Only a couple chapters left, the number keeps changing on me so I'm not even going to try.
Thanks again to my brilliant beta Courtney for whipping this chapter into shape.
"I think I'm sad." Elena noted the next morning as she was sitting on the small deck with a cup of coffee.
"Now what do you have to be sad about?" Damon asked curiously as he brought his own cup of coffee to the table to sit down.
"This is our last full day here. We go home tomorrow. That means that honeymoon is over and real life starts up again. I have to go back to work and you have to go back to the council." Elena told him frowning slightly.
"If it means anything, going home isn't going to change anything." Damon promised her.
"But here it's just us. You and me all day everyday. At home we have everyone else in our lives." Elena told him wishing it could just be them for a while longer. "I really enjoy this... just us. There's nothing and nobody to worry about."
"Every marriage has to endure other people. It can't just be us all the time. Your parents and the rest of your family are a big part of your life too." Damon reminded her.
"I know, it's just this place is paradise and I don't want to leave. I want to stay here forever." Elena admitted.
"No you don't. You want to go home and be married to me. This is our honeymoon, it's meant to end. Real life has to start at some point." He told her covering her hand with his.
"I know. It just sucks is all." She sighed, draining her cup.
"So what do you want to do today, since it's our last day and all?" He asked copying the action and draining his coffee cup.
"I want to enjoy Hawaii. I mean we've barely spent any time on the beach and I want to do that." She told him honestly.
"It's odd isn't it? We've been in Hawaii since the wedding but we have only spent a few hours all together on the beach." Damon agreed with her.
"Then it's settled. I'm going to get my swimming suit and before you say it, yes I do need it. I am not skinny-dipping in the ocean with you. The hot tub is one thing because it's private but the ocean is not." Elena told him pointing her finger at him.
"You know me so well, Mrs. Salvatore." Damon laughed.
"Yes I do so don't even suggest what you're so obviously thinking. There is no time for sex today, that can wait until we're back home." Elena told him firmly.
"Really? You're banning sex for that long?" He asked shocked. "It's our honeymoon what else are we supposed to do?"
"We're supposed to spend time together. I'm sure most couples do other things other than having sex." Elena told him as she walked into the cabana and into the spacious bedroom. Damon followed behind her and sat down on the bed.
"I'm going to miss this room." Elena told him.
"We can remodel our bedroom back in Mystic Falls to look like this one." He suggested.
"But then it wouldn't fit with the rest of the house. The house is done in such dark colours, it's so old and antique, adding something like this would take away lots of the original charm." Elena decided.
"We could remodel the entire house if that's something that interests you. Or if you are absolutely refusing to remodel that house and it doesn't actually make you happy, I'm more than willing to build something on another lot of land. You can have whatever you want." He promised her as she tied her bikini top onto her body in a tight knot.
"I love the Boarding House. I love the antique look and everything else about it. Maybe if the curtains aren't such a dark colour the house won't be so dark. Little changes that won't take away the antique charm of the house I'm fine with. That house is so beautiful, I would hate myself if I changed it." Elena told him decisively.
"I agree with you. But if it was something that you wanted then it would be something you got." He told her as he quickly switched between cotton drawstring pants and swimming trunks.
When they were both ready to head to the beach, there was a knock at the door of their cottage.
"Who the hell?" Damon asked as they walked to do front door together, clad only in their swimming attire. Damon opened the door and found Anthony "The Fixer" standing there.
"Damon, I was hoping I would catch you." Anthony greeted.
"What do you want Anthony?" Damon asked crossing his arms.
"I wanted to say hello and visit with you because I know you're leaving soon." He told him.
"My wife and I are busy today. We're heading to the beach. Don't you have people to save?" Damon asked staring at him. He had no idea why Anthony would be standing at their door, they hadn't parted on the best of circumstances when they saw each other last.
"Oh but it is necessary that we speak. You basically called me a fraud, and I don't appreciate that. I am not a fraud. I save lives and make the world a better place. What do you do?" Anthony asked coldly.
"I head the Founders Council in Mystic Falls. I save lives and make lives better in a completely different way; a more logical and sane way." Damon told him not releasing his defensive stance.
"I cannot do my job unless everyone on the island believes in me. You're on the island and you don't believe in me. I need your support. You're my sire." Anthony told him.
"I don't support this completely insane life you live. At least I don't lie about what I am, you make people think that you're making miracles by saving their lives but you're not. On top of that you're partial to furry kitties and puppies as nourishment."Damon told him.
"It is a better way of feeding than off of people. I ask you Salvatore how have you been feeding since you got here?" He asked knowingly.
"I brought a cooler of blood bags that took a lot of compulsion to get through airport security and I feed off of my wife. It's fun." Damon told him.
"You are targeting an innocent human by feeding off of her during sexual relations. How does that make you better than me?" Anthony asked getting defensive too.
"It's consensual." Elena interjected.
"I don't need consent to feed off of animals." Anthony told them.
"Do the people who are bringing you these animals know what you're doing with them? Do they know that you're essentially eating their children's pets?" Damon asked.
"It's none of their concern. I'm saving their lives. But I see I am not going to get your support and I have no intention of fighting you for it. It would only result in my death. I must be going Damon, I have a business to run. I do hope you enjoy your life." Anthony stated getting up and walking out of the cottage.
"He has seriously lost all his marbles." Damon said shaking his head.
"It's people like him that make me happy to know I'm going home soon." Elena agreed as they walked towards the back door to head to the beach.
"But he is right about one thing though. If he were to fight me it would only result in his death. He's not stupid." Damon added as they walked down to the water with a blanket in hand. Elena spread the blanket out on the sand and dug an umbrella into the ground over top of it before taking Damon's hand and leading him to the water.
"Let's just forget everything about Anthony for the rest of this trip. He's not important." Elena decreed as they stepped into the surf. There were people surfing in the waves and Elena grinned.
"I want to try that." Elena decided.
"You want to try surfing?" Damon asked raising his eyebrows.
"How hard can it be?" Elena asked as she walked over to a surf shack on the beach with a very tanned young man managing it.
"You do that. I'm going to wait over there." Damon said pointing to their blanket.
"Oh I shall. I will show you that I am fully capable of getting up on a surf board." Elena told him determined to do this right. She walked over to the window at the surf shack advertising surfing lessons and board rentals.
"Hello can I help you?" The guy asked smiling.
"Are you a surf instructor?" Elena asked.
"Yes. Do you want lessons?" He asked.
"Absolutely. I need to show my husband over there that I am fully capable of getting up on a board. If you get me on a wave standing up I will pay you double whatever you rate usually is." Elena told him desperate to prove that she could do it to Damon. He was likely to tease her about it forever if she failed and depending on what she decides for the vampire issue could be a long time.
"Really? You don't have to pay me double ma'am. It's my job to get you on a board." He told Elena.
"But I'm hoping to persuade you to do an even better job than you usually would. This is crucially important. I will get teased about this forever if I fail." She told him seriously.
"I'll see what I can do." The instructor said laughing.
"Thank you. So any chance these lessons can start now?" Elena asked.
"Absolutely. Come over here, I'll show you what to do on the sand first then in the water." He told her.
"Okay." Elena said following him to an open stretch of sand near the waters edge. He placed a bright yellow board down on the sand and told Elena to lie down on it. Over the next hour or so he taught her all about getting on the board, footing balance and everything else.
"I think I got it." She told him.
"Are you ready to hit the water?" The instructor who's name she found out was Carson, asked.
"Definitely. My husband is going to be so surprised." Elena told him, aware that Damon was most likely listening to the entire conversation. She was so lucky that he wasn't an overly jealous man. Well he was, but he was handling it very well this entire trip, probably because it was their honeymoon and he was eagerly waiting to see her fail. When a nice sized wave started approaching Carson told her to start paddling. But of course she slipped when she went to jump up onto the board and hit the water. Out of the corner of her eye she could see Damon start to rise in concern, but when he saw that she was fine he sat back down. She could almost picture the smirk on his face now that he knew she was okay.
"Damn it." Elena stated paddling back to Carson.
"It wasn't horrible, you were just a bit late. Try it again except jump up when I tell you to." He told her good-naturedly.
"Okay, I'm ready to try again." She told him as another set started moving in.
"Great. Start paddling." He told her and she immediately did what he said. This time went she went to stand up on the board it worked. She didn't fall until she hit the bottom of the wave. She flipped off the board and went crashing into the water. She could almost sense Damon's panic so she swam back up to put his fears to rest. She couldn't see the expression on his face from where she was but could tell he was relieved.
"How did I do?" She asked when she got back to Carson.
"Very good. That was nearly perfect. Another good wave is coming in if you want to give it another shot." He told her.
"Yes again." She agreed.
"I would be willing to bet your husband is probably beside himself watching you fall though. I know I would be if my wife was out here." He noted.
"I'm sure he is. But I know him well enough that as long as I come back out and I go again he knows I'm fine." She explained.
"That's good. Alright paddle." He told her and she did as he said again. Third times the charm, Elena thought to herself as she paddled to another perfectly sized wave. This time we stood up on the board and went through the wave perfectly. Elena was certain it was sheer dumb luck but was proud nonetheless. Carson cheered from where she left him as she jumped into the water from her board.
"That was amazing." She enthused with a wide smile that was usually only caused by adrenaline.
"That was so good. You've got it. I have never trained someone who made it through a wave on her third try." He told her.
"I was determined. Now I have to go rub it in my husbands face. After I pay you of course." She told him.
"The surf instructions are included in the price of your stay. You don't have to pay me." He told her.
"Oh yes I do. Any other instructor wouldn't have gotten me on my board nonetheless actually surfing. Let me go get some money from my hubby." She told him.
"I really shouldn't accept it. As employees we're not supposed to accept bribery or anything of the sort." He told her shaking his head.
"Alright. You work through the resort right?" She asked him.
"Yes I do." He agreed.
"I will be talking to the manager and telling him to give you the money that I'm going to give him. Thank you for the lessons." She told him.
"You're welcome. You're a natural, make sure you do it more often." Carson told her waving as she walked away.
"Thank you. You made the last day of my honeymoon something." She told him as she walked back over to Damon.
"Did you have fun?" He asked.
"It was a rush. I loved it." Elena told him.
"That's good. I admit I got worried a couple times but you're pretty good." He told her.
"Yes, but now I need you to do me a huge massive favour." She told him.
"What's up?" He asked.
"I need you to compel the instructor to take money from me. He deserves to get paid for what he taught me but he's too moral." She told him.
"I thought you were going to force-feed it to the resort manager?" Damon asked.
"This is a better plan. This way I can guarantee he actually gets it." Elena told him.
"Alright. I'll be right back." He said pecking her on the lips before walking over to the surf shack. Damon returned a
couple minutes later with a smile on his face. "All done. Money safely in surf instructors hands."
"Good. Now what should we do for the last day of our trip?" She asked.
"What do you want to do?" He asked.
"I'd be totally content just staying right here." She admitted.
"Then that's exactly what we shall do." He told her as he laid down on the blanket.
The next day came too quick for either of them.
"I really don't want to do home." Elena sighed from the bed while Damon packed up their things.
"Sadly we don't have an option. You have to go back to work on Monday." Damon reminded her.
"But this is paradise. I don't want to leave paradise. This bed, this room the entire resort has been so perfect." Elena whined.
"I know you don't want to go but we don't really have an option. Just think of how excited your family is going to be to see you." Damon told her.
"They'll still be there if we stay for a few more weeks." Elena pleaded.
"We can't. I'm sorry. I promised I'd be there for the council meeting on Monday. Besides everyone is going to want to know how the honeymoon was." Damon prompted her.
"They don't need to know, no one needs to know. I need to stay right here in this bed." Elena pleaded.
"I wish we could, but we really have to go. Our flight leaves in just over an hour." Damon told her taking hold of her hand and pulling her from the bed.
"Ugh fine." Elena muttered as she followed him out of the cottage they had shared for the past couple weeks.
A little while later they were walking through the airport hand in hand.
"I hate this place." Elena stated when they were sitting down waiting for their plane to be called.
"Why is that?" He asked, loving how reluctant she was to leave.
"It's taking me away from my honeymoon. I love my honeymoon." Elena whispered.
"Ah it's always hard coming back from your honeymoon isn't it? My husband and I take a honeymoon every year." A middle-aged woman stated when she sat down next to Damon.
"That's not actually a bad idea. A different country every year. What do you think Elena?" Damon asked.
"It would just be a holiday. A honeymoon only happens after you get married." Elena noted.
"Not necessarily. A honeymoon is literally a trip for husbands and wives to take. I know of many couples who take numerous honeymoons." Damon explained.
"We can do this every year?" She asked with a smile on her face.
"Absolutely. If it's something you want and you can even pick the place next year." He promised her.
"Alright, I guess that brightens this up considerably." Elena decided.
"That's good because we have to have bright happy smiles on our faces when we land and we have to keep those bright happy smiles on until we meet up with your parents." He told her.
"Do we have to meet up with them right away when we get home?" She asked.
"Yep, they will likely be at the house when we get there." Damon told her as their fight got called.
"Goodbye paradise." Elena sighed as they got up and walked to the gate to board their first class flight.