I really shouldnt be starting a new story but this one just wouldnt leave my head. I've never written a fully AU/AH story so this is my attempt. No vampires. :/ Let me know what you think of this little experiment. this chapter is mostly just an introduction, but the next one more will happen I promise. Reviews are inspiration for the muse, feed her. There will be smut later on in the story, but it is going to be a slower burn than my other stories. But we will get there.
PS I only own my story and my writing, the characters belong to their rightful owners.
It was May of 1864 and the carriage carrying Elena Gilbert moved over the bridge and towards Salvatore manor. It was on this bridge that three months prior Elena's mom and dad had been killed in a tragic accident when the driver ran off the bridge; her parents, the driver and the horses pulling the carriage had all died. Elena had been at home at the time, and had heard about the accident by telegram. But now since she had no other guardian and it wasn't proper for a woman to live on her own without the company of her husband or father. She had neither. For many years her father had been friends with Giuseppe and Elisabetta Salvatore, and now that was where she was headed. She could see the manor in the distance, it was larger and far more luxurious than hers. The Salvatore's owned all the lumber mills surrounding Mystic Falls, and it made them very wealthy. Upon her arrival the whole family was outside waiting for her. Giuseppe and Elisabetta, whom she had met on occasion over the years, along with the younger son Stefan, whom she had met on occasion. The eldest son Damon was nowhere to be found. He had always intrigued her, not as a husband, but as something else entirely. Something else she couldn't identify.
"Welcome Miss Gilbert." Giuseppe greeted as he helped her out of the carriage.
"Thank you Mr Salvatore." she said taking his hand as she stepped down from the carriage in her skirts.
"I hope your stay here will be satisfactory. Do not hesitate to ask any of the staff for whatever you need." he said as he helped her carry her bags into the house.
"Thank you Mr Salvatore. You have a beautiful home." she said smiling at the older man.
"That is all because of my beautiful wife Elisabetta. She is the homemaker, I just supply the money." he said smiling adoringly at his wife.
"You have a beautiful home Mrs Salvatore." she said smiling at the woman.
"Thank you so much." she said smiling as the four of them walked into the manor.
"Samuel will show you to your quarters. You can go on up and get freshened up. Lunch will be served at half past 12." he said.
"Thank you Mr Salvatore." she said politely. Samuel led her up the stairs and down the left wing of the home. He opened a door and placed her suit case on the small table in the sitting room.
"I will bring your other things up Miss." he said bowing before leaving the room. Her quarters were far more luxurious than her old ones. She had a private sitting area, a private powder room, and a changing area all adjoined to her spacious bedroom with a large plush bed. The room was done in ornate furniture and bright colours. There was a vase of fresh flowers on her bedside chest. She smiled and picked up her little bag to place it on the trunk at the edge of her bed. She heard a knock at the door and she went to answer it.
"Hello miss, I am Anne, I will be your personal maid. Mr Salvatore sent me to help you. Is there anything you need miss?" she asked bowing slightly.
"Oh, I need to change for lunch. If you could help me." she said.
"Of course miss." she said following her into the small change room with the dresser that was as still empty. Anne started untying her dress and freeing her from the corset so she could put new clothes on. She breathed freely for a moment before the corset was back around her. She was dressed in a royal blue dress a few minutes later.
"Thank you Anne." she said.
"You are welcome Miss Elena. Is there any other assistance I can offer you?" she asked.
"No. I am fine. I can unpack my own clothes." she said.
"Just call for me if you need anything dear. If not I will be back to help you dress for bed later tonight." she said as she walked out of the room. Elena smiled at her, back before her parents died, her mom had always helped her dress for bed. But now she had a private maid to help her. When she was dressed she left her bedroom and seen all her other items laying in a small pile by the door. She smiled and moved each chest into her bedroom where she would go through it after lunch. Once they were all stored safely she walked downstairs and into the dining room where Giuseppe and Elisabetta were seated with Stefan. Where was Damon? She wondered where the other Salvatore was, she had met him a few times. He seemed much more wild than the kind Stefan did. There was something about Damon that appealed to her wild side.
"Ah, have a seat Miss Gilbert." Giuseppe said gesturing to the seat on his right.
"Thank you. And please call me Elena." she said. He nodded and smiled comfortingly at her.
"Damon is not joining us father?" Stefan asked his father. It was clear by the way Stefan talked about Damon that he admired him, but still somehow resented him.
"I do not know son. Damon is wild. I never know what to do with him. He did not even come to greet our new house guest." he sighed.
"Damon is just a wild soul dear. He will come around. I have faith in my son." Elisabetta stated.
"I wish I did." Giuseppe said shaking his head. Elena listened to the families conversation, she understood what it was like to lose a brother, and she knew how Giuseppe and Elisabetta felt about losing a son. She and her parents had lost Jeremy to a wild streak a year ago. He was now living on his own in a city, doing who knows what. When lunch was finished Elena excused herself to finish unpacking her things. It took her the better part of an hour to find places for all her prized possessions but when she was done she left her quarters and went searching for the family.
"Hello dear, come on in. Have a seat." Giuseppe said when she found them in the library.
"Actually I was wondering if I could go walk around the grounds. I've never walked them before." she asked.
"Of course. Would you like an escort?" he asked.
"I will be fine. I will come back later." she said taking her journal with her.
"If you are looking for a place to write, the small lake on to the north of the house is perfect. It's quiet and serene. You will really like it." he told her.
"I actually was. I love writing in my journal, it helps me remember things. Thank you for that advice." she said smiling at him.
"Enjoy your afternoon dear." he said as she walked out of the house. She followed Giuseppe's directions and happened across the small lake. The water was crystalline blue and she smiled. She sat down on the edge of the water and stared out into the blue.
"Can I help you miss?" a voice said from behind her.
"Oh." she said startled. She snapped around to see Damon Salvatore standing there with a book in his hand.
"Oh Miss Gilbert. I did not recognize you. I am Damon Salvatore." he said.
"Hello again." she said smiling softly at him.
"Are you enjoying my home so far?" he asked conversationally.
"Yes, I like it very much." she assured him.
"I am glad." he told her as he sat down a respectable distance from her and opened his book.
"Why were you not at lunch, or when I arrived?" she asked curiously.
"I needed to get away from my father. We do not see eye to eye on many things." he answered.
"I see. Your father is a good man." she said.
"He may be a good man, but he is a terrible father to me." he answered shortly.
"What about to Stefan?" she asked.
"He is a good father to Stefan, and he will be a good guardian to you. It is just that I do not see things the way he does." he explained.
"How do you see things?" she asked.
"I do not see the importance of going off to war, or getting married to a respectable lady. I do not want that. I want to enjoy my life, and I do not want to live it under his rules. Sometimes I run off and stay here. It is my haven of sorts." he explained.
"I am sorry. I will leave." she said thinking he would want to be alone.
"It is alright. It is nice not being alone all the time." he told her. His assurance that she was alright where she was, made her smile and she sat back down. They sat in silence for a while as he read his book and she wrote in her journal.
"Do you keep a journal?" she asked him.
"No, there is not much in my life I would want to remember." he confessed to her.
"I see." she said turning back to her journal. After she wrote for a while longer she started feeling uncomfortable. She knew it was not proper to be out alone with a man, even if it was she felt she could trust.
"I better head back to the house." she said standing up and brushing off her skirts.
"It was nice talking with you Miss Gilbert." he said watching her leave.
"You as well Mr Salvatore." she said.
"You may call me Damon." he told her shooting her a crooked smile.
"And you may call me Elena." she replied to him before hurrying back to the house. There was something about him that mesmerized her. He was so different than all the other men her father had brought around to court her. When she walked back inside Stefan was just heading out.
"Oh there you are Miss Gilbert, I was just setting out to find you." he said.
"Thank you Mr Salvatore." she said smiling at him. The younger Salvatore was cute in a little boy way and he would have been exactly the guy that her father would have brought her home next had be been still alive. There was a reason she kept turning down these men that her father chose for her. They never ignited any sort of passion inside her, it was men like Damon Salvatore that did that. But it was also men like Damon Salvatore that made terrible husbands and fathers. She walked into the library where Giuseppe and Elisabetta were still seated reading.
"You are back my dear. How was your stroll?" he asked.
"It was lovely." she told him, leaving out to the part where she met Damon. She sat down and clutched her journal to her chest when she heard the front door open and Damon walked in the library moments later.
"Hello father." he said.
"Damon, I see you've chosen to return home. Are you going to be more accepting now?" he asked.
"No. I will not go to battle for the South. I do not wish to fight." he said.
"You may not wish to, but it is your civil duty." he stated.
"Then make Stefan go. I do not wish to go." he said firmly.
"Please do not have this argument again." Elisabetta begged as she let out a massive cough and she slumped against the back of the chair she was seated in. The cough sounded terrible to Elena, she didn't know what to say.
"I am sorry mother." Damon said before walking out of the room. Giuseppe turned to his wife and wiped the hair from her face, from the exertion that coughing fit had taken over her.
"Amore mia are you alright?" he asked softly.
"It is getting worse my darling. I just want you and Damon to stop fighting. He is your son as well." she said.
"I just need him to accept some responsibility." he said softly. Elena chose to excuse herself from this private moment and head up to her quarters. On her way to her rooms she walked past what was clearly Damon's as she seen him pacing a hole in the floor of his sitting area.
"Are you alright?" she asked before she could stop herself.
"My mother is dying, how can I be alright?" he asked rhetorically.
"I am sorry. I will leave now." she said backing away from the doorway.
"I am sorry Elena." he sighed.
"I am sorry too Damon. If you need anyone to talk to, you can always talk to me." she assured him. He smiled at her and she left to go to her quarters.
Damon walked into his bathroom and shut the door. He filled his bathtub up with water and stripped out of his clothes. Sinking into the hot water he leaned his head against the back of the tub. He had his moments where he hated his father, and he debated on running away. But he could never leave for long, his mother was here, and she was sick. She needed him near. It would surely kill her if one of her sons left her, and he would not be the cause of anymore pain for his mother. His mother was the sole reason he kept coming back for more. He refused to enlist for the war effort, and he refused to marry someone he didn't love. He would sooner be alone than with someone he didn't love. When the water started getting colder, he stepped out and dressed in some fresh clothing, placing the old ones in a basket by the door for the maid to pick up. When the bell rang for dinner he left his quarters and started going downstairs. He ran into Elena on the way and they walked down together. Giuseppe pulled a chair out for her and she sat down to his right again as she for lunch. Damon took the seat on Elena's other side as Stefan sat on his fathers left. Elisabetta did not come down for dinner, and the atmosphere was thick without her there. It was almost like without Elisabetta there all pleasantries stopped. The men were silent at the table and Elena had no idea how to start a conversation. She looked out of the corner of her eye and seen Damon picking at his dinner. Out of all of them he seemed to be taking his mothers illness the hardest.
"Is Elisabetta going be alright?" she asked.
"She has been sick. The doctor does not know what it is, but she is getting weaker. She has been coughing up blood lately and then she needs to rest. Today has taken a lot out of her." Giuseppe stated.
"I am sorry." Elena told the three men.
"You have nothing to be sorry for. She was happy she was able to be up to greet you today. She spends most of her time in bed." Giuseppe assured her.
"I would like to help as much as I can. If you want me to." she told them.
"There is not much you can do Miss Gilbert, except for keeping her company when I go to work. She spends a lot of time alone. Stefan has his studies, and Damon spends a lot of time away from the house." he said.
"I can do that." she said smiling at the men. They all heard a fresh wave of coughing from downstairs in the dining room and she felt Damon stiffen beside her.
"I cannot listen to this. I am going out." he said before getting up and storming out of the house.
"My eldest son is being very selfish in this." Giuseppe said disappointed.
"He is just afraid I think. He does not want to lose his mother. Everybody needs a mother." she said.
"My eldest son just cares about himself Miss Gilbert." Giuseppe stated. When everyone was done dinner Giuseppe shrugged into his jacket and left the house.
"Where is your father going?" Elena asked curiously.
"Back to work. He does that most evenings?" Stefan answered softly. It was the first time she had spoken to him since she had moved in.
"Someone should check on Damon." she said.
"Damon will come home on his own terms. He is hurting right now because of losing mother. We both know its going to happen soon. Father has faith that she will get better." he said softly.
"May I go up and see her?" she asked.
"You may. I am going to see the horses." Stefan said leaving the house. Elena got up and walked up the stairs in the direction of the coughing she could still hear. She opened the door slightly and stepped inside. There was medical equipment covering every inch of the room and she sighed softly. Elisabetta looked frail laying in the big bed by herself, at least when she was up and about she looked a little healthier.
"Mrs Salvatore, how are you doing?" she asked softly taking a seat on the chair beside her bed.
"Oh Miss Gilbert, how are you?" she asked kindly.
"I am fine. But how are you? Do you need anything?" she asked the middle aged woman.
"Some water would be lovely dear." she said. Elena smiled and reached behind her for the pitcher of water pouring her a glass. Elena guided the glass down to Elisabetta's lips and she took a small sip.
"Do you need more?' she asked softly. Elisabetta shook her head .
"Where are my boys?" she asked softly.
"Stefan is with the horses, Damon ran off." she said.
"Stefan is strong and things just roll off of him. He is just like his father and that is a good thing. He will be fine when I pass. But Damon, he used to be like his father. But then so many things just rolled off of him, and he got sick of it. He pretends to not care, but he cares more than anyone. Damon is more like me." she said softly.
"They both seem wonderful." she said smiling.
"They both are. Stefan is so easy to get to know, so easy to love. But Damon, he is much more weathered. He had been through so much more. Stefan has lived a sheltered lifestyle, Damon does not trust." she said.
"What is this?" Damon asked walking by the room.
"Hi." Elena said.
"What are you doing in here? You should not be in here. She needs to rest." he said walking into the room.
"It is alright son. We are visiting." she said smiling at Damon.
"You need your rest mother." Damon said softly.
"I'll rest tomorrow. Right now I want to talk with the beautiful Elena. Do not worry darling. I will be fine." she said smiling at her son. He couldn't help but smile back at her before nodding curtly.
"Alright. I will let you be." he decided.
"Thank you." Elisabetta said as he left the room.
"He is really worried about you." Elena noted.
"I know. I worry about him too. He needs someone to take care of him." she said. When Elena left Elisabetta's room a while later she walked back to her quarters. This time Damon's door was closed and she didn't dare stop. Anne was there when she got to her room.
"Ready for bed Miss?" Anne asked.
"Yes." she said. Anne helped her get her dress off and left her alone so she could slip into a nightgown. When she came out of her changing room her bed was turned down and she slipped in. She closed her eyes and fell asleep wondering what tomorrow would bring.
Once Damon was sure everyone was asleep he snuck out of bed and tied his robe around his body. He left his quarters and returned to his moms. He took the seat that Elena had vacated and took her hand in his. He listened while she slept soundly. This was the only time he could bring himself to sit with her. She was dying and he could do nothing to stop it. She was his only reason to stay here and now she was going to be gone. After sitting with her for a couple hours he returned to his rooms and shut the door before crawling back into bed.
