Damon's Chance at Love
by haldirsbaby
Note: Hey guys, thanks for all your reviews. I just wanted to say, that now is the time for Arie to actually start interacting with the characters, especially Damon. Damon is gonna change, and Arie will begin to acclimate herself with them. The next few chapters will be fillers, that skip to different things. I believe I will be putting in a little more sparks of romance with Damon and Arie...But I do not know...Later there will be more interesting tid bits about Hybrids revealed some may be shocking, and some things kind of lame...then again, I do not know. Please Enjoy!
Chapter Nine: Friendships Rekindled.
Stefan had just gotten off the phone with Elena in his room when he heard the door downstairs, open, shut and locked. He was not aware that anyone had left. Walking out into the hall, he found Damon coming up the stairs with arms loaded with suitcases, and train cases. Stefan gave him an odd look. He hated to ask, but it was clear what he had done. The stuff was Arie's.
"Damon, where have you been?" he asked just for the sake of asking.
Damon dropped the bags, instead of getting smart mouthed on him, he just stared at Stefan. "Well we have a new member of the house, little brother. Get used to it." he had his hand on the door knob of his room getting ready to turn it.
Stefan figured. Truth was, Stefan was going to get her stuff in the morning anyway, Damon had beaten him to it. "Alrighty then. Does she know about this?" he asked almost afraid of his answer, furling his brow waiting.
"Nope." he replied, emphasizing the 'P'. "And I am not giving her a chance to refuse. Besides I took care of everything for her. The hotel bill, packing her bags, and all. She is staying here with us, and I am not letting her leave."
Stefan noticed his tone, his insistence. He crossed his arms and stared at his brother with great curiosity. "What on earth is going on with you?" he asked out right.
Damon began twisting the knob again. He stopped hearing his brother's question. "Why would there be a problem? Can I not act kindly? Can I not see the need to protect those we both care about? Do you always have to see an ulterior motive in everything I do?" He sounded quite peeved at Stefan's question.
Stefan retorted, "Yeah, Damon, when it comes to you. I have to. I mean look at all the things you have done. It is a little hard to trust someone who is responsible for the bad things that follow him. Do you blame me?"
Damon had it. Had it with Stefan's accusatory actions. He slammed down the train cases, and came to stand in front of Stefan, nose to nose almost. "Listen here, little brother. There is a very barbaric and uncaring vampire out to kill your sweet little Elena. Arie, if what Rose told you is correct, is the possible solution to keeping poor little Elena alive, and that bastard is out to get her along with his sacrifice. Do you think it is wise to keep Arie unprotected, and vulnerable?" Damon spat out, his eyes wide, searching his brother's face. Stefan stood there, looking back at his brother, unafraid of him. When Stefan did not say anything, Damon huffed out a breath. "I didn't think so. You said the other day, it was your wish that Elena would not come between us, like Katherine. Alright, you got that wish. Regardless of how I feel about her, I let her go, and am resigning on just keeping her safe. Now I have my terms as well, do not let Arie get between us."
Stefan looked at his brother, it was obvious that Damon was dealing with an internal battle, he respected that he needed some space. But Arie was his friend as well, he had missed her and often thought of her, wondering how her life had went. He shook his head. "Alright Damon, it's a deal. Seeing how we both care for Elena AND Arie. It is a deal. You help me keep Elena safe and I will help keep Arie safe." Damon seem to relax some and even went to pick up the carelessly discarded train cases. "Here let me help, at least." he walked over taking the large hard, suitcase in his hands. Damon turned the knob to his room door, and looked in to make sure that Arie was still asleep. She was, rather hard he had to admit.
Stefan entered behind him and took the suitcases over and placed it into the walk in closet with the train cases. Coming out, he saw Damon standing there, just looking down at Arie, his face flat, his eyes unmoving. Stefan stood next to his brother, looking down at Arie. "I can't believe it is her. After all these years of wondering if she had survived, what her life was like. It is strange isn't it?" Stefan said quietly. Damon did not answer right off.
Damon sat on the side of the bed, while Stefan took the chair next to the bed facing him. Damon took the covers and placed up to her neck. She was on her right side, facing the two of them. Her eyes closed in slumber, looking peaceful. She glowed in the soft light of the lamp beside the bed. Damon reached out a hand, taking his fingertips, tracing her jawline, her cheek. 'She is so soft' he thought.
Stefan watched this tender act, amazed that this was his brother. He was not his usual self and Stefan sensed it. His attention was caught, when Damon spoke.
"You know, father blamed me everyday for losing her. Called me incompetent, a disgrace, a traitor even at times. It seemed that nothing I did, after I lost her, made up for her disappearing. You know, I spent countless years after, searching every face of every girl who passed by me, looking for her face. But I never saw her. But deep down, I thought there was no hope. After years of searching I gave up, and grieved that by that point, she was dead. Now, here she is. It is a little overwhelming for me." Damon said thoughtfully.
Stefan shook his head silently agreeing with him. It was the past. That is where it needed to stay. The good thing..no miraculous thing, was she was alive and now here. "You know, Damon, when you said all those years ago that you were sure we would see her again, you were right. Here she is." Stefan looked at Damon whose face genuinely lit up in a small smile.
"I did say that didn't I?" he looked down at Arie again. "I am glad she is back home, but it still overwhelms my senses. I can't lose her again, Stefan. It was my fault that I lost her. I will not do it again, I owe her that."
"WE will not lose her again, Damon. We are in this together." Stefan stood, yawned. "Well I think I am gonna a little sleep. Elena and the girls are coming over tomorrow to check on Arie." Stefan laughed lightly, "Elena is excited to get to know Arie, being a relative and all. Strange that is, she always seems to look on the bright side of things." Stefan walked over to the door and looked back. Damon was now standing at his dresser, getting out his night-clothes. "Nite, brother. Sleep tight."
"Nite." Damon said shutting the drawer and beginning to walk into his personal bathroom.
From the bathroom, Damon heard his brother shut the door to his rooms, he quickly shed his clothes and showered. Stepping out of the tub, he went to the bathroom door and listened for Arie. She was still asleep, but it sounded as though she was stirring. He donned on his black form-fitting tee-shirt, and his baggy plaid pajama bottoms. Combing his hair, he flipped off the bathroom light and went into his room.
Entering the room, he began flipping off the lights overhead, making his way to the opposite side of the bed to retrieve his pillow and a blanket. He was going to try and sleep on the couch by his window. Being near her too soon, would send his senses to maddening levels. Her scent that is. As he was reaching for his pillow, Arie started to get restless in her slumber, obviously being tormented by dreams. Concern racked Damon as he watched tears began to stream down her pale cheek. Her head flipped from side to side. She was mumbling in her sleep, but what she was saying he could not understand. He sat on the side of the bed, about to comfort her, when she cried out, then sat up, her eyes open, yet unseeing.
All instincts within him, but had been buried, seemed to slam into him. He climbed on the bed and knelt beside her taking her face in his hands and softly shushing her. She did not blink, said not a word, but the tears streamed down her cheeks as she began to sob. He searched her face, her expression was of horror. He had to wake her, he had to save her from the nightmare she was having. Taking his hands and moving them down to her shoulders, he gently shook her, calling her name out softly as he did. It worked cause she blinked looked around horrified and then caught sight of him. She leaned forward, grabbing him in a tight embrace, holding onto him as if he would suddenly disappear. Her tears soaked through his fresh shirt, as he stroked her hair and gently rocked her.
"Arie, sweetheart, what is it?" he asked situating himself on the bed and off his knees, taking her with him as he moved. She sniffled and laid her head on his shoulder.
"It's nothing, Damon. Just a bad dream." her voice came out horse.
"Now, Arie, don't tell me its nothing. Now out with it." he demanded. She looked up at him as stroked her hair.
"I-I can't talk about it Damon. I just can't." she told him pulling back away from him. He looked at her intently, his eyes widening searching her face.
Damon cocked his head to the side studying her. She was so beautiful sitting there on his bed, the soft glow of the lamp surrounding her like an angelic halo. She was wiping away her tears and running a hand through her hair. She seemed shaken by the dream. "Alright, if you don't want to talk about it, then fine. But how long have you had it?" he asked, not pushing her to explain.
"Years. But here lately, they come more often. In a nutshell, I relive all the years of torment that vampires did to me. Hell I haven't had a decent night's sleep in ages." she wiped a hand over her face. She was tired, Damon could tell. The night's events were taking a toll on her. He reached out and rubbed her back.
He took a finger and placed it under her chin and made her face him but she resisted him. "Arie, look at me." he softly commanded. She hesitated a moment, after seeming to think on it. She faced him, her eyes looking darken and tortured. "I am here. I will not let anything happen to you. You need to sleep, you lost a lot of blood tonight." he pushed the issue.
"I am tired, but the dream will only come again. It always does." she told him simply.
"If it does, I will be here. Don't worry, it is just a dream, it can't hurt you. I will not let it." he said taking a hand and brushing a stray lock of curly auburn hair out of her face.
Her eyes met Damon's. They were the same as they used to be, the same she remembered. Though he was no longer human, they still held the same warmth she remembered, but with something added to them. They seemed troubled deep behind them. She focused and was able to catch the glimpse of that trouble. She saw things that he had done, they were all unforgivable, but was done in a subconscious out cry for help. She felt sorry for him. Feelings of desperation, hurt, pain, and Guilt? Guilt laid there behind those unnatural blue eyes thick as tar, and hung to his UN-beating heart like a tick to skin. He reeked of this guilt. Why would he be feeling guilt? Her mind wondered. She smiled at him as she looked past the initial feelings in him to the depth of his core. There was still goodness in him, he just hadn't re-found it yet. He was changing from his old ways, she sensed it in him. He was like a delicate flower, starting to bloom. Once it was done, a new Damon would come out.
Arie scooted back on the bed and rested against the headboard. Damon positioned him self beside her. Placing her hand in her lap, she twiddled her thumbs as Damon sat there staring at her. She felt his gaze and became nervous. "What are you staring at?" she asked looking over at him.
"You." he said simply. He bit his bottom lip, in thought. "I never expected in a million years that I would see you again. I will admit I am amazed."
"You amazed!" she exclaimed, "I am amazed as well. I mean, I had heard of yours and Stefan's deaths, I grieved. The fact that you two had died, and Katherine had been tied to you, I made it my business to survive to avenge you both. I lived for a hundred forty years hating vampires for what they were. Well not all, I like the good ones, like Marcella, and of course you and Stefan, but that point is, I hate the bad ones. They scare me more than anything. When I heard that Katherine was entombed, I was angry, cause I would not get the chance to kill her myself. The other night when I saw you at the grill, I had hoped, prayed even that it was not you." She admitted.
"You wished it was not me?" he was confused, he looked almost hurt by it. She reached out to touch his arm.
"I hoped that it was not you, cause if it had been, that meant you were the one thing I hated in this world. A vampire. But when I saw you again earlier last evening, before I was attacked. I knew just looking at you, and then Stefan, that it was true. I was not so surprised. I knew of the stories of Katherine's association with you two. It was so like her to mess with the good things in the world and mess it all to pieces. That included you two." she stopped and looked away from him. "But deep down, I am glad. Cause at one time, I had no hope in anything, and with you and Stefan still around. I am hopeful again. Glad to get to see the two of you again. Especially you, Damon." A tear formed but she bit it back.
In his cold, soulless self, he was touched by this. He did not know what to say. He mouth hung open, trying to find the words but nothing came out. He sat up on the side of the bed. This new light was too much for him. He was glad, no happy that she was back, but it was a lot to swallow. He stood, feeling her eyes watching him, and walked over to his trunk of memories. Sifting through the contents, he found what he was looking for. He smoothed out the doll's dress and put the lid down.
"Damon, what the hell are you doing?" Arie asked from the bed. Damon did not speak, standing he managed to keep it hidden, walking back over to the bed. Arie looked at him curiously. "What is that behind your back?"
He sat on the side of the bed facing her. "Close your eyes, Arie." he urged.
"Wh-what are you doing, Damon?" she laughed out.
"Just close'em." He softly commanded.
"No! I will not until you tell me what that is behind your back." She demanded.
"Close'em or I will do it for you." He said mockingly.
She looked at him, unamused by his tone. Seeing he was serious, she huffed out a breath, and closed them. She was not prepared for what came next.
Damon grabbed Arie's hands and placed the doll in them. He smiled. "Now, open them." he commanded.
Arie opened her eyes, one at a time. She looked at him, then felt the doll in her hands. She stared at it, before squealing out. "LIZZIE!" she smiled broadly. Overjoyed to have something from her childhood once again. Something she cherished. She hugged the doll close to her chest. Then pulling it away, kissing the porcelain head and hugging her again. She looked at Damon, her heart filled with joy again. It had been so long since she felt this happy. With the little doll in one hand, she threw her arms about his neck. Pulling back, with Lizzie clutched to her chest, she looked up at him puzzled. "How? When did you find her?" she asked confused.
Damon felt pride, helping to bring joy to her. "When you went missing, father headed up the search for you. I went with them. We found her on the ground, underneath a large tree, on the last day of the search. I picked her up." he said to her sadly. "It brought no comfort to my heart, cause it was not you that I found. So I kept her."
"You had her all these years?" she was shocked by that revelation.
"Yes, as a reminder of you. A hope that one day, I could return her to the little girl who owned her." Damon said sincerely.
"OH, Damon." she said feeling sad. A tear formed again, but not of fear, or hurt, but of true-blue honest to goodness, flattery. "After all this time." she looked down at the doll.
A flash of memory came to her of the day she first received it. Damon had bought it for her for her sixth birthday. She remembered it well. At school, she was feeling a little down, that her mama and papa, did not have the money to get her a present for her birthday. No one seemed to remember her special day. At lunch time, all the kids played happily, leaving her out of the games. Stefan and Damon approached her to keep her company. As they had so many times before. They both asked her what was wrong, she told them honestly.
It was later that day, that Damon came by her mama and papa's place carrying a box, wrapped in pretty white paper and a huge pink bow. He handed it to her, smiling. Opening it, Arie had lept for joy, and threw her arms around Damon's neck. Her hugged her tight and asked her what she would name the doll. He smiled brightly when she had told him 'Lizzie'. It was his mother's nickname that his father had dubbed her.
She looked up at Damon, who was smiling softly now. "I kept her close, hoping that one day, if you came back, I could give her back to you. I had thought long ago, that that would never happen, but it seems fate made it possible." he told her.
"Thank you, Damon. I had all the luxuries a girl could have growing up with them, but this doll meant more to me than anything else. I missed her and never forgot that day you gave her to me." Arie said taking a hand and placing it on his cheek.
"I am glad, your happy." he took a deep breath and looked around. It was getting light out, and Arie was still looking a little tired. The Alcohol that he had consumed yesterday, though dissipated in him, he was growing tired. He looked at her, patted her blanket covered leg. "Well, I think it is time we get some sleep. You still look tired and I am beat."
She yawned just then, taking Lizzie and placing her on the nightstand beside the bed. Damon stood and walked over to the couch to lie down. Arie looked at him strangely. "Damon?" she started.
He was lying on the couch now, his feet up on the opposite end on the arm of it. Clearly this couch was too small to fit his six foot two length, he was closing his eyes. Without re-opening. "Yessss?" he emphasized.
"Damon, why are sleeping over there? I mean, clearly it is not comfy." she chewed on her bottom lip. This was awkward considering she had not ever been with a man, and that she had not been around him in a hundred and fifty-two years, but she did not want to be alone. "Would you-? Do you think, that you could come and sleep with me?" It was an innocent request. She knew it. But it had the opposite effect on Damon.
He heard her request, his eyes shot open, he sat up abruptly, and looked at her with wide eyes. "You. Want. Me. To. Sleep with you?" He clarified.
"You don't have to." she started looking at him innocently. "It is just-I am a little frightened of the dreams. I don't want to be alone. Hell we are both adults here. Not harm done."
Damon stared at her like she was joking with him. He could not believe this. He suddenly looked shocked. He did not know what to say. It was all out of innocence, he knew it, but God, her scent. What would he do about that? It drove him nuts being so near to her. He looked at her, seeing her pleading eyes. God, those beautiful eyes. He could hardly say no. He could refrain, resist. It was just a gesture of kindness she asked for. She trusted him, he knew it. Deciding that all she was needing was comfort, he stood, grabbed his pillow and went to the bed.
Seemingly happy, she scooted over, threw the blanket back, she settled down facing his side of the bed. He climbed in, settled himself on his right side, his arm laying across the pillow for her to lay her head on. She did, scooted closer to him, wrapping an arm around his middle, snuggling her head into his chest. Damon timidly wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her closer. She felt good there, lying in his arms. He laid his head upon hers and closed his eyes.
Just as he was about to drift off to sleep, she spoke. "Damon?" she said softly.
He popped open on eye and looked at her. She was sniffing him. "Yesss?" he said sounding out the word.
"You smell good." it was a statement that forced Damon to chuckle.
"What?" he said smiling with his eyes closed.
"You smell good." she sniffed him again. "Like sandalwood, and-" she sniffed again, "spices."
He was wide awake now, she was up on an elbow looking down at him, her hair draping upon his shoulder. He reached up and brushed a lock out of her eye. "Thank you." he said smiling. He leaned up and sniffed her neck and looked at her. "You smell good too."
She smiled. "Really? What do I smell like?"
Oh, Damon could not handle this for too long. She was driving him crazy. It must be a woman thing, he figured. He sniffed her again. "Cherry blossom, fresh cut bamboo, and-" he sniffed again, "there is another scent, can't quite place it..sugar cookies, maybe?"
"I smell like food?" she shook her head, and laid back down. Wrapping an arm around his middle again.
"You are not food, Arie, and never will be again, if I can help it." he smiled, "But you do smell delicious. It drives me nuts."
He felt her smile on his chest. "It does, huh? Well that is a good thing, right?"
Shaking his head, then closing his eyes again, he whispered, "Go to sleep, Arie."
She did not speak anymore, after a few minutes, Damon realized she was sound asleep, he kissed her head and closed his eyes again. Drifting off into his own slumber.
N/A: WHEW! ..That is done..Well how do you like it...Me? It was hard to write...Hope I captured the character alright. Please Review if you like it.
Up next...Chapter 10.