Not much happens in this chapter, the their relationship continues to develop in it. this one is basically just sightseeing and them just being together. Next chapter will have them spending time together in the safety of the house. I hope you enjoy this, and as always let me know what you think.
The kiss grew in intensity until Damon pulled away.
"Shit, we have to stop. Or else I won't be able to." he said backing a little further away from her.
"You're right. We're not ready to go any further." she agreed, panting slightly regardless of her status as vampire.
"Are you almost finished in here?" he asked.
"Whenever you are. I've had more than enough wine for one night. Anymore I might actually get tipsy." she said grinning.
"We wouldn't want that. I know what you're like when you're drunk. It's fun, it just wouldn't be fun tonight considering we're trying to take things slow." he said.
"Exactly. I'm almost ready for bed." she said standing up and getting out of the hot tub.
"Any ideas of what you want to do tomorrow?" he asked as he pulled himself out of the hot tub and wrapped a towel around his waist.
"I know next to nothing about Italy, you're the expert. You tell me." she said as she dried off and wrapped the towel around her breasts.
"Well we can go into Florence. It's only about 100km away." he offered.
"What does Florence have?" she asked.
"Everything. I'll tell you what, I'll plan what we'll do, and it will be a surprise to you. We have all day, we'll leave first thing in the morning, and come home in time for bed tomorrow night." he said.
"That sounds kind of perfect." she agreed, nodding her head.
"Good. Now let's go to bed." he said leading her into the house and upstairs to the master bedroom.
The next morning they got up and showered just before the sun came up.
"I haven't been up this early in a long time." Elena said excitedly.
"We have lots to do today. We have to get going." he said making sure she had her camera and leading her out the door.
"You two are out and about early." Bella said as she bid goodbye to Antonio.
"We're going to Florence for the day." Damon told her.
"You need more than a day to see Florence." Bella chastised him.
"Not the way I drive. We won't be back until late." he said.
"Have fun you two." she said waving as they climbed into the Ferrari.
"Have a good day." Elena replied as Damon sped out of the yard. "Where are we going first?" Elena asked when they hit the highway.
"Piazza della Signoria and Palazzo Vecchio." he said.
"And that is?" she asked staring at him.
"Piazza della Signoria is the most famous square in Florence. It's the heart of the historic center and has a free open- air sculpture exhibit. They have a copy of Michelangelo David." he explained.
"And Palazzo Vecchio?" she asked.
"It's the town hall of Florence. Since the middle ages. The Palazzo is medieval. It's a sight to see." he told her.
"Ah, I love old architecture." she said smiling.
"You'll love this. It is so beautiful." he said taking her hand.
"When they got into Florence, they parked the car and got out. It was early but there were already people wandering around looking at stuff.
"This place is so beautiful." Elena said taking pictures of everything. They looked at all the sculptures and toured the Palazzo. After wandering for a while and seeing everything that needed to be seen they walked back towards the car.
"Are you sure you've seen everything you need to see here?" he asked.
"Yes. I want to see something else." she said eagerly.
"Okay." he said unlocking the doors and they slid in.
"Where to next tour guide?" she asked.
"I thought you'd want to see the Cathedral of Santa Maria del Fiore. It is so beyond beautiful." he told her.
"I may not be entirely religious but these old cathedrals are so beautiful that I have to see it." she said.
"Although technically since we're vampires we shouldn't go in. But what they don't know won't hurt them." he said shrugging his shoulders.
"That is true." she agreed as she drove towards the cathedral. When they arrived Elena snapped a picture and stared at the grand building in front of them in awe.
"Wow." she said impressed by the grandeur.
"It doesn't technically open until 10, but I've arranged a private before hours tour." he told her taking her hand.
"You've had some time to plan this I see." she said laying her head on his shoulder.
"Yes I have. Once you fell asleep last night I sent out emails to the people I needed to." he told her as they walked towards a man waiting out front of the cathedral.
"Signor Salvatore." the man said offering Damon his hand.
"Hello." he answered shaking the mans hand. The man led them into the cathedral and gave them a tour. They seen the bell tower, the terrace, baptistery, the dome, the crypt and the archaeological ruins of Santa Reparata. The tour was 45 minutes long and Elena followed the guide eagerly the entire time, taking in every word he said. Damon walked behind her, thoroughly enjoying how she was acting. She was literally like a kid on Christmas, it was amazing to see.
"Any questions?" the man asked when they ended up back at the main entrance.
"I think you covered everything." Elena said excitedly.
"That is good. Are you enjoying Italy?" the man asked kindly.
"Yes very much. This is such a beautiful country." Elena said grinning.
"Yes it is. It is a wonder." he said looking out the door at the beautiful buildings.
"Thank you so much for this." Elena said shaking the mans hand.
"It is no problem for esteemed visitors such as your Signor Salvatore." the man said brushing it off.
"Well thank you anyways." she said.
"We really should get going. Lots more to see." Damon said taking Elena's hand and leading her to the car.
"Enjoy the rest of your stay in Florence. There is much to see." the man called after them.
"What's next?" she asked excitedly.
"Do you want to see the Baptistery?" he asked.
"Baptistery?" she asked.
"The Baptistery of John the Baptist, it's from the 11th century and one of Florence's oldest buildings." he explained.
"Okay. Let's go see it." she said eagerly. Since it was Saturday, it was open when they got there.
"Wow." Elena said upon seeing the building.
"The inside is made of green and white marble. Come on." he told her, leading her inside.
"Really?" she asked as they walked inside. For the next half hour they looked at the mosaics adorning the walls of the Baptistery.
"Are you done?" he asked.
"Yeah I think so. This place is so beautiful. I'm overwhelmed by all the beauty I'm seeing today." she admitted.
"Do you want to take a break?" he asked. She nodded her head and they walked back to the car.
"Do you need blood yet? I packed a cooler filled with it." he asked.
"I'll take a bag. Better to be safe than sorry." she said taking a bag from him. He took one for himself and they drank from the bag. The dark tinted windows ensured that no passerby's seen what they were doing. When they were done feeding, he turned towards her.
"Are you ready for another destination?" he asked.
"You have this all planned out don't you?" she asked.
"Yep. I decided to take you to all my favourite places in Florence." he said.
"That's good. I'm glad I have you as my tour guide. You know the country better than almost anyone else." she said.
"I do, but that's because I've spent a lot of time here in the past." he told her.
"I'm glad you did. But where to next?" she asked.
"Next it the bell tower as long as you aren't adverse to walking up 414 stairs. The view from the top is phenomenal." he told her.
"Let's do it. I need more pictures. Jenna would be so pissed at me if I didn't take every opportunity for pictures. Besides I am a vampire, I can handle 414 stairs." she said determined.
"Let's go then." he said driving to the bell tower. When they got there, they started climbing the stairs.
"It would be nice if they had an elevator though." Elena said about half way up.
"That would ruin the look of the building. It's an old building, you don't add an elevator to an old building." he told her.
"I know. But I just see all those little humans struggling down there to see the top. I sympathize with them." she said.
"Are you sure you're not tired Elena?" he asked quirking his eyebrows.
"Shut up. If I wanted to I could vamp speed up there, but that would be a bit hard to explain." she said.
"It would be. We're almost there." he said as they neared the top. Once they finally arrived at the top, Elena was breathless as she stared out over the bell tower.
"This is incredible." she said of the breathtaking view.
"Was it worth the climb?" he asked.
" Definitely." Elena said laying her head on his shoulder.
"Let me take a picture." he said taking the camera from her. He held the camera towards them and snapped a picture of the two of them on top of the bell tower.
"This is so awesome. Here we are, two completely abnormal people, doing completely normal touristy things." she said.
"Are you ready to move on?" he asked.
"Yes. I can't wait to see more." she told him.
"Do you want to stop in a café for lunch before we continue?" he asked.
"Sure. I'm craving some human food." she agreed as they made their way back down the stairs. There was a café just a short ways down the street and they ate there. Once they were done eating they got back into the car.
"Do you want to see Ponte Vecchio?" he asked.
"What is that?" she asked.
"old bridge. There are shops lined up along the side that sell gold and silver jewelry. The bridge has been around since 1345." he said.
"Let's go take a peek." she said nodding needing a picture of the bridge that was built in 1345. They walked hand in hand back to the car and drove to the bridge.
"How many places are you taking me to, today?" she asked.
"Just a few more. We have a private tour at the most famous museum and art gallery in Florence, in about an hour." he said.
"Wow. Do they have work by artists like Michelangelo and all of them?" she asked.
"Yes." he answered.
"Wow." Elena said again.
"I am beginning to think that's your new favourite word. You say it every time you see something new." he said as they drove to the bridge. They walked hand in hand across the bridge until they came to a stand selling jewelry.
"This stuff is so beautiful." she said holding up a gold etched bracelet.
"I'll buy it for you." he said giving the woman running the stand some money.
"You didn't have to do that." she said grinning.
"I wanted to." he said taking the bracelet and fastening it around her wrist. He thanked the woman in perfect Italian and they continued walking, with Elena snapping the occasional picture.
"Thank you for my bracelet." she said reaching up to kiss his cheek softly.
"You're welcome." he said smiling at her. He glanced at his watch and sighed.
"We better get going or else we'll miss our private tour." he said turning her back towards the car and leading her back.
"I don't want to miss that. What's the gallery called?" she asked.
"The Uffizi Gallery." he told her as he sped along the streets of Florence. Being vampires they were able to get through things much quicker, but by the time they were finished there it would be nearing dinner time. The tour through the art gallery took almost two hours as Elena wanted details on all the works of art in the gallery. She wanted information on them all, and Damon wanted to laugh at how she was writing all of this down so she could tell everyone back home.
"I can't believe I've seen real work done by the real Leonardo DaVinci." she said in awe.
"Well you have. Are you ready for dinner?" he asked.
"And Michelangelo. And Botticelli." she enthused.
"Are you ready for dinner?" he asked laughing.
"Oh yeah." she answered.
"Okay. Or there is one other gallery I would like to show you before we leave." he said.
"What's in this one?" she asked getting tired.
"Michelangelo David and several other important sculptures." he said.
"Oh. We have to go." she said emphatically.
"Okay. Let's go." he said taking her hand and walking to the gallery, deciding to leave the car parked where it was. The rest of the places they had to go were in fairly close proximity to each other. They were able to make it through that gallery a bit quicker, and once they were done they went to an al fresco restaurant to eat.
"Thank you for today. This has been so amazing. I could go home tomorrow and be ecstatic about what I seen of Italy." she told him.
"I'm glad. But there is still so much more of Italy to see. Florence is just a small part of Italy. We still have Rome, Venice and other places." he said.
"I know. If this is what the rest of the places are like, I can't wait." she said.
"They are all different, and we'll be seeing lots of churches. You'll love the Roman Coliseum when we get there." he promised her.
"I can't wait. But really, thank you for this. You are the best." she said reaching across and kissing him softly and sweetly.
"You're welcome." he said as the waiter appeared. Damon ordered for both of them in perfect Italian, Elena trusted him enough to know what she would eat and what she wouldn't.
"What are we doing after this?" she asked. \
"There is a park that I want you to see. It has some of the most beautiful gardens I've ever seen." he told her.
"Okay. And after that?" she asked.
"Then if you're ready we head back to Sarteano. That's all that I have planned for today." he said.
"Okay. Sounds perfect." she said .
"Okay." he said as their food arrived. They ate in relative silence, but the silence wasn't suffocating as it used to be, now it was comfortable and familiar. What a difference one day and a new understanding of one another makes.
"How long do you think it will take us to go through the park?" she asked.
"We'll go through it until the park closes which is in about an hour." he said. She nodded and finished eating. Once they were done, Damon paid the check and they left. When the got to the park they seen more couples walking around hand in hand. It seemed like this was the place to go when you were in love.
"What is it called?" she asked.
"Boboli Gardens" he told her. She changed the setting on her camera and turned it to the night option and started taking pictures of the darkened park. There were lights adorning the paths and it made for very beautiful pictures.
"Are you ready to head home?" Damon said when he saw the security guards coming around to escort people out of the park.
"Can we take the drive home slow? We're not in any hurry." she asked.
"Of course. Let's go." he said taking her hand and leading her back to the car.
"I don't see how this trip can get any better." Elena said as they hit the highway, doing the speed limit this time.
"It will. You'll see." he said.
"It's already so perfect. What do you want to do when we get home?" she asked.
"Do you want to lay low for the rest of the night and just watch a movie?" he asked.
"That sounds perfect. Do you have popcorn?" she asked.
"I'm not sure. I'll check when we get back." he told her as they drove back towards Sarteano. The darkness and the quiet was soothing to the two vampires, Elena shut her eyes as they drove along.
"Elena?" he asked.
"Yes." she answered.
"Do you think we'll ever get back to where we were?" he asked letting some vulnerability seep into his voice.
"I think we will. I think we can be better than what we were. If I didn't, I wouldn't' be on this trip with you." she told him.
"I think we will too." he said smiling.
"It will just take us some time. I know I love you and I know that will probably never change." she told him. Damon breathed out a sigh of relief and continued the journey back to the house.
The first thing Elena saw was the lights of the big house.
"We're home." she said happily.
"Any ideas of what you want to watch?" he asked.
"It doesn't matter." she said smiling.
"How about you pick a movie, and I'll track down popcorn?" he suggested.
"Sounds good. Do you by any chance have "The Notebook?" she asked.
"Ha no. You'll have to pick something else for once my dear. I am not being notebooked for the hundredth time in our relationship." he said.
"Just admit it. You enjoy the movie too." she said as she walked into the TV room and looked through the shelf of movies.
"I will never ever admit that I like that atrocity." he said as he went into the kitchen.
"Fine. I've given up any hope of you ever figuring out that you like the movie." she said perusing the shelf.
"Aha. Found popcorn. How I adore Bella for buying good groceries." he said as he threw a bag into the microwave and waited for it to completely pop.
"How do you feel about "Gone with the Wind"?" she asked.
"That sounds fine to me. I like that movie, and its not for the romance. I hardly see Scarlett and Rhett as an epic couple. She's such a bitch and he's... Rhett." Damon explained.
"Oh and what do you like it for?" she asked staring at him pointedly.
"The Civil War. It's kinda nice to be able to sit back and watch it rather than be involved in it. I have a copy of this movie in every single one of my houses." he said.
"You must really love this movie." she said.
"I do. It's probably one of my favourites." he said.
"You have good taste in movies. My favourite is probably Casablanca. Although a close second would have to be Grease. The music in that movie is epic." she said.
"I am so much cooler than Danny Zuko." he said.
"I can't see it. That man was so cool." she said.
"Come on Elena. I wear a leather jacket so much better than John Travolta ever could, and I am so much cooler than Danny Zuko. There is no comparison." Damon argued.
"Do you have that movie?" she asked.
"Yes I do." he confirmed.
"Good. We can watch that tomorrow night." she said.
"Works for me. So what do you want to do tomorrow?" he asked.
"That's up to you Mr, Travel Guide." she said.
"Well we can either go somewhere, or we can stay in tomorrow. We have a month to see all of Italy and I'm not in any hurry. There are lots of things we can do around here as well." he said.
"Can we just stay here tomorrow. I could swim, read, sleep. There is lots to do here." she said.
"Then its settled tomorrow we're staying here and relaxing." he said sinking into the couch and pressing play on the DVD player as the movie started playing. Elena settled into Damon's side and laid her head on his chest as they watched the movie.
"I think this is what I miss the most from our earlier days." Damon said as he rubbed his hand up and down her back.
"Me too. We're getting it all back though." she replied.
"I know. It just takes time." he said as he focused his attention back on the Civil War era movie.