Sorry the update took longer than usual! It was a busy weekend!
Anyway, thanks for all the reviews, and I hope you guys like it! :)
Less than an hour later, they were all sitting down at the table, the enchiladas on a hot plate in front of them, along with a bowl of chips and the guacamole.
April was beginning to feel more relaxed, as she fell into an easy conversation with Elena about her school project.
Elena had always been easy to talk to, and in a way, reminded April of her own mother, who cancer had claimed a while back.
Damon was sitting across from her, and eventually jumped into their conversation.
"So what were you planning for after graduation?" He asked casually, "Any idea if you want to do college, or…"
She nodded, "I want to study journalism."
His brow raised, "Like a reporter?"
"Investigative reporter, actually."
He seemed hesitant, and she could understand why, "I'm guessing Hollywood pit-bulls are a bit of an inconvenience though. Especially for a name as well-known as yours."
He shrugged, "The press is always going to be a problem. But on the contrary, I respect the media. It's a good source of publicity, and my name wouldn't be so well known without it. I do however, have an extreme dislike for those "pit-bulls", who seem to think there's a story behind every trip you take out of your apartment."
"I see how that could be a pain," she reasoned, "But who can you really blame? The tabloid reporter, who's trying to exploit you, or the bad-dye-job, needs-a-life public who lap it all up?"
He chuckled, "I learned a while back to just accept the fans in any form they come in. If they love you, they love you."
She shook her head, "But that's the thing, they don't. I mean sure, some of the die-hard ones can do everything down to memorizing your birthday, but at the end of the day, all they have is an unhealthy obsession. That's not love, it's manipulation of the public."
"So I take it you don't want to be one of those?"
She shook her head, "God, no. I just want to do investigative journaling. Crime scene kind of stuff."
He seemed intrigued, "What got you interested in that?"
She shrugged, "I love writing, and I like to know the truth about things. It just seems like something I'd enjoy."
"And it has nothing to do with the fact that you're a persistent nosy body?" Chris teased.
She elbowed his side, "Don't be mean. So what if I like knowing the facts about things?"
Chris smirked, "There's nothing wrong with it. But don't forget that we did do that Historical Event Essay together last year. There's dedication, and there's obsession."
"Well, if I remember correctly, my obsession got us an "A" on that assignment," she defended.
"Yeah, yeah, and I owed you coffee for like two weeks after that. I remember."
She grinned, "Well it got you to finally ask me out, didn't it?"
He gave her a reproachful look to which she just grinned at, "That's what I thought."
"Shut it, Young."
"Make me, Salvatore."
Chris smirked at her challenge, but Damon interrupted, "Young…is your father Byron Young?"
April nodded, "Yep. You know him?"
Damon shot a look to Elena, who noticeably blushed, "We ran into each other a time or two."
"This sounds interesting," Chris encouraged, raising a brow.
Damon chuckled, "I guess that's one word for it."
April got excited, "Please tell me you know something completely humiliating that I could use for blackmail in the future."
"Sorry kiddo," he smirked, "Nothing blackmail worthy, although I'm pretty sure he had it in for Elena when we were in high school."
Elena shoved him, "He did not! That was you being a jealous ass, remember?"
Damon grinned, "Say what you want sweetheart, but I know those looks when I see them."
"Pastor Young liked Mom?" Chris seemed incredulous.
"No."
"Oh, yeah."
Elena threw Damon a reproachful look, "No he didn't. He was quite a few years older than us. He helped me study on a few weekends that he was back from the U, and your father just assumed he had a thing for me."
"Oh, he had a thing for you alright," Damon noted, "Didn't you ever wonder why he hated me?"
Her brows furrowed, "You think that's why he didn't like you?"
"Sure, either that or it might have had something more to do with us being caught sneaking into the church that night so we could have-"
"Damon!" she exclaimed, cutting him off.
The teens were laughing, but Elena was blood red, "No. That is not a road we go down at dinner."
He shrugged, "It's not like they think nothing ever happened. I mean, come on, our fifteen year old, six-foot-one tall, living, breathing son, sitting here is proof of that."
"Hey, I'm six-foot-three, thank you," Chris defended.
April gave him a look, "You are not that tall!"
"Wanna bet?" he challenged.
"No, it's true," Elena offered, "Had to go get his physical at the beginning of the semester. He's 6'3."
"Told you," he smirked.
April rolled her eyes, "Uhhu, rub it in."
Elena chuckled, "It's unfair to us shorter people."
"You're telling me," April nodded, "Being short sucks."
"I think it's just part of being a girl," Chris teased.
"As if," April reprimanded, "My mom was tall."
"By the way," Damon added, "Who is your mother? I always assumed your Dad would move off to a bigger city. But seeing as he's obviously still here, I'm assuming he married locally?"
A thick silence filled the room when he was done speaking, and April sighed.
It didn't matter where she was, if her mother was brought up, an awkward silence followed.
"Actually, he did move away. My mom was Mary Simmons, he met her in college, but she died of cancer when I was eight, so Dad and I moved back here."
Damon blinked, "Oh…wow, I'm sorry."
"Thanks…I guess. I never was really sure how to answer that."
She felt Chris's arm slide around her waist, and she looked at him, "I'm fine, really. It was a long time ago."
Damon nodded, "Well, I'm fairly certain your pretty looks didn't come from your dad, so she must have been beautiful."
April smiled appreciatively, "She was…and thanks. I actually think Dad took it the hardest. We moved back here to be with family afterwards, but he sort of jumped into his work after that…but I had my grandparents, my aunt…so it wasn't all that bad."
"Then you met me, and your world was rocked forever," Chris teased.
She laughed, looking at Elena, "Now, I know he didn't get the ego from you."
She smirked, pointing toward Damon, "Nope, that's all that one's fault."
"Hey," Damon defended, "It's not ego, it's a healthy self-confidence. Part of the Salvatore charm."
"Yeah, right," Elena prodded, "I'm sure that line has worked plenty over the years."
He grinned, "Too bad it never worked on you."
She laughed, "It never needed to. I already knew what an arrogant bastard you were."
"You're so sweet, Elena, you really are," he joked, making her stick her tongue out at him.
April watched them, smiling.
They'd be so cute together, and she really wanted Chris to have the chance at a normal family.
She knew that that was important to him, no matter how cool and macho he tried to play if off.
And it was so clear that his parents belonged together.
She only hoped that they would notice it soon.
Chris helped Elena clear off the table, once they were through eating, as Damon and April disappeared into the living room, her having asked to see his guitar.
He was surprised at how well the two of them were getting along.
Seriously.
She clicked with Damon better than he did, but then again, it was April, and she could make anybody love her when she wanted to.
Seconds later, the sound of music trailed through the air, and he smiled, shaking his head.
"It's strange, isn't it?" Elena asked, wrapping up the left-over food and putting it in the fridge.
"What is?" he asked, beginning to load the dishwasher.
"Having people here," she smiled, and he realized it had been a while since he'd seen her this content.
He nodded, "A little…but it's kind of nice."
"It is," she agreed.
The sat in silence for a moment, then she sighed, "Chris, can I ask you something?"
Her voice sounded conflicted, which worried him, "Of course."
He closed the dish washer, and turned, to find her studying him.
"What's wrong, Mom?"
She noticeably swallowed, "Nothing's wrong, exactly…I just need to know…do you wish I'd done things differently?"
He turned his head to the side, "What do you mean?"
"With Damon," she explained, "I know that I tried to do the best I could for you, but I wonder now if it was enough…it was wrong of me to keep you from him, I know that, and I wish I could change things, but I can't. And we never really talked about it…"
He nodded, "Yeah I know. I guess I've always wondered if how different things could have been, but I never blamed you, Mom. It was a rough situation, I get that, and you've sacrificed so much for me. But yes, I would have rather grown up with Damon knowing about me."
Her eyes fell to the floor, "I am so sorry, Christian."
He moved toward her, pulling her against him in a hug, "It's okay Mom, really. Like you said, we can't change the past…but Damon's here now, and this past week has been pretty great."
She looked up, "Yeah?"
He offered her a smile, "Yeah. Really, I'm okay."
"Good," she hugged him tighter, "I just want you happy, baby."
He nodded, thinking of his life.
He had good grades, crazy friends, an amazing girl, and now both of his parents.
"I am happy, Mom."
Voices filled the air then, and they pulled apart, glancing at each other, before making their way to the living room.
Damon was on the couch, April cross-legged in the chair across from him, watching as he played a song.
"It's not a silly little moment,
It's not the storm before the calm.
This is the deep and dying breath of
This love that we've been working on.
Can't seem to hold you like I want to
So I can feel you in my arms.
Nobody's gonna come and save you,
We pulled too many false alarms.
We're going down,
And you can see it too.
We're going down,
And you know that we're doomed.
My dear,
We're slow dancing in a burning room.
I was the one you always dreamed of,
You were the one I tried to draw.
How dare you say it's nothing to me?
Baby, you're the only light I ever saw.
I'll make the most of all the sadness,
You'll be a bitch because you can.
You try to hit me just to hurt me
So you leave me feeling dirty
Because you can't understand.
We're going down,
And you can see it too.
We're going down,
And you know that we're doomed.
My dear, we're slow dancing in a burning room,
Burning room,
Burning room,
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?
Don't you think we oughta know by now?
Don't you think we shoulda learned somehow?"
He finished, and Chris couldn't help but feel impressed.
At least the talent part wasn't a lie; Damon could sing.
But then again he doubted that he inherited his own musical interest from his mother.
Hesitantly, he looked at his father, and cleared his throat.
"May I?"
Damon seemed a little taken aback, at first, but handed the guitar over, "You play?"
Chris nodded, moving to sit on the arm of April's chair, seeing as Elena had already claimed the spot next to Damon.
Picking one of his favorites, he started strumming.
He immediately realized that this guitar was a lot more expensive than the hand-me-down one he owned.
The sound was simply amazing.
April smiled next to him when she recognized the tune, and when the song hit the last prelude note, she was singing with him.
"Our love was unconditional
We knew it from the start
I see it in your eyes
You could feel it in my heart
From here on after
Let's stay the way we are right now
And share all the love and laughter
That a lifetime will allow
I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine"
He was surprised when Damon's voice cut in.
Though he was sure everyone was familiar with King George, it was still a little of a shock.
April's voice also trailed off, as they listened to Damon, while Chris continued to play.
"You will always be the miracle
That makes my life complete
And as long as there's still breath in me
I'll make yours just as sweet
As we look into the future
It's as far as we can see
So let's make each tomorrow
Be the best that it can be
I cross my heart
And promise to
Give all I've got to give
To make all your dreams come true
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine
And if along the way we find a day
It starts to storm
You've got the promise of my love
To keep you warm,"
Chris couldn't help but notice the way that Damon looked at his mother when he sang this, and the inner child in him grew hopeful.
Maybe there really was a chance that they'd someday be a real family.
But hope was all he had.
In all the world
You'll never find
A love as true as mine."
End of chapter!
Please review and let me know what you thought! :)