Hello, my lovely readers. We've got some Delena for those of you miss them and this is the next to last chapter. On with the show…
Chapter 7: Because I Love You!
Damon woke up the day after being kidnapped. Why should he have known that being in New Orleans would end up with something freakin' weird happening to him? His mind felt blurry until he felt a nose nuzzle into his chest. Oh, yeah. That's what happened last night.
"Damon, can we talk?" Elena asked him, following him into the room they were sharing—thanks to that fact that there weren't that many rooms at the inn.
Damon rolled his eyes, took off his jacket and tossed it over a chair in the corner. "It's been a long day, Lena. I've got to get some sleep."
Elena huffed and he sighed, turning around and staring at his ex. "What?" he snapped, widening his eyes to show his annoyance. He should just go catch up with Enzo and the new Mikaelson sister to see what kind of craziness they could become a part of.
Walking over to Damon, Elena stopped inches from him. She looked nervous. Usually he'd enjoy this. He liked it when she got all worked up before delivering one of her speeches that would end with them naked and happy. Right that moment, he wanted to run from the room. He was trying to let her go and being here felt like torture.
"Damon, when we realized that you were missing; I panicked. I felt, like more afraid, than I've ever felt in my whole life. If something happened to you. I don't think I'd ever get over it." Elena said, stepping closer to him and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I can't live in a world that you're not a part of."
"What are you trying to say, Elena?" Damon demanded, feeling his heart pounding away in his chest.
"I love you, Damon Salvatore, and I don't want to waste another minute not being with you," Elena proclaimed and Damon kissed her, spinning them around and falling on the guest bed.
"Good morning, sleep head," Damon whispered to Elena, kissing the top of her head.
Elena's head shot up and stared at Damon with wide, shocked eyes before she stumbled off the bed, wrapping a sheet around her. "Damon? What's going on? How did I get here? What happened last night?" she cried, looking around the room like she didn't remember it.
Damon felt his heart squeeze painfully. Of course, with his luck, she'd turn out to have another memory lapse and all the joy in his life would go right down the drain. "Elena, you're in New Orleans," Damon told her slowly, getting to his feet while Elena stared at him through her large eyes that melted him.
"Gotcha!" Elena shouted, laughing, and Damon let out a growl, moving across the bed and grabbing her. She fell underneath him, letting out a shriek of laughter while he buried his face in her neck. "I'm sorry. Did you really think I forgot, again?"
"Yes, and I can think of any number of ways that you can make it up to me," Damon replied, tugging at the sheet.
"Enough already. Some of us actually need to sleep!" Hayley yelled, flinging the door open and Elena let out a startled gasp, covering herself up. Hayley stood in the doorway with her baby on her hip. The child sucked on her thumb, her eyes red-rimmed. "You know, my kid has supernatural hearing and can't sleep with you two acting like a couple of idiots all night long?"
"Sorry," Elena said, scooting off the side of the bed. "We were just about to come downstairs."
Damon rolled his eyes, glaring at Hayley. "Thanks for that Wolf Mommy," he snarked, getting to his feet and wrapping a sheet around his waist.
"Elena!" Caroline called, coming to stand beside Hayley. "Good morning, Hayley. Hello! Good morning, Hope!" she greeted the mother and super baby. "Oh, you look even cuter in the morning," she began to make cooing noises at the baby and Damon had to stop himself from gagging. Yeah, the kid was cute but come on, already. Get over it.
"Anyone who doesn't want a show: Get out!" Damon ordered the females who weren't sharing his bed.
Hayley and Caroline gave him withering looks before they walked out the door. "Elena, we're going downstairs talking about Hayley's wedding. She seriously needs help with fashion tips and bridal everything!" Caroline called on her way down the hall.
"Shut it, Forbes," Hayley warned.
Damon rolled his eyes. Walking into the bathroom, he found that Elena had already showered and was brushing her hair. "Hey, I thought you would wait for me," he complained.
"Do you really think that leaving Caroline and Hayley alone is a good idea?" Elena inquired.
Damon smirked at her in the mirror. "They have Elijah to keep them from ripping each other's throats out. And Klaus. Maybe. It's their problem. We're on vacation. That means we're supposed to be having fun."
"Yes, a friends' vacation. Matt's here and we have to make sure he lives through this trip. And what about Enzo? Aren't you at all concerned that he took off with that new Mikaelson sister who we know nothing about?" Elena quipped, turning around and sliding her arms around his neck and her fingers into his hair.
Damon cocked his head to the side. "Matt is a big boy. And he's hanging out with that human waitress who seems to be pretty alive to me. As for Enzo, he needs to have a little fun and so does that Freya chick. Let them blow off some steam." Picking Elena up, Damon carried her into the shower. "Speaking of steam," he said, turning on the water. Elena giggled as he began to kiss her neck, all arguments forgotten.
Walking downstairs with Elena on his arm, Damon felt pretty damned good until he got downstairs to find everyone yelling at each other. "You bloody well had me locked up in that bloody house and I could have been killed!" Rebekah accused Kol.
"You look very much alive to me, sister!" Kol retorted, picking up a roll and moving to take a bite when Rebekah waved a hand and Kol's roll went flying. "Hey!" he yelled, waving a hand and sending his sister's drink flying, orange juice spilling over her red top.
"You!" Rebekah cried.
"Stop this at once!" Elijah ordered his younger siblings.
Klaus leaned back in his seat. "Let them get it out, brother!" he cried, turning to Caroline who seemed to be avoiding him. "How is your breakfast, darling?" he inquired.
Caroline started to answer when Enzo came in, singing at the top of his lungs. "I kissed a girl and I liked it," Enzo sang and Damon's eyebrows rose. Now he knew Elena was right. He should have kept a better eye on Enzo if his poor friend was going to start singings Katy Perry songs.
Freya danced into the courtyard, her long hair flying around her as she took Enzo's hand and they spun around in wide circles. "You are the best company a girl could ask for," she cried with a laugh.
"You say that now but you've yet to see what I can offer," Enzo told her with a grin.
"Ahem," Elijah coughed to gain the drunken couple's attention who had begun to make out right in front of the entire family. "Perhaps you might take the time to dine with your family, Freya," he suggested, getting up and waiting for Freya to take a seat.
Freya looked at Elijah with a wide smile. "Elijah, thank you for the invitation." She moved to take a seat next to Klaus who got to his feet, blocking her way.
"I suspect that our new sister has much more interesting places to be," Klaus cried, narrowing his eyes at Freya. "You understand that these are the holidays and given the fact that we have yet to figure out where on earth you came from, we would prefer to keep the celebrations closed for the time being." Smirking at Freya, Klaus seemed to believe that discussion was over and returned to his feet. "Where were we, love?" he asked Caroline.
Freya interrupted. "It seems to me that you have quite a few guests that are not family gathered today, Niklaus," she said, pulling the chair beside him out, taking a seat and Enzo took a seat across the table from him, beside Hayley who gave him an irritable look. Freya looked at Damon, Elena, Caroline, Matt, Cami, Davina and Jackson. "None of these people are family, are they?" she asked, waving a hand at each of them. "And who is this?" she asked, eying Hope.
"That's my daughter," Hayley snapped, glaring at Freya.
Freya stared at Hayley. "And you are not our family either."
"Yes, she is," Rebekah snapped. "Hope is Nik's daughter and Hayley is her mother which makes her one of us."
For a moment, Freya only sat in her seat, staring at Hope with such intensity that Damon felt uncomfortable. "You have a child, Niklaus?" Freya inquired, her tone light but her eyes hard.
"Yes." Klaus glanced at his older sister with a smirk. "and you, sister, have any more Mikaelsons that we should know about?"
Shaking her head, Freya got to her feet. "I must be going." She got to her feet and Enzo got up, looking worried.
"It's always wonderful to see you, sister," Klaus called after Freya, his tone sarcastic while he smirked at the rest of the people gathered around the table.
"That wasn't weird at all," Hayley said, pulling Hope out of her highchair and placing her on her lap.
Caroline nodded. "That was kind of freaky."
"Why?" Klaus inquired, picking up his fork. "There's nothing to worry about with that one other than finding out who she really is and what she wants with our family. Caroline, you must not concern yourself with these matters. We have more pressing matters to concern ourselves with."
"The party tonight," Caroline said, nodding, a smile appearing on her face.
Damon felt happy that Klaus had found a way to distract Caroline from her worries about her mom. That was the main objective of this trip. Elena turned and Damon smiled at her. "Are you looking forward to the New Year?" he asked her.
"With you, I look forward to every new year," Elena replied, leaning over and kissing him.
"What kind of party are you planning?" Matt asked, reminding Damon that he had come on their trip. Why did he keep forgetting their human?
Caroline looked to Klaus. Klaus smirked. "It's a surprise," he told Matt who gulped.
Kol picked up the salt shaker and Rebekah flicked her wrist, causing Kol to pour salt on his lap. "Bloody hell," Kol grunted.
Rebekah grinned. "I'm bringing Marcellus as my date," she told Klaus who rolled his eyes.
"Am I supposed to be shocked, Bekah?" Klaus inquired.
"Who's Marcellus?" Caroline asked, looking from Rebekah to Klaus.
"My son," Klaus answered at the same time that Rebekah said. "My boyfriend."
"Ew," Matt's nose wrinkling. "This family is beyond twisted."
Cami let out a chuckle. "Tell me about it and I've only been around them for a year."
Elijah threw his napkin on top of his plate. "I will be in my study," he told them, walking away.
Damon shoved his chair. "Look what you guys did, you pissed off my favorite Original." Shaking his head, Damon got up. He walked away from the table and into the house. "Hey, Elijah, what's got you panties in a twist?" he called, peering into rooms, looking for Elijah who had opened a bottle of bourbon and filled two glasses.
"Damon, shouldn't you be enjoying your precious moments with Elena. Our life affords us so few moments of happiness that we must make the most of those we acquire," he said, taking a sip of his drink and sitting down in a chair behind his desk.
Damon took a seat opposite Elijah. "Sounds like someone's not enjoying the spoils of war here in the Big Easy. What's with the depression? Did the dry cleaner leave a wrinkle in your favorite jacket?"
Elijah let out a dry laugh. "Damon, I can say that I have been remiss without your wit."
Grinning, Damon leaned back in his seat. "Gee, I missed you, too."
Elijah took another sip of his drink. "What are you and your friends fleeing from this time?" he asked, his eyebrows rising.
"Caroline's mom's got cancer and we're trying to cheer her up," Damon replied, draining his glass.
Elijah frowned. "I'm sorry to hear that. Sherriff Forbes seemed to be one of the few decent humans I have come across in my time. Is she in a great amount of pain?"
"Maybe. The docs are doing what they can to try to keep her comfortable," Damon said.
Elijah nodded. "Does Klaus know?"
Damon shook his head. "Knowing Caroline, she hasn't told him."
"I'm sure my brother would do anything to make the rest of Miss Forbes' stay here as pleasant as possible if someone were to tell him," Elijah said, looking thoughtful.
"And that person will not be me because I have to go back to Mystic Falls with Caroline," Damon retorted. He smiled at Elijah. "But you don't." Elijah refilled Damon's glass and they clinked their glasses together in a toast to a new plan for the New Year.
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Peace,
Jessica
