Chapter 3

As she entered the house, Elena awkwardly walked around with the little girl, though none of them seemed to know what to do with themselves. Caroline began to pace and Damon situated himself in front of his booze.

"Well..." Caroline started, crossing her arms over her chest. "What do we do now?"

"Call your mom," Damon called from the kitchen, in the midst of pouring some bourbon. "She's going to take the baby. She's a mom after all."

"What?! No!" She squealed, and stormed in the kitchen in anger. Elena followed her, rolling her eyes in frustration. "My mom doesn't know how to deal with a vampire, she hasn't even had a baby in the house in over 18 years! Plus, we don't even know what a hybrid baby could do. She could get hurt."

She had a point, Elena thought. They really knew nothing about the baby. A witch is a huge help, and the likeliness of Sheriff Forbes accepting help from a witch was not very high. She still seemed to be wary of the supernatural.

"Yeah, well Elena's barely 18. She doesn't know how to take care of a baby either." Damon continued, sipping at his drink.

"Damon, I can handle it-"

"You just had to deal with every emotion in the world crashing down on you, Elena." He slammed down his drink in frustration. "No way are you even close to being stable enough to take a baby. Blondie here can take care of it." He nodded to Caroline, and shot her a glare when she was about to protest.

"No," Elena said firmly. "I don't care if you don't want to be involved, Damon, but this baby has no one else fit to take care of it. Caroline will help me, but Elijah asked me to do it."

Damon sighed and shot her a pained expression, and Elena immediately regretted her choice of words. She knew that's not what he meant and that Damon just wanted what was best for her.

"Fine," He said quietly, getting up and grabbing the bourbon. "It's your choice anyway." He walked up the steps with his drink, shooting a vampire, bloody-eyed glare at one of the construction workers who passed him. The worker, a younger guy, backed up against the wall in fear.

"Leave him alone, Damon," Caroline muttered without even glancing up. For a split second, Elena worried about whether they were compelled or not, then she realized she didn't even care. She had too much on her mind already.

"Look, 'Lena," Caroline murmured compassionately, completely dismissing the worker and Damon, who had angrily plodded up the steps. "He'll come around, I'm sure. Stefan can help and-" She fell silent and blew her breath out in sadness. Stefan wasn't coming back and they both knew it. He had left the second Elena made it clear that her heart belonged to Damon.

"It's okay, Caroline." Elena smiled weakly. "I can do this. I'm sure it won't be that difficult." She got up and frowned down at the infant. Of course, she thought to herself. She had forgotten the most important thing. "Where is she going to sleep?"

"I'm sure we have a baby cradle somewhere." Caroline tried. She was about to pull out her cell to call her mom when Jeremy walked through the front door loudly.

"Hey, what's with all the construction workers?" He called inside before hearing both girls shush him angrily. "Sorry," He whispered, and narrowed his eyes in question. "Uh, who's baby is that?"

Elena looked to Caroline for help. "It was Hayley's," She said quietly and looked down. "She died in childbirth. Elijah asked Elena to raise it."

Jeremy raised his eyebrows in surprise. "And Damon agreed?"

Elena groaned. "Why does everyone assume Damon makes my decisions for me?"

"Sorry," Jeremy shrugged, taken aback by her attitude towards him. "It's just that you just went through your emotions coming back and-"

"Well I'm over it." She sighed and said calmly. "I have to move on with my life and what better way to do it. Look, vampires can't have children. This is a chance at normal life. We can raise a child."

"It's not going to be normal, Elena," Caroline pointed out quietly. "It's going to be hard."

"I'll make it work." Elena said abruptly. "I'm going to go figure out a room. Can you take her?" She asked Caroline.

"Of course," The blonde vampire took the baby in her arms and gave Elena a smile. "You need a break." Jeremy walked over and smiled down at the infant, tucking an edge of the blanket under her tiny chin.

Elena looked back and sighed as she walked up the steps to find somewhere for the girl to sleep, knowing Damon would never want a baby in their bedroom. As she passed their room, she heard Damon talking away on his cell, pacing the room in thought.

"Yes, I need a crib for an infant." Elena heard some chatter on the other end.

"And anything else a baby might need." More chatter, then a frustrated Damon.

"I don't know, you're the experts!" Damon pressed the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger, and turned towards the door. He caught Elena's eyes and winked at her, smiling apologetically. Everything about his expression said he was trying for her, and she knew that. She came up to him as he was talking and wrapped her arms around his waist. He didn't even flinch when they put him on hold.

Seizing the opportunity, she pushed off on her tip-toes and whispered in his ear: "You'll make a great Dad, Damon."

He kissed her on her forehead and wrapped an arm around her back. "I'll try," He murmured. "For you."

1 week later

The crying of the baby had Elena getting up and dragging herself to the crib on the other side of the room. It had only taken a few minutes of pleading to get Damon to let her keep the baby's crib in their bedroom.

"Miranda,"She cooed softly, smiling at the name they had decided on for the little girl. Her mother's name; Damon was the one that suggested it.

She picked up the baby gently and rocked it carefully, going into the next room to heat up a milk bottle. Damon had set up a small stove and fridge so she wouldn't have to go all the way downstairs when the Miranda got hungry.

And exhausted Damon trailed behind her sleepily and leaned on the doorframe as he watched her make the bottle. "I can do it," He yawned and beat her to the fridge, grabbing a bottle and preheating the stove.

"Thanks," Elena said softly, smiling up at him gratefully. But something pulled on her heart every time he did something for her.

It was never for Miranda; it was always for Elena.

She knew Damon meant well, and was completely unprepared for caring for a baby. Yet she still was haunted by her decision. She was so happy to care for the precious little girl, but her heart went out to Damon, who struggled with the new responsibility. But he did it for her. He did it all for Elena.

He handed the bottle to Elena and led the way back to their room, patting the bed next to him as he sat down and propped up a pillow to lean on.

"You're a great mother," He told her as she sat down carefully. She frowned as she fed the baby and wished she could say that he made a great father.

"But we're not actually her parents." She said quietly.

"She'll see you as her mom," He assured her quickly. She went silent in thought.

"You're not happy," She said softly after a while, looking up at him through her hair, which fell down over her face.

He sighed and looked away. "I just wasn't prepared for all of this. A lot has been going on lately." He patted her leg and looked up at her.

"I know," She tried a half-smile uncomfortably and leaned her head back on the bed board. "This is so... different."

Damon let out a breathy chuckle and folded his arms behind his head. "That's a good word." The tip of his mouth folded up in a smirk that send butterflies fluttering through her stomach. She banished them from her mind and grew serious again.

"Do you think we can do this?" Elena whispered softly, her brown eyes looking up at him as she held the Miranda close.

He drew out his breath and looked at the ceiling for a minute before looking down at her with his crystal blue eyes. "Yes," He said, leaning over and kissing her forehead. "I do."

So I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, it kind of skipped time in a weird way. But I hope you like it all the same! Reviews get the chapters up quicker ;) Been going through some rough times with my horse, so the next chapter may come up a bit slow :( sorry!

Tell me what you think! 3