Chapter Two
A/N: Long time no see, sorry about that (blame Jeni, she's lazy :P) To state the blindingly obvious, this is Chapter Two, and has taken us such a bloody long time because we only meet to write on Monday lunchtimes, and even then we spend most of our time laughing and eating cake. That said, this is finally finished, so enjoy! R&R
Also, I would like to say thank you to Logical Fallacy, elvalove, WriteMeARiver, Man-Suz-She and Time is full and I'm up next for giving us reviews. Also thank you to everyone who faved or alerted the story. We really love to know that we are being read and loved, and unlike Stass, I am willing to be grateful. (I'm just kidding, we love each other really) so anyway, like she already said, sorry about the wait (it was not my fault) and please enjoy this chapter!
"Welcome, my friends, to the home of the finest shave ice on the island. Today's special is the cherry/grapefruit mix. Please take a menu and a seat." The large Hawaiian wiggled his eyebrows extravagantly, causing Damon to grow an extremely perturbed expression. Elena took his arm, and with a quick thank you to the owner, led him to a table.
"Creep," the raven-haired vampire muttered under his breath.
"Oh shut up," Elena shoved him with her elbow. "Just because you're antisocial doesn't mean we all have to be." Before she could give him a chance to respond, she scanned the brightly-coloured menu. "I think I'll have a lemon… with bean."
"Who eats shave ice with beans?"
"All the best people. Now, do you want me to order? I don't want you eating the owner."
Damon shook his head. "Naah, I bet he tastes of SPAM."
Elena looked curious. "What's SPAM?"
The vampire shuddered. "You really, really don't want to know."
Elena rolled her eyes. "What do you want?" she asked impatiently.
"Ummm…." He thought for a moment. "Raspberry. With that sauce stuff. No beans!" Elena smiled and got up from the table, leaving Damon by himself. She stood in the queue behind a couple debating the origins of rich tea biscuits, and marvelled at the flamboyancy of Hawaiian clothing before finally reaching the front of the line.
"Hello pretty lady, what can I get for you on this fine afternoon?"
"Uh, hi. Can I get a raspberry swirl and a lemon with bean please?"
"Nice choice. I assume your frowning companion doesn't appreciate the finery of roasted legumes upon crushed ice on a summer's day such as this." The man's eyebrows would not cease to move, and for a moment Elena was curiously captivated by them before realising that a response was required. She felt herself blush so collected the two pots of ice with a slight smile and returned to Damon.
"Where do you think he gets it from?" Damon asked.
"What?"
"That vocabulary."
Elena didn't grace that with a response.
Just then, a silver Camaro pulled up next to the stall. Out climbed the same two calamity-prone law enforcers from the day before, deep in a quarrel.
"…Leo is clearly the better of the four. He has all the skills, is the better fighter and generally has superior manners. He actually respects Master Splinter, whereas the other three…"
"No, no, no. Mikey is so the best. He is the only one with a sense of humour. Leo's alright, but he's all goody-two-shoes and we-must-not-disobey-Master. Mikey has way more on him."
"You're only saying that because you envisioned yourself as him as a child."
Before the blonde could splutter an argument, the two of them had reached the stall.
"Do you think we should say hi?" Elena wondered aloud, getting up from her seat. Damon grabbed her arm, far harder than necessary,
"No! The less we have to do with those two the better."
"Why?"
"Just…Because. I have a feeling."
"You have a feeling? Well forgive me, Master Yoda." Damon rolled his eyes and stuck his tongue out at her. Just as Elena was about to make a comment on her boyfriend's emotional maturity, he held up a hand to silence her.
"…I have a feeling you boys aren't here for the shave ice."
"You are so perceptive," The blonde quipped. "We need you to take a look at something for us."
After a pause, the stall manager said slowly, "Now what makes you think I'd know anything about this?"
"We're not accusing you, Kamekona. We just need you to ask a few questions in places we're not welcome."
The mobile-eyebrowed man breathed a sigh of relief. "That's okay then. Show me what you got, fellas." Smiling gratefully, the tall brunette handed over a newspaper clipping.
"Take a look at this."
A frown. "Bodies drained of blood? I tell you what brah; whoever did this is one pupule dude. Either that or you got yourselves a horror movie gone very, very wrong."
"Yeah, okay Confucius, thank you for your wisdom," the blonde smirked. "Have you heard anything about it or not?"
"Hey, Hao'le, no need for get agro. I haven't heard anything so far, but I'll ask around."
"Thanks brah," the brown haired said, silencing his partner. "Give us a call when you have something."
The two policemen turned and made their way back to the silver Camaro, already resuming the turtle banter. As they climbed into the car, Damon caught a final snippet of conversation.
"…who wears a leather jacket in Hawaii?"
"Who wears a tie in Hawaii?" the other retorted.
"Shut up about my tie!"
"So you're sure about that?... Uhuh … Well duh… Would I do that?... Ha ha, that's funny… Yes Ric, I hear you… Of course… Thank you… Bye darling."
"Did he have anything, or were you trading pointless comments about my safety?" Elena leant in the doorway of their room in the hotel suite and fixed him with a look.
"No, we got something productive out of that too." As an afterthought the vampire added, "And your safety isn't pointless." Elena glared at him again and wondered into the bathroom. "Most girls would find that romantic!" Damon called after her. "Anyway, my wife didn't give me anything useful. Apparently Stefan's still on the mainland."
"Oh thank God it's not him," Elena sighed. "Wait… wife?"
"Mmhmm," Damon nodded. "Well, how else would you describe someone who nags you ceaselessly and worries about your safety?"
"Good point."
Flashback - Mystic falls, one year ago.
"Where are you going little brother?" Damon leaned in the doorway of his brother's room, single eyebrow raised. Stefan turned around, folded shirt in hand.
"I can't do this anymore. I can't stay in Mystic Falls."
Damon nodded, immediately reading between the lines. He knew exactly why the younger Salvatore was leaving. Pushing himself off the doorframe, he wandered around the once-cluttered room.
"Saint Stefan fleeing the scene of the crime," he raised both eyebrows, trying for levity. "I never thought I'd see the day."
Stefan didn't smile. "Maybe not before. Now," he broke off, dropping the shirt into the suitcase. "Now everything's changed."
Again the unspoken reason for the change passed between the brothers. Abandoning all pretence of humour, Damon walked over to his brother and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"I'm sorry."
"What for?" Stefan gave a mirthless laugh. "Elena made her choice. Besides," he smiled wryly, "I think deep down I knew she was always going to choose you." Packing finished, the brown haired vampire closed his suitcase and lifted it effortlessly off the bed. He made to leave, but Damon's hand on his arm stopped him.
"Goodbye Brother."
Stefan clasped his brother's forearm. "Goodbye."
Sighing, Damon released his vice-like grip and stepped back, toying with the edge of the duvet on Stefan's bed. "Where will you go?"
Stefan stopped in the doorway. "Oh, I don't know. New Jersey maybe?" he chuckled. "I never did do much sightseeing last time I was there." He turned around for the final time. "Tell Elena I'm sorry."
And then he was gone.
End Flashback
"So you think this is the work of a vampire?" Elena leant her forearms on the counter of the newspaper stand while the owner rummaged around for Damon's request.
"Thank you, Elena," Damon glanced at his girlfriend with an aggravated expression. "I don't think the people across the street heard you."
Elena had the decency to look ashamed. "Sorry. But do you think it's the work of a vampire?" she repeated in a whisper, causing a large smile to spread across Damon's face.
Before the vampire had the chance to reply, the stall owner popped up triumphantly, newspaper in hand. "Found it!" He passed it to Damon, who took it with a thoughtful expression. "Here you go brah. That'll be $1.25." Wordlessly, Damon reached into his pocket and handed over a handful coins. "Keep the change," he muttered, already engrossed in the broadsheet. As he and Elena wandered away from the stall, he looked up, a frown marring his features. "The shave ice guy was right. This is messed up."
"So it's definitely a vampire then?"
Damon nodded. "It's the only thing it could be." He sighed, returning his azure gaze to the newspaper. "There's only one vampire I know who's messed up enough to do something like this, and he's still on the mainland eating bunnies." He sighed again. "Those cops have no chance of solving this case."
Elena frowned. "Then why don't we do it?"
A scoff. "Us?"
Elena nodded eagerly. "Yeah." Seeing her boyfriend's doubtful expression, she pressed on. "Come on, Damon, with Alaric helping us for research and your...skills, we can catch this bastard and make sure he doesn't hurt anyone else." Seeing Damon's resolve cracking, she tried again. "Please?"
Damon groaned. "Fine, we'll go vampire-hunting." As Elena did a little victory dance, he rolled his eyes and slung an arm around her shoulders, steering her in the direction of the beach. "You're lucky I love you so much."
A/N: Finished! Now have fun waiting a month for chapter 3 :P Let us know your thoughts and review. If you don't, Kamekona will sit on you. So there.
No, he won't. Stass will stop terrorising you all now. Please do leave a review, reviews are lovely. That is what she meant to say. And I second that comment. Luv ya all!