Now that 'Dig' and 'Angels Fall' have completed, this will be posting regularly. Thank you for your support. It means the world to me.
Damon:
When my alarm clock blares, I pull the covers up and over my head for a few seconds before finally reaching over to silence it. Reluctantly I peel back the covers and climb out of my nest. When I stand up, I stretch before ambling into the bathroom to do my business and shower. Rather than shave, I just splash on some cologne, get dressed and go downstairs to see if dad is up yet. He has a lot of medication that he needs to take. He is on the transplant list, I only hope one is found in time to save him. The boarding house is huge so I have as much privacy as I want. Should I have the desire to bring a woman home, my room is far enough away from dad's so he wouldn't hear or I could take them into one of the other rooms.
Years ago, this was an actual boarding house. Dad and his younger sister inherited the place when my grandparents died but Aunt Marie didn't want anything to do with it so dad bought her interest in the place. He has such an emotional connection to this house, he just didn't want to give it up. Because there's so much room here, my Grandpa Jim moved in to help when dad's health failed. My grandma Mary died years ago when I was around ten or so. Shaking my head at my memories, I reluctantly slip my shoes on, go downstairs to say good morning to my father. When I don't find him in his room or in the living room, I head towards the kitchen to see if he's in there.
"Good morning, dad. Grandpa isn't up yet?"
"Good morning, Damon. Grandpa left to take Lena out for breakfast and you're up pretty early aren't you?"
"Grandpa seems pretty smitten with her. And as you're well aware, the reason I'm up so early is because I have a job now."
"I know that. But I didn't think they were ready for you to go on the air yet?"
"They're not. I think the set is supposed to be ready in about three weeks. I'm going to be meeting with Elijah Mikaelson today and then I'm going down to police headquarters to speak with Brady. He's going to help to choose some files for me to showcase on the air. And somehow, I'm going to have to learn to get along with Elena Gilbert."
"Yes, she co-anchors the evening news. You always had a bit of a soft spot for her.."
"She hates me, dad. And to be fair, I was a shit to her when we were growing up. I hope we can move beyond that though."
"But will you even see much of her? You'll have your own set and she'll still be doing the news, right?"
"Yes, but Elijah told her in no uncertain terms that she was to help me with these cases. We're going to be working side by side. It won't be pleasant unless we can find some middle ground."
"You never had any problem getting the girls to eat out of the palm of your hand so to speak. And having your own show is really a great opportunity. I couldn't be more proud of you, Damon. And my hope is that between you and Elena, the two of you will be able to bring some closure to some of these families."
"I do too dad. How are you feeling this morning?"
"I'm as fine as I can be, Damon. I just hate being hooked up to this oxygen concentrator and the fact that we can't go any distance because of my oxygen needs. I hate being so dependent on you and Katherine. You have your own lives and I'm monopolizing your time and energy. You shouldn't have to be babysitting your old man at your age."
"Dad, it's not your fault that you caught that virus that damaged your heart. Both Katherine and I are grateful that you're still around. Don't doubt that, okay?" I implore him. When he looks up at me, I can see the remorse in his eyes.
"Honestly, dad, I'm happy to be able to help."
"Is this Katherine's weekend to come?"
"Yes, she usually leaves work at noon and then flies back to New York on Monday. I think she's bringing the girls along this weekend since you're here now."
"I haven't seen them for ages. Winter Grace is nine isn't she and Autumn is six right?"
"Yep and Winter will be ten next month. From what she tells me, Jeff has been hinting that they try one last time for a boy."
"Really? What does she think about that?"
"I think she's open to the idea. She's a good mother."
"I know that, dad. Listen, I'm going to head out. Do you want me to pick something up for supper?"
"No, don't bother. Jim and I can cook something. He enjoys it."
"Okay then. I'll try to be home by seven."
"You have a good day, Damon."
"I will, dad." After filling my travel mug with coffee, I drop a peck to the crown of his head and hurry out of the door to get to work.
I barely make it to work in time. After getting stuck at a train crossing for at least twenty five minutes, I practically fly to work, only to be pulled over by Matt Donovan. After giving me a warning ticket, he sends me on my way. After checking in, I head to my office, power up my computer and then I step outside to go in search of a cup of coffee. When I see a glasses wearing Elena chatting with Kol Mikaelson, I can't help but make my presence known.
"Elena, Elena, you do still wear glasses," I laugh, shaking my head.
"Four eyes Gilbert makes a resplendent return," I add, giving her a wink. Immediately I know she's pissed because I can almost see the steam rising from her ears. Her jaw is tight and her eyes are boring right through me. She's just too easy, I think to myself.
"If you can tear yourself free of good old Kol, we do need to go to the police station to talk to Brady."
"If you think for one minute, I'm going to ride in a car with you, you have another guess coming, buster. I may have to on my best behavior when we're around our grandparents but here, here," she takes pains to emphasize, "I'm under no such constraints. I'm not some pushover that you can humiliate at will. Just so you know, I can and will fight back. You start the war, I'll finish it. Are we clear, Damon?" she sneers, her smile phony and fierce and full of fire.
"Oh Elena, don't play with the big kids, you'll get burned," I snap back, turning on my heels and heading back to my office. Irate by the time I get to my office, I drop into my chair and turn around to stare out of the window. With my fingers tented, the tips pressed against my lips, it takes everything in me not to go after her again. She's grown into such a beautiful woman. Even though I teased her unmercifully as a child, I always thought she was pretty in a down to earth type of way. She wasn't glamorous nor did she have the boys falling all over her but she had a confident air about her. Whether that's how she really felt, I don't know but she carried herself well. The kids were mean, constantly taunting her about her glasses and braces. I'm absolutely guilty of that myself. If I had it to do over again, I'd like to think that I would be the better man. But I can't undo the past and I don't know how to convince her that I'd like to put the past in the past. But she pushes every one of my buttons and so I respond and sometimes inappropriately. I also know that I'm not going to make any points with her if things continue as is.
"Damon?"
Turning around in my chair, I stand up when I see that it's Elijah.
"How can I help you, Elijah?"
"I just got done talking to Stefan. His team should have your set ready in about two to three weeks. You need to be up to speed so we can go live on the air as soon as it's done."
"How is my cousin? I haven't seen him since I've been back."
"He's grown up since high school, Damon."
"I'm glad to hear that. He and I were really never close despite being related to each other."
"I didn't come here to talk about Stefan. You need to choose a case and interview the people involved and family if any of them are still around. If we can give these families some answers, I will be very pleased."
"I'm supposed to meet Brady at the police station after lunch."
"Make sure you take Elena with you. I may move her out of the evening news to help you if I think it'll be beneficial to both of your careers."
"She won't like that, Elijah. She hates me."
"Well, you weren't exactly a stellar young man, Damon. If memory serves, you and she were like gun powder and flame since you were children. Mystic Falls is a small town and I'm not that much older than you and I do have eyes."
"You're right, we were explosive when we were kids. But really, Elijah, that was a lifetime ago, she should be able to move past the sins of our youth, don't you agree?"
"It depends on if you continue to provoke her or not," he says pointedly, raising an eyebrow at me. Without saying another word, he walks out, leaving me alone with my thoughts.
"Elena, can I talk to you?"
"You want to talk to little old me? What ever did I do to deserve such attention from the almighty, Damon Salvatore?"
"Elena, can we just call a ceasefire for right now?"
After rolling her eyes, she stares at me a few minutes before agreeing. "Tentative ceasefire," she adds, furrowing her brows.
"We have to go to talk to Brady about some cases. Do you want to ride with me?"
"I'd rather come down with the plague. I'll drive myself but thanks anyway," she says. The woman has perfected the art of the phony smile.
"Fine, have it your way," I utter. Sighing heavily, I start to walk out of her office. Stopping at the door, I turn around.
"We're supposed to be at Brady's office at one o'clock."
When she nods, I walk out, immediately walking to Elijah's office. If she's going to be so openly hostile to me, there's no way that this collaboration is going to work. Raising my hand, I rap on his office door. As soon as I hear him say to come in, I push the door open.
"Damon, how can I help you?"
"It's Elena. It's never going to work between us. She's stubborn and hostile and just plain unlikeable."
"I told you that you two will have to find a compromise somewhere because you will work together and that's final."
"But Eli..."
"No buts. Elena has a good nose for news. She's a bulldog when she gets on a story. Believe me when I tell you that she'll be an asset to your show."
"Fine, I'll try to get along with her but if she won't cooperate, I want you to promise me that you'll rethink your position."
"You drive a hard bargain, Mr. Salvatore. If things don't improve, I will give thought to a replacement for her but honestly, she's the best I have here."
"Thank you, that's all I wanted to say."
"Keep me up to speed, Damon."
"I will. I'm going to head over to police headquarters now."
"Take Elena with you."
"I asked her to go with me, she said she'd rather drive herself."
"I can't really order her to ride with you. Just keep me in the loop if she continues to be so hostile towards you."
"I will, Eli." After blowing out a breath, I leave, walking straight to my car. Once inside, I start the engine and drive over to the police department.
"Damon, buddy, come on in," Brady says. When he steps aside to let me pass, I'm surprised to see that Elena is already here.
"Elena." When she looks at me, I smile and take the seat beside her while Brady sits in his chair on the other side of the desk.
"Damon, I have several cold cases here. Ben Bradley vanished from the face of the earth after his sister died. One day he just didn't show up for work. We had APB's out state wide and in the surrounding states but we never found him. Their parents are amazingly strong people. They're very religious and Mr. Bradley credits that for their ability to wake up each day. Their youngest child is a senior in high school this year. As far as Ben goes, he worked at Tyler Lockwood's body shop. When he didn't show up for work the second day, Tyler checked his apartment and found nothing amiss. But Ben and his car were nowhere to be found. The parents hadn't talked to him for a couple of days prior to him going missing either."
Glancing over at Elena, she looks just as enthralled as I am.
"I remember when Amber was found dead and then Ben disappeared. Search parties were sent out at the time weren't they, Brady?"
"Yes, Elena, there were. As you know, we came up empty handed and none of his friends knew about anything that may have been amiss. He was a pretty tight lipped guy, kept things close to the vest as it were."
Barely even remembering the Bradley family name, I just pay attention when Brady starts talking about another case.
"Another unsolved case is that of Rose Connor. She also disappeared about six years ago. Rose too was pregnant but her pregnancy was too far along to hide. Whoever killed her knew that she was pregnant. She hadn't lived in Mystic Falls all that long. I think she was already pregnant by the time she moved here. I only met her once when I happened to wander into one of Richard Lockwood's mayoral campaign events. No one has come forward with any information at all. For example, if she was seen leaving with someone or if she had people that she knew and hung around with here. The town folk's have been tight-lipped. Her parents deny that she was having an affair with anyone but did confess that she never told them who fathered her child.
"Why don't I remember her, Brady?"
"I don't know, Elena. Didn't you spend that summer in the Catskills with the Forbes family?"
"Yes, I think you're right. That was about six years ago now. We were gone for like three months."
"Yep. I also have the incredible case of Will Turner. He disappeared ten years ago. He's never been heard from again. He said goodbye to his girlfriend, got in his 68' Volkswagen and drove away, waving to her just before he disappeared around a corner. He was reported missing the next day by his parents. His abandoned and burned out car was found two months later in a West Virginia field. There was no body. There were reported sightings of him all over the area but none of them panned out. We have no idea what happened to him."
"I never realized that Mystic Falls was such a hotbed of criminal activity."
"For the most part, we do have a safe city but there are a few cases. Now I have more if you're interested?"
After sharing a glance with Elena, I nod. By the time the afternoon is over, Brady has brought us up to speed on several more missing person's and unsolved crimes that have occurred in and around Mystic Falls. Undecided as to whether we should focus first on Will Turner or Ben Bradley, Brady makes us copies of the case files so we can interview people who knew them. Since it's late afternoon, I walk Elena to her car. She's actually silent as she walks beside me, her mind I'm sure on what we have discussed with Brady.
"Penny for you thoughts?"
"I was just thinking about these families who have no idea what's become of their loved ones. I know that we don't like each other very much but I do hope something positive can come out of us being forced to work with each other."
"I do too. Goodbye, Elena," I tell her, watching as she climbs behind the wheel of her car. She mockingly waves to me then pulls out of the police department's parking lot, disappearing when she turns a corner. Sighing heavily, I walk over to my car and then drive home to check in on my dad.
Elena:
"I need a drink. Do you want to go with me to the grill?"
"Of course, love. Do you really think I'd let you go alone?" he asks, raising his brows teasingly.
"You're incorrigible, Kol. You do know that right?"
"Yepppp!"
"Bonnie and Caroline are going to meet us there. Come on, let's go," I add, linking my arm in his and leading him to my car. Once we arrive at the bar, I look around, smiling when I see Caroline waving her arm frantically to get our attention. Shaking my head with a laugh, the two of us walk over and slide into the booth opposite of her and Bonnie.
"Kol!" Care squeals, raising her palm to high five with him.
"Care!" he squeals right back, mocking her.
"That's not nice, Kol Mikaelson," she giggles, taking a swallow of her beer.
"So Kol, are you going to get us something to drink?"
"Sure, Elena. What do you want?"
"I'll have a Long Island ice tea."
"You girls want a refill?"
"I'm drinking beer."
"I see that Caroline." Turning his attention to Bonnie, he asks her what she wants. Rather than wait for a server, he stands up, telling us he's going to use the restroom and then he'll be back with our drinks. While he's gone, I happen to hear his voice. When I look around, I see him sitting at the bar with Ric. Dropping my chin to my chest, I just sit like that for a few seconds.
"What is it, Elena?"
"Damon Salvatore, the bane of my existence," I blurt out, my voice dripping with the disdain I feel for him.
"Damon Salvatore? What's he doing back here?"
"Apparently his father is quite ill and he wanted to be closer to him."
"He has a heart?"
"Caroline!"
"Well, it's the truth and you know it. He was nothing short of mean to you when we were growing up."
"I seem to remember you having a crush on him?"
"Yeah, until I found out that he had the personality of a pit viper."
"What's that look, Bonnie?"
"Not a thing, Elena. I'm enjoying the Damon bashing immensely," she laughs. Shaking my head, I look up when I hear Kol approaching, drinks in hand. After he slides my Long Island Iced to me, he sets a pitcher of beer down and fills his own glass. Since Bonnie and Caroline are both imbibing in beer tonight, he opted to buy a pitcher.
"Who's going to be the designated driver?"
"We're all drinking so I guess we'll have to walk back to your place, darling."
"You're so full of...," I start to say when her grating voice interrupts my zen. Looking up, I see Andie Starr barrel her way through the crowd and right towards one Damon Salvatore. As soon as she reaches him, she crawls onto the stool next to him and leans over, her forearms on the bar top giving him an eyeful of her ample bosom. She's so sleazy. Although I know Elijah hired her because she was dating Nick, I don't for the life of me know why he keeps her on staff. Sure she's a fair enough reporter but she's so over the top sometimes.
"What are you staring at?"
"Look over there, Kol," I add, raising my brows playfully.
"She's just so over the top, I mean she's pretty, I'll give her that but..," he says, melodramatically sticking his tongue out.
"We should really take advantage of such an opportunity, don't you think, Kol?"
"Oh I think," he laughs, throwing back what's left in his glass before refilling it.
"Look how she's practically stripping in front him. What do guys see in a woman like that?"
"Well, Elena, if you don't know that, it's time to go back to the bird and the bees 101 if you know what I mean?"
"I know sex but for heaven's sake, I'm embarrassed for her. It's like she has no self respect."
"Come on, darling, let's go have some fun."
"Yes, lets."
After he stands up, he takes my hand then wraps his shoulder around mine and leads me over to the bar till we're close to the two of them. Ric looks to be enjoying the show too. He's flushed and I can see the mirth in his eyes. If he says anything to me about not behaving around Damon, I'll threaten to tell Jenna about him enjoying Andie's shameless striptease. That'll shut him up.
"Although it looks like good old Damon is enjoying it immensely, you act like you're in heat the way you keep rubbing up against him, Fi-O-na. Are you in heat or just that desperate?"
"My name is Andie! And you're just jealous because you don't get any, Elena," she snaps, once again brushing her boobs against Damon's shoulder.
"That's the best you've got?" I scoff, unable to hold in a laugh.
"Elena, stop," Damon says, spinning around in his chair to face me and Kol, Ric doing the same. When he raises a condescending eyebrow at me, I give it right back to him.
"Well, if you're so desperate to take up with the likes of her, you better make sure you have a month's worth of Penicillin," Kol adds. Unable to hold in a laugh, he buries his head in my shoulder and before long the two of us are shaking so hard, we nearly topple over.
"Elena, Kol, you've had your fun. Why don't you go back to your booth now?" Ric advises, making a shooing motion with his hands.
"Yeah because you're enjoying the peep show too? I see how it is," I snap at him.
"How much have you had to drink, Elena?"
"I'm just getting started Ric." I stare at him for several seconds before linking my fingers with Kol's.
"Come on, Kol. Let's go, they're no fun."
Starting to walk away, I quickly spin around.
"Oh and Damon, have fun. I'll be sure to wear my rubber gloves Monday morning," I tease. After giving him a wink, Kol and I head back to rejoin Bonnie and Caroline. Doubling over in laughter as soon as we reach our booth, I grab my drink and swallow the rest of it down before sitting down.
"That was fun," I blurt aloud, giving Kol's arm a squeeze. After a few more drinks, I happen to look up just in time to see Damon and Andie walking towards the entrance. Although disgusted, I can't help but feel an unfamiliar pang of something deep in my gut as I watch the two of them exit the pub, his arm around her neck.
Thank you so much, Eva. Love you so much.
I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I thank all of you SO VERY MUCH for the terrific response to this story so far. I really appreciate you all and your support so very much.
I can assure you that the plot to this is very original. It's not like every other DE story that starts out this way.
Chapter title: 'You're So Vain' by Carly Simon.
'Dig' and 'Angels Fall' have just completed. 'Nothing Left to Fear' and 'The Dating Game' are still in progress. I'm trying to transition into writing in third person. 'Faded Coat of Blue' is a o/s look at the Salvatore family circa 1863. TDG is also written in third person. I'm working on another short story called 'Seven Year Ache'. It's set in the months after the attack on Pearl Harbor, December 7, 1941.
Please remember to click that review button. I would love to hear your thoughts this and my other stories.
Be safe and have a fabulous weekend. Thank you all again for your support. It means the world to me. We'll see you next time..
