Author: HollyGolightly1985
Rating: M for language, adult situations and possible violence
Summary: Set 8 years after the events of 2x08. Elena, having started a new life in New York, is begrudgingly pulled back to Mystic Falls to support the union of two loved ones. D/E Pairing.
Disclaimer: I obviously own nothing. If I did EVERY episode would be full of Delena fluff!
A/N: A big thank you to the following members for the reviews sarahberah1121, Rowhana, LoveEpicLove, Naleyloever23xo, Madagascar95, and XxxmusicloverxxX! You guys rock and keep me going!
Chapter 4: Morning After
Elena's feet pounded the pavement as she kept a steady pace with the music spilling out from her headbuds and into her ears. Nothing like a good jog in the morning to get your circulation and the day started. Currently Lady Gaga & Beyonce's "Telephone" was blaring in hear ears as she rounded a corner and down a small hill. As she kept her pace the events from the previous evening were currently keeping her mind occupied.
She had come face to face with the eldest Salvatore brother after eight years of separation. To say that she was shaken would be an understatement. The last thing she had expected was to run into Damon during these two weeks that she was staying in Mystic Falls. It had been her understanding that not long after her disappearance eight years ago both Damon and his youngest brother had left this town. She had just assumed that once they left they were not likely to make a return. Oh had desperately wrong she had been. She briefly wondered what, aside from the fire, had brought Damon home. Also, what had made him stay for these past three years? She could always ask her uncle being that she was now one hundred percent sure they had been in cahoots for at least the last three years if not longer. She made a right at the next intersection and continued on with her run.
One more mile she smiled as she trudged on with her run. Picking up the pace she hurried back to Jeremy and Bonnie's. She needed a shower before she and Bonnie were off to the local bridal shop to finalize the alterations on Elena's dress.
She opened the front door gingerly and sneaked in as quietly as she could so as not to wake anyone up. She scrolled through her iPod as she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water. As she filled her glass up she bobbed in place to the music filling her ears. She had selected LaRoux's "Bulletproof" earlier. As she chugged down that first glass of water she went and filled it a second time. Overcome with the unbearable heat from her exercise she pulled out her headphones and began removing her tank top. She deposited it on the counter next to her abandoned glass of water. She leaned forward and cracked the kitchen window letting the breeze dance across her body. She stood clad in her short shorts and sports bra enjoying the cool breeze. She startled when she heard a soft groan come from behind her. Gasping she whirled around to see Damon eyeing her from across the room, shifting uncomfortably around.
"What the fuck Damon? Do you mind?" Elena made a grab for her tank top and proceeded to put it back on.
"No I do not mind in the least, Elena," his voice was dripping with innuendo. Something tightened in her belly at his words. A warmth was beginning to spread through her as Damon eyed her up and down thoroughly. She made to make a quick exit but was blocked by Damon's broad form at the doorway.
"Excuse me, Damon," she grumbled as she attempted to push past him again.
"Wait, Elena. I have something to say," her head shot up at those familiar words. Her brow furrowed in concern and confusion. What was coming? she briefly posed. "I'm sorry on my part for my behavior last night. It was uncalled for and I'm an ass sometimes."
"Sometimes?" She raised her eyebrows questioningly.
"A lot," he confessed. "However, I am not the only guilty part here Elena." He stared at her knowingly waiting to hear her apology.
"I'm sorry too Damon. I apologize for my part. Can I go now?" She said half heartedly as she tried to sneak past him. He wasn't having any of it. He was going to have it out with her right now and hopefully she was going to answer some of his burning questions.
"Elena, there was a time you and I were once friends. Do you remember?" His voice was gentle and probing. He wanted things to return to they way they had once been. He knew he would never have her in the capacity in which he dreamed of her but he would gladly settle for her friendship.
"I do remember Damon. I also remember you snapping my brother's neck. That's what I remember most from that time in my life. How you managed to weasel your way into my brother's good graces is beyond me. I don't know, maybe you've mastered some Charles Mansonesque brain washing techniques as the years have progressed. What I do know is that at one point I trusted you implicitly. Then you threw it away over a mix of alcohol and a few heated words exchanged between you and Katherine." Elena's lower jaw was quivering as she fought back her tears of frustration, rage and sadness. She had forgiven him for snapping Jeremy's neck but she wasn't about to let him in on that bit of information. He had hurt her more deeply than she ever thought possible. This was her form of self preservation. Lashing out was a form of self defense. It was her only form of defense.
"You're never going to let me forget that are you? Jeremy's forgiven me. He forgave me a long time ago. I haven't weaseled my way into anyone's graces Elena. I've been here is all. I was here for him these past three years. Where have you been Elena?" Damon's eyes implored hers. He didn't mean to be so hurtful but he needed answers from her.
"I've been in New York, which I'm certain you already knew. And don't you dare imply that I haven't been there for my family. I may not have been here in Mystic Falls but I have always been there when the chips are down. Besides, where were you those first five years?" She fired back folding her arms across her chest. She had inadvertently and effectively pressed her breasts up. Damon's eyes momentarily flitted down to her heaving chest. She noticed and immediately uncrossed her arms placing them on her hips instead.
"Oh you know here and there. Why do you care?"
"I don't care. I really don't, Damon. Now will you please let me by? I need to get ready to head out with Bonnie," she didn't wait for his response. Instead she harshly shoved past him and bolted up the stairs and into the bathroom.
Twenty minutes later she reemerged from the bathroom clean and towel drying her hair. She hummed a little ditty as she traipsed downstairs and into the kitchen again. She shouldn't have been to see Damon was still there. He sat perfectly poised at the counter. Of course he's still here. Why wouldn't he be?
"You're still here?" She mused aloud as she poured herself a glass of Cranberry Grape juice. She sat down at the kitchen table to avoid being in close proximity to him.
He was about to reply when Jeremy strolled into the kitchen asking Damon, "You ready?"
"Yep," he popped the 'p' and stood to leave with Jeremy. Damon exited the kitchen without so much as a look in Elena's direction.
Jeremy turned his attention to his sister and asked, "What are you girls up to today?"
"We're finalizing the alterations on my dress, picking up the favors, and then stuffing the favor boxes all day long. Sounds like fun no? What are you doing? And with Damon?" She peered around Jeremy to make sure that the man in question wasn't eavesdropping. He wasn't, at least she didn't think he was.
"We're picking up Ric and heading out to Richmond to pick up Bonnie's wedding ring. They just finished the engraving so it's ready," he said as he placed his baseball cap on his head. He turned and took his departure from the kitchen.
Bonnie passed him in the hallway giving him a quick peck on the lips, "Be safe. I'll see you later. Love you."
"I love you too. You girls have fun today," he waved as he shut the front door behind him.
Bonnie turned back around and walked into the kitchen. She sat down in the seat next to Elena and asked, "Are you ready for day full of fun?"
"Oh you know it. Lead the way!" They both rose and headed out the to car.
I'm in Hell. Elena thought groaning as the woman beside her tucked and pinned Elena into her dress. Who knew Hell was a vision straight from the boudoir of Dame Edna?
"How's it going back there?" Bonnie called nervously from the other side of the dressing room's curtain. Elena looked in the mirror and pursed her lips. She hated getting all gussied up for formal occasions. She would much rather loaf around her apartment in a pair of yoga pants and an oversized hoodie. She did like the dress Bonnie had put her in though. It was peacock blue strapless number with a very low back. The dress's hem ended just above her kneecaps.
"It's a laugh a minute back here, isn't it…," Elena looked down at the elderly woman's name badge. "Midge?" She finished.
"How's that dear?" The older woman's confusion amused Elena.
"Do you ever just take the time to stop and smell the roses Midge? Do you just grab life by the balls and tell it where to stick it?" Elena posed in jest.
"I'm not sure I quite understand you dear. But the dress does look lovely on you. It complements your complexion beautifully," Midge unceremoniously spun Elena around the dressing room to look at her reflection in all of the mirrors.
"You're a credit to the industry, Midge. Don't ever lose that sassy attitude," she winked at the older woman and stepped out into the waiting area.
"Elena, you are so bad," Bonnie scolded Elena's behavior with the older woman. "That dress looks amazing on you. Jaws are going to drop when you walk down the aisle with Damon."
"Argh, don't remind me please. Anyways, can we please get out of here and get some lunch? I'm starving," Elena turned around so Bonnie could work the zipper on her dress. With it unzipped she dashed back into the dressing room and changed into her normal street clothes.
They soon exited the bridal salon and walked a few blocks to the local hole in the wall restaurant. They ate their lunch without much ceremony and soon were on their way home with several large boxes full of personalized M&Ms and small party favor boxes. They made quick work of unloading the car when they pulled into the driveway at Bonnie and Jeremy's residence.
They spent the better part of three hours pouring a small amount of candy into the tiny boxes. The less pleasant part of that time was spent untying and retying the small bows on the boxes. Bonnie was a perfectionist, unfortunately.
"Please Bonnie! Can we have a short reprieve? You're a slave driver. My fingers have effectively lost all feeling due to the repeated untying and tying of tiny ass ribbons," Elena held up her rosy fingers grossly exaggerating her 'pain'.
"Fine but just a short break. We'll take twenty and then get back to it. Spend this time wisely," Bonnie laughed as she shoved a box of M&M's off the couch and sat down.
"Oh what will I do with all of this free time?" Elena mused loudly. "Oh I know, I'll travel. You know I've always wanted to see Paris in the springtime. I'll write you. Oh wait, sorry that's impossible. I have no dexterity in these fingers. I suppose I'll have to find a small orphan child in the slums of the Parisian streets, take him in, feed him, teach him to read and write. He'll pen my great American novel. Only here's the rub, he'll steal my story as his own, sell it to Random House Publishing and is go on Larry King lamenting how he never wanted fame in the first place. That he did for the people. That little bastard!"
"Haha, you're not funny," Bonnie said dryly as she walked into the kitchen to get a glass of water.
"Oh come on. I'm a little funny," Elena hollered back to her. She blew a piece of stray hair out of her face and picked up the remote to channel surf for the next fifteen minutes. She browsed all of her options; Forensic Files, Golden Girls, Little House on the Prairie, Infomercials, Mtv… She stopped on Mtv as she saw that they were actually playing music videos. This was a rarity in and of itself. To make it better it was a tribute to the early and mid two thousands. This wasn't half bad. She instantly shot up when "Sexy Girl" by Akon and David Guetta came on. "Bonnie, quick bring the Tequila! Sexy Chick is on!"
Within thirty seconds Bonnie was bounded into the room with two shot glasses and a bottle of Silver 1800. "Are you recording this Elena?"
"Of course I am. What am I, a newb?" Elena scoffed as she reached for one of the shot glasses. When the music video ended Elena rewound the DVR and started the video up again. Within seconds they were going shot for shot.
By the third watching of the recording they both were on their way from tipsy to shit faced. At this point the men came bounding through the front door talking and laughing loudly. They all stopped when they heard the music blaring from the living room. Following the noise they discovered Elena and Bonnie setting tentatively on the edge of the couch, shot glasses in hand and eyes glued to the television screen. "Sexy Dick!" Elena called. They both tipped back their heads and downed the clear liquid.
"Uh girls what's going on here? Don't you think it's a little early to be getting this trashed?" Jeremy asked as he leaned in the doorway.
"It's never too early for Tequila!" Bonnie proclaimed as she lifted her shot glass in salute to Elena. She saluted her back.
"What type of drinking game are we having here?" Ric asked as he walked further into the living room and sat on the ottoman in front of the fireplace.
"Well since you asked, Ric…Everytime Akon and David Guetta flirt with each other instead of some 'sexy chick'" Elena made air quotes, "We take a shot in the name of sexy dicks!"
"Huh?" Damon cocked his head at the television as they rewound the video and played if from the beginning.
"Just watch," Bonnie exclaimed as she pointed to the television. They were not even three minutes in but they had both already taken five shots a piece.
"Wow, that's a lot of flirting," Damon conceded. Elena turned to him and said, "I know right?"
She was willingly talking to him now he mused. He knew that the alcohol was heavily influencing her decision making but he didn't care at this point. He was just glad she wasn't shooting him death glares or making snide comments to him.
"Well you girls better ease up a bit," Jeremy stood up straight and headed to the kitchen to put away his leftovers from lunch. "You haven't finished those favors and we're all going to bed early tonight since we have to get up and meet with Father Henry in the morning."
"Why do I have to go?" Elena whined as she peered over the back of the couch at her brother's retreating figure.
"Because our car is going into the shop in the morning to get the tires rotated. Therefore the responsibility falls to you to deliver us to Father Henry for our premarital counseling session," Jeremy came back into the living room and bounced down onto the cushion next to Elena. He threw his arm carelessly around Elena pulling her in for a hug.
"But I hate Father Henry!" She tried to wiggle out of his embrace but it was futile. "He was always so cruel to me, Jer."
"That's because when you were ten you snatched the baby Jesus from the nativity scene and asked the congregation if anyone had any Tannis Root!" Jeremy laughed fondly at the memory.
"I was going through a phase! Can I help it if the father finds no humor in Roman Polanksi's work?" Elena huffed crossing her arms.
Jeremy laughed again, "You girls should still get some sleep soon. We have to be at the church at eight." Jeremy stood and proceeded to escort the two gentlemen out the front door for the evening. Closing the door he turned back to the living room. "Here, I'll help you ladies clean up. I'll put away the alcohol while you move the part favors aside. Do you girls feel like ordering a pizza tonight?"
"Ungh…." Bonnie moaned as she laid down placing her head in Elena's lap. "I'm not feeling so good guys. It's warm in here and I feel puky."
Elena and Jeremy looked at each other knowingly as the went to sit her up. Bonnie had never been known to handle her liquor well. They carried her up the stairs and into the master bedroom, tucking her in for an early night.
A/N: You WILL get piss drunk if you follow my game from this story. That's how I spent my 25th birthday ;). Please read and review!