I have been writing my heart out, and decided it was high time I stopped long enough to post an update. This one is long and kind of two updates in one, but I decided I wanted to have a little something for everyone. Consider it a "thank you" for all of you amazing comments and reviews!
But really - thank you for all of your compliments and reviews! I hope you like this one... ;)
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.
With a deep breath, Damon raised his fist and knocked on the doorframe of his father's office. He saw the surprise register on Giuseppe's face at his appearance. The last time Damon had walked into his office without being summoned, he had announced he was leaving Salvatore Racing, effective immediately.
"Damon," Giuseppe greeted, "what can I do for you?" He noted Damon looked nervous.
"Well," Damon started, reaching up to rub the back of his neck, not moving from the doorframe, "I was wondering… That barbecue food truck you like is in the square today, and I thought maybe you might want to get some lunch?"
A moment of surprised silence passed between them before Giuseppe nodded.
"Lunch," he repeated, glancing at the clock. It was 11:30. "Yes, let's get some lunch."
"Okay," Damon agreed. "I'll drive." Giuseppe snorted.
"You, drive me around in that slick SUV of yours when I have a real car," he snorted, referring to his brand new Chevy Camaro, the street legal version of what his drivers drove on race day. "Let me finish this email, then we will go." Damon nodded and waited while Giuseppe typed out a message. "Okay," he said a few minutes later, standing and collecting his keys and phone. "Let's go get some lunch."
He followed Damon out of the office, never letting on that he had canceled a lunch meeting with a sponsor.
Lunch with his son was more important.
"This is so good," Damon stated between mouthfuls of pulled pork. Giuseppe chuckled. They were seated on a bench in the Mystic Falls Square, eating barbecue, baked beans, macaroni and cheese, and coleslaw from Styrofoam containers.
"I can't believe you haven't had this before," he said. "Barbecue Exchange is a Mystic Falls staple."
"I heard about it, but haven't had it since I moved back." Giuseppe wondered if "moved" was the right word. Damon was more or less forced to return Mystic Falls.
"You have been missing out," Giuseppe said.
"I have," Damon agreed. "I have been missing out on a lot of things around here." Giuseppe raised an eyebrow, but didn't say anything in reply, choosing to let Damon lead the conversation. He knew his son well enough to know there was a reason Damon had asked him to lunch.
"How are things going with Stefan?" he asked instead. Damon shrugged as he dug into his baked beans.
"You told us yesterday and told the teams this morning," he pointed out. "We really only just got down to business. But, I think it's going to be okay. Stefan helped me work on the Camaro for a while yesterday and texted me last night about some data he was already analyzing. I think we are going to take the car I ran at Atlanta to Dover."
"That was a good car," Giuseppe mused. "With the right set up and adjustments, I think you could contend to win at Dover."
"That's the goal," Damon replied. "Winning is always the goal." Giuseppe merely nodded his agreement.
"It seems you and your brother are getting along better these days, not just on a professional front." He had noticed the thawing between Stefan and Damon. He knew Damon had apologized to Stefan, at least according to what Stefan had told Ginny and she had in turn told him, but he knew, too, that Stefan still had a bit of a chip on his shoulder when it came to Damon.
"I guess," Damon agreed. He pursed his lips. "That's actually kind of why I wanted to have lunch." Giuseppe waited. It seemed Damon was finally getting around to the real reason he had shown up and asked him to lunch. "Dad, I… Well, I just…" He stopped and ran a hand through his hair, frustrated that the words wouldn't come.
"What is it, son?" Giuseppe asked. Hearing his father call him "son" bolstered him. He took a deep breath.
"Dad, I owe you – everything," he started. "I owe you so many apologies, but I also owe you so much gratitude. I wouldn't be driving this year – and maybe ever again – if it weren't for you giving me a chance. I didn't deserve it. I don't deserve it. But, I'm grateful for it. I know you had to pull a lot of strings and put your neck on the line to give me a ride and I just want you to know that I appreciate it. I'm doing my best to make you proud, to make you not regret giving me a chance.
"I know I have been an asshole for a long time and that eating barbecue out of a Styrofoam box isn't going to gloss over that, but all of this anger and resentment – it's exhausting and I just don't want to do it anymore. I want my family back."
Damon stopped and again took a few deep breaths. His nerves were on end. He hadn't felt this vulnerable in a long time. Giuseppe took his time forming a reply.
"You want your family back," Giuseppe said. "Well, I did pay for this lunch. That seems like a thing fathers do. Although, I happen to know for a fact that I pay you enough that you could have more than afforded to pick up the tab." Damon chuckled.
"I'll pick up the next one," he promised. Giuseppe nodded.
"I will hold you to it," he promised. He gave Damon a long look. "Damon, you never lost your family. We have been here, loving you and wanting the best for you. Regardless of the circumstances that brought you home, we are glad you are here. I am proud to have you as part of the Salvatore Racing family, not just because you are my son, but because you are talented. You do deserve to race – you deserve to use your talent."
"I don't understand how you can be so accepting," Damon confessed. "I just left. I walked in your office, told you I was done, and I was gone by the next morning. I didn't speak to any of you for nearly four years. If Talladega hadn't happened, I probably still wouldn't be talking to you."
"If Talladega hadn't happened, something else would have," Giuseppe said with a confidence that left no room for doubt. "You were living a reckless, careless life, Damon. If you hadn't flipped that car at Talladega, you would have flipped your street car on the interstate or overdosed on pills or had some sort of accident after drinking too much. Something would have happened that would have left your life hanging in the balance. It is my belief that God knew you needed a wakeup call and so he gave you one at Talladega."
"I'm ashamed," Damon admitted, his appetite gone, his eyes downcast as he shared one of his deepest truths. "I did so many things I'm not proud of. I hurt my family. I hurt Elena. I missed out on knowing my little girl. I don't feel like I deserve any of this – the family that stayed by me and took care of me when I couldn't take care of myself, the chance to race again, the woman I still love being so kind, so decent, despite everything. And Molly. God, I do not deserve to be that little girl's father." Damon paused and shook his head. "She definitely doesn't deserve me as her father."
In that moment, Giuseppe saw with absolute clarity that his son was hurting. He knew Damon spent a lot of time alone. If he wasn't with Elena and Molly, he was at the shop, holed away in the garage bay housing his Camaro. He knew Damon had stopped partying, but only now realized that by giving up his questionable social life, he was likely spending a lot of time at home, alone with his thoughts. Damon was very much like him and Giuseppe knew from experience that a Salavtore alone with his thoughts could find themselves in a dark place.
"I want you to listen to me, Damon," he said sternly. He waited until Damon nodded to continue. "You made a lot of mistakes. You hurt a lot of people. One could argue that you hurt yourself most of all. But, it takes a lot of courage to face those mistakes. It takes courage to show up at headquarters day after day. To face your family. To face Elena. And most of all, it takes courage to be a father. You have handled becoming a father in a way that is as natural and as seamless as breathing for you.
"I can't speak for your mother, your brother, or Elena, but I can speak for me," Giuseppe continued. He looked Damon squarely in the eye. "I forgive you. I forgive you for leaving. I forgive you for the things that have been said and done since. I forgive you because I see how hard you are trying. I see how desperately you want to right your wrongs. I see you doing your best to be a good father to Molly. I could care less how you perform on the racetrack, so long as you do right by that little girl. I forgive you because you are my son and I love you."
Damon was shocked into silence. His chest felt tight and his throat scratchy. He had asked his father to lunch as a way to start mending fences, but he wasn't expecting this, a reaction exactly opposite of that of Stefan's. It was overwhelming, to hear the words "I forgive you" spoken with so much conviction. Other than Elena, there was no one's forgiveness he wanted more than his father's.
"Dad, I don't deserve…"
"Stop that," Giuseppe cut him off. "Stop talking about what you do and don't deserve. Each and every once of us deserves to be happy. You, son, deserve my forgiveness. You have earned it through your actions."
"My actions?" Damon asked. "I haven't done anything…" He thought of his lack of apologizing, the way he hid away in the garage bay or his apartment rather than face his family.
"Who took Molly to school this morning?" Giuseppe countered. Damon frowned, confused.
"Me," he answered. "Elena usually takes her on Tuesdays, but you called an 8AM meeting with her to go over the crew chief changes, so I took Molly to school."
"Was she on time?" Giuseppe continued. Damon nodded, still confused. "And who will be picking her up?"
"Me," Damon answered. "At 2:30."
"Will you be there on time?"
"Of course," Damon said. "I mean, I guess there is always a chance something will delay me, traffic or an accident or something, but I don't want her standing on the curb waiting for me. She's only three." Giuseppe smiled.
"See?" he asked. "Your actions, Damon. I see you. I see you taking care of not just Molly, but Elena, too. We all saw how you took over after her parents died, going with them to South Carolina, staying with them, taking care of them. Elena leaned on you. Molly did too. And you, son, stood strong for them. You have become the man your mother and I raised you to be. As proud as I am of your accomplishments on the track this season, I am more proud of how you have handled yourself these last few months."
Damon was silent. It was a lot to process, that his father saw him as a good man, someone he could be proud of. He saw himself as a screw up, someone destined to leave a path of destruction in his wake. His self-perception was something he needed to work through on his own. He thought of something then, and knew he needed to ask.
"The night of Elena's parents' funeral, I told you I still loved Elena, that I have never stopped." Giuseppe nodded in confirmation. "You said you knew, which is why you brought her and Molly back here. How? Or, why? I just… You orchestrated the whole thing, didn't you?" Giuseppe tried to suppress his smirk. He was rather pleased with how things had worked out.
"You were teetering on the rails after your accident," he explained. "You needed something – or, in this case, someone – to bring you back on track. You and I are very much alike, like it or not. I saw in you the same love for Elena that I have for your mother. I would do anything for her. I had a gut feeling that if I could get Elena back here, things would work themselves out. I also knew you needed to know about your daughter. I had to make the offer three times, but I got her here. And from almost the moment she arrived, you started turning things around."
Again, Damon was quiet, letting everything sink in. When he spoke again, it was with conviction.
"Elena has always been the best thing that has ever happened to me. She has always made me want to be a better person. I regretted leaving her from the moment I decided to go. I didn't have the courage to come back and beg forgiveness. When you told me she was coming back, I think I already knew that I was going to do what I could get her back. And when I found out about Molly, I couldn't turn my back on her. I just wanted to be her father." Damon bit his lip. "Now, I just want Molly to have a family. Me, Molly, and Elena."
"Are you doing anything about that?" Giuseppe asked, a hint of a twinkle in his eyes. Damon shrugged again.
"I'm just spending time with them," he said. "You know, trying to get Elena to trust me again, figure out this whole parenting thing."
"Take Elena on a date," Giuseppe advised. Damon looked at his father. Things had taken yet another interesting turn.
"What?"
"Take Elena on a date," he said again. "She lets you take Molly for hours at a time, calls on you when she needs someone – like she did this morning. Trusting you with her daughter – even if Molly is also your daughter – is the very foundation of Elena's trust in you, even if she herself may still have some doubts about you. Elena is not going to ask you on a date so you, son, will have to step up to the plate and make something happen."
"Ask her on a date," Damon repeated, mulling it over. He had been ready to kiss her at Bristol, before the doctor interrupted. Maybe a date wouldn't be such a bad idea. Unless, of course, she rejected him, which she very well might. He knew things were not nearly as settled between them as it may look on first glance. "I might do that." Giuseppe clapped Damon on the shoulder, placing his empty container to the side.
"Do it," he advised. "Just know that once Caroline has this baby in a few more months, your mother will turn her attention back to you and Elena and doing whatever she can to get the two of you back together. Ginny Salvatore does love weddings, almost as much as she loves grandbabies." Damon chuckled.
"One thing at a time," he said. He looked at his father, growing serious once more.
"I really am sorry," he said. "I'm so sorry, Dad." Giuseppe nodded and squeezed Damon's shoulder. It was the one he injured at Talladega and, for the first time, it didn't hurt from applied pressure.
"I know you are," he said. Without hesitation, Damon reached for his father and hugged him.
"I love you, Dad." Giuseppe felt unshed tears sting his eyes as he hugged him back.
"I love you too, son."
"Hey," Damon greeted, finding Elena perched on top of a toolbox in the garage area. The Nationwide race was still a couple hours away, but she had been on her feet since early that morning, first wrangling Molly and then fielding the press and posting updates from the track.
"Hi," she greeted, looking up from her iPhone. She smiled at him. "Congratulations." He grinned almost bashfully.
"Thanks," he said. "I should have had the pole, though." Elena rolled her eyes. Qualifying for the next day's Cup race had wrapped an hour earlier and Damon would roll off second. Even though he was starting on the front row, there was always something he could have done better, at least in his mind.
"All the same, not a bad day at the office."
"Not at all," Damon agreed. He casually leaned against a support beam. "I have been looking for you." Elena raised an eyebrow.
"Oh yeah?" Damon nodded.
"Two things," he told her. "And you may or may not like either one." Elena's eyes narrowed.
"What did you do?" she asked wearily. Damon sighed and ran a hand through his messy hair. He had removed his fire suit and was dressed in gym shorts and a Salvatore Racing t-shirt. It was hot in Delaware, the track even hotter as the late spring sunshine soaked into the asphalt surrounding them. Even in the shade of the garage area, it was still sauna-like.
"Well, I was just doing an interview with NRN and let it slip that my daughter didn't have the same appreciation for the Air Command Mobility Museum as I did when we took her there yesterday. So, of course they asked me all about her. I did the best I could to deflect and get back on topic, but I think its safe to say that me talking about Molly will be a sound bite during tomorrow's pre-race broadcast show." Elena sighed, not out of frustration but out of resignation.
"It's okay," she said. "There have been rumors floating around about you having a daughter for weeks. There were even photos from the Texas race of you hugging Molly in Victory Lane. I guess this just makes it official."
"You're not mad?" Damon asked. "I don't want Molly to be dragged into any media spotlights."
"I'm not mad and she won't be," Elena assured him. "NASCAR isn't like Hollywood. There won't be paparazzi hanging out in bushes trying to take her photo. If nothing else, it will just end the speculation. We will keep an eye on it though, just in case."
She truly wasn't worried. NASCAR was a family-friendly sport. Kids running around the track while their parents raced or worked as part of pit teams were much a part of the sport as the cars driving around it. Reporters didn't give them much of a second glance, only asking about them out of courtesy or commenting on how cute they were or how much they had grown.
"If you say so," Damon said. While Elena wasn't worried, he was. He knew he was overprotective of Molly. He had always been overprotective when it came to the people he loved. But, Molly was different. She was his daughter. He would do whatever he had to do to make sure she was safe and happy.
"There was a second thing?" Elena prompted. She glanced at the time. She would have to start making her way over to the starting grid soon to be with their two Nationwide drivers as they gave last minute interviews. Both were starting in the Top 10. It was shaping up to be a good weekend for Salvatore Racing as Martin had also qualified in the Top 5 for the Cup race. Damon scratched the back of his neck.
"Well, yeah," he said, stalling. "It's, well, it's not bad, exactly. Or, it's not bad at all. At least, it has the potential not to be bad, depending on your response." Elena tried to suppress a smile.
"You are so eloquent," she teased. Damon smiled nervously and folded his arms across his chest, rocking back on his heels.
"It's just, well," he blew out a steadying breath, "I'm trying to ask you on a date." Elena's eyebrows shot up in surprised.
"A date?" she repeated. Damon nodded.
"A date," he confirmed. "We will go somewhere, get dinner. Or, no. Not dinner. We eat dinner together all the time, with Molly. I mean, we will eat dinner or food or whatever, depending on the time, but we can do something besides dinner. If you agree, of course." Elena again found herself trying to hold in a grin as Damon, usually so confident, fumbled through asking her on a date. She grew serious, though, thinking.
"A date," she said again. "Damon…" Before she could turn him down, Damon hurried to say something to convince her to change her mind, sure she was about to say no.
"Elena, I know we have a lot we need to talk about," he said. "I know that. But, you know how I feel about you. And you said you still have feeling for me. We are together all the time and I know you don't trust me, at least not with your heart, not yet, but you do trust me with Molly and that has to mean something. Just, give me a chance. Go on a date with me. That's all I'm asking for right now – a date. Just a date."
Elena gave him a soft hint of a smile. She had known all along what her answer would be, but it helped convince her she was doing the right thing, following her heart instead of her head, to hear Damon point out that they both still had feelings for one another. It was, after all, just a date. She nodded.
"Okay."
Damon stood still, eyes on her. "Okay?" he asked. Elena nodded, her smile growing.
"Okay," she repeated. "I'll go on a date with you." Damon broke into a smile so big it nearly hurt. Elena smiled even bigger, just because it was good to see Damon smile so brightly.
"Really?" he asked. She nodded.
"Really," she confirmed.
"Okay," Damon said with a nod. "A date. We are going on a date." He reached back and scratched his neck again. "We're going on a date," he repeated. "When do you…? I mean, when should we…?" Elena gave him another smile.
"We will figure that out," she said. She cocked her head towards the racetrack. "I should get out there." Damon glanced over his shoulder and saw that the Nationwide drivers were starting to head out to their cars which were already lined up on the starting grid.
"I'll walk with you," Damon said. They fell into step. "Molly with Samantha?"
"She is," Elena confirmed. "You can go get her if you want to. You will just have to pay Samantha for the day so she doesn't get shortchanged."
"As much as I love her, I am going to let Samantha earn her dollar," Damon replied. "I'm actually going to hang out with Stefan during the race, talk about the race set up for tomorrow, all that stuff." Elena smiled at him.
"That's good," she said. "That's really good." Damon nodded.
"It is," he agreed. "It's good to have Stefan back on my team." He glanced at Elena with a look that could only be called longing. "It will be good to have my brother back, too."
"Elena!" Elena looked ahead to see one of the marketing assistants waving her over to one of their Nationwide cars where a reporter was waiting in hopes of talking to their driver.
"Duty calls," she told Damon.
"Want to grab some dinner after the race?" he asked. "Me, you, and the kid?" It was a lot easier to ask her to a casual dinner with their child than it was to ask her on a date.
"Me and the kid will need to eat," Elena agreed. She reached over and squeezed Damon's bicep on instinct. "I will see you later." Damon smiled at her.
"You will see me later, Elena."
"We raced hard," Damon told the reporter, repeating what he had already said to other media outlets. "The Ragged Mountain Chevy was fast. The 19 was just a little bit faster. We got out of the turns better, but he was faster down the straight stretches. Even though we didn't win, I'm happy it was one of my teammates who took the checkered flag."
"You are having one heck of a year, so far," the reporter replied. "This is your second straight Top 5 finish. You won at Texas and have several Top 10 finishes. You are fourth in points, just a few points out of third, and have secured a spot in The Chase. What changed for you this year?" Damon knew what the reporter was implying. Why, after several years of mediocrity, at best, was he suddenly racing so well?
"Well, Bill, nearly dying puts a lot into perspective," he said. "Being back home, racing with my family, that also puts things into perspective. I have been given another chance at life and at my career. I'm not planning on squandering this one away." Elena walked up to the pair quietly, smiling as Damon talked, unaware of her presence. She had been in Victory Lane with Martin, but slipped away after he finished a round of interviews and returned to celebrating.
"Speaking of Talladega," the reporter went on, "how are you feeling about returning there next week?" Damon took a breath before replying.
"There are some nerves," he admitted. "But I'm ready to go back. I love restrictor plate racing, always have. We have some practice time scheduled Friday and Saturday and my brother knows how to dial in a racecar. I'm ready to get back to Talladega." Even as he spoke with confidence, Elena knew his nerves about Talladega ran deep.
"We are certainly ready to see you back at Talladega," the report said. Elena was already getting the requests for interviews with Damon about his return to the track. She knew she would be getting yet another one from this reporter, likely within the hour. It was the big story, the one everyone would want to talk about during the next week, leading up to Sunday afternoon's race. Damon opened his mouth to reply.
"Daddy!" cried a voice. Damon turned and broke into a smile. Elena looked towards the sound just in time to see Molly break away from Ginny who had taken over for Samantha once her father won the race and run for Damon. He forgot all about the reporter as he turned and squatted down to greet Molly. Ginny gave Elena a smile and a wave and headed off in another direction, content that her granddaughter was in good hands.
"Hey, Princess!" Damon said as Molly collided with him. He kissed the top of her hair as he stood, Molly in his arms.
"Daddy, you not win!" Molly exclaimed, drawing a chuckle out of the reporter. "Martin win!"
"Martin won," Damon confirmed. "But, Daddy finished second. That's still pretty good."
"I wanna do the party with the checkers again," Molly pouted, referring to the Victory Lane celebration. Damon chuckled.
"So do I, baby girl," he said. "Maybe we will win next week." Molly spotted Elena then.
"Hi, Mama!" Damon turned to see Elena standing a few feet away, the reporter observing everything.
"Hi, Miss Molly," Elena said. She held out her arms and Molly went to her. "Did you have fun with Samantha?"
"We watched Frozen," Molly answered.
"Lucky Samantha," Damon muttered. The reporter chuckled and Elena grinned at him.
"So, is this your little girl?" the reporter asked curiously. Damon looked to Elena who gave him a nod.
"This is my girl," he confirmed, taking Molly back from Elena. "Molly, can you say hello to Mr. Bill?" Molly gave the stranger a bashful smile.
"Hi, Mr. Bill," she said sweetly.
"Well, isn't she adorable," the reporter said, clearly charmed by the little girl. "Molly, is it?" Molly nodded. "Molly, do you like racing?" Molly nodded again.
"I love racing," she said. The man gave her a kind smile.
"Who is your favorite driver?" he asked. Molly looked at Damon, beaming.
"My daddy!" she exclaimed. The reporter laughed. Damon grinned and kissed Molly's cheek, making her giggle. Elena looked on, smiling.
"Would it be alright if we used that as a sound bite?" Bill asked, looking from Damon to Elena and back again. He had heard Molly call Elena "Mama" and had put two and two together. Damon looked to Elena who gave him a single nod to indicate that it was okay.
"Yeah," Damon said, "go ahead."
"Thank you," Bill said. He tipped his hat. "Good race today, Damon. We will see you in Alabama in a few days."
"Thank you," Damon replied before turning to Elena.
"That was a good race," she said.
"I should have…"
"Won," Elena finished fondly. "Second place? Not to shabby."
"I guess I'll take it," Damon agreed. He had always thought second place was the worst place to finish. It was the first loser. "If I had to lose to someone, at least it was Martin."
"Your post-race interviews should be wrapped for the day," Elena said. "I left Martin in the hands of one of the marketing assistants for any last interviews. Eric finished up his day pretty quick, given that he finished 31st. I think you can call it a day."
"I am definitely ready to get out of this fire suit," Damon agreed. It was late afternoon, but the heat and humidity were both still high. "We are flying home tonight, right?" Elena nodded.
"We leave for the airport in two hours." She pursed her lips. "I was going to grab an iced coffee before we left and let Molly have a treat for being so good this weekend. Do you want to join us?" Damon smiled at her. While he often either asked Elena and Molly to join him for dinner or a trip to the park, she was only just beginning to invite him places. He took it as a positive sign.
"I would like that," he told her. They turned and started walking towards the garage area, Molly still in Damon's arms. Damon thought nothing of reaching out to rest his hand on Elena's lower back to guide her though the still busy pit area. Unless people knew better, the three of them looked to be every part of the happy family.
If Damon had it his way, they one day would be.
"What in the hell am I doing?" Elena asked, shifting through the racks of clothes in her closet with more force than was necessary. "I mean, seriously. What in the hell am I doing?"
"You are going on a date with Damon," Caroline said, pointing out the obvious from her spot in the middle of Elena's bed, hands resting on her pregnant belly.
"Not helping," Elena said over her shoulder. She removed a hanger holding a green shirt, took a long look at it, and put it back in the closet.
"You are going on a date with Damon," Caroline repeated. "That is what you are doing. He asked you three days ago, you said yes. You asked me to babysit and to not tell Ginny. I agreed on both accounts. And now, with you due to meet Damon within the half hour, you are freaking out."
"I am not freaking out."
"You are so freaking out," Caroline informed her. "The question is, why?" Elena sighed. Giving up on her search, she sat down on the bed with Caroline.
"It's Damon," she admitted. "I am going on a date with the man I loved more than anything, the same man who completely shattered my heart. This might actually be the stupidest thing I have ever done."
"It might be," Caroline agreed. Elena gave her a look. "Or, it might be the best thing you have ever done." Elena's look shifted into one of confusion. Caroline reached out and took Elena's hand in hers. "Damon has made a lot of mistakes. He has hurt a lot of people, himself included. I'm on your side, completely, but I can see the changes in him. I saw him at Bristol when Molly called him 'daddy.' There is nothing else in this world more important to him than that little girl." She fixed Elena with a pointed look. "Although, I think you are a very close second."
"He broke my heart," Elena said softly, letting some of her vulnerability show. "Shattered it, Caroline. I can't get closed to him again. I just can't. I can't be hurt like that again." Caroline gave her a soft smile.
"Elena, sweetheart, you already are close to him," she pointed out. "Most parents who aren't together have custody agreements and scheduled visitations. I know things are a bit different with you two, given that Damon needed to get to know Molly first, but you two are always together, taking Molly places, doing things. He stayed with you for days after your parents passed away, even went to South Carolina with you. You were at his side at Bristol within moments of them pulling him from the car and you went straight to him at the care center after you made sure Molly was okay. And at Dover, I saw the two of you walking down pit road, Damon holding Molly and his hand on your back. You might not want to be close to him, but the fact of the matter is, you already are."
Elena let out a long sigh. Caroline was absolutely right. Somehow, some way, Damon had wormed his way back into her heart and she had been powerless to stop it.
"Things look okay between us on the surface because we spend so much time with Molly or working together," she said. "But, Care, there are so many things we haven't even begun to talk about. We started to argue about things, but then the police called about my parents. We haven't mentioned them since."
"There are a lot of things you two need to deal with," Caroline agreed. "But, Elena, you have to do something. You can't keep playing nice with Damon. You need to have it out with him, and then decide what comes next. Do you try to make things work or do you go your separate ways? It's not fair to either of you – or to Molly – to keep this charade of being totally okay with one another going when you both have a lot of hurt and pain to work through." Elena sighed.
"I know," she admitted. "It's just, I still care about him, you know? I always have and I always will. I know we're going to inevitably have a big fight and we will have to figure out what comes next." She picked at a thread on her bedspread. "I'm afraid of what that might be." She was afraid they would go their separate ways, but she couldn't bring herself to admit that to Caroline.
"The thing is, he cares about you too," Caroline reminded her. "Go out with him tonight. See what happens. Don't worry about what comes next until you get through tonight. Just focus on tonight."
"That's actually good advice," Elena mused. Caroline shrugged.
"I try," she said good-naturedly. "Wear that green sleeveless top with those dark skinning jeans you had on when we went shopping the other day. The green brings out your eyes and the jeans, well, they make your ass look good." Elena rolled her eyes, but stood to retrieve the outfit Caroline suggested as it really was perfect.
"You ever going to tell me if that kid of yours is a boy or a girl?" she asked as she changed. Caroline and Stefan had found out the gender of their child, but were waiting for a gender reveal party the next week to share it with friends and family. Caroline smirked.
"Yep," she said. "Next week, at the gender reveal party."
"I told you Molly was a girl before I told anyone else," she reminded Caroline. "And, I was the first one besides Stefan to know you are pregnant. I think that means you should tell me."
"I think you will have to wait until next week," Caroline replied. "I also think you should wear those nude wedges you bought the other day."
"I don't know if you are the best or worst friend ever," Elena mused, zipping her jeans.
"Best friend ever," Caroline informed her. "And since I'm your best friend ever, I'm going to encourage you to get a move on. You don't want to be late for your second first date with Damon."
Her stomach flipped over with nerves as she knocked on Damon's door. He had said he would pick her up, but after thinking about it, she had decided it would be best if she came to him. She knew if Molly saw Damon, they would never leave the house. She also didn't want Molly to see them as anything besides her parents, not until they figured out where they actually stood with one another. She was about to raise her hand to knock again when the door swung open.
"Hey," Damon greeted, running a hand through his hair. Elena smiled at the gesture. He was nervous. "Sorry. I had to put a shirt on. I stayed at the shop longer than I meant to. You know how Stefan is." Elena's smile widened. Damon was rambling. He was definitely nervous.
"It's okay," she said. "I do know how Stefan is. I also know how you are." Damon grinned guiltily and held his door open wider.
"Come in."
Elena entered the apartment with curiosity. She knew where Damon lived, but she had never been inside his apartment. She knew he had brought Molly there a few times, but she remembered the Damon who shared an apartment with Stefan, an apartment that was far from tidy, clothes and racing equipment littering the floor, days' worth of dirty dishes in the sink, car parts scattered across the counters.
The space was small and smelled like cleaning solution, a telltale sign that Damon had cleaned before she arrived. His sofa and armchair were modest, black leather and well worn. A cheap big coffee table sat in the center of the living room, magazines stacked neatly and topped with remotes. A few racing awards and photos littered the room, but it was otherwise sparse. It led into a small kitchen, and Elena noted that there wasn't a single dish or car part to be found. A short hallway led to what looked to be a bedroom on one side, a bathroom across the hall.
"I just need to put on some shoes and turn out a few lights," Damon said. "Then I'll be ready to go."
"Okay," Elena agreed.
"Okay," Damon echoed. He gave her a timid smile before he disappeared into the bedroom, leaving her to wander around his living room. She browsed the photos perched on various surfaces around the room. There was one of Damon as a kid, standing next to a kart, grinning broadly. Elena knew it was his first ever racing win. Another one was of him celebrating his first Nationwide championship.
Her eyes fell on a black and white photo she knew all too well. She couldn't stop herself from reaching for it. It was her and Damon, trackside at his first Daytona 500. He was in his fire suit, moments from getting behind the wheel. His arms were around her in one last hug, her returning the gesture, her lips close to his ear as she whispered something to him. She still remembered what she told him:
"Don't crash."
She put the photo down and kept wandering, something deep within her stirred by the phone of her and Damon. She could hear him bumping around in his room, seemingly in a rush. A case on the kitchen counter caught her attention. It was a case that held the matchbox version of each car he had ever driven, just like Giuseppe had a matchbox of every truck or car that had ever raced for Salvatore Racing. She smiled, but then noticed the photo framed next to it. It was Molly's school picture. She had given him a copy just before they left for Bristol. The fact that he had already framed it sent her butterflies fluttering all over again.
"Those cars are for Molly," came Damon's voice. Elena turned towards him and was struck by how attractive he was in a pair of faded, comfortable blue jeans and a simple blue t-shirt. "She loves Dad's cars and said she wanted her own, so I'm going to give her mine." Elena wanted to kiss him and hit him at the same time for being so smooth and considerate.
"She will love that," she said. "You don't have to give her yours, though. We can get her cars of her own. All we have to do is visit the merch warehouse." Damon shook his head.
"I want her to have mine," he said. It was as simple as that. He smiled at Elena. "You look beautiful, by the way. I should have told you that when I opened the door, but, well, I was a little nervous." He was more than a little nervous. Tonight had to go well. It was just a date, but the way it ended would determine what happened next.
"Thank you," Elena said simply. "Where are we going?" Damon smiled.
"It's a surprise," he stated. "You ready?" Elena nodded.
"I'm ready."
For what, she didn't know.
"You're joking," Elena said as she figured out where they were. Damon chuckled. "Seriously, Damon?"
"Completely," Damon confirmed. He pulled into an empty parking spot and turned to Elena. "You think you still have it in you, Gilbert?"
"Absolutely," Elena said confidently. "Come on, Salvatore. Try and beat me." She opened her door and exited the SUV with palpable excitement. Damon laughed and joined her, feeling relieved that their destination was well received.
"You might have to take off those shoes," he told her. "I'm not sure they are conducive to batting practice."
"You forget, I can dance backwards in these things," Elena retorted.
"I would rather not take you home on crutches," Damon fired back. He reached around her and opened the gate leading to a line of batting cages. He checked in with the young kid working the makeshift desk. He felt brave, so he reached for Elena's hand and led her towards a cage.
"We used to do this all the time," Elena recalled. Damon smiled at her.
"I know," he said simply. He picked up a bat, flipped it in the air, and held the thin end out to Elena. "Ladies first." She grinned and took the bat.
"Just let me take off my shoes."
She easily kicked off her wedges and, barefoot, stepped through the net and into the batting cage. Damon just shook his head, remembering every reason he fell in love with her. Elena made a show of tapping the ground with the bat and getting into position.
Damon tried not to notice how good her ass looked in her jeans.
More than an hour later, they were seated at a picnic table at Sweet Al's, Mystic Falls' own drive up and order restaurant. While there wasn't indoor seating, there were plenty of picnic tables, both on the walk up shop's spacious deck and on the lawn behind it. They had claimed a picnic table on the deck and were sharing a basket of fries, each devouring a cheeseburger and milkshake.
"So," Elena said between bites, her cheeks glowing, "Are you ready to go back to Talladega?" Damon shook his head as he finished chewing.
"No," he said. "We are not talking about racing. Not tonight. Tonight, we take a break from racing and being parents and just – have fun."
"Well, so far, so good," Elena replied, her eyes sparkling. Damon felt himself sit up a little straighter, relieved things were going well. They had taken turns in the batting cage, getting more and more competitive, teasing and heckling until Elena had finally declared herself the winner. Damon wasn't sure what the game was, exactly, but he hadn't known years ago when he would bring her to the batting cage where she would always inevitably announce she had won.
"I take it you had fun?" he asked, needing the reassurance.
"I'm having fun," Elena corrected. She reached across the table and placed her hand over Damon's. "It feels good to just have some fun." Damon nodded. He turned his hand over to link his fingers with hers.
"It does," he agreed. "As much as I love Molly, it is nice to do something that isn't three year old friendly." Elena chuckled.
"You don't especially enjoy watching Disney movies or having tea parties?" she teased.
"I'm just biding my time until she's old enough to drive a kart," Damon replied. Elena shook her head.
"I know it's probably too much to ask, but I do hope she grows out of her obsession with racing. I worry enough about her just riding her tricycle in the driveway."
"I hate to tell you, Elena, but she's half Salvatore, half Gilbert. That's the finest racing pedigree there is." Elena cracked a half smile.
"And here we weren't going to talk about racing or be parents." Damon chuckled.
"I guess that's our life," he mused. "Good thing is, it doesn't suck."
Their hands were still linked as Damon walked Elena to her car in the parking lot of his apartment complex. They had talked about anything and everything until the shades closed over the windows at Sweet Al's and the employees had started cleaning up around them, signaling it was time to go. It was after ten o'clock by then and Elena knew she needed to get home and relieve Caroline.
"Thank you, Damon," she said, turning to face him. "Tonight was wonderful." Damon smiled softly and reached out to tuck her hair behind her ear. The simple gesture caused her cheeks to heat up.
"It was," Damon agreed. "Thank you, Elena, for tonight. For giving me a chance. I know a few turns in the batting cage and a milkshake doesn't fix anything, but still, thank you." Elena titled her head slightly to the side, considering him. He was nervous again.
"I wouldn't say it doesn't fix anything," she said. "Spending time together like this does help." Damon understood what she didn't say. Spending time together helped her trust him again.
"I guess it's a good thing I intend to spend a lot of time with you," he said smoothly. Elena's cheeks flushed even brighter as she ducked her head.
"You always have been smooth," she said, looking up at him through thick eyelashes. He smiled at her. He desperately wanted to kiss her, but he wouldn't. Not tonight. He squeezed her hand gently. "I should get going," she said before he could say anything further. "Caroline will want to be getting home."
"Stefan is probably enjoying the peace and quiet," Damon stated. His thumb was idly brushing back and forth across the back of her hand.
"He's probably going over racecar set ups," Elena countered. Damon chuckled.
"I know he is," he admitted. He licked his lips, noting Elena's eyes watching him. He took a deep breath. "Goodnight, Elena." He leaned forward and kissed her cheek.
It was perfect.
If kissing her on the cheek felt this good, if it made him feel like things were almost right in his world, he could only imagine what kissing her on the lips someday soon would feel like. He let his lips linger a few beats longer than he should have.
"Good night, Damon," she replied. He smiled and forced himself to drop her hand to reach around her and open her door.
"Drive safe, okay?" he asked as she slid into the car. "Text me when you get home." Elena smiled.
"Always so overprotective," she teased. "But, I will."
"And give Molly a kiss for me."
"I'll do that, too," Elena promised. "I'll see you in the morning. At the airport." Damon nodded.
"I guess I should probably pack," he said. "Thank you again, Elena." She just smiled back at him.
"Goodnight, Damon."
He shut her car door and idled in the parking lot until her taillights disappeared from view. With a heavy sigh, he turned towards his apartment.
It was time to get ready for Talladega.
See? Something for everyone! Damon with his family, Damon and Elena, Damon and Molly (and Elena), racing... I really loved the bit between Damon and Giuseppe. I loved being able to use Giuseppe as a sort of mirror for Damon and to show that Damon is also hurting. But, more on all of that later.
Right now, we have to go to Talladega...
Let me know what you thought!
