"What are you doing Stefan?"

"Uncle Zach? What are you doing here?"

"I came to spend a little time with Damon, maybe take him out for something to eat. Why are you lying to him about Elena? And don't lie to me," Zach demands, rounding on his nephew.

"You see, um, Dr. Mikaelson said that he should remember things at his own pace rather than us trying to foist recognition on him. He's not stable yet and he thinks that if he finds out about her when he can't remember, it might make his mental state worse. And of course there's mom and dad. They don't want him to know about her right now either."

"Why are you all so afraid of Elena?"

"Afraid of Elena? Don't be ridiculous, Uncle Zach. No one is afraid of her, they're only concerned that she could cause Damon to have a setback, one that he won't recover from."

"I don't trust you, Stefan. Sometimes I think you don't always have the best interests of your brother at heart. But I am willing to honor your wishes for now. But I promise you this, I will be talking to your parents."

"Go ahead, talk to them. They'll tell you the same thing," Stefan scoffs, his tone condescending.

"Oh, I intend to." Well aware that Stefan can be less than honest sometimes, Zach decides against provoking him further. Knowing Stefan as he does, he might use Damon to get back at him and that's the last thing he wants. Having seen Stefan's manipulative ways up close and personal one too many times, he backs off. Although his door is always open to Damon, he's wary of Stefan's motivations right now. What's in it for him if Damon never gets better? Although he hasn't a clue right off hand, he repeats to Stefan that he'll do what he asks for now. After sharing a piercing looks, Zach turns his back on Stefan and walks away.

"Wait! Where are you going?" Stefan asks loudly, approaching Zach again.

"I told you that I came to see Damon. I drove all the way over here and I'm not going back without seeing him."

"You will keep your mouth shut, right?"

"I told you I would, Stefan, now if you'll excuse me, I'm going to see your brother." Once Stefan backs off, he walks down the hall, gently rapping at the door when he gets to Damon's room. When he hears a faint "come in", he goes inside. Seeing that his nephew looks completely distraught literally pulls on every one of his heart strings. He hates to see Damon so despondent and lackluster. The young man he knows always had a zeal for life, embracing it fully. Despite that, there was always a bit of a hesitance with him. But when he met his Elena that's when Zach really noticed how good she was for his nephew.

"Damon, um come in," Zach tells him, stepping aside to let Damon and the girl into his home. As soon as he pushes the door closed, he turns to face his nephew.

"Uncle Zach, this is my girlfriend, Elena," Damon says, introducing the girl.

"Hello, Elena. It's a pleasure to meet you."

"You too. As cliché as it sounds, Damon has told me so much about his favorite uncle," Elena adds, offering her hand. Taking it in his, he gives it a squeeze, inviting the two of them to join him in the kitchen.

"I was just about to eat. Are you two hungry?"

"I am, what about you, Elena?"

"I could eat," she laughs, sitting down once Damon pulls out a chair for her.

"So what are you guys doing here? Did I forget something?"

"I just wanted her to meet you. And because Elena's last name is Gilbert...," Damon says softly. Zach notices how his eyes dart between him and the girl.

"Relax. I'm not your dad." Damon gives him a grateful smile then takes a seat beside his girl. Zach puts a couple of more hamburgers in the pan and then pulls the French fries out of the fryer. "So what do you two have planned for the day?" he asks, handing each of his guests a plate before sitting down to join them.

"I'm to take her to Flathead Lake. We're going on the scenic raft trip."

"If you have room for one more, I'll go with."

"That would be great," Elena agrees, taking a big bite of her hamburger. "This is really good. Thank you, Mr. Salvatore."

"Please, it's Zach. Mr. Salvatore is Damon's dad." As soon as they finish their lunch, Damon and Elena help him clean up. As soon as Zach changes into some shorts, they drive to the Flathead Raft Company, pay for their tickets then wait in line to get on the rafts. Zach watches how his nephew is with this girl. He's seen Damon with girls before when he's driven to Whitefish but this is the first one that Damon has brought to meet him.

"Damon?"

Hearing his name, Damon raises up and rolls onto his other side so he can see who it is. "Uncle Zach?"

"Yes, Damon, it's me. How are you?"

"I'm crazy, how do you think I am?" Damon snaps, burying his face in the pillow.

"Damon, none of this is your fault. Please don't blame yourself."

"I can't help it. I want to go home but Dr. Mikaelson said I do perverted things. I don't remember doing bad things, Uncle Zach."

"Damon, from what I know, it's because that part of your brain was injured," Zach mentions, trying to placate the young man. Placing his hand on Damon's shoulder, he looks directly into his eyes when he raises his head.

"But what if I never get better?"

Feeling his heart twist at his nephew's despair, Zach tries to project some confidence for the young man. "I pray everyday that you'll get better, Damon. I'm going to go ask for permission first but if it's okay, do you feel good enough to let me take you out of here for a couple of hours?"

"I'd like that," Damon affirms, sitting up on bed.

"I'm going to go find out if they'll let me sign you out. I'll come back either way," Zach reassures him. Giving his shoulder one more squeeze, he walks out of Damon's room, pulling the door shut behind him.


Once Zach signs the release, he walks back to the room to get Damon. As soon as they're out of the building, Damon points to the clouds, showing Zach a T Rex shaped cloud that moments later, blown by the wind loses its identity. Smiling, Damon slides into the car. After buckling his seatbelt, he rolls down the window. Breathing in the fresh air, he lays his head back and closes his eyes, only opening them when he feels the car come to a stop.

"Where are we?"

"A good friend of mine is a smokejumper, stationed here in Missoula. I thought maybe you'd like to look around a little bit."

"Really?"

"Yeah, come on," Zach says, stepping out of the car, Damon following along. Stepping inside, Zach walks up to the desk, asking for his friend Enzo St. John. Almost as soon as they sit down, a man approaches the two of them.

"Zach, how are you?"

"I'm good, Enzo. This is my nephew, Damon. I thought maybe he'd like to see the place."

"Damon, it's good to meet you," Enzo says, extending his hand to shake his.

"You too. I kind of know what smokejumping is but not exactly."

"Follow me, I'll show you around," he says, leading the two men further into the building. As they're walking along, Damon is awed by the pictures on the walls, turning his attention back to Enzo when he starts to explain his craft. "Smokejumping was first proposed in 1934 as a means to quickly provide initial attack on forest fires. By parachuting in, self-sufficient firefighters could arrive fresh and ready for the strenuous work of fighting fires in rugged terrain. The smokejumper program began in 1939 as an experiment in the Pacific Northwest Region, and the first fire jump was made in 1940 on Idaho's Nez Perce National Forest in the Northern Region. In 1981, the first woman smokejumper in the nation successfully completed the training program at the McCall Smokejumper Base in Idaho.

Today, Smokejumpers are a national resource. Jumpers travel all over the country, including Alaska, to provide highly-trained, experienced firefighters and leadership for quick initial attack on wildland fires in remote areas. Fire fighting tools, food and water are dropped by parachute to the firefighters after they land near the fire, making them self-sufficient for the first 48 hours. Smokejumpers work from about June 1 through October."

"Wow," Damon blurts out, in awe of the man.

"It is exciting but it can be very dangerous too. Nineteen smokejumpers died in a 2013 fire in Arizona. And in 1994, Ten of us died in a Colorado fire so it's hazardous but it's still something I love doing."

"Adrenaline junkie ha?" Zach laughs, giving his buddy a playful punch in the arm. After Enzo finishes showing them around the place, they tell him goodbye and then head to McDonalds. Much sooner than he would like because he has to check Damon back in at the hospital, he and Damon jump into the car to begin the hour's ride back to the facility. As soon as Zach parks the car, he walks alongside Damon into the building. Once he signs his nephew back in, Damon starts to walk dejectedly back to his room.

"Damon, I'm staying overnight. I'll stop back to see you tomorrow before I drive home."

"Thanks for coming, Uncle Zach," he tells him, not raising his eyes. Closing the distance between them, Zach gives his nephew a hug. And though he wants nothing more than to tell Damon that he's going to be alright, he knows that he can't make that promise. After letting go of Damon, Zach waits till he goes into his room before walking out of the facility and to his car. Putting the car in reverse, he backs out and merges onto the highway, stopping only when he reaches his motel.


Tired from the long day, Damon puts on his pajamas and crawls right into bed. The nurse comes in to check him out, giving him a couple of Tylenol when he complains of a headache. Closing his eyes, he immediately falls into a restless sleep. Tossing and turning, he rolls from side to side. Half asleep, half awake, he flips onto his belly, finally falling into a deep sleep.

"My baby is dead and it's all your fault. You killed her and you killed me," the girl screams, pounding on his chest with closed fists.

"No, I wouldn't kill anyone," Damon protests, trying to back away from the brown haired girl. Backing into a wall, he can't go any further as she continues to pummel him, now slapping his face.

"You did, you killed me, you killed me. You destroy everything you touch."

Unable to say anything Damon just stares wide eyed at the girl. He can't make out her facial features. Damon closes his eyes and when he opens them she's gone as if she never existed.

Waking up in a cold sweat, Damon looks around the room. Seeing nothing, he curls onto his side, closing his eyes again.

Standing on the edge of the bridge, Damon looks out over the water. Seeing where the bridge was repaired, he runs his hand along the parapet, startling when he feels a bit of chill. Taking a breath, he clutches the parapet with both hands and leans over to look at the water. Suddenly he hears footsteps. Looking around he sees nothing so he brushes it off.

"You're a monster and you deserve to die," she screams, starting to pound on him again.

"No, no, I'm not a monster," Damon yells. Slowly he turns around, it's her again, the brown haired girl. This time she's holding the blue, lifeless, bloated body of an infant.

"You did this. You're a monster and you deserve to die," she repeats, shoving the body of the dead baby at him.

"Don't say that," he screams. Clutching his hands in hair, he starts to pull and tug on it.

"You're a monster and you deserve to die," she yells, this time he sees her face, contorted in rage and demon like. Damon backs away from her, stopping when his butt bumps into the parapet. Turning around quickly, he looks at the black water below. His eyes dart from her demonic form to the cold water below.

"You're a monster and you deserve to die. Do it, jump," she seethes, her glare scathing in its intensity. Scared shitless, Damon can't move, he can't breathe, he can't talk. The next thing he knows, he's falling blindly, the surface of the water getting closer and closer.

"Help me, help me," Damon screams. Jumping out of bed, he pounds on the door of his room. "I killed them, I know I killed them. I'm a monster!" he cries, now slamming his head against the wall. Moments later, the men in white barge in. Pinning him to the bed, one of them pulls down his pants, exposing his butt cheek. Damon fights against the men, screaming, "Why can't I remember? Why doesn't she have name?" Although the men aren't being cruel, he continues to struggle against them but is powerless to stop what comes next. Feeling the needle go in, he finally stops fighting. After pulling his sleep pants back up, the guards and the nurse turn out the lights letting Damon alone to drop off into a drug induced sleep.


After checking out of his motel the next morning, Zach drives to a restaurant to get some breakfast. Staring outside, he looks up when the waitress refills his coffee. Taking a sip, he picks up a newspaper and starts to thumb through it. Thanking the woman when she brings his omelet and hash browns, Zach starts to eat. The food here is delicious so the next time he comes to visit Damon he'll bring him here for a meal. He wishes he could help the kid. Although he and his brother really aren't close, he's always enjoyed spending time with his nephews. Stefan has always had a devious side. Even though Damon is no saint, he's never been manipulative. Once he finishes, he pays his bill, leaving a nice tip for his waitress. Hopping in his car, he drives back over to the hospital to spend a little time with Damon before he has to drive back to Polson.

"Hi, I'm here to see my nephew, Damon Salvatore," Zach says at the desk.

"Damon had a bad night."

"Really? Can you elaborate?"

"I see that your name is listed in his chart. He went a little crazy, yelling and screaming and pounding on his door. They had to sedate him."

"No," Zach says, running his hand through his hair. "Can you tell him that I stopped?"

"Of course," the woman says, giving Zach a piece of paper to write a note for his nephew. When he finishes, she hands him an envelope. After stuffing it inside, he starts to walk towards the door. Just as he's about to pull it open, he hears footsteps quickly approaching him.

"Mr. Salvatore, I'm Dr. Mikaelson. Can I have a few words with you?"

Zach nods, walking beside the man as he leads him to his office. "Have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?"

"Sure," Zach replies, taking the cup from Elijah's hand when offered.

"I'll get right to the point. Damon seemed quite excited when he came back from spending time with you yesterday. I don't know what upset him overnight but because he was severely agitated and a danger to himself, the nurse had to sedate him. I'm afraid he's still sleeping it off. What is your relationship with Damon?"

"I'm sure you know that he's my nephew. Until the accident, he used to work at one of the raft companies in Polson during the summer. He lived with me during that time. So yeah, Damon is important to me."

"I didn't know that."

"Stefan tells me that he's still hallucinating?"

"Yes, it's almost always the brown haired girl. Mr. Salvatore, I'll be candid with you. I have asked Damon's parents and his brother about the mythical girl but they tell me that she's just that, a myth. I can't shake the feeling that there is some basis in fact to her though. Do you know anything about a girl like that?"

"I don't want to do anything to harm his recovery. Look, between you and me, I have an idea about who she is but before I say anything, I need to talk to Damon's parents."

"I appreciate your candor, Mr. Salvatore. Please let me know one way or the other?"

"Is there anything else?"

"No," Elijah replies, tenting his fingers. Zach stands up, shakes Elijah's hand then sees himself out. Once he's in his car and on the highway, he's determined to have a word with his brother about the girl who he knows without doubt is Elena.


Although he had a long day, Zach is too pumped to sleep. Sitting in his study, he starts to read a book. Hours pass like minutes and when he looks up, he sees that it's nearly one thirty in the morning. Yawning, he puts the book down and stands up, stretching his limbs. Just as he reaches to turn out the light, he hears the door knocker. It's completely out of the ordinary for him to have visitors at this time of night, he grabs his pistol and walks towards the door. Peeking through the curtain, he sees the silhouette of a guy and a girl. After turning on the light, he looks out again, this time recognizing the girl. Completely shocked as to why she's here, he pulls open the door.

"Elena?"


Huge thanks to my dear, dear sister and friend, Eva. Love you.

Huge thanks for all of you for your fabulous reviews. I just love this DE so much.

Chapter title: 'A tout le monde' by Megadeth.

And this chapter is where I got the idea for 'Through the Fire and Flames'. I did post my one-shot 'Train of Consequences'.

Be watching for my 2016 holiday story which should start posting at the end of the month.

I promise, we're this much closer to Elena finding him. I will tell you that the majority of the chapters take place after she does. This is a long slow moving story.

Please remember to click the review button.

Have a safe and wonderful day. Until next time.