The Daughter of Damon Salvatore
Chapter Twenty-one
"Good morning ladies" Jessica and Elena startled awake at the sound of Damon's voice booming through their subconscious.
Both girls groaned at being woken up so suddenly.
"Bloody hell Damon" Jessica muttered.
Elena yawned and turned on her side so that she was facing Damon's direction and glared at him.
"Woah! Neither of you are morning people then" Damon stated as he took in the glares of both girls.
"What do you want Damon?" Elena grumbled.
"Well…the two of you could stay in bed all day and look cute snuggling with each other or, Elena…you could babysit your boyfriend for a while" Damon stated.
That piqued Elena's interest.
"Look…Stefan is refusing to drink anything that I'm offering him, he is buried deep in his brooding. I am almost certain that he was hallucinating earlier as well. I need Jessica to do something witchy for me which would mean leaving Stefan alone in the basement. However, I know that the two of you deal with emotional…stuff…well, and you might help encourage him to reconcile with himself. Are you up for the challenge?" Damon explained.
Elena quickly agreed, she was willing to do anything that Damon needed her to do in order to support Stefan.
"Awesome however, whatever you do, DO NOT unlock that basement door. Am I clear?" he ordered.
Elena nodded.
"Good, because it will most likely be your funeral if you do" Damon warned.
Elena started to get up and went to use Jessica's bathroom. Jessica tried to bury her head back under her pillow so that she could go back to sleep.
"Uh, uh, uh…I don't think so Miss" Damon stated as he pulled the pillow away from Jessica's face and lightly hit her with it.
"For the love of God, let me sleep" Jessica whined as she pulled the covers over her head instead.
Damon sighed and moved around the bed to grip the edges of the mattress. Using some of his strength, he tugged the mattress, so it forced poor Jessica to topple off of the bed and ungracefully to the floor.
Jessica shrieked in surprise as her body made contact with the floor, she glared up at Damon.
Damon just smiled mockingly at her.
"Since you're up and out of bed and all, you will be coming with me today…I have a little mission for us" Damon said.
"Like what? What about school?" Jessica asked.
"Get dressed, I will deal with the school, and I will explain more when you've had some breakfast" Damon stated.
"I'm not hungry" Jessica complained.
"You're never hungry, so let me rephrase. You WILL get dressed and you WILL come downstairs and eat the food that I WILL be putting on the table for you to eat. You WILL at least attempt to eat something and, if you disobey, you WILL NOT be going to practice magic with Bonnie later" Damon stated firmly, he was going to try and get a handle on this food thing before he sought a stranger's help.
Jessica noted the seriousness of his tone and nodded timidly.
Damon tried not to wince at how harsh he had just been.
He sighed as he sat down on the floor next to her. He pulled her onto his lap, hugging her comfortingly.
"Look, I'm not doing this to be a dick. I'm really worried about you, and I really want to make sure that you're healthy and happy…that's my job and, so far, I've been failing at it miserably. Help me to help you, yeah? If I have to slave away in the kitchen, cooking sausages and eggs for every meal for the rest of our lives, I will do it. Ok?" he said gently.
Jessica hugged him back and grinned at his words, he was really trying…and she owed it to him to meet him in the middle.
"Ok" Jessica whispered.
"Yeah?" he asked, pulling her shoulders back so that he could look at her face.
Jessica nodded.
"I'll get dressed and I will have some breakfast" she agreed.
"Good girl" Damon replied as he kissed her forehead and then helped her to her feet.
.
.
.
After the girls had finished their breakfast, Elena headed down to the basement to see if she could talk some sense into Stefan.
Meanwhile, Damon and Jessica headed for Damon's car.
"So…what are we doing?" Jessica asked.
"We are going out to Grove Hill; Alaric believes that John has been making phone calls out to the area and we think that it might be Isobel" Damon explained.
"Elena's mother?" Jessica asked.
During their sleepover, Elena and Jessica had a good catch-up and Jessica had learned so much more about Elena's life. Including Elena's feelings and thoughts towards her being adopted and Isobel being her vampire biological mother.
"Yeah, back when I turned her, I showed her how to be a vampire. I taught her how to live a life of luxury by staying in the nicest foreclosure in the area. I am going to look at some expensive estates this morning, I'm hoping to narrow down the search" Damon explained.
"Then why did you pull me out of school for the day? Surely you don't need me to do that" Jessica queried.
At first, Damon remained silent and kept his focus on the road.
Jessica quickly became suspicious.
"What?" she asked.
"I didn't know how to tell you and, I thought it would help…" Damon began.
Jessica stared at Damon worriedly.
Damon sighed.
"I've booked an appointment for you to go and see someone. Recently, we've talked a lot about your past and, to be honest, you have faced things that others never will. You take everything negative with a pinch of salt that you seem far too ok with, and that scares the hell out of me" Damon admitted.
Damon instantly heard the change in his daughter's heartbeat and breathing. Both having gone from normal to increasingly rapid within seconds.
"Hey! Hey! Hey! Jessica…calm down…" Damon attempted.
Jessica was really struggling to catch her breath and was feeling the beginnings of an anxiety attack. She tried to swallow but it felt like she was surrounded by smoke. She was gripping her thighs so tightly that they would certainly bruise…not that she noticed. What was worse was the worried churning on the pit of her stomach, it was making her feel extremely sick…
"Pull over" she suddenly choked out.
Damon, who had been watching her reaction, didn't hesitate. He stopped the car.
Jessica shakily opened the car door and stumbled her way to her feet. She ran over to the edge of the woodland that lined the road and fell to her knees.
She then began to throw up everything she had inside of her stomach.
Damon watched her with deep concern as she shakily got out of the car and then watched in horror as she dropped to her knees and vomited.
He quickly got out of the car to run over to her, cursing himself as he did.
When he reached her, he grabbed her hair and held it back from her face, he then tentatively rubbed soothing circles on her back and waited for her to finish.
"I'm sorry" he whispered once her vomiting had subsided.
She slowly tried to get to her feet once more, Damon supporting her bodyweight as she stood on shaky legs.
Jessica turned to him, and Damon was sad to see the tears in her eyes, he felt awful that he had reduced her to this.
"Is there something wrong with me?" she whispered brokenly.
Damon's jaw dropped and his eyes widened.
"No Jessica! No, that's not what I was getting at…" Damon tried to reassure her as he led her back to the car and sat her down on the front seat.
"Let me explain. I don't think there is anything wrong with you at all! However, you are a fifteen-year-old girl who has had an unfortunate upbringing. You have dealt with a lot, and you have dealt with it completely on your own. I don't know how I can help you…and I really want to. I'll admit that the coping mechanisms and strategies that you have developed are deeply concerning to me. I thought that maybe talking to someone else…someone professional…might help with a second opinion on what might be healthier coping mechanisms and strategies. I didn't mean to imply anything else by the suggestion, I just want you to have options which will hopefully mean that we can avoid a rehab visit in the future" Damon explained.
Jessica looked down at her knees and silently nodded, somewhat defeatedly.
Damon looked at her sadly and then hugged her small, shaking, frame.
"I'm with you every step of the way" he vowed.
Jessica let out a steady breath and nodded, despite her defeated persona.
Damon got back into the car and the started driving once more, Damon's hand settled reassuringly on Jessica's knee the whole way.
Once in Grove Hill, Damon parked up outside the therapist's office. Jessica slowly got out of the car and shuffled dejectedly alongside Damon.
Damon placed a comforting hand on her shoulder, silently promising her that everything was going to be ok.
As the two of them entered the reception, they were greeted by a friendly woman.
"Hello and welcome. How can I help you today?" she asked them.
"Hi, we have an appointment with Dr. Hayes" Damon stated.
"Ok, let me just check…for, Miss Beesley?" the receptionist asked.
Damon nodded. He had purposefully booked the appointment under Jessica's previous name.
"That's us" Damon confirmed.
"Wonderful! You're all checked in, let me walk you down the hall to her office. You're so lucky to have Dr. Hayes, she is a lovely woman. She is also a medical doctor and works at the local hospital. So, you are in safe hands" the receptionist smiled warmly.
Damon thanked her as the three of them walked down the hall together. As they reached one of the closed doors, the receptionist knocked and entered the room. She introduced Damon and Jessica to Dr. Hayes and then left the room.
"Please come in, take a seat, and make yourselves comfortable" Dr. Hayes offered.
Damon and Jessica took a seat on the sofa that was extremely inviting.
"Hello to you both, I'm Dr. Hayes, but you can call me Angela if you wish. Now, I understand that these sessions are going to be for Jessica. So, Jessica why don't you start by telling me something about yourself?" the doctor suggested.
"Er, ok…umm…I'm Jessica, I'm fifteen, I was born and raised in the UK and have recently moved here" Jessica said with very little confidence.
"That's a great start Jessica! Wow…you've only recently moved here? That must have been difficult and stressful for you. You have completely uprooted your life, moved away from your home, friends, school, and life, to then have to find your feet here. May I ask what the reason for the move was?" Dr. Hayes asked as she made some notes.
Jessica bit her lip.
"My mother died" Jessica deadpanned.
Dr. Hayes watched Jessica carefully.
"I'm sorry for your loss" she responded.
Jessica shrugged.
"She was sick and couldn't be cured" Jessica said.
The doctor made a few more notes.
"Why was it decided that you move to America rather than stay in the UK?" the doctor asked.
"I didn't have any relatives other than my mother in the UK, my only relatives were here in America" Jessica replied.
"Presumably you knew your relatives here in America?" Dr. Hayes asked.
Jessica shook her head.
"As my mother lay dying, she told me about my relatives here in America. It was the one and only time she ever mentioned them. I had never met or heard of any of them before arriving here" Jessica explained.
The doctor raised an eyebrow and made more notes.
"Let me get this straight…your mother passes away and you are flown halfway around the world to go and live with relatives whom you had never met or even heard of before?" the doctor looked astounded.
Jessica nodded.
"Wow" the doctor murmured as she wrote more ferociously now.
The room was silent for a couple of minutes as the doctor wrote, the sound of pen to paper was the only thing that could be heard.
It was getting on Jessica's nerves.
A minute later, a frustrated Jessica couldn't take the scratchy silence anymore.
"Can you stop with that irritating noise?" Jessica gritted suddenly.
"Jessica!" Damon stated, shocked at her sudden rudeness.
The doctor paused and looked at Jessica carefully before placing her paper and pen back on her desk.
"I apologize Jessica, I didn't realise it would upset you" the doctor tried to placate it.
"What other reaction do you want me to have? You seem to be writing what looks like a fucking book about me!" Jessica snapped.
"Now wait a minute…" Damon jumped in to immediately reprimand her language and attitude.
"Please Damon, don't interject just yet" the doctor spoke politely to Damon.
Damon promptly stopped talking.
"Don't be scared to express yourself in here Jessica, no one is going to shout at you here" the doctor promised.
Jessica just chewed her lip and looked down.
Damon and Dr. Hayes shared a glance.
"Do you often feel like that?" the doctor asked curiously.
"Like what?" Jessica asked.
"Angry? Like people are secretly talking or writing about you, that feeling would surely make you walk through life constantly looking over your shoulder?" the doctor pressed.
Jessica shrugged again.
"I can look after myself" Jessica stated.
"Really? A fifteen-year-old girl can completely look after herself?" the doctor challenged.
"Yes, I've been doing it longer than I can remember, and I will continue to do it now" Jessica replied haughtily.
The doctor assessed her a few moments more.
"Ok…then, will you do something for me?" the doctor asked.
Jessica hesitated.
"What?" she asked curiously.
The doctor nodded to the back corner of the room. There were various apparatus and clinical items displayed there.
"Do you see that tall metal stand in the corner, with the black step attached to the base of it?" the doctor asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Would you go and stand on that black step for me?" the doctor asked.
"Why?" Jessica asked.
"It's a scale, I'd like to check your weight" the doctor answered.
Jessica gulped; she already knew that she was underweight.
"I don't want to" Jessica stated.
"May I ask why not Jessica? Surely, an intelligent young woman such as yourself, who has the determination and confidence to successfully look after herself at just fifteen, isn't afraid of some silly scales" the doctor challenged politely.
Jessica glared at the woman.
"It's fine Jessica, don't worry about it. You're not the first teenager I've had in this room who is scared of the scales" the doctor stated nonchalantly as she purposely made a show of reaching for her notes once more.
Jessica clenched her teeth; she wasn't scared of some stupid scales. She certainly wasn't going to let this prim and proper bitch write that down on her notes.
Jessica growled as she suddenly stood up.
"If you want me to stand on the damn scales, then I will. I'm not scared of them; I just don't get why you're asking me to do it or why you need to know my weight" Jessica stated defiantly as she strode over to the scales looking more confident than she felt.
"That's fantastic to hear Jessica, I didn't doubt you for a second. Let me show you how to use them" the doctor stated as she stood and followed Jessica over to the scales.
The doctor subtly winked at Damon as she walked past him, she knew exactly what she was doing.
Damon just stared after her wide eyed, he was completely out of his depth here.
After the doctor had showed Jessica how to use the scales, she stood behind Jessica as Jessica stepped on the scales.
The doctor gave nothing away in her expression as to what she thought about Jessica's weight, and she even smiled encouragingly as Jessica stepped off them and walked back to her seat next to Damon. The doctor committed the weight to memory and would write it down later when Jessica was no longer present.
"Ok, just before we finish our introductory session for today, I would like you to answer some quick, albeit personal, questions I have. They are mainly 'yes' or 'no' questions where some clarification might be asked, but it is important that you are completely honest with your answers" the doctor stated.
Jessica nodded despite how uncertain she felt.
"If you'd rather keep the answers to these questions between the two of us, I can always send Damon out. Just let me know" the doctor said.
Jessica nodded even though she knew it wouldn't make any difference as Damon would hear from the other side of the door anyway.
"Ok, then I will begin. Your name is Jessica Beesley?" she asked.
Jessica nodded knowing Damon had given her previous name for the appointment.
"You're fifteen years of age?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Do you smoke?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Do you take drugs?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Can you tell me which drugs you typically take?" she asked.
Jessica sighed.
"Cannabis, MDMA, weed, cocaine, speed, and heroin" Jessica replied.
Damon silently winced next to her.
"Can you remove your jacket and hold out your arms for me?" the doctor asked.
Jessica frowned in confusion but did as she asked.
The doctor assessed the teens arms for a few moments, she was checking for any marks which may have come from misuse of drugs through injection. Damon realised that as well and couldn't help but subtly glance at Jessica's arms himself.
He noted what the human eye would probably miss, something he himself had failed to notice in the past and he hated himself for missing it. There were tiny, little, scars that subtly littered her arms. There was no way the doctor would be able to see them, Jessica had covered them well.
"Thank you, Jessica. Have you taken drugs since you've arrived in America?" she went back to questioning.
Jessica nodded.
"Did you take drugs more so in the UK?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Have you ever drunk alcohol?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Would you say you drink regularly…for a teenager?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Did you drink lots back in the UK?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Do you have a boyfriend or girlfriend?" she asked.
Jessica shook her head.
"Have you ever had a boyfriend or girlfriend?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Are you sexually active?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"How old were you when you first became sexually active?" the doctor asked.
"Thirteen" Jessica stated.
"Would you say you currently have sexual intercourse on a regular basis?" she asked.
Jessica frowned uncertainly before shaking her head.
"Did you have sexual intercourse regularly in the UK?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"What about your menstrual health? I assume you menstruate?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Are your periods regular?" she asked.
Jessica shook her head.
The doctor frowned at that.
"Are you taking the contraceptive pill?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
The doctor looked curious.
"So…you take the pill but experience irregular periods?" she asked in slight surprise.
Jessica nodded.
"Ok…" the doctor paused and looked down in thought.
The doctor then looked like she'd had a sudden epiphany and looked seriously at Jessica once more.
"Jessica, have you ever been sexually assaulted?" she asked.
It was Jessica's turn to hesitate, she then nodded.
The doctor nodded in return, as if a few of Jessica's previous answers suddenly made sense.
She let out a deep breath and returned to her questions.
"Have you ever been pregnant or miscarried?" the doctor asked.
"I wouldn't know" Jessica replied.
Damon clenched his teeth, trying not to show how terrifying her answers were to him.
"Any other medical conditions?" the doctor asked.
"Anaemia, folate deficiency, and a vitamin B12 deficiency" Jessica stated.
"Have you ever been bullied?" the doctor asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Have you ever been suspended or expelled from school?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Have you ever been arrested or been involved with the police for a crime?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Can I ask what sort of crimes?" the doctor asked.
"Theft, drugs, underage drinking, vandalism, and I once broke a grown man's nose by punching him" Jessica stated.
"Have you ever had suicidal thoughts or tendencies?" the doctor asked.
Jessica hesitated once again before nodding ever so slightly.
Damon tried not to stare at her in horror. He had always thought that it may have been a potential problem in the past.
"Do you regularly eat at least three meals a day?" the doctor asked.
Jessica shook her head.
"Do you snack?" the doctor asked.
Jessica shook her head.
"Do you often feel hungry?" the doctor asked.
Jessica shook her head again.
The doctor nodded.
"Ok Jessica, final question, do you often have nightmares?" she asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Thank you for your honesty, Jessica, it's really appreciated and brave of you. Now, if you give me a few minutes and we will discuss the next steps going forward. Then we can call it a day" the doctor encouraged.
Jessica just looked down awkwardly at the floor, she could feel Damon's concerned gaze on her.
She looked over at him, and he gave her a small reassuring smile that she had done a good job today. He placed his hand on her shoulder again and rubbed small, comforting, circles on it. Jessica relaxed slightly.
The doctor noticed and was amazed at how supportive Damon had been throughout the whole session. She knew first-hand that many guardians would have flipped out if they had heard their teenagers give the same answers that Jessica had.
Dr. Hayes finally turned back to them and spoke to the both of them.
"This has been an excellent first session and I would definitely want to see you again soon to discuss in more detail some of those answers that you just gave. However, for now, I'm more concerned with your physical health" the doctor began.
"Jessica sweetie, I know this is difficult to hear but earlier on this session you stated that you can successfully take care of yourself. The blunt, honest, truth…based on the answers that you have given me just now…is that you certainly cannot keep going on the way you are. That is not looking after yourself, you are slowly destroying yourself and I cannot work out yet if it is coincidental or subconsciously your goal" the doctor stated.
Jessica gulped, ready to argue back but Damon squeezed her shoulder, encouraging her to keep listening.
"For a teenage girl, your height and age, you should be around 105lbs. You are only 70lbs, and that is a huge problem. With your anaemia and vitamin deficiency…being that much underweight can become deadly, and fast. I will consult with the dietician today and we will develop a nutritional meal plan that you must stick to" the doctor instructed.
"I will also give you this list of supplements which are all over the counter, and you can even get them from the health store across the street after you leave this building" the doctor said as she handed the list to Damon.
"Is it really that bad?" Damon asked the doctor.
She nodded.
"Be thankful that I am not organizing her a hospital bed as we speak" the doctor replied.
Damon gulped and nodded again.
"I would also like to book Jessica in for a physical examination. As my receptionist mentioned…I am a therapist, but I am also a medical professional who works shifts at the local hospital. Would you prefer me to conduct the physical or would you like to see a different doctor?" Dr. Hayes asked Jessica.
Jessica frowned.
"Can I ask why you want me to have a physical examination?" Jessica asked.
"Of course! Some of your answers gave me cause for concern. You mentioned that you regularly take the pill, you menstruate irregularly, you have been sexually assaulted, and you occasionally have sexual intercourse at this current time. You also said you were unsure if you have been pregnant or miscarried in the past. That is a lot of uncertainty to have regarding your own body" the doctor explained.
Jessica listened intently.
"When was the last time you went to a hospital or doctor's appointment? Have you seen a medical professional since you were assaulted?" the doctor asked.
Jessica said nothing and wouldn't meet either adult's eyes.
Damon was internally panicking.
"Do you think something could be wrong?" Damon asked as he held Jessica's hand lightly.
The doctor nodded.
"It just seems unusual that Jessica would have an irregular menstrual cycle whilst she is on the pill. Yes, teenage girls typically have irregular menstrual cycles, one of the purposes of the pill is to regulate the menstrual cycle. Which is why I have some concerns. Jessica, you mentioned about a sexual assault, and I would like to ask a couple of follow-up questions" the doctor stated.
Jessica nodded as Damon's grip on her hand tightened.
"Did the assault happen in the UK?" the doctor asked.
"Yes" Jessica whispered.
"How old were you?" the doctor asked.
"Thirteen" Jessica replied.
"The same age as when you lost your virginity?" the doctor asked.
Jessica nodded.
"Was the sexual assault when you lost your virginity?" the doctor asked.
Jessica nodded again.
"Were you aware of this?" the doctor directed her question at Damon.
Damon nodded.
"I found out whilst we were having a discussion, and Jessica went into detail about it. It was what prompted me to start these sessions" Damon said.
The doctor nodded.
"You're doing the right thing" the doctor encouraged him.
"So, do you think that the sexual assault might be related to the whole menstrual thing you keep going on about?" Damon asked.
The doctor nodded.
"If the sexual assault was…for lack of words…brutal, particularly for a thirteen-year-old virgin, there may have been quite a substantial amount of internal trauma that has gone unchecked. Depending on the trauma and how it has healed, Jessica could be re-damaging herself or tearing open old wounds, every time she has had sex since the assault. It may explain why her periods are irregular although she's on the pill and, by having irregular menstruation…she probably wouldn't have noticed if she has ever become pregnant or if she has ever miscarried. Both of which, untreated or checked, can also have caused lasting…permanent…damage" the doctor explained.
Jessica shuddered as Damon's mouth dropped open.
"How soon do you want to see her?" Damon asked.
"Probably tomorrow or, at the latest, the day after. Depending on if she is happy for me to do it or if she would prefer another doctor to see her" the doctor explained.
Damon nodded and turned to Jessica, waiting for her answer.
"Can I see a different doctor?" Jessica asked.
The doctor nodded enthusiastically.
"Absolutely! I will book you in on the hospital system and send a confirmation email and message to the contact details Damon has given us" the doctor confirmed.
Damon frowned, confused as to why Jessica would want to see a different doctor.
Dr. Hayes rounded up the session and showed Jessica and Damon out.
Damon and Jessica walked out of the building and, after a quick side-trip to the health store for the supplements, Jessica was finally able to relax in the front seat of Damon's car.
Damon had mentioned that he needed to quickly pop into another shop and Jessica had begged him to let her wait for him in the car. He agreed and tossed her his car keys.
Jessica was just falling into a light sleep when Damon very quietly got in the driver's seat. Jessica's eyes fluttered open as he softly closed the door.
She saw that he had a bag of food and a drink for her. She raised an eyebrow at him.
"You look exhausted and, as you decided to throw up everything you've ever eaten earlier, you need some decent food in you and some liquids" Damon stated.
Jessica took the back and looked in the bag. It looked like Damon had got her some chicken and, at least, three bags of fries. She happily sipped away at her lemonade as well.
The two were quiet for some time until Damon spoke.
"How are you feeling?" he asked her.
Jessica shrugged.
"All over the place. I have a load of nervous energy and have the desire to turn stuff into flames" Jessica admitted.
Damon looked worried but nodded.
"You did extremely well today, I'm proud of you" Damon said.
"Thanks" Jessica said, leg shaking with nervous energy.
Damon noticed.
"Do you think some time practising with Bonnie will help with that?" Damon asked, indicating to her shaking leg.
Jessica thought for a moment before nodding.
"I think so" she agreed.
"Message Bonnie, see if it's ok with her first, and I will drop you off at her place" Damon suggested.
Jessica nodded.
After Bonnie had confirmed that Jessica could go round, Jessica relaxed once more.
"I can do more research on the Gilbert device…I need something to distract my mind for a bit" Jessica said.
"I don't want you overdoing it" Damon warned.
Jessica shrugged before focusing her attention on all things Gilbert device.
"So, Pearl genuinely never had any clue as to what it does?" Jessica asked.
Damon, understanding that she wanted a distraction, shook his head.
"Nope, she was being completely honest for once. Johnathan Gilbert only gave it to her back in the day because they were lovers. She thought the device was the compass, only realizing her error when she got captured" Damon said.
"It's so scandalous that Pearl and Johnathan Gilbert had a thing" she replied.
Damon nodded and grinned.
"Married man with kids as well" Damon agreed.
"Dirty dog!" Jessica shook her head in mirth.
Damon chuckled.
"Wives, girlfriends, harlots, and whores…that was the nineteenth century for you" Damon said.
"Anyway, I'm sorry I didn't research into this sooner. I promised you that I would do it ages ago but, Bonnie has been a little off with me recently for obvious reasons. I will use Bonnie's olive branch as an opportunity to research" Jessica confirmed.
Damon thanked her and the pair enjoyed a nice quiet drive back to Mystic Falls.
.
.
.
After Damon had dropped Jessica off at Bonnie's house, he headed into the town to find the sheriff. He wanted to see if John Gilbert's calls could be tracked to a more direct location, Damon needed to distract himself from the morning he'd had, or he would be tearing out throats.
The sheriff agreed to help and told Damon to wait whilst she went and searched the records.
It wasn't long before she came back with a more narrowed area, she was even able to pick up an internet code and a specific set of apartments.
Damon, knowing that Jessica was working safely with Bonnie, called Alaric. The fact that the search had now narrowed down to an apartment rather than a fancy mini mansion, confirmed that Damon was on the wrong track with this Isobel business. What was John doing by going out to, and having contact, with a small apartment in Grove Hill? It was too suspicious.
Alaric happily agreed to join him and the two men drove out to Grove Hill again, this time with a solid trail to follow.
.
.
.
Meanwhile, Jessica and Bonnie were working hard and practicing spells. Jessica had showed Bonnie the Gilbert device and asked her if she had come across anything that looked like it in amongst Emily's works.
Bonnie was just as stumped as Jessica but the two continued the research and practise some spells in between.
"What do you make of it?" Bonnie asked.
Jessica shrugged.
"I don't know to be honest. When I touch it, I get mixed signals about it. It's like it should be a good thing but it's a bad omen at the same time" Jessica tried to explain.
Bonnie nodded.
"What do you make of it?" Jessica asked.
"It's a good thing. It feels powerful, in a fantastic way…like it's the answer to all of our problems" Bonnie said.
Jessica looked confused.
"Really?" she asked, genuinely intrigued as to why the item felt different for the both of them.
"Do you think it comes down to intent?" Jessica asked.
"Maybe…" Bonnie replied.
"Perhaps we should try and find out more about what it does by looking through these Grimoires, hopefully we will find something. If not, I will keep researching until I find something" Bonnie said.
The two continued researching and practising for the rest of the afternoon and soon, night began to fall. Jessica had still not heard anything from Damon, and she wanted to go home and get ready for bed. She would definitely be going to school the following morning.
Jessica made the decision to walk home before it got any darker. She thanked Bonnie for all her help and Bonnie promised to continue researching the Gilbert device.
With one last goodbye, Jessica began the walk home.
.
.
.
Once at home, Jessica found Elena and Stefan talking on the couch in the living room.
"Hey Jessica, why are you home so late?" Stefan asked.
"No one came to pick me up from Bonnie's, so I decided to walk before it got any later" Jessica replied.
Stefan nodded.
"How are you feeling Stefan?" Jessica asked.
Stefan smiled.
"Much better now that I've had a small battle with the demons of my past" Stefan replied.
Jessica nodded.
"It's good to see you somewhat back to normal" Jessica grinned at him.
"I'm sorry I scared you, and bit you" Stefan whispered, voice full of remorse.
"It's ok…like I said, I'm just glad to see you're getting better. I see Elena managed to talk some sense into you" Jessica smiled.
"Thank you, Jessica" Stefan smiled back.
"No problem. Now…have any of you seen Damon, I haven't heard from him since he dropped me off at Bonnie's earlier?" Jessica asked.
Elena shrugged.
"He was here not too long ago, but I don't know where he is now" Elena explained.
"He's up in his room" Stefan replied.
Jessica felt the tense atmosphere and wondered what was going on. She had clearly missed something and didn't know what to think.
"Ok, I'm gonna go and see him. Have a nice evening you two" Jessica waved as she headed up the stairs.
Stefan and Elena wished her a goodnight.
Once she had reached the top of the stairs, she headed towards her bedroom as Damon's bedroom door was closed. However, as the tense atmosphere in the house remained, Jessica knew that she couldn't ignore the sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach.
She walked over to Damon's door and knocked on it gently.
Upon hearing no response, she twisted the door handle and was surprised when the door actually opened.
She slowly pushed the door open and stepped inside. She had never been in Damon's room before but, it certainly suited his personality.
"A closed door normally means that the occupant doesn't want to be disturbed" Damon deadpanned from his position on his bed.
"Ah, but a door that can be easily opened may be stepped through in either direction" Jessica retorted.
"Smartass" Damon, who remained laying down, said as he turned his head towards her and frowned.
"Want to fill me in?" Jessica asked.
"I don't know what you're talking about" Damon denied.
"Yeah, and I shit rainbows. Seriously, why the tense atmosphere in here tonight?" Jessica retorted.
Damon glared at her and went to tell her off for her language however, another thought crossed his mind instead.
"How did you get home?" Damon asked.
Jessica shrugged.
"I walked" Jessica said.
Damon's eyes widened.
"By yourself? In the dark?" Damon asked shocked.
"Well…no offence, but no one was coming to pick my arse up from Bonnie's. I wanted to make my way home before it got any darker" Jessica explained.
Damon nodded, trying not to wince. He was so bad at this being responsible for an irresponsible teen.
"Anyway, don't try to change the subject. What has crawled up your arse and died?" she asked.
"Nothing, just talking things through with Stefan about our past brought up some memories that I'd rather forget" Damon admitted.
"I get that, probably better than anyone else" Jessica said reassuringly as she sat on the end of Damon's bed.
Damon watched her carefully.
"What happened?" Jessica asked.
Damon sighed.
"Whilst Stefan was coming back out of his bloodlust stage, he kept hallucinating about 1864. When we tried to save Katherine the night she was captured, both Stefan and I were shot. We both died from those shots but had Katherine's blood in our systems so we both woke up in transition. I had made the decision not to turn. Katherine was gone, or so I thought, and I had no true purpose to continue living. I was ready to die" Damon explained.
"Woah" Jessica replied.
Damon nodded.
"Stefan had also decided not to turn but wanted to say one last goodbye to our father. Stefan went to visit our father and, our father knowing that Stefan should have been dead, attacked Stefan. Stefan defended himself and ended up fatally wounding our father, Stefan fed on his blood and turned. Stefan then forced me to feed, and I turned, I promised him a lifetime of misery" Damon said.
Jessica winced.
"The problem with Stefan is that he is a genuinely good soul. Which means that every person he hurts or kills, he feels deep remorse. Every time he fights the need for human blood, it physically hurts" Damon finished.
Jessica nodded, still confused.
"Ok, I get it…but why are you up here moping?" Jessica asked.
"Because earlier, Elena tried to accuse me of making Stefan feel guilty because of what happened to Katherine. Elena hadn't actually heard the entire story before throwing around her accusations, and it pissed me off" Damon said.
"Ok…I understand that but, it seems like it has been a bit of a heavy day for all of you. Thinking about your past is not always fun, you were literally thinking about the moment you died and lost your human life. You said you were shot…did you ever find out who shot you?" Jessica asked.
"My father" Damon replied.
"Wow…father of the year award" Jessica replied, shocked that a man had been capable of killing his own sons.
Damon nodded.
"Yeah, my human life was not that great to be honest" Damon replied.
"I can understand that" Jessica said.
The two of them looked at each other in understanding.
"Why don't we have our own mini therapy session together, try to get today off our chests a little?" Damon suggested.
Jessica looked at him curiously.
"What do you mean?" she asked.
Damon was now sitting up on his bed and couldn't believe the words that had left his mouth but, now that they had, he admitted that this could be quite a good idea.
"Ok, here's the deal. We each take turns telling each other about bad things that have been part of our pasts. I will cover my human life only to make it fair, and then we can talk about it…if you want" Damon said.
"What, like a contest as to who has had the shittiest upbringing?" Jessica asked.
"Kinda, but I just think it would be good for both of us to talk about stuff like that as we are both really, unhealthily, good at hiding our thoughts and feelings" Damon suggested.
Jessica thought for a moment.
"Ok then…" she agreed hesitantly.
Damon looked surprised that she agreed but decided to go with it.
He stood up and went over to his decanter and poured two glasses of bourbon before heading back to the bed. He placed one glass on both bedside tables and encouraged Jessica to come and sit with him at the head of his bed.
He realised that giving bourbon to a minor was not role model behaviour but, he knew that the two of them would likely need a stiff drink for this.
Jessica cautiously moved to the head of the bed and used one of the pillows to support her back and shoulders against the headboard, Damon did the same.
"Ok…shall I start?" Damon asked.
Jessica hesitated and then shook her head.
"Let's start at the beginning. You know what my childhood was like, and you've seen enough of my pictures to have a rough idea of how I was brought up. However, I only know Stefan's version of your childhood, you've never really talked about it…besides the war stuff. Can I learn something about your childhood first?" Jessica asked awkwardly.
Damon nodded.
"Sure…well, I was born in June 1839. My mother, Lily, was an attentive mother and was probably the only person who ever loved me. My father, Giuseppe, hated me. I don't really know why but, I was always the disappointment whilst Stefan was the golden child" Damon stated.
Jessica winced.
"My father was a cold man, it was a time where money, class, and status meant more than love, care, and emotional support. My father disapproved of the way my mother doted on Stefan and me. When my mother got sick, my father needed someone to blame…so he blamed me, as he always had done. Your turn" Damon said as he took a sip of his bourbon.
"Ok…I was born in 1994. My mother, Joanna, was a witch who fled to the UK. After I was born, she raised me by herself, only really having one male lover in her life for a very short time. My mother knew that I was different and that I needed to be protected, so she worked hard to ensure that I was protected. The cost? Actually spending time with me and fully raising me" Jessica said as she took a sip of her bourbon.
Damon nodded.
"My mother died of consumption when I was about seventeen, Stefan was just a little kid, and our father was not sympathetic towards us at all. He told Stefan and I that we were not allowed to cry or mourn at her graveside, and that he would never forgive us if we dared show any weakness to the other important men and socialites who attended her funeral. I couldn't bring myself to attend my mother's own funeral under that pressure" Damon said with sorrow.
"My mother died of a brain tumour a couple of months ago. As I was under eighteen, I was assigned a social worker who kept an eye on me whilst a suitable guardian was found for me. My mother died almost penniless, and she had to have the cheapest service available. To be burned with no service and with no one present. Me and my assigned social worker sat on an old bench outside the crematorium at the time my mother was due to be burned. We watched the chimney smoke until it stopped. I will never know if it was her that they were actually burning at that moment or not. I was numb long before my mother's death and I still feel mainly numb now" Jessica said.
Damon looked shocked, he had never realised that Joanna could not afford to have a proper funeral or service. The thought of the young teen sat with a stranger on a bench outside in the cold as she watched a chimney smoking because of her mother's body burning, made Damon's dead heart lurch in his chest.
"I didn't realize…" Damon trailed off, not really knowing what to say.
Jessica shrugged as she took a big swig of her bourbon and waited for Damon to speak next.
"My father believed in corporal punishment, as did the majority of society. When I spoke or acted beyond what was deemed acceptable, my father would use various methods to beat the behavior out of me. The same would have happened to Stefan but, I took the blame for most of Stefan's wrongdoings because he was too little to be hurt like that" Damon said.
Jessica guessed that this had been part of Damon's upbringing because of previous conversations and comments she had heard between the two brothers.
"No one was around to pull me into line when I spoke or acted out, I created my own dangerous path with no one to stop me. The only person who ever did was that one boyfriend of my mother's. Whilst my mother went away for the weekend, I was left alone with him as my babysitter. Once, I found a piece of paper with some notes on it on the floor, I thought it was my mother's and went to put it with her other papers. However, this piece of paper was directly from the guy's wallet, he saw the piece of paper and assumed I had been going through, and taking things out of, his wallet. Which of course I hadn't. He didn't believe me and so, he put me over his knee and tanned my arse with the paddle of a hairbrush until I screamed in agony whilst admitting to, and begging for forgiveness for, something I hadn't done" Jessica confessed.
Damon tried not to show how furious he was. At least when his father beat the shit out of him it was warranted due to Damon's defiant and cocky nature. But…to punish and hurt a child for something they hadn't even done? That was unforgivable and Damon wanted the man's blood.
"He disappeared from our lives not too long after that" Jessica said.
"Good" Damon growled.
Jessica shook her head in disagreement.
Damon waited for her to explain.
"It was after he left that my mother devoted all her time to her research, almost like she didn't have a reason to come home or stick around for anymore. Also, maybe if he had been around to punish me more, I wouldn't have turned out to be the bad person I am" Jessica explained.
Damon instantly moved to pull his daughter so that she was laying down next to him as he gently cupped her face with his hand and lightly stroked her cheek. He wanted to make sure that he had her full attention.
"Listen to me carefully…you are NOT a bad person. Misguided? Sure. Defiant? Absolutely. Troublemaker? To the most annoying level achievable. But, bad? Not even a little bit. I'm bad, I've met very bad people in my past and against them…you are an angel. Don't ever think that you are a bad person because you're not. Just because you bend the rules and test my patience every now and then, does not mean that you are bad. Annoying...yes! But never have I thought of you as bad. You're a teenager who needs boundaries which I have tried my best to instigate and you, for the most part, have kept within those boundaries. When you have gone against me, you have explained why and have admitted wrongdoing and accepted responsibility and punishment for your actions. That is not something a bad person could do, and I am proud of the young woman you are becoming. You have gained confidence, clarity, and levelheadedness since you've been with us and the change in you has been astonishingly noticeable. I'm just happy that I get to have a front row seat to finally watch all of this developing in front of me this time" Damon said.
Jessica allowed a couple of tears to fall at her father's words. She had always convinced herself, and been convinced by others, that she was bad and damaged and that she was never going to accomplish much in her life. But, hearing what Damon thought of her and that he was proud of her, made her heart warm. Damon was the one person Jessica wanted to impress and, as Damon never really showed his emotions, she assumed that she disappointed him all the time. It was good to hear directly from him that she could actually do something right for once.
"Please don't cry. I never know what to do when you cry" Damon whispered.
Jessica smiled at his awkwardness and apologised, she then waited patiently for him to continue.
"Ok…think of the best thing to happen to you as a child" Damon instructed.
Jessica closed her eyes and thought.
"I guess it was when I was doing well at school. Believe it or not, at one point, I really did enjoy school and I was smart. I was a strong achiever and my teachers challenged and encouraged me to aim higher. I was my happiest then" Jessica said.
Damon nodded.
"I was happiest when my mother was alive. Sometimes, before Stefan was born, my father would go out of town for business. It would just be my mother and I and we would play, she would read to me, sing to me, and just love me without having to hide her affection for her child. She taught me how to read and write, how to cook and clean, and how to be kind and respectable towards everyone no matter of wealth, class, or status. It was her influence which made me grow up and develop the capacity to love and accept the world around me. Unlike Stefan, who grew up under my father's influence and learned how to take things that the world 'owed' to him" Damon said.
Jessica nodded, the two were quiet for a moment whilst Damon gained the courage, he needed to approach his next question.
"Jessica…you can say 'no' but, how would you feel about us talking a bit more about your sexual assault and its wider implications?" Damon asked as he held his breath.
Jessica froze for a moment; she had still been wondering how to process the whole Tyler situation.
"Ok…" she said hesitantly.
Damon was glad to hear that she trusted him enough to tackle this part of her life.
"Well…obviously you explained what happened, but have you thought about how that event is still influencing you now?" Damon asked.
Jessica shook her head.
"I know you tried to explain it yesterday but, I'm still trying to understand" Jessica replied.
"Well…as much as I would rather remain blissfully ignorant, I want to know your thought process about it all. Take your time, don't be scared to talk to me" Damon said.
"What happened back home, happened. I can't change that; it will always be a part of my life. However, being over here, feels like a new beginning. A chance for me to be as far away from that part of my life as possible. By being here, as you mentioned, I have allowed myself to be more confident and open and I just want to be a normal teenager. The whole having to be a witch thing kind of felt like a huge step back from that normal teenage life I wanted. I felt like I was losing control of my life again and I wanted to regain control before I lost it completely again" Jessica said.
Damon nodded and encouraged her to continue.
"There are two ways in which I knew I could regain that control…one of them being sex. I felt that if I could push myself to actually go through with sex, that I wouldn't be so scared of it anymore. My thoughts have been extremely dark for a long time, so much that they were starting to scare me and that I was becoming my own worst enemy. There were things that I did to myself…" Jessica admitted.
Damon nodded; he had never thought about the idea of self-harm. He wondered what thoughts she'd had and what types of self-harm they had driven her to. Damon decided to tackle the sexual assault issue for now as it was bound to be an emotionally exhausting topic for her.
"But you had other sexual partners back in the UK, didn't you? How did sex with them differ compared to now?" Damon asked.
"With the other boys back home, there was nothing to it. There was no emotion, no connection, no relationship. It meant that I could disconnect from it all completely. Most experiences I had back home were after I'd spent the night drinking, or taking drugs, when I was numb and didn't have to think or even feel anything. The boys never cared so didn't bother to make it last longer than they needed…which was never long anyway. Then afterwards, we would just pass out and wake up not really having any memory of it all" Jessica answered.
"Then why bother doing all that at all?" Damon asked.
"Because, at the time, mum had been gone for weeks. The bills hadn't been paid, there was no electric or hot water, and no food in the house. There was also no money to pay for any of it and the council were starting to send threatening letters about repossessing the house and kicking us out. I was scared and didn't want to be in the house alone and so, I would go from house to house of these boys and spend each night with one of them or sometimes we'd hang out as a group. Just so I could have somewhere warm to sleep, hot water to bath in, and food to eat. Once the stories of me sleeping around circulated, it became an expectation that I would give my body in return for warmth, hot water, and food. It became such a normal cycle, that it didn't break until mum got sick…then that became the only thing that mattered" Jessica explained.
Damon tried not to cringe at the situation she had fallen into and normalised in her mind.
"Tell me more about these boys" Damon said.
"Well, there was mainly four of them: James, Callum, Nicholas, and Daniel. James and Callum lived in normal, traditional, family homes with their parents and siblings. It was more difficult to spend nights at their homes because their parents lived a normal family life which did have boundaries and rules such as no sleepovers on a school night etc. However, with Nicholas and Daniel, it was much different. Nicholas lived in a massive house and his parents were always away on business and because his siblings no longer lived at home, he always had the house to himself. So, most of my nights were spent with Nicholas along with our group hangouts. Daniel's parents were doctor's and often worked night shifts and it was easy for me to go to his place after his parent's left for work and be gone in the morning, long before his parents came home. The four of them would often head out to London and I think they were involved in extremely dodgy business in London but, who was I to judge and complain? The four of them together attempted to kill Sam after the assault and then they all disappeared after that" Jessica replied.
Damon shook his head at the constant danger she had been in.
"Then when you came here?" Damon questioned.
"Tyler was the first friend I made, it had been a long time since I'd actually had a friend that I kind of used what I knew from past experience to make myself seem interesting and worthy of his friendship. The night we met, we'd been drinking and that relaxed us both. I knew Tyler might want my body and I tried to encourage myself to be confident like that. When it actually came down to having sex with him, I automatically reverted to that numb, disconnected state and because it was what I was familiar with…I didn't try very hard to fight it" Jessica answered.
"Why didn't you ask him to stop?" Damon asked.
"The one and only time I have asked a guy to stop or said 'no' to them, my entire world unravelled. I was terrified that history would repeat itself and I would lose my chance at a new beginning before it had even begun" Jessica replied.
Damon nodded.
"How did things change after that?" Damon asked.
"Honestly? It was you and Stefan who started to make me rethink everything. When I came home that morning, the both of you were livid and were so worried and you shouted at me and made me feel stupid and then punished me for my stupidity. It was the first time that had ever happened and, by accepting my punishments and taking responsibility, I felt good…is that really weird?" Jessica admitted.
Damon smiled and shook his head.
"No, you have spent so much time dealing with this on your own. It probably feels odd to have others in your life telling you what you should and shouldn't do. However, on a subconscious level, you would've felt good about it because you knew our reaction was coming from a place of genuine care and out of respect for who you are and not what you have to offer" Damon said.
Jessica nodded.
"I think I get that now. When Tyler and I were together at the dance, he kissed me. For the first time, it felt like a normal kiss, the kiss you give someone that you have a connection with. At the time, I thought it was because I loved him but now, I know that it was because he was the first boy to actually see me as a human being rather than just a piece of pussy" Jessica stated.
Damon frowned in disapproval.
"Choice of wording aside, why did you sleep with Tyler yesterday?" Damon asked.
"After the whole Katherine not being in the tomb thing, I didn't want to stay here because of the man you were being. The man that compelled women and removed their choices so that they couldn't say 'no'. The man who took the pleasure that he wanted from them and then discarded them without a second thought. It was the kind of man that terrified me and made me want to run for my life. I went and stayed with Tyler during that time. The whole time I stayed with him, he didn't touch me once – except for the odd friendly kiss here and there. It was with him that it hit me: he gave me a warm bed to sleep in, hot water to shower in, and food, without him wanting anything from me. The problem was that because he hadn't taken anything from me, I felt like I owed him something in return instead. So, I repaid him the only way I knew how – sex" Jessica explained.
Damon tried not to wince at the image of himself she had painted, the idea that the teen had mentally viewed him in the same category she viewed her rapists, was a really horrific reality.
"How do you feel about that now?" Damon asked.
"I think I'm going to keep Tyler as a friend, but no more sex with him. He likes me and would never hurt me, and I am happy to keep that because I am thankful for him, and I do enjoy his friendship. If he was meant to mean more to me than friendship, then him making out with Matt's mum, or him flirting with Aimee and Sarah at Miss Mystic yesterday, should have bothered me. I should have had a problem with that, like jealousy or something, but I didn't. None of it upset me, and I feel no different to him today than I did the day we met" Jessica concluded.
Damon nodded.
"I'm glad you've thought it all through a bit more. Whilst I'm glad to hear that you do not intend to have sex with Tyler anymore, I do want it to hit home that you NEVER 'owe' a boy anything. A boy who is worthy of you will be someone who accepts and loves you for whatever you DECIDE to give him no matter how big, or small, the gesture…ok?" Damon responded.
Jessica nodded.
"However, after last night with Elena, you could end up changing your mind completely and switching teams!" Damon grinned, trying to lighten the mood.
Jessica laughed.
"Seriously?" she replied.
"Hey, you're still young" Damon shrugged.
The two laughed for a bit and then relaxed once more.
Damon frowned again.
"What's on your mind now?" Jessica asked, noticing Damon's shift in mood.
"You said sex was one of the two ways in which you felt like you were regaining control. What's the second way?" he asked.
Jessica took a deep breath.
"Food" she replied.
Damon's eyebrows disappeared into his hairline.
"With sex you are controlling what does and does not go into your body, your body is yours to control. The same thoughts can be applied to food, the presentation is just a little different. Food was one of the main reasons I would go and sleep with these boys, it felt like food controlled my actions and motivations for a while. I decided to turn the tables so that food now answers to me. As you have let me know, that is not a healthy option but…I am working on it as well" Jessica said.
Damon nodded.
"Well, considering you're about to have a dietician approved meal plan, you don't really have an option anymore. Speaking of which…have you had dinner?" Damon asked.
Jessica bit her lip and looked down interestedly at the bedsheets.
"I didn't think so. Go and get showered and get changed into something comfy and then go downstairs. I will go and prepare a nutritious dinner for you…ok?" Damon instructed.
Jessica nodded and moved to head to her room.
"Thank you…for everything" Jessica said.
Damon knew what she meant and nodded.
"Anytime" he replied.
.
.
.
Downstairs, Damon headed for the kitchen, only to be intercepted by Stefan.
Damon tried not to groan.
"What do you want Stefan?" Damon asked.
Stefan hesitated.
"I just wanted to say thank you for helping me through this. I'm sorry that I'm the reason Katherine got caught and that I forced you to turn in 1864" Stefan said.
Damon shrugged.
"My actions are not for you to feel guilty about because they are mine, Stefan. Besides, my being mad isn't because you got Katherine caught or forced me to turn…it's because Katherine was only supposed to turn me, you were never part of the eternity plan" Damon said frankly.
Stefan nodded and tried to accept that piece of information. He couldn't change the past.
Damon nodded back and headed for the kitchen once more but, Stefan stopped him again.
"I listened in to what you and Jessica were talking about. Why didn't you tell me about any of what she has been through? Who is putting her on an approved meal plan?" Stefan asked in concern.
"I'm her father Stefan, it is my responsibility to be someone that she can feel she can go to privately for guidance. I'm not going to tell her darkest secrets to you like its high school gossip when she's only just starting to be open with someone for the first time in her life. If she decides to open up to you, it will be on her terms alone" Damon spat.
Stefan stared wide eyed but backed off.
"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to make dinner for a hungry teen" Damon stated as he finally reached the kitchen.