Although she still feels a little unsettled after last night's fiasco, she can't help but feel a little excited too. Sitting on the toilet lid, she lets Caroline do her makeup for her. Her friend works at the local Hot Topic store in their mall. As a people person, Caroline enjoys it a lot plus she gets to wear scads of makeup and can wear casual clothes to work. Because the store does sell some cosmetic items, Caroline gets to play with it, often working her artistry on some of her customers. "I love you dearly, Caroline, but I don't want my makeup thick. I want to look good but not over the top," Elena fusses, a little wary of the big wing of eyeliner that she has on her left eye.
"Wait till I'm done and if you hate it, I'll tone it down, okay?"
"It's not like I have a choice," she retorts, sticking her tongue out playfully.
"You're incorrigible, Elena. Since you were so tired, I took Jeremy home this morning. He told me that you two escaped."
"Yeah, I don't know, Care. They're my family, I love them but they're not very likeable sometimes. Jer is different, he's easy going and aloof. But Katherine is..."
"Katherine!" Caroline adds, finishing Elena's sentence for her. Elena raises her eyes but Caroline tut tuts her when she starts to bob her head. "You look gorgeous, Elena. We just need a little highlighter yet to enhance your cheekbones, your collarbones and your shoulders. Matt will be blinded by your beauty," she teases, taking a fan brush to gently pat it on her cheeks. When Caroline brushes the powder over her clavicles, Elena mentions,
"My mom saw my tattoo last night. She was none too pleased."
"Elena, it's your life. You're the bravest person I know, fighting fires, helping to save lives in the off season. I just wish they would appreciate all that you've accomplished at such a young age. If you'd let me, I'd give Isobel a piece of my mind."
"And I love you for that, Care but they're my family. Maybe the day will come when they push just a little too far but right now, I can handle it. I promise."
"Fine, but know that I will always have your back. And since my mother isn't exactly Brady's biggest fan, I'll probably need you to back me up too."
"Of course, Caroline. You're more like my sister than best friend anyway." When Caroline motions towards the mirror, Elena stands up to face it. Brushing a loose strand of hair behind her ear, Elena is amazed by the transformation. "Thanks, Care. I look good."
"You do indeed. Now is it a casual date or a more formal date?"
"He's taking me to The Cookie Jar."
"Well, that's more informal but it's a really good place to eat. So how about skinny jeans and a nice button down. I'll get one of my scarves to wrap around your neck."
"Sounds good," she adds, looking at her wrist watch. He's supposed to pick me up in about fifteen minutes." Hurrying out of the bathroom, she quickly slips into a pair of jeans, a cute top and a pair of heels. By the time she gets downstairs, she chances a glance at the window just as a car drives up. Recognizing his car, she yells to Caroline that he's here. Running down the stairs, Caroline arranges the light scarf around her neck, gives her a hug and goes to answer the door when the bell rings.
"Hi Matt."
"Hey Care. Is Elena ready?"
"She is indeed. Voila," she says, pointing at Elena when she walks into the room.
"You look stunning, Elena," Matt gushes, handing her a bouquet of sunflowers.
"They're beautiful, Matt. How did you know that I liked them?"
"I asked your boss when he was in the bar the other night."
"Damon?"
"Yeah, he and Stefan were there for an hour or so. Damon is a good guy so I asked him."
"He has a good memory because it was a very long time ago that I told him that," she laughs, handing the flowers to Caroline to put in a vase.
"Shall we?" he asks, extending his elbow for her. Nodding, Elena links her arm with his, the two of them walking outside. Caroline watches him open the car door for her friend. As soon as Matt backs out of the driveway, Caroline pushes the front door closed then retreats to the living room to watch TV and enjoy a Seagram's cooler or maybe two.
"I'll have the cookie jar burger and a diet Coke," Elena tells the waitress, handing the menu back to her.
"I guess I'll have the same with coffee," Matt says, smiling at Vicky as he gives her his menu as well. After refilling their water glasses, she walks away, leaving the two of them alone to talk. "Don't get me wrong, you're beautiful, Elena, but you look tired."
"Our smoke jumping unit got called to work on the Koyuk fire. It was intense to say the least, we had to stay on the line to get it contained. Kol was overcome with smoke inhalation but he's going to be fine, at least that's what Damon told us. You can't imagine what it's like out there, Matt. As smokejumpers, we spend our careers going into the wrong place at the wrong time. We parachute to the edge of the wildfires, deep in roadless wildernesses, then fight the massive blazes with little more than hand tools. It's exhilarating but dangerous nonetheless," Elena explains, taking a swallow of her diet Coke.
"I don't know how you do it, Elena. I admire the profession but it's so dangerous."
"It is. If a landing goes badly wrong, a smokejumper can end up ensnared in a tree. We're made to take a training program that includes a thorough course in "let down" procedures for getting loose from the branches and descending to the ground. Jumpers keep a hook knife on their reserve parachutes, as well as on the exit door of each airplane, to cut themselves loose if they find themselves entangled in the lines of their parachutes.
The blade of a hook knife looks like an inverted V, designed so that jumpers can grab it with one hand and reach out to snag the rope they need to cut. Each one of us carries 150 feet of rope, enough to rappel down a 13-story building. The standard suit that we wear is fitted with metal friction rings and a carabiner at the waist. We have to hope that whatever tree limbs they are stuck in can hold their weight long enough to get tied up to something sturdy. Until then, the training manual is very clear about how we're supposed to proceed. In addition to the dangers of getting stuck, those of us who make it to the ground safely are expected to climb right back up the tree to retrieve the parachutes. In some cases, we may have to saw off the top of the tree trunk, or cut it down entirely, in order to recover our gear."
"You just light up when you talk about your job," he mentions, smiling widely at her. "And again, Elena, I'm in awe of what you do. But I don't think I'd want a wife of mine doing something so dangerous. Not that I'm implying anything," he corrects himself, leaning back when Vicky shows up with their burgers.
"I'm glad you told me that," Elena laughs, turning her head to the side when she feels a tug on her sleeve. "Willow? What are you doing here?"
"I'm with Damon. See he's up there at the pay counter," she explains, pointing to her brother who's sticking his wallet in the back of his jeans pocket. Elena can see the exact moment that he realizes Willow isn't beside him. Rather than see him meltdown because he can't find her, Elena waves, finally getting his attention. When their eyes meet, she points at the little girl who's standing beside her. She laughs to herself when she sees his shoulders sag with relief. Dropping his chin to his chest for a moment, Damon says something to the hostess then walks over to their table.
"Willow, you scared the beejeebies out of me," Damon says, putting his arm around her shoulders and pulling her into him. When he realizes that they're intruding on Matt and Elena's date, Damon apologizes. "I'm so sorry that we interrupted. She's spending the night with her big brother and we stopped in to get some carryout."
"It's okay, Damon. I'm glad she said hi."
"I'm sorry, Matt. Come on, Willow, let's go," Damon says, nudging his sister towards the cash register. Elena watches when the woman hands Damon a bag. With one hand carrying the food, he latches onto Willow's with the other and uses his back to push the door open. Their eyes meet one last time before he's out of the door and gone from her sight.
"She's a cute little girl," Matt mentions, biting into his burger.
"Yeah, she's a handful though. I'm going to watch her for a couple of hours Saturday night."
"You babysit too?" Matt laughs, flashing a big smile at her.
"It depends on the kid," she smiles, wiping her mouth with her napkin. After settling into a comfortable silence, they finish eating and afterwards Matt takes them to a movie. When the evening is done, Elena admits that she has had a good time. Dropping her off at her door, Matt leans, capturing her lips in a kiss. And when they break apart, Elena says goodnight, not going in the house till he drives away. Touching her lips, she realizes that it felt more like she was kissing her brother. Knowing that she and Matt will never be anything more than friends, Elena goes into the house, plops down on the couch beside Caroline, dozing off to sleep with her head resting against her friend's arm.
"So how was your date last night, Elena?" Looking up, Elena smiles widely when she sees Kol drop into the empty chair beside her.
"You're back," she squeals, giving him a hug. After sitting back down, she peruses him with a serious look on her face. "How did you find out about my date?"
"Brady told me. How was it, you know..?" he teases, fluttering his eyelashes at her.
"Ewww, Kol. It was the first date and besides, I'm not that easy," she adds, giving his arm a shove.
Leaning in, he puts his hand up to shield his voice. With his lips at her ear, he whispers, "Matt's a nice guy but I think he's a bit too bland for you, Elena. You need a stallion, you know, like Damon."
"Who are you and what happened to the real Kol?" she blurts out, unable to keep a straight face.
"I love you, Elena." Crossing his leg and leaning back in his chair, Kol has to hold his gut cause he's laughing so hard. With Elena nearly rolling too, Damon, Ric and Mikael walk into the room, followed soon after by Rebekah, Stefan, Nik and Brady who's pushing a tray full of cookies and coffee. Once everyone helps themselves, Damon begins talking about the last month's business and an update on Will. Thankfully he's doing very well but still has some recovery time ahead. He probably won't be rejoining the team till next season.
"Also, we're having a get together at The Pump House Saturday night. Just to cut loose and have fun for an evening. That is the plan unless we'd get an alarm. Also, with the fire blazing in Yellowstone, they're asking for volunteers. Our crew is rather small but if any of you are interested, let me know so we can make arrangements for you to get down there."
When no one raises their hands, Damon yields the floor to Ric, letting him finish. Once the meeting is over, Damon finishes his cup of coffee. Looking up, he sees Elena still sitting there. "I'm really sorry that Willow interrupted you and Matt. She didn't mean any harm."
"I know that, Damon. It was no big deal," she reassures him. "I'm looking forward to seeing her this weekend."
"She hasn't stopped talking about it. How did it go, you know, your date with Matt?" Damon asks, the butterflies in his tummy fluttering in anticipation.
Shrugging her shoulders, she utters, "We had fun."
"I'm glad. You deserve a good guy, Elena. I know that Stefan gave you a lot of grief sometimes..," Damon adds, knowing it's true. Although he wants to be really happy for her, inside his heart hurts because he wants to be the guy that makes all of her dreams come true. Yet the think he wants most is for her to be truly happy. Sometimes he can't help but notice the melancholic look she carries sometimes. What it stems from, he doesn't know but he hates seeing that face. Hearing her voice again, snaps him out of his reverie.
"He did. And speaking of him, can I ask you something?"
"Yeah, sure, of course."
"I never saw Stefan spending time with her the way you do. Why is that?"
"I don't know. He has his own interests. As much as he loves her, kids aren't his thing. But when he's at the house, he plays with her. If you'll tell anyone, I'll demote you but I actually enjoy playing games with her and stuff. I always wanted a little sister. I always thought it would be just me and Stefan and then whoops... mom had Willow."
"She was a great surprise."
"Yeah, she was," he muses. "Listen, I have some paperwork to do," he says, walking away. Pausing at the door, he turns around, "What time do you want me to drop her off Saturday?"
"Around four or so."
"Done, bye Elena," he says, then walks out of the door and out of her visual field. Picking up a cookie, she sits back down, wondering what it is about that man that both infuriates her and intrigues her and makes her belly flutter and her heart thrum.
"Damon, are we almost at her house?" Willow asks, her gaze fixed on the window as Damon turns onto Elena's street. "There it is, Damon."
Chuckling at his baby sister's excitement, Damon glances at her through his rear view mirror, giving her a wink.
"I like Elena and Caroline."
"I like them too. You have to be good and do what Elena asks otherwise she might not invite you back the next time okay?"
"I promise," she replies in her most serious voice which elicits a full throated laugh from her big brother. "Are you going to pick me up later or are mommy and daddy?"
"Elena is going to come to the party later so she'll bring you over to the restaurant with her. Mom and dad will take you home from there."
"How come I can't go to the party?"
"Because it's boring."
"Well why are you going then?"
"Because I have to. I'm the crew chief and it's my job to be there," he explains, stopping the car right after he pulls into Elena's driveway. Getting out, Damon helps her to unsecure her child seat. Since she's a petite little girl, she still needs one. Stepping back, Damon gives her room to crawl out. Just as she's about to step onto the concrete of the driveway, she starts to climb back in. Perplexed, Damon just watches her, smiling when she shows him what she was reaching for.
"Mommy said to give her these flowers for babysitting me," she explains, bobbing her head up and down as if to say the grass is green. Smiling, he extends his hand, motioning for her to lead the way. Even the thought of seeing her again jumpstarts his heart, making it beat so chaotically inside of his chest that he literally has to pause to catch his breath. Dropping his eyes, his mind drifts to a future where she is his but he knows the chances of them connecting are slim to none. And how would he ever explain it to his brother that he's totally and completely enamored with his ex girlfriend.
Thinking that there surely has to be some kind of unwritten law that one brother can't make a move on the other's girl friend, Damon knows he has to tamper down his desire for her. But how can he do that when every time his mind drifts to her, his heart feels like it's going to burst through his ribs and right onto his sleeve. Walking up the couple of steps to her front door, Willow pushes excitedly on the doorknob. And then as if it happens in slow motion, there she is as beautiful makeup free and hair in a simple ponytail as she is when she's dressed to the nines. She's wearing a simple pair of yoga pants and a white pocket tee but Damon finds himself completely mesmerized by the tattoo he sees peaking out from under the right side of the v shaped neckline.
"Hi Elena."
"Hi Willow. Come on in." Stepping aside, she brushes her back against the door, holding it open for Willow and her big brother to step inside. Still stunned, Damon doesn't say anything till he sees her waving her hand in front of his face, saying, "Earth to Damon."
"I had no idea that you had a tattoo. Do you mind?" he asks, motioning with his finger for her to pull the fabric back a pinch so he can get a better look.
"It's an orchid done in watercolors," she says, shivering when he wisps his fingertips over it.
"It's beautiful, Elena. I just never knew."
"A girl has to have a few secrets," she teases. "Um, what time do they want me to bring Willow to the restaurant later?"
"It's what, five o'clock now. I would say seven thirty, seven forty five. Her bedtime is nine o'clock and my parents are pretty unyielding about bedtime," Damon says, his eyes still fixed on the tattoo. It's right over her collar bone. From what Damon can see of it, it's very well done in pastel colors of blue, periwinkle, pinks and purples.
"Eyes up here," Elena mentions, pointing to her face, her eyes twinkling.
"I'm sorry, Elena. I... I ... di didn't mean to make you uncomfortable."
"You didn't. Do you want a soda or something before you leave?" As much as he'd rather spend the night here alone with her, he happens to notice the clock. Knowing he won't be responsible for the explosion of passion that follows, Damon says goodbye, hurries out of her house and into his car. With a quick wave, he steps on the gas and disappears in a haze of dust.
When it's time to take Willow to the restaurant, she and Elena walk outside. Once she's safely buckled in, Elena drives to The Pump House. After parking the car, she takes Willow by the hand and the two of them go inside. Looking around, she doesn't see anyone when suddenly, Damon is standing beside her.
"Where's mommy?" she squeals, bouncing back and forth from one foot to the other.
"Back in that corner over there," Damon points, noticing that his mother is walking their way.
"Mommy, mommy, look at my hair. Elena put it in pigtails."
"Maybe mommy will have to ask Elena to show me how she did that?" she adds, turning Willow around to have a closer look at her French braided pigtails.
"Can you show her, Elena?"
"I'd be happy to, Mrs. Salvatore. How are you?"
"We're good. Thank you so much for watching her."
"It was my pleasure."
"It's good to see you again, Elena," Josh Salvatore says, lifting Willow into his strong arms when he sees her yawning.
"You as well, Mr. Salvatore."
When Willow lays her head on his shoulder and closes her eyes, he eyes his wife with a smile. "I guess someone is ready for bed. Thank you again, Elena."
"Are you coming by the house tomorrow, Damon? I thought maybe you could help me fix some of that fencing."
"I'll be there, dad. See you tomorrow," he says, kissing his mom on the cheek. After telling Elena, he'll be back shortly, he walks outside with his parents. Once they drive off, he goes back inside, taking a seat between Rebekah and Kol and across from Elena who's seated next to Liz. Looking up, he notices Brady and Caroline at the bar, laughing about something. When he sees Stefan swallowing back yet another shot, Damon drops his forehead into his hand. Stefan is obnoxious and even cruel when he's had too much to drink. Since Stefan's apartment isn't far, Damon decides that he'll take him home and then he can come back to spend a little more time with his friends.
"If you all will excuse me for a little bit, I'm going to take Stefan home," Damon explains, pointing to his brother. Eyeing Elena, he gives her a tentative smile before glancing at his brother again. Dropping his chin to his chest, he knows that Stefan is going to protest.
"I'll give you a hand," Nik adds. Grateful for his friends help, the two men walk over to where Stefan is chugging yet another. Stefan signals the bartender to refill his shot glass but Damon raises his palm and shakes his head no. The guy nods, putting the bottle back on the shelf.
"Come on, baby brother, it's time to call it a night."
"No, it's not. Why do you have to be such a killjoy?"
"Stefan, you've had enough."
"Ooh, am I embarrassing you in front of all your minions?"
"Come on, you know it's not like that."
"Or are you afraid that I'll make you look bad in front of her?" he adds, pointing at Elena who appears to be in a deep conversation with Liz Forbes.
"I'm not going to fight with you, Stefan. Let's go." Not willing to continue the verbal joust, Damon takes one arm while Nik takes the other. Stefan follows dutifully till they reach the door. It's then that he jerks free, fists his hand, slamming it right into Damon's jaw. Reeling backwards from the unexpected blow, he's grateful when Mikael breaks his fall and helps him right himself. Reaching up, he presses his fingertip to his aching lip, pulling back blood when he looks at them. After wiping it off with the back of his sleeve, he sees that Nik has Stefan effectively restrained. Rather than get into it any farther, Damon walks through the door, holding it open for Nik and Mikael to get him outside. Once he's safely laid out in the back seat of Damon's car, his buddy hops into the passenger seat. After sharing a look with Nik, Damon ignites the engine and drives off into the night.
"Well buddy, after seeing that, I think Ric is right. Your brother isn't cut out to be a jumper."
"I know that, Nik," Damon agrees, pulling into a parking spot at the bar so they can rejoin their friends for a little while. "It's just that he's my brother, I want him to be happy."
"Of course you do, but he's obviously not happy right now."
"I don't know how much of it is the job or how much of it is because Elena broke up with him," Damon adds, sighing. Holding the door open, he gestures for Nik to go in. Walking back to their table, Damon takes the empty seat beside Elena.
"Is he okay?"
"Yeah, he'll be fine, Elena. Thanks for asking."
"Just because I don't want to be with him romantically doesn't mean I stopped caring for him."
"I know that. You're a good person, Elena. Don't change okay?"
Smiling, she nods, taking a sip from her glass.
When Mikael starts to tell some stories of his early days as a smokejumper, they are all engrossed. He's been at the job longer than any of them. That's why he's their spotter. He does an amazing job, never once has he had any of his cohorts die. Although Smokejumper casualties are relatively rare, nineteen of their smoke jumping brothers and sisters died in Arizona in 2013 when a windblown fire trapped them. The flags at Fort Wainwright were lowered to half staff for nineteen days, one day for each of their family members. That was tough because Damon knew a couple of them, having taught them in Montana in previous seasons. By the time he finishes, they decide to call it a night. Damon sits back in his chair, his eyes growing heavy as he dozes off.
After everyone else has filtered out, Elena smiles when she looks at her boss. His long dark lashes fan his cheeks and the hint of dark stubble on his jaw does wickedly wonderful things to her insides. But it's the rise and fall of his firm chest that has her mesmerized. He startles awake by the sound of glass shattering. Looking around, he sees that one of the barmaids dropped a glass. Seeing that only he and Elena are here, he takes a breath as he rises to his feet. "Are you ready to go?"
"Yeah, I was just about to wake you."
"Come on, I'll walk you to your car." Nodding, she picks up her purse and leads them out to the parking lot. Standing by her car, Damon can't help but admire her beauty. Noticing her looking at the starlit sky, he mentions how endless the sky seems from their perch here in Alaska.
"One of these days, I'm going to buy myself a telescope so I can look into the sky. It's so beautiful don't you agree?"
"I do indeed," Damon mentions, his gaze focused firmly on her. Even though it's still July, the temperatures drop at night. When he notices goosebumps breaking out on her skin, he takes off his jacket, draping it over her shoulders. although the air is biting, he can feel the heat radiating from her body. Suddenly fascinated by her perfectly shaped mouth, he tries to swallow past what feels like a wad of cotton sticking in his throat. Looking up, he is mesmerized by the way the moonlight is illuminating her eyes, smoldering and brimming with desire. He starts to lean forward at the same time she does. Just as their lips are about to touch, the sound of a car squealing its tires brings Damon's head back to earth. Pulling back, he drops his eyes. "Um, goodnight, Elena," he whispers. Although he wants nothing more than to take her home and ravage her six ways from Sunday, he can't. Without saying anything, she slides into her car. He doesn't move till he sees her headlights disappear when she makes a left turn.
Rather than driving straight home, Elena, feeling both frustrated and rejected, drives. With her hands tense on the steering wheel, she turns towards the truck stop. After parking her car, she goes inside, takes a seat at the counter. She nods a thank you when the waitress slides a cup of coffee towards her. Opening her purse, she pulls the grainy image out of her wallet. Running her fingertips over his face, she smiles sadly. Although she hopes that he wouldn't have rejected her or felt disappointed in her choices, there is a bit of uncertainty lingering around the edges. Picking up her cup, she takes a sip as she feels tears begin to prick at the back of her eyes. Wiping them off with the back of her hand, she excuses herself to use the bathroom. Having lost someone that she never had the chance to know brings with it a pain unlike anything she's ever felt before.
Thanks and so much love to you, Eva. Thank you all so much for the incredible support you all give me.
Chapter title: '3 Libras' by A Perfect Circle.
"I Can't Escape Myself" is also in progress. I will be updating it again soon, maybe even later today IF I can get the chapter polished up.
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Be safe and have a wonderful day. Thank you all again. Until next time.