Ratings: M - adult content - no smut but it is adult, sensitive subject matter, language
Caroline's car pulled to a stop in front of the Saltzman house just as Damon and Elena arrived with their family.
"Hold it." Damon turned back and looked at Claire and Brayden. "You two help unload." He put the SUV in park and walked to the back of the vehicle. "Be careful with this unless you don't want dessert."
Braydon reached out and took the tray of brownies. After a close call, he steadied the tray and headed up the sidewalk toward the porch.
Damon tested the weight of a bag. "I think you'll be okay with this." He handed the paper sack to Claire. "Look out!" His warning barely came in time for Elena to turn around.
"Happy Thanksgiving!" Ainsley hopped out of the car and barreled into Elena.
"Oh, you can't be Ainsley..." Elena teased as she hoisted her goddaughter onto her hip as she turned to wave at Caroline. She studied the blonde little girl's orange and brown checked dress. "Did you have a good birthday?"
Ainsley nodded and her curled pigtails bobbed up and down. Elena knelt down and sat her on the ground.
"That was one of Emma's favorite dresses." Elena wrapped Caroline in a one-armed hug as she walked to the back of her car to help unload the side dishes. "I'm glad it fits."
"She was so excited when an Aunt Elena box came." Caroline paused and waited for Craig to walk up the sidewalk. She looked down at the baby carrier at his side and adjusted the blue blanket.
Elena peeked over the casserole dish in her hands. "Landon's gotten so big." She studied the dark haired boy's sleeping form. "Happy Thanksgiving, Craig. We're thrilled to have y'all in town for a few days." She turned back to Caroline. "Where's your mom?"
"She's coming. She just drove her own car. We all don't fit in this one."
"I know the feeling." Damon nodded to Caroline as he carried the roasting pan. "Emma, come on." He stepped back to wait for his daughter to walk in front of him. Her deep brown ponytail bounced as she skipped up the stone path.
The front door opened to reveal a frazzled-looking Jenna. "Happy Thanksgiving." Her smile was a little too wide as she stepped back to let the group inside.
"Why it's Elena and Stephen." Alaric's mother came into view.
"Hello Mother Saltzman." Elena forced a smile. "Remember, my husband's name is Damon."
"Oh that's right." She gave a condescending smile. "Stephen was his brother. Your first husband. The one who died." She looked pointedly at Claire.
Damon stepped closer to her on the way to the kitchen. "Actually, my brother's name was Stefan." He nodded for Claire to follow him. He reached down and placed his hand on Claire's shoulder. "Be polite, but don't listen to her. You okay?"
Claire nodded somberly, not convincing anyone in the room that she was alright.
"Why don't you go upstairs and make sure the little guys don't destroy the playroom?" He smiled down at her. "I'll even let you skip clean up duty."
"It's a deal." She smiled back at him.
Elena caught Jenna's arm as Claire stepped out of the kitchen. She rounded on her aunt. "Why didn't you tell us she was going to be here?"
"Would you have come?" Jenna frowned. "Look, I didn't know she was coming until last night. She was supposed to be going to her sister's house, but her sister cancelled at the last minute."
"Wonder why?" Elena rolled her eyes.
"I couldn't turn her away. Especially when she just kind of showed up." Jenna pushed her hair back over her ear. She took a deep breath - the conflict evident on her face. "She's ninety. This could be our last Thanksgiving with her."
"We'd never be that lucky." Elena muttered under her breath.
"If she says anything else to Claire..." Damon's voice had a hint of his past.
"She won't. I'll have Ric talk to her." Jenna leaned to the side and looked into the foyer. Caroline was keeping Mother Saltzman occupied.
"Where is Ric?" Damon looked into the backyard. The boys and Reagan were clustered around Jackson as they played a game of four-on-one soccer. Reagan and Grayson ran toward each other and exchanged a high five as they prevented their oldest cousin from scoring a goal.
"He and Jeremy ran up to the school to borrow some folding tables and chairs. They should be back any minute." She turned around and picked up a stack of paper plates. They'd given up on real plates and glasses six kids ago. Jeremy's truck pulled into the driveway. "There they are."
Damon took a deep breath. "I think I'll go help them unload."
Elena nodded to her husband as she walked across the kitchen to check on the turkey in the oven. Somehow, she had an idea that her husband wasn't simply helping Alaric and her brother with the tables.
"Hey Damon!" Jeremy tugged a table out of the back of his truck. "Why didn't Jenna ask us to do this yesterday...when it wasn't below freezing?"
"Were you here yesterday?" Alaric slid a chair to the ground.
"No." Jeremy shook his head. "But Damon was."
Damon stepped between the other two men and tugged at a table. "We need to talk." He looked pointedly at Alaric.
"Don't tell me. My mom?" After all their years of friendship, Alaric knew better than to beat around the bush. He rubbed the stubble on his chin. "What did she do now?"
"She called me Stefan."
Jeremy winced at Damon's comment.
"And she did it right in front of Claire."
"Oh." Alaric's face fell. He leaned against the back of the truck, clearly uncomfortable. "Damon," he pursed his lips, "she may honestly have thought you were Stefan."
"What are you talking about?"
Alaric shook his head. "Jenna and I have noticed it for the last couple of her visits." He ran his hand over his forehead. "We haven't really said anything, but something's not right with her. She keeps thinking Reagan is Kennedy...and Kennedy's a babysitter."
"Oh that sucks." Jeremy frowned.
"She really hadn't told us she was coming. She just showed up, but she was convinced she called us." He paused. "I'm sorry for what she said in front of Claire. Want me to talk to her?"
"No." Damon took a deep breath. It was so much easier to just dislike someone, but he could hardly blame the woman if she was truly confused. "I'll go explain to Claire."
"Ahhh..." Jenna settled on the edge of the couch, a glass of wine in her hand. They'd gotten the act of celebrating holidays with this brood down to a science, but it was still a relief when the late lunch was over and everything was cleaned up. The dads and most of the kids were outside playing their yearly game of touch football. Landon and Gabby were sound asleep - sprawled across the bed in the master bedroom. Best of all, Mother Saltzman snored softly from her place on the recliner. Jenna studied the other women in the room and smiled.
"What's that look for?" Hannah looked at Jenna in confusion.
Jenna pursed her lips and laughed. "Everyone's drinking." She motioned with her glass of wine. She leaned back in her seat and closed her eyes.
"What?" Caroline turned to Elena for an explanation.
Elena laughed. "This is normally the part of the gathering when someone announces they're pregnant."
"Oh no." Caroline shook her head vigorously. "That's no longer possible."
"Since when?"
Caroline's cheeks flushed pink. "Since Craig visited the doctor a few weeks ago."
"So that's why he's on cheerleader duty?"
"Exactly."
"Well, since we're obviously safe on that front...I have an announcement to make." Jenna leaned forward in her seat. "Jackson got his acceptance letter on Monday."
"To where?" Hannah swirled her glass.
"Duke." She smiled proudly. "Ric's beyond pleased. With a full scholarship no less."
"That's great news." Hannah stood quickly when she heard Gabby beginning to stir. She hurried out of the room to keep her daughter from waking Landon.
"He signs the papers next week." Jenna finished off her drink.
"I still can't believe he's graduating this year." Elena shook her head. "It seems like I was just babysitting him yesterday."
"I think he was babysitting your kids yesterday." Jenna laughed - a wistful expression on her face. "It is hard to believe he'll be gone next year." She bit her lip and sighed.
"But he'll be home for Thanksgiving. And Duke isn't too far away." Elena wrapped her arm around Jenna's shoulder.
"I know." Jenna nodded.
"Aunt Jenna?" Claire stepped into the room - her cheeks flushed red from the cold. Kennedy followed closely behind her.
"Need something?" Jenna spun in her seat.
"I have a homework project for Mrs. Outlaw's class. I have to do a family history. Kennedy said you have a lot of old albums."
"That would be an understatement." Kennedy laughed.
"Well, that's what you said." Claire frowned at Kennedy.
"No, I mean you should see everything down in the basement. Someone in the family must have been obsessed." Kennedy rolled her eyes.
Jenna nodded. "Yep. There definitely are a lot of albums down there. Comes with the territory when you're a member of the Founders. Kennedy, didn't you do that project when you were in her class?"
"Mmm hmmm. That's what we were talking about. Want me to help her find the right albums?"
"That would be great. Thanks, Kennedy." Elena smiled at her niece's retreating form. For a moment she wondered if she should follow them into the basement, but she was confident that all of the Mystic Falls' secrets were safely hidden away.
"You really okay?" Damon walked into Claire's room and sat at the foot of her bed. She was tucked into her blankets with a book leaned against her knees, but she was staring at the ceiling.
"Uh huh." Claire nodded.
Damon tilted his head and looked sincerely at her. "You sure?"
Claire chewed her lip and tugged at the charm on her necklace. "Why did Grandma Saltzman call you that?"
"You remember what I said earlier. She's a little confused now. It happens sometimes when people get older." He frowned. "But it still bothered you, though, when she called me your dad's name?"
"It was just weird when she called you Stefan."
Damon nodded. "He was your dad too."
Claire frowned and toyed with the fringe of her blanket. "I'd never tell Mom this." The look in her eyes betrayed her nerves. "But sometimes it doesn't feel that way. I know he was my dad. I don't really thinking of him like that. I mean, I never even met him."
"I know." He placed his hand on her knee. "And that makes me sad."
"It does? Why?"
"Your dad was a good man...better than me for a very long time. He loved your mom more than anything else in the world." He picked up Claire's book and placed it on the bed. "And he would have loved you just as much. He would have loved to be here with you."
"You think so?"
"I know so." He reached up and brushed her hair behind her ear. "Don't ever be afraid to talk to me about this. I'm always here for you. Understand?"
"I understand."
He handed her book back to her. "You going to sleep soon?"
"I just want to finish this chapter. I want to know how it ends."
Damon laughed as he stood up. "You know you could just ask your mom. She's kind of the expert since it's her book."
"I know, but it's more fun this way. And she never tells me the end, even if I ask."
"Night, Claire. Sleep well."
She didn't lift her eyes from the page. "Night, Dad."
Damon peeked into the boys' room as he walked down the hall. He shook his head as he leaned over Nathan's bed and gently tugged his glasses off before placing them on the bedside table. Just like every other night, Braydon had kicked all his blankets off and his legs were dangling over the edge. Damon cautiously adjusted his son's position in bed and tugged the blankets back up over his legs. He walked back into the hallway and passed Elena's office. She sat behind her desk, her favorite purple pen clenched between her teeth. "You coming to bed soon?"
"In a minute."
"You're really working on Thanksgiving?" He leaned in the doorway.
"Just trying to fix this section of dialogue. Something sounds a little off." She mumbled to herself as she read the section of the story aloud.
Damon stepped behind her and wrapped his arms around her shoulder. He pressed a kiss into her hair and leaned into her back.
"You're not going to let me finish, are you?"
"You never write well when you're tense."
"Who said I'm tense?" She leaned back and blinked up at him.
Damon massaged her shoulders. "You didn't have to." He spun her chair around so she was facing him. He knelt in front of her and brought his lips to hers. "I know you too well."
Elena stood and hooked her fingers into his belt loops. She surrendered to the feeling of his lips on hers.
"I think we should take this somewhere a little more private." He ran his fingers down her side.
"You think so?"
His voice husky, he did his eye thing at her. "I do." Her fingers entwined with his as they stepped into the privacy of their bedroom. He ran his fingers through her hair as he pulled her closer to him. He slid his hands down her back and toyed with the hem of her blouse. He didn't want to rush her, but after the emotions of the day, they both needed a release that only coming together could provide.
He opened his eyes and looked down into hers. Her cheeks flushed with excitement, she gave the barest hint of a nod.
That was all he needed. Her clothes and his were off so quickly, it was as if he were still a vampire. He backed her toward the bed and leaned down - straddling her. Her mouth yielded to his and their tongues fought for dominance,
Elena scooted farther back into the bed, drawing the blankets up over the pair. Damon pulled back. "What are you doing?" Elena protested as he clicked off the light. She laughed and reached up and pulled him back down to her. She could feel the broad smile on his face.
"Feeling more relaxed?"
"Not exactly." Elena teased. She ran her hands over his chest.
"And what might help you relax?" He ducked under the covers and began to trail kisses down her collarbone.
"I think you have the general idea." She guided his lips to her breast and arched into him as his teeth gently grazed her sensitive skin.
"Do I?" He worried her breast with his tongue.
Elena felt her pulse racing. "Oh yes."
He slid farther down her body. "Then my plan is working."
Just in case you still need it. Kid reference:
If the kids are named after US presidents, they belong to Ric and Jenna.
-Jackson (17)
-Kennedy (14 ish)
-Reagan (9)
-Madison (7)
Kids whose names start with a G are Jeremy and Hannah's.
-Grayson (7)
-Gabby (infant)
Damon and Elena's brood:
-Claire (9) – technically, she's Stefan and Elena's, but she's really Damon's now
-Brayden (7)
-Nathan (5), and Emma (5) – twins at the end of "Bittersweet"
Caroline and Craig's kids:
Ainsley (3 ½)
Landon (infant)