Chapter 6
one month later…
Flowers were everywhere, along with balloons. The room was small and the bed wasn't much comfort to Meredith, dark hair matted to her rosy cheeks with perspiration. Her eyes fluttered closed sleepily only to be forced open at the mention of her name.
"Mrs. Saltzman?" a voice called.
Her eyes opened, revealing a nurse by her bedside.
"It's a girl," the nurse replied and smiled.
Meredith held out her arms, outstretched wide to hold her newborn. The nurse placed the baby wrapped in a maternity blanket gently into her arms. A moment later the door to the room burst open and Alaric walked in, an expression of wonder on his face.
"Meredith?" he asked. His eyes widened as she smiled at him, wearily but happily, her eyes flickered down towards the baby. "Oh my God!" he rushed over to her. He critically searched the baby's physical appearance.
"Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, Alaric," Meredith spoke, tiredness evident in her voice.
Alaric looked slightly embarrassed but continued to check for ten fingers and ten toes on his baby.
"All there?" asked Meredith.
"Yup. Every one of 'em."
The door opened again and in walked Matt along with Bonnie, Elena and Stefan.
"A girl! Oh my God Matt she's precious!" Bonnie cried exuberantly.
"Oh look how tiny she is!" Elena said. She went over to inspect.
"Did you know there are ten fingers and toes?" Meredith asked her, with a pointed look towards her husband.
Elena looked at her quizzically before laughing. "Yes, I did." Elena stroked the baby's cheek, touching the little fingers that had clung to her own.
Stefan moved besides her and smiled briefly. "Congratulations, again. Do you need anything?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing besides a little sleep…and Mr. Neurotic here to leave the poor child alone."
Alaric smiled sheepishly as he stopped poking the baby.
"Checking for ribs?" questioned Matt.
He snatched his hand away. "No…"
"She's _ fine _, Alaric. Relax," Bonnie said in an attempt at reassuring the new father.
"Want us to go?" asked Matt as he noticed Meredith's eyelids drooping.
"If you don't mind."
"All right. We'll be back later," called Bonnie from the doorway.
Alaric sat down in a chair by the bed, holding onto his wife's free hand. Stefan glanced at Elena who nodded.
"We'll get going, too," Elena told her friend. She patted Meredith's shoulder. Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her away.
Meredith proceeded to fall asleep, her baby in her arms.
Elena sat in the same park she'd been to about a week before, on the same bench, watching Meredith's baby sleep in the stroller in front of her. Tears escaped her eyes, slowly rolling down her cheeks, slipping to the ground. She didn't bother to brush them away; no one was there anyway.
The sun beat down on her back. Elena stifled a cry with the back of her hand.
"Why are you crying?" a voice asked softly from behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up with her tearstained face. She bowed her head when she saw it was Damon, caught between indignity and the pain for which she was crying.
He took a seat next to her. "Tell me."
She raised her head and stared at him. His black eyes scanned her face, studying her. For a moment neither spoke and tears continued streaking her pale cheeks, wisps of hair sticking to her face.
He raised a hand towards her face, lightly pushing the hair off her face, at the same time wiping a few tears away. Elena shook her head ruefully.
"The baby….I didn't want Stefan to see me so I took her here myself...."
Briefly, Damon looked puzzled. Then he seemed to understand. His gaze drifted to the sleeping form in the carriage and then back to her.
"It's because you can't have your own, isn't it?" he said, more of a statement than a question.
She nodded and a slight sob escaped her lips. Elena lowered her eyes again.
"Look at me, Elena."
She shook her head.
"Elena. Look at me," he told her sternly and when she would not he took her chin in his hands and picked her face up to meet his.
She looked at him for a second and then moved out of his grasp. "It's not fair!" she cried vehemently, blue eyes flashing.
"Who ever said life was fair, Elena? It is what it is." Damon eyes held challenge.
"You don't understand!" she retorted angrily.
"I do," he said.
Her blue eyes were pained yet heated with anger as she looked at him skeptically. Though her tears had slowed, they had not ceased.
"I know pain, Elena. I've caused it and I've lived it." His eyes darkened. "But I also know you're stronger than this."
"And if I'm not?! I'm so sick of having to be the one who's understanding and in control. It's always me being strong for everyone else. I know that I brought this on myself by asking to be a vampire, but no one seems to realize that I didn't do this for myself! I just want to be held… to feel safe…" Elena's voice trailed off, and her words subsided to silent sobs.
She stayed just as she was for a long time. She wasn't crying anymore, but it seemed to Damon that the very life had escaped her, and the fire inside — the fire that had rivaled his own — had almost faded.
"It's okay to be scared, Elena. It's okay. You don't always have to be strong."
He lightly pushed her back from him but did not remove his hold. His dark eyes were intent on her face. He touched her, his palm against the side of her face, and she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes.
His own eyes were on her lips.
She reached up suddenly, but gently and clasped his face between her hands as she held him at length.
"Don't," she said lowly, the blue in her eyes intense and bright with emotions.
He stiffened and then stepped out of her grasp. Straightening himself, his black eyes flashed. Then, he sighed, and his face seemed to change as though he'd been waging some inner conflict but had finally come to a decision. He placed two hands on her shoulders.
"Others can be strong for you as well. _ Stefan _ can be strong for you. You just can't let this bring you down."
Damon released her, stepping back.
Elena's eyes showed her surprise, and Damon turned to look at the pond. He knew why she was shocked. Damon glanced back and saw the look of realization on Elena's face.
Perhaps she had realized that he'd given up on winning her over. Perhaps she'd realized that all his disappearances had been for both her and himself; that he'd gone away to get over her and give her and Stefan time together. Perhaps she'd finally understood that he was ready to admit defeat; to admit that she had chosen Stefan over him, and that he was ready to be friends; nothing more, nothing less.
Elena put her fist to her lips as she looked at Damon with a touch of sadness in her blue eyes. "Damon," she said, and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry."
He stepped out from her embrace, his eyes darkening. Elena cast her eyes away as his expression changed. She looked toward the baby stroller, where Anya still lay sleeping peacefully.
There was still pain as she watched the infant's small chest rise and fall with every breath, but it had lessened, and for that Damon was glad.
"I need to get going...Stefan's waiting," she told him quietly.
He nodded. With a last brief glance at her, he turned and walked away.
End Chapter 6
one month later…
Flowers were everywhere, along with balloons. The room was small and the bed wasn't much comfort to Meredith, dark hair matted to her rosy cheeks with perspiration. Her eyes fluttered closed sleepily only to be forced open at the mention of her name.
"Mrs. Saltzman?" a voice called.
Her eyes opened, revealing a nurse by her bedside.
"It's a girl," the nurse replied and smiled.
Meredith held out her arms, outstretched wide to hold her newborn. The nurse placed the baby wrapped in a maternity blanket gently into her arms. A moment later the door to the room burst open and Alaric walked in, an expression of wonder on his face.
"Meredith?" he asked. His eyes widened as she smiled at him, wearily but happily, her eyes flickered down towards the baby. "Oh my God!" he rushed over to her. He critically searched the baby's physical appearance.
"Two eyes, a nose, and a mouth, Alaric," Meredith spoke, tiredness evident in her voice.
Alaric looked slightly embarrassed but continued to check for ten fingers and ten toes on his baby.
"All there?" asked Meredith.
"Yup. Every one of 'em."
The door opened again and in walked Matt along with Bonnie, Elena and Stefan.
"A girl! Oh my God Matt she's precious!" Bonnie cried exuberantly.
"Oh look how tiny she is!" Elena said. She went over to inspect.
"Did you know there are ten fingers and toes?" Meredith asked her, with a pointed look towards her husband.
Elena looked at her quizzically before laughing. "Yes, I did." Elena stroked the baby's cheek, touching the little fingers that had clung to her own.
Stefan moved besides her and smiled briefly. "Congratulations, again. Do you need anything?" he asked.
She shook her head. "Nothing besides a little sleep…and Mr. Neurotic here to leave the poor child alone."
Alaric smiled sheepishly as he stopped poking the baby.
"Checking for ribs?" questioned Matt.
He snatched his hand away. "No…"
"She's _ fine _, Alaric. Relax," Bonnie said in an attempt at reassuring the new father.
"Want us to go?" asked Matt as he noticed Meredith's eyelids drooping.
"If you don't mind."
"All right. We'll be back later," called Bonnie from the doorway.
Alaric sat down in a chair by the bed, holding onto his wife's free hand. Stefan glanced at Elena who nodded.
"We'll get going, too," Elena told her friend. She patted Meredith's shoulder. Stefan wrapped an arm around her shoulders and led her away.
Meredith proceeded to fall asleep, her baby in her arms.
Elena sat in the same park she'd been to about a week before, on the same bench, watching Meredith's baby sleep in the stroller in front of her. Tears escaped her eyes, slowly rolling down her cheeks, slipping to the ground. She didn't bother to brush them away; no one was there anyway.
The sun beat down on her back. Elena stifled a cry with the back of her hand.
"Why are you crying?" a voice asked softly from behind her. She felt a hand on her shoulder and she looked up with her tearstained face. She bowed her head when she saw it was Damon, caught between indignity and the pain for which she was crying.
He took a seat next to her. "Tell me."
She raised her head and stared at him. His black eyes scanned her face, studying her. For a moment neither spoke and tears continued streaking her pale cheeks, wisps of hair sticking to her face.
He raised a hand towards her face, lightly pushing the hair off her face, at the same time wiping a few tears away. Elena shook her head ruefully.
"The baby….I didn't want Stefan to see me so I took her here myself...."
Briefly, Damon looked puzzled. Then he seemed to understand. His gaze drifted to the sleeping form in the carriage and then back to her.
"It's because you can't have your own, isn't it?" he said, more of a statement than a question.
She nodded and a slight sob escaped her lips. Elena lowered her eyes again.
"Look at me, Elena."
She shook her head.
"Elena. Look at me," he told her sternly and when she would not he took her chin in his hands and picked her face up to meet his.
She looked at him for a second and then moved out of his grasp. "It's not fair!" she cried vehemently, blue eyes flashing.
"Who ever said life was fair, Elena? It is what it is." Damon eyes held challenge.
"You don't understand!" she retorted angrily.
"I do," he said.
Her blue eyes were pained yet heated with anger as she looked at him skeptically. Though her tears had slowed, they had not ceased.
"I know pain, Elena. I've caused it and I've lived it." His eyes darkened. "But I also know you're stronger than this."
"And if I'm not?! I'm so sick of having to be the one who's understanding and in control. It's always me being strong for everyone else. I know that I brought this on myself by asking to be a vampire, but no one seems to realize that I didn't do this for myself! I just want to be held… to feel safe…" Elena's voice trailed off, and her words subsided to silent sobs.
She stayed just as she was for a long time. She wasn't crying anymore, but it seemed to Damon that the very life had escaped her, and the fire inside — the fire that had rivaled his own — had almost faded.
"It's okay to be scared, Elena. It's okay. You don't always have to be strong."
He lightly pushed her back from him but did not remove his hold. His dark eyes were intent on her face. He touched her, his palm against the side of her face, and she looked up at him with red rimmed eyes.
His own eyes were on her lips.
She reached up suddenly, but gently and clasped his face between her hands as she held him at length.
"Don't," she said lowly, the blue in her eyes intense and bright with emotions.
He stiffened and then stepped out of her grasp. Straightening himself, his black eyes flashed. Then, he sighed, and his face seemed to change as though he'd been waging some inner conflict but had finally come to a decision. He placed two hands on her shoulders.
"Others can be strong for you as well. _ Stefan _ can be strong for you. You just can't let this bring you down."
Damon released her, stepping back.
Elena's eyes showed her surprise, and Damon turned to look at the pond. He knew why she was shocked. Damon glanced back and saw the look of realization on Elena's face.
Perhaps she had realized that he'd given up on winning her over. Perhaps she'd realized that all his disappearances had been for both her and himself; that he'd gone away to get over her and give her and Stefan time together. Perhaps she'd finally understood that he was ready to admit defeat; to admit that she had chosen Stefan over him, and that he was ready to be friends; nothing more, nothing less.
Elena put her fist to her lips as she looked at Damon with a touch of sadness in her blue eyes. "Damon," she said, and wrapped her arms around him in a gentle hug. "I'm sorry."
He stepped out from her embrace, his eyes darkening. Elena cast her eyes away as his expression changed. She looked toward the baby stroller, where Anya still lay sleeping peacefully.
There was still pain as she watched the infant's small chest rise and fall with every breath, but it had lessened, and for that Damon was glad.
"I need to get going...Stefan's waiting," she told him quietly.
He nodded. With a last brief glance at her, he turned and walked away.
End Chapter 6