Chapter 54

Ottilie was recovering quickly thanks to the help of some vampire blood, the taste disguised by the orange juice in which it had been carefully poured, with her permission, of course. The scars from her surgeries healed completely and she felt stronger every day, despite the fact the blood couldn't heal her heart condition, or the effects of having used so much power.

It was early in the morning, and Ottilie was staring wistfully out of her bedroom window, watching as the wind picked up some of the fallen leaves, now turned orange as nature brought on autumn. She sighed, wishing she could go to school and see her friends, who with the exception of Greg, hadn't been permitted to see her after her illness. She longed for the normality of school, the dull routine of classes, breaks and bells guiding her every move. Instead, she was stuck indoors, feeling stifled by the well-meaning but over-cautious protection of her father and family whilst she tried to get strong enough to prove that she could cope outside of the confines of the boarding house.

The little machine surgically implanted onto her heart sent out a shock, and she jumped as she felt her heart jolt. Although not painful, it was taking some getting used to, and she hated the sudden jerk it made her body do, as if she were no longer in control of it. Absentmindedly rubbing the spot on her chest where the ICD was, she jumped again as Damon entered her room, concern on his face.

"What are you doing up, little lady? It's super early!" he said, moving towards her bed where she was sitting, her eyes still fixed on the view from her window.

"I couldn't sleep," she shrugged. "I should be getting ready for school now – it's been ages!"

Damon sighed, reaching to ruffle her brown curls gently as he prepared himself for the discussion they'd had many times before. "I know, sweetheart, and you can go back soon, it's just too soon."

"But I'm better now, I'm healed! I drank your blood and it fixed everything!"

"Not everything, Otti, you know that."

She sighed, casting her eyes down from her window in defeat. The occasional nosebleeds had been unnerving when they first started, but after consulting Bonnie, they were pretty sure that they were simply a side-effect from using so much magic to heal everyone from Marcel's bites. "They're just nosebleeds…" she tried to argue.

"Ottilie, I don't want you going back to school until you're completely better." Damon was firm, not wanting to have to explain himself again.

"Do I get any say in this? It's my body – my health – my problem!" She countered, angrily, narrowing her eyes in frustration at her father.

"No, you don't get a say. You're my daughter, and my responsibility. If I think you're not strong enough to leave yet, then you're not going to leave. Understand?"

"No! You're always making decisions for me, but you never ask what I think is best for me – surely I should know?"

"Actually, you don't know. You're a stubborn teenager with a severe health problem and an even more severe hero complex. You're not leaving this house so that you can go and risk your life again trying to find Marcel."

"I just want to go to school!"

"You're not leaving this house until you can defend yourself properly – it's not safe! We can't protect you whilst you're in school. What if Marcel should turn up there to take you?"

"You couldn't protect me if he came here either!" protested Ottilie, immediately regretting the words as she saw a look of hurt flicker across Damon's face. He stood up to leave, not trusting himself to keep his temper in check. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean that…" she tried to tell him but he shook his head at her.

"You're right, Otti," he said quietly, looking at the ground, his face anguished. "If Marcel were to come here to take you, I couldn't protect you. But at least I could die trying so that I wouldn't have to hold you dying in my arms again." With that, he turned and left the room, closing her bedroom door gently.

Ottilie remained sat in her bed, stunned at what he'd said. She knew that although what she'd said had been the truth, it was wrong of her to have said it, and that she'd hurt Damon deeply, and she wished more than anything that she could take it back. She sighed, blinking back tears of frustration, and wondering what she could do to make it up to him.

Lexi was sat in the front room, having heard the exchange between Damon and Ottilie, and looked up as she heard him coming down the stairs, his face thunderous and his eyes sad. "You okay?" she asked gently, knowing that he wasn't.

He shook his head, grabbing his favourite leather jacking and making for the door. "I need some air," he said, whilst Lexi quickly jumped up to join him.

"She didn't mean it," she said, as they walked quickly away from the boarding house.

"But it's true," he said. "I can't protect from Marcel" he said simply, letting the realisation and severity of the statement wash over him. "I can't save her."

Lexi took his hand gently, turning it over in hers as she searched for the right words. "Maybe you don't need to save her, Damon."

"I'm her father, Lexi, of course I need to save her!" He was exasperated, pulling his hand from hers and running it through his hair.

Lexi took a deep breath, trying to keep calm. "You don't need to save her, but you can help her save herself."

"What do you mean?"

"Teach her to defend herself, support her with her magic, give her something that's going to make her want to save herself."

"You don't think she wants to?"

"I don't know, Damon – she's locked up in the house all day, and has been for weeks. Not exactly much of a life to save…"

"She was ill!"

"And now she's better! She needs to get back out, to live a little – she's a teenage girl, Damon, for God's sake."

"I can't lose her, Lexi," he said, suddenly quiet, and as if on cue, the heavens opened and rain began to pour down around them, bouncing from the tarmacked drive. "I can't lose my little girl."

"I know, sweetie," Lexi walked over to him, wrapping her arms gently around his broad shoulders, and breathing in the aroma of him mixed with the rain. "I know, but this isn't something you can control. You need to trust her."

Lexi felt Damon's shoulders begin to shake as he sobbed quietly, finally coming to terms with the fact that he could not save his daughter from Marcel; that was something only she could do. He just needed to help her do it, and he knew that he'd help her until his dying breath.

Heading back indoors, Damon and Lexi were caught off-guard by the warmth of the house as they walked in. Looking around for its source, they saw the fire roaring in the grate, and a steaming mug of hot chocolate left on the little table by the edge of the sofa. They looked over to the door to the kitchen as Ottilie walked slowly out, holding a plate piled high with buttered toast which she placed next to the mug, not noticing the two vampires stood by the door.

"Otti…" began Damon, and she turned quickly, before walking over to him as briskly as she could on wobbly legs and throwing her arms around him.

"I'm sorry, Dad," she said, mumbling into his chest as she hugged him. "I know you'd do anything to protect me, and I'm so sorry I said that."

Damon felt a lump in his throat and picked his little girl up, holding her tightly to him and burying his face in her long curls. "I'm sorry too, little otter," he said, softly. "I've been so frightened of losing you that I've locked you up here. That was wrong of me."

"You were just scared, it's okay. But I can take care of myself, I promise."

"I know, sweetheart, and after you get back from school tomorrow, I'm going to help in whatever way I can to make sure that you're strong enough to protect yourself, even when I can't myself. Okay?"

She nodded, and scrambled back to the ground, tugging on his hand to lead him over to the sofa by the fire. "I made you a hot chocolate," she said, pressing the mug into his hands as she shot Lexi an amused look. "To say sorry," she said, shrugging. "Oh, and some toast."

"Sorry toast? Maybe we should sack off the training tomorrow and I'll teach you how to cook…" he said, smirking at her whilst Lexi elbowed him in the ribs.

"That's really kind, Otti, I'm sure Damon is very grateful…" She shot him a meaningful look and he quickly wiped the smirk from his face.

"It's perfect, thank you Otti."