Dislaimer: I own nothing but Bridget. The others are from LJ Smith, The CW, Alloy, and Harper.
Chapter 2
After filling Stefan in on her whereabouts since the day she left to follow Damon she watched Stefan pace back and forth from her spot next to Damon on the couch. Stefan was saying that he would have stopped her if he had known what she had planned. Sighing in exasperation Bridget flung a pillow at Stefan bouncing it off his head causing him to stop mid-pace and stare at her in shock. Rolling her eyes she suppressed the urge to giggle at his expression. "You couldn't stop me and if you had Damon would have died. If Damon hadn't of died Katherine would have still come only she'd probably have killed me for being in the way. That girl had a plan and I would have been collateral damage." She felt Damon tense beside her and on instinct reached over and took his hand in hers giving it a small squeeze.
"It turned out the way it was supposed to I guess." There was no mistaking the sadness in her voice, after all she had lost so many years with her two favorite people. Picking up the pillow Stefan tossed it back at Bridget and gave her a bright smile hoping to lighten the mood.
"How long are you planning to stay Bridg?" Stefan asked as he plopped down on the chair across fron them. Before she could answer Damon replied, "She's not going anywhere. This is her home." Bridget felt his grip on her hand tighten slightly and bit down on her lip as she thought about the young woman from earlier.
"I don't want to cause any trouble Damon. You and Elena.." She felt him tense once more at Elenas name before he groaned and ran his free hand through his hair. "That's my problem love let me worry about it."
Bridgets heart flipped when she heard the endearment and she quickly blinked the moisture from her eyes. Clearing her throat she gently pulled her hand from Damons and stood up. "So.. I get the couch tonight right? It does look rather comfortable."
She looked down at Damon and caught a brief smirk before he was suddenly there beside her throwing her over his shoulder. "You.. You redheaded minx will not be leaving my sight."
Stefan watched in amusement as his brother made his way slowly to the stairs with a giggling Bridget over his shoulder. He watched as Damon paused to give her a smack on her rear which caused her to scream in surprise. "That is for following me to war." He took another step up the stairs which was followed by another smack and yelp. "That is for taking a bullet for me." After a few more steps there was another smack and yelp, "That's for not revealing yourself when you came home." By this time Stefan was straight out laughing and Bridget was calling Damon an ungrateful caveman. Two more steps and another smack/yelp combo. "That's for cleaning up my messes and not telling me about it."
Stefan heard an exasperated sigh come from Bridget before another smack/yelp combo. "And that's just because. I know you and you'll do something to deserve it eventually." By the time the two disappeared up stairs Stefan was in tears and Bridget was calling Damon every foul name she could think of.
Sighing Stefan looked up to the ceiling and realized he hadn't laughed like that in what seemed like decades. It was good to have his little sister home, even if he was only two months older. Standing up he made his way to every door and window making sure they were locked.
He wondered briefly if they should put any type of warding up. Elena wasn't very pleased with the both of them at the moment and Bridget would probably be a very nice catch to some supernatural low life. Making his way up the stairs he stopped by Damons room.
After knocking he waited for Damon to open the door and was surprised when the door was finally opened to reveal Damon had his bedding wadded up in a ball. Seeing Stefans curious expression Damon stepped around him to walk down to the basement where the washer and dryer were.
Stefan followed him down, his curiousity piqued. "I'm changing the sheets while Bridget showers." Still not understanding he watched Damon start up the wash cycle before grabbing two bags of blood from the refrigerator handing Stefan one.
Sighing Damon leant against the closed fridge. "Elena slept in it last. I know Bridget won't be able to smell her or anything like that but it just didn't feel right." Stefan was surprised at his brothers thoughtfulness but kept silent.
Finishing up his meal Damon tossed the empty bag in the trash before heading back upstairs. Glancing back at Stefan as he followed him Damon raised a quizzical brow. "Did you need something? You knocked on the door before."
Nodding he tossed his own empty bag in the trash in the hallway as they made their way back up stairs. With their enhanced hearing they could hear Bridget singing in the shower and both were momentarily swept away by memories of being sung to by Bridget when they were kids either during a rainstorm for Stefan or when Damon was thinking about his mother.
Coming to a stop at Damons door Stefan cleared his throat and brought up the subject of wards. "This place isn't safe. There isn't a human that owns it so anyone can come and go." Damon knew where Stefan was going with this and nodded. "I'll ask Bridg if she knows anyway to lock the place down." Nodding Stefan made his way to his room as Damon returned to his own to finish with the bed.
By the time he was done Bridget was walking out of his bathroom, her damp hair glowing like red wine down her back, and one of his black button up shirts hanging to just above her knees. Momentarily forgetting how to speak Damon watched as she walked over to her purse and pulled out her hair brush. In a flash he was behind her pushing her to sit behind the bed as he gently took the brush from her. Finally finding his voice he gave her a small smile and motioned for her to turn around. "Please allow me."
Shrugging she relaxed in front of him as he slowly began to brush the tangles out of her hair. When he was done he placed the brush on the night stand before wrapping his arms around her pulling her back to his chest.
"Stefan brought up the fact that we have no way of protecting you here. No one has to be invited in anymore." Nodding in understanding she pulled out of his embrace and walked to the window. Placing her hand on the window sill she softly spoke words in a language he had never heard before and he watched as golden runes appeared all along the window sill. Turning back around she surprised him by doing a running dive towards the bed giggling as she landed. He watched as she rolled unto her back and looked up at him through her lashes. "The house is secure."
Reaching down he tweeked her nose causing her to go momentarily cross eyed the playfully snapped at his finger with her teeth. Shaking his head he stood up and quickly changed into a pair of black pajama pants fully aware of a certain redhead watching his every move.
After dimming the light he joined her in the middle of the bed where she automatically curled up beside him. He felt her eyes on him and looked down. "What's going on in that devious little head of yours?"
Reaching up she placed her hand on his chest where his heart would have been beating and chewed on her lip for a moment before she replied, "This isn't weird for you is it? I mean I can still sleep on the couch."
Growling softly under his breath he quickly rolled her over on to her back, his blue eyes shining down on her from above. "This is the closest to normal I have felt in over a century. If you were to go sleep on the couch I'd just bring you right back up here or sleep on it with you."
Smiling she reached up and traced the contours of his face before leaning up to kiss him softly on the cheek. "Goodnight Damon." He fought every instinct he had to rip his shirt off of her and remind her that Damon Salvatore doesn't do simple but goodnight kisses but he knew he had to bide his time. There was still the issue of Elena.
He had spent the last four years chasing her, finally got her, sired her, and now everything has been flipped upside down. He could tell that Bridget would accept whatever decision he made but was there really a decision to be made?
As he held her against him listening to her slow steady breaths and the beating of her heart he caught the reflection of the moonlight on her wedding rings. Over a hundred years and she still wore them. No matter the decision someone would be hurt but which one? The combined sound of her breathing and her heart beat lulled Damon to sleep that night and if he were to be completely honest it was the best nights sleep he'd had in over a century.
End ch 2
Ok! R&R lovelies! I know that this one is shorter than the first but I'm updating as I type them. So some will be longer while others may just be a little over 1,000 words.
