Chapter 26

Elena was making her way out of the common when Damon decided to step into her path with a mocking smile that made her raise an eyebrow at him.

"I didn't expect to see you so soon." She told him lightly, edgily as the memories of those notes and gifts haunted her. She should be flattered but she was creeped out-especially with the photographs in the final note that he had some kid in her class hand deliver to her.

"Well…" he began slowly. "I wanted to see you and how you were doing. Did you like the flowers and the chocolates?"

"You should know that I hate white chocolate Damon." She sighed wearily. He scoffed.

"No you don't." He told her. "You only think you do because of Elijah compelling you to think that." She gave him a glare that was reminiscent of the noble Original who was out there, a ways away watching this little interaction and ready to go over there and defend her from the little monster.

"Really?" At his enthusiastic nod, she scoffed this time. "So you're saying that he found me when I was two years old, compelled me to hate white chocolate and then again, after completing the transition, compelled me to think the same thing?"

"Yes."

She couldn't hold it in anymore and she laughed.

"Bull. I've hated it since I was a baby and the last I checked-you really can't compel a baby. I'm not under any compulsion Damon. Besides don't you think if they'd discovered a human doppelganger they would have done something?"

"How do you know they're not – he's not? You know he has a thing for the Petrovas – all of you."

"This is different," Elena said gently, "he doesn't feel that way about me…"

"Then how do you know his love for you is strong?" she had the grace to look away from him and he was grinning. He just hoped that she would come to her senses about him.

"All I know is that whenever I'm around him…I feel safe and sound, perfectly content with him." She smiled as she recalled their nights together vividly. "He makes me come alive with the touches and trust me-he knows me more than he knew them."

Damon shook his head. "I don't believe it! How could it have happened then?"

"How could love have happened?" she asked him sharply. "That's something that no one can answer-it's something that makes you feel like you're worth a damn and that's what Elijah makes me feel like-like I'm worth everything in the world! Everything I feel for him is real-no matter what you say, it is real!"

She side stepped him and ran from him, unknowingly being followed by the man who makes her feel truly loved.

Managing to make it to the apartment as she opted to stay in there with him, she scrambled for the keys when they were suddenly in a male hand and as she looked over her shoulder, she saw Elijah was there and he was smiling at her.

"I don't say this enough to you but I do really love you." He told her as he unlocked the door and allowed her to go in before himself.

She smiled and kissed him after whispering to his lips, "I love you as well my noble knight in shining armor." He scooped her up in his arms, shut and locked the door and carried her over to their room where they just laid on the bed and cuddled each other.

As much as Stefan wanted to say that yes, planning a wedding would be easy, he was wrong.

The second he opened the apartment door he took in the scene before him; flower petals were strewn over various pieces of furniture as well as fabric swatches, wedding books and magazines (he had even spotted a Disney book on weddings) and so many other wedding related material that he found the source of all this fast asleep with tear tracks down her face.

"Bex…" he whispered which made her sit right up. "What's wrong?" he asked as he sat beside her.

She looked stressed and he knew that when she was super stressed she tended to cry (which was something that he had prepared himself for).

"Everything needs to be perfect! Nothing bad should happen but what if something bad does happen or everyone believes my dress to be ugly! What if-" he cut her off.

"Nothing like that will happen," he told her as he held her in his arms. "I swear that it won't. Damon might but that's only if we get him extremely drunk and he begins singing Carly Rae Jepsen." He shook his head as he recalled his brother doing exactly that one-day. He had wanted to have that memory compelled away but Klaus was cruel, making him relive that moment for the rest of time.

"Promises don't mean much," she told him with a sniffle. "Especially in my family."

"They mean a lot in mine." He reminded her and just held her as he carried her into the living room and got more hands on in the process.

In the end, the invitations were 1920s looking with delicate black cursive writing, the flowers were all decided on (they were mostly roses and peonies) and the fabric swatches for the dresses had been declared though he wasn't allowed to know what was picked.

He would do anything for her to have the wedding of her dreams.

She inhaled deeply the smell that was uniquely him and her eyes fluttered open. His eyes were still closed and she took a moment to study him. She ran a hand over his six-pack abs and up to his broad shoulders. Then she tenderly caressed his cheek before fingering his slightly curly blond hair. He smiled and it startled her because she hadn't known he was awake.

His eyes opened and he smiled up at her as she nearly drowned in the pale blue orbs. His hand reached up and caressed her cheek before he gently guided her lips down to his own. The kiss was tender and gentle. Caroline smiled as they parted.

"I thought you were still asleep"

"I'll let you admire me while I'm awake if it suits your fancy," he replied with a wolfish grin and she rolled her eyes at him.

"You looked so peaceful."

"I slept well last night – when I slept," he replied and he smiled as she blushed as much as she could.

"Arrogant hybrid," she growled and his hands found that ticklish spot at her sides. She burst into laughter and he flopped her over onto her back before looming over her with a gentle smile.

"Caroline Forbes you are the most beautiful woman I have ever met," he said and has his tone been anything other than tender she would have laughed the words away but she didn't. Instead she lifted a hand and traced his jaw with her thumb before cupping his cheek and gently guiding his mouth to hers. "You are my light. I hated being away from you."

"I missed you," Caroline confessed. "I even missed being annoyed by you." They laughed lightly.

"I'm not leaving again," he declared. "To that end you can stop seeing that other guy. I don't share."

"I stopped seeing him a while ago," Caroline replied, "he didn't like your presence in my life."

"And you obviously did," he grinned. He exuded an air of confidence but in his eyes Caroline saw a hint of uncertainty. She loved when she could see his vulnerable side. It told her that maybe – just maybe – she really meant something to him.

"Obviously"

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