Welcome to Delena Christmas 2018. This story is longer than our usual Christmas fare. We'll have more to post when it gets closer to the holiday but for now, we hope you'll all enjoy.
Damon pushes his chair away from the computer and stretches his arms above his head. He's tired tonight, he's been working long hours on a state of the art security system for a new client. As much as he wants to crawl into bed and sleep for a week, he knows he needs to finish it. Ric's counting on him to complete it by Thursday. Picking up his beer can, he attempts to take a swallow but he finds it empty. Sighing, he considers going to the kitchen for another cold one but opts for his favorite brand of bourbon instead.
Standing up, he walks to the shelf, pulls it and a glass down then pours himself a generous amount. He sets it down, twists the lid back on and then walks over to the window to look outside. Snow drifts down, glittering under the bright light of the full moon. The trees are swaying gently in the cold winter wind. Large flakes fall as if heaven's angels are having a pillow fight. A crisp, white, pristine blanket transforms the landscape into something full of awe and wonder. Even though it's not his favorite time of year, he can appreciate the beauty of the season.
Pressing his hand against the window pane, he leaves a print and for an instant he's propelled to his childhood, he loved to play in the snow once upon a time. Taking a swallow, he steps back and plops into his Aeron chair. It was expensive but since he spends a lot of time in this room, it's paid for itself already. With Jenna's help, they designed it and decorated it to his specifications. There's a large desk, a lot of shelf space and drawers, she arranged the window treatment along with some green plants. It's his favorite room in the house.
Picking up his glass, he takes a long sip before setting it on a coaster and dropping his eyes back to the computer screen. Fatigued, his eyes burn so he picks up his reading glasses and gets back to work. By happenstance, he notices the date at the bottom right.
Christmas will be upon them in another month. Damon tends to venture out only when necessary at this time of year. The trees, finery, bright colored lights, the carols, the hustle and bustle of crowds as people do their last minute shopping is just not his thing. Ric knows how he feels about the holidays but that won't stop him from trying to rain the festive spirit on him. As unsuccessful as he's been in the past, Damon is certain he'll never quit trying. He wants to get as many orders done as humanly possible. Ric's planning to take Jenna to Bermuda for her present and doesn't want to have to think about business while they're gone.
Although the taste is subdued, he takes another long swallow and returns to the computer program. Soon, despite his best efforts to remain alert, his vision begins to blur. He's been staring at the screen since this morning, his only breaks being to use the bathroom and grab a cluster of grapes to munch on.
Pushing his computer over, he crosses his arms and lays his head down to rest his eyes for a few minutes and then he will continue...
Chief Elena Gilbert is sitting in her office at Ladder Company 4 Fire Station. Christmas carols are playing on the radio filling the building with sounds of the season. It's still a few weeks till the holiday but her crew insists they start the festivities early. Two of her guys have plans to chop down a tree this weekend for the station. Yawning, she didn't sleep well last night, she gets up to find herself a cup of coffee. Tyler, Matt and Finn are playing cards, Meredith and Vincent are lounging in front of the TV doing something on their cellphones. Laughter fill the room when Matt throws his cards down and scoops up the small pile of cash in the center of the table.
The atmosphere is light today and for that she's glad. Last week they had a fatal fire on Jefferson street. It was a family dwelling and tragically two of the children had already succumbed to smoke inhalation by the time her crew got to them. Sadly the cause was all too preventable, an unattended candle was tipped over by the cat. Meredith, a mother of an infant herself lost it. At Elena's insistence she took the rest of the week off, today's her first shift since the tragedy.
It happens to the best of them sometimes.
The fire was really ugly. However she's back now, she looks good and that's what matters to Elena. She appreciates her entire crew and the bravery they show every day.
"She's going to be alright."
Tyler. Her brother's childhood friend and one of her closest friends now. That's what they are. There was a time when it seemed he might be the one but it ended when Elena moved up the hierarchy and became the captain of Ladder Company 4. They both agreed that it wasn't a good idea to mix work with their private life, especially in this profession. They have to be able to focus on the job and saving people and not be worried about where the other is. Their colleagues and the public depend on them. It can't be personal.
"I believe so," she gives him a small smile and motions for him to join her in her office. She pours them each a cup of coffee and takes a long swallow after handing one to him. "I hope she gets a chance to relax and ease into it before something else happens."
"You're being a little overly optimistic don't you think?" he offers, looking at her pointedly. "With the holidays upon us, people like to light up their houses, overloading their circuit breakers. And you know what happens then..."
Elena laughs shortly. "So true. I bet that..."
An incoming call interrupts her train of thought. "Yes," she barks into the device.
"You've got a house fire at 200 South Lafayette Street. A frantic neighbor called 911. The lady said she was out walking her dog and heard some popping sounds but didn't think anything of it. When she happened to look out the window later, the man's house was on fire. The owner, a Mr. Salvatore is probably in the house but isn't picking up his phone. The way she described the situation, I told her to keep her distance," Caroline, the dispatcher finishes.
Tyler's eyes have been hanging on her since the first beep and Elena nods that yes, it's that call. He quickly pushes the alarm for her and leaves the room. Already on her feet, Elena hurries after him. "Thanks Care, we're on our way. She quickly suits up and joins the other jumping on their engine.
Oliver gets behind the wheel, Elena gets in the passenger seat while the others climb on. Meredith drives the ambulance with Vincent taking the seat beside her. With their sirens blaring they pull out of the garage and onto the street, hurrying towards the destination. Fortunately the light smattering of snow that fell last isn't hindering their efforts.
On the way to the location, Elena's heart is pounding in her throat at the rush of adrenaline. It's a familiar feeling as she considers what's awaiting them. When Oliver looks over at her, she nods, silently urging him to focus. Another engine pulls in behind them just as they turn the corner onto the street the place is located on, it's then she gets her first look at the structure. The white house is burning like a bonfire set aflame with gasoline. Orange flames look garish against the brilliant paint, black smoke spirals upwards, making a stark contrast against an otherwise pale sky. The door and wooden siding is burning, paint bubbles like a Yellowstone paint pot and is consumed in seconds by the intense flames.
As soon as Oliver parks the engine, a woman runs up to the truck. She introduces herself as Mary Dumas while grabbing at Elena. Before she has a chance to react, the woman starts dragging her towards the back of the house. "Mr. Salvatore's study is at the back. He works late hours. I tried to call him but nothing. Please you must help him before it's too late."
Elena grabs an ax and then she and Tyler follow the woman to the back. Once they get to the window, they look inside and see a man either asleep or unconscious, his top half sprawled across his desk. Elena tells Mrs. Dumas to stand back and out of the way. She curses wondering how he could not have known about the fire. With her nod, Tyler swings the ax and breaks the glass. With his gloved hands, he clears away enough glass so they can safely get inside to the victim.
Tyler doesn't bother to check for a pulse, the man isn't wearing the pallor of death. Suddenly there's a thunderous noise as part of the house collapses. Roaring flames consume everything in their path, they rampage their way through the home and now they're threatening to devour the room they're in. Knowing they need to get out of the house, Tyler throws the man over his shoulder and then he and Elena dive out the window. While Tyler carries the man over to Meredith and Vincent, Elena starts battling the blaze with the rest of her crew.
When they finally get the fire under control, Elena pulls her mask off and wipes the sweat from her sooty face. So much sadness and destruction. All of this could have been prevented if the man had paid more attention to the signs that must have been there. He could have died. Hell, if he'd just picked up the fucking phone?
Now the charred remains of the house stand in the pale morning light like a skeleton. A light breeze picks up and whistles through it. She looks to her right just as Matt steps up to hand her a water bottle. "Thanks," she says, gulping it down in seconds. "You got this, I'm going to check on the vic."
"I got it." Matt nods and jogs over to Tyler and the men from Ladder company 9.
Elena comes over to the ambulance. The man is sitting at the edge wrapped in a blanket with Vincent taking care of him. She watches as Meredith insists on taking him to the hospital to be checked out. Judging by his appearance, he looks unscathed but looks can be deceiving sometimes. Still he has an oxygen mask on his face and may have suffered some smoke inhalation. Despite that, she can hear him protesting. Mary's there too, rather riled up at his stubbornness, telling him how easily he could be dead right now.
Even though she knows she has to maintain her professionalism, she can feel her irritation rising. She steps closer to the group, letting them know of her presence.
"Sir, you should know that the fire's under control."
Since the moment her shadow fell on him, she's had his full attention.
"Thank you, chief," he nods his head shortly. His accent is slightly off but his tone is rather calm, demeanor composed. What the actual hell?
"We'll know the specifics later but the evidence seems to suggest it started from the fireplace. I believe the pop your neighbor heard was the space heater exploding. You must have heard it..."
"But I..."
"Sir, somehow the fire spread from the hearth to that appliance. It's irresponsible not to pay attention to these things. The fire could've spread to your neighbor's place. Mrs. Dumas could have been injured, you could be dead right now."
His eyes frequently slip to her mouth which causes Elena to have funny feelings in her gut. Unconsciously, she fights the urge to lick them.
"I am trying to explain..."
"This easily could have been a fatal fire. Why would you ignore your neighbor's phone call? How could you be so immersed in your work that you didn't smell the smoke?" she finishes releasing some of the frustration that's been building.
After her tirade, Damon lifts his mask finally deigning to speak. "Chief, what I was trying to tell you, I didn't hear anything. I didn't smell anything. My intention was to rest my eyes for a few minutes. I'd been staring at my computer monitor since yesterday morning. I was so deep in sleep that I didn't feel the phone vibrate in my pocket. I lost those senses a long time ago..."
His words are hanging thick in the air as Elena freezes in shock. It takes her a moment to fully grasp at what Mr. Salvatore is saying, she can see the truth looking into his blood shot yet surprisingly calm eyes. She just chewed out a deaf man.
"You can read my lips?" she asks stupidly.
"Yes," he responds, pulling the mask back down over his face and dropping his eyes. Suddenly the name Damon is shouted aloud, the man doesn't look up, obviously he doesn't hear. A sandy brown haired man stops when he reaches the ambulance. He nudges the man's arm. "Are you okay?"
"They want to take me to the hospital," he says with lackluster.
"Yes, we need to get going," Meredith interrupts insisting again that they transport him to be examined by a physician. Damon looks at Mary and then Ric before nodding, finally giving up the fight.
"I'll meet you at the hospital," the other man says and then Finn runs over and helps Vincent lift him into the back of the ambulance. Meredith climbs in with Damon while Vincent slams the doors shut. With a look back at Elena, he jumps behind the wheel, turns on the siren and drives away. She sucks in a breath of fresh air and watches till the vehicle disappears in traffic.
What do you think? Be sure to let us know.
You're all the best, thanks so much from both Eva and I.
Title is the theme song for 'Home Alone'.
Synopsis courtesy of Nicholas Sparks.
Have a safe and wonderful day and weekend. Until next time.