Chapter 11: One More Day With You

Waking up with the girl I'd fallen madly in love with had to be on my top ten list of things I wanted to do before I died. Waking up with said girl's over-protective, surrogate father glaring down at us was, by far, one of the things I would least like to happen before I die. Having both of these things happening to me within seconds of each other—not the best way to start a morning. I assure you.

"Get up!" Marcel growled under his breath, his eyes on me, his arms folded over his chest.

Slowly, I slid out from beneath the covers, ready to face Marcel who I felt certain intended on taking me into Elijah's backyard to give me a good thrashing. Davina let out a quiet moan of protest. She rolled onto her back, her arm moving across the bed for me. "I've got to go downstairs to talk to 'Lijah. Just keep your eyes closed and sleep," I whispered, brushing her hair away from her forehead and kissing her there.

Marcel continued to glower at me while I grabbed my shoes from beneath the bed. He walked out of the room but left the door open to watch me yanking my blasted sneakers on. "Coming," I called, glowering back at him.

I forced myself to exit the room, closing the door behind me with a sense of dread. My feelings of dread were not unfounded because the moment I closed the door, Marcel grabbed me by the back of my shirt and hauled me down the stairs. "I'm going to kick your ass," he snarled into my ear. "What in the hell are you thinking, man?"

Rebekah stood at the end of the stairs, her eyebrows rising. "Marcel, darling, what's going on?" Her lips pursed and Hayley came to join her, her hands on her hips.

"Marcel, what are you doing with him?" Hayley demanded, stepping between Marcel and his path to the front door. Her belly tended to draw attention and this morning she looked more pregnant than she had the day before. Or maybe I was losing my sense of time since I expected to die in the next fifteen to twenty minutes after Marcel beat me to death.

Hayley continued to glare at Marcel. "I'm waiting!" she snapped, glaring up at Marcel, her eyes screaming exasperation. She would be a rather kick-ass mother if she kept this act up.

"Kol was in bed with Davina!" Marcel snapped, glaring back at Hayley.

Hayley blew out a breath, her hands dropping before she ran a hand through her long locks. "Yeah. Okay. But they weren't doing anything. I should know. I was up half the night checking." She did look tired, dark purple rimming her lower lids, puffiness forming. I'd thought that was just the baby keeping her up. "Elijah's got enough going on; he doesn't need his brother going to jail for being an idiot."

Marcel relaxed. His fingers loosening in my shirt collar. Just like that—the tension in the room seemed to resolve itself and I let out s sigh of relief. A second later, Marcel grabbed me by the arm, turning me around to face him. "If I ever find out that you did do anything with her or hurt her in any way, it will be the last thing you ever do," he warned me.

"Marcel!" Davina cried. My eyes flicked up to see Davina, looking lovely with her long locks hanging about her face and my shirt billowing off her. My lips quirked upward. I couldn't help it. Davina had a power over me.

Davina caught my eye and her lips twisted into an answering smile, her hand going up to tuck her hair behind her ear before she settled her gaze back on Marcel. "What are you doing to Kol?" she demanded, hurrying down the stairs and scowling up at Marcel which was so cute that I wanted to kiss her but I also liked my teeth where they were.

"I found Romeo in bed with you, D. You're not old enough to be having sleepovers with grown men," Marcel said, letting go of me and placing a hand on her shoulder.

Davina let out a sarcastic laugh. "Oh, come on, Marcel. Do you think that I never heard how old Rebekah was when you two got together? She was my age," Davina snapped, staring up at Marcel who rolled his eyes.

"It's not the thing same, D," Marcel snapped, watching Davina who gritted her teeth.

"Marcel, leave them be. Hayley's been good enough to make us all breakfast," Rebekah said, reaching and taking Marcel's hand. "Let's eat. We'll all be better for it."

Marcel rolled his eyes. "We're not done here," he told me.

"I'm sure we're not," I replied with a wicked smile. I couldn't help but goad him.

Marcel moved to grab me when Rebekah and Hayley took hold of each of his arms, dragging him off the staircase and towards the kitchen. "I'm going to kill him, Bekah. I really am going do it this time." I could hear Marcel telling my baby sister what he planned for me as I turned back to Davina.

"Hey," Davina said shyly. "That could have been worse. I think." She sighed, moving to slip her arms around my neck and rest her face against my chest.

"I assure you, this is just the beginning, which is why I must return to Sunny California lest you have one less man in your life," I joked.

Davina pulled back, looking me in the eye and I could see the moisture building there. Hurting her made my own heart ache. "Oh, darling," I whispered. "Please don't cry," I murmured.

"Don't leave, Kol! Please, not yet," Davina pleaded.

"I'll stay for today but I must leave." Picking her up, I carried her back up the stairs and walked into my room before shutting the door behind us. I set Davina on her feet before cupping her chin and kissing her.

"Don't leave. Don't leave," Davina whispered against my lips.

"I want to stay, right here, with you, in this room, forever. But if I do Marcel will surely kill me. Now, why don't you gather your things and dress in Bekah's old room before Marcel comes up here and breaks my door down," I suggested, kissing her one last time before forcing myself to let go of her.

"Okay," Davina sighed. She picked up her dress and shoes before exiting my room.

I decided to leave my door open in case Marcel came up and then he could see a show he'd rather not as I undressed. I found a button-down shirt that I knew Davina favored me in and a pair of jeans to wear. Picking up my phone, I noticed that I had no new messages from Aurora which was a bit odd since she'd been sending me messages ever since I came home. I'd call her later just to check in.

Davina appeared in my doorway as I buttoned up my shirt. "I guess I missed the good part," she said, grinning and coming over to give me a lingering kiss on the lips.

"We'd best get down there before they come to us," I said but could not seem to follow my own orders. Pulling Davina to me, I kissed her back, putting all of my feelings that I'd kept bottled up into the kiss.

"Hey, enough!" Hayley called and I pulled back to find her in my doorway. "Seriously, Kol, I just saved your ass. Act like you give a damn." Huffing in annoyance, Hayley turned back around and disappeared.

"Sorry, mom," I called to Hayley who heard me because she let out a loud groan of frustration mixed with a nicely sized portion of irritation.

Davina giggled and I shook my head. "You know, she's growing on me. Perhaps it's because I've been gone for so long."

"Hayley's cool." Davina told me on our way out of my room. "I think it would be nice to have her as a mom instead of…you know." Her gaze darkened and I rubbed her arm, pulling her closer to me. Thinking of what she'd been through made me sick to my stomach.

Davina looked up at me, smiling brightly. "What are we going to do for your last day here?"

"I haven't a clue, love, but it will be exciting as long I'm with you." I told her, kissing her again on our way into the kitchen.

"Oh, enough!" Marcel yelled, picking up his butter knife and aiming it at me.

"I have to see you with your blasted tongue in my sister's mouth; do not act as if you have a bloody right to feelings of disgust around me!" I snapped, having had enough of Marcel's attitude already.

Marcel sat back in his seat. "At least Bekah and I are closer to the same age," he grumbled.

"By what? A year?" I retorted, pulling out Davina's chair and then taking my place by her side.

"Kol," Rebekah hissed, her eyes narrowing.

I grabbed a roll and ripped it in two. "It seems like a family trait, really, chasing after younger women. Father's ten years older than mother. Nik has a good seven off his bird. Elijah's how much older than you, Hayley?" I asked Hayley who blushed.

"Twelve," Rebekah piped up.

Hayley rolled her eyes and began to peel a banana. "Age is just a number, unless it's going to mean you're in trouble with the authorities." Taking a healthy bite from her piece of fruit, Hayley looked me in the eye. "It's not that we don't support you, Kol, it's just we like you without a rap sheet."

"I'd like to not be included in the 'liking Kol' party. I never liked you," Marcel told me with a smile.

Smirking back at him, I replied, "Yes, Marcel, and the feeling has been quite mutual. You see, I've always felt that Nik brought you home the way that one does when they find a stray dog on the side of a road that proceeds to destroy the nice furnishing."

"I'm going to kick your –"Marcel began, standing up when Rebekah moved between us.

"Marcel, let's go. We've got a lot to do before the party tonight," Rebekah said, placing her hands on his shoulders and forcing his attention away from me. His expression softened as he looked down at my sister. The only thing I liked about Marcel was my sister. Nik. And Davina. Other than those three parts of his life, if I never had to face him again, I'd be a happier man.

Marcel deflated, predictably, under my sister's pressure. She tended to have the man wrapped around her little finger. I wondered if this is how others were beginning to see my relationship with Davina, as one in which she snapped her fingers and I jumped to fulfill her whim. How accurate that was becoming scared me a bit. I'd never wished for another's happiness the way that I wished for hers before.

"Let's go," Marcel said to Rebekah.

Rebekah turned to us with a wide smile of someone who was used to getting whatever she wanted. "You're coming tonight, Hayley," she said, her voice firm. "Just because you're about to be a mummy doesn't mean you don't have a right to a life."

"It's not me you have to worry about. It's Elijah. He's going to come home tired and grumpy and telling him we're going out is going to make him more than I can handle," Hayley replied, lacing her hands over her middle.

"Let me deal with my brother. I'll call him this afternoon," Rebekah said. "Bye, Kol."

"Bye, Bex," I called back.

Marcel turned to Davina. "You're going to be sleeping in your own bed tonight," he ordered her.

"Yes, Marcel," Davina said, getting up and crossing the room. She stood on tip-toe to hug him. "Thank you," she added with a huge smile.

Marcel glared at me one last time while he hugged Davina and then took my sister's hand. "Thanks for breakfast, Hayley. We'll see you later."

"Later," Hayley called, waving at them. Once it was just the three of us, Hayley groaned. "I am so damned tired."

"We can clean up if you want to go to bed," Davina suggested.

Hayley gave us a look. "Can you keep your hands off each other?" she demanded, looking miserable.

"I have a degree of self-restraint," I said with a laugh.

Hayley chuckled. "That's what I'm afraid of: the part where it's one degree." She got to her feet and then yawned before trying to fall on the floor, caught herself, leaning against the table.

I hurried around the table. "Davina, darling, if you could start with clearing the table, I'll get this one to bed." Wrapping my arms around Hayley, I scooped her up and carried her out of the room.

"I must weight a ton," Hayley mumbled into my shirt.

I laughed. "Not as much as I expected. I'd say you're about the same as a small elephant."

Hayley smacked my chest. "Thanks to that."

"You're quite welcome." I carried her into her and Elijah's room before laying her on the bed. "Get some rest, love, you look dreadful," I told the soon-to-be-mother of my baby niece.

Hayley yawned. "Just be careful with Davina. She's so young. She's got no idea how bad it can hurt when someone breaks your heart."

I pulled the covers on Hayley as she began to drift off to sleep. "Don't worry, I have no intention of breaking her heart, now, or ever."

Walking down the stairs, I found Davina dancing around the kitchen as she placed dishes in the dishwasher. "Mind if I join you?" I inquired with a broad grin.

Davina stopped dancing and smiled, setting down the dish she had in her hands. She beckoned me with her fingers and I came over, slipping my arms around her and dancing with her, grinning as she slid her hands into my hair. "I think if I died tomorrow, I'd die a happy man," I whispered.

Davina smiled, leaning up and kissing me. "I'd die happy, too," she told me, pulling me closer and deepening the kiss.

I pulled her atop the counter and pulled her legs around my waist. Was I breaking my promise to Hayley? Not quite yet. Was I headed toward breaking my promise? Yes, very much so.

Davina's hands went under the back of my shirt and I slid my hands under her dress, reaching for her underwear when a sound made us both jump. "What was that?" I inquired.

"I think it's my phone. Could be Marcel. I should go find out." Davina hopped off the counter and strode over to her chair, opened her purse and looked at the screen. "It's just Monique." Dropping her phone back into her purse, she came back over to me. "Where were we?" she asked me.

"You should probably answer that. Could be an emergency," I told her.

Davina cocked her head to the side, giving me a long look. "You want me to answer the phone?"

"Yes." I told her, firmly while every part of my body begged her to refuse me.

Davina sighed and returned to the chair, pulling out her phone. "Hello?" she called. "Hey! Okay? I'm kind of… No. No… Monique…okay…" Rolling her eyes, Davina hung up her phone. "Looks like we're going out," she told me. "That's why I didn't want to answer."

"Where are we going?" I asked her.

"To St. Anne's," Davina told me.

My eyebrows rose. "You're taking me to church? Are we to confess out sins?" I teased her.

"No, that's where we're going to meet up with Monique, Cassie, Abigail, Josh, Aiden, Tim and Oliver. Then we're going to Rousseau's. Monique got some fake IDs and wants to test them out. She's going to get into trouble but there's no arguing with her when she's like this." Davina muttered the last part, looking unhappy as she shouldered her purse and came over to take my hand.

"We don't have to go," I told her.

Davina grinned. "You want to stay here?"

My eyebrows rose. "No. You know, I think that being there when your friend learns a valuable life lesson might be a better idea," I said, nearly dragging my little vixen out of the room.

When we arrived at St. Anne's we were not the only people that stood outside the doors of the church. Monique looked bored as she typed away at her phone. Tim kept looking around before spotting Davina and grinning. Poor kid, he was madly in love with a girl who had moved on. Oliver looked happy until he spotted me by Davina's side and the girls began to whisper looking from me to Davina.

"Hey, Davina!" Tim called, breaking off from the group to give Davina a hug.

"Kol!" Monique cried, brightening when she saw me. "Davina didn't say you were coming," she told me, looking me over. "Maybe you can buy me a drink."

"Water with a slice of lime?" I quipped.

Monique grinned. "Or a tequila," she retorted, flipping her hair over her shoulder and smirking up at me.

"Or not," Davina cut in. "Monique, you're going to get into big trouble." She folded her arms, staring at her friend.

"Oh, Davina, stop! We're going to be fine," Monique said, slipping her phone into her purse. "Let's go." She led our merry little band to Rousseau's, opening the door and walking inside.

Davina looked up at me and I shrugged. A good bartender would take one look at the fake ID and tell Monique that she could have anything in the form of coffee, soft drink, juice or water but until she turned twenty-one she could forget the hard stuff."

Josh smirked at me. "This is not going to go well. At all," he said.

Monique shot Josh a hard look. "I know what I'm doing."

Aiden grinned at Josh and Josh rolled his eyes. They knew from personal experience how bad this could turn out but sometimes you had to allow people to learn from falling on their faces.

Monique strode to the bar and ordered a drink while Davina and I hung back a few feet, waiting to see how this turned out. The blonde bartender took a look at Monique, then her ID and then poured a drink, something pink and frothy. "Enjoy," the female said with a smile.

Monique turned back with a grin, her drink clutched between her fingers. "See," she said, walking over to the table that her friends had taken by a window.

Davina looked confused. "That did not turn out how I expected it to."

"I'm going to get a drink of my own," I said. "Would you like anything?"

"An orange juice would be nice." Davina slipped away from me and joined her friends.

I walked over to the bar, eying the name tag on the bartender's shirt. "You're going to buy me a drink if you keep staring at my chest like that," she quipped.

"Oh, sorry, love," I said, "Could I get a beer and an orange juice?"

"You know I gave that friend of yours what amounts to a fruit smoothie?" Cami asked me, eyeing me before pouring out Davina's drink and grabbing my beer.

"And she seems none the wiser," I replied with a smile.

"Perks of the job: knowing when to serves a kid something that will make them happy but that won't kill them." Cami walked away and I smiled.

Pulling out my phone, I called a familiar number. "Hello?" Aurora's voice sounded in my ear. She sounded distracted.

"Aurora, it's me," I said, watching Davina roll her eyes at Monique.

"Who's me?" Aurora asked.

"Kol," I replied.

"Oh, yes, Kol. I once knew a man named Kol and then he ran off and left me," Aurora said.

I sighed. "I'm coming back tomorrow."

"How nice of you. Don't worry about me, love, I have a new babysitter. Her name is Anna and she's lovely. Aren't you, dear?" Aurora called.

"Sure," a girl's voice called back. I could hear strain in the girl's voice.

"Right," I had no idea what to say in return. "I suppose that's good."

"It is," Aurora snapped and I could hear the pain in her voice. "I should let you get back to whatever it is that kept you from me. Good-bye, Kol."

Hearing the click that signaled the end of the call, I picked up the drinks and headed over to the table. Monique was laughing hysterically at something Oliver said while I sat down. Davina smiled at me and I smiled back.

"Who were you talking to?" Davina asked me.

"A friend, back in California," I told her.

"I'm sure they miss you back there." Davina grinned as she took her drink from me. "But they can't have missed you as much I did."

"That's true," I told her. I just hoped I didn't return to find that Lucien had replaced me, too. I had a few more months before I could stay here and truly be with Davina. There was no way I was going ruin our chance at happiness, not if I could help it.

I'm going to try to post a new chapter next week and for the next four weeks after that. I'm not going to make a promise because there are a lot things happening that are killing my ability to focus. Sorry. :/

Thank you for reading, faving, following and reviewing.

Answers to guest reviews:

Guest: I know. Poor Davina having to deal with Esther and Mikael. Thank you, I hope you love this one, too.

Guest: Thank you! I hope you love this chapter, too!

Princess: I am sorry that's taken this long for you be able to read a chapter that mentions Anna. She'll make a physical appearance in chapter 13. I did like your idea about Anna and Davina meeting at UCLA and I might try to incorporate it into another story, at another time.

Peace,

Jessica