Hello readers,

This is the sixth chapter. Hope you all are liking the story. Please do like, follow and review.

Thanks to all those who take the time to comment, I love you guys, you keep inspiring me to work harder.

Enjoy reading.

I do not own TVD or any of the characters, but this story is mine.

Ever since I was a little girl, I loved Monsoon. The pitter-patter of rainfall always made me happy. Though the sky looked grey and gloomy, the smell of wet ground after the rain was intoxicating. The surroundings looked clean and bright, even the leaves seemed greener. But today, there was no music in the sound of raindrops, there were strong winds and torrential rain that had destroyed a lot of things, just like on the day of our accident. There were broken branches of trees lying here and there on the ground, posters of billboards had torn or flown away, people were mending broken property, at some places trees had been uprooted, and people were trying to deal with these problems as fast as possible. It was drizzling again now, tiny droplets of water stuck to the glass window were sliding down as the car sped up, through the town.

I was returning from the Salvatore house. Yes, my wheelchair about which I had totally forgotten, had been fixed by 'Mr. Lukewarm'. This name was perfect for him, keeping in mind his hot and cold behavior. After he had left me on the couch and gone outside, I was waiting for him. Almost fifteen minutes later, he returned with my wheelchair. Even after talking for so long, he mostly kept quite after coming in again, I was tracking his movements silently. He came near me and placed it on the side of the couch. "When did you fix it? Did it get wet in the rain?" I asked looking at the wheelchair that looked unscathed. "Earlier when you were calling your Aunt, I went out to get the wheelchair, it's not wet, rather as good as new." He said giving me a playful smirk. He looked irresistibly seductive, but not letting myself go down that road again, I thanked him for the help, he only nodded at my words and said, "It was the least I could do."

That was quite thoughtful of him because without it, I wouldn't be returning home right now, i mean at least not by my car. However, Damon had offered to drive me quite a few times earlier. Even when he helped me shift from the couch to the wheelchair, he said that he should drive me home, in case there are problems on the road due to the storm. But I declined his offer, first of all it was not his duty to take me home, and also I didn't want to take anymore of his help today. Whatever he had done was a lot to ask for. Then I wheeled out of the house once more and started towards the car, he was walking by my side, so I told him, "It's okay, I'll be alright. You don't have to come." he didn't listen to me, just kept walking. The stoned path had become completely wet and it was being difficult to wheel smoothly in it, then I felt him holding my wheelchair from the back, he slowly pushed me along till I reached the car. Why was he being such a gentleman?

I unlocked the door and looked back at him. He was looking down at me with an unreadable expression, I didn't know what to say. Should I thank him again? Should I talk about coming back on Sunday? That was when he spoke, "Elena, what I did was wrong. I wasn't thinking...I didn't think, but if you still decide to come back, I wouldn't give you a chance to complain, it's up to you now." He looked honest and sincere, his eyes boring into mine, I took a deep breath and nodded, yes, it was up to me and I wanted to come back, but I didn't know whether that would be the best decision or the worst. So instead I said, "Goodbye Damon."

He understood that I needed time, so he didn't press for an answer, he nodded and held his hand out, "It was great meeting you, Miss. Gilbert" I held his hand and shook it, "It was nice meeting you too." I said with my lips curled into a smile and he looked relieved, he bent down and kissed the back of my palm with a slight smile of his own. I felt the similar butterflies in my stomach and blushed at his action. Then turning back, I got inside my car and started the ignition, finally I drove off. The gorgeous blue-eyed man becoming smaller in my rear view mirror. He kept standing where I had started from and I kept looking at the reflected image of his. After a while, the trees blocked my view of the majestic house in the woods and I started my way back home.

Even after returning home, I kept thinking about him, he was a stranger to me just this morning, but now it seemed somewhere between all the anger and hurt he had also etched a mark on my heart. I freshened up, talked with everyone and continued with my daily routine, but nothing seemed to keep the blue eyed man from my mind. So, I went to my room and took out my diary from the drawer, and started writing. How I had went to the Salvatore house, then I had met Stefan and finally his brother, Damon. I replayed our conversations in my mind and wrote some of it down, somethings were still unclear for me. Like I had never told him my surname, yet he had called me by it. How did he even know about it? Also the last day I saw him when I turned on the lights of my car in the basement, but he didn't see me properly, not even once, so how did he recognize me instantly? Surely I am not the only girl in a wheelchair in Mystic Falls, then how?

Maybe I was just over thinking because he had jumbled up my head. We didn't have a proper face to face formal conversation, sometimes he chose to answer but other times he kept quiet. Now, it felt strange thinking how I could be so comfortable with him around me for so long. So, I shook my head and kept my diary back, I wouldn't think about him anymore. Moreover, even if I went there on Sunday, that would be for a physiotherapy session, so I will just have to keep the small talk in check and everything will be fine. Thus, I went out of my room and decided to do something worthwhile. I saw Jeremy playing video game on the couch and Jenna was sitting at the table with some things laid out on it.

"Hey Aunt Jenna, what are you doing?" She looked at me and smiled, then she pointed to a map and said, "I was looking at some old property locations for the historical society, you know, the foundation day is coming up." I nodded, "Right, I had totally forgotten about it, do you remember how mom used to be so excited for the foundation day and council parties?" I asked laughing at the memory, "Yeah, even when we were kids Miranda would be volunteering for every council party organisation, and would drag me down with her too." Jenna said shaking her head and laughing. We kept laughing and giggling remembering the good times. I always loved remembering the happy memories of my parents.

Jenna continued with a thoughtful expression and a smile, "I remember this one time, we had setup a stall in the 'bake and sale' of the founder's party, and your mother was all dressed up and ready to impress everyone with our family recipe, but I knew that it wouldn't go like that because by mistake, I had put too much salt in it, actually the only thing I had to do was taste it and make changes if necessary, but I couldn't even do that properly. And she was so excited, you know, I couldn't dig up the courage to say to her that I had ruined it." She was laughing out loud now, and I was looking at her expectantly with a big grin on my face, "So, everyone who tasted it kept pretending that it was good in front of us, but later they were criticizing it, behind our back."

I curled my lips downwards and stuck out my lower lip to show that I was sad, but still had a happy mood, so she kept talking, " Only one person who came up-to the stall tasted it and said it was too salty. Miranda got so angry because she thought he was teasing her, she almost insulted him in the middle of the party, he too got angry and left. But after the party Miranda herself tasted the food and saw how salty it was, and she burst into tears, she wouldn't even look at me, I had ruined her perfect recipe, you know, I was so embarrassed to have done that to her. Anyways it was some days later that we found out she had gone to apologize to that boy whom she had insulted and he had forgiven her, later on, they had even started dating, so, can you guess who that boy was? "

I widened my eyes at her hint, and with a tell tale grin replied, "Dad?" She pursed her lips into a big smile and nodded swiftly. Wow, I always knew that mom and dad were high school sweethearts but this was how their love story had started? It was so romantic. This was the first time I had heard of this story. Even Jeremy had switched off his game and come to the table in the middle of the story. He too had a big grin on his face, "Thanks Aunt Jenna, for telling us about this, we love hearing about Mom and Dad's love story. Even earlier, when we went for trips to the lake house, we would sit by the fire and ask them to tell us more about their love story, and now you are here please tell us some more happy stories." I said cheerfully, Jeremy nodded at my words and said, " Yeah, Jenna tell us about your boyfriends too, I heard you dated Uncle John for sometime."

"Jer!" I chided him, and shook my head to let him know this was not the time to ask her about this, but what I was afraid of had already happened, Jenna burst out at the name of John, "Don't even take the name of that asshole in front of me, he was such a pathetic piece of shit, who used me and left me, as if he was some handsome hunk after whom all the girls of Mystic Falls were running... Ugh I hate that bastard." She said clenching her fists. I huffed, "Jenna, don't be mad, please, just forget what Jer said, okay? " I said staring at Jeremy with stern eyes, again I looked at Jenna and touched her arm, "So, what do you think about going out for dinner? I mean you cook for us everyday, and you surely deserve a break sometimes. Also, we haven't gone out from such a long time, so please, Aunt Jenna... It would be my treat." I offered with a smirk. Jeremy looked so happy and hopeful, so I looked at him and rolled my eyes, "Of course, you can call Bonnie and tell her to join us." His grin increased by ten times and he rushed towards his room.

Jenna and I were laughing at his antics till now, she got up and said that she would come and help me to get ready, after she was done. I nodded and smiled at her, then she turned back, but again looked at me, "Hey you didn't tell me how did your meeting with the physiotherapist go? Did you like him? Where is his house by the way?" Not again, I didn't want to remember 'him' now, it had been so hard to divert my mind from him, but I had to say something, "I'll tell you all about it later, now go and get ready." Jenna understood that I was avoiding the topic so she pressed for an answer, "Okay, but at least tell me you are going to meet him again, for you sessions?" There was so much hope in her eyes, like she was waiting to hear an yes from my lips, so I smiled and told her, "Yes, I will go there again on Sunday, for our first session." She rushed forward and hugged me, "Oh baby girl, you have made me a happy woman. Now let's go and rock the world. " I giggled and let her go to her room.

In front of me the map of Mystic Falls was laid out, so I searched for the highway leading to the Salvatore House, there was a big piece of land marked under the name 'Salvatore Boarding House', I furrowed my eyebrows and looked once more, yes, it was a boarding house, but if it was a boarding house why was nobody else living there but only Damon and his brother? I shook my head and made a note in my mind to ask Jenna if she knew anything about it. Then I turned back and went into my room. After some time Jenna came, she was looking beautiful, she had pinned her hair into a bun and was wearing and elegant maroon dress with a matching hand purse and simple diamond studs. "Wow, you look so beautiful Jenna" She smiled, almost blushed but then quickly helped me to get ready, I wore a simple blue dress, with short sleeves and a square neck line, but a fitting skirt that accentuated my waistline. While Jenna combed my soft curls, I put on some mascara and pinkish color on my lips and was finally ready to go.

I didn't take my car, Jeremy folded my wheelchair and put it in the back of Jenna's car, then he carried me and put me on the front seat. I thanked him, "You are my hero, Jer" I said with a huge smile, he winked at me, "Not hero, but I guess I am quite strong, because you are gaining weight, Lena. " I gasped and tried to strike him on the arm but he moved and started to laugh, holding his stomach. Jenna came and sat at the driver's seat, "Hey Jer, stop making fun of Elena or you won't get to come with us and I think you wouldn't want to miss it, as Bonnie just called to say she is leaving." So, that shut Jeremy up and he got in and sat on the backseat, then we started the drive. I had thought that we would go to the Grill, though it was problematic to go there with my wheelchair cause it always stayed crowded. But when we were driving past the familiar greenish building with the illuminated 'The Mystic Grill' sign on it, I looked towards Jenna, "Where are we going Jenna?"

She bit her lip and looked towards me, " I thought we should go somewhere else, you know, the Grill is always so crowded, and the food quality is also average and we never try new places." I knew she was covering something up, so I told, "What is it Jenna, spit it out, please." So she took a deep breath and said, "I know how much trouble you had the last time we went to the Grill, and when you had gone out today Alaric had called, so we got to talking and he kind of invited me over for dinner at this restaurant, towards the highway, so I thought we could all go there you know." What, Jenna had a plan with Mr. Saltzman? And now Jeremy and I were tagging along with her to their date? This was bad, very... very bad. "Oh my God, Aunt Jenna you have a date with Mr. Saltzman. Why are we going with you to the date? Why didn't you tell us before?" I looked back at Jeremy who was looking equally guilty, I couldn't believe this, "What? Don't tell me you knew about this too? Why wouldn't you tell me at least? Okay, Jenna just stop the car and tell me what is going on!"

Jenna stopped the car at the side of the road, " First of all, its not a date, it is just dinner, we don't even know each other that well. Secondly, I had already told him that I wouldn't be able to come, but when you proposed the dinner plan earlier, I thought why not, so I didn't tell you about this before because, otherwise you wouldn't have come with me. Third and most importantly, you wanted to go out after such a long time and I didn't want to decline your offer. So, I took up both. Now, I am sorry that this can't be an 'only family' affair, but please just trust me okay, Alaric was very happy to hear that you would be joining us too." My mouth was open, I still felt bad because how would they possibly talk with me in between them? I looked at Jeremy for an explanation, " What? Don't look at me like that, Aunt Jenna told me not to tell you anything, and I am just going for the food and to meet my girl, so I would love to make ourselves scarce for the rest of the night." he said with a sly smirk.

"Ugh...Jer T.M.I, and if you both go away, what am I going to do? Sit between Alaric and Jenna, like a toddler between it's parents?" He laughed out loud and Jenna said "No one's going anywhere, okay? It's not as complicated as you are thinking it to be, and again this is not a date so why can't you sit with us? We all will just have an amazing dinner and return home." God it was going to be so awkward, me in between two couples! Why couldn't I have kept my mouth shut today? Then everyone would be happy on their own. Once again, for me everyone was going to be bored tonight. But looking at Jenna's face I said okay, because she would be heartbroken if I wanted to return now. So we drove to the restaurant and once again Jer helped me to get out and sit on the wheelchair.

The restaurant was brightly colored and had beautiful shimmering lights that made the atmosphere quite romantic and dreamy. I was feeling quite out of place here, just then Jenna said "Alaric! Hey?" she was waving towards him, then in a low voice she asked me, "How do I look?" Yeah! so much for 'not a date'. " You look beautiful, just keep smiling." Alaric walked towards us in an informal blue suit, with a big grin, thank God at least he didn't look disappointed on seeing us. He was looking handsome today, the fact that he had put in effort to impress my pretty Aunt was so cute. He came forward and shook hands with Jenna, "Hey Jenna, Elena and Jeremy, how are you all doing?" I wanted to laugh cause that sounded sarcastic in my head, but his smile was genuine. So I said, "Hi Mr. Saltzman, we are fine, how about you?" But Jer cut me off by saying, "Sorry for tagging along and ruining your date man, I know how much this sucks for you."

"Jeremy!" Aunt Jenna gritted her teeth and said in a sing song tone. Jeremy rolled his eyes and huffed, "Okay fine I'll go outside and get Bonnie, she must've arrived by now." Alaric who was trying to hide his smile turned to Jenna and said, "So date, huh?" Jenna blushed and said, " I didn't tell them that, I just told them you invited me and they imagined this to be a date'." I looked from Jenna to Alaric without a clue, "You mean this is really not a date?" Now Jenna shook her head and Alaric spoke "No Elena, I mean, yes I had invited Jenna this morning but she had declined the offer because she was too worried regarding your whereabouts at that time," Jenna bit her lip and looked apologetic, and I held her hand giving it a squeeze. She was worried about me so much? How did I ever get this lucky? Then Alaric told, "But when you suggested going out for dinner, she called me and invited me, so basically, I am the extra and not you or Jeremy."

I smiled at him and told that I was completely okay with having him here, and he led us towards a table for six, that was already booked under our name. So everyone sat down and I adjusted myself to the table, Bonnie and Jeremy had also come inside, we hugged and complimented each other. Bonnie was looking very beautiful in an white halter neck dress that ran down to her knees. However, when the waiter came to take the order, Alaric told him that we were still expecting someone. All of us looked towards him with curiosity except Jenna, who I guess already knew about this too. But as I was going to ask him about who he was talking of, he looked over my shoulder and said, "There he is." A big grin broke out onto his face and he shouted, "Damon, over here."

Seriously? Damon Salvatore...twice in a day? I gulped, my heart was racing just thinking about being in the same room with him again, and he would be at the same table with us? Was it not enough that I was thinking about him every passing second of the day, that now he was sabotaging our dinner too. I didn't look back because I didn't trust myself with the expression that my face would produce on seeing Mr. Irresistible. I knew he would be striding down all sexy and appealing, and I wouldn't be able to handle that again. But when he came to stand beside me, I cursed under my breath because now I had already missed his entry. He smelled fresh, the woody smell now giving a hint of mint. I closed my eyes and breathed deeply, filling myself with his scent, I didn't know why that calmed my nerves a lot.

Opening my eyes, I looked at the man standing beside me, he was wearing a black leather jacket, the sleeves of which covered up-to half of his wrists, over a white T-shirt with dark washed jeans and black boots. He looked freaking hot, why the hell hadn't I looked back? Just then Alaric called my name out loud and I realized that I was in a haze, I blinked and looked at him, he smiled and continued, " Elena meet Mr. Damon Salvatore, my best friend and a great physiotherapist." Then he looked at Damon and said, "Damon this is Elena Gilbert my former client, and a great friend." Our eyes met, he had a hint of a smile on his face, I could not stop the smile that appeared on my face at the sight of him gazing at me, we shook our hands and his firm grip made my heart skip a beat, and all I could think was if a mere handshake had this effect on me, what would happen throughout the dinner?

How was it? Don't forget to like and review!

P.S.- For all those who were curious, the reference of 'lukewarm' is from MMVA 2011. ;)

And those who didn't know about this, it is nothing serious, just something a Nian junkie would know, so chill. :)