Elena:
"You're Elena, right?"
"Yes, why?"
"I'm Kol Mikaelson," he says, holding his hand out for me to shake. I stare at it for several seconds before I finally smile and take it.
"How can I help you, Kol Mikaelson?" I ask, patting the seat next to me.
"Well, Miss Gilbert, since you and I have a lot in common, I just thought that maybe you could use a friend. I know I certainly could."
"They're brutal to you too, aren't they?"
"They are. So, Elena Gilbert, will you be my friend?"
Smiling widely at him, I lean close, whisper yes in his ear and place a wisp of a kiss to his cheek.
"So friend, what do you want to do?"
"Well, I don't know. What do you like to do, Kol?"
"I like to hang out at the zoo. I volunteer there and although I do stuff like help clean cages, they do let me pet the animals. I hope you don't think I'm nuts but I love the reptiles."
"Reptiles?"
"Yes, the snakes and the Komodo Dragon and the alligators and crocodiles."
"Personally I like the big cats."
"Shall we?" he asks, sticking his elbow out for me to latch on to. With a wide smile, I slide my arm through his and the two of us walk to the parking lot where his mother is waiting for him.
"Mom, this is my new friend, Elena Gilbert. Elena, this is my mom Esther Mikaelson."
"Hello Elena, it's a pleasure to meet you," she says, smiling at me.
"Hi, Mrs. Mikaelson."
"Mom, can you drop us off at the zoo? But we probably need to run by Elena's house first to make sure it's okay with her grandma."
"How did you know that I lived with my grandma?"
"People talk Elena. Besides... it took me awhile to work up the nerve to talk to you."
"I'm glad you finally did," I tell him, jumping in the backseat. His mother starts the car and before I know it, we're at grandma's house. "Do you want to come in and meet my grandma?"
"Can we have a rain check, Elena? Kol neglected to tell you that he has a dentist appointment. How about I take you both to the zoo this weekend?"
"Is that okay, Elena?"
"Sure," I tell him. Getting out of the car, he and I keep waving goodbye till their car disappears when it makes a left turn at the first corner from my house.
Opening my eyes, I remember where I am. Sitting up in bed, I reach over to the bedside table to take a couple of aspirin and a swallow of water. Hoping to go back to sleep, I swallow them down. Dropping back onto the mattress, I turn on my side, pull my teddy bear back into my arms and close my eyes. It doesn't take long till dreams fill my subconscious again.
"Do you like the zoo, Elena?"
"I love the zoo," I squeal, running down the sidewalk till we're in front of the Cheetah cage.
"It is pretty," Kol marvels, his own eyes widening to mirror my own.
Holding on tightly to the chain link fence, I'm unable to look away. They're just such beautiful creatures and they're the fastest animals on earth, hitting a maximum speed of nearly seventy five miles per hour which is beyond amazing in and of itself. With my attention rapt, I don't notice that Kol is no longer beside me till I hear my name, demanding that I follow him to the reptile building. Offering me his hand, I happily link our fingers together and the two of us hurry down the path on veering off of it when we get to our destination. Our eyes widen to the size of saucers when we walk up to the Anaconda's glass enclosure. The sign says he's twenty feet long and his belly is huge. As if in a trance, Kol stares without even blinking at the scaly creature.
"There you two are!" Kol's mother scolds when she catches up to us. "I've been looking all over. Don't you dare run off again," she says, her stern face looking directly at me. Suddenly the air shifts when a girl screams. When I turn around, I'm horrified to see Kol's head, his face bright red and as the snake squeezes the life out of him. I start to scream hysterically till I feel a strong grip on my arms at the same time I hear someone's voice. It's strangely familiar but I can't place it.
"Elena, wake up! You're having a nightmare." My eyes fly open but my vision is blurred from my tears. Scared beyond measure, I skitter away, pressing myself against the headboard.
"Elena, it's me, Damon. Please don't be afraid. I won't hurt you," he tells me, gently rubbing his palm over my forearm. After staring for I don't know how long at his hand, I finally recognize his presence.
"Damon?! Ho.. how did you get in?"
"When you didn't come to the door, I looked around and saw an open window. I climbed the tree and hopped on to second floor balcony and then edged my way over to the window. I'm sorry, I know that I should probably have been a little more aggressive with my pounding on the door but when I heard you scream, I got scared."
"It's okay. How did you know where I was?"
"I called the station to tell them that I needed the next couple of days off because of my dad. That's how I heard about Kol. I'm so, so sorry, Elena. I've seen with my own two eyes how much he meant to you."
Feeling the all too familiar tears begin to fill my eyes again, I reach for a tissue. In the space of a millisecond, my entire body is shaking with overwhelming, gut wrenching grief. I don't even begin to know how to live without Kol. When our eyes meet, I can see that he's being sincere. In search of some much needed comfort, I throw my arms around his neck and bury my face in his chest.
"I wish I could say or do anything to make you feel better," he whispers as he caresses my hair and my back.
"I just can't believe that it's true. Tell me it's not true," I blubber, my voice stilted and breathy from my tears.
"Ssshh," he says softly before continuing. "I won't tell you that it's going to be okay because it isn't. Not for a long time but you already know that. But I'm here, Elena. I'm not going to go anywhere."
"You never answered my question. How did you know that I'd be here?"
"Brady called to find out where I was. He told me that he believes that you were the intended target. He also told me he has no evidence just a gut feeling that this is related to the Bradley siblings."
"Actually I think he said something to me about that too but the last few hours are a blur," I start to say but it's interrupted when I yawn widely.
"Why don't you go back to sleep? I'll go downstairs and crash on the couch, that is..., if it's okay with you? I'm sorry, I just barged in here and didn't even ask if you minded. Forgive me."
"It's okay, Damon. Believe it or not, I'm glad you're here. How is your dad by the way?"
"His surgeon told us that he came through surgery very well. I'll call my grandpa or Katherine later to check on him."
"Oh my gosh, my grandma is going to be worried sick about me."
"Calm down, Brady texted me while I was driving out here that he'd bring our families up to speed. I'll go downstairs now. Try to get some sleep, Elena," he says. After dropping a kiss to the top of my head, he gives me one last look before walking out, closing the door behind him.
Damon:
Once I get downstairs, I go into the living room. Fortunately there are a couple of throw pillows and an afghan so I can cover myself up. Exhausted, I plop onto it, kick off my shoes, put my feet up and then I close my eyes, thoughts of Elena filling my head. Although the couch is comfortable, I didn't really sleep much. Between dreaming about Elena and worrying about my dad, I pretty much tossed and turned the whole night. Sitting up, I drop my head into my hands and rub my eyes. As soon as I can see clearly, I stumble out to her kitchen to make a pot of coffee. Taking the liberty to look through the cupboards, I finally find a can of coffee. Once I have it brewing, I find my phone so I can text Katherine to see if there's been any news as far as dad is concerned. After pouring myself a big mug full of hot coffee, I walk outside, sit down on the top step and then take a big swallow.
Breathing in the fresh air is amazing. I take one more swallow from my mug and then I set it down to shoot off a text to my sister. Then all I can do is wait for her to return it. Deciding to walk down to the lake, I first go back inside to refill my cup. Not hearing any movement on the upstairs floorboards yet, I take my cup and go outside again, this time walking down the wooden planks to the end of the dock. It's beautiful out here. Wanting to relax just a bit, I sit down and drop my feet into the water. I almost feel like a little kid again and it's kind of nice feeling carefree if only for a few seconds. Suddenly my reverie is broken when I hear Katherine's ring tone. Picking it up, I take a breath and brace myself for perhaps bad news.
"Hello, Katherine."
"Damon, are you okay? Brady was here really early to talk to us. I need to know that you're safe."
"I'm okay, sis. Don't worry about me. How's dad?"
"He's doing great. Although Dr. Parker cautioned us about possible setbacks, he said if he continues to get by as well has he has so far, that maybe he will be one of the lucky people who can go home fairly quickly. His color looks normal again, Damon. His nailbeds are nice and pink. Remember how they used to have that little bit of a bluish tint?"
"I'm glad, Katherine. Is grandpa okay?"
"He's here with Lena. Jenna and Ric brought her over. Brady filled all of us in. Please be careful little brother."
"I will. I promise." When I hear a voice in the background, she tells me that she has to go and will call me later. After clicking it off, I set it down, pick up my coffee cup and listen to the loons yodel. I never realized how peaceful it is here. With mind on the beauty of nature, I don't even notice Elena till she drops down beside me. Holding two coffee cups, she offers me one of them.
"I didn't know you already had one."
"It's fine. I was going to go in for a refill anyway. Thank you, Elena," I tell her, smiling. I could look at her pristine beauty all day long. She's not phony or made up. What I wouldn't do to run my fingers through her long tresses while we're in the throes of passion. But I can't think that way right now. She's reeling from what happened to Kol and what kind of a man would I be if I didn't honor her feelings for her friend.
"Elena, do you want to talk? I'm a good listener, really I am."
"No. If I talk about it, it makes it real and I don't want it to be real just yet."
"You can trust me, Elena. Whenever you're ready, I'm here."
"Thank you. What are we going to do about the case? We can't hide out here. Obviously there's more to the Bradley's deaths than what the public knows. Why else would I be a target?"
"I don't know. I agree that we can't stay holed up here forever but we can stay for a couple of days. Our TV show is our best asset. We have the power to bring who's ever behind this down but we have to do it the right way. If we don't play our cards right, the guilty party may get off on some technicality."
"I agree. What do you want to do today?"
"We could either take a picnic and hike up those hills over there or isn't there a horse farm down the road? Maybe we could rent a couple of horses for the afternoon?"
"Either sounds good. What do you prefer?"
"I actually would prefer the climb but I want you to choose."
"I like the idea of climbing too. Let's get dressed and go, shall we?"
"Sounds good, Miss Gilbert." Standing up, she starts to walk back towards the house. As soon as I catch up to her, I gently grab onto the crook of her elbow, forcing her to look at me. "You really can talk to me, Elena." After giving me a nod, I let her arm go and she walks away and into the house. Since it's early yet, we take a trip into town to get some groceries since we'll be here at least a few days. Together we walk through the aisles deciding on what to buy. When we get to the meat section, I pick up a nice beef roast and some chicken breasts. I also pick out a couple of steaks and some hamburger. Afterwards, I reach for some eggs, butter and milk. Elena is busy in the snack aisle. As soon as she finds me in the fresh vegetable section, she looks at what I've chosen and raises an eyebrow.
"Do you know how to cook? It's definitely not my forte'," she asks skeptically.
"I can cook. Let's get some chicken from the deli and then we can go back. I'd still like to give climbing a little try yet today."
"You're sure about cooking?"
"Yes, Elena, I promise you that I know how to cook. After mom died, my dad taught me and Katherine so we would be able to fend for ourselves if he got stuck at work or something."
"I like your dad. You said he's doing good after surgery?"
"Yeah, that's what Katherine said this morning when I talked to her. Are we ready to go now, Miss Gilbert?"
"Yep," she says, popping the p.
Once we have everything paid for and bagged up, I carry them out to the car. She opens the trunk so I can drop them in. I don't miss the way she runs her hand over the hood of my car.
"Do you want to drive?"
"You'd let me?"
"If it'll help put a smile back on your face, yes, I'll gladly let you drive." Her sad smile brightens slightly when I hand her the keys and jump into the passenger seat. Next thing I know, I'm holding on for dear life when she starts speeding down the gravel road back to the lake house.
"Woah there, Dale Jr., slow down. I want to get there in one piece."
"Don't be such a baby. I know what I'm doing," she scoffs just as she makes a slick sharp right turn down the gravel road that leads to the lake house. She stops it on a dime. I have to agree, she knows what she's doing behind the wheel.
"Remind me not to bet against you in a street race," I joke, lifting our bags out of the trunk after she opens it. Once we put everything away, we quickly put a little picnic lunch together then head down across the field to the hills in the distance. I suppose they're about a mile away. When we reach the base of the hill, I stop long enough to tie my shoes and take a drink of water. Even though it's a good distance to the summit, it looks like it'll be easy to climb without gear. Before I know it, I see you start to traverse up the side. She's a good thirty feet up before I even start.
"Hey, wait for me," I tell her, putting the backpack with our lunch over my shoulders before I start begin the upwards trek too. It doesn't take long to catch her because she did slow down enough to allow me to do so.
"You're quick," I mumble because as soon as I'm on level ground with her, she takes off again. Shaking my head, I follow along, reaching the summit shortly afterwards. Dropping onto the rocks beside her, it's like she's in her own little world because she's staring at the scenery that's spread out around us. It is truly beautiful out here. Taking my backpack off, I get our food out. It's then that she finally acknowledges me.
"I'm sorry, I was just thinking about everything. How are we going to solve this case, Damon? If Amber was killed too, where do we begin to find the answers? I can't imagine that her parents will give permission to have her body exhumed."
"Maybe they will. I mean we'll have to have something, some kind of evidence before we go to them but if it was my kid, I'd want his or her killer brought to justice."
"I suppose. It just seems like such an uphill climb," she says, looking at me for a moment before turning her eyes back to the landscape beneath us.
"Elena, I meant what I said when I told you that I'm a good listener."
"I don't want to talk about Kol. I just want to turn back time," she whispers, tears filling her eyes. Wasting no time, I slide closer and pull her into my arms. It feels so good just to hold her. As soon as she composes herself, I let go. I don't want to push her to think I'm only comforting her to get something in return. Oh believe me, I want her but I want it on her terms. I want her to want me just as much as I want her. If I need to be her friend first, that's what I'll do. Reaching over, I link our hands together and give hers a squeeze. She gives me a tight smile then asks me if I'm hungry. Nodding that I am indeed. Since I already got the food out, we just dish ourselves up and eat in silence.
"It's really a gorgeous view," I muse, smiling at her. After she returns it, I pack up our things so we don't leave any litter up here. When I'm done, I excuse myself to go behind a rock and do my business.
"Shake your lizards, let' em drain, move your hips and spell your name. Send it straight, send it hard. Now a sword fight, go on guard. Eat your veggies, eat your starches. Lean back, golden arches. Now flip it and zip it and let's get going," I say softly, as I finish up and raise my zipper.
"Really, Damon. I thought that old saying was for kids."
"You heard that?"
"I did. Kol taught me it one time when we were out by the falls and he couldn't wait to get back to the bathroom so he whipped it out and did his thing."
"It's a guy thing, Elena," I tease, waggling my brows at her. As soon as I step beside her again, we start back down the hill.
By the time we get back to the house, the sun is going down. Since we're both tired, I go into the kitchen and make some hot chocolate. Before I go to find her, I grab the throw off the couch and then head outside. And it's on the dock that I find her again. Looking out over the water, I can't help but smile when I see the darkness is lit up by the fireflies. Loons and toads and crickets are providing the evening's entertainment. I love it out here and the fact that she's here make it feel almost like paradise.
"Here you go," I say, offering her the mug full of hot cocoa.
"Thanks," she says, taking a sip.
"Damon, can I ask you something?"
"Sure."
"What caused your metamorphosis? I mean, when I first saw you, you were still sarcastic and rude and then suddenly you weren't. And you kissed me?"
After draping the wrap over her shoulders, I sit down beside her. I pause long enough to take a swallow of my drink. "Elena, I can tell you I'm sorry till I'm blue in the face but I guess it's meaningless without the truth. I think I've always liked you, Elena. It's just that I was afraid I think. I didn't want to be rejected so rather than let you do that, I pushed back. That way you couldn't do that because I never let you in to be able to push me away. I know that makes no sense at all but my self esteem was in the toilet back then. I don't know why? I mean, my parents were good to me. My sister and I got along. I just didn't feel like I had any value. When I got into high school, I had my looks to fall back on but it wasn't till I moved away and my dad needed me that I really felt a sense of being needed. I don't know where my insecurities came from, Elena. I honestly don't. I hope when all this is over that you'll give me a chance."
"I'd like that, Damon. Thank you for being honest with me."
"I feels good to lift that weight."
"It's chilly out here. Are you ready to go inside?"
"I am. Let's go," she says. Standing up, she offers me her hand which I gladly accept. Then the two of us walk slowly back to the house hand in hand, hearts beating together.
Elena:
As soon as we got back inside the house, I excused myself to take a shower and go to bed. It's been an exhausting day both physically and especially emotionally given what happened to Kol. Stepping out of the shower, I drape a towel around myself, brush my teeth and then walk into my bedroom. Dropping the towel, I slip on a tee shirt and a pair of sleep shorts then crawl under the covers. As tired as I am, mere moments later, my eyes drop closed.
"Hey Elena," Kol says, stepping beside me as I power walk down the sidewalk.
"What are you doing here? I thought you had to go out with Andie to film some story that she was working on.
"I told Elijah that I didn't feel well. He sent Drucker with her."
"Do you want to come home with me to watch a movie?"
"Sure," he adds, picking up his steps to keep pace with me. Suddenly a drizzly fog moves in on us, obscuring everything. I don't think visibility is even a yard in front of me. Fear erupts in my veins when I can't see Kol. It's like he just disappeared. Before I have time to even try to comprehend this madness, I find myself in front of a new grave, the dirt freshly packed. There's no headstone to tell me who this is. Terror fills every space when I feel skeletal like fingers on my shoulder. Turning around slowly, I see him, Kol in zombie form, green goo dripping from the sides of his mouth. Although I try to scream, my mouth opens and closes with nary a sound coming out. I'm too petrified to move, to scream. Finally I feel my feet and I start to back away. It's then that he leaps at me and when I feel his teeth bite into my neck, I scream...
"Wake up, Elena." Jerking awake, my eyes as wide as saucers, I bury my face in his chest, tears falling down my cheeks in sheets. My breaths are coming in pants and my heart is thundering a roaring cadence against my sternum. It's like my throat is tightening, my anxiety making it impossible to take a breath.
"Relax, just relax. It was a bad dream," he says, petting my back with soft strokes of his hands. After I calm down, he leaves me long enough to get some Benadryl so I can sleep. Once I swallow it, he tucks me back in then starts for the door. Not wanting to be alone, I grab onto his wrist, stopping him in his tracks.
"Please stay?"
"Sure," he whispers. Pulling off his tee shirt, he climbs in the other side of the bed. When he's settled, I curl into his side. It's only when I feel his strong arms wrapped around me that I can finally relax and close my eyes, feeling strangely at home and safe in his embrace.
Thank you so much, Eva. Lot and big hugs and more appreciation than I can express.
And a big thanks to those of you who took the time to review. It means a lot to me.
chapter title: 'How Do I Live' by LeAnn Rimes.
I posted the final chapter of 'The Game of Life' yesterday. It would be great if you could check that one out too.
'The Heart Never Forgets' by deepwater1978 is another story that's quite good.
Please click the review button.
I'm going back to night shifts this evening. I had been stuck on days after hurting my back helping a patient. Wish me luck, I haven't had to be up all night since April. Be safe and have a wonderful day. We'll see you next time.