Hostage Control

by LittleHandGernade

:::Complete:::Addie's agreed to be Klaus' hostage in order to keep everyone she loves safe. She's left her boyfriend in charge of watching her sister, despite his lingering feelings for Elena and her feelings for him. Damon's jealousy and everyone's expectations are becoming too much to bear. Can they find their way back to each other or is one summer too long apart? Sequel Coming!

25. Chapter 24

It was difficult to stretch his back by just pressing his shoulder blades into the mattress but he didn't want to move too much and risk waking Addie. Unless he didn't have to worry about that; he didn't feel the familiar weight and warmth of her pressed against him that he knew he had fallen asleep to. He turned his face towards the few rays of the early morning sun and squinted one eye at her side of the bed. Damon wasn't surprised to find his girlfriend curled up, the blankets drawn over her head as she slept soundly.

He' shared his bed with a lot of girls, a few long enough to notice patterns but none of them had ever been so peculiar as Addie. On a really good night, she'd snuggle close to him and fall asleep with no issues and they'd wake up in exactly the same position but that was rare. Most nights she couldn't keep her hand from wandering, though. With the exception of when she stroked his hair, her movements meant that he had to stay awake. Eventually her legs would get twitchy and restless and he'd give up any hope on keeping her still.

She'd toss and turn, sometimes for hours, before she finally fell asleep on her own side of the bed. She was always either curled up and completely covered or stretched out with the cover kicked off of both her feet. And he would move to her side and 'cling to her as a koala,' as she said. Though all her teasing was worth waking up to her fingers in his hair and her bashful smile, as if he caught her doing something guilty but trying to seem innocent.

He would have to enjoy that little pleasure another day. He told Addie he'd deal with Ric another day and, he glanced at the clock as it flashed 5:24, technically, it was another day. He didn't bother trying to be silent or try to maneuver in minimal lighting as he got ready. Addie literally slept through alarms. It was when he was trying not to wake her and the faintest sound of a knob turning would wake her. Really, her sleep issues were bizarre.

Damon took the blood bags Addie had brought up the previous night down into the kitchen and placed them back into the fridge as he pulled out a chilled one. Living blood was always the best but bagged blood was better cold; it just had a sweeter, fresher taste than room temperature or reheated blood.

"You're awake," said a voice as Damon poured the blood into a glass.

"And you have a very bad habit of stating the obvious," he retorted smartly, raising the drink to his brother in mock salutations.

Accusingly Stefan said, "Elena said you wouldn't talk to her."

"And it's way too early for any rational person to have hero hair," stated Damon as he took a long drink, continuing the game of state the obvious. He had to stop his lips from curling into a smile; Addie would have made a smart remark about the 45 minutes he had spent rewetting, drying, and straightening his hair that morning and whether or not he was rational. She couldn't argue with the fact that he couldn't walk around with sex hair all day but she'd definitely have something to say about how much time and energy he put into his hair. They had very different opinions on his dark locks. Addie liked it when he left it natural and it curled into a mess. He had dealt with the annoyance until about 1910 when he found out that if he kept it shorter and brushed it into place when it was still wet, it wouldn't curl so bad. Then in the 60s he had discovered his favorite styling device: the flat iron, no matter how much Addie teased him about it. You didn't mess with what worked. Damon was very aware of the effect his appearance had on girls, and some guys; he'd even admit to being vain about it. Addie, though, she was different. She genuinely hadn't been moved by his looks until she fell for him. His girlfriend was very peculiar.

"It's about Klaus," Stefan sighed, leaning against the counter. He couldn't tell if Damon was in a good mood or a bad mood. Typically he'd be making breakfast for Addie, which was always a little odd to watch. Any time Damon and Addie were domestic it was a little bizarre for him; he hadn't noticed so much when he was with Elena. Thankfully they spent much of their time up in Damon's room.

"Elena mentioned that," he answered mildly as he tossed the empty blood bag in the trash.

Stefan exhaled impatiently, annoyed that his brother was being so dismissive of this. He was the only other person who wanted Klaus dead as much as he did. Curtly he retorted, "Did she also mention Bonnie unlinked the Originals right before I killed Finn and now Finn's bloodline is dead?"

Damon hummed in consideration as he ran the tap and rinsed out his glass. Setting it in the sink he answered slowly, "No, no, I don't think she mentioned that." He gripped the edge of the counter, his knuckles turning white as he processed the information and exactly what it all meant.

"Do you not understand how big a deal this is?!" Stefan exclaimed after watching his brother make moody faces at the sink for nearly two minutes.

"Depends," Damon muttered, stroking at his chin thoughtfully. "Do you still have the stake you used to kill Finn?"

"No, it burned up with the rest of his body."

Well, damn. That just left Alaric's stake. One stake and four Originals. He wondered if he whittled the stake down into four blow gun darts, they would be strong enough to pierce through to the heart. No, he knew even splitting the stake in two would make it unreliable. Could he reinforced it with steel or another wood?

"Damon!"

"What?" he asked incredulously. Why was Stefan acting as if the world had ended? They just needed to adjust their plan. "We still have Alaric's stake."

"Within an hour of Finn's death, Sage died and so did every vampire she turned! We can't just go around randomly killing Originals. Besides there only being one stake, we kill the one who started our bloodline and we die!" his brother explained impatiently.

He could work out the stake problem. He just had to figure out which Original started his line and kill them last. Then Addie would be safe from all the Originals, just like he had originally planned. He didn't see a problem. Indirectly killing his brother to save his girlfriend was kind of questionable but Stefan had lived several lives. Addie's was just starting.

"Damn it," Damon swore, kicking the counter. He couldn't go through with his original plan because it still meant he died. He'd be physically protecting Addie but otherwise he'd be breaking her heart. He couldn't do that to her. He had to be less selfish.

"Glad you appreciate the seriousness of the situation!"

Damon inhaled and exhaled slowly, forcing himself to keep calm; today wasn't the day he was going to flip out about Klaus. He could only handle one nutcase at a time. Calmy he reassured Stefan, "It's not that bad, brother. We just recraft Alaric's stake and figure out who we hail from."

"And how do you propose we do that?"

"Well, we were turned by Katherine. Katherine was turned by Rose. So, we, I don't know, get a ouija board and contact Rose?" he suggested offhandedly.

"A ouija board? That's your solution?" Stefan spat.

He shrugged. "We've done stupider things. Look, none of this matters if we don't have a weapon. This whole bloodline thing is a snap if you just calm down and think about it. I'll tell you what, I'll let you do that because it's the easy job and I'll handle getting the stake from the only person with mood swings worse than Addie and me combined."

Damon was out the house before Stefan had a chance to respond. He gripped his steering wheel tight, groaning as he banged his head against it. Despite loving his girlfriend, she could make his mood go from sappy to irritated in a heartbeat. Her trade was worse than he knew! She left him with one stake and four different targets. And he was going to be really pissed if it turned out Klaus sired his bloodline. His whole goal for their entire relationship had been to give them a Klaus free life; if he could never do that, he'd never know what they could truly be.

This new information about the Originals presented a new level of problems that Damon was not ready to deal with. Before dealing with that, he was going to take care of the one problem he knew how to solve.

---

Damon ran a hand over his face as he looked around Alaric's apartment. It looked like a tornado had ripped through it. When Damon had walked in and found the jar of yellow and green herbs that were supposed to be suppressing Alaric's alter ego untouched, he might have gotten a little carried away in his search for the stake. Drawers, cabinets, bookshelves and more had all been ramshacked. He had looked everywhere to no avail.

A loud, siren like ringing issued from his pocket, making Damon sigh wearily. It had been the most annoying ringtone he could find for the most annoying person. Answering his cell he snapped, "What?"

"No 'good morning?' How rude," answer a cool English accent.

"Again, what?" snarled Damon.

"Fine. You're going to get that last White Oak stake for me," Klaus said certainly.

Damon pilfered through the drawers in Alaric's kitchen for a fifth time in search of the mentioned stake. He was not in the mood for Klaus' games. Dry and bitter he questioned, "Why would I be stupid enough to hand over a weapon that could finally kill you?"

"I always thought Addison was a bit short for track but she is definitely fast. Must be because she stretches so well before running," commented Klaus, vaguely suggestive.

He glanced at the clock on the stove; it was much latter than he thought. Addie would be at practice before class. That sick bastard. Through gritted teeth Damon growled, "Stay away from her."

"I'm merely keeping an eye on my investment since you seem incapable of doing so. There happens to be a crazed vampire hunter interested in killing her," he retorted, just as calm and collected as always. Nonchalantly he added, "You should know that the only reason I haven't ripped your heart out is because you are useful to me; you protect Addison. The second you cease to do that and become more trouble than you're worth, I will end you."

"I'm going to kill you," seethed Damon, his voice low and dangerous.

Klaus chuckle smugly, "No, you're not. Your girlfriend won't let you. I mean, why else would she keep standing in your way? She told me about your plan with Mikael. She handed over your stakes. You can't kill me without upsetting Addison."

"Well, I guess it's a good thing Addie is used to me pissing her off." Damon hurled a couch cushion across the room as he reminded himself that Addie had done all that to save him, not Klaus. He'd already checked the couch for the stake; he checked the whole damn apartment. "Besides, she wasn't exactly honest with you about the stakes. Had you not blackmailed her best friend into un-uniting you and your siblings by threatening the life of her brother, you'd be dead. See, she is a good person and if it wasn't for the fact that you keep threatening everyone she loves, she might actually be convinced into caring about your life."

"I think that pretty much explains why she loves you. She has a particular fondness for people who are useless. Really, what good are you to her if you can't protect her? She was the one attacked saving you. And still you let her go about unprotected as that history teacher stalks about unchecked."

"I'm taking care of Ric," he snapped defensively. He didn't need to be reminded about the danger Addie had put herself in for him. He had hoped to get to Ric's before he left for school in hopes of handling the situation but Ric wasn't at the apartment. Which was particularly odd since his car was in there.

"Right," Klaus said, sounding unconvinced. "You have two tasks: getting me that stake and making sure that Alaric Saltzman is no longer a threat to my investments. Until then you follow through with both of those consider Addison… under my protection."

---

Her arms extended and back arched as Addie groaned as her muscles loosened from sleep as she stretched. Interesting. Her first instinct always was to stretch in the morning but there was usually a solid mass restricting any range of motion she had. She rolled away from the sun shining through the windows and her eyelids, towards Damon. A wandering hand reached out searching for him, only to find an empty bed, the cover pulled up on his side. Addie grimaced, decisively grumpy as she peered out of one barely opened eye. Waking up with Damon was preferable to the glorious sensation of a morning stretch. She made a loud noise of protest and pulled her pillow over her head as she spied the clock on his night stand.

Knowing she was already late for track practice and would have to miss it entirely as she still had to stop by her house and pick up her things for school, Addie took her time getting ready. She could always call and ask her sister to grab her stuff but she doubted Elena would be in any morod to help her after their little showdown over Damon. Addie shook her head in disbelief as she followed the scent of coffee into the kitchen, expecting to find Damon. She could believe they actually had fought over the same guy.

"Good morning," greeted Stefan from a spot at the kitchen table, a mug of coffee and a book with him.

"Morning," Addie said sheepishly, surprised at his presence. She wasn't sure why; it wasn't as if they hadn't had many encounters just like this. Though, it wasn't usually just them. She looked around the kitchen as she move towards the coffee maker, grabbing a mug and pouring a cup. "Have you seen Damon?"

"Yeah, he left pretty early this morning," nodded his brother.

"Oh," was all Addie could say. It was odd for Damon to let her wake up without him and not leaving behind a note about why. The spoon clinked against the glass as she blended the milk and sugar into the coffee.

After she had put the spoon into the dishwasher Stefan asked, " Are you aware of everything that's going on?"

Addie sipped at the hot drink, burning the tip of her tongue as she thought. Elena had wanted to tell Damon something about Klaus the previous night but he wouldn't let her say anything. She studied Stefan's grim face for any sign of just how bad the news was. This was not how she wanted to start her day. She sighed heavily and took a seat at the table across from him and admitted, "No, I don't think I know. I just know Klaus is aware of where my brother is and blackmailed Bonnie into unlinking him and his siblings by threatening to hurt Jeremy."

"That's just the beginning of our problems," mused Stefan, tapping his daylight ring on the table as he thought of everything he had to cover. He should let Damon explain but he didn't want Addie blindsided when someone began rambling on about their issues at school. "We didn't know Bonnie had unlinked the Originals when I staked Finn last night. He died and the White Oak stake burned up with his body."

"So we just have Alaric's stake, assuming his alter ego feels like handing it over, and four more Originals, who are most likely going to be quite vengeful," Addie reasoned out as she traced the rim of her coffee mug.

"It's more complicated than that," exhaled Stefan, shifting in his chair uncomfortably. "Finn turned Sage and Sage turned this other guy to be her - actually, the why isn't important. What matters is that within an hour of killing Finn, Sage and the guy she turn both died for no apparent reason. It seems that if you kill an Original, their entire bloodline dies."

"Guess we should be thanking Klaus for forcing Bonnie to unlink them, otherwise you, Damon, Caroline, Tyler, and Abby would all be dead," Addie grumbled sardonically. She ran a hand through hair. Of course Damon would have an obsession with killing a guy that could possibly result in his death. Despite their seemingly good communication the previous night, Addie highly doubted Damon was going to stop searching for a way to kill Klaus. He was just going to look for a safer way rather than being reckless and willingly suicidal. However, if Damon had a chance of killing Klaus and a 75% chance of not dying, Addie didn't doubt he would take that chance. That wasn't acceptable to her. "Have you told Damon about all this?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"Well, he's convinced I should use a Ouija board to contact Ross and ask who turned her since she turned Katherine and views this whole bloodline issue as a minor inconvenience," Stefan answered too casually for Addie not realize just how ridiculous he felt Damon was being. "He's more worried about getting the last stake from Alaric."

At least Damon was thinking. If they could confirm that Klaus hand turned his bloodline then ok, if he had, maybe she could talk him out of killing Klaus. It was unlikely but it was better than nothing. Addie took a sip of her coffee and wondered, "Would a Ouija board actually work?"

"No as there's no real magic there." How could neither one of them have the appropriate, freakout reaction to learning that they may not be able to kill Klaus?

"So, Damon's suggestion is to talk to Rose's spirit but you'd need magic to do that?" she checked for clarification, an idea formulating.

"The only spirits I know of communicating with living people are those of dead witches with current witches. Rose wasn't a witch."

Reasonably Addie corrected, "Vicki Donovan communicated with her brother Matt."

"Yeah but she had a witch on the Other Side helping her and whatever that was, it was dark magic."

"Still," she shrugged and took a sip of coffee. "You know, when Bonnie brought Jeremy back to life, he was talking with Anna's spirit. There wasn't any dark magic going on there. Well, other than the fact that she was crazy and a bunch of people almost died because she didn't want to hand over Elena's damn necklace but I'm not convinced that a person being a little twisted in the head is dark magic."

Addie waited for Stefan to catch up with her train of thought but he seemed to be lost in his own as he continued tapping his daylight ring on the table. Rolling her eyes she pointedly said, "Elena had Damon compel Jeremy to Denver to keep him safe. Klaus obviously knows he's there and no one in Denver to protect him."

"You want to bring him back to Mystic Falls?" Stefan said slowly.

She shrugged innocently. "I don't see why not. At least here Elena and I have you and Damon and Bonnie all looking out for us."

"And Alaric," he added.

Her head tilted curiously at him. She supposed Damon hadn't told him about her little incident with Alaric's alter ego. Perhaps he wanted to keep that quiet to protect his friend or he didn't want to think about it because he might get too mad. Addie nodded in agreement; she wasn't going to blab if Damon didn't want it discussed. "Right. It was safer for him to be gone when Klaus didn't know where he was but now…. I think someone needs to go and get him. I don't trust that Klaus won't try and hurt him if he travels back alone. He obviously has someone watching him."

"That's not a bad idea. Of course, you should discuss it with your sister before you do anything."

"She shipped him off without talking to me first," Addie muttered bitterly. Louder, more diplomatically she said, "I don't think Elena's going to want to hear anything I have to say for awhile and I highly doubt she's in the mood to agree with me on anything, even if it does involve Jeremy. We are… things are complicated."

Stefan nodded slowly in understanding, awkwardly rubbing at the back of his neck, "Yeah, I, uh, overheard you guys outside Alaric's loft."

"You know she's only interested in Damon because she doesn't feel she can have who she really wants," she said softly.

"That's not-"

"I know my sister, Stefan. She loves you. Her thing for Damon is some idealized version of him that she's trying to warp him into being like you. Even Damon knows that. First you were physically unavailable and then you were emotionally unavailable and, in Elena's mind, Damon's been both. Although, that's partially Damon's fault and mine for hiding our relationship so for that I apologize. Stefan, if she just knew you were still interested, which I know you are, she would be right there waiting for you as if nothing had changed," Addie professed instantly, partially to see her sister and Stefan happy again, partially to remind Elena that she, in fact, did not want Damon. "Look, just convince her to bring Jeremy back and you two go to get him. Give yourselves a bit of a chance to feel each other out. I know you both still have feelings for each other."

"I don't know, Addie."

"Well, someone has to get Jeremy and the sooner the better," she said as if it settled the matter once and for all. "He might be the solution if we can get him to talk to Rose's spirit. He pushes from this side by thinking about her and she pushes from the Other Side by wanting to help us." Under her breath she bitterly added "I can't imagine her not wanting to help protect Damon." She still wasn't fond of the past relationship between the two vampires.

"You and Damon can go get him," Stefan protested.

"I have a test in English on Tuesday, Latin on Wednesday, and math on Thursday. I can't exactly afford to miss school. And I doubt Damon is going to go without me. I also doubt Jeremy would leave without either Elena or me talking to him. That leaves you and Elena having to go. I mean, unless you think it's a good idea to send her without protection," Addie argued logically as she rinsed out her coffee mug and placed it into the dishwasher.

---

There was a sharp pinching sensation on Addie's left side as her feet pounded against the black rubber-like track. She focused on inhaling and exhaling as smoothly and continuously through both her nose and her mouth at the same time. As fatigue set in it was all too easy for runners to start gasping for breaths. Addie loathed the fall semester; it meant cross country running, which was her nemesis. For missing practice that morning her coached had tacked on an extra five miles to her her afternoon practice. Running around in a circle for 15 miles was extremely boring. In the spring she would have been assigned to do a greater number of sprints and dashes. At least with those she was trying to be faster than the last time for each one.

This particular day of practice was extra awful because from the left the locker room to start on warm up stretches to the last of her 15 miles, she could see Damon's car in the school parking lot. It was too far away for her to tell if he was actually in the car but either way, there was no rational reason for him to be at the school. She glanced around the track as she finished, slowing down to a light jog. The football team was still practicing but the cheerleaders and everyone else on the track team had already headed back into the locker rooms.

Changing to a walk, Addie headed towards the parking lot instead of the locker rooms. If Damon was stalking her, she damn well deserved to know why. She placed her hands on her hips defiantly as she saw him get out off the car, his arms resting on the hood as he glared at her.

"What the hell is your problem?" she demanded in a low voice as she stood on the other side of the Camero.

Damon scoffed in disbelief and sneered, "Are you the only teenage girl in this generation of idiots who is not glued to her cell phone?"

Addie blinked, once, twice. He was actually serious. She spoke with exaggerated slowness, as if she was trying to understand a very difficult concept. "You have a stick up your ass because I don't feel like my cellphone is an extension of who I am, a fact you've admitted to liking about me?"

That wasn't his point. He wasn't going to let her twist this around and make him the bad guy. Sharply he snapped, "What's the point of you even having one if I can't reach you in the event of an emergency?"

"Well, luckily I am apparently 'the only teenage girl in this generation of idiots who is not glued to her cell phone' and you have the number to my best friends and sister, who would be glued to their phones and you would be able to reach them in the event of an emergency and they could then relay such information to me," she argued simply.

"I did have to call your sister," he bit. "You weren't answering your phone so I had to make sure you were ok."

Addie licked her lips as her expression became very grim. In a perfectly serious voice she apologize, "I'm so sorry, Damon. I-I should have answered. It was selfish of me to go through an entire day of school, like I have always done, without checking in with you. I really could have gotten a papercut from textbook and started to bleed out and you never would have known until it was too late to do anything."

"I'm being serious, Addison! This is not something for you to be a smartass over!" Damon exclaimed, his hand slapping on the convertible top. The sound it made against the taut fabric made Addie jump. "Klaus has taken things to a new level. He's stalking you. He was watching you a practice this morning."

"Are you drunk?" she asked, baffled.

"What?"

"Well, you're either drunk or crazy, er, crazier than usual."

He let out a noise of frustration as he tugged at the ends of his hair. "Damn it, Addie. When are you going to take him as a serious threat? He's not someone to joke about!"

"Oh, I never said I'm not taking him seriously but I'm not quite convinced into taking you seriously. From where I stand, you're the one watching me at practice and stalking me, not him," she snorted."

"He-"

"I wasn't even at practice this morning," she said loudly, cutting him off. At his confused expression she shrugged, "If you don't believe me, ask Stefan. I woke up late."

Damon shook his head and insisted, "He said he was watching you. He said he was keeping an eye on his investments and you were under his protection."

"He was probably provoking you into this exact reaction because he knows just how annoying I find it when your protectiveness turns you into an extremist nutcase."

"Maybe," Damon muttered, unconvinced.

Addie sighed and brushed a sweaty strand of hair off her forehead, "Look, don't you think we have bigger problems right now than letting Klaus get under your skin?"

"Yeah, yeah, I guess," he admitted. When he hadn't been trying to get in touch with Addie, Damon had been trying to locate Ric, which had proven to be unsuccessful. He would prefer to locate him before another body turned up missing.

"Good," she grinned. "You wanna catch a bite at the Grill after I shower and change? I have a little bit of time before I need to start studying."

He didn't care what Addie said. Klaus was not lying about Addie being under his protection as long as Ric and his alter ego roamed free. Damon shook his head. "I can't; like you said, bigger problems. Look, for my peace of mind, would you mind just going straight home after you're done here?"

"Fine," Addie agreed, only because she knew whatever Klaus had said to Damon had really bothered him. He had staged a melodramatic stake out at her track practice. "You'll come by?"

"Always. I just might not make it in until pretty late tonight so don't wait up." With all his attention on Ric, hopefully finding him wouldn't take too long.

"I'll probably still be up studying," Addie shrugged, giving him a diffident smile. Going to bed was always so much better when Damon was right there next to her to hold her.

---

Addie's key twisted in the old lock with a familiar ease. Damon, for the third night in a row, had told her to expect him to be late because he had bigger problems to deal with. He was being decisively cryptic. He'd immediately shut down and change the topic whenever she tried to press him for more details. The issue was that he was coming in when she was already in bed, simply unable to fall asleep because he wasn't there and he was gone by the time she woke up, essentially leaving her with no time to try and get more information out of him. A secretive Damon was unsettling. It didn't help that he seemed to be getting into a progressively grumpier mood.

She knew Damon would probably have a fit for her being at the boarding house since Klaus could get in but she really didn't care. If he was going to be so paranoid about her safety, then he could at least tell her what he was up to. Addie gasped in surprised as two hands slammed the door behind her trapping her between two arms and a solid mass at her back.

"I almost attacked you," a voice growled angrily in her ear.

The pungent scent of alcohol made Addie's nose scrunch up. What the hell was he doing here? Testily she retorted, "Aren't you supposed to be working on some big problem?"

The problem had been handled for the most part. There was a body in the new freezer in the cellar that he would have to deal with but he wasn't going to worry about that tonight. Too much had already happened. Damon used his fingertips to push off against the door and took a few step back from Addie. He ran a hand over his face, a couple of days of stubble scratching at his palm. He had been too distracted to worry about shaving.

"You're not supposed to be here," scolded Damon, turning and heading back towards the study. There was no point in arguing with her; if she wanted to be at the boarding house, she wasn't going to leave just because he told her too.

"Yeah, well, unless your project involves raiding your liquor cabinet and library, I imagine you're supposed to be working on your super secret project," Addie remarked challengingly, shifting her hefty backpack from her right shoulder to her left.

Addie watched as Damon peered into the cupboard of his liquor cabinet, noticing the the three empty decanters, which were typically full, sitting on the top. After a moment of consideration, he selected a new bottle of poison.

He pointed the bottle of amber liquid at himself and dejectedly said, "I'm celebrating the success of my super secret project." He gestured the bottle towards her as he moved to sit in one of the comfortable, plush lounge chairs and continued, "That doesn't explain what you're doing here."

"What's wrong?" she asked in concern, setting her bag down near the end of the couch.

"I don't want to discuss it, Addie," he said clear and firm, leaving no room for discussion.

It was clear from his vacant expression and the surplus of alcohol that something was definitely troubling him; his celebrating seemed to be more in line with his demeanor in the event of a failure. Although, she wasn't sure she should push him to talk about it but Addie wanted to be there in case he did.

"So, is it ok if I study here?" She asked lightly. Damon eyed her as if he wasn't certain of what she was asking. "It's the night of the living preschoolers, also known as Halloween. My doorbell is going to be ringing non-stop; there's no way I'll be able to concentrate. Your house is isolated enough that I doubt anyone will come by."

"And you forgot to buy candy," he accused as he opened the new bottle of alcohol and took a swig.

"No! Elena bought candy." Elena and Stefan had left that afternoon for Denver to pick up Jeremy.

"So it's really because you hate children with a deep rooted passion and view them as the parasites of society."

"I only ever called fetuses and babies parasites," Addie corrected as she sat on the floor between the coffee table and the couch. She dug into her backpack for her index cards, highlighter, spiral, and textbook. "Children, once they reach the age of being able to do household chores, reach the status of being commensalistic. The only time children are ever mutualistic is when you're old and senile and you need someone to pay to put you into a nice nursing home."

Damon snorted humorlessly, "And we're going to end this relationship so you can go and have kids, which you are obviously so fond of."

She shrugged but didn't give anymore acknowledgement to his comment. She was not going to argue with Damon about the future when he was obviously drunk. The whole point of setting ground rules and boundaries was to avoid fighting about such topics. Sober, she knew he understood that and accepted that. Drunk, well, he'd never been particularly happy about the arrangement and had begrudgingly entered into it.

Addie was using a flashcard she had made to check and she had memorized the formula for the area of a polar equation when she heard a loud crash and woosh as the flames in the fireplace momentarily swelled. In surprised she called out chastising, "Damon!"

Glancing over his shoulder, Damon's brow furrowed as he realized Addie was sitting on the floor, obviously studying. How long had she been doing that? He stared back into the orange and red flames that licked at the burning wood and muttered, "Sorry, forgot you were here."

"What's wrong, Damon? Why are you so mad?" Addie said gently, almost pleading for him to talk to her.

He shook his head as he sat on one end of the sofa, casually throwing one arm along the armrest and the other along the back. "Nothing's wrong. I'm not mad."

Her lips pursed as she fought the urge to call out his blatant lies. He might not want to talk about it but Damon did want some comfort. She knew he was too proud to simply ask for a hug, even if he was certain she would say yes. The closest he would come to asking was moving from his solitary chair to the couch and situating himself in a manner that made it easy for her to cuddle up next to him.

"I think I'm done studying for now," Addie decided as she checked the time on her phone. She stretched her arms above her head and arch her back against the couch as she looked inquiringly at Damon, "The old Cary Grant movie Arsenic and Old Lace is going to be starting in a few minutes. You wanna watch?"

"Seriously?" Damon asked, arching an eyebrow at her. He was pleasantly surprised she wasn't going to keep trying to get him to talk.

"Well, you know I think you have more of a James Dean style but he doesn't have any Halloween movies. You're convinced Cary Grant is a cheap knockoff of you and he happens to be in a Halloween movie starting soon and it's Halloween. I mean, it just kind of added up to seemingly make sense but if you don't wanna watch it that's cool," she explained. She knew she had him hooked when he gave her his full attention as she started shuffling through her index cards again. She bit the inside of her lip to keep from smiling.

"I didn't say I didn't want to watch," he corrected her quickly. "I'm just surprised that you want to watch a Halloween movie. You were just complaining a few days ago about how lame its origins are with the ancient Celtic festival of Samhain and people would light fires and wear makes to be mistaken for ghost because fellow ghost roamed the earth. Then you remembered Mystic Fall's little encounter with ghost and got all scared," he teased.

Defensively Addie said, "I didn't get scared. I just think the idea of celebrating a whole day of ghosts is stupid. But Arsenic and Old Lace has nothing to do with ghost and is only a Halloween movie in the sense that the events happen on Halloween so I hold no prejudice against it."

"But if it had ghosts in it you wouldn't watch it?" Damon frowned, trying to figure out her reasoning.

"Correct."

"That makes no sense."

"That's because you've had too much to drink."

"No, no. I'm quite certain that would not make sense to anyone but you, Ads."

Addie turned off the lights and grabbed the remote and a throw from the opposite end of the couch and grinned at Damon. "Well, that's why you love me. I can make sense out of nonsense."

His arm curled around her shoulder as she sat next to him, his fingertips gliding in random patterns across her silky skin. "Are you implying that I talk nonsense?"

"Of course not," she replied sarcastically as she pointed the remote at the rarely used flat screen that hung above the fireplace. So close to him she could tell just how strongly of alcohol he smelled.

"That's nonsense."

Addie hushed him as she spread the blanket out over them; she knew he didn't get cold but it was a force of habit. Damon kissed her temple as the movie began and she twisted one arm around his neck and draped the other across his lower stomach, gently grabbing at his shirt. He loved how she knew just what he need without him saying a word.

"You are so Grant's character," Damon muttered awhile latter, not really watching the film. He'd seen it at least 30 times.

She hummed in consideration, "Because I hangout with serial killers and everyone around me is insane?"

"No. 'Marriage is old-fashioned. It's a superstition,'" he said in his best imitation of Cary Grant. He chortled bitterly, "And yet, we're ending so you can chase after something you don't even believe in to have a family you don't even want."

"Is this what's bothering you? Is there something you want to say to me? Do you suddenly have a problem with a plan we both agreed to?" she demanded, starting to pull away from him.

"No," Damon said quickly, tightening his arm around her shoulder, grabbing her hand as it started to slip from around his neck. He winced at the way his voice cracked.

It was brief and fleeting but Addie didn't miss the quick flash of panic that shot through his eyes. Fighting for her patience, she gently asked, "'No' what, Damon?"

Damon frowned as Alaric's words echoed in his head, "The only smart thing Addie's done is already made it clear that she will end things with you. Whether today, tomorrow, or in 14 years, you've already lost her. She will leave you and you will be left with nothing but pain and misery."

"Just no," he whispered. He cleared his throat and looked back towards the screen.

Addie sighed and trained her eyes on the movie as well but she doubted either one of them were paying attention it. Next to her, Damon was too tense. She couldn't tell what emotions were causing so much trouble for him. It was sometimes very difficult being in a relationship where there were so many communication issues.

When her hand somehow found it's way into his hair sometime latter, Damon let his eyes close as his head followed her hand. He sighed softly as her fingers threaded through the soft strands, occasionally massaging at his scalp. Addie had very quickly turned playing with his hair into a guilty pleasure for both of them. He felt some of his anger begin to ebb away.

As the credit began to roll, Addie used her free hand to press the power button on the remote, silencing the TV. The only sounds left in the were the crackling and popping from the fireplace and Damon's even, deep breathing. He'd been so still and quiet for the last half of the movie that she wasn't certain he was even awake.

Damon inhaled and exhaled slowly, trying to clear his mind from the day's events. He just wanted to forget everything. He wanted to ignore it all. Blocking things out and not dealing with this you didn't want to was so much easier when he was the bad guy. And when his every movement wasn't being critically analyzed. Barely moving his lips he grumbled, "You're staring."

Her cheeks coloring, she mumbled, "I thought you were asleep."

"Just thinking," he said softly as he shook his head slowly.

Addie hummed curiously as she tilted his head down. The warmth of her breath spread over his lips as she wondered, "About?"

His eyes flashed open, surprising her. She went to pull back but he firmly caught her face between both his hands. In the dim light, Damon's eyes looked darker than usual, even with the flames of the fire reflecting in them. His mouth brushed teasingly against hers as he confessed, "Exactly how much I love you."

"And how much might that be?"

He gave her a firm kiss rather than answering. His love wasn't quantifiable. A fingertip trailed along her jaw bone, down the column of her neck and lodged itself under the collar of her red and black long sleeve plaid shirt. His thumb twisted in the strap of her tank as the rest of his cool hand cupped her shoulder.

Addie's grip on his shirt tightened as she pulled him closer. Of course Damon would rather makeout than talk about anything remotely close to how he was really feeling. It was only further confirmation for her that something was genuinely bothering him. It wasn't like him to not simply tell her the truth.

She inhaled sharply, fingers curling into the back of his hair as he nipped sharply at her bottom lip. His tongue gave a soothing swipe at it before exploring her mouth. His kiss was deep, slow, and passionate. He mixed too many liquors for her to distinguish any unique flavors other than a sweet aftertaste, a striking contrast to the bitter alcohol. One hand was tracing very distracting designs at the top of her back but his free one pushed at her hip. Addie gave a soft, petulant groan and clutched at his shirt and head, holding him to her, as he scooted her until she sat in the middle of the sofa.

"Something wrong?" smirked Damon as he pulled back slightly. He knew she was thinking he was pushing her away.

She felt her cheeks flush under his heated gaze. It was just Damon, Addie reminded herself. Damon loved to make her uncomfortable, even if he just meant it in a teasing manner. Gathering her nerves she looked him in the eye and boldly said, "That depends."

He hummed thoughtfully. He liked Addie being comfortable with him; of course, that didn't change the fact that he loved making her blush. Both of his hands skimmed lightly over the curve of her shoulder, her skin gliding like silk under his confident touch. He slowly peeled the plaid shirt down her arms until it gather where her elbow bent as her hands wrapped around his neck. He cocked an eyebrow at her and though his tone was teasing, Addie knew he was serious when he asked, "Is this wrong?"

"No," she said softly, shrugging off the shirt and letting it fall to the floor.

He pressed a tender, loving kiss to her lips as he guided her to lay back onto the catch, moving a throw pillow under her head. Her hands traced over the swell of his biceps as he leaned over her, supporting his weight on his hands at either side of her head. The pressure he used was feather light, his lips so soft. Each time Addie tried to kiss him more properly, he would pull back. She wouldn't give him the satisfaction of making her sigh impatiently. She knew he was smirking and enjoying teasing her. A chill ran through her as his hands slid under her black tank, gently lifting the shirt.

"How about this?" he said when he had her shirt rolled up just below her bar, a single finger skimming just below the fabric. His voice was huskier and less playful than he intended. "Is this wrong?"

Damon couldn't clearly read Addie's expression in the dim lighting but from her deep breath and the adorable way she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth. He quickly shook his head and apologize, "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have-"

"It's not you," Addie sighed in exasperation as she grabbed at his forearms, stopping him from pulling her shirt back down.

His head tilted and brow furrowed as he tried to read the mixed signals. Skeptically he inquired, "Is this one of those 'it's not you, it's me' speeches?"

"No," she giggled nervously. "It's a...well, we're both ready for that next step; I just didn't expect that next step to be tonight."

He shook his head slowly. "I'm really not following you."

"Ugh," Addie groaned, covering her flushed face with her hands.

"It's ok," Damon reassured her, pressing a quick kiss to the part of her forehead her fingers weren't covering. "You know my rule: if you can't talk about it, you're not ready for it."

Her words were muffled from behind her hands but Damon could hear her obvious frustration as she whine, "This isn't exactly fair. You strip off your shirt and you automatically look perfect."

"Hey," he said gently, taking her hands and interlacing their fingers. Her face was scarlet as she turned away from him and looked into the fire, the flames causing shadows to flicker across her face. He wasn't sure if he was more upset at himself for putting her into a position where she had these doubts or with her for doubting him. Firmly he ordered, "Look at me." Slowly, reluctantly, she did. Damon cupped her face, gently brushing his thumb over her soft cheek. "You are, without a doubt, the most exquisite person I have ever met. You are gorgeo-"

"I don't have issues with you seeing me, Damon. Really, it's nothing you haven't seen before. Of

ourse when you saw me in my bikini top there wasn't anything romantic about that situation."

"No, there definitely wasn't anything romantic about bleeding you almost to death," he interrupted with a chuckle. "But, like you said, it's nothing I haven't seen before. You weren't embarrassed then so I don't get why you would be now. If anything, you should be more comfortable with me now."

Addie's lips pursed as she considered how to answer him. "Like I said, I didn't spend tonight to end up like this. It's not that I'm embarrassed or not ready it's just… I'm a little more ready for a lazy, lame night studying, not a romantic time with my boyfriend," she finished, turning red again.

A crease formed between Damon's eyebrows as they knitted together in confusion, realization slowly coming to him. His lips twisted into a smirk as he shifted her tank aside and hooked a finger under her bra strap, gently tugging. "You think I want you wearing some kind of fancy lingerie or something?"

"Well…," Addie trailed off bashfully.

Damon's frowned as the imagine came to mind. It was very difficult to imagine Addie. For one, she wasn't bold enough. Second, it just wasn't her style. Perhaps on a very special occasion he could see her in something fancy.

"No," he insisted, shaking his head to further emphasize his point. "I don't want you in lingerie or anything but what you already own." Seeing the perplexed look on her face he explained, "If you wore anything but simple and practical, that just wouldn't be right."

Addie rolled her eyes and scowled slightly, "Oh, come on. We both know cheerleaders, sorority girls, and generally those that are just high maintenance are your type. Simple and practical isn't really your taste."

He couldn't help but chuckle and brush a lock of hair behind her ear, "Love, you might not be high maintenance when it comes to appearances but all the rest of you is so high maintenance that it drives me ten types of crazy. And I love each and every moment of it. Also, your simple and practical means that I don't have to fight you for the bathroom in the morning. I know people think I wake up looking amazing but it actually takes time to get my hair to look this perfect."

"Actually," smirked Addie, pushing her fingers through his hair and disheveling it as much as possible, "you're definitely sexiest when you first wake up and your hair is a disarray. Also, there's like ten bathrooms in this place so I don't see why we would ever need to fight over one."

"Because...um...well, obviously, my bathroom has the best shower pressure and the best bathtub and it's very close to the greatest place in this entire house, my bed. Plus, you'd miss out on one hell of a show," he said confidently, flashing a toothy grin at her.

Nodding slowly to herself she said contemplatively, "I probably wouldn't always be so rushed in the morning if you would just act like a normal person and brush your teeth before you shower."

Damon snorted comically at the idea. "I'd be stupid to do that. See, you have this weakness for my bare chest an-"

"That's not fair! I do not!" she protested, her face flushing.

"It's perfectly fair," Damon stated in the most nonchalant voice he could manage. "I lose my senses when it comes to your eyes and when you blush my heart stops. Considering you do that at almost every other word I say, it's amazing I haven't desiccated yet. And of course, I'm a sucker for your neck," he concluded with a seductive, predatory grin.

"I don't know if that line was meant to be funny or flirtatious but either way it was bad," Addie reproached teasingly, heavily emphasizing the last word.

"I think you just like being mean to me."

"That's not true," she said, batting her eyelashes at him innocently. "I just like to help keep your ego in check. Without Alaric and me, you'd be walking around like you were the master of the universe."

"True," he nodded but his voice sounded disconnected from his thoughts.

At her words, Addie could feel him grab her hand a little tighter, feel the muscles of his arm tense. A guard had gone up around him. What little, loving playful expression reflected in his eyes from the firelight, was suddenly gone and his eyes were blank and hard.

"You mean to tell me that I am, in fact, not the master of the universe," Damon retorted in appalled disbelief, trying to keep up the light tone.

Gently she held his cheek, his scruff tickling her palm. She softly reassured him, "You don't have to put on an act for me, Damon."

"I'm not acting," he muttered, as he leaned into her warm touch, his eyes slipping closed.

"No," Addie agreed, half tempted to pull her hand away, but she wanted him to confide in her and she wasn't sure that be so confrontational was exactly the best approach. "Now you're just lying to me."

"I'm not lying. I'm fine."

"So your idea of celebrating a victory is drinking through half your wine cellar alone, bitter, and angry?" she challenged, referring to when she had first arrived. "Come on. You've been acting strange for days. Talk to me." When he didn't answer she deployed her best pout and tried to guilt him into speaking. "You wouldn't leave me alone until I talked to you if you saw me so bothered."

Damon sighed, and resting his weight on one elbow, he stretched his other arm out in front of him, gently tugging pulling Addie's hand above her head as ther fingers were still entwined. He reached over over his shoulder and let his fingers ensnare her wrist. He rested that hand next to the other and pinned both of them against the arm of the couch with a single hand. A lone finger traced along her jawbone, stopping just under her chin to tilt her face towards his. His voice was low and seductive as he murmured against her lips,"You play the part of a loving, devoted girlfriend far too well."

Addie tried to pull her hands away from him but it was futile. When he tried to kiss her, she quickly turned her head so he only caught her cheek. She didn't like this game. Sourly she reminded him, "You're the one who wanted me to play that part."

"I know but - nevermind," Damon decided, quickly rethinking his words.

"What?"

"Nothing."

Impatiently she huffed, "You were going to say something."

"Then I changed my mind."

"What were you going to say?"

"Nothing."

"You know that makes no sense, right? You can't just say you were going to say something and then say you weren't going to say anything," she retorted, a hint of sass in her tone.

He gave her a weary look. "I'm trying to avoid this fight, Addison. Stop trying to start it."

"Then just tell me what you were going to say."

"That would defeat my whole point in not saying it to begin with," he snarled.

"You're cranky," Addie said bluntly, finally voicing the thought that had been running through her mind all night.

It was obvious his patience was being tested as Damon slowly said, "Yes, I'm in a bad mood. Are you happy now that I've admitted it?"

She tried to free her hands again but he still wouldn't let go. "Of course not. There are many reasons I'm unhappy to hear that you're in a bad mood."

"Like?"

"Like you… like you sabotage your own happiness and just make things worse by acting out."

"Yeah," Damon agreed roughly, shaking his head dejectedly."That's why I didn't want to be around you."

Addie's lips pursed in thought as she tried to reason that. She couldn't. She said slowly, "I'm the person you're supposed to open and honest with, the person you can be yourself around."

"I think we can both admit that I can do some pretty destructive things when I'm myself, particularly if I'm upset in any manner."

"I would never be stupid enough to argue that," she agreed quickly, "but, Damon, it me. I know your good and your bad."

"And if you know my bad, you should know exactly why I should stay away from you when I'm upset!" he groaned in exasperation, burying his face in the pillow next to her head. The familiar scent of cucumber melon filled his nose. It was heady and intoxicating.

Addie tugged against his hold again. She wanted, no, needed to touch him. There was such desperation and despair in his voice. She wanted to ease his pain but that wasn't going to work if he wasn't willing to give a little. "No, I have no idea why you think you should stay away from me. You are always the first person I run to when something is wrong."

"Mmm, I think you spend more time running to Klaus 'cause I've screwed up somehow," he muttered bitterly.

"I am not going to argue with you over Klaus. You're deflecting!"

"Like you don't?!" Damon snapped back testily, his voice muffled by the pillow. It was a crime they were both guilty of. Communication in general was a hurdle in their relationship.

A deep breath in, a backwards count from ten and Addie felt collected again. She turned her head towards him, her lips brushing just below his ear as she gently tried to reason, "I'm not even asking you to tell me why you're upset at this point. I just want to know what's so horrible about the idea of being around me."

"There's nothing awful about being around you; I love being around you," he reassured her, resting his forehead against hers. In the dim light he could see the innocent and slightly hurt look in her wide eyes. His own slipped shut, unable to meet the scrutiny of her gaze. "Just put it together, Addison. You say I act out when I'm upset and you're right. What do I turn to?"

"Generally alcohol, murder and sex," she rattled off without thought. "Not necessarily in that order."

"Right," Damon replied with a false perkiness in his voice. "Despite the fact that I want to feed on someone until they're dead but my girlfriend seems to have this ethical dilemma about being with a serial killer so I do try to not give into those tendencies. I had planned on spending and seeing if I could reach a whole new level of intoxication and testing the idea if it is possible for a vampire to have a hangover but now that my girlfriend's here, that doesn't seem like a good idea because I'd probably end up saying a lot of shit that would result in me no longer having said girlfriend."

He was about to continue but Addie interrupted him thoughtfully, "This girlfriend sounds like she limits you from being who you really are."

"Because I respect her? I choose not to act on my desire to kill because I want to be the kind of man you deserve. I don't want to be around you and drink excessively when I'm upset because, well, you know I have a temper. You saw me throw that bottle earlier. Of course I'd never direct my violence at you but I still don't want you to see me like that." He gave her a small smile as he brushed the backs of his fingers along her cheek and lovingly professed, "You don't limit me Ads; you set me free."

"That's cheesy. What, um, what about your third vice?" she asked, trying to sound nonchalant.

"You mean sex?" he teased, flashing one of his most seductive grins. He groaned softly. He was so screwed; her mere blush had his mind turn in all kinds of inappropriate directions. "It's definitely my favorite vice. And you are definitely my greatest weakness. Resisting you is like slowly desiccating. My willpower is getting weaker and weaker. Sex when I'm upset is just a release. I'm not using you like that."

Addie scoffed indignantly, "You sound as if I don't have a say in the matter."

"Obviously I wouldn't fo-"

Shaking her head, she cut him off, "No, no, no. You just assume that because you're you, I'd sleep with you. Damon, I don't think you see that in this situation you're the vulnerable one and I would be taking advantage of you if we slept together while you're going through whatever issues you're going through." Addie tugged at her hands he still had pinned down with one hand and sighed, "Can I have my hands back?"

He frowned as he looked at her contemplatively. "Not just yet," he decided. "I'm still waiting to see how this plays out. So, now that I'm ready to sleep with you, you don't want to sleep with me?"

"I'm not going to sleep with you tonight or for however long you're going to be moody," Addie clarified as she blushed. She knew his lascivious, lecherous looks were just to make her squirm.

"And when I do feel less cranky?" Damon asked uncertainly.

She tried to sink into the couch, her face as crimson as her hair. The intensity of his stare made her squirm; it was only then she realized just how much of his weight Damon was resting against her hips. She doubted it was possible for her to turn any redder. Again she asked, "Can I have my hands back?"

"You're deflecting."

"Like you don't?" Addie teased, echoing his words from earlier.

He chuckled and pressed a light kiss to her temple, "There's no pressure, love."

"I know. So, my hands?"

Damon inhaled sharply through his teeth and exaggerated a wince. He tsked and teased, "If I let go of your hands, they're gonna go to my hair. Once your hands are in my hair it's only a matter of time before my shirt comes off. And I've already got one of your shirts off. I mean, simple logic says clothes are just gonna keep coming off."

"Should I call you out?" Addie questioned smartly, wishing she could raise a single eyebrow challengingly like he could.

She swore he did the eyebrow thing just to make her jealous as he insisted, "Love, I'm being open and honest. There's nothin' to call out."

"So, you didn't want me to come and sit by you when you moved from your one-person chair to the couch and your little temper tantrum didn't calm down as we cuddle up on the couch?"

Addie had already had enough victories over him; he wasn't going to flat out tell her she was right when she already knew it. "Your point?"

"We've both agreed that sex isn't happening but you can't deny that you wanted some physical comfort," she said knowingly.

He sighed heavily, "I'm sorry I tried to take off your shirt."

"Well, technically you did take one off; you were working on the second. I'm not - my point isn't to make you feel guilty. I - really, this'd be a lot easier if you'd let me have my hands," she huffed, getting flustered. "I'm pretty sure we can defy logic and manage to not strip each other like horny teenagers."

"I don't know," he replied doubtfully. "I mean, you are a horny teenager."

"I am not!"

He used a single finger to turn her head, exposing her neck to him. Addie's breath caught as he ghosted a light trail of kisses, sending a shiver down her spine. His teeth gently tugged at her earlobe before he murmured, "I can change that."

"I would really like my hands back," she requested politely.

"No, I don't think so," he taunted, his lips skimming along her jaw as he used a single finger to turn her head towards him. Addie glared at him. Damon didn't want to force her into anything but with only the dying flames from the fire flickering in her eyes, he couldn't tell how serious she was. He had to give her a chance to back out. "I'm going to kiss you."

Her eyebrows raised as if she was silently challenging him, saying, "Oh, really?" It wasn't a no, though, and she wasn't moving away. In fact, Damon was surprised at how eagerly she responded to his kiss. The intensity and passion was instantaneous; there wasn't a slow burn like before. They both knew exactly what they wanted: control. It was a clash of teeth, lips, and tongue as they battle for dominance. Damon pushed his weight onto his elbow to hover over Addie, allowing him to deepen the kiss. It was too easy for him to take control when his hand was running along her body. Her wrist twisted in his grasp in an attempt to break free. She was desperate to touch him but he was stronger. Growing frustrated that he had so much power over her, she choose to exploit the only weakness she could manage in her current state. A long, low groan issued from him as she bit as hard as she dared at his lower lip and tugged at it. His hand had stopped at her waist and his fingers pressed into her skin in reaction. Her bite lessened into little nibbles as his touch became uncomfortable.

Pulling away, Damon reprimanded, "That's not playing fair."

She twisted her wrist he still had pinned above her head with one hand and scoffed, "You really want to talk about not playing fair?"

He smirked as he pressed a soft kiss to where her neck and shoulder met. "I've never claimed to play fair; but, I do expect better of you."

She inhaled sharply as his lips traveled a little further up. "Oh, this really isn't fair," Addie mumbled as he continued with the light, teasing kisses along her throat. Subconsciously she tilted her head, baring more of herself to him. "And, let's be honest. I'm dating you; my morals are obviously questionable. The chances of me playing fair is less than me doing whatever it takes to win."

Damon hummed in agreement, the vibration of his lips making her shiver. "I do love your questionable morals. For the most part they favor me. Though, I do love to win, too."

And he bit her neck in that way that elicited the moan that made his pants quite uncomfortable. Addie strained against Damon's hold on her as her back arched and toes curl. She wanted to run her fingers through his hair, rake her nails down his - Oh. Her train of thought was derailed as he switched from biting to suckling. Addie writhed beneath him, desperate for contact. His lips were cool against her skin, which was quickly warming with arousal. He never broke contact as he bit, sucked, and nipped his way along her throat. She whimpered softly as his scruff tickled at the sensitive skin; it was a sensation overload.

"Aww," Damon murmured in false sympathy, his lips brushing against her jaw. "Is something wrong?" Addie tugged at her hands again futilely. He placed a teasing kiss to her lips, pulling away as she tried for more. "I'm a reasonable man." She scoffed at that but he continued on. "I'll tell you what, I'll trade you your hands for your shirt."

"Damon -"

Hearing the doubt in her voice he cut her off before she could continue, "I really don't give a damn about what you're wearing."

"You obviously care that I'm wearing a shirt," she retorted smartly, the corners of her lips twitching as she fought a smile.

"I don't care what you wear under the shirt," he corrected himself dramatically.

Addie bit her lip as she thought. He was being pushy, which was very unlike him. It was probably whatever he had been so upset about earlier that had him acting so strange. Damon was still seeking out sex as a release, albeit in a very limited from compared to what he was used to. It was likely he didn't even realize he was doing it. She didn't mind being there for him if that was what he needed. With a weak smile she lightly chastised, "You know, you could have made it a little more romantic… or hotter. Now it's just anticlimactic and awkward."

"Well, your arms are already above your head, a key step in removing a shirt - "

"You removed my other one without me having to lift my arms," she interjected with a smirk.

The fire had started to die and Damon was having an even harder time reading her expressions. He gently he held her chin between his thumb and forefinger and looked into her eyes. "Are you being difficult because you're you or because you want to tell me no and yet you don't want to tell me no?"

"That sounds about as rational as something I would say."

One side of his mouth lifted in a crooked grin as he teased, "I know. That's how I know it made perfect sense to you."

"I don't have a problem telling you no. And I'm not saying no. I'm just…," she trailed off unable to find the right word.

"Insecure," Damon supplied. "I don't - I don't understand why. You are so beautiful, inside and out. You have to know what kind of effect you have on me." He pressed his hips into her lower stomach to emphasis his point. His grip on her wrist briefly tightened as he remarked, "And you really aren't even touching me."

He gave her a genuine smile and released her wrist. Immediately, Addie reached out for him but he had already pushed himself off the couch and was moving towards the fire. Ouch. A lead weight settled uncomfortably in Addie's stomach. How did something that seemed like a compliment feel like a slap in the face?

"Damon," Addie sighed, uncertain of what to say.

"Yeah?" he answered as he threw another log onto the fire.

"I wasn't really asking a question. I was just… I don't know," she said feebly, watching as he stoked the fire back to life.

He ran a hand through his hair as he replaced the fire poker. Weary, he said, "It's getting late. Are you spending the night?"

What kind of question was that? That was what they always did. Did he expect her to go home? Alone? When did he get so lax about her security?

Addie hesitated, "Not if you don't want me to."

"It's either here or your house and we're already here so I don't really see the point in moving. We might as well stay here."

We. Both of them. She nodded, "Makes sense."

"Good. You wanna… is it cool if we stay down here a little longer?" he asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

Her lips pursed and eyes narrowed as she studied him, shadows dancing across his angular features. "You're being weird."

"You're weird," he retorted childishly as he poured a tumbler of bourbon.

"Never said I wasn't. That still doesn't explain your behavior."

"Honestly, Ads, it has just been a long, shitty day and all I really want to do is hold my girlfriend knowing she's safe and sound, watch this fire, and not have to listen to the sounds of the fucking ocean because my brother might overhear us," Damon admitted bluntly before swallowing the drink in one swig.

She laughed slightly as she picked up the blanket from where it had fallen to the floor, "It's not like we use the sound machine every night. We don't use it at my house. Admittedly your house is nicer and your bed more comfortable."

"Mmm," he acknowledge as he stared pensively at flames licking at the log he'd added to the fireplace. "I'm not ready for bed just yet. I'll come up and join you in a little bit if you're ready."

"That's ok. I want to do whatever you want. If you want to talk about what happened today, I'm here for you. If you want me to just be quiet, I can do that to," Addie offered, noticing the stiff way he seemed to be standing.

"Not now. I don't want to talk about today just yet. What I want is much less complex."

Damon made a motion for her to stand up. When she did, he stretched out along the couch and motioned for her to lay next to him. She did, again spreading the blanket out over them. He tucked his arm under the couch pillow before Addie rested her head on it, facing away from him. His fingers were cool as he brushed the hair off her neck. He skimmed down the length of her of her arm with the lightest of touches, ending at her hand where he interlaced their fingers and rested them against her stomach. Addie cursed him silently as goosebumps rose on her arm; he knew exactly how to make her want more.

He pressed a soft, loving kiss just behind her ear and murmured, "This is what I want."

That wasn't true. Addie knew Damon too well to know that wasn't the whole truth. He might have wanted to lie down together but there was something he was omitting. She called him out on, "It's not what you really want."

Damon inhaled deeply, the familiar, comforting smell of her cucumber melon shampoo tickling his nose. He hated that he was so transparent and obvious to her and yet he loved it. It was a very complicated feeling. Moments when she could read him when he wanted to hide something were quite excruciating.

"It's close enough,' he replied, hoping that would be the end of the discussion.

"No, it's not. I want to be here for you, Damon. Every single night you give me exactly what I want; I want you because you keep away the nightmare, you comfort me. This one night let me give you what you need. You don't always have to play the dark knight," she tried to reason, looking at him over her shoulder. It bothered her that one of the few times she actually wanted to make eye contact with him, he wouldn't.

His lips twitched into a forced smirked as he taunted, "So, you only want me there for the nightmares, huh?"

Addie rolled her eyes in exasperation as she sighed, turning away from him, "You're deflecting again."

"And now you're mad at me."

"No, Damon, I'm frustrated. I'm frustrated that you won't let me help. You don't want to talk about whatever has you so screwed up tonight and I get that, I do. Trust me, I'm the last person who gets to judge you for not wanting to talk about or deal with difficult shift or stuff you simply don't like. So, while I want to know what's bothering you, I accept that you don't want to talk about it. However, I'm really bothered that when there is finally something I can give you, you refuse to take it," she lamented.

Damon's eyebrows furrowed as he tried to understand. "Addie, you're speaking your own language again. You give me you everyday that I get to be with you."

"Oh, please," she mumbled under her breath. "That's not what I mean. You give me everything I are always making sacrifices and compromises either to make us wake or, more often than not, simply just to please me. You put me before anyone else, even Stefan." Addie faltered for a moment, the unspoken words a roaring silence to both of them. It wasn't that way for her; Elena and Jeremy still came first at the end of the day.

"You've become my protector, my confidant, my shoulder to cry on, my boyfriend, and so much more. That is a lot of weight to bear. You do so much for me. It's frustrating that I can't do this one thing for you."

He had felt Addie tense up next to him. It was ridiculous that she was hung up on this one little thing. He'd tried to talk some sense into her and make her see just how much she did for him but she had an issue with tunnel vision; once she was convinced of something, it was nearly impossible to make her see otherwise.

Damon ran his hand up and down her arm soothingly as he attempted to reason with her, "You don't even know what I really want."

"So?"

"It could be something you're not comfortable with," he replied off-handed.

Addie's lips pursed and she blinked once, twice. Then she understood, "It is something you don't think I'll be comfortable with." His lack of an answer told her she was right. "Don't you think I should get to determine what I am or am not comfortable with and not you?"

"No, actually. I don't believe it's fair of me to put that kind of pressure on you."

"Hmm, interesting. So all those times you pushed me into a relationship before I was ready or…." She really thought she'd had a better argument than that. She had a really strong argument for decisions he made for her or took away from her but he really hadn't been that pushy.

"I was wrong to do that. I just wanted to make you happy and I thought being with you was the answer to that," he apologized. "Ads, I do my best not to pressure you and I know I'm probably not very good at it. I've spent the last 146 years never having to try or work or do anything but simply say what I wanted and it was done. And I can't do that with you. Not because I literally can't compel you but because I love who you are and I don't want you to change. I don't want you to change into to someone that you're not."

Addie twisted slightly to given him a sweet, gentle kiss, even if it was a little awkwardly angled. "You are actually excellent about not pressuring me, for the most part. It's one of the many things I love about you and our relationship. And while I appreciate your consideration in this, I would like to be able to make my own decision."

His hand rested on her hip, his thumb brushing along the skin just above the waistband of her jeans as he considered this. She hadn't been completely opposed to the idea, just a bit self-conscious.

"I wanted skin to skin contact but it's a bad idea. You'll be too cold," he said quick and uncomfortable.

"I'm actually quite warm. Blankets and fires tend to do that," she teased, picking up the blanket thrown over them as evidence. Was that seriously all it was? Was that why he had been pushing all night?

Damon noted how she danced around the direct issue. He was surprised when she turned onto her back and quickly peeled off her tank. Addie enjoyed the dumbstruck, gobsmacked look on his face. The black was still pulled over her chest; it wasn't that shocking.

She smirked, enjoying having rendered him speechless and teased, "I believe it's your turn."

Right. He had a goal. Stunned into monotony, he pointed out, "Your head is on my arm."

Addie lifted her head. When Damon didn't move right away she giggled nervously, "Now it's getting awkward and you haven't even seen anything."

He sat up slightly to take off his shirt, unintentionally shifting the blanket. He slung the garment across the back of the back of the couch, he couldn't contain his laughter. It was the greatest moment over several long, miserable days. Addie bit at her lip, too mortified to move. Damon ran a hand over his face, collecting himself. He couldn't help his grin, though. Or the gut wrenching guilt he felt at obviously making her uncomfortable. He had to make her understand.

He gently grasped her chin, pulling slightly to make her stop biting at her lower lip so he could he could run his thumb along it. He leaned down and kissed her tenderly. "You never cease to astound me. You are beautiful beyond words," he whispered sincerely against her lips and kissed her once more. His lips twitched despite his attempt at being serious as he looked into her eyes. "I really can't help but ask." He hooked a finger under her bra strap and gently tugged as he inquired, "Did you buy this too match my lucky boxers or is it just a happy coincidence that you had a black bra with yellow smiley faces, just like my lucky boxers?"

"What do you think?" she muttered shyly.

"Well, if you already had it, it might explain why you're so fond of those particular boxers. If you bought it after, it means you're particularly fond of me and want to match me," he teased.

Addie held her hands up defensively. "All I'm saying is I'm obviously fond of you. I love you despite the fact that you laughed at me."

"I'm sorry i laughed. I only did because you just… you look perfectly perfect. I more than adore you in my boxers." The flames of the fire allowed him to still see the doubt in her eyes. Screw it. He'd rather have her be upset by his actual feelings as opposed to some whatever wrapped ideas her mind concocted. "Honestly, I feel pretty damn possessive when you're in my clothes. To think of you actually matching me in underwear… it's just… I don't know. It's a guy thing."

"Oh," she replied.

"Alright, come on," he ordered, rotating his finger in an indication for Addie to turn over. A crease formed between her eyebrows in confusion. "I told you all i wanted to do is hold my girlfriend knowing she's safe and sound and watch the fire."

"That's really all you want?" she asked skeptically.

He brushed a lock of hair behind her ear, his fingers trailing along her cheek and sighed, "Trust me, any other night I would be all over you. Tonight, I just…."

Addie nodded understandingly as she turned onto her side and rested her head on the pillow Damon tucked his arm back under. "It's been a really bad day."

Again he brushed the hair off her neck and pressed a soft kiss behind her ear. His hand settled just below her navel and he pulled her flush to him. He groaned softly at the heat of her satin skin covered his torso. He wrapped his arm around her a little tighter as he felt every nerve feel alive and electrified. Addie licked her lips; she didn't need Damon encouraging her against him. Her hands had traced the sculpted muscles of his chest and abs individually but there was something so much hotter about feeling them all at once. She anxiously waited for Damon to make a move as she felt him adjust her hair. Her hopes fell when she just felt his head rest against hers. Addie intertwined their legs, just like every night, in an attempt to get a reaction. When that didn't work, she pressed her hips back into him.

"Addison," he reprimanded warningly.

She made an impatient, unhappy whining sound. "I know you feel the attraction. I mean, I can literally feel that you feel it,"she pouted, his arousal pressing into her.

Damon exhaled loudly, making her shiver as his breath cooled her neck. "Addie, you make me question my whole identity."

"Yes, I know. Damon Salvatore is turning down the sexual advances. You do wonders for my ego. Though, considering the size of yours, I don't think this relationship has room for both of our," she muttered, semi-bitterly.

"Love, my ego is trying to respect your ego so you'll respect your ego come morning," he muttered. His fingers stroked against the soft skin of her stomach in delicate patterns. It wasn't like saying no to her was easy. Hell, he was a man dying of thirst being offered a drink and saying no. They were not in a place in their relationship to take things further. With his mood, though, he wasn't certain he would want to stop. He was so angry and upset.

"I think you mean my self-esteem."

"Tomato, tomahto. I am clearly attracted to you and yes, I have that same slow burning feeling in the pit of my stomach as I hold you right now but I don't trust myself with you. Not tonight. I'm not in total control tonight," Damon confessed.

"You'd stop if I told you to," Addie said certainly.

He shook his head against hers; her faith in him was astounding. "I'm not convinced you'd tell me to stop even though we've already discussed that we're not ready for sex."

She had to admit that was quite possible. Damon made the word no leave her vocabulary at times.

"Can we sleep down here?"

"On the couch and not in my luxurious bed?"

Simply she answered, "I'm comfortable."

"Well, I was kind of picturing you in my lucky boxers and my new favorite bra. But I have to admit, I am rather comfortable, too. I suppose we can stay down here. Though, you know you have to get up anyways," he reminded her.

"No, I don't."

"Your medication?" Addie was a big girl and he liked to leave her mental health up to her. "At least your sleeping pill?"

Her lips set into a slight pout. She didn't like that he was right. Technically she should take her medicine. "I'll take it in the morning. I think I'm tired enough to sleep without the sleeping pill."

"Alright. Well, get some rest. You still have a math test tomorrow."

Addie groaned pitifully, "You're just going to completely ignore the fact that we are both turned on right now?"

One one of his mouth lifted slightly in pride. Addie wasn't typically comfortable talking about how she felt, particularly in a sexual manner; he considered it progress in her own development and their relationship when she did.

"Yep," he said, popping the puh sound. His large hand splayed across her stomach, pulling her snug against him, his arousal pressing into her. "Once you go to sleep you can have all the sexy, dirty dreams you want about me."

---

The fire had burned down to bright red embers when Addie woke. She wasn't sure exactly how long she had been asleep. Just like every night she had gotten hot and the blankets had fallen around her waist. Somehow she had moved away from Damon but she slowly moved back towards him, careful not to wake him. His chest rose and fell against her back in a steady rhythm, his breathing soft and deep. His hand had tucked itself under her waist and he pulled her closer and tighter with the movement. Addie wasn't too concerned he had woken up. He always made little movements to hold her closer in his sleep.

Addie gently took hold of his hand from the arm both of them had been resting on. He'd spend nights never moving, one or both of them sleeping on his arm or his leg in some awkward position. She had no idea how he did it; she tossed and turned all night long because her limbs would fall asleep. The only time she stayed still was if he held her. It was likely the only reason she hadn't rolled off the couch and onto the floor. She loved sleeping with him; it felt so normal and natural.

A yawn built inside her but she stifled it, trying to stay quiet. Naturally, she tried to go back to sleep as there were no signs to indicate it was anywhere near close to morning. Her mind was wide awake, despite her body's fatigue. She should have listened to Damon and taken her medicine. Perhaps she would have slept through the night. She tried a deep breathing exercise and tried to forces herself to relax.

Inhale. One, two, three.

Damon honestly hadn't made a move on her after trying to get her shirt off all night. Would he have if she had removed it earlier in the night? Or was he simply trying for this, just to hold her, all night? Why couldn't he have just asked?

Exhale. One, two, three.

What was the formula for arc lengths?

Inhale. One, two, three.

Why hadn't they heard back from Stefan and Elena about picking up Jeremy? They caught a flight down there in the morning and were supposed to be headed back on a flight tomorrow.

Maybe Damon had heard from Stefan and he probably just forgot to tell her because of his bad day. It wasn't like she and Elena were going to be chit-chatting.

Exhale. One, two, three.

Why was Damon so bothered and upset? He'd been distant the past couple of days. He didn't want her to be around him tonight initially; though, she truly believed that was because he didn't want her around as reminder of his vice of sex and a constant temptation. That just concerned her even more. She's never seen him that upset.

Inhale. One, two, three.

She really wished he would talk to her. His behavior was so off. She didn't like him like this. She wanted to get her Damon back.

Exhale. One, two, three, four, five….

"Can't sleep?" Damon asked softly.

Somehow Addie wasn't startled to find that he was awake. "No," she confirmed.

"Is it the couch? Are you uncomfortable? Cold? Should I move?" he inquired in concern, pulling the blanket up and around her shoulder before she could even respond.

Sometimes she wanted to remind him that she could take care of herself but it was heartwarming to know he cared so much. "I'm fine, Damon. I'm just… it's my usual sleep issues."

He hummed understandingly. "It too late for you to take a sleeping pill without it messing with you tomorrow at school."

"I know," she sighed heavily. It was going to be a long night.

Damon was quiet for a long time but she knew he was still awake as she felt him toy with her hair. It was soothing, relaxing but not enough to make her to go to sleep.

His voice was low as he wondered, "If I tell you something, do you promise not to get made?"

Addie bit at her lip as she considered this. "It must be really bad if you need me to make a promise."

"It's… it's not great," Damon admitted. He needed reassurance. "Addie, I need you to list all the reasons you would break up with me."

"You know those rules."

He couldn't risk losing her over this. He couldn't. "I need to hear you say them Ads."

She let go of his hand to pinch the bridge of her nose. He'd done something awful if he needed reassurance that he wasn't going to break up with her. Growing anxious she listed off, "I break up with you if you cheat on me, verbally or physically abuse me, drug me, which I thought was pretty obvious but apparently I have to be very clearly on what is and is not acceptable behavior and since I need to do that, I feel the need to add if you kill my brother, even temporarily, my sister, Bonnie, and Caroline. And since you did turn Bonnie's mother into a vampire, I should probably include that I will break up with you if you turn any of them into vampires."

He licked his lips uncomfortably. "That list has definitely grown since the last time we discussed this."

"I've added a stipulation of not turning or killing the people I love. I mean, you have killed my brother. Bonnie would be dead if Stefan hadn't been there to save her from your attack. And your solution to the moonstone ritual was to turn my sister into a vampire. And you've slept with Caroline, which isn't exactly relevant but I don't like it," Addie pointed out matter-of-factly. "I feel like verbalizing what should be an obvious deal breaker will prevent any future problems."

"Can't argue with your facts," Damon said slowly. Uncomfortably he asked, "Anyone else on that deal breaker list?"

"No. So, what did you do?"

Damon reached into his pocked and pulled out the heavy ring, a black sapphire with an old, powerful witch symbol with ornate scrolling along the wide band.

Ric had finally slipped up and used his credit card at a hotel in Richmond. He didn't even need to compel the front desk clerk. A little bit of charm, some harmless flirting and a little about locking himself out and he had the room number and an access card. Ric had seemed startled and yet a bit relieved when he burst into the room.

He placed the ring in her hand, closing her hand around it. "It's a family heirloom. I think you should keep it. And one day, when you're living your normal, apple pie life, you can give it to your child or husband or whoever and have a little peace of mind knowing they're safe if the supernatural suddenly pops back up."

Addie held the ring up close to her face, squinting to the dark light to make sure it was exactly what she thought it was. Her voice quivered as she asked, "How did you… where… Damon?"

"You've got a lot to answer for," Damon snarled, a tight grip on the other man's throat as he pinned him to the wall.

Alaric clawed uselessly at the vampire's hand as he struggled to breath. He wheezed, "I don't... know… argh! what you're talking about."

He tightened his grip and slid him up the wall. Through gritted teeth, Damon growled, "Think back to Sunday."

"I don't... 'member anything after… after you left... with the stakes," Alaric choked. He was becoming light headed. Damon's squeezed tighter, his icy blue eyes hard with rage. "It's all blank… 'til I woke… few hours ago."

"You went after my girlfriend," Damon seethed, feeling Ric's trachea crush beneath his hand. His face was turning a purplish red. Soon his airway would be completely shut off. "You hurt Addison. You shattered her elbow and sliced open her shoulder."

"He hurt you," Damon growled, he could feel the vibrations in his chest against her back.

Addie balked at that, glad she wasn't facing him. "He wasn-"

"I told you I didn't care which personality did it. The herbs weren't working and science couldn't do shit. He was going around unchecked. He was going to hurt you again!" he exclaimed.

She screwed her eyes shut and tried to think using his logic. "So, the solution was to kill your best friend?"

Alaric limp body crumpled to the floor. Damon gave a humph of disappointment. After days of searching and the build up of rage that was very anticlimactic. He really hadn't meant to kill him that fast. He was also hoping to find him in his psychotic killer stage. That was the bastard he wanted to beat the shit out of. That was who he really wanted to kill. His best friend was collateral damage.

Damon noticed the Gilbert ring he wore and arched his eyebrows in consideration. He supposed he'd just keep killing him until the psycho came out to play.

"It was him or your safety. The choice is obvious," Damon replied, as if she sounded ridiculous.

The ring clattered when Addie tossed it onto the coffee table. She rubbed at her face tiredly. This was way too much to deal with in the middle of the night. Damon killed his best friend for her. He had killed people when he had acted out after they had gotten into fights, though, that wasn't entirely all on her. He needed to learn to control his emotions. This, this he had actually done for her.

"Did you find out where he was keeping the stake?" she asked wearily.

"I just killed your pseudo guardian and you want to know about a stake?" he asked in disbelief.

Addie snuggle up against Damon, pulling the blanket tighter around her, making it clear she was done with the conversation and going back to sleep. Or at least she was going to attempt to. "Yeah. I'm not dealing with this right now. You've had your time to process it before you wanted to talk about it, now I need my time. I would just like to know if the stake has been located. It's the only way we can kill an original right now."

"Mmm… his psychotic side was a bit cryptic about that. He just said it was some place where no vampire would ever get it," he muttered, uncertain if her processing the situation was going to be a good thing or a bad thing.

Addie's lips pursed into a thin line as she closed her eyes. That wasn't cryptic; it was painfully obvious. If she was right. If it turned out that Klaus didn't create Damon's bloodline, and the odds weren't in her favor, Damon would try to kill Klaus and would only end up getting himself killed. She needed to move the stake before anyone else figured out the location. Everyone was so convinced the solution was killing Klaus. He just needed to be controlled. There had to be a way to do that.

---

A/N: So sorry it's been over a month for an update. I tried to get it up in time for the season premier but instead I have been up all night writing it. It's been quite difficult writing this with everything going on in life. Also, my hand hand got slammed in a steel door, breaking 8 bones with a total of 11 fractures in my right hand, which is my dominant hand. This has all been typed with my left hand, which is extremely slow.

This chapter definitely got away from me but it's all extremely relevant for what's coming up in Resist Control. So, I have this planned out until the end and I'm thinking 2 or 3 more chapters (not a promise).

You guys are AMAZING with so much love and support with the comments. I'm sorry I haven't gotten a chance to reply. I'll do better! Your comments truly do inspire me to put more time and effort into this. I'd really appreciate it if you'd drop on. I'd like to hears your ideas of what's going to you all so much! Also, your guys interest will really. Dictate if I carry on to Resist Control. I've spent almost two years of my life on this series, neglecting a lot of other things. I think the most original and has the best writing but I've only done one chapter. But I'm kind of reluctant about posting it because I know it offensive to some but... Addie is a normal girl wanting a normal life the supernatural.

I also need a soundboard for Resis Control ideas and the last few chapters here. PM if interested.