Well, hey there! I loved logging on to my computer and seeing how much you all loved the "non-date." It was fun to right. This story is a bit lighter - for now - than my other two, and I'm enjoying writing it. I'm quite far ahead of things, and surprised at how easy this one is coming to me.
I did want to address a question about how the football players spoke last chapter. Keep in mind when reading my stories that I write my characters in dialect. Cody, for instance, is a six year old boy that speaks fast, dropping the 'g' on -ing words and using bad grammar, because he doesn't know any better. Elena went to Georgetown and speaks more formally. Ava Kate, too, speaks more formally, especially for a five year old, and that, you'll learn down the road, is on purpose.
The football players last chapter speak in the dialect native to their small, southern, costal town. It doesn't mean they're "dumb" or anything of the sort. Nags Head, in my story and in real life, is a blue collar town, where people rely on summer tourists to make ends meet. I, too, grew up in a blue collar town, about 6 hours north of Nags Head. I can and do speak formally when the situation calls for it, but when I'm with my friends, I've got a southern twang that rival's Dolly Parton's, and more southernisms than you can shake a stick at (see?).
My apologies for the long AN this time, but I did want to clear up the dialect question. I draw a lot of my writing inspiration from Flannery O'Connor and William Faulkner. Both do dialect well. Think Mark Twain and how he writes his characters in Huckleberry Finn and the Adventures of Tom Sawyer. He, too, is a master at dialect.
Wrapping up the AN for what I hope is a fun, light chapter. Thanks for reading and commenting, both here and on Twitter. You all are amazing and I thank you.
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.
Elena glanced around and made sure she was alone before opening her camera app and checking her reflection. She smoothed down a few stray hairs and returned her phone to her pocket. She blew out a breath as she walked down the hallway. It had been a very long time since she had done this, but she hoped it was like riding a bike, that she would remember how to flirt and not make a fool of herself. She reached Damon's classroom and, with another breath, tapped on the doorframe. Damon looked up from the papers on his desk and smiled.
"Hey," he greeted.
"Hey," she replied, walking into the room.
"How is that English department workshop going?"
"I'm on a 'bathroom break,'" Elena replied. She held up a laminated figurine of a girl. "I have the hall pass and everything. Mr. Mack is very serious about his workshops. We are currently having a refresher on how to diagram sentences." Damon snorted.
"I fear for the future of any student not in your class."
"Me too," Elena said seriously. "Mr. Mack thinks his seniors actually go to the bathroom when they take the hall pass and Mrs. Ray? She's old as the hills and basically blind. I'm not sure she actually reads what she grades." She took in the papers spread across Damon's desk. "It looks like you've been busy."
"I made a pop quiz for the first day of school," Damon said, picking up a paper. "I want to see what these kids actually know about basic U.S. history."
"You are giving a pop quiz on the first day of school?" Elena asked. "Your students are going to hate you." She reached for the paper, but Damon pulled it out of her reach.
"It's not for a grade. I just want to benchmark my classes. I'm just not going to tell them they aren't being graded on it until after they take it so they actually try."
"Clever," Elena teased. Damon turned his eyes to the quiz in his hand.
"Let's see what you know about U.S. history, Ms. Gilbert."
"Try me," Elena agreed, perching on a desk positioned in the front row, right in front of his desk.
"When was America founded?"
"July 4, 1776," Elena answered easily. Damon nodded.
"Which president served more than two terms?"
"FDR." Damon raised an eyebrow. He expected that question to trip her up. He picked another one.
"What year did Neil Armstrong land on the moon?"
"1969. This quiz is easy."
"Okay, then. What country did the United States buy the Louisiana Purchase from?"
"France."
"Smarty pants," Damon muttered. "Here's a tough one: On what day did the Great Depression start?" Elena pretended to think about it.
"October 29, 1929," she answered after a beat. "Also known as Black Tuesday."
"I'm running out of questions," Damon replied, impressed. "How about this one? What's the deadliest war in U.S. history?"
"The Civil War. I know a lot more about history than I thought." Damon chuckled.
"Let's try the bonus question," he said. "What football team has won the most Super Bowls?" Elena made a face.
"That's not on your quiz." Damon turned the paper so she could see it and pointed to the 'bonus question' at the bottom which was, in fact, asking which football team had won the most Super Bowls. Elena rolled her eyes. "Taking a shot in the dark here, but guessing you are a Cowboys fan, thereby the answer is the Dallas Cowboys."
"Wrong," Damon said. "I am a Cowboys fan, but the correct answer is the Pittsburgh Steelers. They have six wins. The Cowboys have five."
"Is that a hint of bitterness I hear in your voice?" Elena teased.
"It's not always easy being a Cowboys fan," Damon retorted. "But, you're not a true Texan unless you root for the Cowboys."
"Isn't there another Texas football team? From Austin or something?"
"Houston," Damon corrected. "The Houston Texans. They're the redheaded stepchild no one likes, but still tries to treat fairly for appearances."
"You really are Texas forever, aren't you?" Elena asked. Damon nodded.
"I even have the t-shirt." Elena laughed. "Whose your team?" Elena shrugged.
"I don't really care," she admitted. "My dad cheered for the Panthers, and so does Jeremy, so I guess – them?"
"I can convert you," Damon said with a confident nod. "I'll have you cheering for the Cowboys by mid-season." He had a sudden flash of not just Elena, but Ava Kate as well, dressed in Cowboys jerseys and cheering for his team.
"You'll have to get me to care about football, first," Elena retorted. Damon grinned at her.
"Challenge accepted." He leaned back in his chair and laced his fingers behind his head. "How was Ava Kate this morning?"
"Well-rested," Elena answered. "The fish and the ice cream wore her out. She was asleep before we got home. I had to wake her up to give her a bath. There was no way I was letting her sleep in her bed smelling like a marina."
"She was cute, running around the docks, playing with those fish. Although, fish are probably not the first thing I would have thought she would be into, wearing that dress and being as dainty as she is."
"She loves to fish," Elena explained. "My dad took her a few times before he passed away." Damon saw the sadness in Elena's eyes. It was gone a flash later.
"My dad likes to fish," he said. "He's not very good at it, but I think he does it to get out of the house. Same with golf. His golf game sucks worse than mine, but he has a weekly standing tee time all the same. He'd go crazy hanging out with Mom all day, every day."
"I told you I met your parents at Caroline and Stefan's wedding," she reminded him. "I liked them."
"They're likeable enough," Damon agreed. "Mom is overwhelming, but she means well and she's one hell of a cook. Dad is tough, but fair. He let Stefan and I get away with a hell of a lot when we were kids, so long as we weren't doing anything stupid, dangerous, or illegal."
"You talk about your dad a lot," Elena noted. "You miss him, don't you?" She saw Damon's bravado falter for just a moment.
"He's a good dad," he said. "I haven't lived at home in years, though. And there's always Facetime." Elena smiled at him. She knew that was as close to admitting he missed his family as he was going to get.
"Does your mom really hate Caroline?" she asked. Damon chuckled.
"She loves Caroline," he said. "But, Stefan is the baby and he's always been a Mama's boy. She had a harder time letting him go." He snorted. "She practically burned rubber when she left me at Texas A&M."
"Liar," Elena said with a smile.
"She shed a few tears, hugged me a few dozen times, and sent a care package full of my favorite foods within three days, but it was easier to let me go than Stefan. I've always had a rather wide independent streak."
"Imagine that," Elena teased. Damon chuckled and busied himself with shuffling a few papers around on his desk, buying himself a few moments to work up his courage.
"I had fun yesterday," he ventured. "Hanging out with you and Ava Kate." He watched as her cheeks colored a faint shade of pink.
"We had fun, too," she agreed. "I know I keep saying that she likes you, but it's a big deal. She doesn't warm up to people quickly."
"I like her, too," Damon told her honestly. "She's a great little girl." He cleared his throat. "Elena, would you want to…"
"Yo, Coach!" interrupted a voice. Damon groaned as Ric burst into his classroom. He heard Elena gasp, surprised by Ric's appearance. "Let's get some lunch!"
"Dammit, Ric," Damon muttered. Ric noticed Elena then.
"Oh, hey, Elena," he greeted. "Want to get some lunch with Damon and I?" Elena slipped off the desk and smoothed her skirt. She glanced at Damon, wondering what he had been about to ask her. She would never admit it to anyone other than herself, but she had thought he was about to ask her on a date.
"I should probably get back to our workshop," she said begrudgingly. "I've been gone a while. Mr. Mack is going to use his 'did you fall in?' joke when I walk in."
"Sucks for you," Ric quipped. "How about it, Damon? Let's go get some barbecue."
"May as well," he said, pushing his chair back from his desk. "Otherwise your interruption would be pointless."
"Enjoy that barbecue," Elena said with another curious glance at Damon. "Word in the English department is that we're going to order pizza. Lucky us."
"Want us to bring you back some barbecue?" Damon asked. Elena shook her head.
"No, thanks. I brought a salad from home. I think I'm going to eat that instead, especially after all the junk I ate last night." She gave Damon a smile. "I'll see you later."
"See you later," Damon echoed.
"Bye, Elena," Ric called. He watched Damon watch Elena leave the room, pieces clicking into place. He let out a groan. "Are you kidding me?"
"Trust me, no one is laughing right now," Damon replied. "You have horrible timing."
"She's my niece!"
"By marriage."
"I'll kill you if you hurt her," Ric warned. Something in Ric's voice told Damon he meant it. "She's had enough hurt to last her entire life. That goes for Ava Kate, too."
"I'm not going to hurt her," Damon said, standing and pocketing his phone. "I was just going to ask her to dinner."
"All I wanted was a pulled pork sandwich with fries, and a side of macaroni and cheese. Instead, I find out you're trying to get in bed with my niece."
"All I was going to do is ask her to dinner," Damon repeated. "Everyone has to eat."
"She's my niece," Ric said again. "I will kill you, Damon. I don't care how good of a coach you are or how much I like you."
"Let's go get lunch," Damon said, ignoring Ric's threats. He fished his keys out of his pocket. "I'll drive."
"Why do you get to drive?" Ric wanted to know.
"Because I'm prettier," Damon quipped. "Get your purse. We're leaving."
"That was terrible." Damon flopped unceremoniously onto his desk chair. He regretted it almost at once as the chair had long since lost its cushion.
"Cody's pee wee team could have beat them," Stefan agreed, lowering himself into the seat across from Damon.
"They completely gave up. I could care less about how bad they lost. It's the fact that they gave up that pisses me off."
"It was just a scrimmage," Stefan reminded him. "No one actually won or lost."
"Carver kicked our asses," Damon scoffed. "They scored four touchdowns in the fourth quarter alone. Four, Stefan! I don't want teams scoring four touchdowns on us in a game, let alone in one freaking quarter."
"It was just a scrimmage," Stefan said again. He had forgotten how competitive Damon was. "We saw a lot of things we need to work on…"
"Everything," Damon cut in. "We need to work on everything. Flash is fast, but he can't hold on to a ball to save his life. The offensive line may as well just lie down and roll over. The defense blew assignments time and time again. We missed both field goal attempts by a mile. And I swear to God, if I hear one more off sides call…"
"Alright," Stefan interrupted. "Take a breath. Nothing we saw on that field should come as a surprise." Damon sighed.
"You're right," he admitted. "You're right. I just hate seeing them give up. They went into that game expecting to lose. I'm not naïve. I know we're going to lose a lot of games this season. It's the fact that they expected to lose that bothers me. They can't go through life like that – expecting to fail. I want them to believe they can beat any team they line up against. I don't want them to quit." Stefan understood then.
"Character," he stated. "You want to build their character." Damon nodded.
"I'm not going to win championships here," he said frankly. "We might win a game or two this season, but I don't expect to even hit .500. If I can get those kids to believe in themselves, to realize that they can do whatever they want, if they just believe in themselves a little bit, it will be a successful season." Stefan cracked a grin.
"You know, you really don't suck as a person."
"Good to know," Damon replied. He leaned back in his chair and scrubbed his hands over his face. "I'm freaking tired."
"I'll agree to that," Stefan said. "I can't even sleep in tomorrow morning. Cody's got football practice at nine."
"Happy weekend," Damon quipped.
"What are you doing this weekend?"
"Watching game tape, sleeping, writing lesson plans, eating, watching game tape, showering, writing lesson plans." Stefan snorted.
"That sounds exciting."
"Seeing as I can't get Elena alone long enough to ask her out to dinner, it's the only other option I have, unless I crash your party."
"You know you're welcome at our place anytime," Stefan reminded him. He was sure he would see Damon at some point. He knew his brother got lonely at his little cottage, especially on the weekends. Which brought him to his next point. "You haven't asked Elena out, yet?" He had heard – in great detail – about how Ric had interrupted him a few days earlier.
"Not yet. I haven't seen her much over the last few days, and when I have, she hasn't been alone." He picked up his phone and saw she had texted him earlier, asking how the scrimmage went. "I guess I could always text her or call her or even use the school directory and email her, but, well, I want to do it face-to-face, you know? That feels like the right way to do this."
"It's definitely the way to go," Stefan agreed. "She needs – deserves – a good, old-fashioned courtship." Damon's lips turned up, even as he once again wondered what had happened to Elena in the past.
"School starts next week. Maybe I'll, I don't know, get here early one day and try to find her before the first bell. I'll bring coffee again."
"She has to drop Ava Kate off at school. She probably won't get here until right before the first bell."
"Stop bringing me down," Damon quipped. He rubbed his hands across his face again. "The damn football team did enough of that."
"We have to go back to basics," Stefan agreed. "Football one-oh-one. Wrap and tackle. Hold onto the ball…"
"Kick the football through the upright, don't jump off sides, no grabbing the other guy's face mask…"
"Gilbert and Conner had a decent outing," Stefan pointed out. Damon nodded.
"They were one of very few bright spots," he agreed. Stefan's phone rang out.
"That's probably Caroline, wondering when I'll be home or asking me to stop at the grocery store and pick something up." He glanced at the screen. "Oh, it's Dad." He made to answer it.
"Think long and hard before you press that button," Damon warned. "It could be Mom, using Dad's phone. You know that's her favorite move when we ignore her."
"Or, it's Dad," Stefan repeated, tapping the answer button.
"Fifty-fifty shot," Damon quipped as Stefan raised the phone to his ear.
"Hey, Dad," Stefan greeted. "Hang on, Dad. I'm with Damon. I'm going to put you on speaker." Stefan put the phone on Damon's desk and hit the speaker. "Okay, we're both here."
"Hey, Dad," Damon greeted.
"My boys," Giuseppe Salvatore replied. "How was the scrimmage."
"Awful," Stefan said.
"A nightmare," Damon said at the same time.
"That good, huh?" They could hear the note of amusement in their father's voice.
"Our offensive line is terrible," Damon told his father. "Carver's defense ran right through them. Our QB can scramble, but he still spent a lot of time on his back. He's got a good thing going with one of our receivers though. If he can buy himself the time to throw Gilbert the ball, that is.
"What was the score?" Giuseppe asked.
"It was a scrimmage, Dad, they don't keep score," Stefan answered.
"Seventy-two to nothing," Damon spoke up. "At least I think that's what it was. It was hard to keep up after sixth or seventh touchdown." Giuseppe let out a low whistle while Stefan shook his head. Of course Damon had kept score.
"It wasn't pretty," Stefan admitted. "We have a lot to work on."
"Giuseppe? Here's your coffee. You shouldn't drink it this late in the evening. You're going to be up half the night." Stefan and Damon looked at one another, their eyes wide. They weren't in the mood for their mother, but it was too late.
"Thank you, dear," their father said. "Hang on, boys. Your mother just walked in. I'll put you on speaker on my end, too."
"Dad, don't…"
"Dad, no…"
"My boys!" came their mother's voice. They both groaned as the voice of Lily Salvatore floated over the speaker. "How are the two of you? Where is my Cody? Is he behaving himself?"
"Of course you're asking about the grandkid first," Damon said. Stefan chuckled.
"He's at home with Caroline," he said. "We had a scrimmage tonight, at Carver. We just wrapped up with the team. I'm going to head home, soon. He has football practice in the morning."
"I suppose there's no need in me saying I think it's ridiculous that you and Caroline are letting that little boy play football," Lily said.
"To be fair, Caroline isn't entirely on board," Damon said, earning himself a sharp look from his brother. "It was three Salvatores against one, though, so she had to give in."
"He's a Salvatore," Giuseppe added. "Of course he's going to play football."
"Well, if we had a little granddaughter join him, maybe Caroline and I would have something to do beside watch a bunch of Salvatore men play football."
"Here we go," Stefan grumbled. Damon chuckled.
"Cody is six years old. I don't know why the two of you don't have another baby. You are such good parents…"
"Debatable," Damon piped up. "Cody is a smartass."
"Watch your mouth, Damon!" Lily chastised.
"Mom, Cody is a handful," Stefan said, glaring at Damon. "We told you. We want more kids, but we're going to wait until Cody is a little older. Babies are a lot of work." He smirked at Damon. "Don't you want to know how Damon is doing in his new job, his new home?"
"Asshole," Damon muttered. Stefan's smirk grew as he leaned back in his chair, lacing his fingers together behind his head.
"Of course I do! How are you doing, Damon? Are you settling in? Do you like your new job? How are the kids? Is your new team good?"
"I'm doing fine, I'm settling in, my job is decent enough, the kids need discipline, and the team needs a lot of practice."
"Those are mighty short answers, young man," Lily said.
"Don't be short with your mother," Giuseppe added. "She worries about you." Damon sighed. His father could still reprimand him better than anyone.
"I'm doing okay," he said with more patience than before. "This place is a lot different than what I was used to in Texas, but I'm settling in. It is what it is, you know? I'm making the best of it."
"That's all you can do," Giuseppe said wisely. "We don't get to pick what life throws at us. You just keep your head high, and put one foot and front of the other." Damon smiled slightly, as did Stefan who was reminded strongly of how much Damon was like their father. But, he was also the little brother and couldn't help himself.
"Damon's settling in well," he confirmed. "Remember Caroline's best friend, Elena?" Damon's eyes widened.
"I hate you," he mouthed. Stefan winked at him.
"Elena! Of course I remember her!" Lily gushed. "She was Caroline's maid of honor, wasn't she? She was dating the sweetest young man… What was his name? Lyle?"
"Liam," Stefan corrected, glancing at Damon who looked curious. "They aren't together anymore."
"I didn't think so. I see her on the Facebook in Caroline's photos sometimes and she's never with a man, although she does have the prettiest little girl… Oh! Damon! You should ask her out! She's as sweet as can be, if I remember her correctly. Don't let the fact that she has a daughter stop you. You have a big heart. You could love that little girl just as much as you will love your own children someday. If, of course, you ever get around to settling down…" Damon groaned and dropped his head to the desk while Stefan shook with silent laughter.
"Now Lily, stay out of Damon's dating life," Giuseppe said gently. "You know he doesn't like us to interfere."
"And yet you do it anyway," Damon said. They didn't hear him.
"I'm not interfering. I'm just giving him the idea…"
"He's already had that idea," Stefan interrupted. "He's been trying to ask her out for a week." Lily gasped.
"You have? What does Stefan mean, 'trying' to ask her out?"
"Mom, it's getting late," Damon started. "Remember, we're an hour ahead of you. We need to get home…"
"Have you asked her out?" Lily pressed. "What did she say?"
"I haven't asked her out," Damon finally admitted. "I'm working on it. But, you know what? I agree with you about Stefan and Caroline having another baby. Cody needs a little brother or sister." Stefan glared at him.
"He really does," Lily said. "Stefan, even your brother thinks…"
"Oh, hey, Mom, Dad, the custodial staff is here and they need us to get out so they can clean the floors. We'll call you and Dad later, okay?"
"Wait… Boys…"
"Call us tomorrow," Giuseppe said over his wife's protests.
"Bye, parents." Damon reached out and shut off the phone. He looked at Stefan. "Asshole."
"Right back at you," Stefan countered. "Mom doesn't need any more fuel for her 'give me another grandbaby' fire."
"Yeah, well, it's your turn," Damon informed him. "I got to put up with Mom – in person – for the better part of the last year. I think the least you and Caroline can do to repay me is give her another grandkid."
"I'll give you the fact that Mom was rather – involved – in your life over the last year or so, but you've met my kid. Can you imagine Caroline and I trying to juggle a newborn and Cody? We would lose our minds."
"I can imagine it, and I think it would be hilarious to watch the two of you try to handle Cody and a newborn. It would be like a frat house, except baby bottles and spit up would be everywhere instead of beer cans and vomit."
"And on that note, I'm going home," Stefan said, pushing himself out of the chair.
"I'll follow you out," Damon said, standing as well. "Where is Cody's practice? I might drop by."
"The Parks and Recs Center, down the road from here." Damon nodded.
"I know where that's at. I'll either sleep in, or see you there." They left Damon's office and locked the door behind them. They started down the hallway, towards the exit. Stefan shoved his hands in his pockets as they walked.
"In all seriousness, is everything going okay?" he asked. "It's been a rough year for you." Damon glanced at his brother.
"Mom put you up to this?" Stefan shook his head.
"You're my brother. I'm just looking out for you."
"The last year sucked, but it could have been way worse," Damon replied. "No one died, we're all healthy, have roofs over our heads, jobs to put money in the bank. Nags Head isn't so bad, but it's a lot different than what I'm used to. I'm adjusting. Don't worry about me, little brother. I'm doing okay." Stefan nodded. He knew Damon was telling the truth. He was doing okay. Not great, but okay. Damon had never let circumstances get to him, choosing instead to find the silver lining and move forward, even if he sometimes resembled a bull in a china shop while doing it.
"Have you unpacked, yet?" He had been at been at Damon's last week and found most of Damon's belongings still in boxes. Damon grinned guiltily.
"I took a few dishes out a box." Stefan shook his head.
"I'm sending Caroline over."
"Don't you dare."
"Too late," Stefan replied. "You had your chance." Now in the parking lot, he held his fist out to his brother. "Good game, Coach."
"Terrible game, Coach," Damon replied, bumping fists with is brother. "I'll probably see you sometime tomorrow."
"We'll be around," Stefan answered. "Night, Damon."
"Night, Stef."
Stefan grinned a bit as he turned towards his own truck. Despite the circumstances that brought Damon to Nags Head, he was happy to have him around.
"Dad! That game sucked!"
"Well, hello to you, too, Cody," Stefan replied, ruffling Cody's hair as he passed through the front door. "Honey, I'm home!"
"So I heard," Caroline called from the kitchen. "Cody has been posted up by the door, waiting for you since we got home. You'd think I was the worst mother in the world because I wouldn't him ride the bus back from Carver with the team."
"I had to ride home with Mom, and she wouldn't even stop for McDonald's," Cody told Stefan, following his father into the kitchen. He made a face as he watched his father kiss his mother .
"McDonald's is crap food," Stefan told his son. "You don't need that stuff." Caroline smacked his arm. "Don't say crap," he added. Cody stopped himself from rolling his eyes just in time. He got in trouble every time he did it.
"I made him a good dinner," Caroline said.
"She put frozen chicken nuggets in the oven," Cody said seriously. Stefan snorted back a laugh as Caroline glared at her son.
"You ate them and asked for seconds," she reminded him. Cody shrugged.
"It was a matter of starvin' or not," he told her. "I chose not."
"Damon," Caroline said to Stefan, pointing at Cody. "That right there. That's Damon."
"That does sound awfully familiar," Stefan admitted with a fond grin. Cody often reminded him a lot of his older brother, right down to his knack for sarcastic comments. Cody climbed up on a stool so he could better talk to his parents, particularly his father.
"Let's talk about important things," he stated. "That game sucked, Dad." Caroline put down the knife she had been using to cut up vegetables for a salad for her and Stefan.
"Cody, we do not say 'sucked.' You are dangerously close to losing TV privileges tonight."
"To be fair, he's right," Stefan spoke up, reaching for a cucumber slice. "The game did suck."
"Not helping!" Caroline chided.
"Cody, watch your mouth," Stefan said, taking on a stern tone. "Don't say things like 'sucked' and 'crap,' no matter what you hear me or your Uncle Damon say."
"Mom dropped the eggs this morning said 'dammit to hell,' but no one got mad at her," Cody informed his father. Caroline's eyes grew big.
"I thought you were upstairs!"
"I'm a ninja," Cody said seriously. "I can creep up on people." Caroline sighed and resumed chopping vegetables.
"We have to be careful about what we say," she told Stefan. "He's too smart for us, as it is. Could you get a couple of salad plates out, and whatever dressing you want? And for the sanity of all of us, please discuss that game with your son, before he loses his mind." Stefan set himself to his tasks.
"What do you think we did wrong on the field?" he asked Cody.
"Everything," Cody answered bluntly. Caroline snorted. That was putting it lightly. "The score was seventy-two to nothin,' Dad! They did nothin' right! They missed tackles, kept jumpin' off sides… And the offensive line is weak. I coulda blocked that big 56 from Carver. Just 'cause he's big, don't mean he's good at football." Stefan looked at Caroline.
"That's Damon," he told his wife. "Almost verbatim." Caroline just shook her head. She had hoped for a boy that loved things like science or music. Instead, she got the very definition of a boy – one who had loved any sport with a ball, and preferred to be covered in dirt since the day he was born.
"Whatcha gonna do about it, Dad? You ain't gonna win no games with them playin' like that. I bet Uncle Damon was real mad about how they played."
"Uncle Damon wasn't happy," he agreed. "How did you know the score, anyway? No one was keeping score. Well, except Uncle Damon."
"Mom had to help me after the math got too big, but she said it was just a scrimmage and they don't keep score. That's dumb."
"We all know how you feel about not keeping score," Caroline muttered.
"We're going to go to work on the basics of football on Monday," Stefan told Cody. "We're going to work on a lot of stuff we saw today. We're also going to work on not giving up, no matter how impossible the odds are."
"Can I come to practice?"
"We'll see," Stefan said diplomatically. "You have school on Tuesday." Cody made a face.
"I can hardly wait," he said dryly. "First grade don't have naps like kindergarten did."
"Because you took so many naps," Caroline said. "I spent most of my free periods on the phone with your teacher, listening to how you snuck snacks or were disturbing your friends who were trying to sleep."
"I get hungry in the afternoons," Cody answered. Stefan and Caroline both laughed.
"Cody, do you want anything else to eat?" Caroline asked. "Dad and I are going to have salads for dinner if you want to join us."
"I'm not a rabbit," Cody replied. Stefan silently agreed. It was later than they usually ate dinner, something that happened a lot during football season, so Caroline had already feed Cody. He slid off the stool. "Can I go watch some TV?"
"Sure," Caroline agreed. "Dad will give you a bath after we eat."
"I'm just gonna get dirty at football practice tomorrow morning," Cody countered. "No need to wash me off now." He was forever trying to get out of bath time.
"You look like Pig Pen," Caroline informed him. "You're taking a bath."
"Who's Pig Pen?" Cody asked.
"A cartoon character," Stefan replied. He winked at his son. "Go on and watch TV. Thirty minutes. And there will be no arguing when I come to give you your bath."
"Fine," Cody grumbled. He turned and left the room.
"I will never understand how I can love that child more than my own life, and yet can't wait until bedtime most nights," Caroline commented.
"He's a handful," Stefan agreed. He helped her carry their plates to the dinner table. "Mom always says he's exactly like Damon and I as a kid. And from what your mom says, you weren't a dream either."
"It's payback," Caroline agreed as they took their seats. They caught one another up on their days, Caroline having spent most of it finalizing her plans for the first week of school before picking up Cody from his summer program and driving to Carver so he could watch the game, while Stefan had worked on lesson plans in the morning before traveling to the scrimmage. He told her, too, about his latest call with his mother.
"Let's send Cody to her for his fall break," she suggested. "Then, she'll see first hand why we're waiting to have another kid."
"That's a terrible idea," Stefan countered. "Dad would encourage his behavior, and Mom would give him whatever he asked for. It would take us weeks to get him back into a routine after a week with them." He speared a piece of chicken. "I may have deflected the conversation by telling them Damon was interested in Elena."
"Oh, I bet your mother loved that," Caroline replied, her eyes sparkling. Lily Salvatore wanted Damon to settle down, almost as much, if not more, than she wanted another grandchild.
"Christmas came early," Stefan agreed. "Dad couldn't get a word in, even though he called to ask about the scrimmage."
"Is he actually going to ask Elena out?" Caroline questioned. "You know she's not going to ask him, and he's shown no signs of asking her since Ric interrupted them earlier this week."
"He was telling me today that he can't manage to get her alone. He doesn't want to do it over text or on a phone call or by email. He wants to ask her face-to-face. I think he was texting her throughout the day, though. I know she texted him while we were sitting in his office after the game. I saw her name on his screen."
"I tried to get her to come with me to the game, but she said Jenna was coming over, since Ric was at the scrimmage." Caroline's eyes suddenly lit up. Stefan knew that look.
"What?" he asked warily. Caroline beamed.
"You said he's having a hard time getting her alone?" Stefan nodded, still skeptically. "Elena and I are taking the kids to the aquarium in Manteo tomorrow, and she and Ava Kate are going to come over to make homemade pizzas. Invite Damon over, too. We'll casually leave them alone together, so they can talk and Damon can ask her to dinner." Stefan looked at her for a long moment.
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but that isn't a half bad idea."
"So, you'll call him tomorrow?"
"I will," Stefan confirmed. "He mentioned he might come by Cody's practice, anyway." He shoved a forkful of salad in his mouth and chewed. "You know, he still hasn't unpacked?" he mentioned casually. "He's got boxes everywhere."
"Are you serious?" Caroline sounded appalled. Stefan still had nightmares about their move from first Texas to North Carolina, and then from their first home to their current one. She hadn't rested until every last box was unpacked and their contents hung on walls or put away in drawers. "What's he waiting for?"
"I have no idea. He's never been big on unpacking. We'd go on a trip as kids, and he'd still have his suitcase packed from the last one."
"I'll straighten that out on Sunday," Caroline said matter-of-factly. "He can't have Elena and Ava Kate over, living in a fort of boxes." Stefan smirked as he ate his dinner. Damon was going to kill him, but it would be worth it to watch him and Caroline spar for an afternoon, even if he was inevitably going to have to help.
A crash sounded from the living room. Caroline and Stefan looked at each other.
"Everything's okay!" Cody called. They could hear him scrambling to hide the evidence of whatever he had just upended. "Keep eatin' your dinner!"
"I'll go," Stefan said, figuring Caroline deserved a break from parent duty for the day. He pushed his chair back and stood. Caroline responded by reaching for her glass of wine, the same wine Cody had called "grown up juice" moments before his father walked in. Half listening to Stefan reprimanding Cody for wrecking the lamp and photos on a side table, she started daydreaming about how she was going to get Damon and Elena alone in the same room.
We had to add a bit of football back into the mix, especially since the next chapter - one of my favorites to date - doesn't have a thing to do with it. I also love the Salvatore parents in this story. They will be back later on. And don't worry, Ava Kate, too, will return next chapter. In fact, she may just be the star of the show...
Please let me know what you thought!
