So after an amazing outpouring of feedback and utter love of my story "His Best Girl" I've decided to continue it. It's taken me awhile to wrestle with what I would choose to do and I think I've found a nice compromise. Basically this will be a series of chapters that can time-jump to cover what happened after the proposal. There's a six year gap (about) between the proposal and the end of the story so I'm going to play that up. How did they find out about the girls? How did Klaus end up with them? What happened to Eli and Stefan? I think you'll enjoy the road we'll be taking.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!
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Some men claimed you had to find a woman who loves you unconditionally, a woman who will always challenge you, a woman who you always want to make love to and, most important of all, you have to make sure that none of those women ever meet. I say those men are idiots. My philosophy was to find a woman which embodied all of those aspects and then convince them to love you.
I have to be one of the luckiest men alive to have found the woman I love when she was five. I was able to be there for all of her major life events and I was able to soothe all of her painful memories. I was her first everything for the most part. I was the first boy to kiss her, the first one to take her on a date, the first to make love to her, and the first to put her above everyone else. I also somehow managed to convince her I was a worthy choice.
I watched her go through her gawky stage which lasted about two minutes before she was suddenly all sumptuous curves and long, luxurious limbs. I watched her break heart after heart as she dumped all the boys she dated through school. That was all fine by me since none of them could ever have been good enough for her.
Finally I had cause to worry when she went to college. One boy emerged from behind and put his ring on her finger. I had never wanted to hurt a man so completely when I saw that tiny little diamond on her finger. She had been blushing and giggling as she showed it off and I knew she would never be happy.
Thankfully the dumbass cheated and she caught him in bed with the woman. Thank God Elena didn't sleep with him since who knows what she could have caught. The ring was returned very quickly and she went through her period of sadness over the lost relationship. I had made sure to take very good care of her and she spent that week between her sheets with me.
It still always amazed me when she tells me I have been her only. She knows I can't say that to her but she maintains she was never ready to have that level of intimacy with anyone else. It made me feel horrible when I knew my number was much too high but she continued to assure me it didn't matter. As long as she was my last then she seemed happy enough.
Six weeks ago I put my own ring on her finger. The day I bought the ring had been nerve-wracking. I had spent hours walking around to various small jewelry stores while I searched for the perfect ring to represent our love. It had been hiding in one of our antique shops, behind the counter all this time.
The silver band was cleaned until it seemed to shimmer in any kind of light. The diamonds sparkled so everyone could see she wore my ring and no man would dare come up against a Salvatore. The infinity design spoke perfectly, describing our love in a way that spoke volumes. Forever seemed too simple a word for the feelings we shared.
I rolled over slowly, careful of my sleeping fiancée. The house had been besieged by illness recently and she seemed to be taking much longer to recuperate. Her nights were fitful and often contained flights to the bathroom. Sometime around three she would finally collapse from exhaustion and fall against the pillows in a sleep so deep, nothing could rouse her.
Her arm cradled her head and the circles under her eyes seemed prominent. I reached out to run a hand down her back and she sighed in her sleep, moving quietly to lie against me. She seemed chilled so I pulled a blanket up over her bare back, enjoying the feel of her soft skin. Her hair fell over my arm and I reached up to run my fingers through it.
"What time is it?" she croaked, her throat dry.
"Nearly 7. Go back to sleep," I answered. I shouldn't have bothered since she was already pulling her nearby robe around her shoulders. She slid from the bed slowly and slid her feet into her slippers. She yawned loudly before stumbling towards our bathroom.
I knew it was a waste of time to bother arguing with her so I moved to the dresser. Next to my boxers were a stack of neatly folded lingerie and I slid my fingers over one black bra. After my proposal she had officially moved into my room which was now affectionately called "our" room. Her nearby room had been closed and she had said, while blushing, it could serve as a nursery. I had choked lightly but recovered quickly. I didn't think I was ready for children.
I tugged her top set and slid them to the top of the dresser so they would be ready for her when she emerged from her scalding shower. I tugged a shirt on and pulled pants up, buckling the gold buckle quickly. I heard her soft sounds as the shower shut off and I moved to open the closet door. Her dress swung out as the hanger slid against the hook.
"Mmmgarble...uhhh" she groaned as she stumbled towards the dresser. I moved forward suddenly and pulled her into my arms, her head resting on my shoulder. Her arms slid around my waist and I held her for long moments as I tried to formulate an argument.
"You need to call in, Baby. You can barely walk and you look exhausted," I murmured. She didn't respond but she did rub her cool cheek against my chest.
"I have to go in. They're making Valentine's Day decorations," she replied. "I have a doctor's appointment this afternoon so I'll find out what is up."
"Then I'll cancel my plans and go with you," I offered.
"No. I'll be fine and I'll have one of the older kids walk me to the doctor's. You need to drop Stefan off at the train station and run errands," she said. She pulled back and leaned up to press a kiss to my cheek but I swiveled and caught her in a passionate kiss.
She melted against me and her fingers slid up to clench my hair. She had been exhausted for days and it had been awhile since we'd made love. Her towel slipped daringly and I nearly ripped it from her myself but then I opened my eyes and saw her pale skin and dark circles. She needed a good night's sleep first.
"Mmm...will you call me after?" I asked softly as she slid out of my embrace. She tugged her bra and underwear on as I watched adoringly. Her diamond ring caught the early morning light and I smiled as it created a rainbow on the nearby wall. I handed her the cotton dress and she slid it over her head.
"Of course," she replied. "Can you hand me my shoes?"
I didn't reply as I handed her the white shoes. She looked ready for a summer party and it was February. We were dealing with a strange warm front though so we were taking advantage of it. She leaned down and tied her shoes as I watched her with what I'd been told resembled a lovesick grin.
"Stop it," she said softly as she swatted at me playfully.
"Stop what?" I asked. She smiled and moved over to me, taking my hand in hers.
"Looking at me like the world disappears when I'm with you," she said calmly. Her eyes sparkled as if she knew my response. I kissed her knuckles softly and pulled her towards the steps, sweeping her into my arms.
She giggled loudly as I walked down the steps, jostling her softly out of play. She was all smiles by the time we made it to the kitchen, the only sound from the coffee maker. She moaned at the scent of fresh coffee and I sat her on the stool as I maneuvered for the fridge.
"Are you having coffee?" She asked as she began stirring sugars into her mug. The milk passed from my hand to hers as I nodded in response. I popped the toast in the toaster and turned to take my first sip of pure black goodness.
"So are you feeling better?" I asked. She nodded a little and reached out to play with a friendship bracelet Klaus had made for me. The boy certainly had wormed his way into both of our hearts and Elena had been upset to see him leave us to return to the Center. Tears had come from all sides and I had already pulled the manager aside to discuss a more permanent arrangement. I had been told it would be difficult since we weren't married nor did I hold a full-time job.
"So are we going to talk about this sudden lack of sex or are we going to pretend we aren't obsessed with it?" she asked suddenly. I coughed and some of the coffee dribbled from my mouth in an embarrassing fashion. A napkin was pressed to my mouth in seconds and I smiled at her gentle motions.
"Lack of sex?"
"Damon we haven't had sex in two weeks and usually I can't even walk after a weekend at home," she said as she stirred her coffee. I chuckled at the soft flush on her cheeks. It told me she wanted sex and she wanted it soon. Was there anything sexier than a woman demanding sex?
"I've been worried about your health," I replied. "You haven't been feeling well recently and the last thing you need is sex."
"Hmm..." she began. She slid off her stool and came closer, clasping my one hand and bringing it to the curve of her breast. I froze as I looked down at my hand as if surprised of its location. "Perhaps it's the best antidote to my current problem. After all, you don't leave me wanting do you?"
"I suppose I could be persuaded..." I murmured as she leaned forward to wrap her arms around my neck. My hands slid to her tiny waist and I pulled her closer. Her eyes met mine and with a shy smile I found myself ensnared in a kiss. Her kisses were like the finest alcohol, strong yet satisfying. They weakened my resolve and made me want to beg her to never leave.
I could say I hated the way it made me feel, weak and unsure, but I couldn't bring myself to feel negatively towards her. It wasn't her fault I fell in love with her. How could it be since she had accepted our relationship as it was for so long? She had been in love far longer than I had realized but she had said nothing. No words, no gestures, nothing to imply her feelings but yet she remained in love.
I pulled her up into my lap and she slid effortlessly against me, her legs tucked against mine. She licked her lips and then met my mischievous eyes. My hands slid to her waist and lingered on the soft fabric.
"So...I was thinking about Valentine's Day," I began. She looked up curiously since I hadn't mentioned it yet. "I was thinking about getting away for the weekend and maybe just having some bonding time."
"I don't think we can bond much more," she answered. She smiled a little then her hand flew to her mouth as she ripped herself from my lap. I flew after her as she ran down the hallway into the bathroom. The door slammed and the lock turned and I was quickly treated to listening to her losing her morning coffee.
"Elena? Open the door," I said through the door. I didn't like the lack of sound and I waited to hear anything. The lock clicked and I opened the door, sliding in to see Elena still hugging the toilet. Her face was pale and her skin seemed to have lost some color. I slid to the floor beside her and pulled her against me.
"I don't know what's wrong, Damon. It's so sudden..." she said as she buried her face against my shirt. Her breathing was soft and I came to a sudden decision. We would be going to the doctor's now and she could visit the Center later. I tugged her into my arms and stood abruptly.
"We're going to the doctor's now and you can argue with me later," I said with finality. Thankfully she offered no resistance as I carried her to the car.
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"Do you think it's serious?" Elena asked in a trembling whisper. I reached out to take her hand and she squeezed back with little strength.
"I'm sure everything is fine," I replied. I had spent nearly twenty minutes in the waiting room before the nurse asked me to come back and sit with Elena. They wanted to run some tests and she seemed anxious. Dr. Bennett didn't say much about his thoughts but Elena seemed worried.
She looked cold and I tugged a nearby blanket to cover her legs. It was fucking ridiculous how cold this room was when she was sitting there in a little gown. After a bout of sickness in the car she had pulled her hair back in case it struck again. She seemed weak and I didn't like it. I didn't like how tired she looked and how sickly she seemed.
Elena was a fighter and she didn't take crap. She was the only girl to punch Tyler Lockwood in the face when she found him peeping on her and Caroline. She was the only girl in town to get a full ride to college and then work a full-time job in order to pay her way and give charity to the Center. She was someone who worked and worked and lived life to the fullest. It was a blow to see her so panicked.
Our eyes flew up when Dr. Bennett came into the room, clipboard in hand and a look that spoke nothing. He handed Elena some crackers and a ginger ale from the vending machine out front. He sighed as a father did when he was delivering some monumental news. He smiled a little at Elena and I remembered all her years spent at the Bennett household. Years of tea parties, slumber parties, and homework help alongside Bonnie.
"So Dr. Bennett, is it bad?" Elena asked softly although her hand tightened on mine in a death grip.
"Depends on how you look at it Elena," he replied ambiguously. "I suspect you two will need to discuss these changes but I think after the initial shock, you'll both be pleased."
"Get to the point," I spat. Elena shot me a look but I shrugged. I had no patience...sue me.
"Ah yes Damon, waiting was never your strong suit," he said. "Well then...Elena your tests confirmed what I suspected. Congratulations on your pregnancy."
We froze and I dropped my hand from hers. She clutched the cot harshly as she started breathing heavily. My thoughts were jumbled and I couldn't seem to form any words to describe my feelings. Perhaps I didn't really understand my feelings yet.
"How long?" Elena's voice broke me out of my thoughts. I looked up at her as if surprised to hear her voice and I glanced around as if surprised at where we were. Her hand had loosened from the cot and she lifted her hand to grasp the ginger ale, sipping quietly.
"I would estimate 6-7 weeks but it could be as much as 8. I would put your due date around the beginning to middle of September. You're experiencing morning sickness and you need to start monitoring your diet. I can set you up with a nutritionist if you'd like but I would highly recommend making some healthier changes to help keep your energy up," Dr. Bennett explained.
"Is that why I've been so sick?" she asked.
"Well I heard you had a cold so I'm sure it's just compounded. You're a healthy woman Elena and I didn't find anything wrong but we can run some additional blood tests if you're worried," he answered. "Look I'll go and get the recommendations for the nutritionist and give you two a few minutes alone."
He made his exit quickly and I suddenly felt trapped when I heard the door click shut. We would have to talk about it and I wasn't sure I could. Elena remained silent thankfully but her one hand dropped to her stomach as she rubbed it through the gown.
"I...I don't know how you feel about this Damon but I...I want the baby," she said quietly. I looked up at her profile and saw the small smile on her face. It pushed back the sickly look she had been carrying and suddenly she was glowing. Her hand was pressed tightly to her stomach and she looked genuinely happy.
"It's definitely unexpected," I began as I reached out to press my hand over hers. "I know that I want you happy and healthy."
"And the baby?" she asked softly.
"I'll need some processing time I think, but I'll love him or her," I added. I leaned forward and kissed her softly. "I love you."
"I love you too," she said. We could deal with our worries later but right now in this cold room, we were in love and that's all that mattered.
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Thank you for starting this journey with me. I will continue with "Clue Me In" but unfortunately I'm stuck for the moment. I'm hoping to alternate or at least to use this story to let me play with some easy romance and some lighter, fluffy fun. Next chapter will jump to Valentine's Day and will focus on Damon and Elena coming to terms with the pregnancy and what that means for their relationship.
Please drop me a review and let me know what you think. I always respond even if it takes me some time but I always get back to you.
A special thanks to LokYa for plugging "His Best Girl" all the time on the forums and for recommending it on Twitter constantly. Thank you!
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