Wayward Heart: Book 1

Part 22

"Wow," Emma said quietly as she walked with Matt Donovan and Elena out of the police station.

"We were trying to help Ric," Elena tried to explain as they walked down the sidewalk.

Emma put her hands up, "I'm impressed Elena, I didn't think you had it in you."

"You're just as bad as Damon," Elena rolled her eyes and walked ahead of Matt and Emma.

"Did you at least find something?" Emma asked Matt.

Matt shrugged, "We thought so, a paper that corrected the time of death of Brian Walters, but it turns out Dr. Fell had already given the paperwork to Sheriff Forbes."

"Something isn't right," Emma shook her head, "that woman knows something."

"I agree with you," Matt said as he came to a stop behind Elena as she stared into the alleyway behind the Grill at something.

"Stefan?" Elena whispered.

Emma and Matt followed Elena's gaze and saw Stefan in the alley with blood dripping down his chin, Damon stood nearby him with his wrist at a girls mouth, healing her before compelling her to forget what had happened.

"Elena," Stefan sounded desperate for her immediate forgiveness.

Elena took a step back away from him, "What are you doing?"

"Relax Elena," Damon sounded annoyed, "its just a little experiment, no need to make it more dramatic than it has to be."

"Let's just go," Matt said as he grabbed Elena's arm and pulled her along with him.

Stefan turned to Damon with anger written on his face.

"So," Damon shrugged, "that's going to take a little time."

Stefan aggressively bumped into Damon as he walked out of the alleyway, leaving Damon behind with Emma.

Damon threw his hands up in frustration as she continued to hold his gaze, "Go ahead, get mad. Everyone else already is."

"Why in the hell would I be mad?" Emma scoffed.

"Yeah, whatever, I'm okay with..." Damon stopped in the middle of his well rehearsed uncaring line, "wait, what?"

"Can you keep him under control?" Emma asked as she stepped closer to Damon.

Damon raised his eyebrow at her, still not believing that she wasn't ready to kill him, "I'm confused, you're not mad at me?"

Emma shook her head, and wrapped her arms around Damon, "Could you have gone about that with a little bit more finesse? Yes, but I understand what you are doing Damon. Stefan has no control and without that he is going to mess up again and again, he needs you to teach him."

"You're sure that you aren't mad at me?"

"I prefer blood bags, but at the end of the day, I know what the reality is."

"But earlier at the Grill-"

"I don't want to hear about your sexual escapades, especially with Rebekah."

"Well, you are an observant little thing aren't you?" Damon leaned down and kissed Emma softly.

"All a part of the job babe," Emma smiled before turning serious, "but you do have this under control right?"

Damon scoffed, "I always have things under control."

"Ah, yes, so under control that you meant to get Rebekah in bed," Emma made sure Damon knew she was teasing him and started to pull away from him.

Damon shook his head and laughed as he pulled her back, "Hey, we were on a break."

"Okay Ross," Emma stood on her toes and quickly kissed Damon before walking away.

"I am way hotter than Ross friggin' Gellar," Damon yelled after her.

Emma looked over her shoulder and winked at Damon, "I'll let you prove that later."

She started jogging to catch up with Matt and Elena.

"I got you something," Emma heard Matt tell Elena as she entered the Gilbert household, he was handing her a book when she rounded the corner of the living room and joined them.

"The journal?" Elena looked up at Matt.

"It's your family's, you should have it. Meredith and that idiot deputy were too busy questioning you to give a damn about me," Matt shrugged, "sometimes it pays to be the only normal one in a town of vampires. I'm practically invisible."

The front door opened and all three of them looked up to see Alaric enter. Emma stood up and ran into him, wrapping him in a warm hug.

"Are you all right?" Elena asked.

Alaric nodded, "Yeah, I'm fine."

Emma pulled her motorcycle up next to Damon's car in the driveway, she pulled her helmet off and carried it into the boarding house.

"The Founders' Council killer had nothing on you. By the decade's end, they were calling you the Ripper of Monterrey. I let you walk away. I watched you go over the edge, I didn't do anything to stop you," Damon said to Stefan as they sat near the fireplace.

"You couldn't have," Stefan tried to take the blame off of Damon.

"Sure I could've, but I just didn't want to, but I want to now. And whenever you go too far, I will be there to pull you back. Every second, every day, till you don't need me," Damon promised his brother.

"Why?" Stefan sat back in his seat.

"Because right now, you're all I got," he explained to his brother.

Emma set her helmet on a small table and joined the men in the foyer.

"What am I, chopped liver?" Emma half heartedly joked.

Damon scooted over so she could sit next to him, "I happen to like chopped liver."

Emma laughed as she sat down and Damon wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"I'll be in my room," Stefan excused himself but Emma stopped him.

"Hang on," Emma stood up and crossed the room over to Stefan.

Stefan tried to evade her, "Not right now Emma."

"You have to let Damon help you."

"Why do you care? Shouldn't you be trying to kill me right now?" Stefan looked at her confused.

"Yea, and I won't ever forgive you for what happened to Katie, but someone needs to be here to remind you what happens if you go off the rails."

A low growl escaped Stefan, "Is that a threat?"

Damon stood up and sped over to Emma's side.

"No, not from me, but I'm not the only hunter around. The others won't have the same compassion towards you that I do."

"Right," Stefan scoffed, "because you love Damon."

Emma didn't reply or try to stop Stefan as he headed upstairs.

"Thank you," Damon said quietly.

She turned to face him and he pulled her into his arms, "For what?"

Damon held her closer as he kissed her lips, full of passion and love. They both kept their eyes closed as he pulled away slightly.

"For loving me," Damon whispered.

Emma laughed lightly, "Eaves dropping Mr. Salvatore?"

Emma opened her eyes and looked at Damon as he pulled away and did the same.

"I love you, Em," Damon said just before his lips crashed against hers again.

He used one of his hands to trace her jawline just before letting it get tangled in her long, dark red hair. When they finally had to catch their breath, Emma was able to respond.

"I love you too."