Disclaimer: You know the drill. "I solemnly swear that I own none of these characters and that all rights belong to the esteemed L.J. Smith." I'm just borrowing her characters for a little while.
Summary: This time its Damon's POV in Elena's house at the Thanksgiving dinner he was 'invited' to. Haha…I had this idea the other day… "What was Damon thinking when Elena threw that kitten at him?" I thought it would be funny, in a twisted kind of way. So, we'll see how it works out for me, ok? And don't forget to review! And if you have any ideas you think I should try writing, let me know! I'm having writer's block…ugh…
Damon's eyes were scanning the room, watching Elena's soon-to-be Uncle. What was his name again? Robert, if Damon's memory served correctly. He hadn't cared much for the introduction, just quoted off a few lines when he'd met the man to get himself an invitation here.
"Ah, Elena." The human extended a hand at the door as the young girl and her two friends entered the room. The new and blaring presence of Elena brought his thoughts to a screeching halt, sort of like a card castle crashing to the ground. And Elena was the ground, which all of his miniscule thoughts fell onto.
Elena. Her presence was loud and strong, like pouring ice water on a sleeping person and throwing them in an oven at the same time to give them the effects of both hot and cold, freezing and burning.
Robert's voice continued, and Damon paid attention only with a single part of his mind. The rest was still on Elena, analyzing her. How would she act tonight? Frightened? Angry, perhaps? Would she make a scene in front of her aunt and uncle? Would she frighten her friends? The different scenarios were delightful. She'd been angry the roof. And where their conversation had left off had been somewhat depressing. He'd had to leave with a shoe being thrown at him.
"This is Elena, the girl I was telling you about," he spoke to Damon, who forced his gaze to turn to the rather irritating man. "Elena, this is Damon…ah…"
"Smith." He supposed it was a good thing he'd been listening or he wouldn't have caught the invitation for a last name. Since Elena and Stefan were 'dating', Damon assumed it would be wisest not to give them his real last name. It would raise too many undesired questions.
"Oh, yes. He's from my alma mater…" Robert continued relentlessly, oblivious that no one was paying him any heed "…William and Mary, and I just ran into him outside the drugstore. Since he was looking for some place to eat, I invited him along here for a home-cooked meal." Did he say something about looking for somewhere to eat? He couldn't remember. He wasn't sure what information had been given to this mortal in their light conversation in the store. "Damon, these are some friends of Elena's, Matt and Bonnie."
"Hi." The boy said politely.
Damon was suddenly interested. What had Elena told the one with the curls about him? She was staring at him like he'd just threatened her life. She looked away, though, to swing those enormous plate-sized eyes on Elena.
Elena's aura beat against his flesh with anger. Damon knew she wouldn't try anything. She had too much going on right now. She didn't want to do anything to upset her aunt and would-be uncle, and she felt obligated to keep cool under this pressure with her friend Bonnie watching her every move. He doubted that would last long; soon she would snap. He just didn't know what she might try to do to him.
The boy left; Damon watched him curiously. He hadn't been at the party the other night, which might explain why he had so calmly accepted Damon for who he was. He hadn't seen the action about to take place that night between the Salvatore brothers. That might also explain why Bonnie was so frightened. She'd been at the party and seen what had happened, or almost happened, in actuality. That was also when he remembered she was the redhead he'd kissed.
Feeling bold and curious, he stood up and offered Elena's female friend a seat, but all the girl did was stare at Elena. Before anyone else could speak, Damon spotted a miniature Elena back behind the real one, holding a white kitten with blue eyes. The little girl really did look exactly like Elena, only younger. He cocked his head to one side, observing her.
The little girl spoke up and said, "Matt, do you want to see my kitty? Aunt Judith says I can keep her. I'm going to call her Snowball."
Matt replied obligingly, "She's cute." He bent over to pet the little fluff ball when Elena abruptly grabbed the kitty out of the child's arms, her eyes raging with fire and pointed straight at Damon, who rested one hand on the back of the chair he still stood by and waited for her to do something.
"Here, Margaret, let's show your kitty to Robert's friend."
That was when Damon remembered something: animals don't like vampires.
She practically threw the kitten at him, apparently knowing what would happen next. The cat swiped at him, claws grazing his cheek but not breaking the skin. The cat puffed up twice its normal size and hissed like bacon on the skillet, suddenly transforming into a spitting, fluffy white cyclone of fury. It ricocheted off the walls before tearing out of the room, still hissing.
Damon's eyes were wide with surprise, which he didn't notice. He would have to remember to thank his brother later for giving her the information that gave her that idea. Elena was bold; he had to give her that. If the other humans hadn't been in the room and he wasn't trying to play mortal, he would've attacked her for something like that. Instead, he saw her smirking at him and drooped his eyelids down to their normal size.
Elena turned to see the reactions from the others in the room, but Damon wasn't in a rush. He stared at her for a few seconds longer until turning to see everyone else's, hoping he could bite back a laugh at the redhead. She had her back pressed against the wall, looking ready to bolt. When he laid eyes on Elena's little sister, his hands twitched to cover his sensitive ears, but he fought the impulse. Her mouth was opening, ready to let out a high-pitched squeal, tears in her eyes. But Robert forestalled it, ushering her away to find the kitten. Judith and Matt were both peeking in from the kitchen, both looking appalled.
"I guess you don't have a way with animals." Elena's voice brought him out of his thoughts as she took her seat at the table. He didn't reply as he normally would have and just watched her nod to Bonnie, who slid into a seat across from her. He took his time getting to his chair, hoping to reorganize his thoughts without letting on that she'd caught him by surprise with that little stunt.
As the meal began, he noted how much this was a humiliation to Elena, to be trapped with him like this. He enjoyed it, especially after the incident with the cat. Because of her stupidity and her bravery, he drew it out, making sure she was desperate the entire time he was there. He flexed his powers, drawing all the humans but her under his mind. He had her aunt and uncle dazzled just by keeping light conversation going about William and Mary and complimenting the food as he ate. Even her little sister was smiling at him, and soon enough he would have Bonnie caught in his spell, too. It made his night even better to know that she knew what was happening and was utterly helpless. There was nothing she could do, and she knew that just as surely as he was sitting there.
"Fell's Church is having its Founders' Day celebration next week," her aunt informed him. "It would be so nice if you could come back for that."
"I'd like to." He replied, barely caring what came out of his mouth as long as they liked it.
Sure enough, Judith looked pleased that he wanted to come back, and she didn't hesitate to explain why. "And this year Elena has a big part in it. She's been chosen to represent the Spirit of Fell's Church."
"You must be proud of her," he said and gave Elena a glance. She didn't know how much he knew about that ceremony coming up. He knew about Caroline having Elena's diary, of course. They'd covered that on the rooftop. He might help her at the ceremony, if she can't come up with another plan. He already had one; it was simple. Switch the diaries. Oh, isn't he a clever little devil? He would leave it up to Elena. If she succeeded without him, so be it. If not, he was prepared to come to the rescue, though he knew not why.
"Oh, we are." Judith assured. "So you'll try to come then?"
"I've heard some news about Vickie." Elena cut in with what he was sure her aunt would think was rudeness. She was planning something again. But what? It wasn't exactly calculating as it had been on the roof, but she was thinking of something. Something to try and unmask him, to make them know who he is. But who was the Vickie girl she'd mentioned? "You remember, the girl who was attacked." She looked directly at him as she said the last word, but he was clueless.
There was a silence as he thought furiously, wondering if there was something he'd forgotten about that she knew. "I'm afraid I don't know her."
"Oh, I'm sure you do." She continued, obviously not seeing his confusion. He doubted she would. She would think it an act, but he really didn't have any idea what she was talking about. "About my height, brown eyes, light brown hair…anyway, she's getting worse."
Her aunt knew what was going on, because she said, "Oh, dear." Had Damon heard something about someone named Vickie being attacked? Maybe on the news, but he didn't spend his time around televisions much, so maybe he really didn't know who this girl was.
"Yes, apparently the doctors can't understand it. She just keeps getting worse and worse, as if the attack was still going on." She kept her eyes on his as she spoke, but he kept only curious interest masked on his face. He may not know where she was headed with this, but he wouldn't let that show. But an idea dawned on him. This Vickie girl she was talking about, did she think he'd attacked her? "Have some more stuffing." She pushed the bowl toward him.
A little plan developed in his mind. He was caught off-guard in this house twice now, and his control on the family was slipping. "No, thank you. I'll have some more of this, though." He held the jellied cranberry sauce up to the nearest candle and muttered, "It's such a tantalizing color." Sure enough, all eyes fell on the spoon, transfixed. There, that was better. Best not to let them gain full consciousness back yet.
He settled the spoon back on his plate as the aunt continued ranting about the ceremony next week, until he noticed Elena beside him waving to Bonnie. He glanced at her curiously, then at the other girl, who was still staring at the candle flame, completely motionless.
"Elena, how many seniors will be doing the readings this year?" Judith asked, making Elena stop desperately trying to get Bonnie's attention.
"Just the three of us." She replied, turning to look at her aunt. Damon was about to let the odd little occurrence drain from his mind when he heard…
"Death." Chills of apprehension raised the hair on the back of his neck, and he turned to look at the one who had spoken with narrowed, thoughtful eyes. The voice had come from Bonnie, but the voice wasn't her own. The voice was too deep to come from a petite little body like Bonnie's.
"Death." It repeated. "Death is in this house." Her eyes were wide and blank, still staring at the candle. Everyone at the table was motionless, Damon included, except Elena, who was looking around the table fearfully at all the others.
Bonnie's eyes fixated on Elena's. "Your death." More chills, stronger this time, whispered across Damon's back, but he ignored them. "Your death is waiting, Elena. It is—." Abruptly, Bonnie choked and pitched forward, her face barely missing her dinner plate. Damon almost jumped when she did that. Almost, but not quite.
An instant's delay kept everyone still, but then pandemonium ensued. Robert ran to her and helped her to sit up, Judith was dabbing at the girl's face with a damp napkin. Matt and Elena exchanged a worried glance. Damon never moved, just kept watching and calculating.
Elena's death was in the house. Where? Surely that voice hadn't been talking about Damon. He was the only thing in the house even remotely capable of killing Elena, unless the little kitten decided to slit her throat in the night with one of those tiny claws. Wait a minute. He scanned the house for the kitten with his mind, but it was gone. It was crazy to think, but he couldn't help thinking it. He wasn't likely going to kill Elena…at least he had no intention of doing so right now. And unless that voice could see the future and know he would change his mind, then he wasn't the one. Her aunt and uncle certainly wouldn't. Love kept them from that. The same excuse went for Bonnie and Matt and Margaret not to kill Elena, not that the little child could if she wanted to. That left only the kitten. Why would a kitten want to kill Elena? And how would it be intelligent enough for that level of thinking? If it wasn't really a kitten…. His mind knew that answer. Vampires could take the shape of an animal. But weren't he and Stefan the only vampires in this small town? How many could be in one town this size, anyway? What were the odds?
"She's all right." Robert said, looking up with relief plastered across his pale face. "I think she just fainted. It must have been some kind of hysterical attack."
Dinner, Damon assumed, was over. Robert was going to drive Bonnie home. His thoughts whispered back to him about what the voice had said, but before he could analyze it again and get his thoughts back up to pace Elena leaned over and hissed, "Get out."
"What?" He raised his eyebrows at her, wondering if she thought the voice had spoken of him. Surely if he'd been the one, the voice could have been more discreet and not announce his plans in front of everyone. Or, then again that may have been its idea, to announce what he planned to do in front of a roomful of people who loved Elena to give them a heads up. But you're not planning to kill Elena! His mind yelled at him. So what did it mean?
"I said get out! Now! Go. Or I'll tell them you're the killer."
The killer of who, exactly? Surely not the teacher. She never liked him anyway. "Don't you think a guest deserves a little more consideration?" He retorted, though it wasn't what he was really thinking. He wanted to get away from them for a while. He needed to think, to straighten out his thoughts, before he decided to play another game in the light with Elena.
She raised one eyebrow, her expression clearly saying, You don't deserve consideration because you aren't really a guest. And she was right. Technically, he'd invited himself. He shrugged and smiled.
"Thank you for having me for dinner." He said aloud, trying to be heard over all the hustle and bustle. "I hope to return the favor sometime." Like getting a kitten thrown at him. He would like to return that favor. In an undertone so only Elena would hear, he mumbled, "Be seeing you."
He left, and on his way out the door a single thought bombarded him. What if it wasn't really a kitten?