It's a Christmas miracle, lol! I'll begin with an apology. I never expected it to take 4 years for an update. My deepest and most sincere apologies. I'll explain later at the end, but for now…if you're reading this and you've been with me since the beginning or have found this story in the past 4 years or have just now stumbled upon it, I thank you for reading. Also…any continuity and or grammar errors are my bad. I truly wanted to get this out there before I chickened out or decided I didn't like this version! Also...I had no idea what to call this chapter, lol. But I wasn't gonna let that stop me from publishing it either! Enjoy.

Elena

Stop and stare

I think I'm moving but I go nowhere

Yeah, I know that everyone gets scared

But I've become what I can't be, oh

Stop and stare

You start to wonder why you're here not there

And you'd give anything to get what's fair

But fair ain't what you really need

Oh, can you see what I see?

"Stop and stare", One Republic

Elena

I drained the rest of my wine from my glass, set it back down on the bar and laid my chin down on my crossed arms. Meredith frowned at me.

"Turn that frown upside down, missy." She said, taking the bottle of wine and topping my glass back off before filling hers back up. Nudging my glass towards me with two fingers. She nodded at it. "Drink." I raised my lip at her. She merely raised an eyebrow. She'd been hanging out with 'he who shall not be named' too much lately. "Don't give me that look." She pursed her lips at me and drank. "Might as well enjoy this stuff, right?" I hmphed and raised myself up enough to sip from my glass. Meredith shook her head. "There's no sense in pouting the whole night, right? We're here. We're together. That was the point? Getting together?"

I pushed to my elbows and leaned forward. "Yes. That was the point. But there's no reason why we still couldn't have dinner at a restaurant."

Meredith's look was sympathetic as she filled my glass back up. "Elena." She said gently.

"I know." I muttered dejectedly. "I know." She reached out, placed her hand on my shoulder and squeezed before rubbing reassuringly. I scrubbed my hands over my face, let out a frustrated groan. "I just..." I hated the tears in my eyes. Damnit. I placed my cool fingers over my hot eyelids and held them there.

Meredith was silent. And I needed her to be. If she said anything right now, the tears would begin to flow freely and that wasn't what I wanted. So, we sat there. In silence. And it was nice. I took deep, calming breaths. Practiced what Damon had taught me earlier today.

In: one, two three.

Out: one, two, three, four, five.

After four repetitions of each I opened my now clear eyes and Meredith was staring at her swirling wine in her glass. I laughed and rolled my eyes as I slid off the barstool. Heading for the fridge, I opened the door just as I heard the all too familiar beep of the alarm system. I shut the fridge door and joined Meredith at the counter as Alaric appeared in the walkway, bags bearing a fancy Richmond restaurant hanging from his arms. He grinned at us. "I come bearing sustenance!" He announced as he set out the bags on the bar. His eyes rested upon the bottle of wine sitting out on the counter. "I see you've been in the wine cellar." He directed at Meredith with a side grin.

She snatched up her wine glass. "Mmhmm." She sidled close to the counter and leaned over, pressing a kiss to his lips. "Hi." She whispered.

"Hi back." He replied with a smile meant only for her. I turned away, almost embarrassed to be caught watching. "Elena." He greeted me. I turned back to look at him.

"Ric." I said with a small, little wave. He came around the counter and before I knew it, pulled me into a hug, wrapping his arms around me. I stood frozen for a moment before I put my hands gently on his arms. A sort of return hug on my part. It wasn't awkward. No, not at all.

"He means well." He whispered, having to lean down to whisper into my hair. "Don't hold this against him." I didn't respond, just let him go when he let go of me. Meredith was watching us both with nothing but friendly concern pointed at me. "Alright then. I'll leave you gals to it. Everything you need should be in those bags. Francisco got me your requests, I think there might even be some cheesecake in there. And on that note, I will disappear unless summoned." He pressed a kiss to Meredith's cheek and snagged one of the three bags off of the counter. "Enjoy, ladies." And he was gone just as quickly as he arrived.

Meredith reached for one of the bags and began to unload it. Even the 'to go' dishes from this restaurant were elegant. No need to be plated, they could be eaten from their fancy boxes. She knew where the silverware was kept as well and grabbed me a fork.

"Thank you." I said softly, scooping my entrée box into my arms and balancing my wine glass.

"Do you want to sit out on the terrace?" Meredith posed.

"The terrace?" I asked, my brow crinkling in confusion. "The back deck?"

"Well," she said, with a grin. "It's fancier than a deck. Plus...we'll consider it a terrace for the purpose of this evening." She shrugged. "Want to?"

Oh, I wanted to. But I was also shrewdly wondering if we would be stopped at the door and barred from leaving the confines of the house. I couldn't guarantee how I'd react if that were to be the case. With a sigh, I nodded my approval. Guess we'd take our chances. "The terrace it is."

We made our way to the back of the house and I took note of the alarm panel next to the door that very suspiciously turned green as we approached.

Well, I guess the warden was going to allow us our yard time. No doubt there were security cameras out there. I opened the door, seeing as Meredith had the bottle of wine under her arm as well.

We took our seats and quickly dug into our meal. Desperate to get my mind off of everything currently on my mind, I turned to Meredith. "So, how's life?"

She laughed, her hand coming up to cover her mouth so as to not spit out her food she was in the process of chewing. "Good." She mumbled. "Busy." She said after chasing her food with a swallow of wine. She sighed loudly. "Really hectic to be honest."

"Yeah?" I asked, taking another bite. I gestured with my fork, a 'please, tell me more' gesture.

"I love what I do." She said with a shrug. "Don't get me wrong. But it's exhausting. Exhausting." She drained her wine and I reached for the bottle to fill up her glass again. "Thanks. It's so rewarding, Elena. To help people that otherwise couldn't afford it. To be able to help the single parents working themselves to the bone that can't take time off of work to take their sick children to the doctor with our after-hours care? And then you add on the fundraiser coming up? It's completely and utterly draining. I need a vacation. Like a month-long vacation. Cut off from civilization. No phones. No email. A digital void. I would sit on the beach and just..." She lifted her hand and fluttered it. "Be."

I smiled sadly. "Take me with you?"

Her sincere eyes captured mine, held them. "Of course." And I believed her. She spoke the truth.

Suddenly it dawned on me. "Meredith."

"Hmm?" She said around her shrimp scampi.

"We're going to Maine in two weeks."

She nodded, replied. "That'll be nice." She took another bite of her meal. I shook my head at her. She didn't understand.

"No, Mer. Come with us."

She frowned and sipped her wine to swallow her food. "I wouldn't want to impose on a love fest between you and..."

I cut her off with a swipe of my hand. "Please. There will be no love fest. My..."

She butted back in. "Look, I know you're not happy with him right now. And while I don't entirely blame you, you do know that somewhere underneath those hurt feelings you understand why he did what he did. And if I know Damon, and I've gotten to know him pretty well, I'm willing to bet that you'll have made up by then. And the likelihood of a love fest is pretty high." Satisfied with her speech, she grabbed her wine glass and sat back in her chair and tipped it up.

"You done?" I asked her with a half smirk. She shrugged. "What I was going to say was my brother is coming home. And we'll be going up to my parents' home they left to him."

"Oh." She whispered, a chagrined smile replacing her smug one.

"Mhmm. It sleeps 10 comfortably. Jeremy will be there along with his on again off again Bonnie, myself and Damon. And I'm sure the invitation has already been extended to Alaric or it will be shortly anyway. So. Interested?" I posed, sipping at my wine, done with my meal.

She pretended to think about it for a moment. "You're sure?" She confirmed.

"I wouldn't have mentioned it if I wasn't." I pointed my wine glass at her. "Here's my selling point: On. The. Beach. Oh, and did I mention there's a heated pool?"

She laughed, "Elena, you had me sold at not a love fest. Count me in. I'll put it on my calendar tomorrow at work."

"Tomorrow's Saturday."

"There's no rest for the wicked." She winked. I shook my head at her.

"I thought your date was tomorrow."

"It is." She said, pushing her plate further back onto the table. "Later in the afternoon."

"Should be fun." Probably more fun than I would be having at least. But I shouldn't be moping. Now wasn't the time to mope.

She smiled whimsically before sipping the last sip from her glass. "I imagine with Ric it will be."

Yes, Ric. Ric was fun. She reached for the bottle of wine and topped off both our glasses again. And now the bottle was empty. Holy hell. How much had we had to drink? "Is that our second bottle?"

"Uh..." Meredith frowned as she set it down, squinted at it. "I..." She pursed her lips. "Think so?" She stood. "We're gonna need another soon." And she slipped inside the house before I could protest. I didn't need any more wine. I put my head in my hands, rubbed my temple. A warm, buzzed feeling spread throughout my veins. I needed to stop after this glass. Seriously. I could feel the buzzing, as well as hear it. Maybe I was losing my mind. Anything was possible at this point. I heard the French doors open. "Elena." Meredith's amused voice floated on the air towards me. "Elena." She called again. I opened my eyes. Her eyes were lit up with laughter. "Your phone is vibrating.

"Oh!" Duh! That's what the stupid buzzing had been. I giggled to myself and reached for my phone. Which was tucked in my jacket pocket. My screen showed missed call. No biggie. Upon selecting it and verifying my thumbprint, it showed an international number. My heart sunk. No. No. I let out a little sob. "No." I cried.

"What?" Meredith asked, concern plain as day on her face. She hurried over with her bottle of wine, squatted next to me. She placed a hand on my arm.

"Jeremy." I whispered. I clutched the phone to my chest as I felt the tears silently fall. I sniffled. "Jeremy called."

"I'm sorry." She whispered softly.

I nodded, my chin falling to my chest. "It's okay." I wiped away my tears with one hand, still clutching my phone with the other, kept nodding. "I'm just emotional with the wine and everything else that's..."

The doors to the terrace burst open, smacked loudly against their respective stoppers. Both men appeared in the doorway, Damon strode towards me, Alaric hot on his heels. "What happened?" Damon barked.

I narrowed my eyes. Righteous indignation coursed through my veins, almost instantaneously drying up my sadness. "Nothing you should concern yourself with." I said through grit teeth.

His already stormy eyes darkened. "All things concerning you concern me." He stated matter of factly.

"This doesn't." I growled. Meredith's hand on my arm, squeezed gently. It didn't have the effect I think she intended it to have. I continued to glare at him.

"Elena." She said. I broke my intense stare down with Damon and directed my attention to her. "Anger doesn't solve anything. It builds nothing, but can destroy everything." I blinked at her. Took a deep breath. They were wise words. Too bad I wasn't feeling so forgiving right now. "Alaric and I will just be inside." I opened my mouth to tell her no, that this was supposed to be our evening. Not a time for Damon and I to hash out our issues. "Oh, we're not done." She said, lifting the bottle of wine clearly reading my mind. "There's still this bad boy to consume." She winked as she pushed herself to a standing position. She set it down on the table, and paused. "On second thought." She snatched it back. "I'm just gonna take it with me. Don't want any mishaps with it. Could be used as a weapon." She said as she walked away and she and Alaric disappeared silently, shutting the doors behind them.

Damon stood behind Meredith's chair, his arms crossed over his chest, his legs rooted to the ground. His 'I'm not giving you an inch' stance. "What is your malfunction?" He asked once the terrace doors were closed completely.

I sneered at him. My malfunction? Try yours buddy. "Excuse me?"

"Your malfunction. Your problem." He waved his arm at me. "What is it?"

My eyes widened. I stood, set my phone on the table and gripped the edge so I wouldn't budge. Or maybe so I wouldn't reach out and strangle him. The latter was likely more probable. "My problem?" I repeated.

"Yes, Elena. Your problem. You've had a stick up your ass since we left the furniture store and I don't understand your reasoning. You still got your evening with Meredith, albeit not exactly the same one you had planned previously, but shit happens. And unfortunately shit seems to follow you around lately." Hurt filled me, then rage. My mouth dropped, but before I could spew venom at him. He held up his hand. "Not that it's all your fault."

"All my fault." I muttered, repeating his words out loud. I pressed my fingertips over my eyes, took several slow deep breaths. "Damon Salvatore." I said softly. "You're lucky we're friends but right now if you say another word or come any closer I'm liable to stab you with a fork." It had been damn good foresight for Meredith to take that wine bottle with her.

An eyebrow lifted, a hint of a smirk crossed his face before disappearing very quickly. "A fork?" He asked.

"Well, there's no knives." I grumbled. He had better be damned grateful that smirk had disappeared before amounting to anything or else I'd have gone in search of a knife.

He uncrossed his arms and reached out to grip the chair in front of him. His knuckles turned white, his demeanor changing. "I honestly don't comprehend how or why you're angry with me."

"I honestly don't comprehend how you don't understand why I am angry." He looked skyward, mumbled something under his breath. God, I hated it when he mumbled.

"Your safety..."

"Is your top priority." I mocked, rolling my eyes. Jesus, that needed to be the company motto. "Yes, I understand that Damon."

"Then why...?" He growled.

The wine fueled my anger, gave me liquid courage and I cut him off. "Because you can't keep me in a damn bubble for the rest of my life!" I yelled. "You honestly think that keeping me hidden away is going to stop him? I'm not going to spend the rest of my life in a safe house."

"Like hell you won't." He muttered. There he went again! I was gonna start smacking him every damn time he muttered or mumbled or grumbled or said anything under his breath! Both my hand and he would be bruised when I was done with him if he kept it up!

"I'm not going to spend my nights locked in a safe room. I want to enjoy my life, Damon. I want to go out. Experience things. Experience life. Have fun. Hang out. Be with friends. Be with -." you. I stopped myself. I definitely had reached my limit with the wine. Things needed to be said, but I was beginning to reveal a bit too much here.

"You think I don't want those things for you?" He asked. "You think I want to lock you away in a safe house? You think I don't want you to experience life and have fun and do things?" He yelled, his voice getting heated. He waited until I made eye contact with him. "You think I don't want to be with you too, Elena?" He paused and let that sink in. I shivered under the weight of his gaze. Those dark and stormy eyes held so much emotion and intensity they spoke volumes. "But until you're safe? I won't risk it. I won't risk you."

"Don't I have a say in the risks I take?"

"No." He said firmly. "You don't."

"I don't?" I asked incredulously, my voice rising again.

"No." He repeated. "You're the client."

"Seriously? There you go again. I'm the client." I mocked. God, he was infuriating.

"You are, Gilbert. You're the client and I'm your lead security. You don't make the decisions. I do. It wasn't safe to go out tonight. It wasn't really safe to go out when he was locked up either. He's already proven his reach goes far beyond that which we've given him credit for. Therefore, you don't go out. End of story. There's no discussion. And there shouldn't be any hurt feelings. I'm sorry if you feel like you're being punished. You're not. You're being kept safe. I gave you a choice when we left the store. You didn't want to go home. So, we're here. I've stayed out of your way out of respect for you and knowing that you're pissed at me. You want to be pissed at me? Fine. Be pissed. Because I'll tell you this, Elena Gilbert, I'll take you pissed at me any day over dead or back in the clutches of that fucker. You following my rules is how we make sure that shit doesn't fucking happen."

I sat there. And I listened. While he ranted. He made sense. Of course, he did. Even in my wine-addled brain I understood. That didn't mean I still wasn't mad.

"He's never going to go away." I whispered, defeat and despair crawling through me.

"He will."

I could feel the tears threatening. "You can't know that."

"I can know that." He insisted. A feeling of foreboding washed over me. Fear creeping into my pores.

"Damon," I whispered.

He read my mind. "You don't need to worry about me. I'm not planning anything. But I'm prepared. You just need to worry about enjoying your evening with Meredith. Nothing else." He frowned at me, his eyes narrowing at me. "Now. What happened earlier? Why were you crying?"

Well, I felt stupid now. Felt like mentioning the fact that I had been crying over Jeremy was a ridiculous notion. I sniffled as the feelings wafted back over me. "I missed a call." I told him.

"You missed a call." He repeated. His tone clearly confirming my thoughts of my being upset a ridiculous notion.

"Yes. From Jer." I huffed.

His eyes softened and sympathy rolled off of him in waves. "Oh. I'm sorry, sweetheart."

I sniffled again, swiped at my nose with the back of my hand. "It's fine. I've just had a rough couple of days. And the wine and Mason and you and then I miss my broth..." I was suddenly pulled out of my chair and into a hug. His arms wrapped around me tight and held me close. After my initial shock wore off, I hugged him back, wrapping my arms around his waist. I laid my head against his heart, listened to it thrumming wildly. "I feel like I can't catch a break." I whispered.

"It will come. It won't always be like this, baby girl. I promise." I nodded into his shirt, willing to accept his promises even if I didn't necessarily believe them. Oh, but I wanted to.

"I'm still mad at you." I told him, the tears mixed with a little bit of laughter as I realized how ridiculous I sounded.

He chuckled, his mirth shaking us both lightly. "That's alright, sweetheart. Not the first, won't be the last."

"Maybe he'll call back?" I said, my voice coming out rather squeaky.

Damon hesitated and I knew from the hesitation that it was highly unlikely I would get a repeat phone call. "Maybe." He finally murmured into my hair. He pressed a kiss at the crown of my head.

"Probably not though, right?"

"It's not likely, Elena." His voice was sad. I knew he felt my pain. He'd made those phone calls too. And I'm sure many had gone unanswered. "But he'll be home soon." That's what I had to keep telling myself. That I'd see him soon. I nodded again, turned fully into his embrace and held him tight. After several moments of just standing there quite enjoying being held and equally enjoying holding him he brushed a hand over my hair. "Are you ready to go back to your girl's evening?"

No. "Yes." I told him, letting him go. Although I would never admit out loud that I was extremely reluctant letting go.

"Still mad?" He sighed.

"Yes." I said honestly, looking up at him. "But it'll fade." I paused for dramatic effect. "Maybe."

"It better." He said with a grin. He leaned down to press a kiss against my cheek and left much more silently than he had appeared.

Less than a minute later Meredith appeared, holding the bottle of wine up in the air. "Who's ready for a refill?" She lightly shook the bottle back and forth before shutting the doors behind her. Setting my elbow on the table, I raised my hand and waved it back and forth. Thoughts of slowing down or not drinking anymore were long gone as Meredith filled my glass almost to the rim. She giggled and shrugged as she did the same to her glass. Setting the bottle down, she picked up her glass and held it high. "A toast." She said. What the hell, I thought, picking up my own glass. "Here's to nights that turn into mornings with friends that turn into family." She winked and downed a large swallow of her wine.

"Hear! Hear!" I downed half my glass as well and setting it back on the table I leaned back in my seat. I looked up at the stars for a moment. Being out in the almost country there were no city lights, no smog to block the night sky and its wondrous beauty. I missed summer nights as a kid and told Meredith about when we'd camp out at the lake house underneath the stars and stay up all night watching for shooting stars. Jeremy and I would lie head to head, each watching one half of the sky, pointing out constellations to the other making up our own constellations and stories to go with them. God, times were simpler then. I dropped my chin into my hand and glanced at Meredith. She was watching me with sad eyes. "Sorry." I whispered.

"Don't be." She responded. "I definitely missed out on having siblings, there's no doubt about that. That's why I want a big family. No only children for me." She brought her knees to her chest, wrapped her arms around them. The ever-present band around my heart tightened at the mention of children and a big family. My gasp was small, but audible. Her eyes widened. "Oh, damnit. Elena, I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking."

I waved her off, averting my head to look away for a moment while I composed myself. I refused to cry though. Damn wine. "Meredith, you can't not talk about wanting kids simply because I can't have any." I whispered. "That's not fair to you."

"It's insensitive though." She shook her head, reached out to place her hand over mine. I pulled away, pretending I was going for a drink of my wine. I twirled the wine in my glass, spinning it around and watching the fluid swirl.

"It's not insensitive." I took another sip of my wine, looked her in the eyes showing her I meant it. "When you say big, how many are we talking here?" Her frown was slow to fade, she watched my face for any signs of me being uncomfortable before she too reached for her glass and shrugged. I drained the remainder of my wine and reached for the bottle.

"I don't know," she said "maybe four?"

I choked on my wine, sputtering, "Four? Good Lord, woman." I laughed good naturedly. She smiled and just like that we fell back into the swing of easy-going comradery.

It came out of nowhere. Or seemingly nowhere. A hand gently squeezed my thigh and I jolted awake, my fight or flight response kicking in. Adrenaline sped up my heart, got my blood pumping. My arms flew out, prepared to defend myself against a threat. My body tensed for attack.

"Hey." Damon's soft voice came from my left. "It's just me. We're home." I could feel the blood flowing through my body, hear it rushing in my ears. Lord, my head was pounding.

I placed a hand over my heart, closed my eyes and paced my breathing.

In: one two, three.

Out: one two, three, four, five.

Repeat.

"Are you alright?" He asked gently.

I nodded as I repeated my breathing, holding up my other hand as I asked without asking for another minute.

Once my breathing resumed something of a normal pace, I cracked open my eyes and peered at him. He was watching me intently, definitely concerned. "Sorry." I whispered.

He shrugged one shoulder, "No worries, sweetheart. How are you feeling?"

I groaned, rubbed at my temples and realized suddenly why my head was pounding and if I opened my eyes fully why I felt like I had vertigo. A very bad case of vertigo. Was the car spinning? No. Of course it wasn't.

"You got me drunk." I whispered.

"No," He chuckled. "Meredith got you drunk. I just sat by and watched."

I grumbled at him and reached for my purse which had fallen or been placed at my feet. Leaning forward, the vertigo got worse. I groaned and he placed his hand on my shoulder.

"I'll get it. Let's get you inside so you can lay down." Yes. Yes, that sounded heavenly. A bed. With pillows. And blankets. He exited the vehicle and came around to my door. It seemed like it took a really long time. Was Damon normally this slow? He opened my car door and I reached down to unbuckle my seat belt. But the damn thing wouldn't unbuckle.

I looked down at it and my vision blurred. "Damn thing's not working." I muttered under my breath. Damon reached around me, his upper torso pressing against mine to unbuckle me. I inhaled his intoxicating fragrance of mint and woods and wait, why was he laughing. "Are you laughing at me, Salvatore?" I asked him.

He shook his head, but offered me his hand so that I could get out of the vehicle. I tentatively put my right foot out of the vehicle and stepped on the concrete, jerking it back up when I realized that it was bare. Where the hell were my shoes?

"You took them off," Damon said, a smile in his voice "they're in your purse." I turned to glare at them. Stupid shoes. Another chuckle. My head whipped back around to glare at him. He blurred. Everything blurred. I cringed. I had to stop doing that. Stupid. Another stupid bloody chuckle.

"C'mon sweetheart." He urged, his warm hand encased my elbow and he half lifted me out of the Range Rover. My feet hit the ground and I swayed. My hands grasped his forearms. His really muscular, thick forearms. They looked so strong, so capable. His sleeves were rolled up and they were really bloody gorgeous. I wanted to stroke them. But if I let go, I might topple over. And that would be a bloody nightmare. A throat cleared. I looked up abruptly. Bloody hell. Everything blurred again.

Damon swept me into his arms. Those beautifully designed arms. God really worked overtime on those bad boys. Damon's chest rumbled. The world shook for a moment as I settled into his arms and everything mellowed out. I frowned up at him, a thought suddenly occurring to me. "Are you drunk?" I asked.

He fought back a smile, his lips moving about his face as if desperately trying to maintain his composure. "Me?" He said, keeping his eyes on what I could only assume was our destination ahead of us.

"Yes. You. Who else would I be talking to?"

"I have no idea." He responded before stopping and ever so gently setting me on my feet by the front door of the safe house. I heard several beeps as he entered the alarm code and the jingle of keys as he unlocked the door. "And no. I'm not drunk."

"Are you sure?"

"Positive." He sounded slightly offended. And very sure.

I wasn't so sure. I squinted my eyes at him. "Cause it wouldn't be very responsible of you to drive me home if you were drunk."

He apparently agreed. There went the lip quirking again. I watched it. Utterly fascinated. I wanted to trace that lip with my tongue. His arms, too. His smile faded, his serious face taking over. He cleared his throat again, his works spoken huskily. "No, it wouldn't."

Wait. What were we talking about? Certainly not his lips. Drunk driving! "Cause you could Uber." I nodded. Uber was an excellent idea.

"Uber is not an excellent idea." Wait. Was he reading my mind? Gasp. Was he psychic? "I wouldn't Uber."

"Why not?" I frowned. Uber drivers show up wherever you want them to. Right? Isn't that how it works? And then they take you places. Places you tell them to go. Like safe houses. The Uber driver could have brought us to the safe house!

"Because we have staff that could drive us. I'm not putting you in an Uber. And you will never Uber."

I put my hands on my hips. That was just bloody ridiculous. Uber drivers were amazing. They drive people around. Who was he to tell me what I will and will never do? "Why will I never Uber?"

He rubbed his hand over his face, the humor on it starting to fade. "Elena, I think it's time for bed." I wrinkled my nose at him.

I was feeling saucy. "Well, I bloody don't."

"I think the fact that you turn British when you're drunk and you're clearly speaking your thoughts out loud means that you're no longer in the right frame of mind and you need to sleep off this buzz."

"British? Pshh. You really are pissed, aren't you?"

"No, Elena. I'm not mad, I just think you need to sleep it off. C'mon. Let's go."

"Not pissed. Pissed. Drunk. Not sober. Hammered. Trashed."

"You've been hanging around Elijah too much, haven't you?"

I made a face. "Elijah's not British. He's Romanian."

"He's not Romanian." Damon muttered.

"Yes, he is."

"No. He's not." Damon argued.

"Well, then what is he?" I crossed my arms, planting my feet in the carpet.

"The origins of Elijah Mikaelson can be discussed at another time, Elena."

Without having realized it, I had been guided into my bedroom. I stood at the

foot of my bed. With a gentle little push, Damon maneuvered me into the bed and pulled the blanket at the end up over my shoulders.

"Wait. But." He was already at the door.

"Goodnight." And it shut. I hmphed and burrowed into my pillow. It was nice. And soft. And comfy. I closed my eyes. And that was all I remembered.

I wasn't sure what woke me at first. Someone was beating on my skull with a hammer. I cracked an eye open, prepared to wreak holy hell on whoever was intent on killing me. Or at least die trying. On my nightstand sat a bottle of water, the top already cracked open and I would have smiled if it wouldn't have split my head in two.

Next to it was two pills. Bless him. I could marry him.

I slowly pushed myself to a sitting position, and reached for the bottle. I sipped slowly, cautiously reacquainting my mouth with the wondrous fluid. After popping the pills, I looked around me. It was still dark outside, clearly not a normal waking hour. My alarm clock read 4:37. I hadn't been sleeping long. It had been after midnight when we'd gotten home.

I was weighing the pros and cons of going to the kitchen to make a piece of toast to settle my stomach when I heard it. Heard him. I shot to my feet, my pounding head forgotten. His door was cracked, a soft light illuminating the room as I pushed the door open. His fists were clenched, his body tense. "Damon." I said firmly but cautiously. I got no response. I knelt down by the side of his bed. I placed my hand on his shoulder, gripped the muscle there. "Damon." I repeated, louder this time.

I shook his shoulder lightly. He thrashed his head back and forth. I continued to call his name. "Wake up." My heart clenched at the anguish on his face. He was mumbling a name. A name I couldn't hear. "Damon, please!" I shook him harder and gasped, leaping back as he shot straight up in bed.

His hands immediately covered his face. "Jesus Christ." He groaned. He rubbed his hands vigorously over his face. He sighed deeply. "Jesus Christ." He repeated, an agonized whisper.

"Damon?" I murmured.

He jumped three feet out of his skin. "Jesus Christ, Elena!" He yelled.

"I'm sorry." I said, pushing to my feet and backing up. Damnit, I shouldn't have come in here. Stupid! I was halfway to the door when his hand touched my shoulder.

"Don't." He murmured. "Please don't." I felt his forehead touch the back of my head. God, he was inhumanly fast. "I'm sorry. You startled me. Please don't go."

Was it wise for me to stay? "Okay." I said softly. I felt his sigh of relief on my neck. His arm crossed my chest, pulling me to him. I brought up my hand and placed it over his. "Do you want to talk about it?"

He shook his head, his forehead rolling back and forth along my head. "No. Not really." He sounded out of breath, and I could feel how fast his heart was beating.

"Okay." I repeated.

"Will you….?" He paused, took a deep breath. "Will you just lay with me?"

I gulped, audibly. Jesus, he'd probably heard it too. But I nodded. "Okay."

"You feeling okay?" He asked, his demeanor shifting to concern for me. "Did you take the medicine I laid out for you?" I nodded again. "Can you say something other than okay to let me know that you're actually okay?"

I took a moment to collect myself, whispered. "I'm sorry I startled you."

He gripped me tighter. "I'm sorry I woke you." He whispered back. "I'm glad you woke me, though." After pressing a kiss to the back of my head, he released me and walked back to bed, throwing back his already rumpled covers. I stood where I was for a moment, unsure of how to get into bed with him. He sensed my hesitation.

He held out his hand, a soft smile crossed his face. "I don't bite." He whispered. "Hard."

Humor. I could handle humor. I rolled my eyes. "Shut up." I muttered before crossing the room and crawling into the bed first. I curled onto the other pillow, turned so my back was facing him. The bed moved subtly as he got in. He stayed on his side though. I couldn't tell if the ache that settled in my stomach was disappointment or relief. Both were stupid. "I see you started packing." I whispered, looking at the 5 boxes stacked ever so neatly in the corner of the bedroom.

"I couldn't sleep." He replied. I felt the bed shift as he turned onto his side. "Decided I could at least be productive."

"How much stuff is left to pack?"

"Not much. Most of the stuff here is stocked for the house. My stuff is in storage. I'll be done packing by lunch tomorrow."

"Oh." I said, twirling my finger through the folds of the sheet. "So, your plan is to move in this weekend?"

"Pretty much. We have to meet the movers at the storage facility tomorrow afternoon to supervise the load. Then they'll come here and by Sunday we should be all moved in."

"What about the 'rudimentary' alarm system?" I said in a slightly mocking voice. Damon laughed and poked my shoulder.

"Being worked on as we speak."

"What?" I turned around to face him, tried my damnedest to ignore how sexy he looked propped up like he was, intently watching me. "You have someone working on an alarm system at 5 in the morning?"

He grinned. "They're being paid well." He reached out and brushed a strand of hair off of my face. "This is what they do, sweetheart."

"At 5 in the morning?"

He shrugged. "Round the clock 'til it's done." A frown flickered across his face. "You think I'd move you into a house where there wasn't an adequate security system?"

I rolled my eyes mockingly. "Well of course not. Little old me has to be watched at all times."

"Your safety is my priority." He said stoically.

I nodded serenely, all joking forgotten. I'd heard him say it enough. Knew he meant it with every fiber in his soul. "I know it is." A large yawn escaped me and I closed my eyes, too tired to continue fighting this epic battle.

"Go back to sleep, Elena." He murmured. "G'night again, sweetheart."

"G'night."

Damon

I had a dream the other night

About how we only get one life

Woke me up right after two

Stayed awake and stared at you

So, I wouldn't lose my mind

And I had the week the came from hell

And yes, I know that you could tell

But you're like the net under the ledge

When I go flying off the edge

You go flying off as well

"Something I need", One Republic

He was dreaming. He had to be fucking dreaming. Elena Gilbert was as close to him as she could possibly be without becoming, ahem intimate. And there wasn't much more than a very thin pair of his pajama bottoms and thank God, she still had on her jeans from last night. Because they provided the security needed from this escalating very quickly into something that shouldn't.

Even so, her delectable ass was pressed into his morning erection and damned if it didn't feel equally euphoric and utterly deplorable at the same time. He was just waiting for God to strike him with lightning. This isn't the time, this isn't the time he chanted over and over in his head. But damned if he could make himself pull away from her.

He had so many things to do. His to do list was off the fucking charts. There was packing and organizing and following up on the countless phone calls he had made last night. He needed updates on the new house and the alarm system. He needed a progress report on Stefan and his latest tale to Sheriff Forbes. He needed to have his man report in on Lockwood. There were things to do at the office; things that could wait, but shouldn't have to.

So, he should get up. He should untangle himself from the gorgeous woman in his arms, leave his warm, welcoming bed that for the first time in the longest time he had slept longer than 2 hours in and get up.

And yet, he stayed where he was. Especially when she sighed and wiggled backwards, snuggling back into him. He held his breath, swallowing the loud groan threatening to surface and refrained from pressing his hips forward. Torture. It was the worst kind of exquisite torture a man could never hope to have to face.

He had been rather surprised when she'd climbed into bed with him last night. Falling asleep on the couch was one thing. Deliberately crawling into his bed with the full intention of sleeping was a whole 'nother. Sure, she'd been nervous. He could always tell when she was nervous. She had most definitely lost the gutsy spunk she'd had while drunk.

He'd been thoroughly amused and profoundly turned on as he'd listened to her talk about licking his lips…and the muscles in his arms. He was surprised she hadn't seen the blush on his cheeks. He was pretty sure it had been there. But she was too preoccupied with her "missing shoes" and her belief that he was in fact the one that was drunk.

He knew the moment she woke. Her body stiffened once she realized the position they were in. She froze, not knowing whether to pull away or snuggle closer. He knew the thoughts in her head would boggle her down, freak her out. He loosened his arm reluctantly. "I can hear you thinking." He murmured into her hair, turning his face into it, giving it one last inhale before he was certain she'd pull away. She relaxed fractionally, but still not moving clearly unsure of how to handle this situation. It made two of them.

"Ugh. Good morning." She whispered.

"Morning, sweetheart." He whispered back. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I had one too many bottles of wine last night." Her hand came up and pressed against her temple, rubbed. He should get up and get her more Tylenol. He stayed. "What was our final total?"

"Four, I think?" He said, not entirely sure. Ric had been grumbling about his wine cellar but he'd honestly paid him no mind. There were other things on his docket. Things of far more importance. Like keeping Elena Gilbert safe.

"How are you?" She asked. It threw him for a loop.

"Me?"

"Yes. How are you?"

"Fine, thanks." He frowned, his confusion clearly obvious in his tone. She pulled away to turn and face him. He felt the loss like a missing limb. She frowned back at him.

"We need to talk about last night." She whispered.

Dread pooled in his stomach, settled like lead in his gut. God, which part? The part where he practically hauled her out of the furniture store, or denied her the chance to go to the restaurant, or yelled at her about her pouting, or the amusing drunken bout she'd had, or his nightmare, or climbing into bed with him? Jesus, the possibilities seemed fucking endless. And he really didn't want to delve into any of it. Not right now, when he was still riding this fucking high of having her in bed with him. Innocent as it may be. He backpedaled and slid out of bed, turning his back to her.

"Later." He murmured. Standing, he stretched and headed for the bathroom. He spun as he flipped the light switch, carefully maneuvering to hopefully hide his body's reaction to having her so close. "Tons to do today." He winked at her, shut the door and leaned against it, releasing a huge sigh. Today was going to be the longest fucking day.

Several hours later, he stood at the front window overlooking the yard. Moving trucks, maintenance vehicles and people galore. It was a fucking security nightmare. Damon gripped his coffee cup in hand and sighed before finishing off what was left in it. Setting the empty cup in the sink, he headed for the stairs. A mover was coming down the steps, his hands empty and gave Damon a cursory nod as he passed. Reaching Elena's bedroom, he gestured to Elijah who was leaning against the wall outside her door, casual as hell to the untrained observer but alert as fuck to the unknown men traipsing about the new house. Damon's nerves were already shot from all the people milling in and out of the house. Elijah was there to keep an eye on Elena so Damon could focus his attention elsewhere. Only Elena had no idea other than Elijah just happened to be on the property today. It helped that she was holed up in her room, organizing shit with her new furniture.

"Go grab a coffee." Damon murmured as he opened Elena's door. Elijah's response was to push off the wall and head in the direction of the stairs. As he stepped into her room, he smiled. Probably the first time he had smiled all day. She was making her bed with the sheets she had purchased online yesterday in anticipation of her new bed and bedroom. Good ole' Amazon Prime. "It looks good, little Gilbert." He said, resting his shoulder on the door jamb. "Feels like home already, doesn't it?" She put her hands on her hips and turned to him.

"It's getting there." She said, her lips pulling up at the corners. "I'm just about done in here. What's next to do?" Damon made a face. There were still way too many people around the house for her to roam freely. And she'd definitely notice if she had a shadow. Then she'd ask questions and get all pissy with him again and he couldn't deal with that right now. Racking his brain to come up with a quick solution, he jerked his thumb towards the door.

"You could start on the kitchen." He said, "Elijah's down there now, he'd be more than happy to help you unpack boxes."

She crossed her arms, her brow coming together and a frown marring that beautiful face. "Elijah's gonna help me unpack." She stated disbelieving. "What are you doing?" She asked.

He smirked. "Supervising."

Rolling her eyes, Elena moved towards the pile of deconstructed boxes she had in the corner. The girl may hate packing tape but she sure as shit could break 'em down with the best of them. Picking up as many as she could carry, she made a move to push past him. He grasped her elbow to stop her as she did. The scent of her shampoo wafted up to torment him and he couldn't help but remember what it felt like to wake up next to her this morning, his nose pressed to her hair, her body curled into his. He shook it off, blinked a few times and spoke softly.

"There's way too many people here today. Stick close to Elijah, hmm?" She looked up at him and his insides twisted with angst. Jesus, she was gorgeous. He brushed his other hand over her hair. "Please?" He begged.

Her mouth scrunched up before she huffed and pushed at his shoulder with her free hand. "Fine." She relented, then shoved the boxes into his torso. "But you're taking these downstairs."

Chuckling, he nodded and gestured for her to precede him down the stairs. Elijah was standing in the same spot Damon had vacated only minutes before, staring out the windows of the kitchen. Breezing by him, Damon muttered under his breath. "You're now on unpacking duty."

"As you wish." Elijah set his cup down and turned to Elena who was cutting a box open with a tiny box cutter he'd provided her earlier. "I'm at your service, Miss Gilbert." Damon could only imagine he'd probably bowed as he said it.

"Sorry you're stuck with me today." Damon heard Elena say as he reached the front door.

"Oh, Miss Gilbert, a day in your presence is better than a day in this heat supervising an installation crew. The view is much improved as well." Damon rolled his eyes as he shut the door behind him. Fucking Romanian charmer.

Throwing the boxes into the back of a truck designated for trash, he wiped his hands clean and headed for the moving truck. It was nearly empty and thankfully so. Glancing at his watch, Damon couldn't believe it was almost 5 in the afternoon. They'd been going non-stop all day. Not to mention, his sleep had only been so-so last night. Until Elena slept in his bed, at least. Those two hours he'd napped with her next to him had been the most refreshing shut-eye he'd had in way too fucking long. He'd just wished he hadn't had to get up when he did. To take the coldest shower in the history of cold showers. They'd yet to have their "talk." There was too much going on today and though he'd hardly ever left her side with very few exceptions unless Ric or Elijah were in closer proximity, he'd managed to avoid her every single time she got that look in her eye. He wasn't ready for it at all.

The mover's supervisor came up to Damon with a clipboard. "We're just about done here, Mr. Salvatore. If you just want to take a look at the invoice and my boys will be wrapping up here in the next thirty minutes. Anything else you need moved or thrown away?"

"No, Harold. You and your men have been excellent today. That's all we'll require of your services." He reached for the clipboard and scribbled his signature before handing it back to the man.

"Yes, sir. I'll have one of the men notify you before we leave for good. You need anything else, you give us a call." Nodding, Damon began to walk towards the Executive Protection van parked in the driveway. He slid the door open and stepped in.

"How's it going, Alex?"

Alex didn't even look up from his laptop. "Eighty six percent complete." He muttered, as he continued to type code into the program.

"What's your expected completion time?" He parked his ass on one of the stools and reached for a printout detailing the system setup. He understood very little of what he was skimming, but for people like him who weren't versed in code and computer gibberish, there were percentages printed on the pages next to the categories like Electrical, Systems and Hardware as well as a short synopsis at the bottom of the page. He knew enough to get by. And that was all that mattered. Alex was one of the most trusted employees they had.

Shaking his head, Alex mumbled. "Three, maybe four hours?" His nimble fingers flew over the keyboard, continuously entering data as he spoke. "We should be green by 2200."

"Good." Damon stood, as much as one of his height fucking could in a van and clapped his hand down on Alex's shoulder. "I want a status update in three hours. And upon completion."

"Yessir." Alex replied, only glancing up when the sun hit his keyboard. Damon grinned and took his time shutting the door, knowing how much the sun exposure grated on his tech.

Chuckling, Damon said. "Thanks, Alex." The reply he received was pure grumbles.

Deciding to take a walk around the perimeter, Damon took note of each and every new camera installed. A full test would be completed later this evening, but he also wanted to physically and personally inspect them now as well. He was fidgeting with the camera pointed at the back door when his phone buzzed.

Alaric: Progress?

Damon: Movers leaving shortly. Alarm 86% complete. Nerves shot.

Alaric: Want company?

Damon: Aren't you on a fucking date?

Alaric: We're past the getting to know you stage.

Damon: I'll be sure to tell her you said so.

Alaric: We haven't eaten. Order us some pizza. We're on our way.

Jesus. He tapped back on the app linking to the security system and adjusted the camera feed before standing and dusting his hands on his jeans. As he came back around the front of the house, the same man he'd passed on the stairs "Drew" if his shirt was any indication strode over and informed him the movers were done and leaving. Damon nodded affirmatively. "Thanks." With a tip of his head, Drew headed back to the moving van and Damon leapt up the porch stairs. He opened the door and headed for the kitchen.

Elena and Elijah were side by side at the sink washing dishes. Her carefree laugh as Elijah said something to her he couldn't overhear stoked an equal mixture of jealousy and delight in Damon's heart. He shook his head to shake it off and made his presence known. Elena turned, her hands covered in bubbles. "Hey!" She said with a warm smile. "Still safe and secure." She announced with a flounce of her shoulder.

"Smartass." He murmured. He nodded to Elijah. "I'm ordering pizza. Wanna stick around?"

"I'll politely decline." He said, wiping his hands on a hand towel before handing it to Elena. "I have other arrangements this evening. That is of course if my presence is no longer needed."

Elena giggled, nudging him with her elbow. "Ooh, do tell. A date, Mr. Mikaelson?"

Smiling down at her, Elijah shook his head. "A friendly dinner." He replied. Damon nodded and Elena looked like she wanted to ask more questions.

"Leave the man alone, Gilbert. You still eat just cheese?" He asked and he opened the browser on his phone. Elena narrowed her eyes at him and Damon winked.

"I'm not bothering him." She insisted. "Quit being a sour puss, Salvatore."

"She's not a bother." Elijah assured him as he hung up his dish towel. Damon raised an eyebrow at his employee. Elijah smiled. "Anything else you need from me, boss?"

Shaking his head, Damon reached out and shook Elijah's hand. "No, that's all for today. Thanks for your help." Elijah nodded his assent.

"Always a pleasure, Miss Gilbert."

Elena slid a set of plates into a cabinet. "Likewise, Elijah! See you Monday." She called out. Elijah took his leave shutting the door behind him and Damon turned back to Elena.

"Cheese?" He asked again.

She rolled her eyes at him. "Yes. Cheese please."

"So, everybody's gone, huh?" She spun, leaning against the counter facing him.

"No. Alex and his crew are still here. Ric and Meredith are on their way. But the movers and Water Department are gone." That couldn't be disappointment he saw fleetingly cross her face, could it? He paid for the pizza and set down his phone.

"Ric and Meredith are supposed to be on a date!" She said, shaking her head. He shrugged.

"That's what I said." But they would also provide another buffer now that Elijah was gone and prevent their "talk." Jerking his thumb towards the garage he told her, "There's a few boxes I'm gonna grab. You good?"

"I'm not going anywhere." She said with a beautiful smile and a tilt of her head, her hair falling over her shoulder and… Jesus, he was whipped.

"Good." He mumbled and turned without looking back.

Setting the last box on the floor with a loud thump, Damon dramatically collapsed on the couch. Elena looked up from where she was unpacking a box of DVD's and books and rolled her eyes at him. He threw his arm over his face. "Christ." He fussed. "Please tell me we're done moving forever."

She laughed and started breaking down the empty box. "You do realize that this is just a temporary fix. You'll be moving again when they finish building the new house."

Damon groaned and Elena tossed the flattened box into the pile quickly building in the hallway. He'd take care of that later. "Damn it, don't remind me." She stood up and dusted her hands on her shorts, started maneuvering around the maze of boxes to get to the kitchen. "Take a break, Gilbert. Pizza will be here soon. Sit back and relax for a moment and enjoy all we've accomplished today."

Sighing, she braced her hands on the counter gave him what he presumed was supposed to be an intimidating look. "I don't mind. There's still a lot to be done. I enjoy it. It's not like you're making me do anything."

"I can make you do plenty." He murmured playfully.

She scoffed outwardly, trying her damnedest to appear unaffected. But she was so affected. He was no damn different. Swallowing the lump in his throat, he rolled his eyes at her. "Do you want to help me knock out the last of these dishes really quick?" She asked him as she tugged another box up onto the counter.

"Not really." He groaned, pushing himself to a sitting position. "I already feel like a government mule again."

"It'll take five minutes if we do it together." Elena sighed as she began loading the dishes into the dishwasher. They'd been in storage for God knows how long.

"It'd take a lot longer than that, sweetheart." He murmured in a low voice. But it was loud enough for her to hear it. He saw the blush all the way from across the room. Deciding it wasn't fair for her to do all the work, he trudged into the kitchen, dragging his feet the entire way. "Why can't we just do this tomorrow?" He mock whined. He stood beside her and she handed him dishes to load in the dishwasher. He maneuvered some of the ones she'd already placed in there around, grumbling under his breath. Another perk of his OCD-ness.

"Because it'll be one less thing to do tomorrow crybaby." She teased.

Her phone buzzed on the coffee table and she quickly patted Damon on the shoulder as she stopped what she was doing and headed for her phone. He grumbled under his breath as he took over. "Meredith and Ric intercepted our pizza. They're on their way."

Damon scoffed. "He's such a buzzkill."

She glared at him while quickly replying to Meredith. "They're our friends." She insisted.

"Pft. Soon to be just your friends if they decide to drop in on us all the time."

"They'll help us unpack." She told him as she tossed her phone onto the couch.

"Mer might help. Ric will sit there," he pointed at the kitchen table, "eat my pizza and drink my beer slash liquor. And supervise."

She was fighting back a smile. "He'll help if I ask him to." Damon hmphed in response. She strode over to the bar top, crossed her arms and leaned over. "Someone's awfully grumpy today." She whispered playfully. His heartbeat accelerated as her innocent but provocative pose wreaked havoc on his insides.

He curled his lip in a semi-snarl playing along, but his eyes softened as he proceeded to lean over the counter too. The pink in her cheeks darkened and so did her eyes as he leaned even closer. "I hate moving." He whispered conspiratorially.

"Even more than you hate running?" She said, her mouth tipping into a smile.

His eyes lit up in mischief. "Way more than I hate running." She stretched her legs, standing up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips to his. They were soft as always and ultra-responsive as she stretched even more, resting her top half on the countertop to get closer to him. Her breath left her in a sigh as he tentatively touched her bottom lip with his tongue. She opened her mouth to him and he groaned low in his throat as he took over the kiss. His reached up to cup her face, his fingers delving just so slightly into her hair. Gently tipping her head to angle it, he deepened the kiss. A loud knock on the door startled him and they both froze in place.

"Make yourselves decent!" Alaric called as the heavy front door opened shortly following the knock. "Virgin eyes entering!"

Damon growled low in his throat as he broke off the kiss. A small smile crossed her lips as she pulled back and gave him a sympathetic look. "It's customary when you knock to wait for someone to answer before you just enter a home, Saltzman!" He hollered.

"Customs shmuschtoms." Ric replied as he strolled down the hallway, case of beer in one hand and two pizzas in the other. Meredith followed not so meekly behind him. She rolled her eyes at Damon, indicating her irritation with her counterpart.

Ric pressed a quick kiss to Elena's cheek as he walked past and Meredith enveloped her in a quick hug. Damon snatched the pizza from Ric and set it down on the kitchen table. Elena quickly moved to begin clearing it off. Damon smacked her hands. Jesus, she needed to stop catering to everyone. She frowned, looked up at him.

"They can eat wherever. You don't have to clean up for them." He said softly. He meant it. She wasn't a servant. Not anymore.

"Damon," She insisted. "We can all eat at the table like civilized people." Mischief sparkled in his eyes.

"Sweetheart, not all of us are civilized." He faux whispered, tipping his head in Ric's direction. The twist and pop of a bottle top signaled the beginning of Ric's drinking.

"Hey," he said, taking a long swig. "I resemble that remark."

"If the glove fits…" Damon mumbled.

Meredith laughed and moved to help Elena clear off the table. "Sorry I couldn't be here today to help move everything in."

"It's alright." Ric spoke as he settled himself in at the table, grabbed a slice of pizza. "We had all the brawn and brains we needed." He pointed at Damon. "Brawn." Pointed at himself. "Brains."

"And what does that make me?" She asked, as she passed him a paper plate which he obviously didn't need as he shoved the last little bit of his slice in his mouth.

He gave her a 'duh' look. "Beauty." He winked. Fucking flirt.

Elena blushed hard, rolled her eyes at him as Meredith took a seat beside him. Damon walked up beside her and handed her a soft drink. She'd told him earlier she was swearing off all alcohol after her bender last night. She'd been over it by lunchtime but her first few hours up and running around were hell on her and he'd noticed. The soda would be her first non-water beverage today. He pulled out the chair in front of her. "Thank you." She murmured softly, glancing up at him quickly. A warm smile passed over his face as he looked down at her.

"Aw, young love." Ric mused as Elena's blush deepened.

"Shut up." Elena grumbled at him as she reached for a slice of pizza.

"Why are you here again?" Damon asked as he took his first bite of pizza.

Ric pretended to be affronted. "Me?" He asked. "Why because I'm your best friend, of course."

Hah! Lies. "My best friend who is going to just sit there and collect dust while we unpack all these boxes?"

Alaric shrugged a shoulder. "Something like that." At Meredith's ultra-pointed look, Ric amended, "I mean, I might help with a box or two." Damon laughed disbelievingly. "Seriously, Sally why are you unpacking all this shit when you're just going to have to move again in six months?" He spread his arms. "Why not stay in the safe house?"

Why he was asking questions he already knew the fucking answer to, Damon would never know. "First of all, quit calling me fucking Sally." Damon said after grabbing another slice of pizza. "Second, the build could take longer than that. I hope not, but," he shrugged his shoulders. "Things have been known to happen. Third, I don't plan unpacking it all, but I'm sure as hell not leaving boxes all over this house." He shuddered and Elena smiled at him knowingly. His OCD couldn't handle all those boxes everywhere.

"I really like this house." Meredith said quietly as she drank her beer, looked around.

Elena nodded. "It has its charms. But the blueprints for the new house are amazing. We've been looking over furniture and all the decorating details." She scrunched up her shoulders in excitement and looked around the table at the faces glowing at her. Embarrassment was visible on her face, loud and clear and she blushed hard. Thankfully, everyone kept their mouth shut.

"I could always buy it." Ric piped up, grinning around his beer as he sucked it down.

Oh, sweet baby Jesus. "No. Not just no, but hell no." Damon interjected, he slammed his beer bottle down on the table. "There's no way in hell you're living within 500 yards of me. Not happening. I put up with your annoying ass for far too many years and now all day at work. I don't need you a stone's throw from my front fucking door, too!"

Ric's eyes were laughing but he pretended to pout. "But, Sally…."

"No." Damon stated firmly as he stood up to throw away the first pizza box. Ric smiled brightly at Elena, clearly enjoying the conversation.

"Think of all the fun we could have! I mean, I could lend you cups of sugar and..."

"I'd rather cut my own throat." Damon growled as he returned to the table.

"Now, Salvatore. That's just mean." Ric said deadpan as he snuck another slice of pizza. Meredith rolled her eyes at Elena and stood to dispose of her paper plate. After dusting her hands on her jeans, she clapped them together.

"Where do we begin?" She asked.

Elena pushed back from the table. "Let me at least show you around first!" She snagged her drink and the girls left to do some exploring.

Ric leaned around his chair, checking to make sure the womenfolk were out of earshot before raising his eyebrows at his partner, the playfulness all but wiped clean off his face. "Alex says he's at 92 percent."

Damon nodded, glanced at his watch. "He said he'd be done before 10."

"Are you staying for testing?" Translation: Will you be staying with me, tonight?

"I'll be the one performing the testing." Damon stated. "Our sleeping arrangements will depend on the results."

Ric took another swig of his beer. "I can keep them otherwise occupied."

"Much obliged." They made eye contact. "And the other matter?"

"Everything's all systems go on our end." Good. One less damn thing to worry about. Ric stood and stretched.

"Alright Sally, point me in the direction of the room that will require the least amount of physical exertion from me." Rolling his eyes, Damon tossed his beer in the trash and lovingly pushed his friend in the direction of the front office where they spent the next few hours arguing over furniture arrangements and avoiding his yet to happen "talk" with Elena.

Phew! That was a lot but hopefully worth the read! Thanks again for waiting! I hope to have the next chapter posted a LOT sooner than 4+ years from now! Merry Christmas!

Long, detailed AN:

...So when I posted my last update in October '14 I had just found out I was pregnant. And the sporadic nature of my last few updates before that had to do with two miscarriages I had previously. :( So this pregnancy was both scary and exciting. Though this particular pregnancy wasn't considered high risk, I did have multiple complications and had to transfer doctors and was just generally worried throughout the whole pregnancy. I dealt with an over exuberant 4-year-old and had no energy whatsoever to do anything with him let alone sit down at a computer and write. So, I slept. And slept. And then the baby was born. She gave no signs in utero that anything was wrong. At least not that the doctor made me aware of. I was induced a week early, simply because my doctor asked if I wanted to be. (She was going on vacation the week of my due date.) And I thank God that she decided to induce. Because baby girl had a true knot in her cord and had her cord wrapped around her neck twice. She had significant problems breathing after delivery. So shortly after we had our little 'kangaroo' time, they took her from me to have her spend some time in the NICU. =/ 24 hours after her arrival, they decided she needed a higher level of care than the hospital where she was born was able to provide. So, I was discharged and she was transferred to a different hospital with a (thankfully local) hospital with a level 5 NICU. She was 5 days old before I held her again and before my husband held her for the first time. We spent a scary week in the NICU, thankfully we were sent home on day 8. From there, though she was a happy, relatively healthy baby I began to notice around 12 months that she didn't seem to be talking, and almost seemed not to be listening to us. Fast forward to multiple doctors' visits, therapies and tests, random screenings and the red flags began to wave in the direction of Autism. So...we were fairly certain by 2 but didn't get our official diagnosis until June of this year when she turned 3. Needless to say, she's an amazing, funny, affectionate, sweet little girl but she's still non-verbal and quite a handful. Writing has definitely not been my top priority these last few years. Though I have never forgotten this story or any of you who have followed, reviewed or messaged me, I just have not had the energy or the patience to put my thoughts to paper. I have probably six different versions of this chapter on my laptop and each time I would finish it or come close, I'd decide I didn't like it and start all over. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed it, I promise another update will NOT take me 4+ years and if you'd be so kind I'd love to hear your thoughts.