Damon:
As soon as I walk out of my office, I reach up to palm the side of my face that she slapped. Does she really think that I would try to sabotage her job just to advance my own? Honestly, I had no idea that Elijah was even contemplating moving her permanently to my show. I just thought that Elena would stay on board with me till they hired someone else. That's not to say I'm unhappy about working with her because I'm not. I just wish that she would at least give me a chance to show her that I'm not the same asshole that she knew at one time in her life. That said, I will not allow her to slap me ever again. Rather than get into it with her anymore, I pick up my pace and walk outside and across the street to the little diner to get a cup of coffee.
"Thanks," I tell the waitress when she fills my cup. Denying I need anything else, I start to sip on it. With my mind elsewhere, I don't even notice someone walk up till I hear the sound of the chair being pulled away from the table. Looking up, I sigh when I see that it's my grandpa and Lena.
"Hello, Damon," she says, sliding the chair forward. After smiling at my grandpa, he pulls out a chair, sliding it close to her before sitting down himself.
"Hello Mrs. Gilbert. How are you?"
"It's Lena. I'm very well," she says, momentarily flashing a huge smile at gramps before looking at me again.
"Is something troubling you, Damon and why is your cheek all red?"
"Well, if you want the truth, Elena slapped me. Your granddaughter has a wicked swing," I mumble, cupping my cheek again.
"Explain," she says, looking at me intently.
"Elijah reassigned her permanently to be my co-host as it were. In other words, she's losing her co-anchor position to Andie Starr. She was none to pleased with that information. But I swear, Lena, I had nothing to do with it," I explain, looking at her sincerely while clutching my coffee cup in my hands.
"Elena is a complicated girl, Damon. She told me that you weren't very nice to her when you two were children... She wouldn't lie about something like that."
"I'll readily admit that I was a world class jerk. There's no two ways about it but in my defense, I was just a kid then myself and I'm not him anymore, I've grown up."
"Have you ever tried to apologize?" she asks, taking a sip of her own coffee.
"I have, Lena. I've asked her to just give me a chance to show her that I'm not that guy anymore. I thought maybe I had gotten through to her till she slapped me today. I don't ever expect that she'll be my cheerleader but I would like to be her friend."
"I'd like that too. Just don't give up on her, Damon. I'd tried to raise with as much love and attention as I could but obviously, I wasn't her mom or dad. Sure the two of us butted heads at times when she was a teenager but for the most part, we adjusted and prospered. I love my granddaughter so much. Don't turn your back on her but do give her the space she needs till she's ready to close the distance okay?"
"I'll try, Lena," I add, smiling when I see my grandfather smiling lovingly at her.
"Grandpa, I think she's out of your league," I tease, giving him a wink.
"I know she is. I'm just lucky that she has a bit of a crush on me," he offers. Leaning in, he drops a kiss to her lips. She's simply beaming with love the way she stares at him. I don't miss how their free hands are laced together.
"Well, I suppose I should get back to the station." Standing up, I throw a ten dollar bill on the table to pay for the coffee.
"You will be home the day after tomorrow, right?"
"I have to take dad to a doctor's appointment tomorrow but yes, I'll be home for your barbecue. You can count on me."
"Thank you, Damon. Bye now," my grandpa mentions, eyeing me with so much happiness in his eyes.
"Goodbye. I'll see you tomorrow, Lena," I add then walk out of the café, jog across the street and head back to my office.
"How are you feeling Joe?" Dr. Mikaelson asks dad. Finn is Elijah's older brother and my dad's cardiologist.
"Honestly, Finn, I'm feeling pretty decent. Of course, Damon runs a tight ship. What I mean by that is that he makes sure I get exercise as well as rest. Even though I didn't want him to uproot himself to come home, I'm grateful that he did."
"Your blood pressure is actually good. I believe it's time to interrogate your pacemaker and defibrillator to make sure it's still functioning properly. Have you felt the defibrillator firing at all?"
"No, I haven't."
"Good. I'm going to go to get the equipment. I'll be right back. Damon, can you help your dad onto the exam table?"
"Sure, Finn."
Without waiting for him to even leave the room, I offer dad my hand, steadying him while he takes the step, turns around and sits on the table. Facing him, I nod, give his shoulders a squeeze and then sit back down. Just as quickly as he left, he walks back in carrying a device. Looking at me, he explains to me what he's doing.
"We place a wand over your dad's device that is linked to a special computer called a programmer. When the programmer and the device communicate, valuable information can be obtained from the memory of your device and we can change the programmed settings if needed. Typically we start by evaluating the remaining lifespan of the battery and we can usually give the patient some idea about how long the battery will last. We test the function of the leads and make sure they conduct electricity both to and from the heart. We can also modify the programmed parameters to better suit the heart's individual needs. If you have any questions or concerns about his device, be sure to ask or write them down so I can answer them the next time I see you."
When he finishes, he tells dad that his pacemaker/ defibrillator is working well. He listens to dad's heart and lungs as well as checking him for fluid retention. Occasionally he has some edema, or fluid, in his shins and ankles. Dad usually wears some support hose. In addition to his severe cardiomyopathy, dad has a history of atrial fibrillation. It occurs when the upper chambers of the heart, or atria, fibrillate. This means that they beat very rapidly and irregularly. Blood is not pumped efficiently to the rest of the body which may cause you to feel weak or tired, or to experience uncomfortable heart sensations like a racing or irregular heartbeat. A fib may cause symptoms like heart palpitations, fatigue, and shortness of breath. Treating atrial fibrillation is important because it may cause a stroke and negatively impact your quality of life. While the condition isn't considered life-threatening, people with AF are five to seven times more likely to form blood clots and suffer a stroke. Because of this, dad takes a daily anticoagulant and has to have his Protime checked every week so his medication can be adjusted as needed.
Your protime is a blood test that measures the time it takes for the liquid portion of your blood to clot. They need to check it often because if it gets too high, dad could bleed badly if he were to hurt himself somehow. Once Finn finishes his examination, he tells us to make another appointment for next month and as always, he tells dad that a cardiac surgeon will be on call should a heart become available.
"It's good to see you, Finn. Thanks for everything," I tell him, shaking his hand.
"No worries, Damon. We should get together one of the weekends."
"I'd like that." After exchanging cell numbers, I offer dad my hand so he can get off of the exam table and into his wheelchair. As soon as I have him out of doctor's office, I hold onto his wheelchair while he slides into the passenger seat. Once he's safely inside, I fold up the wheelchair, put it the trunk then jump behind the wheel. Deciding to take the long way back to Mystic Falls since the drive is scenic and very pretty, I exit onto that highway. Even though the drive is about an hour longer, dad enjoys it and so do it. We stop to have a bite to eat at a small beach front restaurant.
By the time we get home, it's late afternoon and dad is dozing in the passenger seat. After pulling into the driveway, I get out, pull his wheelchair out of the trunk. He's just waking up when I open the car door.
"Do you want to walk or use the wheelchair?"
"If we hadn't walked to the water's edge, I'd walk but I think I'll get in the chair, he says, sliding himself into his chair. As soon as we cross the threshold going into the house, Grandpa jumps all over us telling us how worried he was that it was taking us so long.
"I'm sorry, grandpa. We not only took the scenic route home, we stopped to get lunch at one of those little beach front diners," I explain, pushing dad into the living room.
"Why didn't you call? I was worried sick."
"I didn't mean to worry you, grandpa. I promise the next time I'll be more considerate."
"How did your doctor appointment go, Joe?"
"He says I'm doing as well as can be expected. He checked my hardware and it's working good."
"Well good because our guests are coming over around five tomorrow. Lena and I have an announcement to make."
"Do tell, grandpa," I ask, tilting my head slightly.
"Nope, you have to wait till tomorrow like everyone else."
"Be like that," I mumble. Once dad is comfortable on the couch, I excuse myself to go upstairs to my room. I'm tired and it's been a long day. Although it's not late at all, I've been putting in long hours at work which makes for a tired Damon. Deciding why the hell shouldn't I be allowed to take a nap, I crawl onto the bed and drift into an uneasy sleep moments after my head hits the pillow.
"Elena," I pant, sweat forming on my forehead as my body writhes in pleasure. Staring down at her, I watch as the tip of her tongue probes the slit before finally taking me into the hot moist cavern of her mouth. The pleasure is so intense that I throw my head back, a loud and pathetically needy moan leaving my lips. Lacing my fingers through her chestnut tresses, I raise my hips in tandem with her bobbing head till I tumble over the edge, my back arching off the mattress as I spill myself inside of her mouth. I almost lose it again when I weakly raise my head in time to see her lick her lips lasciviously.
Stalking up my body, she captures my lips and thrusts her tongue inside, letting me taste myself. It's heady and erotic and when I feel myself hardening again, I use a little swagger and pull her underneath me. Kneeling, I place one of her legs on each shoulder and plunge inside to her heat, her walls gripping onto me like a vise. Closing my eyes, I bite on my lower lip, hoping to get control before I erupt like a firecracker. Wanting her to fly with me, I give her legs a squeeze and then I start to move, push in and out, circling my hips and driving in at a frantic pace. She's giving as good as she's getting, her hips meeting my thrusts. Moans, groans, whimpers and the sound of flesh slapping against flesh form a symphony in my room. Elena Gilbert was made for me. We fit together perfectly. Pulling out, I help her onto her knees. Anchoring my hands on her hips, I drive back inside of her, the exquisiteness of her body is indescribable.
I pause long enough for her to latch onto the headboard and when she does, she matches my thrusts, push and pull, in and out and just as I feel the coil about to spring...
"Damon, wake up."
I lurch upright, my chest heaving when I feel someone jostling my arm.
"Grandpa?"
"You were having a bad dream. I heard you scream."
Looking at him, I press my hand to my chest. My heart is thundering so hard against my ribcage that I actually feel short of breath. After sucking in a few mouthfuls of air, I swing my legs over the bed and drop my face into my hands. Once my breathing is regulated, I raise my eyes to his.
"Do you want to talk about it?"
"No, grandpa. I'm fine. But thanks for the concern."
"Supper is ready is you want to come downstairs."
"I'll be right down," I tell him. As soon as he steps out of my room, I get up to use the bathroom. That dream was so intense, my boxers are actually damp. A shiver runs through me when I imagine having sex with Elena. Somehow I know it'll mean something if we ever do go there but realistically I know that the chances are slim to none considering her intense dislike of yours truly. Taking a washcloth, I wash my face and slip on a clean pair of boxers and a pair of pajama pants and a tee shirt before going downstairs to join dad and grandpa for supper.
Having had another icy day at work with Elena, I'm exhausted by the time I get home. Between going out of her way to avoid me and barely saying two words to me, it was a very long day. Somehow I have to find a way to coexist with her. I just wish Elijah would've given her a choice about giving up her anchor job rather than forcing her to do so. I know that I would be angry at such a turn of events too.
As soon as I walk in the house, grandpa corners me and insists that I change clothes because I've apparently been assigned grill duty. Sighing, I nod my agreement before going upstairs to change into a pair of jeans and a v necked tee shirt. Just as I reach the bottom step, I hear the doorbell so I walk over and pull the door open, smiling when Jenna leaps in and gives me a hug.
"Wow, that's some greeting," I laugh, giving her back a hug. "When you gonna get rid of that guy?" I tease, using my eyes to gesture towards Ric.
Somehow she keeps a straight face when she says, "I kind of feel sorry for him. I mean who else would want him?"
Although Ric knows we're teasing him, he puffs out his chest and squares his shoulders before walking right past us, through the house and out to the backyard.
"I guess he's giving us permission."
"You two," Lena chuckles, shaking her head with mirth in her eyes.
Nodding, I stick out my elbows, Jenna taking one and Lena the other and I lead them outside. Afterwards I go back inside to get the steaks and vegetables to put on the grill while grandpa and Lena go into the kitchen to toss the coleslaw and get the wine.
"Hey Jenna," I say, smiling when she hands me a bottle of beer.
"I thought you could use one."
"Thank you. Um.. where might Elena be this evening?" I ask, putting the meat on the grill.
"She said that Kol had made plans for them. She also told me that she had some work to catch up on."
"Really?" I ask, keeping my attention on the grill. Knowing that she bugged out of another family get together, no doubt because of me, causes my gut to twist uncomfortably. I hate that she can barely stand to be in the same room with me. At work, she really doesn't have a choice unless she quits her job. How am I ever going to get anywhere with her? Feeling a hand on my shoulder, I look up, forcing a smile when she gives it a squeeze.
"Do you want to talk about it?" she asks, her voice soft so no one overhears us.
"I hate that she doesn't want to participate in these family things because of me. I don't know, Jenna. Maybe I should stay away the next time. I mean, I'm sure your mom wanted her to be here."
"Damon, you've apologized till you're blue in the face. And as much as I care about you and the man you've become, I can't blame Elena for being wary nor can I make her accept your apology. The only advice I can give you is for you to be the best version of yourself. I love my niece but she has a hard shell to crack. Hopefully, she'll see that you're not the same snot-nosed, bratty little boy anymore," she adds, giving me a playful nudge in the ribs with her elbow.
"I have apologized but it doesn't seem to make any difference to her. A part of me understands why she feels the way she feels but another part of me feels disgruntled with her for not even giving me an inch."
"I can talk to her if you'd like?"
"No, I think that would just make her that much more angry. Whether I sink or swim is up to me I guess," I add, flipping the steaks.
"On another note, has Brady found out anything about Ben?"
"Tomorrow is another show. He'll give us an update on what we've run so far. Tomorrow we're going to talk about the rumors of vampires in Mystic Falls during the Civil War."
"I'll be sure to tune in."
"Are you two conniving somemore on how to get rid of me?" Ric asks, tipping his beer bottle to his lips.
"You know it, Ric," I add, putting an arm around Jenna's middle, pulling her close.
"That's enough," he laughs, pulling her into his own arms, smacking her lips with a big sloppy kiss.
"Sorry, Damon, his kisses always weaken my knees," Jenna blurts out dramatically dipping so he has to catch her.
"My heart," I blubber, sticking my lower lip out and fisting my eyes, pretending to be wiping away my tears. Unable to hold it in, I finally burst out laughing as do Ric and Jenna. Picking up the fork, I turn the steaks again, saying aloud that whoever wants one medium rare should come and get it. As it turns out we all prefer the meat a little pink so I reach for the platter and take them all off and then put the peppers and squash and onions on the grill too. Out of the corner of my eye, I see dad walk outside, albeit slowly. Putting the lid down on the grill, I walk over to him and take the salad from his hand and offer him my arm.
"Are you okay?"
"Yes, you worry about me too much," he sputters, furrowing his brow. After I pull out a chair for him, I hear the doorbell. Wondering who else is coming, I hurry inside and pull it open, my eyes widening to the size of saucers when I see my sister and my two nieces standing in front of me.
"Katherine?" I exclaim, giving her a hug. As soon as I let go, I stoop down and give each of the girls a hug.
"What are you all doing here?"
"Grandpa wanted us to come. He said he had a big announcement to make."
"Really? He didn't say anything to me."
"Are you going to step aside so we can come in or are you just going to stand there with your mouth hanging open?"
"Har har," I say, rolling my eyes. Steeping aside, I tell them that everybody is in the backyard. When they step in the house, I pick up their suitcases and set them in the foyer. I'll carry them upstairs later. Following them, I detour into the kitchen to grab a couple more plates and silverware. When I get to the yard, I smile when I see how happy my father is, one arm wrapped around Winter the other around Autumn. Katherine is already sitting down, visiting with Ric and Jenna. As soon as the table is set, we all fill our plates and start eating.
By the time we finish, I'm so stuffed, my jeans feel tight. It's then that grandpa and Lena stand up and walk to the head of the table.
"While we're sorry that one of our loved ones isn't here, we just couldn't wait any longer. Lena has agreed to be my bride," grandpa announces. I'm stunned not because he's getting married, it's that I've never seen him look so happy. My grandma died when I a little boy, maybe three and my memories of her are very scattered. Wasting no time, I stand up to congratulate them, giving them each a hug and welcoming Lena to the family. We're all clapping. Katherine is in awe too.
"Well, grandpa, I always knew you were a looker," she says, giving them both a hug too. With a little prodding form Katherine, Winter and Autumn take their turns telling grandpa congratulations too.
When my thoughts drift to Elena and that she's missing this important evening, I feel a bit of melancholy. I would've loved to have seen her face when she heard the news. Even though she doesn't like me, I'm certain she'd be excited for her grandma. Excusing myself, I walk into the house and lock myself in the bathroom just to have a feel undisturbed moments. Dropping the lid, I sit down on the toilet seat, drop my face into my hands, her face the only thing I see when I close my eyes.
The next morning, I hurry to work so I can get my thoughts organized for Friday's show. We're going to be talking about the vampires. Elena is going to be live on location at the Mystic Falls archives where they have some Civil War area exhibits with mentions of vampires. Also our local historian, Esther Mikaelson, matriarch of the Mikaelson clan, will be with Elena. It should be an interesting show.
First things first, I make myself a pot of coffee, fill my cup and then I sit down. After taking a big swallow, I reach for the mail that's on my desk. There's also a bulky envelope. Picking it up, I notice that there is no return address. Curious, I open it, surprised when a key falls out and onto my desktop. I pick it up, keeping it in my hand while I look to see if there's a note or anything to tell me what this is for. Blowing a puff of air into the envelope, I finally see a post it note stuck to the inside. Pulling it out, I read what it says.
This was given to me by Ben Bradley. Honestly I had forgotten all about it, finding it again when I was packing to move. It was then that I saw you on TV talking about his disappearance and subsequent murder. I don't know what this key is for. He told me to keep it safe. Please bring him some justice.
Clutching the key in my palm so hard that the edges dig into my flesh, I realize that this is significant and that there's much more to this case than we know. With my thoughts coalescing around the key in my hand, I pick up my phone and dial her extension.
"This is Elena."
"Hey, it's Damon. Can you come to my office for a moment? I have something to show you."
Big thanks to Eva. Love you my dear friend.. more than you know.
Thanks so much for to all of you. I appreciate your support and the reviews so much. If not for you all, there would be no scarlett2112 fan fiction.
Chapter title: 'Keeper of the Key' by Elvis Presley.
I posted the first chapter of 'The Game of Life' the other day. 'I Fall to Pieces' updated Saturday and 'Nothing Left to Fear' updated Sunday.
Please remember to click the review button.
Have a safe and wonderful day. Until next time.
