Thank you Mareike for betaing this chapter.

Someone like you

Chapter 6

'I'll go down with this ship'

"Mommy, it's snowing."

"It's been snowing for the past three days, buddy."

"I know."

Elena chuckled as her son's blue eyes went wide and lowered her head to place a kiss on his forehead. She let the pom-pom on his bobble hat wiggle and laughed as he pulled the ear flaps in place, making a bunny sound with his teeth.

"Daddy", Liam singsonged as soon as Stefan entered the room. "Ready to play in the snow?"

"As soon as I find my gloves."

Elena turned around, smiling at her husband. "They're in the living room."

"I'll get them, daddy."

Stefan rolled his eyes as Liam ran out the kitchen. "I was going to use that excuse until after breakfast."

"I'm sorry." She bit her lip, an amused expression on her face. "I thought you really didn't know."

"It's okay." He pecked her cheek, brushing his hand over her hip. "He would have found them anyway."

"Good morning."

She plastered her lips against his, cupping his face in her hands to get him closer. Ever since he started working, the tension between them had been less and less, instead the warmth and the feeling of family returned. Dinner wasn't just filled with Liam's rambling anymore but her husband had now stories to entertain them with, telling about his day at work, his co-workers that pulled off a lot of stunts, it was something they had never known before and it was a welcome change. The cracks in their marriage were on the mend and he became the man she had fallen in love with again. She told him about losing her job and the lawsuit against her, for some reason he took it much better than she had expected. Instead of the anger and devastation she prepared herself for, he took her hand and told her they would be all right. It was his idea to let her stay at home so she could spend more time with Liam, something she was grateful for and loved him even more for because even if she loved making her own money, the relationship with her son was more important to her than a job would ever be.

"Daddy, I found them." Liam waved the black gloves in the air. "Can we go play now?"

"Sure."

"I'll help you put your coat on." Elena picked him up and carried him to the hallway, grabbing his coat from the hanger. "Hold your arms out."

"Grandma called." His blue eyes followed her as she crouched down in front of him. "She asked if you could call back."

"When did she call?" She zipped his coat up, adjusting his collar. "Couldn't you tell me?"

"I tried to tell you but you were busy drooling on daddy's face."

"Okay." Her cheeks turned red. "Go play with daddy, I'll call your grandmother."

"Don't worry." He patted her arm. "I didn't tell her you were drooling on daddy's face."

"Thank you." She let out a sigh of relief.

"That would be so embarrassing."

It was that smirk on his face that made her realize again how much he looked like his father, that twinkle in his eyes when he was up to something or when he knew he was being a smart ass. It was with that same smirk she wondered about how long it would take before he would become too much to handle. Stefan was a good father and he tried, but when it came down to it he was too sweet and too polite to control her five-year-old son, his personality wasn't tough enough to dominate the strong spirit of her son and it would take the older and smarter version of him to do that. It would take his real father.

"If you're not out of here in five seconds, I'll make you eat snow."

She shook her head in amusement as he sprinted out the room and disappeared through the back door. She took the phone in her hand and dialed the familiar number, waiting patiently until she heard the female voice on the other side of the line.

"Hi mom, it's Elena."

"Oh good", her mother sighed in relief. "I almost thought you had… you know."

"What?" She arched her eyebrow. "I don't follow you."

"The forbidden words."

"What's the forbidden word?"

Her mother clacked her tongue in the phone "Heart attack."

"Heart attack."

Caroline screamed as Elena grabbed her chest, trying to breath, feeling like there was a huge lump stuck in her air pipe. She grabbed Caroline's arm, seeking support to stay up straight.

"It's a panic attack, Caroline." Bonnie rolled her eyes, handing her a paper bag. "Let her breath in this."

"Can you get Grayson?" Caroline held the bag in front of her mouth.

"Why?" Bonnie crossed her arms over her chest. "She'll be fine in a minute."

"He's a doctor." Caroline glared at her friend. "Just get him to make sure she's fine."

Bonnie rolled her eyes and turned around to the door. She pulled it open with a sigh only to come face to face with the man behind it.

"Did someone say doctor?"

"Doctor?" Bonnie huffed, glaring at him. "I wouldn't trust you with my life."

"Good." He smirked, his blue eyes shimmering in amusement ", because I specialize in hearts."

"Yeah..." Bonnie rolled her eyes as he strode past her and walked in Elena's direction. "In breaking them."

"Do you mind that I parked my car next to your broom?"

"I'm out of here." Bonnie picked the skirt of her dress up and walked through the door, slamming it shut behind her.

"You two are going to have beautiful babies someday." Caroline sighed, focusing on Elena, "Elena just keep breathing."

"No sorry." He cupped Elena's face in his hands. "Judgmental isn't my type."

"Elena", Caroline singsonged. "Just breathe in the bag."

"Why are you acting like a wind-up toy?" He smirked, locking their eyes. "It's just a wedding."

"...dd..in..ing."

"Details", he rolled his eyes, tightening the grip on her face. "Just breathe with me."

She focused her eyes on his lips as he started breathing slowly in and out, her skin burning under his touch. Flashes of his skin against hers rushed through her mind again, her body arching to meet his in the middle, her lips claiming his as her own, bruising them like they were the air she breathed. It had been going on for hours, everything was filled with thoughts of him and every second was filled with the images of passion burning her sight. Her heart seemed to be hollow, shouting for something it missed, something it had touched but lost when it was taken away from it.

"Focus on me." His voice pulled her back to reality, his hands resting on her waist, "good girl, just breathe with me."

Her heart started beating slower in her chest, her lungs filled with air again and somewhere in the back of her mind she wondered if he wasn't the air she breathed. Everything seemed lighter now he was here, a weight fell off her shoulders and all the tension left her body.

"You're late." She breathed, locking her eyes with his. "The wedding was supposed to start five minutes ago."

"But it didn't." He smirked, "so (my timing is perfect) I'm right on time."

"I'm going to see if everything's all right." Caroline squeezed her arm. "Bonnie probably needs some help."

"No one can help that witch." He waggled his eyebrows as Caroline disappeared through the door. "She's a lost cause."

"Be nice to my bridesmaids."

"It's not like they're nice to me." He glared at her, a small smile on his lips.

"Bonnie wasn't exactly happy when she heard I burned the bunny suit." She chewed on her bottom lip. "Turns out they rented it."

"You burned it?" He pouted. "Such a shame, I wanted to borrow it."

"Why?" She arched her eyebrow, shaking her head. "Do you want to sell carrots?"

"No." He rolled his eyes. "I would let someone else wear it, she the bunny, me the hunter, using my gun."

"Shooting your load on her."

"You're spending too much time with me, dirty mouth." He tapped her nose. "I like it."

"You like a dirty mouth?" She stepped forward, letting her hand slide over the black jacket of his suit, the bustier of her dress touching the white fabric of his shirt. "Does it turn you on?"

"When they use it the right way."

He breathed huskily in her ear, his hand resting on the small of her back, pulling her closer to him. Her heart started drumming in her chest as she lifted her head, letting her nose slide over his jaw, her lips begging to find his again. His palm warmed her bare back, finding the strings of the white dress. Both their breaths hitched as they felt his phone buzz in his pants.

He pulled his body away from hers, keeping his eyes away from her face, "hi mom."

"Damon Liam Salvatore." A high pitched female voice blasted through the phone as soon as he put it on speaker. "You're not supposed to pick up, the wedding already started."

His eyebrows knitted together. "Did you call me to check if I would pick up at a wedding?"

"I wanted to make sure I taught you a few manners" The older woman muttered into the phone, "apparently not."

"The bride is standing right in front of me."

"You're getting married?"

"No, not at the altar."

Elena chuckled as she watched his eyes go wide, his hand squeezing the phone, the muscles in his arms becoming visible under the jacket of his suit. She looked up and found herself staring into the ocean of blue, her body started tingling again as he kept his eyes on her, watching every expression on her face.

"Wish her all the happiness in the world." Her eyes snapped to the phone as the woman spoke through it. "Let's hope she has better luck with her husband than most women do."

"You can tell her yourself." His blue eyes bored into hers. "She can hear you."

"Oh..." The voice was startled, "Hi sweetie, the best of luck with your marriage."

"Thank you." She stammered, a smile spreading across her face. "Miss..."

"Call me Lauren."

"Thank you, Lauren."

"Sweetie, you and I need to talk." She exchanged a look with Damon once Lauren spoke the words. "Are there any good girls at your wedding?"

"A lot of them", she chuckled, seeing Damon roll his eyes. "And a lot of them are single."

"Good." Lauren sounded relieved. "Because I actually want grandchildren he makes on purpose, not by accident."

"I'll introduce him to a few of my friends."

"Thank you, sweetie", Lauren sighed. "I just want him to meet a nice girl and give me a bunch of grandchildren to bake for."

"Mom, I'm going to hang up on you."

"Damon Liam Salvatore, don't you dare!"

"Bye mom."

"Liam?" She grinned at him, her eyes sparkling. "Damon Liam Salvatore?"

"Don't say anything." He put his phone back in his pocket, shaking his head at her.

"Liam." She smiled, locking her eyes with his. "I like it."

"So you're all set?" He changed the subject, letting his eyes travel from her updo to the seam of her dress ", something new, something blue and something borrowed?"

"Yes, the dress is new." She pointed to the white fabric she was wearing. "And I borrowed these earrings from my mom, they were my grandmother's."

"And where's the blue?" He smirked, his eyes glancing over her whole appearance.

"Caroline thought it wouldn't match with the red accents of the dress."

"Where is it?" He started walking around her, inspecting the back of the dress. "You're a good girl Elena, you don't marry without having everything in place."

"No, it's not there." She shrugged, her cheeks blushing. "I'm going to take a risk for once."

"Stop lying."

"I'm not lying."

"Where is it, Lena?"

"It's not there."

"Lena…"

"It's my lingerie." She stomped her foot, glaring at him. "I'm wearing it under my dress."

His face lit up, his blue eyes sparkling while he came to stand in front of her. "Can I see?"

"No."

"I'm a doctor."

"That doesn't give you the right to see people's underwear."

"Just let me peek."

"No, no peeking."

"Just a quick glance."

"No."

"Lena, let me see."

"No."

"Lena."

"Fine!" She pulled the bustier of her dress away from her skin, "just a peek."

"I approve." He inspected the blue lace, his lips pouting together, "very wedding night friendly."

"Glad you approve." She rolled her eyes, putting her dress back in place. "So how do I look?"

"Delicious."

"You mean beautiful?"

"No." He shrugged, shaking his head, "just delicious."

"Are you going to eat me?" She crossed her arms over her chest.

"Pull your skirt up and I will."

"Asshole."

"You look beautiful." His amused tone went serious. "He'll want to eat you up."

"Don't say that."

"It's your wedding night." He shrugged, throwing his arms in the air. "That's exactly what he'll do, eat you."

"I still don't know why I invited you." She pinched the bridge of her nose. "I can't come up with a good reason."

"You wanted to show me that Stefan really is the one for you."

"Right", she put her hands on her hips, breathing in and out before looking up at him in wonder. "I'm getting married."

"Yes. You are." He looked at the watch on his arm. "Ready? I think you're now fashionably late."

"Just one thing", she pouted, holding her arms out to him. "I need a hug."

"No, sorry", he took a step backwards, holding his arms up, "I made it a habit to only let naked people touch me."

"I just showed you my lingerie."

"Right", he smirked. "For a prude like you, that counts as naked."

She stepped forward and wrapped her arms around his waist, snuggling into his chest when he did the exact same thing and wrapped her in his embrace. She sighed and pressed him tighter against her, reveling in the comfort his body always managed to give her.

"I need to ask you something." She looked up at him, locking her brown doe eyes with his ocean blue ones. "About last night."

"Shoot."

"Did something happen?" She stammered her eyebrow arching. "I just have these flashes in my head and I don't know if I was imagining things because of the alcohol or..."

"Nothing happened." He smiled softly, stroking her cheek. "Why would you think that?"

"It's just these images in my mind." She shrugged it off. "But I've never been drunk before so I didn't know if it was normal or not."

"You rambled, you puked, you fell asleep and after that you went back to talking." He smirked.

"I talk in my sleep."

"Pretty loudly."

"I'm sorry." She bit her lip, chuckling softly. "Usually it is only a whisper but the alcohol..."

"Blame it on the alcohol." He shook his head in amusement and entangled their bodies, holding his arm out for her. "Let's get you married."

"A weight just fell off my shoulders." She sighed, linking her arm with his. "I can't get married if I was kissing another guy yesterday."

"Even if you would have it would have been a mistake, you were drunk." His eyes lost their shimmer for a moment. "You love your fiancé."

"I would have felt guilty." She whispered, walking through the door he held open for her. "People do stupid things when they're drunk and I don't want to be one of them."

"I know." He closed the door behind them, walking into the entrance of the church where her father was waiting. "But nothing happened so you have nothing to feel guilty about."

"Thank you." She smiled, squeezing his hand in hers, "for everything."

"You're welcome."

She pulled him back when he tried to turn around and walk to his seat. "I'm glad you're here, Damon."

"Me too", he kissed her forehead and pulled the veil over her head, covering her face with the lace fabric. "You like Julia Roberts, right?"

"Yeah..."

"Ever seen Runaway bride?"

"Yes."

"The exit is behind you."

She shook her head at him and punched his chest. "You're not funny."

"You're not funny."

"Someone who has a heart condition is allowed to joke about it." Her mother laughed smugly. "That's exactly why I'm calling, your father banned me from all physical activities because he thinks I look tired."

"But now you're worried he'll ruin your kitchen." She chuckled softly into the phone.

"You know how much I love my kitchen." Miranda sighed dramatically. "And you said if I ever needed help I could call you and this is really an emergency."

She laughed and shook her head at her mother. "Of course, I'll be there in half an hour."

"My kitchen thanks you."

"There are my two favorite people on earth."

Miranda crouched down and wrapped her arms around Liam who ran into them. She pressed him tightly against her and helped him remove his coat and gloves. Elena watched them with a smile on her face and looked up as her father walked into the living room.

"They are your two favorite people?" Grayson pouted at his wife. "I'm not feeling the love."

"Oh shut up." She pecked his cheek. "You know I love you grumpy old man."

"Mommy was drooling on daddy's face when you called." Liam looked up at his grandmother, his eyes sparkling with mischief.

"Liam." She stomped her foot, glaring at him.

"You were going to make me eat snow." He stuck his tongue out at her.

"I was just kidding." She rolled her eyes at her son.

"Liam." Miranda pulled his attention back to her. "You seem tired, why don't you and I go rest while your mommy makes us dinner?"

"That's a good idea, granny." He yawned, his blue eyes fluttering. "I played with daddy in the snow."

"You did?" Miranda started walking, holding his hand. "Did you make a snowman?"

Elena turned to her father once her mother and son went up the stairs, Liam telling all about his time with his daddy in the snow. She smiled at Grayson and followed him into the kitchen, unpacking the groceries she carried in the paper bag.

"So how is she doing?" She looked up at her father. "She seems tired."

"She is." He nodded. "She tries to hide it but she's exhausted."

"Didn't they give her some new medicines that should help her?"

"They did." He whispered. "But drugs won't be able to help her forever, she needs a new heart and soon."

"You think she'll ever get one?" Her eyes welled up with tears. "Damon said..."

"It doesn't matter." He shook his head. "We have to hope for the best."

"I don't want to lose her." She whispered, holding back her tears. "It's too soon."

"We would have lost her five years ago if Damon hadn't been here." Grayson grabbed the counter in his fists. "As a human I don't want to lose my wife either but as a doctor I know that every moment with her can be our last."

"Maybe we can ask Damon if there's anything we can do." She looked up at him with frantic eyes. "He's here now."

"Elena, he did everything he could." Grayson shook his head. "He made sure that she got treated by the best doctors and that she got the best treatment. That's all he can do as long as there's no new heart for her."

"I know." She looked down at the wooden counter. "I just hoped there was something we could do to help her."

"Live your life." Grayson patted her shoulder. "Make sure you're happy and it will make her happy."

"I finally bought the books to study for the bar." She smiled. "I don't have a job anymore so it seems like the perfect time."

"So Damon's return does have an influence on you", a smug smirk appeared on his face. "He was always the one who tried to convince you."

"It's not just Damon." She glared at him when he gave her a look. "Liam is older now and I have more time to study so I decided to take a chance and try it, I've always wanted to be a lawyer."

"What if you fail?" He arched his eyebrow, mocking her. "Weren't you always scared that you weren't going to pass?"

"You're more of a failure when you don't try than when you do try and fail."

"That sounds like something Damon would say."

"So I stole Damon's line." She shrugged. "You have to stop being so obvious about the fact that you're team Damon."

"I never said I'm team Damon." His eyebrows knitted together. "Yes, I liked the guy but you're my daughter and I'm whatever team you are."

"You just liked him because he's a doctor like you."

"Yes I respected him because he made something out of himself." Grayson sighed, shaking his head at her. "And I'll admit in the months he was here, he became more my son than Stefan ever will be."

"Daddy", she rolled her eyes. "Stefan doesn't like to spend his nights in bars and drink himself wasted, that's just not who he is and you have to respect him for whom he is."

"And I do, I respect Stefan." He started cleaning the celery. "I'll admit I liked spending time with Damon and I knew something was going on between the two of you before you even realized I did. But you were happy and that's all that mattered to me because Damon had this gift to make you smile when Stefan couldn't and that's why I was team Damon."

"So you admit you were team Damon?" She smiled at him. "I always knew you were."

"Maybe I am." He shrugged. "And I'm not saying that what you did was right because cheating on your husband is never right but I'm saying that I get why you fell in love with him. And maybe I'd rather have Damon at our table on Sundays but it's your choice who you spend the rest of your life with and I've always supported you in whatever you decide just like I supported you when you decided to keep Liam and raise him as Stefan's son."

"So you think I chose wrong?"

"No." He stroked her cheek, locking their eyes. "You chose what was right for you. You were young and Damon was good for you because he pushed you and guided you into being an adult and that was something Stefan couldn't do because he was still a kid himself. Damon taught you to stand up for yourself and to speak your mind. The guy was an asshole but he pulled you out of your shell and made you the strong confident woman you are now. You needed him in your life at that point but it was your choice to spend the rest of your life with Stefan because you thought that was best for you and you're the one who knows what is best for you."

"I wish mom would see it that way." She whispered. "I never told her about the affair and still she manages to hate Damon."

"She didn't like him because he told her she have to stop drinking coffee and eat so much sugar." He shook his head in amusement. "You know how much your mom likes sugar."

"She didn't just dislike him." She shook her head. "She hated him."

"She didn't hate him." Grayson sighed and sipped his coffee. "She's team Stefan, she fell for his charm and artistic side just like you did. But Damon was the older guy who pulled you in and she saw the way you acted around him. She didn't want her perfect son-in-law to be replaced by a bad boy that seduced young girls such as you."

"I just wish she had been more grateful." She grabbed a box from the paper bag. "He saved her life and still she treated him like trash."

"She did whenever you were around." He chuckled. "She liked him but she was scared once you saw that she did, you would take it as a sign and leave Stefan to have a bunch of kids with Damon. And Damon knew it, he knew she didn't want him anywhere near you because she was scared he would get his hands on you."

"If she only knew he did." She rolled her eyes, sighing. "I never told her about the affair because I know how much she loves Stefan."

"I think deep down she knows." Grayson nodded. "I think she figured it out the day Liam was born."

"Then why did she never say something?" She looked up at him. "She always speaks her mind."

"Because she doesn't want to accept it", he lifted his shoulders. "She doesn't want to admit to herself that her worse fear came true, her daughter didn't have the perfect marriage and she found comfort in another man."

"Why did you never judge me?" She whispered. "You knew I was having an affair."

"Because like I said", Grayson locked their eyes, boring his green eyes into her brown ones. "He made you happy and I let him do it. But the day he hurt you, he hurt me too."

She blinked her tears back and nodded. "Such a serious conversation", she opened the white box. "You deserve a treat after that."

"Those desserts are going to be the death of me."

"Those desserts are going to be the death of me."

Her head snapped up as she saw her father pace next to the dessert table, his plate already filled with different kind of cakes and pies. She chuckled as the man next to her filled his plate with an equal amount of goodies.

"So who sat next to you during dinner?" She locked her brown eyes with his blue ones. "Was she nice?"

"Her name was Julie or something." He shrugged. "And she was pretty, I focused on that."

She shook her head at him and stretched to see her father. "Daddy, come here for a second."

Grayson approached them, chewing fiercely on his piece of cake. "These desserts are really good, sweetie."

"Thank you." She smiled and grabbed Damon's arm, turning him to them instead of the dessert table. "This is Damon Salvatore, the heart surgeon I told you about."

"So he does exist, I thought he was some kind of myth." Grayson extended his hand. "Grayson Gilbert, proud father and doctor on retirement."

"Damon Salvatore", Damon grabbed his hand and shook it. "Still single and still working my ass off."

"I heard a lot about you." Grayson glanced at Elena. "You're the only thing she talks about these days."

"Well..." Damon smirked. "I'm pretty to look at."

"Oh no", Grayson shook with laughter. "It's because you buy her coffee."

"You just got burned by my old man." She patted Damon's shoulder and exchanged a look with her father. "Can I leave you two alone for a bit?"

"Grayson!" The gray man with green eyes swung his arm over her father's shoulder, "We're finally a family."

"It had to happen someday, Giuseppe." Grayson clicked his glass against Giuseppe's. "Here's to our future grandchildren."

"If I may believe Stefan we won't have to wait long." Giuseppe pointed his gaze at her.

"I would like to travel first." Her cheeks turned red as she stared into Giuseppe's pointing gaze. "And pass the bar before becoming a mother."

"You're still young." Grayson smiled at her. "There's still plenty of time to think about children, enjoy your life first, I certainly have."

"Pass the bar?" Giuseppe's eyebrow arched. "Don't get your hopes up, sweetie. There are few that actually pass."

"If my daughter thinks she can do it, she can." Grayson squeezed her arm.

"Aren't you enough of a screw up at your current job?" Giuseppe gave her a mocking smile. "You shouldn't take more on your plate than you can handle."

"Excuse me, sir." Damon's blue eyes shot fire. "I've been working with Elena and I can say she's great at what she does and if she ever becomes a lawyer I'll let someone die on purpose so I can hire her."

"And who might you be?" Giuseppe glared at him, letting his eyes travel over Damon's strong body. "One of her screwed up friends?"

"Damon Salvatore." He extended his hand. "And I get the impression I'm rather one of her screwed up friends than one of yours."

"He's a heart surgeon." Grayson turned to the man beside him shrugging off his arm. "And a good one too."

Giuseppe stared at Damon's extended hand, his green eyes traveling to the blue ones that were directed at him. His lips parted as he tried to bring out words but failed to voice them. She felt Damon's body move next to her, his shoulders straightening, his muscles tightening under his shirt. Even her father's body moved so she was standing behind him and Damon, blocking her from Giuseppe. But for some reason she didn't have the feeling that she was Giuseppe's focus. His green eyes were firm on Damon's face, reading every expression that the young man in front of him showed.

"Excuse me." Giuseppe stopped acting like a fish and finally voiced something. "I have to check on something."

"So that's your father-in-law." Damon turned to her once Giuseppe disappeared. "Seems like a nice guy."

"He doesn't think much of me." She sighed, shrugging. "He wanted Stefan to marry someone from a wealthy family."

"We used to be best friends." Grayson rubbed his daughter's back, trying to soothe her. "He just changed when his wife died a few years ago."

"He had to raise Stefan all on his own." Elena locked her gaze with Damon's. "It's a good thing he didn't turn out like his father."

"Nope, quite the opposite", Damon rolled his eyes, sipping his bourbon.

"You met Stefan?" She looked up at him with an expecting gaze. "What did you think of him?"

"I talked to him for like...ten minutes."

"But what did you think?" She grabbed his arm, keeping his attention on her. "Did you like him?"

"Stop worrying about what other people think." He shook his head at her. "It doesn't matter what I think, you're the one who has to spend her life with him."

"Damon." She shook his arm. "Just tell me what you think."

"He seems..." He searched for words, lifting his shoulders. "..polite."

"I showed you my lingerie and that's what I get?" She put her hands on her hips, glaring at him. "Polite?"

"You showed him your lingerie?" Her father's voice pulled her away from Damon's gaze. "There goes the image of my good catholic raised daughter."

"Didn't you notice she isn't wearing anything blue?" Damon smirked at her father, waggling his eyebrows. "It's hidden underneath the dress."

"Actually now you mention it." Grayson's eyes traveled over his daughter's appearance. "There isn't anything blue."

"I'm going to talk to the other guests." She shook her head at them. "Can you two behave?"

"Of course."

She rolled her eyes as they both nodded and pecked her father's cheek. "Daddy, keep Damon away from the bar."

"My pleasure", he smirked at Damon.

She shook her head in amusement and turned to her friend. "Damon, keep daddy away from the dessert table."

"Sure thing."

She turned around and started walking, lifting the skirt of her white dress to walk smoother trough the crowd.

"I'll let you near the bar if you let me near the dessert table."

"Deal."

A gasp left her throat as she turned back to them, her eyes narrowing. "You're not supposed to bond that quickly!"

They both shrugged and she rolled her eyes, leaving them behind at the dessert table while walking to the kitchen to check up on everything. She was tasting the midnight snacks when Giuseppe burst through the door, his green eyes wide open.

"I want him out of here."

"What?" She jumped at his sudden harsh tone. "Who?"

"Damon Salvatore." He stuttered the name. "I want him gone, now."

"Why?" She arched her eyebrow, shaking her head. "What did he do?"

"Didn't you hear?" He pointed to the ballroom. "He was disrespectful towards me."

"Don't take it personal." She smiled. "That's just Damon, that's how he is."

"I want him out." Giuseppe crossed his arms over his chest, "now."

"I'm sorry but he's my friend." She shook her head. "I can't kick him out."

"I think you forget who's paying for this wedding." He approached her slowly. "I decide who stays and who goes."

"He's staying." She clenched her teeth together. "I'm the bride and I decide who I invite to my wedding."

"Lena?"

The door went open again, Damon's head peeking through the crack. His blue eyes darkened when he saw how close Giuseppe was standing in front of her. He walked inside the room and came to stand next to her, an apologizing expression on his face.

"The hospital just called." He bit his lip. "There has been an accident, they need a heart surgeon."

"What?" She looked up at him, her eyes begging. "Can't someone else go?"

"I'm sorry, sweetie." He pecked her cheek. "But I really have to go."

"But it's my wedding." She pouted.

"I know." He rubbed her arm. "Congratulations and have fun."

Before she could say anything else, he disappeared through the door, leaving her behind with Giuseppe again. She looked up at the older man in front of her, crossing her arms over her chest.

"Seems like you got your wish after all."

"He's not supposed to be her." Giuseppe spat at her. "He's trash."

"He saves lives every day." She shook her head in disbelief. "How can you say something like that?"

"Because I know his type", he threw his arms up. "Stay away from him, Elena. I mean it."

"He's a witness in one of the cases I'm working on." She let out a hard laugh. "I can't just stay away from him even if I wanted to."

"You're going to be the death of Stefan." He glared at her. "You know that, right?"

"You wish."

"You wish." She bumped her father's shoulder. "You dream about dying between those desserts."

"If I have to die, at least I want to do it the way I want to."

She shook her head at him as he took a big bite out one of the cupcakes and started chewing fiercely.

"Mommy."

Both their heads snapped up as Liam ran into the kitchen, his eyes red and puffy, his cheeks stained with tears. His chest was breathing heavy, his blue eyes looking frantically at them.

"Granny doesn't wake up."

Follow me on Twitter for spoilers & updates: PantiesDrop_