1862

It was a crisp January morning and Cassidy was sitting in the downstairs parlor of her home that she had bought with Damon. Cassie had her hands placed on her hands as she was gazing out the window thinking about her wedding that was going to be on March 4th. She and Damon had been engaged for about a year and she couldn't wait to marry him. She heard Damon walk downstairs and she turned around and smiled at him, but he had a troubled look on his face. "Damon what's wrong?" she asked, concerned. He motioned her to sit down across from him on the couch. They sat down and she said, "What's going on? You're scaring me."

"Cassie, ever since April last year, as you know this country has engaged in civil war," He started to say. She nodded and said, "Damon what are you going on about?" He continued, "I talked with my father recently and because I am of age, I have to go and fight for the confederacy." He choked out the words, not daring to meet her eyes. When he looked up she stood up and started shaking her head. "What are you saying, that you have to go out and fight in the war? But the wedding is supposed to be in March'' he cut her off before she could rant any further. He embraced her tightly and stroked her hair trying to calm her down from hyperventilating. She started babbling into his shoulder while tears went down her face, "Damon you can't, we're supposed to be married, what if something happens to you?" Her fragmented sentences and the sheer heartbreak he heard in her voice made him feel the worst pain in his heart that he could imagine. He embraced her even more before stepping back and holding her face in his hands, "It's going to be okay, we're going to get married, we have our whole lives together. I promise I will come back to you." The words were so hard to speak but he managed. He ran his fingers through her hair and she nodded, "Okay just make sure you come back to me." She wrapped her arms around his neck and laughed slightly into his shoulder making her cry even more. He smiled and let out a deep breath.

About a week later Damon, Cassidy, Stefan, and Abigail were all on the front lawn of the Salvatore estate saying their goodbyes to Damon. Abby practically jumped into Damon's arms squeezing him tightly, "Come back soon okay?" She said; her words muffled into his chest. He chuckled softly and nodded. Stefan hugged Damon and said, "I'll see you soon brother." Cassie and Damon had already said their goodbyes. He hugged her once more and said, "I don't know exactly when I'll be able to come back, but we'll be able to write to each other." She smiled softly and he hugged her whispering in her ear, "Don't worry, I'm coming back and we're going to be married-soon." They parted and she smiled looking into his blue eyes. He leaned down and kissed her, savoring the feel of her lips against his. "I love you so much," he said softly. She nodded and hugged him once more, whispering in his ear, "I love you too."

It was March 4th. Damon and Cassie had been able to send a few letters back and forth but he was still away with the confederacy. They obviously had to push back the wedding, and Cassie just had an aching feeling in her heart not being married to Damon. Earlier in the morning, she had spent time with her father but his attempts and cheering her up didn't go so well. She went down to the downstairs parlor and looked at the moon and started. She smiled knowing that soon this would all be over and she'd be able to be with Damon.

She started another letter having received one from him a few days prior.

Damon,

Today was supposed to be our wedding day. I know you're going to come home to me soon and we'll be married soon, but I can't wait to be known as Mrs. Salvatore. I love you so much and everyone in town respects you greatly for going off into the war. Know that my thoughts are always with you and I can't wait to see you. I miss you terribly. So do Abby and Stefan. They both say hello and wish you the best.

Love,

Cassidy

Back at the Salvatore estate Abby and Stefan were roaming around the garden. Stefan looked around then brought Abby closer to him grabbing her hips. He kissed her softly. She pushed away at his chest and chuckled, "Stefan, someone might see us," she said with a little bit of urgency. He smirked a sweet smirk and grabbed her hand, "Well then, let's go somewhere no one can see us."

She laughed as he grabbed her hand running into the forest. They ran all through the forest until a clearing showed the falls. They stopped and they were both out of breath. Abby couldn't stop smiling, "Come on we should go to the top!" She said excitedly. Stefan nodded and they hiked up the falls until they got to the very top. The top of the falls was a grassy flat area. Abby plopped herself right on the ground and said, "This is amazing, we've never been up here before." Stefan sat beside her and laid down on his back, "I know, here lay on your back and look at the stars." She smiled at him and lay down next to him.

As they looked up at the stars that littered the midnight sky Abby said, "I feel so horrible for Cassie and Damon, they were supposed to get married today." Still looking at the sky Stefan replied, "I know, but it's not like they're never going to get married. They will, but things just didn't go as planned. We both know that they're meant to be together. They just have to be." He paused for a moment and Abby looked over at him, but his gaze was still locked on the stars.

He continued, "My brother and Cass are the types of people that are going to be together forever. I have faith that everything is going to be okay, I just wish Cass could see that." Stefan finally looked over and caught Abby's gaze, "I think if she heard you say it like that then she just might. How come you have the uncanny ability to make a bad situation like this seem all right? You have this way with words that's very reassuring." She smiled looking at him and he smiled back. She brought herself closer to him and closed her eyes, her smile never leaving her face.

It was in the last week of July, on a very hot day that Cassie, Abby, and Stefan decided to walk through the garden on the Salvatore property. They were chit-chatting, walking around not paying attention to their surroundings. Cassie kept an eye on the looks Abby and Stefan would give each other, making her suspicions about their relationship grow even more.

"What have you three been up to?" They heard a voice ask a few feet in front of them. Cassie froze; she hadn't heard that voice in months. She and Damon had been able to exchange a good amount of letters but being able to hear his voice made her heart swell. All three looked up and smiled at the sight of Damon sitting on a stone bench in his confederate uniform. He stood up and Cassie ran to him and latched her arms around him. He hugged her tightly, "You're home!" She exclaimed.

She grabbed his face with her hands and said, "You're here, you're really here." He held her face and kissed her and when they parted he replied, "I couldn't go another day without being married to you." She smiled and looked into his piercing blue eyes feeling her heartbeat out of her chest. They were lost in their own little world until Abby spoke up, "Well aren't you going to say hi to us?" Damon laughed and hugged Abby and his brother.

As they walked to the house, "You know, father's going to kill you," Stefan commented as they walked up the steps of the house. Damon then explained to the three that even though his father wouldn't be happy, he'd have to go back to the confederacy within a matter of weeks until he could be sent home for good.

Cassie and Damon were married on August 2nd, 1862. They were married in Fell's Church in the late afternoon and had a reception party in the beautiful, vast backyard of Cassie and Damon's home. Cassie and Damon were now currently dancing among a lot of the people that were in the backyard. Everyone was dancing, laughing, and drinking while listening to the upbeat music flow through the night sky. Cassie and Damon were swaying back and forth. Over Damon's shoulder, Cassie saw Stefan and Abby dancing. Stefan twirled Abby under his arm and smiles were plastered on their faces.

"Do you think anything is going on with those two?" Cassie said with a smirk on her face as she pointed to Stefan and Abigail. They stopped dancing and Damon looked behind him. He smirked and looked back at Cassidy, "I'm not sure, shall we ask?" She laughed and they walked over to the two. "What's going on you two?" Cassidy asked Stefan and Abby with a little bit of hidden meaning behind her voice. Stefan and Abby put some distance between them, "What do you mean?" Abby said a little too sweetly for herself.

Cass looked over the two and her woman's intuition told her something. She gasped a little and said, "There is definitely something going on between you two!" Damon laughed softly and said, "Come on, stop pestering them." "I just want to know if my little sister is going to end up having the Salvatore last name as well," Cass said nonchalantly. Abby gasped and her face turned red. That was the end of that conversation.

Later that night as Damon and Cassidy lay in bed, Cass turned on her side and looked at Damon. "I love you so much," she said simply. He smiled and brought her close, cupping her face and kissing her. He brushed his knuckles against her shoulder and said, "I love you too." She smiled looking down at her now wedding ring and smiled. She looked back up into his ice-blue eyes and said, "We're married; I am now officially Mrs. Cassidy Salvatore." He hugged her even closer and she nuzzled herself into her chest, "Yes you are," he said happily.