Thanks for waiting guys :) It's been a busy few weeks, but anyway, here's the next chapter!
Grayson led him into the living room, and proceeded to sit down in a big recliner.
Damon followed in suit, taking a spot on the sofa, across from Grayson.
"So what's this about?" Grayson demanded, "If you're coming to me with it, I assume it's serious."
Damon considered that, "It's not necessarily what you're thinking, but it is a problem, and surprisingly, you're the one with the best chance of understanding the situation, and possibly being able to help me with it."
Grayson grunted, "I thought this was about Chris."
"It is," Damon assured him.
"Then explain," he offered.
Damon gave a quick, but detailed version of the events that had taken place over the weekend.
Grayson listened, without interruption, until he was finished.
"So, why come to me?" Grayson asked, once Damon fell silent, "It seems like Christian wasn't directly involved, so I'm failing to see the pressing matter."
Damon sighed, "It involved Chris's best friend trying to rape his girlfriend. I'd say that's pressing enough."
"Surely it's nothing you and Elena can't handle," Grayson noted, the layer of sarcasm quite evident.
Damon stared at the man, reminding himself that he didn't come to start anything.
"Grayson," he began, "I want to be clear about something. I understand the way you feel about me, and part of me doesn't blame you. I was an idealistic teenager who got your daughter pregnant. And, believe it or not, I am sorry, for what I took from her. But Chris is here, because of it, and I refuse to regret my son. So, if you want to keep hating me for the choices I made back then, that's your business. I've made my peace, and I don't plan on continuing to apologize for something I can't change. It's over, and I have to focus on what I can do now."
Grayson held the same expression, after, and Damon found it hard to tell what he was thinking.
Finally, the man spoke, "You love him, don't you? Christian."
Damon nodded, "Of course I do."
Grayson considered this, "And Elena? You'd say you love her too."
Damon again, nodded, "I would."
Grayson eyed him, "And what makes you so sure of this? That what you feel for her isn't some lingering impression of your high school crush. I've seen the flings you've had over the years, Damon. The endless faces you've dated. What makes Elena any different? How do you know you even love her?"
Damon saw where he was coming from, but it didn't matter. He knew what he felt, so he asked, "How do I know that I love Elena? How do you know that your heart beats in your chest? It's that simple. I know my reputation, and I'm not going to deny my past...I've dated, I've drank, and I'm far from having a spotless record. But Elena means more to me than any of that...more than anything else. I mean it when I say that I've always loved her. She's everything to me, Grayson, she always has been. How do you think I managed to leave her in the first place? You really made me believe it was the best thing for her, and her needs were the only thing I cared about more than my wants. I'm not perfect, but don't ever think that I don't love your daughter."
Grayson was silent for a moment, his thoughts spinning.
He didn't expect, when he'd awoken this morning, to have Damon Salvatore sitting in his living room, declaring his love for Elena.
But Grayson couldn't ignore what he'd said.
And he couldn't deny the truth any longer.
Like it or not, Damon had always loved Elena.
And loved her still.
He thought through everything he'd felt over the years.
Damon had made some bad choices, but so had he.
He'd manipulated his own daughter's life, for selfish reasons.
Of course, part of him had truly thought it was best for Elena...but truthfully, that wasn't his call to make.
Elena's future should have been her decision, including whoever she wanted in it.
And he'd almost made the same mistake with Christian, by planting doubts about Damon, with the idea of keeping them safe.
He sighed.
Just because he didn't trust Damon didn't mean that the man had ulterior motives.
It just meant that he was using his grudge as an excuse for trying to get rid of him, for reasons that happened half a lifetime ago.
And it was costing him his daughter, and eventually, his only grandchild.
"I don't hate you, Damon," he finally admitted, forcing himself to look at the man across from him, "I don't particularly like you...but I don't hate you. I was...angry. I really did think you would ruin Elena. And she's the most important thing to me in this world. You'll learn that, with Christian, but you won't truly know, until you have a daughter. It changes your life, and more than anything, you want to protect her. But I couldn't protect her from you. She didn't want me to. And feeling like I was losing her to you, it scared me. So I convinced you of what I believed was true. That Elena would have a better future if you weren't in it...And that was wrong of me."
Damon's eyes seemed to widen in surprise, that he was actually admitting this, and Grayson couldn't help but smirk.
"I'm guessing you didn't expect to hear that."
Damon chuckled a little, "To be honest, not in a million years."
Grayson nodded, "I'll admit that I can be a little stubborn."
"A little?" Damon smirked, and Grayson shot him a look, "Don't push it."
Damon still smirked, but didn't say anything else.
Grayson sighed, "I'm not saying that I'm okay with this, though. Elena, with you. I don't trust you, Damon, especially not with my daughter. But I realize now that it's her decision to make, especially since it concerns Christian. You are the boy's father, and perhaps if I'd been a little less stubborn, you'd of known that years ago."
Damon had sat a little straighter, listening.
"I understand why you might feel that way," Damon allowed, "I can't pretend to understand the fears you must have had, and I'll be the first to admit that Elena was way out of my league," his eyes seemed distant as he spoke, "She was, is, an amazing person. Beautiful inside and out. And I'm no more deserving of her now then I was fifteen years ago. I know that."
He sighed, "The problem is, I didn't care back then. It doesn't matter anymore, but back then, I only felt lucky that she wanted me, over everyone else. I never stopped to consider how being with me might affect her. I was young and convinced we'd live forever. And you were the one that woke me up."
"The night I caught you sneaking out of her window," Grayson recalled.
Damon nodded, "I think you made a mistake that night, in telling me the things you did...but that doesn't mean they weren't true. I wasn't ready for the kind of life Elena deserved. I was living a dream, until you made me realize how much more I wanted for her. I wanted her to live the fullest life possible, and to be happy. I wanted her to have what she deserved, and more. I wanted her to have better than me."
Damon's voice held a tightness that made Grayson frown.
He'd never thought he'd have something in common with Damon, and the sadness in the young man's voice was beginning to make him regret more of his decisions.
"But you have to know," Damon continued, "That I never wanted to hurt her. And if I'd known that she was pregnant, I would have given up everything to support them. I never would have left her alone like that."
And strangely, part of Grayson believed him.
There was enough conviction in his voice that it was hard not to.
"I'm...sorry," Grayson forced out, "That things turned out the way they did. Despite my personal feelings, I shouldn't have encouraged Elena to keep Christian a secret. It was selfish, and wrong. But I'm also glad, in a way, that I did."
He swallowed, leaning forward, "Elena had a hard go of it, even with the help she had. But she's strong. She pulled through okay. I think, if things had gone differently, if you had stayed, she wouldn't be the person she is now. And Chris might not be either. I can't speak for you, Damon, but I feel that if you'd have stayed, none of you would have gotten the life you wanted. You'd have been forced into some low-waged job, and Elena would've been home with Chris. You would have had more children, and college never would have happened, for either of you."
Damon nodded, but lifted a brow, "I see your point, but I'm not sure what you're saying Grayson. You said you're sorry, about Chris, yet you're glad I left. You don't want me in town, but you think it was wrong of you to help keep Chris a secret. Is this an apology or an arraignment?"
"Neither," Grayson decided, "I'm just trying to admit that I was wrong, but I wanted to explain my actions."
Damon nodded, "So where does that leave us?"
Grayson considered that, "You want to be here, with Chris and Elena. I'd rather you not be in Elena's life, but it seems that's where she wants you, and I'm not willing to lose her over this. As for Christian, that was never my decision, and I shouldn't have tried to make it so. Whether I like it or not, he's your son, and you have that right to him. But I'm going to warn you now," he met Damon's eyes with a hard stare, "Don't you dare hurt them, Damon. In any way. Or you and I are going to do more than talk, you understand?"
Damon didn't even flinch, "I don't plan on that ever being an issue."
"Good," Grayson noted, then, wanting to change the subject, he leaned back, "So you came here to ask for my help?"
Damon nodded, falling into the conversation, "Chris isn't dealing very well. I know he's been in trouble before and there is a chance that he might still try to start something with Kol. I think it would help if he could talk to April more, but Pastor Young isn't too keen on letting her out of his sight."
Grayson grunted, "Can you blame him?"
"I don't," Damon assured, "But I'm worried about how it'll affect Chris. He's already lost his best friend. He shouldn't have to lose the girl he loves too."
Grayson's brow lifted, "You believe he loves her?"
Damon stared at him, confused, "You don't?"
Grayson shrugged, "It's a typical high school relationship. They come and go."
Damon pursed his lips, "With all due respect, Mr. Gilbert, you once said the same of me and Elena. If Christian says he loves the girl, I believe him."
Grayson shook his head, "Love or not, the Pastor will see it the same, as a fling, a passing boyfriend. That's not going to be enough for him to loosen up after his daughter was attacked."
Damon sighed, "So there's no chance that he'll let April see Chris?"
Grayson shrugged, "I can only speak for myself, but I'm guessing it'll be a while before he really let's her do anything. Best tell Christian to hang in there."
Damon brought a hand down his face, "That's gonna go over well. He was practically out running the bus to get to school today, to see her."
Grayson chuckled slightly, "The boy does tend to have a one tracked mind, doesn't he? But he'll be fine, Damon. He's stronger than you'd think. And this will eventually pass."
Damon nodded, but fell silent.
His mind turned with thoughts of the past.
"Hopefully sooner, rather than later."
Grayson agreed, "Sorry if it's not what you wanted to hear, but it's what I got. My advice would be to stay busy. Keep the boy's mind off of it, and time will go by faster."
Damon looked up at him, "Yeah, about that. Elena mentioned that Chris had taken interest in a car of yours..."
It wasn't until third period that Chris finally got to see April.
The day had been dragging, but the moment she smiled at him, a weight in his chest lifted.
"Hey, babe," she greeted, as he walked up to the line outside the classroom.
The door was locked and the teacher had yet to arrive.
"I looked for you this morning," he answered, pulling her into his arms.
She nodded, "Same. But I was running late, and barely made it to first period, then I forgot my bag and had to go back to the annex building, and it was just a crazy start."
He smiled, kissing her head, "Well, it'll get better now."
She nodded, leaning into him, "It already has."
He was about to ask her how it had gone with her dad, but the teacher chose that moment to show up, and they jumped apart.
He didn't get the chance to bring it up again until lunch.
They sat down outside at a table, talking as they picked at the pizza on their trays.
"So your dad's planning on what, house arrest?" He asked, once she'd explained the situation.
"Not exactly," she sighed, "He just wants me to spend a little more time at home, or with him, or whatever. I think this whole thing scared him."
"He's not the only one," Chris told her, and she smiled, grabbing his hand, "I'm okay."
Her grin was contagious, and he smiled back, "I know you are...But this is still going to suck."
She nodded, "I know. But I'm hoping it'll pass soon. He'll relax after some time has gone by, then everything will be back to normal."
"I hope you're right," Chris kissed her hand, "Because Tyler's gonna make a crappy study date."
April giggled at that, just as the bell rang.
"Well, we still have school. We'll see each other here five days a week," she reasoned, "And we can always go...study, during free period."
Chris smirked as they stood from the table, "You realize that you're gonna be the death of me, right?"
She winked, picking up her tray, "Then at least you'll die smiling."
He laughed, shaking his head as he walked behind her, already feeling a little better.
Okay, y'all know the drill :)
Reviews= My day made
Can't wait to hear what y'all think.
I don't want Grayson fixed, or better, or anything, but I'm trying to show that two adults can learn to be civil with each other, when it comes to family.
Hope y'all enjoyed!