A/N: I don't own TVD.
Thanks to everyone that has read, reviewed and alerted my story. I really appreciate it.
Chapter 4
Damon jumps up with a start. His heart is pounding and his body is covered in a cold sweat. The dreams of Emily he's been having for the past few days have been far too vivid to be just dreams. It's almost like he can feel her for real every time he touches her creamy skin in his dreams.
His fingertips still tingle after tracing her full lips with his thumb. Damon can still smell the rose water scent that had clung to Emily's smooth latte skin for as long as he had known her. It was as if she was right here in the room with him and he had been able to touch her and kiss her.
Damon takes an unnecessary deep breath and calms his racing heart. He had fallen asleep on the leather sofa in the library after having a few drinks with Alaric at the grille. He went home early after their fun had been cut short when Ric was called away by his very pregnant girlfriend Lucy.
Damon still couldn't figure out what the statuesque beauty saw in his school teacher friend. The two were polar opposites. She was a sassy Bennett witch and Ric was a lonely sad vampire hunter/history teacher. But Lucy had come to Mystic Falls to help with the Klaus situation and she hit it off with the heartbroken Alaric.
It had started out as just a friend's with benefit thing but as everyone knows those situations never last. Someone always catches feelings for the other person. Apparently they both were smitten with each other and now in three short months there will be a half witch half vampire hunter baby joining this motley bunch of supernaturals.
Damon wasn't exactly sure how he felt about all that. Lucy was definitely cutting into his bromance time with Ric and Stefan was too broody to have any real fun. Damon kind of missed the ripper side of his bro but thanks to Elijah's compulsion that side of Stefan is buried deep inside never to see the light of day again.
Damon glances at the antique grandfather clock and sees that it's only seven pm. The devilish vampire knew exactly what to do to take his mind off of Emily for a bit. Damon quickly grabs his leather jacket and speeds off to Bonnie's house. Now that he's been invited in he can come and go as he pleases.
Meanwhile Bonnie is getting ready with the help of her best friends Caroline and Elena. She's really excited about her date and for the first time in a long time she feels almost normal. After the fiasco with Jeremy, Bonnie wasn't sure she would ever trust a guy enough to open her heart to again.
But she met Memphis Sanchez and for the first time in a long time she felt butterflies. Bonnie had bumped into the gorgeous brunette man with deep tan skin at the local community college registrar's office. He was new in town just having moved here with his aunt who would be teaching drama at the high school. He's half Puerto Rican and half African American giving him an exotic look.
The two hit it off as they selected classes for their schedules. Memphis is tall and well built. His shoulders are broad and he's thick and compact. He's not overly huge but is well defined. Bonnie looked absolutely tiny in comparison to him. Bonnie is not usually attracted to such muscle bound men but it was Memphis' dimpled smile that had done her in. He's like a giant teddy bear with his sweet smile and booming laugh. Bonnie's favorite feature had to be his liquid honey eyes that were so unguarded and kind.
"I still can't believe you're related to Damon. How is that even possible? It's just so wrong." Caroline flops down on Bonnie's soft bed and tries to understand the recent turn of events taking place in their lives.
"How do you think I feel Caro? He tried to kill me and I tried to kill him. That's just the definition of dysfunctional family right there." Bonnie sighs trying to keep from feeling so conflicted. She hates Damon and she's pretty sure he's not too fond of her either. However they have this odd connection now and the more she sees this other side of him has her questioning everything she believes in.
"Can we not talk about my crazy vampire grandfather right now?" Bonnie tries to shake the feeling that something big is about to happen. She's been feeling it since she left the boarding house today. Like the other shoe is finally going to drop after the quite few supernatural free months they have been experiencing since Klaus' demise.
"She's right Caroline. Let's just focus on some quality girly time while Bonnie gets ready for her hot date." Elena smiles widely hoping to ease the weird tension in the room.
Caroline beams and jumps up quickly. She rummages swiftly through Bonnie's closet and manages to find three outfits for her to choose from.
"You know Bonnie; if you used that little black card of yours we could have bought you a nice new wardrobe and something really hot for tonight." Caroline winks and smirks at her blushing friend.
"I'm not touching that money Caro. I'm fine with what I have." Bonnie smooths her glossy curls into a low side pony. Elena thoughtfully looks at each outfit Caroline picked out for Bonnie before deciding on a pair of dark wash jeans, a thin strap black tank, a flowy sheer crème colored blouse with black polka dots and knee high flat black leather boots.
"Bonnie, you're a millionaire now. Do you have any idea what you can do with that type of money? I'd travel the world and shop till I drop." Caroline says dreamily as she rummages through Bonnie's jewelry box.
Bonnie just rolls her eyes as she pulls on the outfit Elena hands her. Once she is dressed Bonnie swipes on some nude gloss and smoky eye makeup to finish her look. She gives her friends a little spin as Caroline and Elena gives their approval.
"Well Caro and I should get going. Your hot date will be here in a few." Elena smiles softly and gives Bonnie a quick hug. Caroline does the same before the two girls leave.
Bonnie grabs her purse and keys before heading down stairs. Bonnie reaches for her coat and a slight movement from the side of her catches her eye. She looks around her quite living room and shakes off the feeling of unease that passes over her.
"Bonnie, just get a hold of yourself. The boogeyman is gone." Bonnie beams at herself in the hall mirror and chuckles slightly at her irrational fear.
"Well…I'm not really gone. More like tamed a little." Damon seems to appear out of nowhere and Bonnie nearly jumps out of her skin.
"What the hell are you doing?" Bonnie places a small hand on her chest to ease her racing heart. She almost forgot that she had invited the vampire in.
Before Damon can say something smartass the doorbell rings. Bonnie's eyes go wide for a second and Damon can't help but smirk widely. Before Bonnie can blink Damon is already at the door.
"Uhh…is Bonnie home?" Memphis' deep baritone rumbles through the house. Damon gives him the once over and doesn't think he's good enough for Bonnie. He does have to admit that he's a little better than baby Gilbert.
"Yeah…she's here. Let me guess, you're the date." Damon narrows his icy eyes and gives the young man a tight smile. He's oddly protective of his granddaughter now. Not too sure if he likes the idea of her dating some strange guy.
Memphis smiles widely with both dimples showing in full effect. He shakes Damon's hand and the vampire has to admit that he has a good handshake. In his day you could tell a lot about a man by his handshake. Damon invites him in like he owns the place.
"I'm Memphis and you must be…" Memphis trails off not sure who Damon could be in Bonnie's life.
"He's my uncle Damon." Bonnie quickly interjects hoping to prevent Damon from saying something really idiotic.
"Wow Bonnie, you look really beautiful tonight." Memphis is sincere as Damon watches him closely.
"Thank you. You look really nice too." Bonnie can feel the heat rising in her cheeks as Damon scrutinizes her reaction to Memphis. His intense gaze is a bit unnerving.
"Memphis is an interesting name." Damon isn't quite ready to let Bonnie go on her date just yet.
"My parents were really sentimental. They got married in Memphis, TN." The tall brunette man relaxes slightly as he talks about his parents.
"You're new to town. Why Mystic Falls? If you don't mind me asking." Damon shrugs his shoulders in a casual way as he takes in all of Memphis.
"I live with my aunt now. She just started her new teaching job at the high school. She likes small town life." Memphis' answers are good but to Damon something seems a little off.
"So what are you two kids up to tonight?" Damon drapes his long arm over Bonnie's petite shoulders. He's acting the part of concerned family member perfectly.
Bonnie's not sure what his angle is but it's a oddly nice feeling to have someone concerned for her. Her dad is gone a lot and she's never really dated much so having Damon here acting all paternal is strangely endearing.
"Just a typical movie and dinner. In fact we should get going if we don't want to miss the movie." Memphis is calm and collected as Damon inspects him like a slide under a microscope. Damon can't put his finger on why Memphis seems off to him.
"I expect her home at a decent hour." Damon can't help but to smile widely as Bonnie shoots him a death glare. He's enjoying himself way to much by making the lil' witch squirm.
"Of course Mr…." Memphis reaches out to shake Damon's hand once again.
"Salvatore." Damon shakes Memphis' hand and watches as something flashes in his honey colored eyes. Recognition maybe or fear it's hard to tell.
"Mr. Salvatore." Memphis tries to pretend that name means nothing but looking at the vampire in front of him it's hard not to see him for what he is.
Bonnie watches the exchange with curious eyes. Not sure why both men look ready to pounce on each other. She gives Damon a warning glare before turning to Memphis and smiling wider.
She says her goodbyes to Damon and ushers Memphis quickly out the door. Damon doesn't like the unknown and something about Memphis has Damon on edge. Klaus is gone but that doesn't mean there aren't any other mythological beings out there.
Damon wearily returns to the boarding house not sure what to do with the rest of his night. He makes his way into the library and heads to his favorite bottle of bourbon. He stops short at the bar and stares for a moment.
Sitting neatly tied in a black and gold ribbon is a stack of black licorice. It had been a long time since he's eaten the confection. Emily use to tell him that he ate so much of it that the scent of it clung to him and she could taste it in his kiss.
Damon is lost in his memories as Stefan walks in the library. Stefan watches his brother and is not sure what he should say to him. Their relationship is still strained after the whole being Klaus' bitch but they are mending it as best they can.
"Did you leave these here for me?" Damon takes the licorice and holds it up. Stefan eyes the candy with a confused look. He hasn't seen Damon touch those since becoming a vampire. When he was human he ate the candy constantly.
"No." Stefan takes a seat on the brown leather sofa and watches Damon closely.
"Huh…" Damon's even more on edge now. His encounter with Memphis and now this mystery package is making things more suspicious around here.
Damon drops into his favorite chair at takes a piece of licorice from its package. The familiar scent invades his senses and for some reason he thinks of Emily. She seems to be the only thing on his mind lately.
"You really loved her." Stefan still can't believe that he couldn't see what was right in front of him. He was so caught up in Katherine that he couldn't see just how much Emily and Damon loved each other.
"I did." Is all Damon can say. Too many things are passing through his mind. Too many lost moments and what if's make his head spin. "She was everything…" Stefan let's Damon get lost in his memories.
1864 Mystic Falls…
"Run away with me. We can go to Canada." Damon's voice rumbles low in his chest as Emily rests her head against him. He twirls an ebony curl around his finger lazily. Ever since the first night they made love they have spent every night tangled in Emily's tiny bed together.
"I would love that." Emily's voice is soft and sad because she knows that no matter what happens Katherine will never let her go. Before Damon can say anything else Emily quickly straddles his waist.
Damon looks up at her in awe. She's so beautiful to him that he'd do anything to be with her. Anything to make her happy for as long as he can.
"Make a promise to me Damon. Promise me that no matter what happens, our love will never die. Promise me." Emily's eyes are so full of conflict that Damon doesn't know what to say.
He sits up with her still in his lap and cups her face in his large hands. "I promise you that for as long as I live I will never stop loving you. You are ingrained in my very soul." Damon takes Emily's small hand and places it over his heart.
Emily wraps her arms around Damon's neck and pulls him into a passion filled kiss. She needs him to feel all of her love in this kiss and never to forget it. Katherine has already been hinting at taking Damon away from Emily.
The lovely bloodsucker doesn't like the idea of the elder Salvatore brother trying to take away what is hers. Katherine knows that Damon wants to take Emily and run and she'll be damned if she'll let that happen. Emily is a powerful witch and Katherine likes having witches in her debt.
Damon holds Emily closer and kisses her just as desperately. He's fearful that he'll lose her. A foreboding feeling has settled itself deep in his gut. Everyone that he has ever loved has always been taken from him.
His beautiful mother had died bringing Stefan into the world and because of that his relationship with his brother has always been strained. Now he fears Emily will slip through his fingers and be lost to him forever.
Damon easily slips inside Emily as the two embrace each other. Damon buries his face in the crook of her neck as Emily rocks her hips causing Damon to shudder in the most delicious way. She feels so warm and soft as she rides him passionately.
Every time they make love the connection between the two strengthens. They are bound by the love they share and the child they are creating. Damon kisses her neck roughly as Emily grips his shoulders tighter as she continues to move faster and faster.
They both come undone together with soft moans. They are both breathing heavily and pleasantly spent. Damon rolls Emily onto her back and gently kisses her lips and shoulders. She is all he has ever wanted and never knew.
The next morning Stefan and Katherine are flirting shamelessly in the garden as Emily strolls quietly behind them. The air is chilly so Emily pulls her white shawl tighter around her shoulders and pulls down her matching white bonnet closer around her ears.
Damon will be leaving soon to catch up to his platoon in Richmond. Emily doesn't want him to leave but knows that in order to keep in his father's good graces he must defend the south from the horrible Yankees.
"May I walk with you Miss Emily?" Damon seems to have appeared from out of nowhere but Emily knows that Damon is always nearby when out of sight from prying eyes. Emily looks about the garden and knows that Katherine is never too far away.
Emily smiles softly before disappearing into the wooded area behind the Salvatore mansion. Damon follows her quickly. He easily scoops her up in his arms when they are both hidden by the thick trees. Damon kisses her softly before letting go of her.
Emily smiles softly and runs her tiny fingertips across his smooth cheek. "I have something for you." Emily slips her small hand into the hidden pocket of her grey wool skirt. She pulls out a small bundle wrapped in a white lace trimmed handkerchief.
She hands Damon the bundle and watches as he unwraps its. Damon smiles genuinely as he sees several sticks of his favorite licorice tied neatly together by a simple piece of twine. Emily had always teased him about his penchant for the confectionery.
"Thank you." Damon pulls her closer to him and places a tender kiss on her forehead. "I love you." He doesn't know how he can leave her but he knows he will find his way back to her. No matter what it takes to be with her again he will always find his way to her.
"I love you too." Emily clings tighter to Damon afraid if she lets him go she might never see him again. She knows Katherine is nearby lurking in the shadows but in this moment nothing else matters. Unbeknownst to the pair this would be the last time they would meet as lovers.
Present day Mystic Falls…
Damon swallows roughly as his mind thinks back over each encounter with Emily. She's the only one besides Stefan who knew how much he favored black licorice. The only one who would have left this gift for him. But that was impossible. Emily was gone and he had seen it with his own eyes.
Those memories were the ones that no amount of blood or bourbon could erase the pain that came with them. Damon gets up from his seat and turns to leave the library.
"I knew about Solace. Lexi and I met him once." Stefan stands and looks at his brother. Damon gives him a hard glare.
"I think we have some things to talk about brother." Damon is trying to keep in control but the fact that his brother knew all along about his son is pushing him to his limits.
"We do." Stefan knows he can't keep this secret any longer. He just hopes Damon will forgive him.
A/N: Please Review. Next up more of Emily and Damon's past. Memphis has some secrets of his own.
