A/N: Hey all, So I know that I said that I wasn't sure if I would do an epilogue for this story. But, I decided to write one. Although, I will not be doing a sequel to this story. I wanted to at least give you guys something good to read to end this story properly. :)

The Epilogue is set ONE YEAR later after CH.20!

Again, Thank you all for the great reviews and interest in this story! Enjoy & Thanks for reading!

EPILOGUE-Learning To Breathe Again-

One year later...

Elena watched as Bonnie leaned over the railing of the porch, taking in the warm summer breeze as she laughed.

"So, how's Stefan handling being a dad?" She asked, turning towards Elena and smiling at her widely.

"He's a pro at it. He's already wanting to teach Cameron how to build things..like he bought him one of those fake tool boxes and stuff. They walk around the house, building and tearing down things together..I think our son has a future in remodeling." She told Bonnie with a smile, watching as her best friend backed away from the railing that she was leaning against and sat down next to Elena in one of the patio chairs.

"How's Damon doing with his daughter?" Caroline asked, placing her hands on her very pregnant belly as she looked out at the back yard, watching Klaus and the rest of the guys take pieces of the old tree house and start to replace the old pieces of wood with new ones.

"McKenzie? Ha...Katherine, how's your husband doing with your daughter?" Elena asked, turning towards Katherine who had a cup of tea in her hands and grin on her face.

"I came home the other day and McKenzie and her daddy were playing dress up. Right after they sat down and played "tea time" with her dolls. I took one look at Damon and laughed my ass off. McKenzie decided that daddy would look nicer with blush and eye shadow on from my makeup kit...Let's just say, she was right." Katherine told them, bursting out into laughter at the thought of seeing her husband and her daughter covered in pink and blues that had been scattered all over the carpet floor of her daughter's bedroom.

"So, Damon's like her little doll? Ha! Oh, the joys of raising little girls!" Bonnie commented, looking out in the distance as she watched her son and daughter run around the yard with her best friends children. "Hey, Annie, Aaron..Honey be careful!" Bonnie shouted as she watched Jeremy turn around to her, walking up to his daughter and picking her up my her waist, swinging her around the yard as she giggled against her dads shoulder.

"I can't wait to have my baby! Klaus has got us going to those baby classes already and he stole a bunch of books from Damon to read about before the baby comes. I find him sometimes late at night, reading." Caroline commented as she pushed herself up from the chair that she sat in and rubbed her belly.

"Do you know what you'll be having?" Elena asked, watching her best friend nod. Turning around and pulling out an ultrasound picture from her purse.

"We were going to wait and tell you guys. But, I can't wait anymore. It's a girl!" Caroline told them, smiling blissfully as she handed Elena the picture and watched her tear up.

"I'm so happy for you guys. Do you have a name picked out yet?" Katherine asked, pulling her hair back into a ponytail and smiling at Caroline as Elena handed her the ultrasound picture.

"Yes. Um..Annabelle Elise Mikaelson." Caroline told them in a cheerful tone.

"That's beautiful." Bonnie commented, staring down at the ultrasound picture in her hands and then handing it back to Caroline.

"Well, if you need any help with anything..You know that we'll be here." Katherine told her, leaning over and grabbing Caroline's hand as she glanced over at Elena who seemed lost in her own thoughts.

"Stefan and I want more kids. One day.." Elena said solemnly as she looked down at her hands and then back up at her best friend's faces.

"That's wonderful!" Caroline commented, smiling over at her and then looking back out towards the yard as she whistled at Klaus.

"Come on, baby! Put your back into it!" Caroline shouted with a laugh as she watched Klaus turn around, smiling at her.

"God, these men are hot when they work in this summer sun!" Katherine told them, hearing as the girls laughed and then she licked her lips.

"Come on, Damon...Take it off!" Katherine shouted, her face beaming as she watched her husband turn around, slipping his shirt off his head and throwing it onto the ground.

"Happy now, honey?" He yelled, winking at her as he turned back to the pile of dirt, shoveling a pile on top of the flower bed that Elena wanted them to make.

"Very!" Katherine told him, smiling as she continued to watch them work from a distance and could hear all of her friends giggling in the background.

"So, Stefan..why isn't your wife yelling out for you to get naked, yet?" Damon asked, teasingly as he shoved his elbow into his brothers side and watched as Stefan smirked at him, thinking about a quick response.

"Because we've been doing that all morning long...I just put clothes on again a half hour ago...Elena and I...we're umm..You know what? Maybe because her brother is working with us today and she's embarrassed!" Stefan explained, glancing over at Klaus and Jeremy who were starting to paint half of the tree house for the kids that was already done.

"You guys are trying again? I thought that the counselor said it would be better to wait..I mean, you guys still go and see her..right?" Damon asked, watching as Stefan wiped a few drops of sweat off of his face.

"Yeah..Yeah, we do..Well..we are..Esther recommended that we rebuild our family and she said that maybe it would be a good thing for Cameron to have another brother or sister. She also gave us a few more suggestions about keeping the romance alive. So, I'm having Jeremy and Bonnie take care of Cameron tonight and we're going on one of our many dates." Stefan explained, turning around to look over at Elena as he heard Damon let out a laugh.

"That's good. Maybe next week, you and Elena can watch McKenzie for us. Then, Katherine and I will go out on a date." Damon told him, watching as Stefan patted him on the shoulder and nodded. "Sure, I just don't want your daughter to decorate my son with her cute little makeup ideas." Stefan told him, watching as his brother's face grew stone cold and he locked his eyes on him.

"Oh yeah, My wife told you...didn't she?" Damon asked him, looking over his shoulder to see Katherine laughing about something that Bonnie had said.

"Of course she did..she also told me that McKenzie and you played dolls. Nice job, brother..I think it's cute that you wear eye shadow in secret for your daughter!" Stefan said in a teasing tone.

Later that night, Elena had been standing in front of Bonnie and Jeremy's front door for the last ten minutes, explaining to Bonnie that her son had certain allergies to specific foods and that if she needed anything to call her and they would make sure to come home early.

"It's fine, Elena..Now go! You don't want Stefan to be waiting in the car forever. It's a night away from your son..He will be fine." Bonnie told her reassuringly as she pulled Elena into a hug and nearly shoved her out of the door way.

"Okay, fine." Elena said, turning on her heels a she waved to Cameron. "Mommy loves you, honey! We'll be back soon." Elena told him as she walked towards the car door, blowing her son a kiss when she opened the car door and stepped inside the car.

"Elena, he'll be fine. Let's have a good night." Stefan told her, holding onto her hand and smiling at his wife as she returned the same gleeful smile.

"So, what did you have in mind for our date?" Elena asked, leaning into her husband as he leaned back a bit, placing his hand on her cheek and rubbing a small circle on her skin.

"Well, I was thinking that since we had such a romantic time at the lake house, we could go there for day or two." Stefan told her, raising his eyebrows at her and placing the car in reverse when he heard Elena gasp.

"But, Stefan! The lake house in Virginia! That's a few hours away and I can't leave Cameron alone for that long." Elena countered, watching as Stefan smiled even wider, laughing a bit at Elena's resistant.

"Oh, come on.. Honey! He'll be fine. You packed him a few extra things and Bonnie and your brother will be just fine babysitting for an extra day. So, what do you say, come away with me?" Stefan asked, tilting his head to the side as he watched Elena sigh.

" I don't know..Baby, we don't have any clothes at all and-" Elena began to say as she heard Stefan let out another laugh and stop the car. Putting it in park as he leaned over the console, placing his lips right against Elena's ear and whispering into it.

"We won't much need many pieces of clothing at The Lake house...remember?" Stefan told her, hearing as Elena let out a pleasurable sigh and then she wrapped her arms around his neck when she kissed his cheeks and then spoke before leaning into him and kissing him passionately. "How could I ever forget?"

Elena leaned back against the passenger seat again. Smiling at Stefan as he grabbed her hand into his and smiled back at her. "I will love you, forever." He told her, bringing up her hand to his lips and leaving a soft kiss against her skin as she smiled at him. "I know, Because I'll love you forever too and as long as we stay together, as long as we have each other. There is no doubt in my mind that we can conquer anything that comes at us." Elena told him, intertwining their hands together as she smiled and glanced out the window, towards the lowering sunset, knowing that they were finally where she had always wanted them to be, Together forever and stronger as a couple than they had been in a very long time.

-THE END-