Thank you so much for your lovely reviews and I apologize for the delay in updating. Life has been nothing short of an overwhelming whirlwind, as a result of which I lost my muse for a while. But I'm back again, and so are Delena!

Without further ado,

Chapter 10

How It Happened

A few quick rings in anticipation gave way to a long dejected beep of silence.

I sighed in dismay, staring at Caroline's contact. I tried to convince myself that she was probably busy in something rather than intentionally ignoring my call. That this wasn't a fight too big to cut off our friendship. I had already lost one best friend. I wouldn't be able to bear the loss of the other.

Helping myself to another slice of pizza, I had only taken the first bite when I took note of Damon's absence. My brows furrowed together in confusion as I craned my neck to search for him. When I spotted the faint sounds of his voice, I walked towards the next room, finding him pace around to and fro with one hand rubbing his temple and the other holding the phone to his ear.

"Well, why don't you try to understand for once?" His voice sounded strained as he turned his back to me.

I decided to give him his privacy just like he had given me mine, and had only started to walk back in the opposite direction when I heard, "She needs me here right now, Katherine."

I halted in my tracks, guilt seeping through my hitched breaths, "I signed the contract. You knew about this."

They were fighting over me? I turned around yet hid behind the door, far from his vicinity. Another pause. Another moment of lingering tension.

"I can't do this right now, Katherine. Not again." He waited for a second before sliding his phone into his pocket.

He walked up to the window on the wall adjacent to the door, perching his hand up the wooden frame as his troubled face reflected from the darkness outside. My heart grew heavy as I lowered my head, debating whether to approach him or not. Whatever I had caught on from that phone conversation, I certainly knew things weren't okay between Damon and his wife. Perhaps due to the lack of time he was able to give to her and their son. With his mother's complications being a constant worry, I was only burdening him with my woes. I put him in this position, I had to fix this.

I lingered at the threshold of the room, leaning against the door frame with my arms crossed over my chest as I made my presence, "Trouble in paradise?"

It was such a simple statement, a callous remark. And yet my heart clenched at the choice of words, at the memories it spurred.

He flinched for a second as well, as if in recognition, before turning over his shoulder and muttering along the lines of, "Isn't there always?"

I took two steps inside, "What happened?"

He quickly brushed off with a wave of hand, "It's nothing, really."

Maybe tackling the problem head-on wasn't the right way to go.

"I heard about Lillian…" I began, pushing my hands into the pockets of my pajamas.

"I suppose you did." His face crinkled for a second before settling for an austere expression.

I rested one hand on his upper arm before saying, "Don't lose hope."

He raised a brow skeptically as he turned towards me, "You're not sorry for me?"

I shook my head, never appreciating pity for myself either, "All's not lost yet."

"I say the same thing to her, but she never says anything back. Just smiles in a way that holds some imperceptible meaning." His brows puckered into a frown as I smiled back, my fingers circling his arm in an unconscious repeated motion.

"When did you find out?" I asked shakily, unsure of his response.

He heaved a deep breath before looking away, "Three months ago."

"And the doctors said…"

He hung onto my words, completing the sentence, "They're trying. But they're not too sure."

"How did Stefan take this?" I referred to his younger brother. Despite their differences in opinion, I knew they were close. They always had been.

"Why don't you ask him yourself?" He looked towards me and I winced.

Stefan and I had been good friends in college; despite him being two years my senior. Due to being from Founding families of Mystic Falls, my acquaintance of Stefan Salvatore had only grown from formal pleasantries at balls to light-hearted banter in college. Stefan had always been the obedient one; showing up at formal events, always in check. Completely the opposite to Damon. While our friendship remained platonic for as long as it lasted, I had broken off from everyone after my breakup with Damon.

"I've lost touch with him." I answered meekly, watching a glint of guilt cross his features. It passed as quickly as it came.

"Stefan is...okay, I guess. We try to avoid the topic as much as we can, especially when we're around Mom. I think we're still in denial." He scoffed lightly and I grimaced.

"It's okay. Being in denial is a lot closer to being hopeful. Don't give up."

"There isn't much else we can do, anyways." He sighed into a moment of a silence.

"You're not alone in this." He met my eye as a hopeful glimmer flurried through his orbs.

I desperately wanted to say that I was here with him, just like he had consoled me minutes ago. That I'd always have his back, no matter where in life we stood. But I couldn't bring myself to say it, the words clinging to the tip of my tongue. Because this wasn't the time to salvage what remained of our relationship, this was the time to reconcile Damon and Katherine.

And so I forced myself to say, "You've got your family. You've got Katherine."

He stiffened at that before hardening his grip on the wooden window frame, "I doubt that."

"Damon, she's your wife. Who'd know you better than her?" I reasoned.

"Sometimes a marriage can't solve every problem." He muttered with a groan.

Perhaps, this was it.

"It can, if you want it to." My words were met with an uncomfortable silence.

I took in his unfathomable expression, trying to read between the troubled wrinkles on his face. When I had heard news of his engagement to Katherine, I had subdued the piercing pain through my heart with the gentle hope of the man I loved finally finding happiness again. I had stopped counting the number of days left, silently praying he'd get married without my knowledge of it. Attending his engagement reception had been painful, but seeing him get married would have killed me. Each day I'd fall weak, I'd console myself that what I did was right. That walking away from him was the right thing to do. That abandoning him would lead him to his true source of happiness.

But he wasn't. Because despite having a family, he was here.

"Damon, why did you sign up to this?"

Maybe the question appalled him, for his eyes widened as he turned towards me.

"I told you already." He clipped, referring to the light-hearted prank between him and his wife.

I tilted my head to one side, "But not the truth."

His orbs clouded with fear and I persisted, "Damon."

"It was a result of a bad fight, actually." He began.

"Katherine works as a professional photographer for a male-oriented fashion magazine. She's well acquainted with many of the male models at her workplace. She'd often come back quite late in the evenings. I was fine with that; well aware that her work was as important to her as important my law practice was to me."

He paused for a moment, taking a breath as if to prepare himself for the confession ahead, "She got pregnant. I was visibly happy, and so was she. We were planning a nursery; choosing toys, buying tiny little clothes. I felt the closest to her in those months; like the way we were when we had started dating."

I nodded, ignoring the question that bombarded my head in that instant - when had Damon gotten together with Katherine? Were they really only friends when we were on the verge of breaking apart?

"But things just worsened after Louis was born. Katherine wanted to get back to work as soon as possible, she even considered hiring a full-time nanny to take care of our baby." Damon hastily added, "I wasn't opposed to that. I knew how passionate she was about her job. Becoming a mother doesn't mean letting go of your career."

The corners of my lips twitched into a knowing smile as I nodded, urging him to continue.

"But it was the incessant phone calls that got to me. The constant interaction with men at odd hours. That's when our arguments grew. I didn't like it that she was never home. That she was too occupied with work to give proper time to her family." He sauntered over to the other end of the room.

"Or maybe her cold behavior was just for me. I'd notice her cajole our son whenever he'd weep in the middle of the night. She didn't seem unhappy as a mother. But conversation had gotten limited between us unless it concerned our child. It was as if we were pretending just for Louis. And so I confronted her one night. I wanted to know what went wrong between us, I wanted to fix things." He looked over in my direction with a desperate plea in his eyes.

I could only gulp at the intensity of helplessness swarming across his face. "What did you say?"

He ruffled his fingers through his hair, "I told her I didn't like that she was rarely at home. That she always spent time with her male colleagues."

"Damon, you were jealous?!" I reprimanded his blunt attitude.

He shrugged callously, "I had every right to be."

I rubbed my temples in dismay, "You were supposed to trust your wife, Damon."

"So was she. But she didn't trust me, not with her secrets, nor with her problems." He relented.

I sighed in response, not wanting to argue with him. "I'm guessing she did object to that."

"She said I was overreacting. That there was nothing to worry about." When I passed a pointed look, he childishly whined, "I wasn't overreacting!"

I suppressed the need to laugh at his antics. "What happened next?"

"I feel like I'm being interrogated in court." He grumpily added.

"So now you know what it feels like to be on the receiving end." I smirked before raising my brows at him.

"I asked her how she'd feel if I hung out with female company on a daily basis. She said it wouldn't be the same thing, that whatever she's doing is professional."

I was quick in connecting the dots, "That's why you signed up to this?!" He wanted to make Katherine feel the same jealousy he had been going through. I faltered in my step as realization dawned over me. This was all about revenge.

"Katherine had told me about this initiative a few days before our fight. I thought I'd sign up as a volunteer just to spite her." He elaborated, the words ringing in my ears.

Every time I thought he was here because some part of his heart missed me, slowly faded into a dark abyss. I was a fool to revive any hope that wished he cared for me. Here was the reality, a taunt to my face.

"I didn't think of actually becoming a volunteer. I was hoping just the thought of me spending nearly nine months with a woman would make Katherine see my perspective."

I could barely utter anything more than a monosyllabic, "Hmm."

I needed to get out, get some time to console my quivering heart once again.

"But then I came across a profile named 'Meredith Bancroft' and for a second I had this inkling that it might be you." I found him walking towards me and my breath stuck in my throat.

"Just a tiny possibility of a stranger being you made me realize how much I needed to see you again." His voice lowered to a whisper, his orbs cradling newfound hope and elation as my mind took a moment to process the sudden swirl of emotions.

"W-what?" I fumbled.

"After the way we left things between us, I needed to know you were alright. And happy." He murmured, making me dive into nothing but his cerulean blue eyes.

"That was quite an unpredictable long-shot. And reckless of you." I finally found my voice again.

He simply shrugged with a lopsided smirk plastered onto his face, "I've quite often found recklessness to be a true reflection of one's instincts."

When I shook my head in disbelief to that, he scrunched his brows, "You still don't believe me."

"I like things perfectly planned and in order." I pointed out to which he guffawed.

I snorted in disapproval, "Hey, I had you tamed when we were together."

He countered immediately, "More like I had you untamed." I rolled my eyes at his cockiness before joining his fit of chuckles. "We were good together." His eyes bore into mine as his fingers found a strand of loose hair peeking from behind my ear.

My skin tingled underneath his touch while I agreed, "We were...while it lasted."

Before he could say anything else, I jumped in with a suggestion, "Damon, I think you should take this week off."

He began to protest but I interrupted, "It's not just Louis, but Katherine too needs you right now. You both need to hash out your differences before it's too late. Spend some time with her, make her feel special. Women like that, trust me." I finished playfully, stepping away from his reach.

"And you?"

I swallowed a lump in my throat before turning towards him, "I'll be fine. It's only a matter of a week."

He still seemed unconvinced so I walked up to him, ticking off tasks in my mentally curated checklist, "I'll take my medicines on time. I'll eat properly. I won't overwork or stress too much about anything; and if I do, I'll call you." His lips formed a slight grin and I felt victorious after a long while.

That's when he added, "And you'll sleep for a good eight hours every night."

I sheepishly stared at him, "Yeah, we'll see about that."

"Elena…"

"Okay, okay. I'll try, I promise." I agreed, covering his hand with my own. His gaze hovered over my face for a few seconds, as if searching for something. Assurance, I presumed. And so I bared open my soul in front of him, wanting him to leave every worry behind the security I was willing to give him.

"Damon, I don't want your relationship with Katherine to suffer because of me." I lowered my gaze in embarrassment. "Marriage is more important than…" I was suddenly at a loss for words. How was I to name something so complicated between us? Or was it just that - a complication?

"Friendship?" He offered, raising his eyebrows that led to ripples resurfacing on his forehead. It was the safer option, the more certain one.

I smiled in agreement, "Friendship."

"You promise to update me with your health every night?" He reminded me.

I scoffed playfully, "'Cause you take your job as a volunteer so seriously."

"I'll have you know that I do." My babymate smirked with mischief glinting in his eyes. My gaze lingered on his, taking in every feature that made him the ever so charming Damon Salvatore, breathing in the minty scent that was so uniquely him.

"I promise." I said, leaving behind the words I'd never be able to say to him.

That it would be too hard to not hear his voice for a period as long as seven days.

I paced around my cabin, my feet clanking every one of the thirty square tiles as the ends of my knee-length floral skirt swayed to and fro. My fingers fumbled with each other, my bottom lip pulled between my teeth as I tormented myself at 8 in the morning. I quickly reconfirmed the black coffee on my desk, paired with a croissant. It was probably an insignificant gesture, but I had to do something to apologize to my best friend.

Caroline was due to arrive in another thirty minutes. That was supposed to be enough time for me to mentally prepare my sorry speech. I had come across numerous stories, yet failed to come up with something of my own every time the situation demanded so. I had never been one to openly express my feelings, suppressing them to avoid any disappointment ahead. It's what life had taught me time and again; to never hold any expectations from anyone. Every time I did; I had been awarded with a fresh new set of tears too hard to control and flicker of hope that dwindled a little more.

I unknowingly peeked through the blinds at the world outside; the bustle mimicking the chaos in my heart.

"Elena, I-" My best friend interrupted my chain of thoughts and I turned on my heel.

"Caroline." I acknowledged with a gasp, finding her golden locks bobbing at her shoulders. She wore a sky blue dress with a cardigan of a darker shade. She held a flask in one hand and a box of something in the other.

"I'm sorry." We exchanged in unison, before breaking into a fit of chuckles.

I reached out to her, pulling Caroline into a bear-hug, "I'm so sorry, Care. I shouldn't have said those things to you." I muffled an apology into her hair.

"It's not your fault, Elena. I'm sorry I overreacted."

I stiffened immediately before mumbling, "No you didn't. You were right, Caroline."

I pulled back with a persistent lump in my throat as her eyes clouded with fear and she guessed, "You met Matt?"

I could only nod in defeat before saying, "It's over. Whatever that was between Matt and I, it's over."

"Care to share it over cake? I brought you your favorite." She giggled in anticipation, lifting the box in one hand.

"I brought you your coffee and croissant, just the way you like it." I joined her with tears of my own, desperate to tell my best friend everything.

Once I did, she burst out, "Such an idiot."

I chortled at her anger before realizing, "I should be feeling remorse but accepting that things between Matt and I are over feels oddly liberating."

"That's because getting out of that relationship is the best decision yet. You deserve so much more, Elena." She rubbed a hand over my arm with warmth radiating from her face.

I took a deep breath, hunching my shoulders before relaxing them completely as I kept the box of my favorite red velvet pastry to one side.

"I think I deserve my list of appointments right now." I playfully chided, walking over to my desk.

"About that…" She began, turning serious again, "When do you plan on telling our bosses about your pregnancy?"

My lips curved into a grim line as I observed the slight bulge of my stomach, safely draped under a loose full-sleeved shirt. I knew I wouldn't be able to keep this information for much longer. I knew I had to confront my superiors and prepare myself for the consequences. But for now, I wanted to bask in the feeling of security and contentment my job brought.

My fingers feathered over the leather armrests of my chair, "Soon. I promise."

"Meredith. Come in, please." I dubiously stepped into Dr. Flowers' cabin just a little after 2 PM, in hopes of getting a routine checkup. After all the emotional and physical stress these past two days, I wanted to be sure my baby was safe. It was all that mattered.

Not my insecurities. Not my fears either. Nothing came before this baby.

So when I settled into my seat, perching my purse on the desk in front of me, I clarified, "It's Elena, actually."

"So I figured, after seeing your medical records. But I thought you had intentionally hidden your identity." She smiled as she folded her hands on the other side of the desk.

I lowered my gaze for a moment, contemplating the right way to put this. "Actually-I wasn't ready for this. Perhaps that was my way of living in denial."

"What changed, if you don't mind me asking?" She probed lightly, her head tilted to one side.

My lips curved into a knowing smile, "I accepted it. This baby deserves to live."

"And so will you, Elena." She acknowledged me with true perception this time and I shuddered into silence. Sensing my apprehension, she persisted, "You will survive this, Elena."

I passed a weak smile, tenting my hands. Her gaze shifted to my shivering hands and frowned. My instincts told me I knew where this was going.

"Elena, are you married?" I hastily covered my left hand with my right one in an attempt to hide a simple diamond studded silver band on my ring finger, all in vain.

It was proof of a memory I desperately wanted to erase. But also a weakness of mine I wasn't ready to let go of.

So I gulped, twisting the ring around my finger, "No. It's just-a gift, really." I mumbled.

Dr. Flowers understood my sudden state of discomfort and chose to change the topic, much to my relief. "How about we get an ultrasound to check the baby's health."

"Yeah, sure." I agreed, rising to my feet. I had only taken a step or two when my doctor's words brought me to a staggering halt, "Your parents, Dr. Miranda and Dr. Grayson Gilbert, I was lucky enough to have worked with them on occasion. They were inspirational and brave souls. I'm really sorry for your loss, Elena."

It had been nearly ten years, yet the feeling of their absence hurt no less. I bit back tears, pulling a forced smile on my face despite reliving the incident that stole my family from me. "I still hope to inherit even a fraction of the courage and optimism they so effortlessly carried."

"You've inherited so much more, Elena. You just don't realize it yet."

Perhaps I'd never realize whether I had made my parents proud. Because in this moment, I was incapable of feeling anything but awe. I clung onto the picture in my hands, my vision blurring as a gasp inevitably escaped my mouth.

That one gasp led to a wave of tremors to pass through me as I clung onto the object in hand. My vision blurred and my lips quivered as I prayed for a miracle to change the destiny I now had no control over. It was then that I finally remembered.

I had missed my period.

How could I have been so reckless, so irresponsible? On days we weren't using protection, I was always on the pill. How did I become an anomaly to their effectiveness by getting pregnant.

I shivered at the word. Pregnant. Tears sprung from my eyes as I admonished my current state. Pregnant. I wasn't supposed to be pregnant. I never imagined myself like this.

I did not deserve to be a parent. Not when my own parents had abandoned me. I didn't know how to become a mother, afraid that my child would abandon me too. This was my biggest fear; being abandoned, like I had been at every stage in life.

I was barely thirteen when my innocence for life abandoned me, showing me the morbid reality with a devastating car crash that tore our beautiful family apart.

I had barely begun to cope with the permanent absence of my parents when my brother abandoned me. I was too involved in my own miseries to notice his pain, to take care of him like every older sister should. To this date I'm grateful to Aunt Jenna for choosing Jeremy over me. It was the right thing to do. Jeremy had been through a lot at such a young age of ten, he deserved the support I was incapable of giving.

No sooner had I managed to delve into my usual routine of school and work that I realized, my love for dance had abandoned me too. I no longer had the glimmer in my eyes, the flair of grace in my moves. Forget that, I no longer had the courage to even step into the shoes I would once never grow old of. I forgot every dream I had once lived for; settling on just counting the days I now had to live. I studied to get a decent job. I worked to get a decent pay that I could send back to Jeremy and Aunt Jenna. It was the least I could do for them.

And then on one random day after experiencing a horrible first day at college, I came across a dark haired, blue-eyed stranger that made me realize I could live for myself too. That I didn't need to succumb to the blame that wasn't even mine. That my parents would be happy, wherever they were, only if I'd be happy too. That I wouldn't have to fear abandonment, because he was never going to leave me.

Damon.

How was I going to tell him? We had never discussed pregnancy, no matter how committed we were to each other. I trusted him completely, with every fiber of my being. It was myself that I had dwindling faith in. I had just begun interning, just stepped into the world where I could make an identity for myself. Being a mother wasn't supposed to be on the cards. Oh God.

"Ouch!" I heard a muffled scream from outside the bathroom door and I sprinted out in worry, hastily dropping the pregnancy test onto the counter near the washbasin.

"Damon, are you alright?" I panicked, from my own secret and his outburst.

His black cotton pants hung low on his waist, his torso shirtless, his face covered with shaving foam with his jaw tainted in red and a razor in hand. Wait, red?

"You're bleeding." I noticed the smear of blood right above his jaw.

His cerulean blue eyes caught onto the new piece of information in anxiety as he attempted to callously brush, "It's nothing."

I walked up to him, my eyes narrowing in examination as I touched his foam cladded face, "It's not nothing, Damon."

"'Lena. You're fretting." He pointed out with a raised brow, his nickname for me still causing tremors down the back of my spine.

I met his eye, "I'm not fretting. I'm taking care of you." With that I seated him on the edge of the bed, grabbing the first aid box from the back of our cupboard.

"You know, you don't need to do any of that." The slight tremble in his voice caught my attention. With a glint of scrutiny, I sauntered over to him with a damp towel in hand. I swung one leg over and settled myself on his lap. "Don't tell me you're scared of blood too."

His fingers found the patch of skin on my waist just below my tank top as he sheepishly answered, "I'm not scared. I just don't like it."

I lightly chuckled as I rolled my eyes, "So typical." With that, I brought the towel to his face, wiping the shaving foam off. It's minty scent clouded my senses as I felt his cool breath on my face, this innocent drawing of circles with his fingers on my skin made my breath hitch. His touch wasn't tense like two weeks ago. But lazy and disarming, slowly lowering every inhibition I had. Being with this man for three years did nothing to alter the effect he had on me.

"Damon.." I uncontrollably moaned. "You're distracting me."

His blue eyes bore into mine with intensity and a glint of mischief, "Then let's get distracted."

I wrapped my arm around his neck, my hands finding the comfort of his silky black hair. He gently closed his eyes, a serene expression on his face as he sighed to my touch.

I lowered my voice to a whisper, hovering just above his ear, "I'm not letting you get away this time."

I pulled back with a smirk on my face while he grumpily complained, "You're no fun."

"Oh, I'm just giving you a taste of your own medicine, baby." I huskily slurred my voice to which he groaned.

"Okay, how about we strike a deal? You can torment me for the rest of your life if you don't use that weird looking antiseptic on me."

I rolled my eyes in response, pulling out a tuft of cotton, "Damon, you're overreacting."

"No, I'm not letting you put that on me. It stings!" He tried to whack my arm off.

"Damon!"

"'Lena!"

"Don't be such a baby." I chided.

"I'm not letting you put that on me." He shook his head vigorously, trying to trap my hand in his own. I had to distract him, it was the only way to solve this.

"Damon." I suddenly turned serious, "I have something important to say."

He wasn't convinced, "I'm not falling for your tricks anymore. Nice try though, Gilbert."

"Damon." I pleaded, grabbing his attention this time. I wouldn't get the courage to say this any other time. I needed to know, needed to bear the consequences of my recklessness before the guilt ate me alive.

"I'm pregnant." His eyes widened at my words and his jaw dropped in astonishment. My hand surreptitiously made its way to his jaw, as I internally grimaced. Of course he wasn't happy.

"What?" His tone seemed mysterious as he pulled a frown, "How?"

I gritted through my teeth, "You don't know how a girl gets pregnant?"

He pulled his bottom lip between his teeth in embarrassment and my heart melted at the innocence his face held at that moment.

After pondering upon for what seemed like hours but was no longer than a few seconds, he asked, "When did you find out?"

"This morning when I took a pregnancy test. I missed my period, Damon." My lips quivered in fear as I wondered how much of a burden I'd just imposed on us both.

He quietened for a few seconds, ruffling through his tousled hair, "I don't know what to say."

"I know. This was as much of a shock for me as it is for you. I don't know what to do now." I looked away.

"No, Elena." I met his eye again as he wore a look of disbelief, "I don't know what to say because I'm at a loss for words."

"W-what?" I stammered in confusion. He took my left hand in his, rubbing my knuckles in assurance as his touch feathered the ring that promised our love. "'Lena. I've always been so grateful to this life for introducing me to a person as beautiful as you." He whispered, his eyes shimmering with happiness. "My gratitude for this life has only increased. A family with you is a blessing I do not deserve but am incapable of letting go."

I swallowed a lump in my throat and my breathing grew labored. "Don't you think it's a little rushed? I mean, we've never discussed this before."

He gently caressed my cheek, "I know, it's a little unexpected. But being a father to our child is one of the best news I've ever received, 'Lena. We'll get through this, we'll become the parents this baby deserves." He seemed so determined, so hopeful of this future we were about to have that I scolded myself for not feeling this way. For succumbing to my insecurities.

My lack of response made him concerned, "Elena. Are you not happy?"

My heart thumped in my throat as I watched his orbs dull in dejection. It's when I denied, "No. I just wasn't prepared for this."

He took my hands in his, clutching them with an unspoken yet familiar promise, "I know you, 'Lena. I know how scared you are. But you're not alone in this. I'm with you. I'll always be here for you."

He sounded so sincere that I broke into a gasp, "I love you, Damon." I weeped.

He wrapped an arm around my neck, pulling me into a hug and I buried my head in his chest, cocooning myself in his warmth.

"I love you, 'Lena." He kissed into my hair as I closed my eyes, hoping for the optimism and love for this unborn child to radiate from his heart into mine.

That one day I'd feel as happy as him. And that I wouldn't crumble his happiness in search of mine.

I crumbled everything we had in fear of my insecurities. But I could finally feel the happiness that had spared his face three years ago; the very happiness that glinted in his eyes whenever he talked about Louis. I could feel the emotion seep through me from every crack life had given me, as I slid my fingers across the picture in hand. There it was, the first picture of my baby. Cocooned in a medium sized blob, I could faintly make out his head from his developing limbs. The connection felt instantaneous, as if my baby knew exactly what I was going through. He understood me as much as I understood him.

My vision blurred and I sniffed, "I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to break down like this."

Dr. Flowers passed a sympathetic smile, "It's absolutely normal to feel this way, Elena. It's the feeling of finally embracing motherhood."

"You never really realize you're carrying a tiny soul until you see it." I admitted, capturing the sonogram into the recesses of my mind. This was a moment I would never forget.

"Wait until you hold your baby for the first time. The feeling is incomparable."

"I can only imagine." I whispered back, hoping I'd have it in me to live to that day.

"This one's going to be a Gemini baby." She informed me.

"What?" I couldn't believe my ears.

"From the development and heath of the baby, I can say that it's likely to be born sometime in the first week of June of next year."

Just about seven months. My breath logged in my throat as I basked in the happiness. Seven months was still a long time away, but I wanted to be fit and prepared for my baby.

Which brought me to my next question, "Is the baby's health in any way being compromised because of mine?"

"I don't think so. But I'll advise you to get another ECG just to confirm whether we require a change in medication." I nodded in agreement, remembering the procedure the last time I was here with Damon.

I slid the envelope of my sonogram inside my purse, hoping to show this to Damon when my smile faltered. He had already been through this, he had already weaved these memories with Katherine.

Clearing my head from such thoughts, I had only stood up when Dr. Flowers pulled away from the phone and added, "We'll have the report sent to Dr. Bonnie Bennet for analysis before going through it with you."

I halted in my tracks.

My shoulders hunched.

My breath hitched.

I swiveled on my heel. "What did you just say?"

I can't believe we've made it to ten chapters! I've planned the story to around 40 chapters; so we're a quarter of a way into their journey. Flashbacks will be a lot less angsty from now onwards, I promise!

Do let me know what you think of it by reviewing!

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