Here's another chapter! Scarlett2112 recently recommended this fic on one of her updates and I'm so honored. Everyone please go check out her stories! She has a ton and most if not all are complete aside from the ones she regularly updates!

Sidenote, as of Tuesday I will be out of the country on vacation. I really want to get this entire story posted before then, so expect multiple chapters a day from here on out.

Chapter 10

I sat down at a vacant table at The Grill with my sandwich to eat lunch while on my break. I started work at seven this morning and it was now one, so I was starving. But at least I got off at three so I had the evening to myself.

Or maybe not to myself, I thought as images of Damon's lips on mine flashed through my head. I hid a smile as I took a bite of my sandwich. Last night was definitely something else, something I hoped would repeat sometime soon.

However, I was not fortunate enough to get to eat my lunch in peace with only my fantasies about last night to think about. Caroline plopped down in the chair across from me with a knowing smile, one that made me narrow my eyes at her.

"What's that look for?" I asked.

She smirked, "Nothing. Just heard a funny story."

"About what?" I asked hesitantly, taking another bite.

She shrugged innocently, "Not much. Just two adults that acted like a couple of love-struck teenagers by making out against a tree."

My eyes went wide, "Caroline! How did you—"

"My mom's the sheriff, Elena!" She rolled her eyes. "What is wrong with you!? Why didn't you tell me the second you saw me this morning!?"

I giggled, "I had tables to serve, Care. Believe it or not, you are actually my boss, and I didn't think you'd like to receive complaints about bad service while we gossiped about a guy."

She huffed, "True as that may be, I still think I deserved to hear it from you rather than my mom."

"And how did you want me to tell you? Show up at your house in the middle of the night hoping on the off chance that you'll be awake or home?"

She scowled, "You seriously need to get a phone so you can text me."

I knew it probably seemed weird that I didn't have a cell phone, or any phone, so I told Caroline that I lost my phone while moving up here and haven't gotten around to getting a new one. I didn't really have an excuse not to get another phone, other than the money. I'd get one eventually, when I decided to start a new plan under a fake name. Yeah, I was sure that would go over well, what with the legality of faking my identity and all.

"Well for now you're just going to have to get the juicy gossip from your mom." I said teasingly.

She rolled her eyes, "Um, my mom can't tell me if the kiss was good or not."

"Neither am I." I pointed out. "That's between Damon and I."

She smirked, "That means it was good. So what happened after you kissed?"

I laughed a little, "Nothing. We made out, then he left."

"He didn't try for more?" She asked in disbelief.

"Nope." I confirmed. "He said he'd see me soon, and that was that."

She shook her head, "I don't think I'll ever understand why he's so different with you. Don't get me wrong though, it's a good thing. It's sweet how he's actually making an effort with you. I really think you two are going to last. I mean, not only are you both hot as hell, but you actually like each other. Damon's a hard guy to like."

"No he's not." I rolled my eyes. "He's just not for everyone."

"Same thing." She made a face and waved her hand in the air. "And you're no bucket of sunshine either. I mean, look at you with your…um…dammit, why do you have to be so perfect?"

I laughed, "I'm not perfect, Care. Trust me."

"Oh whatever, everyone has to say that." She said and left it at that. As I continued eating, we fell into a short moment of silence until Caroline blurted out, "So, did you get to meet 'little Damon' yet?"

"Caroline Forbes!" I screeched, feeling my cheeks turn pink.

She smirked, "Fair warning, 'little Damon' is not so little, so I've heard." I buried my face in my hands and she continued, "Did you at least feel it while making out?"

"Oh my god!" I groaned. My face was never going to not be red again! Just so she would stop asking questions, I said quietly, "No, I did not do anything that involved that! I can't believe you're making me talk about this!"

She giggled, "Don't be such a prude, I mean, it's not like you're a virgin, right?"

I gave her an unimpressed look, "Of course not, but that doesn't mean I'm just going to walk around telling everyone about my sexual experiences!"

"And that is where the two of us differ." She smirked. "Besides, it's not like I tell these things to strangers. It's you, of course I'm gonna give you more details than you'd ever want."

"Lucky me." I deadpanned, putting the last bite of my sandwich in my mouth.

"So when are you seeing him again?"

I shrugged, "I don't know. I was a little too distracted to ask for details about our next date."

"Yeah you were." She said lewdly, wiggling her brows.

I giggled then said, "I was thinking of stopping by his shop today since I need to pick up a few things and I was hoping to see him there."

"This time, make sure you fill me in on all the details! As your best friend, it's my job to know everything that way if things go bad I'll be able to help."

I smirked and stood up, gathering my trash, "I'll be sure to give you a complete annotated essay."

She grinned, "I'll expect it on my doorstep by ten o'clock tomorrow morning!"

I rolled my eyes as I threw the garbage away then went back to work. The last hour and a half of my day breezed by, and I even got a thirty dollar tip from an older couple. It was a good day, and I was in a good mood for the first time in years. I felt like I was walking on clouds, happier than I've ever been all thanks to one amazingly sexual kiss. Damon was making me feel things I don't think I've ever felt, and as much as it scared me, it thrilled me even more.

After my shift, I headed home to change out of my work clothes before heading over to the store. When I walked inside, Lily was at the counter reading a book. She smiled widely when she saw me, "Elena, sweetheart, it's good to see you!"

"Hi, Lily." I smiled back at her, casually glancing around the shop to see if I could spot Damon.

"Damon told me about your date last night." She said knowingly, a smirk much like her son's on her lips.

"Oh, he did?" I wasn't really sure what to say, but I certainly hoped he hadn't gone into the details like Caroline did.

She hummed, "Mhm. It's about time that boy finds a nice girl to get serious with."

I smiled to myself at her words despite the daunting idea of being serious with him. I didn't want what we were doing to be a fling, but I didn't have the right to ask him to get serious with me when the kind of baggage I come with is potentially life-threatening. Ignoring the way my heart pounded out of fear, I said sincerely, "I really like him too." As I picked up the few things I needed, I asked, "So where are Mia and Alex today?"

"Down at the docks." She added, "With Damon, because I know that's why you're really here."

I smiled guiltily, not even bothering to deny it, "Thanks."

She chuckled, "Leave your stuff here and go down there. You can pick it up on the way home."

Before I could argue, she grabbed my bag and set it behind the counter, and who was I to deny her? Instead I just thanked her and headed outside to look for Damon and the kids. True to Lily's word, I spotted them at the end of the dock. I wasn't sure how I had missed them before, but then again I was kind of preoccupied with wondering what Damon was going to do when he saw me. Would he kiss me again? I certainly hoped so, but I wouldn't blame him if he didn't. We'd be in public rather than right outside my house, not to mention in front of his family.

Damon was helping Alex fish off the end of the pier while Mia sat on a blanket with what looked like some dolls. I took a moment to stand there and appreciate the sight in front of me. They may not be a conventional family, but they were a family, and that was something that I hadn't had in a long time. It was something I still wanted, desperately, and here was Damon, presenting me with an open opportunity to have it.

I've wanted to have kids all of my life. I'd love to have a big family someday, with a husband that loves me unconditionally and children that are perfectly imperfect. In my perfect world, I'd still have my parents here to meet their first grandchild, and I'd already be married to the man that would worship me like a queen and love me through everything.

But this wasn't a perfect world, and I was beginning to realize that maybe not all of my dreams were attainable, at least not in the exact way I wanted them to be. So maybe I wasn't married to the right guy yet, and maybe I didn't have my parents anymore, but I had Damon, and his niece and nephew, and Caroline and even Lily.

As I watched Damon interact with the two kids he practically fathered, I allowed myself the dangerous thoughts of what I would look like with them. How it would look for me to be by Damon's side with a ring on my finger and our niece and nephew enjoying their day outside.

I stopped those thoughts almost as quickly as I permitted them, then reminded myself I was getting way ahead of our relationship. Damon and I had shared one steamy kiss, and been on one date. It was far too early to be dreaming about any of that, despite the rapidly growing feelings I had for him. The sincerity of my feelings could be questioned given my past. Was I just projecting myself onto the first guy that was nice to me? Did I really like Damon or did I like that he treated me like a human being? Did I want a relationship with him or was I just seeking some sense of normalcy by throwing myself into another relationship so soon after my last one?

As I pondered those questions, I knew without a doubt that I liked Damon because of him, not for any other reason. I'd had multiple guys hit on me at work, and even a couple coworkers tried to make a pass, but I shut them down every time. Damon got past my defenses though, and he did it during the first time we met when I watched him interact with Mia. He held her with such care and regarded her with so much love and respect.

It proved that he wasn't capable of hurting me like Matt did. Any man that would let me into his children's lives earned a chance in my book, and Damon more than proved himself trustworthy.

Just because I felt raw inside didn't mean I was incapable of feeling. I just guarded my heart a little closer and placed my trust more carefully.

If I learned anything from Matt, it was that I shouldn't just sit there and take things. If I wanted something, I needed to go after it for my own sanity.

Mia was the first one to see me, and as soon as she did she squealed my name and began running towards me. Damon's head shot up at the sound and he sent me a stunning smile just as Mia wrapped her arms around my legs.

"Elena, Elena, you're here!" She beamed, her thick brown hair in pigtails and her smile gapped and wide.

I picked her up and balanced her on my hip, saying, "Hi, Mia. What are you doing out here?"

"Uncle Damon and Alex are fishing, but not me 'cause fish are yucky. They smell bad."

"They do smell bad, don't they?" I said, scrunching up my nose. Damon started waving me over so I began walking towards him as Mia started talking about her dolls. I set her down on the blanket with a promise of joining her in a moment, and Damon left Alex to fish alone for a few minutes to meet me.

The first thing he did was cup my face and pull me in for a kiss. I smiled against his lips and placed my hands on his chest, feeling his hard muscles ripple beneath my fingers. When we separated, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

I shrugged, "Just stopping by after work. I had to get a few things at the store so your mom is holding them for a while."

"Well I'm glad you decided to stop by." He smirked, kissing me again.

"Uncle Damon!" Alex shouted, and we separated to see him trying to reel in a fish. Damon immediately went to his side to begin helping him pull it in, and I took the opportunity to sit down with Mia.

The two of us watched them work for a minute until finally a fish about a foot long emerged from the water and began flopping around. Mia squealed that it was gross and slimy while Alex argued that it was a fish, that was how it was supposed to be.

Damon took a few pictures of him holding up the fish, and then he helped him unhook it and throw it back in the water. Mia returned to playing with her dolls and as I watched Damon put some more bait on the hook for Alex, she asked me, "Is Uncle Damon your boyfriend?"

She asked loud enough that Damon heard her, and I glanced over at him just in time to meet his smirking gaze. I blushed slightly and looked back to Mia, then said, "I don't know, sweetie, but I hope he will be one day."

Another glance at Damon showed his smile as he explained something to Alex about being careful with using the right lures.

"And then you'll be my aunt?" She asked.

I shrugged, "Maybe. It just depends on if your uncle and I decide we want to be with each other."

She nodded thoughtfully then said, "I think you should be his girlfriend, because I don't have any aunts, and I want one."

I smiled softly, "I'll keep that in mind."

My eyes once again met Damon's and he winked at me, making me blush even harder. I quickly looked away though I couldn't hide my smile as I listened to Mia's instructions so we could play dolls.

A little while later Alex asked Damon, "Can we check the trap now?"

Damon motioned towards where there was a rope tied to a post of the pier and said, "Yeah, let's go see if we got anything good."

Alex, bouncing on his heels from excitement, asked, "If we catch a crab, can we eat it? What if we get a lobster? Can we eat it too?"

That then triggered Mia's response, "No, you can't eat him!" She abandoned her dolls and hurried over as Damon began reeling in the crab trap. "He's a animal and he's alive just like us! You can't kill him!"

Alex argued back, "But how do you think we get crab and lobster from the store? Just like this, but someone else kills them."

"No!" She screamed, on the verge of tears. "Uncle Damon, don't let him kill them!" She cried.

Since Damon had his hands full with pulling up the trap, I hurried over to Mia and picked her up just before her tears started. She buried her face in my neck and sobbed heavily while I rubbed her back and attempted to soothe her fears.

"Shh, Mia, we won't let them die. We'll throw them back in the ocean and they'll go back to their lives, okay?"

"But—" Alex started to argue, but a firm look from both me and Damon made him stop. He sighed dramatically then said, "Mia, we won't kill them."

She sniffled and rubbed her eyes, then looked down at him, "Promise?"

Damon spoke up, closing the couple feet between us to kiss her cheek, "Promise, baby girl. Now let's see what we caught."

I crouched down and set Mia on her feet, but held her close between my bent knees when she backed away from the metal trap that Damon hauled onto the dock. Several brown, crawly creatures were inside of it and Alex shouted, "Whoa, cool!"

Damon opened up the top to get inside, and he carefully picked up a crab so it wouldn't pinch him with its claws. Mia backed up even further into me to get away from it, but her eyes were glued to all of the animals. He started throwing them into a cooler, and after helping Alex pick up the only lobster, they emptied the other three crabs into the box.

He then looked to Mia and said, "See Mia, we got them all right in here, and later we'll go throw them back down at the beach where I told you they all live, alright?"

She nodded, albeit hesitantly, then slowly walked towards the cooler to look inside. Her little nose scrunched up and she said, "They're icky, Uncle Damon."

He chuckled, "Yeah, they're not very cute, huh?"

"Mm-mm!" She shook her head, then when Damon closed the top she returned to her blanket and sat down

Damon asked me quietly so Mia wouldn't here, "Can you watch them? I'm going to take this inside to cook up later."

"Won't Mia know?" I frowned.

He rolled his eyes, "She does this every time we go fishing. By dinner, she doesn't even realize they're the same crabs and lobsters."

I laughed softly and nodded, then he walked back towards the shop.

Alex asked me, "Elena, can you help me put a worm on the hook?"

"Um…" I hesitated, having never fished before in my life. How hard could it be? "Yeah, sure."

I wasn't squeamish about worms. When I was little, I'd always save them from drying up on the driveway after it rained. In high school I had to dissect one in biology. I could handle worms. But getting it on a hook while it's wiggling and squirming? That was a different story.

As I picked up one of the worms, Alex began explaining, "Damon doesn't let me do it myself because he thinks I'm going to stab myself with the hook. You have to be careful, because it has a barb that stops anything from getting off of the hook."

I tried to wrestle the worm on the hook so it wouldn't come off, but it was proving harder than I expected it to be. I must have dropped it three times before finally skewering it, except in the process I ended up poking my own finger and slicing it open.

I cringed and shook my hand, "Ow!" Alex laughed. He laughed while I started bleeding, and I narrowed my eyes, "What are you laughing at, mister?" He giggled again and I smiled, "Can you go find Damon and ask him to bring a first aid kit?"

"Yeah, I'll be right back." He said, taking off in a run for the shop.

"Are you okay, Elena?" Mia asked quietly.

Realizing she looked a little scared, I smiled encouragingly, "I'm fine, sweetie, just a little cut. Nothing a bandage won't fix in a few days."

"Okay." She said, seemingly pacified.

My finger was slowly bleeding all over my hands since I didn't have anything to press against the cut, which made it look a lot worse than it really was. Alex came running back towards me, the door flying open behind him, and Damon was following him. He started off walking, but when he saw my bloodied hands he started running.

"Elena? Oh my god, what happened? How bad is it? Do you need stitches?" He rambled, the first aid kit in one hand.

He grabbed my hands before I could argue and started inspecting them as I said, "No, Damon, I'm fine. It's just a small cut that bled a lot." I showed him the small slice on my left middle finger and he sighed in relief, "That little thing caused all of this blood?"

I smiled, "Unfortunately."

He grabbed a water bottle that had been sitting on the pier and opened it up, pulling me over to the edge so he could rinse off all the blood into the ocean. Then he grabbed some antiseptic and poured that over the cut, and I cringed when it started stinging.

Damon smirked at me, "Cut yourself open with a fishing hook and the disinfectant hurts worse."

I playfully glared at him, "The hook didn't sting, doctor."

He winked then wrapped a Band-Aid around my finger, "All set. Now, promise me you won't ever try to hook a worm again?"

I yanked my hand away from him and huffed, "Yeah, yeah, I get it."

Before I could get too far away, his arm shot out and wrapped around my waist, pulling me flush against him. My hands went to his chest and our noses were practically touching as he huskily whispered, "Does the doctor get a reward for healing his patient?"

I smirked to myself then replied, "I think Dr. Salvatore is very deserving of a reward…" We both leaned into the kiss and when our lips touched, it ignited my body. I had to consciously remind myself that two young children were right next to us and using tongue wasn't appropriate, as much as I wished it was.

Damon placed a few more quick kisses on my lips before he let me go, and I took my seat on the blanket with Mia who smiled up at me.

"When I get hurt, Uncle Damon or Grandma kisses it all better. Did Uncle Damon's kiss make it better?"

I laughed to myself, "Yeah, it did. Doesn't even hurt anymore."

"Not even a little?"

"Nope. Your Uncle kissed it all the way better."

"But he didn't kiss your finger, just your lips!" She argued, laughing.

Suddenly my hand was being lifted from my lap and Damon was bringing my injured finger to his lips to kiss it, "There, now it's all better." He sat down next to me and wrapped my arm around his shoulders as Mia giggled happily. He turned to me and asked, "You wanna join us for dinner?"

"I was actually just planning on eating leftovers…"

He looked at me disapprovingly, "So you're choosing eating leftovers alone over a home cooked seafood meal with all of us?"

"Please, Elena!" Mia begged.

How could I say no to them?

"Okay, I'll stay." I relented, earning a cheer from Mia.

She resumed playing with her dolls then and Alex was patiently waiting for a fish to bite, leaving Damon and I to ourselves. I ran my hand through the hair at the base of his neck, surprised to find that I liked his hair longer like this. I always though short hair on a guy was better, but I couldn't imagine him with short hair. It just wouldn't look right.

He leaned in to kiss me softly and my eyes fluttered shut. I brought my other hand to rest on his cheek, the just barely there stubble scraping against my fingers. His kisses were drugging, and so easy to get lost in. I could sit there all day attached to him at the lips, and I wouldn't have a single regret.

It was so obvious that we both wanted more, but it was unattainable at the moment, so I pulled away and tried my best to focus on the kids. However, Damon seemed to have other ideas as his lips trailed from mine to my cheek, jaw, ear, and neck. If he was trying to kill me by turning me on, it was working. His soft little butterfly kisses along with his whispered words of desire in my ear had me struggling to catch my breath.

Damn him for being so sexy and irresistible.

I whispered to him, "Unless you plan on taking me to a bedroom, I suggest you stop doing that."

He nipped my ear as a soft growl left his lips, "Don't tempt me."

Not much later, the four of us were returning to the shop where we went to the back room with Lily which was really more of a sunroom with the large screened windows. A deck that extended over the water was attached to it, and out there was a grill and a table. A small kitchen was in the sunroom where Damon and his mom prepared the food while I watched the kids.

Just like Damon promised, Mia hadn't thought a thing about the cooked crabs and lobster. Along with the seafood, there were mashed potatoes that tasted like heaven, and corn on the cob that was so buttered up I was considering going to the doctor to have my cholesterol tested.

It was all delicious.

Only after eating and helping them clean up, did I finally manage to convince Damon to let me head home. But it wasn't without numerous kisses that did nothing but weaken my resolve to leave.