Days had passed since the ceremony and Stefan and Elena had refused to leave the comforts of the lake house.
Reality became a foreign concept to them both as they blissfully spent their days doing whatever they wished.
Despite the chill of the night, Elena was surrounded by warmth as she sat by the fireplace engulfed in Stefan's arms.
They were sharing a blanket as Stefan told her the stories of his past travels.
She took in every word as she stared at him in awe- she could not believe he had been to all of those places.
"The Eiffel Tower!?" she exclaimed excitedly as he told her about one of the many times he had been to Paris.
"Yep," he replied with a soft chuckle before he continued, "Paris is one of the most wonderful places in the world," he said as he looked into her big chocolate brown eyes that were filled with wonder, "and one day I am going to take you there," he whispered to her as he lightly placed a kiss on her nose causing a small giggle to escape her lips.
Stefan looked at her and all he saw was pure happiness radiating from her being.
In that moment Stefan knew that he was going to take her everywhere.
He wanted to show her everything beautiful that he has seen over the years more than anything.
Elena could not wipe the silly smile off her face as her cheeks turned a deep shade of red.
She was so happy, so incredibly happy, and she owed it all Stefan.
She nuzzled her head deeper into Stefan's chest and let his gentle voice consume her.
It was barely seven o'clock and Elena had already fallen asleep in Stefan's arms as they remained curled up on the couch.
The combination of the warmth from the fire, along with Stefan's gentle caresses put her right to sleep.
Never in her life had she been able to fall asleep without the fear of something bad happening to her, but now with Stefan, sleep always came so easily.
After a little while, Stefan carefully lifted her up and carried her to their bed.
He gently set her down trying his best not to disturb her as he climbed into bed next to her.
She stirred slightly in her sleep subconsciously inching closer to his side until her head was resting on the same pillow as his.
"Stefan?" she murmured softly, and Stefan couldn't tell if she was awake or talking in her sleep.
"Yes Elena?" he responded with a slight chuckle.
"I love you," she sighed after a long moment of silence had passed.
His heart swelled as he heard those three words leave her mouth.
"I love you too Lena," he whispered back with a small smile as he left a soft kiss on her forehead.
With that, her breathing evened out again signifying that she was fast asleep once again.
Stefan gently wrapped his arms around her and began to stroke her hair as he took in how peaceful she was.
This past week at the lake house had been complete and total bliss for Stefan.
He smiled as he thought about how much he had seen her laugh, and there was this light in her eyes that Stefan had never seen before.
He realized that she was truly beginning to heal.
With that Stefan closed his eyes and joined Elena in a peaceful sleep.
The next morning, Elena woke up on Stefan's chest andsuddenly she felt extremely nauseous.
For many days now she has felt like this in the morning, but it would always pass after a few minutes, although this is the worst she has ever felt.
The room began to spin all around her as she sprinted to the toilet.
Stefan was right there within a second holding her hair back as she threw up.
Before he could even wet her a cool washcloth or get her a glass of water she collapsed back into his arms.
She was so weak that she couldn't hold herself up any longer.
Concern spread throughout Stefan's body as he held her in his lap resting against the bathroom wall.
A few minutes ago she was sleeping so peacefully in his arms, and now she was sweating like crazy and had grown five shades paler.
"Oh baby," he cooed as he held her steadily in his arms stroking her hair.
"I don't feel good," she croaked out against his chest.
"I know my sweet girl, I know," he whispered as he continued to stroke her hair while cradling her in his embrace.
A moment later he placed his lips on her forehead and realized that she was burning up.
He carefully lifted her off the floor and carried her back to bed.
Not even a moment later he was back with two cool washcloths.
He gently placed the first one on her forehead and used the other one to wipe the throw up off her lips.
Suddenly tears began to stream out of Elena's eyes as the memories from all those terrible nights consumed her all at once.
Everything that she has been repressing all of a sudden sprung to the surface and she didn't know what to do.
She has done everything in her power to forget what Klaus did to her and move on.
Although despite her best efforts, she will never forget, especially now that she is almost certain that there is a growing reminder of what happened inside of her stomach.
"Hey, what's wrong sweetheart?" Stefan worriedly asked as he got into bed with her, carefully gathering her weak body in his arms.
He held her close to his chest as she trembled and shook in his embrace, causing his heart to break more and more as he watched her cry.
"N-nothing," she whispered trying her best to keep her voice steady, although she failed miserably as more tears streamed out of her eyes and onto his chest.
"Elena honey, this isn't nothing… please talk to me," Stefan pleaded desperately.
Elena just shook her head and began to cry even harder.
The memories from those awful nights consumed her as she curled up into a ball shaking uncontrollably in Stefan's arms.
Her surroundings became a blur around her- she could no longer hear Stefan or feel the bed underneath her.
She was back in the cell again.
Elena was sitting on the cool ground, boredom consuming her as she counted all 1,238 bricks surrounding her cell for the millionth time.
She was just thankful that Klaus was gone for the weekend.
At least she could get to live a few days without hurting.
Hours of silence passed and she began to get tired indicating that it was night time.
As time went on Elena got used to never knowing the time of day, she based her concept of time solely on what her body told her.
She didn't even have a window to the outside world so she never knew if it was light or dark outside.
As she was about to fall asleep on the cold stone floor she could hear a familiar set of terrifying footsteps coming down to her cellar.
Footsteps that petrify her every time she hears them, although this time she could tell he wasn't alone.
She closed her eyes and pretended like she was asleep in hopes that they would leave her alone.
Although she knew that would most certainly not be the case.
She clenched her eyes tighter as she heard her cell door unlock.
Her heart rate accelerated as the footsteps approached her still form.
Chills went down her spine as she heard Klaus speak.
She did everything in her power to stop from shaking and blowing her cover.
"This is the lovely Elena," Klaus purred to the other men in the room.
"This? This crumbled up piece of shit is what you dragged us all the way here for?" the first man said in a rough tone.
Suddenly there was a loud thud and Elena could smell blood trickling all around her.
She cringed as she heard the loud crack of his body breaking against the floor.
"Anyone else want to complain?" Klaus asked to what Elena thought to be the other men in the room.
"Great," Klaus answered after a moment, "Pity Marco over there won't be able to enjoy her," he said eyeing the man he just killed.
The next thing Elena knew Klaus was right next to her and caressed her cheek causing a small whimper to escape her lips.
"Oh so she is not asleep?" Klaus hummed against her skin.
Elena curled up into a ball as her body began to shake.
She could feel the other two men surrounding her as Klaus yanked her off the ground.
He roughly tore off her clothes leaving her completely exposed to the unfamiliar men.
She desperately tried to conceal herself, although it was no use.
Their eyes were fixed on her body causing Elena to softly whimper as she braced herself for what was about to happen.
Klaus looked the men straight in the eyes and began to compel them.
"I want you to have your way with her and not stop until you finish," he ordered.
"We will have our way with her and not stop until we finish," the men repeated back robotically.
Tears filled Elena's eyes as the men approached her shaking form.
She knew there was nothing she could do to get them to stop… they were compelled.
Elena saw Klaus take a step back and watch with a smile on his face as the men began to touch her.
With Klaus, Elena knew that he could not impregnate her, but these men were human.
She whimpered and cried as they took her inside of them completely unprotected.
The thought of her bringing a child into the dreadful horrible life she was forced to live caused her cries to increase as her body was experiencing a trauma it may never recover from.
Klaus would kill her child- she knows he would, she was sure of it.
"P-Please n-n-no," Elena cried, "I-It h-h-hurts, please s-s-stop, p-please."
She had been repeating these words over and over as she scrunched herself into a ball sobbing hysterically into his sheets.
Stefan had been desperately trying to wake her up, but he couldn't get through to her.
She looked so scared, so so scared, and Stefan was about to break.
He enveloped her shaking form in his arms, but no matter how close he held her she would not wake up.
Tears streamed down his cheeks as he did everything in his power to bring her back to him.
He has never seen her like this before and it was scaring him.
He needed to pull her out of the flashback as soon as possible.
He couldn't let her feel like this for another second.
"Come back to me Elena," he rasped unable to stop the tears, "Please baby… please."
She just continued to whimper as she cried out in pain curled up in a ball, and Stefan could not do anything to stop her suffering.
All he could do was hold her tighter praying that his comforting words would reach her and bring her back.
Suddenly she gasped as she began to choke on her tears.
That is when she realized where she was.
She was with Stefan, she was safe, she was okay.
Not even a split second later she buried herself in his embrace, clinging to him for dear life.
Her body could not stop shaking in Stefan's arms as tears streamed down her cheeks.
"I've got you, I've got you," he repeated while stroking her hair, "Shhh, you're safe angel, I'm right here, shhh you're safe."
Elena pressed herself as close as she could to Stefan, burying herself into his being.
She couldn't stop sobbing as she relived the feeling of how the men touched her, and her only sense of relief was the feeling of Stefan's arms around her.
Stefan's chest clenched tighter with each and every agonizing cry that escaped her lips.
He engulfed her shaking body in his arms doing everything in his power to comfort her.
He held her as her body racked with sobs, wanting nothing more than to take away everything bad that has ever happened to her.
He would do anything to take away every ounce of her pain.
Suddenly she pulled away from his arms, as a terrible realization washed over her.
Stefan won't want her anymore after she tells him about what happened to her.
He will hate her, he will think she is disgusting.
Why wouldn't he? Another man's baby is growing inside of her.
She began to sob harder and harder into the sheets as darkness consumed her.
Stefan completely broke.
Seeing her like this was tearing him up from the inside.
"Please tell me what's wrong, I'm begging you Elena," he said as more tears filled his eyes spilling onto his cheeks.
"N-No I-I c-can't t-t-tell y-you," she cried out, "Y-you w-w-will h-hate m-m-me."
Stefan's heart shattered in his chest as he got out of bed and kneeled on the floor next to her.
"Elena look at me," he said softly as he took her hands in his, "I could never hate you, and nothing you say will ever change that. I will always love you Elena, no matter what."
"N-No matter w-what?" she croaked between sobs.
Stefan smiled at her warmly with tears still present in his eyes as he nodded his head, "No matter what," he whispered back.
"W-Well I-I t-think I-I'm," she began, but couldn't finish her sentence, it was like the words couldn't come out.
Stefan softly rubbed her arm giving her the gentle support she needed to continue.
He had no idea what she was about to tell him, but he knew they would be able to overcome whatever it was together.
She took a deep breath and hid her face away from him before finally letting it out.
"I-I think I'm pregnant," she whispered shamefully as more tears filled up her eyes.
At first, he was confused… the baby definitely wasn't his, and before he found her she was locked away in a cell…
Suddenly the cause hit him like a ton of bricks, and all of her screaming in the flashback started to make sense …
She had been raped.
"Oh baby, oh my god," he whispered as he quickly gathered her shaking form in his arms after his terrible realization.
Everything instantly crumbled around him causing a physical ache to form in his chest at the thought of what happened to her.
"I love you so much, I'm sorry, I'm so so sorry," he continued as he held her close.
The thought of anyone touching his precious girl like that broke him.
He could practically feel the fear radiating from her being as she clung to him, and he wanted nothing more than to erase the terror from her eyes.
"I've got you, you're safe, shhh, you're safe," he cooed as did everything in his power to soothe her shaking body.
Tears filled his eyes as he took in her terrified expression, and he knew that nothing he could ever do will take away what happened.
By the look in her eyes, he knew that she was reliving the events from that night and all he could do was hold her while she cried.
His heart felt like it was being ripped from his chest as she told him everything through sobs.
She told him about how Klaus compelled the men to come onto her, and how he used the humans to impregnate her all so he could kill her along with her unborn child when he abandoned her in the woods.
"I'm so sorry my sweet angel," Stefan croaked, "I am so so sorry."
His heart broke more and more with each sob that escaped her small body.
He just held her in his arms, promising himself that he will never let her go.
He loved her so much and the thought of her having to experience all of that killed him.
"P-Please d-don't leave m-me," Elena rasped as she clung onto Stefan's shirt like a lifeline.
She couldn't bear the thought of him leaving her, but she would understand if he did.
Not only is she disgusting, but she has a baby growing inside of her that isn't even his.
"Oh sweetheart," he breathed as his heart continued to break, "You know I would never leave you. I love you so much Elena, so so much," he soothed giving her as much reassurance as he possibly could while holding her tightly in his arms.
When he looked down at her all he could see was sadness in her beautiful brown eyes.
A sadness so deep that Stefan could feel it in his own chest.
"You will never be alone again Elena. I promise you will always have me, and I will love your child with all my heart."
New tears welled up in Elena's eyes at his words, and a small watery smile began to form on her lips.
"Do you really mean that?" she asked in disbelief.
"Of course I do Lena," he answered instantly as he brushed a few tears away from her cheeks, "I love you so much, and anything that even has a small piece of you in it I will instantly love as well," he said as he playfully poked her nose knowing it will make her giggle in that adorable way that only she knew how.
Elena sniffled as the shadow of a smile began to appear on her lips.
Her heart swelled as she pictured Stefan holding their tiny child in his arms.
When she looked into the future, all she could see was a home for their child filled with so much love.
"Thank you" Elena whispered softly as he wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks before she continued, "Thank you for allowing me to look into the future and have hope."
They stayed in bed in each other's arms for hours talking about anything and everything that has to do with their child.
Everything from names, to what the nursery will look like, to what they will be like when they are a teenager, to what college they will go to.
Elena could see Stefan's green eyes sparkle as he talked about the baby and it warmed her heart.
She pictured what her future will look like as she snuggled herself up in Stefan's arms soaking in the comfort of his embrace.
She closed her eyes as he soothingly stroked her hair, relishing in the feel of his hands on her body.
"You are going to be a great father," she whispered quietly against his chest.
Suddenly his hands stopped caressing her hair, causing her to look up at his face.
He had tears in his eyes, but a small watery smile was present on his lips.
"What?" Elena asked quietly with a smile while looking up at him.
"It's just that I never thought I would hear anyone say that," he whispered softly, "I can't believe that I am going to be the father of your child."
"Our child Stefan… the father of our child," Elena said as she ran her fingers through his hair leaving a gentle kiss on his cheek.
After she pulled back she met his eyes and her gaze lingered on his.
When she looked at him she did not only see the love of her life, but the man who she will raise a child and start a family with.
She slowly brought her lips from his cheek to his jaw leaving gentle yet passionate kisses down his neck.
The thought of Stefan being the father of her child made her want him even more.
He tilted his head back in satisfaction as she suckled on the spot that she knew drove him crazy.
She eventually made her way back up to his lips and smiled as a small groan escaped his lips before she placed her lips against his.
Butterflies emerged in her stomach as Stefan's tongue gently probed against her lips silently asking for entry.
They felt more connected than ever before because they both knew they were a part of something bigger than themselves.
They were going to raise a child together.
Stefan began to softly kiss down her body only stopping once he reached her stomach.
He then carefully lifted up the bottom of her shirt and smiled as he gently caressed her stomach before leaving delicate kisses around the area.
He was so extremely gentle with her that Elena felt like she was going to melt.
She just closed her eyes and succumbed to the feeling of Stefan's soft lips gently caressing her stomach.
She loved him more than she thought was possible.
More than she had ever loved another being in her whole entire life.
He made her feel so special when she was with him.
He made his way back up to her face and gently pushed her hair behind her ears.
"I love you," he whispered softly to her before placing his forehead against hers.
"I love you too," she whispered back before letting her head fall into the crook of his shoulder.
They both could not wipe the silly smiles off of their faces as they held on tightly to each other.
Elena sighed as Stefan wrapped his arms around her gently resting his palms over her stomach.
"We are going to give this child the most amazing life," Stefan whispered into her ear as sleep was about to take over.
Elena smiled against his chest as her eyes closed and sleep won.
Stefan held her close as she slept, and his heart continued to grow and break simultaneously as he thought about everything that had happened to her.
He knew that from this moment on he would never let anyone touch his family.
He sighed as he held Elena close to his chest.
She was his family, and he loved her with everything in him.
He delicately stroked her long chestnut hair until he joined her in a dreamless slumber.
They both fell asleep tangled up under the covers, completely secure in each other's arms.