I got to tweet with some of you this week and you know what? It was SO MUCH fun! One of my functions in my "real life" job is social media, so I always have Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook open. I loved answering questions and just saying hi! Links are in my bio if you wanna play along!
Thank you so much for all of your comments and love last chapter! I know that one was football heavy, but it's the nature of the story. Sometimes, an update may be more football centric. I do love me some football, though! My team had a bye week this week... Amazing how much you get done when you don't have to drop everything on a Saturday to watch the Vols play ball.
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.
"Mommy!" Ava Kate shrieked. "Mommy!" Elena quickly spit out her mouthful of toothpaste and wiped a hand across her mouth.
"I'm coming!" she called. She hurriedly rinsed her mouth out.
"Mommy!" Ava Kate's cries were growing more frantic. In a rush to get to her daughter, Elena tripped over a shoe. She caught herself on her dresser at the expense of banging her shoulder into the doorjamb.
"Ava Kate!" she called, wincing, rubbing her shoulder as she walked down the hallway.
"Mommy!"
Elena followed her daughter's cries, rushing down the stairs and into the living room. Ava Kate was standing in the middle of it, tears pouring. Elena dropped to her knees in front of her and pulled her into an embrace.
"It's okay," she soothed. "You're okay. I'm here."
"I couldn't find you," Ava Kate cried into her shoulder. "I was scared!"
"I was just upstairs, brushing my teeth," she said. "That's all. Everything is okay. You're okay. I'm okay." Ava Kate nodded, still sniffling. Elena hugged her for another few moments before she released her and took her hands. "You look so pretty in your dress," she said. "Are you excited to go to Aunt Caroline and Uncle Stefan's house?" Ava Kate half shrugged.
"I guess," she said quietly.
"It's going to be fun," Elena told her, adding enthusiasm for Ava Kate's benefit. "We are going to grill burgers, and make s'mores. You can run and play. Aunt Care said she has sparklers, too. You love sparklers." Ava Kate smiled ever so slightly. Elena considered it a victory. "I need to finish getting ready. Do you want to come upstairs with me?" Ava Kate nodded. Elena led her upstairs and deposited her on her bed as she started changing her clothes.
"We can do sparklers?" Ava Kate asked after a few minutes.
"We can," Elena confirmed. "Once it gets dark."
"Okay." Elena studied her daughter for a long moment and sighed. She joined her on the bed. "Ava Kate, you don't have to be afraid, especially when we are at home. Mommy isn't going anywhere. You are safe now. We both are."
"We're safe," Ava Kate repeated. Elena nodded and wrapped an arm around Ava Kate.
"We're safe," she said again. "I promise. It's okay if you are in the living room watching TV or playing and Mommy is in another room. Nothing bad is going to happen to either one of us. Okay?"
"Okay," Ava Kate agreed. Elena wasn't sure Ava Kate believed her, but she had to do what she could to reassure her all the same.
"I love you, buttercup," she said, giving Ava Kate a little squeeze.
"Love you, too, gumdrop," Ava Kate said before giggling. Elena laughed and tickled her. "Can we go to Aunt Caroline and Uncle Stefan's now?"
"Sure thing," Elena said. "Just let me finish getting dressed."
Damon stood on the sidewalk of Caroline and Stefan's house and shook his head at the scene. Lights were strung, paper lanterns were hung, and the home's front door was thrown open, letting the sound of music and conversation drift out. With a sigh, he shifted the case of beer under his arm and made his way inside. Stefan met him almost as soon as he was through the door.
"Small gathering?" Damon asked.
"I don't know why it surprises me every time," Stefan muttered. "You would think I would know better by now." Damon chuckled and passed him the case of beer.
"Elena said that about you, too." Stefan raised a curious eyebrow.
"Elena?" he asked. Damon shrugged, knowing what Stefan was implying.
"She helped me with the copier the other day," he said by way of explanation. Stefan only nodded.
"Want one of these?" he asked, taking out a beer.
"Please." Stefan passed Damon a beer and a bottle opener he had in his back pocket. "Half the school really is here," he mused as he popped the top and passed the opener back to Stefan. He had already picked out Ric, Tyler, and Matt, and recognized a few other people, even if he wasn't quite sure of their names.
"Care invited anyone under the age of forty, I think," Stefan half grumbled. "I really thought this time, it would just be us, Ric, Elena, maybe Matt and his girlfriend whose name I can't ever remember."
"Stefan!" Caroline appeared out of nowhere. "The grill is ready." She gave him a pointed look. "Hey, Damon. Thanks for coming," she added.
"Apparently this is the place to be," Damon replied.
"And apparently I'm supposed to be manning the grill," Stefan said.
"I would recommend it," Caroline said pointedly. "We have guests."
"You mean we are feeding half of Nags Head," Stefan muttered. Still, he leaned in and kissed her cheek.
"I should go mingle," Damon said. "Get to know my co-workers or whatever."
"Be nice," Caroline warned him. Damon scoffed.
"I'm always nice!"
"You are a little more – precocious – than most people. Tone it down, at least for the first impression." Damon merely rolled his eyes and took a swig from his beer. He spied Ric, standing with a woman he thought was his wife.
"Stef, I like my burger medium-well," he said. Stefan punched him in the arm. "I'm going to go be precocious." He made his way towards Ric.
"Coach Salvatore," Ric greeted.
"Coach Saltzman," Damon replied. They did a quick clasp of their hands. In the few weeks he had known Ric, he had decided he liked him. He tilted his head towards the woman at his side. "I'm guessing this is your far better half?"
"She's the better half, but I'm the prettier half," Ric quipped.
"Oh, hush!" the woman scolded, elbowing him playfully. Ric laughed and put his arm around her.
"Damon, this is my wife, Jenna. "Jenna, this is…"
"Coach Damon Salvatore," she finished. "Also known as the man my husband both raves about and curses about every evening."
"One in the same," Damon said, extending his hand to Jenna. "It's good to meet you."
"Back at you," Jenna replied. "Welcome to Nags Head."
"Thank you," Damon replied. "It's – different – than what I'm used to."
"I'm sure it is," Jenna commented. "A lot more sand and a lot less funding for football programs?" Damon grinned.
"Among other things," he admitted. They exchanged small talk, Damon aware of the curious looks from those around him. Nags Head was a small town and he was the new guy. Even without his past, he would have still be the talk of the town. He didn't let it get to him, however. He had gotten good at turning the other cheek before leaving Texas.
"Ava Kate!" Jenna suddenly exclaimed. "You look so pretty!" Damon turned to see Elena approaching, holding her daughter, who was wearing a red and white dress, by the hand.
"Thank you, Aunt Jenna," Ava Kate said in a soft voice.
"You're welcome, sweetheart," Jenna said. "You look beautiful too, of course," she added, looking at Elena. Elena rolled her eyes.
"Please, I'm used to being outshined by my kid at this point," she said with a smile. "Hey Ric, Damon." Ric muttered a hello from where he had squatted down to speak to Ava Kate who was still holding Elena's hand, but smiling slightly at Ric. Damon looked from Elena to Jenna.
"Aunt?" he asked.
"Jenna is my mom's sister," Elena explained. Damon nodded in understanding.
"Ric, Mayor Lockwood just got here," Jenna spoke up. "Let's go say hello before someone else snags her."
"You mean let's suck up to her so she calls you the next time she puts a house on the market," Ric countered. He stood and with a salute to Damon and Elena, followed his wife towards the mayor.
"Jeremy come with you?" he asked, changing the topic as he looked around for his wide receiver. Elena shook her head.
"Who knows where he is," she answered. "I told him to be home by ten. I expect to see him sometime tomorrow morning, probably worse for the wear." Damon pursed his lips. Gilbert was a mystery to him. The kid showed up to football practice on time, even early. He was relatively respectful, if not a bit reserved. He would talk openly with Stefan, but tended to only speak when spoken to when it came to him and the rest of the coaching staff. Yet, he had seen the bloodshot eyes, and knew both Elena and Stefan had told him Jeremy was headed down a dark path. He had put Jeremy's name to his growing mental list of players he needed to pay special attention to.
"I'll talk to him," Damon said. "Remind him that he needs to fly right if he wants to be a part of my football team." Elena shook her head.
"You don't need to do that. He won't listen, anyway. I can handle him."
"I will keep an eye on him," Damon amended. He had every intention of talking to the younger Gilbert, but he didn't want to run the risk of upsetting Elena. He turned his attention to Ava Kate who was holding Elena's hand and sticking close to her mother's side. "Ava Kate, its good to see you again." She moved even closer to Elena.
"Ava Kate, do you remember Coach Salvatore?" Elena asked. Ava Kate nodded. "Can you say hello to him?"
"Hi, Coach Sava… Coach Salvado… Coach Savat…" she stumbled over his name. Damon smiled at her and stooped to her level. Elena watched their interaction curiously.
"You know, 'Salvatore' is a hard name to say," he said. "Why don't you just call me Damon?"
"Coach Damon," Elena corrected. Damon glanced at her, then back to Ava Kate.
"You can call me Damon," he said again. Ava Kate nodded. "Does your mom let you go to that little store near the school that has the barrels of candy?" The faintest of smiles graced Ava Kate's face as she nodded. "Do you have a favorite?" Ava Kate stared at him, debating whether she should answer.
"Tell him which one is your favorite," Elena prompted gently. Ava Kate looked at Elena for a moment, as though she were drawing courage.
"I like the sour gummies," she said softly.
"I like those, too," Damon agreed. "Oh, hey, look at that!" he reached behind her ear and produced a quarter. Ava Kate had winced away from him, but was now looking at him in surprise. He held the quarter up so she could see it. "Looks like you just earned yourself a few gummies." She accepted the quarter from him.
"What do you say?" Elena encouraged.
"Thank you, Damon." Damon smiled at her once more.
"You are welcome, kiddo." He stood up and was greeted by a beaming Elena.
"That was clever." Damon shrugged.
"My dad does magic," he said. "He doesn't make people disappear or pull rabbits out of hats, but he is pretty good at pulling quarters out of ears and pouring water out of his sleeves. I haven't mastered that one, yet, but the quarter bit usually wins over the kids." Elena laughed.
"Ava Kate is a bit difficult to win over, but I think you cracked the surface. That quarter will buy her two, maybe three sour gummies."
"Two or three is better than nothing," Damon countered.
"Uncle Damon!" Damon turned just in time to brace himself for impact as a young boy with dirty blonde hair barreled into him. He stumbled a couple of steps, laughing.
"What's up, Cody, my man?" he asked, ruffling the kid's hair. A miniature Stefan looked up at him, eyes shining in admiration. "How was your trip?"
"I had to hang out with Grandpa Bill and Uncle Greg for an entire week," the boy countered. "How do you think it was?" Damon laughed outright, Elena joining in. Despite Cody's dramatics, they knew he had enjoyed a week in Chicago with Caroline's father and his partner, being doted on and allowed all of his heart's desires.
"I'm sure it wasn't that bad," Damon told him.
"It was okay," Cody amended. "But, I only got to hang out with you for a few days before I had to go. Dad said maybe I can come to football practice on Monday. Can I? You're the head coach, so you make the decisions."
"See why he's my favorite nephew?" Damon asked Elena. She laughed. As far as she knew, Caroline and Stefan's six year old was his only nephew. "You can definitely come to practice. If you behave yourself, I might let you get in on a few of drills towards the end."
"Cool!" Cody said. He noticed Elena then.
"Oh, hey, Aunt Elena," he said before turning back to Damon. "Dad said you have a really good new quarterback. How good is he? Can he throw downfield?"
"And I am clearly his favorite aunt," Elena muttered. Damon winked at her.
"We do have a new quarterback. I will introduce you to him on Monday, deal?" Cody beamed at his uncle.
"Deal!" he exclaimed. "Can you throw the ball around with me, Uncle Damon?" Damon glanced at Elena for a moment, finding that he didn't want to part ways with her just yet. He couldn't deny his nephew, either, however.
"Let's go out back and toss a few," he agreed. "Ava Kate, do you want to come?"
"She's a girl!" Cody protested before Ava Kate could reply. "Girls don't play football!"
"Girls can do whatever they want," Damon countered sternly. "Don't be jerk." He turned back to Ava Kate. "Do you want to come throw the ball with us?" Ava Kate shook her head. "You sure? I bet you have a good arm."
"I want to stay with Mommy," she said.
"Ava Kate, why don't you go play with Cody?" Elena encouraged. "Or, your friend Ari is here. You like to play with her." As if on cue, a little girl with blonde pigtails bounced up to Ava Kate.
"Hi, Ava Kate!"
"Hi, Ari," Ava replied.
"Wanna build a sand castle?" Ari asked. It took a moment, but Ava Kate nodded. "Come on!" Ari grabbed Ava Kate's hand and dragged her away. Ava Kate looked nervously over her shoulder, but allowed her friend to lead her.
"The blonde has personality," Damon commented.
"She is a spitfire," Elena confirmed. "Ava Kate is quiet, reserved. Ari is bubbly and outgoing. But, Ari looks out for Ava Kate and Ava Kate keeps her centered. They are joined at the hip."
"Good friends are hard to find," Damon commented.
"Uncle Damon! Come on!" Damon nodded towards Cody.
"I'm going to go show this kid how to throw a football. Talk to you later?" Elena nodded and smiled.
"Have fun."
"This seat taken?" Elena smiled.
"It's all yours." Damon settled on the low log next to Elena, balancing a plate in one hand, a beer in the other. He stuck the bottle of beer in the sand.
"Where is your mini me?" he asked.
"Just over there," Elena answered, nodding her head towards a small group of children playing in the sand, a few yards away from where the waves reached. "High tide will roll in soon. Those piles of sand they call castles don't stand a chance."
"You have to admire their preservation. They will be right back out there the next time Caroline and Stefan have one of these cookouts. Which, from what I now understand, happen often."
"Caroline does like to throw a party," Elena agreed. Stefan and Caroline had a great home for entertaining. Oceanfront yet modest, the home had a spacious deck and a boardwalk that led across the sand dune and to the beach where they had a fire pit, complete with logs for seating. "Where is Cody?"
"He got a bit too big for his britches. He is currently doing time in his room for taking a game of touch football too far."
"He's in timeout?" Elena translated. Damon nodded.
"He tackled a kid, the kid started crying. The kid was fine, but Caroline saw the whole thing and wouldn't listen to reason."
"What was reason?" Elena asked, amused.
"Cody wrapped the kid up," Damon stated. "Arms around him, nice, neat tackle, put him on the ground. He could teach my offensive line a few things. It was textbook." Elena laughed.
"Caroline says Cody isn't going to play football," she informed Damon. "She says it's too dangerous." Damon snorted.
"She would wrap that kid in bubble wrap if she could get away with it. He's a Salvatore. He's going to play football."
"You played before you coached?" Elena asked, spearing her potato salad with a fork. Damon nodded and reached for his beer. He took a swig before he answered.
"I was a tailback, started a few games at Texas A&M. I blew out my knee in a game against Arkansas. I had surgery, rehab, all that stuff, but it was never quite the same. I gave up playing and took up coaching."
"Which do you prefer?"
"Coaching," Damon answered easily. "My blood pressure is probably through the roof six days out of seven, but I get hit a hell of a lot less." Elena chuckled. "What about you? Any sports glory days?"
"I cheered," Elena answered. "I was captain of the First Flight Falcon's varsity squad for two years. And, I danced, which means I got conned into coaching the school's dance team. Caroline has the cheerleading squad."
"You coach the dance team?" Damon repeated.
"I do," Elena confirmed. She smirked. "We were the only team – in anything – to win a state championship last year."
"Color me impressed," Damon countered. "You grew up here?"
"I did. Right next door to Caroline. Our moms were lifelong best friends, and so, we have been best friends since birth."
"And then Caroline left you to go to college in Texas," Damon mused. "Where she met my traitor of a brother, fell in love, married him, and convinced him to move here."
"Traitor?" Elena asked. Stefan and Caroline had met the first week of their freshman year of college, married their junior year, and Caroline had been pregnant with Cody when they graduated. Cody came along two months after they moved back to Nags Head to start their teaching jobs.
"He went to the University of Texas," Damon informed her. "Texas, Elena. Me, Dad, our grandfather? All Aggies. And then Stefan went to Texas." Elena burst out laughing. Damon was dead serious, however. "Stefan is my best friend in the entire world, but he is a traitor."
"I assume that means I shouldn't be anywhere near you and Stefan when the two schools play one another?"
"That's putting it mildly," Damon admitted. "We get a little out of hand." They exchanged smiles and let a comfortable silence settle between them for a few moments while they focused on their plates. Elena checked on Ava Kate who was still playing contently. "Where did you go to college?" Damon asked after a few moments. Elena finished chewing her food.
"Georgetown," she answered. "Far enough away that my parents didn't visit every weekend, but close enough to still come home for a long weekend every once in a while." She left it at that, not wanting to go into her college years – or her post-college years.
"Impressive," Damon said. "How did you like D.C.? I was there once. I hated it. Too damn busy. Which is ironic, seeing as our government never seems to get anything done." Elena cracked a smile, despite not wanting to talk about her past. There was something about Damon that put her at ease.
"I liked it well enough," she said. She hesitated for a moment. "I moved to Chicago after college. Ava Kate's father is from there. Ava Kate and I moved back here winter before last." She left it at that. Somehow, Damon knew not to ask anything further.
"How old is Ava Kate, anyway?" he asked. "Four? Five?"
"She will be five soon," Elena answered. "Which is so hard for me to believe. She starts kindergarten this year. I had to petition the school system since the state requires that a child turn five by August 31 to start kindergarten and her birthday is October 5. She had to go through a battery of testing, but she is exceptionally smart. She breezed thorough and they agreed she was mature enough to handle kindergarten. Besides, she needs the social interaction." Again, Damon knew not to press.
"Speaking of Ava Kate," he commented, noting the little girl making her way towards them. She was once more giving him a skeptical look, but she didn't look quite as nervous.
"Are you finished building castles?" Elena asked. Ava Kate nodded.
"Can we do sparklers now?" she asked.
"Let it get a little bit darker, and we will," Elena promised. "Do you want anything else to eat?" Ava Kate shook her head, but then seemed to think better of it.
"Can we make s'mores?"
"We have to get the fire going, first," Elena answered. "Then, we can make them."
"Can you make the fire?" Ava Kate asked her.
"We can find Uncle Stefan…"
"I can make a fire," Damon interrupted, already putting his nearly empty plate aside. "If there is one thing I learned at Texas A&M, it was how to build a bonfire."
It was like moths to a flame. As soon as Damon gathered the supplies Stefan kept on hand for the fire pit, the men appeared, offering their help or else standing around, several with beers in hand, chatting. Kids, too, huddled, eagerly awaiting s'mores. As Damon lit a match, he caught Elena's eye. She hadn't moved from her spot and was holding Ava Kate in her lap. He winked at her before he realized he was doing it. She smiled back. Stefan saw the exchange, but didn't say anything, pocketing it for later. A cheer went up as the fire roared to life.
"Light a fire, get in their good graces," he quipped as he approached Elena, roasting sticks in hand. "Who knew?"
"I think men are just impressed by fire in general," Elena countered.
"Maybe," Damon agreed. He held a stick out to Ava Kate. "You ready to make that s'more?" She took the stick and looked to Elena for instructions. Damon passed another stick to Elena. "Step up to the flames, ladies."
"Come on," Elena said, putting Ava Kate on her feet and standing herself. Holding Ava Kate's hand, they got closer to the fire. It was too hot to stay close for long as it was a hot, humid, late summer evening, but they would tough it out in the name of a s'more. "You stay right here. I'm going to get us some marshmallows." To her surprise, Ava Kate stayed put. She expected her to follow her to the supply table.
"Ava Kate let you walk away without her?" Caroline asked, meeting Elena at the table. "Am I seeing things?"
"I know," Elena said, glancing over her shoulder. Ava Kate was standing by Damon, looking at him curiously, her fingers in her mouth. Cody had been allowed to return to the party, and had joined Damon, talking animatedly. "She doesn't seem as afraid of Damon."
"Well, it's men she's afraid of," Caroline reminded her. "Damon is more of an overgrown boy." Elena laughed lightly.
"Your kid seems to be his biggest fan."
"Cody adores him," Caroline confirmed. "He has been so excited about Damon moving here. I give Damon a hard time, but he is actually a pretty good guy. He is just fun to make fun of." She looked at Elena then, her eyes wide. "You should go out with him!" Elena's jaw dropped.
"No," she said with a shake of her head. "No. You know how I feel about dating."
"I do, and it's stupid. You could do way worse than Damon."
"Caroline, you know my history with men. It is not possible for me to do worse."
"True," Caroline readily agreed. "But, this is Nags Head. Your options are severely limited. Damon is new on the market. Someone will swipe him up. I already heart Lydia Spriggs talking about how hot he is. We both know she has no qualms about making a move."
"Caroline, I'm not going to date," Elena said again. "Not right now. Maybe not for a long time." Caroline sighed.
"Elena, I know he hurt you. He more than hurt you. He destroyed you. But, it's been nearly two years. I know these last two years have been hard in so many ways, but at some point, you have to start living your life again." She glanced over her shoulder at where Damon was still being held hostage by her son. Ava Kate was still standing by them, even though her eyes were locked on her mother. She saw Damon glance at Ava Kate, as though making sure she was okay. "Ava Kate needs you to start living your life." Elena sighed.
"I know," she admitted. She knew she needed to be strong, for Ava Kate. She needed to set an example, show her daughter that no matter what life throws at her, she can make it through to the other side. "It's just so hard." Carolina passed Elena a couple of chocolate bars.
"Don't count Damon out," she advised. She glanced over her shoulder again and saw Cody and Damon laughing at something. Ava Kate had the faintest of smiles on her face, even as she checked on her mother's whereabouts. "He is a good guy, Elena." Elena looked over her shoulder. Damon had stooped down, still talking to Cody, but was working to bring Ava Kate into whatever their conversation was about.
"I have learned never to say never," Elena said. "Want me to take that roasting stick to Cody?"
"Would you mind?" Caroline asked. "I'm going to go find Stefan and get the sparklers out." Elena took the roasting stick and returned to Ava Kate and Damon.
"Cody, this is for you," she said, passing him a roasting stick. He took it, never breaking his stream of chatter with Damon.
"Flash is so fast, Uncle Damon. He's the fastest guy I have ever seen! He's just like the guy on TV…"
"You forgot something, kid," Damon interrupted. Cody stopped his spiel.
"The guy on TV is fast like Flash…" Damon shook his head.
"Elena just gave you a roasting stick so you can make a s'more with us. You forgot to say something." Cody's eyes widened in understanding.
"Thank you for the stick, Aunt Elena," he said quickly. Elena grinned. Cody was a good kid for the most part, and Stefan and Caroline worked to instill manners in him, but he was excitable, and often got carried away.
"You're welcome, Cody," she said before turning to Damon. "I thought you were the fun uncle."
"I am," Damon confirmed. "But, I'm also not going to let the kid get away with being rude." Elena held out a marshmallow.
"Help him roast this. I've found he's a lot more polite when he has food in his mouth."
"He's just like Stefan," Damon quipped, making Elena laugh. He took the marshmallow from her and helped Cody spear it. She did the same with Ava Kate.
"Don't put it all the way in the fire," Elena advised. "You'll burn it. We just want to toast it. You don't like burned marshmallows."
"Those are the best kind," Damon said, overhearing. Elena made a face in reply. Ava Kate thrust her roasting stick forward, the marshmallow catching on fire.
"Shoot!" Elena gasped. She grabbed for the stick and blew out the flaming marshmallow, but it was already burnt through.
"Mommy, it burned!" Ava Kate whined.
"It's okay. We'll make another one."
"I'll eat that one," Damon piped up. He held out his roasting stick, speared with a marshmallow he hadn't roasted yet. Cody was messily putting together his s'more. "One square of chocolate, champ," he added, seemingly having eyes in the back of his head as Cody tried to sneak extra chocolate.
"Thank you," Elena said, trading sticks with Damon. He winked at her and bit the marshmallow off the end of the stick. Elena passed the stick to Ava Kate. Again, they set the marshmallow on fire. When they scorched a third one, Damon intervened.
"I'm going to fill up on burnt marshmallows and have no room for an actual s'more if you two keep this up," he said, moving so he was standing on the other side of Ava Kate. "Let me help you out. I'm a pro at this."
"Or, you're cocky," Elena muttered just loud enough for him to hear. He merely grinned at her.
"Uncle Damon is the best at roastin' marshmallows," Cody piped up. He was standing a few feet away, his s'more half-eaten in his hand, chocolate smeared across his mouth.
"The kid knows what's up," Damon quipped. "Finish off that s'more, then go find your mother and have her clean that chocolate off you face. You look like that kid from Matilda that eats all the cake."
"What's Matilda?" Cody countered.
"She's the magic girl," Ava Kate spoke up. Elena's eyes widened in surprise. Ava Kate rarely inserted herself into conversations, preferring to sit on the sidelines. Damon smiled at her.
"She's the magic girl," he confirmed.
"Sounds like a dumb girl movie," Cody muttered. Damon raised an eyebrow in warning. "Sorry." He busied himself with what was left of his s'more, deciding it was a good time to shut up. His uncle was his favorite person in the world, but he didn't let him get away with much, much like his Aunt Elena, whom he had deemed his second favorite person in the world – most days.
"Let's roast you a marshmallow," Damon said to Ava Kate. She nodded. He squatted next to her as Elena spread another marshmallow. Damon reached out, intending to put his hand over Ava Kate's and guide her. She gasped and pulled away. "I'm sorry," he said, automatically holding his hands up in appeasement. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's okay," Elena said, stooping down as well. Whether she was talking to him or Ava Kate, he didn't know. "Damon is just going to help you with your marshmallow. That's all. It's okay." He knew then that she was talking to Ava Kate who had now turned and was eyeing him precariously.
"Is it okay if I help you?" he asked. He didn't quite understand what had happened, but he was working on a theory about Ava Kate's timid nature and it didn't much like where his thoughts were leading. A few beats later, she nodded. Slowly, Damon reached out and placed his hand over hers.
"There you go," Elena encouraged. Cody stood and wandered away, following his uncle's directions to find his mother.
"If you want to just want to roast it, not burn it, you have to keep it just a little bit away from the flame," Damon told her. He put his free hand on Ava Kate's back to steady her. "And then, you turn it slowly." He helped her rotate the stick. The marshmallow began to brown evenly. "At just the right moment, you move it away." Damon guided the stick away from the fire. "And you have a perfectly roasted marshmallow." The marshmallow was browned evenly on all sides.
"Thank you," Ava Kate said softly, without prompting. Again, Elena was surprised.
"Looks like you actually are good at this," Elena teased.
"I make it a point to only tell the truth," Damon told her. They exchanged a smile. Elena helped Ava Kate put her s'more together.
"It's starting to get dark," Elena told her as she settled her onto a log and passed her the s'more. "We will be able to do sparklers soon." Ava Kate smiled before biting into her s'more. Elena turned with the intentions of making her own, only to be met by Damon offering her one.
"For you."
"Oh, Damon, no, I can make my own. You eat that one." Damon shook his head.
"This one is yours," he said. "Take it so I can free up my hands to make another one." Elena took the s'more. He speared another marshmallow and set to roasting it.
"Thank you," Elena said. "For both the s'more and for helping Ava Kate. She doesn't like anything burnt – marshmallows, toast, hot dogs... If it has char on it, forget it."
"I had to intervene," Damon said seriously. "Otherwise, the kid would still be here tomorrow, trying to get a marshmallow she could eat." He removed his stick from the flame and blew out the fiery marshmallow. Elena passed him two graham cracker squares.
"I'm a great cook," Elena informed him. "Just not over an open flame."
"I think you will have to prove that," Damon stated as he layered on chocolate and completed his s'more. "I'm not hard to impress, though. I can grill a burger and I make a mean cup of Easy Mac. That's about it." He took a big bite of his s'more.
"Did you just admit to not being good at something?" Elena asked.
"Like I said, I believe in being honest." Elena studied him, Caroline's encouragement to date Damon playing through her head. "I didn't scare Ava Kate, did I? I know she's shy…" Elena shook her head and glanced at her daughter who was wrapped up in her s'more, her own face now covered in chocolate.
"She's okay. She's just timid around people she doesn't know." Damon didn't say anything further, but a dozen questions about Elena and Ava Kate popped into his mind. "You got a smile out of her. That is a pretty big deal in Ava Kate's world."
"She's a sweet little girl," he observed.
"She is," Elena agreed, glancing over her shoulder at Ava Kate. "She's really looking forward to sparklers. And I'm really looking forward to how well she is going to sleep tonight." Damon chuckled. "So, how are you liking Nags Head so far?"
"It's a hell of a lot different than Texas," Damon admitted. "There are some similarities. My school in Texas was also in a small town – small town, but big on football – and everyone knew everyone. I've noticed that's what its like here." Elena nodded her agreement. While Nags Head was a booming down from Memorial Day to Labor Day, the island's population of residents was relatively small, and everyone knew everyone. "Of course, there weren't any beaches."
"Tourist season only lasts another couple of weeks," Elena told him. "Then, it will be back to normal around here. You will get to see what this place is really like."
"What is this place really like?" Damon countered.
"No traffic. Most everything closes early, some places even close for the season. You can go to the beach and there won't be a soul around, or else one or two random families enjoying the day. And then, Memorial Day will roll around and we will be right back in the thick of swarming tourists and overrun grocery stores." Damon raised an eyebrow.
"This is what this place looks busy?" he asked. He had thought the Outer Banks made his Texas small town look like a booming metropolis. Elena grinned.
"This is the peak of tourist season. We have about two more weeks until Labor Day weekend, and then it is back to normal."
"So you're saying I should get my groceries during my lunch period, otherwise the grocery store will be shut down by the time I wrap up football practice?"
"Something like that," Elena confirmed. Damon smiled at her.
"I think I'm going to like this place." Elena returned his smile. Their eyes met.
"Yo, Damon!" Stefan called from across the yard. "Cornhole! I need a partner!" Damon tore his eyes away from Elena's with some difficulty and gave his brother a mock salute.
"I've got you!" he called back. He turned back to Elena. "Duty calls."
"Good luck," Elena replied. "Corn hole gets pretty competitive around here." Damon winked at her.
"Good thing I'm pretty competitive."
How fun is Cody? The kid worships Damon. And, he's pretty obnoxious. In a typical six year old boy way.
I think a few sparks were flying at that bonfire, maybe?
Let me know what you thought!