When I get up the next morning, I jump into the shower and get ready for the day. I don't have to be at work till noon so I'm going to take my dad out for breakfast if he feels up to it. I'm really glad that Stefan is doing so well but I hadn't anticipated dad having such a visceral reaction to him being back in this house.
When it became obvious that he was having issues with post traumatic stress disorder, I insisted that he see a psychiatrist so we would know how to treat it and how to talk him back from the ledge when his fears would paralyze him. Papa has really helped with dad a lot too. I was still doing my medical residency five years ago when it happened. I couldn't be with him every night so Papa moved in temporarily too. It was his home but as he's aged, he decided he didn't want to deal with the upkeep of such a big home so he signed the lease over to my dad as he's an only child. He moved into a senior's apartment complex and is completely happy he made that decision.
Running down the stairs, I'm just about to walk into the kitchen when I hear Papa talking to dad. When I look through the doorway, I see Papa squeezing dad's shoulder. Dad is looking down, not making eye contact.
"Jack, don't be so hard on yourself. There is no doubt in my mind that Stefan understands too and so does that wife of his. We're all so impressed with how hard you've struggled to put that night behind you. I'm proud of you son," papa says, placing his hand over dad's.
Shaking his head, he finally raises his eyes and turns to look at his father. "Thank you, father. I just hate it that Stefan had to leave last night."
Deciding it's time to make my presence known, I walk in and pull a seat up beside my dad. I turn my eyes to papa for a moment before turning my attention to my father. Taking his hand in mine, I squeeze gently and begin. "Dad, give yourself a break. I talked to Stefan last night. He understands completely and isn't angry at you in the least. He's going to call you soon. We can all get together again, we'll just do it somewhere else, okay?"
"But what if I'm never comfortable having him in this house?"
"I don't know if that'll be the case or not. But neither do you. We'll just have to take one day at a time. He really did just return. When I feel like I can completely trust him, I'll let you spend time alone with him IF you think you can handle it. I'm not going to risk your physical or emotional health. If that means that either I, Caroline or even Papa have to be with you when you're with Stefan, then so be it."
"Damon is right, Jack. You were on death's door for several days. I can't imagine anyone who has been through what you have, wouldn't have these same kind of issues," Papa says, validating my point.
Turning first to his father and then to me, he exhales heavily. "I just don't want to drive Stefan away again. I've missed the boy I raised."
"Stefan isn't going to run, dad. He really wants to be part of our family again. His remorse is quite obvious. Last night when I walked them out, I asked him to just give you some time and not to give up. There was no hesitation at all when he agreed. Both he and April felt bad because they don't want to cause you anymore pain. Don't sell him short either, dad," I finish.
Smiling tightly, he turns to me. "Thank you, both of you for being here."
"Where else would we be? Now, how about I take you two out for breakfast? I don't have to be at the hospital till noon."
"That's a mighty good idea, young man. Jack?" papa asks, turning to my dad.
"I'd like that," dad says as he stands up from his chair. I'm going to use the bathroom then I'll be ready."
Once he walks out of the kitchen, Papa turns to me. "You're a good son and don't let anyone else tell you anything different."
"Thanks, papa."
"Now, why don't you tell me more about that young lady I met at the park? She's a looker."
Laughing, I shake my head. "She is. I'm anxious to get to know her better."
"Are you two going to come? I'm hungry," dad yells from the other room.
Standing up, I gesture for him to go, "After you, papa."
It's been a few days since Dad's meltdown. Having stayed overnight with him for two nights, he assured me he was fine. Caroline and I are meeting Stefan at the Grill today for lunch. I have an hour and a half lunch break. It's her day off from the hospital. I've been so busy between my family and work that I haven't see Elena for a few days. I've called her though. I didn't want to go into my family dynamics over the phone so I just told her that we had some issues to deal with. Fortunately she was completely understanding. We really don't know much about each other yet but I hope to remedy that very soon. I can't deny the fact that I'm starting to feel things when I'm with her. Things I haven't felt since I was with Ivy.
Honestly, I don't know what happened to Ivy. I met her when I was doing my surgical residency at a hospital in Connecticut. There was never any cheating or anything untoward, she just didn't love me back. When we broke up, I finished my residency then moved back here to Mystic Falls. Ivy had already left me by then, leaving just a note to say goodbye.
The Stefan incident happened shortly after I got home. Caroline would call me to express her fears about Stefan's descent but I never believed it was as bad as it was till the night I found dad beaten and bleeding.
When I walk into the Grill, I look around till I see Caroline waving to me. She looks happy, not anxious as though she was edgy about being around Stefan. "Care, Stefan," I say as I take a seat in the booth next to Caroline.
"How soon do you have to get back to the hospital?" Stefan asks, taking a swig of his drink from a straw.
"I have to be back at one thirty so we should order. I'm starved," I say, picking up one of the menus that are laying on the table.
"Are you ready to order?" Vicky asks, standing near our table.
"I'll have the hot beef sandwich and a glass of peach tea," Caroline tells her.
"Stef?" I say urging him to order.
"Actually, I'll have what Caroline is having. That sounds pretty good."
"What about you, Dr. Salvatore," Vickie asks, chewing on her pencil.
Handing her back the menus, I turn to her. "I'll have the bacon cheeseburger and fries with coffee." After writing down our orders, she walks away.
"So Damon, how's dad?" Stefan asks, clearly concerned.
"He was pretty shaken up. I stayed at the house with him for a couple of nights. He kicked me out after the second night so he's doing better," I chuckle.
"I can't imagine him kicking you out," Stefan says, looking skeptical.
"Believe it Stefan. Dad is very independent. You should remember that," Caroline tells him.
"You said he has PTSD?"
"Yes Stefan, he does. He's made incredible progress but the mind is a complex thing. I honestly believe it was you being back in that house. We'll just have to get together some place else until he's more used to you being around. He felt awful that you had to leave the other night."
"You two will never know how much I regret ever taking that first hit of heroin. I'll never completely forgive myself for what I did to him. I just hope he can be comfortable around me again at some point," Stefan says, dropping his head.
"I know I've said it ad nauseum but he needs time to get used to you being here. As you two spend more time together, it'll get easier for him. I'm certain of that. Just stay on the straight and narrow and you'll have nothing to worry about," I tell him, feeling once again very much like the big brother.
"Damon is right. Just be the Stefan we know and love," Caroline adds.
Just then Vicky returns and sets out meals in front of each of us.
Inhaling deeply, I smile at the aroma of my bacon cheeseburger.
"Dig in," Stefan says, taking a big bite of his roast beef sandwich.
"I think I've got it," I tell my surgical team as I finally pull the bullet out of this guy's lung. Since the police will need it for ballistics testing, I drop it into a specimen container held out by the circulating nurse. I had to crack a couple of ribs so I could get the retractors in there to separate them so I could probe his lung to find the bullet hole to repair. I had to insert a chest tube in ED otherwise he wouldn't have made it into surgery. After changing out of my surgical scrubs, I scrub my hands and go to the waiting room to talk to the man's family.
After talking with the man's relatives, I head back down to the ED to see if I'm needed. Once I suture up a couple of wounds, I head back to the Doctors lounge so I can shower and change before going over to Elena's house. Strangely, I find myself missing her and Jeremy too.
Just as I reach the ED exit, I hear Caroline calling my name.
"Damon, wait up," she says, quickly following after me.
"Sis? Is something wrong?"
"No, nothing's wrong. I just wanted to tell you that I invited dad and Papa over for supper. I thought maybe you could join us unless you had other plans."
"Thanks but I can't. I'm having supper with Elena and Jeremy tonight."
"Really?" she says, smirking.
"Yes, really."
"You like her don't you?"
"I do like her."
"That's great, Damon. Don't forget to pick up some flowers for her and maybe a little something for her child."
"Thanks for the advice. Tell dad I'll call him tomorrow. I bought tickets to take both of them to see a 'Nationals' baseball game in DC next weekend."
"Papa mentioned something about that. Damon, have you considered maybe asking Stefan to join the three of you?"
"Honestly, I never gave it a thought. But it's a good idea. It would give him and dad an opportunity to spend time together on neutral territory. I'll check with dad tomorrow when I call him. If it's okay with him, I'll invite Stefan. I do have an extra ticket."
"You should definitely check with dad first but I think it would be good for Stefan too. I really believe he's sincere when he says he wants to be part of our family again."
"I think so too, Care. Listen, I don't want to keep Elena waiting so I'm going to run," I tell her, stooping over to press a light kiss to her cheek.
"Love you little brother."
"Love you too."
Once I get home and get cleaned up, I take a moment to spray on some of my best cologne. Grabbing my jacket, I jump into my car and make a quick detour to my friend Enzo's florist shop.
After choosing a bouquet of sunflowers for Elena, I run across the street to a toy store and pick up a toddler appropriate puzzle for Jeremy.
When I arrive at Elena's, I take a deep breath before stepping out of the car and walking up her steps onto the porch. Just as I raise my knuckles to knock on her door, Elena pulls it open, greeting me with her enchanting smile. When I hand her the bouquet of sunflowers, I'm gifted with another one.
Her eyes are wide but she steps aside so I can walk through the front door. "Damon, thank you. They're beautiful. How did you know I love sunflowers? I'm so glad you could come."
"A buddy of mine owns a floral shop. He told me that the sunflower symbolizes long life, good luck and is considered very auspicious. Its yellow color signifies vitality and intelligence. It's also a symbol of happiness. How could I not choose those?" I laugh, turning away when I hear my name.
"Daymin," Jeremy yells while running excitedly to me.
"Hi Jeremy, how's my little buddy?"
"Me good."
After setting him down, I hand him the puzzle I bought for him. It's wooden with large dinosaur pieces with a little handle attached to each piece so he can easily lift them up to put them in the right spot.
"You pway with me?" he asks.
Elena takes the puzzle from his hands and leads him to a little Jeremy sized table and chair set before opening up the puzzle for him. "Jeremy, you need to tell Damon thank you," she chastises gently.
Running back over to me, he grabs onto my legs, hugging them. "Tank ooh, Daymin."
"You're welcome Jeremy. Do you want me to help you with your puzzle?"
Bobbing his head up and down, he grabs my hand and pulls me over to his little table. After trying to fit into one of the tiny chairs, I watch while he works on his puzzle.
While he's happily engrossed with his puzzle, I walk into the kitchen to find Elena so I can drop a kiss to her cheek. "Do you need any help?"
"No," she says then turns around to plant her lips on mine. I deepen the kiss, teasing her lips with my tongue. When she opens that wet hot mouth of hers, I slip mine in to tangle with hers.
Several moments later, we both pull back breathless.
"Whew," she gasps. "You sure know how to make a lady's knees weaken."
Laughing, I drop another peck to her lips and wrap my arms around her. "I aim to please."
Stepping away from me, she turns back to the stove.
"Are you sure there's nothing I can help you with?"
"Sure. You can set the table if you want."
"This is fabulous Elena," I tell her as I stuff another bite into my mouth.
"Honestly, I think this is the best barbecued chicken I've ever eaten. Did you make the sauce from scratch?"
"I did. I'm so glad you like it. Jeremy loves chicken. He'd eat it all the time if I let him," she giggles.
"These potatoes are really tasty too. And thank you for inviting me."
"No problem."
After we finish eating, Elena takes Jeremy to get him washed up and ready for bed. "I'm just going to read him a story. Have a seat. I'll be down in a little while," she tells me as she nudges him up the stairs. While she's looking at me, Jeremy turns around and runs back to me.
"Nigh, night, Daymin," he says, wrapping his tiny little arms around my neck.
"Good night Jeremy. Do you want me to carry you up to your room?"
He claps and nods his head at the same time. "Okay champ. Let's go," I tell him as I lift him onto my neck to give him a piggyback ride to his room.
"I can read him a story if you'd like?"
"Do you want Damon to read you a story?" she asks Jeremy.
"Daymin read."
"While you're putting him down, I'm going to wash the dishes. Thank you Damon."
"No problem. C'mon Jeremy, let's go find a story book."
By the time I get him tucked in and his story read, he's sound asleep. I press a feather light kiss to his hair, turn the night light on and go back downstairs. Elena is sitting on the couch with the TV remote in her hands. When she hears my footsteps on the stairs, she looks up and smiles. "Do you want to watch something on TV or watch a movie?" she asks, patting the couch beside her for me to sit down.
"Is Jeremy asleep?"
"He is." After taking a seat beside her, I wrap my arm around her shoulders pulling her close so I can steal another kiss from her lips as red as the rose. Cupping the back of her neck with my palm, I wrap my other arm around her waist till she's practically on my lap. This time it's me who emits a breath when she pulls back. She stares at me, mouth agape for a few seconds before lunging at my lips one more time. With my free hand, I take the liberty of caressing her breast, using my thumb to stroke her nipple through her camisole top and lacey bra.
"Damon," she whispers hungrily, her eyes dark and wanting. When I get permission from her eyes, I lift her camisole over her head revealing her blood red lace bra. Shivers rip through my body at the sight of her before me. "You're stunning, Elena," I tell her before fusing my lips to hers and continue to knead her breasts. When I hear her whimper, I reach around to unclasp her bra and then gently lay her down on the couch before attacking her lips. Beginning my descent down her body, I nuzzle her neck. I smile against her skin when chill bumps erupt all over her body. When my lips reach her breasts, I wrap them around the one, teasing her nipple with my tongue while kneading and caressing the other one with my hand. Involuntarily, her chest arcs, pushing her breast farther into my mouth. Elena is writhing in need beneath me, when I release her nipple with a plop, I start giving the neglected one the same attention. When my hand reaches the button on her jeans, she grabs a hold of my hand, stopping me.
"Damon, please understand. I want to, I really do but I'm just not ready to go that far yet," she pants.
Although I'm certain my pupils are blown with lust, I smile realizing her lips are red and swollen from my kisses. Cupping her face with my palms, I drop another blistering kiss to her lips before pulling away. "I understand completely Elena. We'll wait for as long as you need, okay?"
"Thank you," she pants gratefully as she embraces my face with her hands to guide my mouth back to her beautiful breasts.
I hope you enjoyed chapter 7. Thank you Eva. Thank you, all of you for your reviews. They do put a smile on my face. Many of you are asking when Elena will spill that she's not actually Jeremy's mom. That is coming. 'Breathe' and 'Pieces of Eight' were both updated this past Thursday. Please remember to hit that review button. I hope you all have a fabulous weekend.. #DE are timeless. Until next week.