Author's Note:
I hope you'll forgive that this is a somewhat belated holiday story. I had initially planned to start posting this between Thanksgiving and Christmas…and then between Christmas and the New Year…and, well, you can tell that didn't happen. What started out as an idea for a fun little Damon/Elena Christmas scene (since we have yet to get a Christmas episode), morphed into something more and refused to be just a one shot. I spent a number of days staring at a blank screen and then just drabbling with the characters (I actually posted a bit of this as it's rather amusing, you can find it in my profile). This is my first foray into the world of fan fiction, and I will admit that the task of writing such well known, beloved characters is incredibly intimidating.
I hope I did them justice. I owe many, many thanks to my wonderful friend and beta 2serendipity for her support and fabulous feedback. If it weren't for her constant encouragement, this would likely have never made it beyond the idea stage. Thank you, my friend! 3
I think that about covers it, I hope you enjoy the results of my random holiday musings.
[Obligatory disclaimer: I definitely don't own any of these wonderful characters, but I do so enjoy watching them and getting to take them for a holiday spin.]
'Vacation, finally,' Elena thought to herself as she walked into her room. School had been released early that afternoon in anticipation of the upcoming holiday, and she for one was thankful for the break. She toed off her shoes and shed her jeans in favor of her cozy blue sweats. She swept her hair up into a messy bun and pulled her journal out of its hiding place, reaching for her favorite purple pen before sinking down onto her bed, to sprawl on her stomach across the fluffy comforter.
Dear Diary,
We finally have a break from school, and I definitely need it. Everything seems to keep happening at lightning speed these days. Things are changing too fast. People keep leaving…and dying. Rules keep shifting, but the bad guys keep coming. They seem to be the only consistent thing in my life, which is really just kind of sad. It feels like we are constantly jumping from one epic crisis to another. There never seems to be a moment to just breathe and simply be, let alone even begin to try to process everything that my life has become. If someone had told me a year ago that vampires and other supernatural creatures were real and that my destiny was undeniably and irrevocably intertwined with theirs, I'd have thought they were either drunk or high…or both.
Don't get me wrong. Even if I was given the choice, which I'm certain I won't be (unless fairy godmothers exist too and no one's bothered to tell me – at this point I might not even be surprised). I don't know that I'd change anything. To live my life without this knowledge, without these people…I cannot imagine it. Well…maybe I'd change a few things. But ultimately I know that it's the constant pressure and danger that has driven us closer together. Jeremy and I lost our entire family, but life - dare I say fate? - has brought us another family. It's different and dysfunctional, and it's broken sometimes, but it's good nonetheless. We have amazing people in our lives who truly care about us and who we care about in return. I didn't think we'd ever have that again, not like this…not really ever. I thought it was one family per customer, that's it, game over. Although it sometimes feels like it, I know we aren't alone, and there is comfort in that.
It still hurts though, everything that has happened, everyone we've lost. The holidays have always been one of my favorite times of the year. There is so much joy and goodwill everywhere. People are just generally more happy and pleasant to be around. And everything is so very light and sparkly; it makes it hard not to smile. But I'm scared this year. What if I can't do it? What if things are so different that they just don't work? I'm afraid that the traditions will just make the loss more painful, that their absence will accentuate the devastation I feel, making it unavoidable…uncontrollable.
I'm thankful for the break, but sometimes I think that the unending chaos is really a blessing in disguise. It gives me something to focus on; it's a distraction of sorts. Sometimes I worry that it might end and that I might be left with nothing but the loss and the heartache. I don't know that I'm ever going to be ready to face those things head on. I'm terrified that I will fall utterly and completely apart and that I won't be able to put myself back together. If I start…I just don't know how I'll be able to stop. I can barely handle this in small doses – full strength might just kill me. But I can't fall to pieces. I have to be strong, for the others. It's not fair to them if I fall apart. They have all done so much for me already. They are constantly risking their lives just to keep me safe (and complaining and threatening anytime I try to return the favor). The least I can do is keep my happy and brave face in place. I can't be there for Jeremy or Alaric or anyone else if I come unglued. After all, this is not just about me. I'm not the only one who has experienced loss. I probably haven't even experienced the worst of it. It would be selfish of me to forget that or act like my feelings are the only ones that matter. I want to be there for everyone. I need to be there for everyone. And I have to be okay in order to do that.
Sometimes it's just hard though. I -
Elena was startled out of her reflections by a loud crash from somewhere downstairs. Sitting up, she crinkled her nose at the faint but distinct acrid stench of smoke. She was halfway down the stairs to investigate by the time the fire alarm began wailing at an ear-piercing decibel. Pressing her hands firmly over her ears, she ran the rest of the way to the kitchen, stopping short at the sight of Alaric frantically flapping a kitchen towel in a futile attempt to put out the flames curling out of the open oven door.
"Ric, you're just fanning the flames..." she muttered as he reached for a pot full of soapy water sitting beside the sink, waiting to be washed.
"Don't!" She yelled in warning, but it was too late. The flames billowed up to the ceiling in a fireball as the water hit them, and Elena ducked behind the door just in time to miss being burned. When she stuck her head around the corner moments later, Ric was lying unconscious on the floor several feet from the oven, the kitchen burning around him.
"Ric!" she screamed, rushing into the kitchen to drag him away from the flames racing up the walls. Dropping to her knees next to him once he was out of immediate danger, she felt for his pulse, wincing at the burns covering his exposed skin. She quickly pulled her phone out of the pocket of her sweats and dialed 911.
"Hello? Yes, we need help! Our...um...our unc- no…our uh, our...friend...he's hurt, the oven caught fire... there are flames everywhere…" She trailed off, listening to the operator before rattling off the address and hanging up with instructions to get out of the house and assurance that help was on the way.
She shoved her phone back into her pocket and leaned down, slipping her hands under Ric's arms to drag him towards the back door. She coughed violently, the thickening smoke making it difficult to breathe properly. She painstakingly pulled him inch by inch towards the back door, her eyes stinging and her face glistening with sweat from the intense heat of the fire that was quickly consuming the kitchen. She'd almost gotten to the door and reached behind her to open it, just as it flew open of its own accord.
"Damon!" Elena gasped in relief as she saw him, her mind vaguely noting his oddly halo-like silhouette as the smoke poured out of the open door, blending and swirling with the fading sunlight behind him.
He glanced around, quickly taking in the situation before flashing to Elena's side. Without asking any questions, he grabbed Ric and threw him over his shoulder in a fireman's hold, before wrapping his arm around Elena's waist and pulling her outside to safety.
Elena dropped to the ground as soon as Damon released her a short distance from the house, greedily filling her lungs with the sweet, crisp winter air.
She bit back a sob as she saw Damon gently lowering Alaric down to the grass, his angry red burns looking even worse than they had inside. "Damon..." She began, her voice quivering as her eyes filled with tears.
Damon didn't respond as he quickly assessed his friend's injuries and checked his pulse before biting into his wrist and pushing it firmly against Alaric's mouth, urging him to drink. He waited a moment until Alaric actually starting drinking, letting him take a few mouthfuls before pulling his arm back and allowing his blood to work its magic.
Elena breathed a sigh of relief as she saw the burns begin to heal themselves, the raw red flesh slowly fading to reveal healthy new skin. Ric's eyes opened as the wailing of approaching sirens echoed through the neighborhood. He slowly pushed himself up into a sitting position, glancing questioningly between Damon and Elena.
"Wha-" Ric was cut off as Elena flung her arms around him in a fierce hug.
"You scared me," she choked out, her voice muffled against his shoulder.
"I'm sorry, Elena," Ric apologized sincerely, bringing his arm around her in an awkward hug when she made no move to release him. "I didn't mean to. What happened?"
"You threw water on a grease fire," Elena began to explain, finally sitting back to look at him.
"Later," Damon murmured before she could continue, leaning over to pull both of them to their feet. A shiny red fire engine arrived moments later, spewing firefighters and equipment from within its confines. They rushed through the kitchen door to subdue the fire before the entire house went up in flames. They were quickly joined by an ambulance screeching up to the curb. A medic clothed in black pants and a light blue shirt jumped out and immediately ran over to the trio standing in the grass.
"Where's your injured friend?" he asked without preamble, his eyes locking onto Elena.
"Wh-what?" she stammered, confused.
"The dispatcher said the young woman who called was distraught about a friend who'd been injured in the fire," he explained, looking between Alaric and Damon. "Is he still inside? Miss?" he prompted gently when she didn't answer.
"I'm right here," Alaric intervened when Elena remained silent, assuming they were talking about him.
The medic eyed him skeptically. "You don't look hurt..."
"I'm not," Ric confirmed.
"Then why did-" the medic began.
"I...I guess I overreacted," Elena explained quickly, a blush creeping over her cheeks. "It all happened so fast, there was so much smoke and the flames were so big, it looked like he was really hurt, but I guess I was wrong. It…it must have been the light."
"She does have a tendency to overreact," Damon offered helpfully, smirking at Elena.
"Are you sure everyone is okay?" the medic pressed, looking between them.
"We're all fine," Damon sighed, annoyance creeping into his tone at the man's insistence. "Why don't you go help someone who actually needs it?"
"Damon!" Elena scolded, taking the medic's arm and leading him away. "Don't mind him, he has a tendency to be an ass," she smirked inwardly, knowing full well that Damon would have no trouble hearing her despite how quietly she spoke.
"We really appreciate you coming so quickly. I'm sorry my overreaction made it necessary," she thanked him sincerely as they reached the curb.
"Just doing our job, miss," he said with a friendly smile. "Better safe than sorry. It's always nice when we're not needed after all."
"I can imagine," Elena responded, relieved that he didn't seem to mind. "I suppose I ought to let you wrap it up here," she added, glancing at the other medics. "Thank you again."
"Have a good evening," he replied before heading back to the ambulance.
Elena turned back towards the house just as Jeremy ran up.
"Elena?" he asked, stopping beside her. "What's going on? Are you okay?"
"Jeremy!" Elena exclaimed, wrapping her brother in a quick hug. "I'm fine. Everyone is fine…well, now we are, at least. Ric got burned pretty badly, but Damon gave him some blood right away," she explained in whisper. "I'm not sure what he was doing, but the oven caught fire."
"Woah," Jeremy exhaled sharply, looking towards the house before looking down at his sister, concern and relief mixed in his eyes. "I'm just glad you're both okay."
"Me too," Elena agreed with a small smile.
"How bad is the damage?"
"I'm not sure," Elena admitted, glancing over to where a firefighter had joined Alaric and Damon, the three were talking rather animatedly. "Looks like maybe we're about to find out."
They reached Damon just as Alaric walked away with the firefighter, cell phone in hand, already talking.
"What's going on?" Elena asked, casting a sideways glance at Alaric.
"Ric went to call the insurance company while Mr. Fireman is still here to back him up and sweet talk them if need be," Damon explained, his eyes trained on Ric, undoubtedly listening in on the conversation.
"How bad is it?" Elena queried warily, her deep brown eyes filled with worry.
"Well, as you can see, the house is still standing," Damon joked, exaggeratingly waving his hand in the direction of the house. His expression became more serious as he continued, "Really though, it's fine. It sounds like the fire itself stayed in the kitchen. You called for help fast enough that they were able to prevent it from spreading to the rest of the house."
Jeremy opened his mouth to ask for more details but stopped, turning his attention to Ric as he nodded to the firefighter and walked back towards them, still talking on the phone.
"I understand, thank you," Ric said with a sigh as he reached them, glaring at his cell phone as he ended the call.
Grimacing, he turned to Jeremy and Elena. "How do you two feel about spending the holidays at a hotel?"
"Is it really that bad?" Jeremy asked.
"They're basically going to have to redo the entire kitchen. That alone will take a few weeks. Add in all the smoke damage and cleaning they'll have to do, we'll be lucky to be back in to welcome the New Year," Ric sighed, rubbing his temple.
"I guess there's really not a lot of choice then," Elena said dejectedly. "We'll just have to deal with it."
"I'm really sorry, you two," Ric apologized, looking between the two orphaned siblings who were depending on him as the last remaining parental figure in their lives. "I screwed up big time. I had no idea it was going to catch fire like that."
"Even still," Damon interjected sarcastically, "Any idiot knows better than to throw water on a grease fire. It's like, Cooking 101."
"It didn't even occur to me that it could be a grease fire," Alaric defended himself. "I was using one of those flavor bag things, there shouldn't have been any grease."
"What were you trying to make exactly?" Damon asked, his eyebrow raised inquisitively.
"Thanksgiving turkey," Ric mumbled.
"What?" Elena asked, surprise evident in her voice.
"Um, Ric," Damon began in a patronizing tone, "It's only Tuesday. I hate to break it to you, teacher, but Thanksgiving is and always has been celebrated on a Thursday. Trust me, I was around when Lincoln first declared it a national holiday."
"I'm well aware of that, Damon, thank you," Ric rolled his eyes. "It's just, well, I've never actually made a turkey before and I wanted to practice. This is going to be our first holiday without..." he trailed off, a slight tremor to his voice. "I just wanted to make sure it was special."
Elena couldn't help the single errant tear that fell from her lashes as she reached out and put her hand on Ric's arm. "It will be, Ric. It will be special because we'll all be together."
"Yeah, man," Jeremy added, looking a little misty-eyed himself. "It doesn't matter where we are. We're family."
A genuine smile softened Ric's features as he thought, for what had to be the millionth time, how resilient these two kids were in the face of the tremendous heartache they had suffered in their young lives. So much loss, so much pain, yet they still managed to live, to love. He wished he had even a fraction of their strength. "I just wish it didn't have to be in a hotel."
"There are other options besides a hotel," Damon pointed out nonchalantly.
"Like what?" Alaric retorted.
Damon only just resisted the urge to roll his eyes, "I happen to live in a boarding house. You know, it's a place with plenty of empty rooms just sitting around gathering dust most of the time?"
Ric's eyebrow raised in surprise. "You would take the three of us in, just like that?"
"Sure," Damon shrugged. "Why not?"
"For over a month?" Ric asked incredulously.
"Hmm, you're right, that is a long time for house guests. That would mean you'd all be very, very grateful to me…" he mused, his crystal blue eyes sparkling like glaciers in the sun. He grinned mischievously. "You know, you could just owe me a favor."
"What kind of favor?" Elena asked suspiciously.
"Oh, I don't know, I'll have to think long and hard about that," Damon winked, waggling his eyebrows playfully at her. "But you'll be the first to know once I come up with something."
"Maybe we should just stay at a hotel…" Ric suggested.
Elena shook her head but decided to ignore Damon's suggestive remark. "What about the holidays, Damon?" she asked. "We'd be there for Thanksgiving and Christmas, maybe even New Year's."
"Oh yeah, did I forget to mention that I'm planning a smashing New Year's Eve party? I even invited Klaus to be the guest of honor!" Damon countered, sarcasm practically dripping from his voice. "Seriously, it's not like I've got any grand plans, Elena. Been there, done that, really not a big deal these days."
"I don't know," Elena said hesitantly. "I know the holidays clearly aren't a big deal for you…but they're kind of important to me."
"You have no idea," Jeremy muttered under his breath, earning himself a smirk from Damon and a glare from his sister.
"It's going to be hard enough this year without Jen-," Elena trailed off, wincing at the look on Alaric's face, and quickly amended, "Without everyone, and not being in our house…"
"Look," Damon said softly, looking deep into her soulful brown eyes, his heart clenching at the pain he found there. "Just because the holidays haven't really been at the top of my to do list doesn't mean I don't like them. We can do whatever you want to celebrate."
Elena thought about that for a few seconds.
"Anything?" She peered up at him hopefully.
"Careful, man," Jeremy warned.
Damon glanced at Jeremy before looking back to Elena and boldly confirming, "Anything you want. Tell you what, let's start with a real Thanksgiving feast on Thursday."
"Uh, maybe that's not such a good idea, considering…" Ric trailed off somewhat sheepishly.
Damon stared at Ric as if he'd grown three heads. "Seriously? Do you think I'm actually going to let you anywhere near my kitchen?"
Ric shrugged, his face flushing in embarrassment.
"It sounds wonderful, Damon," Elena grabbed his hand, attempting to distract him from teasing Ric. His eyes immediately flashed back to hers, the intensity of his gaze making her breath catch in her throat. She quickly dropped his hand, reaching up to twist a strand of her hair around her finger. "Thank you."
"Jeremy, what do you think?" Alaric broke the suddenly heavy silence.
"Sounds good to me," Jeremy responded with a smile. "As long as we're together, I don't really care where we are. And Damon's a great cook. Besides, the boarding house seems like a pretty cool place to spend the holidays."
"I guess we're agreed then," Damon concluded, clapping his hands once. "Go get packed."
Quick note: I hope you liked the beginning...this sets the stage for the rest of the story. And honestly, I had no idea Ric was going to try to burn down the entire house, I just let him in the kitchen (unsupervised), and it got way out of hand. (although it works out nicely for us!)