As soon as they get Damon to the hospital to have his injuries looked at, Brady offers his services. Often he comes to the hospital to deliver Communion to the sick. In dire need of help, they eagerly allow him to attend to the sick and dying. After giving several people their Last Rites and after grieving with families, an exhausted Brady joins Elena again.
"Have you heard anything about Damon?" he asks, taking a drink of water.
"No, not yet," she adds, dropping her face into her hands. Fatigued, she gets up to look outside, still not believing what's right in front of her eyes. Coming up behind her, he says softly, "You're exhausted, let's sit back down." When she nods, he leads her over to the chairs.
"You don't have to stay Brady. I know you're mad at Damon and me."
"I'm not mad anymore, Elena. I miss you and believe it or not, I miss Damon too." He pauses when she turns her head to meet his gaze. He smiles tightly adding, "No, I'm not happy that you're living together but I don't want to be estranged from you any longer either."
"I wouldn't have moved in with him if you hadn't had a temper tantrum about me being with him. Damon asked me to marry him, Brady. It's my hope that you'll officiate at the ceremony." She almost has to laugh at the incredulous look that washes over his face.
Not quite believing what he just heard, he shakes his head back and forth. "What did you just say?" Rather than say anything, Elena holds out her hand, letting her brother see the beautiful diamond ring that adorns the fourth finger on her left hand.
Swallowing thickly, Brady's eyes dart from the ring to her face and back again. Clutching hers in between his, he adds, "He really is serious about you."
"Yes, Brady. That's what he, we've been trying to tell you."
"Um, if you want, I'll perform the wedding Elena but you'll need to go to Confession first..., you're living with a man outside of marriage."
Her fuse lights immediately. She doesn't want to make a scene at the hospital so she turns away for a moment to get her temper under control. Since they're so close to reconciling, she doesn't want to start something again. After several moments pass, she turns back to face him. "Brady, I don't need to go to Confession. I've done nothing wrong. Damon has been a perfect gentleman as far as that goes."
"You mean you haven't?"
"No Brady, we haven't." She can feel her cheeks warm and flush over talking about such things with her brother, a priest no less about such things.
Knowing Damon, Brady is too stunned to reply. Instead he rubs his clammy palms over his vestments. Once he gets his voice back rather than say anything, he just nods, realizing that he completely misjudged Damon's intentions towards Elena. The man he knows would never have abstained from coupling, not for weeks anyway. Taking her hand in his, he gives it a squeeze, looking up when he hears footsteps approaching.
"Damon Salvatore?" the man says.
"We're here for Damon," Elena replies, standing up to shake his hand. "How is he?"
"He's in a lot of pain but he's resting right now. We put his arm in a cast and gave him some pain medication. He's quite groggy but he's asking for someone named Elena. I gather that's you?"
"Yes, I'm Elena," she affirms, sucking her lower lip into her mouth.
"If you'll follow me, I'll take you to him."
"Um, can my brother come too?" she asks, motioning for Brady to join her.
"Of course, Father, follow me." Nodding the brother and sister walk alongside him till they get to Damon's room. Bleary-eyed, he looks up when he hears her voice. Under the influence of medication, he smiles lazily, extending his hand towards her. When he sees Brady, his smile drops as he readies his weary mind to be berated by him.
"How are you feeling, Damon?" he asks, stepping over to the bedside next to Elena.
"I'll be fine," he mumbles, losing the battle to keep his eyes open.
"Doctor?"
"He received some pain medication before I came for you. Drowsiness is a side effect." When Elena starts to sway, the doctor catches her. Seeing the abrasion and bump on her head, he helps her over to a chair. "How did you get this?" He looks at her eyes to see how her pupils react. Although he's certain her fatigue is just that, fatigue, he takes her to be examined leaving Brady and Damon alone. Pulling a chair up to the bedside, Brady closes his eyes and scrubs his hand down his face. Pushed to the brink himself by the catastrophe outside, it doesn't take long for his own eyes to drop closed. He doesn't know how much time has passed when he snaps awake. Straightening his posture, he looks over to see Damon's wary eyes staring at him.
"Where's Elena?"
"The doctor saw the bump on her head and wanted to examine her."
"She's okay isn't she?" Damon asks, fear clutching at his insides.
"She just seemed tired to me, Damon but you and I need to talk."
While bracing himself for another browbeating, Damon just nods. "I love her, Brady. I'm going to marry her. We both want you to do the ceremony but if you won't, we'll find someone who will."
"I told her that I would agree to it but I felt that she should go to visit the Confessional first. She told me that she had nothing to confess. You haven't?" he asks, albeit uncomfortably.
"No, Brady, we haven't consummated our relationship yet. What kind of man would it make me if I forced her into something she wasn't ready for?"
"I don't need any details, Damon. It seems you've changed."
"I told you, Brady. I love her with everything that I am," he starts to say, his attention distracted when he sees her in the doorway, a bandage on her forehead. "Are you okay?" he asks, extending his hand towards her. Immediately she walks to the bedside. Taking his hand in hers, she drops a kiss to his lips and then looks at her brother.
"You haven't been lambasting him again have you?"
"No, Elena. And if you still want it, I'd be honored to officiate at your marriage ceremony."
With a smile as wide as Gibraltar, she throws her arms around him, squeezing as tightly as she can, whispering, "Thank you" over and over again.
It's a beautiful June day, the salty sea air is blowing in off of the ocean. Because Brady's church was badly damaged in the earthquake, they're at St. Brigid Church for their wedding. It's not a large church but they really don't have a lot of guests. With repair just beginning at Brady's church, many of the parishioners are attending Mass elsewhere during the construction phase. After helping her brother host several fundraisers and with Damon setting a jar out at the bar for donations, they've made quite a nice sum to pay for a good share of the repairs. They have another fundraiser coming up. The parish ladies are going to be having a bake sale. Elena and Sheila already have a list of goodies to make for the sale.
Her dress is an off white Victorian gown with a capped sleeves and botanical embroidery. Her face is covered with a long veil. Eva Mikaelson starts down the aisle. After she reaches the altar and steps aside, the organist starts to play the traditional Mendelssohn wedding march. As she walks down the aisle on Elijah's arm, her eyes are fixed on Damon's. He looks so handsome in his black suit and bow tie. As soon as they reach him, Elijah hands her off and steps aside, while Damon and Elena kneel at the altar. Before he begins, he takes her hand and gives it a squeeze. He's never seen her look more happy or more beautiful than she does right now. After nodding at Damon, he begins the ceremony.
As soon as he pronounces them man and wife, Damon lifts the veil off of her face and kisses her like it's their last kiss, full of pent up passion, want and need. When the music starts to play, they pull apart, link their hands and march back down the aisle. As soon as they step outside, they're bombarded by handfuls of rice and well wishes. Happier and more content than he's ever been, Damon leads her down the steps and into the awaiting carriage. It will take them to the dock where they'll depart for their honeymoon cruise.
Four Years Later:
Although the city is rising from the depths of destruction, there's still much rebuilding to do. By some miracle, Damon's bar sustained little damage and reopened approximately six months after the catastrophe. In addition to supervising the reconstruction, Damon along with Elena and Sheila went house hunting, finally settling on an ocean front property. It's a three story Victorian home with Dormer windows in the third story loft. Their second floor bedroom opens up to a deck facing the Pacific ocean. There are four columns in front of the ground level porch that always faces the water. The color is a beautiful Dutch blue with white trim on the window shutters. The grass is manicured to perfection. There's a white picket fence in the front yard facing the street while the backyard is huge with a dock made of wooden planks, leading to the water, that Damon and Brady built together. Afterwards, Damon bought a boat from the Shepherd Company. It seats four to five. Often Damon, Brady and Elijah go out on a weekend afternoon to do some fishing.
When Sheila offered to move to Los Angeles to give Damon and Elena privacy, Damon took her by the arm and the two of them went for a long walk. He reassured her that if that's what she truly wanted, he would help her move. But she was more than relieved when Damon said in no uncertain terms that he didn't want her to go. Since she is getting a little older, Damon insisted that she have a ground floor level bedroom. The two of them went shopping together as he wanted her to have the most comfortable bed and sheets that money can buy. They're all very happy having the Pacific ocean as their backyard. The large apartment above the bar has been renovated. Damon wanted to keep it so they had someplace to go if they wanted to go into town for a late night of dinner and dancing. Rather than take the long carriage ride back to their home, they have the apartment.
The biggest change in their lives came two years later when their twin sons, Thaddeus James and Theodore Brady where born. Now two years old, they're all gathered for their birthday party. Hearing a knock at the door, Theo scampers into the kitchen. "Mommy, door."
"Okay baby, let's go see who it is," she says, picking him up. "Where's Thad?"
"He wiff daddy," he says, bobbing his head up and down as they walk towards the front door. Pulling it open, Elena smiles widely when she sees her brother standing in front of her.
"Unca," Theo says, reaching for the man. Gladly taking his namesake into his arms, he steps inside. After arranging the boy on his hip, he gives Elena kiss on the cheek. Pressing his little hands on either side of his uncle's face, he squeezes Brady's cheeks together and tells him very seriously that it's his birfday.
"I know if it is, that's why I'm here," he says, adding, "Where's your brother?" after he looks around but doesn't see the other identical little replica of his best friend.
"He wiff daddy," he says, seriously. "You bring me something?"
"Theo," Elena chides gently, knowing that with Brady's meager salary, it's hard for him to purchase incidental things like birthday gifts. Lifting Theo out of his arms, she sets him on the floor and tells him to go find his daddy and brother. Bobbing his head animatedly, he scurries out the backdoor where Damon and Sheila are preparing the barbecue grill. Seeing his brother on the sitting at the picnic table playing with his toys, he goes over to join him, soon completely immersed in playing cars with Thad.
Hearing footsteps, Damon turns around, wipes his hands on his apron and then walks over to shake Brady's hand. "It's good to see you, Brady."
"You too, Damon. Whatever you're cooking smells divine," Brady laughs, then turns to Sheila, "And how are you?"
"I'm doing very well, Fr. Brady."
"How is Rudy and the family?"
"I'm going to go to visit them at the end of the month for my granddaughter's birthday."
"I believe I remember you told me that they adopted another baby. I'm sure you're excited?"
"Very much so. Now Father, why don't you sit yourself down so we can eat these delicious steaks?"
"Yes mam," Brady laughs and after giving her a mock salute, he takes a seat beside his nephews. After they finish eating, Elena and Sheila retreat into the house, coming back moments later with two birthday cakes, identical except for the name on it. Once they all sing happy birthday to the boys, the cake is cut and the homemade ice cream is served, they watch as the boys open their gifts, squeals of excitement and a warm breeze blowing in off the ocean fill the air. While watching their sons with a huge smile on his face, Damon steps beside his wife. Taking her hand in his, he winks and lifts it to his lips, exactly like he did when he saw her in his bar not all that many years ago.
Rolling off of her, Damon's body is still in a state of euphoria. His body erupts with goosebumps when the light breeze from the ceiling fan blows over his sweat dampened skin. Still feeling boneless, somehow he raises up on an elbow and drops a kiss to his wife's forehead. "I love you so much," he says, his voice hoarse and husky after their intense coupling.
"I love you too, Damon. You should get some sleep, you promised the boys you'd take them out on the boat tomorrow."
"They're a handful but I wouldn't trade them for anything. Thank you for giving me this life, Elena. I'm happier than I ever could have imagined. I love you and those boys so very much. But I would love to have a little girl that I can spoil rotten too," he adds with a wink.
"We'll just have to keep practicing then," Elena adds, licking her bottom lip slow and seductively.
"Don't do that sweetheart," Damon chuckles. Laying down on his side, he pulls her over, her back to his front, wraps an arm around her middle, buries his face in her long hair and then closes his eyes. Soon Elena feels the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest. With her body still alight, Elena raises her eyes to the window. Starring at the lazy dance of the wispy curtains as the breeze from the ocean drifts across her, she can't help but remember their wedding night. It was a night much like this. They were in their stateroom on the ship as it cruised south towards the warmer Mexican waters.
When he offers his hand, she gives it to him. With a smile on his face, he leads her from the dining room to their room, stopping on the deck for a few minutes to admire the view. The moonlight is glimmering off the surface of the coal black sea. It's more beautiful than Elena could have ever imagined. As soon as they step into their room, Damon closes and locks the door then spins her around. With deft hands, he starts unbuttoning the delicate pearl buttons of her dress. When he finishes, he gently lowers the garment, revealing the bare skin of her shoulders and decollete. Sinking to the floor, Damon helps her step out of the dress. With her nod, he pulls her bloomers down to her ankles, lifting one and then the other to remove them. Once she's completely bare, he stares at her with such reverence that her heart starts pounding so hard that her breath catches in her throat.
Goosebumps begin to prickle and dot her skin when he drops his lips to the delicate skin behind her knee to her thigh, blazing a trail of heat as his lips slide across her body. After finishing one side, he repeats the same on the other leg. Feeling a little lightheaded, she grabs onto his shoulders when her breasts start to heave. When his hands reach up to cup them, his mouth pays homage to the crease of her thigh, sucking the skin between his lips and biting gently. When she starts to teeter, she feels him smiling against her flesh. Standing up, he lifts her into his arms and promptly deposits her on the bed. Never taking his eyes off of her, he quickly disrobes and then joins her on the bed.
"You're so beautiful, Elena," he says with eyes so full of love that Elena nearly melts. Before she can take a breath, his mouth is on her again, this time he's dropping his lips around one of her nipples. Suckling and biting and licking and teasing, she's soon a quivering mess, her body light and airy feeling.
While his mouth is engaged, he lowers an arm, using his hand to separate her legs. She jerks when she feels his hand beginning to stroke her soft and very wet flesh. But when he gently pushes a finger inside, she gasps at the unfamiliar feeling. Slowly at first to get her used to it, he then speeds up and adds another finger. After stealing one more heady kiss from her lips, he slithers down and places his mouth on her tender flesh. With his teeth, tongue and fingers, it takes mere moments for Elena to fly, her chest heaving and his name magically escaping from her mouth. When she finds the strength to open her eyes, she finds him staring up at her. The reverential look on his face is almost enough to send her tumbling into the vast unknown once more. "I love you, Elena," he repeats, capturing her lips in a kiss so intense, it feels like her legs are rising off of the mattress.
Repositioning himself on top of her, he takes himself in hand and starts rubbing her folds with the head. And when their eyes meet once more, she nods. With their eyes fixed on each other's, he pushes inside, the stretch painful and yet she welcomes him. "Damon," she whimpers, trying to fight the onslaught of tears that are threatening. Cupping her face with his hands, he presses a kiss to each eye and then her mouth. While their lips are joined, he starts to move again. In and out, he establishes a gentle rhythm. With pain morphing pleasure, Elena starts shifting her hips in concert with his. Moaning aloud, Elena drops her hands to the curve of his bottom, pulling him in deeper as she struggles for purchase. Seemingly wanting more, Damon starts pushing in higher, harder and faster. Feeling her belly begin to burn and tighten, she screams aloud when he hits her sweet spot, sending her body into convulsions so hard that she nearly loses consciousness. Barely coherent, she feels him thrust not once but twice more before she feels the heat of his release, her name leaving his lips in an epiphany of sorts. Unable to hold himself up, he collapses onto her, his face buried in the space between her neck and shoulder. Feeling the hot puffs of his breath against her damp skin causes her skin to prickle.
Breathless and panting, moments later, he rolls off of her. Taking her hand in his own, he pulls it to his lips, plying it with kisses. "Are you okay?" he asks, dropping his eyes to hers.
"I'm perfect," she whispers. Rolling over, she spreads his arm out and nests against his chest. The last thing she hears before falling captive to the night is a soft whisper of "I love you."
When she feels him shift his position, pulling her a little closer to him, she looks up once more just as a cloud is crossing in front of the moon. Tired and blissfully sated herself, she lets her eyes drop closed to join her husband in the land of dreams and happily ever after's.
The End.
The California earthquake of April 18, 1906 ranks as one of the most significant earthquakes of all time. Today, its importance comes more from the wealth of scientific knowledge derived from it than from its sheer size. Rupturing the northernmost 296 miles (477 kilometers) of the San Andreas fault from northwest of San Juan Bautista to the triple junction at Cape Mendocino, the earthquake confounded contemporary geologists with its large, horizontal displacements and great rupture length. Indeed, the significance of the fault and recognition of its large cumulative offset would not be fully appreciated until the advent of plate tectonics more than half a century later. Analysis of the 1906 displacements and strain in the surrounding crust led Reid (1910) to formulate his elastic-rebound theory of the earthquake source, which remains today the principal model of the earthquake cycle.
At almost precisely 5:12 a.m., local time, a foreshock occurred with sufficient force to be felt widely throughout the San Francisco Bay area. The great earthquake broke loose some 20 to 25 seconds later, with an epicenter near San Francisco. Violent shocks punctuated the strong shaking which lasted some 45 to 60 seconds. The earthquake was felt from southern Oregon to south of Los Angeles and inland as far as central Nevada. The highest Modified Mercalli Intensities (MMI's) of VII to IX paralleled the length of the rupture, extending as far as 80 kilometers inland from the fault trace. One important characteristic of the shaking intensity noted in Lawson's (1908) report was the clear correlation of intensity with underlying geologic conditions. Areas situated in sediment-filled valleys sustained stronger shaking than nearby bedrock sites, and the strongest shaking occurred in areas where ground reclaimed from San Francisco Bay failed in the earthquake. Modern seismic-zonation practice accounts for the differences in seismic hazard posed by varying geologic conditions.
As a basic reference about the earthquake and the damage it caused, geologic observations of the fault rupture and shaking effects, and other consequences of the earthquake, the Lawson (1908) report remains the authoritative work, as well as arguably the most important study of a single earthquake. In the public's mind, this earthquake is perhaps remembered most for the fire it spawned in San Francisco, giving it the somewhat misleading appellation of the "San Francisco earthquake". Shaking damage, however, was equally severe in many other places along the fault rupture. The frequently quoted value of 700 deaths caused by the earthquake and fire is now believed to underestimate the total loss of life by a factor of 3 or 4. Most of the fatalities occurred in San Francisco, and 189 were reported elsewhere.
Huge thank you to Eva. I love you very, very much.
Huge, huge thanks to all of you. You're all the very best. I do mean that sincerely.
Chapter title: 'So This Is Love' from Cinderella.
I did post a one-shot yesterday called "Holding Out For A Hero". I hope you'll give it a look.
Have a safe and lovely weekend. We'll see you next time and thank you again.
