39. Sailing.

Adam called Damon, his voice urgent and filled with concern. Damon could hear the anxiety in his pack leader's voice, causing a knot to form in his stomach. The sound of Damon's own heartbeat seemed to drown out everything else as he contemplated the situation.

Mimi's little cooling-off operation had gone awry, and Damon knew that her fear needed immediate attention. Determined to help, he agreed to come over to her house. The sound of his own footsteps echoed in his mind as he made his way to her, to pack's house, each step feeling heavier than the last. This was his fault, and his self-loathing drove him to mend Mimi fully.

Arriving at the house, Damon prepared one bedroom, ready for hard work, and tried to prepare himself as well, the creaking of the floorboards beneath his feet filling the otherwise silent house. As he turned to speak with Adam, a sudden rustling broke the tranquility. His telepathy told him. Damon's heart sank as he realized that Mimi had woken up. The air in the room seemed to thicken with her newfound fear, making it hard for Damon to breathe. This was going to be a little trickier. 

With a heavy sigh, Damon glanced at Adam and shared the unfortunate news. "Miss woke up and ran away somewhere. You'd better see where she went so I can get to work," he said, the frustration clear in his voice.

Adam grunted in response, understanding the urgency, and set off to search for Mimi once again. He had removed plugs, so Miss is not going to the bath, but where is she hiding?

As the sound of Adam's footsteps faded into the distance, Damon couldn't shake off the lingering sense of unease. With determination, Damon braced himself for the task at hand, knowing that time was of the essence. He knew that this time; it was even worse—an even harder ball of fear.

I woke up to the clear scent of passionfruit mingled with the overwhelming panic that gripped my senses. I had to get away somewhere safe. Frantically, I scrambled towards a distant air duct, its entrance nestled high near the ceiling. It was a perfect hiding place, dark, small, and up. With a surge of adrenaline, I climbed on top of the desk to reach this new hiding spot. The air ducts had become my sanctuary; they were just perfect for me, and I didn't know why. As I settled into my concealed position, I remained utterly still, barely daring to breathe, convinced that I would remain undiscovered.

Adam, driven by the scent of Mimi's fear, methodically searched each room. Eventually, he stumbled upon an open-air duct hatch. Intrigued, he sighed; he was pretty sure about Mimi's hiding place. Standing upright, he peered into the dark recesses of the duct. Mimi crouched deep within and refused to emerge, her trembling voice betraying her uncertainty and terror.

"Mimi, come out," Adam pleaded, his voice laced with reassurance. "There's nothing to fear. What has frightened you?"

Mimi's response quivered with fear, her words hesitant and timid. "Damon... he's inside the house, isn't he?"

Adam released a weary sigh, familiar with the intensity of Mimi's fear-induced reactions. "It's alright," he soothed, his voice gentle. "Try to calm yourself and come out. I will ensure Damon doesn't reach you."

Adam tried his best to be soothing, calm, and trustworthy, but he was so frustrated about these antics.

Mimi shook her head vehemently, retreating even further into the depths of the duct. Adam fought the urge to display his irritation, understanding the gravity of the situation.

 He thought for a moment, the gears in his mind grinding as he pondered his options. Sunlight streamed through the window, casting long shadows across the room. Time was of the essence, and he really didn't have the nerve to be so damn patient and caring all the time.

His eyes darted around the room, searching for a solution. The desk in front of him seemed sturdy, its polished surface reflecting the dim light. He imagined the weight of the dart in his hand, the cool metal glinting in the corner of his vision. It would be the best option, probably. Mimi could be stubborn, and she was scared shitless, not reasonable at all. 

Adam sighed, frustration etched across his face. He knew he had to think bigger.

"Fine, I'll be right back," he said, his voice tinged with determination. "Get yourself together and get out of there. There are other places to hide."

He kept himself together, though it was an effort.

With a swift motion, Adam jumped down from the desk, his feet hitting the floor with a thud. He made his way to his study. He rummaged through drawers, searching for the floor plans he needed. Where those damn ducts are going? He was swearing in his mind that he would weld all the damn grates shut for every damn house after this episode.

Damon joined him, his footsteps echoing in the hallway.

"The air duct, really?" Damon questioned, a hint of skepticism in his voice. "How are you going to get her out of there?" 

Adam glanced up, his brows furrowed. "Not at the moment, no way," he replied curtly. "Right now, I'm trying to see where that duct runs. If I sedate Mimi, where do I get her out?" 

Damon raised an eyebrow, taken aback by Adam's decision. The tension in the room was palpable, the air heavy with conflicting emotions. Adam was the pack leader, but Damon didn't hesitate to give his opinion.

A chuckle escaped Damon's lips.

"You're going to sedate Mimi with a drug, shoot a dart at her in the ventilation duct?" he asked incredulously. "Now, I'm not sure that's the best solution." 

Adam's irritation flared, his eyes narrowing. He didn't appreciate his decisions being questioned so directly. He ran a hand through his hair, feeling the strands slip through his fingers. Mimi had to be saved, and time was of the essence. 

His heart pounded in his chest, the weight of responsibility heavy on his shoulders. He couldn't afford to let his emotions get in the way. Sometimes, he had to act swiftly and decisively, even if it meant disregarding others' feelings for the greater good. Adam had experience with making hard decisions. He was old too, several hundred years, and he had fought many wars and lost so many, and this was no new situation for him. 

But then again, Damon's conscience tugged at him, urging him to help Mimi. To see her as a victim in need of protection. He hesitated, unsure of the best course of action. He knew what was coming and how hard it would be, but would that kind of drugging only make things worse?

Meanwhile, Adam studied the air duct diagrams. His brow furrowed in concentration. It was a daunting task, but he was determined to get Mimi out of her perilous situation. The whole situation felt like a never-ending nightmare, one that he had to navigate carefully.

He said irritably, his voice filled with frustration and anger: "'What the fuck are you suggesting then? Mimi will run away if anyone tries to take her away."

Damon could sense the tension in his voice as he continued, "This canal runs through the whole fucking house and there are branches. If we chase her, she'll probably get trapped somewhere between these walls in a way that neither of us can get to her. The only way is to hit a fucking strong tranquilizer and get it in the right spot so she can't get far."

Damon thought for a moment and looked at the diagram, his brows furrowing in concentration.

He said, his voice tinged with determination, "I'll go this way. She won't come this way at all then. The air conditioning will bring my scent to her. She's going this way. Now, we're going to take these grates off first, so she only has to go this way."

Adam could hear the rustling of papers as he pointed out the plan. "When these grates are taken off, she either falls down or has to find a new place, but I recommend that when we get her out of there, the grates are welded shut,"

Adam grunted. He had thought that, too.

Adam thought for a moment, his voice filled with caution, "Fine, let's do that then, but I'll get a tranquilizer gun and load a fucking strong dart or two into it. Just in case. You never know how panic will give her the power and enthusiasm to act. I don't want her to blow her fury wide open."

Damon nodded, their determination palpable in the air, and the men went to work, their footsteps echoing through the house as they removed the big grates in a couple of places so they couldn't get over it. Men worked silently, so Mimi wouldn't get an idea of what was going on. The gap created was too long for Mimi to get over, and the air ducts were cramped, even for her. There was not much room for maneuvering and trying to cross over.

Adam's voice echoed through the duct, filled with urgency, "Mimi, come on, get out of there. Let's get it done. Come on."

I could hear the desperation in his voice as he tried to coax me out. But fear overcame me, and I backed away deeper into the air duct, my heart pounding in my chest. Oh shit, I thought to myself, panic rising as I realized I couldn't escape with the grate taken off. The gap was too fucking long.

I kept crawling, my moving echoing in the duct's cramped space as I reached a crossroads. The scent of passionfruit filled the air in one direction, but I knew it wasn't safe. I decided against going that way. Instead, I continued along the duct opposite direction, away from passionfruit. It felt safer here. I backed away end of one duct, hiding there and feeling secure and safe. 

But suddenly, firm hands grabbed my legs, their grip strong and unyielding, and pulled me out of the duct. My heart raced as I realized I had been caught. There had been a crate there, and I hadn't seen it.

I looked up and saw Adam's face, his expression filled with a mix of relief and anxiety. He held me tightly, and in his other hand, he held a tranquilizer gun. I trembled in his grasp, fear coursing through my veins. I knew Damon was still in this house, and that thought alone was enough to make my body shake.

"Come on," Adam said, his voice softening as he tried to comfort me. "I told you I have a safe place for you here."

He led me by the hand into a room with the grates welded shut and closed and locked the door behind us. At least I was safe from Damon. He wouldn't come here. At least, I hoped so, desperately clinging to that sliver of hope. I lay in bed, my body tense, my senses heightened. The mere knowledge that he might be at the door was too much to bear, and fear consumed me. I shook and feared. My fear trapped me.

The door opened, and it was Adam. He came into my bed and took me against him. I was still shaking with fear. Adam stroked and soothed. I slowly relaxed until I felt a prick in my arm, and I shook. However, the drug was potent and took me into a deep, dreamless sleep.

Adam got out of bed as Mimi lay limp in his arms. He left the now anesthetized woman on the bed and left the room. He sighed with relief and hope for the best outcome; now, it was up to Damon. The medicine would not last long. It was strong but short-acting.

Adam had felt how frightened Mimi was. It was shocking. Mimi had been shaking really badly, and Adam had never seen her so scared. Well, he hadn't been the first time. And that told you pretty fucking clearly how fucking strong Salvatore was. Adam nodded to Damon.

Now, it was time for Damon to act once again. He sighed. He had told Adam to put Mimi to sleep for a while so he could get back to defusing the ball of fear and calming her down. Damon had given her a drug to put Mimi to sleep.

Damon went into the room and stripped naked. Skin-to-skin contact was important. He wrapped himself tightly around Mimi and took her hands to restrain her. He continuously stroked Mimi, even though she was still completely anesthetized and limp.

He untangled an even bigger and more tangled ball of terror from her head. It took time and hard work, but one by one, he brought it out.

He knew when Mimi woke up because he could smell the intense scent of fear and terror that permeated immediately. He could control himself because his vampire side would get excited whenever someone was scared.

But he could also feel Mimi being so damn scared and shaking wildly. He persevered. He spoke to Mimi gently, stroked her, and persisted. Mimi's fear almost broke his heart.

28 hours later. The shaking stopped. It was the hardest and most laborious 24 hours of Damon's life, but the feeling of the shaking stopping, Mimi relaxing, and that damn stinging smell of bitter fear fading away was well worth it.

Damon was mentally exhausted, too, because unloading that kind of fear balloon is hard work, and Mimi's fear almost always grew to the same size. Eventually, he got the upper hand, and the ball shrank.

I woke up to the smell of passion fruit. I peed my pants in horror and shivered. I couldn't think. The fear, the terror, the chase. It was all in my head again. Only now I couldn't smell the wet dog. I was paralyzed with fear, and I was glad that my heart didn't stop beating again. It seemed to go on forever, and it wiped everything out of my mind, everything.

 Eventually, my strength gave out, and I felt the fear subside a little. I was no longer shaking. I was exhausted, and the familiar feeling of safety came. The passion fruit was no longer frightening. It was a refuge; I was out of the nightmare, and my thoughts were working. I relaxed and eventually fell asleep in Damon's arms without saying a word.

The ball of fear was unraveling, Mimi was relaxing, and Damon was thinking in his mind that he would never do this again. Yes, this was too hard. Damon finally calmed down when he noticed Mimi was completely asleep in his arms, holding him and sleeping peacefully. Damon also fell asleep. He was completely exhausted, and his strength was also gone.

Adam went to tuck the two of them in when they had finally fallen asleep. He hoped Damon would not do that horror thing with Mimi again because this recovery had been pretty awful and hard on both of them.

Adam left them a message, thinking they wanted some time alone now. He was going to Massachusetts because he had some business to take care of there, and he could also make a surprise visit to do some packs checks. The two of them, a real power couple, Adam thought to himself. Yes, he knew what they would do. There was no doubt about it. Adam left with a satisfied smile on his face.