Previously in "Angels in a Centerfold", Matt's sister, Vicki, returns, Tyler brings April's discarded panties back to her; Damon gets a letter from his estranged father, and explains a painful part of his past to Elena. On a happier note, Elijah proposes to Katherine.
Author's Note: An unexpected guest or two will make their way into this chapter, so be on the lookout!
Chapter Eleven
Club Salvatore – Shortly after Elijah Proposes to Katherine…
Kol raised a glass after he saw Katherine accept Elijah's proposal. He was obviously happy that his brother was finally getting the girl of his dreams. He then looked over at Klaus and Caroline, smiling at how much in love they were, and then over at Finn and Sage. The whole room was filled with love at the moment, which was perfect for what he was planning. "Isn't it great, Kol? Elijah is getting married."
Kol heard what Lexi said and smiled at well. "Indeed it is, Lexi. I've never seen him so happy." He looked at her. "In fact, his proposal plays right into what I'm planning for tonight."
Lexi raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean? You're not going to make a scene, are you? You know I hate it when you make a scene."
"Oh, come on, love, what makes you think I'm going to make a scene?" Kol said. "I simply want to do what Elijah just did." He placed his glass on the counter of the bar and got on one knee in front of Lexi. "My darling Alexia, you have made me a very happy man since you came into my life and I find myself falling more and more in love with you with every day that goes by." He reached into his pocket and pulled out a box. "I guess what I'm trying to say is that I'd be honored if you were to agree to be my wife." He opened the box to reveal a diamond ring. "I love you, Alexia Josephine Branson. Will you marry me?"
Lexi gasped when she saw the ring and her heart hammered, her eyes welling up with tears. "Oh, Kol, it's so beautiful. I love you too and I…yes."
Kol smiled. "Yes?"
"Yes, yes, a thousand times yes, I will marry you, Kol Thomas Mikaelson."
Kol placed the ring on Lexi's finger and kissed it before standing up and kissing her lips passionately.
Two Days Later – Mikaelson Mansion, Manhattan
"Oh, do stop pacing, Mikael, you're giving me a headache," Esther Smith complained to her former husband.
"How can you be so calm, Esther?" he demanded as he continued to pace. He looked up when his current wife came sauntering into the room. "Eleanor, I thought you were going to be out of town."
"And leave you here with her?" Eleanor demanded as she sent Esther a pointed glare that clearly said, Leave! I want to speak to my husband ALONE! The two women had never gotten along ever since Esther found out Mikael was cheating on her with Eleanor and kicked him out – or more or less moved out on her own, allowing him to keep the mansion and moving into an apartment close to Finn & Sage's home.
Esther growled at Eleanor, not appreciating the pointed look she was giving her. "Well, I can clearly see that you two need a moment. Then again, you probably had enough moments to last ten lifetimes."
Eleanor watched as Esther got up and walked out of the room. When she was gone, Eleanor sighed in relief and went over to Mikael, kissing him passionately. Mikael returned her kiss and ran his hand through her hair. He was enjoying the feeling so much that he hated to pull away and separate their lips. Eventually, though, he stepped back, breaking the kiss.
"Thank God you came in when you did, Eleanor," he said. "I couldn't put up with Esther's complaining. If I want to pace, I bloody well will pace." He sighed. "I only apologize that she had to be here."
"Oh, please, I enjoyed making her leave," Eleanor said. "Now, what's gotten you so nervous, love? Maybe I can make it better."
He ran the tip of his finger over the material that pressed what cleavage was exposed and let his other hand pull her against him. "I just found out that two of my sons are going to give me new daughters-in-law," he replied as he lowered his hand at her waist until he could bunch up the material of her skin-tight dress in a fist. "And I'm also going to have a grandson. Rebekah just called before you got here and told me the news herself."
"I think you'll spoil him rotten," Eleanor murmured against the skin of his neck after she loosened the collar of his shirt and nipped at the place she spoke, making him jerk slightly against her. "And obviously, Katherine and Alexia seem to be good for Elijah and Kol, from what I've seen over the past few years that we've been married ourselves."
"I know, and I adore them, don't get me wrong." Mikael sighed as he felt her nip at his neck. "Before long, Niklaus will be proposing to his love, Caroline. Of course, by then, we'll be hearing from Finn that Sage is pregnant."
"Who's to say that she isn't already?" Eleanor said. "She probably doesn't want to upstage Rebekah and is keeping it quiet until the time is right. And you know that the only one we have to worry about now is Henrik."
"Don't remind me," Mikael said. "He's probably got a few girls at school wild for him."
"He can't help himself; he's a Mikaelson, like his father."
Mikael chuckled then swept her into his arms and carried her out of the office and towards the stairs, her laughter echoing through the house as he did.
Elijah's & Katherine's Apartment – That Same Moment
Katherine slipped out of her new fiancé's arms then grabbed the shirt he'd worn the night before and put it on, buttoning it up but leaving it open at her neck, knowing that Elijah liked it that way. She tiptoed out of the bedroom without waking Elijah and headed into the kitchen, where she began to softly pull things out to make breakfast for him. She was just mixing the batter when she felt his arms slip around her waist. "I woke up to find my beautiful bride to be missing from our bed, and wondered where she could have gone," he said after sweeping aside her curls to kiss along her neck.
She turned her head and kissed his jaw. "I thought I would be nice and make you pancakes, because I know how much you love them," she tells him softly as she turns her attention back to the batter.
Elijah smiled. "I do love pancakes." He kissed her neck again. "And I love the woman making them."
Kissing her neck one more time, he went to the island in the middle of the kitchen, sat down and watched her. He then thought about the other night, laughing a bit. Katherine heard him laughing and placed the mixed batter on the skillet. "What's so funny, babe?"
"Just thinking about what happened at the club," he replied. "Kol proposed to Lexi not even five minutes after I proposed to you."
"Well, we both knew he was going too eventually," Katherine said. "He's been dating her around the same amount of time you've been dating me." She smiled. "Still it was quite a scene; two Mikaelson brothers asking their beloved girlfriends to marry them on the same night. Before you know it, Klaus will be proposing to Caroline."
"Let's not rush that," Elijah said, remembering that Katherine had said those exact same words to Stefan. "I'm not in a hurry to see Niklaus married yet. He and Caroline only started dating a short while ago. Besides, he's going to be starting at that art school he got into pretty soon and getting engaged before then doesn't sound like a wise choice."
Katherine nodded. "Oh, yeah, I forgot that you mentioned Klaus was going to be going to an art school. And I know that you're not in any hurry to see him married off, I was just making an observation."
She laughed upon finishing that comment, earning her a curious look from her fiancé. "Katerina, what are you laughing about over there?"
"Nothing really, just happy, that's all," she replied, flipping the pancakes over on the skillet with the spatula. "Remember what I said about taking a trip down the aisle before Elena does? Well, I'm getting my wish."
"Yes, you are," he said with a smile as he came back over and kissed her on the lips before heading back to the bedroom to take his shower and dress for the day. He had plans to take Katherine to see her family in Mystic Falls, knowing she wouldn't be happy with him, but he wanted to meet them in person so he could talk to her father in person.
Damon's Apartment – That Same Moment…
Elena looked in the mirror just as she finished getting dressed. She had spent the night at Damon's, wanting to keep him company in the wake of getting that letter from his father. She found it strange that the man who had walked out on his family when his children were so young would want to reconcile after all these years. Maybe he was dying and wanted to see his family at least once before he passed? Or maybe he was looking for money? While it wasn't entirely clear, Elena still wanted to be there for her boyfriend.
A few minutes later, she felt a pair of strong arms wrapping themselves around her and a pair of soft lips kissing her neck. Smiling, she said, "Hi, Damon. I see you're in a good mood today."
"Of course I am," he replied. "You were a great comfort to me and I appreciate it." He kissed her neck again. "So, what's on the game plan for today, cara mia?"
Elena giggled, liking the way he called her by his Italian nickname for her. "Well, I was thinking of going to Mystic Falls to see my family. I haven't been home in a while and it'll be great to see my parents again." She smiled at him. "And I'd love for my parents to meet you." She saw the look on his face. "Oh, come on, Damon, don't give me that look. They'll love you."
"Your mother will," Damon said. "Not really sure about what your father will think."
"Don't worry about it, I'll handle my father if necessary," Elena said. "I was always able to play the 'Daddy's-Little-Girl' card when necessary. So did Katherine, come to think of it." She turned in his arms and looked into his blue eyes with her brown ones. "Please, Damon? It would make me really happy." She drove the point home by grabbing the back of his head and kissing him passionately.
Damon returned her kiss, moaning against her mouth as their tongues danced. They broke the kiss after a few minutes and he looked into her eyes again. Sighing, he said, "Okay, you convinced me. I'll meet your parents, but only because you insisted."
Elena smiled and kissed him again. "Thank you, Damon. I love you."
A Few Hours Later – Anna & Jeremy's House
"JEREMY, aren't you ready yet?" Katherine yelled as she and Elijah finished packing the car that they would be driving in to Mystic Falls. "JEREMY, we're going to leave without you if you don't hurry your butt up!"
"I'm coming, I'm coming," he called out from the inside before his face appeared in the doorway. Anna was right behind him, and she looked a little green in the face. "Anna wasn't feeling well again, so I had to help her."
Katherine didn't have to guess what that meant. "Jeremy, are you saying that Anna's…pregnant?"
Anna decided to answer the question for her husband. "I am, actually. I took a pregnancy test the other day and it turned blue. So, it looks like you and Elena are going to be aunts, Katherine."
That Same Moment
Elena put her suitcase into Damon's Camaro and smiled. Soon, she'd be at her old house and seeing her parents again. It had been quite a while since she last saw them and she sent them emails whenever she could. Still, she missed them terribly. She watched as Damon brought his suitcase out and sighed happily. She was proud of herself for being able to convince him to come with her and meet her parents. Granted, he was a bit skeptical, but she worked her magic on him and got him to agree.
Once Damon had gotten his suitcase into the car, he noticed Elena looking at him. "What?"
Elena giggled. "It's nothing; I'm just admiring how sexy you look today."
Damon looked down at himself. He was dressed in a black V-neck T-shirt, dark blue jeans and black leather boots. He then looked at the blue floral print dress she was wearing and licked his lips. If only they didn't have to leave right now, or he'd throw her over his shoulder, carry her back to his apartment, throw her onto his bed and have his way with her.
Elena noticed how quiet he was and waved her hand in front of his face. "Hello, earth to Damon! Are you in there?" When she got no response, she snapped her fingers, which got his attention. "My goodness, you zoned out there for a second. I hope you don't do that while you're driving."
"Sorry about that; I was distracted by my beautiful girlfriend." Damon had a mischievous smirk on his face when he said that, and not waiting for Elena to say anything, he climbed into the driver's seat. Elena rolled her eyes and got in the passenger side, putting on her seat belt as Damon pulled the Camaro out of the parking space.
In Jeremy & Anna's Car
"Are you looking forward to seeing Mystic Falls again?" Anna asked her husband as she held his hand, alternating between stroking it over her bare thigh and running the fingers of her free hand over his denim-clad thigh. She knew that he and Bonnie Bennett hadn't ended well but she had also heard that Bonnie was an expectant newlywed.
"It's probably changed since I left," Jeremy replied as he shifted in his seat to ease the discomfort in the seat of his pants.
"It probably has," she agreed quietly.
In Damon's Camaro
Elena looked out at the scenery as Damon drove, thinking about how much she was looking forward to seeing Mystic Falls again. She also thought about her best friend, Bonnie Bennett. She had seen how heartbroken Jeremy had been when they broke up, since he had loved her just as fiercely as she loved Damon. Of course, now Jeremy was married and Bonnie had sent an email a while back, saying that she had gotten married and was now expecting a baby.
She was still thinking about it when Damon turned on the radio for a little background music. He wasn't looking for anything in particular, just something to make the trip not seem so quiet. Elena stopped him when she heard the familiar tune of her favorite song, 'Walk like An Egyptian' by the Bangles.
"Turn that up, Damon," she said. "I love this song!"
Not about to deny her of what she wanted, he turned up the radio and Elena started singing along and dancing to the music. Damon watched her and laughed, mostly because he thought she looked cute the way her body was moving to the beat. In fact, if he wasn't driving right now, he'd join her. Instead, he bopped his head and tapped the steering wheel with his fingers, singing along as well.
Author's Note 2: What a perfect way to end the chapter, y'all! I hope you enjoyed seeing not only one BUT two proposals from the Mikaelson boys and you'll come back for more excitement in the next chapter!
