there is one chapter left after this and then I will be starting the sequel entitled "safe in my arms." I hope you will all check it out. It would mean a lot. thank you for all the review last chapter. I havent had time to get all the replies out but I'm working on it. Hope you like the second last chapter and let me know what you think.
PS i own nothing.
"Can you believe it? We're actually graduating." Elena said as she stood with Bonnie and Caroline before the traditional graduation ceremony commenced.
"Is this how you imagined school to end?" Bonnie asked both her friends curiously.
"What me dating Tyler Lockwood of all guys, you dating Jeremy Gilbert and Elena becoming Mrs Damon Salvatore and expecting his spawn? Not a chance." Caroline said.
"It has been a crazy year hasn't it?" Elena said laughing at the way Caroline described the past 12 months.
"Insane." they agreed.
"How's it going over here?" Stefan said appearing as he adjusted his tie.
"Good. Excited for graduation?" Elena asked knowing he'd graduated numerous times before in various locations.
"Actually yeah. This is the first time I'm graduating with friends and a pretty awesome sister in law." he said wrapping his arm around her and squeezing her shoulders.
"Well yeah that part is a given." she said smiling up at him. Elena seen Matt standing off to the side and waddled over to him.
"Hey Matty, hows it going?" she asked as she leaned against the wall beside him.
"Just thinking that this isn't how I would have thought high school would've went." he murmured.
"Really? We were just talking about that over there." Elena said.
"I thought high school would have ended the same way it started. You and I together and happy. But instead your married and pregnant and happier than I've ever seen you. And I'm here alone." he said.
"You're not alone Matty. We're all here. You, me, Caroline and Bonnie are still here. It was always us four against the world when high school started. That wont change now." she assured him.
"It already has. You're married and about to give birth soon. You have a life that doesn't have room for anyone else. Bonnie is dating your brother so she'll always be around. Caroline is dating Tyler and is your closest confidant. You three will stay together forever, but I'm stuck restarting my life from scratch. I cant afford to go to college with the house and everything else to pay for. I'm the only one who isn't moving forward." he said.
"You will always have us. Besides Bonnie and Caroline are going away for college. I'll still be here." she assured her friend.
"Except that you'll be busy doing mom and wife things." he said.
"I'll still be Elena. You'll have a part in these kids lives. Maybe even someday when they're old enough and your the manager at the Mystic Grill, you'll give them their first jobs and teach them some responsibility." she said.
"That doesn't sound so bad." he agreed.
"See its not that bad. Come on, lets go visit with our friends." she said grabbing his arm and pulling him back over to rejoin the group.
"Okay everyone get in alphabetical order according to your last names." Alaric shouted out over the chatter in the room. Everyone started moving around trying to find their spots.
"As we practised when the music hits you're all going to walk through the doors and through the crowds to the chairs at the front of the auditorium." he instructed. Everyone nodded, having remembered the endless drills and practices of the past week. When the music hit everyone began the graduation march through the auditorium. All the parents and loved ones stood and watched the graduates proceed to their seats at the front. Elena caught Damon's eye as she walked past and she could see how proud he was of her. He was sitting beside Lexi and Elena's mom and dad and Jeremy. She was relieved that her dad and Damon seemed to put their issues aside for this one evening. As she made it to her chair the principal and Alaric appeared on stage. The principal stood at the microphone as Alaric held the stacks of diplomas.
"Today is a day of remembrance. Remembering all the good times that you had during the past 12 years. Today is also a day of goodbyes as he end this part of our lives and journey on into the unknown. Graduates I'm hoping that these last 12 years readied you for the challenges that lay ahead. Now as I call you're names please come on up and accept your diploma before retaking your seat.
"Connor Adams" he called as a blonde boy appeared on stage.
"Bonnie Bennett." he called and Bonnie went and accepted her diploma. Elena had tears in her eyes as one of her best friends accepted her diploma.
"Matt Donovan... Caroline Forbes." the auditorium cheered as Caroline made her way up to the front. There was something to be said about being the captain of the cheerleaders after all.
"Tyler Lockwood..." they announced as the crowd erupted again for the star player of the school football team.
"Elena Gilbert Salvatore." they called as she waddled to way to the stage. She accepted her diploma and hugged Ric before making her way back to the seat.
"And this years class valedictorian...Stefan Salvatore." as Stefan rose to accept his diploma and read his carefully planned out speech. Elena almost laughed out loud, Stefan was a vampire who could compel his way to having perfect grades, but yet he worked super hard on his schoolwork. Although schoolwork seemed to come easy to someone who had been on the earth for over a hundred years.
"Good evening graduates, parents, family, faculty and loved ones. Today is a day of celebration, for we have just completed 12 long years of education. Education that made us who we are today, helped us shape our futures. I know that for some of us or futures are still uncertain, and for others their futures are set in stone. Whether your going to college in the fall or your staying home to be with family, the years of knowledge will stay with you. As a transplant in this school I felt the acceptance quickly that comes from being a part of a small town, a large extended family. Regardless of where we go and what we become we'll still have the memories to stay with us for eternity. Eternity is a long time but I choose to want to remember these moments for a lifetime. We couldn't have gotten here without all of you. The teachers. The friends. The parents. The siblings. The girlfriends. The boyfriends. The husbands. Any of you. We are here today because all of you believed in us. So thank you. Congratulations to the graduates of 2011, we did it." he said smiling. He felt awkward throughout his entire speech, unable to speak the full truth. When everyone in the audience stood to applaud his speech he knew it was successful.
"Can everyone please stand for the exodus of the graduating class?" the principal asked returning to the microphone. Everyone stood up and applauded the graduates as they made their way back out of the auditorium.
Once they were all standing in the lobby of the auditorium all the guests started filing out desperate to find their graduate. Elena found Stefan and hugged him quickly.
"Your speech was incredible." she told him.
"Thanks. I felt stupid up there saying it." he said.
"Well it sounded fantastic." she assured him before being attacked by Bonnie and Caroline.
"I cant believe we did it. We're officially graduated." Caroline said throwing her arms around her best friend.
"We did it. There were times when I didn't think it would come." she said.
"But it did. And we made it together." she said opening her arms and making Bonnie join in on the hug.
"I better go find my parents and my husband." Elena said once they broke the hug.
"Yeah. Me too." Caroline said as she went to find her mom.
"I'll come with you. I want to see Jeremy." Bonnie said. They walked through the party together sharing memories as they searched. They seen Damon, Jeremy and Elena's mom and dad standing off to the side. Jeremy walked up and hugged Elena before moving on to congradulating Bonnie. Elena's mom and dad walked up to her and enveloped her in their arms hugging their daughter tightly.
"We're so proud of you." her mom said sobbing on her daughters shoulder. Once she freed herself from her moms embrace she hugged her dad.
"I love you daddy." she said.
"I love you too sweetie." he said kissing the top of her head. Once he released her she folded herself in Damon's embrace. He kissed the top of her head as he held her close.
"I love you." he murmured as he held her close.
"I love you more." she said kissing his chest.
"Are you ready to head home, or do you want to visit for a while longer?" he asked.
"I just want to go talk to Matt for a couple minutes." she told him reaching up to kiss him quickly.
"I'll wait here." he told her. She grinned at him before going through the crowd to find her ex boyfriend. Once she found him she hugged him quickly.
"We did it together." she told him.
"Not really. You, Bonnie and Caroline did it together." he said.
"And you. You've always been a part of our group and you always will." she told him again.
" I know. It's nice to hear you say it though." he said hugging his friend again.
"I better go. I'm getting kind of tired." she admitted.
"I bet." he said glancing at her very pregnant belly. She laughed before weaving her way through the crowd to get back to her husband.
"Ready?" he asked when she appeared beside him.
"Yeah." she answered as he took her hand and led her out of the hall. Once they got home he helped her up the stairs and she changed for bed before sliding between the sheets on hers and Damon's bed.
"It was a great night but I'm glad its over." she said.
"Why?" he asked as he undressed and slid into bed beside her.
"I'm exhausted. I just want to get some sleep." she said.
"Understandable. Sleep." he told her kissing her forehead. She nestled deeper into the pillows and positioned herself on her side before closing her eyes and falling into a deep sleep.
Two weeks later
Elena was lounging on the couch when the first contraction hit. She never mentioned it as she knew from all her reading that the babies were still a long ways off yet. The contractions kept getting worse as time went by and a few hours later her water broke. She immediately called Damon who was off on a blood run and he was home in moments. Worried sick he loaded her into her SUV and sent a quick text message to Elena's mom and dad, Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie and Ric. He knew they would all want to be at the hospital when the baby was born. He never even thought of his father, and was happy he was gone. He didn't deserve a spot in this moment. At the speed he was driving it only took them five minutes to make it to the hospital.
"My wife is in labour. Her water broke a few minutes ago." he said nearly crossing over the invisible line of being calm to outwardly panicked.
"Okay. We'll get her right in." the nurse said. He was glad he didn't have to use his power of compulsion to urge the nurse to cooperate. The nurse wheeled her into a private room and handed Damon a bucket of ice chips.
"The doctor will be in shortly, these will give her something to crunch on when another contraction comes through." she told him. He nodded and watched as she left. Elena was laying back on the bed a nervous but excited look gracing her face.
"Are you okay?" he asked carefully, knowing she was apt to be unpredictable in her condition.
"Right now I am. Ask me again in a few minutes and I'm sure you'll have a different answer." she told him.
"Right." he said. As she said another contraction pulsed through her body and her eyes shut and she cried out in pain.
"It's getting worse. Why the hell did I opt for a natural childbirth?" she asked herself. He knew she was talking to herself so he didn't answer.
"Mrs Salvatore, how are things going in here?" a middle aged man asked when he came in the room carrying a clip board.
"I'm in a lot of pain." she said.
"Let me take a look." he said sitting down on the stool at the head of Elena's bed. "You're almost dilated enough so in a few minutes we'll start pushing. And then you can hold your beautiful babies." he said.
"Uh huh." she said as another contraction came riddling through her.
"Make it stop. Make it go away." she begged everyone. Damon squeezed her hand with assurance. A few minutes later the doctor told her she was able to start pushing. He told her to push with every contraction riding out the waves more or less.
"I hate you Damon." she cried as she pushed.
"The first baby is crowning." he said as the head started appearing. After a few more pushes a piercing cry rang through the delivery room.
"A boy." he said as he returned his attention to Elena as he held the tiny baby off to a nurse. Ten minutes later a second cry filled the room.
"And a girl." he said. Elena collapsed into the bed exhausted, her hair matted to her head from the sweat. The nurses took the babies away to clean them up and examine them. The doctor quickly stitched her up and left the room telling her he'd check in later when she was in her own room. A few minutes later when Elena was in her own room the nurses came back with the babies dressed in matching pink and blue onesies with matching hats on their heads.
"Have you given any thoughts to names yet?" the nurse asked.
"Yes. The boy is Aiden James and the girl is Aurora Charlotte." she said smiling adoringly. The nurses handed Aurora over to Elena and Aiden over to Damon. And they marvelled at their new babies.
"Their so beautiful. So tiny." he said.
"They look like you. They have your eyes." she said happily. He grinned as he pressed a soft kiss to his sons forehead.
"They will be the most loved kids in the world." he said. "I should go tell everyone the news." he said reluctantly.
"I'll hold both of them for a moment." she said crooking her other arm so he could put the other tiny infant in it. Pulling out his camera he took a picture of the three most important people in his life before walking out of the room and going to the waiting area. The minute he appeared everyone leaped up and crowded around him.
"So? What happened? Is everything alright?" were all asked at the same time by different people.
"Aurora Charlotte and Aiden James are perfect and healthy. Elena is healthy and I'm sure she wants to see you all. I'm only allowed two at a time so I think its only right to take the grandparents first." he said gesturing to Elena's mom and dad. They followed behind eagerly wanting to meet their grand kids. The second they walked into the room and seen their daughter holding her babies they both started crying.
"They're beautiful" Grayson choked out at the sight of the tiny little humans laid in his daughters hands. Miranda was incapable of saying anything as her tears made her unable to talk. Once they held their grand kids they left the room Elena handed Aurora over to her father. He looked amazed at them and held her until Caroline came in.
"I was hoping you'd come in next." Elena said.
"You were?" she asked.
"I wanted to ask you something. Damon and I discussed it and we want you to be the Godmother. Are you up for it?" Elena asked. Her question served to make Caroline break down and nod convulsively. Elena hugged her friend before she took her turn holding the babies. After everyone else had taken their turn Alaric and Jenna appeared.
"We wanted to wait until everyone else was gone." they said.
"I'm glad you're here. Damon and I wanted to ask Ric a question." she said.
"What might that be?" he asked.
"Well we were considering a few different people for this role but figured you were the best choice. We want you to be the Godfather. Caroline is the Godmother and she is my best friend and while it took a long time for him to admit it you are Damon's best friend so that means you get the honour of being the Godfather." she said.
"I'm honoured." he said.
"Good." she said smiling at her former teacher. Once everyone was gone and the twins were settled in their bassinets Elena snuggled up to Damon on the small hospital bed.
"I love you. And I cant wait to take them home in a few days." she said snuggliing into his chest.
"Me neither. I never ever thought in a million years that my life could be like this. This is amazing. I cant believe that I made them." he said in awe.
"Well you did. And you did great. They're perfect." she said.
"We did great, as corny as that sounds. But we did." he said kissing her forehead.