Enjoy! I had a dream and it turned into this. I hope to continue. Let me know what you think. :)

I own nothing. I just play with the characters.

I awoke with a pounding in my head, and a screaming baby. Damn. Morning.

Getting up, I stumbled a bit as I walked over to the crib that held my baby. Lucy. I bent down and picked her up, and rubbing her back, calming her down.

Two more hours. Two more hours until he was released from Jail. It had been a big misunderstanding. But finally my baby would Get to see her Daddy again.

I couldn't wait. He'd been in jail for 15 days and I nearly died. I had to hug him again. I had to kiss him again.

Lucy and I had driven up to town, where the Jailer had let him go, and he had to stay the night because he'd be getting out at midnight. So I thought I'd surprise him.

I walked into the Hotel bathroom and propped Lucy on the counter and smiled at her. She made baby noises and clapped her hands.

"What are we going to do today?" I asked her as I slipped her onesie off just as my cell phone chimed.

I picked her up and grabbed my phone off of the bedside table and saw there was a text. I sucked in a breath.

Got my phone back. Can't wait to see my girls!

I bounced Lucy on my hip as I jumped up and down. He was out. He was free! For something so stupid that wasn't his fault. Wrong place, wrong time.

"Now I know what we're doing." I giggled to Lucy, who was excited but wasn't sure why.

I got us dressed and fed. As I clicked Lucy into her seat, I looked around to make sure we had everything. I walked out of the hotel room, bags and baby in hand, and started down the two story long staircase. I got to the bottom and walked over to the desk to check out. Once I was done, I turned around and saw him. At a table, bent over a piece of paper, deep in thought.

I gasped at the way he looked. His face had weeks old stubble on it. His clothes looked all too worn. And his hair, oh his unkept hair. But it still made him look incredibly sexy. Lucy made baby noises and the ladies at the dest aww'ed at her. Yeah yeah, cute baby. You'd think they've never seen a baby before.

I knew the very late baby shower was about to start. I had no desire to go but my mom and grandmother had planned it. And that was one of the main reason's I was there, standing in the grandest hotel waiting for my man to come back to me and my baby. Our baby.

And she looked just like him. The eyes, green with blue flecks. Noses the exact same size. And hands, strong but soft. I knew it was crazy to think a baby would have strong soft hands but it was the only way to describe her touch.

He daddy was the sweetest man. He was tall, with unruly dark blond hair. Hands, made to build and to love. And a face, a face that would tell no lie, and do no wrong. He stood, and stretched, showing his very lean, cut stomach. I groaned. It had been too long.

Caroline came up next to me and took Lucy from my hand. "Baby shower is about to start."

Then she followed my gaze and laughed. "How long's it been?"

I answered without hesitation. "15 days, 14 hours, and 55 seconds."

She giggled. "I use to be that way when Tyler would be away, doing Klaus things. Don't worry. I'm sure he has something planned for tonight."

I sighed. "He doesn't know we're here yet."

"He doesn't? Why didn't you tell him?"

"I don't know..." I shrugged. "I wanted to surprise him. And Damon wouldn't leave me and Lucy alone."

She laughed and started walking toward the hallway behind the stairs. "I'm sure Stefan would be willing to have you here than with Damon."

I laughed and followed her. "Where are we going anyway?"

She smiled over her shoulder. "You'll see."

We walked down the hallway, avoiding Stefan, and into a private room off to the side. We walked in and the room was covered in pink. Lucy's name plastered on the walls. And baby stuff everywhere. "Oh god." I whispered under my breath. Caroline laughed.

We started the party and it was amazing. Until my mom got the bright idea to take over. Again. On and on she went about work and the new boyfriend and how everything was great, blah blah blah. I couldn't take it anymore. I changed the subject.

Then my grandmother jumped in and started disciplining my mother about how she was acting and how it was affecting me and Lucy. She started raising her voice and threw Stefan's name around.

I stood up. "Stop! I can't take this anymore. This is no longer about me and Lucy. This is no longer about celebrating my baby. This has turned into a 'I'm your mother and I know best' show. I'm sick of it. Every time we get together, this happens. And I'm done. I won't have you hurt my family like that."

I grabbed Lucy, put her back into her seat, and walked out. Caroline followed with my bags. "Are you okay?"

I shook my head, tears running down my face. "No. Just frustrated. I need some time with Stefan. I need him." She set my bags down and hugged me.

"Let me take Lucy and you go find him and spend time with him."

"I would love to but I want Lucy with us. We need family time." She nodded, understanding.

"But go change. You don't look very sexy in that." She nodded to my outfit. I looked down and frowned. Damn she was right.

"Okay, hold Lucy a minute." I set the baby down and grabbed my bag and headed to the bathroom.

I got out my black silk corset and laced it up. I put on my skinny, sexy ass jeans and slipped my trusty belt on. I had worked for a month to lose all the baby fat and had just got the last of it. And my jeans still had a little room in them.

Touching up my make up, I wiped away the tears I'd shed and let my dark curls fall down my back. I buttoned up my dark shirt over my corset, cleaned up my stuff and walked out of the bathroom. Once out, Caroline handed me tall, black high heels and I gulped.

"I don't even know if I can still walk in those."

She handed them over and kissed my cheek. "I know you can." And then she was gone. I grabbed all of my stuff, baby included, and walked back to the lobby area and spotted him instantly.

Taking a deep breath, I paused. Why was I pausing? I knew he still loved me. I knew we still belonged together. So why was I pausing? Lucy. He loved her with all of his heart. But did things change while he was gone? With no baby to wake him up. No baby to spit up on him. No baby to drive him nuts. No baby he had to work a job he hated for? What if he changed his mind about being a daddy?

I shook my head. What are you thinking? Of course he still loves her. He would never trade you in. I took a deep breath, again, and walked over to him. He was still working on the papers on the table and didn't look up when I approached. He must not have noticed.

I sat Lucy down and put my bags next to her and sat down across the table.

He glanced up. "Sorry, I'm a little busy."

He went back to whatever he was doing and paused. He looked up again and a smile spread over his face. "Elena?" I nodded, smiling.

Getting up, he stepped over my bags, not noticing Lucy, and pulled me into his arms. He nuzzled my neck and sniffed. "You smell and look amazing. Oh I've missed you." He put both hands on my face and brought my lips to meet his. Our skin touched and we melted into it. We then heard a soft yawn and parted, looking down at our feet.

"Lucy!" He unclasped her from her seat and picked her up. Cradling her to his chest. "I can't believe you brought her all the way up here. I am so happy to see you. My girls." He beamed and held us both in his arms.

I wrapped my arms around his waist and buried my head into his chest. He smelled amazing. I need to be with him. I stood on my tiptoes and whispered in his ear, "Where is your room?" He raised his eyebrows and looked down at me.

He let me go, and wrote a number on a napkin and handed it to me. "I'll be five minutes. I just have to finish up this paper work." I opened the napkin and found a white room key card.

He gave me a quick kiss and held me tight. After a moment, he let go and gave Lucy a soft kiss on her head.

After we said goodbye, I left him to his paperwork and walked back up the grand stairwell and quickly found his room. I slipped the card in and opened the door with no trouble.

I walked into the room and I lost my breath. The room was huge! The jail really was guilty about putting my man in jail when he did nothing wrong. To my left, there was a separate room, one where Lucy could sleep with no trouble. There was even a dark wood crib in there. It wasn't a nursery but it was close. Soft colors on the walls, a beautiful crib with matching blankets. And even a rocking chair.

I turned around and there was a bathroom, complete with a tub with jets and a separate shower. And a two sink counter. I took a couple more steps into the room and found a small kitchen off to the side, with a tv living area just off to the side.

Turning right, I found a king size bed, with a dozen roses on the pillow. I gasped and set the bags down on the edge of the bed. I bounced Lucy on my hip as I took out her bottle and walked over to the kitchen sink and filled it with water. Sticking into the microwave for a second, I walked back over to the bed and grabbed the baby formula. No breast feeding for me. I tied but she just wouldn't latch. So I went with formula. It took some getting use to, for her, but in a couple weeks, she got use to it and stopped fighting.

The microwave beeped and I shook the formula into the slightly warm bottle and began shaking it as I walked over to the couch and sat down. I picked up the odd looking remote and tried clicking the power button, pointing it to the tv. I heard a whizzing sound a I turned around. The far wall began to rise, opening up the room to the city. The whole far wall was covered in widows.

I gasped.

The city gleamed with lights. And it shined in. I giggled and gave Lucy her bottle. She grasped it with her little hands and I settled into the couch, watching the city lights.

Finally, after much research, I found the tv remote and turned it on to some show, just needing noise to fill the empty room.

When Lucy finally fell asleep, I set her in the middle of the king size bed and set the bags aside, grabbing my sketch book and pencils in the process. Sitting at the couch, I sketching the room and lights, letting the image come out through my hand connecting to my pencil.

I spend the next hour sketching, not paying attention to time, or the tv. Nothing was happening. Just the slow swift movements of the pencil on paper. Then I heard the lock click and the door open. Without looking up, I kept on with my pencil marks. I then felt a hot breath on my neck and then slow, soft, cold kisses down my neck.

I moaned and turned my head to the side. "Stop! I'm working." I protested.

He laughed and wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me from the couch, into his arms.

"No." He said between kisses. I giggled and then heard a soft cry.

He stopped and we looked over at the bed. Lucy was laying on her back, little hands fisted in her eyes, her little body letting out sobs.

Stefan set me down and pulled my hand behind him as he walked over to the bed. Picking her up, he brought us to the couch and sat down, me by his side, Lucy on his chest.

We sat there until we heard soft snores coming from the baby laying on her Daddy. I looked up at him and sighed. I was finally happy. After all of the drama with Damon and the months before, trying to juggle having a baby, and working out my feelings.

But it was then that I truly knew I'd made the right choice. The right decision.

Stefan got up carefully and took Lucy to the extra room with the crib. After a moment he came back and sat back down on the couch with me.

"I've missed you both so much. How was the past week and a half without me?"

I sighed. "Hell."

He laughed and brought me up to his chest and kissed the top of my head. "Well I'm back now. How is Damon holding up?"

I looked up at him. "Fine, why?"

"Well before I left, we had an argument and it didn't end well. I thought that maybe he would take it out on you. He didn't?" He got a confused look on his face.

"Nope. He was actually really nice. He helped out with Lucy and was there for comfort. Now I'm thinking he was doing it to get back at you." I frowned. "I'm going to kick his ass when we get home."

Stefan laughed. "That's why I love you."

"That's the only reason?"

He met his lips to mine and pulled me onto his lap, my legs straddling his. Moaning into his mouth, I pulled at his shirt and slipped it over his head, out lips breaking for only a moment.

He grasped my ass and stood up, still holding onto me, and walked over to the bed and sat me down, our lips never separating.

I crawled back to the pillows and pulled my shirt up over my head, revealing my corset. Which I'd forgotten about. He groaned and unbuttoned my jeans and pulled then off, taking my shoes with it. I sat up and started undoing the belt on his own jeans and and slipped the belt out, making it snap in the air. He pushed me back and continued to kiss me, pulling the lacing out of my corset very slowly.

Moaning, I undid the buttons to his jeans and started pushing the hem down with my feet.

Once naked, we connected. It was like doing something I'd always done with someone I'd always been with.

He was my first and the father of my child. He may not have been my husband but he was still a part of my family. No matter how or why but he gave me the greatest gift. Love and Lucy. I loved him and I loved his child. I thought about giving her up for adoption but I couldn't. Once I held her, I couldn't give her up. I never found the right parents either. So I kept her. And when I told Stefan I was expecting, he begged me not to give her up but I'd already started looking. We stopped dating for while but once I told him I kept her, he was beyond happy. And when he met her, he fell immediately in love with her. Just as I had.

We loved her and took care of her until...until he was arrested and taken away. But now we where together.

Together and perfect. When we made love, it was like all the stars aligned and shot through our bodies. Connecting us and making us one. Making us feel. Making us happy.

When we both found out releases we flopped down on the bed and tried to catch our breaths.

"Oh god, I will never get tired of that." I laughed.

"Oh baby..." He smacked my bare ass.

I lay on my stomach, his hand resting on my ass.

Soon, we fell into a dreamless night.

Suddenly, I woke with a start, bolting up in bed. There was a ear ringing cry coming from the spare room and I closed my eyes. Not again.

I felt the bed shift and I looked beside me. Stefan was sitting up, about to get out of bed.

"Are you sure?" I asked groggily. He nodded and kissed my cheek.

"No worries. Sleep." He walked away, grabbing boxers and sweat pants on his way.

Laying back, I untucked the sheets and snuggled under the blankets, humming when warmth finally came over me.

After a few moments, I felt the bed dip beside me and I rolled over. Stefan was sitting with Lucy in his arms, trying to go to sleep as he hummed to her.

I smiled and snuggled up against the side of his leg. He hummed until I could finally hear the soft snores coming from the delicate baby in his arms. I looked up and his face was focused on hers. He had so much love in his heart for her. He finally looked down at me and smiled.

"I am the luckiest person in the world." I giggled.

"Every man says that."

He got a serious look on his face. "But I mean it."

After making sure she was asleep, he laid Lucy on the mattress between us and slid down so that he was laying on the other side, protecting her from falling off of the edge.

"I'm sorry for not marrying you after finding out you where pregnant. I should have." He got a seriously look on his face as he rubbed Lucy's back.

I shook my head. "Its fine. I think...I don't think I was ready. I was just finding out I was going to be a Mom. I needed to work through that first. And I don't think you where ready. You where working through things with your brother. You didn't need a new baby AND a wife to add on to that. I think we did the right thing."

He smiled. "Yeah. Where are you now? Are you ready to make our little family official?"

I gasped. "Are you asking me to marry you?"

His smile grew. "No. I asking you if I can ask you to marry me?"

Laughing, I thought it over. Marriage. Could I handle that? I was 23 and perfectly happy. Did I not want to get married? Did the though repulse me? I couldn't decide. It was all happening too fast. But yet, it was all so slow. Lucy was only 5 months old. Should I add a husband on top of that? But I loved Stefan. I'd always talked about needing more with Stefan. And now I guess I knew that marriage was the next level. And thats what I wanted. I wanted to step it up.

I smiled. I knew my answer. I knew what I wanted. I knew I was ready. I could be a mother and a wife.

"Yes. Yes, you can." A smile broke out on his face as he leaned over and met his lips to mine. A soft but sweet kiss. Sweet, pure and perfect.

He pulled back and laid on his back. His hands folded behind his head. He sighed and closed his eyes. Before too long he was fast asleep. Once I was sure he was deep into unconsciousness, I got up and picked up my discarded sketchbook and walked back to the bed and sat down on the edge.

Once my pencil was sharpened, I turned to a new page and started sketching.

I was able to capture the way Lucy was curled up, the way Stefan laid protectively around her. The way, a small smile painted on his face.

When the drawing was done, I put it aside and curled back under the sheets and curled around my family. And soon I was fast asleep. Without a single thought or uncertainty. Just love. And an image of Stefan, under a brightly colored tree, in a tux, waiting...to be married.