Chapter Eleven: Pancakes and Baby Bumps

Two Months Later. . .

"Thanks for the ride!" Caroline playfully kissed Stefan on the cheek. Summer was sadly over and fall had just come around the corner. Since Caroline's car had broken down, Stefan had offered her a ride back to Whitmore College for the first day of classes. Bonnie was arriving later after a nice summer break with Abby.

"Anytime." Stefan smiled as he watched Caroline struggled with the dozen or so suitcases that she had hastily stuffed in the backseat on Stefan's tiny, vintage car. "Are you sure you don't need help?"

"I'll compel someone in a few," Caroline pushed back a stray piece of blond hair. She leaned in against the doorway. "Let's talk about you."

Stefan's smile quivered a little. "What about me?"

Caroline gave an impatient sigh. "You need to start living your life-Stefan Salvatore!" she said. "You can't be babysitting Damon, feeling guilty about Katherine, and being all moody and depressed for the rest of your life. You deserve better and Damon shouldn't drag you down."

"I know." He said smiling sadly. Two months had passed ever since Katherine had left and Damon was in a downward spiral to say the least. Stefan feared than this was worse than when he had found out that Elena had died. He drank all day, partied all night, and was reckless with his food intake. "I'm going back to Mystic Falls, I'm going to say goodbye to Damon for a few centuries, grab my motorcycle and live my life."

Caroline squeezed his hand. "Good for you. Bye, thanks for the ride again."

"Good luck. Call me anytime."

"Meet some sexy girl on a white sand beach."

Stefan smiled as he pulled out of the driveway. "I'll start dating again when you do."

An hour after he had departed to Mystic Falls, he decided to stop for a break. He suddenly had a strong craving for pancakes and coffee. He parked his car in front of a small café called Anne's café.

A happy looking hostess greeted him. "Hello, welcome! Come this way, please."

Stefan followed her to a small booth. The hostess handed him a menu. "A waitress will be with you soon."

Stefan nodded as he leaned back in his seat and looked around the café. He enjoyed people watching, though there weren't too many people in the café that late morning.

"Table seven, Katherine."

"Ok."

Stefan frowned as he looked at the two people conversing. One was the hostess and the other was a young woman with curly hair and a mustard yellow uniform that seemed too small and tight for her small frame.

When she turned around Stefan gaped. The woman was none other than Katherine. But there was something strange about her. She was still the same Katherine, obviously with her mascara eyelashes and thick curly hair. But there was something obviously going on in the middle.

She wasn't fat exactly, but the uniform skirt stretched a little too tightly across her belly. It took a minute for Stefan to realize it wasn't fat, but a baby bump. As in Katherine was pregnant.

"You're having a baby?" Stefan practically yelled.

If Katherine was surprised to see him, she didn't show it. She simply said. "Stefan, it's nice to see you too."

There was an awkward silence as Stefan and Katherine stared at each other (Katherine was on her break) Stefan hadn't drank his cup of coffee and Katherine was playing with her half eaten pancakes making pictures with the syrup.

"Are you sure you don't want to-"he trailed off awkwardly. "You should eat."

"I'm not really hungry," she said. "Besides everything I eat somehow I end up throwing it up."

"So a baby," Stefan said. "Congratulations."

Katherine scowled at him. "Don't give me that, it's not anything celebration worthy."

"Were you." He squinted his eyes. "Force."

She shook her head. "Calm down, white knight it's nothing like that. I was pretty much willing."

"Who's the father?"

Katherine didn't speak for a moment until she whispered the word. "Damon."

Stefan didn't speak for a moment until he said. "Are you serious? Is this some kind of a joke?"

Katherine gritted her teeth. She knew that this was the reaction that she should have expected. When has a vampire ever impregnate a former vampire? "I'm serious, I'm two months pregnant. Damon kicked me out two months ago, and Damon has been the only man I have slept with ever since I became human so unless I became pregnant by a miracle, the baby is definitely Damon's."

Stefan still didn't look convince.

Katherine removed her vervain bracelet and crossed her arms over her chest. "Compel me. I dare you."

Stefan sighed as he leaned forward. "Who have you slept with ever since you turned human?"

"The only person I have had sex with is Damon Salvatore."

The answer didn't seem to make Stefan happy. He rummaged a hand through his hair. "I guess it's a possibility."

Katherine scoffed. "That's all you have to say, I guess? Your brother impregnate me and then threw me into the streets, and that's all you can say?"

"Where are you staying?" Stefan asked.

Katherine looked at the clock. "I still have half my shift left-"

"I'll take care of it," Stefan got up. "Get your stuff."

"Hello, dear a little early aren't you?" Mrs. Connors stopped short when she saw Stefan. "I was just going to the market-or who is this?"

Katherine cleared her throat awkwardly. "This is my . . . friend Stefan Salvatore. Stefan this is Mrs. Connors, the manager."

Stefan shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"You too, you kids have fun. I'm going down to the market, Katherine. Do you want me to bring you something for your upset stomach?" she patted Katherine's barely there belly sympathetically. "Poor thing, has had a rough couple of weeks. I'll be back soon, dear."

Neither of them spoke as Mrs. Connors closed the door. Stefan turned towards her. "She seems nice, but Katherine who else have you told about your pregnancy?"

"No one else, stop worrying." She snapped as she dropped her jacket on the couch. "I needed an explanation to why I was throwing up every five seconds. So what's the plan, hero?"

"Take you back to Mystic Falls, talk to Damon, and resolve this."

Katherine snorted. "And then what Damon will forgive me for every bad thing I've done and we'll become one big happy family? Thanks, but no thanks. I can handle it by myself."

"Can you? You're just figuring these things out. Humanity can't get any easier if you're pregnant."

Katherine rummaged a hand through her curls and glared at Stefan. "Well, then it's a good thing I'm not going to be pregnant for much longer. I'm saving up for an abortion, Stefan in a few days everything will be over."

Stefan looked stunned, he knew that Katherine was ruthless, but not enough to kill her own baby. "Katherine are you . . . you should talk to Damon first."

"I'm not talking to Damon, and I'm not going to Mystic Falls." She snapped. "So save yourself the trouble and just leave."

Stefan and Katherine faced each other until Stefan picked up Katherine over his shoulder and carried her out the door. "It's for your own good, Katherine-you and Damon."

"What are you doing?" Katherine hissed, kicking." Stefan, let me go! Let me go!"

-End of Chapter Eleven-

The Daddy to be will get the news in the next chapter!