Disclaimer: I own neither Twilight nor the Vampire Diaries.

Thanks to my pre-reader, Dark-Supernatural-Angel, for leaving me her thoughts and corrections on this chapter. All/any mistakes are mine.

Enjoy.


Search for the answers I knew all along
I lost myself, we all fall down
Never the wiser of what I've become
Alone I stand, a broken man


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A bright light flashes through the room just as Elena starts giggling at Damon's predicament. He looks up to find Stefan holding a disposable camera and a smirk on his face.

Bella slaps a hand over her mouth to stop the hysterical laughter bubbling forth when Damon glares at her murderously.

"What the bloody hell is going on?" he barks out.

"Bella's rubbing off on you," Stefan comments, trying to bite back his smile. "And you're going to need to watch your language around the baby."

"What baby?"

"Our baby," the younger brother announces, wrapping an arm around Elena's shaking shoulders.

Damon blinks at them blankly. "You've finally lost your mind. It's all that thumper draining."

"The school is making the Juniors do a parenting project," Stefan explains, rolling his eyes, "We have to take care of computerized children for a week. Half of our Health class grade is based on it. We had to take a picture of our parents or guardian's reaction."

"This is why I question your decision to go school, brother."

Stefan shrugs. "Maybe it'll be fun."

"Doubt it," Damon then lets out a laugh, a gleeful smile on his face. "Do these computerized children cry?"

"They're just like real children, except they record everything," Elena informs.

"Exactly like real children?" Damon asks, his smile widening. Bella lets out a laugh from the sofa, catching onto Damon's line of thought.

Elena eyes him warily. "Yes..."

"I can't wait to see this, then."

Elena rolls her eyes, imagining a tiny cartoon-Damon rubbing together his hands with an evil gleam in his eyes in her mind.

"When's the week starting?"

"Today," she responds.

"Where is it?"

"Where's what?" Stefan asks.

"The doll."

"We have to go get the doll from school. But first," Elena groans, "We have to attend a Lamaze class."

Bella snickers softly under her breath, trying to concentrate on the Sense and Sensibility text laying open in her lap.

Damon breaks out into a crackle-like laughter.

"And you have to come with us." Stefan grins.

Damon's laughter dies down to chuckles. "Come where?"

"To the Lamaze class! And when we pick our baby!" Elena squeals with mock excitement.

"Why do I have to go to the class?" Damon makes a face.

"Because you're my guardian, and you need to sign some papers. The health class teachers want to meet the 'parents' of the soon-to-be parents." Stefan continues after noticing Damon's resistance, "It's mandatory."

Damon groans. "I hate this."

"We're leaving in half an hour! So go get ready," Elena commands.

Damon looks down at his black v-neck half sleeve t-shirt and his black jeans. "I'm going like this," he states firmly.

"I'm coming with," Bella decides from her perch on the sofa.

"Sure!"

"Absolutely not!"

Elena and Damon both glare at each other. Stefan snorts in amusement and goes to sit beside Bella, giving her a warm, wide smile, one of his hands squeezing her shoulder affectionately.

Elena crosses her arms over her chest. "Why not?"

"Because she needs rest."

"I've been resting since yesterday," Bella pouts.

"I said no."

"You're acting like I'm about to die."

"You did. Yesterday."

"Yesterday. I'm fine, now."

"No."

"Damon?" Bella inches closer to him. She pokes him in the arm. When he refuses to listen to her, she stands in front of him and grasps his chin in her hand, forcing him to look at her. "I've been stuck in all day, sitting on that sofa," she starts softly. "I'm fine, I really am. I hate sitting in one place for more than five minutes. I need to go out."

Damon searches her eyes, and then lets his head fall back a little, sighing. "Fine. But if something happens, I'm holding it over you. Or I'll just leave you there."

Bella nods in promise, and all but drags Elena upstairs.

Stefan stares at his brother and shakes his head.

"What?" Damon asks with a frown.

"Nothing. Just wondering how the house's going to be like this evening," he smirks.

"I reckon there'll be crying, wailing, and...are you going to need to change its diaper?" Damon scrunches up his nose in disgust.

"Most likely."

"Good luck with that, brother."

"Elena's good with babies. She's babysat before. I can't say the same about Caroline."

Damon does a double take at that last line. "Caroline's in your class?"

Stefan nods, a boyish grin lighting up his face. "So are Bonnie, Tyler, and Matt."

"Did they get to choose their partners?"

"None of us did. Elena and I were just lucky." Stefan smirks.

"Who'd the rest get paired with?" Damon asks casually, picking up the chair from the floor, before moving towards the alcoholic drinks, getting himself a glass of Johnnie Walker, Blue Label. He tilts the top of the bottle towards Stefan, a silent offer.

"Neat, please."

Damon hands the drink to his brother, sitting on the arm rest of the sofa opposite of him, putting one foot on the table. He takes a gulp.

"Caroline's with Tyler. Matt's with Amiee Bradley. Bonnie's with this new student, Luka."

"New?"

"Transferred, he says, from Salem."

"Any connection to our little Bennett witch?"

"It seemed like she'd just met him, so I don't think so."

Damon nods, downing his drink, glancing at the clock.

"It's almost time to go," Stefan comments, following his brother's gaze.

"Mmhmm."

Both their heads turn towards the stairs at the same time as they hear heels clicking on the wooden stairs.

Elena enthusiastically tells Bella about the Health teacher, hinting at his young age, and his single status. They fail to notice the heated gaze that follows from the dangerously high heels on Bella's feet to her black waist high pencil skirt, over her royal blue ruffled sleeveless top, and then train themselves on her lips. Stefan bites the inside of his cheek before nudging his brother, snapping him out of his reverie just as both girls look up, grinning.

"You both look beautiful," Stefan compliments, taking Elena's hands in his and pressing his lips to Elena's for a peck.

Bella grins. "She wouldn't let me dress her up, but she let me use some makeup."

"Really?" Stefan asks, surprised.

"Mhm," she smiles back smugly. "Can't even tell, can you? I'm an expert."

"She's always beautiful," Stefan whispers against Elena's temple, causing her to sigh and lean into him.

"Shall we get going, then?" Damon smoothly sidles up to them.

"I'll drive," Stefan offers.

"Gentlemen," Elena exchanges a sly look with Bella as both brothers help in their respective companion into the back seat of the car, before closing the doors, and proceeding to the front seats.

"Do you want a boy or a girl?" Elena asks Stefan.

"I don't mind. You can pick the gender."

"The world's coming to a time where we can choose a child's gender," Damon mutters to himself.

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"Miss Gilbert and Mr. Salvatore," their heath teacher greets them. "They're your guardians, I take it?" The man gave pointed looks to both Damon and Bella, his eyes lingering on Bella a little too long.

"Damon Salvatore," Damon greets with a smile and pinched eyes, extending his hand to the young, suit clad teacher.

"Jason Lefebvre, Health teacher." He turns to Bella with a small, flirty smile. "I don't believe I've seen you before. Who could forget such a beautiful face?"

Bella smiles politely, shaking the dark haired teacher's hand. "Isabella. I've just moved here."

"Have you? From where?"

Elena and Stefan exchange a look, hiding smiles.

"England."

"Well, lucky you. I've always wanted to visit, but with my education in the way, I've never been able to gather the time."

"Time's your own possession, Mr. Lefebvre," she drawls out his name in French accent, a small smirk gracing her lips as the teacher's lips part. "Should you want it, you'd be able to make it bend to your will. Even have eternity, should you wish."

"Regardless, I am humbly jealous." The screeching of microphones makes everyone in the auditorium wince. "Forgive me, I must leave. That is my announcement call." He sends another smile Bella's way, and nods to the rest of the group.

"There's something odd about him," Damon mutters.

"There's nothing wrong with him," Stefan responds.

"I've never seen him flirt with anyone before," Elena comments, amused.

"Like you've seen him outside of school." Stefan bumps his shoulder with Elena's teasingly.

"Fair enough."

A throat clearing from the small stage towards the north of the room silences everyone. The four turn to face the health teacher. Damon leans down to whisper something into Bella's ear, which makes her bite her bottom lip to stop from grinning, and Elena leans her head on Stefan's arm, equally excited and nervous for the upcoming project.

"I'd like to first and foremost to thank you all for taking the time to come today. Junior year Health class is now having one week of Parenting Session, which have become mandatory for High Schools throughout the state of Virginia. Health class students will take home today a highly advanced computerized doll, which will record everything. For example, it will record what time the 'parents' played with the dolls, what time it was fed, changed, held, put down, and so forth. In addition, it will also record everything that goes on around you and the words. When we plug the dolls back in, the grades will be dependent 50% on how well the dolls were taken care of and 50% on the words and language control. So, if you curse a lot, the doll will be recording and when the dolls are plugged into the special computer, the worse the language and depending on how many bad words were used, the lower that particular '50%' will be."

"Today's Lamaze class will teach the students the breathing practices. We will also include how to change the diaper, just once, and how to feed the baby properly," he continues.

"The parents' or guardians' presence is required because they, too, will be sharing a house with a highly voice-sensitive doll. So if your walls are paper thin, please refrain from any grown up activities that will disturb the child's sleeping. The parents' or guardians' will also need to sign a form stating they will make sure the dolls are not harmed in any way and if there has been damage inflicted, they will need to pay for those damages," he inclines his chin towards his right, where a table is set up with a pile of papers.

"The Lamaze class will start in five minutes and that will take roughly thirty minutes. Afterwards, the families can then choose together the 'baby' doll. Thank you for your cooperation!"

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"Your heart's racing," Bella comments to Elena, grinning.

The brunette groans in response, "The deep breathing, holding in breaths..."

Bella pats her on the back lightly.

"Have you decided yet?" Jenna asks. "Where are the boys?"

"Grabbing a drink." Elena perks up. "Oh! Look at her, she's so cute!"

Bella and Jenna exchange an eye roll behind Elena's back. She's been changing her mind from a baby boy doll to a baby girl doll every two seconds.

Elena had been bouncing up and down, awed that the dolls looked so real and felt even more so. The only thing distinguishing a real baby and the doll is the solid stiff position the doll babies were in; they weren't moving...yet. Elena had failed to notice the discomfort on Stefan's face and his brooding face held a different type of self-loathing. Bella had inclined with her head towards Stefan to Damon. Damon's now, hopefully, talking Stefan out of any heroic plans he might've been making to leave Elena so she could have a normal life.

"Have you picked a baby yet?" Jason asks, sidling up next to the three ladies.

"No, not yet. They're all so cute," Elena comments with a small pout.

"They get even more so when you flip the switch for ON," he informs, with a grin. "Miss Sommers," he extends his hand in greeting.

"Mr. Lefebvre."

The teacher breaks the silence between Jenna and Bella, while Elena compares both the female and male dolls.

"Miss Isabella, tell me; are you taking a break from studying?"

"Bella, please. I've graduated already."

Elena smirks at the question, and nudges Bella softly with her elbow, swallowing the giggle making its way up her throat.

Just as Jason's about to comment, Bella turns abruptly to Elena, picking up a small doll from the boy's box. "I like this one."

Elena nods, still debating on the gender of her 'baby'.

"Where is your partner, Miss Gilbert?"

"He's a-"

"Right here," Stefan replies, wrapping an arm around Elena's waist, a small, pinched smile on his face.

"Are the two 'parents' required to stay together during the night, Mr. Lefebvre? Or do they take turns each night?"

"That is up to the parents, Miss Sommers. It isn't mandatory."

"Perfect!" Jenna grins. "You can take the doll home today, Stefan. We'll have it tomorrow."

Stefan gapes. "But I've never...I mean, I've never even held a baby before."

"Bella's going to be there to help you," Jenna states.

"Like I've said previously, this will be fun to watch," Damon smirks, coming up to them, and handing both Elena and Bella a cold Pepsi bottle.

"Aw, you're so sweet," Bella thanks him, smiling gratefully.

"I've been meaning to ask; how are you related to the two?" Jason asks curiously.

Damon stares at the teacher with one eyebrow raised, while Stefan bites his lip to hide a smile, catching onto Jason's line of thought.

"I'm not," Bella responds with a small smile playing at her lips.

"But you're one of his guardians, right?" the teacher retorts, giving a pointedly glance at Bella's ring finger.

"Oh! Oh, no. I'm living with them. I'm not related to them," she replies, looking up at Damon playfully through her eyelashes.

"I called you his guar-" Jason shakes his head and clears his throat. "Have you picked the dolls yet, Elena? I have to activate all the dolls."

Elena bites her bottom lip thoughtfully. She sighs and then looks up at Stefan.

"Pick a gender."

"Oh, no. I'm not doing that."

"Why not?" She pouts.

"Because you might sulk if he chooses a different gender than what you wanted," Bella offers helpfully.

"Damon, pick."

Damon makes a face. "Why?"

"Because you're going to help us take care of it."

Elena sees Bella leaning subtly into Damon, and then in the pretense of taking a sip, she whispers something to him rapidly.

He sighs and rolls his eyes.

"Get a boy," he tells in a monotone.

Elena pulls Stefan over the blue box, immediately pulling out one doll.

She then turns back to the group, grinning, and holding the doll to her chest. "Meet Baby Salvatore."

Jenna and Bella snicker. Damon just gives the baby doll a one-large-eyed stare.

Jason extends his hand. "Here, let me activate it." He pulls out a small, round metal key, and puts it in the small lock on the doll's neck. "Prepare to lose your sleep for the next week."

He turns the key and immediately, the doll starts wailing, its legs and arms flailing.

Jason puts the key back into his pocket, and laughs at a grimacing Elena.

"He looked cuter when he was quiet," she mutters softly.

"Here," Jason says, holding out the baby towards her.

She grabs the doll under the arms and holds it to her. She exchanges a wide-eyed, panicked glance with Stefan, before wrapping a hand under the dolls neck, rocking him softly, and trying to get it to quieten.

"Does he need feeding?"

"Where do we get the food?" Stefan asks in turn.

"You get one bottle from the lunch lady over there. And then you'll have to buy the rest," their amused teacher answers.

Jenna holds up both her hands as Elena gives her a pleading glance when the doll keeps wailing, garnering attention of the other occupants. "Don't look at me. I've only held you and Jeremy a few times."

"May I?" Bella requests, holding out both her hands, handing her drink to Damon.

Elena lays the baby into Bella's arm, and watches as one of Bella's arm curls up gently around the head and the other around the knees. Her thumb rubs in small circles at one of the temples and she holds the baby close to her chest, in a mother's embrace. Elena smiles unconsciously in awe as the doll makes some suckling noise, before quietening down.

"You're good with the kids," Jason compliments.

"I've babysat when I was younger," the brunette grins in response, failing to notice Damon's lips uplifting a tiny bit at the same time. "These babies are highly advanced, aren't they? Just like real," she whispers softly, as if to herself.

"I must go help the other students. I'll see you around, hopefully," he wishes wistfully.

Bella just gives him a smile in response.

"Can we leave now?"

"Mmhmm," Stefan responds.

"So that doll's staying with us today?" Damon questions.

"Baby Salvatore," Elena quips up.

"I'm not calling it a Salvatore."

"Why not?"

"Elena."

"Damon."

"We should get him a shirt that says 'Baby Salvatore' on the front," Bella offers.

Elena grins. "We should. Bonnie and Caroline aren't too excited about this, but I am. It's a good chance to see-" she stops abruptly, glancing apologetically at Stefan.

"Where are they, anyway?" Bella asks, rocking the sleeping doll, before handing it back to Elena, the five making their way out.

"They left earlier. Saw them leave when I was getting the soda," Damon informs.

Just as Jenna's about to leave, Bella widens her eyes a tiny bit; her lips part and the sides come closer to the other to make a small 'O'. She quickly asks while Jenna's within earshot, "Can you keep the baby tonight, Elena? I forgot the three of us had to go somewhere tonight."

Damon and Stefan exchange a look. Stefan raises an eyebrow in question, and Damon moves his head in negative in small motion.

Elena raises her eyebrow.

"Trust me," Bella whispers to her softly.

Elena nods, confused. "Sure."

Jenna bids them goodbye, before going to her car. Stefan and Elena make plans to buy the necessities for 'Baby Salvatore', while Damon and Bella wait in Damon's car.

"Bambi," he begins, smirking as Bella sticks her tongue out at him. "What's Charlie's last name?"

"Why?"

"Curious."

"Swan."

"And yours?"

"Masen."

"Why Masen?"

"It was my husband's surname."

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Did you notice you'd said you're living with us today, Isabella? Not staying, but living. The implications have changed, and the words contain different meaning. Does it mean the same to you as it does to me?

Do you know that you're smile lights up your entire face? Whether it's a small smile or a grin, your eyes light up from a dark chocolate brown to a light one...almost amber. Almost like the color of scotch. I don't think I've ever known before that there were different colors of brown. Or maybe I did know but never gave it much thought to keep it in my mind to register.

As each day goes by with your company, more questions arise. You're good with babies. Now I want to know if you've had a baby when you were human. Roaming this plane, I've learned the difference between a woman and a mother. You're tiny. Tall, but tiny. There's no way you could've given birth, but your motherly instinct is so intact. Have you had a baby, and if yes, where is he or she? I'll ask you that someday.

You didn't take Charlie's last name, while he's your father in every way but blood, you'd said. So why haven't you taken his name? You said it was because of your husband. You have a husband. I don't know how to feel about that. I don't know whether to feel sorry for him because you're connected to a human in a way that you could easily die, especially since that human is destined to death, or feel sorry for myself because it's the first time I realized there are others who know you more than I do, better than I do. Anna had obviously known you well, and you'd cared about her in some way. But it's the revelation I can fully register in my mind that someone has a right on you; the right that I suddenly wish he didn't, that leaves me shaken.

What else are you hiding, Bambi? Tell me your secrets. Let me unravel you.

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I updated in two days! Woo! Did you guys notice Damon's ignorance on denying a particular accusation? Jason's a new character who will be having a small role in this story; he's not just a random insert into one.

Next chapter will have some communications within the characters. Elena's jealousy will be addressed, Bella's past will slowly come forth, and Stefan and Bella's friendship will gain a little courage. After that, the normal drama will start up again. :)

On another note, I have a Facebook page especially for Fanfiction where I'll be posting dialogues from this story as teasers. You can look me up through [Corrupt Subduction] or click on the link on my profile. I was amazing to talk and get to know you guys!

Reviewers will get something special as always!