Thanks for all the reviewssss here is chapter 25!

EPOV

After finishing with the fruit, herbs, and spices our basket was getting full. "One more stop and we can head back" he said walking down the street of the market place.

"Okay, lead the way." The whole time we were in the market we were either holding hands, arms looped or his arm around my waist. It felt natural, right, to keep the little innocent contact.

He was telling me about the last time he was in town, all the dinner parties, working at the vineyard, temporarily cooking for a restaurant in town. "Maybe we can go there for dinner, I can't promise you that the food is as good as when I worked there but it'll have to do."

"You are so arrogant." I exclaimed laughing at him when a booming voice cut through our conversation.

"Monsieur Salvatore! Is that you?" The man's English was rather good. Damon turned to see a man in his fifties with broad shoulders approach us with is arms stretched out. Damon smiled with the same excitement.

"Monsieur Bousquet" Damon and the man gave each other a hug, patting each other on the back.

"Good to see you son!" I smiled at the excitement on both of the men's faces.

"Good to see you too." The older man pulled away and looked at me.

"Who is this lovely young woman? Bonjour Mademoiselle."

"Bonjour Monsieur." I greeted back as he kissed the back of my hand.

"Francis, this is Elena Gilbert." Damon introduced us. "Elena this is a good friend of mine, Francis Bousquet."

"It's a pleasure to meet you Mademoiselle Gilbert. You both need to come to my home for dinner tomorrow night. The wife would love to see you and your lovely lady friend." Francis offered

"I would hate to intrude" I said trying to be polite.

"Oh no, no trouble at all." He insisted "she would give me an earful if I told her I saw you," he nodded at Damon, "and didn't invite you for dinner."

"We'd love to; you know I have a weakness for Sophia's Crème Burlee." The man gave a dimple grin.

"We'll see you at seven then? And bring a bottle of wine would you? You've always had the most exquisite taste in wine." Damon agreed on dinner and bringing the wine. "It was a pleasure to meet you Elena."

"Francis, I was hopping to purchase some sausages off you today." Damon said as he was turning away.

"Oh of course, how silly of me. I have exactly what you're looking for." Damon and Francis spent the next ten minutes picking out sausages, in French of course, so I was completely lost.

It was about three in the afternoon by the time we got back to Damon's home. As we were putting the groceries away I asked how long Damon knew Francis. "I met him the last time I was here; he's a real good guy."

"Yea, he really seems like it. It was actually really refreshing to see you act that way. You seemed so happy to see him, it was sweet." He grinned as he was finishing up.

"I had more humanity then you may think before I returned to Mystic Falls." He said with a smug look. "His family is very good to me; he helped in the construction of my house. He's sort of like a father to me." I wrapped my arms around his waist from behind him.

"That's really sweet, I'm happy you have someone like that."

"Yea, so am I."

"Do he and his family know?" I asked laying my cheek on his back.

"His family doesn't, but yes, Francis knows I am a vampire. He helped me out when I accidentally ingested Vervain from a woman. He was a little frightened but by that point he was already treating me like a son." He placed his hands on top of mine. "He said I was still welcome into his family as long as I didn't kill when I fed and I never fed on a member of his family. I never even dreamed of doing that." His voice was somber at the thought of hurting them. "But that is in the past and I can talk to him freely, more then I could ever do with my own father." I smiled; it was great that he had a father figure, even if he was over a hundred and fifty years older.

"That's great Damon; I can't wait to meet the rest of your family." He released my hands and turned around in my arms to face me. "I hope they approve of me." I said, half joking till I realized how true the statement was. What if they didn't like me? They are a big part of his life. He saw the joking look drain out of my eyes and replace with worry.

"Elena, you're acting like a worried girlfriend." He exclaimed with a chuckle and a smirk.

"Not a girlfriend. Every friend wants to be accepted by their friend's family." I explained with a shrug, getting a bigger smirk from him.

"Oh right friend." He leaned to my ear, doing that voice that made my knees week "We're just friends, right Elena?" he asked, I was about to say 'yes' but it turned into a gasp when he playfully bit my earlobe. "Sorry, I didn't quite catch that." He laughed as he trailed kisses across my jaw, nipping every once in a while as he went.

"Damon, please…" I couldn't get the word stop out as he went to my neck.

"Please what?" I resisted him once today and that was so hard to do, between the jet lag, lack of food and the slight addiction I have to him I couldn't resist twice in one day. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

"Please kiss me." I gave in, this was the first time I gave him permission and the light in his eyes was brilliant at the permission.

I hope you liked it! Im not sure what happened to the poll...i guess it never really showed up. Damon's family!ish what could possibly go wrong...