Chapter 21:

Rebekah and Matt met Elena at the Grill the next day. She actually put on makeup which was a big improvement for her. Her hair was straightened and parted down the middle like she used to do it- that is, when she was completely depressed with her life. "You're barely fat, Elena." Matt greeted her, "You're not even showing."

"Matt!" Rebekah hit him, "I can't believe you just said that." She rolled her eyes and smiled widely at Elena. "You're absolutely glowing."

"That's because it's really hot in here, ever since they lost their most valuable employee this place has really lost its touch." She winked, "Jeremy holds down the fort but he doesn't have your touch, Matt."

"Jeremy can't even compare to my dish washing skills." Matt joked, "Does he know yet?"

She exhaled, "No."

"So, you're telling me that it's just Rebekah and me that know you're knocked up?"

"Matt, again! She's with-child."

"No, he's right. I'm knocked up." Elena nodded, "I am a single, pathetic, pregnant girl stuck in her small, nosey, murderous town."

"Easy on the adjectives." Matt said, "You are not pathetic and I hardly qualify you as single. You're bound for life to-"

"To a man that's marrying another woman because he thinks I'm too fragile to kill his father." Elena finished his sentence. "Aren't I just living the life?"

"Whoa, self-punching-bag alert." Rebekah gripped her hands, "You aren't pathetic, Elena Gilbert. This town is murderous and nosey but you aren't pathetic." Elena nodded, "Now what's first on the pregnancy list?"

"What?"

"Pregnancy list. Do you have a doctor?"

"No."

"You're ten weeks pregnant and you don't have a doctor? Elena!" Rebekah started to lecture her on the importance of a good doctor and how high-risk her pregnancy already was due to the fact she had a "special circumstance." She let go of Elena's hands and said, "You're lucky you aren't getting sick yet. That's usually common by now- I googled it."

"What did you use?"

" ."

"Oh, I used what to expect when you're expecting."

"Is it informative?"

"Yes." Elena nodded, "I have been feeling slightly nauseas but I've been able to get past it. Did you know by week 11 the baby will have fingers and toes? That's so cool."

"I thought you weren't excited."

"I don't know. I think I'm excited but also very worried…I'm just emotional."

"Symptom of pregnancy."

"Symptom of life." Matt corrected Rebekah, "Elena. Get excited! You're having a child and that's good news despite the circumstances."

"Matt's right." Rebekah sung, "It's great news even if Klaus isn't here to be part of it."

"Please don't say things like that, Rebekah. I understand you're trying to be inspirational but I want him here so bad… and I just don't need to be reminded that he isn't." Elena shrugged, "One day things are going to work out and I'm going to tell him I'm pregnant or that we have a child and it'll be okay and he'll be there then."

"Exactly." Rebekah tried to agree with her but she had her doubts. Klaus was on a mission and he'd already cut himself off from everyone. She'd tried calling a thousand times already- even if Elena didn't want him to know. "You know you have to tell Kol, right? He'll be super happy about it but if he doesn't hear it from you- his feelings will get hurt."

"I know. I just don't know how to tell him…should I be like, Yay! I'm pregnant! You're going to be an uncle! Or Hey, guess what? I'm pregnant."

"You should just tell him you're pregnant and you're kind of excited about it and kind of scared at the same time." Rebekah shrugged, "Just be honest with him like always."

XXX

"Kolly, Kol, Kolito… " She sang on his voicemail, "I've tried calling you seven times in the last three hours and you're ignoring me…or your dead… which, I don't know what I would do if you're dead right now. This isn't something I wanted to leave on your voicemail but I'm pregnant… and before you start with that smartass mouth of yours, it's definitely Klaus' child." She laughed, "Oh my god…I'm pregnant. I am pregnant at what? How old am I supposed to be? Let's see, nineteen when Klaus left me, twenty, twenty-one, twenty-two… well, I guess I'm about to be twenty-three. I guess twenty-three isn't so bad, of course, I'm not married but who's married anymore? I just can't seem to stop talking, can I?" She sighed, "I love you Kol and I miss you ever day, get back to me as soon as you can."

"That was a lot of words." Rebekah sighed, "It's four in the morning and you're watching Supernatural- again. Sleep."

"Don't you have a husband to get home to?" Elena whined, "Like seven hours ago?"

"My niece versus my husband who has probably stayed up all night with your brother playing XBOX games? Hmm…"

"That's right, Jer didn't come home." She yawned, "I'm going to tell everyone tomorrow."

"You mean, later today?"

"Yeah." She yawned once more, "I'm not ashamed that I'm pregnant. I'm happy, I really am happy I just- I don't want to screw up." She shrugged, "I don't want to do something wrong and harm my child. I want to have control over myself."

"You won't screw up. You are maternal and loving… I love you so much, Elena." Rebekah reached over and rubbed the small round pouch. "I will love this baby more though, sorry."

"Don't worry, I'll understand." She laughed, "This baby is going to be beautiful."

"I hope she looks like you."

"I hope he looks like Klaus… and I hope he's noble like Elijah. God, I forgot to tell Elijah."

"Don't do that. Older brother will beat the hell out of younger brother." She informed Elena with a sweet smile on her face, "Not that it wouldn't be funny to watch." She continued to rub Elena, "What else do you hope for?"

"I hope he doesn't do drugs like Kol, and I hope he doesn't know the pain of death… I hope he lives forever like me because I'm selfish and I don't want to know the pain of burying my own child." She continued, "I hope I'm half as good as my mother was to Jeremy and me- I really hope she passed something on because she was so perfect. I hope we can leave this life behind because I don't want to run forever- not that I'm really running right now but one day I will have to… I just want to have a two story house and family game night."

"The American dream, right?" Rebekah snorted, "You should aim higher, think three story mansion on the edge of the Italian coast- fine wine every night and if you're lucky, scrabble." Rebekah reminded Elena of Caroline sometimes. "And you can have your fast car like you wanted…"

Elena yawned again, "I hope that Klaus will be able to love his child one day if I don't get eternity with the baby." Then Elena's eyes shut and she started snoring immediately. Rebekah looked at the peaceful Elena. She felt jealous of her but then again, she felt sorry for her. Rebekah loved her brother but she hated the situations he always got himself in. Still, a baby was a blessing for her family. They needed innocence. Rebekah already knew that she would lay down her life for the baby and Elena if she had to.

She hoped Elena got everything she wanted- everything she needed. She hoped the baby would grow and be healthy and absolutely lovely. She hoped her brother would have a part in the baby's life- soon. She hoped for everything positive that could happen for the family but she knew, better than most, that hope only got someone so far when they didn't have an ounce of faith.