AN: I do not own TVD or TO.
His fingers trailed lazily up and down Elena's bare back. She hummed contentedly and snuggled closer into Elijah's chest. This was the perfect morning. The sun filled the room with soft light and warded off the chill so often found in January. They were alone and enveloped in a layer of tranquility; something so rare in their lives. Elena wanted to stay wrapped in it forever.
"Don't you start classes today?" Elijah's deep voice was quiet in an attempt to not disturb the peaceful bubble that they found themselves in.
"Not yet," Elena breath fanned out across his chest. "I want to stay here a little while longer."
"Are you sure?" He gently kissed the top of her hair. Elena lifted her head to look in his brown eyes. "I wouldn't want to keep you away from anything."
"Liar," Elena scoffed cupping his cheek. Her hand traced the stubble beginning to form on his jaw. "You'd gladly keep me here all day."
"You are right," Elijah chuckled peering into her laughing eyes. "I would keep you here without a second thought, as long as that is alright with you."
Elena grinned before stretching upwards. She captured his lips in a lazy kiss. Elena sighed when Elijah slipped his tongue into her mouth; she could feel her heart hammering in her chest. There was no rush, no urgency in this moment; they were just them. Elena smiled when she pulled back to draw in several shallow breaths, and giggled when Elijah took the opportunity to kiss her nose.
Elena's hand came up to trace the blurred lines of the tattoo over his heart. He may have acted calm, but Elena knew that her presence affected him; his heart beat unsteadily against her palm.
He opened his mouth to speak when a feminine voice disturbed their Utopia. Caroline was calling through the door. It pierced through the room with no regard for the carefully constructed peace the couple had obtained.
"Ignore her," Elena urged with a small groan. Her hand splayed across his chest as she leaned down to kiss him again.
"Elena!" Caroline proved to be too hard to ignore.
"Elena!" Caroline shook her shoulders effectively rousing her from sleep.
Elena slapped her hands away and rolled over. She tugged the blankets up over her head and attempted to return to her dream. It wouldn't be too difficult; she had been exhausted over the last few weeks. She mentally opened the door of the sunbathed bedroom that held her companion. She had been dreaming of him since she left New Orleans; always in the same room. Before Elena could fully immerse herself in the fantasy her body was assaulted with a blast of cold air.
Caroline had torn the blankets from the bed.
"Care," Elena shivered. She curled into the fetal position and glared at her best friends. If looks could kill – and Caroline could die – she would be dead right now.
"You made me promise to wake you up," Caroline raised her hands in an attempt to placate the brunette. "I don't why you're so tired lately," Caroline stood up to fetch the coffee she had brought, "it's mid-January. We've only been back at school a few weeks." She watched Elena take a sip of coffee before setting the cup aside to dress for class.
Elena pulled a pair of jeans from the closet along with a red sweater. She tugged the items on before turning back to Caroline.
The blond had gotten a blood bag from the fridge. Elena watched as she proceeded to down the blood like a juice box. Something shifted in Elena's stomach as she watched an act she had seen hundreds of times.
A moment later she was heaving over the wastebasket. Slim fingers pulled back her hair as Elena emptied the contents of her stomach.
"Are you ok?" Caroline concern was written in the small frown on her face. Her cold fingers felt Elena's warm forehead. "Do you want some blood," she moved to bite into her wrist, "it'll knock whatever bug you've got right out."
"No thanks," Elena grimaced and raised a hand to pull Caroline's arm from her mouth; the thought of the coppery liquid piqued her nausea. She closed her eyes and rested a hand over her churning stomach. "It'll pass soon."
"How could you possibly know that?" Caroline raised an eyebrow. She leaned back on her arms and regarded her friend through wide green eyes.
"I've been feeling a little nauseous all week," Elena murmured waving off her friends concern. "It comes on and then goes just as quickly."
Caroline quickly processed the information. Elena had been off since they'd returned to Whitmore. She'd been: tired, lethargic, moody, and – by her own admission – sick. A thought began to take shape in Caroline's mind; the only explanation for every symptom.
"Elena," Caroline whispered tilting her head to one side, "are you … pregnant?"
"What?" Elena's eyes widened comically as she burst into hysterical laughter. "No," she shook her head after the fit subsided, "I can't be."
"Elena," Caroline crossed her arms and leaned closer to Elena. They were sitting cross legged on the dorm room floor, so she could only get so close. Her ears strained to pick up the sound that would confirm the quickly forming theory. "You are human; you could be pregnant." A soft fluttering sound reached her ears from the direction of Elena's abdomen. "When was your last period?"
"I," Elena thought back. She vaguely remembered being a little too fond of the pies at Thanksgiving dinner. "I don't remember for sure." She chewed on her bottom lip, "it might have been Thanksgiving."
"That was two months ago," Caroline peered into Elena's wide eyes. Caroline raised an eyebrow urging Elena to come to the conclusion on her own.
"Alright," Elena held the wastebasket close as another wave of nausea rolled over her, "maybe I'm a little late, but I'm not pregnant," she frowned causing a crease to appear in her brow, "I can't be."
"Why not?" Caroline narrowed her eyes in disbelief. "I know you haven't been seeing anyone," she smirked when she remembered the way Elena had spent days walking on air, "but you seemed … blissful … when you came back from New Orleans."
"Care," Elena stared at a spot on the floor as heat flooded her cheeks. "That was – I can't – I mean I did, but I-I-"
Caroline stifled a chuckle before taking pity on Elena. She surged forward and placed a hand on Elena's abdomen; directly over the steady thumping that seemed to fill the room.
"Elena," Caroline smiled softly, "I'm going to save us some time here, alright?" She waited for the nervous nod before continuing in a steady, soothing voice.
"You are pregnant," she held up a hand to stop the protest, "I can hear the heartbeat. I don't know why you think you're not," Caroline leaned back again to give her some space, "birth control isn't always effective. You know that."
Elena stared at Caroline through narrow eyes. Her gaze slowly drifted to her flat stomach. She raised a shaking hand to press gently over the area Caroline's hand had occupied a moment before.
She believed Caroline.
She didn't know how it was possible, but she trusted Caroline's word. She wouldn't lie about this.
Ice ran through her veins and down her spine sending tremors through her body.
"Sweetie," Caroline hugged Elena tightly and rubbed her back soothingly. "Do you not-not want a baby?" She narrowed her eyes slightly and tilted her head to the side. "I know the circumstances are not ideal, but I always thought you wanted a family."
"It's not that, Care," Elena sniffled wiping a tear from her cheek. She couldn't decide how she felt: confused, angry, sad, happy, worried. Emotions swam through her mind in an overwhelming tide. "I do want a family – I do. I just don't understand how it happened."
"Did nobody ever give you the talk?" Caroline teased attempting to lighten the mood. "When a mommy and a daddy love each other very much," Caroline brought her hand together and linked her fingers in a joining motion, "they make – "
"Shut up, Care," Elena bumped her shoulder with a laugh.
"Why don't you understand?" Caroline's voice grew serious again.
"Because," Elena sighed before meeting Caroline's gaze. "Because vampires can't have children."
Has anyone figured out the twist yet? All will be revealed within the next few chapters.
Reviews are golden. :)
