In the weeks that followed Elena's surprise visit to New Orleans, Damon turned in his resignation at Xavier University. It was hard and maybe a little bittersweet because he'd worked there nearly his entire career. Still when it came to a choice between it and Elena, there was no choice to make, he feels good about his decision and is excited for their future.
Even though it was hard to be away from her, he had to finish out the semester. As soon as he walked out of the building for the final time, he felt a weight lift from his shoulders.
His apartment had already been cleaned out so he stayed with Ric for the last six weeks of his term. The two friends hugged when he dropped him off at the airport to begin his new life with Elena in sunny southern California. With a promise that he'd fly out soon, Ric waved goodbye when Damon disappeared into the terminal.
It's a warm late summer afternoon at the beach. A golden blanket of sand outlines the ocean's unworldly blue hue, creating the perfect image for an artist. The topaz colored sun is perched high the sky, blazing like Titan's fiery wheel. It beats down on the calm ocean as a gust of wind whips around, carrying the unmistakable but enjoyable aroma of salt. Seagulls fly around in an uplifting rush, occasionally swooping down to snatch up tiny morsels of food.
Damon walks out of the sea, water dripping in rivulets down his chest and across the rippled muscles of his abdomen, like Poseidon himself. Elena drops her eyes, focusing on the trail of dark hair running down his taut belly. She finds herself licking her lips at the way his wet swim trunks outline his ample package. He rakes his hand through his wet hair to get it out of his face and then plops down beside her on the sand.
"How's the water?"
"It's nice. I never thought I'd say this Elena but I love living here," Damon mentions, slipping his sunglasses on while staring at the ocean in front of him. Stretching out his arms and legs, his eyes drift to hers, his grin grows slowly into a radiant gleam. He points to the sky above, the only marker of time is the sun above. He's come to enjoy these moments with her so much, just the two of them and the great expanse of blue water stretched out as far as the eye can see..
"I love you."
"I love you too."
Without letting another second pass, Damon pulls her into his arms and joins their lips in a fierce kiss. When they part, he winks at her and then tugs the big umbrella down to cover them so he can kiss all the way down her body if that's what he wants and he does.
"I think you should join Elena on the red carpet."
That's exactly where it all started. Enzo dropped the bombshell two weeks before the premiere of Elena's newest movie. Shockingly it never occurred to Damon that he would be the one on her arm for the big event, the thought having never crossed his mind. It's something that Enzo has always done. He wasn't sure how to feel about all the hub bub, lights, cameras and microphones being shoved in their faces. Yet here he is wearing a designer suit and accessories, the colors coordinating with Elena's stunning, back baring, emerald colored evening gown. Her look is complimented by a sexy yet elegant updo, subtle smoky eyes, emerald drop earrings and diamond bracelets adorning each wrist.
Damon finds himself mesmerized by the way she looks tonight. Taking a deep breath to fortify himself, he extends his palm. Elena meets his eyes and with a broad smile on her face, entwines their fingers, they're about to step onto the red carpet. Even though he's nervous as hell, his heart beating wildly, he wouldn't be anywhere else but at her side.
Elena is her usual charming self, a vision, an incredible lady. He feasts his eyes on her, beaming with pride at the way she handles the crowd. She belongs here. She was born to shine.
She slips her hand under his elbow and gives him an encouraging squeeze. "You'll be alright Damon, we'll make it."
Much too soon for him, it's their turn to move forward and walk down the vaunted red carpet. Their eyes meet and when she smiles at him, his heart soars. With her hand firmly latched onto his elbow, Elena makes the first step but Damon takes it from there with the next.
It's not that different from the TV show or giving a lecture, he'll be fine as long as she's with him.
Damon surprises even himself when he matches Elena's wit and charm with the audience, working the crowd like a pro. He hardly listens to what the broadcaster has to say about the star of tonight's premiere and her newly discovered husband.
Instead, he finds comfort in Elena's weight on his forearm. Before he knows it, they continue further in the movie theatre. They're stopped by several reporters and TV people to answer a question or two but Damon can already feel the tension leaving his body. Standing nearby with Bonnie on his arm, Enzo gives him thumbs up for his performance on the red carpet.
The premiere is an incredible success. Damon feels so proud that he can't wipe away the big grin on his face. He'd already seen the movie in a private showing with her at the studio but this atmosphere, the pageantry and opulence is a different world entirely.
The movie is no "Tomorrow", it's much lighter, witty, funny and Elena's simply adorable, beloved by the entire audience. The after party is huge. There are so many people that they can hardly squeeze through to get to their table. The food is gourmet, the champagne and chocolate fountains are flowing freely. Damon feels completely out of his element but he realizes that it's something that he can get used to, he'll have to for her, for them.
On the way home after the long night, he can see how happy Elena looks. Even though he prefers solitude to evenings like this, he'll gladly do it all over again just to be able to see her face lit up the way it is now.
"Was it horrible for you?" Elena turns to him with a bit of concern in her voice.
"No," he takes her hand. "You won't be getting rid of me anytime soon, Mrs. Salvatore." And then he raises it to his mouth to press a kiss to the base of her thumb. The look in his eyes tells her that it's a promise for more...
Two days later, there's another premiere for Damon, one inherently more scary. As old and experienced as he is, he can't shake the jitteriness that's surging through him with each pump of his chaotically beating heart.
"Are you sure we shouldn't just invite her here for the holidays or something?"
Enzo pats his shoulder. "Chill, Damon, Miranda doesn't bite. You seriously need to grow a set."
"Weren't you supposed to be on your way to see Bonnie?" Damon grimaces, wringing his clammy hands together.
"Of course, I'm just staying long enough to see you two off and to make sure you don't back out.. and besides, Damon, it's really fun to see you squirm," as usual, Enzo won't let anyone to ruin his good mood.
As soon as the cab arrives, he helps Damon carry the luggage outside and stow it in the trunk. Elena gives him a hug and then the two of them get into the car. The driver jumps back behind the wheel and the vehicle starts to move. Elena looks out of the window, laughing and waving back when she sees Enzo doing the same with that shit eating grin on his face.
"Maybe it's not such a good idea to just show up, Elena?" Damon asks some time later when they're already on board the plane.
"Damon, mom knows we're coming," she rolls her eyes playfully.
"She knows about me?!"
"Of course, she's anxious to meet you."
Damon unhappily settles in his seat and looks out of the window. The last few months have been crazy. After lazing around, joining Elena on some of her travels, Damon began his search a new teaching job. With luck and thanks to his good name and reputation, he was hired by Pepperdine University. By some crazy stroke of luck, the man who was in charge of the Art History department announced his retirement only days before he put in his application. When the Dean offered him the job, he jumped on it.
Now that he's permanently relocated, he, Elena and Enzo had to decide what to do about their house. Even though both he and Elena wanted him to stay, Enzo decided, with her blessing, that he'd find a new one for himself and Bonnie, preferably one close by because he and Elena are as close as siblings and they'd miss each other terribly.
As Damon watches the runway get closer and closer as they prepare to land, his stomach is churning with anxiety about meeting his mother in law.
What does he say to the woman who knows how badly he mistreated her daughter?
In the end, his worries turn out to be unfounded. He doesn't have to say anything. When they land at Kahului Airport in Maui, Miranda is waiting for them near their luggage carousel. As soon as Elena lays eyes on the woman, she pulls free from Damon and runs towards her. She catches Elena in her arms and the two beautiful women stay in a tight embrace for a few minutes. Damon can't help but smile at the sight. When they let go, Miranda approaches him.
"Glad to finally meet you, Dr. Salvatore."
"Damon, you must call me Damon."
After an awkward moment Miranda gives him a short hug, and although he can sense her watchful eyes on him more than once their first day, Miranda turns out the most easy-going host he could wish for. They spend an amazing week in Hawaii.
Much to Damon's surprise, Miranda insists he accompany her to the school to show him her work. He's finds himself completely in awe of her when she explains to him how she helps the children with art therapy, the same way she helped Elena when she was a child. They also embrace the beauty of the islands, embarking on plenty of sightseeing, including visiting the Hawaiian volcanoes.
Damon also insists that they pay a visit to the USS Arizona Memorial. Damon's grandfather fought in WW2 so it has much meaning for him, the solemnity of the site moves him deeply. 'The Place of Black Tears' is a permanent shrine that is always changing. Every few moments, small bursts of oil that have been locked in darkness for more than seven decades suddenly escape from the fuel tanks of the ship's sunken hull. Like spirits silently ascending from the past, the 'black tears' quietly surface and spread across the water. There swirled by the breeze and tide, they move in a rhythmic dance choreographed by the natural conditions of the day. Pearl Harbor survivors were the first to use the expression black tears as well as 'tears of the Arizona", 1177 people were killed on the ship.
As the days progress, they don't take even a day to rest up, instead they indulge in many of the local delicacies and even attend a luau, complete with the leis around their neck. Elena snaps many photos, "Blackmail material," she teases, laughing at the sight of her staid professor wearing a flower necklace.
Nearly everyday, they make time to take a dip into the warm, sparkling blue waters of the Pacific. Elena insists that they go scuba diving which was new for him but the pristine beauty beneath the ocean's surface is something that he'll never forget. The week flies past and even Damon, who was terrified of meeting Miranda, isn't ready to leave. She reassures him that they'll see her again soon.
"You should spend the holidays with us at uncle Zach's, mama," Elena suggests hopefully and Damon immediately supports the idea.
"That is a phenomenal idea, sweetheart," he gushes, brushing a kiss to her hair. Turning his attention to Miranda, he adds, "My uncle has a huge boarding house so there's always a room available."
"Yes, mama! Please tell me you'll come! There's usually a lot of snow so you, I mean we could have a real Christmas!"
Miranda caresses Elena's cheek, unable to dampen her child-like enthusiasm. Despite her doubts she finds Damon a decent guy and she wouldn't mind being able to spend more time getting to know him and his family. And of course, she's always excited to be with her daughter.
"I guess we'll see each other at Christmas then."
Elena and Damon hurry to their departure gate after his mom and Katherine drop them off DFW airport. "I can't believe we missed our flight, mama is flying in from Hawaii and she'll be in Virginia before us."
Elena looks and feels frustrated as they finally reach their gate. They sit down and Elena leans against him.
"It was you who decided that having an argument with my sister was worth your time," Damon teases, brushing a kiss to her silken strands.
"Well, it worked didn't it? Both of them were decent, I think I even saw your mom smile when they dropped us off."
"You could have slayed the two of them with one hand tied behind your back."
She leans away, her skeptical eyes meeting his.
"It's true, but seriously, sweetheart, you don't need to worry about your mom, Zach will be there to pick her up and he'll take good care of her till we get there."
"I know," Elena concurs, laying her head on his shoulder. "And I'm very much aware of how lucky we were to get tickets on the very next Atlanta bound flight. If Christmas wasn't still a week away, I think our wait would have been much longer."
"Well, I suppose being a very well known and popular Hollywood star does have its advantages," Damon gives her a wink.
Elena grins, "That too... And the argument was totally worth it."
Deciding he'd rather drink lye, Damon put off the 'meet his family' thing for as long as he possibly could. However, it'd been months since he received a disgruntled sounding call from his sister followed by an even more difficult one with his mother so they decided it was time. They booked a hotel and left California a few days early to stop in Texas. It wasn't pleasant, they both tried to just brush off the way Damon's mother ignored Elena's presence and how Katherine talked about importance of academic education, "real" science and true art all the time.
Elena always stopped him from saying something that he might regret afterwards, but on the day they were supposed to leave Katherine mentioned the divorce statistics of 'so called celebrities' and that's when Elena had her fill of their pomposity.
"It seems to me, Katherine, that you'd be immensely pleased if Damon and I became one of those statistics. I know we went through a rough patch but that's behind us. So you'll have to hang your hat on something else because what I'm about to say is going to disappoint you. According to your statistics, those marriages barely last a year, two at the most and we're already in the fifth year of ours.
And if nothing else, I'm always up for a good challenge. Since you saw fit to wave a red flag in front of my eyes, you can bet your last dollar that I'll keep... we'll keep this marriage intact. Have you ever done any of this so-called research into academic-based marriages? I mean, I'd like to get to know the people involved with 'so called academics' who often turn out to be arrogant asses unable to look in the mirror and recognize how unimportant they actually are.
I said the same thing to Damon once upon a time and I'm telling you now. How much pleasure and fun do you really get while lecturing people that interact with you? How many smiles have you personally put on their faces? Or rather how many frowns are you responsible for? Do you put any effort at all into making people around you and your supposed loved ones happy? Or do you love to drive the metaphorical dagger in just because you can?"
Katherine gives a gasp, caught off guard by Elena's unexpected and fiery speech.
Elena uses this pause to tell the two shocked women goodbye and tells Damon she'll wait outside for him.
Then it's Damon's turn. He tells them in no uncertain terms that Elena will always be his first choice. Either they learn to accept her as part of their family or they can say goodbye to him. He leaves no room for argument and then walks out of the house, slamming the door shut behind him.
After her brutal beat down of his relatives, they stop at a bar for a drink because Elena's temper needs cooling off. Damon keeps her company with an amused grin on his face. He can't wait to have her in their hotel room, which is why they miss their morning flight to Atlanta.
When they land at Hartsfield International airport in Atlanta later in the day, Zach and Miranda are both waiting for them. Zach shakes Damon's hand firmly and has to laugh at Elena's obvious relief about finally being with her mom.
"Did you really think I wouldn't take proper care of your mom?"
Elena ignores his teasing, she's too happy to see her mama. Miranda gives both her daughter and son in law a hug and all of them leave the airport in Zach's Range Rover. The days leading up to and Christmas itself are beautiful.
Zach has just a few regular guests for the holidays so he's not too busy. As such, he's able to spend a good deal of time with them. On Christmas Eve Miranda helps him to prepare dinner, Elena and Damon are charged with the tree and decorations. After dinner, they all relax by the fireplace while Zach tells them embarrassing stories of his nephew's childhood. Damon smiles and tells them how Zach covered his ass more than once when he got into trouble.
"Of my entire family, Zach's probably the only one that I can introduce you to with no fallout. I'm sure Elena told you everything about my mother and sister," Damon turns to Miranda. "Zach can confirm that I'm not exaggerating."
Zach laughs, "True, I wouldn't be happy if those two suddenly showed up and wanted to spend Christmas here. On the other hand, it's something I'll never have to worry about because they consider me too... how shall I say it, um.. ordinary, a pariah if you will."
"Well, I wouldn't invite Elena's father for Christmas either," Miranda adds.
Damon looks at Elena searching for the reaction after hearing Miranda's words. Elena never talks about her father and Damon never asked because he didn't know whether he would be stirring up some painful memories for her. Zach seems to be interested too.
"I don't remember my father," Elena speaks up when she notices Damon's questioning look. "He decided family life wasn't for him so he picked up and left us when I was only two."
"He decided rather abruptly that I wasn't the right woman for him, at least that was his excuse. He wanted me to wait on him hand and foot, 24/7. I refused. I wanted to draw, to teach and put my ideas into practice," Miranda explains. "We were just kids when I found out I was pregnant. We met and fell in love at school. Both of us were enrolled in the graphic arts program but John wasn't able to make a career for himself. He just wasn't that good. When I became a bit more successful, he couldn't handle it. One day he was home, the next day he was gone with a promise to be in touch. I never heard from him again. I have no idea if he's alive or dead but Elena and I were and are happy, right baby girl?" she smiles as she gently brushes a loose strand of hair behind Elena's ear.
"The happiest," Elena smiles at her.
The both Salvatore men think the women are a beautiful sight.
When the New Year's soiree` is over, they all regret that the time has come for them to go back to their busy lives. Production of Elena's new movie is getting close. There will be rehearsals and location traveling and the whole nine yards. As much as Damon hates it when she's away, he trusts Enzo to take good care of her like he always has. She flies home and he flies to her as often as it can be arranged when they're apart.
Damon has to get back to work, it requires his presence. Besides that, he's busy doing research for his next book idea. It's a strange yet wonderful feeling, returning home with Elena, back to sunny and busy LA. Because she has a specific date to be on set, they book the flight as close to that date as possible since neither really wants to leave Virginia. When their flight is booked, Elena goes to give the news to her mom.
"I don't have to be back before the end of the month, my neighbor takes care of the house. I think I'm going to stay here for a bit longer. She shares looks with Zach and both Damon and Elena's mouths form an 'o'.
Damon is trying to finish the last few pages of the book he's reading but he keeps getting distracted by trivial things. Like right now, he can hear Elena splashing in the swimming pool. It's beautiful outside, the weather is finally warm enough for her to frolic in the water. She's having fun, he decides and immerses himself back in his book. It's about chemical tests, radiocarbon dating and other methods to determine the age of paintings, statues and fossils among other things. It's not exactly the most interesting part of his research but it's necessary for the completeness of the theme. He works for a few more hours unexpectedly realizing that he must have been pretty deep in thought because he startles when he becomes aware of her tiptoeing across the carpet.
"Damon?"
"Can't you just... say my name or something? You startled me!" He's aware his frustration's coming through and he really doesn't want to take it out on her... He won't.
"I'm sorry, I aware that you're busy... And I know I promised to let you work and I really, really don't want to disturb you.. but I seriously need your advice.. You know since... well.. by now you must be an expert in all of that chemical stuff type stuff... tests, the periodic table and the like..."
"What are you talking about?" Damon turns around confused, finding himself looking at the object that Elena thrusts in front of his eyes. Two blue lines on a stick. His mouth opens in shock.
"Is that...? Are we?"
Elena scrutinizes his reaction carefully. She most certainly likes what she sees because her eyes are brimming with mirth and a big smile spreads on her face as she nods vigorously.
It takes two seconds for Damon to jump to his feet, catch her in his arms and kiss her senseless. Elena can barely catch her breath when he removes his mouth from hers for a minute, his smile wide and radiant. With one dramatic sweep of his arm, all of his papers, notes and even several books fly off the desk and he lays her down on it. Elena squeaks in surprise.
"What are you doing?"
"We, are celebrating."
No books or research or lectures are nowhere near as exciting as this new adventure that life is about to take them on. Strangely, there are no doubts or worries and he feels so ready.
He first bares her belly to give it a gentle kiss then his fingers slip lower to remove her bikini bottom. "You're nicely wet...," he murmurs against her skin, "From the pool of course."
He's ready in more than one way.
Fin.
Eva and I want to thank you so very much for accompanying us on the journey with this version of Damon and Elena. I will miss them. We are incredibly grateful to all of you.
Thank you, Eva, my sister. I love you dearly.
Chapter title: 'Like a Movie" by Midtown.
I did post a picture of Elena's emerald gown on my FB page. The address is in my profile if you're interested. You just have to copy and paste.
Thank you all again, you're the best of the DE fandom. We'll see you next with WTTJ. Have a wonderful day.