The Daughter of Damon Salvatore
Chapter Four
Damon could not look away from the empty spot which Jessica had vacated moments earlier.
"Well, you handled that EXTREMELY well brother" Stefan muttered sarcastically.
"Did you know about this?" Damon asked, trying to contain his rage.
Stefan shrugged.
"Zach received a letter from Jo a few months. Jo knew she was dying and asked Zach for help, to take Jessica in after she passed" Stefan answered as he went to pour himself a glass of bourbon.
"That was when I found out that I had an actual niece. Zach and I made plans and got her bedroom in order and a placement at the school sorted out. Everything was perfect. Then YOU came back to town and messed everything up by killing our nephew. I promised Zach I would follow through with the plan of bringing Jessica here no matter what" Stefan explained.
Damon sighed as he took in this information and got a new glass of bourbon for himself and sat on the couch opposite his brother.
"I still can't believe it" Stefan stated.
"Me and you both brother" Damon agreed.
The brothers stared into the dancing flames of the fireplace.
"I'm going to make sure that she lives the best life possible here" Stefan pledged.
Damon said nothing.
"Unless you want to actually step up and take responsibility for once in your life" Stefan spat out angrily.
Damon glared at his little brother, but his ire faded quickly.
"So, Jo's dead huh? I never did believe her" Damon said out loud.
"No, you left a terrified pregnant teenage girl to get on with it" Stefan sighed.
"I've not thought about it since the day I walked away" Damon stared at the fireplace, a hint of regret in his tone.
"Can't really deny the kid's parentage now Damon" Stefan said.
"I'm very much aware of that Stefan. I just don't know what to do about this" Damon snipped.
"I tell you what you do. You stay out of her life as much as possible" Stefan said as he stood up.
Damon looked up at Stefan questioningly.
"Let's face it Damon, you break everything you touch. That young girl does not need to be broken any more than she already is" Stefan stated quietly, but honestly.
Stefan left the room to check up on his niece, leaving his older brother to his own thoughts.
Damon sat for a few more minutes, listening as Stefan made his way upstairs into what he presumed was the kid's bedroom.
As soon as Damon heard Stefan head towards his own room, Damon shot up off the couch and fled from the house. He needed to sink his teeth into something fresh…and fast!
.
.
.
The following morning, Jessica woke to a silent house. She got up, took a much-needed shower, and pulled on her comfiest pair of black jeggings and The Cure t-shirt she got from her favourite British band at their concert in London the previous year.
She made her way down the hall towards the stairs when she heard footsteps coming from behind her. She whirled around and came face-to-face with a blonde woman.
"Who are you?" she asked Jessica.
Jessica stared back at the woman and raised an eyebrow.
"Who are you?" Jessica shot back defensively.
"I'm Lexi, a friend of Stefan's" Lexi informed her, grabbing Jessica's hand in greeting.
"Hi, I've just moved into this place" Jessica said, not sure what information she should and shouldn't be giving to this strange woman with the 'cold death' feeling.
Lexi just nodded, still anticipating a name from the young girl.
However, Jessica just pulled her hand away from Lexi and continued to calmly walk down the stairs. Her goal was to find her uncle Stefan or just get away from the blonde vampire. Once Jessica reached the bottom of the stairs, she slowly headed towards the front door. Upon opening the front door, she made a run for it, she was slightly scared at the thought that Lexi could attack her.
Jessica knew she was a fast runner despite her smaller frame; she had always impressed her teachers with her running ability, and it was finally coming in handy at that moment. She made it about half-way down the drive when she heard a violent 'woosh' noise from behind her. Startled, she quickly turned her head to look in the direction of the noise but there was nothing there. She turned her head back so that she was focused on what was in front of her when she jolted to a halt with a small scream.
"Good morning to you 'Little Miss Runaway'" Damon grinned as she almost ran straight into him.
"What the hell are you trying to achieve? You almost gave me a fucking heart attack!" Jessica screeched, her heart almost pounding out of her chest.
Damon's expression changed from a sarcastic grin to a glare almost instantly.
"Ok, I think I have been nice enough so, here's how this is going to go. I excused your attitude and filthy language last night for obvious reasons. However, keep using that bad mouth of yours and I WILL wash it out with soap" Damon warned her.
Jessica just glared at him; God she hated this man!
"Oh honey, I know you are plotting my demise right now but just remember whose awesome breeding got you here" he said.
"You're right, my mother was awesome but her choice in men clearly lacked taste" she quipped back.
She stepped past the man who was supposed to be her father and carried on walking down the drive.
"You little b-…" Damon managed to stop himself before he finished his sentence.
"Now THAT I get from you" Jessica smirked as she got further away.
She just wanted to get out of the house and explore her new surroundings. Stefan had told her that they lived quite close to the town of Mystic Falls, he was supposed to show her around today. However, with the appearance of this Lexi woman, he was clearly going to be spending time with his friend. So, Jessica decided to go and explore by herself.
She got about a mile down the road before the heavens opened and what was a glorious sunny day turned to torrential rain. She was soaked to the bone within seconds, at least it wasn't too cold at the moment. She continued on her journey, convinced that the town was likely to be closer than the boarding house at this point.
She walked on for another five minutes when she heard a vehicle approaching her from behind. She stopped walking to make sure she was out of the way of the massive puddles that the vehicle was sure to splash straight through as it passed her.
To her surprise, the vehicle slowed as it reached her, and the blue convertible came to a complete stop next to her. The passenger window was rolled down and Jessica quickly found herself staring at the devil.
'Great' she thought.
"I know you're probably used to all this rain growing up in England and all but, here in the USA, we aren't the biggest fans" Damon shouted to be heard above the pelting rain.
"I love the rain, thanks!" Jessica shouted back at him and prepared to carry on walking.
"Get your ass in this car before I put your ass in this car" Damon said to her in an authoritative tone.
She was about to argue when Damon's glare caused her to waver.
"DO NOT make me get out of this car, it WILL be unpleasant for you if I do" he threatened.
Jessica gulped; he really did have the power to render her terrified. She tentatively pulled the door handle and opened the passenger door. She then climbed into the front seat and pulled the door closed.
Damon pulled away from the curb and started driving down the road. The strained silence in the car was deafening.
Jessica said nothing as she tried to subtly study the man in the driver's seat.
Damon knew she was trying to study him and refused to acknowledge that he was even aware she was there. Damon was still confused.
After Jessica had walked away from him, he had retreated to the boarding house to hassle Lexi. After being strangled by her and put in his place, he was then in a worse mood and had decided to pour himself a well need drink. Then, he noticed the pouring rain. For some reason, his thoughts instantly turned to an image of the young teenager freezing as rain soaked through her jeans and her The Cure t-shirt – his favourite band. He then had an even worse thought of her getting lost in the poor visibility and asking for a ride from a stranger. He growled at the imaginary do-gooder who dared to offer the teenage girl a ride.
It pissed him off that his desire to get in his car and attempt to find the girl was stronger than his desire to take a sip of the already poured glass of bourbon he currently held in his hand.
He slammed the full glass back on the tray and sprinted for his car. He then carefully searched the roads as he drove towards the town.
When he finally caught sight of her, he refused to believe that the feeling that washed over him was that of relief. All of that would mean that he was prone to feeling, and Damon could not have that…not now when he was so close to his century-and-a-half-old goal.
As Damon drove towards the town, Jessica noted that the walk was actually a lot further than she originally thought and was thankful that she was in a warm car instead of outside.
"So, what had you bolting from the house at warp speed?" Damon finally asked.
Jessica paused before answering.
"The blonde woman, Lexi, set my nerves on edge a bit" Jessica admitted, hating seeming weak.
Damon sensed this just by her tone and carefully chose his next words.
"Obviously! She sets MY nerves on edge. Damn, she IS one scary woman" Damon agreed.
Jessica giggled quietly at the remark.
Damon tried not to grin at the thought that he had somewhat lightened the tense atmosphere in the car.
"I also thought she was going to eat me" Jessica stated.
Damon's eyes widened.
"How did you know Lexi was the type who could potentially eat you?" Damon asked curiously.
"She grabbed my hand, and I just knew what she was by the feeling I got from her the second she touched me" Jessica answered honestly.
"What does it feel like?" Damon asked trying to keep the mutual conversation going.
"Just like what I would associate with cold, dark, and death" Jessica replied.
"How would you know that?" Damon asked a little shocked.
"It was the same feeling I had when I touched my mother's cold skin after she'd died in her sleep" Jessica answered, a touch of defensiveness in her tone.
Damon's insides clenched at the image of the teenager being all alone upon discovering her mother's dead body. That is an awful memory for her to have, he remembered what it was like when he saw his own mother's dying body, the only person to ever truly love him – besides Katherine of course.
Damon took a deep breath and sighed.
"Look, I know we did not get off on the best foot. I can definitely say that I am a hundred percent not a good man and I can guarantee that I'm a horrendous father and you will always be better off keeping me at arm's length. Therefore, I am not going to make any promises, guarantees, or mushy speeches to you that I will love and care for you because there is a good chance that I never will. I don't want to see you get hurt but, that's about as far as it goes in that regard. Stefan will protect you with his life, he's the good guy. I CAN promise you that, while we live under the same roof, I will be cordial with you if you are civil with me in return. I will respect you if you respect me. Sound fair?" he asked.
She pondered over his words, then she nodded in agreement. It was more than what she expected from him in all honesty.
"Good. Now, just where were you heading?" he asked her.
She shrugged in response.
"Stefan said he was going to show me around the town so that I could get to know my way around a bit more but now Lexi is here to see him, I assume he would rather spend quality time with his friend rather than a troubled teen" she said.
"I highly doubt you are a troubled teen" Damon laughed at her.
Jessica sighed sadly.
"You really don't know me that well yet" she whispered.
Damon stored that little nugget of information away to question later.
"You're right, I don't. So, what do you like to eat?" Damon asked her.
Jessica just stared at him in confusion.
Damon rolled his eyes.
"First stop on the 'Mystic Falls Grand Tour', I know this fantastic little grille which has some decent food. Also, judging by how aggressively your stomach is grumbling, I'm going to assume that someone skipped breakfast in her haste to leave the house this morning" Damon stated.
Jessica tried not to let her jaw drop. Damon was willing to give more than a minute of his time to show her around.
Damon then took in Jessica's appearance.
"Actually, first I think we should grab you some dry clothes" Damon stated, she looked quite uncomfortable in her soaked clothes.
"Do you have any American dollars yet?" he asked her.
She nodded; she had a little bit.
"The social workers assigned to me back home helped me to transfer my money into dollars" she said.
He nodded.
"Well, if you ever need more, you can ask us. The Salvatore's have always been a wealthy family. Between Stefan and I, and over a hundred years of well invested money, we are definitely not going to run out any time soon" he informed.
Jessica snorted.
"Yeah, I could tell by the size of your house!" she commented.
Damon grinned.
"Honestly no, I will be fine with what I have. Thank you" she said.
Damon pulled up outside a clothes shop.
"Quickly go and grab a fresh pair of pants, shirt, and shoes. You can change in the restroom at The Mystic Grille when we get there" Damon instructed.
Jessica nodded as she quickly ran into the shop and grabbed the cheapest options she could find. She was determined to never rely on anyone besides herself, but she didn't actually have that much money. Her mother had been practically bankrupt at the time of her death due to her focus on her supernatural research rather than paid work. Her mother claimed some benefits from the council, all of which had stopped immediately upon her death.
Jessica hesitantly paid for the clothes and ran back to the car. Damon looked slightly offended at her cheap style choice but did not comment. Then he pulled up outside The Grille.
They walked inside and Damon pointed in the direction of the restroom so that she could change her clothes. Once Jessica had changed her clothes, she looked around the restaurant and found Damon sat up at the bar.
She took a seat beside him, and Damon pushed a menu her way.
"Order yourself some breakfast then" Damon told her.
Jessica wanted to tell him that she wasn't actually that hungry and that food, and general eating, were a problem for her. However, she also knew that her father had just offered her an olive branch and she would be stupid to not take it by seeming rude and declining his breakfast offer.
She finally looked at the options and opted for some sausages, bread, and some scrambled eggs. A few minutes later a plate of food was placed in front of her.
Damon eyed the plate wondering if he should have encouraged her to order more.
He was quickly grossed out as he watched as Jessica put the sausages and scrambled egg together between the slices of bread and dousing the sausages and eggs in tomato ketchup.
He watched as Jessica cut the curious sandwich in half before picking a half up and biting appreciatively into it.
Damon just stared.
"What?" Jessica asked as she swallowed her mouthful.
"What do you call that kind of monstrosity?" Damon asked, still slightly disgusted by the greasiness of it.
"It's an egg and sausage butty" Jessica remarked.
"A what?" Damon asked sarcastically.
"An egg and sausage butty" she repeated with no further explanation.
Damon just stared at her in response.
"Can I eat now?" she asked him.
"Well, you can certainly give it a go" he answered whilst grimacing.
Jessica just rolled her eyes and carried on eating, the butty reminded her of home, and she was going to savour every last moment of it.
Damon waited until she had finished eating and then paid her bill for her.
She stared at him in confusion, and he just shrugged back leaving no room for argument.
"Come on, we've got a town to explore" Damon said.
Damon showed Jessica around the entire town. He even showed her where the high school was as he knew that she would be having her first day there very soon. Once she had the chance to have a good look around the town and feel more at ease in her surroundings, she and Damon got back into his car and drove home.
Upon entering the house, she immediately noticed Stefan and Lexi sitting on the couch in front of the fireplace.
Stefan shot up from the couch.
"Where the hell have you been? Do you have any idea how worried I have been?" he asked her, startling her at his sudden aggressive tone.
"Relax brother, I was showing her around town" Damon said nonchalantly as he walked into the tense scene.
Stefan stared in disbelief and resisted the urge to check his teenage niece for injuries.
"Well, why didn't you call and let me know where you were?" Stefan asked, calming slightly.
"I left my mobile here" Jessica said.
"Well, why would you leave the house without your cell in the first place?" Stefan asked.
"I wasn't expecting to leave the house so suddenly, sorry" she shrugged.
"Why did you suddenly decide to leave the house?" Stefan questioned.
"To be honest, your friend Lexi spooked me a bit" she admitted.
Stefan paused.
"Ah" he said, finally starting to realise the reason for her abrupt departure from the house.
"Sorry Jessica, I'm just stopping by to spend the day with Stefan for his birthday" Lexi said apologetically.
Jessica paused.
"It's your birthday? Sorry, I didn't know. Happy Birthday Stefan!" Jessica said.
Stefan smiled in appreciation.
Jessica then turned to Damon.
"Why didn't you tell me it was Stefan's birthday?" she asked him.
Damon laughed.
"You expect me to remember when his birthday is?" Damon asked.
Everyone in the room rolled their eyes at him, of course Damon wouldn't know.
"Dare I ask which birthday you're celebrating today?" Jessica asked Stefan.
"I'm one hundred and sixty-two today" Stefan replied.
"And THAT is the perfect reason why you should go to Caroline's party at The Grille tonight. You're not getting any younger little brother" Damon stated.
Stefan was suspicious.
"I'm also not getting any older Damon, why the sudden urge to get me to a party?" Stefan asked warily.
Damon shrugged.
"No motive Stefan. It's a high school party, you were the one that wanted to play pretend normal. Plus, your girlfriend's gonna be there. I suppose I could go keep her company instead if you're not interested" Damon sighed as if such a task would actually be that tedious.
Stefan glared at Damon.
Lexi stepped in before things could get violent.
"Oh, come on Stefan! It's your birthday, it will be fun. We are going to have fun!" Lexi encouraged excitedly.
Lexi could see Stefan was starting to cave.
"Jessica could come as well and finally meet some of the kids she will be going to school with" Lexi pushed.
Stefan looked at Lexi's pleading eyes.
"Ok, we'll all go" Stefan said, grinning at his oldest friend.