Waking up in the next morning in a daze of confusion, Damon looks around, only now remembering that he's at Elena's place. Once he rubs his eyes a bit, his eyes dart around again, this time amazed by the esthetic beauty of the home. It's a log home, not huge by any stretch of the imagination but it's decorated very nicely. The stone fireplace is the center of the room. But the couch is facing away from it towards the entertainment center. The rustic décor is simply gorgeous. She has a western themed chandelier hanging above the dining room table which is on the opposite side of the room. There's a staircase leading up to a loft. Glancing around some more, he's immediately drawn to the big bay window that showcases the forest outside. The window seat is awash with pillows and he could easily see himself sitting there, losing himself in the sights and sounds of the majestic outdoors. He imagines that deer, maybe even moose show up once in awhile to pay their respects. In dire need of some caffeine and some Advil, Damon drags himself to his feet. After finding and using the bathroom, he locates the kitchen. Although he hates to snoop, he finds the coffee and filters, making a strong pot. Opening the refrigerator door, he pulls some Pillsbury cinnamon rolls, a carton of cream and some butter. Opening the cupboards once more, he smiles when he finds the brown sugar and the cinnamon that he is searching for.
After preheating the oven, he finds a baking pan so he can melt the butter. Once that's done, he sprinkles the brown sugar over it and then pours the heavy cream on top of that. Taking the premade Pillsbury rolls, he opens the tube, lays them on top then slides them in the oven to bake. Hopefully Elena won't be too pissed at him for making himself at home here. When the timer rings, he pulls the homemade caramel rolls out of the oven. Once they rest of a few minutes, he flips then onto a platter then drizzles the icing over it all. Licking his lips, he wants to try one but he wants to wait for her to get up. Picking up the coffee mug, he drinks nearly half a cup with one swallow. Damn that's good coffee, he thinks to himself.
When he hears, "Good morning, Damon," he spins around, admiring the goddess that is in front of him. She's wearing a floor length robe, her hair is in a messy bun on top of her head and she looks quite simply glorious to him.
"I hope you don't mind. I made some coffee and some caramel rolls for breakfast," he mentions, pointing to the platter full of sweets. Bracing himself for the fallout, he draws back his lips as if waiting for her to smack him one. He relaxes his facial expression when the beautiful sound of her laughter fills the kitchen.
"Why would I be mad at your for making breakfast although I must say I'm surprised that you know how to cook."
"My mom taught me to cook, says it impresses the ladies," Damon winks.
"Sounds like your mom is a smart lady," she smiles, handing him a couple of plates. Taking them from her, he uses a spatula to plate up one of the tasty treats.
"Here you go," he adds, offering her the plate again. "And yes, my mom is a very wise lady." Picking up the spatula, he puts a couple on a plate for himself and sets it down. Before joining her, he refills his coffee and pours her a cup. Thanking him, she sits down at the table, looking up when Damon joins her. "Thanks for letting me stay last night. I really appreciate the gesture. I'm certain I'd be in a world of hurt right now had I slept in the back seat of my car."
"No worries, Damon," she adds, taking a bite. "Oh my God, this is delicious. How do you make these?"
Wanting nothing more than to lick the bit of caramel off of her lip, Damon feels an uncomfortable bulge in his jeans. Grateful that he's sitting down, he shifts to try to ease his burden a bit before answering her. "It's simple, I'll give you the recipe," he says, quirking his brows teasingly. Just as he's about to take a bite himself, a door slams shut. They both look up at the same time when Caroline finds them in the kitchen.
"Those look yummy," she says, dropping her purse onto the counter.
"Sit," Damon tells her. Getting up, he puts a couple more rolls on a plate and slides it in front of her along with a fork and a coffee mug.
"Thanks.. Mmmm, these are scrumptious," she moans, in an almost orgasmic tenor.
"I'm glad you're enjoying them," Damon laughs, taking in the face she makes.
"So did you have fun?" Elena asks, sticking another bite of roll into her mouth.
"That man knows how to show a lady a good time," Caroline adds, practically swooning.
"You can tell me about it later, Care, after Damon leaves. I'll get dressed then I'll give you a lift to your car," Elena tells him. After taking her last swallow of coffee, she gets up, puts her plate and mug in the sink and then disappears into what he assumes is her bedroom. Damon finishes his breakfast then puts his things in the sink as well. Once Caroline takes her last bite, Damon chuckles when he sees her yawn.
"Brady kept you pretty busy ha?" he laughs, giving Care a wink.
"That he did. He's a well oiled machine," she teases, raising an eyebrow at him.
"TMI, my friend. Listen, I'm going to go and wash my hands. Tell Elena I'll be out shortly."
"Sure," Caroline adds, watching as he walks down the hall and dodges into the bathroom. Within moments, Elena is back. "Where's Damon?"
"He just went to wash his hands, said to tell you that he'd be out shortly. He's a hottie, Elena."
"Ssshh, Caroline. I don't want him to hear that. His ego is big enough as is. And besides, I dated his brother, I can't nor do I want to go out with him. Just no," Elena says in no uncertain terms. Although Caroline thinks she protests a little too much, she lets it go for now. As soon as Damon steps out of the bathroom, he says goodbye to Caroline then follows Elena outside. Slipping into the passenger seat, he stares outside of the window, not even realizing that he's in a world of his own, one where his head is a maelstrom a conflicting emotions about the girl in the driver's seat.
After Elena drops him off, he heads home to shower, change clothes and feed his animals. Forgoing shaving for today, he runs by Fort Wainwright to catch up on some paperwork. Finishing early, he takes the rest of the day off to spend the afternoon with his mom and dad since he hasn't seen them since before he left to go to Montana. His parents, Joshua and Mary Salvatore live in North Pole, AK which is only about fourteen miles from Fairbanks. Although his dad works for the city of Fairbanks as their chief executive for the fire department, his parents maintain their home in North Pole. He used to be the fire chief in Fairbanks but when he was offered the promotion, he took the job, bequeathing his former duties to Liz Forbes.
As one would expect, North Pole, Alaska has Christmas year around. The post office is made to look like an igloo. There's a Santa Claus house and a Santa Claus village. In addition to those, there is also the Santa Claus senior center. The atmosphere is always festive and needless to say, Damon loved growing up there. His place is actually built on an acreage between Fort Wainwright and North Pole. So he's centrally located about six miles from one place and eight miles from the other. He has a couple of huskie dogs that are his children. He and Brady competed in the Iditarod race a couple of years ago but when his sled tipped and he broke his collarbone among other things, his boss at Fort Wainwright put the kibosh on anymore dog racing. In addition to his dogs, he also has a housecat that sleeps on his bed with him every night.
Pulling into the long driveway that leads to his folks huge log home, he stops in front of the house. Stepping out of the car, he's immediately greeted by his parent's dog, Biscuit. He's a great big St. Bernard. He's not much of a watch dog. Although his size is intimidating, he is more likely to drown a person with his drool than scare anyone off. Laughing so hard his gut hurts, he finally gets onto his feet when his mother whistles for him to come into the house. Following the dog, Damon leans over to give his mom a kiss on the cheek.
"You've lost weight," is the first thing out of her mouth, raising a familiar eyebrow at him.
"I didn't have your cooking. What would you expect?"
"I expect them to feed you properly. How was Missoula?"
"It's beautiful in Montana. I spent time hiking in Glacier and I went to the Museum of the Rockies in Bozeman to see the dinosaurs and I even made a weekend trip to Yellowstone and the Tetons. It's gorgeous there, mom."
"Yes, it is. Don't just stand there, come on in, I'm making some homemade beef stew."
Smiling widely at the woman, he follows her inside and into the kitchen. Taking a seat at the table, he thanks her when she hands him a cup of hot coffee. Cradling the coffee cup with his hands, he lifts it to his mouth to take a sip. With his mind on Elena, he doesn't even hear what his mother is saying to him. It's only when she gives him a nudge on the arm that he looks up, snapping out of his reverie. "Sorry mom, did you say something?"
"I was going to ask you about Stefan. He hasn't called or stopped by in ages. What's up with him?"
"He's an idiot sometimes, mom. You know Elena, she's very attractive.." When she nods, he continues, "Will was making some jokes about her, in fun of course, but Stefan has no sense of humor whatsoever and because if it, Will was badly hurt on a mission. On my recommendation, Ric took him off of the A team. He hasn't worked a fire since before I went to Montana."
"How is Will?" she starts to say when footsteps can be heard tapping against the hard wood floor. Suddenly the saloon style kitchen doors burst open. "Damon, you're home!" his little sister Willow squeals, rushing into his arms. She is seven years and an absolute delight. Also she was indeed a very big surprise for his mom and dad. His mom was forty four when she was born, his dad forty five. Damon loves her immeasurably. She spends nights with him watching movies and eating popcorn every now and then. She'll be staying with him again when the fire season is over as their parents are planning a trip to Hawaii for their wedding anniversary. Pulling her onto his lap, Damon listens intently while she tells him all about her day. When she finishes, he gives her a hug.
"Are you staying overnight, Damon?"
"No, just for supper. I have to be at the station in the morning."
"Can I come with you sometime? You promised."
"That depends on if mom can come and get you if I get called to a fire."
"Mommy, please say yes."
"If I say yes, you have to promise that you'll do what Damon says and not give him any grief."
"I promise, mommy. Please Damon can I go with you?" Dropping his chin to his chest, he raises his eyes without moving his head. "You can come but if you don't do what I tell you, it will be the last time. Promise?"
"I do promise, I do promise," she squeaks, clicking her ruby slippers together like she's Dorothy in "The Wizard of Oz" when she says, "There's no place like home." The movie is her favorite and Damon has watched it too many times to count. But she's his little sister and since he's been unable to say no to her for as long as she's been alive, he really had no choice.
"Go upstairs and get your things together so we can go after supper."
"Okay, Damon," she squeals then runs out of the kitchen, practically leaving a trail of dust behind.
Although he knows he's completely whipped by the little girl, he finally turns his attention back to his mom, saying, "Where does she get all of that energy?"
"You were worse, young man. Now about Stefan, is he going to be able to fight fires again?"
"That'll be up to Ric, mom. But if it was up to me, I'd say no. He nearly got Will killed with his petty jealousy. Elena broke up with him."
"That's too bad, she's a nice girl although I must say, I always though she'd make a better match for you... but what do I know?" she says to herself. After sharing a look with Damon, she gets up to add some barley to the stew.
"You thought Elena and I would be good together?"
"You're both passionate people and don't take crap from anyone. But when you meet the right girl, you'll know," Mary says, her back to him.
"What if I've already met the right girl but I can't have her?" Damon thinks, without voicing the words. Excusing himself, he goes outside to the barn to check on the horses. After feeding and watering them, he walks into the woods surroundings his parents property, enjoying the beautiful outdoors. And while he tries his damndest, the only picture in his head is a girl with brown eyes and long silky hair.
The next morning Damon fixes Willow some breakfast. As soon as she's finished, he hands her his I pad and a pair of ear buds so she can watch Netflix if she needs something to do while they're at the station. After making sure her seatbelt is secure, the two of them drive to Fort Wainwright. As soon as he walks in the building, he's immediately accosted by not only Nik Mikaelson but the whole Mikaelson clan. Mikael, Elijah, Kol and Rebekah are here too.
"Who's this?" Nik asks, circling Willow, giving Damon a wink.
"Stop, Nik. This is my little sister. Willow this Mikael's son, Nik."
"Hello Willow. Are you going to be a smokejumper when you're older too?"
"I don't know what I'm going to be yet. I'm just a little girl," she adds, hovering close to Damon. Wrapping an arm around her shoulder, he pulls her close since he can sense she's a little scared of Nik. Although Damon knows he's a good guy and wouldn't swat a fly, his sister doesn't know him.
"When did you and Rebekah get here?" Damon asks, shaking Elijah's hand since he hasn't seen him in some time. Elijah is one of Fairbanks finest physicians and he does the yearly physicals for the smokejumpers here at Fort Wainwright. While Damon engages Nik and Mikael in conversation, Kol shows Rebekah around their facility. Even though he's listening intently to Nik's watered down humor since Willow is at his side, he still is acutely aware when she steps into the room. He doesn't even have to see her to know she's here. His heart starts pumping like a locomotive down the track, his shirt feels tight around his neck and oh boy, the fluttering in his belly is something else entirely. Feeling a tug on his sleeve, he looks down to see Willow pointing at Elena. "You can go talk to her if you want," he says, smiling at her. Bobbing her head up and down she runs over to her. Elena gives her hug and starts chatting with her.
"So, Damon, the Mikaelson clan is having a get together tomorrow night at The Blue Loon. Your folks are invited too.
"Sounds great but Willow is a little too young to go to The Blue Loon, Nik."
"Well, isn't there someone who can babysit?"
"Yeah, she can stay with me if she wants. What do you say, Willow. Do you want to stay with me tomorrow while Damon and your parents go to the party?"
"Can I, Damon. Pretty please?"
"Point number one, are you sure, Elena?" When she nods, Damon adds, "Point number two, do you have a copy of The Wizard of Oz?"
"I do indeed. It's one of my favorite movies." Willows mouth drops open in awe for a millisecond before she blurts out that it's her favorite too. When Rebekah and Kol come back, he introduces her to Elena. Hearing Nik's innuendo in front of Willow, Rebekah tells him to shush, pressing her palm against his mouth. "I'm going to tell my father that you were being a little over eager in front of a little girl, Nik."
"Uncle Mordechai would be on my side," Nik laughs, winking at her.
"Like hell he would," she shoots back, jabbing him in the ribs with her elbow. All in good fun, Nik whispers something in her ear and the two of them immediately bust out in laughter. Obviously it's a private joke cause they don't share.
"Hey Elena, would you like to show me outside?" she asks.
Raising her brows at Damon, she agrees. Following Rebekah to the door, Elena tells Willow that she'll talk to her later about spending the night tomorrow and then disappears through the double doors that lead to the outside grounds. Taking Willow by the hand, Damon says goodbye to Nik and Mikael before walking into his office with his sister, pushing the door closed behind him. Willow plops down in one of the big cushy chairs and starts to play with the I pad while Damon walks over to the window, staring intently at the girl outside who has him completely bewitched.
Although the formal Mikaelson party was postponed till next weekend when Elijah had to fill in for a sick colleague at the hospital and Kol came down with the flu, a bunch of the guys still got together at the Blue Loon. Since Willow was so excited about having an overnight with Elena, Damon picked her up and dropped her off at Elena's place before he left for the bar. He had a few beers and played pool with a couple of his buddies but left early when he started to feel a little tepid himself.
When he wakes up the next morning, he stares up at the ceiling for a little bit. Not wanting to be hungover again so soon, he hadn't drank much the night before. Having noticed Rebekah flirting with him, he politely took her to the side and explained that although he liked nothing more than to be her friend, there would be nothing romantic between them. After staring at him for several moments, she finally nodded her head in agreement and started dancing with one of Elijah's friends from the hospital. Throwing his legs over the side of the bed, he sits up and drops his face in his hands to scrub the sleep from his eyes. Once he stretches his limbs sufficiently, he ambles into the bathroom to shower and brush his teeth. Looking at himself in the mirror, he says to hell with shaving again then drops his towel, puts on a clean pair of boxers and jeans and the Yellowstone tee shirt he bought when he was there. Walking into the kitchen, he makes himself a pot of coffee and grabs a banana out of the refrigerator. Stuffing it in his mouth, he finishes his second cup of coffee, fills his travel mug and then hops in his car to pick up his sister.
When he arrives, he pulls into her driveway. Finishing off what's left in his coffee cup, he sets the cup back in the holder and then gets out and trots down the sidewalk to her front door. Raising his hand, he raps on the door, smiling when she pulls is open. As soon as their eyes meet, his heart starts fluttering a chaotic symphony from inside his chest all the way up to his throat.
"Good morning, Elena," he greets her, his voice coming out a little breathy.
"Hi, Damon. You okay?" she asks, looking at him a little curiously.
Not wanting to give himself away, he mentions the first thing that comes to mind. "Yeah, just a scratch in my throat."
"Well, come on in, she's with Caroline in the kitchen. I'll caution you though, Caroline got her all dolled up with makeup last evening so she'll probably want her big brother to buy her some."
"She's too little for that stuff right?"
"You're never too young to play with it. Wearing it in public, yes, she's much too young."
"My mother is going to have my ass," he laughs, following her to the kitchen.
"She will not. She's not wearing anything now. Do you want a cup of coffee?" she asks when they reach their destination.
"Morning Damon," Willow mumbles, her mouth full of pancakes.
"Good morning," he says, dropping a kiss to the top of her head. "Hello, Caroline," he adds, taking a seat beside his sister. "It was really nice of you two to watch her last night. My parents appreciated a night to themselves too."
"We watched her movie and made popcorn and mixed it with M&M's. We dabbled with makeup and played a couple of board games. We're going to do it again sometime aren't we, Willow?"
"Do you think mommy will let me?" she asks, looking up at her brother.
"I think she might, Will," he laughs, taking a swallow of the coffee that Elena hands him. Damon notices that Elena is rather quiet. Sensing her discomfort although he doesn't know what it stems from, he finishes his coffee and as soon as Willow finishes her breakfast and washes her hands, he nudges her to tell Elena thank you. Raising her arms, Willow gives her a hug. With her hand in his, he also thanks Elena profusely before walking outside. Holding the door open, he lets her crawl in and after he's certain her safety belt is secure he closes the door. Seeing Elena standing in the doorway, he gives her a quick wave then hops into his car and drives away.
When she goes back in the house, she drops onto her couch, coffee in hand. She admires the love that Damon has for his little sister. And although she doesn't doubt that Stefan cares for her too, she's seen some sweet moments between the two, it's still clear that he isn't as close to her as Damon is. Willow has her big brother completely wrapped around her little finger, Elena thinks to herself, a smile unwittingly forming on her face. When her mind drifts to her parents, her smile is replaced by melancholy. Wishing she could have a relationship like that with her family is all Elena has ever wanted and yet it's never quite within her grasp.
Thank you, Eva. Love you lots and lots and lots.
Thank you all for your wonderful reviews. They really mean the world to both Eva and me.
I hope you all like Willow. There was no plans for a little sister in this story, she just kind of jumped in and made her presence known.
Chapter title: 'She's a Little Angel' by Little Angels.
'I Can't Escape Myself' is also in progress. The DE in that story are especially precious to me. I love them both so much.
Please remember to click the review button.
Be safe and have a wonderful day. Thank you all again and we'll see you next time.