Try {One | Alaric Saltzman}

The Dinner Party

Abigail and Alaric worked around each other in an attempt to make breakfast. They hadn't gotten very far in the process, but the smoke detector had already gone off twice and at least three eggs had been dropped onto the hardwood floor. It might have helped if they weren't so distracted by each other's half-clothed forms, but they both knew that would never happen.

"Alright, tell me about the lake house," he said, pulling away from her to turn off the stove. "I would much rather be thinking about that than what happened last night."

"Well," she started, "it's a log cabin with-"

He moved back to his place in front of her. "Not what I meant."

"I know." She looked out of the windows on the back wall, digging through her memories for one that stood out. None of them did, not right then, not the first time she let herself really think about them. They blended together, all of them, bringing the shots of a smile to her lips. "We spent a lot of time there. Spring breaks, summers, even a few Christmases. My mom always wanted to be there on her birthday, it was her favorite place."

"And your dad?"

"He loved it too. Being there as a family, laughing at every little thing. If something was wrong or we were fighting it was where he would take us to pull us back together." She looked around the kitchen, imaging her dad's reaction to the mess they'd made. "He cooked every meal while we were there, insisting on making up for the ones that he'd missed because of work."

He looked down at the burnt toast on the counter. "We could probably use his help right about now."

"We could definitely use his help right now." She let silence fill the loft before asking, "Do you ever think about us, what our future will be like?"

"Hmm..." He wrapped his arms around her waist. "Well, we've both learned a few recipes, you know, the 50/50 thing."

"Come on," she urged, "I'm serious."

"I am too." He kissed the top of her head. "We live in a two-story house, on a corner lot, where we host our friends at frequent dinner parties. Themed, of course. There's a cat that just won't stop coming to the backdoor, so we feed it, let it in when it's raining, and maybe even start to love it. Don't even get me started on how many books are laying around." He pulled her closer. "And, eventually, we'll hear the pitter patter of a couple of kids as they run into our room at ungodly hours."

She smiled up at him. "You know I love you, right?"

"Oh, Bea." He kissed her once, twice, three times. "I love you, too."

When the clock chimed, they gave up on their breakfast catastrophe. Settling on a cup of coffee and a few donuts from the little place in Town Square, they drove out to the old Fell property where Jenna was giving Elijah one of the many tours that he had been promised. It was unlikely that he would reveal anything about his plan, but they didn't have many other options when it came to getting answers.

"There you are!" Jenna smiled as they approached them. "I was beginning to wonder if you really did stay at Bonnie's or if you sent him on a wild goose chase this morning."

"Really, Jenna?" Abigail laughed although she could feel Alaric stiffen next to her. "I just convinced him to stop for coffee, you know all that girl talk can last for hours."

Elijah laughed.

"Oh, sorry! Elijah, this is Alaric Saltzman."

"Hey." He shook his hand. "Jenna told me about your tour of the old property lines. I thought I would tag along. You know, being a history buff and all."

Jenna took a step into the grass. "Here we are, the Old Fell Estate."

"The property line is actually just beyond that fence. We spend a lot of time here; we have to know so that-" Abigail cut herself off with a tight-lipped smile. "And I am getting myself in trouble..."