The rain has fallen steadily since Damon woke up this morning. The summer flowers and leaves droop under the weight of the droplets. They've had so much heat and not just the weather that he's almost forgotten the cool freshness in the breeze.

It's a gloomy day in Mystic Falls, matching the mood of its citizens as they come together to say goodbye to Violet and Billy Fell.

Damon and his men are wearing their dress uniforms for the occasion. Together with Elena, he enters the church followed by Zach, Jenna, Stefan, and Valerie for the service.

Afterward, when they're at the cemetery for the grave service, Damon watches as Mark stands with his young son Michael and Violet's distraught parents.

Stepping forward on heavy legs, Mark walks to the casket. Stooping down, he picks up a handful of loose dirt as tears roll down his cheeks and flicks it on the casket.

"I'll love you forever, Violet and, Billy, I hate that you never got to grow up. Daddy will see you again," he whispers as the weight of it sends him crumbling to the ground.

"This has to be a nightmare, it has to be," he pleads, looking at the gray sky above. Finally, the distraught man allows himself to be pulled from the grave by Violet's parents.

Mark lifts Michael into his arms as they walk away.

Damon holds Elena's hand as he watches them depart.

"That was tough."

"It was." Elena squeezes his hand as they walk out of the cemetery...


Elena's lips part as he lowers his mouth to hers. This is real, yet not simple at all. He smells of smoke and something else. Sweet beneath the burn. He tastes like the honey she licked off his fingers minutes before. Her heartbeat skids and she leans greedily into the kiss and slides one knee between his legs. His breath grows ragged as their kiss grows dark and deep...

Elena absently smiles in her slumber as she shifts onto her side.

Cause It's The Heat Of The Moment
The Heat Of The Moment
The Heat Of The Moment Showed In Your Eyes

Startled awake by the sound of her ringtone, Elena reaches blindly for her phone on the bedside stand. "Hello," she says groggily.

"Hey, Elena. I sure have enjoyed all these conversations with you..."

"Caroline!" Elena sits up in bed, now noticing her laptop laying askew beside her.

"How is your case coming along?"

"The most recent fire resulted in two fatalities. It's getting frustrating, to say the least. At first, I thought Damon might be the target but I'm starting to rethink that notion."

"Damon?"

"He's the fire chief here...and the star of my dreams." Elena's voice trails off as a smile forms on her face at the thought of him.

"Is he hot?"

"Caroline, this is an official investigation. I don't think about stuff like that when I'm working."

"Liar!" She laughs. "Is he taken?"

"You can be so frustrating sometimes. Yes, he's very nice to look at and his blue eyes...let me tell you...they're intoxicating."

"Elena?"

"Sorry. And no, I don't think he's with anyone but I don't know for sure."

"Maybe you should turn on the charm. There's nothing wrong with having a little fun..."

"I know..." Elena says to placate her. "And I'm sorry I've been awol."

"It's fine. I know how seriously you take your job. I need to run, Nik is here. Love you."

"Love you, too. Hug Bonnie for me." Elena clicks off the phone and sets the device down.

Elena rests back against her pillow for a moment. Her fingertips drift to her lips as she remembers her dream. She wonders if he feels the same spark or if he's unavailable. She really doesn't know with any certainty. She's never seen him with anyone or heard him talking about someone other than his old girlfriend Katherine.

Sighing, she drags herself out of bed and into the bathroom to get ready for the day.


Elena looks outside through her window and notices Damon and Zach talking.

He looks up and for an instant, they lock eyes as he gives her a nod before looking away.

"Good morning," she greets him when she gets outside.

"I came to see if you wanted to get some breakfast. I woke up famished." Damon smiles as she approaches.

"That sounds great, actually. I had a Cliff Bar in my bag but that's all I had yesterday, too."

"Bye, you two." Jenna appears in the doorway and waves as he backs out of the driveway.

Damon returns the gesture as he drives off.

Elena sits in the passenger seat and watches the scenery as it goes by. "I'm beginning to rethink my hypothesis that you might be the target of this arsonist. I'm starting to lean into the idea that it's something psychological. Something is compelling him to light fires whether it's some kind of a sexual high or he just likes to see things burn, I haven't figured it out yet."

She shivers slightly as the air conditioner blows against her skin.

Damon turns the air conditioner down to low. "Cold?"

"Not really." She brushes her hands up and down her arms, annoyed at the goosebumps contradicting her words.

"Sure you're not."

Without taking his eyes off the road, he reaches behind the seat into the storage area of the truck's cab. He feels around blindly until he finds what he's searching for and hands it to her. "It's Zeke's. It should fit you."

Damon has worked side by side with her for a while now. He's really grown to admire her skill and determination. From what he's witnessed, she's brilliant at what she does. It's no wonder she was so highly recommended by her boss.

Elena slips on the red and black Mystic Falls Timber Wolves zip-front hoodie. "Thanks."

They ride the rest of the way in silence. Elena is surprised when they turn just off the road that leads into town. "Where are we going?"

"My house."

Elena's eyes narrow and cocks her head in his direction. "Did you forget something?"

"Nah." He shakes his head. "I thought I'd make us some food. I have a house near the Mystic River."

She stares out the window, observing the nice houses that sit near the water. The truck winds its way down the curving street and he turns into the last driveway. Damon puts the car in park and Elena opens the door and slides out of the passenger seat before he's even taken the keys out of the ignition.

Elena follows Damon up the cobblestone path leading to his front door. Deep green moss grows between the stones, and she's surprised to see a small vegetable garden on the side of the house.

"Like it?" Damon notices Elena looking at the tomato, pepper, and kohlrabi plants.

"You like to garden?"

"I like fresh tomatoes and Jenna may have helped out a little." He winks as he unlocks the front door. "I have a boat dock in the back. Feel free to look around and come inside when you're done."

Elena nods and walks around the house as she breathes in the fresh air. She follows the stepping stones to the dock and walks out onto it. The water is rushing by causing his canoe to sway back and forth with the current. She dips her hand in the cool water and smiles as she briefly remembers wading into the water at her family's lake house when she was a child.

Damon steps to the sliding glass doors that open to his deck. He chuckles as he watches her slip her shoes off and put her feet in the water. Opening the door, he goes outside to tell her that food is ready.

"You have a wonderful house," Elena states, looking over her shoulder at him.

"I worked hard to buy the land. Zach, Stefan, and I built it actually. It's home."

"I like it." Elena pulls her feet out, picks up her shoes, and follows him inside and into the kitchen. "Smells good." '

"I hope you like vegetables, the tomatoes and peppers are from my garden," he plates an omelet and hands it to Elena.

"It's delicious." Elena practically moans as she tastes it.

"Then my work is done." He plates another one for himself and sets it on the table before grabbing the carafe and filling their mugs with coffee. "Do you want any sugar or creamer? I have some Bailey's flavored in the fridge. I keep it on hand for Jenna."

Elena nods, saying thank you when Damon hands her the bottle.

"So you're thinking that our guy or girl might not be targeting me or someone else?" Damon asks as he sticks a bite of eggs in his mouth.

"I'm beginning to lean that way... You don't have any connection to the store, do you?"

"No, no," Damon shakes his head. "People are going to have to drive into Richmond to get their goods. I hope Mr. Hopkins will rebuild, still, that will take time."

"I took some footage of the crowd from the fire but I need to review it yet. Sometimes people trying to act inconspicuous, stand out."

Damon lifts a forkful of hashbrowns to his mouth. "I've been doing some online reading on arsonists. They like to stick around and view their handiwork?"

"Yes, that's not uncommon." Elena stirs some creamer in her coffee before taking a swallow.

"I hope when you review the footage you'll notice something." Damon stands up to put their plates in the sink. "Are you ready to go?" He asks over his shoulder.

"In a minute. Can you point me to your bathroom?"

Damon smiles. "Down the hall and to your right."

"Thanks," Elena smiles back.

He watches as she heads down the hall. She's incredible, just incredible...


Damon quickly tosses the garbage into the sack and carries it outside to the garbage. When he steps back inside, Elena closes the distance between them, cups his face in her hands, and kisses him so deeply that he is not sure who is breathing for who, but her mouth and tongue taste like warm honey. He doesn't know how long it lasts but when she lets go of him, he misses it already.

"As nice as that was, we should get to work." Elena has a slight red tint to her cheeks.

Snapping out his musings, he stares at her for a moment before nodding and grabbing the keys to his truck.

"Everything okay?" she asks, hoping she didn't overstep.

"Absolutely." He smirks as he holds the door open and follows her outside while on the inside, he wants nothing more than to keep kissing her senselessly.


Damon parks his truck across the street from the station. Together he and Elena walk down the sidewalk toward the coffee shop. As they near the square, Elena points to the little park-like area.

"You want to have a look?"

Momentarily mesmerized, she can't escape the pull of his eyes. They're blue like the sea, crystal clear and shimmering in the sunlight.

"Elena?"

"Sorry," she shakes herself out of it. They walk around the square and after picking up coffee for his men, they head back to the fire station.

Elena's a few steps in front of Damon when they start to cross the street.

Neither of them sees the Ford F-150 careening around the corner.

A cacophony of sounds hit Elena's ears like a tidal wave. In shock, she stands frozen, eyes wide and directly in the path of the speeding car. Elena freezes as the car bears down on her.

She can feel Damon grabbing at her as she closes her eyes in horror. Tires squeal as the vehicle swerves, barely missing her. The man slams on his brakes and screeches to a stop. Jumping out of the car, he runs over to where Damon is holding a trembling Elena.

"Jesus Christ, Logan, you almost ran her over." Damon glares at him.

"I'm sorry. I'm so, so sorry," Logan remarks agitatedly. "I just left Mark and Mikey. I was distracted and reached for my phone. When I looked up, you were right in front of me."

"I'm fine." Elena presses her palm over her chaotically beating heart.

"I know this is a tumultuous time for your family, Logan...just be careful," Damon adds, locking eyes with his co-worker.

"Yeah, I...," he stumbles on the words.

"You're a little shaken up, too, Logan. Do you want to come to the station? I had bought coffee." Damon looks down at the empty cups and puddles of coffee laying on the road.

"No, I need to get back to the house. I'm sorry, Miss Gilbert, it won't happen again," Logan adds before returning to his pickup and driving away.

"That was a little too close," Elena stammers. As much as she's resisted, tears begin to fall in earnest, and Damon pulls her against his side.

What happened has really shaken her up. He suspects fatigue is part of it. Damon holds her close and occasionally rubs his hand up and down her arm.

Gradually, Elena's tears subside and she steps back. "I'm so embarrassed." She sniffs as she wipes her cheeks with the back of her hands.

Damon reaches out and runs his hand through her hair, tucking it back behind her ear so he can see her face.

"You have no reason to be embarrassed. My heart was beating out of my chest, too, Elena. This isn't exactly the right place but I care about you, and I hope that maybe when this is over, we might explore it."

Damon is standing at her side now, so close she can feel the warmth radiating off his arms, leaking through her thin blouse.

"I'd like that, too."

He takes her chin in his hand and tips her face up to meet his. As his lips press against hers, he can taste the salt from her tears as he deepens the kiss.


Thank you. You're all AWESOME!

Chapter title: 'Have You Ever Seen the Rain' by CCR.

Elena's ring tone: Heat of the Moment by Asia.

Have a wonderful weekend everyone.