Happy Thanksgiving week! I'll just be over here, eating all the pie...
Thank you so much for all of your kind words! This story has a lighter feel, especially these first few chapters, and I love you for your support. Now, we turn a little darker. And a lot longer. Like, a lot. Consider it a Thanksgiving present!
Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries.
"I don't know what to do with him," Elena concluded. She reached for her glass of wine and took a long sip. She had just spent the last half hour telling Caroline about her latest round of arguments with Jeremy. He hadn't come home the night before after their scrimmage and that morning, when he dragged himself in, hungover and high from the night before, they had a quiet, but intense, argument.
"I don't know what to tell you," Caroline said with a sigh. "You're doing everything you can. I know you don't want to hear it, but maybe taking Jenna and Ric up on their offer…" Elena shook her head.
"No, I don't want to hear it. He's my brother. Despite everything he puts me through, I'm not giving up on him or sending him to live with Jenna and Ric. My parents wouldn't want that."
"Take away his car," Caroline suggested. "You have control of his assets, right? Freeze his accounts. Cancel his debit card. Cut him off at the source."
"I can't take away his car. I barely manage to get Ava Kate and myself where we need to be in one piece and on time. If I had to haul him around, too, I'd never manage. I guess I could freeze his assets, but who knows what he would do to get money, then."
"Valid points," Caroline admitted.
"It's not like he's a bad kid," Elena continued. "He goes to school. He goes to football practice. He doesn't do his homework, and he doesn't come home after football practice, but he still shows signs of knowing how to do the right thing." She paused for another sip of wine. "He was so great when I first came home, taking care of Ava Kate, doing whatever he could make me laugh. I know he was devastated when Mom and Dad died – I was, too – but they wouldn't want to see him going down a path like this." Caroline reached across the kitchen bar and rested her hand on Elena's.
"You know it's not your fault, right? You are doing everything you can, for Jeremy and for Ava Kate." Elena gave her friend a sad sort of smile.
"I know," she agreed. "At least, my head knows. My heart tells me otherwise." She pursed her lips for just a moment to collect herself. Caroline gave her hand a little squeeze before removing it and picking up her own wine glass.
"You know what you need?"
"I believe you said I needed a glass of merlot," Elena replied, indicating the glass of wine in her hand.
"Well, yeah. You also need a little bit of Damon."
"Caroline…"
"He likes you," Caroline said matter-of-factly. "He also likes Ava Kate." As if on cue, the sound of both Stefan and Damon's trucks pulling into the driveway floated through the open screen doors. "And look at that. He just pulled up." Elena narrowed her eyes at Caroline. "He's my brother-in-law, and he gets lonely at that sad excuse of an efficiency he lives in. I invited him over for dinner."
"Don't make it awkward," Elena warned.
"I would never make it awkward," Caroline said, sliding off her stool as Damon and Stefan's footsteps coming up the back steps sounded. "I got him here. I'll let Damon take care of the rest." Before Elena could reply, Stefan and Damon appeared in the sliding door.
"Honey! I'm home!" Stefan rang out. Caroline rolled her eyes at Stefan's overused joke.
"And he brought me with him," Damon echoed from behind him. He spotted Elena and couldn't stop his smile from growing. "Hey, Elena."
"Hey," she replied with a smile of her own.
"Dad!" Cody came barreling into the kitchen with his sights set on his father, until he saw Damon. "Uncle Damon!" He veered course and launched himself at Damon. Ava Kate wandered in several steps behind him, her favorite doll clutched in her arms.
"Easy there, quarterback," he said, stooping down to his nephew's level just in time to catch him in a bear hug. "We only tackle people when we're wearing all our pads."
"Hi, son," Stefan said, his arm around Caroline. "Good to see you, too." Cody glanced over his shoulder at his Dad.
"Hey," he said distractedly before turning back to Damon. "What did you and Dad do? Mom said it was grownup stuff and I couldn't come. I think she was lyin' to me, though."
"We went fishing," Damon admitted. Cody spun around to face his mother.
"You said they went to the grocery store!"
"Relax, kid," Damon said. He stood and ruffled Cody's hair. "We were surf fishing at my place. We didn't catch anything."
"And you had the time of your life at the aquarium," Caroline reminded him. "I believe you told Aunt Elena and I that between football practice this morning, the aquarium in the afternoon, and pizza for dinner, you have had the best day, ever."
"That was before I knew Dad and Uncle Damon were fishin' while I hung out with a bunch of girls," Cody grumbled. Elena snorted and looked away so Cody wouldn't see her laugh. She saw Damon do the same. Damon spied Ava Kate then, hanging on the perimeter of the kitchen, observing. He squatted down to her level.
"Hi, Ava Kate, " he greeted.
"Hi," she replied softly, one arm clutched around her doll as she chewed the fingers on her other hand.
"Did you go to the aquarium today?" Ava Kate nodded. "What did you see there?"
"Fish," Ava Kate answered. Damon cracked a smile. He thought he heard the slightest hint of sarcasm behind her answer.
"What else?" Elena prompted.
"Sharks," Ava Kate supplied.
"Sharks?" Damon asked. "Wow. Did you see anything else?"
"What did you touch?" Elena continued prompting.
"Sting rays," she told Damon. "And starfish. And a sea urchin."
"What did the sting ray feel like?" Damon asked. Ava Kate took a couple of steps closer to him, and hugged her doll tighter.
"Smooth," she answered.
"How about the starfish?"
"Bumpy. And the sea urchin was prickly."
"You really like fish, don't you?" Ava Kate nodded. "Are fish your favorite thing?" Ava Kate shook her head. "Then, what is your favorite thing?" She smiled.
"My doll," she said, hugging her doll closer. "And dancing." Damon returned her smile.
"Does that doll play football?" he asked. Ava Kate shook her head. "Then I'm afraid I don't know much about dolls. Or dancing." Ava Kate giggled, making Damon chuckle. "Does the doll have a name?"
"Betsy."
"Good choice," Damon said with a nod. He gave her another smile and stood so he could talk to Elena. "Hey," he said again.
"Hi," Elena replied, amused. She was aware of Caroline and Stefan nearby, trying to distract Cody from his uncle. "No success fishing?"
"None. Not a single bite. Stefan tried to catch a crab with his bare hands, though. That was pretty funny to watch. He fell face first in the sand. It was amazing." Elena laughed.
"You should have videoed that. The kids at school would have loved it."
"Next time," Damon promised. "It doesn't take a lot for Stefan to make a fool out of himself."
"I heard that!" Stefan called.
"Don't care," Damon replied. "I'm going to go get a beer out the garage fridge. You want anything, Elena?" She shook her head and held up her glass of wine.
"I'm good."
"Hang on," Stefan spoke up. "No need to go yourself. Cody, go get me and Uncle Damon a couple of beers out of the garage, please."
"IPA or stout?" Cody asked.
"IPA for me and…?" he looked at Damon.
"Bring me a stout." Cody nodded once and set out on his mission, Ava Kate on his heels. "Now I know why you have kids."
"Because it's so charming that my six-year-old knows the different types of beer as well as he knows his alphabet," Caroline retorted, shooting a look at Stefan who shrugged.
"Just doing my job as a good parent," he told her. "It's not like I've let him have a taste. Yet." Damon moved around the kitchen island and settled onto the stool next to Elena. Caroline grinned. He had skipped the stools closest to him in favor of sitting next to Elena.
"How was your day?" he asked.
"It was good," Elena answered with a smile. "Ava Kate and Cody had a blast at the aquarium. They love the touch tank and watching the scuba divers. We took them on the aquarium's nature walk, too, and they got to dig around in a sandbox, looking for fossils. Cody really did say it was the best day ever."
"He got to hit people this morning, and get dirty this afternoon," Damon mused. "Sounds like its right up his alley." Elena laughed.
"It does," she agreed. She played with her wine glass. "I signed Ava Kate up for cheerleading, so she went to her first practice this morning, too."
"She's going to cheer?" Elena nodded.
"For Cody's team," she confirmed. "I asked her if she wanted to after the booster club meeting, and she jumped at the idea. She likes watching Caroline's cheerleading practices at school, and she loves dance. I think it will be good for her."
"That's good," Damn said with a nod. "I think she'll have some fun with it."
"I hope so," Elena replied.
"Here's the beer man!" Cody announced proudly, re-entering the room. "And I got an assistant!" Ava Kate was behind him, a beer in her hand. She ran to Damon and held the beer out to him without a word. He grinned and took it.
"Thanks, Ava Kate," he said. "Hey, hang on a second. I think I see…" He reached out, noting she didn't flinch this time, and once more produced a quarter, seemingly from her ear. "There's a tip, for your service." Giggling, Ava Kate took the quarter and tucked it in the front pocket of her shorts for safekeeping.
"You're going to make her rich, pulling all of those quarters out of her ears," Elena commented. Damon shrugged.
"She's going to have to save those quarters and stop buying sour gummies if she wants to build an empire."
"Why don't the two of you go out on the deck and play?" Stefan proposed to Cody and Ava Kate, doing his part to get Elena and Damon alone. He popped the top off his beer and passed the bottle opener to Damon. Cody rolled his eyes.
"Come on, Ava Kate, the grownups are kickin' us out." He led the way toward the deck.
"Do not go off that deck," Caroline called after them. "I mean it, Cody!"
"Yeah, yeah," Cody called back. "I know."
"Elena, Damon, you're in charge of the salad," Caroline said. She started pulling ingredients out of the fridge that would need to be chopped for their side salad. "I'll take care of the pizza dough. Stefan, you brown the sausage and fry the bacon. We'll let the kids put the toppings on the pizza."
"Yes, boss," Damon said. He looked at Elena. "How are your chopping skills?" Elena smiled.
"Top notch."
Cody studied the toy soldiers he had lined up in an I-formation. On the defensive side of the ball, he moved a few soldiers around, debating on the best lineup for them to stop the offense. Ava Kate sat cross-legged nearby, playing with her doll.
"Hey, Ava Kate, you think I should blitz the quarterback, here?" Cody asked. Ava Kate looked at him.
"What's a blitz?" Cody rolled his eyes.
"Girls," he muttered. "Uncle Damon would know."
"We have to stay on the deck and play," Ava Kate reminded him. They could see the adults from their vantage point on the deck, all gathered around the kitchen island, laughing and talking as they worked on dinner, one of their mothers occasionally coming to check on them. Cody had tried breaking up the party a few times, wanting his uncle to come play with him and his soldiers, but a firm talking to from his father the last time had him staying on the deck.
"I don't know why," he said. "It's not like the grownups are doing anything."
"They're making dinner," Ava Kate told him. "They're going to tell us when we can help."
"Let's go inside anyway," Cody proposed. Ava Kate shook her head.
"They said to stay outside and play." Cody huffed.
"You're always such a goodie-two-shoes."
"I don't want to get in trouble." She hugged her doll a little closer.
"You never get in trouble because you're a girl," Cody informed her. Ava Kate didn't say anything. Cody rolled his eyes. He didn't mind playing with Ava Kate, but she was so quiet, content to sit around and play with her doll. He could never talk her into doing something she thought might break the rules.
"I'm a good girl," Ava Kate replied. "And you should be a good boy." Cody rolled his eyes.
"You wanna play something?" he asked, deciding he was bored with trying to form a football game with his toy soldiers.
"Okay," Ava Kate agreed.
"What do you wanna play, then?" Ava Kate shrugged. She was about to tell Cody to pick something when she remembered her mom telling her to ask for what she wanted. She held out her doll.
"We can play with my doll," she proposed. "You can be her brother." Cody made a face. He didn't want to play with dolls, but his mom was always on his case about being nicer to Ava Kate, and his Uncle Damon seemed to like her, so he figured maybe this time, he would do what she wanted. With conditions.
"Why do I have to be the brother?" he asked. "Why can't I be the dad?" Ava Kate shook her head.
"She doesn't have a dad."
"Everybody has a dad."
"My doll doesn't," Ava Kate argued. She paused for a moment. "And I don't, either." She was the only person she knew without a dad. Cody had one. So did Aunt Caroline and Uncle Stefan. She heard Coach Damon say something about his dad and knew her grandpa, who was in Heaven, was her mom and Uncle Jeremy's dad. But she didn't have one. At least not anymore.
"Yes, you do," Cody scoffed. "Everyone has a dad, Ava Kate." He didn't know a single person who didn't have a dad. Even his friend Randy had one, even if he lived in another state.
"I don't," she insisted. Cody sighed. He was older than her. He knew what he was talking about.
"I'm tellin' you, Ava Kate, that everyone has a dad."
"But, I don't!" Ava Kate was insistent.
"Fine. Tell me why you don't have a dad, then." Ava Kate gave pause. She didn't like to talk about the person she called dad. Her mom didn't, either.
"I had a dad," she said after a moment. "But, now I don't."
"Did he die?" Cody asked bluntly. Ava Kate shook her head. "Then you still have a dad, Ava Kate." Cody thought it was as simple as that.
"My dad is gone," Ava Kate told him. "He wasn't nice, like your dad."
"My dad ain't always nice," Cody scoffed. "He fussed at me like five minutes ago for not listenin' to my mom when she said to stay out of the kitchen."
"You dad is nice," Ava Kate insisted. "Mine wasn't." Cody blew out a frustrated breath.
"Listen, Ava Kate, you have a dad. You said he ain't dead, so that means you have one. Where is he? Does he live in another state like my friend Randy's dad? When is he comin' to visit?" Ava Kate's eyes grew big.
"He's not gonna visit!" she cried. Cody, who had never known what it was like not be loved, didn't understand why she wouldn't want to see her dad. His favorite part of the day was seeing his dad when he got home from school.
"Maybe if you just call him…," he started.
"No!" Ava Kate yelled. "No! He's not coming here! He's not! Mommy said he's not! I don't want him to come here!" She was becoming hysterical. Cody raised his hands in a gesture of peace.
"Fine… He's not comin'…"
"He's not!" Ava Kate yelled, standing. Her eyes were filling with tears. "Mommy said I never have to see him ever again!" Cody stood as well. He had never seen Ava Kate like this. She barely cried when she fell and scraped her knee in Aunt Elena's driveway last week.
"Fine," Cody said, trying to appease her. He was surely going to get in trouble if she got any louder. "You never have to see him again."
"I don't!" Ava Kate bellowed. "I don't! Mommy said I don't!" She was hysterical now, tears pouring as her tiny body shook. Cody didn't know what to do. He took a couple of steps away from her, wondering if he should go get someone. "I don't have to see him ever again!"
"Mom!" Cody yelled frantically. If anyone would know what to do, it would be his mom. She always had the answers. "Mom! Somethin's wrong with Ava Kate!" He heard the sudden scrapping of chairs as his cries made their way to the adults.
"I don't have to see him ever again! Mommy said I don't!"
"Ava Kate!" Damon appeared on the porch first and darted towards Ava Kate. "Ava Kate, what's wrong?" He reached for her, looking for any sign of injury, his most basic instinct to comfort her, help her.
"No!" she cried, wrenching herself away from Damon. "Get away! Mommy!" Elena was there, pushing past Damon as he backed away, his hands held up to show he meant no harm.
"Ava Kate!" she cried, falling to her knees in front of her daughter. "What happened? Are you hurt?"
"Cody said my dad should visit!" Cody's eyes grew big.
"Cody!" Caroline shrieked, whirling around to face her son. Damon looked on, confused and feeling helpless.
"I didn't say that!" Cody tried to explain. "I said maybe he would visit if she called him…" Ava Kate cried still harder. Elena pulled her into a tight hug and started muttering words of comfort that only Ava Kate could hear.
"Come on," Stefan said gruffly, grabbing Cody by the hand. "Let's go."
"Dad! I didn't do nothin' wrong!"
"Inside," Stefan ordered. "Right now." While Cody might argue with his mother, he knew his father meant business when he took on the tone of voice he was using now. He followed him inside without protest.
"It's okay," Elena said to Ava Kate, rocking her gently. "It's okay. No one is coming. You're okay. You're safe, now. I promise, Ava Kate." Damon wanted desperately to wrap them both in his arms. It was a new feeling, feeling so protective, so desperate to take their pain away. He also wanted to shrink away without a word. The moment between mother and daughter felt too raw, too personal, to witness.
"Elena, I'm so sorry," Caroline said softly. "I don't know what Cody said…"
"Caroline," Damon said, cutting her off with a shake of his head. Their eyes met. Caroline was upset, desperate to apologize to her best friend for her son's actions, but now wasn't the time. She blew out a breath and gave Damon a helpless look in return.
"Let's take a walk," Elena said to Ava Kate. She stood and picked Ava Kate up. She walked away, disappearing down the deck stairs.
"I love my son, but I'm going to kill him," Caroline announced.
"He's a kid," Damon reminded her. He was still unsure of a lot of things, but he had a very good idea about what had happened to Elena and Ava Kate in the past. It made his blood boil to even consider it as an option.
"He knows better," Caroline stated. She spun on her heel and stormed inside. With a sigh, Damon wandered to the deck railing and leaned against it. He could see Elena and Ava Kate, walking along the shoreline, hand-in-hand. He watched them, the only thing he could do at the moment.
"What the hell happened to the two of you?" he asked. The only answer was the sound of the waves crashing against the shoreline.
"Are you feeling better?" Elena asked. Ava Kate was sitting in the sand between her legs, leaning against her, much calmer now. Ava Kate nodded.
"I got scared," she said softly. "I know I'm safe now."
"You are," Elena promised. "I'm never going to let anything happen to you. I promise."
"I know," Ava Kate said. She knew that was the absolute truth. Her mother would never let anything happen to her. "I'm sorry I got so upset, Mommy. Cody just kept talking about dads. His dad is nice. He doesn't know that not every dad is nice."
"Not every dad is nice," Elena agreed. She played with the ends of Ava Kate's long, now tangled, hair. "But, sweetheart, not every dad is mean, either. In fact, I would say most dads – most men – are nice. You don't have to be afraid." Ava Kate was quiet, considering.
"Coach Damon tried to help me," she said after a while. "When I was upset."
"He did," Elena said. Once Ava Kate had started to settle down, she started to think of Damon, of how he had been the first one outside when Cody yelled for them, how he went right to Ava Kate with every intention of helping her. She owed him an explanation, no matter how much she didn't want to give him one.
"Do you think he's upset because I didn't let him?" Elena smiled sadly. Ava Kate worried so much about others. It was both her greatest asset and her biggest weakness.
"He's not upset," Elena promised. "He's maybe a little confused, but he's not upset. He knows that sometimes, you just need Mommy."
"Mommy makes everything better," Ava Kate said with a faint smile. Elena smiled, too.
"I try to," she agreed. "What do you say you and I head home? I'll make us something for dinner, and we can watch a movie." She knew Caroline was going to be upset, but both Elena and Ava Kate were emotionally exhausted. Neither of them would be able to wait around for their pizzas to bake, making small talk and trying to salvage the evening.
"I'm not hungry," Ava Kate said. Elena sighed. Ava Kate had always lost her appetite after getting upset. "But, can we watch Frozen?"
"We can," Elena agreed. She helped Ava Kate to her feet, then stood.
"They still out there?" Caroline asked, walking out onto the deck to stand beside Damon who was still leaning on the deck railing, watching Elena and Ava Kate from afar.
"It looks like they're headed back this way," Damon answered. "Where's Cody?"
"In his room. Stefan is still talking to him." She sighed. "We try so hard to be good parents…"
"You are good parents," Damon said, cutting her off again. "Cody is six year olds. I don't know what the hell is going on, but I know he probably doesn't either. He's too little to understand what he did wrong. I, however, am not." He gave Caroline a hard look. "What did that bastard do to them?" Caroline looked on the verge of tears, but she shook her head.
"It's not my place…"
"They were abused," Damon stated. "I'm not a fool, Caroline. No child is afraid of their father without good reason."
"It's Elena's…"
"Story to tell," Damon finished. "I get that. I'm not going to make her tell me anything she doesn't want to tell me. That doesn't mean I'm not mad as hell."
"We all are," Caroline told him.
"No one deserves that," Damon muttered, feeling his skin prickle with anger. Caroline didn't say anything, but she smiled, put a hand on his arm, and gave it an affectionate squeeze. He really would be good for Elena and Ava Kate. Damon returned her smile with a small one of his own as Elena made her way up the deck stairs, once more carrying Ava Kate who had her arms around her mother's neck and her head hidden in Elena's shoulder.
"We're going to head home," Elena said to Caroline. "It's been a long day." Caroline shook her head.
"No, don't do that. We haven't even put the pizzas in the oven…"
"Care, it's okay," Elena said calmly, giving her friend an understanding look. "Neither of us are very hungry, and Ava Kate wants to watch Frozen. We'll talk tomorrow?" Caroline relented.
"Okay," she agreed. "I'm so sorry…"
"Care," Elena said, cutting her off again, "Cody is only six years old. He doesn't understand, something I'm grateful for. Don't be too hard on him."
"Still," she muttered. "I'll get your bag and walk you out." Elena nodded. Caroline went inside, leaving Damon and Elena on the deck. Ava Kate shifted a bit so she was peeking out at Damon.
"Everything okay?" he asked, taking a few steps towards them, but still giving them some space. Elena nodded.
"We're getting there. It's been a long day, and she's tired. We're going to go home, put on some PJs, make a snack, and watch a movie." She looked at Damon for a long moment, aware that he was probably wondering what was going on. "Thank you, for trying to help her. When she gets upset like that, there's not a lot anyone besides me can do."
"Sometimes a girl just needs her mom," Damon commented. Once again, he wanted desperately to put his arms around them both.
"I guess so," Elena agreed. He gave her a kind smile.
"You're a good mom," he told her, feeling like she needed to hear it. Her smile, while slight, told him he was right.
"I needed to hear that," she confirmed. He had just enough time to nod before Caroline appeared with Elena's things.
"I'll walk with you to your car," she said. Elena nodded.
"Bye, Damon."
"Bye, Elena," he replied. "I'll see you later, Ava Kate." Ava Kate didn't raise her head from Elena's shoulder, but she did give Damon the faintest of smiles.
"Bye," she whispered. With a final glance at Damon, Elena followed Caroline down the deck steps, a part of her wishing she could turn around and spend more time with Damon.
Damon took a deep breath as he approached Elena's front door. It wasn't too late, not eight o'clock yet, but it was late enough for him to wonder if she would be annoyed by his appearance. Still, he raised his fist and knocked. A few moments passed before he saw Elena peak through the blinds. A moment later, she opened the door.
"Damon, hey," she greeted, surprised to see him. He smiled nervously.
"Hey," he replied. He held up a plate covered in tinfoil. "Caroline sent pizza." He left out that it had been his idea to wrap up the leftovers and drop them off at Elena's on his way home. He wanted to check on her, make sure both she and Ava Kate were okay.
"Of course she did." Elena reached for the plate. "They weren't too hard on Cody, were they?"
"I sprung him from his room about a half hour after you left. He was upset that Ava Kate was upset. He said he wants to apologize to her tomorrow." He left out that he had taken Cody down to the beach, much as Elena had, and worked to cheer the boy up.
"He's just a kid," she said again. "He doesn't understand." She shook her head. "I guess I owe you an explanation…"
"No," Damon said, holding up a hand. "You don't owe me anything. I'm good with knowing you and Ava Kate are okay." She smiled at him as a ripple of warmth washed over her.
"Thank you," she said. His eyes flickered past her.
"Hi, Ava Kate," he greeted. Elena looked over her shoulder to find Ava Kate standing in the hallway. Clad in sleep shorts and matching top, her hair still damp from her bath, she was still carrying her doll, and looking at Damon curiously.
"Hi, Coach Damon," she replied.
"Damon brought us pizza," Elena told her. "We haven't really had dinner yet. Want to heat it up and see if it's as good as it looks?" Ava Kate nodded, a small smile forming. Elena turned back to Damon. "Want to join us? It looks like Caroline sent at least a full pizza." He was stuffed with pizza and salad from Caroline and Stefan's, but he wasn't going to turn down a chance to spend more time with Elena.
"Are you sure?" he asked. "I don't want to intrude on your night."
"Join us," Elena said, opening the door wider and stepping aside. "Right, Ava Kate?" Ava Kate smiled a bit bigger and nodded. She liked Damon, and she knew her mother would never allow someone in their house unless she liked them, too.
"Can we eat on the deck?" she asked. Elena brightened.
"That's a great idea!" she said. "Come in, Damon," she added. She turned and led the way towards the kitchen, Ava Kate falling in beside her. Damon followed a bit slower, closing the door behind him. He took in what he could of the home's interior as he walked down the hallway. It was spacious, bigger than Caroline and Stefan's home, the décor simple and soft, the hardwood floors dark and gleaming. Photos lined the hallway, many of Ava Kate, but quite a few of Elena, Jeremy, and two people he assumed were her parents. The hallway opened up into the kitchen.
"Can I do anything to help?" he asked. Elena placed a baking stone on the counter.
"Would you mind pouring us something to drink?" she asked. "There's juice, tea, water, and wine. We don't drink sodas, and if I kept beer here, Jeremy would drink it. He hasn't developed a taste for wine yet, however."
"Just tell me where the glasses are," Damon replied.
"Second cabinet from the fridge." He nodded once.
"What can I get you?" he asked.
"Tea. I had enough wine at Caroline and Stefan's."
"Ava Kate? What do you want to drink?" She stared at Damon for a moment, almost in wonderment.
"Juice," she answered. "Maybe… Apple juice?"
"If you want apple juice, you can have apple juice," he confirmed. He opened the cabinet to find glasses, but also a selection of child-sized plastic cups with characters on them. "Got a special request for which cup you want that apple juice in?"
"The Snow White one," Ava Kate answered. "Because Snow White eats the apple." Damon grinned at Ava Kate's logic.
"I guess she does," he agreed, shifting a few cups around to locate the right one.
"Mommy should have the Belle one," Ava Kate continued. "Because she looks like Belle and likes to read books like Belle." Elena listened as she placed pizza slices on the stone to heat in the oven. It was easily the most conversation Ava Kate had ever had with a man that wasn't Jeremy or Stefan. Damon flickered his gaze to Elena and smiled softly.
"Your mom does look like Belle," he agreed. He found the Belle cup. "How about me? Which one should I use?"
"I think Damon can be spared using the Disney cups," Elena supplied.
"Robin Hood," Ava Kate answered, ignoring her mother. "It's got Maid Marion on it, too, but it's one of the only cups I have that has a boy on it." Damon laughed and found the Robin Hood cup. "Mommy, can I have a job, too? I want to help with dinner."
"Why don't you get three plates for us?" Elena asked. Ava Kate pulled a stepstool from the corner and dragged it across the floor, its rubber feet squeaking, but not scratching the floor. She positioned it in front of the cabinet next to the cups, and climbed the couple of stairs. Damon watched, curious as to how she was going to reach as even with the help of the stool, she was still too little. She stepped from the stool to the countertop. Damon surged forward.
"Careful," he said instinctively. He stopped himself from reaching for her, remembering her earlier reaction to him approaching her to help her just in time.
"She's okay," Elena said. He looked at her and was surprised to find her smiling at him. "She scared me to death the first few times she did that, but she's a pro at it now." As if to demonstrate, Ava Kate opened a cabinet and started removing plastic plates that also featured Disney characters. "Ava Kate, get grown up plates for Damon and I."
"Hang on," Damon said, stepping forward. "What kind of plates are we talking about here?" Ava Kate held up one with a blonde princess in a blue dress.
"This one is Elsa," she said. "I want to use this one, 'cause me and Mommy watched the movie when we got home." She placed it on the counter. "Mama gets… This one." She held out a plate with Jasmine on it. "And Coach Damon gets…" She looked at plates and returned them to the stack until she found one that suited her. "This one!" She held up a Tarzan plate and giggled.
"That's appropriate," Elena quipped before she could stop herself. Damon laughed.
"Tarzan it is," he agreed. "Can I help you down from there?" Elena waited, holding her breath. Her jaw dropped a few moments later when Ava Kate slowly extended her hand towards Damon. He took it gently and guided her down the stepstool. She smiled up at him when her feet hit the floor, then skipped away to where she had left her doll. Damon looked after her for a moment. She was a different child than the one Elena had carried away from Caroline and Stefan's.
"She's cheered up," Elena said, noticing his expression while closing the oven door on the pizza.
"She has," he agreed. He went to the fridge and filled their cups with ice. "Where's Jeremy?"
"Who knows? It's Saturday night. I won't see him until sometime tomorrow. Most likely just in time for dinner."
"He played well in the scrimmage yesterday. He wasn't perfect, dropped a few passes he should have caught. But, he was one of very few bright spots." He poured Ava Kate's apple juice. "Here you go, sweetheart." She smiled up at him as she took it.
"I bet football practice is going to be rather fun on Monday."
"You know that old school lesson where teachers would make kids carry around an egg for like a week with the objective of not breaking or losing it?" Elena nodded. "Well, I'm implementing a similar tactic on Monday. My football team isn't going to drop passes or fumble balls." He poured Elena's tea. "For you."
"Thank you," she replied with a smile. Their fingertips brushed as she took the cup from him. He winked at her. "Are you ready for school to start on Tuesday?"
"No," he admitted. "I haven't taught in a long time. I kind of liked devoting all of my brainpower to football. Now, I get to read bad essays about what caused the Great Depression."
"Some of them will surprise you," Elena promised.
"I'm sure they will," he agreed, his eyes on hers. There was a sudden commotion behind them.
"Fiddle!" Ava Kate exclaimed. Her doll in one hand, a coloring book and crayons tucked under the other arm, her Snow White cup lay on its side at her feet, her pajamas and the floor around her covered in apple juice.
"Ava Kate," Elena sighed.
"I'm sorry," Ava Kate said instantly. "I tried to hold too many things at once."
"It's okay," Elena said in a soothing voice, already moving to get paper towels. "Accidents happen."
"Here," Damon said, stepping forward. "Give me those paper towels. You take Ava Kate and get her cleaned up."
"I'll clean up…"
"I've got it," Damon cut her off gently, taking the paper towels from her. It took a moment, but Elena smiled.
"Thank you," she said. "Again." Damon just winked at her. "Come on, Ava Kate, let's go get some clean pajamas on."
"Hang on," Damon said, realizing Ava Kate's feet were covered in apple juice. "Elena, pick her up. I'll dry off her feet so she won't track apple juice across the floor."
"Good call," Elena said. She picked Ava Kate up and held her out so Damon could reach her feet.
"That tickles!" Ava Kate giggled.
"All dry," Damon said. Elena put Ava Kate down and took her by the hand.
"Our hero," she teased. "We'll be right back." She led Ava Kate out of the kitchen. Damon listened to the sound of their feet climbing a staircase as he mopped up the puddle of apple juice. He didn't feel awkward or out of place. It felt almost as though he had been a part of Elena and Ava Kate's lives forever, cleaning up spills and eating off of Disney plates. He liked the feeling.
By the time they returned, Ava Kate in clean pajamas, he had poured Ava Kate a new glass of apple juice and had the pizza out of the oven.
"You must have been a housewife in your former life," Elena commented.
"My mom raised me well," he replied.
"She did," Elena agreed. She went to work, plating pizza, listening as Damon asked Ava Kate about her coloring book. "Whose ready to go outside?" she asked. Two plates held two large slices of pizza each, while the third held a slice cut into more manageable bites.
"Me!" Ava Kate cried. "I want to carry my own plate, Mommy."
"Two hands," Elena told her. "You'll have to put the doll down." Ava Kate considered this, not wanting to leave her doll inside. She turned to Damon.
"Coach Damon, will you carry my doll?" she asked. "Please?"
"Of course," Damon agreed. "Hand Betsy over." Ava Kate passed him the doll.
"Thank you!" Elena gave her her plate, reminding her once more about using two hands, then picked up both her and Damon's, leaving him to bring all three of their drinks, plus the doll. They settled into chairs around a patio table. Elena lit a few citronella candles before sitting down with them. Ava Kate had her doll once more, perched in the seat beside her.
"You know, this is the first time I've seen the sound since I moved here," Damon commented, taking in the view. "It's beautiful." He knew there were a few public access points for the sound, but given that the beach was in his front yard, he hadn't felt a need to visit the sound side of the island.
"It's one of my favorite views," Elena replied. "We have a patch of beach that we spend a lot of time on. Plus, Ava Kate can swim in the sound without me worrying about undertow and all that. It's shallow for about a hundred yards."
"It's best when it's windy," Ava Kate added. "Then, there are waves!"
"She likes to take her float and ride the choppy water," Elena explained
"So do you, Mommy!"
"I do," Elena admitted. "It's going to be too cold to swim before long, though." Ava Kate made a face. She already had pizza sauce across her mouth.
They made small talk while they ate, Ava Kate pointing out a sailboat in the sound. The sun was sinking behind the horizon line, painting a watercolor of pinks and oranges. Damon had to hand it to the barrier island. The sunsets were hard to beat, unless their competition was the sunrises. The days were already starting to shorten. Soon enough, it would be dark by half past five, instead of nine o'clock.
"Coach Damon?" Ava Kate asked during an opening in the conversation. "Can you do more magic?" Damon smiled at her.
"Got a deck of cards?" Ava Kate looked at her mother.
"Go look in the junk drawer in the kitchen," Elena told her. Ava Kate was out of her chair in a flash. "Pretty soon, she's going to expect you to start pulling rabbits out of hats and cutting people in half."
"Those tricks are a bit above my pay rate," Damon admitted. "But, I can pull things out of ears and do card tricks all day."
"I bet you're a real hit at parties."
"Only if that party is for a five year old girl who still thinks I'm cool," he told her. "Cody has already deemed my tricks lame." Elena laughed. Ava Kate came scurrying back, pack of cards in hand.
"Here you go!" She gave the pack to Damon, then climbed into Elena's lap. Damon shuffled the card a few times, fanned them out, and held them out to Ava Kate.
"Pick a card, but don't let me see it."
"Can Mommy see it?" Ava Kate asked as she considered the cards.
"She can," Damon confirmed. Ava Kate plucked a card from the deck and showed Elena. "Okay, can you remember what that card is?" Ava Kate nodded. "Now, put it back in the deck, anywhere you want." Elena helped Ava Kate slid the card back into the deck. Damon made a show of shuffling.
"Looks like someone has played some poker in his lifetime," Elena quipped, her eyes sparkling. Damon winked at her. He split the deck, and flipped a card over.
"Ava Kate, is this your card?" He held up a two of hearts. Ava Kate gasped, appropriately impressed.
"That's it!"
"I picked the right one?" Damon confirmed.
"You did! Didn't he, Mommy?"
"He did," Elena said with a nod. "Think he can do it again?"
"Can you?" Ava Kate asked excitedly.
"Of course I can," Damon said with confidence. He fanned out the cards and had Ava Kate pick again. He repeated the trick three more times, picking her card each time. She giggled hysterically as Damon placed the cards aside after the final time.
"I can't figure out how you're doing that," Elena stated. She had watched Damon's hands, trying to find his secret to knowing which card was Ava Kate's.
"It's magic, Mommy," Ava Kate informed her. Damon chuckled.
"Yeah, Elena, it's magic."
"Silly me," she said with a smile. Damon winked at her again. Each time he winked at her, Elena felt like he was trying to tell her more, let her in on his thoughts. She liked it.
They settled back into their easy conversation, passing the time by talking about school, the island, and football. Damon occasional shared a tidbit from his life in Texas, while Elena mentioned her parents a time or two. Ava Kate retrieved her coloring book at some point and mostly listened, chiming in on occasion, but content with her crayons. The sound of gravel crunching broke through their quiet evening. Elena turned curiously.
"That sounds like Jeremy, but his curfew on the weekends is midnight. There's no way he's home already…" She checked her watch and saw that it was nearly ten. It was past Ava Kate's bedtime, but with Damon being there and the evening they'd had, it was okay to let her stay up a little late. A few moments later, Jeremy appeared.
"Hi, Uncle Jer!" Ava Kate greeted.
"Hey, squirt," Jeremy replied. Except his eyes were on Damon. "Coach Salvatore." Damon gave the boy a polite nod, aware of how awkward their current situation could be.
"Gilbert," he replied. Elena looked from Damon to Jeremy.
"We went over to Caroline and Stefan's to make pizza, but Ava Kate had a meltdown, so we left," she explained hurriedly. "Caroline sent some pizza over by Damon. There's plenty left in the kitchen, if you're hungry."
"That was nice of Caroline," Jeremy said, still looking at Damon. "Nice of Coach Salvatore to stick around, too." Damon shifted in his seat, searching for the right words. He couldn't blame Jeremy for being suspicious, as he was trying to get to know the kid's sister better. He also wasn't in the wrong, no matter how awkward it might be.
"Coach Damon does magic!" Ava Kate told Jeremy. "Wanna see?"
"I'm good," Jeremy said, moving towards the sliding door to go inside.
"Get some pizza and join us," Elena proposed. Jeremy shook his head.
"I'm not staying. I forgot something." With that, he disappeared inside. Elena sighed.
"And that's the version of Jeremy I live with," she told Damon. "I think the version you have playing on your football team is a lot more likeable. I knew there was no way he would be home already."
"I wish my parents would have let me stay out until midnight," Damon commented. "I got into enough trouble with an eleven o'clock curfew on the weekends. The things I could have done with one more hour…"
"It was his curfew from our parents. I think its too late, given the trouble he gets into, but I also didn't want to change it, with everything else that's changed in the last year or so. Things were different when they were alive. Jeremy was a lot better behaved, for one thing."
"Teenage boys are weird," Damon offered. "Most all of them go through those broody, self-centered phases. Jeremy had the added bonus of losing both of his parents."
"I worry about him," Elena admitted, glancing in the direction Jeremy went.
"Of course you do," Damon said. "You wouldn't be you if you didn't.'" Elena gave him a small smile. He pursed his lips for a moment, making up his mind. "Mind if I use the restroom?"
"Sure. It's right across from the kitchen." Damon nodded as he stood.
"Be right back." Inside, he made quick work in the bathroom, listening for footsteps. He heard Jeremy moving around upstairs, and washed his hands quickly. He met Jeremy at the foot of the stairs. "Why don't you grab a couple slices of pizza and join us on the deck?" He subtly surveyed Jeremy, looking for the marijuana he was sure he came home to retrieve.
"My friends are expecting me," Jeremy said evenly. "This isn't school or the football field, Coach. You have no authority here."
"That's true," Damon nodded. "I'm merely your sister's guest." Jeremy narrowed his eyes.
"Elena has been through enough in the last few years," he stated protectively. He didn't say more, but Damon understood the veiled threat. He returned Jeremy's look with a steady gaze of his own.
"She has been through a lot over the years," he agreed. "She has a lot on her plate, being a single mother, working fulltime, looking after you." Jeremy didn't break their gaze, but Damon saw a flicker of understanding. Jeremy wasn't the only one who could issue veiled threats.
"I know that." Damon nodded once.
"I know you do." He reached out and clapped Jeremy on the shoulder. "Good game last night. You played well, all things considered. I'll see you at practice on Monday."
"See you on Monday," Jeremy echoed. With a final nod to Jeremy, Damon returned to Elena. She was coloring with Ava Kate who looked to be growing sleepy.
"Ava Kate, you're pretty good at staying in the lines," Damon commented as he sat down.
"Thank you," she replied. Jeremy exited the house.
"You sure you don't want any pizza?" Elena asked.
"Got some," Jeremy replied, holding up a cold slice. "I'm gone."
"Your curfew is…"
"Midnight, I know," Jeremy said as he descended the stairs. "Don't wait up." Elena just sighed and returned her attention to Damon and Ava Kate. They resumed their conversation, Ava Kate giving up her coloring to climb into Elena's lap after a few more minutes. She was sound asleep shortly after. While Damon could have sat and talk to Elena for hours, he knew it was time to call it a night. With a sigh, he slid his chair back from the table.
"I should get going," he said. "It's getting late, and I've kept at least one of you up past your bedtime." He indicated Ava Kate. Elena smiled at him.
"She should have been in bed before you even showed up," she said. "I'm guilty of letting her stay up past bedtime far more than I should." She moved away from the table in a practiced motion, clearly used to doing things with her daughter in her arms. Damon found her grace admirable.
"Let me help clean up," he said, standing. He reached for the nearest plate.
"I've got it," Elena said. "Leave everything right where it's at." Damon continued collecting plates and cups.
"Your hands are full," he pointed out. "You're going to lose this argument."
"Fine," Elena relented with a faint smile. "Just take everything to the kitchen and put the dishes in the sink. I'll put them in the dishwasher before I go to bed."
"Fair enough," Damon agreed. Juggling plates, glasses, and utensils, he opened the sliding screen door and allowed Elena to pass first, Ava Kate in her arms.
"I'm just going to lay her down on the couch," she said, turning into the living room.
"Mommy?" came Ava Kate's sleepy voice.
"I've got you," Elena said. "Damon is getting ready to leave. Can you tell him goodnight?"
"Night… Coach…" Ava Kate's eyes fluttered shut. Damon felt a warm sensation around his heart.
"Sleep tight, Ava Kate," he replied.
"I'm going to lay you down on the couch while I clean up the kitchen, then we'll go upstairs and tuck you in, okay?" Ava Kate let out a sigh of agreement. "I'll be right back," Elena told Damon. He continued to the kitchen. Ignoring Elena's directions, he set to rinsing their dishes and putting them into the dishwasher.
"Damon, you don't have to do that," she said, entering the kitchen.
"It takes a full five extra minutes," he replied. "If that." Elena smiled at him.
"Well, let me help, then."
"It's literally three plates, three cups, and a few forks," he replied. "Consider it a night off." Elena shrugged and set to putting away the remaining pizza. True to his word, he was finished a few minutes later. Elena walked with him to the door.
"Thanks for stopping by," she said, leaning against the frame. "The pizza was welcomed. Neither of us had eaten yet."
"Thanks for letting me hang out," Damon replied. "I had fun with the two of you."
"Because a shy little girl who loves princesses, coloring, and apparently magic tricks and her mom are such cool people to hang out with on a Saturday night."
"You are," Damon said seriously. "Far more fun than you know." He pushed his hands into his pockets, nervous, but determined. "Elena, I was wondering… I'd like to take you to dinner. Or, well, a date. I'd like to take you on a date." Elena smiled at Damon's fumbling. He was so confident, so sure of himself most of the time, that she found his nerves endearing. "Of course, Ava Kate can come, too…," he added, reasoning he really wasn't just asking Elena out.
"I'd like that," Elena answered, shutting down the voice in her head that tried to remind her she didn't date.
"Yeah?" Damon asked, relief washing over him. Elena nodded.
"Yeah," she confirmed, her smile growing. "I'll, um, see if Caroline or her mom can watch Ava Kate whenever we go." She had a feeling Caroline would practically kidnap Ava Kate if it meant her going on a date with Damon.
"Would tomorrow be too soon?" he asked hopefully. Elena's smile grew even more.
"I think tomorrow would be perfect," she said. "I'll call Caroline in the morning. Although, given everything that happened today, I can probably expect Caroline on my doorstep at approximately sunrise." Damon made a face.
"I think she has her sights set on me for tomorrow morning. Stefan rather happily told her I haven't really gotten around to unpacking yet, so she has made my place her project."
"Have fun with that," Elena said dryly. "I had to kick her out after my parents died. She drove me crazy."
"I can hardly wait," Damon said. "Does six o'clock work tomorrow?" His mind was already racing, trying to figure out the perfect place to take her.
"Six o'clock sounds perfect," she said. He smiled at her.
"I'll see you tomorrow."
"See you tomorrow," Elena echoed. She closed the door and went to Ava Kate first, carrying her upstairs to her room and tucking her in. She returned to the kitchen to make herself the mug of peppermint tea she needed to sleep each night.
She was going on a date with Damon Salvatore.
Perhaps the bigger news was that she was going on a date, period. Her ex had destroyed her, broken her very spirit. She was only starting to put herself back together when her parents died. It had been a long journey back to this place, a place where she felt sure of herself again. The idea of opening her heart to someone was terrifying, but there was something about Damon that made her feel safe. He was strong and steady, deliberate in his actions. It was hard for her to truly believe that he was a good guy, given her past, but everything about him seemed genuine. And, most importantly, Ava Kate liked him – and he liked her.
She was allowing herself to get excited and even ponder what she would wear when she heard the front door open and close. She glanced at the clock. It was a half past eleven. Jeremy entered the kitchen.
"Hey," he greeted. "Any of that pizza left?"
"In the fridge," Elena said, watching him curiously. He didn't reek of marijuana smoke, and his eyes, while perhaps a bit glassy, were clear. "I'm surprised to see you home." Jeremy shrugged. He didn't bother heating up the pizza, biting into a cold slice.
"There wasn't much going on tonight."
"Well, no matter what brought you home, thank you for making curfew."
"Whatever," Jeremy said. "So, what's the story with you and Coach Salvatore? You dating him?" It was a loaded question.
"I've been getting to know him," she said, choosing an honest answer. "He asked me to dinner tomorrow, and I agreed."
"Does he know about Liam?" Jeremy pressed. Elena shook her head.
"I don't think so. I think he knows something happened, but he doesn't know what."
"He better not hurt you," he declared. "Or Ava Kate."
"He's a good guy," Elena told her brother, touched by his protective stance.
"Maybe," Jeremy had to agree. Coach Salvatore got in his face and pushed him at football practice and he had a feeling it wouldn't be much different in his mid-morning history classes when school started on Tuesday, but he hadn't found a reason to believe the guy was anything other than genuine. "Is Ava Kate okay? You said she had a melt down earlier." Elena smiled. Despite everything else, Jeremy had continued to have a soft spot for his niece.
"She's okay now," she confirmed. "Cody was asking about her dad and she got upset. I brought her home, and we watched a movie until Damon showed up with pizza."
"You said she likes Coach Salvatore?" Elena nodded.
"She does." Elena shook her head. "It sort of surprises me, how much she likes him. She isn't exactly running to him to pick her up or climbing in his lap, but she talks to him and recognized earlier that he tried to help her at Caroline and Stefan's."
"He tried to help her?" Jeremy repeated. Elena nodded.
"We heard her crying and Cody yelling for us. He got to her first and went to pull her into his arms, but, well, you know how she can be."
"Poor kid," Jeremy muttered, his eyes growing dark. "I hate Liam."
"Me too," Elena admitted. She stood from the stool she had perched on and went to the sink to wash out her mug. "Thanks for coming home on time," she said again.
"Like I said, there wasn't anything going on," Jeremy said. He left the kitchen, his footsteps echoing down the hallway. He stopped, turned around, and reappeared in the kitchen doorway just as Elena was starting to turn off lights. "I was thinking. Maybe tomorrow morning, me, you, and Ava Kate could go to Stack 'Em High for breakfast?" Elena stopped in her tracks and looked at Jeremy. Sunday morning breakfast at Stack 'Em High had been a family tradition. They hadn't set foot in the restaurant since their parents died. She gave him a soft, sad smile.
"I'd like that," she agreed. "I'll drag you out of bed around eight o'clock?"
"Make it more like nine," Jeremy countered, making her laugh. He was a notoriously heavy sleeper.
"We'll work it out in the morning," she said. Jeremy nodded his agreement.
"Night, Elena." With that, he turned and left the kitchen again. He peeked in on his niece as he passed her door. He wasn't especially excited about the idea of seeing more of Coach Salvatore outside of school, but if he was a good guy and made his sister and niece happy, he would have to suck it up and deal. Because Coach Salvatore was right. They had been through enough. They deserved to be happy.
WHEW. That was quite a lot of writing. I could say so many things but, I won't. I'll let you speculate and ask questions (Twitter is a great place to do that - link in bio!)
Please let me know what you thought!
