Chapter 9 – Our Family Home

Damon drives to the front door. He points to Elena "You don't move". He pushes up his seat, Enzo helps move Bonnie toward Damon. Damon gets a grip of his best friend and gently pulls her from the back seat of the car. Enzo follows her out and takes Bonnie from Damon's arms, as they head towards the Board House entrance, Enzo asks "Where are we staying?" Damon notices the Enzo's coupled request, his reply includes a smile "East wing, second bedroom on the left." Enzo manages the door with Bonnie in his arms, leaving a laughing Damon with a bare-assed Enzo cradling his bestie.

Damon walks around to the passenger door, opens and lifts Elena out of the car. Elena smirks with frustration, "This is ridiculous, I can walk, my legs do work. Just because, I've been in a coma for a long time, doesn't mean I can't use them. By the way, for how long?" Damon struggles but looks into her eyes with longing, "Give or take 4 years, 158 days, 13 hours, and 23 minutes. Not that I was counting." Elena looked at Damon with sadness "I told you to live your life and not just sit around and wait for me" Damon tone hardens "We aren't going to talk about that now." Damon voice softens as he carries her through the front entrance, "I have to practice this, and practice makes perfect for when I do this officially." Elena laughed.

Once in the doorway, Elena's eyes widened, Damon started to pick up the pace. Elena put her hand on his cheek, "Can we just pause for a minute? I just want to take it in, just for a minute." He looks at her face, her eyes as they scan the room, he turns in a complete 360, allowing her to take in the entire Great Hall. Elena smiles "I'm not going to ask what happened to the 3 chairs that have been replaced or the rugs, or my favorite reading lamp. Damon, I'm home, right? This is forever?" Damon was so overwhelmed by the look in her eyes, he didn't know what to say first, "We are Home" came out his mouth instinctually. Elena put her arms around his neck and nestled in as he started walking up the stairs.

Damon opened his bedroom and paused. They both looked inside before he entered. A flood of memories went through each of their minds, Elena had thoughts of the pledges of love, Damon's thoughts were not so positive. His included moments he regretted, times he should have accepted her love, not questioned it, parked his insecurities, the damned doppelganger shit, other times that she wasn't with him. Elena looked in Damon's eyes, she knew he was going into a dark place, she flicked his nose with her finger. Damon's head snapped back, he stared at her with his deadly vampire stare, she laughed. Elena jesting "I haven't seen that look in a very long time. I'm very happy to see you still have it. Although, it has more threat when your fangs are showing." As she puts her fingers on his lips. Damon smiles and walks into the bedroom. He lays Elena on the bed and sits next to her, "I have missed you. There is so much I need to tell you, I have done many things that you aren't going to be happy with. Being the Damon that I wanted to be with you, was too hard to be without you. For a while, I couldn't, I stopped trying. I found my way back, with a lot of help, Bon, Stef, Caroline, Ric and above all my love for you." Damon paused and took a big breath. "There were some changes while you were gone too. The Grand Daddy of them all is, I'm human" Damon paused. Elena's eyes got bright and big "I know you had decided, but are you really ok with it?" she responded.

Damon nodded his head "It has been a transition, but Yes, I'm really ok with being human. It came with a perk or two. It turns out that as direct descendants of Silas, Stefan and I are witches/ warlocks, whatever. We are still very new at it. Our witchy ghost granddaddy Demetrius is walking us through it. A much longer story. We have so much to talk about. Right now, I just want to hold you. Can I just lay here and feel my arms around you?"

Elena moves closer to him, "I want that and more, Damon, I need to move around, I want to jump up & down, I want to dance with you, I want to feel your body with mine, I want to make love with you, not just laying here. I have been lying down for years. Let's be together everywhere." She rolled all over the bed in glee, and then stopped when her stomach growled loud enough that she had to laugh.

Damon laughed, "Oppss.. Food, we need to feed you. I agree, you can stand, if I'm by your side, holding on to you. Deal?" Elena nodded and rolls her eyes "Here we go again" she says under her breath. Damon took her face in his hands, kissed her nose, "I may not have vamp hearing, but I still heard that. Yes, I'm overprotective, vampire, witch, or human, and before you know it, a husband too." Damon stood up and put his hand out, Elena took it and stood up. Her legs were a little more wobbly than she expected, she put more of her weight on Damon. He didn't say a word, just put his arm around her and slowly lead her downstairs to the kitchen.

To their surprise, the gathering had started without them, Jeremy, Ric and Caroline were already there. Jeremy briskly walked over to Elena. She stopped, she looked him up and down, he was a grown man, how he changed, he looked like he was the older brother now. She put her arms around him, Jeremy "I missed you so much, I can't tell you how much it means to me that you are here right now. I didn't think I'd ever see you again." Jeremy looked up at Damon, "Thank you for bringing her back to us."

Ric was next, in his arms, he whispered "You have to see my girls, they are so beautiful, just like Jo. Caroline is the best Mom they could want, we are so lucky. I'm so happy you are back. Life wasn't the same without you. That guy was a real dick." He looks at Damon and laughs.

Stefan walks in "Here's the party" He walks over to Elena, leans down and kisses her on the forehead "How are you feeling?" Elena puts her arms around his waist and hugs "If I said weird with a mixture of amazing, would that make sense?" Stefan hugs back and laughs "Given that you've been in a magical coma for 4 years, I'd say that seems better than expected"

Upstairs in the East Wing, the second bedroom to the left, Enzo stares at the love of his life, he could feel her warmth on his skin. He smoothed her hair away from the side of her cheek, tucking behind her ear. A gentle knock on the door, followed by a whisper that any vampire could hear "I brought some of Stefan's clothes." It was Blondie, Caroline was always on top of any situation. Enzo looked down at Bonnie, he slowly pulled his arms from under her body and stood up from the bed. He opened the door, "Thanks Blondie" as he reached for the clothes. Caroline kept her eyes on his, "They should be comfortable for now. Once Bonnie is feeling better, we will take you shopping for an entirely new closet." She started to turn, then paused, returned, leaned up and kissed his cheek, "We missed you. I'm so glad your back." She turned and whooshed away.

Bonnie stirred, "Enzo... Enzo" Enzo quickly returned to Bonnie's side, putting the clothes on the side of the bed, "I'm right here, Love." Bonnie tries to sit up, "Where are we?" Enzo takes her into his arms, holds her gently, "We are at the Salvatore Mansion. We are safe. You are weak. As usual, you put yourself completely, out on the line with no regard for yourself. You brought me back. What am I going to do with you?" Bonnie looking up at him with her big brown eyes, "Love me forever." Enzo kisses her lips with all the longing he has.

After a moment or two, it is clear that Bonnie isn't ready for a passionate encounter. Enzo gently pulls her into his body and covers them with an extra blanket, "Now, Love, it is time for us to rest. We have a lifetime to continue this. You need to have your strength re-charge. I need to feel you in my arms, your warmth, your skin, your breath. I have longed for this. So you sleep, so that I may have my desires fulfilled." Bonnie closes her eyes as her head sinks into his chest, "I'm only agreeing because you feel so comfortable and I dream about falling asleep in your arms every night." Her breath slows and evens out, Enzo knows she is sleeping, he presses his lips to her forehead and closes his eyes, his last conscious thought, 'this is heaven'.

Damon starts pulling containers and bowls out of the refrigerator, he pulls a plate from the cabinet. Completely in his own world, he doesn't notice everyone staring at him. Stefan is the first one to say something "hmm, Brother, are you actually cooking something other than pancakes?" Damon looks up and sees all the faces staring at him. He smiles, "Why, yes, Brother, I've become multi-talented since becoming human, you aren't the only chef in the family. And actually this is something special I'm whipping up for Elena, but you can have some too." Damon goes to the faucet and fills a water pitcher "I could use a little of your special kind of help to give this some special nourishment for everyone." Stefan walks over and takes the pitcher, the water inside begins to swirl and bubble. The water stops swirling and the carbonation stays, Stefan takes it to the table and pours it into Elena's glass, "You really should drink this, it is good for you"

Enzo walks into the kitchen with Bonnie under his arm, "She heard noises, and wouldn't stay in bed, she is very weak still." Bonnie and Elena's eyes meet, Elena gets up too fast and starts to fall, Stefan is closer, catches her before she falls, Damon stops in his tracks, "Thanks, Stef." He turns to Elena and says "Elena, I told you!" in a scolding tone. Elena ignores and walks to Bonnie holding onto Stefan. She gets to Bonnie and Enzo takes over holding on the both of the women, since neither is going to let go of each other anytime soon. Caroline joins the group hug and tears flow, the three friends hug, laugh, and cry at the same time. Their men look at them and then look at each other, shrug their shoulders and smile.

Caroline takes Elena and Bonnie, each under an arm, leading them back to the table. They all sit down and start talking at the same time. The three men standing in front of the kitchen island stare. Enzo starts "Do you get the feeling this is what it feels like being runner up in a beauty pageant?" Stefan and Damon smile. Damon "I need to feed my beauty Queen, so runner ups, let's get all the Queens fed so we can take them to bed." he said with a devilish grin. Both Stefan and Enzo nodded. Damon barked a few orders, he reminded Enzo that he needed to feed too, and there was some A+ in the blood cooler downstairs, Stefan asked him to bring a blood bag for Caroline while he was down there.

Dinner is served. Damon and Stefan start putting all the food items on the table. Everyone is quite surprised by how good everything looks. Stefan took one of the blood bags and poured into a glass for Caroline, and put it in front of her, kissed her forehead as he set it down, she looked up and smiled. Enzo sat down next to Bonnie, taking the pitcher of magically energized water, pouring some in her glass "This is good for you too, drink up" Damon announces "I have to warn everyone, these veggies were grown with a little help, I want to make sure the Gemini magic doesn't have the ability to take hold in Elena again. There is a lot of protection and strengthening ingredients that would make a potion in these foods. I promise nothing that will upset your magic Bonnie, and nothing will poison Enzo & Caroline. Everything is natural and safe, it will provide extra protection from evil for all of us. So everyone, Enjoy!" All begin to eat and enjoy..

An hour later, the serving dishes left with crumbs, the conversation at the table has livened up, and laughter is heard every few minutes. Ric throws his napkin down "Damn Damon, where the hell did you learn to cook like that? When you crashed with me, you never stepped foot in the kitchen." Bonnie laughs "Poor Ric, I got all his culinary talents in 1994. Although, I had to suffer through daily penance pancakes, the rest of the meals were quite good." Damon rolls his eyes, then looks at Elena's plate, "Elena, you need to eat, you haven't eaten very much." Elena looks up and shakes her head, "Damon, you put a mountain of food on my plate, I can't eat that much period, I never could, and not even as a vampire." Damon frowns.

Bonnie "I am so full, Damon, I have to admit. That was amazing. You are a really good cook." Enzo leans back and puts an arm around Bonnie, "Coming back from the dead really agrees with me, I don't think I have felt more alive. Damon, you do cook up a mighty fine potion." Caroline agrees "I have to agree and whatever you did to the veggies, I feel amazing" Stefan decides that his brother has had enough flattery for one night "It was ok, the veggies needed a bit more olive oil and you could've used a little more baking time with the Ziti." Stefan took a big breath, "At least, that is a professionally trained opinion." He gives a smirk in Damon's direction.

Stefan puts his arm around Caroline and whispers something in her ear, she smiles, smacks his arm, he yaps "Owww".. Enzo lets out a chuckle. Damon "Don't need vamp hearing to know what you said Bro." Stefan winks at his brother, while his wife leans into his shoulder. A simple family dinner couldn't get better than this. The brothers looked at one another, instantly, they knew what each other was feeling, contentment, happiness, family love. They looked at each other, and then scanned the table with chairs filled with people, not just people, and their family. The brothers had built a family through battles, pain, heartbreak, even murder, yet here each of them were, sitting together as a family, a beloved supernatural family. Damon and Stefan smiled at each other knowing the Brother Bond was getting stronger.