Elena jerked awake, gasping for breath, her fingers brushing against Elijah's chest as she moved, and she sighed at the assurance he was still beside her. The were both naked from the night before and she needed him, both his body and the reassurance of his love.
"What is it?" Elijah wrapped his hand around her wrist and kissed her palm.
"I need you." Elena pressed her lips to his his chest.
She didn't want to speak, to reveal what her brain had spun for her in the night. All she wanted was to soothe the ache for him and she slung her leg over his waist.
"Pregnancy horniness?" Elijah whispered, his nostrils flaring and he searched her face.
"Among other things." Elena straddled him, catching her lower lip between her teeth as she looked down at the man lying beneath her.
Her fiance, the father of her children, her safe harbor, and she loved him, desperately. How could her brain have come up with the dream she'd had the night before after all that?
Elijah cradled her jaw, then propped himself up on his free elbow so he could kiss her.
"What else is it?"
"Bat dream." Elena hung her head, hardly daring to meet his gaze.
She didn't want to talk about it, didn't want him to know that her brain had conjured up something that would make him feel she doubted their relationship.
"Tell me?" He searched her face. "Elena. Don't hide from me, not now. What's wrong?"
"I dreamed you left me." Elena looked down, shame filling her at the admission.
Catching her chin, he encouraged her to look at him. "You know I would never do that."
"I know. I'm sorry."
"Shh. Don't apologize. I'm here and I'm not going anywhere, I swear it. Our children and the two of us, together, always and forever."
"Help me forget it. Please," she begged, tears stinging her eyes. "Please. Make me forget that I dreamed that."
"You're carrying my children," he whispered, kissing her softly.
"I am." As the words left his lips, the need for his body roared to the forefront of her mind and kissed his neck, nipping at his jugular lightly with her teeth as she pushed him down against the mattress.
"You're going to be my wife." He moaned, tilting his head back to give her better access.
"Yes." She trailed her lips down his chest, kissing from one nipple to the other.
He was long and lean, though at the same time still muscular, with lightly tanned skin, the epitome of male perfection. Seeing him stretched out beneath her, completely at her mercy, it sent another wave of arousal through her and she whimpered, grinding against him.
"And you've given me a son who's already fitting in perfectly with my family and helping my older brother heal from the damage we did to him." Elijah exhaled sharply, his hips jerking.
"Yes." Elena started kissing her way back up to his neck.
She grinned against his skin as he continued to shift beneath her in his desperate attempt to let her remain in control.
As Elena sucked the skin just behind his ear, nibbling on it lightly between her teeth, she pinched and circled his nipples. Elijah sighed in response, his muscles tightening beneath her palms.
He was so good with her, giving her everything she needed when they were making love and she wanted to make him feel equally loved and cared for, to worship him as he'd done to her so many times. He was here and he loved her. Here, her nightmares couldn't touch her, not with him there to drive them away.
"What did I do to deserve such an amazing woman?"
"I knew I could trust you. Because even when I threatened your family to protect mine, you never wanted me hurt." She kissed him deeply then, exploring his mouth with her tongue.
Her reference to her other life caused him to pull her into his embrace, rolling onto his side. He traced her lower lip with his thumb
"It was what I knew of you from my other life that led me to you in this one. And you're still the same, only we're together this time." Elena combed her fingers through his hair, messing it up even more.
"I love you, Elena."
His dark eyes were filled with so much emotion that Elena's pregnancy hormones had her tearing up once more, only out of happiness this time.
"I love you," he whispered again, pulling her closer to his chest and ran his hand slowly up and down her back.
Elena arched into his touch, and she moaned.
"I'm yours," he whispered into her ear. He caught her earlobe between his teeth and tugged lightly. "In whichever life you've lived, I'm yours."
"And I'm yours." She slid her leg up his side, pulling him to her.
Elijah kissed from her temple to her neck, his breath hot against her skin.
"I can't imagine not loving you," he murmured.
Hooking her legs higher around his hips, he thrust into her, drawing moans from both of them.
"Oh, Elijah, I love you."
Sliding her fingers into his hair, she guided his mouth to hers, kissing him deeply as he began moving within her.
Elijah raised himself up on his forearms so he could look her in the eyes.
In this moment, there was no need for words. Their bodies moving together, drawing out pleasure from each other, and nothing else mattered.
Smirking, he changed the angle of how he moved within her and against her, causing Elena's back to bow, her lips parting with the cry tearing from her throat. In response, he growled, speeding up his thrusts with a groan of his own.
As the coil started tightening within her, Elena wrapped her arms around him, digging her nails into his back, clawing at shoulders.
Finally, the pleasure built beyond anything she could stop, not that she wanted to, and then fire her veins as her climax overtook her. He continued to thrust as she orgasmed, prolonging her pleasure until it became almost too much before he too found his release.
As they caught their breath, Elijah rolled onto his side, tucking her against his chest, and Elena sighed, before pressing herself deeper into his embrace. She kissed his neck softly and sighed, content. Elijah always seemed to know what she needed, even when she was trying to focus on giving him what he needed.
They lay there for a while, replete in each other's arms, until Elijah broke the silence, "Someone wants to talk to you downstairs."
Elena sat up and looked at Elijah, confused.
"Matt. He'd like a word with us both, actually."
"How long has he been waiting?" Elena demanded, leaping from the bed.
One of her friends needed her in a way that she could help without harming the children she carried, so of course she was going to get down there as quickly as she could.
"About half an hour before you woke up, but Rebekah has been a gracious hostess, with Caroline's help, while he waited." Elijah climbed out of bed more slowly.
"I wonder what he wants?" Elena turned on the water as she spoke.
"He hasn't said," Elijah replied, his voice coming from much closer than it had been seconds earlier.
"We can't keep him waiting any longer than he already has been."
Once the water was hot enough, Elena stepped under the spray. She half expected Elijah to join her, but she was glad he didn't. She definitely didn't need the distraction of him surrounded by steam with water droplets clinging to his skin like diamonds.
It took her a record amount of time to get clean, then she dressed as quickly as she could.
Throwing her hair up into as much of a ponytail as she could manage with how short it was, Elena hurried down the stairs.
"Elena." Matt smiled when he saw her.
"Hi. Sorry, just woke up. I'm so sorry you had to wait." Elena hugged him, then sat down beside him on the couch. "Elijah will be down in just a minute."
"Mr. Donovan, what can we do for you today?" Elijah greeted him and took a seat across from them.
'Vickie. Is there any way she can get a daylight ring? As long as she's living with me, it'd be nice for her to have a normal life."
Elena glanced at Elijah, waiting for him to speak.
"If she can abide by our rules, which she seems to have done since her return, I believe she's strong enough to withstand the temptation they provide. Elena?"
"Once she picks out a ring she wants to wear forever, I'll make it into a daylight ring."
"Thank you, so much." Matt smiled, relieved
"She's your sister, Matt, so of course I'll help." Elena squeezed his knee.
Matt hung his head, his brows furrowing.
"What's wrong?" Elena leaned forward, trying to catch her friend's eyes.
"She wants me to turn."
"Vickie wants you to become a vampire."
Matt becoming a vampire? That was nowhere near what his life had been the last time around.
"Yeah. She doesn't want to be alone forever."
"It's your decision, Matt. Don't do this because someone else wants you to."
Elena was determined not try to push him one way or the other. This was his life. He didn't have the memories, all the pain, that the Matt he'd become in her other life had. If he became a vampire, she'd support him, and if not, she'd do her best to remain his friend, no matter what.
"Will you be turning?" Matt asked.
"Eventually, yes. Because right now, I have more to lose by remaining human."
Even if the thought of leaving Elijah behind wasn't unbearable, her death would mean Ryan's and there was no way she was going to kill her son, especially not when he'd just found a place to belong, where he was loved, wanted, and accepted.
"What about me?"
"Becoming a vampire by choice is a deeply personal decision. Doing it because someone else is doing it, or because other people want you to, it's a recipe for hating everything about yourself."
"If you do decide to remain human, she's got us. I know we're not blood family, but she won't be alone."
"Thank you." Matt smiled, relieved.
"If you do it, do it for yourself, not for someone else, because even if you love the person you're turning for, you're the one who has to live with it."
"Yeah."
"You've got time. Don't rush it. And remember, a 'no' now, isn't permanent. You can always change your mind and say 'yes,' later."
"How is it you always seem to know what to say?"
"Because I care about my friends and what them to be happy."
"I'll talk to Vickie, let her know I'm thinking about it, but I'm not ready now."
"Good. Honesty is key right now." Elena looked up at Elijah and smiled at him.
"I'm gonna go, help Vickie get her ring." Matt stood up.
"I'll be waiting."
Elena followed his example and hugged him tightly. This was where they needed to be, best friends, being there for each other, as they faced the next phases of their lives.
"Thank you," Matt choked out. "I wasn't sure you'd understand, considering you're marrying a vampire, but you did."
"It's your life, Matt, live it however you want to, whether it's as a human or a vampire, be you and know that I'll always be your friend."
Matt stepped back and brushed his hand roughly across his face.
"I'll be back as soon as we've got a ring and Vickie can come along."
"I'll be waiting."
With one last wave, Matt headed towards the door.
Once they were alone, Elijah sat down on the couch where Matt had been moments before and Elena curled up against him.
"What about the Phoenix stone?"
"Kol's decided to take my place in helping the Bennett witches. He knows more about magic, especially dark magic, than anyone I know, including me."
"But we still have Dahlia to deal with and since you know exactly what we need, you'll be the one to deal with that"
"I'd better be getting that ticket to Norway so we have the easier to procure ingredients on hand already when we finally get access to Esther's blood."
"When will you be leaving?"
"Perhaps this weekend. I won't be gone more than three days and we'll have one less thing to worry about."
Elena rested her forehead against his neck.
"I'd rather have it done so I don't miss much of your pregnancy." He placed his hand over her belly and kissed the top of her head.
Elena caught sight of Ryan standing just outside of the doorway, hesitating to enter the room.
"I won't be alone. Ryan will keep me company," Elena said loud enough so he could hear her.
Ryan smiled and entered the room.
"Of that, I have no doubt." Elijah leaned back, resting his arm over Elena's shoulders.
"I was wondering," Ryan sat down across from them, then rubbed his hands up and down his thighs, "when you go to New Orleans with Hayley, may I come?"
"We could benefit from having the company of someone with your experience," Elena said, trying to choose her words carefully."
"But?"
"Are you ready to reveal your existence to the world? Because there will likely be a fight and you will be exposed as being something they've never encountered before."
"I'm not alone, Mama. I have a family now. I just want to be there for my brother and sister, to make sure you and they are okay."
"Having someone who's not a vampire, but fully capable in a fight would be smart, Elena," Elijah said softly. "Ryan is smart and strong and no one would ever see him coming."
Elena was still reluctant. He was her son and she needed to protect him.
"Mama, let me do this. Please."
"Okay." She nodded, finally acquiescing.
He smiled widely and exhaled, as if relieved.
"You really want to see New Orleans, don't you?" Elena teased.
"That, and you'll be going into a war zone. You can't bring any other vampires aside from Caroline, so it would be a good idea for her to have backup. I mean, there's only so much you and Hayley can do, with you both being pregnant, and no, no one put me up to this, I decided this on my own."
"I know. You're a smart man." Elena sighed and shook her head slowly. "I love you and I just want to protect you, but I need to remember that while you are my son, you also have lifetimes of experience."
"Thank you."
"I just- you've only been my son for a few months, so I just need to wrap my head around the fact that you're not a child, and I can't keep you from the world all the time."
"Don't feel like you have to protect me all the time, Mama. Let me protect you sometimes."
Her son, her beautiful boy. He was becoming the man he was meant to be, before his creator destroyed his spirit.
