AN: Here we are again, with a new chapter. I'm really excited about this one and it took me a lot of time to write it down, I kept changing things and I was never satisfied with how things turned out. As a thank you for the wonderful response this story is getting, I modified the Delena scene I had planned for this chapter making it more...appealing to you (I hope!).
I noticed that some of you were confused by Stefan not having a daylight ring so I decided to explain it here. It's simple, really. Basically, all the vampires who were turned before Damon's birth, have a daylight ring. Those who were turned after his birth, don't have one simply because there were no more witches who could enchant the rings, what with Damon being the sole possessor of magic. I hope this clears things up and I'm sorry if it was confusing for you.
A giant thank you to Quills and Inkwells, my amazing beta who I would be lost without!
Chapter 21 – One Step Closer
For the two of us, home isn't a place. It is a person. And we are finally home.
- Stephanie Perkins -
00.23
The glowing green numbers alerted Elena of the late hour. She had been driving for seven hours now and, even though she did not need as much sleep as a human did, she was beginning to feel tired. Even if their trip to Canada had gone smoothly so far, it was starting to drain their energy. She glanced to her right, where Damon was dozing off with his head against the window, and to the backseat where Caroline was sleeping soundly resting her head on Stefan's shoulder. The younger vampire was the only one awake save for Elena.
Stefan intercepted her gaze through the rear-view mirror, "Do you want me to drive?" he asked her in a soft voice, not wanting to wake up Caroline and Damon.
Elena shook her head, bringing her eyes back to the road. They had landed in Regina early in the morning and immediately they had caught the next flight directed to Prince Albert. They had decided to abandon Alaric's private jet following Rick's own advice. He'd told them how easy it was to track down a private jet and suggested they diverted any unwanted attention by changing flights. Plus, it would have been conspicuous to see a private jet land in the small village of Christopher Lake.
Once they'd reached Prince Albert, they had decided to rent a car for the rest of the road. They were close to their destination and traveling by car was the easiest way to cover the remaining distance ahead of them. Thus their journey had started. Caroline had been the first to drive, stopping only to allow Damon to eat and go to the bathroom. The human had been extremely cooperative. Any other person would have probably whined because of the tiring timetable they had set. Damon, however, had taken everything in stride.
Elena chanced another glance at the raven-haired man. He had been so happy when they had finally been on the road. It wasn't his first time in a car – he'd told Elena he remember traveling in one when he was very little – but it was his first journey on the road. He'd spent hours plastered against the side-window, his eyes drinking in everything around them. His reaction had surprised everyone, especially when he told them that he'd found flying incredibly dull. Granted, it had been amazing to fly, and even just thinking about the fact that he was actually higher than the clouds had made him feel light. That was it though, the entire trip had been nothing but white clouds and nothing more.
Traveling by car was far more entertaining in his opinion. First there had been the city, with its loud noises and people running around going on about their lives, then the suburbs and now they were traveling through the country-side. There was always something interesting to see, something that caught Damon's attention and left him wondering. What was it like living here? Did it get lonely, or was there always something to do to keep oneselves occupied? He wondered how it would feel to live in a place so vast and peaceful. Every now and then, they'd pass through a small wood, something he appreciated greatly.
"As soon as I find a motel, we're stopping for the night," Elena said, coming back to the present.
Stefan didn't say anything, he simply lowered his eyes to Caroline. Elena noticed the loving look he directed to the sleeping woman and wondered, not for the first time, if something was happening between her two friends. Caroline had never hinted at a potential relationship with Stefan, not that Elena could remembered. If she had to be completely honest, the brunette though the two of them made a cute couple. They balanced each other out perfectly; Caroline with her lively personality and Stefan with his introspective ways.
The atmosphere inside the car was warm and cozy, the darkness all around them lulling Elena into a relaxed state of mind. She kept her eyes firmly on the road, not wanting them to have an accident. While both her and her friends in the backseat would survive, Damon would not be as lucky. While she looked around in search of a motel where to stop, Elena focused her hearing on the slow beat of Damon's heart. Listening to his heartbeat was a secret pleasure of hers, something she liked to do without anyone else knowing. She liked to hear the reassuring sound of life within Damon, a life she treasured above all others.
She'd missed that sound when they'd been apart, and it was only now that she realized just how much. Without her even realizing it, Damon had become an essential part of her life. She couldn't even imagine a world without Damon in it, and it scared her. She'd never been the kind of woman who let a man define her life, whose world stopped simply because of a man. She'd enjoyed her previous relationships, but she'd never felt like she did now for Damon. Like her world begun and ended with him, like she could do anything as long as he was by her side. The love she felt for him was all encompassing.
She wondered if Damon felt the same thing for her. A small voice in her head told her that she was stupid for even asking such a question. Weren't the looks of awe he reserved only for her enough? Wasn't that dazzling smile he sported when they were together – the one that said 'I'm so happy' and 'is this really happening?' – proof enough of the love he had for her? She knew she had no reason to doubt Damon's feelings, especially now that he'd started to get close to her again.
Her mind went back to the moment when she had been about to knock on his door and he'd come rushing out, sending both of them to the ground. At first she'd been too shocked to say anything, but as soon as her mind had caught up with what was going on, Elena had remained speechless. If she concentrated hard enough, she could almost feel the weight of his body on top of hers, his hard muscles pressing against her curves. She felt goosebumps rise on her arms at the thought of feeling his warm body pressed against hers once again.
Elena had imagined more than once what it would be like to really be with him. As much as she had fallen in love with his personality – his simple innocence and kindness that made him him – above all else, his stunning beauty made him all the more irresistible. She couldn't count the times where she'd had to remind herself to have patience, to wait for him to come to her when he felt ready. She didn't want him to regret anything of his first time, and she certainly didn't want to make him feel like he had to have sex with her if he didn't want to lose her. She wanted everything to be perfect, like he deserved.
"Look," Stefan's voice pulled her out of her thoughts.
She looked in the direction his finger was pointing. In the distance, barely visible even with her vampire sight, she saw the faint light coming out of a neon sign indicating where to find Bianca and Bernie's Motel. She cocked an eyebrow at the motel's name. What were the chances of finding a place with a name like that? She chuckled at the idea of finding a couple of mouses owning the motel.
"Why are you laughing?" Stefan asked her from his place in the backseat.
Elena shook her head, keeping an eye out for the turn they needed to take to reach the motel, "I was just thinking that it'd be hilarious to find a couple of mouses owning the motel."
The younger vampire watched her with a confused expression, clearly not understanding what she was hinting at.
"Oh, come on," she exclaimed. "The Rescuers and The Rescuers Down Under? No? How is it even possible that you never watched those movies?" Elena was now looking at him with a shocked expression, mystified at the thought of anyone not knowing about those two classics.
"I'm not as ancient as you are, Elena," Stefan told her with a smirk. "My generation grew up with the Lion King and Cinderella."
Elena rolled her eyes, "Very funny, Stefan," she answered sarcastically. "First of all, I'm not ancient thank you very much. Second of all, The Rescuers came out in the '90s so it's not that old."
"Whatever you say, Grandma," the younger vampire murmured loud enough for Elena to hear him.
Elena wanted to throw a scathing comeback at him but, right then, she saw their turn. Even though the road was deserted, she signaled her turn with her blinking lights. Just because there was no one to see her, it didn't mean she could just do whatever she wanted. In less than five minutes, they reached the motel. Elena parked right next to the entrance of the small white two-story building. To her surprise, there were other cars in the parking lot.
She turned toward Damon and shook him lightly to wake him up, "Damon, wake up."
Damon moved a little, trying to get away from the annoying hand that wanted to drag him out of his dreams, a moan of protest leaving his lips. Elena smiled at his actions, tempted to pull out her phone and snap a photo of him. She knew how annoying it was to be waken up when you were happily asleep, but they needed to get out of the car – Stefan and Caroline had already left and were now waiting for them near the entrance of the motel, all their bags at their feet. Plus, resting in that position was going to leave him with more than one kink in his neck.
When he refused to wake up no matter how hard she shook him, Elena decided that a change of strategy was needed. She leaned toward him, her mouth resting against the shell of his ear.
"It's time to wake up, sleepy-head," she sang-song in his ear. To reinforce her statement, she swiftly took his lobe between her lips, biting down lightly on it.
Damon jumped in his seat, waking up with a strangled moan. Elena leaned back in her seat, a light-hearted laugh escaping from her mouth. Damon threw her a startled look while rubbing the sleep out of his tired eyes. She had to admit, he looked kind of adorable while doing so. He seemed unsure whether what he thought happened had actually happened. He kept looking at her suspiciously, or as suspiciously as he could while still half-asleep.
"Did you just bit me?" he asked her, confusion etched on his features.
Elena regarded him with wide eyes and an innocent expression, "I don't know what you're talking about," she told him, wanting to leave him guessing. "Maybe you're still sleeping."
With those words, she took the keys out of the ignition and got out of the car, a befuddled Damon copying her movements. The two walked towards Caroline and Stefan, the bubbly blonde looking at Elena with eyes that clearly stated how she wanted to know every little detail about the brunette's relationship with Damon. Elena pretended not to notice and walked inside the motel, directed at the admission desk where an old woman was watching a small TV. When the old woman noticed her guests, she immediately smiled at them.
"Hello, what are you doing out so late?" she asked.
"We're on a trip and decided to stop here for today," Elena answered her, resting her hands on the admission desk. "We didn't want to risk driving at night even on a deserted road."
The old woman nodded at her with a pleased look. She no doubt had been ready to lecture them for their recklessness, had Elena's answer been different. The woman was looking at them like an overprotective grandmother looks at her nephews and nieces. Never mind that Elena wasn't that younger than her and Caroline was a lot older.
"How many rooms do you need and for how long?" was the woman's question, having ascertained that the newcomers were spending the night at the motel.
"Two rooms will be fine and we need them just for tonight. We're setting off in the morning," Elena answered.
The woman wrote a couple of things on her register, then turned toward the wall behind her to take the keys. She handed them to Elena with a kind smile, wishing her and her friends a nice night of sleep.
"Thank you Mrs..." Elena said, drifting off.
The woman waved a hand at her, "You can just call me Bianca, sweetheart."
Elena chuckled, "Then thank you, Bianca."
The four of them walked up the stairs and searched for their rooms. The motel, while in need of a good maintenance, was actually a lovely place. It had that retro-look that made it appear welcoming as opposed to shabby. The only thing they cared about, however, was the condition of their rooms and if the beds were soft enough to sleep in. After the tiring day they just had, nothing sounded better than a nice, clean bed just waiting to be slept in. Once they found their rooms, they stopped in front of them.
"All right," Elena said. "Care and I will take room 12 and you two will get room 13, any objections?"
The two men shook their heads.
"Oh, thank God!" Caroline exclaimed, snatching the key from Elena's hand and disappearing inside her room without a second glance.
The three of them exchanged a shocked look before Elena shook her head, telling them to just let it go. She'd learned early on in her friendship with Caroline that sometimes it was better not to question the blonde's actions. The blonde vampire could be quite dramatic when she wanted to be – something Elena used to find annoying – and her controlling nature made Elena want to shoot herself from time to time, but, in the end, Caroline was one of the best friends she'd ever head in her life. The brunette considered herself lucky to have met Caroline, and even more lucky that the other woman was a vampire like her and wouldn't just die one day, leaving her alone.
"Here," she said, handing the remaining key to Stefan. "It's better I go check what Caroline is doing inside, I wouldn't put it past her to start modernizing the room if it didn't meet her standards."
Damon and Stefan laughed at her words, heading inside their room. Elena did the same and was met with her worst nightmare; Caroline had completely turned the room upside down. Every drawer of every piece of furniture was open, the beds looked like a tornado had swept over them, the two small closets were opened and the sheets inside of them had been moved around. The culprit of all that destruction was currently standing in the center of the room, a beaming smile on her face.
"Great news, Lena!" she exclaimed. "This room is absolutely perfect. I checked every corner of it and did not find a single beast; no cockroaches, no ants, no nothing. I tried both beds and they are so soft, it feels like you sleeping on a cloud. I moved around a bit to see if the sensation changed, but it didn't. And the bathroom, gorgeous."
During Caroline's entire speech, Elena had simply stared at her, mouth agape. She had forgotten how Caroline was when traveling and staying in motels. She always needed to check everything from beds to sheets and so on and so forth. How she had forgotten such an important trait of Caroline's character, Elena didn't know. She should have known that something like this was going to happen, whether they were traveling in secret or not.
"That's great, Care," Elena said, an awkward smile stretching her lips.
Caroline clapped her hands once, "Fantastic! I'm gonna go take a quick shower and then we can go to bed, we have an early morning ahead of us."
The blonde vampire grabbed a couple of things from her bag and disappeared inside the bathroom, leaving her friend in the middle of ground zero. Elena looked around, a hand on her hip and the other running through her hair. She heaved a sigh before rolling up her sleeves, preparing to clean up the mess that was their room. She loved Caroline like a sister but sometimes it was almost asking too much to keep up with the blonde. Thanks to her vampire speed, she managed to fix everything in less than ten minutes. Once she had finished, she sat down on her bed. It really was incredibly soft, so much so it reminded her of Damon's canopy bed. Elena debated on what do to. She wanted to just crawl under the sheets and just sleep, but first she needed to go to the bathroom. Unfortunately, Caroline's version of a 'quick shower' was anything but quick.
Not wanting to stay inside the room doing nothing, Elena decided to go outside and enjoy the cool night air while she waited for her friend to finish her nightly routine. Once outside, she found out she was not the only one who wanted to breathe some fresh air. Damon was half-sitting half-leaning against the railing in front of their doors, his hands gripping the steel bar and his head tipped back. He was so intent on looking at the stars above them that he didn't even hear her approaching him. She took a place by his side, mirroring his stance.
"How come you're not inside?" she asked him in a soft voice as if not to disturb the quiet night.
Damon briefly tensed, probably surprised by her presence, before he relaxed when her perfume reached his nostrils, "Stefan is taking a shower and I didn't know what to do," he replied, never taking his eyes off the stars.
Elena smiled, "Trust me, I know the situation. Caroline is taking a shower too, although she'll probably spend something like two hours holed up in the bathroom, she'll finish all the hot water and took the most comfortable bed before I even manage to say a word."
Damon remained silent, a pensive look on his face. Elena knew he was thinking about something and waited for him to express his thoughts.
"Why do you put up with her, then?" he asked after a moment, and she had the impression he was asking about more than just her friendship with Caroline.
"She's my friend," she said with a shrug of her shoulders. "We've been through a lot she and I, she's like family to me. I know I have Jeremy too but..." she stopped, the words she had to say still hard to voice. "He will die one day, and his children too and so on throughout generations. You know how they say 'family doesn't end with blood'? When you become a vampire that sentence means everything. One day, my family will die but Care and the others will live and it doesn't matter that we don't share the same blood. Where it counts, we are a family."
Damon, once again, remained silent. He still looked troubled, though, and Elena wanted to know how to help him. She scooted closer, pressing herself against his side. She slipped her right hand in his left – their fingers automatically intertwining – and her free hand rose to rest against his chest, moving over it in a soothing motion. She rested her chin on his shoulder and studied his profile. She moved the hand she had on his chest up his neck, until she could cup his cheek.
"Hey," she whispered, turning his face toward hers. "Talk to me, let me help."
His blue eyes stared deep into hers with an intensity she'd never seen before. "What am I supposed to do, Elena? This trip is supposed to help me figure things out but it's making everything worse the closer we get to Christopher Lake," he stopped, clenching his jaw. "It's not that I don't believe in what Alaric and Jacob said, I know they didn't lie but..."
"You're afraid that standing in your parents' house will make everything real, that you won't be able to go back to the way things were before," she finished his sentence for him.
He nodded minutely at her, amazed at how well she knew him. She could understand how he was feeling. His whole life everything had remained unchanged, static. Every day had been exactly like the day before, nothing new ever happening. Now, he was faced with so many changes that it had to be overwhelming dealing with all of them. The fear of change was something everyone experienced and, unfortunately, there was no easy solution to his problem.
"I'm sorry," he told her. "I know it's stupid and I should just man up and deal with everything. It's just harder than I thought and I have no idea what to do with Klaus and the others, and I keep thinking that I'll figure it out but what if I don't?"
He was rambling now, every worst case scenario making an appearance inside his head. Elena let go of his hand and moved in front of him, nudging his knee so that he could make space for her between his legs. She rested both her hands on his shoulders, massaging the tense muscles with gentle movements. His hands rose to grip her hips, something he'd done countless times before, something his body now considered an automatic response to her closeness.
"I wish there was something I could say to help you figure everything out, Damon," she said, her brown doe eyes conveying how much she meant those words. "I don't know what will happen tomorrow or in two days or in a week, the only thing I know is that you won't be alone. No matter what happens with your family, no matter what decision you will take, you won't have to do it alone. I won't leave you, and neither will Stefan and Caroline and even Alaric."
She brought her hands up to his cheek, framing his face and caressing his feature with her thumbs.
"Things are changing, and it's scary I know," she continued. "But I'll be with you every step of the way, until the very end."
Damon looked at her with all the love he could feel inside of him. He leaned his forehead against hers, their noses touching and their breaths mingling, "I don't know what I would do without you," he whispered, his lips brushing against hers. "I don't even want to think about it."
"Then don't," she told him, nuzzling against him. "Because I'm going to stay right where I am. With you."
One of his hands left its place on her hip and moved a strand of her hair behind her ear. He cupped her cheek, his thumb pressing over the dimple created by her wide smile, "God, I love you so much," he said with such reverence in his voice that she almost choked.
He didn't give her the chance to say anything, crashing his mouth against hers in a passionate kiss. She didn't waste time, her lips moving against his without faltering. She kissed him like she'd never kissed anyone before, trying to pour every ounce of love she felt for him in her movements. She'd never felt such a deep love for anyone and as scary as the depth of her love was, she couldn't care less because Damon was worth it. She knew, without the shadow of a doubt, that this was it. No matter how long she would live, no matter how many people she would meet, she would only ever feel this way with Damon. There was no one else for her and she couldn't be happier.
When she felt Damon's tongue tracing her lips, she immediately welcomed it inside her mouth, her tongue instantly tangling with his. She tangled one of her hands in his hair, pulling him as close as she could, the other one gripped his black shirt tightly, never wanting to let go. She never wanted to stop kissing him, to feel like she did in that moment. She was complete, with Damon's arms around her and his lips firmly pressed against hers. Nothing else mattered, only Damon.
When Damon had to pull back to breath, she left a trail of kisses across his cheek, down to his jaw before latching her lips on his neck. Damon moaned, tilting his head back to give her more space which she gladly took. She had let go of his hair, preferring instead to slide her hands under his shirt. Feeling his warm smooth skin beneath her fingers, was enough to make her release a pleasurable sigh against his neck. Damon cupped the back of her head and pulled her closer, Elena's eyes almost rolling to the back of her head at the thought that his neck could be one of his erogenous zones. There were so many possibilities in that case.
She heard him release a choked giggle when her fingertips skimmed over the skin of his stomach, tickling him. She smiled against his skin, her smug grin quickly disappearing when Damon's free hand cupped her backside and pressed her hips against his. Feeling his excitement against her made her whimper, especially when Damon used the hand in her hair to make her tilt her head back. It was his turn now to pay attention to her neck, and he knew exactly what to do. He bit down right on the spot beneath her hear, making Elena moan out loud, her fingers curling and scratching Damon on his abs.
In the back of her mind, Elena knew that making out like horny teenagers where everyone could see them, was not the smartest thing in the world. Honestly, though, she couldn't care less when Damon was making her feel so good, his kisses and nips making her shiver against him. She almost wanted to slide her fingers in his belt loops and pull him in her room, if it weren't for the fact that her room wasn't free.
A door opened behind them, "Elena, the shower is yours. I'm sorry I finished all the hot water but...oh my God!" a feminine voice exclaimed.
Damon and Elena immediately pulled apart, the brunette turning her head to look over her shoulder. Caroline was staring at her with wide eyes, her hands wrapped around a towel she had been using to friction her wet hair.
"I am so incredibly sorry," the blonde vampire said, turning around and disappearing back inside the room.
Elena looked back at Damon. He had his eyes half open, pupils dilated, and his kiss swollen lips parted. He was panting for breaths and his hands still held her tightly. Elena pulled back reluctantly, her hands straightening her clothes and running through her hair. Damon slowly did the same, making himself presentable, before looking at her.
"It seems we'll have to cut this short," she breathed, annoyed by Caroline's awful timing.
"Yeah," was Damon's only response.
"I need to get back," Elena said, her lips brushing against his.
She pecked him him several times on the lips, before gathering enough strength to let him go. Before closing the door behind her, she turned and smiled at him, enjoying the view of his messed up air and excited expression.
"I'm getting tired of waiting."
Hayley turned to her right to watch an obviously impatient Elijah. They had finally found the entrance to Jäger's base, something that had been harder than they had originally thought. They were hiding behind what was left of a low wall, their eyes fixed on the small edifice in front of them. It looked like nothing more than a small shed, but the map they had found at the private airport was clear; that was the entrance. The two of them had been waiting for anyone to approach the wooden building, but no one had ever come close to it. Elijah was quickly losing his patience. She would have found it odd, but under the circumstances she could understand him. They were this close to finding Damon and Enzo.
Something vibrated in her pocket. She checked her phone and saw that Rebekah had sent her a message. She opened it and read it quickly. Once she had finished, she nudged Elijah's arm to catch his attention. When he turned toward her, she showed him her phone. He took it and his eyes quickly took in his sister's message.
Nik and I are close to the Salvatore-Gemini coven. Will keep you on the loop.
He gave the phone back to Hayley, standing up.
"What are you doing?" she hissed. If he didn't kneel down he could be seen by someone.
"My sister said they are close to our enemy's coven," Elijah stated calmly. "That means it is time for us to see this to its end."
"Are you completely out of your mind?" she asked him, not believing what she was hearing.
Elijah shrugged his shoulders, buttoning his jacket and straightening his cuff-links, "My brother and I disposed of every weapon that could kill us, thus no one inside that base poses a threat to me. Furthermore, our dear Mr. Saltzman has no reason to attack me. We are no longer friends, that is true, but he only hates my brother Niklaus."
Hayley shook her head. Was he serious?
"What if you're wrong?" she said, hoping to dissuade him.
"Then I will kill everyone who'll stand in my way until I reach Damon and Enzo," he said with a tone that stated the discussion was over.
Hayley watched him walk in the clearing where the shed was, shaking her head before following him and walking by his side. Never it be said that Hayley Marshall didn't stand by her mate's side. If Elijah wanted to end this thing, then she would help him, even if she thought his plan was insane. If it could even be called a plan.
"I know you're in there," Elijah said in a loud voice, opening his arms to the sides.
Hayley followed him half a step behind, ready to catch any possible danger.
"I want to speak with you, Alaric," the Original vampire continued. "I promise no harm as long as you come out and face me."
He listened for any movement but nothing happened. The clearing was as silent as it had been for hours. Hayley was starting to think that the map they had followed had been fake, in which case, Elijah was going to get incredibly mad.
"If you persist in hiding, I will have to open a path through your ranks," Elijah's voice was becoming harder and harder. "You know I don't make idle threats and I'm perfectly capable of doing exactly what I've told you."
Right in that moment, the door of the shed opened and out of the shadows inside of it, came the last person they were expecting; Enzo. Hayley studied him, looking for traces of torture or anything that could clue them in on his well-being. He looked perfectly fine, though.
"Elijah, Hayley," Enzo greeted both of them, nodding slightly in her direction.
She remained immobile at Elijah's side, waiting for his decision on how to handle the situation. Her mate was looking at his friend with a curious expression, a mix of suspicion and nostalgia crossing his features.
"Enzo," he said. "Would you mind explaining yourself?"
The younger vampire took a couple of steps forward before stopping. He was at an equal distance between them and the shed, something Hayley noticed immediately. Apparently, he couldn't get too far from it. Whether that was his decision or he had been forced to act like this, was something she didn't know.
"Alaric knew you were coming," Enzo said, his eyes locked on Elijah's. "That is why he asked me to come here and meet you. He needs to speak to you, Elijah."
The Original tilted his head to the side, "Are you taking orders from him now?" there was something menacing in his voice.
Enzo didn't look scared, "Not at all. My loyalty goes to you, and you know it. The debt I have with you cannot be paid, but I also consider you a friend and you know I don't betray my friends."
"Then why are you doing what he tells you?" the threat was gone from his words. He knew better than to question Enzo's loyalty like that.
"It's really important that you listen to what he has to say. He has discovered things, things that concern you and your siblings, that could pose a serious threat not only to your family but to our entire race."
Elijah remained silent. Enzo had never been one to give into dramatic revelations, he never cared too much about things happening in the future either. His stint with the Augustine Society had made him realize that the only thing that really mattered, was the present. He lived his life in the only way that made sense to him, in the moment. To hear him so concerned over their future was something Elijah was not keen on ignoring.
"What makes you think he isn't lying?" he wanted to know. His loyal friend was a good judge of character and usually knew when someone was lying.
"He showed me proof of what he was saying," was Enzo's answer. "Listen to him, Elijah. Trust me."
The older vampire turned toward Hayley. He always trusted her instinct, the instinct of a wolf, when it came to such important decisions. Hayley nodded at him, she too recognized the truth in Enzo's words. With a sigh, Elijah advanced to ward the younger vampire, his mate right by his side. Enzo lead them through the halls of the base, vampires and werewolves alike murmuring under their breaths when they saw the Original walking among them. When they reached a door, Enzo stood by the side letting the old vampire take the lead. Elijah opened the door and went inside. Alaric was sitting at a long table, a young black woman sitting near him. The two old vampires stared at each other for the first time in decades if not centuries.
"Elijah," the leader of Jager said.
"Alarich," Elijah said, using the German pronunciation of the other man's name. "I hear you have something important to tell me."
Bianca and Bernie: I think in the US you know them as Bianca and Bernard. For some reason, in Italy Bernard was translated into Bernie. It was a conscious decision on my part to leave the name in the Italian version. The Rescuers was one of my favorite animated movie when I was little.
Sooooo...what did you think about the Delena scene? I know I'm evil for interrupting them right when things were getting hot and heavy, but it had to be done. I would be extremely grateful if you could offer me constructive criticism on that scene (you can simply PM me). The reason is pretty simple: we're getting close to The Moment between Damon and Elena and, since I've never written explicit scenes, it would be awesome if you could offer me your advice. You can tell me anything, I just want to make sure I get things right when I finally write a Dex scene. I want their moment to be perfect ;)