Disclaimer: Nope, I don't own The Vampire Diaries. However, I do consider the plot line as mine.

Starcrossed Lovers

Prologue

"Sometimes life has a cruel sense of humor, giving you the thing you always wanted at the worst time possible."

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Present day

"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?" Caroline questioned sadly with a touch of worry in her voice. It had been two months now, two months since they returned from their amazing trip to Paris. Her friend was still pining after some guy she met. Caroline never had the chance to meet Elena's mysterious lover, though she knew her friend was totally whipped.

Elena looked up at her friend in shame, her cheeks slightly flushed. "I can't help it," she admitted softly, her thoughts trailing off again. She couldn't help but think about him, her blue eyed savior. Their time together had been wonderful and had ended too soon, too abruptly. She hadn't been ready to say goodbye to him.

She never thought she would meet someone like him; he kept lingering in her dreams. They met at the perfect place, at the perfect time. Both searching for affection but neither of them wanting anything serious. It would've been the perfect summer fling if she hadn't started to develop feelings for him.

At the time she hadn't known that he was more than a fling. At the time, the thought that he could be the one never crossed her mind. If they were just a summer fling, then she wouldn't still be thinking about him after all this time.

"Why don't you look for him? Let him know how you truly feel?" Caroline suggested, not understanding how Elena and her mysterious man had been able to say goodbye if they felt more for each other than a simple fuck buddy relationship permitted.

"You know why, Care," Elena sighed, remembering the last few minutes of the time they'd spent together. "I don't even know his full name," she added sadly, looking at her friend in distress.

"Urgh, you are insufferable, woman! First, I have to drag you on a holiday to take your mind of some idiot that broke your heart. Now, I have to find a way to make you forget about a stranger you met during said holiday!" Caroline exclaimed in frustration.

Elena nodded, fully understanding what her friend was getting at. Not even three months ago, she had been lost and broken after the horrible breakup she went through with Matt. Today, she felt the same pain, only intensified. This time, she barely knew the guy.

It was ridiculous and she'd never believed in love at first sight, though slowly her former beliefs were changing. Slowly, she started to realize she had let go of something, someone, she should've held on to.

Two and a half month earlier

Elena POV

"I'm coming, I'm coming!" Elena yelled from upstairs, letting out a deep sigh when she got out of bed and sauntered towards the front door. Her head was pounding, her stomach doing all kind of bad flip-flops which was making her nauseous as hell. She could swear she saw stars while she was descending the stairs. She tried to get towards the hallway as soon as possible without stumbling so that she could open the door and let her visitor inside.

"Damn Elena, you look like hell," Caroline said shocked when her friend finally opened the door. She had been standing outside for almost fifteen minutes now, knocking furiously on the wooden door until her palm started to twitch in pain.

"I'm sorry I kept you waiting," Elena slurred, still not fully awake. After yet another horrible fight with Matt, they finally broke up the night before and she had been livid. She'd seen it coming, alright, though that didn't mean it hurt any less. She had wanted to punish him for treating her the way he had. She had wanted to shout all kind of bad things, though instead she locked herself inside her bedroom and drank a full bottle of the awful scotch her brother always kept hidden behind his closet.

It had made her forget for a little while, eased the pain to a certain level she could bare. However, no matter how hard she tried, it always came back. The raw and deep hurt of what she had to go through. She once thought Matt and she were going to stay together forever, start a family and live the happy ending you see in movies. Life, however, had different plans. Unfortunately, life was nothing like the movies.

Not long after she left college, she found out about his cheating habit. He had been with several girls during their relationship. She had hoped that he'd put his college time behind him and move on; she had been dumb and naïve. She deluded herself into thinking that he'd want to become a better man for her. She believed him when he told her he loved her and that he'd never cheat on her again. She believed him when he said he couldn't lose her, that she meant everything to him and so much more.

Lies. They had been big, fat lies. Not even a year after that, he fell off the wagon again. This time, she couldn't forgive him. They fought for weeks, until yesterday things finally came to a head; it had been enough and Elena finally put an end to it all. They were over. Done. Finally. For real.

She had felt an immense relief when she looked him in the eyes and saw disbelief reflecting in them. He never thought she would leave him. After all, they had been together since high school. They were the perfectly cute couple. He never thought she'd stand up to him and go after what she wanted. However, even all the relief she felt couldn't compete with the loss that came along with it. Matt might not have treated her right, though that didn't mean they hadn't shared some good moments. There had been a time when they were happy and in love. He was a big part of her past and she had no idea how to get over him without losing a part of herself in the process.

"Elena, you knew this was going to happen. He never deserved you. Let him go and focus on your future," Caroline advised, walking passed Elena towards the living room. They had been best friends since high school and Caroline felt truly at home around the Gilberts. She used to sleep over at the craziest times. During college, the girls rented an apartment together so they could party without anyone interrupting them.

However, after Elena graduated, she moved back home. At first, she'd wanted to search for a house with Matt and start a future together. Thankfully, even back then she'd already felt like their relationship wasn't going to work out.

"Easier said than done," Elena fired back, shaking her head while going after her friend. "You know how much he meant to me. Even when he treated me poorly, I still loved him," she added sadly. He broke her heart and ripped it into pieces but still she couldn't forget about him.

"Past tense. Like I said, move on. Grow a backbone, Elena. You changed so much during your relationship with the filthy pig. I know you still care about him but he doesn't deserve you, honey. You're so much better off without him," Caroline answered coldly. After enduring all the fights Elena had with Matt, she was relieved they finally broke up. She never really understood why Elena kept going back to him. For some reason, Elena never had been able to let go of him, until today that is.

"I know that, it's just…" she stuttered.

"Just what, Elena?" Caroline questioned, waiting for a decent answer. When she was met with silence, she knew she would have to interfere to make sure Elena was going to be okay.

"I bought us plane tickets this morning," Caroline suddenly blurted out, impeccable timing as always.

"You did what?" Elena asked shocked, looking at her friend in disbelief.

"I knew you were going to react this way. You need to take your mind off of things. You've been hurting over Matt for far too long. You should've broken up with him years ago and I'm going to make sure you don't go running back to the idiot. We're leaving for Paris tomorrow morning and that's the end of our discussion," the blonde smirked.

"Are you crazy? Caroline, I can't just leave everything and everyone behind because of some silly plan you made up to make me forget about Matt," Elena exclaimed furiously.

"Oh, but I can. Bonnie and I already arranged everything. Carol didn't mind giving you a break since you haven't taken a day off since you started working at the Mystic Falls Magazine. Don't try to come up with excuses about work because your boss gave you permission to take a break and that's all that matters," Caroline retorted, glad she thought her plan through before telling Elena about her intentions. Thank god Bonnie was her ally. Otherwise, she would've never been able to pull this off. She'd probably would've gotten too excited and ruined the plan before the real action even started.

"You're insane if you think for even one minute that I'd go on a holiday with the two of you after everything that happened," she told her friend, closing her eyes for a second, trying to progress what the hell was happening. Damn it! This was so not how she'd imagined her life to be when she pictured it as a teenager.

"It's because of what happened, Lena. You need to clear you head, forget about Matt, and move on. The only way you can do that is by letting go of the past. That's not going to happen when you keep locking yourself up in that room of yours to brood. You need a girls-only trip so you can party and let your inner goddess shine. Forget about all your worries and let go, become the good old Elena again. You changed so much over the years and became a shell of who you really are. Come back to us, Lena. Come back and shine the bright light you've got inside of you."

Elena let out a deep breath, not believing her own ears when she heard the words that left her lips. "Alright, I'm in."

Damon POV

He just came home from yet another business meeting when he saw his brother standing in front of his house, leaning back against his car. The look on his face had him worried. "Stef? What are you doing here? I thought we finished everything at work?" he questioned surprised, stepping out of his car and walking over towards his younger brother.

Stefan and he never had been close, so no, he didn't think it was normal that his brother came around to pay him a visit without having a hidden reason as for why he was there.

"Father called me earlier tonight," the green eyed said apologetically, his eyes full of doubt and worry. It was unusual for Stefan to be so unsure and vulnerable which made Damon a little nervous himself. He kept his feelings to himself though because he'd learned over the years that it was best to keep your emotions in control; they only weakened you.

"What's going on, baby bro? You look like you've seen a ghost," Damon smirked, pointing towards the house before walking over to the front door and unlocking it. Stefan followed shortly behind him, still slightly unnerved. Thank god his brother seemed to be in a good mood. Otherwise, his chances would be down to zero that Damon would accept his proposal.

"It's about the Fournier contract. You know, the new company in France that father wants to work with," Stefan explained while following his brother inside. He knew Damon was still a little edgy at the moment - his brother was going through yet another rough period with Kat. He didn't understand how the two of them kept returning to each other. They didn't love one another which made Stefan doubt that they cared about each other at all. They had been like that for years now, though for some reason, Damon kept letting Katherine get away with it. He kept letting her treat him like a play toy. Every time she got tired of him she would dump him, only to get back together a few weeks later.

Stefan suspected it was more out of habit than anything, though he knew he shouldn't tell Damon about his worries. His brother would never listen to him. Instead, he'd probably laugh it away and give him a look as if Stefan had gone insane. It was his typical reaction, there was no way you could have a serious conversation with the elder Salvatore brother if it wasn't about work.

"Yes, I know which company you're referring to. Is something wrong? Did Fournier back down?" Damon questioned, putting his keys in place before walking over to the liquor cabinet and pouring two glasses of bourbon. When he turned around, his blue eyes met his brother's green ones and he gave Stefan a confused look.

"Something got your panties in a twist?" he asked smirking, rolling his eyes in the process.

"No, it's just… that… well," Stefan stuttered, a little self-conscious under the confident stare of his older brother. Damon always knew how to silence a room and show his power. At the moment, Stefan felt intimidated by the dominance that radiated through the room.

"I don't have all the time in the world, Stefan. Just spill the beans," Damon interrupted impatiently. He didn't like to waste his time and, at the moment, his brother was doing a damn good job at making him lose his patience.

"Father wants one of us to go to Paris to negotiate with Fournier and make up a contract that benefits both our companies," Stefan rushed, speaking so quickly that Damon had to take a second to repeat the words in his head before he understood what his brother was talking about.

"Yes? And that's a problem, why? You've been on many business trips before, bro. I'm sure you'll nail this one as well," Damon told him, refilling his now empty glass of bourbon. "Want some more?" he questioned, pointing at Stefan's glass, though his brother shook his head.

"You'll have to go to Paris, Damon," Stefan said cautiously, preparing himself for his brother's outburst, but instead Damon started to laugh, leaving him stunned.

"That's a good one, Steffie, but be serious for a minute," he spoke after he was finally calmed down again.

"I'm being serious, Damon. You'll have to go," his brother repeated.

"Don't be ridiculous. You know I never travel. When I started at the company, my only demand was not to be personally involved with the important deals. You and father take care of the contracts while I make sure the company flows nicely and that we make enormous amounts of money. You know I never personally talk to our clients and cooperatives. That's what you and father are there for," he explained, not understanding why his brother wanted him to take care of the contract in France.

"You can do this, Damon. You might be an arrogant bastard half of the time but you are good at what you do. You can sell that contract without even blinking," Stefan smiled, trying to convince Damon it was a good idea.

"I know I can, but I don't want to. I never wanted to work for the company in the first place, let alone get personally attached to it. Once I start negotiating with our clients, they'll expect to see my face at all the meetings and I won't be able to leave the company without losing important contracts along the way. Now, I only speak to the staff and suppliers. They don't mind who talks to them as long as they get their money at the end of the month. You know I'm planning on leaving one day," he stated seriously.

"I know that and I'm not asking you to take over my job, just do me a favor. I won't be asking something like this ever again," Stefan proposed, praying his brother would comply.

"Why the hell is it so important that I go?" Damon questioned, suddenly aware of the fact that Stefan still hadn't told him why he needed a replacement.

"It's Lexie. We'll be celebrating our fifth anniversary this weekend and I can't leave her alone on such a special day. It's important to the both of us. Please Damon, don't let me do this to her," Stefan begged, knowing fully well he was emotionally blackmailing his older brother.

"Damn it, Stefan!" he cursed loudly, putting his hands in his hair, furiously searching for another solution. He knew how important Lexie was to Stefan. He wouldn't let his brother down, though this favor was just out of his league. Damon never had been the greatest brother, never really helped his brother out; Stefan also never asked for anything. He almost felt guilty and realized his brother was doing a hell of a job at emotional blackmail. Who would've thought? Stefan, the little manipulator.

"Come on, Damon. I never asked you any favors, please agree to this one," Stefan said desperately.

Damon knew his brother was right on some level. Stefan had always been there for him, but what did he ever do in return? The answer was simple: nothing. In their youth, Damon had always been the rebellious one, not caring about anyone. The only person he listened to was his mother. When she passed away during his years in high school, he totally lost control. Stefan had been there to pick up the pieces, to help him move on. It was starting to get time to return the favor.

"I'll do this on one condition," he answered after a long pause. "Once I get back, I'm never doing this again and you'll take care of Fournier in the future. I'll explain to him that I had to replace you for a short while but that you'll be the one who negotiates with him once I return back to the States."

"Deal," Stefan answered quickly, relief sweeping through his body. He never thought his brother would do this for him and he got a warm feeling somewhere deep inside.

"Well, at least I won't have to deal with Kat for the time being," Damon smirked after a while, trying to lighten up the mood and banning the tension.

"That bad?" Stefan questioned, not really listening. He couldn't help but think about his accomplishment, a broad smile across his features. He felt utterly happy thanks to the great news he received. He couldn't wait to tell his wife.

"Same old, same old. Maybe it's good that I'll be away from her for a while. At least then, she won't be able to fill my head with more lies. She's very lucky that she's still hot and knows how to please a man. Otherwise, I'd probably have kicked her out of my bed years ago," he smirked, both of them knowing fully well that it was a huge lie. Damon could never dump Katherine, not even if he wanted to. He was attached to her; she was like his worst addiction, the person he'd always return to when he needed to forget about reality.

"I hope you'll enjoy your time in Paris. Who knows, maybe you'll finally meet someone worthy and realize Kat's so not worth your time," Stefan smiled, shaking his head.

"Dear Stefan, if you still believe that, I'd highly recommend for you to search a therapist and realize that fairytales were lies told by our parents. Children can't handle the truth, but I think you've grown up enough to understand that and face reality," Damon suggested, a hint of a smile appearing across his lips.

"You won't ever change, will you?" Stefan asked, though it was more like a statement.

"Probably not, but a man can hope," Damon winked, emptying his glass of scotch with a quick gulp. He slowly started to realize that there was no way out anymore; he'd have to go to Paris. He might not be the most worthy man or the best brother in the world, but he was loyal and trustworthy. He'd never back down once he made a promise and he wasn't planning on changing that in the future.

First of all, this will be a two part story. Part 1 will be in the past, what happens when they stay in Paris. Part two will be a continuation of what happens after the short 'Present day' part I put into the prologue. I know you probably have a lot of questions and believe me, I understand, but I can't spoil everything. You'll get to know more and more throughout the story and all your questions will be answered, I promise.

It's a different kind of story from what I have written before, though you'll still clearly see it's a story of mine. There will be fluffy romantic moments, M-rated ones, but also angsty and dramatic ones. It's going to be one hell of a ride, I'm sure of it. So please give the story a chance, even if the plot line is still one big mystery ;)

Do you want to read more? Please review and let me know!

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