First, thanks so much to all the reviewers and followers! You guys are really great and you've really motivated me to keep going on this story.
Secondly guys, Here's an insanely long A/N explaining a little something about the TVD characters' personalities in story, though I did put on the summary that this story was slightly AU. I got a guest reviewer who mentioned that Damon was too OCC, that Elena was acting too much like Katherine, and that if I was going to write a TVD story I should stick to keeping them in character. But here is my psychological analysis of Damon and Elena explaining why they're acting this way:
Damon: he's tired of being put second, undervalued & underappreciated all the time. Everyone has their limit, their breaking point. Damon has finally reached his, and is finally putting himself and his feelings first. He was planning on skipping town after Elena clearly chose Stefan, but then she turned and begged him to stay, so he did for her, but didn't give up on the plan to leave once Elena was fully in control of her vampire instincts. He then meets a woman from his past and he is the only one who holds her heart, unlike his previous experiences. Let's face it, Damon is not going to act like his usual badass vampire self around his 2 ½ year old son, and he's not going to be an ass to Jen because he knows what it's like to be second place in someone's heart.
Elena: She is a new vampire with amplified emotions and more volatile than an older vampire would be. Everything she feels is stronger than a normal person. She can no longer deny her feelings for Damon because they're stronger now, but is still resisting them. She's used to being the only woman in Damon's life that he genuinely cares about until now. She's learning how to control her emotions and figure out her feelings, but she's still on that same back and forth path when it comes to him. The possessiveness she feels for Damon is part of the more instinctual side of hers, not the human side and that instinctual side sees Damon as hers. Vampires are more possessive and instinctual beings. Damon and Stefan control that better because they are older, but since she is a newborn Elena cannot completely separate the vampire side from her human side yet.
So there is my extremely longwinded explanation. I hope the personality situation is clear to everyone.
Now on with the story!
Disclaimer: I DO NOT own The Vampire Diaries or any of its characters, but the plot and any original characters are mine! No copyright infringement intended. It's just fun to play with the characters ;)
Chapter Four
Damon and JD were playing in his room while Jen finished was finishing up dessert for her friends that were visiting today. When she asked if it was alright if they could visit, he quickly gave his consent, but he was a little nervous. These were the people who were by her side when he should have been, but didn't get a chance to. He was sure that they were probably going to be wary around him, but he was going to be himself and nothing short of that.
"So are you excited to see your mom's friends?" He asked as JD pushed toy trains around the carpet that had a train track design.
"Yes." JD looked up at him with a smile. "Auntie Natalie always gives me presents and Uncle Max plays chase with me." His blue eyes twinkled brightly. "He would take me to the park with Uncle Luke and they would chase me everywhere."
Damon smiled", but part of him was jealous of the relationship that he had with Jennifer's friend Max. Before he came into JD's life, Max was the only father figure that the little boy had. "So you like him a lot, huh?"
"Yeah," JD nodded. "Uncle Max is really cool." He grinned widely and Damon smiled half heartedly, wondering if he would ever compare to JD's Uncle Max. "But you're more cool, Daddy." His little blue eyes twinkled.
Damon smiled. "Of course I am, kid. I'm the coolest." He picked up the little boy and stood up. "Man, that apple pie your mom's making smells really good, huh?" He asked as they made their way down the stairs.
JD nodded his agreement. "Mommy makes good pie."
Damon simply chuckled as he reached the bottom step, he put JD down and the front door opened revealing Caroline. "Hey Elena, are you ready to go?" Caroline asked and Elena zoomed in from the parlor.
"Or we could stay and have lunch here." Elena stated casually. "The lunch Damon and Jen made smells so good, and that pie smells awesome." She really wanted to meet Jen's friends that were coming to visit. It'd giver a better view on her distant relative.
"No way, 'Lena!" Caroline crossed her arms. "We haven't had a girls' day out in forever. We're going shopping, getting mani-pedis and getting our hair done." She smiled. "It's gonna be a fun, normal day."
"But Caroline-" She was immediately cut off by her best friend as Stefan slipped into the foyer.
"Nope." Blonde curls shook from side to side. "We're going out and being normal teenage girls, plus this whole lunch thing is more of a family situation so come on Bonnie's waiting in the car." Caroline took Elena's hand and dragged her to the door.
Damon and Stefan smiled at the word family. How long had it been since they felt like a family? Since they truly felt like brothers? Maybe this was their chance to get back to that.
"Have fun, Ms. Elena and Ms. Caroline!" JD waved with a cheeky grin.
Caroline stopped in her tracks and walked over to him and gave him a tight hug "Thanks, cutie! You are just so adorable." She stood up, grabbing Elena's hand. "Let's go have a good time!" She dragged the doppelganger out the door.
Damon and Stefan looked at each other, and shook their heads as the 3 Salvatore males walked into the kitchen. Unlike what Damon had been expecting, it was spotless and Jen was drying her hand on a dish towel.
"Wow…" Stefan breathed out. "Considering the fact that you spent all morning in here and Damon helped cook, I was expecting it to look like food exploded in here." He chuckled.
"I like a clean kitchen when I cook." Jen shrugged with a smirk.
"Did you set the table in the dining room already too?" Damon asked just as surprised as his brother.
"Yep, now we just have to wait for my friends to show up." She nodded as she removed the full body apron which revealed a light mint green chiffon blouse and cream lace shorts.
"You look nice." Stefan complimented with a smile and Damon nodded his agreement.
"Thanks," She blushed a little. Male attention wasn't something she was used to anymore. "It's a little too much for a single mom with a messy toddler I think, but since Natalie is a fashion-addicted stylist, I'd rather not hear her nag about my clothes." She rolled her eyes.
"You look very pretty, Mommy." JD walked over and hugged her legs.
She smiled and picked him up. "Thanks, pumpkin. You look very handsome." She looked at Damon. "Thanks for getting him dressed."
"Well he's my kid so he's gotta look good." Damon smirked. He was wearing a gray John Varvatos button up shirt rolled up to his elbows, dark wash jeans and black boots.
Jen laughed. "Now I have two fashionistas in my life: Natalie and Damon. What am I gonna do?" She asked with mock panic.
Damon opened his mouth to give a smartass response, but a knock on the door cut him off making Stefan chuckle. "I'm gonna go get the door." The younger Salvatore brother said and opened the door to find a well dressed young blonde woman arm in arm with light blonde haired young man, and a taller, more serious young man holding hands with a petite blue-eyed young woman. "You must be Jen's friends." Stefan smiled, stepping aside. "Please come in."
The blonde woman smiled, walking in first as the others followed and JD immediately ran to her screaming, "Auntie Natalie!"
"There's my handsome boy." She smiled, scooping him into her arms as Jennifer and Damon walked into the foyer as well. "I missed you! I can't believe your mommy just took you and left while I was away."
"Neither can I." The blonde man snorted quietly with a frown.
"Because you were both easy to reach, right?" Jennifer asked sarcastically as she walked over to Natalie. "I missed you, Nat." She hugged her friend tightly and pulled away. "I missed all of you." She then hugged the blonde man tightly before looking back at Damon and Stefan. "Guys, these are my friends, Natalie Marshall; her brother Max Marshall; Max's wife Danielle Marshall; and Nat's fiancé Ryan Biancardi." She pointed the blonde girl, followed by the blonde man, then the brunette girl and lastly the light brown haired man. "Nat, Max, Ryan and Dani, this is Damon Salvatore and Stefan Salvatore. JD's father and uncle." She pointed to each of them accordingly.
Natalie eyed Damon from top to bottom. "Dang, Jen. I am impressed. He's a fine specimen." She smiled and batted her eyes in a flirty way, earning a grin from Damon and an eye roll from Jen and Stefan. "He definitely knows how to dress."
Ryan rolled his eyes. "Please forgive my fiancé, she forgets to use her verbal filter." He shook each brother's hand and he had a light Italian accent.
"I don't mind." Damon shrugged with a smirk.
"It's nice to meet you." Dani held out her hand with a kind smile and both Salvatores shook it.
"It's about time we met you." Max arched an eyebrow and slipped his hands into his pockets.
"Max, please." Jen narrowed her eyes, begging her friend to behave.
Max pressed his lips in a hard line as tension flowed between the adults, but little JD was happy to see the aunts and uncles that he hadn't seen in a month. "Uncle Max!" He ran over to Max, who picked him up immediately. "I missed you." JD hugged him tightly.
Max smiled for the first time since setting foot through the door of the boarding house. "Hey, I missed you too, tiger." He tickled JD's sides making him laugh.
"Come on," Jen smiled at the exchange between her son and pseudo-brother. "Lunch is ready."
"Great because I'm starving." Ryan said cheekily. "Let's face it, Nat's good at just about anything except cooking." He said making everyone except said blonde laugh.
"I resent that." Natalie crossed her arms with a pout.
"You all, but burn water." Dani giggled, earning a narrowed look from her sister-in-law.
"Actually, I think she's burned water once." Max teased with a smirk.
"I did not!" Natalie argued with a death glare at her brother and laughs from her friends as well as the Salvatore brothers as everyone began to serve themselves and go to the dining room.
"So Salvatore?" Ryan began speaking before anything got too awkward. "Are you of Italian descent?"
"Our ancestors came from Italy to Mystic Falls." Damon answered with a smile as everyone began eating. 'So his accent is Italian.'
"Parli Italiano?" Ryan asked with an arched eyebrow at both brothers.
"Sì, lo facciamo." Damon answered with a smirk, speaking flawlessly.
"Entrambi di voi?" Ryan looked surprised as the way Damon responded, sound just as Italian as he was.
"Sì, tutti e due." Stefan answered speaking just as well as his brother as Natalie, Dani and Max looked on them surprised, and Jen smiled knowingly. She knew that both brothers spoke perfect Italian because their parents had come from Italy.
"Can we speak English please?" Max rolled his eyes. "I hear enough Italian from Ryan and my sister."
"Holy sh-" Natalie began before stopping herself. "They speak freaking perfect Italian. I know I have an accent because I'm American, but they speak just like Ryan does." She smiled. "It's hot."
Damon chuckled. "Thanks. Our parents made sure we learned Italian and our uncle continued teaching us after they died."
"So how old are you?" Max asked both brothers somewhat suspiciously.
"I'm 24 and Stefan is 18." Damon answered as everyone continued their meals.
After lunch and dessert, Jen took Ryan and Dani outside with JD and Stefan at Ryan's request while Damon stayed in the parlor with Natalie and Max drinking some of his bourbon.
"So why didn't you two want to go outside with everyone else?" Damon asked leaning back against the couch casually.
"We wanted to speak to you." Max shrugged. "So we heard all about why Jenny had to go through the pregnancy with your child all by herself. You had a tragic accident and suffered amnesia, understandable." The bitter tone in his voice was clear as his green eyes glared daggers at Damon.
'Jenny?' Damon rolled his eyes. "Look, I get that you're pissed off that Jen had to suffer all alone, but there was nothing I could do! There's nothing I can do! Things were completely out of my control." Damon's blue eyes narrowed. "Jen forgave me and she was the one in the situation, not you, so who the fuck do you think you are?" He stood up and glared at the blonde man, who narrowed his eyes more. "Ok, you like Jen's brother and you care for her. That's great, but there's no reason for you to hold a fucking grudge when Jen's forgiven me so just let it the fuck go!" Damon all but growled as Max stood up meeting him eye to eye as Natalie simply watched.
"Yes, I'm fucking pissed!" Max screamed. "I know Jen forgave you because she fucking loves you! She loves you more than anything except her son! She loves you too damn much to tell you what she went through when she was having JD! I bet you guys haven't even really talked about her pregnancy, did you?" The two men glared at each other.
"What the hell are you talking about?" Damon asked through gritted teeth.
Natalie rolled her eyes and sipped her bourbon. "Ok, boys. Take a seat and calm down. Max, maybe you should let me explain this part."
"Why should I?" Damon glared at her as Max sat down. "Jen told me about when she found out that she was having JD, about when she felt him kick the first time, about-"
Natalie held up her hand, effectively cutting him off. "Did she tell you how she was physically? Did she tell you about how she was emotionally where JD wasn't involved?" She arched an eyebrow and Damon shook his head, falling back into his seat.
"She was weak and depressed." Max answered in his sister's place. "When she found out, she was already three months and underweight to be pregnant. The doctor was afraid that her body wouldn't hold the baby, which wasn't surprising because for the first two months all she could do was cry. She barely ate and barely slept. She lost 15 pounds in those two months." He sighed and looked down.
Damon gulped as guilt burst in his heart. 'Why didn't she tell me?'
"She had to take extra supplements along with her prenatal vitamins." Natalie added. "Jen didn't sleep well at night so our mom made her start coming in for some sessions, she's a shrink. With her help, Jen was able to deal with and overcome the depression because she couldn't take any actual anti-depressants."
"Her health and JD's had to be watched carefully. She almost lost him twice." Max ran a hand through his hair and then looked back up at Damon. "JD was born premature at 35 weeks. He was really little and really weak."
Damon's heart dropped into his stomach and his stomach into his feet as guilt overwhelmed him completely. He couldn't picture losing his son after finding him, much less having a chance of losing him at any point in 8 months. "I-" He began only to stop in order to find the words. "I… She… She never told me that." He admitted n a barely audible tone.
"Of course not!" Max yelled with fury in his eyes. "Jen loves you! The only person she loves in this world more than you is JD! She would never pour this on you and make you feel guilty, but you deserve to feel guilty! You deserve to feel her pain and you deserve to know what she suffered through because of what you did to her!" He stood up and got into Damon's face. "She lost her future because of you!" Damon opened his mouth to speak, but Max continued. "Did you know that she was valedictorian? She scored a 2300 on her SATs! She was going to study law at Harvard, but she disappeared! When she came back, it was too late to go to school and she was fucking pregnant with your kid while you weren't even there to help her!" Tears filled Max's green eyes and Damon could see that he was remembering everything that Jen had been through.
Damon gulped. 'I didn't… She…' He couldn't find enough words to justify himself or even properly convey his apology so he closed himself instead. Damon narrowed his eyes. "If Jen wanted me to know this, she would've fucking told me. You don't get to come into my house and make me feel like shit! I honestly don't give a damn about your acceptance or your forgiveness. Jen forgave me and is letting me be in JD's life now. That's all that matters." He crossed his arms.
Before Max could speak up, everyone else walked into the room and JD ran over to him. "Uncle Max, you should've come outside with us. There are lots of flowers outside and daddy promised that when it gets warmer, we can get a pool." He chatted excitedly.
Max smiled. All traces of anger gone from his face. "That's great, kiddo." He hugged him tightly.
"We should get going." Ryan shrugged. "It's a long drive home."
Jen frowned. "I can't believe you guys drove up here just for the day."
"Well, my parents are actually celebrating their anniversary tomorrow at their cabin in North Carolina so we're driving down there and staying there till Tuesday." Dani answered with a small smile.
Jen nodded her acceptance with a smile and hugged her friend. "Tell them I wished them a happy anniversary."
"I will." Dani hugged back. "I miss you, Jen."
"I miss you too, Dani." Jen responded as they pulled back. "I miss all of you." Tears filled her eyes.
"We'll visit again, and you better visit us!" Natalie pulled Jen into a hug. "Tall, dark and blue-eyed better not keep you to himself." She grumbled and everyone laughed as the 2 young women broke apart.
"Jen is free to come and go as she pleases, and you all can visit whenever you want." Damon said with his typical smirk.
"You're a decent guy, Damon." Ryan shook Damon's hand. "Prenditi cura di lei."
"lo faro." Damon nodded as Dani walked over to him and Ryan hugged Jen and JD goodbye.
"It's was wonderful to meet you, Damon." She hugged him, catching him off guard. "I can tell that you're a good guy." She whispered in his ear and then pulled back as her husband approached.
"You better take care of her." Max narrowed his eyes as Dani moved to say goodbye Jen and JD. "If you hurt her or him, or make her go through the pain that she went through before? No one will ever find your body, got it?"
"I got it." He gave him a sarcastic, uninterested smile. Max rolled his eyes and walked away as Natalie approached.
"You make her happy, really happy. Keep it that way or Max will be the least of your problems." Natalie smiled, her sickeningly sweet tone doing nothing to hide the seriousness of her threat. She pulled a yellow envelope out of her tote bag and handed it to him. "After everything you heard today, I'm guessing you feel pretty shitty so whenever you're ready? You can open this." She gave him a slightly sympathetic smile before walking away.
As Jen walked her friends to the door, Damon quickly made his way up into his room and put away the envelope, but he couldn't stop thinking about what could possibly be in it. A knock on his doorframe broke him out of his thoughts and he turned to find Jen leaning against it with a concerned look on her face.
"What's wrong?" She arched an eyebrow.
He smiled easily. "It's nothing."
Jen walked over to him with an eye-roll. "Yeah, right. You must have something going on in your brain because being alone with Nat and Max could not have been easy." She sighed and sat next to him on the bed. "Damon, whatever they said to you-" She began but he cut her off.
"You were going to go Harvard." He said casually as shame knotted in his chest again. "You were valedictorian…" He chuckled humorously.
"Damon…" She placed a hand on his shoulder as realization hit her. They'd told him the entire truth of her pregnancy. "It's not your fault. What happened was-"
"Jen, don't." He stood up. "I can't do this right now. I need a drink." He walked out of his room and rushed down the stairs as she followed.
"Damon, wait please!" She begged as he opened the front door.
Damon rolled his eyes. "Jen, I'm not that guy anymore." His eyes were distant as he looked at her and she stopped in her tracks.
"Damon…" She whispered and he ran off at vampire speed.
A few hours later, Damon was sitting at the bar in the Grille as he downed another drink. 'Man, Ric… I really wish you were here…'
"Well I didn't think you'd be free yet." He heard Elena's voice behind him.
When he turned around to face her, his eyes widened. Her hair had red streaks and stylish layered waves; she was wearing tighter jeans, a tight purple top and a leather jacket. "Damn…" He smirked. "You like great, very vampy." He winked and she smiled.
"I'm glad you like it. Caroline thought that I should update my look to be more 'vampy'." She said between air quotes.
"Then," he put his hands on the bar and stood up, "let's put that vampy new look to good use and practice your control." He gave a crooked smile.
'There's my Damon.' She thought with a wide smile. "Let's do it."
An hour later, Damon and Elena were in a club in Richmond looking for someone for Elena to feed on. "How about him?" Damon pointed to a blonde haired frat boy.
"He's pretty cute." She shrugged, but I'm looking for someone a little manlier. I want hot, not cute."
Damon chuckled. "I like this new Elena. She's bold." They reached the bar and the bartender walked over to them. "Bourbon, please."
"How about you?" The tattooed bartender turned to Elena.
"Three shots please." She answered with a flirty smile.
"You got it." The bartender winked.
"Now you're getting' how this works." Damon smirked.
"Well I had a good teacher." She chuckled as the bartender brought over their drinks. "Thanks." She winked, taking her drink and the bartender walked away.
"Now," Damon took a sip of his drink. "Let's find someone for you to snack on." His eyes quickly roamed the room as he continued sipping his bourbon.
"Him." Elena pointed to a man that looked to be around Damon's physical age, who had brown hair and brown eyes.
"Not bad." He chuckled. "Go for it." He nodded in the guy's direction.
Elena turned to him with worried eyes. "You won't let me kill him, right?"
Damon rolled his eyes. "Always with the doubts… Of course I won't let you kill him, Elena. I know that it would destroy the humane, moralistic martyr side of you." He gave a cynical, crooked smile.
This time Elena rolled her eyes. "Very funny, Damon." She made her way over to the guy and immediately began flirty with him as Damon watched with a smile and listened with his vampire hearing.
"Care to dance?" She asked tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear.
"Isn't your boyfriend over there going to mind?" The man asked with a cocky smirk.
Elena threw back her head and laughed. "He's not my boyfriend. He's just a friend. He won't mind."
'Just a friend…' His mind repeated. Damn, did he hate those words. They were like a knife to his chest.
"Then I wouldn't mind a dance with you at all, gorgeous." The guy took Elena's hand and they began dancing sensually against each other as a new song began to play and lights flashed all across the room.
When the song was over, Elena turn to face the guy and whispered in his ear, "Let's go somewhere… alone." Her voice was low and so sexy that it turned Damon on.
The guy quickly nodded his agreement and Elena glanced at Damon, signaling him to follow. Damon followed Elena and her prey to the alley next to the club at a safe distance. When he reached them, he found Elena with her fangs already buried in the guy's neck and he was clearly enjoying it.
'A predatory Elena… very hot.' Damon smiled as he watched her feed. He let her feed for a few more minutes and walked over to her. "That's enough, Elena." He whispered in her ear, but she didn't stop. "Elena." He called out again. "Let go." He whispered huskily into her ear and she removed her teeth from her victim's neck and licked the wound. "Great job, Elena." He kissed her neck and moved her aside. Damon bit his wrist, fed the guy his blood and compelled him. "You're gonna go home and not remember anything about tonight because you drank too much."
"I'm gonna go home and not remember anything about tonight because I drank too much." The man repeated monotonously before walking away.
Damon looked back at Elena, who still had her vampire face on and blood dripping down her chin. "Damn…" He smirked as Elena walked over to him with a smile. "So how was he?"
"Delicious, wanna taste?" She smiled and wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Sure." He wrapped his around her waist and she kissed him deeply. Damon returned the kiss with fervor as the taste of Elena mixed with the taste of the guy's blood. He moaned softly as their tongues entwined. Damon's hands ran up and down her back as hers moved into his hair. He loved the feel of her body pressed against his. 'I can't believe this is happening.' He pulled her impossibly closer, wanting more of her. "Elena." He pulled back slightly. "Let's get out of here." His eyes twinkled with lust and love.
"Ok." She nodded with a smile.
Damon took her hand and they ran back to Mystic Falls at vampire speed. Their bodies slammed into the front door as they came together in a heated kiss. Elena tore open Damon's shirt as he gripped her ass and she wrapped her legs around his waist. His lips trailed down her neck as she threw her head back with a moan.
"Damon…" He loved how his name fell from her lips.
"Let's get you upstairs." He smirked as he zoomed them to his room, and then laid her flat on his bed. "God, you're beautiful." He lay on top of her as they began to remove each other's clothing.
"You're amazing, Damon." Elena remarked as she flipped them over, straddling him.
The sun had just begun rising when Damon rolled off of Elena as both of them were panting and lay next to her. "Wow…" He smiled over at Elena.
Her hair was a mess, her body was covered in a sheen of sweat and her face was flushed. She was beautiful. "Damon… that was… wow." She smiled widely.
"Well I am me." He smirked and she laughed. "See what you've been missing while you were fucking Saint Stefan?"
Elena's face blanched. "Oh my God, Stefan!"
"Relax, Elena." Damon rolled his eyes. "Saint Stefan is out hunting tonight." Elena said nothing as pulled the sheets up to her chest and she sat up. "What are you doing?"
"I have to get out of here." She dropped the sheet and began putting on her clothes.
"Why?" Damon frowned as he rested his head on his elbow.
"Because of Stefan," She looked at him as if it was an obvious answer and Damon's face twisted into one of anger.
"Of course," Damon laughed humorously. 'She used me…' He rolled his eyes. "It's always Stefan, right Elena?"
"Damon," she looked at him apologetically. "I care about you, but-"
"Yeah, yeah," He interrupted. "You love him. I get it."
"Damon," She attempted only to be cut off again.
"You know the way out the door, right Elena?" He lay on his back and put an arm over his eyes.
He heard an exasperated sighed, her footsteps, and then the door open and close. 'I shouldn't be this surprised…' He sighed. 'But it doesn't hurt any less.'
Ok guys, that's it. It's a little shorter than usual, but going any farther would've made it waaay too long because there really wouldn't be a good place for me to end the chapter. I really hope you guys liked it.
Here's how I pictured Jen's friends:
Natalie Marshall: Dianna Agron
Max Marshall: William Moseley
Danielle Marshall: Alexis Bledel
Ryan Biancardi: Jeremy Sumpter
Luke Pierce: Luke Benward
Now I have a little request ;). Any of you guys reading, favoriting and reviewing, PM any memories that you want to see Damon remember of Jen. I'd really like you guys' inputs on that.
Thanks so much for reading! Please review!
Major J.