Hello, my lovely readers. This chapter is dedicated to ScarletRose who asked for a Damon/Liz friend centric chap. So send me your request and I will try to make them happen. On with the show…
Chapter 3: What It Means to Be a Friend
Elena felt curious when Damon suggested that they take Liz Forbes out for a drive. Taking a seat in the back of the car, she felt her lips twitch when Damon flipped the dial to a country station that she was pretty certain that he hated. Liz began to talk about how she had played this music when Caroline and Elena were little kids. The sheriff was settled into her seat with a serene look on her face.
When Damon had approached Elena with the plan to kidnap Liz for an hour while Stefan distracted Caroline with a trip to the Grill to hang with Matt she had felt unsure. She had thought that it might be better to allow the sheriff to rest even if she claimed to feel better since Caroline had fed her her blood. One thing Elena had learned over the years was that there were no sure things in life and that Caroline's plan might not work the way she had intended, although for her friend's sake she hoped it did.
"Where are we going, Damon?" Liz asked, inclining her head to the side to take in Damon's expression. He seemed calm and relaxed as he drove slowly down a road.
"Nowhere in particular. I just thought you might need a break from Caroline's nursing. She's in her usual spastastic mood and it's enough to drive anyone crazy," Damon replied with a grin and uplifted eyebrows. "Although I could say that we might be headed to a little place that I like to think of as fun."
"Oh, dear," Liz rolled her eyes but she smiling. "Your idea of fun is not something I'm sure that I'm feeling up for."
"Nope. Not getting out of it," Damon told her with a waggle of his index finger. "And we're here anyway."
'Huh?' Elena thought, looking out at the empty land that he had taken them to. She did not have much time to contemplate what it was exactly that Damon had in mind before he was getting out of the car and heading around to the trunk. When he reappeared, rounding her side of the vehicle she noted the blanket that he was carrying.
"Don't want you to get cold, now do we?" Damon inquired lightly as he pulled the car door open. Liz got out and Elena followed closely. "Now, this is where I go to think, or to dance, or to curse the world. I suggest that we do all three. Well, minus the cursing the world part because this is about celebrating life."
"Uh huh," Liz replied with a chuckle. "Damon, I have always known that you were a little odd but this is a new side of odd."
"Odd? Did she just call me odd?" Damon asked Elena with a hand pressed to his heart. Shaking his head, Damon placed an arm around Liz's shoulders. "On the contrary I am a very complex man with many facets to my personality. You of all people should know that by now."
"I do," Liz reassured him. "But don't you have something more pressing to take care of than me? I'm fine, you know?"
"Oh, I know," Damon replied quietly. "And, no, I do not have anything better to do. It seems that I have been grossly neglecting my friend time with you and that is about to change because I'm all yours until Caroline comes to rescue you."
Liz began to laugh quietly, "Damon, you are just full of surprises today."
"Yeah, well, what can I say, I like to be unpredictable," Damon replied. "Now, Elena, if you will be so kind as to hand over that iPod that you're practically physically attached to," Damon held out his hand expectantly as Elena fished it out and handed it to him. She was wondering what he wanted with it when he began to look through her selection before he hit on a song that she didn't think she had on there. Maybe Caroline or Bonnie had added it. Jon Bon Jovi' "It's My Life" began to play. "Now for the dance," Damon said and waved his hands for Liz and Elena to join him.
Elena couldn't help but smile as she watched the sheriff who seemed to be on guard to deal with criminals most of time begin to sing along to the music and dance like she was her daughter's age. Elena never thought she had ever seen the sheriff let loose like this. Damon was laughing as Liz twirled about. He winked at Elena who felt pleased that he had included her in this moment.
"Now, it's time for the celebrating life part of the day," Damon announced, plopping down on the ground. "I'm celebrating a second chance at living since I got back from hell. How 'bout you? Liz, what are you celebrating?"
Liz looked at the sky. "I am celebrating the time that I have been given with my little girl who is not such a little girl anymore and all of the time that I have left with her." Looking at Elena, Liz smiled. "And what are you celebrating, Elena?"
"I'm celebrating getting to hang out with the two of you. I mean how times do you get to hear someone insult Damon and live to tell the tale?" Elena asked with a smirk directed at Damon who smirked back.
"Good point," Liz replied with a smile. "And I guess that we should be celebrating the fact that there is no longer a spell to keep the two of you out of Mystic Falls."
"There's always that," Damon murmured. "Of course there's also the bit where that freak, Kai, is still on the loose."
"That is the power of positive thinking," Elena added and Damon rolled his eyes.
"We'll get him. Don't worry about it," Liz said with a yawn.
"Are you feeling tired?" Damon asked Liz with a look of concern. "Should we head back?"
"No, I want to stay here a little longer. We haven't had the taking time to think part," Liz told Damon who grinned.
"Yeah, where's Stefan when you need someone to brood for you?" Damon quipped to which the two women laughed.
For a long time the three sat contemplating the lives that they had lived so far and pondered what life had in store for them. Elena was beginning to realize why she had fallen for Damon. Yes, there was no doubt that he capable of doing shocking and desperate things that hurt people but he was also capable of doing shocking, healing and amazing things, too. He was kinder to Liz than people who did not have the excuse that they were blood sucking creatures of the night. He was funny. And he was compassionate, one aspect that she must have forgotten along with so many other memories that she had lost. She had seen it long ago when Liz found out what he and her daughter were and spared her life. This was the Damon that she cared for before and the Damon that she wanted to get to know again.
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Answers to reviews:
Jairem: Thank you.
Cry Benihime: Thank you, I hope you enjoyed this new chapter.
AnneMarie2106: Thank you, I can be like that sometimes when I get squishy and sentimental…
Peace,
Jessica