Chapter 9 will have heavy themes that may offend people as it is going to be focused heavy on child abuse. Please Read and Review. CLM18
Chapter 8
Miranda set the phone down and walked over to Damon.
"Gray…" Miranda said looking at her husband as she pulled the young boy into her arms, Damon's tough face broke as tears began to rush to the surface.
"Damon, son you need to tell us the truth, has Giuseppe been hurting you and Stefan?" Grayson asked again his blue eyes burning deep into Damon's.
"Not Stef, he loves Stefan. He doesn't love me, why doesn't he love me?" Damon shook his head and whimpered pulling out of Miranda's arms.
Elena sat shocked, this entire time they had been dating, and before that 'Giuseppe had been beating him' she thought confused. She got up and walked over to her boyfriend and best friend, hugging him tightly. Both teens knees buckling as they fell to the ground still holding each other.
Miranda and Grayson sighed sadly as they went to the kitchen.
"Gray, what are we going to do? We need to tell the police about Giuseppe." Miranda whispered to her husband.
"There is nothing that can be done Miranda, we have no proof other than Damon's word, he can stay here until we have talked to Giuseppe." Grayson said his blue eyes filled with anguish.
"What about the baby Gray? This is all unexpected, they are only kids." Miranda said sadly.
"There is nothing that can be done Miranda, from that ultrasound photo she is already to far along." Grayson said pulling two wine glasses from the cupboard and pouring himself and his wife a glass. "We just have to support them, you know as well as I do that Elena will not give that baby up, and you of all people should understand that." Grayson said taking the glass of wine to his lips.
"Gray…" Miranda's eyes were misting.
"You know that one day we need to tell the girls the truth." Grayson said putting his wine down.
"Elena has too much on her plate right now, it wouldn't be fair to her, to either of them to tell them that they are adopted right now Grayson. You and I both know that, and when they find out that John is their father, what then? Huh? Your brother never wanted them, how do we explain that?" Miranda said in a hushed tone.
Grayson nodded, just like Elena, her birthmother had become pregnant at 15. John, Grayson's brother the father. Grayson being much older and Miranda having fertility issues volunteered to take the girls as soon as they were born. However, neither Kathrine nor Elena knew the truth, and up until this week Grayson had wanted to keep it that way. But now, having Elena be in the same situation as John was sixteen years prior, Grayson wondered if maybe she would benefit from knowing the truth, to show her that there are options for her baby.
In the living room…
Damon and Elena sat on the floor still holding each other, neither saying anything, both paralyzed in fear, sadness, comforted only by the touch of the other.
Kathrine peered from the stairwell, it broke her heart seeing her sister and the boy she had known like a brother be so crushed. She swallowed hard, realizing that just months before this could have been her fate. Relief flashed over her reminding herself that she had done the right thing, even though the pit in her stomach made her feel otherwise. Kathrine turned and walked back to her room.
"Elena," Grayson said coming back into the living room.
"Yes, Daddy?" Elena said pulling away from Damon, Damon groaned at the lack of contact.
"Elena, baby everything is going to be okay. Your mom and I we will help you, both of you." Grayson said extending his hand down to Damon to help him up. "You are like my son Damon, I love you. You are welcome to stay here until your Dad is better okay?" the warm words hit Damon's heart, he could feel tears coming to his eyes again, frustrated he pushed the tears away.
Damon nodded and shook Grayson's hand, Grayson just laughed and pulled the teen into his arms for a bone crushing hug.
Elena smiled from the ground, Damon turned around and helped her up.
"Now you kids should get to bed, there's school tomorrow. Damon I will phone your Dad and tell him you're staying here tonight, we can all tell him about the baby tomorrow together." Grayson said as he sat down on the couch.
"Okay." Damon finally said.
"Damon, its okay for you to sleep in Elena's room still but no funny business okay?" Grayson said flipping the channel on the TV to Street Cars.
Damon gulped, "Yes sir." He said as him and Elena went up stairs.
After they both showered and got into their pajamas, they lay on the bed looking up at the ceiling together, neither one knowing what to say.
"Elena?" Damon finally spoke.
"Yes?" Elena stammered.
"I'm sorry." He said he felt so guilty for getting her in this mess.
"You heard my dad Damey, it takes two to tango, its as much my fault as it is yours, and you heard my mom and dad, they will help us." Elena smiled weakly.
"I know, I just…" Damon didn't know what to say, he ran his hand through his wild raven hair.
"Damon, why did you never tell me about your Dad?" Elena said changing the subject.
"I…" Damon's words got caught in his throat.
"You know I am and will always be there for you right?" Elena said pushing up on the bed, so she was facing him.
"I know, its just… not something I really wanted anyone to know." Damon said full of shame.
"Don't… Don't be embarrassed by this, he is your Dad, he is supposed to love you." Elena said gently stroking his cheek.
"He… He wasn't always like this. Before Mom died, before Zach. He used to be a good Dad." Damon said chewing his lip.
"What happened?" Elena asked.
"After Uncle Zach died, Dad started drinking a lot, when he's not at work he's drunk. I thought that it was just grief, but soon he started just hitting me for fun. Only me, he doesn't touch Stef. He said that Stefan is good, Stefan is pure. I am tainted and useless." Damon bit back tears.
Elena gasped, "God, Damon you're not useless, or tainted, why would he say things like that!?" Elena nearly yelled.
"Because I look like her Elena." Damon felt the tears, "Because I look like my mom. He hates me because he loved her and still does, and I am a walking reminder that she is dead." He said wiping the tears from his eyes.
Elena felt her own tears, "Damon that's horrible, its not your fault that you inherited your mothers looks."
"I know that, and so does he, but he's sick Elena. He needs help." Damon said his voice breaking. "How am I supposed to be a father to our baby Elena? When the only father I have known hates his own son?"
"Damon, you are nothing like your father, you are pure, you are loving." Elena said grabbing a hold of his hand and placing it on her rounded abdomen, Damon gasped his eyes wide. He looked deep in her chocolate orbs, drowning in them. For once his life felt as if it had purpose.
"I promise you, I will never leave you. Either of you." He said pulling her PJ top up and placing a loving his on the little bump.
Elena cried at the gesture, 'How can I love this man even more than I already do.' She thought.
"I know that we are young, but I promise you that no matter what, I will fight for you and for our baby Elena. I will be the man you need me to be." He said pulling her close to him. "I love you." He whispered into her hair.
"and I love you." Elena sighed as sleep took her.
"Goodnight my love," Damon mumbled as he placed his hand to her belly again and gently stroked it, he could swear he felt the baby moving.
The next morning Damon was up before Elena, he checked his phone for the time. 5:30.
'Shit' he thought as he rubbed his face. He noticed that he had missed alerts.
Stefan – bro where are you? Dad is pissed?
Stefan – Damon? Jesus man are you okay? Where are you?
Stefan – okay Gilberts called I guess your bunking at Elena's?
Stefan – Damon what is going on why wont you answer me?
Damon groaned yesterday had felt like a bad dream, but when he glanced down at Elena's sleeping form he knew that it hadn't been. Her perfect body lay there with a slightly rounded bump where his son lay nuzzled inside.
He got up from bed and slipped on his t shirt, there was no way he was getting back to sleep. His stomach growled, remembering he missed supper the night before, Damon headed down to the kitchen.
After retrieving a bowl of cereal Damon sat down at the table, pondering how the conversation with his dad will go.
"You look deep in thought son." Grayson's voice broke the silence.
Damon jumped, "God, Mr. G you scared the crap out of me." He said his heart pounding.
"Sorry, I heard you get up, I thought I'd check to see if you were okay." Grayson said adjusting the belt on his bed robe.
"Yeah, I'm good, just hungry. Didn't exactly eat supper last night, with everything going on..." Damon said stirring the Rice Krispies in his bowl.
"Makes sense, hey you know that you can tell me anything right?" Grayson said, the same thing that Elena said the night prior.
"Yeah, I know." Damon swallowed.
"If your Dad is hurting you Damon, you need to tell someone because its not going to get better." Grayson sympathized, putting his hand on the boys shoulder, and squeezing softly.
"I know." Damon looking down to his cereal, watching the little pieces float in their milky bath.
"Daddy Gilbert?" Damon said his blue eyes meeting equally blue eyes.
"Yes son?" Grayson smiled.
"Will you talk to my Dad for me? Can you help him?" Damon stammered.
"I can try Damon, but sometimes people don't want help son, and if that's the case you can come and live here." Grayson nodded.
"Thank you." Damon said quietly. "I… I um I'm going to take Elena up some breakfast and get ready for school now, thanks for the talk." Damon said as he got up from the table and got Elena a glass of orange juice and some cereal, putting it on a tray to carry it up stairs.
"Thank you for being there for my daughter Damon, I know a lot of guys your age would leave if they got news like you did." Grayson commented.
"I will never leave Elena, she means too much to me, she is my life." Damon said seriously as he headed upstairs.
Grayson just smiled, realizing that what Damon and Elena share is more than just a high school fling but they are truly soul mates.