I'll never let you leave me
I'll try to stop time forever
Never wanna hear you say goodbye
Diana has locked herself in her room upstairs. She refuses to come out or let me come in to sit with her. She's pretty torn up about not being able to be of more help to Stefan earlier. I've not seen her freeze up the way she did in the woods in a very long time. Something must have triggered that part of her that needs to feed regardless of the situation. Still, she shouldn't blame herself for anything that happened today. If anything it's my fault. I shouldn't have let Stefan get this bad.
As I go to run a bath in hopes of getting Diana to talk to me the doorbell rings. Who the hell is it? I'm not in the mood to talk to anyone. Today hasn't been the greatest. I'd like to at least try to obtain some level of normalcy before having to put on a happy face.
As I open the door Anna and her mother Pearl appear, "Not in the mood, today's been a no good, very bad day."
"Annabelle tells me you're looking for something I took from Jonathan Gilbert," Pearl says getting right to the point. I do like that about this woman. She doesn't bullshit.
"I'm listening," I respond before a golden pocket watch is handed to me. "What is it?"
"Jonathan was passionate about his inventions. He confided in me that he had created a detection device meant to track down the town's vampire element."
"It was a pocket watch?" I question not quite understanding the connection.
"That's what it turned out to be yes. But that's not what I stole. I discovered my mistake when I saw the watch in Jonathan's hand, the night he took us, it's stile pointed to me."
I flip the device around in my hand a couple times before sliding it into my suit pocket. I'll look at it more later. "What's the catch?"
"There is no catch. My daughter wants to stay here I want to stay here. You refused to trust us and for good reason. Consider this an apology."
Nodding I retreat back into the house. Right now Diana is my main priority. Everything else can wait.
While the bath water runs I change out of my suit and head upstairs. Diana's door is still shut but when I try the nob it opens. The blonde vampire is sitting on the window ledge wrapped up in the blanket from her bed. Her makeup is in streaks down her face. Her eyes wear a look of torment. "I just stood there."
"Hey," I whisper walking over to her and lifting her onto my lap. "You shouldn't blame yourself for that. You and I don't hunt that way."
"It shouldn't matter. All I wanted to do was join him in draining her. I haven't felt that since I was new. What's wrong with me Damon?"
"Shhh, nothings wrong with you. I don't know what happened today in the forest but none of it was your fault," I try and soothe her, my fingers slowly pulling through her curled hair. She really is gorgeous, even if she is crying.
"What if it's always like that from now on?"
"Then you'll just drink from blood bags. Everything will be alright," I respond giving her the answer that she wanted to hear. I don't know if I actually believe the words coming out of my mouth. I don't know how to handle this situation. "I have a bath going for you downstairs. Do you wanna sit and talk to me?"
Diana nods, resting her head against my shoulder as I pick her up and carry her through the house towards my room. She's already naked underneath the blanket. Unwrapping her I gently set her into the white porcelain tub. She refuses to let go of my hand. I stroke her cheek, wiping away the mascara stains.
"Will you come in with me Damon?" Diana questions after a few minutes of silence. A few tears still leak from the corners of her eyes but I think we've made it through the worst of it. She's gotten herself under control again.
Nodding I strip out of my clothes and climb into the tub. Diana moves forward so that I can sit behind her. As she moves towards me I run my hands over her shoulders and down her back.
"We have to help him Damon."
"I know."
"How?"
I let out a sigh, pulling Diana towards me so that her back rests on my chest. I like being able to be this close to her. Earlier today I thought I would never have this chance again. I screwed up lying to her. I screwed up trying to pretend like I wasn't thrilled when I saw her standing in the living room. I should've never pretended like I stopped loving her because I never did.
"I have an idea but I want you to be okay with it."
Diana nods, prompting me to continue.
"I have to call Elena. She's the only one he won't suspect. We'll get her to vervain him and then we'll lock him in the basement jail cell. That way he can detox and not hurt anyone else."
For a while the blonde doesn't say anything. Her breathing is even, fingers playing with mine. "Damon."
"Yes dear," I respond enjoying the sound of my name coming out of her mouth. If I could listen to that for the rest of my existence I'd be the most content man in the entire world.
"Can you promise to never lie or leave me out of something again? No matter what it is. I can handle it."
"I promise. Anything you want."
Diana nods before turning her head to lay her lips on mine for a second. "Lets do it."
1864
"Wait, where did you learn this game?" Stefan questions as we run from the house, pigskin tucked under my arm.
"A camp, one of the officers picked it up at Harvard," I respond throwing the ball towards my brother. "Catch!"
"Wait, what are the rules," Stefan asks as I run after him trying to get the ball back.
"Who needs rules," a female voice cuts through our banter.
Both of us stop, looking towards where the voice is coming from. A dark haired female stands on the front steps of our home. Although she is beautiful my eyes continue past her to a blonde in a light green dress standing behind her shoulder. The girls green eyes are fixed on me. For a minute I am unable to say anything, overcome by her beauty.
"Mind is I join you?" questions the woman with darker hair as she walks down the stairs towards my brother and I. The blonde stays in place as if nailed there by some invincible force. Although I know it is rude to stare I cannot take my eyes off her. I fear that if I was to blink she would disappear, proving to be some vision that my mind had created.
"You could get hurt," Stefan says, forcing me to bring my gaze back to the situation at hand. "My brother likes to play rough."
The woman laughs, moving closer to Stefan, "Something tells me that you play rougher." With that she snatches the ball away from him and hurries off into the garden.
"That is clearly a girl that wants to be chased," I announce hoping to get a moment alone with the blonde still standing on my front steps. "If you don't, I will."
This gets my brother moving and soon he is out of sight.
Walking up the steps I bow in front of the girl in the light green dress, "I'm Damon."
She curtsies back giving me a soft smile, "Diana. Katherine will be quite upset that you didn't both follow her."
"I had more pressing matters to attend to."
Diana laughs lightly, a sound like bells on a Sunday morning, "You are quite the charmer Mr. Salvatore."
"Only around my Miss…." I trail off not knowing her last name.
"Pierce, same as my sister but please, call me Diana," and with that she disappears back into the house.
The smell of blood rouses me from my sleep. Rolling over I open my eyes to Diana sucking on a blood bag. She hands one to me as I sit up. She'd slept in my bed last night claiming that she didn't want to be alone with her thoughts. Even though she agreed to go along with the plan I think Diana feels a little guilty about locking Stefan up.
"What were you dreaming about?" Diana questions as she slides back underneath the covers, her body pressing up against mine.
"The first time I met you. You thought I was going to upset your sister because instead of casing after her I came to talk to you."
Diana smiles, "If I remember correctly she was pretty upset you put a kink in her plans."
"Yeah well, she turned out to be a bitch anyway so serves her right."
Diana laughs, still that same church bell on Sunday sound yet her smile fades quickly. Her fingers trail over my cheek, burying themselves in my hair. She looks like she's got something to say but is trying to figure out how to put it into words. "She got what she wanted eventually though. Katherine always does. Is Elena still here?"
I frown, hating that Diana hasn't let the whole Katherine debacle go. Then again why should she? Katherine tore us apart and I let her…didn't even put up a fight. "Yeah. I should probably go check on her, make sure Stefan didn't escape during the night."
"I don't think Elena let him out if that's what you're worried about," Diana says sliding off the bed and heading towards the living room.
Groaning, I pull on a grey shirt and some jeans before heading after her. Diana's been hard to read ever since last night. It's like she wants us to be close but she won't let herself. Maybe I'm reading into it but I feel like she's keeping something from me, or maybe she feels like I'm still keeping things from her.
Diana is sitting on the couch playing with the devise Pearl gave me yesterday. She doesn't look like she has any more of a clue to what it is than I do. Nothing in this town can ever just be simple.
"Did you ever figure out what that is?" Elena questions coming into the living room. She looks like she didn't sleep at all last night. I wonder if she even left the basement.
"Nope. Whatever it is, it doesn't work," Diana answers before dropping the pocket watch onto the cushion beside her. Walking over I pick it up and slide it into my pocket before sitting down next to the blonde. She repositions herself so that her head is resting on my shoulder.
"Pearl didn't say anything else about it?" Elena asks.
"She thought she was stealing his vampire compass, but it was a pocket watch. That Jonathan Gilbert was a crazy scientist. Have you spoken to your uncle lately?" I respond.
Elena looks at the ground, her weight shifting from one foot to the other. I can hear her heart beat pick up. "I've been avoiding him, actually. That, and I've been here most nights."
"So you'll be here again tonight?" Diana questions. Her inquisition has caught me off guard. No one really questions what Elena does she just kinda does it.
"Is that a problem?" Elena asks seeming just as shocked by the question.
"Yes," I respond with a smirk trying to lighten the mood between the two girls. "You're a complete nuisance."
Elena laughs a little before heading towards the door, "See you two later."
"What was that?" I ask turning towards Diana.
She stands up, "It was just a question Damon. I didn't mean anything by it. You're kinda defensive."
Not knowing what to say I let out a sigh. If Diana wants to go back to hating each other I can't do anything about it. This girl is starting to give me whiplash. I don't know how to fix things between us if she won't tell me.
"I'm going to go talk to Stefan," Diana says starting to leave the room.
"Di, wait, please. What's going on? Last night was amazing and now you're pushing me away again."
The blonde turns around to face me. I walk across the room, placing my hands on her cheeks. Her green eyes look up at me. "I'm scared Damon."
"Why?"
"I was gone for so long. I'd be fooling myself to think you didn't move on. I see the way you look at her. I'm not upset about it I just don't want to get hurt or to hurt you."
"You think I'm in love with Elena?"
"I don't think you're in love with her Damon, I know you're in love with her. You used to look at me like you look at her. Like if something happened to her your entire world would collapse."
Taking a deep breath I try and control my anger. I can't believe this is her reason. Me being in love with Elena Gilbert; compared to Diana Elena is vanilla. The mere idea that I could love Elena is ridiculous. "I'm not in love with Elena Di. I swear. And I will do anything I have to to prove it to you."
Diana collapses into my chest, "I love you Damon."
"I love you too Di and I'm never gonna let you go."
Author's Note: I know i changed a few things but I feel like it helped things flow better. Also it's my story so I can change whatever I want lol. Thank you to everyone who has added this story to their favorites. Don't be afraid to drop a review I don't bite, unless you're into that ;). Anyways, happy reading. I love you all :)
