"So how was your trip?" Stefan asks when I walk into my building, following Elena. Now that I have my driver's license back, I can take us to work.
"It was nice to spend the time with dad. You should've been there to help us, Stefan. You said you were going to come down for at least a weekend."
Although I'm trying to keep my anger with him in check, the agitation I'm feeling is clear by the tone of voice I use with him.
"Look Damon, I know I promised to help out but I didn't want to leave Caroline."
"She's not due for a few months yet. You could've come for a weekend anyway. Hell you could've even brought her along. You know I wouldn't have made her do any lifting or anything like that. She could've frolicked at the beach while we were packing."
"Don't Damon. I don't have to defend myself to you."
Staring at him for a long moment, I just shake my head, pick up the mail and walk into my office. I roll my eyes when he follows right after me.
"Dad had a change of heart about selling the house. The realty company he hired is going to rent it out for him."
"Why not?" he scoffs.
"Stefan, don't you dare display this attitude with dad. I think he kept it so he'd still have that connection to mom. They did build it you know."
"Yes, I know that but she's gone and she's not coming back."
"Stefan, how can you be so callous about our mom? She died from renal failure, it's not like she ran off and left us," I scold, incredulous at his attitude.
"Fine!?"
Tightening his lips in a grimace, he drops his head for a moment before turning around and walking out of my office.
"Damon?"
Looking up, I see Caroline standing there but my eyes zero in on her bulging belly. She's such a petite person, it didn't take long for her bump to appear. Swallowing thickly, I raise my eyes to hers.
"Caroline? Um what can I do for you?"
Walking around to my side of the desk, she leans her backside against it before giving my shoulder a gentle squeeze.
"Stefan said you got a little agitated with him about your dad's house?"
"Yeah, I guess I did. But in my defense, if dad wants to hang onto the house a little while longer, he should support him, not second guess his decision."
"I know that. He probably thinks that since he's keeping the house that maybe he'll move back there?"
"He might. I don't know. But he did move everything he wanted into my house. I don't see that happening, at least not in the forseeable future. He seems to enjoy it here too. I just think he didn't want to give up that connection to mom."
"Are you okay, Damon?"
"Why wouldn't I be?"
"You know with all of this?" she asks, gesturing to her belly.
"Caroline, don't worry about me. You'll be a great mom," I add, getting up to give her a kiss on the cheek.
"Thanks. I'm sure Elena was glad to have you back?" she teases, raising an eyebrow. I drop my eyes and shake my head a moment before raising them to hers again.
"That my dear sister in law, is none of your business. Now shoo, I have work to do."
"Fine."
After rolling her eyes at me, she gets up to leave but not before giving me another hug. Stopping at the doorway, she turns around to give me a heartfelt smile before walking out and closing the door.
Taking a deep breath, I walk into Happy Dale. I haven't seen Anna in weeks it seems. Between helping Elena and my dad, I just haven't found the time. I feel terrible about that. For whatever reason, I make a stop in the office to see if maybe April knows if Anna is free right now. She may be in class or something.
"Damon? What are you doing here?" Carol asks, looking up when she hears the door close.
"I wanted to stop by to see Anna. You wouldn't happen to know if she's free right now?"
After glancing down at her watch, she turns back to me.
"She should be in a math class at this time. However, it'll be out soon and then you can see her. You really like that little girl, don't you, Damon?"
"I do indeed, Carol."
With my attention on Carol, I startle when I feel someone bump into me from behind. Turning around I see that it was April who is now stooped down picking up papers. Without hesitating, I drop down to help her.
"Thank you, Damon. I wasn't paying attention to where I was going," she says, staring at me for a moment before walking over to her desk.
"No worries. I just stopped by to see Anna. Can you tell me which classroom she's in so I can wait there?"
"Come, I'll take you there," Carol offers, leading me out of her office. I follow behind, looking around as she takes me to Anna. Out of my peripheral vision, I see Nik, his cell phone next to his face, seemingly in a heated argument with someone judging by his body language and facial expressions. I turn to look at him for a moment, walking right into Carol, who stopped too, apparently distracted herself by the heated argument Nik is having with whoever he's talking to.
"I'm sorry Carol. I wasn't paying attention."
"No worries. Oh, look over there."
She points outside to where I see Anna stooped down, smelling flowers.
"Thanks Carol. I'm going to go to see her for a little while. Um, I don't when but can I take her out again sometime?"
"Absolutely. I'm really glad that someone is so smitten with her. Not many are interested in people with her disability."
"I care about her, a lot. Thank you, Carol."
She gives me an approving nod then walks towards Nik. Without wasting another moment, I stroll outside to where Anna is. Just before I reach her, I turn around, looking inside the building only to see Carol appearing to browbeat Nik. Something is up with that I think to myself. When I hear her trying to pronounce my name, I look at my little friend, smiling widely when she runs into my arms. I pick her up and carry her over to the bench so we can sit down.
"Dam," she blurts out, wrapping her little arms around my neck, hugging me tight.
"Hi Anna."
"Where you were?" she asks, her little hands pressing my lips together.
"I'm sorry I haven't been to see you lately. I had to help my daddy. He came to live with me."
"You daddy?"
"Yes. You remember my daddy, he went to the zoo with us?"
"Papa?" she asks, looking at me curiously.
"Yes sweetie, papa," I tell her, smiling.
"Would you like to come with me for awhile?"
"Me come," she says, clapping excitedly.
With a chuckle, I stand up and lift her in my arms, carrying her inside so I can sign her out for the afternoon. I'm going to take her back to the office with me so she can see Elena too. I haven't told Elena yet about Mikael's suspicions about Happy Dale. If what Miss Starr says is true, Elena's baby could be alive out there somewhere. I don't want to get Elena's hopes up only to crush her should this all be a wild goose chase. I can tell her that I have witnessed Carol and April acting suspiciously for lack of a better word. But I have no proof that any of what I've seen is nefarious in nature.
Somehow I need to get into the guts of the operation. Then it dawns on me and not to toot my own horn, but I am a computer whiz. Perhaps I can somehow get into their files? But then again, they probably have their tracks covered quite handily if they've been at this for years as Mikael alluded to. Just thinking about the possibility of Elena's child being alive and me being the one to give him back to her puts a smile on my face. Smiling at Anna, I carry her into the office.
"Hello Anna," Carol greets her, just happening to step out of her office. I don't miss how April rolls her eyes when she looks at this beautiful little child. Her mere presence turns my stomach.
"I was hoping I could take her out for a few hours?"
"Sure Damon, let me get a release for you to sign. Where are you taking her?"
"Just over to my office so she can say hello to Elena," I explain, bouncing Anna in my arms.
"Let me take her so you can fill this out," Carol says, her arms outstretched to take Anna. Unlike April, at least Carol has a heart where Anna is concerned. Once I finish with the paperwork, I take her back in my arms to carry her to the car. I bought a child's seat for my car knowing that I wanted to be able to spend more time with her. Once I secure her, I jump into the driver's seat, igniting the engine and pulling out into traffic.
Traffic is a little slow today. It takes about a half an hour because a car accident was holding up traffic. By the time I pull into the parking lot, I glance in the rearview mirror, smirking when I see that she's sound asleep. Getting out of the car, I close my door quietly before going around to the back seat to let her out. She doesn't even wake up when I free her from the seat belt. Lifting her up, her little face drops onto my shoulder, her mouth slightly agape as she sleeps peacefully. For whatever reason, I feel so serene when I'm with Anna.
"Who do you have there?" Stefan asks when I step inside my building. Walking over to me, he looks at her curiously before smiling.
"She's so cute, Damon."
Reaching up, he carefully fingers a few hairs out of her eyes.
"This is Anna," I whisper, hoping not to wake her.
"This is the little girl dad mentioned right?"
"Yes, this is her."
I'm completely spellbound by the little tyke in my arms.
"Damon," Caroline gushes walking over to me. Practically melting, she pets Anna's back softly.
"Can I hold her?"
Since she's a tiny little girl, I let Caroline take her from my arms. She takes her into my office, dropping into one of the chairs. Smiling, I shake my head. Caroline is going to be a wonderful mother, so unlike... Smiling, I pull my office door closed before turning around to look for Elena. When I see her hard at work, I stand in the doorway, cross my arms and just stare at this girl that has completely captivated me. By happenstance, she raises her eyes, sighing exaggeratedly when she sees me.
"Hi."
"Well, hello there."
Smiling, I step into her office and drop a quick kiss to the crown of her head.
"Where were you?"
"I went over to Happy Dale to see Anna. She's actually asleep in Caroline's arms in my office."
"Oh, that's so sweet," she gushes. Stepping aside so she can cross the threshold, I follow her to my office. Carefully she turns the doorknob, tiptoeing inside to see that Anna is still sound asleep in Care's arms. Elena smiles, reaching into her pocket for her cellphone, snapping a couple of photos of the two of them. Caroline is positively beaming holding my little girl in her arms.
"As much as I hate to let her go, Stefan and I have a Dr. appointment." Smiling at her, I gently take Anna from her arms which causes her to wake up, rubbing her eyes with her little fists. When she finally opens them. As soon as she sees Elena, she reaches for her.
"Ewena," she gasps, giving her a sloppy kiss and a hug.
"Hi baby girl. I've missed you so much."
"What do you say the three of go to get some lunch?" I suggest, noticing that it's about that time.
"Are you hungry, Anna?"
'Uh huh."
"I am hungry too." Elena concurs, handing Anna back to me so she can go to grab her bag. As soon as she comes back, the three of us walk outside. I take a moment to lock the doors and then we take off down the sidewalk, walking towards the little grill that's down the street.
Later in the afternoon, I reluctantly take Anna back. Inhaling a deep breath, I walk inside, the little girl in my arms. Surprised to see that Carol is still here, I let her take Anna from my arms.
"Go with," she cries, reaching for me to take her back.
"Honey, I can't today. I'll come again very soon and I'll bring my daddy with me, okay?"
"Dam," she squeals, tears pouring from her eyes as she kicks and flails in Carol's arms.
"Just go, Damon. She'll calm down once you're gone."
Nodding sadly, I lean over to give Anna a kiss on the forehead. After telling her again that I'd see her soon, I turn my back on her and walk away, her tears breaking my heart.
Feeling like shit for having to leave her behind, I drive to a bar that's not far from my home. Taking a seat at the bar, I just order a coke and turn my attention to the baseball game on the TV for awhile. Having had my fill of soda, I get up to leave. Once outside, I hear a heated voice. Following the sound, I'm surprised to see that it's Nik standing in the alley talking to someone on his phone. Standing back so he doesn't notice me, I gasp when I hear him say the name, 'Miss Starr'. It dawns on me that maybe he is her Happy Dale inside source. Suddenly he turns around, his eyes lock with mine. I was unable to jump back quick enough to avoid detection.
"Damon?"
Looking a little panicked, his eyes dart from me to his phone and back to me.
"Hi Nik."
"Had a fight with my girlfriend," he says, the anxious tone of his voice exposes the lie though.
"Can I trust you, Nik?"
"Um, why?"
"I heard you mention Miss Starr. Is that the reporter lady?"
"What do you know about her?" he demands, rounding on me.
"Calm down. I'm not your enemy. I've heard rumors about Happy Dale. I'd like to help you expose the place if they're true."
Turning his back to me for a minute, I don't miss how he's fisting his hands at his sides. Finally he turns around to face me again.
"They're very dangerous people, Damon. You have to know what you're getting yourself into," he cautions.
"I know that, Nik. Girls have died. I want to help."
"Are you absolutely sure, Damon?"
"I have a private detective and some others working with me. Yes, I want to help."
"Really?"
"Yes, it's Mikael Mikaelson. His son Elijah works with my best friend. They're helping too."
"Uncle Mikael?"
"Yes."
I can't help but notice the stunned look on his face.
"I'd like to speak with him. Can you arrange a meeting for us?"
"Yes. What if we meet at 'Six Flags over Texas'? We'd blend in there, no one would notice a bunch of guys having a few beers."
"That's a good idea. Here's my phone number. This is a prepaid cell that I only use to talk to Andie," he explains, telling me the number so I can reach him. Once we finish, he walks out of the alley and back into the bar. I take a deep breath then walk to my car. Once inside, I fire up the engine and pull out onto the road. Once I pull into traffic, a dark blue sedan pulls out shortly afterwards. After I've driven a few blocks, I notice that the car is still on my tail.
Deciding not to go home immediately, I drive around to see if the car continues its pursuit. I take a couple of sharp corners and the car stays with me. I'm wondering why anyone would want to follow me. I keep driving around, finally losing whomever at a train crossing as I got through just as the cross ties were lowering. Breathing a sigh of relief, I finally drive home.
The next morning when I get up, I explain to my dad what happened with Nik. I leave out the part about being followed since I don't want to worry him unnecessarily.
Elena be here soon to drive to work with me. I've been wanting to introduce her to my dad for some time already. I hate keeping things from her but how can I really tell her about our suspicions when we have nothing concrete to go on at this point? Placing his hand on my forearm, dad gives it a gentle squeeze because he knows that I hate lying. If nothing else, it's a lie by omission.
"I agree with you, Damon. We should keep this to ourselves till we know more."
Sighing, I nod my agreement. Just as I put the coffee cup to my mouth, I hear the doorbell.
"Drink your coffee. I'll answer it."
"It's probably Elena." I mention. Nodding, he walks off. When I hear Elena's voice I start to get up but she's already in the kitchen.
"Did dad introduce himself?"
"Yes, Damon he did. It's great to finally meet you, Mr. Salvatore."
"Please call me Owen and I'm thrilled to meet you too. Would you like to join us for a cup of coffee?"
"Yes, please." Dad grabs another mug from the cupboard, filling one for her and one for himself. He hands one to Elena then sits down on the other side of me. I sit back, just listening as dad and Elena get acquainted, smiling on the inside as dad seems as smitten with her as I am.
Over the course of the next few days, I make sure to pay extra attention to my movements to see if I attract anymore followers. Fortunately I don't but I'm still concerned as to why I was followed that night. Not wanting to raise suspicions, I haven't talked to Nik yet although I did talk to Elijah about Nik's involvement. He is worried about Nik but is also proud of him for trying to do the right thing. Mikael is out of town on another case so Elijah is waiting for his return to talk to him about everything that I shared with him.
After having a cup of coffee and telling my dad goodbye, I go to work myself this morning because Elena called in to see if she could have the day off due to a migraine. She assured me that she gets them every few months and that she needs to rest and take her Imitrex. Once I take the time to tell my staff good morning and catch up with Stefan, I shoot off a text to her to tell her that I'll stop over after work. I dive into my work, catching up on some things I have let pile up over the last few weeks. Plus I need to do payroll. I'm buried in the books, looking over office expenditures, not bothering to look up when I hear a knock on my door. Since it's probably Stefan, I just utter come in.
"Mr. Salvatore?" Not recognizing the voice, I look up to see a man and a woman. Standing up, I acknowledge that I am indeed Mr. Salvatore before telling them to have a seat.
"How can I help you?" I ask, not knowing what they want.
"I understand that you have an Elena Gilbert that works here?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"My name is Jeremy Gilbert and this is my wife, Lexie. Elena is my sister. I've been looking for her for quite some time. When our parents died, I found some paperwork related to the sanitarium that she was at. A private detective was able to trace her social security number to your firm."
Unable to contain the shock, my mouth drops open.
"Yes, Elena does work here but she's out sick today."
I notice how he squeezes his wife's hand, their eyes meeting for a moment before looking at me again.
"Can you give us her address?"
"Look, I told Elena that I would stop by to check on her after work. I really think I should give her a head's up that you're here. If you could give me your cellphone number, I'll give it to her so you can call her. But please give me tonight to talk to her. Hopefully she'll feel well enough to be here tomorrow. Perhaps you could stop back then?"
"That's probably a good idea, Jeremy. I mean, you haven't seen her in several years. She'll probably be nervous about meeting us. One more night isn't going to make any difference," Lexie tells him, her eyes turning to me as she finishes.
"Thank you. Elena and I are involved. I know all about her past. I really hope she'll be excited to see you too," I add, my voice sincere.
Standing up, I walk them to the entrance of my store. Shaking his hand, I wish them good luck and tell them goodbye. I'm unable to look away, watching them as walk down the sidewalk. It's only when their car disappears that I turn away, wondering how I'm going to tell Elena about this turn of events.
Thank you for everything Eva.
Thanks to those of you who took the time to write a review. I appreciate them so much.
Chapter title: 'The Whole World is Watching' by Within Temptation
I updated 'Angels Fall' on Wednesday and 'Dig' yesterday. Please give them a look.
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