to us. This woman, Miranda Gilbert, she.. she claims that she's your real mother."

Shaking her head back and forth and overwhelmed by everything that has been revealed this night, Elena sees spots in front of her eyes just before her vision blurs. With her knees giving out on her, Giuseppe catches her just before she crashes to the floor when cold and darkness pull her underneath the waves.

Walking through the hallway at her school with her books wrapped securely in her arms, Elena stops at her locker. After shoving a few inside, she takes her science book and heads towards the classroom. Taking a seat in the back of the room and beside the window, she drops her chin onto her palms. Her eyes drift towards the window. It doesn't take long for her thoughts to drift to her parents. After that fateful day, Miranda demanded that Elena return with her. Although her parents pleaded with the woman to let them keep their daughter, she wouldn't hear of it. In actuality, she was only kind to the Salvatore family till Elena arrived. Her parents went to a lawyer and before a judge since they raised her but because of the adoption snafu, they were denied their request to keep Elena. She misses them terribly and with her body changing and maturing along with her heart, she misses him in so many ways that a girl wouldn't miss her brother. Every time she thinks about him, she remembers how he kissed, the intensity of which nearly took her out at the knees. Sighing heavily, she turns her head when she hears the sound of a chair scraping along the floor. Looking up, she forces a smile when she sees her best friend, Caroline.

"Hey Elena," she greets her, turning sideways in her chair so she can face Elena.

"Hi, Care."

"What's the matter? You look more than a little distraught."

"I miss my family, a lot actually."

"But your family is here, Elena. You have your parents and your brother Jeremy."

"I know that, Caroline..., they're not my parents. My mom and dad are Lily and Giuseppe Salvatore. I lived with them for sixteen years after she abandoned me."

"It wasn't her was it? Wasn't it your grandparents who left you to die?"

"That's what Miranda says but I don't know if I believe her or not. I want to go home. At first I thought that maybe I'd like to go away for awhile to see what life was like outside of the circus but now..."

"You've only been here for six months, Elena. You have to give it time."

"I have, I want to go home," Elena adds, tears now flowing freely down her cheeks.

"Oh Elena, don't cry," her friend whispers. Standing up, she stoops over and gives Elena a hug. "Have you heard anything from them? Any letters or anything?"

"No, but I think Miranda might either be throwing them away or hiding them. Every time I offer to get the mail, she either sends Jeremy or gets it herself. And besides that, I don't believe for a moment that they wouldn't write."

"I think you need to talk to your parents and tell them how you feel. I don't want you to leave, you're my best friend but I don't like seeing you so unhappy either."

"Thanks, Caroline. I love you too," Elena adds, wiping her eyes when she sees Mr. Saltzman enter to the room to start the class.

Worried about his youngest son, Giuseppe goes in search of Damon. Since Elena left he's been lackluster and despondent, even to the point of losing his grip on the fly bar and falling to net below. Giuseppe said a silent Hail Mary when he witnessed that. But his son is nothing else if not professional so he picked himself and finished the program in spectacular fashion, completing a very difficult maneuver. In truth they all miss Elena so much. Even though Katherine and Louisa are both married now, they miss spending time with their little sister. Giuseppe doesn't care what any judge or court says, Elena will always be his daughter emotionally if not legally. Finding Damon sitting on the back bleacher under the big top, his face buried in his hands, it's obvious to Giuseppe that something big is going on with his son.

Making his way up the bleacher stairs, he takes a seat beside his youngest boy and gives his knee a squeeze. Without raising his head, Damon turns his face to the side, splitting his fingers to see who it is. Seeing his father, he sighs and sits upright. "Talk to me, Damon. What's troubling you?"

"I miss her dad, terribly," he confesses, his belly roiling

"We all do, Damon. She was and still is a valued member of our family."

Figuring he has nothing to lose anymore, he reveals his secret. "I love her, dad. I'm in love with Elena."

"Damon?" he asks, not quite believing what he's hearing.

"I'm not ashamed. We're not related by blood or by a piece of paper."

"I know that, Damon..., but she was raised as your sister."

"Don't you think I know that?" he huffs, the frustration in his voice obvious.

"Damon, as the man who raised both of you as his children, it is a little unsettling but another part of me knows that you're absolutely right, there is nothing binding you to Elena in a familial sense. And if by chance, we find her or come across her again, I am not going to stop you from following your heart. Do you want me to go with you to talk to your mom?"

"Might as well," Damon agrees, blowing out a breath as he stands up. With his heart pounding wildly, he follows his dad outside and towards their place. When they get close, they hear Brutus barking like crazy. Wondering what's going on, they pick up the pace. Damon stops in his tracks, his mouth dropping open when he sees her hugging his mother.

Not caring who sees, Damon rushes over to her. With his heart stampeding inside of his chest, he pulls her flush against his chest and captures her lips in a kiss so visceral that it literally feels like her blood is on fire. Kissing him back with just as much gusto, she thrusts her tongue into his mouth. Oblivious to everything else, they step apart only when they hear a gasp.

"Explain," Lily blurts out, her eyes wide with shock.

"I love her, mom. I know what it must look like but I don't regret how I feel. I want a life with Elena... if that's what she wants," he adds, his eyes drifting from his mother back to the woman who's still in his arms.

"Yes, Damon. I love you too," Elena confesses, the butterflies in her belly fluttering chaotically. With a shaky hand, she cups one of his cheeks, smiling at Damon through her tears.

"I don't understand, when did all this come about?"

"I can't answer that mom. I had been fighting my feelings for her for a long time but when Bentley nearly molested her, I couldn't stay silent anymore. But Elena had to leave right after I told her," he confesses, holding onto Elena's hand as if it were a lifeline. "There was no need to say anything then because I didn't think I'd ever see her again," he adds, squeezing her hand affectionately.

"Are you okay with this?" Lily asks Giuseppe incredulously.

"I want them to be happy, sweetheart, and if this is what makes them happy, then yes, I'm okay with it."

"Why didn't you write, Elena? I wrote to you everyday."

"What?" she asks. Although she suspected that Miranda was possibly doing just that, it's still a bit of a shock to have it confirmed.

"I wrote to you too, Elena," Damon adds, his eyes dropping to hers.

"I never got any of them, I swear I didn't. I wrote but she was always the one to mail them."

"It doesn't matter anymore. How did you get here?" Giuseppe asks, finally taking his turn at hugging Elena.

"I told her that I missed my family and that I wanted to come home. I know she's the woman who gave birth to me but still, she wasn't my mother. And her husband was decent to me but he's not you," she says, pressing a kiss to his cheek.

"Can I talk to you?"

"What is it, Elena?" Miranda asks, setting the grocery bag on the counter top.

"I want to go home."

"You are home," Grayson adds, stepping into the kitchen to set his coffee cup in the sink.

"No, I mean, I want to go back to the Salvatore's."

"They're not your family, Elena. We are."

"They are though. They raised me. I know it's not your fault that I was abandoned but in my heart, they are my parents."

"That's enough, Elena. You, young lady, are not to mention that name again in my presence," Miranda snaps, glowering at her daughter.

"But.. but I love them and I love Damon. And if you won't let me go now, I'll leave as soon as I'm old enough."

"Elena, please go to your room now," Grayson asks, giving her a nod. Sighing, she drops her chin to her chest and walks out of the kitchen, hoping that they won't make her stay here for another year.

"Grayson talked her into letting me go on the condition that I keep in touch. I promised that I would"

"Of course you should," Lily adds, smiling at her. With her own eyes, she can see how much Damon and Elena care about each other. And although her feelings for Elena will always be that of a mother to her daughter, she smiles when she realizes that Elena could really be her daughter if the two of them marry some day. "Listen, we need to tell your brother and sisters about the two of you but if you truly love each other in a romantic way, you have my blessing," Lily adds, wrapping an arm around Elena's shoulder. She knows that she made the right decision when she sees a look of sheer joy wash over both of their faces.

With his hand firmly in his grandpa's, he follows him into the big top. Giuseppe leads him into the bleachers, taking a seat in the front row. Excited, little Timmy Salvatore is a bundle of energy and unable to sit still. When he hears his grandpa laugh, he looks up at him with his big blue eyes that are so much like his daddy's. Shaking his head, the older man pulls the youngster onto his lap and tells him to watch. The crowd pours in, taking seats all around. When Emmet the clown walks past, he winks at Timmy and gives him a balloon. Excited, the boy squeals and shows it to his grandpa. Giuseppe winks back at the man, thanking him with a nod.

Once the crowd is seated, the spotlight shines in the center of the ring. Within seconds the ringmaster starts the greeting. "Welcome to the circus ladies and gentleman. On the right ring we have Enzo and his beautiful assistant Louisa with the elephants. On the left right we have Nicklaus with his lovely assistant Katherine with their tigers. And in the center ring, performing death defying stunts on the trapeze are Damon and his lovely wife, Elena, let's give them all a hand," he announces, the crowd immediately breaking out in thunderous applause.

His eyes widen to the size of saucers when he sees his mom and dad step onto the platform. Damon chalks his hands then takes a hold of the fly bar. The little boy is mesmerized by the way his daddy flies through the air. After Damon makes a couple of passes, Elena swings out, tucks into a somersault effortlessly grabbing on her husbands hands. With a little maneuvering, he takes her by the ankles, swinging her strong enough that the can make another twisting leap, latching onto her own fly bar once more. Timmy is unable to take his eyes off of his parents but when Giuseppe feels a nudge, he looks up, smiling widely when he sees his beautiful wife, her arms wrapped around a precious bundle. When her husband slides over, Lily sits down. Looking around, grandma Lily smiles when she sees her other grandchildren, Katherine's children, Hope and Elijah and Louisa's twin boys Jimmy and Michael. They're waving from the spot just behind the curtain.

The only one missing is Stefan. After he married, his wife didn't like the circus life so he left to go to school and now he's a teacher in Lily's hometown of Cedar City, Utah. He and Rebekah have nine year old son, Kol. With the season nearly ending, they'll all be going back to Utah next month.

"Look Grandma," Timmy yells when his daddy makes another spine tingling leap from one fly bar to the next. The little boy's eyes are wide as saucers and his mouth is agape as he watches his parents complete their routine with their last move. It's a triple twisting double layout. With his dad swinging from his knees, his mom chalks her hands then grabs onto the fly bar. Pumping herself back and forth, she lets go of the bar, twists herself three times, Damon catching her on the way down. As soon as they complete the move, they land back on the platform and bow for the audience. Timmy is clapping furiously along with the rest of the crowd. After bowing to their audience, they climb down the ladder, put their capes on and depart the center ring.

Walking behind the curtain, Damon pulls his wife into his arms for a kiss. But just as he's about to join their lips, he hears his young son squealing excitedly. "Mommy, Daddy, I watched you." Laughing Damon picks him up, winking at his parents when they show up moments later. Taking the bundle from Lily's arms, Elena coos to her baby daughter, Ellie. Her big blue eyes are wide open and she's babbling adorably.

"Mommy, you not listening to me."

Laughing Elena gives him her full attention. "What is it Timmy?"

"I want to fly in the air too," he tells her as seriously as only a five year old can.

"Really?"

"Ah ha," he says, his eyes still wide with wonder.

"What do you say, daddy?" Elena asks, smiling at her husband.

"I had my first lesson when I was your age, right grandpa?"

He did, Timmy."

"Mommy, can daddy and papa teach me? Please?"

When she nods, Damon sets him down, taking one hand while papa takes the other. With Lily and Elena following behind, they walk to the practice trapeze area. Sitting down on the hay bales, the women watch while Damon and his dad strap him into the harness after going over the ground rules with him. With the net securely in place and papa manning the safety ropes, Damon and Timmy climb the ladder and step onto the platform. Once Damon attaches the safety lines to his son, he stoops down and puts some chalk into his hands, telling him to rub them together. Taking the fly bar, Damon hands it to his son. Timmy latches on with Damon's hands on either side of him. Giving his son a wink, he tells him to count to three. And when he does, Damon and Timmy leap into the air. With Timmy squealing excitedly, they fly back and forth and when Damon tells him to let go he does, landing safely in the net.

As soon as he's standing on the ground again, he looks at his daddy and mommy, a huge beaming smile on his face. "I want to do it again." And with pride burning in his chest, Damon knows that another generation of Salvatore's will be riding the flying trapeze.

I really hope you liked this Kate. She's known as Florencia7 in the world of Delena fan fiction.

Humungous thank you to Eva. I would be at a loss without you. I love you dearly.

One of my goals in writing DE stories is to try to be unique and different and choose things that haven't been done before. One of my favorites is still "Pieces of Eight" which is a Delena story built around the real life search for and the recovery of the Nuestra Senora de Atocha. She was a treasure laden galleon that sunk in a hurricane in 1622. I've written Damon as a shark biologist, adventurer, Volcanologist, kidnap victim, Elena as a forensic artist among others. If you're interested, the stories are in my profile along with all the Christmas stories that I've recently posted.

Thank you all so much for the support. Eva and I are going to try and do one more one shot for the LJ Delena Christmas A2A exchange. I work tonight and the next couple of days but I will try to post chapter 4 of SOLS tomorrow and ICEM will update after that. Please remember to review. They are what keep me stoked.

Do be safe and have a fabulous day and a wonderful week ahead. Thank you again so much.