Damon bolts the lock behind them after he brings Elena back to his house. After hanging his keys on the hook, he walks into the living room before taking a seat on the black leather couch.
Elena joins him, shifting so that her knee brushes against his as she turns to face him. "What's bothering you?"
"You really have to ask?"
"Thought it might help to narrow down the possibilities."
"You suspect that one of my men is starting fires and that's not even the worst of it." Damon releases a heavy sigh.
"Come again."
Damon cautiously lifts his hand and brushes her hair behind her ear so he can see her. "Elena, you could have died."
Silence settles between them for a few moments.
Elena studies his face for a moment more before plunging in. "How would I live with myself if I hadn't at least tried to help?"
Damon slides closer to her on the couch. "You're something!" He skims his fingers along her cheek and tucks the other side of her hair behind her ear. "You were much too close to that fire. If you had landed on your head, your body would be laying on a slab in the morgue right now. What were you thinking?"
"You would have done the same."
"Yes, I would have...but it's my job. I signed up for this. You, not so much."
"I'm an FBI agent, Damon, so yes, I did sign up for stuff like this."
"Don't talk." Damon holds her stare as he leans forward. Cupping her face in his hands, Damon brings their lips together. As he deepens their kiss, her lips open with a soft sigh. His tongue needs no invitation. He explores her mouth while his fingertips tentatively snake beneath the hem of her top. Her back muscles tense beneath his fingers, and he pulls away.
Elena's eyes darken with desire and she breathes heavily.
"As much as I want to take this further, we can't. You have very painful ribs. I'm bruised and ache all over...and the last thing I want is to have our first time end up as a miserable and painful memory."
Elena smiles as she shakes her head. "I don't want that either."
"Speaking of fractured ribs, do you need to take one of your pain pills?"
"Later. We have to talk about this case."
"I hate this. It's unfathomable to think that a fireman would be an arsonist."
"It's not as rare as you would think. I attended an investigator conference a few years ago. One of the cases we discussed was John Orr."
"Who's John Orr?"
"He joined the Glendale, California Fire Department as an arson investigator. His co-workers thought he was a strange duck as he would chase down shoplifters and burglars in his fire truck. But they did admire his dedication and uncanny ability to be the first firefighter on the scene. He always knew where the hydrants were to put out each fire, and how to find the cause. His colleagues never suspected him. One of his fires killed four people. At first, that blaze was passed off as electrical in origin."
"Really? He must have been good at covering his tracks."
"He was, very good. Mr. Orr's literary aspirations contributed to his downfall. He wrote a manuscript, called Points of Origin, describing a fireman who was an arsonist, which became damning evidence in his trial."
"That's twisted." Damon shakes his head. "His case must have had an effect on you..."
"It did. I interviewed him once on another case I was working on." Elena explains. "It took eight years to bring him to trial for the deaths he caused. Mr. Orr is now serving life plus 20 years for arson and the four murders."
"We don't have any concrete evidence, Elena. I can't accuse anyone without something to back it up."
"I'm well aware of that. I'm hoping there will be some touch DNA on that device I found in the home improvement center rubble."
"So we play it cool, all the while waiting for him to strike again...How do we do that, Elena?"
"I don't know..." Elena ponders. "This fire today was different. He's frustrated and angry and quite possibly he wanted people to die. We have to keep an even keel and not do anything to raise his suspicions even more."
"He already did...kill people." Damon drops his eyes as his hand rests against her hip.
"Yes, he did."
His fingers press lightly into the skin of her hip. "Do you want this?" Damon asks, aware of every breath as he awaits her answer.
Without saying a word, she reaches behind his head and pulls him back into her. She attacks his lips with a ferocious intensity.
He takes a deep breath and scoops her into his arms. He winks at her. "The doctor did say to take it easy."
"I'm sure this is exactly what he had in mind." She laughs against his chest as he carries her up the stairs with a slight grimace on his face.
He lays her on his bed before crawling in beside her. Damon fights the urge to tear off her clothes.
Sitting up for a moment, he peels off his shirt, desperate to have more of his skin in contact with hers.
Elena traces the outline of his well-defined abs with the tips of her fingers.
"Come here," he wags his finger. Once her head is resting snugly in the crook of his arm, he lays his other one across her waist, being careful to avoid her ribcage, and gently pulls her closer.
Damon kisses the crown of her head and breathes her in before allowing his eyes to fall closed.
Damon temples his fingers and shifts forward on the top of the picnic table. In the distance, a cluster of people is standing around the field as a herd of five-year-olds hurry from one goal to the next. He was only a kid himself when his mom and dad dragged him out here to watch Stefan play soccer. He's half-watching his second match of the day.
After dropping Elena off at the boarding house, he drove around aimlessly trying to process what they talked about.
And then he came here.
A favorite place from his childhood, he only needs to turn his head to see the baseball field he spent so many hours upon. The field is empty now, so he sits and pretends to watch the youth soccer matches in front of him.
"Damon?" Someone walks up behind him. Damon turns around to see his uncle approaching.
"You're the last person I thought I'd see. Stefan told me that the doctor gave you and Elena, too, explicit instructions to take it easy for a couple of days. Zach wipes the sweat from his forehead.
"What? It's not like I'm expending any energy by sitting here."
His uncle narrows his eyes in suspicion as he props one foot on the picnic table bench.
"You look like hell!"
"Gee, thanks, Zach." Damon rolls his eyes.
"You know what I mean. You're family. I worry about you."
"I know. Are you here for a reason?"
"Are you coming to the picnic?"
"Picnic?"
"Jenna's birthday get-together."
"I completely forgot about it. She'll have my ass if I don't so show up..."
"Yes she will," Zach agrees.
"Didn't you send me a text complaining that Jenna was inviting half of Mystic Falls?"
Zach nods. Catching the glint of something in the grass, he bends down and picks up a quarter. "Whatever's bothering you, Damon, you'll feel better if you talk about it."
Damon watches Zach pocket the coin. "I know that. But I can't, not yet."
Zach stares wordlessly at his nephew.
Damon hops off the picnic table. "I'm going to run. I'll be there around 5," he calls over his shoulder as he departs.
Damon turns into the long circular drive and parks his car on the grass. Hearing the chatter, he walks around the house and finds the backyard filled with folding tables covered with brightly colored tablecloths.
He pauses for a moment when he sees her. Damon can already feel the uptick in the way his heart beats. Still sore from having parts of the building land on him, he gingerly approaches her.
Elena shakes her head slightly in conversation with Jenna and her hair rustles back and forth over on her back. As if feeling the pull, she looks up and her smile grows when she sees him.
He gives her a wink as he moves to stand next to her.
"Happy birthday, aunt Jenna," Damon leans forward to kiss her cheek and pulls an envelope out of his jeans pocket, and hands it to her.
"You didn't have to give me anything. I made that clear to Stefan and Valerie, too. Would you look at those gorgeous roses they brought for me?" Jenna points to a large bouquet on the buffet table. And Zeke gave me this." She lifts up her "J" pendant necklace.
"Very nice," Elena stares at the tiny diamonds glimmering in the sun.
"Valerie doesn't like to go halfway on anything," Damon smirks.
"That's true. I'm going to go and say hi to our guests. Thank you, Damon," she calls over her shoulder as she walks away.
"I swear the whole town must be here!" Elena remarks as Damon takes her hand and they walk over to the punch table.
"That's my aunt and uncle for you." He fills two glasses and hands her one. He takes a mouthful. "It's a little flat. It could use some vodka."
Elena nods in agreement after taking a sip of her own.
"And you shouldn't drink with that pain medication on board," Damon remarks as they take a seat.
"I know. I called Sheriff Forbes first thing this morning. She agreed to put a couple of guards at the scene until I can get in there and look for evidence. I told her I'd be there tomorrow morning."
Damon swivels in his seat to face her. "You know he's probably going to be here."
"I'm hoping he'll slip up when and if I have a chance to talk with him." She bats her eyes in his direction. "I'm planning to mingle."
Damon's pulse rings in his ears and he's surprised at the intensity of his response. "Elena, we've seen that he's ruthless. I won't let you act as bait."
"I'm trying to bring an end to this case before anyone else gets hurt." Elena doesn't flinch under his glare. "I'm not the only one that could have died yesterday." She grimaces in pain as she shifts slightly in her chair.
Damon reaches for her hand and squeezes it tightly. "Then I'm not leaving your side. And if I have to, I'm going to make sure you're with someone I trust."
"I'm counting on that." Sliding closer to him in the seat, she breathes in the smell that is uniquely Damon. Elena closes her eyes and tilts her face up to his, clearly seeking a kiss.
He doesn't disappoint her as he possessively reaches behind her. Careful to avoid her painful ribs, he tangles one hand in her hair as the other cups her lower back. Bringing his lips to hers, he kisses her with a passion and intensity that leaves them both red-faced and breathless.
Hesitantly he releases her when he catches a glimpse of Stefan smirking at him.
Elena giggles to herself when she wipes her lipstick from his lips. Her laughter is music in Damon's ears. The weight of the case is pressing in on her, on both of them. all of them. For a few fleeting moments, Elena is able to lose herself, and he'll do whatever it takes to hear that infectious laugh again.
When Ric and Zach carry out a huge cake, Damon offers his hand to help her stand. A wince flashes across her face in an instant.
"You should take one of your pain pills."
"I don't want to feel loopy."
With dark eyes, Damon skims his fingers along her lower back, stopping just where the barest hint of skin is revealed between her top and the waistband of her jeans.
"Stop that."
"Stop what?"
"Looking like the cat that ate the canary." Elena cocks her head in accusation.
Damon waggles his eyes at her playfully.
"Stop..." she swats him gently. "I'm going to mingle as soon as we have a piece of that cake." Elena licks her lips.
Damon places a kiss at the base of Elena's neck as his hands slide down her arms until he stands behind her with his hands wrapping securely around her waist.
"If you insist."
Elena's multi-colored top flutters in the breeze as she leans an elbow against the table. Somehow she'd ended up alone with Valerie and Jo. She has a strong suspicion they are administering some type of test. After spending the last three hours on her feet, milling around, and chatting with everyone, she is ready for a little alone time to process her observations.
"Have you ever killed anyone?" Stefan and Valerie's son Zeke asks through a mouthful of birthday cake and ice cream as he sits down next to his mom.
Elena studies his earnest expression. "Unfortunately yes, but only to keep good people safe."
As the muscles in her ribcage tighten in a cramp, she decides maybe it's time for something. Elena reaches into her pocket and pulls out a single pill. Popping it into her mouth, she swallows it with a mouthful of punch.
Zeke looks at her. "That's what Sheriff Liz said."
"Sometimes people that work in law enforcement do what we have to do to save lives but we never like to have to kill anyone," Elena explains to the boy.
Zeke nods in answer.
Elena drains the last of her punch, crumples the cup, takes aim, and tosses it into the garbage can...Her eyes grow heavy as the narcotic in her pain medication begins to take effect.
Damon finally untangles himself from the group of people Zach and Jenna play pickleball with.
Elena is already swaying in her seat when he reaches her.
"Hey, you!" He looks down at her with a wink.
"I told you they make me feel loop..." Elena's eyelids grow heavy.
Damon carefully helps her to her feet.
"I'm going to take you to your room and put you to bed."
He presses a kiss to her hair as he wraps an arm around her and leads her toward the house...
Thank you, everyone.
Chapter title: 'Suspicion' by Terry Stafford.
'Points of Origin' by John Orr is available on Amazon.
I did post a one-shot for Halloween. "Beyond the Doors of the Dark." DE are renowned psychic investigators helping a family terrorized by a haunting.
Have a lovely day. We'll see you next week.