Fic: A Vampire's Policy [Vampire Diaries | PG13 | Elena/Damon | 11/?]
Title A Vampire's Policy
Author: jinxed_wood
Characters/Pairings: Damon /Elena, ensemble.
Rating: PG13
Category: Drama
Spoilers: Up to 1x19
Warnings: It has vampires?
Show/Bookverse: Show
Summary:Stefan reignites his hunger for human blood, Elena tries to hold on, and Damon ensures he gets his own way...
Author's Notes: This story basically went AU from the end of 1X18, but I shall be incorporating elements of subsequent episodes, like John's machinations, Bonnie distrust and anger, Stefan's struggle with his new thirst for human blood, and general plot points that I feel wouldn't be changed by Elena's Vampirism - needless to say, Elena won't be a part of the Miss Mystic falls competition, although it will feature in this story! Anyways, on with the show!
Previous parts: PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE | PART SIX | PART SEVEN | PART EIGHT | PART NINE | PART TEN
-------------
PART ELEVEN
Damon sat on the chair beside his bed and watched Elena sleep; it seemed to him he did a lot of that lately. Things were quickly getting out of control, and his usual strategy for this situation - sit back and enjoy the show - wasn't really an option. There were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong; if he weren't careful, this may turn into 1864 all over again.
It had not taken them long to bury the body. They had disposed of it in the woods behind the lodge, and Damon had strewn aniseed in the local vicinity, in order to disorientate any dog searches. He realised the Sheriff would assume Elena's meal was taken by the same Vampire who took the girl in the woods. A bit of luck, for once, as they'd be looking for only one Vampire, not two.
Damon hadn't managed to coax a name out of Elena, yet, she had only told him that her meal was a neighbour. The girl had looked around Elena's age, so there was a good chance they'd grown up together.
But it could have been worse, it could have been a blood relative.
“I can hear you think from over here, you know,” Elena said, her eyes still closed as she echoed his earlier words.
“I thought you were asleep,” he said.
She opened her eyes. “It's difficult to sleep when I can feel you sitting there, brooding.”
“I don't brood.”
“Sure you don't...come to bed.” she patted the space beside her, and Damon hesitated. Sure, they'd been sharing a bed for the last couple of nights, but that was because Damon had wanted to keep a tight leash on her, not from any twisted sense of...comfort.
He got into the bed beside her, and felt Elena's arm curl around him, her head using his chest as a pillow.
“Sleep,” she said. “It'll seem better in the morning. I have it on good authority."
“I may have exaggerated that part a bit,” he admitted.
Elena snorted, her breath warm against his skin. “Tell me something I don't know.” Her arm tightened around him. “Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For not snarking at me. For not mocking me when you saw the body...lots of things.”
“Don't thank me yet, I'll make up for it in the morning.”
“Yeah, well, that is tomorrow. Today is today.”
“Shut up, Elena.”
He felt her smile against his chest, but she didn't say anything. A few minutes later, he felt his eyes get heavy. He fell asleep.
~~~*~~*~~*~~~
He woke to the afternoon, with the feel of Elena's body wrapped around him. Arousal kicked in as she shifted against him and lifted her head to smile at him. Her hair fell around her face in loose waves; her hair straightener had been one of the things her brother had forgotten to bring to the lodge.
On impulse he kissed her, tangling a hand through her hair as he rolled them over on the bed. It was a long, languorous kiss, a full exploration of her mouth, and he felt her hands clutch at his back as she eased into it.
“Good morning,” she said, slightly dazedly, when he eventually released her mouth.
He smirked. “Good afternoon,” he said slyly.
Elena frowned. “Really?” She gave his shoulder a light shove. “Let me up, we shouldn't be doing this in the first place.”
He rolled off her with a laugh, and got to his feet. “I never made it to a silversmith, yesterday,” he said. “How about we catch one today?”
Elena cocked an eyebrow. “You mean that literally, don't you?”
“I promise not to try and eat him, if you don't,” Damon said.
“Ouch,” Elena said, but without any heat.
“I did warn you,” he said. “C'mon, get up. Lots to do, chop chop! You raid the fridge, while I make a few calls.”
A few minutes later, they were in the kitchen, Elena was warming her blood in the microwave as Damon rang all the local jewellers. The scene would have looked very domesticated, if you didn't look too closely at the menu. Eventually, Damon tracked down a jeweller who'd come and collect the stone and deliver the results - for an exorbitant fee.
Breakfast was interrupted by a phone call, and Damon looked at the strange number before answering it. “Salvatore's bar and grill,” he singsonged, smirking at Elena, across the table. “Sorry, we're all booked up right now, but-”
“It's Alaric Saltzman,” said a familiar voice.
Damon frowned. “How did you get my number?” he asked.
“I have friends in low places,” he said. “And there's a body in Jenna's kitchen, and she's due home in about an hour.”
“And this is my business because...?”
“There's a note pinned to it's chest, and it says, 'Hello, Damon'.”
Damon went still. “Come again?”
“You heard me.”
Damon's mind flitted through the possibilities. “Roll it up in something, stick it in your trunk and bring it here. Get Jeremy to help you, if you need any.”
“Jeremy isn't here, he didn't come home last night.”
Damon closed his eyes; he guessed he was due another call to Anna. “Fine,” he bit out. “Do the best you can. Just get here!”
“What? You can't take time out of your busy schedule to come over here and help?”
“I'm kind of tied to the house, right now.”
There was a pause. “How's Elena?”
“Elena is...” He stopped as Elena's eyes met his across the table. “Never mind. Just get here.” He hung up.
It was another half an hour before they heard the rumble of a car outside. Damon went out and waved him into the garage, before lowering the doors, so Elena could come in the side entrance. Alaric popped open his boot, and got out of the car, eyeing Elena cautiously as she stepped into the garage. Elena gave him a small nod and a smile, and clutched at Damon's arm like a vice. Alaric pulled back the corner of the rug covering the body, and the three of them peered in.
“I can't believe that this is my life now,” Alaric said. “Anyone recognise him?”
Elena nodded. “It's Duke, she said.
Damon looked at her blankly.
“As in Duke from Duke?” she said.
Damon snorted.. “Why do I get the feeling I'm missing out on some nugget of local information.”
“You mean you don't know everything?” Elena teased. “What a shock. How will I ever recover?”
“You think you're so witty, don't you?”
Elena tossed her head. “I have my moments.”
Alaric rolled his eyes. “Can we keep on topic here?” he said, as he pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket. Damon took it out of his fingers and opened it.
“Do you recognise the writing?” he asked.
Alaric nodded tersely. “Yeah, I do,” he said, “It's Isobel's.” Silence fell in the garage, and Elena's grip became even tighter.
“Great, just great,” Damon eventually said, as he turned the corpse's head, and examined its neck. It was a mangled mess. “That's all we need.” he turned to Elena. “You do realise it was probably your Uncle John who brought the body into the house - or worse, invited her in.”
“Would he be able to do that?” Alaric asked. “He's not a member of the immediate family.”
“He's a Gilbert, and they've been living in that house for a couple of generations - it's enough of a tie. We'll need to end that.”
“Damon...” Elena said softly.
He rolled his eyes. “You're doing that thing, again.”
“What thing?”
“That little pout you do, with the judgey eyes.”
“I did no such thing!”
“Oh yes you did.”
Alaric sighed. “You know what would be nice? If you two could stop acting like an old married couple for just five seconds, and help me with this dead body?”
As one, Damon and Elena glared at him, and Alaric took an unconscious step back. “Okaaay,” he drawled, spinning the word out. “Forget I said anything.”
Damon's cell began to ring, and he pulled it out. It was Sheriff Forbes, again; didn't the woman have any deputies? “Hello, Sheriff.”
“Damon!” the Sheriff said. “Don't invite anyone into the house! I've just had a call from John Gilbert. Apparently, he's just got a tip that a Vampire would be hitting your place tonight - a newly turned one.” Damon's eyes flitted to Elena. Was it possible Gilbert knew about his niece?
“I don't understand,” he said aloud, “Why would it be hunting me?”
“I guess news of your success at killing the last couple of Vampires that came to town must have spread,” the Sheriff said. “Don't worry, Gilbert is coming as backup. We should be okay.”
“Oh yes, I feel so much safer already,” Damon said.
The Sheriff laughed. “He's a pain in the ass, but he's good in a sticky situation,” she said. “I'll see you in a few minutes.”
Damon hung up and looked at the corpse. “We need to move fast,” he said. “The Sheriff is going to be here any moment-” It was then that the corpse moved a hand, and Damon groaned as all the pieces clicked together. “I don't believe I didn't see this coming.”
Alaric pulled a stake from his pocket, and Damon stared at it. “Seriously? After the last time?” he asked.
“Especially after the last time,” Alaric said.
“We don't have time for this,” Elena said lowly.
Damon nodded, she was right. “He's still transitioning,” he said. “So Vervain won't work.” he pulled a rope from the garage wall, and hog tied the half unconscious would-be vampire. He looked around for something that would work as a gag. Silently, Alaric took off his scarf and handed it to him. Elena held Duke up, and Damon gagged his mouth.
“I'll stick him in the cell until I'm done with the Sheriff,” Damon said. “Elena, make yourself scarce. The last thing we need is for your uncle or the Sheriff to see you.”
Elena frowned at him. “Don't do anything stupid,” she warned.
“Who? Me?” he asked, grinning at her suspicious face. “Get gone, I'll behave.”
Alaric watched the exchange warily, but didn't open his mouth until she'd left. “What is the story with you two?” he asked, as Damon threw the trussed up Duke over his shoulder.
“No story,” Damon said abruptly. Alaric gave him a disbelieving look, but kept his peace as he followed Damon into the sub basement.
“Nice dungeon,” he said eventually.
“We try to keep up with the Addamses,” Damon drawled, as he threw Duke into the cell, and slammed the door shut.
Alaric raised an eyebrow. “Pop reference?”
Damon looked upward, as he heard the Sheriff's car pull up. “We need a reason as to why you're here,” he said.
“I'm here to discuss Stefan cutting classes,” Alaric said promptly, smirking as Damon threw him a look. “Teacher, remember?”
“Right. Teacher by day, Vampire hunter by night, must look impressive on the resume,” Damon said. The doorbell rang as they gained the hall, and Damon and Alaric looked at each other.
“I'd say good luck, but...”
“You'd be lying,” Damon finished for him, before opening the door. “Good evening, Sheriff, you know Mr Saltzman, I presume?”
Sheriff Forbes looked startled. “Uh, yes, the last parent teacher meeting, I believe.”.
“Mr Saltzman was sharing with me a few concerns he had about Stefan,” Damon ploughed on, as Gilbert's car pulled up in the driveway. He felt his hackles rise, but tried to keep it off his face.
“Well, I have to go,” Alaric says. “It's that way back to the garage?”
“Yeah,” Damon said. “And thanks for coming by. It's been very... educational.”
Sheriff Forbes raised an eyebrow as Alaric disappeared through a side door. “You made him use the garage?”
“It's part of the house,” Damon said smoothly.
Her face cleared. “Inside the threshold,” she said, nodding.
“Apparently the kids like him. It'd be a pity if he was killed for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Oh yes, heaven forbid he should run into a vampire,” Gilbert drawled, as he joined them at the door.
Damon's eyes narrowed. “Where do we start looking?” he asked.
Gilbert smiled nastily. “Oh, I don't know...how about the woods around the back?” he said.
Damon stepped out of the house, and closed the door behind him. He had a nasty feeling he couldn't quite shake, and the urge to rip out both their throats and be done with it, was almost overwhelming.
“Lead the way,” he said, through gritted teeth.
PART TWELVE
A/N: As you know, this fic is currently rated at PG13, but I find I may be pushing that envelope a bit, and I want to up the rating - any objections or suggestions?
Author: jinxed_wood
Characters/Pairings: Damon /Elena, ensemble.
Rating: PG13
Category: Drama
Spoilers: Up to 1x19
Warnings: It has vampires?
Show/Bookverse: Show
Summary:Stefan reignites his hunger for human blood, Elena tries to hold on, and Damon ensures he gets his own way...
Author's Notes: This story basically went AU from the end of 1X18, but I shall be incorporating elements of subsequent episodes, like John's machinations, Bonnie distrust and anger, Stefan's struggle with his new thirst for human blood, and general plot points that I feel wouldn't be changed by Elena's Vampirism - needless to say, Elena won't be a part of the Miss Mystic falls competition, although it will feature in this story! Anyways, on with the show!
Previous parts: PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE | PART SIX | PART SEVEN | PART EIGHT | PART NINE | PART TEN
-------------
PART ELEVEN
Damon sat on the chair beside his bed and watched Elena sleep; it seemed to him he did a lot of that lately. Things were quickly getting out of control, and his usual strategy for this situation - sit back and enjoy the show - wasn't really an option. There were too many variables, too many things that could go wrong; if he weren't careful, this may turn into 1864 all over again.
It had not taken them long to bury the body. They had disposed of it in the woods behind the lodge, and Damon had strewn aniseed in the local vicinity, in order to disorientate any dog searches. He realised the Sheriff would assume Elena's meal was taken by the same Vampire who took the girl in the woods. A bit of luck, for once, as they'd be looking for only one Vampire, not two.
Damon hadn't managed to coax a name out of Elena, yet, she had only told him that her meal was a neighbour. The girl had looked around Elena's age, so there was a good chance they'd grown up together.
But it could have been worse, it could have been a blood relative.
“I can hear you think from over here, you know,” Elena said, her eyes still closed as she echoed his earlier words.
“I thought you were asleep,” he said.
She opened her eyes. “It's difficult to sleep when I can feel you sitting there, brooding.”
“I don't brood.”
“Sure you don't...come to bed.” she patted the space beside her, and Damon hesitated. Sure, they'd been sharing a bed for the last couple of nights, but that was because Damon had wanted to keep a tight leash on her, not from any twisted sense of...comfort.
He got into the bed beside her, and felt Elena's arm curl around him, her head using his chest as a pillow.
“Sleep,” she said. “It'll seem better in the morning. I have it on good authority."
“I may have exaggerated that part a bit,” he admitted.
Elena snorted, her breath warm against his skin. “Tell me something I don't know.” Her arm tightened around him. “Thank you, by the way.”
“For what?”
“For not snarking at me. For not mocking me when you saw the body...lots of things.”
“Don't thank me yet, I'll make up for it in the morning.”
“Yeah, well, that is tomorrow. Today is today.”
“Shut up, Elena.”
He felt her smile against his chest, but she didn't say anything. A few minutes later, he felt his eyes get heavy. He fell asleep.
~~~*~~*~~*~~~
He woke to the afternoon, with the feel of Elena's body wrapped around him. Arousal kicked in as she shifted against him and lifted her head to smile at him. Her hair fell around her face in loose waves; her hair straightener had been one of the things her brother had forgotten to bring to the lodge.
On impulse he kissed her, tangling a hand through her hair as he rolled them over on the bed. It was a long, languorous kiss, a full exploration of her mouth, and he felt her hands clutch at his back as she eased into it.
“Good morning,” she said, slightly dazedly, when he eventually released her mouth.
He smirked. “Good afternoon,” he said slyly.
Elena frowned. “Really?” She gave his shoulder a light shove. “Let me up, we shouldn't be doing this in the first place.”
He rolled off her with a laugh, and got to his feet. “I never made it to a silversmith, yesterday,” he said. “How about we catch one today?”
Elena cocked an eyebrow. “You mean that literally, don't you?”
“I promise not to try and eat him, if you don't,” Damon said.
“Ouch,” Elena said, but without any heat.
“I did warn you,” he said. “C'mon, get up. Lots to do, chop chop! You raid the fridge, while I make a few calls.”
A few minutes later, they were in the kitchen, Elena was warming her blood in the microwave as Damon rang all the local jewellers. The scene would have looked very domesticated, if you didn't look too closely at the menu. Eventually, Damon tracked down a jeweller who'd come and collect the stone and deliver the results - for an exorbitant fee.
Breakfast was interrupted by a phone call, and Damon looked at the strange number before answering it. “Salvatore's bar and grill,” he singsonged, smirking at Elena, across the table. “Sorry, we're all booked up right now, but-”
“It's Alaric Saltzman,” said a familiar voice.
Damon frowned. “How did you get my number?” he asked.
“I have friends in low places,” he said. “And there's a body in Jenna's kitchen, and she's due home in about an hour.”
“And this is my business because...?”
“There's a note pinned to it's chest, and it says, 'Hello, Damon'.”
Damon went still. “Come again?”
“You heard me.”
Damon's mind flitted through the possibilities. “Roll it up in something, stick it in your trunk and bring it here. Get Jeremy to help you, if you need any.”
“Jeremy isn't here, he didn't come home last night.”
Damon closed his eyes; he guessed he was due another call to Anna. “Fine,” he bit out. “Do the best you can. Just get here!”
“What? You can't take time out of your busy schedule to come over here and help?”
“I'm kind of tied to the house, right now.”
There was a pause. “How's Elena?”
“Elena is...” He stopped as Elena's eyes met his across the table. “Never mind. Just get here.” He hung up.
It was another half an hour before they heard the rumble of a car outside. Damon went out and waved him into the garage, before lowering the doors, so Elena could come in the side entrance. Alaric popped open his boot, and got out of the car, eyeing Elena cautiously as she stepped into the garage. Elena gave him a small nod and a smile, and clutched at Damon's arm like a vice. Alaric pulled back the corner of the rug covering the body, and the three of them peered in.
“I can't believe that this is my life now,” Alaric said. “Anyone recognise him?”
Elena nodded. “It's Duke, she said.
Damon looked at her blankly.
“As in Duke from Duke?” she said.
Damon snorted.. “Why do I get the feeling I'm missing out on some nugget of local information.”
“You mean you don't know everything?” Elena teased. “What a shock. How will I ever recover?”
“You think you're so witty, don't you?”
Elena tossed her head. “I have my moments.”
Alaric rolled his eyes. “Can we keep on topic here?” he said, as he pulled a sheet of paper out of his pocket. Damon took it out of his fingers and opened it.
“Do you recognise the writing?” he asked.
Alaric nodded tersely. “Yeah, I do,” he said, “It's Isobel's.” Silence fell in the garage, and Elena's grip became even tighter.
“Great, just great,” Damon eventually said, as he turned the corpse's head, and examined its neck. It was a mangled mess. “That's all we need.” he turned to Elena. “You do realise it was probably your Uncle John who brought the body into the house - or worse, invited her in.”
“Would he be able to do that?” Alaric asked. “He's not a member of the immediate family.”
“He's a Gilbert, and they've been living in that house for a couple of generations - it's enough of a tie. We'll need to end that.”
“Damon...” Elena said softly.
He rolled his eyes. “You're doing that thing, again.”
“What thing?”
“That little pout you do, with the judgey eyes.”
“I did no such thing!”
“Oh yes you did.”
Alaric sighed. “You know what would be nice? If you two could stop acting like an old married couple for just five seconds, and help me with this dead body?”
As one, Damon and Elena glared at him, and Alaric took an unconscious step back. “Okaaay,” he drawled, spinning the word out. “Forget I said anything.”
Damon's cell began to ring, and he pulled it out. It was Sheriff Forbes, again; didn't the woman have any deputies? “Hello, Sheriff.”
“Damon!” the Sheriff said. “Don't invite anyone into the house! I've just had a call from John Gilbert. Apparently, he's just got a tip that a Vampire would be hitting your place tonight - a newly turned one.” Damon's eyes flitted to Elena. Was it possible Gilbert knew about his niece?
“I don't understand,” he said aloud, “Why would it be hunting me?”
“I guess news of your success at killing the last couple of Vampires that came to town must have spread,” the Sheriff said. “Don't worry, Gilbert is coming as backup. We should be okay.”
“Oh yes, I feel so much safer already,” Damon said.
The Sheriff laughed. “He's a pain in the ass, but he's good in a sticky situation,” she said. “I'll see you in a few minutes.”
Damon hung up and looked at the corpse. “We need to move fast,” he said. “The Sheriff is going to be here any moment-” It was then that the corpse moved a hand, and Damon groaned as all the pieces clicked together. “I don't believe I didn't see this coming.”
Alaric pulled a stake from his pocket, and Damon stared at it. “Seriously? After the last time?” he asked.
“Especially after the last time,” Alaric said.
“We don't have time for this,” Elena said lowly.
Damon nodded, she was right. “He's still transitioning,” he said. “So Vervain won't work.” he pulled a rope from the garage wall, and hog tied the half unconscious would-be vampire. He looked around for something that would work as a gag. Silently, Alaric took off his scarf and handed it to him. Elena held Duke up, and Damon gagged his mouth.
“I'll stick him in the cell until I'm done with the Sheriff,” Damon said. “Elena, make yourself scarce. The last thing we need is for your uncle or the Sheriff to see you.”
Elena frowned at him. “Don't do anything stupid,” she warned.
“Who? Me?” he asked, grinning at her suspicious face. “Get gone, I'll behave.”
Alaric watched the exchange warily, but didn't open his mouth until she'd left. “What is the story with you two?” he asked, as Damon threw the trussed up Duke over his shoulder.
“No story,” Damon said abruptly. Alaric gave him a disbelieving look, but kept his peace as he followed Damon into the sub basement.
“Nice dungeon,” he said eventually.
“We try to keep up with the Addamses,” Damon drawled, as he threw Duke into the cell, and slammed the door shut.
Alaric raised an eyebrow. “Pop reference?”
Damon looked upward, as he heard the Sheriff's car pull up. “We need a reason as to why you're here,” he said.
“I'm here to discuss Stefan cutting classes,” Alaric said promptly, smirking as Damon threw him a look. “Teacher, remember?”
“Right. Teacher by day, Vampire hunter by night, must look impressive on the resume,” Damon said. The doorbell rang as they gained the hall, and Damon and Alaric looked at each other.
“I'd say good luck, but...”
“You'd be lying,” Damon finished for him, before opening the door. “Good evening, Sheriff, you know Mr Saltzman, I presume?”
Sheriff Forbes looked startled. “Uh, yes, the last parent teacher meeting, I believe.”.
“Mr Saltzman was sharing with me a few concerns he had about Stefan,” Damon ploughed on, as Gilbert's car pulled up in the driveway. He felt his hackles rise, but tried to keep it off his face.
“Well, I have to go,” Alaric says. “It's that way back to the garage?”
“Yeah,” Damon said. “And thanks for coming by. It's been very... educational.”
Sheriff Forbes raised an eyebrow as Alaric disappeared through a side door. “You made him use the garage?”
“It's part of the house,” Damon said smoothly.
Her face cleared. “Inside the threshold,” she said, nodding.
“Apparently the kids like him. It'd be a pity if he was killed for being at the wrong place at the wrong time.”
“Oh yes, heaven forbid he should run into a vampire,” Gilbert drawled, as he joined them at the door.
Damon's eyes narrowed. “Where do we start looking?” he asked.
Gilbert smiled nastily. “Oh, I don't know...how about the woods around the back?” he said.
Damon stepped out of the house, and closed the door behind him. He had a nasty feeling he couldn't quite shake, and the urge to rip out both their throats and be done with it, was almost overwhelming.
“Lead the way,” he said, through gritted teeth.
PART TWELVE
A/N: As you know, this fic is currently rated at PG13, but I find I may be pushing that envelope a bit, and I want to up the rating - any objections or suggestions?