Enjoy this update. Let me know what you think as always.
Weeks went by and nothing else happened with Katherine. Damon was out of her class so he had an extra ninety minutes to himself every other day. He tended to spend that ninety minutes with Mady instead of studying. It was the kind of dedicated father he was. He picked her up from day care early those days and hung out with her at the park or at home. Good old fashioned daddy daughter time. When I walked in the front door I heard Mady giggling in the living room. That was one of my favourite sounds in the world. When I walked in there I almost collapsed laughing. I held my stomach as tears filled my eyes at the sight before me. When she was in Mystic Falls a few weeks ago my parents had bought her a play makeup kit and she brought it out for the first time today. Mady was standing there making her daddy pretty. He had one eyelid caked with blue eyeshadow, the other with purple. Glittery blush covering his cheeks and a bright pink lipstick. He was beautiful.
"Don't laugh, this could be you." He told me and Mady slapped his hand.
"No talk." She told him.
"You're so beautiful." I said going to sit beside him on the couch. She was sitting on his lap concentrating as she coloured his eyebrows a deep purple colour.
"Daddy pretty." She told me and I nodded.
"Daddy is so beautiful. Do you want to take a picture when you're done?" I asked her and she nodded eagerly.
"No pictures. Don't give her ideas." Damon said and I laughed.
"We need to send this picture to Uncle Klaus." I told her and she giggled.
"I make Unkie Kaus pretty too." She decided and I quickly texted Klaus to come home quick. When Mady was finished with Damon I took him into the kitchen and told him to stay. Klaus would never agree to be Mady's guinea pig if he saw what Damon looked like. He kind of reminded me of Mimi from the Drew Carry Show. I knew Damon would never wash off the makeup until Mady told him he could. We both hated upsetting her. When Klaus walked in I sent him into the living room.
"As Mady's godfather and uncle you have to let her practice her skills." I told him and he groaned. It was even more impossible for him to say no to Mady. Her puppy dog eyes were Klaus's kryptonite. Cami laughed as Klaus sat down in the spot Damon had vacated.
"Don't worry she's very talented. You can see Damon once you're done." I told him. Somehow Mady's little makeup excursion was turning into a fashion show for the men in her life. Cami and I watched in rapt fascination as Mady started with painting Klaus's fingernails a pink colour that matched Damon's.
When Mady deemed Klaus beautiful he stood up and went to look in the mirror and nearly shrieked. His voice took on a scary high pitched quality that I had never heard before in all the years I've known him.
"I'm so beautiful." He said leaning down and kissing Mady's cheek. She giggled and wiped the pink mark from her cheek.
"Daddy come." Mady said as Damon came out.
"Now it's time for a picture. Mama Mikealson will love this one." I said and they both sighed and stood close together. For good measure Klaus threw his arm around Damon's shoulder and leaned in closer. I snapped the picture and sent it to my parents, Damon's parents, Mama Mikealson and Caroline with the caption Mady's handiwork.
"Can we wash our faces now?" Damon asked Mady and she shook her head and started to pout.
"I'll buy you a big ice cream cone if daddy and I can wash our faces." Klaus offered causing Mady to brighten and start pushing them towards the bathroom.
When they came out I saw they both kept their nail polish on and I loved that. Now they would have a reminder of their afternoon, not that they would ever forget.
"Come on, ice cream time." Klaus said. Cami and I followed Damon, Klaus and Cami outside. We decided to all take my vehicle to save on fuel. Klaus and Cami squeezed into the back with Mady and Damon got into the driver's side. Whenever we went somewhere together it was always my vehicle because of the car seat and Damon always drove. I rested my hand on my belly which was finally showing. It was like overnight I just popped. I was flat and now I had a slightly rounded belly. It was how I was with Mady too. Mady was singing in the backseat a song that she was making up as she went. She basically just said the word ice cream over and over again in her high pitched little girl voice.
"Have you heard from you know who lately?" I asked Damon as he drove.
"Nope, she got suspended for being inappropriate with her students." Damon told me and I smiled.
"That's good." I said nodding. Knowing she wasn't around anymore pleased me. I didn't know how long her suspension was going to last and I had no doubt she would be back.
"Don't worry, I threatened her career and if she tries anything again I have no issue reporting her for everything. Our relationship may have been consensual but to get her out of our lies I would lie." He told me.
"I'm not worried." I promised.
"Have you heard from Caroline lately?" Damon asked me and I sighed and shook my head.
"I'm beginning to get worried. She hasn't went to any classes and she hasn't texted me. I worry that she's still in denial about being pregnant. Which is scary because she's getting so close to her due date." I answered with a shake of my head. I had called her and called her but she wasn't responding to anything. I wasn't even sure if they ever came back from Mystic Falls.
"I guess we can call Liz or my parents to see if they've seen them." Damon suggested and I nodded. It had been at least three weeks since I last heard from either Stefan or Caroline and I was beginning to worry. It's just in the past few weeks the Katherine thing has been at the forefront of my mind. I grabbed my phone from the center console of my car and dialled Caroline's house number. The number never changed and I knew it by heart.
"Hello." Liz greeted.
"Hi Liz, weird question but have you seen Caroline at all? I'm getting worried about her." I asked and Liz sighed.
"Caroline promised me that she'd call you." Liz said and I could practically see her shaking her head.
"Why? What's wrong?" I asked worried.
"She dropped out of school and Stefan transferred to the local college." Liz told me and I was shocked.
"Why would she do that? Why wouldn't either of them tell me?" I demanded.
"Stefan and Caroline are not together currently. Things happened while they were here and she couldn't let him in. She's not seeing anyone, not even me. She doesn't leave her room." Liz told me and I frowned.
"What happened Liz? Can you please tell me?" I begged her.
"Caroline lost the baby, her relationship with Stefan couldn't handle it. The doctor said it was just something that happens but Caroline blames herself for not seeing a doctor the moment she suspected." Liz told me and I felt tears well up in my eyes. My best friend was going through something like that and she didn't even call me.
"Why didn't she call me? I could have helped her." I asked.
"She didn't want to burden you, she told me. She knew you're pregnant and didn't want to stress you out or make you feel bad." Liz told me.
"I'm going to come there this weekend. If it happened to me she would be there, so I am going to be there for my best friend." I told Liz.
"Thank you Elena. I know you have stuff going on, so I didn't want to ask you. If I were you I would bring Damon too. I'm sure Stefan needs to talk to someone too." She said and I agreed. By the time I hung up the phone we were parked at the ice cream place and Klaus and Cami had taken Mady to get her ice cream. I was so focused on my phone call that I didn't even notice when the car stopped.
"What's going on?" Damon asked me and I sighed and wiped the tears from my eyes.
"We need to go to Mystic Falls this weekend." I told him.
"Why? What happened?" He asked.
"Caroline and Stefan lost the baby. Caroline won't see anyone and she broke up with Stefan because of it. Stefan lost a child too, he probably needs to talk to someone too." I told him.
"We shouldn't wait. Our classes will be fine without us for a few days. Our friends and family need us now, not later." He told us.
"God I love you." I whispered and gave him a quick kiss before we got out to meet up with Klaus, Cami and Mady. I brought the diaper bag with me because Mady's face was already covered with chocolate ice cream.
After telling Klaus and Cami what happened they agreed that we should definitely leave as soon as possible.
"Maybe I'll run home while you guys are having your ice cream and get some stuff for our trip. Mady needs quite a bit of stuff." I said.
"Why don't you guys just go? The house isn't far from here. Leave Mady with us, we'll bring her to you this weekend. We can handle the kid for two days. Just leave us the stroller so we don't have to carry her the whole way." Klaus suggested.
"But what about clothes?" I asked.
"It's only two days and I'm sure you still have some clothes at home in Mystic Falls. I'll pack a couple outfits for you both and Mady enough clothes to get through all of her Mady catastrophes. Don't worry, Caroline and Stefan need you. Just go, we've got this handled." Klaus insisted.
"But you and Cami had weekend plans to go to Atlanta." I recalled.
"Atlanta will still be here next weekend. This is more important." Cami interrupted.
"Thank you guys, so much." I said standing up and hugging her.
"I'll go get the stroller." Damon said rushing to the car to grab it. When Damon returned I kneeled down in front of Mady.
"Do you want to stay with Uncle Klaus and Cami?" I asked and she nodded. She was never that kid who worried when Damon and I disappeared. But only if she was with Klaus or either set of grandparents. She loved Klaus and I'm pretty sure she got away with murder with him.
"Go, mommy." She said and I kissed her forehead and stood up. Damon gave her a hug and kiss before we started walking towards the car. Before we left we made sure Mady's Elsa doll and her blanket were with her or else Klaus would have a hell of a time with her tonight.
A few minutes later we hit the road. Damon drove above the speed limit since I needed to get there so bad. My best friend needed me.
"So where do we want to stay? We have options." Damon asked.
"Your house. I still get a funny look from my dad whenever you go up to my old bedroom." I said and he nodded.
"My dad has never had a problem with us sleeping together." Damon agreed. A couple hours later Damon pulled into Mystic Falls. He drove straight to his parent's house since it was just a little ways off the highway. When we parked Damon and I walked inside and his dad looked up from his paper.
"What are you two doing here? Where's Mady?" He asked.
"We're here for Stefan and Caroline. Mady is with Klaus. He's bringing her Friday after class." Damon told him and he nodded.
"Stefan barely leaves the house. He calls Caroline at least four times a day but she never picks up." Giuseppe told us.
"That's why I'm here. I'm going to talk to my brother. Elena is going to talk to Caroline." Damon told him.
"I'm sorry we didn't call first. It was a last minute trip and I was too preoccupied to call on the way." I said to him and he brushed it off.
"Don't worry about it. I'll never object to seeing my kids and grandkid." He said with a smile. I smiled back and Damon handed me the keys to the car.
"I'll be back later." I said accepting a quick kiss from Damon.
"Take your time." He said and I left the house. I made the familiar drive to Caroline's house and sat in my car for a moment to steady myself. I needed to be strong for her. When I got out of the house I saw Sophia Reynolds leaving her house two houses over with a stroller. She looked different but I wasn't here for her.
"Elena Gilbert." She said waving her hands and I sighed. Of course she would have to see me.
"Sophia. It's good to see you." I said with a shake of my head. I didn't know how to greet her. I hadn't seen her since I dropped her off here last year.
"You too. You're pregnant again. That's wonderful. Meet my daughter Evie." She said showing me the little girl.
"She's beautiful. She looks like Mason." I told her and her gaze narrowed.
"Not Mason, he who shall not be named." She told me and I nodded.
"He who shall not be named then. But I really have to go. I need to visit with Caroline." I told her and she nodded and turned and walked back up the street. She seemed so level headed now but she also did when she was living with Damon and I. When she was gone I walked up the sidewalk and knocked on the door. Liz answered it a couple seconds later and hugged me.
"Elena, you look beautiful." She told me placing her hand on my belly.
"Thanks. I'm really sorry Liz. You lost this baby too." I told her and she nodded.
"Thank you Elena. I'm so happy you're here. Aren't you missing classes?" She asked and I shrugged.
"I can make up the work. This couldn't wait." I told her stepping inside.
"I hope you can get through to her." Liz said. She was dressed in her uniform so I knew she was on her way to work.
"I'll take care of her. Don't worry about us." I told her hugging her once more before she left.
"Call if you need anything." She told me and I nodded. When she was gone I shut the door behind her and went to Caroline's bedroom. I knocked a couple times but she didn't respond so I opened the door. I saw my best friend lying in bed with her eyes closed.
"Care, it's me." I said going to sit on the bed beside her. I stroked her blonde hair out of her face and she opened her eyes.
"Elena, what are you doing here?" She asked and I took a breath.
"I talked to your mom. I'm so sorry Care." I said. She sat up so she could throw her arms around me.
"It's my fault." She sobbed.
"It's not your fault. These things happen Caroline." I told her but she shook her head.
"It's my fault. I killed my own baby." She sobbed. I just held her and let her get it all out. I didn't know how to get through to her, but I felt that this was a good place to start.
