This chapter is a lot of Delena Fluff, Damon struggles with human problems, and thoughts about the baby really start to sink in. Read and Review - Thnx CLM18

Chapter 4

The ride to the boarding house was quiet, Elena drove as Damon was still too hurt. Damon had lots on his mind; Elena coughed, "So, are we going to just sit here in silence the whole drive?" she finally said.

"Uh, no sorry. I just was thinking." Damon mumbled.

"You can talk to me Damon, its okay." Elena sighed as they pulled up in front of the boarding house, Stefan's little red car was parked outside.

Damon's eyes were wide, "Stef?" he whispered.

"Oh, no, Zach went to the woods and picked it up, I told him everything that happened, he thought it best to bring Stefan's car back. Sorry Damon." Elena put her hand over his, she knew that seeing Stefan's car had gotten his hopes up.

Damon slid back in the seat of the car, visibly saddened. "Its okay I just thought maybe it had all been a bad dream, that he would walk out the front door." Damon sighed as he unbuckled his seatbelt.

Elena nodded as she went to his side of the car and opened it, "This reminds me of when we were in Georgia, you opened the car door for me and carried my bags in. Now I am doing the same for you ha-ha." Elena chuckled.

"I am glad one of us can find humor in this." Damon scowled.

"Easy tiger, I wasn't trying to upset you, come on let's get you inside," Elena said as she helped him to the door, she could tell he was still hurting.

As they got inside Zach was sitting at the kitchen table eating a late breakfast. "Holy shit! Uncle Damon, Elena. I didn't expect you home yet. You scared me!" Zach said nearly choking on his food.

"Sorry Zach, I just couldn't stay in that place any longer." Damon muttered, going over to the cupboard and grabbing a coffee cup.

"El, do you want a cup of coffee?" he asked as he struggled with the coffee pot.

"Uncle Damon, let me get that please, before you burn yourself." Zach said taking the coffee cup from his uncle and filling it. Damon looked annoyed.

"Elena?" Zach offered a cup.

"Um, no its okay I already had coffee, thanks. Do you have any orange juice?" Elena asked shyly, she really wanted coffee but until she could see a doctor she didn't want to chance anything.

"I think so, I haven't had a chance to go grocery shopping yet, since there is going to be quite a few humans around now, I guess I should really get on stocking the place." Zach said as he went to the fridge and found a jug of orange juice, inspecting the expiry date he nodded. "Yup we got some, looks like its still good." He poured the juice and handed it to Elena.

"So, Uncle, what is the plan? I mean how much do we know about this Klaus guy?" Zach said taking a bite of his toast.

Damon felt his head start to pound, "Zach I don't know okay, I need to investigate stuff, but right now I really just want to go and lie down." Damon said feeling rather nauseated.

"Uncle Damon, have you eaten today?" Zach looked at his uncle who was turning a very pale shade of green.

"No." Damon said, feeling extremely hot, what was this feeling? Suddenly it clicked; he rushed out of the kitchen to the bathroom. Elena ran after him. He threw up and sat on the bathroom floor panting. Elena rubbed his back, "Hey, its okay. You just don't know what its like to be human anymore, you need to eat." Elena said as she helped him off the floor.

"Thanks, I guess I am not used to all these human needs yet." He groaned as he swilled his mouth with water.

"Its okay, you'll get used to it, lets get you to bed. I'll make you a sandwich and soup. You need to eat so you can take your antibiotics and painkillers okay?" he nodded as Elena directed him up the stairs. Once he was tucked in bed she went downstairs to make him something to eat.

"Is he okay?" Zach asked.

"I think he's hurting, and I don't just mean physically. He said he's having nightmares of his past." Elena said as she found a pot and a can of tomato soup. Grabbing a frying pan and some bread she put together a grill cheese. She smiled as she plated the food, it was just like her mom used to make.

"He's lucky to have you Elena. Nobody has ever cared about Uncle Damon like you do." Zach commented.

"He's a good man Zach, I know he's done some shitty stuff, but deep inside, he's a good man." Elena stated, as she found a serving tray, and headed up the stairs.

Zach sighed, he had to admit since Damon had come back to town he had changed, but Zach still wasn't ready to forgive and forget, it still hurt too much. He knew that it wasn't the man that killed his wife, but the monster, but Zach Salvatore was not ready to forgive. Zach gritted his teeth.

Elena set the tray down when she got to his room, the elegant room was dark. She went over to "her" side of the bed and turned on the bedside light. She gasped when she saw him, he was laying so peacefully his button up shirt was open, she could see how his ribs were badly bruised. "Oh Damon," she teared up. She reached over and moved the hair out of his face, "mmm, what time is it?" he moaned.

"It's okay, I just brought you some food, do you think you can sit up and eat for a bit?" she said compassionately as she brought the food over to him.

"Yeah, thanks. You really are taking good care of me babe." He smiled as he slowly ate.

She took the tray when he was done and handed him a cocktail of pills with a glass of water. "Here, take these, they will make you feel better okay?" Elena smiled.

"Mm, thanks. Can't we just phone Caroline?" he groaned as he downed the pills.

"You can't just used Caroline as medicine Damon, plus she is busy working with Bonnie and Grams to control her thirst." Elena explained.

Damon almost spit out the water. "Bonnie and Shelia are dealing with a baby vamp Oh my god I will pay to see that!" he laughed, cringing feeling his ribs.

"Hey, calm down you, you're still hurting." Elena said, helping him lay back down.

"'Lena, please would you stay with me." He pleaded.

"Yeah, of course." Elena said. As she went to lay beside him the sudden action of her leaning over caused her stomach to turn. She quickly ran to the bathroom.

"Elena?!" Damon said rushing to her aid.

"It's okay, you should get back to bed, I am fine, I'll just be a minute." She said as she puked, again.

"Hey, no its not is something wrong with…" Damon couldn't let himself say the words, even though they had "talked" about it, it hadn't really sunk in.

"No. its fine its normal I think." She groaned as she swilled her mouth with water.

"You think?" Damon asked with concern.

"I um, I don't know okay!" she snapped. "I am sorry I didn't mean to snap." She pushed her head into her hands.

"Hey, its okay, its going to be okay." He said pulling her into a lopsided hug.

"No! it's not okay, none of this is okay. You nearly died, Stefan has been kidnapped, I nearly died. And now, now I'm…" she couldn't say it, she still couldn't accept it.

"I know Elena, I know." He said as they both sank to the floor.

"What if somethings wrong with the baby Damon?" she finally let her self say it. "baby" the way it slipped off her tongue scared her, yesterday she was okay with the idea, but today now that she had talked to Damon, today she was terrified.

"Shh, we will figure it out." He said kissing her head.

"We don't even know what the baby is, Bonnie and Grams said he's magical." Elena mumbled.

"He?" Damon's eyes were wide.

"I um, I had a dream about him." Elena said recounting the dream. Damon felt little tears coming to his eyes, he reached under Elena's shirt and placed his hand over her tiny stomach, stroking it gently.

Elena felt tears in her own eyes as they sat there for what seemed like hours. Damon began to hum, and sing softly in Italian

"Dormi, dormi bel Bambin,

Re Divin, Re Divin

Fa la nanna bel Bambino,

Re Divin, Re Divin

Fa la nanna bel Bambino."

Elena's eyes were wide, she had never heard such a beautiful song. "Where did you learn that?" she whispered.

"My mother used to sing it to me." He whispered into her hair.

"It is beautiful, what does it mean?" she purred.

"Sleep, sleep beautiful Child,

King Divine, King Divine

Go to sleep, pretty Child,

King Divine, King Divine

Go to sleep, pretty Child"

He softly sang the English lyrics.

"Damon that's beautiful. Thank you, makes me feel better," she smiled.

"But can we get off the ground now?" she asked.

"Yeah, I was hoping you would say that, ha-ha its pretty uncomfortable down here." He laughed.

Elena smiled at him, placing her hand to his cheek, she saw the burning desire in his eyes. She brought his lips to hers, the kiss was not gentle it was passionate and full of fire.

"Mmm, as much as I really want this Elena, I am far to broken right now sweetheart. Let's go and lay down for awhile and cuddle okay?" he said as he broke the kiss, he wanted so badly to take her and pin her to his bed and never let her go. But his body ached, he knew that there was no way he could do what he wanted.

"That sounds like a great idea, I really could use a nap. We are going to have to get back to reality soon." She moaned as they lay down on the king-sized bed.

"Shh, we will talk all about that when we wake up. Close your eyes now kitten." Damon said stroking her arm with his good hand.

With her by his side he drifted off into a pleasant dreamless sleep.