Chapter 10: Animal Crackers

"Shh. Do you WANT Klaus to hear us?!" Alaric said when I stepped on something as we approached the door I'd been hearing sounds behind. I could hear Jeremy's heartbeat and Klaus'...chuckles? I didn't even know he was capable of humor.
"Sorry, it doesn't really matter though. He's an original. He knows we're here probably. The good news is that Jeremy appears alive a well." I mumbled.
"Sometimes I wish I had vampire hearing, so I couldn't be snuck up on. Mere gets a sick pleasure out of scaring the shit out of me. Se forgets I can't use that Gilbert ring anymore. Maybe she's going to take out insurance on me and then off me for the money..." Alaric sighed.
"Ok, paranoid. Let's focus on the goal here, Jeremy. On three, open the door and I'll make my entrance." I said, smugly wiggling my eyebrows.
"Jesus Christ, Damon. I'm not a girl, your charms fail me. Anyways, sounds like a plan. Just don't get killed or anything. We're here to save Jeremy, not you too." Alaric whispered.
"Whatever, here we go. One...two..."
Son of a bitch. I told him THREE. Alaric ripped the door practically off of its hinges at two and there I stood, looking a total idiot as Klaus gawked up at me and Jeremy burst into giggles.
I had to remember to kick Ric's ass for that stunt.
"Well Klaus, imagine running into you here." I said nonchalantly as I entered the room. I took in the surroundings as I walked. Toys were scattered all over the floor. Klaus and Jeremy were on the floor coloring on an oversized coloring book. Klaus had changed...for the weirder.
"I just wanted to spend some time with little Jeremy, love. No need for theatrics. I will be needing his blood, but finding a witch willing to do that resurrection spell is proving...shall we say, difficult." Klaus said.
"We'll why in the hell did you kidnap him to New Orleans, then." I was confused.
"I thought I could find a witch to perform the spell and I didn't feel like having to go retrieve the boy then." Klaus replied matter-of-factly. "But seeing as that hasn't been fruitful, I suppose it is time to return to Fall's Church. Perhaps my April isn't supposed to come back after all." He looked so defeated and lost, I actually felt bad for him.
"Fancy giving us a ride, boys?" He said, finally looking up.
"Hell, why not." Alaric said from behind me.
As we all departed from the room, Jeremy burst into tears. I immediately whirled around, fearing that Klaus had decided to not cooperate after all. Jeremy was looking at the ground as he sobbed and following his gaze, I realized what I'd stepped on when we were approaching that door. A box of animal crackers lay brutally murdered no doubt from Uncle Damon's clumsiness. I wrapped my arms around the boy and hoisted him onto my hip. While I wiped his tears away, I said "It's okay, buddy. I'll buy you two more boxes to make up for the one I carelessly killed. Okay?"
Sniffling, Jeremy nodded his head and then wrapped his arms around my neck as he snuggled deeper into me.
The walk to the car and drive back to Falls Church was quiet and actually pleasant. The occasional joke was even exchanged as Jeremy slept in my lap in the back seat with Klaus and Ric in the front.

When I heard the sound of Damon's car approaching the mansion, a sigh of relief escaped my lips. Stefan had gone to bed once he knew his brother was bringing his son home. Tyler and Rebecca had gone out for drinks with Matt. Elijah and Katherine had gone to retrieve more blood and Meredith was still surveying the crime scene that just this morning was Klaus and April's bedroom. Bonnie and I flanked Caroline on the couch in the library, all in our pajamas, as we waited for the boys to get back. Care was still a basket case. The three of us were snuggled up under a very soft, very large blanket.

Moments like this made me glad that I'd come back. It was almost as though we were three human women instead of two vampires and a (very powerful) witch.

We'd all drifted off to sleep and I was jolted awake by the sound of the front door opening. Had I not heard Damon's car coming, I may have jumped at the sound. Alaric came in first with Klaus, gesturing to me to keep quiet, which was not a problem since Caroline would likely try to kill Klaus when she saw him again. I gestured that Meredith was still upstairs and Ric drug Klaus up the stairs in that direction.
Then Damon came in and my heart literally melted in my chest. Jeremy was softly snoring in his uncle's arms, his head burrowed into Damon's shoulder and his arms wrapped tightly around Damon's neck. I didn't want the moment to end, but knew Care would kill me if I didn't. I gently nudged her and she awoke. Groggily, her eyes fluttered open and then she was next to Damon in a split second and taking Jeremy into her own arms, thanking Damon profusely. She even kissed his cheek before ascending the stairs to put Jeremy to bed. Bonnie was still fast asleep. Damon quietly approached the couch, picked her up, and rushed her to her and Matt's bedroom before returning to me and extending his hand.
I took it and was led upstairs to our bedroom. While in route, he leaned in and whispered "Nice PJs." It was then that I looked down and realized what was on my pajamas. Little images of Rolling Stones mouths with fangs and the words Bite Me under them were scattered all over my black top and pants. I giggled as we entered the room, never feeling so relieved to see a bed in my life.
"This day has been hell." I sighed as I pulled the covers back and slid in. I looked up as my head hit the pillow and saw the look on Damon's face. I propped myself up on my elbows and raised my eyebrow as I asked him what that look was for.

I wanted to say it right then and there but I knew it wasn't the right time. Story of our relationship. Instead I told her that I was just happy to see her. I slid into bed next to her and wrapped my arms around her small frame. If I got to do this for forever, I'd likely be the luckiest man to ever live. And the happiest vampire.
She curled up in my arms and I felt her sigh against my chest. Softly I stroked her hair and felt her entire body relax all at once. She pulled back and looked up at me. "I don't believe for a second that that look was just you being happy to see me."
Ah, shit. Plan B. "You're right. I was scared to death that you would be beyond pissed at me for taking off like that. That look was me realizing how wrong I was. I just don't get why."
"Damon, after what I did all those years ago, I didn't deserve to know when you were going to take off or where. I still don't. I'm beyond sorry for what I did and I understand if you can't forgive me." A single tear fell down her cheek as she finished talking. I wiped it away with the pad of my thumb and before I could stop myself, my lips crashed into hers.

After what I'd just said, the last thing I expected was for my lips to be consumed by his. In a way, it was his version of forgiving me. The floodgates opened and I struggled to fight back the sobs building within my chest. He caught on and abruptly drew back, looking at me with such concern that my heart swelled and the sobs finally broke through. He pulled me against him and soothingly rubbed my back and hair, trying to get me to calm down.
"'Lena. Listen to me. I forgave you long ago. All this guilt and sorrow you harbor, it's unnecessary. You absolutely deserve to know when I run off and where. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. It isn't going to happen again. I promise." His deep voice calmed me as much as his words did.
"B-but why?" I sniffled, looking up at him again.
"You really don't know?" Confusion flooded through my body before the realization hit me like a brick wall.
"Still? Seriously?"
"Yep. Even after all this time. Even after everything."

Well, I guess it was now or never, somehow, for the first time, it was the right time. She had figured out that I was still in love with her. I only had to practically beat her over the head with it. I looked down into her eyes, waiting for the inevitable words she had said so many times before, proving once and for all my love was unrequited.
Instead, my whole universe came to a halt as she spoke.
"I love you too, Damon. It's always been true. I'll always be in love with you." She sweetly smiled up at me as I tried my damnedest to respond, shit, to fucking breathe.
"Seriously?" "Seriously."

The look on his face could have literally lit up the whole of Falls Church. I couldn't help myself. I crushed myself against him as our lips met again and our tongues fought for dominance. The straps of my tank began sliding down my arms followed by the gentlest of touches. Our lips parted as our mouthes explored one another's bodies again. Familiar as we were with one another, I never got enough of the taste of his skin, the smell of him. He was my other half and I was his. We weren't skirting around it anymore. The truth was out and we were finally free to just...be.

Fast forward four hours and I lay with Elena in my arms again, sans clothes. Her breathing was finally stabilizing and I kissed the top of her head while she drew circles on my chest. It was now or never, Salvatore.
"Hey Elena?" I said. "Hmm..." She hummed in response, causing my smile to widen to dangerous proportions.
"I think you should like totally be my girlfriend." I smirked at how childish that sentence sounded.
"Totally? Hmm...I totally think that would be like, super." I felt her grin widely as she said it.
I tilted her face up to mine and kissed her gently before kissing her forehead and letting her rest. My eyes fluttered closed as my personal heaven softly snored in my arms.