A/N: I know, it's such a shock: I'm actually updating! No excuses, just a really, really big 'I'm sorry.'
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Previously…
The clock chimed two in the morning, yet the restless Damon downed another glass of scotch whiskey. The liquid scorched his throat as it traveled down, his eyes pinched shut from the pain. He knew that he had scared her away. For good? Who knew.
His hand curled tighter around the glass, gripping it to the point where he was sure it would crack. To his disappointment it did not. Jumping to his feet, he hurled the glass into the roaring fireplace, watching as the glass shattered.
He couldn't take the tearing of his heart anymore; it was killing him. Drinking seemed to be the only painkiller effective for him. Crumbling back into his chair in front of the fireplace he stared ahead, completely blank. His jaw tensed before his hands cradled his head, defeated.
Chapter 15:
Rumour Has It
"Good morning New York City! This is Beth Thompson, your morning-" The tinny, obnoxiously bright tone of the morning radio personality was cut off by the sharp jerk of the weary blonde's hand slamming down on the 'snooze' button.
Caroline was sick of happy; the only thing she wanted right now was peace and quiet. Peace from her already-strained relationship with Markus and an amplified amount of quiet for her throbbing head.
What the hell happened last night?
Her brain felt mushy, almost puttylike. The busybodies walking the hectic streets below, most likely walking right out into traffic in typical New York fashion, caused drivers to repetitively slam on their horns, bouncing off her throbbing skull.
She groaned, wrapping the pillow further around her head. Any more of this and she would be forced to grab her gun, the one her mother insisted she brought with her when she moved, and do some serious slaughtering if it meant she could get some quiet.
"Damn this world." She hissed through barred teeth, clamping her hands down on the pillow.
She could have sworn she heard the angels singing when there came this strange, three second moment of silence. Everything seemed to be a standstill. Amazed, she lifted her head up, hair in all directions.
CRASH!
"Shit!" A voice called out from within the apartment, "That's the third one!"
Caroline cringed, eyes squinted. Suddenly, as if someone abruptly clicked the play button, every sound came alive; the cars below honked, the shouting of the vendors, the wailing sirens of police vehicles. She groaned, deciding that sleeping just wasn't worth it.
Trying her absolute best to sit up straight without falling over, she finally succeeded after many failed attempts and slipped into her green slippers.
1…2…3
She wobbled to her feet, immediately gripping her sore head in her hands. After waiting a few seconds, she shuffled to the hall, hearing the bustling noises surrounding her. The shower brusquely turned on, she moaned and picked up her pace, hoping the person in the bathroom would realize her burning need for pain relievers.
"Caroline!" Her heartbeat began to drum in her head, "You're awa-"
She held her hand up, lightly shaking her head, "Shh, be very, very quiet or I will be forced to kill you."
Bonnie rolled her eyes before continuing to clean up the shattered remnants of the plate, "I took the courtesy of grabbing the ibuprofen for you, since Jeremy is in the shower."
Caroline's head snapped up, a smile playing on her lips, "Is it the good shit?"
Bonnie straightened her back, "Watch your mouth, Care." Her eyebrows furrowed, cleaning utensils in hand.
The blonde rolled her eyes, wincing when a jolt of pain shot through her, "You know it's the effects of a hangover," Bonnie shrugged her shoulders, "So, is it the good shi…shiznit?"
Reaching across the counter, she grabbed the brown paper bag and tossed it towards her, "Only the best for you." She grunted in frustration when her finger unintentionally ran across the jagged edge of the broken plate, droplets of blood dripping onto the floor. She muttered a string of curses, dropped the cleaning utensils and rushed to the sink to properly sanitize her finger.
Caroline glanced up, "Watch your mouth, Bonnie," She snickered before glancing into the bag, "You are a freak."
"What? I can't help not wanting to get an infection.
"No, you got like every remedy out there for a hangover."
Bonnie leaned against the counter, pressing a damp towel to her finger, "Only the best for you."
She muttered beneath her breath, taking out each item separately. Water, Gatorade, Advil, and a banana which she had waggled her eyebrows playfully at, earning herself a laugh from Bonnie.
Elena gradually shifted awake, having felt the fluttering from beneath the skin of her abdomen. Caroline and Bonnie were talking in hushed voices, obviously teasing each other with no remorse whatsoever. Sitting up, she pulled on her socks which had been tossed onto the coffee table and scuffled into the kitchen area.
Bonnie brightened, having been very tense before from breaking plates consecutively. "Hey, look who's finally awake," She had a certain glimmer in her eyes that told Elena that she didn't have to worry about Bonnie mentioning anything regarding the previous night.
Caroline's head slumped onto her arm which lay lazily on the kitchen counter. Elena forced a smile onto her lips as she took the stool beside her, and gently asked her to switch on the small television meticulously placed on the counter.
The television buzzed to life, the face of a reporter popping onto the screen.
"Late last night traffic in Times Square was at a standstill as Damon Salvatore, lead singer of the critically acclaimed rock band, Serpenti was reported to have been 'dancing and singing maniacally', causing an abrupt halt in all traffic. We were fortunate to have captured this on film."
The reporter's voice faded as a video from the helicopter came into view. Elena gasped, Bonnie grew stock-still, Caroline laughed.
To say Damon was mortified when he saw the video of himself in Times Square acting like a nutcase, would be the understatement of the century. His face grew red, eyes glimmering with mirth. Just as his finger was about to jab viciously at the power button, he saw the most beautiful creature rush onto the screen.
"Elena," He breathed, eyes locked onto her frame as she very nearly almost got struck by a van. His hands curled into fists, wanting to knock the life out of the driver of the vehicle. His eyes remained unblinking as he followed her figure rushing towards him on the car.
My saving grace.
He quickly switched the television off when the door to the apartment flung open, "Dude! Did you see the news?"
Damon blinked, trying desperately to find his voice, "I…"
Armand, unable to control his excitement, blurted out, "You're a fucking legend, man. I mean you have a fan club. A fan club, Damon," He flopped onto the couch, "Everyone is talking about you."
Damon blinked once more, not sure if he should feel envied or angered.
The video played on a loop when Bonnie flipped hurriedly through every channel, finding the same report on every news show. Elena was beyond humiliated; they had managed to capture her on film, running to him as well as leading him back to the taxi.
Caroline's hangover giggles wore off by the time they had reached the previous news channel where the panel of news anchors couldn't control their fits of chuckles. The room shook when Elena's tiny fists came down to slam on the counter, "Change the channel!"
Bonnie swallowed the lump in her throat, clicking the button frantically before the television grew a brain and realized it needed to switch channels. Her hand eventually gave up, letting it land on channel six.
The male reporter finished his summary on the events before it shifted to live footage of the recording studio. Bonnie inhaled sharply, for she knew that Serpenti recorded their albums there. The camera shakily yet quickly zoomed into an approaching black Ford Crown Victoria. The car halted in front of the building, the frenzy of people rushing to the car. Bonnie crossed her fingers, hoping and praying that it wasn't who she thought it was.
Markus stepped out of the tinted car, and immediately became bombarded by reporters who shouted out various questions.
"Did you and Miss Caroline Forbes break up?"
"Is it true you cheated on her?"
"Are you currently dating Victoria Donovan?"
"Were you unfaithful towards Ms. Forbes with Victoria?"
Markus hung his head low on the last question, crushing every single woman's heart. Caroline inhaled sharply, her breaths wavering. Elena rested her hand on the blonde's arm, a quake rushing through her heart when she felt her shaking violently.
Caroline abruptly tore her arm away and stomped to her room where she hastily threw on her clothing and high heels before storming out of the apartment, leaving the two girls utterly bewildered.
Only two blocks away from the recording studio, the sobs began to rack her body, forcing her to lean against the closest building away from the heavy foot traffic. Not one person stopped to ask if she was alright. Not one.
A few minutes passed as she tried to regain her breath, her body felt so weak. Her eyes fluttered shut, breathing in and out repetitively.
"Uhm, are you alright?" The voice of an obviously young male broke through her dark world. Her eyes opened, seeing a towering, young man with deep brown eyes that seemed to bore into hers.
She swallowed thickly, "I-I'm fi-"
He cut her off, eyes narrowed, "No, you're not," He turned towards the street, waving towards the passing taxis, "Where do you live?"
The breath hitched in her throat. She choked out, "What?"
A cabdriver caught sight of him and quickly pulled over, switching off the light on the roof. He turned towards her, a small frown of worry on his lips, "Where do you live?"
She stepped back, "I don't even know you."
He groaned in frustration before stepping towards her and extending his hand, "My name is Anthony D'Amato, I'm in a band, and I swear I don't have a criminal record."
A half-sob, half-laugh escaped her thin lips as she clasped her hand with his, "I'm Caroline Forbes."
He smiled, "I know."
Elena bit her lip, digging her hands into her coat pockets even further. To hell with the weatherman; no way in hell it was thirty-five degrees out. The bitter wind kissed her cheeks, sending shivers racing down her spine.
Her teeth began to chatter as she rounded the corner onto 63rd street. Her heart began to hammer in her chest when she reached the familiar, grand, gothic-styled apartment building. As much as she really did not want to go to her long ago scheduled doctor's appointment, she needed some assurance that her baby was fine. He or she's kicks have been getting weaker lately, plus the added factor of the frightful pains the night before. She pushed those thoughts away, mustering any courage she had left.
Please don't walk out. Please don't.
"Uhm, Elena?"
She squeezed her eyes shut, praying to God that it wasn't him before slowly spinning around, "Yes?"
A blonde-haired man stood before her, eyes narrowed in a cocky way, "Hey," He paused, stepping closer, "You probably don't know me."
She nodded, slightly intrigued. How can so many men know her, yet she had no idea of their existence?
"I'm Armand Eisen, it's a pleasure to finally meet Damon's mysterious girl." He smiled warmly, cooling any nervous feelings inside of Elena.
"Same to you," She glanced nervously over his shoulder, "Is he here?"
Armand shrugged his shoulders, "Dunno. I'm actually on my way to the recording studio to try to knock some sense into Markus," His eyes visibly darkened, "Who would've thought, huh?"
She swallowed the knock that had formed in her throat, "Caroline's so crushed. I'm afraid she'll do something…reckless."
Armand grew quiet, tapping his foot. Elena noted how he looked so vulnerable, so innocent. It dawned on her when the church bells chimed, indicating midday was approaching. She yawned, suddenly feeling fatigued.
He took notice of this, "I better get going, but it was nice meeting you, Elena." He smiled, and for the first time in a while, Elena flashed a real smile before parting ways with the childish man.
"Good afternoon, Miss Gilbert." Doctor Harris smiled, her glasses shining from the sunlight pouring in through the blinds.
"Good afternoon." She gave a tight-lipped smile, feeling quite queasy.
Doctor Harris took a seat in the swivel chair, asked a few mandatory questions before lightly pressing into Elena's stomach to ensure everything was on the right track.
"Everything seems fine, though I do have one concern."
Elena's face paled, not wanting to hear anything remotely among those lines, "What? What's wrong?"
The doctor smiled in reassurance, "Nothing to cause any concern. Just relax, Miss Gilbert." She rested her shoulders back on the cushion, praying endlessly that the doctor was correct in her assumptions.
Minutes passed as Doctor Harris circulated the wand across her stomach, searching for something. Her eyebrows furrowed, causing a flame of worry to ignite inside Elena.
"Please, tell me what's wrong," Elena pleaded, tears beginning to form at the corners of her eyes. She couldn't lose her baby; it was the only thing keeping her from falling into insanity. Afraid to glance at the screen, she kept her eyes glued to the doctor's face, hoping to find some clue there.
Doctor Harris straightened her back, locking her eyes with Elena's, "I'm not picking up a heartbeat,"
(A/N: This takes place in Las Vegas, right before Elena and Damon leave.)
"Have you thought of any names yet?" Bonnie asked, digging her hand into the bag of popcorn. The sickly sweet taste of the kettle corn left a surprisingly amazing taste in her mouth, causing her to run her tongue over her teeth more than once.
Caroline's ears perked up, "Hey, what about Caroline? It's a pretty amazing name."
Elena giggled, eyes locked to the steamy make-out scene playing out in the chick-flick, "Yeah, I've thought about it."
The two girls waited, ignoring the scenes they usually adored. "Well?" Caroline queried.
She smiled, "I was thinking Owen or Logan for a boy, and Sophia or Mia if it's a girl."
Caroline sighed, "I want a baby now," She shifted up onto her elbows to glance at her friends, "You think Markus wants kids?"
Bonnie snickered, "Didn't you guys just get together?"
Caroline pouted, "So? There are teenage girls out there who get pregnant to get onto a show. I'm pretty sure that what I'm talking about isn't that bad." The three were thrown into a fit of laughs, the bags of popcorn eventually falling onto the ground as they gripped each other for air.
Elena's heart froze, eyes widening.
"Miss Gilbert, there's two heartbeats."
A/N: So are you guys TEAM MARKUS or TEAM ANTHONY? Tell me, so I know who to pair Caroline up with! It's up to you guys!
A bit cliché, but whatever. I've had this plot on my mind for the last few weeks, and it wouldn't stop bothering me.