Regular season college football is over and I'm trying to remember what it is I do when I'm not planning around watching the Vols. Thank goodness for bowl season. I'll enter into official college football withdrawal on New Year's Day, once the Outback Bowl wraps (with a Vols' victory, of course).

On that note, thank you so much for all your love and support. I love reading your reviews and answering your questions on Twitter. I know you're dying to know more about Elena's past, and for them to FINALLY kiss. It's all coming, I promise. I wrote the kiss earlier this week. I swooned. I know, such a tease...

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.


Elena glanced at the clock. She had fifteen minutes before the school's doors opened to parents and students for back-to-school night. She had arrived at the high school at that morning, and as it neared one in the afternoon, she still hadn't seen Damon, although he had been texting her throughout the day. She decided to seize what would likely be the last chance she had to leave her classroom for more than a bathroom break until that evening.

She made her way down the hall, hoping Damon was in his classroom. She peeked in, but his room was empty, his desk a mess, textbooks piled around it. The sight made her smile. She turned and continued her navigation of the hallways. She found him in his office, bent over a notebook. She smiled and tapped on the doorframe. He looked up, expecting one of his coaches or players. He smiled when he saw Elena.

"Hey," he greeted, rolling back from his desk and lacing his hands behind his head.

"Hey," she replied. "Am I interrupting?" He shook his head.

"Never." He stood and walked around his desk, perching on the surface. He eyed her, hovering in his doorframe. "You know, you make that doorway look really good, but I think the office itself could benefit from your presence." Elena blushed as she took a few steps into Damon's rundown office.

"I like what you've done with the place," she quipped. Aside from a few pieces of football equipment, a First Flight pendant, and a big white board with colorful Xs and Os doodled all over it, he had done little to improve the condition of the space.

"I'm going for the vintage look," he said seriously. "Besides, the musty smell has kind of grown on me."

"Or you've gotten so used to it, you don't realize how bad it smells in here," Elena countered, scrunching up her nose.

"Or that," Damon agreed. "I had grand ideas about heading down to your classroom and inquiring about lunch plans, but the head of the history department – Mr. Jenkins? – decided he wanted to hang out and discuss the 17th century."

"That sounds like a fascinating conversation."

"Oh, it was. Except I had a dozen other things I would have rather been doing. Like having lunch with you."

"What lunch period do you have, anyway?" Elena asked. Starting tomorrow, they would be eating lunch when their classes did.

"Um, second, I think," Damon said.

"I've got third," Elena said. She sounded disappointed. "I'll eat my arm by the time that rolls around." Third lunch didn't start until nearly one o'clock.

"I'll stop at your door and throw a snack in on my way to the cafeteria," Damon teased.

"You are so kind," she retorted, making him laugh.

"Where's Ava Kate today?"

"She and Cody are with Caroline's mom. I think by the time we pick them up, Sheriff Forbes will be wishing for the few delinquents she has to deal with around here."

"You know, I don't see Ava Kate causing too much trouble. Cody, on the other hand…"

"I dropped Ava Kate off at seven-thirty and he had already flooded the kitchen by leaving the sink on when he helped himself to a glass of water." Damon laughed.

"That's my nephew," he said proudly. He studied Elena for a moment.

"I had fun with you last night." She returned his smile.

"I had fun with you," she countered. She pursed her lips for a moment. "Ava Kate asked me if I went on a date with you." Damon raised an eyebrow.

"What did you tell her?" he asked curiously.

"That I did." She took a couple of steps closer to him and grinned. "She wanted to know if it was just like Belle and the Beast when they had dinner at the castle." Damon's smile grew.

"Well?"

"Well, what?"

"Well, was it like Belle and the Beast?" Elena nodded, unable to remember the last time she smiled so big.

"It definitely had Beauty and the Beast vibes," she confirmed.

"I'll take it. The beast does turn into a prince in the end, after all. Or… Wait… He does, doesn't he? I didn't make that up?"

"He does," Elena confirmed. "The spell breaks and everyone returns to their human form."

"I thought so. I'm not all that well-versed in Disney movies, but they tend to end well."

"Hang out with Ava Kate enough, and you'll start singing Disney songs to yourself while you're cleaning the kitchen after dinner."

"I look forward to it," Damon replied, his eyes twinkling. Elena felt goose bumps erupt over her skin, the good kind that made her shiver with excitement. "I also look forward to taking you out again, soon. Both of you." Elena smiled.

"Both of us," she repeated. Damon nodded. He knew he wasn't just dating Elena. "Ava Kate did ask if I thought you would take her on a date." Damon grinned again.

"Did she really?" Elena nodded.

"I told her, that if you and I were to keep seeing one another, than yes, she would probably get to go on a date, too."

"It's a good thing I intend to continue seeing you," Damon said seriously. "Ava Kate can count on that date." He took a few steps closer to her and reached for her hand. Her touch grounded him, brought him to the present, all the lesson plans and football strategies he had been working on when she arrived long forgotten. "Stefan and I took Cody crabbing yesterday, and I thought Ava Kate would like it. Maybe we could do that this weekend?"

"She would absolutely love that," Elena confirmed. "She's never been crabbing."

"Then, it's a date. Me, you, and Ava Kate."

"Me, you, and Ava Kate," Elena repeated, her eyes on his. The urge to kiss her was strong, but he didn't want their first kiss to be in his dingy office. He settled for a gentle squeeze of her hand. "I should get back to my class room. Parents are probably already here." Damon glanced at his watch. It was five minutes to one.

"I guess I should do the same," he agreed. "You happen to be on my way. I'll walk you to your door." Elena gave him a look, a small smirk on her lips.

"You are not on the way." He shrugged.

"So I'll take a detour." He still had her hand. He was about to push off his desk to lead Elena out of the room when Flash appeared, tapping on the frame of the door. His eyes grew big when he saw Elena. She slipped her hand out of Damon's.

"Hey, Coach," Flash greeted, his eyes darting from Damon to Elena and back again. "Hi, Ms. Gilbert."

"Hi, Will," Elena replied. "I believe I'm going to be seeing you first thing tomorrow morning?" He nodded.

"Yes, ma'am," he confirmed. "I got your English class."

"I'll see you there," she said, a bit sternly. He nodded.

"What do you need, Turner?" Damon asked. He refused to call the boy "Flash" like his friends and teammates, at least not until he had proven he could be a football player and not just a fast running back.

"Well, um, Coach, I was hoping I could maybe talk to you for a minute," he said nervously, rubbing the back of his neck. "But, I can come back if you're busy."

"I was on my way out," Elena said, glancing at Damon. "I'll see you in class tomorrow, Will."

"Yes, ma'am," he said again, sending another curious glance between his English teacher and his football coach.

"I'll see you later," Damon told her. She nodded once and left the room. He gave his attention to Flash. "What can I do for you?" he asked once more. Flash again rubbed the back of his head. Damon nodded at one of the two chairs across from his desk. "Have a seat," he directed, returning to his own desk chair. Flash took a seat, looked at his coach, but didn't say anything. Damon raised an eyebrow. "You can start forming sentences whenever. I know with certainty that you can run your mouth." The slightest of smirks formed on Flash's lips. He took a deep breath.

"Coach, I wanted to ask you…" He took out a piece of crumbled player. "Um, see, I want to take your class, and I need you to sign off on it." Damon frowned.

"You are in my class," he said. "Third block. My class of the day. I circled your name with a red pen, because I know I need to keep an eye on you."

"Yeah, see, I want to take your AP class." Damon stared.

"You want to take my Advanced Placement United States history class?" Flash nodded.

"Yes, sir." Damon sighed and sat back in his chair.

"Turner, I can't get you to put you shoulder pads away after practice. You half listen during drills. You've been late more than you've been on time. Do you really think your taking AP U.S. History is a good idea?" Flash looked still more nervous.

"I know it ain't gonna be an easy class," he said. "But, I can do the work."

"I don't doubt that you can," Damon countered. "I doubt that you will. I've looked at your grades. You're barely scraping by." Flash sighed.

"Look, Coach, I know I ain't always done my best, but I want to try and do better." He reached into his back pocket and took out a few envelopes. "These came in the mail over the last couple of weeks. I got more, but these are the big ones." Damon knew what they were without looking as he reached across the desk and took them from Flash. He shuffled through them.

"Florida State, West Virginia, Georgia Tech, Clemson….," he looked at Flash. "These aren't just big schools, Turner. These are interest letters from some of the best football programs in the country." Flash nodded.

"I know. Like I said, I got some more at home. Schools like James Madison, Memphis, Louisiana State. I guess there ain't nothin' wrong with those schools, but man, Coach, to play at somewhere like Florida State…" His trailed off, already daydreaming about what his life could be like.

"These letters aren't just a chance to play football," Damon started.

"It's also a chance to get an education," Flash finished. "I know that, Coach. I also know I ain't always did so good in school. I know I gots to do better if I'm gonna go to one of these schools." Damon nodded in agreement.

"You do. You can't just be a good football player. You have to be academically eligible."

"Right. So, I wanna work on it. Pull my grades up, maybe join some clubs or something. I got this year and next. I can make it happen." He looked at Damon for a long moment. "Look, Coach, I know I ain't been the best student or always listened at practice or whatever. But, I also ain't ever had a chance before, you know? My daddy took off when I was a kid. My momma works hard, but she don't make much, workin' the cash register at Food Lion, waitressin' at night. I could go to school, get an education. Maybe I'll go pro, maybe I won't, but football could be my way out. I could finally help my momma out, maybe show my little brother and sister you can do somethin' with your life." Damon studied him closely. Flash was dead serious.

"You're a good football player, Turner. Better than good, even. If you want to get your grades up, I'll help you. We'll get you a tutor, whatever we have to do. But, I still don't know that you taking my AP class is the best idea."

"Coach, I ain't dumb," Flash replied.

"I know you're not," Damon said. "But, my AP class requires a lot of reading. You have to write critical essays, present in front of the class, take exams. At the end of the semester, you have to take the AP exam. It's not an easy class."

"No, Coach, you ain't hearin' me. I said I ain't dumb." Once more, Flash reached for his back pocket. Damon raised his eyebrow.

"That pocket is a bottomless pit." Flash chuckled and passed Damon a messy stack of papers.

"See, Coach? Look at my grades. The lowest one in that stack is a 92. I get good grades. I just don't do all the work, so I get a bunch of zeros. I know your AP class ain't gonna be easy. You ain't into lettin' things be easy. Let me take your class, Coach. I promise I'm gonna show up and try my best." Damon flipped through the papers. Flash wasn't lying. His grades – at least on the work he had actually completed – were good. He fixed his eyes on the boy.

"You realize I'm taking a chance on your if I sign this paper?" He held up the slip Flash had brought him. "I'm sticking my neck out for you, taking you at your word that you will show up and do the work." Flash nodded solemnly.

"I know, Coach. I promise I'm gonna try hard. I'll read, write my essays, study for tests. Just, let me try, okay? We ain't got a lot of AP classes to pick from. I can't take Ms. Gilbert's classes 'cause I ain't had the right English class yet. But, I got it this semester and I can take her class next semester, if I do good."

"Well," Damon corrected. Flash looked confused. "It's 'if I do well.' I hope you can write better than you speak." Flash gave a half grin.

"I can," he promised. "I ain't good at math, though, so I can't take the AP math classes. Let me take your class, Coach. You coulda signed that paper ten times in the time we been sittin' here, talkin' about it." Damon had to work to hold back his smirk. He liked Flash's ability to call things like he saw them. He just needed to work on his timing. He pulled the slip towards him and signed it with a flourish.

"Don't make me regret this," he warned as he passed the paper to Flash.

"I won't," Flash promised, his smile big. "Thank you, Coach. Thank you so much." Damon nodded once and slid the recruitment letters across the desk to Flash.

"You know, I have some experience with recruiters," he ventured. Flash nodded.

"I know, Coach. I'm hopin' you'll help me out? There's a lot of stuff in these letters I don't understand."

"Go home tonight, get all your letters together, and bring them to my office after practice tomorrow. We'll talk it through." He nodded.

"Yes, sir." Damon raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything. Flash addressing him as "sir" was a step in the right direction.

"I've got to get to my classroom, meet some parents," he said, standing. "I'll see you at practice this evening." Flash stood as well.

"Some of the guys are watchin' game tape in the locker room. I'm gonna go watch, too."

"That wouldn't be a bad idea," Damon agreed, thinking back to their disastrous scrimmage a few days earlier. They left the office together, stopping in the hallway to go their separate ways. Flash studied Damon for a moment. "Something else I can help you with, Turner?" A wide, guilty grin broke across Flash's lips.

"Coach, level with me. You datin' Ms. Gilbert?" Damon merely looked at him, his gaze stern. Flash's grin grew. "I saw you holdin' her hand and grinnin' all goofy."

"Get out of here before I change my mind about that history class," Damon warned. Flash laughed.

"You and Ms. Gilbert, though. Man, y'all both like bossin' people around. Maybe you can boss each other around and leave the rest of us alone…"

"Turner," Damon warned. Flash laughed again.

"It's all good, Coach," he said with a wave of his hand. "I like Ms. Gilbert. I reckon she can handle you."

"I thought you were going to watch game tape."

"I am," Flash said with a nod. He turned to leave, but stopped and faced Damon once more. "You gonna yell a lot in practice today, ain't you? 'Cause of how bad we played at the scrimmage Friday night?" Damon returned the boy's gaze.

"I guess you'll have to be on time to practice and find out." Flash nodded once.

"Yes, sir." Flash turned and walked away. Damon started off in the opposite direction, a small smile on his face. He had seen the promise in Flash from the first day of practice. It seemed Flash was finally starting to recognize it too.

His thoughts turned to Elena as he rounded a corner and his smile grew. He liked her. A lot. He liked her enough that he had gone through every handbook and contract he could get his hands on to ensure it wasn't against any school or district rule to date her. Given that his brother and Caroline were one of three married couples and he knew Tyler Lockwood was dating the school nurse, he had thought he was safe to keep seeing her, but given his past, he had to confirm it.

It was a good thing the handbook didn't say he couldn't date a co-worker. Because now he didn't have to break the rules.


Damon paced the chalk line, his team looking on, waiting. It was their first practice since their scrimmage, and they knew Coach Salvatore was going to have a lot to say. For the first time, every single one of them was on time.

"I've seen a lot of football," he started. "I've played a lot of football. I've watched a lot of football. I've coached a lot of football. What this team did on the field against Carver on Friday night was not football.

"I expect you to be perfect," he continued. "I expect you to make your tackles. Catch your passes. Hold on to the ball. Protect your quarterback. Make the field goals. I expect you to communicate with your teammates, listen to your coaches, and play a full sixty minutes of football. I expect perfection out of every single one of you, whether you are on the field or on the bench." He stopped and turned to face his team full on. "Who can tell me what the problem is with perfection?"

No one answered.

"Anyone?" The forty or so teenagers looked at one another, but none of them spoke. Damon sighed and was about to go into an explanation when Jeremy Gilbert raised his hand. "Gilbert?"

"No one is perfect, sir," he said. "Perfection is unattainable." Damon nodded.

"Exactly. No one is perfect. Not a single one of us on this field right now are perfect, despite what we think. However, every single one of you can, and will, strive for perfection. I don't care if we lose every single game we play this season, but we – you, me, your coaches – will not quit. No matter the odds, you will not quit. You will strive for perfection, on the field and off the field. Starting right now." He stopped for a moment and put his hands on his hips.

"Turner. Conner. Gilbert. Jackson. Martinez. Gregory. Shifflett. Lewis. Front and center." He watched as several of his first string offensive players cautiously stood and made there way down the bleachers. He turned to Stefan and held up his hands. Stefan passed him a football.

"What's this?" he asked the group.

"A football," they all muttered, confused. He nodded.

"A football," he confirmed. "When you leave this field tonight, I want each of you standing here to see Coach Salvatore. He's going to give you a football. You are going to take that football everywhere with you for the rest of this week. Class, bed, the shower, on dates, everywhere. You will protect it, not drop it, not leave it in the locker room. And so help me, you will not get in trouble with it in class, passing it around, letting your buddies play with it. This is not a toy. This is a football. You are going to get to know it. You are going to learn how to protect the ball and thereby our ball game. Do you understand me?" There was a general muttering of consensus. He nodded once.

"On your feet, gentleman. Let's get this show on the road. We have a ball game next week."


Elena smiled as she turned the corner, two cups of coffee in hand. Her intentions were go to Damon's classroom, but she didn't have to. He was waiting for her outside of her classroom, two cups of coffee in his own hands.

"Happy first day of school," she greeted. He was smiling at her.

"Happy first day of school," he repeated. He indicated the coffee in his hands. "I brought you some coffee to celebrate, but it looks like you beat me to it." Elena beamed.

"I brought you some coffee to celebrate, but it looks like you beat me to it," she retorted. Damon chuckled.

"We must have just missed each other," he said, noting they had both been to Sand Dune that morning. He took a coffee from his drink tray. "Trade me?" Elena did the same, swapping one of her coffees for one of his.

"Honestly, I can probably drink both of these," she admitted. "I didn't sleep well last night and it was a really early morning."

"I don't think I'll have much trouble with two cups of coffee either," Damon agreed. "And I slept just fine last night." He wondered what had kept her up all night, but didn't ask.

"From what I hear, you yelled a lot about being perfect at football practice last night."

"I had a lot to say on the subject," Damon agreed, making Elena laugh. "It's more about getting them to understand that they can't give up, in football or in life."

"Character," Elena said with a nod. "Jeremy was surprisingly talkative last night." She looked at him. "The football on my dining room table during dinner was a great touch." He grinned.

"Gilbert dropped too many passes Friday night. He's going to get intimately acquainted with that pigskin."

"If he gets in trouble in class, I'm blaming you."

"My money's on Flash to be the first one who gets in trouble with it," Damon replied. "There's not a chance in hell all eight of them make it through Friday without getting in trouble for being the kids they are."

"Why those eight?" Elena questioned.

"They're starters on my offense. And, well, I only had eight balls to give out. Don't worry, though. Defense gets a turn next week. They're all going to tote those balls around over the next few weeks." Elena just shook her head at his tactics. "Did Ava Kate make it to school okay this morning?"

"I drove her to school and she walked right in, shoulders squared, chin held high," Elena told him. "Several of her classmates were crying or at the very least looked scared to death. Meanwhile, my child is unpacking her backpack and telling me I'm going to be late for work."

"How did you do?" he asked, giving her a knowing smile. She sighed.

"I sat in the car for a full ten minutes after I dropped her off. I'm thankful I thought ahead to wear waterproof mascara." She shook her head in disbelief. "My baby is in kindergarten. She's so grown up."

"She's still little," Damon replied gently. "She's not even five yet. Her birthday is in October, right?" Elena studied him for a moment, surprised that he remembered her mentioning Ava Kate's October birthday in casual conversation at Caroline and Stefan's barbecue a couple of weeks ago. It was the last week of August, but planning for Ava Kate's fifth birthday, a mere five weeks away, was well underway.

"It's October 5th," she confirmed. "She wants a ballerina party." Damon smiled.

"Did you take pictures this morning?" he asked. Elena grinned guiltily. "Show me," he requested. Elena looked at him again, almost as though she were surprised by him. He noticed she did that a lot. He didn't mind, so long as her eyes were on him.

"Do you really want to see first day of school pictures?" she asked skeptically. Damon nodded.

"I do," he confirmed. "Show me." Elena's smile grew as she balanced her coffee tray in one hand and retrieved her phone from her bag with the other.

"She was all too happy to pose for me," she told him, holding her phone so he could see. He stood close to gaze at her screen. Ava Kate was wearing a frilly white skirt, a blue button down tucked in, and, to Damon's surprise, cowboy boots, her hair in pigtails, red bows clipped into each one. She stood next to a first day of kindergarten chalkboard sign, beaming.

"She's adorable," he said honestly. "Absolutely adorable."

"The boots are a little much, but she insisted on wearing them and, well, she's so cute in them. I won't dress her like that every day, but it's her first day of school. She deserved to be dressed up." Damon bit his lip, smiling. He hadn't known Elena long, but he had already figured out she loved to dress up Ava Kate, who seemed to enjoy it as much as her mother did.

"She looks like a little cowgirl," Damon commented as Elena flipped through a couple more similar photos. She stopped on one that included Jeremy, standing next to Ava Kate, giving an enthusiastic thumbs up.

"Uncle Jeremy cooperated this morning," Elena commented. "It won't last."

"He's got a soft spot for his niece, doesn't he?" Damon asked. Elena nodded.

"Even when he's a jerk, he still adores Ava Kate." She scrolled through a few more photos, more for herself than for Damon.

"Her backpack is as big as she is," Damon said as Elena paused on a photo of Ava Kate walking down the sidewalk ahead of her mother.

"That fact triggered one of my many rounds of tears this morning," Elena admitted. She was proud of her daughter for marching into her classroom and seeming so sure of herself. It had taken a while, but Ava Kate was making progress with her self-confidence. She was so excited about going to school that any doubts she may have felt – that Elena may have felt – were squashed away by enthusiasm.

"Did you happen to mention the crabbing expedition to her?" Elena nodded, her smile growing. She smiled a lot around Damon.

"She's very excited."

"That makes two of us," Damon replied. Elena shook her head.

"Three," she corrected. "That makes three of us." Damon once again had to fight the urge to kiss her. A door opened somewhere in the distance and the sound of several young voices filled their ears. She looked at Damon. "They're back." Several teenagers appeared at the end of the hallway, laughing and greeting friends. She saw the brief flash of nervousness that passed across Damon's face.

"Happy first day of school," he said. Elena smiled at him.

"Happy first day of school. Thanks for the coffee."

"Thanks for the coffee," he repeated. He winked. "I'll see you later."

Elena listened intently as Ava Kate rambled about her day, making sure not to leave out a single detail as they made their way to the high school parking lot.

"Did you eat all of your lunch?" Elena asked when Ava Kate finally paused for a breath.

"Every last bite," Ava Kate confirmed. "Can I have peanut butter and jelly tomorrow?"

"You can. Strawberry or grape jelly?"

"Strawberry. And an apple, too. And maybe some crackers. Anyway, after Mrs. Page read to us…"

"Well, if it isn't my favorite Gilbert girls." Elena and Ava Kate turned. Damon was walking towards them, smiling brightly. Ava Kate was even more adorable in person, her pigtails messier than they were that morning, one of her bows now lopsided.

"Hi, Coach Damon," Ava Kate greeted.

"Hey, kid," he replied. He winked at Elena before squatting down to Ava Kate's level. "How was your first day of kindergarten?" He found he genuinely wanted to know.

"It was boring," Ava Kate declared. Damon raised an eyebrow.

"Boring?" She nodded.

"My teacher, Mrs. Page, made us write our names on our desk nameplates, but not everyone knew how to write their name so it took forever. I got out of my desk and got a book to read, but Mrs. Page said I couldn't do that without permission." Elena frowned.

"You didn't tell me that." Ava Kate looked at her mother.

"She said I have to raise my hand and ask for permission and that it wasn't time to read, but to work on our names. But, Mommy, I know how to write my name. I learned when I was three."

"You did," Elena agreed. "But, you have to listen to Mrs. Page. You can't just get up and do what you want in class. If you finish your work early, raise your hand and ask her for permission to read or for something else to do."

"Okay," Ava Kate agreed. She turned back to Damon. "She read us Brown Bear, Brown Bear. That's a baby book. I can read that book on my own."

"I bet some of your classmates had never read it before," Damon said diplomatically. He was quickly realizing Ava Kate was extremely intelligent. "And hey, it's just the first day, right? I'm sure it will be less boring tomorrow."

"I hope so," Ava Kate muttered. Elena sighed. She had been worried about this. She knew she was bias as a mother, but as a teacher, she had recognized signs that Ava Kate was more advanced than most kids her age. She had concerns that the public school system's kindergarten curriculum wasn't going to challenge Ava Kate the way it was meant to, but their options were limited in the Outer Banks.

"What books do you like?" Damon asked.

"Amelia Bedelia," Ava Kate answered. "And Prancing, Dancing Lily. Mommy is reading me Little House In The Big Woods. She says there's a lot more books about Laura and Mary that we can read, too."

"There are," Damon confirmed. "My mom read those books to Stefan and I, too."

"Did you like them?" Ava Kate asked. Damon made a face.

"Honestly, I thought they were for girls," he admitted. Ava Kate giggled and Elena smiled. She loved to hear her daughter laugh. There seemed to be a lot more of it lately, between dance class, Caroline and Stefan, and now, school and, admittedly, Damon. He stood so he could talk to Elena. "Where are you two headed?"

"Over to the rec center," Elena answered. "Ava Kate has a dance class and my dance team uses the gym to rehearse since the volleyball team has ours. Don't you have football practice?"

"I do," Damon confirmed. "I've got to get a few things out of my truck. Mind if I walk with the two of you?"

"Of course not," Elena answered. They fell into step, oblivious to the students and teachers wrapping up their days or heading to various practices and clubs around them. "Have you talked to Stefan or Caroline about how Cody's first day of school went?" she asked curiously.

"No," Damon said suspiciously. "I have lunch with Stefan, and he told me Cody got out of the house more or less in once piece, but that's it." Elena grinned.

"Ava Kate wanted to see Caroline before we left. Cody was sitting in a corner, waiting for Stefan to come talk to him. Apparently, he decided to shake things during a math lesson this afternoon by starting a game of paper football." Damon made a face.

"That's going to be my fault," he groaned. "I showed him how to fold a piece of paper into a triangle and flick it across a desk with his thumb and forefinger. I showed him how to get a friend to make a goal post with their fingers, too."

"I would avoid Caroline, then," Elena advised. "She wasn't impressed. All she wanted was for him to get through one day of school without getting in trouble."

"He's got the rest of the year," Damon said diplomatically. He knew Cody's odds at making it a full week, let alone a day, without ruffling some feathers was slim. They had reached Elena's SUV. "Ava Kate, you ready to go crabbing on Sunday?" he asked. She nodded.

"I've never done it," she said. "Is it hard?" Damon shook his head.

"It's easy," he promised. "I'll show you how to do it." He took his phone out of his pocket and found the photos of his crabbing trip with Cody and Stefan. "See? Cody, Uncle Stef, and I went a couple days ago. We caught a lot of them." Ava Kate dropped Elena's hand and moved to stand closer to Damon, looking at his phone.

"Cody held a crab?" she asked. "Can I hold one, too?"

"You can," Damon promised. "I'll help you, though. You have to be careful, so their pinchers don't get you."

"What did you do with the crabs after you caught them?" she asked. Damon grinned.

"We ate them," he admitted. "Maybe, if we catch enough, we can eat them on Saturday." Ava Kate nodded and Elena smiled. It sounded like Damon was planning to spend most of his Saturday with them. She didn't mind one bit. She would have to Google how to boil crabs, however. It was something her father had always done for them. She had another thought and decided to just act, before she changed her mind.

"Speaking of dinner," she started. "Would you want to join us for dinner tonight? I put a lasagna together last night. All I have to do when we get home is put it in the oven to bake and chop up a salad. There's plenty to go around." Damon could hardly believe his good luck. He thought he would have to wait until Saturday to have any time with Elena that wasn't within the halls of the high school.

"I'd love to," he said without hesitation. "Can I bring anything?" Elena shook her head.

"Just yourself," she said. "I should be home around five-thirty," she said, aware that Damon's football practice ended at five, as did all after school activities.

"I might be closer to six getting there," Damon said. "Maybe a few minutes past that. I'm sitting down with Flash to go through some letters from college recruiters after practice, shouldn't take more than an hour."

"The lasagna needs about forty-five minutes to bake anyway," Elena said. "Flash is getting recruitment letters?" Damon nodded.

"He's got a nice stack of them. He also convinced me to let him take my AP class. Stay tuned for how that works out."

"You're taking a chance on him," Elena commented. Damon nodded.

"Sometimes, all someone needs is a chance." He checked the time. "I need to get going. As much time as I spend yelling at them to be on time, they would never let me live it down if I showed up late."

"We need to get to the rec center, too," Elena said. She opened the back door for Ava Kate. "We'll see you in a little while."

"You will."


It was quarter after six when Damon knocked on Elena's door. "I got it!" he heard Ava Kate cry out. He grinned as he listened to her light footsteps growing louder.

"Make sure it's Coach Damon before you open it!" he heard Elena call. He smiled bigger as Ava Kate's dark brown eyes, the same eyes as her mother, peeked around a curtain and then disappeared. A moment later, the door swung open to reveal Ava Kate in a black leotard and pink tights, her hair still in its pigtails, the bows now gone.

"Hi, Coach Damon!" she greeted.

"Hey, kid," he replied. "Mind if I come in?" She smiled at him and stepped aside. He was careful not to let her see what he had behind his back. "I have something for you."

"Really?" Damon nodded and produced a small bouquet of grocery store flowers.

"For you." She beamed.

"Really?" she asked again, this time a few octaves higher. "For me?"

"For you," Damon confirmed, passing the bouquet to her. "I have some for your mom, too." Neither of them were aware that Elena had come out of the kitchen, nor that Jeremy was watching from the top of the stairs, hidden in the shadows.

"No one has ever given me flowers before," Ava Kate told him, looking up at him, her eyes sparkling as she held tightly to her flowers. "Mommy, either." Damon hoped that wasn't the truth, at least when it came to Elena.

"Every girl deserves flowers," he told her. "I think these will be the first of many flowers you are given in years to come. Same for your mom."

"Ava Kate, what do you say to Damon?" Elena prompted, deciding to make herself known. She blinked back the moisture that had gathered in her eyes before Damon could catch it.

"Thank you, Coach Damon," Ava Kate said softly. He smiled at her.

"You're welcome, sweetheart." He turned to Elena, smirking. "I suppose you heard I had a bouquet for you as well?" He was still wearing his practice clothes, gym shorts and a First Flight t-shirt, his hair messy from where he'd raked his hands through it in frustration. She couldn't think of a time she had been more attracted to a man.

"I may have heard something about it," she replied, taking a few steps towards him. He held out the bouquet.

"You heard right." She was smiling as brightly as Ava Kate as she accepted them.

"Thank you," she said. "They're beautiful."

"Just like you," Damon replied smoothly. Upstairs, Jeremy rolled his eyes and returned to his room, waiting to be called down to dinner. "I'm sorry I'm a few minutes late."

"You aren't late at all," Elena said, leading them down the hall to the kitchen. "We got home a few minutes later than I planned. Someone," she cut her eyes to Ava Kate, "kept practicing their passes and plies well after her class was over."

"I wonder who that was?" Damon asked, giving his attention back to Ava Kate. "You know anything about that?" Ava Kate giggled from where she stood nearby, watching the adults quietly. Damon had picked up that the child rarely let her mother out of her sight.

"I like dance class."

"Think you can show me what you worked on today?" he asked. Ava Kate nodded. Elena looked on, once again floored at how receptive her daughter was to Damon.

"This is first position," Ava Kate explained, standing with her heels together and her toes pointed out. She raised her arms overhead in a graceful arch. "And this is fifth position with your hands."

"First position, fifth position. Got it." She gave Damon a nod and then proceeded to launch into a fancy bit of footwork that ended with a graceful courtesy. He clapped. "That was awesome," he told her. She looked at her mom.

"Did I do my toes right?" Elena nodded.

"Your toes were just fine," she said. "Pointed and everything, just like Miss Macy taught you."

"Can you show me again?" Ava Kate asked.

"Show you what?"

"How to do the tendu to the pirouette?"

"How about we do that after dinner?" Elena proposed. Ava Kate shook her head.

"Please, Mommy?"

"Show her," Damon encouraged. He leaned on the counter, grinning. "Let's see what you've got, Gilbert." Elena glared at Damon.

"You're encouraging her." His answer was to wink at her.

"Please, Mommy?" Ava Kate asked again. "Show me the tendu and pirouette!" Elena sighed. There was no getting out of it. She often danced in the kitchen with Ava Kate, but she was self-conscious with Damon in the room. Still, she couldn't deny her daughter's simple request.

"Fine," she relented. Her steps were graceful as she crossed the room to join Ava Kate. Damon watched as she moved her arms into graceful arc and positioned her feet. "Ready?" Ava Kate nodded. Elena breathed in and pushed out a breath before she moved her feet in a neat pattern before she twirled, completing a few circuits on one foot before stopping neatly, her toes pointed, her arms in the same position as when she started. Both Damon and Ava Kate clapped.

"You're so good at dancing, Mommy!" Ava Kate exclaimed.

"Thank you, sweetheart," Elena replied, hugging her daughter to her. She glanced at Damon who was studying her with a contemplative look. Seeing her dance, spin so carefree with her little girl looking on, had blown him away. "What?" she asked. He gave her a soft smile.

"That was beautiful," he said sincerely. "You are beautiful." He had meant it when he told her to tell her so often. Elena only smiled at him and hugged Ava Kate closer. Then, she smirked.

"Let's see your dance moves," she proposed.

"Oh no," Damon said, shaking his head. "I don't dance."

"Come on," Elena urged. "Isn't ballet supposed to be good for football players? Let's see your moves." Damon shook his head again.

"I don't dance," he repeated. "Bum knee…" Elena scoffed.

"Come on, Salvatore. Don't give me that lame excuse. On the dance floor. Ava Kate and I want to see you dance."

"I don't…"

"I'll teach you," Ava Kate piped up. "Come on, Coach Damon! Dance with us!" Damon sighed. The two women in front of him were hard to say no to.

"Fine," he grumbled. If it made them happy, he would make a fool of himself. He came to stand by Ava Kate. "What do I need to do?" Ava Kate surveyed him.

"First, you have to take your shoes off," she said. "You can't do ballet in flip flops." Damon had taken his tennis shoes off after practice in favor of his more comfortable flip flops. He humored her and slipped them off, using his toe to push them out of the way. "Now, stand like this."

"That's first position, right?" he asked, copying Ava Kate's heels together, toes out stance.

"Yep," she nodded. Elena stood nearby, grinning broadly. Damon gave a look that made her snort back a giggle. "Now, put your arms like this." She raised her hands overhead. Damon did the same.

"Now what?"

"Um," she paused to think for a moment. "Let's do this! Plie," she bent her knees, lowering her tiny body a few inches, "releve," she popped up onto her toes, "lift," she straightened out her legs, "and lower," her feet returned to their initial position. "Plie, releve, lift, lower. Plie, releve, lift, lower." She kept repeating the sequence, Damon watching. "You try, Coach Damon!"

"Here we go," he grumbled. He mimicked her movements, finding them harder than he expected. Elena put a hand over her mouth in an effort to hide her giggles.

"Speed it up!" Ava Kate directed, just like her ballet teacher would. "Plie, releve, lift, lower! Plie, releve, lift, lower!" Damon followed along, far wobblier than Ava Kate, until she suddenly stopped.

"We done?" he asked hopefully. Ava Kate shook her head.

"Now we tendu!" She demonstrated, stepping out to the side, and then dragging her toes across the floor, back to first position. She repeated the move. "You try!" Damon did so.

"How's this?" he asked.

"Okay, but you should point your toes more," Ava Kate told him. He heard Elena snort again. She was thoroughly enjoying watching him fumble his way through an impromptu ballet lesson. "And now, for the grand finale, you pirouette!" Ava Kate spun on left leg, her right leg bent neatly at her side.

"I don't think I can do that…"

"But, Coach, haven't you been telling us to try all week long?" came Jeremy's voice. He had entered the kitchen quietly, wondering what was taking dinner so long. Damon turned, trying to cover up his embarrassment at being caught by one of his players. Jeremy stood in the frame of the kitchen entrance, looking like Christmas had come early. "Something about trying to reach perfection, even if its unattainable?" Damon sighed. He was stuck.

"Show me that again, Ava Kate?" he asked, buying himself time. Jeremy crossed his arms over his chest and grinned like the Cheshire cat as his niece made a neat little spin in the kitchen.

"Just like that," she said.

"Just like that," Jeremy repeated.

"Exactly like that," Elena added, her eyes dancing with amusement.

"I'm reconsidering the coffee I was going to bring you in the morning," Damon told her. She laughed. He blew out a breath. "Here we go." He did a few tendus before, with another big breath, he pushed off the ground with his right foot and tried to spin a fraction as gracefully as Elena and Ava Kate Kate had. Instead, he got his feet tangled up and nearly fell over, catching himself on a kitchen stool. The Gilberts erupted in laughter. Ava Kate was the first to regain her composure.

"That was a good try," she said encouragingly, just like her ballet instructor and her mom did when she didn't get a move exactly right the first time. "You'll get it next time."

"You really need to work on your balance," Elena added seriously, her eyes absolutely alight.

"Right now, in this moment, my biggest regret in life is the fact that I left my phone upstairs," Jeremy said. Damon looked over his shoulder at the teenager who was still holding his side from laughing so hard.

"Write that down as the smartest thing you've ever done," he informed him. Jeremy laughed harder. He had no doubt the entire team would know about his dance lesson before the first bell tomorrow morning.

"What's the status on dinner?" Jeremy asked. "I'm starving."

"Ten more minutes," Elena said. "The lasagna is ready, I just need to pop the garlic bread in the oven for a few minutes." Jeremy nodded.

"Come on, Ava Kate. Let's go watch TV for a few minutes." Ava Kate glanced at her mom and Damon, debating. "They aren't going anywhere, A.K. Let them finish dinner." He glanced at Damon. "Or whatever."

"Okay," Ava Kate agreed, almost reluctantly. She followed Jeremy out of the room. Damon looked after him for a moment. The kid had just run interference so he could be alone with Elena.

"Anything I can help with?" he asked. Elena shook her head as she pulled out a piping dish of lasagna.

"I already set the table. We'll pour drinks in a few minutes." She slid a sheet of garlic bread into the oven. She leaned on the counter, facing Damon. "The flowers were a nice touch. Especially for Ava Kate." Damon shrugged and took a few steps towards her.

"I didn't want to show up empty handed," he explained. "And, well, I want to stay in Ava Kate's good graces, if I'm going to be dating her mom and all." Elena couldn't help herself. She smiled, feeling giddy.

"Is that so?"

"Oh yes," Damon confirmed. "I really like Ava Kate's mother." Elena bit her lip self-consciously.

"Word on the street is that Ava Kate's mom really likes you, too," she admitted. Damon's face lit up. He had wondered where he stood with her, if she liked him half as much as he liked her. He stood up a little straighter.

"That's good to hear," he said, taking a few more steps towards her. "It saves me from having to send one of those 'Do you like me? Check yes or no' letters." He reached out and took her hand. He felt the warmth spread through him, saw her cheeks tinge pink.

"I'd check 'yes,'" she said softly. He pulled her a couple of steps closer, his free hand resting on her waist. "But, Damon, I just…" She trailed off and looked away, almost embarrassed.

"Tell me," he prompted softly. He didn't say anything further, but the tone of his voice, so warm and gentle, gave her the courage she needed to finish her sentence.

"I need to take things slow," she told him in a quiet rush. "Dating is hard for me. And I have Ava Kate to think about. I just need us to take things slow. I want you to know that from the top." Damon nodded. He reached out and tucked a few strands of hair behind her ear.

"We'll go slow," he promised. "I won't push you." He gave her a sad sort of smile. "For what its worth, you're safe with me, Elena. And so is Ava Kate." He saw the tears starting to form in her eyes. He shook his head. "None of that," he said, wiping away a tear that escaped. "We're going to have dinner, and we're going to enjoy each other's company." She nodded.

"I'm glad you came tonight," she admitted.

"So am I," Damon agreed. He decided to take a chance. He took another step forward and pulled her into his arms. She slipped her arms up and around his neck and melded into him as his arms wrapped around her. She knew, to him, it was a hug and not much else. But to her, it was incredibly intimate.

"I should get the bread out," she said after a few moments. Damon gave her one last squeeze before letting her go. He missed her warmth at once. She glanced over her shoulder at him and smiled before turning her attention to the oven.

"Wine?" he asked, moving towards the cabinet where he now knew she kept her glasses.

"Red, please," Elena answered.

"And for Ava Kate?" She smiled, watching him navigate her kitchen like he belonged there.

"Juice. There's some cranberry apple on the top shelf."

"What about the teenager?" Elena snorted.

"He'll drink whatever you put in front of him. Just pour him a glass of tea." Damon nodded and busied himself with the drinks. Elena covertly watched as she plated the lasagna and added a slice of garlic bread and serving of salad to the side. She was struggling to reconcile how easily he fit into her life, bonding with Ava Kate, helping with dinner, making her laugh, and somehow making her feel safe when his arms were around her. Her previous relationship was more like a square peg and a round hole, never quite right, no matter how hard she tried to round out her edges so it fit together. She wondered if things really could be this easy with someone.

"What?" he asked, catching her gazing at him. She shook her head, a small smile on her lips.

"Nothing," she said, picking up two plates, one of which was Disney-themed, and heading towards the kitchen table. "Jeremy! Ava Kate! Dinner is on the table!" She placed the plates on the table and returned for the other two, just as Damon picked up two glasses of wine and waited for her to lead the way. "Come on, Coach. Dinner is ready."


Flash is quickly becoming one of my favorite characters. He's merely a subplot, and a small one at that, but he's so fun to write. And how about Damon, making sure he wasn't breaking any rules to date Elena?

Ava Kate is really smart. Like, really smart. I had a similar issue in third grade, where I'd finish my work ahead of everyone else, and then disrupt class by getting a book or chatting with my friend. My teacher was probably glad to get me out of her class.

How fun was that kitchen scene? I laughed out loud reading it. Elena's struggling a bit with the idea of how well Damon fits into their lives, but she likes it.

That's enough rambling. Also, that kiss is coming soon, promise. PROMISE.

Please, let me know what you thought!