Damon:

Although the bath tub in Elena's apartment is a snug fit, I wouldn't say that we're uncomfortable in it either. I'm laying back with an arm resting on either side of the tub while Elena is comfortably settled in the space between my legs. We both feel completely relaxed all the while covered up by a blanket of bubbles. When she shifts, her breasts pop above the water line. And it's as if my hands have a mind of their own. Within the space of a millisecond, I'm cupping, kneading and massaging them till she's writhing in my arms. Her head is thrown back onto my shoulder. The look of ecstasy on her face makes my dick twitch. While dropping a kiss to her cheek and then to her neck, I let go of her breasts and reach down, planting my hand at her core. Using my index finger, I push it inside, amazed that she's already wet and not from the water I might add.

"Damon," she murmurs, her eyes closed and her mouth agape while I stroke her insides. Soon she's riding my finger with abandon and again, we're lucky that it's a deep tub or we'd be mopping the floor when we get out. Moments later, she reaches behind and wraps both arms around my neck, using me for leverage as she circles and raises her hips. Soon I hear her breath hitch and I know she's close. Wanting to be inside of her when she comes, I remove my finger and reach for the condom that I set down on the toilet lid before I crawled into the water. I tear open the foil packet then hand it to her. After pressing a blistering kiss to my lips, she slides it on for me. Pulling her back against my front again, I lift her up while she positions me and then pulls me inside of her gorgeous body.

I groan aloud because she feels so unbelievably good. Holding her tight against me, I need her not to move for a few moments till I can get myself under control. No other woman has discombobulated me the way Elena has. She's just exquisite, as beautiful on the outside as she is on the inside and I'll thank the heavens everyday for opening my eyes to who was right in front of me and with me all the while. When she starts swiveling her hips and raising her body up and down along my length, I nearly moan loud enough to rattle the windows. Moments later gasps and whimpers are escaping from her perfectly shaped pout as well, joining mine to create a symphony of our love making. When I feel the coil in my lower belly heat and tighten up, I plant my hands on her hips and help her to rise and fall, only harder this time. After a few more thrusts into her goddess like body, I stiffen and erupt, shouting her name, my release spilling into the condom. Seconds later, Elena follows me into oblivion with my own name on her lips.

As soon as I can feel my body again, I raise her slightly so I can crawl out of the tube. After cinching a towel around my waist, I take one of her hands in each of mine and help her to stand. Shivering when I get another look at her gloriously naked body, I pout when I have to drape a towel around her. With a waggle of my brows, I surprise her when I pick her up bridal style and carry her into the bedroom. Dropping her onto the bed and my towel onto the floor, I waste no time in joining our bodies and our hearts again and again. Blissfully sated, we fall asleep still wrapped in each other's arms.


"Hello everyone, welcome to our show. Tonight, Dr. Esther Mikaelson is back with us. And as much as we enjoyed having Dr. Fleming fill in for her, we're happy to have Esther back. However if you're listening, Dr. Fleming. If Elena and I ever take a vacation, I'm sure you and Esther would make fabulous fill in hosts." Seconds later, the camera pans to Elena and Esther as they join me on stage. Esther sits down next to my desk while Elena sits to her right.

"Welcome back, Dr. Mikaelson," I say, taking her hand in mine.

"It's so good to be back."

"So what are you going to tell us about tonight?"

"I thought maybe you and your audience might be interested in the legendary Bigfoot."

"Esther, I find the specter of Bigfoot fascinating," Elena gushes, looking over her shoulder to the infamous film of the creature walking into the woods that's playing on a loop on the monitor behind us.

"Alright then. Sightings of the North American Bigfoot date back to the 1830's. However, interest in Bigfoot grew rapidly during the second half of the twentieth century. This was spurred on by many magazine articles of the time, most seminally a December 1959 True magazine article describing the discovery of large, mysterious footprints the year before in Bluff Creek, California. A half century later, the question of Bigfoot's existence remains open. Bigfoot is still sought, the pursuit kept alive by a steady stream of sightings, occasional photos or footprint finds, and sporadic media coverage.

Most Bigfoot investigators favor one theory of Bigfoot's origin or existence and stake their reputations on it, sniping at others who don't share their views. Many times, what one investigator sees as clear evidence of Bigfoot another will dismiss out of hand. In July 2000, curious tracks were found on the Lower Hoh Indian Reservation in Washington state. Bigfoot tracker Cliff Crook claimed that the footprints were 'for sure a Bigfoot'.

A set of tracks found in Oregon's Blue Mountains have also been the source of controversy within the community. Some maintain that they constitute among the best evidence for Bigfoot, yet other longtime researchers claim that any village idiot could see that they were faked. And while many Bigfoot researchers stand by the famous 16 mm Patterson film, the one that's showing on the monitor behind us," she explains, using her hand to gesture at it before continuing. "..as genuine, others join skeptics in calling it a hoax. Regardless of which theories researchers subscribe to, the question of Bigfoot's existence comes down to evidence. There is plenty of it. Indeed, there are reams of documents about Bigfoot-filing cabinets overflowing with thousands of sighting reports, analyses, and theories. Photographs have been taken of everything from the alleged creature to odd tracks left in snow to twisted branches. Collections exist of dozens or hundreds of footprint casts from all over North America. There is indeed no shortage of evidence. The important criterion, however, is not the quantity of the evidence, but the quality of it," Esther elaborates before continuing on.

"Bigfoot evidence can be broken down into four general types: eyewitness sightings, footprints, recordings, and somatic samples such as hair and blood. Some researchers also place substantial emphasis on folklore and indigenous legends. The theories and controversies within each category are too complex and detailed to go into here. I present merely a brief overview and short discussion of each; anyone interested in the details is encouraged to look further.

Eyewitness accounts and anecdotes comprise the bulk of Bigfoot evidence. This sort of evidence is also the weakest. Lawyers, judges, and psychologists are well aware that eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. People are generally poor eyewitnesses, and can mistake known animals for supposed cryptids or unknown animals or poorly recall details of their sighting. Simply put, eyewitness testimony is poor evidence. Even those scientists who have seen the creatures with their own eyes have been reluctant to come to terms with their observations in a scientific manner.

The most famous recording of an alleged Bigfoot is the short 16 mm film taken in 1967 by Roger Patterson and Bob Gimlin. Again, this is the film that's playing on the screen here. Shot in Bluff Creek, California, it shows a Bigfoot striding through a clearing. In many ways the veracity of the Patterson film is crucial, because the casts made from those tracks are as close to a gold standard as one finds in cryptozoology. Many in the Bigfoot community are adamant that the film is not-and, more important-cannot be a hoax. The question of whether the film is in fact a hoax or not is still open, but the claim that the film could not have been faked is demonstrably false. The size of the creature in the film is well within human limits, but argues that the chest width is impossibly large to be human," Esther concludes, her eyes focused on the screen behind us.

"Thank you so much, Esther."

"If you don't mind, Damon. I actually brought a guest along with me tonight. Is it okay if he joins us?

"Absolutely," I agree, more than a little surprised when Bigfoot himself joins us on stage.

"Damon, Elena, I'd like you to meet the infamous 'Bigfoot'.

"Mr. Bigfoot, it's a pleasure, I think?"

Elena is trying so hard to contain her laughter but finally gives into it.

"To what do we owe the pleasure, Mr. Foot is it?" Elena blurts out, laughing so hard that she's actually shaking. Seconds later our surprise guest pulls the top part of the costume off. Elena is immediately quiet as a church mouse when she sees who it is. Tears form in her eyes and without wasting a seconds, she's wrapping Kol in her arms. He actually walked of his own power onto the set tonight. That's really a magnificent accomplishment for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen. Bigfoot in reality is Kol Mikaelson. He's Esther's son who was severely injured in a hit and run accident many weeks ago. As you can see, he's made a miraculous recovery. Let's give him a round of applause shall we," I say, my eyes on the camera. Moments later our entire production crew, myself included stand up and give Kol a standing ovation. Elena is still too overcome with emotion to do anything but keep him in her arms. Once the shock wears off, I tell the audience that as soon as we're back from a sponsored break, I have an update for them on another one of the cases that I presented before Elena joined me as my co-partner in this endeavor.

"Welcome back to our show tonight. We have an update on the case of Will Turner. He disappeared in 1987 after saying goodbye to his girlfriend. His abandoned and burned out car was found two months later in a field in West Virginia. At the time we aired Will's case, we had a forensic artist join us on set and draw what she believed that he would look like today. On the screen now is an actual photo of Will just before he disappeared and on the right side is the forensic artist's rendition of what Will may look like now.

Tonight, we have an update from the sheriff's office in Fayetteville, West Virginia. We have Sheriff John Tupper on screen with us to give you all an update." Turning around I face the screen.

"Hello Sheriff Tupper. It's a pleasure to have you join us tonight. I understand you have some news on our case."

"Yes, Damon. I'm glad to be with you tonight. Mr. Turner is alive and well and is an upstanding resident of our community. At the time of his accident, he developed amnesia, living for years under an assumed name. Although DNA has identified him as your man, he still insists he has no memory of his life as Will Turner. However, after your sketch was distributed to the police stations in the five state area, it was only then that we recognized one of our own as your Mr. Turner."

"We're just glad to know that he's alive and well now. Thank you, Sheriff Tupper."

"Anytime. Goodnight now," he says, his face stoic as his camera goes dark. "That's all we have for you tonight. You may or may not know it but Mr. Mikaelson and Elena are very, very close friends. That's why she was so overcome when Kol revealed himself here tonight. To all of us who work on this show and everyone who is a part of our family here, we're grateful to have Kol on the mend. He's a very talented cameraman and we're counting the days till he's given his release to return to work. And since we're near the end of tonight's broadcast, I will tell you that next week's show, we'll be focusing on the Bradley case again. Police Chief Williams, I'm used to calling him detective Williams that I forget sometimes that he is the big Kahuna over there. But that's neither here nor there, what I started to say is that he'll be joining us next week when we go over the case. Obviously he won't be able to reveal everything because the DA is preparing for the Lockwood trial but he'll give us an update on where the case is headed right now. We'll see you all next week," I say, smiling myself till the light on the camera gradually fades to black.


"Kol, are you sure you're not too tired for this?"

"Elena, I'm fine. How am I going to build up my stamina if I sit around all the time?"

"I know, it's just.. I worry about you."

"Oh Elena," he says, giving me a hug.

"Sweetheart, give him some breathing room. He's made magnificent strides since he woke up."

"I know that but it's going to be a stressful night. Ric is still a bit prickly with me over how I treated you."

"Do you want me to talk to him? I may or may not have deserved some of your prickliness," I tease, giving her a wink.

"Oh you deserved it alright," she retorts, raising an eyebrow.

"I know that we're like best buds now, Damon, but you definitely deserved a kick in the ass," Kol adds for good measure.

"Yes, I did deserve your scorn. I'm so glad that we have been able to get past that," I add, holding one of her hands while she has her other arm linked with Kol's. When we reach the front door, I raise my hand and push the doorbell. Turning to face Elena, I lean in and press a kiss to her cheek.

"You two are ridiculous."

"Why do you say that, Kol?" I laugh.

"You're always kissing," he jokes, rolling his eyes.

Just as I'm about to respond, the door opens.

"I'm so glad you're here. Hello Kol. How are you feeling after your tenuous ordeal?"

"I'm doing good, grandma."

"Grandma?"

"Yes, Damon. He's called me grandma for years already," Lena answers, stepping aside so we can all walk into the house. I, however, don't miss the smug look that Kol lays on me. Shaking my head, I can't help the chuckle that leaves my lips as I follow the two of them into the house. Lena sends us to the living room, saying everyone is here already. Grandpa, my dad, Jenna and Ric are deep in conversation. It's when I see how pale my dad looks that I interrupt.

"Dad are you okay?" I ask, letting go of Elena's hand and taking the seat beside him.

"Yes, Damon. I'm fine. It's just that my pills make me a little nauseous. Plus Dr. Parker told me that they can cause difficulty sleeping too. I may need to ask him about taking a sleeping pill."

"Dad, are you sure that's all it is?"

"Yes, I'm sure. I have to go back to the doctor tomorrow. I'll talk to him then. It's not like I can stop taking the pills. I'll have to take them for the rest of my life."

"This I know," I start to say, looking up when Elena takes a seat beside me.

"Hello, Elena," dad adds, smiling at her.

"Hi. It's so good to see you out and about, Mr. Salvatore."

"Jim insisted that I join you all tonight. I'm tired though so I won't stay real late."

"Whenever you're ready to leave, just tell me so I can take you home, okay?"

"Don't worry so much, Damon."

"I almost lost you, dad. Of course, I'm concerned when you don't feel good."

"Chill," he scolds. Shaking my head, I can't help but laugh too when I hear Elena giggle a bit.

"So you two?" Ric says, interrupting us.

"Yes, we're together now, Ric."

"I need a drink."

"I'll join you," I mention, getting up to follow him into the kitchen.

"Lena, do you have anything to drink in the fridge?"

"Yes, Ric. There's some beer. Damon and Elena have something to tell us though so come to the living room when you're done. Joe isn't feeling well so James wants to get him home."

"I can take him home, Lena. That way grandpa can stay here with you if you want."

"Whatever works for you, Damon. Come let's get this show on the road."

"Yes, mam," I utter, giving her a salute.

As soon as everyone is seated, Elena and I stand up. Kol is seated beside my father. Papa is sitting beside Lena, holding her hand. With a smile, I shake my head slightly, lacing my own fingers with Elena's.

After sharing a glance with Elena, she begins, "You're probably wondering what we want to talk to you all about tonight. You're well aware the hit and run accident that nearly killed Kol. What you don't know is that I was the intended target. But some of you may not be aware that Damon was targeted by Mason Lockwood too. He's fine now though as you can see."

"What?" Ric asks, incredulity written all over his face.

"He injected me with something called Succinylcholine. Although it's a short acting drug, it's still effective for long enough to kill someone. I was literally aware of everything but I was frozen. I could breathe, I couldn't move my eyes, I couldn't do anything. I'll always be grateful to Elena and Brady for getting there in time to save me. We mainly wanted to give you a head's up so you're not shocked when some of this is revealed at Mason's trail."

"I still have a hard time believing that Mason is a killer," Jenna adds, her gaze focused on Elena.

"It's true. I have told you all time and again that he is a menace. But putting that aside for a moment, we also wanted to tell you that Damon and I are together now. We're in love."

"We all knew this, Elena but we're very happy for you."

"Thanks grandma."

"Now is that all you two had to say?"

"Yes," she adds, laughing at her grandmother.

"Let's have some dessert then," she says, standing up.

"I'll help you, mom," Jenna adds, following her into the kitchen.

"You're sure about this, Damon?" Ric asks, right in front of Elena.

"Ric, don't talk about her like she's not here. And yes, I'm sure about her," I say with conviction, giving her hand a squeeze. Moments later Jenna tells us to come to get our dessert. As soon as we're done, I offer to take dad home. Since he drove, I toss Elena my car keys so she can take Kol home while I drive dad's car back to our house. Telling me she'll help Kol into the house and then meet me at the boarding house, I give her a kiss and then tell her goodbye. As soon as dad and I are in the car, I roll down the window, waving to her till I pull away from the curb and drive away.


As soon as we get home, dad goes to bed. I pick up my phone to text Elijah to tell him that I won't be in tomorrow so I can go with my dad to his doctor appointment. Exhausted myself, I drop onto the couch and put my feet up. Although Elena helped me rearrange this room, I still get shivers when I think of how close I came to dying here. Almost simultaneously my eyes drop closed and the doorbell rings. Knowing it's Elena, I throw my legs over the side, get up and answer the door. As soon as I do, I pull her into my arms and kiss her fiercely.

"What was that for?"

"I've had a bad day and I needed it," I tell her, holding her close.

"Damon."

When I start to answer, I can't stop the yawn that leaves my mouth.

"Let's go to bed."

"It's early yet. Come on," I say, taking her hand and pulling into the living room with me. Laying down again, I pull her on top of me and kiss her soundly once more. With her in my arms, I close my eyes and breathe in the scent of her, knowing full well that I'll never be able to let her go.


Thank you so much Eva. Lots and lots and lots of love sent your way.

Thank you all for being with me through the course of this story. Your support is so important to me. I have the best readers.

Chapter title: 'The Search is Over' by Survivor.

"My Deathless Heart" by JustiniaKorax is a good story. I just found it.

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