"I think we need to stay in this engagement bubble forever." Payton said to Stefan as she lay in bed beside him, he had just made her breakfast and she had scoffed the whole load down in record time, eating for three was a challenge, she was always hungry.
"We can," He reassured her, going to lace his fingers through his own, looking down at the ring on her finger, "when do you think we should tell people?"
"Whenever you want. I mean it's going to be hard to hide it when I have a ring on my finger. I'm just glad my fingers haven't started to swell!" She sighed looking back at him.
"I guess that's true" Stefan smiled back at her, rubbing her thumb across the top of her hand, "I guess what I mean to say I want to show you off as my fiancé."
"I like the sound of that." Payton grinned back at him, before leaning across to capture his lips in a soft kiss.
After the proposal last night the two had just wanted to be alone, even when the boys came home, they hid in their room to avoid conversation, she hadn't even told Caroline when she had called last night, she had kept everything to herself and of course she hadn't spoken to her Dad since finding out about him wanting to leave town when the babies were born.
"How do you think Damon will react to having me as part of your family?" Payton questioned with a joking tone.
"I think he'll have to just accept it!" He responded back.
"Have you heard anything from him at all?" She asked uneasily.
"Nope." Stefan sighed lightly thinking since he saw Damon leave earlier last night and hadn't returned since.
"He'll come back." Payton tried to say hopefully.
"Hmm," He wasn't so convinced, if he knew Damon, he would be causing trouble somewhere, "I just can't stop thinking about the day those babies are born and I can get you back properly."
"What do you mean?" She teased him before going to roll the silk robe up her leg to show her upper thigh.
"Exactly that!" Stefan grumbled, the sexual frustration he felt from a lack of sex was getting to him more and more, "it's been too long."
"How do you think I feel?" Payton whined, before going on, "I feel so damn ugly being pregnant."
"You're far from it." He assured her laying his hand on her thigh.
"I just can't feel sexy when I'm like this." She motioned down to her bump.
"You're beautiful, Payton and I can't wait to show you just how beautiful you are." Stefan smirked back.
"Don't tease me," Payton pouted back at him before adding, "plus the alcohol! I miss it. I used to love a drunken night of sex."
"Well I guess I know what giving birth present I'll be getting you." He chuckled.
"I can't wait!" She beamed at the idea of alcohol and a night with him.
"I love you," Stefan reached across and pecked her on the lips, "so much."
"I love you too," Payton kissed him back, before she found herself wincing, "oh god."
"Are they kicking again?" He presumed from the look on her face.
"Yep," She groaned, going to lay her hand over her stomach, before going to pull herself up, but when she did it just hurt more, "oh god!"
"You okay?" He asked with concern, seeing that her face looked more in pain than usual when they kicked.
"Ow!" Payton gasped, before shaking her head, trying to brush it off with a laugh, "oh..."
"Pay?" Stefan looked back at her, not liking the look of how she was.
"I need to get up!" She exclaimed, going to try pull herself out of the bed.
"Let me help you." He suggested, quickly coming round to the side of the bed as she slowly managed to sit herself up properly.
As she went to stand onto her feet, grimacing through the pain, Stefan took hold of her arm and helped her up, but before he could, an awful pain shoot across her stomach, causing her to topple back down, this time face down onto the bed, her breathing began to get heavy as she let out a sharp groan at how she felt.
"Payton?" Stefan said with worry as he wrapped his arm around her back and tried to get her to stand up.
"I..." She began to grow dizzy and confused, before she went limp in his arms and blacked out on the bed bellow him.
"Payton?" Stefan began to shake her head with panic, the girl was completely out of it, there was no response from her.
"Uh, Ric, it's Stefan," He found himself saying a while later as he stood outside the hospital room door where Payton was inside being seen by a Doctor, he had tried calling Alaric on the ride over, but he never picked up, he knew why so he thought it would be a good idea to leave a message, "I know you're busy today but can you call me when you get this? It's important."
Alaric would kill him if anything happened to Payton or the babies and Stefan failed to tell him so he had to try to get through to him even if his girlfriend and her Dad weren't talking after last night when she found out about him leaving.
As he hit the end button of the voice message, the Doctor came out of Payton's room, flashing him a warm smile, "She's napping now. But she's okay. Her hearts a little weak but the babies appear to be totally fine." She informed him.
"You sure? She collapsed," Stefan pressed further for answers, not understanding why Payton had fainted earlier on, it was like her pregnancy symptoms from months ago all over again, "that's not normal."
"Hmm. It's not abnormal either," The doctor explained, opening up Payton's folder and looking at her notes, "her blood vessels have dilated which can lower blood pressure. Do you need me to contact the father?"
"Uh, no, uh, I'm not the father but I am her boyfriend," He went to correct himself quickly, "I mean fiancé. The father isn't around so." He tried to explain even if it wasn't the full truth.
The Doctor nodded back at him in acceptance, before going to head down the hall leaving him to go inside Payton's room and check on her properly, upon hearing the door open up her eyes fluttered open, she saw it was Stefan, instantly feeling safer and more alive, despite how groggy she was feeling.
She forced a smile onto her lips to greet him, as he closed the door behind himself and came over to her bed side, "Hey." He said in a soft tone.
"Hey." She said back to him in a dry one.
"Scared me there for a minute," Stefan told her before picking up her hand, going to admire the engagement ring that now sat on it, before his eyes widened in shock, "what is this?"
Payton's eyes darted down, panic flooding through her when she saw what he was looking at, her skin was turning grey, just like it did when a vampire was desiccating.
What the hell was going on?
"Oh my god," She gasped, as Stefan held her hand, looking down at her fingers, as her body went into panic mode, "i-i-is my hand desiccating?"
Stefan frowned in confusion and worry not understanding what was going on with her, first she fainted and had other things wrong with her, now she was desiccating for no apparent reason. Something wasn't right and didn't make sense and he was freaking out. This was way out of his expertise.
He had no other choice than to make a call to Valerie and to get her over there. As much as Payton hated the idea of the girl getting back involved with their problems, she knew she was the best option right now since she had already helped reveal she was even pregnant in the first place. She still didn't like the girl though and if she pushed it, Payton would make her pay even in her groggy state.
When Valerie got to the hospital, she came to examine Payton's hand, she held it in her own, "Well that's not good." She remarked unhelpfully.
"Well obviously!" Payton grumbled back, already thinking this was maybe a bad idea, "that's why I annoyingly had to accept the fact we had to call you in the hope you would fix it!"
"May I?" Valerie said pulling her hand off Payton's and motioning to the large bump on her stomach.
Payton reluctantly nodded back at her thinking this was their only option right now to have Valerie help them. She was terrified inside as to what could be going on. This was so out of anyone's usual comfort zone.
Valerie began to hover her hand over the bump to try to suss out what was going on but as she did she felt a throb hit her own hand, causing her to gasp and quickly take her hand away from Payton's stomach in confusion.
Payton glanced down at her own hand, seeing it had stopped desiccating for the time being, as Stefan asked, "What did you just do?"
"I didn't do anything!" Valerie exclaimed.
"What's that supposed to mean?" He pressed not understanding.
"I think these babies are siphons like me." Valerie admitted to them after experiencing what she did and putting the pieces together.
"What?" Payton said back in shock not expecting that, she knew they would grow up to have witch powers because of Jo, but not this.
"And I'm afraid they might be feeding off your blood." She explained to them in an uneasy tone.
"So w-what does that mean?" Payton urged her to go on, wanting to know the risks.
"As in, they're literally siphoning the vampire magic out of your body!" Valerie told her.
Valerie left to go try to find a solution to this issue, leaving Payton and Stefan anxiously together in the hospital room, as she looked back at him uneasily.
"Hey it will be okay," Stefan said going to perch on the bed beside her, running her hand over her face in comfort, "I promise."
"How?" She cried, hating how emotional she was, but she was so scared.
She could not lose these babies. They were her sisters.
"Valerie will come up with a solution and you'll feel better. You're in safe hands." He assured her rubbing his thumb across her cheek.
"I just...I don't want anything to happen to me or them. We're so close now. I only have a short amount of time to go until they're ready to be born. We can't give up now we've got this far!" Payton exclaimed.
"I know and it will be worth it in the end. It's just a little bump in the road." Stefan tried to convince her but also himself, he really was putting all his hope in Valerie that she would be able to fix this because he didn't know what he'd do if not.
"I should probably call my Dad." She found herself saying thinking he should know.
"Don't worry. I already called him. But he hasn't got back to me yet."
"Oh." Payton was a little hurt to hear this, thinking the worst that he didn't care after their fight.
"He's at the interview for the job. That's why he hasn't answered yet." Stefan admitted to her uneasily.
"Oh," She said once more, a little bit more settled knowing that, but hearing the reminder that he was going to leave again felt just as painful, "thanks."
When Valerie got back a while later that day, Stefan went to go grab them a couple of coffee's whilst Valerie stayed with Payton, she had brought the girl a bracelet, in which she was now putting on her wrist.
"What is it?" She asked as Valerie fixed it in place.
"It's a talisman spelled with magic." Valerie answered her.
"What does it do?" Payton asked further looking down at the object on her wrist as Valerie pulled away.
"I'm hoping the babies will put from it instead of you."
Payton looked back at her uneasily, "And if they don't?"
"If it doesn't work, I'll find something stronger," Valerie explained, before adding, "I won't let anything bad happen, I promise."
She looked back at the girl and for the first time, Payton actually believed that the girl was being sincere, that there wasn't any maliciousness there in her actions. Payton felt grateful right now to have someone helping even if it was someone she had drama with.
"Thanks," Payton said forcing a smile back at Valerie, before going on, "I'm sorry I punched you that day."
"Let's just blame the hormones, shall we?" Valerie tried to make light of the situation.
"Yeah we could but I was also being a bitch. I have been a bitch. And I probably won't ever get on with you, no offence, I mean who knows but I do appreciate this. So thank you." Payton told her once more.
Just then Stefan appeared at the doorway, Valerie went to go talk to him outside to give him an update, as Payton glanced down at the talisman on her wrist.
"Better get used to the coffee," Stefan told her as they began to slowly walk down the hall, "Doctor asked her to stay in for observation."
"The desiccation hasn't come back," Valerie pointed out to him, as they came to a stop, "I think the babies have been siphoning very slowly for a long time. She just didn't realise it."
"That makes sense," He nodded back, as he went to explain, "there was a time she passed out right at the start. Could that have had anything to do with it?"
"Possibly or just her being pregnant," She answered back the best she could, Stefan lowered his head, looking his usually shameful and paranoid self, she thought she'd try to cheer him up, "I noticed the ring on Payton's finger. Congratulations are in order."
"Uh thanks." Stefan mumbled back, his mind elsewhere.
"Try not to worry, doesn't do any good," Valerie told him, picking up on his unease about the girl, as Stefan nodded, knowing she was right, but he couldn't help it, the thought of losing Payton was too much to even think about, "by the way, have you spoken to your brother today?"
"No, he hasn't been returning my calls," Stefan replied frowning back at her, not understanding why she'd ask, "why have you?"
"I saw him," Valerie admitted uneasily, "earlier at the Mystic Grill. He seemed very intent on getting under Julian's skin. He made quite a show of decapitating one of his men."
"What? Why would he do that?" He was confused to hear this but in someways not surprised, it was Damon after all, "Julian warned us to stay away from his friends."
"Seemed like he had a bit of death wish to me." She replied with slight warning as Stefan sighed, thinking he really did not have time for saving his brother right now with his fiancé's life in the balance.
Payton had been dozing on and off for god know's how long when she heard the door go, causing her to tilt her head over to it and seeing Valerie strolling inside, she was carrying a pile of magazines and a flask, "Thought you might like some terrible reading material and some real food seeing as you're eating for three and Jell-o won't cut it."
"Uh thanks," Payton said finding this all too strange and the fact she hadn't seen or spoken to her boyfriend in a couple of hours was now worrying her, "where is Stefan?"
"He had to step out for a bit." Valerie answered uneasily.
She immediately picked up on something being wrong, "What why?"
"He went to Mystic Falls." She began to say.
"Why would he go back there?" Payton was confused, he had promised he wouldn't leave her yet here she was talking to the girl he had lost his virginity to, it was far too weird and she was growing increasingly worried.
"Damon's got himself into a bit of trouble with Julian," Valerie explained to her, as Payton rolled her eyes, thinking it of course had to do with Damon, "now I told him he didn't need to worry that I would stay and look after you."
"No offence but I'd rather him be here right now," She shot back at the girl a little harsher than intended, before she went on, "why would he go back to that stupid bastard who put him inside that stone in the first place? Couldn't you run along and go help?"
"What? No..it's not about me," Valerie tried to tell her, as she shook her head.
"Then who is it about huh?" She gave Valerie a disapproving look.
"It's..."
"You shouldn't be here!" Payton said to the girl, as she was shaking her head now, the panic suddenly hitting her hard as she thought more about this risk, "you have to go get Stefan and make sure he is ok! The last time Julian was left around the two of them, all hell broke lose and they were sent inside that stone!"
Valerie didn't take much convincing after that, she quickly left the room, giving Payton a chance to try to call her Dad, knowing they had to talk.
"Pay?" He answered almost immediately after she dialled his number, "I just literally got out of my interview. I'm on the way to the airport now. What's going on?"
"I'm in the hospital. But please don't worry. I'm going to be okay." She tried to reassure him even if she had no idea herself.
"I swear if I had known this was going to happen I wouldn't have even gone this morning!" Alaric exclaimed.
"Dad, stop!" Payton was quick to stop him from apologising, "you weren't to know. None of us were."
"How are you feeling?" He asked with concern.
"I'm fine! Like I said! Valerie has got the babies siphoning some magic off a talesman or whatever the hell it's called. I'm fine now!" She explained to him.
"And the babies are okay too?"
"Yes!" Payton hissed back at him, before going on to say, "you can come visit me in the morning when you get back."
"I should be there, Pay. I can't have my daughter alone during a time like this." He grumbled kicking himself for leaving town.
"Whatever Valerie gave me seems to be working so please don't worry." She tried to tell him again.
"Well, I'm glad. But even so I am sorry." Alaric apologised sincerely.
She knew his apology was more than just the fact he couldn't be there.
"It's okay." Payton breathed lightly.
"For everything." He added back guilty.
"We'll talk tomorrow, alright? Have a safe journey home." Payton said to him not wanting to do this over the phone and plus she was so sleepy she wanted to just sleep off this day and her worries about Stefan.
"Call me if something happens. I'm here." Alaric reassured her thinking it was the least he could do.
"Love you." She said before hanging up, Payton went to click on her camera button, going to take a picture to send to her friends who she wondered if they knew she was stuck in this hospital bed, but as she went to hit the button to take the shot, she had a massive pain shoot from her stomach and down her leg.
"Ouch." Payton winced, shaking her head, panic surging through her once more, thinking this could not be happening again.
Taking some deep breathes, Payton went to go onto her text messages to type out a message to Stefan in the hopes he would come help or at least Valerie would catch up to him and she could come back and help. She could have kicked herself for forgetting to get the girl's number. Payton could have just got her to come straight back.
Payton winced again when the pain began to grow, causing her to pull the blanket off her body and her eyes widened in horror when she saw her leg begin to desiccate, "Oh my god," She gasped, her cell phone flying out of her hand and down onto the bed next to her, as she went to reach for it to call for help, her hand began to desiccate all over again as well, "oh my god," She repeated in horror at what was happening, the pain only getting worse, "shit!"
Before it all of a sudden went black, the pain ending as she gave into the darkness that surrounded her, just like she had this morning when it had happened the first time.
When Stefan burst through the door hours later after a night from hell, he wasn't expecting to see the sight that was left for him, his fiancé was laying completely out of it on the bed, the desiccating had begun all over again only this time it was so much worse, it was all over her body, travelling up her neck to her face, the sight he was seeing made him instantly stop in his track at first.
He couldn't believe what he had just walked into. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. If he had known she would have gotten worse, he would have never left her. Now the guilt was building inside of him and the fear he felt that if he had been any longer he could have lost her completely, but he still had hope she would be fine and if she wouldn't be, then it was on him, he would never forgive himself.
"Payton, Payton," He said in a distressed tone, coming over to her bed side, he laid his hand on top of her own, she didn't move or even stir from her slumber, "Payton!"
Quickly Stefan dialled Valerie's number, begging her to get the hell over here, before he walked out of the hospital room and straight over to the staff, he began to compel them to take her straight into the operating room, there was no way they could wait until she gave birth now, they had to get those babies out of her otherwise they would really lose her.
And he wasn't prepared for that to happen. There was no way in hell he was going to lose her.
Because this was all his fault. He should have never left her for the sake of his stupid brother. He should have stayed with her. He could have helped her. He should have helped her.
Not long after, Stefan stood on the other side of the glass as he watched from the outside looking in at the operating room, where they had prepared Payton for the c-section. They had begun to reach for the tools, when he let out a large deep breathe, trying to hold it together, but inside he was carrying a lot of shame and the fear he felt was overpowering for him.
Upon seeing the babies heart rates creeping up and no progress being made, as well as the bubbling up emotion he felt inside, Stefan spun round and hit the plastic chair in front of him, sending it flying across the room with a loud bang, he could not believe he had been so stupid and so naive, he had completely let his future wife down.
Valerie rounded the corner just in time to witness his rage, "Probably isn't the best time mention they ran out of cream," She said coming down the hall to him carrying some takeout coffee's in her hand.
"Sorry." He apologised for lashing out as he took one of the cups from her and looked back at his fiancé through the glass.
"Don't be," Valerie assured him, as she looked back at the same sight ahead, "you have every right to be upset."
Stefan let out a large sigh, as Valerie went on to ask, "What did you tell them?"
"Oh, I compelled the Doctors to ignore all the things that medicine couldn't explain."
"Good. I compelled the Doctor to shut down this entire wing," She said looking around, so it's just us. Didn't want a vampire C-section to draw too much attention," She paused nervously looking back at his distressed face, before asking, "has she regained consciousness?"
"No, not yet." He shook his head sadly.
"I gave her my magic. I've stopped the desiccation." Valerie reminded him, wanting to help ease some of his worries.
Stefan sighed once more, turning round to her, "I knew she was sick, but I left anyway. What kind of husband am I going to be if I just leave her when she needs me the most?" He shook his head, looking back at the screen again where Payton lay, "I almost killed her."
"And what were you going to do?" Valerie questioned him back, "allow Damon to get his head ripped off in a bloody fight ring? Your brother needed you!"
"My brother doesn't care about anything or anyone." Stefan snapped back, as he added, "he made that exceptionally clear yesterday."
"Have you talked to anyone else about what he did to Elena?" Valerie wondered.
"The entire drive home I was trying to...figure out a way to tell everyone. I just couldn't find the words." He admitted nearly breaking.
"Look, right now all you need to worry about is inside that room," Valerie tried to calm him down, she hadn't really seen this side to him before, she had seen the angry and guilt one surrounding Julian, but this was awful to watch for her, "Payton is going to have the babies. Everything will be fine and all this will be over."
Stefan kept silent staring at his girlfriend who was now ready for the c-section, until he turned his head to Valerie, forcing a tight smile on his lips, nodding his head back at her and mouthing a thank you.
"I've just landed. I'm now leaving the airport and should be back at Whitmore in a few hours." Alaric explained to Stefan on the phone a few moments later after Stefan had left him an urgent voicemail ready for him when he landed.
"You don't have a few hours. Payton's stable but the Doctor needs to perform a c-section now." Stefan informed him in a serious tone.
"Okay yeah," Alaric sounded distressed as he answered, so many thoughts were going through his head, he wanted his daughter to be safe but he also wanted these babies to be safe too yet he was disappointed he wasn't going to be there for the birth, "I literally only spoke to her a few hours ago and she was fine!"
"I know it happened so fast!" Stefan tried to tell him, the guilt eating away at him knowing he could have helped if he had been there, but now this was all his fault.
"Just do what you have to do but promise me you've got the best Doctors in Virginia." Alaric proposed to Stefan in a panicked tone.
"Just hurry back!" Valerie called down the call before Alaric let out a large sigh and hung up.
Just then the Doctors began to begin the c-section, they were reaching for the instruments, Stefan anxiously watched as they went to make an incision into her stomach, but just as they did, the heart rate monitor began to let out a large beeping noise, the babies heart rates began to go through the roof on the screen, Stefan frowned at what he was witnessing in front of him.
The Doctor began to struggle to cut through Payton's stomach, there was blood oozing from the wound, but she couldn't make the cut, it was like something was stopping her from cutting through the skin, her hands were shaking from the force of it.
Suddenly the scalpel flew out of the Doctor's hand and across the operating room, the Doctor gasped in shock at what was happening, "What the hell was that?" Stefan exclaimed witnessing it all from behind the glass screen.
Next there was a loud whooshing noise, before the instruments on the tray were being flown across the room and down onto the floor below the Doctors, Stefan and Valerie wasted no more time, they quickly ran into the operating room to go figure out what the hell was going on.
One of the Doctors went to bend down and reach the instruments but Valerie warned her, "No don't touch that!"
The monitor began to beep loudly in the background, the heart rates still high, but once the room fell silent and no one barely moved, they began to decrease again.
"I think the babies want to stay where they can keep feeding off Payton as a source of magic," Valerie gathered after she put the pieces together at what just happened, before it suddenly hit her, "I don't think they want to be born."
Stefan swallowed away the harsh lump that had built in his throat the moment he had witnessed the babies retaliating back, now he was looking back down at his girlfriend in complete fear, if they couldn't get the babies out, then they would just keep eating away all her vamperism until she was no more and he wasn't going to have this happen.
This was his fault and he was going to fix it.
Payton slowly felt her eyes flutter open, a heavy feeling in her head caused her to groan slightly at how exhausted she felt as her eyes adjusted to the bright light, before they focused on the person sitting on the side of her bed, his hand tightly in her own.
"Hey," He said in a soft tone, as she slowly turned her head round to see him on the pillow, "you're awake."
"You're back," Payton breathed in relief to see Stefan was back, she wondered how long he had been gone and how long she had been in her slumber, "please don't take off like that again."
"I won't trust me. I promise," Stefan assured her, feeling his guilt eat away at him more when he realised she barely remembered anything, "I need to tell you something."
"Oh god what?" She grumbled back.
"We tried to get the babies out of you." He admitted to her nervously.
"What do you mean?" Payton frowned in confusion thinking she didn't remember a thing.
"I...when I got back..." Stefan began in shaky tone, she instantly picked up on his unease and it made her feel just as anxious, "you had started to desiccate again but this time it was bad. So we rushed you into theatre for an emergency c-section..."
"But the babies are still in there?" She looked down at the large bump still on her stomach in confusion.
"They don't want to come out." He informed her.
"What do you mean they don't want to come out?" Payton exclaimed, she felt so lost and overwhelmed by hearing all of this, she thought she had been asleep for the past few hours or however long.
"Valerie said the babies want to stay where the magic is. And right now that magic is in your blood which they're getting a steady stream of." Stefan explained to her, squeezing her hand in comfort.
She snapped her hand away from him and ran her fingers through her hair in distress, "Oh my god," She gasped, when the severity of the situation hit her hard, "I can't believe this is happening!"
"Please try not to worry." He said but instantly regretted after he did, he knew that was a stupid thing to say, but he just wanted to take her unease away.
"How can I not, huh?" Payton looked back at him with fear in her eyes, as she went on, "so what the hell are we going to do?"
"Well, Valerie's plan is to channel enough magic outside of your body so that the babies are drawn to it. That way they don't resist when the Doctor tries to pull them out."
"Wow," She chuckled dryly, as she shook her head, "there doesn't sound one part of normality or non supernatural method in that!"
"I know it's hard right now but we just want to keep you safe and get the babies out safely." He tried to tell her with a sad smile.
"Have you called my Dad?" Payton asked him next.
"Yes. He'll be here soon." Stefan nodded.
"He should be here to see it!" She sighed, before shaking her head, "no offence but I don't fully have a lot of trust in Valerie right now after everything and this stupid tailsman. Can't you get Bonnie here? I trust her witch abilities a bit more!"
"Yeah sure. I'll get her and Caroline to come help." He assured her thinking it was probably about time he informed their other friends what was going on but he didn't want anyone to worry.
"I'm scared." Payton admitted out loud, feeling the tears prick her eyes, Stefan quickly took her hand in his own again.
"I know. I promise everything will be alright," He assured her, rubbing his thumb across the back of her hand gently, "I'm so sorry."
"I just hope when I next wake up, you'll be there smiling at me, waiting to tell our friends the good news." She smiled through the tears, looking down at her engagement ring.
"That's something to focus on." Stefan pointed out to her also looking down at the rock that sat on her finger.
"So where is Doctor Valerie now?" Payton grumbled.
"She's getting help." He awkwardly told her.
She frowned back, knowing she couldn't trust the girl, this sounded too shady, "What do you mean help?"
Stefan sighed, thinking she really was going to flip out, but he had no choice now, "Nora, Mary-Louise and Beau."
Payton scoffed instantly at his words, "You're kidding me, right?"
"Payton." He said to her in a gentle tone, knowing she would flip out, so he would just let her and try calm her down after.
"This is just great! Not only do I have to allow myself to be weak enough to ask Valerie for help but now I've got to put my life and my future sisters lives in the hands of a bunch of freaks who have done nothing but ruin our lives the past few months!" Payton spat back in annoyance, she was so fed up of being pregnant now.
"I am not going to let anything happen to you." Stefan assured her looking back at her deeply.
A lot had happened since Payton was put under again, Valerie and the other heretics had tried to do the spell, it was working for a good while until a scar on Beau's neck opened up. It was the scar from the huntress, Rayna Cruz, the same one who had the ability to put vampires back into the hell pheonix stone, the exact stone Stefan and Damon were recovering from.
If you were marked with her sword, then you were being hunted until she could put you back in there. They had got wind a couple of days ago that she was back but it clearly seemed like she was being let out, which meant Beau who had been previously marked was now going to be hunted. The heretics clearly chose to save their fake brother over Payton and the babies so quickly escaped.
Valerie was working alone now using all her power and magic to help Payton through this and deliver the babies safely, although there was a concern she wouldn't be strong enough to do it all on her own, which is why they were waiting for Bonnie and Caroline to get there so Bonnie could help Valerie.
After taking a call from his older brother, who had warned him that the huntress was coming straight for Stefan since he had just recently got out of the stone, wanting to make him her next target and send him straight back inside with or without a mark, but he was still pissed at Damon, pissed at him for last night and pissed at him for being the one to let Rayna Cruise get her hands on the sword in the first place.
There was also the fact he had burnt Elena's body. Damon had burnt his girlfriend's sleeping body. Yet he was one of the few who knew. No one else. Not even her closest friends like Caroline or Bonnie knew. They would be so broken. Just as upset and hurt as he was. He had barely had a moment to come to terms with it because he was so wrapped up in saving Payton.
Valerie's spell was working, her desiccating was slowly easing off and the Doctors were finding it easier than before to perform the c-section.
Not wanting to be apart from Payton any longer, he went inside the operating room and went over to her, he instantly laid his hand on top of her own, before he closed his eyes and went inside her head, wanting to be close to her and assure her through this even if he couldn't speak to her properly, he would at least go inside her mind and remind her that he wasn't going to leave her.
"Don't you think we've had too many?" Payton giggled as she took a large swig of bourban straight from the bottle.
Stefan leant back, smirking at her, as he went on, "You deserve it after all this time."
"Are you sure you don't just want me to get so drunk that I can't resist you?" She teased handing him over the bottle.
Stefan took it from her and took a sip from it himself, "I just want you to be happy."
"I am happy," She smiled back at him, before her eyes went off him and glanced at her surroundings, suddenly everything began to feel very confusing, "wait...why are we at the beach? Why are we in Florida?"
"I thought you could do with going back here. It's one of your favourite places." He explained to her before reaching across and taking her hand in his own.
Payton frowned further in confusion, as she went on, "A-a-re you in my head right now?"
"Technically yes, but symbolically we're on that little get away we wanted to go on," Stefan answered her back, before handing her back the bourban, "here you go."
"Thanks I guess," She chuckled lightly shaking her head, as she took another swig from the bottle, "mmm I've missed this."
"I've missed you." He said back to her in a soft yet sad tone, thinking he wished he never left her.
"What's going on?" Payton said picking up on his sadness, not liking what was going on and why he was in her head, this only happened when something was wrong, "is everything okay? Is something wrong?"
"No, no, no," Stefan wrapped his arm around her back, pulling her into him and rubbing her back in comfort, "everything is fine. I just figured...you've been wanting to be back to yourself again, drinking booze, getting away from everything, being in one of your happy places, so the least I can do is keep you company and be there for a little while. That's all."
Payton smiled lightly back at him, before she leaned in closer to him and pecked his lips, "I love you, Stefan."
"I love you too." He kissed her back gently.
When Stefan reopened his eyes, he was hit with the same guilt and shame he had been carrying around since he had found her earlier that day, he just wanted her back to normal, so he could take care of her and make her so unbelievably happy, but he would have to be patient and hope that everything would be okay.
It had to be.
Suddenly the door flew open a while later, Bonnie and Caroline rushed in, Caroline looked shocked to see her friend in such a way, "Oh my god, Payton," She gasped, coming over to Stefan's side to comfort him.
"How is she?" Bonnie asked storming over knowing she came here to help but her body language and the look of horror on her face proved different.
"We're about to get the babies out," Stefan answered but he immediately picked up on her unease, "what's wrong?"
"Beau didn't get away," She informed him in a strained tone, as she did Valerie stopped the spell and opened up her eyes in sadness at this news.
"No, no, that's impossible!" Valerie shook her head in denial about this news.
"I'm so sorry, Valerie." Bonnie apologised hating having to break it to her.
"And what about the others?" Valerie questioned worriedly.
"I don't know," Bonnie answered truthfully, before she dropped a bombshell on them, "but I think Rayna's somewhere in this hospital."
"Where's Damon?" Stefan asked with concern at this news.
Unexpectedly the lights in the room began to flicker, causing them to look round in confusion, as Bonnie dropped more news on them, "My magic doesn't work on her and I don't think Damon can take her alone."
Stefan lowered his head in concern, as Bonnie quickly demanded, "Stefan, you have to go!"
"What are you talking about?" He looked back at Bonnie in disbelief, "I'm not going to leave her again!"
"I will stay and help Valerie. Caroline too," Bonnie assured him, as Caroline slowly nodded, "Damon needs you!"
"I don't care what Damon needs!" Stefan exclaimed.
"I don't know what he did to make you hate him," She went on to say to him, trying to persuade him that this was the right thing, "but he is so determined to make things right, he's gonna get himself killed. Do you honestly think I would do anything to put Payton's life at risk?"
Stefan turned his head away from her, seriously adding this all up in his head, every single inch of his body was telling him to stay here with the girl he loved, to protect her and be there for her when she woke up, because she was going to need him and he always needed her, there was no doubt about it, but he couldn't shake this feeling like if he didn't go help Damon, then he would lose his brother and they all knew how much Stefan suffered without him.
He also couldn't put Payton through that again either.
Suddenly Alaric burst through the door, relief washing over Stefan to see Payton's Dad here, knowing that the girl needed her father, she had been needing him for weeks now and he had just been pushing her out at every given moment, but now he was here, ready to hold her hand when she woke up and meet the babies that would become her siblings.
"What is going on here?" He asked with clear worry as he looked around at all of them and then down at his daughter.
"Stefan, go," Bonnie encouraged, thinking now Alaric was here, Payton would have even more people here for support, "Ric can take it from here."
Stefan swallowed harshly, before turning his head round, looking at his beautiful girlfriend lying there, he hated himself, he hated himself so much for leaving her, but he also couldn't bare the thought of being without his older brother again and the pain he felt when he lost him again, he knew Payton would be safe with Bonnie, Valerie, Caroline and Alaric round her, she had everyone she needed and more.
Stefan picked up her hand and pecked the back of it lightly, his thumb then grazing over the engagement ring on her finger, before he slowly pulled himself away, tears pricking his eyes as he did, before he walked out of the room, knowing if he looked back, he would just want to stay.
Bonnie began to help Valerie with the spell, Alaric had taken a seat down beside the bed whilst Caroline lingered at the back of the room near the door, almost on guard against anything Rayna related was brought to where they were, all of them were so anxious, not just for the girl and the babies, but for Stefan and Damon.
"How we doing?" Alaric asked the Doctors.
"Almost there." One of them answered.
Downstairs, the worst thing that could have happened had happened, Stefan was marked with the sword trying to protect Damon from being sent back into that hell stone. Now he was left with a bloody wound on his chest where the sword had hit him, meaning now wherever he went, Rayna would follow until she could send him back inside, there was no way he could ever go back to Payton now, because if he did, he'd put her and everyone's life upstairs at risk.
His mind flashed back to all his memories with Payton, the first time he met her at the high school, how daring she had been from the moment he had met her, when he had helped her at one of the many Mystic Fall balls after she had lost Mason, when they began to train together, their friendship developing, their drunken days at Christmas in Florida, their first kiss in her apartment, her asking him to come to Florida with her, the first time they slept with each other, when they began to date, when they moved in with each other, when they became boyfriend and girlfriend, their night away together, his proposal, all of it ran through his head.
He had just sacrificed all of that for his brother.
Back in the operating room, the babies were ready to come out, "Okay, now's our chance," The Doctor announced to the room, as she went to pull the first baby out, "first baby's ready." She slowly lifted the baby out and up, Alaric's eyes fell on the baby being held up in front of him, he felt his eyes well up instantly upon seeing the baby.
Upon hearing the baby begin to cry, Bonnie opened her eyes and watched on in awe at the sight, Caroline was covering her mouth in surprise at the first baby being born, she was so excited for Alaric.
One of the Doctor's carried the baby over to the cot to check them over and wipe them down properly, as the other Doctor announced, "And now, baby number two."
Alaric broke out into a smile upon seeing the next baby, a truly magical moment was being witnessed right in front of him and not because of the magic in the room, but because he was meeting his babies for the first time all thanks to his daughter, he would never stop thanking her for doing this for him.
Once the first baby had been cleaned and bundled up in a blanket and hat, the Doctor brought the baby over to Alaric, he immediately got up and carefully took the baby into his arms.
He looked down at the baby girl in his arms, nearly crying at the sight, she looked just like Jo, but she also looked a lot like Payton when she was first born, he remembered the day so well. Now he was getting to experience it all over again thanks to her being surrogate for the first few months.
"Is she okay?" Bonnie asked now they had finished their spell.
"Yes, she's okay." Alaric assured them, rocking the baby slightly with a big grin on his face, "they're both okay."
But when he got the news, when they all got the news about Stefan, they knew Alaric's first daughter, she was going to be far from okay.
Author note: Eeeeek! Sorry for the late update but I hope this one was worth it. Thank you so much for taking the time to read :)
Special thanks to team steroline mom and everylittleflowers for reviewing the last part. It means so much to me to hear your thoughts and read your kind words so thank you. I'm so touched that you love this story after all of this time!
I'd love to know what you think about this part.
Was Stefan right to leave Payton to go be with Damon?
Now the babies are here will Payton and Alaric work through their troubles?
How will Payton handle Stefan being on the run?
Thanks so much!
Have a good evening :)
Best wishes always,
guiltypleasurexo