Dylan's visit to Liz didn't turned out the way he expected it. She was friendly but distant. She still refused to take him back.
He came back home and went straight to his room. He put on some music and plopped down on his bed with his hands under his head. His phone suddenly beeped. It was a message from Mia. She's inviting him over to her parents house.
He looked up from his phone when someone knocked on his bedroom door. It was Zoe. "Hi you missed out today at the lake. I think your boat misses you." She said to him.
"Why didn't you do me the favour and burned it." Dylan said dryly.
"I know you don't mean that and I also know why you feeling so down. Liz called me she told me everything Dylan." Zoe said softly.
"And now you are here to preach for me not in the mood sis."
Zoe stepped into his room and walked to his bed. He moved to the side to make space for her. She lay down next to him.
"Do you know that there's absolutely nothing meaningful to do in this fucked up town. A beautiful empty hollow shell." Dylan said after a while of silence between them.
"When your in love everything looks wonderful and beautiful Dylan. The world smiles at you and you smile back but all that change when you're sad and depressed. Its in our human nature to see the world in grey and gloom. Your feelings for Liz made you see and feel joy and happiness. You looked happy Dylan." Zoe said.
"Dad started drinking when he was fourteen. Did you know that?" Dylan asked out of the blue.
"Yes I know but you are not dad, Dylan Salvatore." Zoe said with a smile.
"And you are not mom, Zoe Salvatore." Dylan said with a chuckle. He turned his head to the side to look at Zoe. "I think dad cheated on mom."
"Did he say that? When?" Zoe asked in shock.
"Must have happened before they had us I don't know. Would you stay with a man who cheated on you with another woman? What if Cayllum did that to you will you forgive him Zoe?"
Zoe rethink what Dylan just said carefully. "I honestly don't know Dylan." She said softly.
"You will forgive him Zoe you're very mature for your age. You have that gift that skipped us and that is to understand the deeper meaning in life. That's a blessing and a curse. But for me the world is fun. I want to enjoy my life as much as possible before I grow old. I always had a crush on Mia I mean what guy didn't and than all of a sudden she showed special interest in me. It made me feel good. It also blinded me from the beauty I already have by my side and that's Liz." Dylan said.
"We all choose our own path in life, Dee. This that happened to you was put on your path to teach you something valuable and that is to not do onto others that you dont want to be done onto yourself. So accept it deal with it and learn from it. If you dont do that you will find it hard to see the beauty, joy and happiness in life again. I know were young and this might not even be our true first love but isn't it better to start learning how to appreciate one another so that one day we can look back and say yeah I made that mistake and I learned from it and you know what I never did it again because I'm at a happy place in my life right now where I appreciate and love the person I'm with every second of the day. I like Liz and you two look happy and cute together. I really hope you guys work things out." Zoe said and squeezed his hand softly.
"Thank you sis. I know I can be annoying and tease you but all that I'm glad I have you as my sister. I'm proud of you and it feels good to brag to my friends who by the way have all crushes on you which I think is majorly gross." Dylan said and chuckled."
Zoe blushed and covered her face with her hands. She peeked through her fingers and asked. "Even Walter?"
Dylan laughed out loud. "Him too but his got his sights on Suzy Wintmore so you're safe for now. She's Liz's friend.
Zoe laughed adorably and said. "I hope it works out for him. Walter is cool and lovable. He always remind me of a soft chubby cuddly friendly teddy."
"I will make my friend Walter very happy if I tell him what you just said." Dylan said with a wide smirk.
Zoe blushed beet red. "Dylan Salvatore don't you dare do that." She said and playfully hit him with his pillow.
Dr Stephen and Caroline Salvatore's Home
Stephen knocked softly on Elena's and Bailey's bedroom door.
"Its open." Elena said.
Stephen pushed the door slowly open. "Can we talk? He asked Elena. She was sitting on a comfy rocking chair by the window. She had a knitted blanket over her legs.
She waved him in with a smile.
"Damon called me he said he caught Bailey trying to steal some candy bars."
Elena's face revealed nothing. No shock, surprised or anger.
"Damon followed her out to make sure she stays out of trouble look can you call her and ask where she is?" Stephen asked with a worried look.
"Damon knows how Bailey looks?" Elena asked surprised.
Stephen smiled sheepishly and said. "I showed him a picture of Bailey on her tenth birthday the one you send me I showed that picture to him years back."
"How is he, Damon?" Elena asked softly.
"You know Damon if his getting too quiet than one must be worried" Stephen said with a chuckle. "His happy. Him and Bonnie and the kids."
"I'm happy for him." Elena said as she stared out the window.
"Elena we should get Bailey before she does something stupid." Stephen said.
"She's on her way home Stephen. Bailey is just doing this hoping she will end up in trouble and get us kicked out of town." Elena said with a small smile.
Stephen pushed a chair closer for him to sit on. "I'm a coward Elena. What father can't face his own daughter or tell his kids the truth." He said with sad eyes.
Elena reached out to him and lay her hand on his. "You're scared Stephen. You're afraid Bailey will reject you. You're afraid your kids will be angry and disappointed in you and I get it. I saw the pain and confusion in your eyes that first night you saw Bailey that's why you left without saying a word. That does not make you a coward Stephen. That makes you a father who fears that he might have failed his kids."
"I sometimes forget I'm only human. I'm so used to Damon screwing up that I forget about my own failures. I save peoples lives daily but somehow I can't save my own life. I'm not perfect. Your right Elena. I need to sit down with all of them." Stephen said.
Elena smiled softly at him. "Now there's the Stephen I know."
Stephen doctors eyes took in Elena's appearance. She lost some weight. There were dark circles under her eyes. Her hands felt a little cold and looked pale.
"I'm scared Stephen not for me but for Bailey." Elena said softly.
"Nothing is going to happen to you or Bailey I promise you I will make sure of that." Stephen said and kissed her hand.
Elena was in an accident two years ago and damaged one of her kidneys without her knowledge and negligence from the doctors who kept her in hospital for two nights and cleared her after that. She gradually lost the use of that kidney and slowly the other kidney deteriorated too. It was still functioning but not as a healthy kidney are functioning. She was in need of a kidney transplant. She shared this with Stephen after she got the news. Stephen was so mad at the doctors that he wanted to sue the doctors but Elena stopped him. He did managed to suspend their licenses and they were stripped of it later never to practice in any state or town ever again.
"I have arranged for you to take your dialysis at the Rosemary medical center." Stephen said.
"Stephen no I can't take it anymore. It makes me sick. There are days that I can't even get myself out of that chair or walk. I feel so tired and nauseating. Weak." Elena said as tears welled up in her eyes.
"I fully understand the affects it can have on your body but as a doctor I'm fully aware how important that machine is in doing the work your kidneys can't do anymore. It keeps you alive Elena don't give up hope. I will go and sit there with you. You are not alone in this." Stephen said as he wipe her tears away with his handkerchief.
"Thank you Stephen. I'm so scared something will happen to me and Bailey will have no one with her."
Stephen put his arms around her and rock her gently. "You're both home and that's all that matters. I promise you I will make sure you get through this."
The Salvatore Home
There was a happy atmosphere at Damon's and Bonnie's home. The evening air was perfect to eat outside on the patio.
Kenzie and Zoe decided for tonight their having dinner outside on the patio. They lit candles and placed it all over the place. The table was decorated festively with delicious take outs from Flavio's restaurant.
Sam was in awe when she stepped out. Her eyes took it all in. How beautiful the table was decorated. All the different colour candles gave the room a magical glow. She felt like someone who just stepped into another world.
The outdoor patio had a dining area and seating area. The dining table and chairs are made from pure black African wood. Its not the first time that the furniture and decor take her breath away its just that tonight with the candles and the music playing made the place something you only see in those magazines where the rich and famous show off their mansions and wealth.
The seating area had two love sofas and four comfortable mix chairs with soft floral cushions on them and a small round table in the middle. It looked smart elegant and beautiful how the colours from the seating area and dinning area complimented each other.
Its not her first time seeing all of this its just that tonight with the candles and the music playing made the
There was space in the middle of the two areas for dancing.
Alex, Dylan and the twins were already seated at the table watching Damon and Bonnie dirty dancing or that's how Dylan and Alex saw it.
Bonnie was bend over dancing in front of Damon shaking her behind like its no ones business.
Kenzie laughed when she looked at the two. She walked to the dinning table with two bowls of salad and said. "Those two are in a world of their own."
"Those two need a room and when do we eat. I'm starving." Dylan said.
Kenzie smiled sweetly and said. "Hey stop being grumpy its not our fault that Liz dumped you."
"Ouch!" Alex said with a smirk.
"She didn't dump me. We're just taking a break sweetheart." He said and rolled his eyes.
Kenzie ruffled his hair playfully before calling her parents to the dining table.
Zoe and Cayllum came out carrying the other food and place it on the table. She smiled when he lightly pulled her hair playfully.
"Ooh I miss my days living young and wild and free." Bonnie said and waved her hands in the air. She was tipsy and having fun. Damon could not take his eyes or hands of her. She looked sexy in her black cut off jeans and green floral shirt tight in a knot at the bottom showing off her tummy. She was barefoot and so was Damon.
Damon laughed and pulled her down on his lap. "You're still young and damn wild as for the free part don't think so. You're stuck with me for life." He said while pouring Bonnie a another full glass of wine.
"Dad that's too much wine." Kenzie said and laughed.
"That's a glass and a half." Dylan said with a smirk.
"I've got very important plans for your mother tonight." Damon said with a smirk and handed Bonnie's glass to her. "Dink up Babe and don't worry I've got plenty where that came from."
Bonnie bumped him playfully in the ribs with her elbow.
The kids laughed but not Sam. She felt like taking her fork and stick it in Damon's neck and in Bonnie's. The two acted like two horny teenagers and it made her sick. Damon was never like this with her sister Sierra who worshiped the ground Damon walked on.
Alex cleared his throat and said. "Sam and I are going to stay for another week seeing that we don't have any classes scheduled or work to hand in so I was thinking of taking Sam and my lovely family for a family retreat at the mountain lodge this weekend."
"Ooh nice." Zoe said excited.
"Fresh mountain air is what I need and just the right medicine to clear my mind." Dylan said and raised his beer at Alex.
"Dee what the hell are you drinking?" Bonnie asked.
"Ask dad he said yes." Dylan said with a wide smirk.
"Damon did you give him permission to drink and in front of me?" Bonnie asked Damon with a raised brow.
Damon's cheeks turned bright red. "Its just for tonight. He looked so down and sad and unhappy." Damon said and quickly took a sip from his glass.
"And the father of the year award goes to." Bonnie said.
"Damon Salvatore." The kids said out loud and laughed.
Damon bowed his head and said. "Awe thank you all. Firstly I just want to thank my beautiful wife for not skinning me alive for allowing my underage son to have beer."
Bonnie laughed softly. "Oh don't thank me so soon wait till we get to our room."
"Yeah mom show dad whose boss." Kenzie said and laughed.
Damon put his arms around Bonnie and whispered to her. "I just love the dominatrix in you." Imagining Bonnie in a sexy black leather two piece made him hard and Bonnie sitting on his lap felt it.
Zoe was in her element seeing everyone happy even Dylan was his old self cracking jokes. She looked over at Cayllum. He and Alex were talking about school and college. Kenzie were feeding the twins strawberries from her plate. Sam was a bit quiet. She heard the rumours of how Sam behaved and she did not like it. She did not want to see her brother get hurt. Her mom and dad were whispering to each other like two love sick teenagers and that made Zoe smile. Zoe looked up at the starlit night sky and said softly. "Thank you for this I will cherish it with me forever."
...