Title: Blood Relatives 8/12
Author: EdieZee
Rating: PG-13 ish
Based on: TV series
Relationships: Damon/Elena
Disclaimers: I do not own anything. Sadly...
Summary: What if Stefan wasn't the only "family" that Damon had?
Mystic Falls 2009
Damon leaned one arm against the window and looked outside, but he didn't really register anything that he saw. He squinted against the sun beating down on him through the glass and seriously considered ripping off his ring.
It was over. One hundred and forty-five years, and it was over. He had failed Katherine. She was still stuck in that tomb, and he was still alone.
He had lived so long with that one goal and with the idea that getting her out would somehow make up for everything – for everyone – else that he had lost along the way. But now that was no longer an option, and he had no clue what he was supposed to do now. Where he was supposed to go.
Who he was supposed to love.
"So…any idea where you'll go?"
Damon had been so lost in his own thoughts that he hadn't even noticed his brother walk into the room, but he wasn't surprised that Stefan's question echoed his own contemplations so well. He and Stefan thought more alike than Stefan would like to admit, after all.
"I don't know. London, maybe. See some friends."
The words were out of Damon's mouth before he even truly thought about them. It kind of made sense in a way, though – after having lost his chance at getting back one woman he loved, why not switch his efforts to getting back another woman he loved? He knew she was in London; he had used his contacts and threats to keep tabs on her ever since she had disappeared from his life the last time he was in Mystic Falls. Would she be willing to talk to him now? Or did she still think he was a monster?
"You don't have any friends, Damon." Stefan's words hurt Damon more than he wanted to admit, even if only to himself. The words were true, obviously – Stefan obviously wanted him gone, Katherine was lost forever, and he was kidding himself to think that Gretchen would ever let him into her life again.
He had no one.
Pain and anger and a little bit of self-loathing twisted in Damon's gut. "You're right, Stefan, I only have you, so…" Damon turned away from the window to walk toward his brother. "Where are we going?"
"We are not going anywhere," Stefan responded. "I'm going to live my life as far away from you as possible."
Damon didn't know which was worse – having Stefan tell him to his face that he wasn't wanted, or having Gretchen disappear without a word. Even all these years later, the ache of having Gretchen gone from his life still burned deep within him, but he couldn't do anything about that. He could, however, take out all of his hurt on Stefan. If he had to suffer, then Stefan could deal with his acting out.
"But we are a team! We could travel the world together….we could try out for The Amazing Race!"
Damon couldn't help but think of the fact that he and Gretchen had traveled the world together – or at least part of it, and they were well on their way to seeing the rest of it when he had made the incredibly stupid mistake of giving in to her request to see Mystic Falls.
But, even as he regretted that choice every day, he couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't really a good thing in disguise. What would she have thought about him if she could see him now?
She would probably look at him with the same level of disgust and hatred that Stefan was looking at him with.
And he wouldn't have been able to handle that. In many ways, if he was being completely honest, that would have been a thousand times worse than losing Katherine. He had no idea what that meant – losing Katherine should have been the worst thing he could possibly imagine, especially after waiting 145 years for her.
But, deep down, he had to admit to himself that it wasn't the worst thing. The worst thing was that Gretchen seemed less accessible in London than Katherine did in the tomb – and there was no amount of magic in the world that could help him with that.
Mystic Falls 2012
Damon played with the drink in his hand, longing to turn around to look where Elena was sitting with Bonnie. He just wanted to see her, to take in the sight of her like a balm to the ache he felt since turning down her attempt to be with him.
The temptation burned deep inside of him. If he let himself, he knew that he could easily believe that she truly did want him instead of Stefan. That she wouldn't eventually decide to leave him and go back to his brother.
And, even if she did eventually go back to Stefan, a part of him was trying to convince himself that that wasn't a huge deal. So what if she did? At least Damon would have been able to be with her for a little while. Wasn't a little bit better than nothing?
Damon clenched his teeth and then knocked back the rest of his drink, forcing those thoughts down. He didn't have much willpower, obviously, but he did have enough to resist this. No, he told himself, it was not better to have a little bit at least. He wanted everything. Maybe he didn't deserve everything, but he wanted it.
He wanted love and acceptance and comfort and to be someone's first choice. He wanted a love that would be more than just love… he wanted a love that would be family.
He wondered if he would ever have that again.
Someone touched his shoulder, pulling him out of his thoughts. He turned to face the intruder, and he couldn't believe his eyes.
Gretchen.
"Gretchen?" His voice sounded odd: Strangled. Shocked but happy. Confused and a little afraid that this was a dream. Hopeful but painfully aware that he had no reason to hope.
Before he could say anything else – and partly to confirm that she was really there – Damon stepped forward and pulled his daughter into an embrace.
Once again, I'm sorry. I feel like apologizing is all I'm doing with this fic! Never again will I start posting a story until I'm close to being done with it…
Fortunately, I am on Spring Break so I will try to get a couple chapters posted ASAP. This chapter was always intended to be short – it's meant to be a transition between the "old" Gretchen experiences and the "new" ones.
