Thanks for the reviews!
Since there were so many, I'm giving a quick update!
Hope you guys enjoy!
Alaric let his hand fall around Elena's waist, as perfected by the many times they'd done this. Just another founder's party, filled with overly excited gossipers and too much chili.
Jeremy rested sleepily against his shoulder as Elena chatted with Caroline and Bonnie.
He was finally able to relax, out in the safety of the public, as he didn't think Augustine would be idiot enough to cause a scene in this crowd.
All week long, he'd had to be on high alert, since Elena came home and told him about Mary's warning. He was tired of the constant looking over his shoulder, checking in with each member of the Salvatore family just to make sure they were still safe.
Because even though he'd yet to spot anything suspicious, he knew things weren't always what they appeared to be. So he chose to enjoy the simple moments, like this.
Damon was dazed. They were in Washington D.C now, following the lead on Augustine's man, praying it wasn't another dead end. Weeks of straight travel, and he felt it.
They were staying at the house of some elder couple that were apparently friends with one of the Sargents, keeping a low profile, just outside the city.
The older woman was kind to them, cooking them actual meals and making sure they had plenty of blankets at night. It made him ache for his family, for home, and drove his determination to get this Augustine business over with.
His mind drifted, as it usually did at night, to Elena, and the envelope on the nightstand was haunting him. The chief had handed it to him just before they were moved to their current location, but he hadn't been able to open it.
He loved Elena, so much, and she deserved happiness, even if it wasn't with him.
So what was the point, really? Of torturing himself all the more with pictures of her...and him.
Damon clenched his teeth, instinct telling him to hate this guy, but if Elena loved him, and he loved her, then Damon knew it wouldn't be right to judge the guy.
Which is exactly what would happen if he got a glimpse of him.
And Elena with a baby? Did he really want to see that? Seriously, there was only so much pain a man could take, and he knew that the image of her with a child would brand in his mind forever.
God, his mother had been so wrong. For once in his life, she was wrong.
Elena was better off. There was no fairy-tale ending for him.
He sighed, looking over at the envelope again. Deciding that since he was already wallowing in self pity, he might as well drive the nails into the coffin.
The twisting metal at the top of the envelope taunted him as he worked it open.
He sighed again, pulling out the contents.
A note was on front.
Got what I could without seeming suspicious.
Hope it satisfies.
Damon shuffled it aside, then looked at the photos.
The first one was of Elena and his mother, talking at one of the local founder's events.
They were both smiling, and tears filled his eyes as he gazed down.
Two years. Two fucking years since he'd seen her.
She was stunning, still.
He gazed at it for a moment longer, before moving to the next one.
It was her with Caroline and Bonnie, again, deep in conversation.
He shuffled through the pictures. Most of Elena just talking to people, until his attention was caught about halfway in.
He couldn't believe his eyes at first, and blinked just to make sure he was seeing right.
Elena was focused on Caroline, as the blond was froze in mid-sentence, but next to her, hand around her waist, was Alaric.
Confusion overcame him.
Ric...it didn't make sense.
The man had no family interest. He hated small towns and he wouldn't move in on a friend's girl. Especially when he knew said friend was doing everything possible to get back to said girl.
Damon swallowed.
Because if anyone could make a man's weakness come out, it was Elena.
Hell, he'd tried to take her from his own brother.
But it was Alaric!
Even worse, was the bundle laying on against Ric's shoulder. The child was obviously small, though Ric's arm and neck kept Damon from getting a good view of it.
He counted back.
Ric had been with Elena for about two years now? Plenty of time for feelings to grow.
And didn't they just look cozy.
Damon threw the stack of pictures to the ground, as he sat up from the bed.
He'd known something was off. The feeling circling him all the time now, a feeling of betrayal. He'd thought it silly at first, but it had grown stronger, constantly bugging him.
Italian charm or not though, he'd never thought it would be Alaric that turned against him.
Enzio, he needed to find Enzio, so they could go over a game plan.
He was going to catch Augustine, and he was going to make the bastard wish he'd died.
Because, right now, if he focused on his life, he'd lose all reason to go on.
"No, no, no!" Elena scolded as Jeremy threw his spaghetti 'o's in the floor, again.
She groaned, "Baby, you're suppose to eat the food, not throw it."
Jeremy just smiled at her with his messy face, and all her irritation slipped away.
"Okay, well if your done, it's time for a bath."
She picked him up and stripped his clothes as they walked toward the bathroom.
When Jeremy saw the tub, he started squirming.
"No!" he insisted, one of the words he'd gotten down pat.
Elena sighed, "Yes. We got to get cleaned up."
"Nooo!" Jeremy insisted, but Elena simply shuffled him so she could run the faucet without dropping him.
Once he was in the warm water, all argument stopped, as it usually did.
"See, you like bath-time," Elena told him as he began splashing.
She shook her head, handing him a toy, as she sat on the floor next to him, to make sure he didn't slip as he played.
She used the sink as her back rest, and allowed her mind to drift. Jeremy gurgled off a string of noises she didn't understand, but she smiled anyway.
She imagined another life.
She's washing Jeremy up when Damon comes in, just home from his normal, safe job. He'd lean down, and kiss her as he threw a smirk at their son making a mess of the bathroom floor.
He'd go change, then offer to take care of Jeremy so she could put on some dry clothes and get started on dinner.
She'd happily agree, kissing him before moving downstairs to prepare their food.
They'd sit at the table, Jeremy in his high chair.
She'd feed him as Damon talked about his day.
Once they were done, Damon would help her clear the table, then take Jeremy into the living room for playtime while she loaded the dishes.
Elena sighed then, as her imagination progressed.
Maybe she'd follow them into the living room, and watch was Damon lay out on the floor, amiss all the toys and books, showing Jeremy different ones.
She'd watch them play for a while, knowing that Damon missed spending time with his son.
Then they would take him to bed when he started yawning.
She'd leave Damon to read him a bedtime story while she jumped in the shower.
By the time she'd be done, Jer would be asleep and Damon would be in their bedroom.
She'd walk up to him and wrap her arms around his middle.
He'd smile and remind her how much he loved her.
Then he'd start kissing down her neck, sucking here and there, his hands trailing over her waist.
She could remember the exact feel of his lips, so hard against her own.
He'd press them all over her body as he pulled the towel from it.
She'd strip him of his clothes as he pulled her to he bed, his blue eyes blazing with lust.
"Elena?"
She jumped at the sound so hard that Jeremy looked over at the movement.
She took a breath.
"Yeah!" she called, "Up here!"
A few seconds later Ric was in the door way.
"Oh, hey. I was gonna run to the store. Did we need anything?"
She blinked at him, trying to ignore the affects of her fantasy so quickly ripped away.
"Um...I don't think we do...maybe some more milk. Jer goes through it pretty fast."
Ric nodded, "Alright...are you okay?"
Elena sighed, "Not really."
Ric paused, "What's the matter?"
She looked up at him, "The same thing that's always wrong."
Alaric moved closer to her, sitting on top of the toilet lid, "You miss Damon."
She nodded, "I know it's crazy. And I know that it's pointless, but I can't help it."
"I know," Ric assured her, "I miss him too."
She sighed, "It's just not right. I mean, he doesn't even get to be a part of his son's life...I've tried so hard not to let it bother me...to let him go...but I just..."
"Can't?" Ric offered.
She swallowed, "How can I Ric? How can I, when every time I look into Jeremy's eyes, I see him?"
Ric squeezed her arm, "I'm sorry, Elena."
She shook her head, "I know, but, I'm just gonna have to get over it."
She offered him a forced smile, "I'm just having a moment. I'll be fine."
"You sure?"
She nodded, "Yeah. I'm strong," she gave a small laugh, "It just gets to me some times."
Ric sighed, "Okay, well, hang in there. I'll be back soon."
She turned back to Jeremy as he walked off, thinking of how unfair it was that he'd never know his father.
Alaric was just leaving the grocery store when his phone rang.
The number wasn't familiar.
"Hello?"
"Saltzman?"
He relaxed, "General, sir. It's good to hear from you."
"It's been a while," the general admitted, "Have there been any problems?"
Alaric considered this, "We had a suspicious call a few days back, but other than that it's been smooth."
The general sighed, "Well I don't know if that's good or bad news."
"What do you mean?" Ric asked.
"Salvatore's been changing plans around. He's leading some sort of combat initiative, and got hands on a man directly tied to Augustine."
Ric grew confused, "Isn't that a good thing? Part of the plan? Catch Augustine."
The general huffed, "That is the goal, but he's being reckless."
"It's Damon," Alaric reminded him, "He's always done whatever he-"
"Something's got him riled," the general cut him off, "He and the men took a captor for interrogation without permission, and are jumping threw loopholes in the judicial system to avoid being arrested. Now are you sure nothing is going on there?"
"I'm sure," Alaric promised, "It's been quiet."
"Damn. Then I'm going to have to find out what else has him going, because he's getting careless."
Ric sighed, "Good luck sir. Oh," he remembered, "Did the men I called ever get a hold of you or Damon?"
"Concerning what?" the general pressed.
"Uh...Elena. She was pregnant. Had the kid last year, and Damon...well, he didn't know. I talked to some people, said they'd get the information to him when the could."
"Shit," the general groaned, "This is the first I'm hearing of it. But I'll be sure to let him know."
Ric smiled a little, "Thank you sir."
They ended the call, and he was able to go home feeling a little better.
At least Damon would know that he still had something to come home to.
Elena thrashed on her bed. It had been hours since she'd laid down, and she still couldn't find sleep. Tossing and turning wasn't helping, but there was nothing she could do.
The images in her head had taunted her for the rest of the evening.
First the sweet ones, of Damon being a part of their lives, playing with Jeremy, having dinners.
But then the other torture started.
Damon's eyes focused on her, his lips hot on her skin, deep inside her body as her nails drew blood from his back.
She turned again, groaning, then rolled to lay flat on her back.
She missed Damon, and she missed sex, and the two thrown together was bad enough to cause an almost physical pain.
But she'd accepted that her sex life was practically over.
Part of her brain wouldn't let her let go of Damon, and no other man would be able to take her heart while it still belonged to him.
So she let her hand slip down, under her panties, pretending it was him.
She'd gotten pretty good at self pleasuring, and it wasn't long before her orgasm built.
She thought of the times she'd been with Damon.
When he'd taken her against the shower wall, in the bathroom at one founder's meeting, and even in the backseat of his car.
His hands had been firm, and skilled in their acts, his lips drawing moans from her own.
God, those lips.
And his eyes, that looked straight into her soul.
His sexy smirk.
His teased sex hair.
Lean muscles
Hard abs
Eyes, hair, lips, smirk.
Damon.
Her eyes shut as she came, clenching around her fingers. She stroked until it was too sensitive to continue, and let her body relax onto the bed.
Yes, she felt better. So much better.
And she began to cry.
Because it would never be enough.
It was dark outside, but the small room was lit by a set of candles.
A man had just finished his phone call when a knock sounded at the door.
He rushed their quickly, checking to make sure it was who he'd expected.
He opened the door.
"Get in," he demanded, "Quick!"
His visitor did so, and he shut the door behind him, then turned.
"Did you bring it."
The visitor sighed, "Yes...I did."
"Good," the man purred, "It better be everything that I asked for."
His guest shuttered, "It is. Now please, promise that you'll leave my family alone."
"I'll check the information first," the man declared.
His visitor reached into his coat, handing him an envelop.
"That's all the information," he promised, "Salvatore's home address, numbers, everything I could find."
"And that girl?" The man pressed.
"Out of the picture," the visitor insisted, "She's seeing someone else. Had a kid with him and everything."
The man nodded, and his guest fidgeted, "So are we done? You'll leave my family alone?"
When the man ignored him, the visitor grew anxious, "Augustine, you promised. I get you Salvatore's information, you don't hurt my family."
Augustine picked up his phone again, "Yes, I did."
He dialed a number, "Wes? Yes, it's taken care of. Let the girl go, and tell Aaron to back off the parents. We're done with them."
The visitor sighed in relief, "Thank you."
Augustine ended the call, looking through the envelope, "No, Enzio, Thank you."
Review please!
Was anyone surprised by the reveal?
Damon sensed someone was going to betray him...but he doesn't know it wasn't Alaric!
What will happen?
Ideas are always welcome!