Damon stares at his body in the mirror for some time. He's at a loss to explain it, his mind a blur of confusing thoughts. It can't be, it just can't. Not knowing what else to do and knowing he needs to talk to someone, he grabs his cellphone and calls Nik. Along with the high pitch, the lilt of his voice is almost panicked sounding when he tells his friend that he needs to see him right away.
As soon as Nik agrees, the phone slips from his hand as he stumbles backwards, landing on his ass on his bedroom floor. He sits like that until he hears Cooper's agitated barking followed by the loud sound of banging on the front door.
Swallowing thickly, he stands on shaky legs. Somehow he manages to slip on a tee shirt and a pair of athletic shorts. When he finally gets his wits about him, he hurries to the front door, pulling it open to let Nik in while Bear and Cooper frolic outside in his fenced yard.
Nik breathes a sigh of relief. "I thought someone attacked you or something!" he'd gladly punch Damon for putting the fear of God in him.
"No, I'm sorry. But you need to see this and tell me if I should take Stefan up on his offer to deliver me right into a mental health facility... or not."
Nik looks curious. "Because?" he asks carefully, his gaze focusing on his best friend.
Damon motions him to sit down and pours them each a considerable amount of his best bourbon, takes a deep breath and pulls apart his shirt, baring his shoulder.
"What do you see?"
Bewildered by his best friend's odd behavior, Nik peruses his form, not quite understanding what Damon is getting at. "Your shoulder? What's got you so rattled?"
Damon doesn't say anything, instead he just stares at his friend. Perplexed, Nik examines the bared part on Damon's body. "You mean your shoulder? You got that when we were thirteen. Surely you remember? We were climbing that tree, you fell and landed on that sharp branch? My mom had to drive you to the hospital."
"Look at it again, Nik, is it the same scar? This long?! This visible?"
Nik bends his head down again and his breath hitches. "It's weird... I hardly remember it, it became almost invisible but... it can't be!" He looks incredulously at Damon.
"That's not all."
"What?" Nik asks, incredulity written all over his face as Damon lifts his shirt and points to a pinkish scar on his gut. "That's your appendix scar, you had it removed at sixteen. You have to remember that... What's going on here, Damon?"
Damon shakes his head back and forth. "No, Nik, this is on my left side and much higher. My appendix scar is on my right side."
They both sit for several minutes in absolute silence, then Nik raises his head and asks; "What in the hell did happen to you?"
His mind is in a constant state of turmoil. When one became two and started nearing 2:30, he got up and took a couple of Tylenol PM. To his dismay, it didn't do a damn bit of good, he still tossed and turned, buried his head under the pillow in a futile attempt to sleep. He just can't shut his mind down long enough to get even an hour of good sleep.
As the clock ticks 6:00, he finally gets up and drags himself out of bed and into the bathroom. As soon as he washes his face and stares for another several minutes at these new and inexplicable scars, he dresses and then drives downtown. Fortunately Mikael gave him a key so he's able to get inside at this early hour.
The mayor offered the full resources of the place. He decides the first thing he's going to do is work on his magazine article for next month's issue. The subject he chose is Joshua Lawrence Chamberlain. A veritable icon of Civil War, he is best known for his heroic participation in the Battle of Gettysburg. Chamberlain and his regiment, the 20th Maine Infantry, gained notoriety for their desperate bayonet charge down Little Round Top on the Second Day of the Battle. This one deed is only one face of the man who later wrote, "In great deeds something abides."
Born in Brewer, Maine in 1828, Chamberlain was the eldest of five children born to Joshua and Sarah Brastow Chamberlain. The elder Chamberlain, an admirer of all things military, named his son after sea Captain James Lawrence, famous for his quote "Don't give up the ship."
The studious Lawrence Chamberlain graduated from Bowdoin College in 1852. In 1855, after attending Bangor Theological Seminary, Chamberlain and his new wife, Fannie, returned to Bowdoin to begin a career as a professor of languages and rhetoric.
The outbreak of war, however, weighed heavily upon Chamberlain, who desperately wanted to serve his country. Over the objections of the College, Chamberlain offered his services to the governor of Maine who appointed him Lieutenant Colonel of the newly raised 20th Maine regiment. The scholar-turned-soldier would take advantage of his position as second-in-command and studied every military work he could find under the close tutelage of his commander, West Point graduate Col. Adelbert Ames.
On July 2, 1863, Chamberlain was posted on the extreme left of the Federal line at Little Round Top—just in time to face Confederate General John B. Hood's attack on the Union flank. Exhausted after repulsing repeated assaults, the 20th Maine, out of ammunition, executed a bayonet charge, dislodging their attackers and securing General Meade's embattled left. Though the exact origin of the charge is still the subject of debate, Congress awarded Chamberlain the Medal of Honor for "conspicuous gallantry."
Damon stands up to stretch and let a yawn escape. He has too much to do, his head is still a maelstrom so he takes a break to get some coffee and a breath of fresh air before returning to the task before him.
Shortly after Gettysburg, Chamberlain was given command of a brigade in the Fifth Corps and would retain it until the end of the war. Throughout the war, Chamberlain was wounded six times, most grievously at Petersburg in June 1864. Believing this wound to be mortal, Congress promoted Chamberlain to the rank of Brigadier General. Chamberlain, however, would survive the wound, and return to the front in time to play a pivotal role in the Appomattox Campaign. On April 12, 1865, Brigadier General Chamberlain received the Confederate surrender of arms. Rising to the occasion, the general ordered his men to salute their vanquished foes.
Damon starts typing at a furious pace. He has a good feeling that he's finally beginning to get somewhere and take his mind off of the last twelve hours or so.
Not that he's anywhere close to making sense of his baffling experience.
One of these days he must go back to see that field where Damon spent his last moments, his life ending along with so many others in the ill fated Pickett's Charge. Without realizing it, he runs his palm over the scar on his belly, it's almost as if he can feel the bayonet enter. He swallows thickly knowing he'll never be able to come up with a plausible explanation for its existence.
He remembers visiting that hallowed ground where Damon died before. When he was a young boy, around fifth grade, his dad took him to Gettysburg National Military Park while his mom took Stefan to a baseball camp. It helped foster in him a love for and respect of history.
As he grew up, he ate stuff like that up, learning about many of America's heroes throughout her history. Now he has a new appreciation for his ancestor walking across that open field to almost certain death, he starts to feel overwhelmed at what happened there on that day. He can't help but think that it'll feel different to set foot on that field when he visits that sacred sight again. When he finishes the article and sends it to his editor, he's still restless so he pulls open a file containing the archival treasures.
His digging proves worthwhile when he finds a handwritten entry from Damon's older brother. He learns something he didn't know before, Zachary was a member of the town council and as such was dispatched to Tappahannock for both Mystic Falls business and personal pleasure, his wife Bonita having relatives there. He mentions visiting a small cemetery to pay their respects to her grandparents.
Suddenly it's as if lightning strikes, his eyes widen in awe as all the pieces begin to snap into place, coalescing on the one word that flashes like a neon sign inside his mind. "She should be laid to rest with our family in Tappahannock."
"Tappahannock," he says softly to himself, his lips morph from the o shape of shock to a smile. He now knows what he has to do.
"Uncle Mike?" Damon asks when he hears the door creak.
The Mayor smiles as he steps inside. "You're here early? I just came by to see how everything is going and ask if you need anything?"
"It's fine, cool actually. I found a lot of stuff on Civil War recruits and volunteers from town, including Damon J. Salvatore. I.. I wanted to ask you.. Do you know anything about a small town named Tappahannock?"
"I've never been there but yes, I do know where it is. Why do you ask?"
"I read somewhere that there's a small cemetery in the town, one dating back from before the Civil War. Do you know if it's still there? I need to look for the grave of a young woman who died in 1863. Her name was Elena Wattles, wife of Henry. He died in the battle at Fort Sumter. All of her family came from there but I don't know her maiden name."
"Does it anything to do with your ancestor?" Mikael asks curiously.
"It might, I think she may be the Elena that Damon mentioned in his correspondence." Damon doesn't want to get into it any further right now. "I promise that if I find anything, I'll explain it all to you."
"Alright, I'll use my mayor's voice," he jokes, "and give theirs a call. I actually met him at last year's Virginia State Mayoral Conference, I'm sure he'll be happy to help out."
"Thanks!" Damon gushes, genuinely appreciative of his uncle's assistance.
Damon is standing at his brother's side in their parent's garden. Stefan's best friend, Matt Donovan, is officiating the ceremony. At Stefan's urging, he got himself a Justice of the Peace license. When he asks for the rings, Damon digs it out of his pocket and hands it to his brother. He can't resist smiling at him. Although their relationship can be strained at times, they're brothers and each would do anything for the other, he knows this.
While he listens to Stefan and Caroline recite their vows, he can't help but wonder if it was just like this when Damon's brother Zachary married before the war started a century and a half ago. Was it a warm sunshiny day just like this? Did he ever imagine if he would someday find his own soulmate? He did, Damon knows that but he never got to experience the ceremony or hold his child in his arms.
Damon drops his head and tries to discreetly wipe his eyes when he thinks about what was lost. He blows out a ragged breath to try to get his emotions under control and when he raises his eyes again, he's surprised to see Caroline's maid of honor, Bonnie Bennett staring at him. He gives her a terse but genuine smile then looks back at Matt just as he's pronouncing Stefan and Caroline man and wife.
Later in the afternoon after sharing a dance with his new sister, he gets himself a glass of punch and sits down. He reaches into his pocket and pulls out a flask of vodka. After pouring a little in, he starts to screw the lid back on when his dad pulls up a chair beside him. Damon rolls his eyes and hands him the flask, the older Salvatore chuckles and does the same thing. He takes a swallow and then hands it back to Damon.
"What's on your mind, Damon? I saw you struggling a little bit while they were reciting their vows."
"Uncle Mike found out where the little cemetery in Tappahannock is. I'm going to go there to see Elena's grave."
"Elena's grave? You mean, Damon's Elena?"
"Yes, dad, Damon's Elena," Damon affirms, taking a straight shot of vodka directly from his flask.
"Why do you need to go to her grave?" he questions, raising an eyebrow before throwing back what's left in his Styrofoam cup. He wonders if maybe Stefan is right about his older brother for once.
"I can't explain it dad, it's something I need to do."
Just as he's about to say something, Damon's mom latches onto his arm to mingle with some of the other guests. While she's pulling him away, his eyes stay on Damon's till the crowd closes in and shrouds his form.
Damon is sitting in a rocking chair on the front porch of Elena's home. She, they, died early this morning and as much as he doesn't want to let her go, he knows that he has to lay her to rest soon. The stifling heat will make her body... he can't even think about it. He picks up his glass of water and takes a long pull. If only he had something stronger to drown his pain with even if it's only for a short respite.
The sun is starting to set when he hears the clip clop of horses hooves. When he looks up, he sees a cloud of dust being kicked up by a horse drawn wagon. In a few short minutes, it pulls to a halt in front of him. He's surprised when Katherine steps out.
"Katherine, you have to go. Your sons need you to stay alive."
"I know she's gone, Damon. Mrs. Flowers sent a messenger to the house." She walks over to him and sits down on the chair beside him then takes his hand. "I know about the baby Damon. I'm so glad that you were here with her. I came here because I want to bring her home. She should be laid to rest with our family in Tappahannock."
"But Katherine, she has, I mean she died of the fever. I don't know if they'll let us move her body away from here."
"I don't care if it's forbidden. With or without your help, I am going to see to it that she's buried with our parents and our brother Amos who died in infancy."
"We can't wait, this heat.."
"Take my horse and go to speak to Dr. Meade. He's an old family friend."
An hour later, he returns with the doctor, towing a pine box on the back of a wagon. The hardest thing he's ever done or will have to do is wrap her dead body in a quilt and lay it in that same pine box. He seals the lid closed, tears pouring from his eyes with each swing of the hammer. As soon as he finishes, he crawls down to say goodbye to Katherine.
"I told him that I would dig up every body in a twenty mile radius if he didn't let me bury her body with her family. I'm sure he thought I was going mad."
"Thank you, Damon. She'll be laid to rest in the Tappahannock cemetery should you ever find yourself in these parts again."
"I need to rejoin my regiment and face the consequences of my actions. Take care of her."
"Goodbye, Damon." She gives him one last look before snapping the reins. Damon watches till she disappears. He goes inside her house and after tucking a picture of her in his pocket, he jumps onto his horse and rides off. His destination is a little town in Pennsylvania... where his destiny awaits.
Damon pulls his car to a stop in front of the wrought iron gate. Taking a deep breath, he reaches for the spray of flowers he bought before slowly getting out of his car. It feels surreal to be here. This wasn't his life, it was his ancestors and yet by some still unfathomable hocus pocus, he became his great-great-great-great uncle for that short moment in time.
The place looks antiquated as it should given the age of it. And yet the grounds are well manicured, the stones are clean and not covered with bird droppings, flowers are laying at the foot of every monument that he can see. He remembers being there at Elena's cabin, just himself and Katherine and staring at the pine box that was holding his beloved and their baby. He remembers watching Katherine's wagon slowly disappearing down that dirt road. He remembers the deep raw and unending pain that still keeps him awake at night.
It may have been 150 years ago in real time but for him, the wound is still fresh, it feels like he lost her, them, only yesterday. Never in his life has he felt such deeply visceral, agonizing pain. He takes a deep breath to steel himself, opens the gate and walks inside. It's not a large cemetery so it doesn't take long to find the stone marked 'Elena Wattles 1843-1863'
Damon stoops down to lay the flowers on the ground. He lowers his head in silent prayer when a strangely familiar voice, it's just his mind playing tricks on him again, interrupts the solemnity of the moment.
"Damon?"
Eva and I want to thank you all so very much. You're an incredible group of people, we're in awe every day of what you do for us. We don't even begin to know how to thank you all enough. We are truly grateful. You surprise us and inspire us to keep writing stories. We're arms deep in writing "Welcome to the Jungle". Casino owner Elena, cold case detective Damon. ;)
Thank you Eva. You're the best.
Chapter title: 'The Infinity of Time and Space' by Satyricon.
Please have a look at 'November Rain'.
We do have an "I Can't Escape Myself" story verse Valentine coming...
I hope you all have a fabulous day. Be safe and we'll see you soon.