Chapter 6: The Calm Before the Storm
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the original story.
The whole house was completely still except the three sets of feet that tiptoed to their father's room. They tried their best to be quiet, though I knew they were coming like they did every morning. These are the moments I have come to love in the past three months. Today is the twins' birthday and they was having a party in about 6 hours, and there was so much to do. It was four days before Christmas and snow was starting to stick to the ground so there wasn't much to do in the outside area. So I tried to make it as special as possible and I think I did a damn good job. The sound of my bedroom door being opened brought me out of my thoughts as I listened to the three intruders' plan of attack.
"Shhh…Jayden you're going to wake up daddy" Cattleya whispered as quietly as her squeaky voice would let her. "Okay on the count of three we all jump on daddy. Okay" she finished.
The two other children nodded their heads going alone with their big sister's plan. She begin to count with her fingers till she got to three and they all pounced on me, at that time I flipped over and started tickling them all. Squeals of joy filled the room flowing out the open door into the rest of the house bringing it alive. Everyone else in the house was awoken to the sounds of their laughter, putting a smile on many of their faces and causing groans to escape from the mouths of others. Waking up like this every chance I got was what kept my life full of happiness. Days like this mad it hurt a little less that Elena was in other words engaged with my brother on a different continent. The dogs came in the room catching me off guard and giving the kids the upper hand. All three in turn started tickling me having me rolling around laughing. Soon the two oldest kids joined the group helping me out. That was the scene that Kiara and Kendall walked in on bringing a smile to both their faces. They haven't seen their brother like this since their mother died and they were glad to see him return to being so carefree ad happy.
"Hold on, let me catch my breath" I yelled as I try catch my breath more out of habit then anything. "Okay, the last one downstairs is a rotten egg." I say after a while. All the kids jumped off and ran down the stairs. I follow; avoiding my sisters' smiles because even I know I'm going soft and for some reason it didn't bother me as much as it should. I put my arm around both of them and walked downstairs to the kitchen.
"So what can I get you for breakfast today?" I asked as though it was a normal day.
"Ice Cream" Bliss said with a sly smile
"No can do sorry, try again" I tell them and they begin to pout.
"Chocolate Pancakes" Cattleya said reluctantly.
"Okay that I can do, but I will make you a deal if you eat all your pancakes I will give you ice cream after. How do that sounds?" I asked and their frowns turned into a grin again.
"So daddy, Do you know what today is?" Bliss asked excited.
"Yes, it is Dec. 21, you know today is the first day of winter and today is the 9th day of Christmas so we have to hang our nine ladies dancing on the tree." Its thing we been doing every day of the twelve days of Christmas we hang the things on the tree. I put my hand on my chin and pretend to think about it.
"Daddy" the twins said waiting for me to continue as everyone else holds back the laughs they so desperately want to let out.
"Umm what am I forgetting" I look at them confused. "Oh yeah I remember now," I pause as I see their face light up only to fall a little later when they hear my next words. "Today is the day New England observes as Forefathers' Day in honor of the landing of the Pilgrims at Plymouth in 1620." I finished with a smirk as my sisters finally laughed.
"No Daddy, it's our birthday." Cattleya pouted.
"Oh it is?" I asked surprised. They both only nodded their heads. "It is isn't it, well I guess I have to eat you now so you can stay my little girls forever." I say walking over to them while they looked at each other shocked and looked around trying to find a way out. Once I get to them I tickle them to death and blow raspberries on their stomachs as they start laughing and squirming to get out of my reach. Eventually, I stopped and just sat there with them in my arms and held them close. "Happy Birthday my little angels" I tell them as I kissed the sides of their heads. In this moment with them holding on tight I knew that there was nowhere else I rather be. After we put the 12 dancing women on the tree I pulled them into my arms, while we look at the Christmas tree.
"Daddy" Bliss looked up at me "I'm hungry, can we have our pancakes now?" she finish.
"Well let me go so I can get to it then, you little monster" I said tickling them, making them run to their seats.
I begin to walk toward the kitchen when Brooklyn caught my attention. "Dad, can I help you cook?" she asked.
I turned to look at my baby girl, who wasn't at all a baby and wondered how no one could have wanted her. "I would love that very much princess" I reply as I put my arm around her shoulders and guide her in to the kitchen. She was helpful and learned a lot. This was the best father daughter moment a guy could ask for. The rest of the morning was extremely smooth. After we fixed breakfast, I went upstairs and grabbed a blood bag or two before I took a shower to start the day.
The day went by very smoothly between the snowball fight with the kids, making a snowman with Jayden and Wyatt, and the twins making snow angels by the time the party ended the kids was worn out. The girls were ecstatic with all the stuff they had at their 6th birthday party. I got them a magician, because I hate clowns I mean who in their right mind would grow up to put a red nose on their face and puffy hair is beyond me but I will not put my kids through that type of torture. At-least with magicians they get more of imagination type of ordeal, a big one for them even considers vampires could be real. All their friends from school came over and they had fun. They are having a sleepover right now in the play room with some of the girls that was able to stay. They each had their own individual cake one with princess decorations for Bliss and the other with rock star for Cattleya. They loved their presents; I got them each a locket both with pictures of me and them individually so that I would always be with them no matter what. I also got Bliss a music box and Cattleya one of those guitars she had found her mission to bug me about for the pass month and a half. They loved there gifts and I was proud that I could put a smile on their faces. All in all it was a good day, except for the little phone call I received this morning about somebody I rather forget about.
Flashback…
I was getting ready to head back down stairs to set for the party when my phone started ringing. I looked down at the caller ID and saw it was little Gilbert and immediately halted and turned back toward the room closing the door behind me. He never calls me; I always call him so this must be important. Is there something wrong with Elena? Did my idiotic brother fell on his duties again and let her get killed? Shut up Damon nothing is wrong this could be just a phone call to update me on what's going on so I didn't have to call him, I tried to convince myself. I took a deep breath and answered the phone.
"Little Gilbert, what do I owe this pleasure" I greet normally, silently awaiting bad news.
"You have to come home." Jeremy said getting straight to the point of this call.
"Awe no small talk, shucks" I say sarcastically. "but, no can do little Gilbert. I left that life behind a long time ago and I will very well like…."
"Elena needs you to come home, Damon" he says cutting me off.
"Why what's wrong little brother did something she didn't approved of." I teased.
"Stefan's gone." Jeremy said getting a little mad. He loved Damon like a brother and understood why he left but he could be an ass sometimes.
"I'm on my way." I say before I hang up. I start to curse my brother out, calling him every name in the book. We made a deal, why the hell he couldn't keep up his end I kept up mine. That son of a bitch was the one who suggested that I leave and he goes and does the same thing. Does he not know how much of a danger magnet this girl is she cannot be left alone? I start walk over to my computer to do flight plans.
"Daddy" Brooke called getting my attention reminding me of the fact that today was my daughters' birthday and I had to think about now too. I can't put them in danger but I think I can leave them here either. Who's to say I am going to come back. But I have a life here so I have to come back I mean I have a business to run. I begin to think of all the reason I have to stay and to go and that just left me more confused than anything. When did my life become so damn complicated? About the same time Elena Gilbert walked into it. My mind answered and I cursed myself for asking that stupid question of course all this happen because her. "Dad is you coming?" Brooke asked breaking out of my thoughts.
"Yeah here I come." I say finally letting a smile grace my face as I look at her. "Race you down stairs?" I ask and she nodded and took off and I took off after her, previous worries already forgotten.
Flashback ends…
After that I discussed my problems with my sisters and we have agreed to return to that run down town I called my home. So, that is why I find myself sitting at my computer booking a flight for all eight of us for tomorrow night. I also took the liberty of buying a house under Brooke's name, to be on the safe side, for us to live in while we are there and in case we decided to visit. As you might have already figure out we are not staying, well that decision is still up for discussion because for some reason I can't find myself to want to move he kids to another continent because the girl I am in love with is having a little fight with her boyfriend, as I decided to look at it. I am just going to keep her safe to the happy couple find their way back to each other and I say that with as much malice that I can muster. I mean, why exactly am I setting myself up for another broken heart? Because this damn girl has too much of a hold on me, but I need this. this would be the final straw to letting her go and putting her behind me by making sure she is happy, even if it is with my brother, before I cut all ties with them. The house should be ready to live in by the time we arrive. I don't know if I want the kids to meet them, not because I am ashamed of my kids, I just rather keep them as far away from the boarding house, better yet mystic falls as possible. But that was possible for me to have them that far from me and not worry about them so keeping them away from the boarding house will have to do. Just long enough to take care of Elena and the Scooby gang current problem and back to our lives here hopefully. I look over at the clock and see that it is almost midnight, so it should be around seven in Mystic Falls. I picked up the phone to call Jeremy.
The phone rung about three times before he answered, "Hello" Jeremy answered while looking at Caroline and his sister. He had just told them about talking to Damon earlier.
"Hey Little Gilbert," I replied.
"Damon, hold on" he said out loud and reluctantly put the phone on speaker after receiving a deadly glare from both women in the room. "So what's up?"
"I just wanted to let you know that we will be coming in tomorrow night, our plane don't leave till tomorrow evening our time so I should make it to the boarding house around 11. How is she doing?" I ask not realizing I was on speaker.
Jeremy looked over to Elena and she sat there motionless. When it became clear she wasn't going to answer, he did "she is okay, just in shock."
"Well she will have Stefan back in no time and then with can all relax when the happy couple is back together in a couple of weeks." I say, my words dripping in sarcasm.
Hearing Stefan's name snapped Elena out of her daze she was put in thinking of who he could be bringing with him. Jeremy saw the rage returning to his sister's eyes and decided to change the subject. "So where are you coming from anyway?"
Noticing the quick subject change, I wondered why and decided to go along with it for now, but I can tell he was hiding something from me. At my villa in Tuscany, its nice out here and I have a job and everything, but you don't want to hear about that." I reply not exactly knowing why I just told him that but it was too late now.
"Damon" Kiara knocked on the door. Caroline, Elena and Jeremy heard a woman call Damon's name and they all went silent and two sets of eyes turned toward Elena who had her head down.
"Kiara not now, I'm on the phone" I whisper to her as low as I can. "Hey look I have to go so I will see you tomorrow." I say hanging up. In another part of the world there were three people that sat in shock of this new revelation. Jeremy silently cursed himself for putting the phone on speaker, Caroline move over to her friend to comfort her, and Elena, Elena was sat stock still with the woman voice playing over in her head. While she silently prayed he haven't moved on but knowing that he did. Her heart was breaking the more she sat there and thought about it, and the more she thought about it the more she decided that she waited too long. He sound happy and she was about to ripe that away from him, but she couldn't give up unless she saw it with her own eyes. She just couldn't, so she removed herself from Caroline's hold and went back into her safe haven to wait for his arrival.
After Kiara left my room, telling me one of the girls was sick and wanted to go home, I called the girl's parents and they said they was on their way. I walked down stairs and went to see how she was doing. I saw her sitting on the couch next Kendall in the living room when I walked in.
"How are you feeling sweetie?" I ask bending down in front of her.
"I miss my mommy." Savannah said. "My tummy hurt." She finished.
"I called your mommy and she is on her way…" I grab her and pull her into my arms walking into the kitchen to get the children's medicine to give her some. "Her take this and it will make your tummy ache go away." I say as she takes the cup drinks it while I get her some orange juice to help with the taste. Kiara walked in with Savannah's overnight bag and soon thereafter her mother arrived to get her. After they left I went to check on the kids, giving them all a kiss on the forehead before turning in myself. Tomorrow was the beginning of opening up old wounds and I just hope the ending don't change the man I am now, the man I so desperately want to be if not for Elena, then for my kids. So much for it being my first drama free Christmas.