I'm sorry for the long wait, life is busy atm. Many hugs and kisses again for Lauren, world's greatest beta.
Someone like you
Chapter 17
'Here comes goodbye'
"Come on, buddy."
Elena paced the room with her phone to her ear as she watched Damon wrap Liam into a blanket. The boy started protesting in his sleep, clearly perfectly content with where he was now. Warm tingles spread around her heart. The words she couldn't speak lay on her tongue; how if he could see himself right in this moment he'd realize how much of a father he actually was, how there was a little boy looking up at him, ready to step into his daddy's every footstep. Some part of her had always known that he'd make a good father; it was his own doubts that had caused that other part of her to believe he wouldn't be. But now he held his son in his arms, tucked in the warm blanket, rocking him softly back to the deep sleep he had been in, it became all the more clear that those doubts had been printed into his memory but never made it to his heart.
"Hello?"
"Caroline!" Her voice pitched, her hand clasping the mobile tightly. "I'm so sorry to wake you up but it's an emergency..."
"What's wrong, Elena?" Caroline was suddenly more alert, awake. "Did something happen?"
"They found a new heart for my Mom." She swallowed back the lump in her throat. "So I have to get to the hospital but I don't want to take Liam with me."
"Of course." Caroline sighed, more relieved. "Do you want me to come to you or are you bringing him here?"
"We already have him wrapped up in a blanket," She averted her eyes from the floor to where Damon stood with Liam, trying to maneuver his phone into his jeans pocket. "We'll be there in ten minutes."
Damon's blue eyes were focused on her as she dropped her phone back into her purse and grabbed her coat from the chair, draping Liam's over her arm. With a small nod from Damon she opened the door and closed it behind them once they stepped into the hallway, the air sizzling with the tension between them. Ten minutes ago she had been squirming underneath him, panting his name, surrendering her body to his touch. The outside world had been forgotten, the husband that was waiting at home for her not on her mind, her mom that lay in the hospital forgotten the moment he slid inside of her, reminding her how he could make her feel, how he could still own her after five years of being separated.
So many questions rushed through her mind, most of them caused by the events from just a few minutes ago, others still lingering there from five years ago. Getting all the answers to them would take time, time that would now be filled in by her mother's heart transplant and hopefully after that recovery.
"My car keys are in my right pocket." Damon's hushed tone snapped her out of her thoughts. "Grab them, will you?"
Her hand trembled as she slid it into the pocket of his jeans, trying not to think about how close she was to certain parts her body was craving for. The keys rang as she retrieved them from his pocket, the sound breaking the cold silence in the garage. She pushed the button on the key and saw the indicators of the sleek black car light up. Without paying much attention to the beauty of the Bentley she opened the door and let herself fall back into the leather seat, holding her arms out for Liam.
Her son snuggled into her embrace once he was settled in her lap, his chestnut hair a mess on his head, his pink lips slightly parted as he slept peacefully now he had his daddy within reach. Damon slid into the driver's seat, the roaring engine making Liam stir against her chest. Silence filled the car as they drove out the garage, Damon's face only lit by the lights of the dashboard, his body stiff next to her.
"I see you still like expensive cars."
"I like fast cars." He noted absently, his eyes on the dark road ahead of them. "The expensive part just comes along with it."
"I liked the Audi better."
"Because you were allowed to drive it." He snorted, his lips curling up. "I've seen you park once, it gave me nightmares, you're never driving this one."
"I can drive just fine, thank you." She rolled her eyes at him. "It's just parking my car that's difficult."
"You know there are cars that park themselves these days."
"I don't have the money to afford a car like that." She looked out the window, the vacant city flashing by her. "Besides, I like my Prius just fine."
"Doesn't your husband's daddy support you?"
"I'd rather make my own money." She placed her chin on top of Liam's head. "Having no job makes that difficult of course."
"It's going to take a while before you can go back to work, you have to recover first." His grip on the wheel tightened, his eyes briefly meeting hers. "Any idea what you're going to do next?"
"No." Her voice got stuck in her throat. "My life is a mess at the moment and I have to figure everything out."
She sighed into the cold car, placing a kiss on top of Liam's head, looking down at the boy in her arms, picturing all the dreams she had for him. The warm family she had grown up in, the relationship with her father, the talks with her mother. They were all things she had wished to give to him the day he was born, the second he lay in her arms. Instead he had gotten the shallow reflection of a warm family home because his mommy and daddy didn't trust each other completely. He had been given a dad but not one that could keep up with him, that understood his thoughts and questions; he had been withheld that privilege because she had taken him away from the man that was supposed to raise him. The only thing she hoped she had managed to give him was a mom that loved him endlessly, her life built around making him happy. Just like her mom had always cared for her happiness, until Damon had come into the picture.
"Will she make it?" Her voice broke the silence, the whisper barely audible. "Will my mom survive?"
"I don't know."
"But there's a heart for her, right?" Her voice filled with hope. "And you once said that they wouldn't give her a heart unless she's healthy."
"I moved her up the list, Elena." He whispered into the dark. "Trust me when I say they wouldn't have given her a heart now if it hadn't been for my name behind it."
"But what do you think?"
"I don't know, sweetie." He turned his head towards her, shrugging. "I wish I did but I'm not even really operating on her, there's a transplant surgeon coming down here, I'll just assist."
"Will that surgeon be on time?" Her voice pitched, her eyes searching his. "Where is he coming from?"
"It takes a few hours before we can operate, the heart has to be checked out, your mom has to be prepped for surgery, trust me when I say it will be morning before we get started."
"But you're exhausted." She scanned the side of his face. "How are you going to be able to operate?"
"I'm going to sleep while we wait for the heart to arrive." He bit his bottom lip, glancing at Liam in her arms. "I've done this before, trust me, I'll be ready when we step into the theater."
She nodded slowly, her brown eyes focusing on the road in front of them again, Liam softly snoring, Damon inhaling deeply. The lights in Caroline's front yard lit up as Damon drove up the driveway, Tyler already pulling the front door open, Caroline standing behind him in her robe. Even from a distance she could see the frown on Caroline's face as Damon stepped out of the car and walked around it to open her door, retrieving Liam from her arms.
"You need any help?" Tyler reached the car, wearing nothing but sweatpants. "Do you want me to carry him?"
"No, it's okay." Damon tucked Liam's head into his shoulder. "I got him."
The walk to the front door was made in silence, the tension in their bodies only increasing by Caroline's stare as Damon came closer to the door. Caroline moved out of the way, adjusting her robe while Tyler pointed for Damon to go up the stairs, leaving Caroline to tug on Elena's arm.
"You have some serious explaining to do."
"You have some serious explaining to do."
She looked up from her coffee straight into Caroline's burning eyes, her hand twisting the cup around in circles. The silence in the car on the ride from the airport had been a test for her nerves; in some way she never wanted to talk about what Caroline had discovered, in another way she wanted someone to talk to, someone she could tell about her dirty secret.
"How long has this been going on?"
"Since his birthday." She averted her eyes back to the table cloth. "We kissed before that but we really started sleeping together on his birthday."
"When did you kiss?"
"At my wedding."
She buried her face in her hands, not having to look up to see the shocked expression on Caroline's face, the judgment, the disbelief; she could picture it all. Because she would have the same expression on her face if she'd been the one asking the questions, sitting on the other side of the table, being the girl she'd always thought to be. But she wasn't that girl anymore, she was a confused girl now, torn between two men, somehow the dream of every woman became her real life.
"How could this happen, Elena?" Caroline's voice broke. "You and Stefan seem so happy together."
"And we were." She looked up with teary eyes, shrugging. "But then I met Damon and he just turned my world upside down."
Flashes of the previous night appeared in front of her eyes. Damon's hard body rocking against her, his parted lips brushing hers as he moved above her, occasionally dipping down to taste her mouth, her nails digging into his flesh, her legs wrapping tighter around him, pushing him as deep inside of her as physically possible. And after all those times there was still nothing better to push her over the edge than to lose herself in the blue of his eyes. He lay on her chest afterward, the heartbeat under his ear being the comfort that she was still with him.
The goodbye in the morning had been painful, her heart didn't seem able to let go of him; her body was even less excited to be separated from his. It was irrational and silly because she knew she'd have him back in her arms in two days but still she didn't seem able to pull herself out of his embrace, not just because his arms were tightly wrapped around her but because her arms didn't want to loosen their grip on him. A few snarky remarks from the cabdriver had finally gotten her irritated enough to snap through the thoughts of leaving him.
"What are you going to do now?" Caroline took her hand in hers, squeezing. "Are you going to leave Stefan or tell him about Damon?"
"I don't know." She shrugged defeated, helplessly. "The thing is that when I'm with Damon my mind is clouded and I just can't think rational around him because what I feel for him, it scares me to death, but on the other hand I crave it. And then when I'm with Stefan I can see everything I always wanted when I grew up, I can picture my kids and my husband and it's just everything I thought I would be."
"And Damon doesn't want those things?"
"No. He doesn't want kids and he doesn't want to get married and I don't know if I can live with that." She swallowed back the lump in her throat, focusing on Caroline. "Maybe I can give up kids now but what if I wake up in ten years and realize that I do want kids?"
"I think you just have to figure out if you love him enough to give up on kids."
"Hey kiddo!" Strong arms suddenly wrapped around her, making her jump in her seat. "How was Chicago?"
"Daddy!" She sighed, holding her hand over her heart. "Don't scare me like that and don't talk so loud."
"He knew where you were?" Caroline's eyes went wide, staring at Grayson who sat down beside her. "Why did he know and I didn't?"
"Someone had to drive me to the airport."
The truth was that she hadn't seen the need to hide it from her dad because he already knew about her and Damon. For some reason it felt good to tell someone the truth, even if it was only for her own piece of mind.
"You know what?" Caroline grabbed her purse, sighing. "I need some time to process all this so I'm going to go."
"Caroline, please don't be mad."
"I'm not mad, sweetie." She walked around the table, hugging Elena. "I'm just shocked that this is happening and I need some time to get my head wrapped around it."
"Okay, I get it."
"I'll call you tomorrow, okay?" Caroline gave her a smile to reassure her. "We'll figure it out."
She gave Caroline a smile of her own, a forced smile that hid all the doubts that lay behind it, all the heartbreak and pain that would come along with the crucial decision she would make. Because she'd hurt someone, no matter which life she chose.
"So kiddo." Grayson moved to the seat Carol had occupied. "Did you have fun in Chicago?"
"Uhm..." She blushed a crimson red, feeling her face heat up. "Yeah..."
"Oh." Grayson nodded, frowning. "I get the picture, lots of indoor activities huh?"
"I spend a lot of time with Lauren in the city." She quickly changed the subject. "Chicago is cold, really cold, with a lot of slippery ice."
"They don't call it for nothing Windy City, darling." He chuckled in amusement, sipping his coffee. "How did you get along with Damon's mom?"
"She's great." A smile came on her face, the fond memories of her time with Lauren running through her mind. "She's awesome to be around and she just accepted me without asking any questions. She's full of energy and she and Damon drive each other crazy all the time but you can see just how much they love one another."
"How are they dealing with the whole Giuseppe situation?"
"I have no idea, Damon told me that he didn't want to ruin the holidays by asking her," she shrugged unknowingly. "And then I arrived so I don't think he really had the chance to talk to her about it."
"I'm sure they'll work it out."
Her father nodded solemnly, his gray eyes filled with wisdom but the worry for the man he practically considered his son visible in them. A smile spread on her face as she watched him, adoring him like she was still the five-year-old that thought of him as her greatest hero. And he still was her hero, the man that raised her, loved her, cleaned every scar on her knee. She knew she'd got lucky with her parents, that they'd always be there to support her, to cherish her and make her happy until the day they'd leave this earth.
"Speaking about parents." She grabbed his hand, squeezing it. "What's going on with Mom?"
"Damon didn't tell you?"
"No. He said it's confidential." She rolled her eyes in annoyance. "But something is going on, I can feel it."
"He probably told you to talk to your mother." Grayson tapped her nose, chuckling. "Not to me."
"But she'd never tell me." She bored her eyes into his. "And there is something going on, because you and Damon are being way too secretive. How bad is it?"
"She has congestive heart failure." Grayson took her hand between his. "It means her heart isn't strong enough anymore to provide enough oxygen for her other organs."
"Can they fix it?" She stammered, her eyes wide open. "I mean, they can cure her, right?"
"She's on medication now." He nodded, swallowing back the lump in his throat. "But sooner or later she's going to need a heart transplant."
"How soon?"
"I don't know because they don't know." Grayson took a deep breath. "It depends on when her heart is going to give out and when there's another heart available for her."
"Oh god."
"She folded her hand over her mouth, her gasp coming the same time as the tears in her eyes. She took a deep breath, trying to hold those tears back, seeing her father in front of her struggle with his own emotions.
"I'm going to use the bathroom." She whispered, desperately wanting to get out of there. "Just to freshen up a bit."
"Of course." Grayson nodded. "You want another coffee?"
"Sure." She wiped away a tear, grabbing the waiter's arm. "Can you point me to the bathroom, please?"
"Third door on the right."
"Third door on the right." Tyler pointed his chin down the corridor. "That's the guestroom."
Damon nodded and placed his hand on Liam's head, tucking him into his neck. Tyler opened the door for him and went to the bed, tugging the covers to the side. Liam stirred in his arms as he tried to put him down, his little fingers clawing on his shirt.
"Shh." He placed a kiss on top of the boy's head. "You're okay, just go to sleep."
Liam slowly let go of his shirt, his hand falling next to his nose on the pillow, his small body relaxing against the soft mattress. Damon gently placed the covers on top of him, tucking them in the side of the bed so he wouldn't roll out. Liam's lips slowly parted as his breathing became regular, his nose snuggled into the pillow.
"He's out." Tyler whispered, holding the door open. "He'll probably sleep through the night."
"Yeah." Damon stood up, biting his lip. "If there's anything, just call Elena."
"Will do." Tyler nodded firmly, following him through the door. "So, what's the deal between you and Elena?"
"Uhm." He shrugged, frowning. "I guess you can say we're figuring things out."
They descended the stairs, finding Caroline rambling to Elena who looked up at him with pleading eyes. He rolled his eyes at her and came to stand next to her as Tyler took his place next to Caroline.
"I heard that the two of you got engaged." He patted Tyler's shoulder. "Congratulations, I didn't think there would be any man ever brave enough."
"Oh, shut up Damon." Caroline put her hands on her hips, staring daggers. "Besides we're not just getting married, we're going to be parents soon."
"What?" Elena's eyes popped out of her head. "You're pregnant?"
"I know it's not really the right time to tell you," Caroline bit her lip, hugging her friend. "But you know when I thought I had the flu and I couldn't watch Liam? Well, I went to the doctor and he told me the happy news."
"Congratulations!" Elena started doing a happy dance together with Caroline. "I'm so happy for you."
"Congratulations." Damon shook Tyler's hand. "I'm sure you're freaking out."
"I am." He nodded, smiling. "But it's going to be great."
"And he's not going to skip out on the hard years." Caroline crossed her arms, boring her eyes into his. "He's going to be here to change the diapers instead of coming back when his son starts to form sentences."
"Ouch, Caroline. Has no one ever told you that the truth hurts?" He held his arms out for her, hugging the blonde. "Congratulations."
"Welcome back, Salvatore." She whispered softly into his ear, hugging him more tightly than he expected. "Welcome back."
"I love you so much."
Elena stood nailed to the ground as she watched the scene in front of her; her parents curled up on the hospital bed, her mom whispering into her dad's ear whose eyes were red and puffy, both her parents too lost in their intimate moment to notice her in the doorway.
Her heart ached for them, for the two people who had spend their lives next to each other, who at some point decided to love each other enough to take those precious vows. Who decided to put enough trust in the other person to let them be the parent of their child, the mentor of their daughter's life.
She had once thought to be ready to do those exact things. Only to figure out later that she had chosen the wrong man to fulfill them with. The younger version of her had so many dreams about a wedding, a beautiful husband, loveable children, that it became her goal to make them become reality. But once the dream of marriage was realized, a dark stranger walked between the tables, his blue eyes boring into hers, her heart already taken by him but her will too strong to admit it.
"It's often in times like these that people realize how much they really love someone."
Elena looked over her shoulder, watching the tall red-haired woman lean against the wall, green eyes pointed at her brown ones, a small smirk resting on her lips. The woman seemed vaguely familiar, from another life time; the life time where she was still happy with Damon in Chicago, attending the benefits they organized for all different causes, Damon always reluctant to go to them while she dragged him there because she felt like being in his environment, surrounded by the people he worked with; it felt like he was no longer a dream anymore, but reality in her arms.
"It's Sage." The woman pushed herself off the wall, extending her hand. "We met at a benefit in Chicago."
"I'm Elena." She shook the green-eyed lady's hand. "And I'm sorry but at those benefits were always so many people, I don't really remember you."
"No worries." Sage gave her a tight smile, holding her hand up. "If you weren't the one who got Damon Salvatore to settle, I wouldn't have remembered you either."
"It's clear you know who I am." She bit her bottom lip, laughing nervously. "What brings you here, Sage?"
"I'm the transplant surgeon."
"You're here for my mom?"
"Yeah..."
"Thank you." She whispered, smiling up at Sage. "I know this hospital is probably not as modern as the ones you usually work in."
"I saw Damon was the one who was going to assist." She shrugged indifferently. "I wouldn't want to miss the chance to work with him."
"You know Damon well?"
"Damon and I go way back." She almost sang the words, her green eyes shimmering. "I was working in Chicago the same time Damon was walking around with this goofy grin on his face, telling everyone he'd be a married man soon."
"He told you?" She arched her eyebrow, shaking her head in disbelief. "We wanted to keep it small, just really close friends and family."
"Sweetie, he told everyone." Sage threw her arms up, laughing. "He was so in love with you, he wanted the whole world to know it."
"Even if the whole world knew..." She opened her mouth, searching for words. "We both know that wedding never happened."
That blissful stage between falling in love and getting married ran perfectly the second time around, more perfect than she could have ever imagined. She was madly in love this time, convinced that she wouldn't breathe another day without him next to her. Every name on the guest list was put there by her; the rings were simple and yet so beautiful that she was assured that she'd never take it off again. Angry calls were made, whoever was on the other line having to endure her endless wrath because the divorce papers still hadn't arrived and she was still bound to a man she didn't want to be bound to. When they finally promised her that the divorce papers would arrive soon, she'd received the news that broke her current relationship, tore her to pieces, made her run out the door.
"You broke his heart, you know?" Sage moistened her lips, her green eyes filling with remorse. "It took months before he operated again."
"He broke my heart too." She looked down at the tiled floor. "He was the one that tore us apart, not me."
"I'm sure you came back here and played the victim," Sage nodded, rolling her eyes. "But you left one broken man behind, Elena."
"He lied to me."
"He protected you."
"That doesn't make it okay."
"Elena."
She turned on her heels as her mother's voice called for her, her bed being moved out of the room, her father walking behind it. She swallowed the lump in her throat and placed a forced smile on her face, reaching for her mother's hand, feeling Miranda's cold skin between her palms.
"Hi, Mom." She squeezed her mother's hand between her palms. "How are you doing?"
"We don't have time for small talk, honey." Miranda patted the space next to her so she would sit down. "I want to tell you something."
"Okay."
"Be happy, Elena." Miranda's eyes teared up, her voice growing hoarse. "Even if it's with someone I'd never approve of, just be happy."
"Mom." She leaned down, wrapping her arms around her mom's neck. "It's like you're saying goodbye. But you don't have to say goodbye because I'll see you soon, okay?"
"You know me, always the dramatics." Miranda chuckled and placed a kiss on her daughter's cheek. "I love you, Elena."
"I love you too, mom."
"I'll see you after the surgery." Miranda composed herself, smiling. "Maybe we could go to the gym together when I'm brand new."
"I'll keep you fit." Grayson spoke up, winking. "I'm still a young stud in the bedroom, honey."
"Dad!" Elena whined, burying her face in her hands. "Please don't say things like that."
"He always knew how to ruin a moment." Miranda reached behind her to pat Grayson's arm. "I don't know how I endured all those years with you."
"I think it was all the crazy monkey sex."
"Dad!"
"Don't be such a prude, Elena." Her father rolled his gray eyes at her. "God knows you and Damon knew how to get it on."
"Can we not talk about Damon having sex with my daughter?" Miranda growled, shaking her head. "I read this article that said that what you hear the minutes before your operation are the things you dream about."
"He's a good guy you know?" Elena stroked Miranda's cheek, a peaceful smile on her face. "I know you don't believe it, but he really is."
"Well, I'm sure he did some things right in his life time." Miranda pouted her lips together, thinking. "Maybe I can thank him for Liam."
"Maybe you can."
"We have to go." Sage came to stand next to one of the nurses. "Damon's already on stand-bye."
"We'll see you when you wake up." Grayson kissed his wife's forehead. "I love you."
Elena placed a quick kiss on her mother's forehead and watched as the nurses pushed her through the large doors, her father standing beside her. Miranda kept her eyes wide open, the white lights blinding her sight every few seconds as a new lamp on the ceiling passed over her. Tears welled up in her eyes, memories crossing her mind. Her family sitting at the table for Christmas, Stefan talking to his father, Elena sitting next to him, apparently content with watching Damon, her eyes filled with adoration. Elena's shaky voice on the other end of the line as she begged her to come back home, Damon's voice on the background, whispering soothing words. Her daughter with her own son in her arms, the same look of adoration on her face as she looked at the boy in her arms as when she looked at his father at the Christmas dinner just a few months ago. For the first time she realized Damon Salvatore would never be really out of her life, because her daughter had never given up on loving him. A three-year-old Liam murmuring about the snow outside as he falls asleep, Elena whispering to him that he would see a lot more snow once they'd go home to Chicago, that he'd need a thicker jacket. It made her wonder when Chicago became her daughter's home; knowing the answer all too well.
"Which one of you monkey-suits is Damon?"
She stretched her neck as a door went open, Damon smirking as he came towards her, wearing the green monkey-suit, his black hair tousled, his blue eyes shimmering in amusement. She watched him until he stopped beside her, eying him with a suspicious look.
"You're only wearing half of your costume."
"I can see where Elena got her sense of humor from." He sat down on a crutch beside the operating table. "She's not as cynical as you though."
"At least it's better than where Liam got his sense of humor from."
"I agree to disagree." His lips curled up in a small smile. "What can I do for you, Miranda?"
"Take care of them when I'm gone."
"If you already know that you're going to die then what's the point of me starting this operation?" He grabbed her hand carefully, feeling the unfamiliar skin. "Nothing's going to happen, Miranda. In a few months you'll be running after Liam and you'll have forgotten all about this."
"I feel like I'm never going to wake up again." Her eyes filled with tears as she let out a hard laugh. "But I guess you wouldn't mind, huh?"
"I'm not going to let anything happen to you." He squeezed her hand in his, shaking his head. "Because that would mean one of my best friend's would lose his wife, the woman I love would lose her mother and my son would have to grow up without his grandmother."
"Nice speech."
"Besides, which guy does get along with his mother-in-law?"
"You're not my son-in-law, mister." She chuckled, narrowing her eyes. "Although I have the feeling that it won't take that long anymore."
"Did I get you on team Damon?"
"No." She shook her head, her eyes scanning over his body. "But I can see what she sees in you, you're... not bad to look at."
"You'd be surprised to know how many good qualities I possess. " He waggled his eyebrows at her. "And trust me when I say you'll get to know me after this, because we're going to have a lot of appointments."
"Great." She growled under her breath. "I can't wait."
"Now you're just getting grumpy." He took the mask from next to her head. "It's time to shut you up."
"Damon?"
"Hmm."
"Thank you for Liam."
"You're welcome."
"Do you still have Damon's phone number?"
Stefan's green eyes watched her intensely, waiting for her to speak. Her voice seemed to be stuck in her throat as he arched his eyebrow at her, a suspicious look on his face. And for a second she thought he knew, he knew she was madly in love with another man, that last week had been a lie, that she was doubting their marriage so much that she had found comfort in another man's arms.
"Damon Salvatore's phone number?" Her voice pitched, her throat squeezing together. "Why do you need his number?"
"Because he turns out to be my half-brother." Stefan smiled patiently, his voice indicating that he was stating the obvious. "My dad was pretty hard on him and I thought maybe I can meet him, get to know him."
"Are you sure you want to meet him?" She lifted her shoulders, swallowing. "I mean, will Giuseppe approve of that?"
"My father doesn't have to know." Stefan smirked, pulling his hands out of his pockets. "I'd like to meet him; he's my brother. I remember praying for one and now it turns out I have one."
Her heart seemed to swell at the boyish grin on his face, her husband looking so young and vulnerable, praying to meet his long lost brother. For her own selfish reasons, she didn't want them to meet but as she looked at her husband she couldn't deny him. After everything she put him through, even if he had no idea yet, he deserved a small piece of happiness she could grant him.
"I'll write it down for you."
"What kind of person is he?" Stefan leaned against the counter as she started searching for a pen and paper. "I only met him at Christmas and we didn't really get the chance to talk."
"Damon is..." She searched her head for the right words. "Damon is hard to describe. I can safely say he's probably like no one you've ever met."
"But can you tell me something about him?"
"He's smart, he's funny, he hates people who beat around the bush because he's always straight-forward. He doesn't thrive on setting records like many people think, he thrives on saving people." She looked up at Stefan, burning under his stare. "If you meet him, don't talk about his mom, I've never seen any man love his mother like he does, if you say something wrong about her he won't let you get away with it."
"Okay." Stefan nodded in understanding, letting her words sink in. "Anything else?"
"He's hot-headed; that you're nice to him won't necessarily mean that he'll be nice to you." She scribbled down the number on a piece of paper and handed it to him. "And most of all, he won't trust you."
"Do I want to meet this guy?"
"Yes you do." She locked her brown eyes with his green ones. "Because if you get him on your side, he'll be the best brother you could ever wish for."
"I'm going to have to practice my speech before I meet him." Stefan's eyes widened in horror. "Sit there, pretend you're Damon and I'm going pretend like I'm meeting you for the first time."
"I don't think anyone besides Damon can really be Damon."
"Elena, sit down."
"Elena, sit down."
"It's been four hours."
Elena nervously bit on her bottom lip, pacing the waiting room once more, her father sitting down on one of the chairs, staring blankly in front of him. He occasionally spoke, telling her to sit down, that they'd come to them when they had news. How well he was dealing with all of this made her even more scared, because she was the only one freaking out right now.
"They said it would take around four hours." Grayson's gray eyes were locked on the floor. "Besides, the fact that they're still in there means she isn't dead yet."
"Elena!"
Wide green eyes landed on her brown ones, her husband's hair ruffled, the snowflakes melting into it. She watched the relief wash over his body as he noticed her standing there, the panic fading away in his eyes. With determined steps he came to stand in front of her, reaching for her shoulders, his arms wrapping around her as he buried his nose into the crook of her neck. And as she felt the distress leave his body, his heart drumming underneath his skin, she realized she didn't want to live a lie anymore.
"We have to talk."
"We have to talk."
He growled his complaints against her neck, his lips lingering on her skin, leaving hot wet kisses there. A soft moan escaped her, the fabrics of their clothes rubbing against each other as he moved to attack the other side of her neck, making her squirm underneath him. Her hand grabbed the side of the car seat, her hand running over the fabric of the back, her eyes looking up at the roof of the car.
"Damon." She grabbed his tousled hair in her fists, pulling him up. "Did you hear me?"
"Honey, I'd love to talk to you." He rolled his eyes exaggeratedly, hovering above her face. "But we're going to freeze if we don't keep each other warm."
She chuckled as he dove back down, his hands roaming over her stomach, her sweater rolled up to under her breasts. He looked up with those blue eyes of his, the mischief glistening in them as he left open mouth kisses around her navel, his tongue occasionally dipping inside of it. She could do nothing but revel in his touch, reveling in the fact that her arms were finally able to wrap around him again.
"Let's stop while we're still busy with foreplay."
"Let's not stop." He murmured against her tummy, licking her olive skin. "Ever."
"Don't you dare give me a hickey."
"You're the one who wanted foreplay." He traced the line of her panties. "Even though it's completely overrated."
"I actually read an article once that said long foreplay gives the best sex."
"Trust me." He smirked as she pulled his zipper down, freeing his length. "I just have to look at you and you're already wet, we don't need foreplay."
"Don't make me sound so needy." She smacked his arm, narrowing her eyes. "I think it actually took me from the airport to the parking lot to really be ready."
"Of course, that's why you practically jumped me the second you saw me."
She rolled her eyes in annoyance, lifting her hips so he could pull her jeans over them, smoothly uncovering her for him. Her lower-belly already started tingling in anticipation, her eyes watching his length, the tiny bundle of nerves between her folds swelling. A gasp escaped her as suddenly his tip pushed inside of her, spreading her walls for him.
"You really think foreplay is overrated." She bit her bottom lip, fighting the moan. "But I really do think that article was right."
"Sweetie, if I hadn't put him inside of you he'd have frozen off." He guided himself deeper inside of her, his nose pushing against hers. "You're still thinking about foreplay?"
"Uh-huh."
"How about now?" He heard her whisper a forced yes and angled his hips better so they hit her G-spot. "And now?"
"Foreplay," The husky whisper reached his ears barely, her eyes fluttering as her walls swallowed him deeper. "So overrated."
"Exactly." He pecked her lips softly, pushing himself up to the hilt, releasing her out of her misery. "Remember that because I have this feeling that we'll have another discussion about it in our future."
Their future and the uncertainty of it was exactly what they needed to talk about. Was she going to need a lawyer, would she be a divorced woman soon, would he take her with him or would he leave her behind. He was leaving again in two days, never coming back this time and she didn't know what his plans were, if he had any. A part of her wanted him to beg her to come with him, another part of her wanted to beg him to take her with him.
"Hello?"
Her head snapped up, looking at the misted window of the car. Damon stilled his movements on top of her and waited for the owner of the voice to tap another time against the window. She looked up at him with frantic eyes once the person started walking around the car, trying to see through the misted windows. Her heart beat in her throat, Damon moistening his lips, still as a statue on top of her, inside of her.
"This is the sheriff." The deep voice tapped another time on the window. "Please come out of the car or I'll feel obligated to break the glass."
Damon pulled himself out and off of her, sitting down at her feet, zipping up his pants. She breathed deeply, watching him smooth the fabric of his shirt, grabbing his jacket from the front seat. He rolled his eyes as the sheriff called for them another time, trying to see through the windows. Her breath got stuck in her throat as he pulled on the handle and opened the car door, getting out.
"Sir, you can't park here and you surely can't do what you were doing here." The sheriff's voice made shivers run down her spine. "I'll have to see some ID."
"It's in my bag in the trunk."
"Miss." The officer tapped on the door behind her back, pulling it. "You'll have to come out and identify yourself too."
She pulled her panties and jeans back over her hips, rolling down her sweater. With a sigh she got out of the car, briefly catching Damon's eye who was searching for his wallet in his bag. Then she turned to the sheriff, watching the shock come across his face. This must be how it felt to have people know you were cheating on your husband, people that attended your wedding, watched you pretend to be happily married and finally figured out that it was all a sham.
"Elena."
"Mr. Donovan." She nodded firmly, clasping her hands together in front of her. "How are Matt and your wife doing?"
"Does your mother know about this?" Mr. Donovan's eyes went wide, shaking his head. "What are you and Mr...?"
"Salvatore." She whispered, running a hand through her hair. "His name is Damon Salvatore."
"What are you and Mr. Salvatore doing here in the middle of nowhere?"
"You have a pretty good idea of what we were doing." Damon slammed the trunk shut. "The question is are you going to arrest us for it? Because I have this handcuff fetish..."
"Damon."
"How's that erection in your jeans feeling, Damon?" The sheriff smirked amused at how Elena silenced him. "I think that will be punishment enough."
"It is pretty painful."
"I'll let you two get away with it this time." He pointed his stern look at the two of them. "Next time I'll have to arrest you."
"Thank you, sir." Elena smiled gratefully, nodding. "It won't happen again."
"You're not the girl I thought you were, Elena." The sheriff shook his head in disappointment. "I hope you know what you're doing."
She averted her eyes from his, looking down at the ground, feeling more ashamed than ever. His footsteps walked past her, Damon's arms wrapping around her, her shaky breathing taking over. Her safety net wrapped more tightly around her, Damon's lips pressing against her temple, her eyes searching for his, finding her sea of love. It's all she could see as she looked into his ocean blue eyes, she couldn't imagine going a day without not looking into them, not seeing what she saw now; her future next to him.
"I'm living a lie." She buried her face into his chest, her body shaking. "I'm living a lie."
"I'm living a lie."
She pulled away from his embrace, his green eyes watching her in confusion, the wheels in his head turning. Once she had been ready to start her life with this man, go through every step in life with him, her heart had skipped a beat at just the sight of him, her nerves had been eased just with his presence. That was all in the past now, her heart taken over by another man that breezed in and took over from the man she thought she'd always belong to. Love had been a foreign concept to her when she was a teenager until she thought she found it in her current husband, only to realize later when her lover walked in that she'd never really been in love until he came along.
"I'm so sorry, Stefan." She clasped her hand over her mouth, shaking her head. "I want a divorce."
"Elena..."
"No, I'm sorry. Listen to me." She grabbed his hand in hers, holding it desperately. "My mom is fighting for her life and this is absolutely not the right time to do this but it feels like I have to do it now. I have to get my life back in order and I have to do it with the right people."
"And one of those people is Damon." He backed away from her, his face drowning in anguish. "After what he did to you, you're just going back to him."
"I know what you're thinking." Her eyes begged him to accept her plea. "I cheated on you and I left you behind without an explanation, I treated you horribly and still you took me back while you knew I was carrying his baby. And at that point I really believed that we would make it, that it was just a period and that we get through it. And then Liam was born and you were the most amazing dad to him but in the back of my mind I was always wondering: what if Damon was here?"
"So you used me." He let out a hard laugh, running a hand through his already tousled hair. "After being married for five years and getting through all that bullshit it's still him?"
"I cheated on you, Stefan." She threw her hands up, her eyes spread wide open. "You shouldn't want to be married to me because I broke our vows and to be honest I've been breaking them for the past five years. I was in love with another man and I never stopped loving him. But deep down you knew that, I could see it in your eyes; you knew I still thought about him."
"I stayed with you because I love you, Elena." His green eyes bored into hers, tears welling up in them. "I love you so much, I thought that maybe someday he'd get out of your system and you'd see what we had and accept it, because what we have, it's beautiful."
"It is beautiful and I did love you, I still do." Her eyes teared up, seeing his sorrow. "But I don't think I was really in love with someone until Damon came along. I want that back, Stefan. I want to feel like that again, I want to be in love again with the man next to me."
"What about Liam?"
"Liam and Damon," She shrugged, looking for the right words. "You were a great dad to him and I'd never take you out of his life because I know you care about him and he cares about you too. But Liam and Damon they seem so natural at being father and son, it's different than it was with you."
"Damon's Daddy, isn't he?" Stefan pointed his eyes to the ground, biting his bottom lip. "When Liam was screaming for Daddy and he said he wasn't there, he was screaming for Damon."
"I'm sorry, Stefan. I'm so sorry for putting you through this." She wiped away the tear that escaped her eye. "But I'm not the only one that needs him; Liam needs Damon too."
"Elena." Grayson interrupted what she was going to say, pointing his chin to the two white doors. "Damon and Sage."
Her heart seemed to stop beating and beat faster at the same time, her breathing getting stuck in her throat, her eyes watching the two surgeons as they strode through the doors, Damon's eyes finding hers, his poker face in place. Her father got up from the chair and stood still, waiting for them to reach him, waiting for the new that would release them out of their misery, that would give them the future with the mother she had always known or that would break that future by keeping her out of it.
Her feet seemed to move by themselves as she came to stand next to her father, grabbing his hand, the two surgeons standing in front of them, looking at one another. Time seemed to stop as they finally turned to them, Sage pointing her eyes at Grayson's, Damon's blue eyes falling on hers, the mask he had carried seconds before falling off, letting her in. And she didn't need him to say the words anymore, she had been ready to start her life with him, learned how to read every emotion on his face, see everything he wanted to tell her with just those eyes. She didn't need Sage to speak the words anymore, she already knew.
"She didn't make it."
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