Coming through to their bedroom later that night, Payton lifted her head up to look over at her boyfriend who was now coming into their room, she shone a small smile back at him as he shared a more warm one with her.
"I didn't know what you wanted or could have to be honest," He said to her as he came over with a cup of tea in one hand and two blood bags tucked under his other arm, "I guess you'll have to go on a non-drinking ban."
"Oh god don't remind me! That was my first when we left the hospital. It wasn't how I was going to give birth or how this was even possible, it was the lack of alcohol I am going to have to go without!" She exclaimed, half joking but also half serious, she was going to miss her wine and bourban.
Stefan handed over her cup of tea, as she slowly took it from him and thanked him, as he sat beside her, "How are you feeling? I know you said on the car ride over that you felt exhausted, but I guess what I really mean is how are you?"
"I don't know," She shrugged back at him, looking at him beside her, "part of me is so happy for my Dad and that I get sisters. I feel so grateful that I get to do this for him, but then the other side of me is so overwhelmed. Like I never thought I'd be able to have kids once I turned into a vampire. It didn't really bother me. I guess it came in waves. But now it's really happening and I mean, they're not even my kids and I won't be keeping them, it just still feels kind of weird and scary."
"That's understandable. This is a big deal. This is a complete life changing experience even more so as a vampire. But like you said you're doing this for an amazing reason." He tried to help her through this.
"I know. My Dad is so happy. I feel so excited for him and knowing I get to carry my sisters is so good but god I am scared. This is a lot to get your head around." She sighed lightly.
"It will take time. But you've got me, you've got your Dad, you've Caroline and Matt. We're all here for you." Stefan wrapped his arm around her back and pecked her cheek.
"I guess you'd rather wish I was pregnant with your child." Payton joked.
"Well that would be something." He smirked lightly.
She smirked lightly back at him, before going on to ask, needing a bit of a distraction from her own thoughts, "Where do you think Damon's gone?"
"I don't know and I don't really care right now. He won't try to understand because it's what Damon does. He'd rather focus on the reasons not to like someone than to understand them in a compassionate way." Stefan rambled on referring to the fight they had earlier on before Payton had passed out.
"Yeah I see that and I also see it from your side of view, even though I don't know if I'll ever feel like I could trust Lily because I want to try to protect you, part of me feels like maybe she was being honest earlier on." Payton pointed out to him, snuggling closer to him.
"Yeah but Damon won't listen to that. You saw what he was like." He shrugged back.
"We'll figure it out. We always do," She sighed lightly, laying her head on his shoulder, "I know it probably doesn't feel like it right now but I believe you'll figure it out."
"Thank you," He nodded back in gratitude once more, before pecking her forehead, "do you want me to tell him if he does come back? You know about the babies?"
"I think I'd rather wait to tell him or maybe get my Dad to seeing as he's his best friend. I don't know. This is all so weird." Payton explained with a heavy sigh.
"Of course. You don't have to figure it out right now." Stefan assured her.
"I guess," She nodded back at him, going to take a sip from her tea, "it's just going to be a weird few weeks trying to get my head around things."
"Yeah this isn't normal but we'll get through it together like we always do." He reminded her.
Stefan ripped open his own and began to consume it, as she stuck with her tea, before she found herself asking, "how's the whole anger and control thing going, you know, we haven't exactly talked about that the last few days."
"Well, with the whole Julian thing, my anger is out of control."
"Yeah no offence, but the other night when you threw Damon into the coffee table, I was so ready to throw you against a wall myself and make you be the one to tell Tyler why his parents coffee table was broken." Payton tried to make light of the situation even if it hadn't been funny at the time.
"Yeah I am sorry about that. I didn't realise you were even home at the time." He said as he finished off his bag.
"Well I didn't think you two would be bursting through the door in the rage you were in either."
"Again I am sorry about that." Stefan took his hand in her own as she took a sip from her tea.
Payton squeezed his hand back, before laying her head on his shoulder, "It's ok. I missed you."
"I missed you." He agreed with her, knowing they hadn't really spent a lot of time together more recently.
"I am sorry about today with Lily and Damon." Payton apologised, wishing she could take it all away.
"Don't," He shook his head, before going on, "none of this is your fault. You have much more to deal with right now."
"I know. But it just seems like such a mess. I wish I could do something to make it better."
"Just being here is making it better. Now I have you back here again, safe with me, I realise just how much I need you to keep me calm and in control." Stefan said to her taking his hand in her own once and pecking her cheek lightly.
"Likewise," She squeezed his hand back, flashing him a warm smile, "we've always been so good at that."
Oh how she wished she never pushed him out.
"Just not when we're around each other. I don't even know how I am going to manage not having sex with you for the next few months. It just feels too weird to do that when you've got little ones growing inside of you." Stefan joked referring to his lack of sexual control around the girl but also the fact she was now pregnant.
"I know what you mean," She sighed, before laughing slightly, "but I guess we can still have fun in other ways, right?"
"If you think so." He smirked back.
"Like this?" She leant across with a smirk and planted a light kiss on his neck.
"Hmm." He hummed at the feeling of her lips on his skin.
"You like that?" Payton's smirk grew bigger, as she felt her stomach begin to churn in excitement and she planted another kiss on his neck.
"I love it," He told her in a low tone, feeling his own excitement begin to rise, "I could really do with that distraction."
"Oh yeah?" She pulled away from him, looking up at him through her lashes, a mischievous look on her face.
Stefan was about to lean in and capture his lips with her own, when they suddenly heard the front door go, causing them to break apart and Payton to glance over at the door in confusion.
"Who the hell is that?" She frowned, thinking if it was Matt or Damon then they would just let himself in and she knew Tyler and Mason weren't going to back yet, but again would let themselves in.
If it was Caroline, Her Dad or Bonnie, they would have at least let them know they were going to swing by before dropping round, so it had to be someone else.
She so wasn't in the mood for anymore drama that night.
"Stay there." Stefan said about to get up and go to the door, he didn't want to put her in danger especially with two babies in her stomach.
"No, I am going with you." She told him, knowing she was far too concerned to wait behind, going to follow him out of the bedroom and down the stairs.
As they approached the door, they saw Damon coming through the hall towards it, clearly he had found his way back in after storming out in a huff before hand, Payton and Stefan were halfway down the stairs when he opened it up and revealed Lily stood behind it.
After they day they had with her and Julian, they weren't expecting to see the woman back at their door again.
"Did you come back to get your dish?" Damon asked sarcastically back to the woman referring to their failed thanksgiving dinner.
"May I come in?" She asked ignoring his remark.
Damon gestured her to come inside just as Payton and Stefan reached the bottom of the stairs, coming to stand in the hall with Damon and Lily now who had entered their home.
"What's going on?" Stefan questioned, not understanding why she was back after what had happened in the woods earlier on.
Damon closed the door as Lily turned round to face them and nervously admitted, "You were right."
"Pardon me," Damon said laying his fingers on his ear, before going on, "sorry, I didn't quite hear what you said."
"You were right about Julian. I'm sorry I didn't see it sooner," Lily said to them, before she paused as Payton glanced nervously at Stefan, sensing this was the break through he had been needing after their conversation, "I've traded one monster for another."
"So what are you saying?" Payton found herself wondering, still finding her over protectiveness of Stefan was apparent when around Lily.
"I'm not gonna let him hurt us anymore. I have a plan. And this time we won't get caught." Lily said to them in a determined tone.
Payton had decided to leave Damon and Stefan in the front room to talk to their mother alone, she trusted Stefan enough to make the right decision when it came to this and she knew he wouldn't be completely strayed aside to Lily's words with Damon around. The guy was having a hard time trusting his mother, he would be for sure certain to pull Stefan in line if he had to.
She was lying in bed, going through the photos on her cell phone from the past few years of her living in town, there was images of the night Matt, Elena, Caroline and her celebrated her's and Caroline's birthdays, it had been a wild night, not just because they had been drinking, but also because of the supernatural drama that came with it, but looking back it made her heart feel warm.
She also looked back on memories of her and her Dad, they had hardly any images together for a while, but when he back from the other side, Payton made sure every time they hung out, they had an image together, because she knew if she ever was to lose him again, which was inevitable when he wasn't immortal like she was, she knew she needed something to look back on.
Now she would be adding photos of her sisters to the mix, something she never thought she'd be able to say after what happened with Jo, now she was bringing them into the world and in years to come she'd have more photos of her family to add to the collection.
The one's with Stefan really got her. There was one's when they were only friends, then best friends and then finally lovers. Her smile grew more as she looked back on the photos, she couldn't believe how much their loved had blossomed over the years and how happy he made her, despite the drama they had been through recently with everything yet here they were still together, fighting for each other and proving to the universe they were still in it for the long haul.
Payton got up from her spot on the bed and went round to Stefan's side of the bed, she knew he kept some polaroid images of the two of them in his night stand, he either used them as bookmarks in the book he was reading or in his journal, as well as just having a few lying around for looking back on, something she was doing right now.
Opening up the drawer, Payton spotted one in the book he was currently reading, but she wasn't going to pull it out to check on it, knowing she didn't want him to lose his page in the book, so she dug around in his drawer full of things, knowing he wouldn't mind, when suddenly her hand stopped on something.
Her stomach dropped as she slowly pulled it out of the back of the drawer, her heart began to pound when she slowly looked down at it, the jewellery box she had found the night of her Dad's wedding from hell, it was back in her hands, only this time it wasn't such a shock to her that she had found it, because she knew all about it yet she felt just as fuzzy as the first time she had found it but for a different reason.
Payton had suggested he should keep it after she had informed him her feelings about him proposing but she didn't know he actually kept it and he even brought it to the Lockwood home during their move, he didn't leave it behind nor did he keep it somewhere else, he had brought it to their house, it had been in this room the whole time whilst she slept and went about her business.
She couldn't help herself right now, curiosity got the better of her last time and it certainly did this time, she had been so shocked last time and had been spooked by him walking in, she had even barely had a chance to look at it properly, but she knew because of her recent feelings of regret she had to have a slight glance at what she could have had.
Carefully opening up the box, her chest tightened at the sight of the silver diamond ring sitting in the middle of the velvet jewellery box, it looked so damn perfect and beautiful, she felt her eyes well up slightly at the sight of it, images flashing in her mind of what could have been.
Taking in a shaky breathe, Payton sighed, she thought this regret feeling might have washed away after the Valerie drama recently, but if anything and now seeing that ring in her hand, it had only grown more, she wished she could have rewound the clocks, never have come across the ring and just allowed him to do it when he was ready.
She felt like she had really screwed this up and wasted her chance because of her fears and doubts that weren't even anything to do with Stefan.
Shaking her head, she reluctantly closed the box and put it back in the drawer, running her fingers through her hair, as she closed the drawer back up and crawled back into bed, leaning her head against the headboard of the bed and letting out another large exhale.
Just then she heard the sound of footsteps and then the front door open, signalling that Lily was heading out or someone was at least, she didn't want to pry anymore than she had recently, so stayed put in bed, trying to shake the feeling of regret, but she just couldn't especially now she knew the ring was sitting in the room with her, reminding her of the chance she had given up.
When Stefan came into the bedroom 5 minutes later, he was carrying a bourbon for himself, he smiled lightly at her as he came to sit beside her, Payton took her hand in his own once he reached her.
"How are you feeling?" She asked him knowing whatever had gone on downstairs must have been hard.
"Uh, I don't really know how to feel." He answered honestly in a low tone.
"I guess that's alright, isn't it?" Payton squeezed his hand back in comfort, as she went on, "I mean you don't have to know."
"Yeah I suppose," Stefan nodded in agreement, before he laid his bourban beside her tea and then climbed into bed, Payton moved over so he could get in and the two of them found themselves engulfing in a warm cuddle under the comforter, "mmm."
"I love you," She told him, running her hand up the back of his head and putting her fingers through his hair, "I'll be here if you let me."
"Of course," He assured her, slipping his hands onto her bare back under her t-shirt, "I am sorry for not having you involved before with the whole Julian stuff."
"It's ok," Payton said back, knowing she had gotten over it and everything with Valerie, well kind of anyway, she wouldn't ever like the girl, "I get it."
"What a crazy day, huh?" Payton said an hour or so later when her head hit the pillow after getting ready for bed, Stefan was already laying in it waiting for her.
There was so much to process from the day from all the stuff with Julian, the humans at the Grill and around town who were being held hostage to be fed on, Payton finding out she was carrying the babies and her Dad going to be a Dad again, as well as the fact she had found the engagement ring in Stefan's night stand drawer.
Ever since she had found it, she felt a buzzing feeling in the pit of her stomach that she couldn't shake off, it was replacing all the fears she had about being pregnant, but she didn't know whether it was guilt that she had found it again or whether it was excitement that the chance might still be there, but when would the timing ever be right?
"Hmm," He hummed back in agreement, before pulling her closing into him like he always did, "I'm just grateful for moments like these."
"Me too," She smiled, before going on to say, "doesn't the house just seem so quiet without Tyler and Mason?"
"I guess, yeah," Stefan shrugged back, as he went on, "Matt's always on patrol and Damon sits in a corner sulking."
"I honestly can't wait to get the boarding house back. I miss it so much." Payton sighed lightly in sadness, hoping she'd be back there before she is set to give birth.
Stefan leant across and tucked her hair behind her ear, shining her a sad smile, "I know. We'll get it back."
"Are you ready for tomorrow?" Payton asked nervously laying her hand on his waist.
"I just hope it goes down the right way." He answered her tensely.
"I hope so," She breathed, picking up on his unease, "but I'll be there to help you."
"No, no, no," Stefan began to shake his head, before going on to say, "I don't want you hurt in the cross fire especially when you're carrying two other lives."
"Stefan," Payton appreciated he wanted to protect her, but she didn't want him to be alone anymore, "I know you have my best interests at heart but I am helping you. We're in this together. And I'll be fine! I'm barely showing right now! I still have just as much energy as I had before. I'm fine!"
"I don't want Julian to use you to get back at me for anything nor do I want to put the babies lives in danger. Your Dad would kill me."
"Nothing is going to happen! Julian won't hurt me and my Dad is not going to kill you!" She tried to convince him, but also herself, she hadn't had many interactions with this Julian, but he didn't sound like a very nice man to say the least, "everything will be ok. I'll have you."
"I love you." He said to before pressing his lips onto her own, knowing that no matter what he said, she wouldn't give up on him, she never did, before he found Payton climbing on top of him and straddling him, pressing her lips deeper in to his own, making him moan into her.
She rolled her hips into his, feeling the excitement in the room built up, they knew they weren't going to have sex anymore, but it didn't mean they couldn't enjoy the pleasure in other ways causing her detach her lips from his and go to take the oversized t-shirt off her body, when her eyes caught sight of the nightstand, making her stomach drop and herself freeze up, knowing what was inside.
Stefan frowned at her sudden change in manner, she was so ready for him before and now she looked like she had seen a ghost, he glanced over to where she was looking, not understanding and then back onto her, he laid his hands on her hips in confusion, "Pay?"
Her eyes suddenly dropped down to meet with his confused ones, as she quickly shook her head and forced a smile on her lips, not realising she had been staring like an idiot, "Sorry. I was miles away then."
"Everything alright?" He brushed his warm thumb against the soft skin on her hip, worried it was a pregnancy symptom.
"Everything's perfect." Payton told him, trying to push aside those feelings she had about the engagement ring, before she quickly reattached her lips to his and kissed him hard.
When they woke up the next morning, Payton was making herself some breakfast, the nausea was back, but thankfully she had been sipping ginger tea since the moment she rose and it had been helping keep it at bay.
When Stefan informed her that Enzo was coming over to kick start their plan. He had briefly told her the ongoings of the day last night after their phone calls, in which she already felt nervous about, knowing this was a big deal, but it had to be done.
Today they were going to kill Julian with the help of Lily.
"Morning," Stefan said as he came through into the kitchen just as Payton had finished making her eggs, "that smells good."
"Mmm. Not as good as you make breakfast but I am trying!" Payton answered as she felt his arms lace around her from behind.
"You've done great," He assured her, planting a light kiss on her cheek before cautiously saying, "so listen, there is something I didn't mention last night."
Payton snapped her head around to him with a curious look, dread coming over her, "What?"
"Valerie is coming over." Stefan admitted in an uneasy tone.
"She's what?" She frowned back at him, no wonder he didn't say anything last night.
"I know this is going to be hard..."
"Hard?" Payton scoffed, shaking her head as she did, "we don't get on, Stefan! I punched her the other day. And I could have killed her last night when she just stormed into the hospital room. I know I should be thanking her for helping us but I still don't like the girl!"
"You don't even have to see her if you don't want to. But we need her if we're going to be able to pull this off." Stefan explained trying to calm her unease.
"Fine," she sighed, knowing she had to put her own opinions aside and be there for her boyfriend, "but doesn't mean I'm going to be all nice girl to her."
"That's fine," He nodded, before pulling her back into him, "thank you."
"You're welcome." Payton leant up and pecked him on the lips, before smiling back at him more genuinely this time.
"Remind me to take you out for that dinner I was meant to the other day." Stefan told her.
"Really?" She beamed back, liking the idea of that, she really had been upset when he had stood her up.
"Yeah," He nodded, before going on, "we can go wherever you like. I'll even cook if you'd prefer. Whatever you want."
"That sound's perfect. I'll have a think and let you know."
A little while later, Payton had finished up her breakfast and was bringing her next ginger tea through into the study where Enzo, Damon and Stefan were talking about their plan for the day. She immediately gravitated over to where Stefan was, she decided to sit on the arm chair beside him and allowed him to continue to stand where he was.
Before she could eves-drop and catch up with conversation, there was the sound of the footsteps coming down the hall before Valerie appeared in the doorway, Payton anxiously turned her head away to not look at the girl, knowing she didn't want to face her after the other night, she was still harbouring some anger towards the girl for the clear rift she had tried to create between her and Stefan.
"Me," Valerie said as she came on through, causing Enzo to look just as pissed off as Payton felt about having the girl here, "I know how to win them over to our side."
"Oh! Great! Last time I checked she was the black sheep of the family." Enzo grumbled back, causing Payton to try hold off a smirk, "what are you gonna tell them to make them feel otherwise?"
"The truth." Valerie answered in a genuine tone, knowing it was time that she finally let her family know what really happened all those years ago.
After they ran through the plan together, they headed their separate ways to get ready, Valerie stayed in the study as she waited for them to get themselves together. Enzo had already left to go pry on Lily which left Damon, Stefan and Payton to hurry themselves so they could get this plan into action.
"How are you feeling?" Payton asked wanting to check in with her boyfriend as they both were getting ready in their bedroom.
"I just want it over with." He said back to her throwing his sweater over his head.
"It will be," She tried to remain positive, even though she always got so uneasy about these kinds of things, "we will be back in this bedroom, just the two of us before we know it."
"That's definitely something to keep me focused on," He smiled lightly back at her, Payton smiled back at him, putting the finishing touches to her makeup in the mirror, before coming over to him, "oh wow."
"What?" She looked back at him in confusion but a smirk grew on her lips.
"You look beautiful," Stefan told her, as he pulled her into him instantly, "so beautiful."
"Thank you," Payton flushed slightly at his compliment, as she hugged him, her eyes darting over to the night stand once more, she couldn't take her mind off it, even with the plan of killing Julian fresh on her mind, that engagement ring was just reeling her in, "you look nice yourself."
He smiled back at her as they pulled away from each other, "You know if I don't want you to get hurt today I won't hold back from pulling you out of there."
"Stefan," She breathed, shaking her head slightly at his protectiveness, "it will be fine!"
"You don't know what he is capable of..."
"I do," She interjected, giving him a look as she nervously responded, "he killed your unborn child. I very well know what he is capable of."
Stefan looked back at her, slightly taken back by how she had bravely came out with that, knowing the news had been hard hitting for her, but it was almost like she had accepted it now and it meant a lot to him.
Payton felt her eyes roll over to the nightstand again, she couldn't keep doing this to herself, her heart pounding in her chest as she did, before she nervously dragged her eyes back over to him, an idea coming to mind, "that dinner tonight..."
"What about it?" He asked with raised brows, picking up on her change in conversation.
"I think we need to talk about something." She found herself saying in an uneasy tone.
"What?" Stefan looked back, now worrying himself that something was wrong, they had been alright since the other night and now she was acting like something was up all of a sudden.
"It's nothing bad," Payton drew in a shaky breathe, as she went on, not wanting him to worry, "I just really have to talk to you about something."
"Tell me now." He encouraged, bringing her closer to him again.
"It's nothing bad, seriously, it can wait until tonight." She tried to tell him, knowing she didn't want to spring her thoughts on him when they had a big day ahead.
"You would tell me though..." Stefan said not understanding why she couldn't just tell him.
"Yes, of course!" Payton nodded back, before wrapping her arms around his neck, "of course I would. But it can wait until tonight."
"Promise?" He asked again.
"I promise." She told him, before leaning up and pecking his lips assuringly.
Once they were ready, they headed over to where the heretics and Julian were throwing an anniversary party for Mary-Louise and Nora at a great big mansion in Mystic Falls. They had compelled people to come and of course no doubt they would be feeding off them for the rest of the day. Lily was at the party, trying to continue playing up to their advances trying not to let them realise what she was up to.
Payton was sitting out with Stefan in their car down the street from the mansion, Damon had gone inside to scope the place to see what was going on and Enzo was nowhere to be seen. Valerie was also sitting in waiting away from them waiting for her moment where she would tell the truth to the heretics about her ordeal at the hands of Julian.
"Do you think Damon will ever forgive Lily?" Payton found herself asking after sitting in silence with her boyfriend.
"It's unlikely." Stefan answered as he stared off ahead.
She sighed lightly, before going on to say, "I see why he won't but I also see why he should."
"Damon won't ever listen to anyone other than himself so I'm not going to even bother to try convince him otherwise anymore." Stefan tried to explain to her.
"No, I know. You don't want to waste your energy on something like that," She agreed with him, before she leant across and took his hand in her own, "and I have to be honest and say I am still worried about her true intentions but that's only because I don't want you to get hurt."
"No, I know that," He squeezed her hand back, looking at her this time, "I would be the same if your Mom showed up again."
"Oh god, don't say that, she'll probably show up again!" Payton half-joked.
"What is she gonna think if she see's your Dad?" Stefan smiled lightly.
"She'd be even more freaked out if she knew he was having twins and I was carrying them!" She giggled slightly at how messed up yet a blessing the situation was.
"I'm sure she'd be even more freaked out to learn Mason is alive too!" He added joining in with her humour.
"Oh god, she definitely better not show up, I made sure the compulsion worked last time, so it better still be working!"
"I wonder what she'd think of me?" Stefan smirked charmingly.
"Well, pre-compulsion she would have been grateful you saved my life that day after the whole Connor thing but then after-compulsion she would probably hit on you." Payton found herself laughing lightly.
Before Stefan had the chance to comment on the idea of that, Payton's cell phone began to ring and she brought it out, seeing it was Matt, "Hey." She answered immediately knowing with the recent evens she would never let it ring off.
"I'm gonna need your help." Matt told her in concerned tone.
"What's happened?" She asked in a panicked manner, thinking this could not be happening right now.
"Someone's broken into the Grill and there's a trail of blood." He answered.
"Again?!" Payton grumbled, thinking everyone just loved to break into her bar, she shook her head, "where are you?"
"I'm outside about to go in..."
"Don't you dare go in with out me! I'm 5 minutes away. Just wait for me!" She told him firmly.
"Alright."
She quickly hung up the call and turned to look at her boyfriend, "I take it you heard that."
"Yeah! Are you sure you're ok to go? I just worry about you..." He warned her.
"Stefan, I'm fine! If I can punch a heretic in the face, then I can handle some blood in a bar. I'll be fine!" Payton tried to assure him, finding his protectiveness sweet, but she really was fine, "I'm more worried about you. I don't want to leave you though."
"Payton, don't worry about me. I'll be fine!" Stefan tried to convince her this time.
"Just please call me." She told him, before leaning across quickly and pecking his cheek.
"I'll see you at dinner." He told her with a smile.
"Dinner." Payton repeated, a nervous feeling hitting her belly before she quickly used her vamp speed to get out of there and head to the centre of town.
When she arrived, Matt was waiting for her around the back, where yet again the door had been broken into, there was a trail of blood leading from the steps, through into the door and then into the entrance of the back way of the Grill.
"It has to be a vampire!" Payton whispered to him, as she went in from of him to begin their stalk inside the property.
Matt stayed behind her, pointing his gun, waiting to fire it if they were in danger, Payton on the other hand, knew this was the first time in a long time she was actually going to have to defend herself.
Coming through into the Grill, Payton felt her eyes widen slightly when she saw Enzo feeding off some poor innocent human woman at the bar side, "Enzo!" Payton exclaimed rushing through in anger at what she was seeing.
"Let her go!" Matt roared at him, pointing his gun at him, knowing he had done so much to try protect this town recently and yet here was Enzo, who was supposed to be one of them ruining things for him again.
Enzo took his bloody lips away from the girls neck, but instead he kept his hands around them, almost like he was ready to break her neck.
Payton found herself coming closer to them in frustration at this sight, Matt was coming up next to her, still pointing his gun at Enzo, who went to apologise in a fake tone, "So, so sorry, officer."
"What the hell are you doing?" Payton questioned him with a deep frown, knowing she would step in when the timing was right and free the girl, "you were supposed to be helping us back at the party!"
"I found this one wondering about and assumed she was of a drinking age." Enzo suddenly leant the girl go and she ran off.
They would have to find her and compel her to forget that awful memory somehow. But right now they had to get Enzo the hell out of there.
"What the hell's wrong with you?" Matt asked not understanding why the guy was acting out of all of a sudden.
"Let's just say I didn't get the girl." Enzo answered him bitterly.
"Lily?" Payton could only presume that was who he was referring to.
Enzo gave a look to Payton that could only confirm she was right, as he slowly staggered forward, clearly he had also helped himself to the last of the drinking supplies behind the bar that she had left their for nights they wanted to go back for old times sake.
He pushed Matt's gun down, causing Payton to step in front of her friend protectively, not liking Enzo's behaviour right now, she felt like he would flip on them any minute and she knew Matt would be the one to take the fall.
"I don't think this life-saving business suits you, mate." Enzo told the guy, before slowly turning around.
"Why don't you tell that to the girl whose throat you were about to tear out." Matt replied back harshly.
Enzo went over to the bar side and poured himself another bourbon, causing Payton's anger to grow that everyone just loved coming to her bar or break in she should say, using her stock without her permission and drinking it right in front of her like it was no big deal.
"Yeah, yeah. I suppose that brings your tally to a whopping one." Enzo mocked.
"Leave him alone!" Payton hissed back, before she stormed over and took the bottle of bourban off the side.
"Damon didn't want you. Lily didn't want you. And this town never wanted you." Matt expressed his opinion on the guy making it very clear, which could only end up in making Enzo more angry, which made Payton even more overprotective of her friend, before he asked, "so what are you still doing here?"
Enzo began to march back over to Matt, getting up in his face, but Payton quickly rushed back to his side, bourban in her hand, as she stood beside Matt protectively, ready to step in if Enzo was even to lay a finger on her friend.
"I might ask the same about you!" Enzo exclaimed, before he let rip, his anger rising through the roof, "the heretics are throwing a murder party in your precious hometown and all you can manage to stop is my buzz."
"That's enough!" Payton interjected in annoyance, laying her hand on Enzo's chest and shoving him away from Matt's space lightly, she didn't want to cause a fight so she went about it gently, but at the same time she had to let Enzo know Matt wasn't going to be messed with.
Enzo didn't even bother to look at Payton as he allowed her to push him back slightly, he kept his gaze on Matt, as he went on, "you're overmatched. You've brought a knife to a gunfight and it's going to be the death of you."
Payton felt a harsh lump form in her throat at the intensity and power of Enzo's words, he was actually saying some truth now, Matt's life was so at risk every single day he stayed in this town, she hated when he went out, knowing he was in danger and visions of the day he came home with no recollection of what had happened to him flooded through her mind.
He was so out matched in this town. Sure he could defend himself. But for how much longer and how much could he take? She couldn't always be there to protect him.
Then Enzo's eyes fell onto her, he had picked up on her extra heartbeats that morning, but no one else had said anything, "You shouldn't be out here with heretics running around the place in your state."
She gave him a slight look, feeling weird about this whole pregnancy thing, wondering why he was choosing now to make a remark, "Thanks for the concern."
Enzo didn't bother to say anymore to them, instead he turned on his heel and went straight out the back door, the same way he had come in and the same way they had not long after.
Payton turned round to look at her friend with sorrow eyes, "You okay?"
"I'm fine!" Matt tried to tell her, clearly he was angry and she already knew why, he shook his head, "what the hell is wrong with him?"
"He didn't get what he wanted so he threw his toys out of the pram. It's what he always does. It's just Enzo!" Payton grumbled, going back over to the bar and laying the bottle back down on it.
"Yeah but how much longer do we have to just keep putting up with Enzo's, huh?" He complained.
"I don't know, Matt," She sighed, running her fingers through her hair, knowing they could both easily offend each other with this conversation, "but I think he got the message after that."
"Until the next time." Matt grumbled.
"It won't always be this way." Payton tried to convince him but more so herself.
He scoffed, shaking his head, "For as long as vampires are here it will be."
She rubbed her lips together uneasily, trying to push her anger away at his remark, Matt picked up on her sudden unease, he knew this conversation with her was always tough, but seeing the look on her face, he didn't feel regretful, he just felt bad for her.
"I'm sorry you ended up this way." He told her.
Payton frowned back at him, "Why?"
"You deserved better." Matt said to her.
"Maybe," She shrugged back, before going on, "but then I probably wouldn't have such a good relationship with my Dad, I wouldn't have met Stefan or Caroline, I wouldn't have met you."
He nodded back at her, seeing her point, but he was so tired, "I just...I just can't imagine life being ok when you're all still living here."
"And that's my fault?" Payton found her anger now bubbling inside of her.
"Of course it's not!" He tried to tell her, feeling bad now, "but I just mean..."
"No, I know what you mean, Matt," She shook her head, as she expressed her thoughts, "but I don't care, ok? I am staying in this town. And I will do everything I can to protect you and people like you for as long as I can. I'm not going to give up on you ever so please do not do the same to me."
"Pay..."
Before Matt could respond, Payton heard a sound come from outside, causing her to hold her hand up to him and stop him from going on further, she frowned at the sound, it sounded like faint gun shots, Matt found himself tensing up at her sudden reaction.
"Do you hear that?" She asked him in confusion.
"No?" He said back, before going on nervously, "hear what?"
"I felt like I heard gun shots or something," Payton frowned, before going to head to the back door to go check, "it sounded like it was coming from outside."
"Are you sure you did?" Matt said back to her.
"I'm certain I did yeah!" Payton responded, as she walked through the back, Matt having no choice but to join her.
"I'm sure it was nothing." He tried to tell her as they reached the back door, "you should be careful, Pay. You're pregnant!"
Payton pushed it open, ignoring him, knowing she could defend herself, everyone had to stop worrying about her and found herself scanning the place for any signs of life, but there wasn't any, it was completely dark out and raining, no one was in sight, it was just the back of the Grill, dumpsters, that kind of thing, nothing exciting.
So what the hell did she hear?
After letting Matt head back out on patrol, Payton made her way back over to the mansion, she had texted Stefan a while ago to let her know she was done and was heading back. He was letting her know that he was out on the front porch, waiting for Julian to wake after they had successfully managed to knock him down for a while and had managed to retrieve his blood so that they could perform the spell to unlink him from Lily.
When she arrived, Stefan was talking to his mother, she didn't want to intrude on the conversation, but when Stefan felt her presence, he beckoned her over to him join him.
"I was just saying to Lily," Stefan said as she reached him, he immediately wrapped his arm around her shoulders, she instantly felt safe in his arms, surprised at his gesture in front of his mother, Lily was watching on in slight awe, "I have a willingness to forgive the unforgiveness."
"Oh he definitely does!" Payton agreed with that one, smiling slightly at her boyfriend's one of a kind personality, where as she on the other hand was way more stubborn, but when it came to him, he made her forgive so damn easy.
"It's a shame Damon doesn't feel the same way about forgiveness." Lily expressed her sadness to them.
"Well, you were the first woman to break his heart. He's put up a wall ever since but you can take it down." Stefan tried to encourage her to have more faith.
"No," Lily began to shake her head, tears pricking her eyes, "he's gone. I saw it in his eyes. He wishes me dead."
And for the first time, Payton could really feel the pain Lily felt inside regarding her son's and in particular Damon's inability to forgive her, she felt sorry for the woman.
Stefan scoffed back at his mother, "Do you think that I haven't seen that look before?"
"Me too," Payton found herself adding, thinking back to all the times Damon had wanted her dead yet here they were, "I mean hey, he hated me and still does, yet he basically told me to stay and fight for Stefan the other day so. And he's saved my life, more than once."
"Damon has been practicing that look for over 150 years." Stefan went on to say, as Payton wrapped her arm around him now.
Lily chuckled lightly at their experiences, before she asked, "Maybe you could offer your mother some advice in return. How do I get him back?"
"Time." Stefan said after a while.
"I have to say," Lily found herself saying as she looked between the two of them, "you two make a beautiful couple."
Payton found herself smiling at the compliment, not expecting it, Stefan on the other hand looked down at Payton with a grin, "I'm happy."
"Thank you," Payton said after sharing a smile with her boyfriend, that feeling of regret hitting her hard again, she knew she needed to figure this out, but she didn't even know how she was going to tell him tonight about her regret, instead she turned back to Lily, "maybe when all of this is done, we can get to know each other properly."
"I would like that." Lily said in regards to the idea, surprised Payton was being so nice to her all of a sudden and Payton even surprised herself, but she knew it felt right to forgive, take a little bit out of her boyfriend's book, "I also hate to pry, but my curiosity got the better of me..."
Payton looked over at Stefan nervously, as he looked back at her with unease, knowing it was going to be hard to keep her secret so secret when their were vampires with great hearing, she gave him a reassuring nod, "Uh yes, Payton is pregnant but not for the reason you think."
"How is that even possible?" Lily questioned in shock at what she was hearing.
"We have no idea but it's my Dad's babies," She frowned at how messed up that sounded, as she quickly went to correct herself, "his wife lost them when she got killed but the coven put them inside me. I literally only found out last night. I guess I'm a surrogate!"
"Well, that's um, remarkable," Lily said still finding it hard to get her head round, but so where they, "I guess I should say congratulations."
"Thank you." She smiled lightly.
"I hope you're still up for dinner." Stefan said to her once Lily had left them to go put the next part of the plan into process, her and Stefan were walking down the porch towards the front lawn to talk.
"Even if it's at midnight, then yeah." She laughed lightly turning to face him.
Stefan stopped in his tracks, turning to face her now, as he wrapped his arms around her waist, "Good. How was the grill?"
"Don't even go there," Payton grumbled, shaking her head as she went on to explain, laying her hands on his shoulders, "Enzo was acting like a stupid idiot as always, he also knows about the babies, he could hear them too, so it's probably not long until everyone does. But hopefully Enzo has gone to drown his sorrows alone not hurting innocent people. It's more Matt I am worried about. His obsession with getting vampires out of this town is only growing by the second."
"What do you mean?" Stefan frowned at her sudden concern.
"He hates us. But I don't think that's a surprise," She explained, as Stefan nodded slowly, "But how he was talking today, it sounds like he's really just done even with me."
"Don't say that..." He shook his head in disagreement knowing how close the two were.
"No I am serious. I don't know. I tried to make it clear to him that I'm staying and I will always protect him." Payton offloaded her upset.
"What did he say to that?" Stefan wondered.
"He didn't get a chance to. I thought I heard gun shots." She informed him.
He frowned at her words, "Gun shots?"
"Yeah I don't know..." Payton shook her head feeling silly for even mentioning it, "I must have just been hearing things. I don't know."
"It will be okay. I promise." Stefan tried to assure her, picking up on her unease, as he rubbed his hand up her back comfortingly.
"I love you, Stefan." She told him seriously looking at him deep in the eyes.
"I love you." He smiled lightly back at her.
"I can't wait to talk tonight." Payton admitted to him in a nervous tone, knowing she just needed to get it off her chest, even if she was scared.
"You still want to?" Stefan was surprised, he had been wondering all day what was on her mind.
"Yeah." She nodded slowly.
He found himself smiling once more, "So it can't be something bad?"
"I hope not.." Payton narrowed her eyes down.
"So this morning it wasn't and now it's a hope not..." Stefan's once smile was replaced with a frown, as he watched her face for answers.
She looked back at him with a serious look, not meaning to be so rude, but she was freaking out, now wasn't the time nor place, "Can we not do this right now?"
"Payton..." He didn't mean to pressure her, but clearly whatever it was seemed to be bothering her now.
"It will make sense later but it's all down to you depending on if it's good or bad." Payton tried to put his own unease to bay.
"Now I just want to know even more."
"You will. Just not now." She tried to assure him, before going to turn on her heel, "shall we head inside?"
Author note: Thank you so much for reading and all the love on the previous chapter. I'm glad I'm getting back into regular updates again. There is so much more to come.
Special thanks to Djone246 and GirlyGamer1986 for reviewing the last part. I loved reading your reviews. Payton and Damon friends? Maybe just maybe!
I'd love to know your thoughts on this one.
Is Payton right to tell Stefan her regrets about the engagement?
Should Matt not have been so harsh to her about his views?
Thanks so much.
Best wishes,
guiltypleasurexo
