A/N: Hii, thanks for the reviews as always and the faves and alerts! ;)

Enjoy!

xoxo Ascha

Chapter 10:

It was the warlock Dr. Jonas Martin, who invited Callie inside his apartment and she found her father seated at a table in the living room with two cups of tea, handing one cup to her as she sat down opposite her. She didn't say anything or even greeted him, because she was still thinking about how her best friend had just left all because of her falling for another vampire.

"I'm guessing Marcus decided to leave then…" Elijah suddenly said, making Callie look confusedly at him. "I had a talk with him earlier today and he expressed that he was very much in love with you, but that you were in love with someone else. I suggested that he took some time off away from you, so he could find out if he really did love you as much as he claimed and so he could change the flaws that drove the two of you apart in the first place."

"Oh…" Callie wasn't sure if she should be thankful or not, but now she could find out if her flirt with Damon would turn serious or would stay as a simple flirt.

"It will also help you find out if he's worth a second chance. I don't know this young man who is causing so much trouble in your relationship, but I'd like to meet him soon. As long as he isn't Damon Salvatore, then I'm sure he's worth the trouble."

Callie gulped, because that was exactly who she was seeing. She didn't say that, but merely smiled and took a curious look around in the apartment. She spotted several of old books known as grimoires, which she guessed belonged to the warlock, but she knew that witches and warlocks disliked vampires, so she didn't understand why Elijah was here in the first place.

"Why did you tell me to come here?" she asked anxiously.

"Don't worry, we're perfectly safe here," he answered, noticing her fear. "But I told you to come here because I would like to get in contact with your mother. I know you are in possession of her necklace, so I'm sure we'll be able to reach her."

Callie's face turned pale. Of all the things she wanted to do then facing her dead mother wasn't one of them. It had been hard enough for her to watch her mother die slowly. Elijah sighed and took her hands in his, making her look into his eyes again.

"I know I'm asking a lot from you, but I need to see her. I… need to tell her that I loved her and ask her a few questions she might know the answer to."

Callie hesitated, but eventually nodded. "Okay, but… do I have to be present while you talk with her?"

Elijah seemed surprised of that question at first and looked at Dr. Martin, who calmly shook his head. He shook his head to and saw Callie sigh in relief.

"Good. Let's get on with it then," she said and unclasped her necklace. "What do I need to do?"

Dr. Martin lit a couple of lights, which he placed on the table Elijah and Callie sat at, and the necklace was placed in the cluster of candles. They were then told to hold each other's hands and Callie watched anxiously as the warlock summoned her mother. She hoped that she would be able to leave before her mother actually came, but when she didn't even had the time to get up before her mother suddenly stood beside her – dressed in the clothes she'd been buried in.

"Serena!" Elijah gasped more than said.

The now older woman looked at him and smiled, but when she looked at her daughter the smile faded away. Callie wouldn't even look at her, because the sight alone made her remember the day her mother had died in her arms.

"Freya, you may leave." Elijah said softly.

Callie didn't say anything, but left quicker than they could blink, making Serena sigh and look at the man she once fell in love with.

"Hello, Elijah. You look rather dashing with short hair if I must say so," Serena said, smiling weakly. "And I see you have finally met your daughter…"

Elijah nodded. "She is… quite a handful, but beautiful like her mother," he said. "Thank you for coming and I… apologize for what my father did. I know now why you left the village without saying why."

Serena suddenly appeared by his side and sat down next to him. She wanted to touch him, but her hand just went through him as if she was made of water or air.

"Had I known that he would compel me then I would have worn vervain or at least ingested it… but I am happy that she found you because she needs a father like you."

Elijah nodded in agreement. "I promise I will do everything I can to protect her. But Serena… I want you to know that I never stopped loving you. I… was completely heartbroken when you left."

Serena kissed him on his cheek even though she knew that he wouldn't be able to feel it and touched his hand. He shivered of her touch, but smiled and wanted to touch her too.

"I know you have some questions for me, so…"

"Yes, I… attained an elixir some 500 years ago and I wondered if it would still work on the current doppelganger. You worked a lot with elixirs and you did live with Ayanna."

"That depends… let me see the elixir first."

Elijah nodded to Dr. Martin, who then went in to another room to fetch the elixir. He showed it to the 1000-year-old ghost and she murmured something in Old Norse that Elijah couldn't remember what meant. She suddenly disappeared and returned following right behind an annoyed Callie, who really didn't want to be in the same room with her but now she was forced to it.

"Freya, I need you to help me identify this elixir," she said. "Do you remember what I taught you?"

Callie looked at her mother with a heart-breaking look for a moment, but nodded and walked over to the table where the elixir stood. She picked the bottle up and opened it to smell what the content smelled like just like she remembered her mother teaching her.

"It smells of… Witch hazel and… Florida Blazing Star or as we used to call it – Sandtorch. There's also some other and more common ingredients, but these are the two important ones. Right, Mother?" she said, looking hesitantly at her mother.

Serena smiled brightly and nodded. "That is correct. And since you are still able to smell those two things, then it means that the elixir still works." she said.

Elijah sighed in relief. "Good. Then I will proceed with my plan. Thank you, Serena. And Freya too." he said.

Callie didn't say a word, but just looked at her mother, tears threatening to escape her eyes. It had been such a long time since she'd last seen her mother and she now realized that she'd completely forgotten how she looked even though she did look similar to her. She wanted so badly to hug her just to feel her, but she knew that that wasn't possible.

"I must go, but before I leave there is something I want to talk with you about, Freya. It is about that young vampire you are currently romantically involved with. I know that you doubt that he does not love you, but whether he has said it or not, then he is in love with you. Just remember that."

Serena disappeared and as she did the candle lights blew out, but Callie didn't stick around for that reason. She grabbed her necklace and left before Elijah could stop her, running as fast as she could in her human speed back to the Salvatore Boarding House. She didn't hate her father for summoning her mother, but she certainly didn't approve of it, because what feared would happen, happened and now all the memories of the days leading up to her death were returning.

When Callie more or less burst inside the house she found Damon about to pour himself a drink, so she quickly hid herself before he noticed her, so she could sneak up on him from behind. When he couldn't see who'd come home and turned around she came out from her hiding spot and jumped on his back, making him instinctively grab her and throw her over his shoulder. She was slammed against the floor with a hand to her throat before he finally realized who it was.

"Callie? What the hell-! You can't just sneak up on me like that!" he said, helping her up from the floor.

"And here I was just trying to be playful, but you clearly don't know how to play," she scoffed, making him scowl and pick her up in his arms playfully to prove he could play. He carried her to the couch and sat down with her placed on his lap. "Did you miss me?"

"Well now I don't anymore, but why are you back so early?" he asked wonderingly.

Callie sighed weakly. "It's all very complicated, but to make things short then… Marcus left town." she answered.

Damon looked worriedly at her – something she did not expect him to do. She figured he'd be thrilled about that, but he seemed more focused on her, which made her think that perhaps her mother was right about him. Maybe he was in love with her.

"Are you okay?"

Callie nodded hesitantly and rested her head on his shoulder, enjoying the warmth of his body and the touch of his lips on her forehead. She liked this and could stay with him forever or at least until one of them was killed.

"My father wants to meet you… or more likely the vampire whom he thinks isn't you." she said and looked at him.

Damon smirked and his eyes suddenly lit up as if he'd gotten a brilliant idea. "Well, if your father wants to meet me, then I think we should let him. We'll arrange a dinner party and invite a few more over. How does that sound?"

Callie looked incredulously at him. "Who are you, and what have you done with the real Damon Salvatore?"

He chuckled and kissed her softly. "I murdered him and replaced him with a new and improved one, but he's still as good in bed as before. Feel like testing that?"

She rolled her eyes, knowing what he meant by that. "Hmm… well, that depends on if you're going to give me a look first."

He quickly pulled his shirt off and tossed it aside, letting her take a look at his muscular chest and arms. She smiled at the sight and was tempted to see if Damon's allegedly great bed skills were real or just something he was making up, but she managed to restrain herself.

"Like what you see?" he asked, curling his finger playfully around a lock of her hair.

"I certainly do... but I need to see you strut too. Show me your best moves, vamp!" she answered teasingly and swiftly turned the music on.

Damon got up, but pulled her with him out on the floor and danced close to her in a very seductive way. Callie let his hands explore her body under the fabric of her clothes as they danced to Future Starts Slow by The Kills. She needed to have a little fun and forget about today's bad experiences, so she also got her hands on a bottle of Bourbon, which they emptied in a matter of minutes.

As they became drunk more and more clothes came off as well, but Callie made sure to keep her underwear on just in case Damon was hoping to get lucky tonight, because she surely wasn't going to give herself to him just yet. He didn't seem to complain, though, and was very busy with her lips instead, making her heart flutter in a way she hadn't felt for a very long time…

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