Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to The Vampire Diaries, TV show or books. However I decided to have a little play around with the characters (I would definitely like to play with Damon).

Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They are always appreciated.

Not sure how different this chapter will seem, but there have been a lot of alterations, one part in particular.

All that had needed to be packed were the toys the children slept with and some toiletries. Once they'd finished, the children were ushered into their parents car for the short trip to the Salvatore School for the Young and Gifted. Caroline and Ric followed in one car while Vincent followed in his own, curious to find out what the famous school was like.

The pulled up at the front of the house, a wave of nostalgia hitting Damon and Elena as they saw their old home once again, awash with both good and bad memories of years gone by. They took hold of their children's hands as they walked through the doors into the familiar hallway, which had changed a little, although Damon noticed the lighting looked much more contemporary.

"You okay?" Ric asked, looking at Damon.

"Yeah, I guess. It's just a little strange being back here after all of this time." he frowned as he squeezed Elena's hand for reassurance. "Well, kids..." Damon took a deep breath. "This used to mine and your mom's house. Welcome home." he announced.

"You used to live here?" Jess asked. "It's a little creepy." she frowned.

"It's scary." Ben complained in a small voice turned his head and clung to Elena.

"That's why, I arranged for you to have your mom and dad's old room." Caroline smiled at them. "We've split it into two, with what I hope will be a Damon Salvatore approved bathroom. Not many kids get their own room, they usually sleep in a dorm." she said.

"Can mommy and daddy take us?" Jess asked skeptically.

"Sure." Damon replied, not giving either Ric or Caroline a chance to answer as he led them down the hallway and upstairs to his old bedroom and bathroom, which was now two bedrooms and a share bathroom.

Jess's room contained the fireplace with with some the old bathroom attached to it, providing her with a closet, while Ben's was where the bed used to be, which already had Damon's old closet. The shared bathroom was far less luxurious to what had previously occupied the room. The shower was a walk in but half the size of the old one and the bath, although of high quality, was only about half the size of the Damon's tub, which had been able to fit two people. Instead this bath would struggle to fit one adult human. The room was decorated dark gray, almost black tiles and deep red walls, the same as the school colors. The sinks and bath however were white, which brightened the entire look. The overall appearance was slightly gothic, yet clean and welcoming. The toilet itself was in a separate room if the same colors and style.

"The bath's are smaller for the safety of the children. We don't want any accidents." Caroline called through the door as if she knew exactly what Damon and Elena were thinking, regarding the size of the tub. "I'll leave you guys to it." she whispered as she left the room.

"You got any stories to tell, from when you lived here?" Jess asked her parents.

Damon thought for a while, trying to find anything that would be suitable for the ears of an eight and a six year old who don't know their parents were vampires and came up at a loss, however Elena managed to save the day.

"The bed in our new house used to be in this room." she said from Ben's room as she opened the connecting door between the rooms, enabling her to see the hearth from his bedroom. "It used to be here." she said pointing to the spot where it used to be. "One time, before your dad and I got together, when I was dating someone else, I had to come and look after your dad because he was ill." she went on.

"Who were you dating?" Jess asked as both Damon and Elena realized they'd never told the kids about how they fell in love.

"She was dating Uncle Stefan." Damon said sadly.

"I was at school with Uncle Stefan." Elena explained. "We started dating, and that's sorta how I got to know your dad." she said, deciding to omit the fact Damon was initially dating Caroline so she'd have gotten to know him even if she hadn't been with Stefan. "Your dad was in love with someone else. And at first, we didn't even like each other." she said. "But over time, as I got to know your dad a little more, he became...tolerable." Elena frowned.

"Then one day, your mom was taking part in a pageant, and Stefan was supposed to be her escort, but he got caught up in traffic." Damon lied. "So I rescued your mom from being abandoned. And we danced. That was the moment I knew for certain I was falling in love with her." he smiled and took her hand.

"That was the first time I felt something for your dad." Elena told the children in the most tactful manner possible. She couldn't exactly tell them it had led to sexual fantasies about their father, so she came up with something else. "It was first time he was my hero." she smiled at Damon who smirked.

"So did you start dating after that?" Jess asked, fascinated by their love story.

"I wish." Damon snorted.

"I still loved Stefan." Elena told them. "And your dad thought he was in love with another woman, although she didn't love him."

"Who?" Jess asked as Damon and Elena looked at each other uncomfortable.

"Katherine." Damon said quietly.

"Isn't she the one who caused the fire which killed Uncle Stefan?" Ben asked as Damon nodded, unable to say a word. "She sounds mean." he said defensively, raising a smile on Damon and Elena's faces.

"She was very mean." Damon nodded dramatically. "But I was falling in love with your mom more and more." he sighed.

"Why?" Ben asked. "Girls are boring and stupid!" he harrumphed as Damon and Elena laughed.

"You won't be saying that in ten years time." Damon smirked. "Trust me."

"Can we get on with the story?" Jess asked. "We haven't got all day, and I'm getting kinda hungry." she sighed.

"Even though Stefan was my boyfriend, I felt a strange pull to your dad. I was falling for him, no matter what happened." Elena told them. "Then one day awitch cast a spell on him and he got sick, so uncle Stefan searched everywhere to find a cure, which he eventually found otherwise your dad would have died. But for Uncle Stefan to get it he had to leave town for a while." she said. "While we waited for the cure, I was here nursing your dad. And this was the first time he officially told me he loved me." she smiled. "And it was the first time we kissed."

"Gross!" Jess and Ben cried out together.

"Actually it was." Elena agreed. "Your dad was really sick, and he was all sweaty and icky." she glanced up at Damon with a knowing smile. "And that was the start of your dad becoming my best friend." she said.

"Is that the best story you have?" Ben asked sounding unimpressed, raising an eyebrow in the same manner as Damon did, which Elena often found quite unnerving, especially considering how much he, like his sister looked like his father, especially the eyes.

"Well, there was one time Stefan and I got into a fight because I wanted to help your mom and because he was her boyfriend, he got jealous." Damon shrugged.

Ben's eyes lit up. "Who won?" he asked.

"Pft! I did of course." Damon frowned.

"Anyway, that's enough storytelling." Elena interrupted. "Let's go discover the rest of the house." she said as they got up and left the room.

After the tour of the school, they met up in the kitchen and sat around the table having dinner. Vincent was deep in conversation with Ric about the artifacts which he'd been shown while he was having his own private tour. They compared information, and Caroline tried, unsuccessfully to recruit him to the school, although Vincent had proclaimed he was about to become a teaching assistant to probably the most difficult and annoying witch of all time. As neither Caroline nor Ric could disagree with his assessment of Damon, they let him off lightly, although they did say there would always be a position open to him should he choose to leave New Orleans permanently.

Once dinner was over, the hard part was coming, Damon and Elena saying goodbye to their children. They'd had to take blood samples from them, which hurt Elena nearly as much as it hurt the kids. The last thing they wanted was to be parted while the children were uncomfortable. So they decided to run the first medical test right there and then. Could the children take vampire blood, and would it heal them? If so, would it affect their blood samples. Therefore they got ready to take a before and after sample.

The first one was straight forward and simple. Elena took the samples, labeled them and put them in the storage box to be taken to New Orleans. Caroline had hidden some of her blood in strawberry milkshakes, which Damon and Elena knew the kids loved. They drank some of the shakes before Elena took another sample from each and labeled them. They finished their milkshakes only to discover their needle marks had totally gone away.

"Wow that milkshake was good." Jess grinned. "It healed my mark, and I feel different."

"Me too." Ben told them. "I feel, stronger." he said, as Damon noticed their eyes looking different, although he could quite place what it was.

"Um, Caroline, can I have a word." Damon asked as they walked over to the garage. "How much blood did you put in there?" his voice was low and he carried a worried look on his face.

"Three drops each like we agreed." Caroline told him. "Don't worry. I'm not an idiot, I used the pipette like Elena told me." she rolled her eyes.

"Something's wrong." Damon whispered. "I need you to keep a very very close eye on them. I think the vampire blood has triggered something." he said.

"Like what?" Caroline frowned.

"I honestly don't know." he replied as he looked around and saw Elena with her arms around the children, all three of them crying. "Time to get this over with." he sighed as a lump rose in his throat and he made his way to the three of them and joined in with the goodbyes.

After half an hour of tears and false promises to return within a few weeks, the sun had already started to set and it was time to leave. Vincent had already set off back to New Orleans and had placed a cloaking spell on Damon and Elena for their journey to join him in the French Quarter. Fortunately, Damon had already lived there in the forties, meaning he was already familiar with the old streets, but for Elena it was to be a new adventure. One she did not wish to embark upon.

The plan was to pick up the necessities required for their journey from their house and set off immediately, then finding a motel to stay in to get some sleep. However just as they were about to turn down Maple Street, the acrid smell of burning hit their noses. As they looked down the street, they saw a house on fire, to be precise, their house was on fire.

"Fuck, they found us!" Damon swore as he swung the car around and put his foot down, heading out of town, as fast as he could and back to the boarding house.

"How?" Elena cried as she held on tight.

"Who cares, but that's our house on fire." Damon scowled. As soon as this was over he'd have to have it rebuilt again. "And I'm not staying around to find out who lit the match. Although pity we couldn't have thrown a couple of already dead bodies in there, thrown them off the scent a while. But something makes me think all of the dead bodies I buried would be far too gone by now." he frowned.

"Damon!" Elena cried.

"I'm thinking of practical solutions Elena. Recycle already dead corpses. It's not for lack of them buried in unmarked shallow graves around Mystic Falls. I should know, I put a lot of them there when either I or Stefan were going through a humanity crisis or ripper binge."

"That would require a lot of compulsion, which I doubt is an option with Matt as Sheriff, and I don't think he'd be happy to go along with it." Elena frowned. "Plus you'd need the bodies of two children, and that is one thing we don't have, thank god."

"Could you ask Matt to release a statement saying that four bodies were found at the scene?" Damon asked. "It might get them off our tail for a day, maybe give us a head start."

"Fine I'll call Matt." Elena groaned as she pulled her phone out and called the Sheriff.

Once they reached the school, they'd managed to get Matt to agree to pretend four bodies had been found dead at the scene. They'd also managed to get Matt to agree with making sure the cops did not stop them from speeding as they left town. Damon switched off the engine and they got out of the car as Ric opened the front door to the school in confusion in regards to their sudden reappearance.

"What the hell?" Ric asked.

"Want a new car?" Damon replied, throwing him the car keys before heading towards the garage and lifting the door to his old pride and joy. His old blue Camara.

"You know you're not exactly going to be inconspicuous in a car like that these days." Ric raised an eyebrow. "Take mine until you can swap it." he offered, getting the keys out to his own Ford SUV.

"Thanks Ric." Elena told him sadly. "They found us. The house is gone."

"Well then go... NOW!" Ric yelled. "We don't want them coming here." he cried as Damon and Elena scrambled into the new car with their cargo of blood.

"Thanks man." Damon smiled. "I owe you one." he said.

"Hell no, don't sweat it, I got an upgrade." Ric grinned. "Now go!" he told them as Damon put his foot down on the gas and sped out of the driveway and headed towards the highway out of town, heading southwest.

They drove in silence for just over two hours, with Damon at the wheel, while Elena calmed down from crying both from the loss of the house, but more importantly, from leaving the children behind. She noticed Damon hadn't shed a tear, but Elena knew him well enough to know he was holding back until the time was right, and blowing their cover would render the cloaking spell pointless. He was going to let it all out in private, when they were finally safe. Or as safe as they could be. In the meantime, she noticed he'd been checking the mirrors far more frequently than usual, checking to see if they were being followed.

"Is there anyone there?" Elena finally asked, once she'd managed to compose herself.

"No." Damon replied flatly.

"Damon!" Elena sighed as she rested her hand on his knee. "I know you're hurting too." she said.

"It's my fault." Damon said through gritted teeth. "I should have realized earlier. I should have got us out of New York sooner."

"We've done the right thing." Elena assured him.

"I'm not so sure." Damon told her. "Did you see what happened after the milkshake?" he asked.

"They said they felt stronger." Elena shrugged. "Maybe that's how vampire blood affects them."

Damon shook his head. "Humans don't become stronger with vampire blood, they just heal quicker." he told her. "Neither do witches, unless they're a siphoner and using it to fuel magic. The only species vampire blood has the capability of making stronger are vampires themselves when using it as food like you once tried with me." he said.

"But that's not possible." Elena frowned. "They're not vampires."

"Well, they're not human, that's for sure." Damon sighed. "I'm beginning to wonder if they've inherited some vampire type nature."

"Maybe it's related to them having the cure in their blood?" she suggested. "Keelin and I can have a look at their blood samples when we finally get to the lab in New Orleans."

Damon nodded in agreement and thought for a moment. "About that." he said. "I was wondering how Frank would know we were in Mystic Falls. If we were on the run with the cure, where would you think we would run to?" he asked.

Elena thought for a moment. "Baton Rouge to Rebekah and Marcel." she replied, closing her eyes in resignation. "Did you tell him where you were from?" she asked.

"Never told anyone where I was from." Damon sighed. "Someone else who knows me must have told him, and I doubt it's a Mikaelson." he frowned. "Almost everyone thinks I'm dead. Only the inner circle knows I'm alive. It doesn't make sense."

"Maybe a witch accidentally found you." Elena suggested.

"I've been thinking about this ever since we left New York and I think we need to ask Bonbon." Damon said. "Apparently when Enzo died, she created a psychic blast similar to Cade. At first she could see Enzo, but when she got her magic back she couldn't see him, although she could feel his presence."

"Like when Jeremy could see ghosts from the other side?" Elena asked as Damon nodded. "But there is no other side, unless Bonnie accidentally created one." she frowned.

"That's what I've been wondering." Damon told her. "Maybe there were souls in limbo or ones who have died since who ended up in Bonnie's 'Other Side'. That person would be able to see everything. What if there someone on this new other side wanting revenge? Connecting to someone here and then maybe they are trying to get it by chasing us and ruining our lives." he suggested.

"It's a stretch, but plausible. If you are right, that could be any number of people." Elena sighed.

"It's a long list." Damon agreed. "I've pissed off a lot of people in my time." he shook his head. "But if would depend on how far back in time it goes. Is it for people who were in limbo and have died since the psychic blast?"

"Maybe Freya can find something out. She's powerful." Elena suggested. "If Bonnie can't contact Enzo, she won't be able to contact anyone on the other side."

"Call Freya, tell her what happened." Damon instructed her.

Elena took her phone from her pocket and called the witch on loudspeaker, who picked up almost immediately.

"Hey Elena, how did it go?" Freya asked.

"A lot of tears." "Was about as much as Elena could tell her.

"I can imagine." Freya replied.

"We've got a problem." Elena got straight to the point. "After we dropped the kids off, we went back to the house, but someone had torched it." she said. "They knew we were in Mystic Falls even though there is no one alive who should know where we're from." she said. "So we think the person who knew where we were might be dead and instructing Frank to track us down."

"Look, just come to New Orleans." Freya insisted. "We've gotten everything set up for you. Keelin and I have been working all day on the lab. It consists of two sections, the medical science part, and the magic area." she told her. "Once you are inside, a barrier spell will be put in place so that no vampire or witch can get in without an invitation. It's an extremely powerful spell, although it will restrict your sightseeing I'm afraid." she said. "Plus, New Orleans is officially a vampire free zone. You'll be safe everywhere here."

"I'm not interested in seeing the city until I know we're all safe and I can bring the children." Elena replied. "I'm just concerned I'm leading Frank right to you."

"I'm sure we've dealt with worse than a rogue vampire or two." Freya laughed. "We're Mikaelson's, death, mayhem and torture, it's all in a normal day's work for us." she laughed.

"Look, we just want to get rid of what or who is behind Frank chasing us, learn a bit of magic, be gone and get the kids." Damon complained. "Return to a normal life."

"Once you are no longer the cure, you can be reunited with them." Freya assured him. "But they still need to go to school, so are you going to deny them an education? It was the same when Hope left. At first it was hard, but once we realized she was having a great time, we stopped worrying as much. Hope loves it there. She's with people her own age who have similar abilities. They'll be safer and better off around children who are going through the same thing as she is." she said.

"You say that now, but you'll feel different when you've got kids of your own." Elena replied.

"Probably." Freya agreed. "But I know from Hope's experience how much my kids will enjoy it, which I guess makes it easier." she argued. "And you are literally saving their lives."

"I guess I'm just going to need to keep being reminded of that part." Elena sighed.

"I will." Freya told her. "Just get here as soon as you can. There's a cloaking spell on you, but if anyone knows your car, it won't be much good." she said.

"We're just going to take it in turns and keep moving." Damon told her.

"We should be there by late morning, can you have a bed made up so we can crash out when we get there?" Elena asked.

"Make sure it's a strong one, we've been known to break beds." Damon added.

"Damon!" Elena admonished as he threw her a cheeky grin, the first time she'd seen anything close to genuine humor from him for the last twenty four hours. Damon's wit was often something she relied upon to help diffuse tense situations. But when he lost that part of himself, which was his mask and relied on more than she did she knew he was suffering.

"Don't worry, they're Original vampire proof beds here. Us humans have no chance of damaging them." Freya laughed. "We're setting you up in Rebekah's old room." she added. "Look, I need to get going, Keelin and I have a date tonight." she told them.

"Oh, good luck." Elena smiled.

"Hope you get lucky." Damon added.

They all wished each other goodnight before hanging up. Once she'd put her phone away, Elena snuggled down into the passenger seat to try and get some sleep, but it was no use as she was on edge. She'd reasoned herself into a good enough place to feel less tearful about the kids going to school. It had been on the cards for years, ever since their magic had become apparent. Jess should have started two years earlier and Ben was due to start this year, but they'd wanted them to start together as they hadn't spent much time around other children and would, in likelihood find it overwhelming. At least this way they would initially have each other until they found their own sets of friends.

This meant the plan had been for them to start school in another few weeks. And although they would board there like normal students, Damon and Elena would get to see them around Mystic Falls, meaning it wouldn't be as much of a loss. Elena would have her practice and Damon owned the Mystic Grill. It wasn't part of his chain of bars in New York. Damon had bought the Grill as a separate entity as soon as it came up for sale. It was his way of making him feel closer to home. He'd set it up in Enzo's name, hoping nobody from New York would trace it back to him.

Being dragged to New Orleans was a change of plan none of them anticipated, although Elena suspected it was less of a shock for Damon. She'd never been allowed to know any of the contingencies Damon and Marcel had planned as over the last year should Damon be discovered as the cure. This was because the stakes had been raised once Rebekah had been brought into the picture with taking the cure before Damon died, even though Damon no longer suspected that was the reason they were being chased. It wasn't known whether the cure would work if Damon died before it was administrated and Marcel wasn't prepared to risk the chance of losing it for Rebekah. But Marcel's determination for Rebekah to be allowed to take it if she chose to was clearly a priority and had to be kept top secret, the less people knew about their plans, the better. Elena doubted even Rebekah knew the details.

Like Damon, this was what had confused Elena. If the plans had been so top secret, how did anyone know where she and Damon were? How did anyone even know Rebekah planned on taking the cure? Or was it a coincidence and a stray Traveler had worked out the cure would give them back their magic and had given the secret away after one too many drinks? Could it really be a vengeful spirit from the other side wanting to make their life a misery? There were too many questions to be asked and it was going to be at least another twelve hours wait before she would know the answers.

Elena closed her eyes knowing she would be driving for five hours shortly, before Damon took over the last part of the journey as he was familiar with New Orleans, and this was her first visit. She settled down and was soon fast asleep.

"Elena, we're nearly here." Elena heard Damon say softly as she opened her eyes to bright sunlight. She looked over her shoulder and could see they'd just crossed a large expanse of water. "I figured to wait until we were over the bridge before I woke you up." he smiled as she sat up and kissed him on the cheek.

Elena looked out of the windows, as the landscape quickly went from trees to what looked like warehouses. About ten minutes later, she could just make out the New Orleans skyline appear on her left hand side. A knot of excitement twisted in her stomach at the sight. The thought of finally being able to visit the city she'd wanted to see since she before her parents died gave her a little bit of a kick.

"I've always wanted to visit New Orleans." Elena told Damon. "Ironically, ever since I read Interview with a Vampire just before my parents died." she laughed. "I think that was what put me off being a vampire."

"Anne Rice put you off being a vampire?" Damon frowned. "Twilight and the sparkly stuff I get, but The Vampire Chronicles." he shook his head laughing. "That would have sealed the deal to want to be a vampire."

"It was because of Claudia, a young girl who grew to be a woman eternally trapped in a child's body which was a huge factor." Elena sighed. "But it was worse. Although you were able to grow as a person, it had it's limits. I believe you have matured more in the last nine years than the previous hundred and fifty." she said.

Damon thought for a moment. "I guess you're right. You can only mature so much as a vampire." he said. "I never really thought of it that way. Maybe it is because the experiences you have make you mature as a vampire, but they don't apply to being human. And that was your reasoning?" he asked, but this time the question wasn't sarcastic, it was deadly serious.

"That and the whole killing, blood drinking and never being able to have a family part." Elena nodded. "Pretty much."

"Now you're older and a mom, if you thought becoming a vampire would save the kids, would you do it?" Damon asked.

"I'd do anything to protect them." Elena told him. "So yes I would. But that is the one thing we can't do." she smiled.

"Hmm." Damon replied thoughtfully, which caused Elena to frown, wondering if he was up to something. Becoming vampires again could potentially eradicate their problems, but it was completely impossible, and was confusing her why Damon was even thinking about it.

They stayed silent for a few moments, which Elena decided to break with the inevitable question. "How much further?" she asked.

"This is us." Damon told her, as she looked up and saw the exit sign for St Bernard Ave.

Elena checked her phone and saw it was almost eleven am, before taking in the sights around her. Damon turned left down a narrow road and immediately she saw properties which looked old, but she knew they weren't quite there. As Damon made his way through the twists and turns, the old fashioned buildings she'd seen on TV and in movies, which she associated with New Orleans began to take shape. Eventually they pulled up outside a building of red brick with green shutters. Damon stood outside what were two huge white doors. He knocked and one of the doors opened, revealing Freya's smiling face. She quickly scanned the area as she beckoned them inside and closed the door as soon as they'd crossed the threshold.

"Welcome to the Mikaelson residence, formally known as the Abattoir." Freya smiled as she gave Elena a hug and Damon a nod.

"Nice name. I'd have kept it." Damon frowned as Elena rolled her eyes.

"Did Vincent get back okay?" Elena asked Freya.

"He stopped off at a motel for a few hours." she replied. "He'd been driving all day. He couldn't do all night on the road as well. But he called about an hour ago and told me he would be here this afternoon, if the traffic holds up." Freya smiled. "Do you want me to show you to your room?" she asked.

"Please." Damon sighed. "I'm beat."

Damon and Elena followed Freya into the courtyard and up a set of stairs. At the top was a doorway which led to what appeared to be an apartment.

"The kitchen is at the end of that hallway." Freya told them, pointing towards an open door which they could just make out a large refrigerator. "Either side you have the parlor and the dining room. Both doors will be open and I'll be in one of those rooms." she said as Keelin's head popped out of one of the rooms.

"Hi you guys!" she called out quietly.

"Hi Keelin." Elena waved back.

"Hey." Damon smiled.

"This way." Freya told them as she turned in the other direction and led them to a door at the far end of the hallway. "This is your room, it's the furthest away from mine and Keelin's. I've spelled it soundproof both ways." she smiled knowingly. "There's a bathroom inside. Join us when you wake up."

"Thanks Freya." Elena smiled.

"Thank you." Damon added.

"No problem." Freya smiled back. "Sleep well." she said and left.

Damon opened the door to an opulent looking room decorated in red wallpaper. The bed was an old large wooden four poster, although not as big as Damon's own now destroyed bed. The floor was dark wood, yet the room felt airy. A door on the opposite wall to the bed must have led to the bathroom, but Elena and Damon especially, were shattered. Damon had done the majority of the driving, Elena had done a short middle stint while he'd unsuccessfully attempted to sleep, but at least he'd rested. The bed looked too inviting for sleep and any other bedroom activities would have to be put on hold until then.

Elena placed her purse and the bag containing the children's blood at the side of the bed before they both stripped off their clothes and climbed in. Elena curled up and Damon lay behind her, his arms wrapped around her waist. She twisted her neck so she could look up at Damon.

"I love you." she whispered as Damon raised his head and kissed her.

"I love you too baby." he said quietly as he drew her into him, before settling down and falling fast asleep.

If you like the story, please like, follow or review. Reviews inspire me, correct my mistakes, allow me to engage and answer questions. They also help motivate me to get the following chapters out quicker.

Mandzipop.