Standing up, Elena drops their refuse into the trash receptacle and then walks over to the soft drink fountain to refill her soda. Kai does the same then holds the door open, gesturing for her to go first when they depart McDonald's. She mentioned to him a few days ago that she's been craving a Big Mac. He unlocks the car and opens the door, letting her slide in.
After merging into traffic, he chances a look at her when he hears a loud slurping sound. "Happy?"
Elena smiles contentedly and nods at Kai's question. They're on their way back to The Jungle. They plan to check in, wrap up a couple of chores and then he'll take her home for what she hopes will be a peaceful night. She spends the day exactly as she wanted to.
She'll have to thank Enzo for getting the job done. He made arrangements for them to meet up with a representative from their chosen construction company. The man in charge of the Amazon project arrived at the Harper building shortly after she and Kai did. They discussed the details of the reconstruction, time limits, building codes, regulations and finances. Elena's dream for the Amazon is starting to look like it will become a reality.
Even though she has a lot on her mind, a murdered brother, an annoying detective, indictments and long prison terms, as in the rest of her life, she refuses to allow herself to get distracted by the unpleasantness. Rather she focuses on the Amazon club and how wonderful it'll be when it's ready for the grand opening. There will be a ribbon cutting ceremony, perhaps she'll ask the mayor to do the honors?
"You know I am. Everything about this project is so exciting. Just look at the place, this magnificent old brick building. Most people would see it as an eye sore. I see it as the ugly duckling who will be revealed as a swan when the workers are done. We'll have to pick out carpeting, I'm thinking of something jungle green or something that would resemble the Amazon river. I don't know, Kai, there's so much that has to be decided yet, the slots will be Tarzan and Jane and other legends of the jungle. I cannot wait. We have schematics for the floor plan but I want some artist renditions of what it'll look like when it's ready to open. I'll have to call Mr. Griffith about it tomorrow. There's so much work to do, I'm certain it'll be at least a year before it's ready for the public."
She's glowing, radiating from excitement, Kai has to smile internally at the sight. This is how he loves seeing her, the way she's supposed to be, happy and full of life. "I agree, I'm thinking a year is cutting it close but then again, once you set your mind on something... With you in charge, we'll be planning for grand opening in no time."
"You know you'll have to keep an eye on the Amazon, right? I won't be able to do both properly and I can't imagine anyone else managing the new club."
"Of course. You'll miss me though," he winks at her. "And I will miss you... Anyone else for my team? You don't want to hire completely new staff do you?"
"Caroline for sure. She's certainly capable of being more than a waitress. She's savvy and is a real people person, I want her to run the new restaurant."
Kai nods in approval. "Yeah, I think that's a wonderful idea."
Soon enough he turns the car to The Jungle's parking lot. Elena jumps out of the car as soon as it comes to a stop. She's happy to see the club's entrance crowded with people waiting to get in.
One of Kol's men is at the door. When he sees Kai, he nods and clears a space for them to slip inside.
"Thanks," Elena appreciates.
That's the reason everyone likes her. Except for Vicky, Anna, Jeremy... and people like them - because she's sensitive about her employees. She always make an effort to get to know them and listens to their concerns.
"Are you going upstairs?," Kai asks aloud.
"Yeah, if you have something to finish up, you can go. I'll be fine, Kai. Pick me up when you're ready to leave for the day. If you don't have plans for the evening, we can pick up a pizza, a six pack or some wine and watch a movie later?"
"Sure." Kai doesn't even bother to look for a reason for this request, he knows her well enough to know it's her round about way of asking for help. Even if he did have other plans, he'd cancel or change them just to spend the evening with her.
That's how it's always been with Elena.
Damon parks his range rover to the curb as he approaches the foreboding structure in front of him. He raises his sunglasses and eyes the opulence of the place. The Mikaelson mansion sits on a 21 acre gated estate. The over 19,000 square home is a palace in Damon's eyes. He blows out a breath and pulls back onto the road, turning into their long driveway. As he passes through the ornate wrought iron gate, there's an actual fountain with water flowing continuously. It's quite beautiful.
From what his dad told him, the monstrous home has a formal dining room with a rotunda ceiling, two story living room, a gourmet kitchen with a vaulted ceiling, informal dining room, separate kitchen for caterers, a family room, multiple Mexican red onyx surround fireplaces, circular backlit wet bar, a spacious gym, massage room, custom home theatre with its own concession stand, a wine cellar and six car garage. The rear of the home features a large terrace with two curved staircases leading to an expansive patio below. And not to be outdone by anyone there's also a swimming pool with a spa and a private helipad. Mikael has his own chopper for business and leisure.
After parking the car, he gets out and walks to the front door. Picking up the knocker, he pounds several times. He steps back when the door flies open, surprise is an understatement when he sees it's the Mikaelson's only daughter standing in front him.
"I came to see if I could have a word with...?"
"You have some nerve coming here detective, either that or you're just stupid," the bored voice of Rebekah Mikaelson immediately irritates him, no doubt that's her intention.
Before Chief Jordan discovers what they're up to and puts an abrupt stop to it, he's hell-bent to get as much done as possible, that's why he decided to throw caution to the wind and drive to the Mikaelson property in the first place. Plus there's the added bonus that he's in no danger of running into Katherine or his father. One problem at a time.
"Is that so?" Damon retorts with a little of the Salvatore swagger, hoping to engage the blonde in a little conversation. She's... something else. But he shouldn't be surprised in the least. Her father, her brothers, they all have an innate and uncanny ability to drive people, namely him up the wall or to drink heavily, whichever happens to be handy at the time. And they're good, they're very good at what they do.
"You're here to question my father... again? I can tell you right now that he won't be at all happy with you."
However, she steps back so he can pass. Damon keeps his eyes her as he does. She's pretty, long blonde hair, pouty plump lips, and blue eyes. And she damn well knows it. However, she's a Mikaelson. And he's certain despite the lackadaisical tone, she'd make a formidable enemy if crossed.
So rather than run afoul of another one of Elena's friends, he chooses not to spar with her, at least not today.
"I wouldn't mind talking to your father Miss Mikaelson, but I'm actually here to talk to you."
Rebekah seems surprised but she quickly covers it with another bored grimace. "Do you really think I have nothing better to do than have a chat with the likes of you?" When he starts to open his mouth, she raises her palm and he snaps his mouth shut. "And what exactly do you have to say that could possibly have even the slightest interest to me?"
"Miss Mikaelson, relax. I came to offer you the chance to help out your friend."
"Ah, so you think I'm an idiot," she leads him inside and to the living room. "Well," she gives him a tight, mocking smile, "I actually do want to help Elena but I'm not sure speaking to you is the wisest of ideas. Capeesh?"
"Miss Mikaelson, if you'll just hear me..."
"Mr. Salvatore," she interrupts. "I'm willing to hear you out and then I'll decide whether or not I have anything to tell you."
Why does it feel as if he's just being tolerated?
Damon's not really sure who's studying whom. If he wasn't a seasoned police detective, he would be intimidated by the ruby lips and nails vamp standing in front of him. However, when he takes into consideration the twinkle of humor in her eyes, he's inclined to believe it's partly just a pose. Albeit one that makes half of the male population fall at her feet and the other half to take to their heels. He wonders why exactly this particular woman is the best friend of Elena Gilbert. It's obvious that she's not going to make it easy for him either. She looks at him calmly, her legs crossed, not willing to give him even an inch.
"Ehm, you know very well that I'm trying to solve the Jeremy Gilbert murder case, the brother of your bestfriend, Elena. My men and I have already met with most of The Jungle's employees and I was hoping that perhaps you could shed some light on the chain of events as well? Do you have an opinion about a motive for his death? Did he have any enemies? Did you know him and if you did, for how long? And were you by chance at the club on the last night he was seen alive?"
He's fishing, he knows it but he has to ask, he has no real expectations of cooperation though. Rebekah's clearly no fool, her amused smile is evidence enough to support his supposition.
"Detective Salvatore, you really don't expect me to know exactly which night you are talking about, do you? That was five years ago. And as for Jer's personality, he was troubled, definitely not the sweetheart type, probably a lot like you in that respect," she jests, smirking at him. "You already knew that though, I'm certain you suspected as much when you decided to knock on my door am I right?"
Damon says nothing but his silence is revealing.
"Jer was in trouble all the time, he was a nightmare for his parents and when they died, God rest their souls, he turned his attention to his sister."
"So you think he could have pushed her beyond the point of no return...?"
Rebekah narrows her eyes. "Careful, detective, you're skating on very thin ice. Elena Gilbert is an angel and you already know that too. We're talking about a woman who takes Daddy Long Legs outside rather than kill them. If she's unwilling to kill a spider, do you really believe she'd end someone?"
Damon shifts uncomfortably under her scrutiny, he feels exposed, he's pretty sure Rebekah knows everything there is to know about Elena and his complicated relationship. He's not about to let his unease shine through for her to hone in on. Focus Damon, focus on the subject at hand.
"So even Gibraltar's death wouldn't anger her enough to...," he pauses dramatically.
"Who told you about Gibby?" she spits and Damon congratulates himself for getting a rise out of her. "No one close to her would tell you about him."
Yet another thing he has to think about.
"Enlighten me, Miss Mikaelson, why is Gibraltar's death a state secret, why would a cat be so important to Jer and Elena's screwed up relationship?" He finds it difficult to keep an even tone with her.
"You're reaching...," Rebekah answers after considering him for a moment. "It's not a 'state secret', your words. It's the fact that you think Gibby's death might have been her last straw and the motive for Jer's murder."
"And wasn't it?" He earns a venomous glower from her but holds her stare without blinking. "Seriously, Rebekah, may I call you that? You have no idea what's running through my mind, what details I may believe are important and which ones aren't in a case like this. Give me a little credit. If you're absolutely certain of your friend's innocence, why not help to prove it?"
"I would in a heartbeat if I was sure of your motives. If I believed you are an honest and above board person, I wouldn't hesitate. However, I will not help you with anything Elena related until you prove yourself to me," she says with finality, the stubborn Mikaelson trait grates at his insides.
Damon nods and gets up. "Alright, Rebekah, Miss Mikaelson, thank you for your time."
Rebekah looks a little perplexed but she masks it quickly and follows him to the door. When he's already on the porch, he's stopped by the biting tone of her voice.
"You hear me, Detective, if you hurt her, I'll end you. Don't doubt me."
Damon gives her a small bow and runs down the granite staircase well aware that her stare is driving draggers in his back all the way to his car.
Here we go again, fierce protectiveness and unwavering loyalty.
Why is everyone and their dog so protective of Reno's shark lady?
Elena's sitting behind her desk, a shocked expression plays on her face as she listens to Enzo's fiery rant.
She can't believe it... him...
It was such a nice day despite the fatal confrontation yesterday and he just goes and ruins everything. What did she ever do to him that he won't let her have even a day's peace?
"You mean he just summoned everyone today for the sole purpose of doing more digging?"
"That's what I said. He's a snake, Elena. He picked up Bonnie from her office. She didn't come back but she called. I told her to go home as she too... was pretty upset," his face contorts with worry.
"If that wasn't enough, Saltzman talked to several of Kol's people and when Caroline's shift was over, he escorted her to the station too."
"And I'm only hearing about all of this now?" she asks incredulously. Frustrated and angry, she pours herself a stiff drink, nearly emptying the glass in one swallow.
"Look, don't be angry okay?" he starts, helping himself to a glass of Grey Goose. "At first I didn't want to worry you, you and Kai were busy with Amazon business and frankly, you needed a respite. Don't even try to argue with me that you didn't enjoy it," he raises his chin defiantly and swallows a good amount of vodka. "And when you texted that you were on your way back, I didn't see any point in alarming you unnecessarily."
"I still would have preferred to know" she protests but her anger has receded like low tide. She knows Enzo was just trying to protect her... yet again. She gives his arm a squeeze and sits down. "Would you get Elijah on the phone for me?"
"I already called. He's on his way. I think he's trying to dig up some information about Caroline but he said to tell you he'll be here soon."
"Thanks," Elena responds, watching as he walks out of her office. Before she can begin to relax, her phone starts playing the Jurassic Park theme.
"Rebekah," she breathes a sigh of relief. They are, she certainly is in need of some girl time, she's just... Rebekah deprived... That's it in a nutshell.
"Hey, girlfriend! You will not believe who stopped by the house for a chat. I'll give you a hint, he's insanely hot but full of himself!"
She can already feel her temples start to throb.
"He asked me about Gibby," Rebekah reveals carefully, gauging her friend for a reaction.
"What?" Rebekah's words shake her to the core.
Her blonde friend didn't hesitate in the least. As soon as Elena filled her in on what the cops had been up to all day, she dropped all of her plans and hurried over to the club to try to cheer up her best friend.
"Is there anything he doesn't know about me yet?" Verbalizing that thought makes her feel very uncomfortable, like her privacy has been violated, to say otherwise is an understatement.
"He doesn't know a thing," Rebekah states. "And if he really believes you're guilty... he's a fucking idiot. Although... I'm not so sure he is one," she adds after giving it a thought.
Elena looks at her intently. She knows Damon's not an idiot. What if he finds out? What if everyone finds out? He's so close...
"You know, I think you should stop worrying. Just let him sniff around. There's no chance at all that he'll discover anything...
Elena snorts. "You're probably the only one who thinks so."
Bekah lets out a short laugh. "You mean my brothers? Kai? Enzo? Please, they all act like a mama hen when it comes to you."
"Here you are!" Caroline joins them at the table and Elena almost jumps out of her skin.
"They let you leave?"
"Of course they did. You didn't think I'd end up in jail did you?" her bubbly blonde friend rolls her eyes playfully.
"Oh no, I'm sorry, I didn't mean..."
"Elena, relax, I'm kidding. And you must admit your reaction was pretty funny," she giggles and Rebekah whistles.
"Are you drunk?"
"Nooo, Nick insisted that we have a drink after they let me go..."
"Oh no," Rebekah covers her ears. "No no no no no no no, I really don't need any of the gory details. Wherever I go, I have to hear about one or more of my brothers' love lives or troubles with an ex."
"Don't be silly. He came to pick me up, Kol called him as soon as the bloody cop took me to the station. You should have seen their faces when he just popped up, announced who he was and demanded they let me go. Detective Saltzman was like 'I'm sorry what's your name?' "
Rebekah laughs wholeheartedly. "Yeah, Nick can be pretty intimidating."
Elena gives a small smile but it doesn't reach her eyes. She feels like a fly caught in a web, the spider cutting off every avenue of escape. Both girls look at her with concern.
"Elena? What's the matter? I know they're not the most personable people and are relentless but they don't know anything," Caroline reaches out and squeezes her hand.
Elena straightens her posture, now is not the time for a breakdown. She's been through worse.
"Caroline? Did you tell them... about Gibby?" The slight shift in her tone tells them it's still difficult for her to talk about her pet.
"What? Elena, no."
Elena feels relieved that it wasn't her chatty friend who spilled the beans...
"I wouldn't tell them anything so personal," she adds softly.
"I know Care. I just don't understand how they found out."
"You know what? You need a drink. We all do," Rebekah decides and Elena has to admit it sounds perfect.
Before long her head stops hurting, the alcohol's pleasant effects allowing her to forget about her headache and its triggers for now.
I hate him... comes from nowhere.
How thin is the line between hate and love?
It's getting late but Damon isn't ready to call it a day yet. For a tenth time, he checks his phone. He finds it weird that his dad hasn't tried to reach him. Before he can leave the Mikaelson mansion, Ric's ring sounds through the car. He flips off the engine again and answers the phone.
"What?"
"Hey, I just wanted to inform you about round two... of you know... questioning."
"Yeah?" Damon encourages him carefully.
"Luka tried hard with Kol's guys but Mikaelson was getting ready to erupt and throw him out so he moved to the restaurant. Two security guys were forthcoming, saying they remembered incidents with Jeremy but before we could get into it with them, Kol shoved an attendance log at me, proving the two weren't even on duty that night. I can't even tell you how much I wanted to kick his ass..."
Damon chuckles darkly. "I have a feeling it's a family trait. What about Miss Forbes?"
"You will love this. I congratulated myself when she agreed to come down to the station. But as luck would have it before we could go anywhere her fiancé showed up and demanded to be present at her questioning. I stood up, got in his face and asked him who exactly he thinks he is. In not so many words, he smugly informed me that he's an attorney and you'll never guess who it was..."
"I don't like the sound of that."
"Nicklaus Mikaelson. "
"What the fuck, how many blood-sucking lawyers are in that family?"
"Too many I'd say. Apparently he works for Anderson, Kemp, Mikaelson and Neilson. And isn't it convenient that he's here to help out his brother?"
"Elijah, of course... How did it go?"
"Want a visual?"
"Not really," Damon decides. I'll read your report when I get back."
"You coming soon?"
Damon weighs the pros and cons. It's tempting to call it a day. He's following the plan but he's had more than enough of the Mikaelson clan to give him an explosive migraine. Still...
"Not yet Ric. There's one more thing I have to do."
Before he loses his courage.
"I'll see you in the morning. If by sheer dumb luck Connor doesn't find out about today's escapades and ends me tonight that is."
"That's entirely possible." They both chuckle and Damon ends the call. Playing with it in his hand he bites onto his lower lip as he stares at it. Several seconds pass and then he says out loud, "the hell with it," and pushes the number, one that he never imagined calling... Ever.
"Hello?"
"Mr. Mikaelson? Do you have a few minutes?"
Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. You keep us excited and motivated, without your support, we wouldn't be here.
Thank you Eva. I love you dearly.
Chapter title: 'On The Hunt' by Lynyrd Skynyrd.
I did post "There She Stands" yesterday. It's a 9/11 themed story featuring Damon, Elena and Elijah. Salvatoreboys4ever helped me with it. She's going to be posting a human DE story in her post finale series. It's called "Sandy Toes, Sunkissed Nose". I'm sure she'd love to hear from you.
Thank you all again, you're the best there is in the DE fandom. Hope you all have a terrific day.