a tale as long as time.

"Come on Damon you know you're not going to deny your precious Eleanor. If that girl wants to celebrate your birthday I'm surprised you're not the first one on board," Stefan said in a laugh. It was kind of funny really to see his brother so wrapped around anyone's finger. Eleanor was the only person he had ever seen Damon so willing to do anything for. "And we've just been talking," he told Damon knowing that he'd probably want more than that but Stefan wasn't telling him anything yet. He wasn't even sure what else to tell Damon really. They had only been talking and that was it. Just talking, like friends did because that's what they were. "We are going shopping tomorrow, apparently the girls have no clothes with them so they need some things. But I'm sure El probably already told you that," he said not really sure what all his brother and Eleanor had talked about.

"What about you two? You took her all the way to the Lockwood Manor at this hour for some mystery box George Lockwood hid for her a hundred and fifty years ago, there has to be something pretty special in here then. You have any idea what it is?" He asked wondering if Damon had gotten anything out of her, though it was stupid to wonder of course he hadn't. Eleanor was probably the best secret keeper he'd ever met in his life, the girl was like uncrackable. That was the thing about them all, Stefan he knew he'd always been the nice one of the group, Adelaide was the stubborn one, Damon was the impatient one, and Eleanor was the secretive one. Somehow they had always made a pretty good group when they were human he could only imagine how things would be now one hundred and fifty years when they were vampires. "Do you think Eleanor would be willing to help us with this little original problem we have?" He asked wondering if Damon had or even would be willing to persuade her to help, because he felt like now would actually be the best time to take advantage of her secretive side. "She has always been rather good at keeping secrets,"

---

"We are celebrating because it's important!" Eleanor called back from the bathroom as she walked in knowing they would hear her reply. She readied herself a nice warm bubble bath and then soaked in the tub with a content smile on her face. She couldn't imagine how things could be much better than they were now. They four of them were back together and while things were far from the normal they'd once known they were falling into a nice spot, and a lot quicker than she could've ever hoped for. There was simply nothing better than feeling as happy as she did right now. She honestly lost track of time when it came to her bath and she only got out of the tub when she'd started to fall asleep and realize that most of her bubble were gone. So she climbed out of the tub and wrapped one of the soft fluffy towels around herself then she went and poked her head down the hall smiling again when she saw all three of them still in the living room chatting like old times.

"Damon, I need a shirt please," she said, not exactly sure which room was his and which room was Stefans and while she was sure she could figure it out pretty easily she didn't exactly want to wander around their house in nothing but a towel. She also didn't want to start going through their things to find a shirt. Yes, she knew them, yes she was giving Damon a chance again, but she had also just recently pretty much barged back into his life and she didn't want to end up overstepping but accidentally finding something he might not have been ready for her to know. Eleanor was going to believe Damon unless there was reason for her not to, but she also wanted him to tell her things because he wanted to and was ready to tell her not because he felt backed into a corner. Eleanor wasn't even sure if she thought Damon would have anything secret in his room but she didn't want to take that chance. She also knew that Stefan had always been a very private person and she'd hate to find herself in his room only to stumble onto things he for sure didn't want her to know about.

"Stefan's right. There's no way you're going to tell El no." Adelaide said, laughing when she heard Eleanor's comment from upstairs. Eleanor always had the eldest Salvatore wrapped completely around her finger, he would never say no to her, and she highly doubted that was something that was going to change anytime soon. It had never happened before, so she just couldn't see it happening now either. There was just no way. "Well, we weren't exactly planning on sticking around longer than today, so neither of us packed accordingly." Adelaide had a storage unit where she kept most of her personal belongings that she'd collected over the last century and a half. Given she never stuck around in one place for very long, she never saw it necessary to rent an apartment or buy a house. She would hardly use it if she did so it was pretty pointless, but the storage unit definitely came in pretty handy. It was a couple of hours away from Mystic Falls, so she wasn't planning on making the drive anytime soon.

"She made it seem pretty damn important that she get to the Lockwood Manor while we were here, so it must be something pretty special if she's being so secretive about it." She chimed in when Stefan asked Damon what he thought might be in the box. Of course, Eleanor liked surprises, but this seemed bigger than that. If it wasn't something major, she likely wouldn't have made it into some sort of dramatic reveal.

---

Damon rolled his eyes. "There's a first time for everything, and there's no reason to celebrate my birthday. I haven't celebrated it, well, ever since becoming a vampire." He said. Truth be told, his birthday was a bit of a sore subject mainly because it was a reminder of everything that he lost because of Katherine. Of course, he had Eleanor back now and they were starting over, but he was still a vampire, and while he did embrace it for the most part, there were just certain human practices, like celebrating birthdays, that he saw necessary anymore. He knew that he was likely going to lose this battle though, Eleanor seemed pretty hellbent on there being some sort of a celebration for him, and Stefan and Addy seemed onboard as well. Basically, it was three against one so the chances of him winning this argument were very slim.

"She did, we already discussed it on the ride back." He shifted his gaze over to Adelaide. "I'm sure that Stefan's already offered, but in case it slipped my brother's mind, you're more than welcome to stay here, Addy. We have the room. It'll be nice having my little sister around again." He and Adelaide had always gotten on really well. Of course, she was closer to Stefan for obvious reasons, but he'd always enjoyed the fiery haired girl's company.

"Stefan did already offer, and I already took him up on his offer, but thank you, Damon."

When his brother asked if he had an idea as to what was in the mystery box, he shrugged his shoulders. "Your guess is as good as mine, brother. She wouldn't even give me so much as a hint, and I brought it up a couple of times." That was just how Eleanor was though. If she wanted something to be kept a secret, it would stay a secret until she wanted someone to know about it. He doubted that was something that had changed in the years since he had last seen her. It seemed to be holding true as of late, and he couldn't see it changing anytime soon. Before he could comment on whether or not Eleanor would help them with everything going on with the original family, said brunette was peaking around the corner in nothing but a towel asking him for a shirt. The last thing on his mind was Klaus Mikaelson in that moment as he excused himself so that he could go fetch Eleanor something suitable to wear. "My room's this way, for future reference." He motioned for her to follow him. The thought to tell her where it was hadn't exactly crossed his mind until now.

Stefan felt good about this all, he liked having both Eleanor and Adelaide there. He could already see a difference in Damon which he knew was for the good. It would be good for his brother to open up again and show emotions or that he cared about anything really. It was also good that Adelaide was here because it was proving to be helpful to him. Yea the thought of taking control of his rather aggressive tendencies to rip people apart when he drank human blood was well terrifying, but it also seemed possible with her here. It didn't seem as impossible as it once had simply because he had his best friend there to help walk him through every step of the way. He had Addy, a girl who he had never been afraid to be himself around. Even if he knew that she was going judge him harshly he still wasn't scared to tell her. He was kind of tiptoeing into everything with her, but that was also understandable given how long they'd been apart. Things already felt very natural between them though.

"Between the three of us I'm sure we can break him down," Stefan told Adelaide when Damon ran off to help Eleanor find a shirt to wear. "I know he hates the idea, and is it slightly crazy given we are vampires, yes. But I think my brother needs this," he said knowing it probably sounded crazy but he did. "I mean he hardly shows emotion about anything and I know Eleanor's probably the only person in the world who could get Damon to be himself again. He also has he tendency to well snap and take his feelings out on other people." He said truly wanting to help Damon be the Damon everyone liked again. And he knew that Addy would up for the challenge of helping him help Eleanor get Damon on board. They really all had each others best interest at heart, like always.

"So um would you want me to show you around the place?" Stefan asked her, "I mean I know you've seen my room and now this one, but I can show you everything else so you can get around alone," he said knowing this place was kind of large and it was a lot different than the house he'd lived in growing up, the one he knew Adelaide was use to seeing him in.

---

Eleanor held her towel together and followed Damon down the hall. "Thanks," she said softly when she walked into his room. It was weird at first being in Damon's room, because well the last time she'd been alone in Damon's bedroom with him they'd both been human and she was pretty sure they'd had a fight actually. It was shortly before he'd started to ignore her altogether thanks to Katherine. Of course, that room was in a different house altogether but the whole idea of being in his bedroom was the same. She wondered if Damon thought about that too, how the last interaction they'd truly had with one another was a fight in his bedroom. They rarely ever fought, about anything. That night though they had, and for some reason standing there reminded her of that night, and she tried to push the thought out of her mind almost as soon as she'd thought about it. Because this wasn't then, this was now. She also hadn't really meant anything she'd said to him that night, and she had a good feeling he hadn't meant the things he'd said either. But suddenly she was very aware of things and she was feeling a tad bit jealous thinking of all these other girls Damon had had in his bedroom, and how she barely knew Damon anymore, which also had her feeling insecure about herself. Because she did barely know this Damon, and what if after they'd spend some time together he didn't want her anymore as if she wasn't good enough.

"Can I sleep in here with you tonight?" She asked him quietly. It was a stupid question, and it probably wouldn't make sense to anyone but her but Eleanor needed to feel secure and safe. She needed to be comforted and reminded of what it felt like to be near Damon. She realized that she just wanted to be engulfed by him. They hadn't been together in so long and the kiss they'd shared earlier had made her feel really good but she wanted more. She wanted to feel close to him again, which kind of scared and overwhelmed her because it had been a very long time since she'd let him do that. And he was really the only person in the world she'd ever had that with. God she loved Damon so much it hurt.

"And would you mind getting my box from Stefan and bringing it in here. I want to show you what's inside but I don't want to have to talk to them right now. I'm sure I'll tell Addy everything tomorrow anyway. I want tonight to be about us and also it gives her and Stefan more alone time," she said as she took a shirt from him. Truthfully she didn't know if she wanted to put it on in front of Damon or wait for him to leave the room, and she was very aware that her cheeks probably looked a little flushed but all of a sudden everything just felt different suddenly. And not necessarily in a bad way but in a way she was unfamiliar with.

Adelaide obviously didn't know of the sudden change in Damon's demeanor. She didn't know how he was relatively closed off, and avoiding outwardly expressing his feelings and emotions, all she knew was that it was clear that Eleanor had him wrapped around her finger just as she had in 1864. She supposed that some things, even with a great deal of time, never changed. "I definitely think it would be good for him. With everything else that's apparently going on in this town, a slight semblance of normalcy is probably what he needs." Hell, it was likely what a lot of people in this town needed. At least the ones who were aware of all of the supernatural things going on anyway.

"He seems a lot like he was back then to me, so Eleanor being around is probably bringing out parts of him that haven't surfaced in a really long time." She also honestly couldn't think of the last time that she'd seen Eleanor this happy and carefree, so this was probably good for her too. Truthfully, Adelaide couldn't think of the last time she'd been this relaxed with the idea of sticking around in one place for an extended period of time, so maybe this would all be really good for her too. It was likely that it would end up being good for all four of them. "Why not? Give me the grand tour." After all, the Salvatore residence wasn't small by any means, and sure she could probably figure out where things were in time, but it was also an excuse to spend a little bit more time with Stefan that evening before she called it a night.

---

Damon had hoped that she would ask to stay in his room with him, but he wasn't going to bring it up unless she did. He was holding true to his word and keeping things on her terms. He didn't want to make her fell uncomfortable or obligated to do something simply because it was something that he wanted, but if it was something that they both wanted, well, that was obviously a very different story. "Of course you can, El." He said as he handed her a t-shirt. "Let me know if you want something else." She hadn't specified what kind of shirt she wanted to borrow, so he figured that a t-shirt would be fine for her to sleep in, but he'd let her borrow whatever she wanted. Whether he cared to admit it or not, he would do just about anything to keep her happy. He was just so thankful that she was back in his life, which was a weird feeling to have given he tried to be pretty much indifferent about just about everything else. But this was different. Eleanor was different.

"I wouldn't mind at all. I'll let them know that you're calling it for the night." He said, pressing a kiss to the side of her head before he headed out of his room, shutting the door behind him to give her some privacy. He didn't know if she'd be okay changing in front him, so he figured he'd go get the mystery box from his brother now, and likely return once she was changed and no longer standing in his room in a towel. It was a weird feeling, the one between them. There was an odd mix of familiarity and unfamiliarity. That was likely why he didn't want to accidentally overstep. They hadn't set up any real boundaries yet. "El said you can relinquish the box to me now, Stefan. I think she's done for the night, so we'll see you two in the morning."

This was the first time since 1864 really that Stefan had seen his brother resemble the man Addy and El had known. Stefan knew that if things kept going like this things would settle down here in Mystic Falls. At least he was going to tell himself they would because he could barely handle the thought of things getting worse now that Addy was back in his life. "Here you are. Try and behave yourselves," Stefan said with a smile holding the box out for Damon to take. The best thing right now was having them all under the same room. "Follow me Ms Stanton," he said smiling at her once Damon had taken the box from him. "So here obviously we have the bar, which is always stocked with plenty of alcohol, mostly bourbon but there's some wine and other things too," he said. "This kitchen right behind this wall, we also always have food here. There are blood bags kept in a cooler downstairs that you're welcome to help yourself too. Which the stairs are over here," he said leading her towards the stairs to the basement. "So we can go down there another day so I can explain everything down there." He said not really wanting to get into that part of the house tonight.

"And this way you'll find the bathrooms. Damon's room is on the end there. You've seen my room, this hall has the guest rooms. Also it's not uncommon for people to show up here randomly. I'm not really sure if Elena will turn up or not given well everything but she could. And if not her then one of our other friends, like Caroline, Bonnie, Tyler, Matt, Jeremy. Sometimes Alaric stops by, but not as often as everyone else. Normally if there's any kind of plotting going on around for anything it takes place here. I will make sure they all know you're staying here if you want so maybe they won't just walk in or anything if for some reason you're here without me. I think you would like them, the people I hang around, mostly Bonnie," he told her realizing that he wanted Addy to fit in so well with everyone that he didn't know what he'd do it she didn't. Though he wasn't going to think about this being a bad thing in any regard.

---

Once Damon had walked out of the room Eleanor took it upon herself to change into the t-shirt Damon was letting her borrow. It made her smile that it smelled like him. Not the Damon she was familiar with but the one she wasn't, but that was a good thing because this version of him smelled much better than she remembered. After she had changed she took a seat on the edge of his bed and waited for him to return letting herself get a little giddy about finally opening her box. She remembered everything she'd put in that box and finally getting her hands on her things again was going to be so nice. Not to mention since she and Damon were talking she could give him the things she'd carefully picked out for him a long time ago. If the rumors had turned out to be false or even if she would've decided not to stay and she'd left town she wasn't sure what she would've done with those things. Toss them possibly but she didn't have to think about that because she was staying.

She laid back so her legs dangled off the edge of the bed but her upper body was laying flat against it, and she had to admit the bed was even more comfortable than she'd imagined. It also smelled like him which she was starting to think might've been her favorite smell, or at least in her top three. "Damon what is your favorite thing about me?" She asked him when she heard him walk back into the room. "Because right now I think my favorite thing about you is the way you smell, it's so fresh and clean. It's different from what I remember but in the best way," she added turning her head to smile at him before finally sitting up and reaching out to take the box from him before she moved to sit with her legs crossed on the bed this time. If Damon didn't already love her, or think that she was super sentimental he was about too.