Stockholm

Day One. 10:38am

She looked down at the crib where her baby was peacefully sleeping. She couldn't believe how her life turned around with just one year. Things were horrible and then, one day,, they weren't anymore. The pain was now bearable. Nothing could replace Angelica; no one could replace Katherine to Damon. Their lives weren't easy but they had each other.

Their relationship was slow, as it had to be. They couldn't imagine it any other way.

But once they fixed everything they need to fix there was no need to be slow. They already lived together, they had a son together and Damon felt like he didn't need anything else in his life. There was nothing more out there for him and proposing to Elena was just the next step. Maybe their relationship was backwards but he wanted to marry her. She did so much for him. She took care of Katherine the best she could, she melted his father's heart and she gave him the present of fatherhood. Damon loved being a daddy. And that was why forgiving his father was unavoidable. He wondered if he ever hurt Ryan and his son couldn't forgive him, he would be devastated. He couldn't deny Giuseppe the forgiveness he craved for. He lost a daughter and then he lost a granddaughter. It wasn't only him who lost Katherine. He had lost his daughter for more years than he could talk. And because of his usual toughness and his lack of experience with problematic children he failed Katherine when she needed him the most. But he regretted it, he tried to fix his mess and somehow he did it. It was almost too late and he couldn't keep torturing his father, not when he knew exactly how deep that pain could be. He lost Angelica, forever. He wouldn't do that to any father in the world, let alone his own. Giuseppe was definitely flawed but Damon loved him, he loved his father. But he wouldn't do it without Elena, not only because she gave him Ryan who put him on perspective but because her heart was so pure and forgiving. It was contagious and he definitely got it.

But Giuseppe wasn't the only unfinished business Damon had. The robbery events were still very alive in his memory and despite all the hard work Elena and Dr. Williams put on it and even Giuseppe, what really helped Damon was the fact that Elena got pregnant. It helped him to change his view of the events between them that day. But somehow he now felt thankful for it. How couldn't he? The boy was his sunshine. He was finally feeling like he was one of those people he used to imagine while he looked at the buildings in the city. He was not only ordinarily happy, he was extraordinarily exultant. Every day, with all the difficulties life threw his way. So as he watched his little boy taking his small steps, almost running despite his small size, his heart fluttered. He was complete.

Ryan was the most precious thing that had ever happened to him. No, that was a mistaken thought. The best thing that happened to him was now walking towards him, beautiful as she always did. A lot of things crossed his mind. A lot of things crossed hers.

"I'm pregnant," she offered nervously. She didn't know what his reaction would be. She knew the man in front of her, he wouldn't oppose but they didn't plan it.

"That's great, Elena," Matt was excited about the news.

"I had a one night stand. I don't know who the father is," she explained and the smile on the blond's face dropped.

"I can't deal with you right now Matt. My babies are fighting for their lives. We can't be together. I'm in love with Damon, even if he doesn't want me, even if he doesn't want the babies, I can't use you like that," she explained and kissing his cheek she walked away.

"I just need one answer," he asked and she could see how tense he was.

Seeing her nodding to him he looked away gathering strength to make the question that had been in his head since the doctor said the possible conception date.

"Are the babies his?"

"Yes," Elena answered quietly and turning around Matt left without looking at her again.

Their eyes were locked and the memories didn't stop coming.

"Name of the mother?" the city hall employee asked as he typed the information on the birth certificate.

"Elena Chloe Gilbert…"

"Name of the father?"

"Damon Ryan Salvatore," Damon held a proud smile.

"Name of the baby," he asked finally.

Damon and Elena looked at each other, as they stood in front of one another. There were unshed tears in both of their eyes.

"I know how they sometimes tell that even the worst situation can bring something good. I thought the day I became a criminal couldn't bring anything good but I couldn't be more wrong. It isn't about the babies, though they're amazing. It's all about you, Elena. I fell in love with you under the worst circumstances, I met you in a place that made me a monster but your kindness and warmth changed it all. Just like in the cartoons and fairytales, when you appear everything changes. Your touch is healing; your voice is comforting; your gaze is soothing. Your love is overwhelming and contagious. I'm happy I was touched; that I heard you; that you looked at me with such tenderness and warmth. But above all I'm happy you loved me when I couldn't love myself. Your love taught me so many things. I'm complete because I have you. I'm alive because of you. I'm living because I love you, Elena, I will always love you with everything I am, because the moment you touched, talked and looked at me I couldn't stop myself from loving you," Damon professed his love to the woman standing in front of him and the tears she had been bravely holding back finally fell and moving his hands to cup her face, he used both of his thumbs to wipe them away.

"I've never seen such a big heart, such a big love in my life until the day I met Damon Salvatore. You, Damon, are unlike anyone I've ever met before. Love is something so natural to you. You're willing to do all the sacrifices, to fight all the battles and to risk everything you have in the name of love. Not only for your sister but for twenty people you had never seen in your life before. That was so powerful. I knew that moment I met the man I wanted to have in my life. The more time passed, the more my feelings changed. The admiration, the surprise, the enchantment, the fascination never wore down but I fell in love with you. It was so quick; it was so strong and astounding. Because that's all you are. You're strong, overwhelming, astounding, alluring and loving you wasn't just an option or a possibility. It was the only option, the only possibility I had because I've never seen something so beautiful and fascinating in my whole life. When the world around me was falling apart and I was afraid somehow you took the fear away and then I couldn't see anything else around me, except your sweet, piercing and beautiful blue eyes and they reached my soul and they swept me way. And that's why I'll always love you, for the rest of my life, throughout the whole eternity," Elena offered with a quiet voice, trying so hard not to cry copiously in front of the man she loved so much.

"I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Damon Salvatore."

"Cecilia Caroline Salvatore," Elena offered and her friend a few steps behind her was in tears, not believing that they had decided to name their little girl after her.

Damon and Elena enjoyed their wedding reception the best they could with their two babies. Cecilia was much quieter than any baby they saw maybe because she was a preemie too and had been very quiet since the day she left the hospital. But Ryan had left the preemie quietness behind him, the seventeen-month old boy was running all over the place but somehow he always found his way back to his grandpa. Giuseppe held Cecilia most of the time, to allow Damon and Elena to dance, greet their guests and now as his son and his newly added daughter were preparing to leave, he looked down at the little girl in his arms. He remembered the day she was born and he held her just the same before they moved her to the NICU. All the money he donated throughout his life to the hospital allowed him to make company to his son in the room Elena gave birth three months before. He was touched by the very small baby in his arms and the first and only thing he could say in that moment was the obvious. She looks just like your mother, the elder said and Damon who was already crying for seeing his girl alive only nodded before the nurse took the baby away. That was the moment he picked Cecilia's name. Damon was so proud because he was the spitting image of his mother and so was his daughter. She looked like him even more than Angelica did.

"Are you sure you don't want to leave them with me?" Giuseppe asked as Damon and Elena finally said goodbye to everyone and came to take their children.

"Yes, Dad. Ryan loves the beach and Cecilia is strong enough. Elena and I will have a lot of time to enjoy our honeymoon at night. But during the day we want to share it with them," Damon explained and moved to hug his father goodbye too, "But when Elena and I need some mommy and daddy time when they're older and bratty, we'll call grandpa Pepe, don't worry."

"I'll be my pleasure," he smiled as they broke apart.

"Dad Pepe," Elena said with many tears in her eyes. Giuseppe had been there for her during so many moments, in so many different ways that the affection she had for the man in front of her couldn't be measured. "I'll miss you," she offered still very emotional for the day's events.

"I'll miss you too, Lena. But two weeks will pass by really quickly, especially in Italy. I promise you I'll take you there again soon as I think two children are already enough outsiders in a honeymoon. But I'll take you to the place where Cecilia and I were born, where Damon was born and all the villas I know you'll love. For now just enjoy your husband and make sure your next baby is Italian. That's a tradition you can't keep breaking," he offered a smile that comforted her heart. Damon and she planned to have more kids and she planned to do what Cecilia did by traveling to Italy four months before Damon was born and spending the rest days of her pregnancy in the calm and peaceful valleys of Tuscany. She was hopeful that the next time there won't be any problems but she wasn't going to think about that now.

Damon took Cecilia in his arms and Elena took Ryan by his hand as he played with the lace in her wedding dress. Her other hand held her husband's and walking away from the garden of Giuseppe's big house they headed to their house, from where they would go to the airport the following day.

That was their day one. The first day of the rest of their lives.

AN: so in case you're confused. The epilogue is a mix of flashbacks, one when Elena finds out she's pregnant with the twins; one just after the twins are born and the rest of them are after Cecilia was born. She was also a preemie and Elena and Damon didn't get pregnant the night they started dating. It took them weeks to be intimate again which is why I added a line saying that they moved their relationship on slowly.

Thanks a lot to all people who read, reviewed and favorite'd this story. Special thanks to my beta May. And let me know what you thought about this epilogue.

xoxo

Babi