Home Is Where You Are
A/N – Hey y'all! Second chapter here! Thanks for sticking with me and hope you are enjoying it! In this chapter we will meet Alaric's family! I am beyond rubbish with working out ages and stuff, I'm not even sure how old Ric is, oh well, have a read; let me know what you think at the end. Oh and Alaric and Damon and everything you recognise isn't mine but y'all knew that right?
Alaric could have cheered when the planes wheels touched down, his now heightened sense of smell was a curse when trapped in a tin can with goodness knows how many people, BO was the worst offender of his nostrils along with the sickly sweet perfume of a girl sitting right at the back of the plane but that was pleasant compared to the smell coming from the pilot's socks. He also felt like his ears were going to fall off, from the drumming of the engine, to the air stewards gossiping about a work mate, the guy nine rows back grinding his teeth and the three woman in the row behind him whispering to each other how hot they thought he was and how that changed when, half way through the flight when they were allowed their phones on, he unlocked his smart phone to check his messages and they saw the wallpaper of him and Damon, the later kissing the other's cheek, Alaric had acted annoyed when Caroline sneaked the photo but got her to send him it later on.
When he got into the shade of the terminal he lifted his, well Damon's sunglasses from his face and nestled them in his hair before heading to the baggage claim, avoiding a group of tourists at the immigration post as he went. He found his bag and headed to the exit, he could hear and smell his family before he could see them, hear their voices, his sister in laws Texan drawl the most distinctive and he could smell the smoke on his brothers clothes despite the claim he had quit. As he rounded the final corner they all came into view, a chorus of 'Uncle Ric!' met his ears, he dropped his bag to scoop up the three kids that had come running towards him, Taylor and Tyler, the five year old twins and his four year old niece Annabel, he crushed them to his chest as he saw Caleb walk forward to pick the bag up off the floor and before instructing his younger brothers not to use Alaric as a climbing frame. Alaric put the boys down on the floor as the began to wiggle in his grasp and then sat Annabel on his hip before drawing Caleb into a one armed hug which the youngster returned with a,
"It's good to see you Uncle Ric!'
"It is good to see him, been way too long." Alice, his sister in law stated as she peeled her daughter off of him before pulling him down to her high to kiss his cheek. Alaric looked at each of his family that was present,
Alice, her Texan drawl had never lessened over the years, she was short, barely five foot, short black hair above hazel eyes, a warm and loving face helped along by her smile, in her arms was Annabel, the youngest of the kids, she was big for her age, she had inherited her father, his brother's height, she had her mothers eyes, Caleb was stood next to him, he was the spitting image of Alaric when he was sixteen but then the Vampire and his brother looked so alike they had been mistaken for twins at times despite the three year age difference between them, Caleb was shaking his head at Taylor and Tyler who were fighting over something, identical down to the last freckle and equally as mischievous, their blond hair was currently ruffled and their bright blue eyes were sparkling as their father was trying to get them to calm down. It was almost like looking in the mirror when Alaric looked at his older brother as Arthur made his way towards him,
"Ah little brother, long time no see." He stated before drawing the younger of them into a bear hug.
"Yeah, been way to long."
"We should be heading back to the house." Alice said as she led the way towards the glass door and the parking lot beyond, Alaric lowered the sunglasses back over his eyes as he stepped into the rays.
"So glad you could make it Uncle Ric." Caleb said as he walked along side his uncle and father.
"I wouldn't have missed it Ca." Alaric smiled at the youngster by his side, he knew he shouldn't but Alaric had always been closer to Caleb than any of the other kids, he thought for sometime that it was because he had only been twenty when he had been born so had been old enough to babysit but young enough that he didn't mind looking after him and wanted to be around for him as much as possible, he had only been thirteen when his oldest niece had been born and five years ago when the twins had been born was about the time when his wife went missing and was in no state to be looking after children.
By now they had reached the cars, Alice and Annabel took her car and everyone else poured into Arthur's, Caleb climbed into the back with his brothers after throwing Alaric's bag into the trunk, Arthur sat in the drivers seat and Alaric sat next to him, as his older brother pulled out of the car park and onto the main highway he informed him about the plans,
"Everyone is staying at the house, thank God mum insisted getting a place with so many rooms, may she rest in peace, we have come to get you, Sarah is driving from campus tonight, Alex should be getting home from work by the time we get back, Cassie too, Andrea text just before you landed, her and Ryan had just got there, so that's everyone."
Andrea was Alaric's sister and oldest sibling, Ryan was her husband and Sarah was their daughter. Alex was his brother, the oldest of the boys and Annabel's farther and Cassie was Arthur's wife. It was hard for Alaric to keep up with them all sometimes.
"The party for this one is this Friday" he said, jerking his thumb behind him towards Caleb who had his headphones in and was oblivious to what was being said as he sat between his brothers to stop them fighting.
"and they you fly out Sunday right?" Arthur asked, glancing at his brother before watching the road again.
"Yeah that's right, late flight, should land about midnight and be back in Mystic Falls around two."
"You gonna be alright getting home? I mean it's late, you didn't leave your car in long term parking right?"
"No, my… erm, friend is picking me up." Alaric managed to stop himself before the word boyfriend came out of his mouth. Arthur glanced over to him with a raised eyebrow,
"friend, huh?" he asked, obviously not convinced, Alaric thought that if the blood could rise in his face it would, it's not that he was ashamed of Damon, of course he wasn't and he was planning on telling them about him but he wanted to avoid spilling the beans while his two five year old nephews were sat behind him, he doubted they would really understand why their Uncle had a boyfriend rather than a girlfriend. Thankfully he was saved by the fore mentioned children as they started up an argument which distracted Arthur enough to let Alaric off for now.
Alaric sat at the kitchen table later that night, after dinner, Sarah, who had arrived about an hour before dinner with her red hair pulled into a loose pony tail was currently sprawled out on the floor in the sitting room, text books forming a constellation around her, sat on the sofa's around her were Allen, Alaric's father, the TV remote no doubt resting on the arm of the sofa, Alex and Alice were sat under the bay window, and Ryan was probed up on a chair borrowed from the kitchen, Annabel, Tyler and Taylor were sleeping upstairs, having passed out fairly quickly after dinner, Andrea had gone to read a book in bed and Cassie was in the shower, with so many people in one house and only two bathrooms you were lucky there was a time when it wasn't being used, Alaric wasn't sure where Caleb was as he sat having a beer with Arthur, talking about the old days. Arthur went to check on the boys just after ten so Alaric thought this was the perfect time to call Damon, he had only been away from him for fourteen hours and he missed him so he fished his phone from his jeans and hit the first speed dial; it was a few seconds until Damon answered.
"Ah there you are, thought you might have forgotten me." Damon said as Alaric could hear the sound of the mattress depressing under his boyfriends weight through the phone, he smiled to himself as he stood up and walked out onto the back porch and into the night air,
"How could anyone ever forget you?"
"Good question, it has never been done." Alaric could practically hear Damon's smirk and it made his heart ache more for him,
"I miss you." He told him, Damon would normally give some smart ass response but he could hear in his boyfriend's voice just how much he meant it,
"I miss you too Ric, it hasn't even been a day and I want you back."
"I know De, damn, I just wish my dad would get this, I wanna tell him, I wanna tell them all, hell I wanna tell everyone I meet!" Alaric couldn't believe he was saying all this, its not that Damon didn't know it, he did but they hardly ever voiced just how much they meant to each other, they said 'I love you' but anything else was to be savoured.
"I know, Ric, damn I miss you so much and I am so glad Stefan is out because I'd never live this down but God, I want you in my arms so bad."
"Maybe I should just tell him, Damon."
"I know you want to Ric but he is set in his ways, I hate to say it but he probably doesn't have long left and even if he does, it will only be a few years before they realise you aren't aging and you wont be able to see them, you don't want him to hate who you are for the last few years you have with him right?" Damon's smooth voice told him over the phone, the miles the distance.
"I hate it when you are right." Alaric told him and as he gazed at the ring on his index finger, it was practically the same as Damon's aside from where the D was on his there was an A in that place on Alaric's. He heard Damon laugh slightly,
"But you know I am." It was a statement rather than a question.
"Yes Damon I know you are right. Listen, I best go, Arthur will come looking for me in a minuet, I'll call you tomorrow okay?"
"No problem Ric, I best go to sleep, got a council meeting in the morning." Alaric was about to tell him it was only ten at night then it clicked about the time difference,
"Damn it, Damon, I'm sorry, I forgot about the time difference, it has to be nearly four am there, I know we don't need as much sleep as others do but still."
"Don't worry Ric, I couldn't sleep without talking to you anyway." Alaric couldn't help the grin that spread over his face at Damon's words.
"Alright, well get some sleep and I'll talk to you tomorrow."
"Okay, good night Ric, I love you."
"I love you too, Damon." Alaric said before hanging up the phone and gazing at the screen as it returned to the home screen, he couldn't take his eyes off Damon in the photo. He was about to go back inside when from behind him he heard a voice say,
"Who's Damon?" Spinning around Alaric found Caleb looking back at him.
I am mean aren't I? Ahhh well you won't have to wait long for the next part I promise! Drop a review and let me know how you think it's going.
