Hope everyone is having a great holiday weekend! You guys rock! I'm so excited every time I get a notification that this fic has a new review or that someone has favorited/followed the story. It means so much to know that people are actually taking time out of their incredibly busy lives and are reading something that I have written. It is humbling beyond belief. Thank you from the bottom of my heart! I apologize that I haven't had the opportunity to send many PM's the past few weeks. I like to do that but work has been monopolizing my time of late. School is officially back in session and my schedule is starting to settle down so hopefully updates will come quicker. Without further ado, time to meet Mama Salvatore. I just love this character! She came charging into my thoughts...with cookies and pasta...and she just took over.
Chapter 29
"Wake up, sleepyhead." Damon is planting sweet kisses down my bare back and I cannot for the life of me think of any reason why I would let him know that I am actually awake. We were up until the wee hours having our own private celebration for our declaration of love. Thankfully, this time it was without being interrupted by a state trooper. Every muscle in my body is deliciously sore and I'm fairly certain it is illegal to be happier than I am in this moment. "Elena," he singsongs, "the nice lady who runs this bed and breakfast is not going to be happy if we don't show up to enjoy the fruits of her labor."
"Hmm…" If he wants me to get out of this bed he really shouldn't keep nuzzling my neck.
"I know you're awake. I see you smirking. If you don't get up, I'm going to have to get creative."
I'll smile larger while thinking promises, promises. "Ow!" I squeal as Damon pulls back the sheet and swats my behind.
"See? I knew you were awake!" he laughs. "Come join me in the shower." Well, there's an offer I can't and won't refuse. When we finish in the shower, I stay in the bathroom to do my hair and makeup while Damon steps into the bedroom to get dressed. I have just finished drying my hair when I hear my phone beep to let me know I have a text.
"Hey, babe, can you check to see if that's anything important? It's probably just Caroline checking to see where you took me on our magical mystery tour," I laugh. I'm mid stroke with the flatiron when Damon steps into the bathroom with a furrowed brow.
"Did you have plans today?"
"No. Why?"
"Well, Ty says that he's coming over to take you to dinner." I can't miss the obvious scowl in his voice when he says Ty.
"What? I didn't have any plans with him. In fact, the last time I saw him I told him in no uncertain terms to go to hell." Damon hands over my phone and I read the text. Hey E, I'll be over to pick u up for dinner 7. Xoxo, Ty.
"Hugs and kisses, huh?" There is no humor behind the question.
"Damon, I have no idea why he sent this and if I were home I would have no intention of going out with him. Wait! Are you jealous?"
"Damn straight I'm jealous! The dick needs to figure out that you are not his!"
"Oh, honey, you have absolutely no reason to be jealous!" I reach up and stroke his jaw which is ticking from being so tightly clinched. "Tyler and I were friends for years and he was there for me many times when I needed someone. Since I've been with you he's been an asshole and I've made it clear to him where my loyalties lie with that."
"Just how there for you was he?"
"Damon, we've discussed this. I have never had any romantic feelings for him." He raises his eyebrows signaling for me to continue. "I've never had sex with him if that's what you're asking."
"Have you kissed him?"
"Years back, when we were both very drunk, yes, we kissed a few times. But it didn't mean anything!"
"I hate that he's kissed you." He brushes a soft kiss over my mouth. "I hate that he knows how you're your lips are."
"Damon, I don't want anyone but you. Surely you know that!"
"Lena, I'm not asking these things to interrogate you. I trust you. I'm just trying to figure out where he is coming from as a guy. That's all." He wraps me in a hug and places a kiss on my forehead before grabbing my phone. "Well, I'll just take care of this."
"Damon, what are you doing?" I ask as he taps away at my phone.
"Just letting him know that you aren't available tonight…or ever," he says flaring those beautiful eyes. He lays my phone down on the countertop and walks out of the bathroom. "You better hurry. Mrs. Flowers is expecting us in the dining room in 15 minutes." Picking up my phone I read the text that Damon sent. He was quite literal in what he told me. She's not available tonight or any other night. She's taken and I have no intentions of that changing. –D There was a time when this would have bothered me but after my last few encounters with Tyler, I actually appreciate Damon stepping in.
~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~
Two hours and a scrumptious breakfast later, Damon and I are turning into the driveway of his childhood home. A large circular drive leads to a large, intimidating house. "Wow," I breathe as Damon pulls to a stop.
"Don't let the outside fool you. It's a bit large and, now that it's just mom, she does kind of rattle around in there but she makes it homey." We checked out of the bed and breakfast this morning and Damon is retrieving our luggage from the trunk.
"Why didn't you just plan on staying here last night?" I ask. "I mean, don't get me wrong, I loved the B & B and the romantic gesture but, you said it, this place is huge. Surely your mom wouldn't have minded having you here for two nights."
"Oh, she would have loved having us here for two nights!" he answers with a massive eye roll. "That's part of the problem. She would have monopolized you and I wanted to have some time alone with my girl."
"Monopolized me? Sounds like this is going to be quite a day," I nervously laugh.
"Oh, baby, you have no idea," he laughs. "You've got to remember, I've never brought a girl home before."
"What? You've seriously never brought home a girl to meet your mom?" I can't believe he's being serious.
"Well, sure, in high school I had the occasional cheerleader who I would try to slip up to my room…"
"That's enough." He wickedly laughs as I cut him off. "I get the picture. You haven't brought anyone home since you grew up!"
"Age is just a number, baby."
"Oh, brother, you are in rare form today."
"I'm happy. What can I say?" he grins from ear to ear. "Oh, by the way, the other reason we didn't stay here last night is because mom is old school, meaning she will definitely have us set up in separate rooms. Of course, I totally plan to be the bad boy and sneak my hot girlfriend over to my room. At least now I can just use the hallway instead of slipping you in through my bedroom window."
"Damon! You didn't do that!"
"Did you miss the part about the high school cheerleaders?"
"There's more than one now?" I ask aghast.
"Never at the same time. I wasn't that much of a badass!" he chuckles. "We better get inside. I'm sure mom is snooping out the window."
We walk in through the front door and I get my first glimpse of Damon's childhood home. Off to the right is a gigantic library where I'm sure I could happily disappear for hours. To the left is a family room with a massive stone fireplace and large overstuffed, comfy looking couches and chairs. Family pictures adorn the walls. The place is massive but very welcoming and lived in. Directly in front of us and beside of a large staircase is a hallway. The smell of fresh baked cookies precedes the beautiful woman who is now practically dancing towards us in her excitement.
"Damon! Mio bambino, it has been entirely too long!" she exclaims as she wraps him in a bear hug, kissing both cheeks as she does so. There is no doubt that this is the infamous Mama Salvatore that Damon and Stefan told me so many stories about back in college. She has shocking blue eyes like Damon's, raven black hair with the occasional gray streak and a jovial nature that makes me instantly adore her.
"Ma, I was just here a few weeks ago!" Damon argues back, the smile on his face belying the joy halfheartedly hidden behind the complaint.
"When you have children of your own, then you will understand!" she chastises. "Speaking of which, are you going to introduce me to your little girlfriend or am I going to have to turn you over my knee?"
Did I mention I already adore this woman?
"Mom! You are incorrigible!" Damon exclaims with a shake of the head. "Lena, meet Francesca Salvatore, also known as the biggest busy body ever." This earns Damon a sharp swat on the behind causing me to giggle and tell Damon to behave
"I like her already," Francesca conspiratorially whispers."
"Mom, this is Elena Gilbert, my girlfriend and I like her too so, please, try not to scare her off!" I am immediately wrapped in a hug much like the one that Damon received. I haven't had such a warm, motherly hug since losing my own mother and I feel tears prickling my eyes.
"I am so happy to finally meet the girl who stole my Damon's heart!"
"It's wonderful to meet you, Mrs. Salvatore," I answer.
"Oh, pooh! Forget the Mrs. Salvatore stuff. Please, call me Frannie." She wraps an arm around me and leads me back down the hallway. "Now, I just happened to pull a fresh pan of Damon's favorite chocolate chip cookies out of the oven just before you got here. So, what do you say we have a few with some milk and you can tell me all of the stuff that my son has never bothered to tell me?"
I laugh and ask, "Like what?"
"Well, dear, do you like children?" I see Frannie look back at Damon and give an exaggerated wink.
"I love children. In fact, I want to have a whole houseful." I decide I'll play along besides, it's the truth.
"Oh, dear God, I'm in trouble!" Damon melodramatically groans.
"Oh, Damon, dear, you can put your stuff upstairs. I have the guest room down the hall from your room ready for Elena. I'm glad she likes kids but we don't want those grandchildren showing up too soon, now do we." I'm fairly certain I am beet red and I hear Damon chuckling as he heads upstairs.
"So, Elena, while Damon is out of the room, you know I have to ask the difficult question." Frannie and I have been getting to know each other over milk and cookies. Damon came in and grabbed a few before excusing himself to supposedly check his email. I have a feeling he's actually just giving his mom and I a chance to chat. "I'm sure you realize that I know you are the same Elena that had my boy smitten in college and I also know that he was a devastated mess when you seemingly disappeared off the face of the earth. But, I also realize that sometimes things happen and people are people. Obviously, whatever it was, you two have worked it out and so I'll go along with that. Still, I have to ask, can you tell me what happened?"
I take a big breath. I knew this would probably come up and I'm sure it's better to go ahead and do it now rather than later. "Frannie, when I was young, I didn't have the highest opinion of myself. I couldn't understand how someone like Damon could want to be with plain old me. Ultimately, that self-doubt led me to jump to a heartbreaking conclusion. I thought Damon had fallen for someone else and I made a run for it. I packed up my stuff and took off for home. I was distraught and shouldn't have been driving. I ended up having a wreck not too far from campus. I was unconscious for quite a while. This all happened the night Damon told me he was going to Europe. By the time I woke up, he was already in France. We all made mistakes but I made the one that set everything in motion by not trusting Damon. If I had just slowed down and talked to him, I could have saved us all so much heartache. I'm so sorry that you had to see your son hurt."
"Oh, sweet girl," she reaches over and brushes a stray hair behind my ear just like my own mother used to do, "you don't need to apologize to me. As long as you and Damon have made your peace, that's all that is needed. I can tell you this: I've never seen him happier. That is all I need to see to give you my blessing. Forgive my question earlier. I was probably out of line but I'm a protective mother hen."
"A meddlesome old woman is more like it," rumbles Damon who is propped with arms crossed in the door of the kitchen.
"Son, you are not too old for me to turn you over my knee!" Frannie tells him with a gleam in her eye. "So, what do you say? Should we teach Elena how to make pasta like a real Italian?"
"Oo! Sounds like fun to me!" I exclaim.
"Let's do it!" Frannie exclaims with a clap of her hands. "But first, let's get some Salvatore Sauce started."
"You're going to teach her how to make the secret family recipe?" Damon is standing gape mouthed.
"Of course! It's the only sauce worthy of homemade pasta!" Frannie exclaims as she scurries off to the pantry to gather ingredients.
Damon slips up behind me and wraps his arms around my waist, pulling me back against him. "She loves you."
"How can you tell?" I ask. Frannie and I are getting along well but I'm curious as to how he is so sure of her affection.
"She's teaching you to make the secret family recipe. Rebecca has been in the family for ten years and mom's never taught her. Bex still has to beg for quart jars of it when she is here." He chuckles as he nips my neck then kisses it.
AN: Don't you just love her? Her maternal nature is very touching for Elena who still misses her mother. The next chapter will pick up with more of their visit. I love the teasing relationship between Damon and his mom. I must admit that I was inspired by the way my brother and I pick with my mom. If you have time, I'd love to know what you thought! Thank you so much!
