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Next Chapter :)
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Three weeks had passed since Damon left.
Three long weeks that were so slow, they might of well have been years.
Elena was doing as he'd told her, trying to get on with her life, going to work, spending time with her friends and taking each day at a time.
Apparently Damon had called his family to let them know he was going Awol, because Mary had called her time and time again to check up, and Stefan had even stopped by once to make sure she was okay.
Most of the time she just tried to forget. If she sat around, knowing that Damon was in danger, or possibly even dead, she'd drive herself crazy.
Which is why she'd taken to inviting her friends over a lot more lately.
"I brought the popcorn!" Caroline announced.
Bonnie and Elena turned as she walked in, smiling.
"Bout time!" Bonnie shot.
"Hey!" Caroline defended, "I did have a date tonight, so excuse me for showing up a little late!"
Elena smiled, "Klaus?"
Caroline nodded, "He's so cute, isn't he?"
The other girls rolled their eyes, "That's your London fantasy, Care, not ours."
She smiled, "Well sorry for enjoying myself! It's not like my last boyfriend wasn't a douche who'd rather work out than take me to dinner."
Bonnie smirked, "Well at least your last boyfriend wasn't obsessed with other women."
"Oh, come on, Bon, that guy was a dick," Elena reminded her, "Besides, at least you left him. He didn't just up and leave one morning."
Caroline noted her tone, "I guess it's safe to say we all have boy drama, okay new rule, no boy talk!"
The other two smiled appreciatively, "Okay, fine."
"Good," Caroline pulled up a playlist on her phone, "Because it's time to get this party started!"
When morning came, Bonnie woke up to see Caroline still asleep.
She went downstairs where Elena was sitting on sofa, a planner in hand.
"Hey, what's up?"
The brunette looked up, "Oh, hey...just checking something. There's a pot of coffee on in the kitchen."
Bonnie thought something seemed off in Elena's tone, but ignored it in hopes of caffeine, "Awesome."
After she made herself a cup, she joined her friend on the couch.
"So whatcha doing?"
Elena swallowed, "Freaking out."
Bonnie's eyebrows narrowed, "Why?"
"Mary called me this morning, wondering if I had anything to tell her."
Bonnie was even more confused now, "Um, okay?"
Elena sighed, "Well, I couldn't think of anything, at all. And when I told her this, she told me she'd wait a few more days, which of course, has me thinking 'what the hell', right."
"Sure."
Elena flipped through the planner again, "But then, I started thinking about what she could mean, and I figured it had to do with Damon, but nothing came up. So I started looking through this, seeing if I'd missed something..."
"Did you?"
Elena glanced at her, "Sort of...I missed my period, Bon. I'm almost two weeks late."
Bonnie's eyes widened, "You don't think..."
"At the masquerade ball, Mary told me it would be a boy. I didn't think anything of it, but you know she's always predicting things scary correctly."
Bonnie swallowed, "Well, we can get a test? To be sure?"
Elena nodded, "Way ahead of you. I just got back from the store a few minutes ago. I'm waiting on the results right now."
"How many minutes are left?" Bonnie asked.
"It was done about five minutes ago."
Bonnie looked at her, "So...what did it say?!"
"I...I don't know. I'm scared to look."
Elena hung her head, "If I am...there's no way it can be Stefan's. And Damon...you can see why being pregnant right now isn't a good thing."
Bonnie sighed, "Elena, look, I know the timing is crappy, but if you're pregnant, that baby is going to be there, whether you look at that test in the next five minutes, or five months. Nothing will change that. And you know we are all here for you."
Elena nodded, "I know...and I've wanted a baby for so long! It's just that...this isn't how I imagined it happening. But you're right...I need to know."
Bonnie nodded, "I'll wait here."
Elena smiled at her a little, standing to go to the bathroom.
Damon was complaining, again. He knew it was probably annoying his friend, but he couldn't help it.
"Ten, minutes, Ric. That's all I'm asking for!"
Alaric rolled his eyes, "I know, but leaving the safe house kind of defeats the purpose of having it! I get it, okay, Damon. You miss Elena, you want to check on her. But you need to make sure you're safe too. If Augustine spots you, or is somehow tracking you, do you really want to lead him right back to her?"
Damon sighed, "Fine! But we could at least get a hold of a phone. Something's up, Ric. I don't know what, but something isn't right."
"This part of that weird future seeing thing you always did?"
Damon rolled his eyes, "I don't know. And I don't see the future!"
"Right," Ric corrected, "You just get feelings, and visions?"
"Dreams. Not visions, and yes I get gut feelings. And right now those feelings are telling me that something is up with Elena. I need to see her Ric!"
"Calm down, Damon. We have to wait this out."
Damon groaned, "For how much longer?"
"I've been talking to some of the officers. They're setting up another safe-house, some place more remote, until they can find Augustine."
"Fuck man," Damon sat down, letting his head drop into her hands, "And it's really not fair that you get to leave and I can't."
Alaric sighed, "Sorry, man, but we both know that Augustine isn't after me."
Damon groaned again.
"Hey, I know it seems bad, but it's gonna be fine, Salvatore."
Damon looked up at his friend, "Not to sound like a dick, man, but you and Isobel split. So no, you don't know how bad this is. How much I need to be with Elena. You don't get it."
Ric measured him, "Which part of that wasn't suppose to sound like a dick?"
Damon smirked a little, "I'm sorry. I'm just going out of my mind here. And it's only been a few weeks. Hell, we aren't animals, so why are we caged up?"
"It's for you own protection, Damon. You know that."
Another sigh, "Well, another week in here, and I'm choosing death."
Ric chuckled, "Just hang in there, buddy."
"Oh my God!" Caroline screamed, "You're going to have a baby?!"
Elena sighed, "For the third time, Care, yes."
"Oh my God!"
Bonnie put her hand on the blond's shoulder, "Chill, Care."
"Sorry I know, I know...but it's a baby! We can spoil it, and buy stuff for it, and throw parties, and-"
"Caroline!" Both girls warned, laughing.
"Sorry! But you guys could be a little more excited. I mean, you have been wanting this for years!"
Elena sighed, "I know, and I am, Care...but..."
"But...Damon's not here," Caroline finished, and Elena nodded.
"Is there anyway to get in contact with him? Let him know?"
Elena shook her head, "Not that I know of."
Caroline frowned as Bonnie rubbed Elena's shoulder.
"I don't know what to think guys," the brunette continued, "I mean, I miss Damon more than anything. I love him, and I probably always will, but he was right. I can't put my life on hold, waiting every second for him to walk through that door. So I just have to accept what is."
"Which includes?" Caroline probed.
Elena sighed, "Which includes accepting that Damon's life was in danger, indirectly putting me in danger, so he left, to keep the both of us alive. And eventually, I'll be okay with that. At least...I can try to be okay with that."
"And the baby?" Caroline asked.
Elena swallowed, "What can I do, Care? It's gonna be here whether the timing's good or not. I'll make an appointment with a doctor, make sure everything's okay, and that the test was right, and go from there."
"What about Damon?"
"I don't know, Caroline. I can't think about the baby and Damon. Not right now. I finally stopped crying last week, and if I focus on this, on Damon, and us having a baby, and him being in danger, and not being here, and-"
She shook her head, "I can't lose it all over again. Not if I'm going to have a baby. I need to be strong, and focus on that. Then maybe, someday, hopefully soon, Damon will come back, and everything will be okay."
The other two nodded, "At least you still have all of us here," Bonnie smiled.
"And the Salvatore's. You know Mary won't miss the chance to spoil her first grandchild!" Caroline reminded her.
Elena smiled a little, "Thanks. And I'm glad you guys are here."
Caroline nodded, "You know we'd never leave you when you needed us. So, were you planning on using Dr. Fell? I'll call and set up the appointment."
Elena nodded, sighing.
It would be a long few weeks.
Damon was ready to beat his head into the wall.
Ric had left, again, to talk to an official about the safe house was apparently a secret, even from him.
In the mean time, he'd tried, and failed, again, to try and not think about Elena, and how much he missed her.
And as it seemed this thing with Augustine wasn't going to be cleared up anytime soon, he should probably just accept that he couldn't be with her. It was over, and there's nothing he could do to change that.
Accept hunt the bastard down and kill him, he thought.
Except he couldn't do that. He wasn't allowed to take him out.
He rolled his eyes as the door opened.
Jumping up, he watched as Ric walked through the door, with his former commanding officer.
"General?" He addressed.
The general nodded as they shut the door.
"So, since I've been cut from the loop, someone wanna fill me in on what's going on?"
Ric sighed a little, "Well, I have good news and bad news."
"Figures," Damon remarked, "Shoot."
"The safe house is finished. It's completely discrete, and your ass will be safe. For good," Ric told him.
"But?" Damon pressed.
"Augustine has disappeared, from all of our radars," the general informed him.
"Meaning?"
"That we will be moving you to the new place for an indefinite amount of time."
"I thought that was already the case?" Damon noted.
"Except we are taking you out completely," the general stated, "Erasing all traces of you. Name, security I.D's, driver's licence. It'll be as if you never existed."
"So what happens when we find him? How do I get my life back once this is over?"
The others were silent.
"I take it this is the bad news?" Damon pressed.
Ric sighed, "You aren't going back, Damon. We have no idea where Augustine is, and we know that his problem with you is personal. He's not going to stop, and there's no way for us to track him. He stayed hidden for for over fifteen years in his own country, there's no chance of him showing his face here."
"So what? I'm just suppose to hide for the rest of my life?"
"You'll be safe, Salvatore. And the Corps needs you. You're the only one whose ever escaped the camp that terrorist had in Cairo. You're one of the best in your squad. We need you alive."
Damon shook his head, "Hiding isn't living. If the only way to make this guy come out of the shadows is for me to show my face, then fine, that's what I'll do. So I'm done here...And I'm going home."
He walked around the general, but Alaric moved to grab his arm.
"Let go of me Ric," Damon demanded.
"No, Damon, listen to me-"
"I'm done listening! I'm through being a sitting duck, Ric. It's been a month. I just want to go back to Elena."
"You can't right now! Damon, use your head! If you go back to her, Augustine will follow you there. You're jeopardizing Elena right along with you. Think about why you left in the first place. You want to keep her safe, don't you?"
It was obvious that Damon was conflicted.
"Listen to him Salvatore. Running off now wont help anyone. We've kept tabs on your family and have got some of the town's officers on standby to keep an eye on them. Augustine hasn't made any move against them, so I doubt that's his play. If you go back, especially to your woman, he'll know she's important, and she becomes an easy target."
Damon sighed, then gave a short nod, "Fine, I'll stay clear of Elena and Mystic Falls, but I wont go into hiding. I want on the team. I wanna go after the son of a bitch."
He turned to the general, "I want my life back, and my contract is up, so I'll do this with or without your permission, Sir."
The general nodded, "Alright Salvatore, I can arrange it for you to be in on the hunt for him. We'll dispatch a military personnel to your hometown to keep an eye on things. If Augustine finds out you're actively working with us, we don't want him using any of your family."
Damon nodded, "Thank you, Sir."
The general nodded, turning to the door to make a phone call.
Damon turned back to Alaric.
"I need you to do something for me."
Ric looked over at him, "What's up?"
Damon put a hand on his shoulder, "I trust you, man. I want you to be the one that goes back to Mystic Falls, protect my family and Elena."
"I'm sticking with you, Damon. We're in this together, remember. I owe you, so I got your back."
Damon shook his head, "No. If you want to pay me back, you do this. I'll be fine, I can look out for myself. But I'll be able to sleep a little better knowing that you're there with them...with her."
Ric sighed, "Okay, okay. I'll make the request. But you better not get your ass killed out there."
"Nah, who'd be around to annoy the hell out of you then?"
Ric smirked, "Yeah, yeah."
Sobering, Damon swallowed, "But seriously man, look out for Elena, for the rest of them. I can't be there, but I need to know someone is."
Ric nodded, "I promise you, no harm will come to her. I'll protect her with my life, brother, as I would you."
Damon exhaled, "Good. And take care of yourself."
Alaric pulled out his phone, "You know, if you're coming out of hiding, you could call her. Before you start being monitored again."
Damon considered it, then shook his head, "I want to. But I can't Ric. I promised myself I'd give her a clean break. I can't call every chance I get and string her along with hopes that may not come true. I'll see this through, then go back to her, and if she'll have me, we'll be together then. I can wait."
"It's your call man."
Damon nodded, "Just make sure I have something to come back to."
Ric extended his hand, "I'll take care of them, you take care of yourself."
They shook hands, a silent understanding settled between them.
So what did you guys think?
Yeah, I know the pregnancy thing is kinda cliche, but there are reasons that come into play later, and I promise it isn't going to be a predictable story :)
Love you guys! Keep reviewing!