A/N: Happy 4th of July for those who celebrate! I thought I would get this update posted before I go and watch the fireworks.
Thank you for reading! I'm thinking about jumping forward a little bit next update to move things along. I'm not sure how far yet though.
Stefan didn't know how long he and Elena had been wrapped up in each other's arms, kissing lazily. It was early yet, and no one else in the house appeared to be up yet. So they were taking advantage of some quiet alone time.
His hand pressed against her lower back, bringing her even closer to him. Elena smiled, hooking her leg around his and wondering how long you could actually kiss someone for. She intertwined her fingers with his, wanting that extra bit of closeness between them.
Elena's lips eventually pulled away from his. She kissed his neck, causing him to tip his head back and close his eyes. She took the opportunity to explore his body while she had him there next to her, completely relaxed.
Stefan sighed contently as her lips trailed down his chest, laying gentle, soft kisses along his skin. She paid attention to every ripple and every dip of his muscles, making a mental note to tell herself how lucky she was. He was absolutely beautiful.
When Elena got to his boxers, a naughty thought went through her mind, but she resisted the urge. Her family would be up at any time, and Elena doubted Stefan could stay quiet enough. So she kissed his stomach one last time before crawling her way back up to him, giving him a searing kiss.
It left him breathless. "Damn I love you" he told her, smiling as he placed his hands on her bottom and got himself a good feel. He was definitely behaving himself that morning. "You know, when we get home tomorrow, I am fully intending to do certain things with you" he told her with a knowing smirk.
Elena smiled. "What kind of things?" she asked, knowing she shouldn't get herself so excited when they had a whole day to wait.
"Come here" he said, encouraging her to come closer. Elena moved even closer to him. "Dirty things" he whispered in her ear. He felt her body tense as all the possibilities went through her head. "And you will love it" he added, patting her bottom. "Let's make breakfast" he said suddenly, rolling her off of him and sitting up.
Elena laughed, though she was pretty excited about being back in Seattle. "You want to make breakfast?" she asked.
Stefan grabbed a clean pair of clothes and nodded. Elena grabbed her pajama bottoms, not bothering to put on fresh clothes. "Yes I do" he said, leaning over the bed and giving her a quick kiss. "You coming?" he asked, standing. Elena nodded, getting off the bed and grabbing his hand to walk downstairs with him.
"I know we have eggs and bacon. Hopefully pancake mix, because you make the best pancakes ever" she said.
Stefan smiled. "I do, huh?" he asked, squeezing her hand. "What else do I do well?" he asked. Elena reached up on her tiptoes and whispered something in his ear. He gasped. "Elena! You have a dirty mind" he told her, pretending to be shocked.
Elena's eyes lit up. She did have a dirty mind since meeting him. He brought it out of her. "Your fault" she told him.
He went to swat her butt, but she jumped out of the way. "I'll get you, don't you worry" he promised her, smiling as they made their way into the kitchen. Stefan let go of her hand and opened the fridge, pulling things out like he owned the place. "Does everyone like omelets?" he asked.
"Yep" Elena said, grabbing pancake mix out of the pantry. She grabbed two bowls and two whisks for Stefan.
He went to work on cracking eggs. "Here, you work on these. I'll start the pancakes" he told her, looking for a frying pan. They were quite the team in the kitchen as well. "Hand me the butter?" he asked. Elena reached over and gave it to him. They proceeded to stand side by side cooking. "Damon called me" Stefan mentioned. "He said they needed our help picking out names for the baby. Apparently, we are the final tie breaker" he explained.
Elena smiled. "That's an important job, being the deciding judge for a baby's name" Elena said. "If we help them, do you think they will want to help us?" Elena asked causally. It was her way of bringing up having kids.
He didn't get weird or uncomfortable with how she brought the subject up though. "Probably" Stefan smiled. "But I think you and I are perfectly capable of agreeing on one name" he told her with a small smile.
"You think about having kids?" she asked, realizing that they had never really had a serious discussion about it.
He smiled again, putting the whisk down and grabbing her hand, turning her to face him. He looked her straight in the eyes. "I know I want to have a baby with you" he told her. "Two even" he smiled.
Elena smiled as well. "In a few years?" she asked. Maybe then, she would be able to take time off from working. "I'd like to stay home and raise them" she admitted. Like her mother had done with her and Jeremy.
"Sounds perfect" he told her, leaning down and kissing her. He couldn't believe how close her future plans lined up with his.
"Okay Mr. Good Kisser" she said, pulling away from him. "We have breakfast to cook" she reminded.
"Yes we do" he grinned, turning back to the pancakes. He bumped her playfully as she tried to pour egg into the pan. She glared at him, which made them both laugh.
Half an hour later, they had more food than they probably needed. Though, Jeremy would be happy.
Stefan sat on a stool at the counter with Elena on his lap. They were looking through a wedding magazine. Elena was surprised that he had taken an interest in looking at things like centerpieces and flower arrangements. But she wasn't going to complain. The whole wedding planning thing was overwhelming.
They were sharing a plate for breakfast, even sharing the fork. Though Elena was much more interested in the magazine in front of her than eating. "What do you think? A champagne fountain or a chocolate fountain?" she asked, pointing to two she liked on the page. She tapped her pen, thinking about it. She loved both, but she didn't think she needed both.
Stefan grabbed the pen out of her hand and circled both. "Let's have both" he told her.
Elena turned her head and looked up at him. "Yeah?" she asked, unable to contain her smile.
"Yeah" he smiled, leaning down and kissing her. "What do you think about a live band?" he asked. "Someone local maybe."
"I like that idea" she said, making a note on her notepad. "What do you think about pink for the colors?" Elena asked. She had thought a little about what she wanted as far as a color scheme went. And she liked pink.
"Is pink the color you want?" he asked, wrapping his arm around her tightly and resting his chin on her shoulder. She nodded. "Then I think pink would be perfect. Like a lighter one and a darker one?" he asked.
Elena smiled. "I think so. I'll have to do a little more looking around to find two that complement one another" she explained.
"Something smells good" Alaric stated, walking into the kitchen in his sweats and a high school shirt. His hair was sticking everywhere as he grabbed a plate and helped himself.
Jenna came in a few minutes later, pleasantly surprised to find breakfast already cooked. "Did you two do this?" she asked.
"It was Stefan's idea" Elena said, smiling as she turned the page in her magazine.
Jenna grabbed a couple of pancakes and an omelet and sat down next to them. "Thanks Stefan" she said, winking at him. "Did you guys find things you like?" she asked, looking over Elena's shoulder.
Elena nodded. "Yep. We circled the things we want. I guess we need to think about a menu" she said.
"McDonalds" Jeremy said, making his presence known as he walked into the kitchen. Everyone turned to look at him. "What?" he asked. "Cheap, fast food. No one is going to turn down a McDouble and some fries" he shrugged, helping himself to a plate.
Elena laughed at her brother. "I was thinking something a little more classy Jer" she told him. "Right Stefan?" Elena asked.
Stefan shrugged. "I don't know. I'm kind of with Jeremy on this one" he told her. Elena elbowed him. "What?" Stefan asked. "They might even cater if we ask them" he grinned.
Elena and Jenna rolled their eyes. "How about grilled Mediterranean chicken or the option of halibut baked in a lemon oregano?" Alaric asked. They all turned to look at him, shocked that he would come up with that kind of a menu. "What?" he asked, stabbing at his pancake. "I worked in an upscale restaurant to put myself through college" he shrugged.
"Can we have those little smokies in BBQ sauce for a snack?" Jeremy asked.
"Jeremy!" Jenna scolded. "This is your sister's wedding. Not some backyard potluck" she told him.
"Then can we go to the store and buy some little smokies? Because I've been craving them since like, two days ago" he informed.
Alaric and Stefan and Elena all laughed at him, while Jenna just shook her head. "I'll pick you up some when I go to the store next" she told him.
"Sis, I'd like to help you pick out the beer for the reception" Jeremy said, putting his plate in the sink.
"My God Jeremy! Champagne. Elena is serving champagne. Her wedding is in a castle for God sakes!" Jenna said. She couldn't believe his suggestions. Her niece was supposed to have this beautiful, elegant wedding and here Jeremy wanted beer and little smokies.
Jeremy frowned. "The kings and the knights all drank beer" he pointed out.
"You're not even old enough to drink yet" Elena reminded him.
Jeremy rolled his eyes at his over protective sister. "Beer and little smokies Sis" he said, walking by her and poking her in the side of the head. "That is a winning combination" he said. "Thanks for breakfast" he told them, heading out of the kitchen and back upstairs.
Stefan couldn't help but laugh. He was really starting to like that kid. "What are you laughing about?" Elena asked him. "He'll be your brother too" she added with a smirk as she got up off of his lap to put their plate away.
"I wouldn't be so smug" Stefan warned her. "You get Damon" head reminded her.
"When is the baby due?" Jenna asked.
"End of August" Stefan answered.
"Are you excited?" Jenna asked.
Stefan couldn't help but smile. "I'm very excited" Stefan said. "I've always wanted to be an uncle" he added. One of those cool uncles who let the kids do things that parents would frown upon.
Jenna seemed to like his answer. "Being an aunt has been one of the highlights of my life" Jenna said, standing and putting her plate away. She stood next to Elena and wrapped her arms around her. "I love you" Jenna said, squeezing her tight.
"I'm happy to hear that" Stefan said. He looked at Elena. "She's pretty hard not to love" he added. He loved Elena more than was probably humanly possible.
Elena blushed, while Jenna was smiling. "Hey Alaric? Why don't you take the boys out this afternoon so I can spend a little time with Elena before she heads back?" Jenna suggested.
Alaric stood. "Sure thing" he said, putting his plate away before leaning in and kissing Jenna. Elena made a face while Stefan laughed at her. "Come on Stefan. Let's go do manly stuff" Alaric announced, walking out of the kitchen.
Stefan waved to Elena before following Alaric. "I'll see you this evening" he told her.
Elena let him get out of the kitchen before she ran after him. She caught him by the arm before reaching up and kissing him. Alaric just shook his head and smiled as he went upstairs to change. "I love you" she whispered, letting him go.
"Love you too" he smiled, kissing her forehead before heading up the stairs too.
Elena smiled brightly. "You keep smiling like that and your face will stay stuck like that" Jenna said, coming to stand next to Elena.
"Would that be such a bad thing?" Elena asked.
Jenna laughed. "I'd love to see you smile like this all day, every day" Jenna said, wrapping her arms around her niece. "I guess I owe Stefan for making you so happy" she added. Elena smiled and nodded. "Go get dressed. I want to show you something" Jenna told her. Elena looked at her curiously, but did not hesitate to run upstairs and change.
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Elena knew where they were heading as soon as she saw the sign for the lake. Elena blushed when she thought about the last time she had been at the lake house. With Stefan. Jenna put her car in park and shut off the engine. "I haven't been here for a while" she said, looking at the house.
"Hasn't changed much" Elena said, opening the door and getting out. "So, what is it you wanted to show me?" Elena asked.
Jenna got out and followed Elena towards the house. She just smiled at Elena. "You'll see" she told her.
Elena followed Jenna into the house and up the stairs. She stopped when Jenna went into her parent's room. "Jenna?" Elena asked, stepping into the room just a few steps. Elena still didn't like to go into her parent's room. There were so many memories.
Jenna opened the closet and grabbed something. "When your parents died, I moved some of their things here" she said. "There were some things I couldn't part with. Especially this" she said, unzipping a bag and taking out a white gown. A wedding gown. "This was your mom's" Jenna said, smiling sadly. "I thought you might want to try it on, see if you like it" she added.
Elena felt tears build up as she walked towards Jenna, unable to take her eyes off of her mother's wedding dress. "It's beautiful" Elena said. She touched the soft material, running her fingers over the lace.
"Your mom spent months looking for the perfect dress before she found this one. And she looked beautiful wearing it" Jenna smiled. She watched Elena admire the dress. "You don't have to wear it if you don't want to. I just thought I'd show it to you" Jenna said softly.
Elena smiled as the first tear escaped. "It's perfect" she said.
Jenna held the dress up to Elena and turned her so she could look in the mirror. Why don't you try it on?" Jenna suggested.
Elena took a small breath before nodding. "Okay" she said, taking the dress and going into the bathroom. Jenna sat on the edge of the bed and waited. It only took Elena a few minutes before she came back out, a huge smile on her face. "I love it" Elena said, admiring herself in the mirror.
Jenna stood up and walked towards her. "You look beautiful" Jenna told her, smiling. "You'd look beautiful in anything, but I think your mother would agree with me that this dress was meant for you too" she said, starting to cry too.
"Stop that" Elena said, turning to hug Jenna as they cried together. "I miss them so much" Elena said, letting herself admit that.
Jenna nodded. "I miss them too, Elena" she said. Then she pulled away and wiped her eyes. "Come on. Let's see if she has any jewelry you can wear with it" Jenna smiled.
"Okay" Elena said, wiping at her own tears. She walked over to the dresser and opened up the jewelry box, picking through what she thought she might want.
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When they got back to Seattle, they stopped for a quick bite to eat before heading home. "Do you want to watch a movie before bed?" Stefan asked, letting them into the apartment and kicking off his shoes.
"Sure. Give me a minute" she said, taking her bag and going into their room.
She had been in there for about twenty minutes before Stefan finally went and checked on her. "Elena?" he asked. "Everything okay in here?" he asked. When he saw her come out of the bathroom, he nearly dropped dead. "Holy shit" he said in awe.
"It still fits" Elena said, dressed in her old cheerleading outfit from high school. "Are you going to stand there and look at me all night?" she asked him with a grin.
"I'm thinking about it" Stefan answered. "Jesus. You must have had all the boys chasing after you" he said, giving a low whistle.
Elena laughed. "Maybe" she said. She had only been interested in Matt at the time though.
Stefan smiled as he walked towards her. "Do you still know any of those cheers?" he asked, placing his hands on her waist and pulling her close to him.
Elena smiled. "No" she answered with a smile. "That was a long time ago."
Stefan pulled her even closer. "And you still look as cute as ever in this little outfit" he said. Then he smiled, grabbing her quickly and tossing her on the bed. He was on top of her in seconds, kissing her roughly. His hands were under her skirt, exploring.
She sat up, breaking their kiss as she peeled her top off, revealing a sexy black bra that he hadn't seen before. "Help me get this skirt off" she told him, breathless against his lips.
"No" Stefan whispered. "Let's leave the skirt on" he said, pulling her underwear down slowly. He tossed it across the room and then took his t-shirt off. "Let's be teenagers again" he grinned. "You know, hot, passionate uncoordinated sex with half of our clothes still on" he explained. He had the silliest grin on his face that let her know he was serious.
Elena's heart began to race as she watched him slide his jeans and his briefs down just below his hips. She grabbed ahold of his hips and pulled him down on top of her. "Well go on" she told him. "Show me a good time" she smirked.
Stefan kissed her shoulder slowly, listening to her sigh. "I'll show you the best time" Stefan promised.
Elena closed her eyes, wrapping her arms around his neck. "I'm counting on it" she whispered, smiling when she felt his hands lifting up her skirt again. "You never do disappoint" she added.
"Damn right I don't" he growled, bringing his lips to hers and kissing her long and hard.
