Here's my next story, I know I haven't finished my other one yet but this story line kept creeping its way into my head so here it is.
As always characters belong to lj smith, story belongs to me. As always enjoy
Life was never a straight road, more often than not a twist or a bend or if you were really unfortunate a sharp turn would take you from your original course and before you know where you are or which direction you originally came from your lost.
Nobody knew this better than Damon; having over five hundred years of experience on his shoulders. Damon absently reached down and stroked the red fur that was covering his legs, smiling at just how over the years he had gained said experience. Fur brushed against his hand in reaction to his touch. Looking down he watched the wolf yawn revealing hugh sharp white teeth before placing her head back down on his lap leaving him to his thoughts once more.
It had taken Damon a while to recover from the last sharp turn in his road; his death. Well second death but still. By the time Sage had found him he was skin and bone; insane with hunger. Sage had told him that he had been gone for months; plus a few a few more months for recovery, it was just over a year by the time he had surprised his little brother. By then all his memory's had returned to him, but what hadn't returned with him was his hatred towards his brother. He must have left it behind buried beneath the ash on the Nether World. Instead he found protectiveness for his brother in its place. Strange how death had taught him this lesson, but he silently swore to himself as he embraced Stefan in a brotherly hug- much to Stefan's shock- that he would no longer punish him just for being his brother but to show him what a brother is. Damon never broke his word even to himself.
Perhaps it was an epiphany. Damon had heard of them but never imagined he would ever be the one to receive one.
Damon stared into the stone built fire watching the flames dance. He was still Damon; that much he knew for sure. He still killed if the mood served him and he was impulsive as ever. He had however stayed with his brother for a while in Fells Church before moving back home to Italy. While staying with Stefan he found that his new found respect for his little brother had erased any feelings he had once felt for Elena.
Each time he looked at her he no longer wanted to touch her the way he used to or kiss her. After everything they had been through and done to each other he still couldn't believe that not even a tiny twinkle existed between them, but he had found he was glad for it. Elena also gave up trying to re-ignite something that wasn't any longer there, telling him through tears that at least she no longer had to choose.
The clock struck ten bringing Damon back to the present once again. Giving the wolf a soft pat she jumped off of him and stretched giving him the room to do the same. As one they moved through the massive mansion towards the maid. The house was the original Salvatore house from when he and Stefan where young. Through the years Damon had added rooms, replaced old walls and bought more land. He liked space. This was the first time he had however stayed here longer than a few months.
"Poppy there you are. Are the rooms ready?" Damon ignored the maid's sudden stiffness at his presence.
"Yes Sir and the larder has been filled for your guests" Damon stood staring for a few seconds longer until she started getting more nervous. Damon made a mental note to make sure he emptied the larder before the food went bad.
"Good, you may leave" He watched her scurry away before slowly following back towards the main door. "I believe Red our guests have arrived" The wolf stopped in front of the door and sat back.
Damon opened the door and watched the two cars glide to a halt. From the first car emerged Stefan and Elena. Stefan had turned Elena a few years ago just before they got married. It was either that or watch Elena grow old and die, which is how Stefan had wanted Elena to live. With a little help from Damon, Elena had finally won telling Stefan that all the past fighting for each other would have been pointless.
From the second car emerged a flush looking Meredith and Sage- who was actually wearing a shirt; probably the doing of Meredith. It was at Stefan and Elena's wedding that Meredith's believe that Alaric had been cheating on her was confirmed. He had been denying it all the way but when Cecily turned up at the reception with a small bump he had no choice but to finally confess and left, but not before Meredith had got in with a good right hook knocking him- as scientists would call it- on his coccyx. It was then that she decided to stop fighting her growing feelings for Sage.
Damon had had a laugh at the irony of their relationship. The vampire hunter in love with the vampire. Meredith had been against turning into a vampire herself until she had a bad run with a vampire on one of her hunts. Sage had had no choice but to turn her or he would have lost her. Now she was a vampire who hunted vampires, sometimes with help from Sage if he wasn't called away. It left Damon wondering if anybody from their little group of humans was in fact still human.
"What no Mutt?"
"No he stayed back home with his Wife and daughter. To be honest I think he wants to leave us and that life in the past. It's good to see you Damon"
"And you as always Elena"
"Ahh mon petit tyrant, how is the Italian sun treating you?"
"Very well old friend, there are plenty of maidens in the local town to keep me entertained" A snap took everyone's attention from Damon to behind him. "Oh don't mind Red, she gets jealous when I speak of maidens" In answer the wolf snapped her jaw at him once again while taking a step back.
"Red?"
"Yes brother, her name is Red" Damon led them to the room he had exited earlier and took his seat. Stefan sat on the seat opposite him with Elena on the arm. Meredith took the seat next to Stefan while Sage stood behind her eyeing the wolf.
"Erm Damon, why do you have a wolf?" Damon looked at Red who was eyeing Sage back in return warily.
"She's been here with me for the past few years. She turned up on the grounds weak and injured. I was going to just put her out of her misery but thought I'd help her instead."
Meredith looked from the wolf back to Damon "That doesn't answer my question Damon, why is she still here?"
Damon just shrugged before answering "She didn't want to leave"
"Or you didn't want her to leave?" Stefan eyed his brother. Why on earth would he keep a wolf around?
"Brother I may have taken to stop torturing you as a hobby but I can still hit you for cheek. I am after all the oldest" Nobody paid Damon and his threat to Stefan any attention knowing full well it was an empty threat. Damon hadn't laid a finger on Stefan since he returned.
"Well I can see why you named her Red" Elena couldn't stop admiring the epic shades of red on the wolf. From her paws being scarlet red to a deep dull full bodied red with blood red markings she was no doubt a beautiful wolf.
"She wouldn't answer to any other name. She would ignore me until I called her Red" Even though he was scolding her stubbiness Damon reached down and tickled Red behind her pointed ears. With a long look at Damon, Red slowly walked towards Meredith stopping no more than a foot away. Slowly Red tilted her head to the side making a small whining sound. Meredith couldn't help notice the wolfs deep chocolate eyes. How odd that a wolf as red as Red should have dark brown eyes. Surely black would have been more fitting?
When Meredith didn't respond to Red, she leant forward tapping her nose against Meredith's leg before tilting her head once again in question.
"What does she want?" Meredith looked across at Damon looking somewhat smug "What?"
"She wants to know if you want to go hunting"
"Wait...what? She knows what we are?"
"Of course; we hunt together all the time. Different prey of course; she hunts animals while I hunt...well you know" He didn't want to say maidens again knowing that Red would snap at him again. Turning towards Stefan and Elena, Damon smirked, "Speaking of which, no feeding from my wolf. There are plenty of animals in the woods around us"
"Fang and Talon would have loved to have met you, you seem as intelligent as they are" Sage had walked in front of Meredith's chair bent to talk to Red.
"Mrs Flowers was happy for their company, she hasn't seen them for a while" Meredith reminded Sage. She knew he missed his companions already. The idea of Damon having a wolf around seemed less strange as she remembered the bond between Sage, Talon and Fang; and now her.
"I am afraid little one that we do not hunt the animal ferity, we prefer Damon's menu more" Sage was still talking to the wolf trying to be careful with his words as she seemed to understand what he was saying. In reply the wolf sung her head low in disappointment.
"But me and Stefan can go hunting with you if you like?" Elena stood to show Red that she was ready to go. Red ran towards Elena and jumped around her feet before releasing a howl.
"I take that as a yes" Stefan stood next to Elena. "We'll meet you back here when we are done" Stefan followed Elena but had to turn back as Red came running back in gave Damon a nudge and a lick on his hand before running back out to catch up with Elena. Shaking his head with laughter Stefan followed.
"I didn't take you for the human type" Damon couldn't help but take a dig at Meredith's diet. She had only taken to hunting vampires who had gone rogue and killed after knowing that some vampires don't always kill and now being one herself she had no choice but to change her perspective on the whole situation.
"Shut up Damon"
It was past midnight before they all made it back to the house. Stefan had gone wandering the rooms amazed that it was the same house he grew up in. Damon had changed so much that no part of his child hood past remained, making it so much easier to be here without memories being stirred.
Damon showed them which rooms where theirs then went to sit and wait for them to join back with him which he knew they would. Red was sprawled out at his feet clearly stuffed and satisfied with whatever animal she had consumed. He couldn't help but watch the wolf sleep, her paw twitching every now and then. He still didn't know why he had helped her but watching her sleep he couldn't say that he was sorry that he did. She stayed by his side most of the time but he found he enjoyed her presence. He also found that he liked to watch her hunt and he would never admit it aloud but he liked it when she would sometimes sneak a cuddle thinking he was asleep and end up falling to sleep on his chest.
Damon spoke to Stefan before he sat down "So brother, how is married life treating you. Elena treating you well I hope and full filling your needs like a good wife!" He may have sworn not to make his life hell but that didn't mean that he couldn't have a dig every now and then.
"Life's good. Elena decided to leave college for a few years. After all she has earned a break after all she has been through for us" Stefan ignored his little gip.
"Does she not have eternity to rest?"
"If we have learned anything from the past it's that tomorrow may never come, you brother should know that lesson" Stefan watched his brother frown falling into his own comment. Silence was Stefan's reply. After a few minutes of silence Elena came down and crawled onto Stefan's lap followed by Sage and Meredith occupying the other chair.
Damon looked around the group. They had come to join him for a holiday and a small reunion. What with Meredith and Sage away a lot and Stefan taking Elena travelling they hadn't seen much of each other over the last few years. He was glad Mutt had decided to stay away, even after all these years he still couldn't stand to be in his presence but he was a little let down his little red bird hadn't been able to make it.
"Still no word from our travelling Red Bird?" Damon watched as the faces became sad and sober.
"She should be here either tomorrow or the next" Elena glanced at Meredith who was nodding with confirmation. "Bonnie's changed Damon"
"If you're still upset at how she turned up dressed for your wedding, don't be. She's just experimenting" Damon remembered how she was dressed or half dressed. She had worn a black silk skirt that barely covered her ass cheeks, with a deep v shirt and five inch shoes. To say that Elena and Meredith were appalled had been an understatement.
"She's got worse Damon, she doesn't return any calls and we barely hear from her. When we do she's always too busy to talk." Damon looked from Elena and Meredith and could practically see them planning together. He was almost too afraid to ask.
"Why invite her here then if you don't like her anymore?" The look on the two faces screamed Busted.
"Well we figured that maybe as a group we could give it one last shot at getting our old Bonnie back" Damon looked from Sage then to Stefan. They had both been roped into this plan and were clearly not looking forward to it.
"This is going to end badly you know that right. If Bonnie has chosen to be whatever it is she is being; she may not want you two interfering." Maybe this little visit wasn't going to be as bad as he first thought and some entertainment was going to come out of it after all. All though he was a little curious himself to see Bonnie's new personality; silently hoping there was still a lot of the old Bonnie mixed in there.
Hope u like,
As always both good and bad reviews welcome