The last few weeks seemed to fly by for Damon and Elena. Elena had been feverishly cramming for her finals, while Damon had been following leads with Sheriff Forbes to track down the persons responsible for the poisoning. Somewhere in between, they'd also been making plans to marry in secret. It was important to Damon to finalize their union before the baby arrived, so their son would be born with his name. They also knew they were fighting against the clock before all hell broke loose and time was of the essence. The second Klaus found out the truth about their plan, they would be on the run.
Damon was in the kitchen mixing a protein drink and toasting a bagel for Elena to eat before she ran off to school. She had stayed up until 4:00 am studying for her final, and as a result, she had woken up late. He knew she would be in a hurry this morning, but he wanted to make sure she ate before she left. He didn't want her passing out during the test because her blood sugar dropped too low. He heard her footsteps coming before she reached the bottom step. Just as she was about to bypass the adjacent dining room and head out, Damon caught her by surprise. "Not so fast young lady," he called out, as he continued to spread cream cheese on the bagel he'd just toasted. "You haven't had your breakfast yet."
Elena stopped dead in her tracks, looking up at the ceiling, and rolling her eyes in frustration. I don't have time for this. She walked through the dining room, stopping to stand in the archway of the kitchen. "Damon, I'm already late. Bonnie had to leave without me. There's no time for breakfast."
Placing the knife in the sink, he turned to address her. "Do you really think I'm going to let you leave here alone and without eating?" He shook his head. "Tsk, tsk, tsk." He gave her a smart-assed smirk. "Nice try."
Annoyed, she plodded into the kitchen and grabbed the bagel off of the plate. Taking a bite from it, she gave Damon an impudent smile. "Happy now?" She turned around sharply to leave, but Damon caught her by the arm, stopping her.
"Not quite." He handed her the protein drink and grabbed his keys off of the counter. "I'm driving you."
"Oh for God sakes Damon, you can't go with me. It's my final. One day driving alone isn't going to kill me." Her tone came off harsher than she had intended. She was even surprised with her level of edginess.
"Someone didn't take their cranky pill this morning," he chided. He raised his hands up in mock surrender. "I'm just dropping you off. I'm not staying. Bonnie can bring you home."
Elena's shoulders slumped with regret. She raised her hand to her forehead and shut her eyes momentarily. She felt so discombobulated. "I'm sorry I snapped at you. It's just I'm exhausted and stressed about this final."
"I know. But, this is your last one, and then you can rest all you want until the baby is born."
She frowned. "Not really. We still have the whole council thing to deal with and Klaus breathing down our necks. Not to mention, I haven't finished everything I need to do before the wedding. I mean we leave the day after tomorrow. That doesn't give me a lot of time to run errands and pack."
In a placating voice, Damon replied, "I'll take care of it. Trust me." He made a shooing motion with his hands meant to harass her. "Now hurry up. You're making us late."
Elena scrunched her nose and stuck her tongue out in a derisive expression. She turned to head out, but Damon stopped her again.
"Ah, ah, ah." He picked up the protein drink, handing it to Elena.
She took the glass from him, shaking her head, as they headed out the door. There was no getting around him when he had his mind set on something. He was right of course. She needed to be sharp for this test. Plus they'd agreed that she wouldn't go anywhere alone. It wasn't only herself she had to think about these days. Watching out for them was a role Damon took seriously. He always had even when it was just her. Taking care of her was secretly one of the things she loved, though she wouldn't admit that to him. If she did, she was worried he'd see it as a green light to make all of her decisions for her. They were both pretty stubborn, and sometimes she just wanted to do what she wanted to do, even if he thought it was dangerous. For now, she couldn't exactly argue when half of what he was protecting was his.
Once Damon dropped Elena off at school, he headed out to do some of the errands he told her he'd take care of. He picked up his suit from the dry cleaners, and Elena's dress from the shop that had altered it, to accommodate her growing tummy. And as promised, he didn't look inside the bag containing the dress. He stopped by the local Quick Lube for an oil change and to get the air pressure in his tires checked. Next, he hit the grocery store then headed to the Gilbert house. Personally, he thought Jeremy was a big enough boy to fend for himself, but Elena always worried about her brother. She wanted to make sure he didn't run out of anything while she was gone. Kids today are way too coddled. Damon shook his head and sighed. He couldn't believe he was actually stocking the fridge for a grown man. But if it made Elena happy, he would do it.
Afterwards, Damon swung by his attorney's office to finalize some very important documents he had drawn up a few weeks ago. Creating a will had been such a foreign thing for him to think about. Since he was an immortal, the thought had never crossed his mind before.
As the eldest son, the responsibility of handling the Salvatore estate would have been passed to him after his father's death. However, Damon and Stefan both had died before Stefan had killed their father. As a result of their untimely deaths, the estate went to their half brother, along with the family name. At the time, their brother was just a toddler, leaving the family fortune in the temporary trust of a distant relative. But once the family learned of the brothers' transition, the relative readily relinquished control of everything to Damon out of fear for his life.
Over the years, Damon had allowed the façade to continue that his brother's heirs were in charge. But behind the scenes, Damon managed everything. He made sure his half brother's descendants and Stefan had what they needed, despite their estrangement. Still, he hadn't been overly concerned about what would happen to the family fortune, should he parish. Everything would automatically go to Stefan. Except now, things were different. He had a son, and soon a wife, to consider. Wow! That just blows my mind. The key role his son played, in bringing down the Original family, would put him in constant danger. Damon would give his life to protect him, if necessary. He knew, that despite their rocky relationship over the years, Stefan would never allow Elena and their son to struggle. They were, after all, family no matter what. And he knew Stefan was in love with Elena even if she was no longer in love with him. No, he wouldn't let them struggle. But still, Damon was never one to leave things to chance, hence the will. He felt relieved knowing everything was written in black and white.
His last stop was in the adjacent county, to pick up the marriage license from the local city hall. For legal purposes, they wanted to do things right by getting a license. They hadn't applied for their license in Mystic Falls because they hadn't wanted to risk word of their plans leaking out. When they had applied for the license the week prior, they had difficulty getting the local city clerk to accept Damon's phony birth certificate. Using fake documents never used to be a problem. It had only become more difficult over the last 25 years, after the computer age took off. Fortunately, with the help of some good old fashioned compulsion, he was able to get by the system without raising suspicion.
The wedding was to take place in the lush gardens of an historic plantation house more than an hour away from Mystic Falls. Though the house was now primarily a bed and breakfast, it also hosted a number of private weddings. The gardens were the perfect location because they provided a beautiful, romantic setting, as well as, the privacy they were looking for. After the ceremony, they would celebrate with an intimate dinner then retire to their room for the evening. In the morning, they would head down the coast, stopping for a few days along the beaches of the Carolinas, before working their way down to Savannah. Due to the pregnancy, Damon hadn't been willing to risk Elena flying. In the time they'd known each other, road trips had become their thing. So they thought it was only fitting that their trip should end in the state that had started it all. Besides that, the trip would serve a dual purpose. First, it would a romantic getaway through the historical South. And second, it would give them an opportunity to scope out potential hide outs, should they have to run from Klaus until the baby arrives. This was the part of the trip they told Bonnie and Jeremy about. The rest would have to wait until they returned.
Elena's two and a half hour long examine was finally over. She had no clue how well she had done, but at the moment, she was too exhausted to care. The class had been given a 15 minute break before starting the second portion of the exam. That was hardly enough time for her to feel refreshed after a long night of studying. With each passing month, she felt more worn down. Elena was happy that she had at least managed to complete two whole semesters of college since finding out she was pregnant. But next semester's end was too close to her due date, so she hadn't bothered to register. If she was being honest, she looked forward to the reprieve from getting up early, writing papers, and studying.
Bonnie had finished early and was waiting outside the lecture hall for Elena. "So? How do you think you did?" She picked up her book bag, and they started to head towards the parking lot.
Elena gave her an uncertain, sideways glance. "I have no idea, but probably not very well. There were questions on there that I wasn't prepared for at all." She let out a frustrated moan as she rubbed her forehead. "Oh, I seriously don't want to have to repeat this class again. What about you? How do you think you did?"
Bonnie smiled in satisfaction. "I think I did pretty well. I mean there were a few questions I had no clue how to answer, but overall I think I should pass." She rubbed Elena's arm reassuringly, giving her a sympathetic look. "I'm sure you did better than you think. And if you didn't, there isn't any point in worrying about it because what's done is done. You've got bigger things to worry about."
"Don't I know it? At least with school done, I'll be home more. I won't have to listen to Damon lecture me every morning about making sure I'm with you at all times."
When they reached the car, Bonnie pressed the remote on her key chain twice to unlock the doors. Bonnie was a small girl to begin with, but driving her father's SUV crossover dwarfed her even more. Being a college student, she would've preferred driving a smaller car to save on gas. But her father was concerned about her safety and felt the SUV was a much sturdier vehicle. As they got in the truck, she said, "Well, you can't really blame him, Elena. You almost died, and the person responsible is still out there. Not to mention the ever looming presence of Klaus."
Elena shook her head, conceding. "I know. It's just I'm so tired of always looking over my shoulder, and I still have another 3 months to go. Plus it's only going to get worse after he's born. That's why Damon thought it would be good for us to get away and just relax while we can."
Bonnie cringed every time she thought of Elena's plight, knowing she was the one who put her best friend in this situation. But she had to keep reminding herself that it was necessary. She put the car in drive and pulled away. Glancing back and forth from the road to Elena, she said, "You know how much I hate admitting Damon is right. But getting away from Mystic Falls for awhile, even if it's just for a week, is a good idea. Uh, I'm jealous."
"Yeah, I can't wait to get out of this town, away from Klaus, and whoever else is trying to kill me." She hesitated briefly, knowing what she was about to say would sound overly protective. "Do you think you could do me a favor? Would you check on Jeremy while I'm gone? I know he's not a little kid anymore, but I still worry about him. He's all alone in that house and, if something happens, I won't be here for him to call."
A huge smirk spread across Bonnie's face. Coyly, she replied, "What makes you think he'll be alone?"
Elena smirked, and shook her head. "I don't know what I was thinking."
Bonnie stopped the truck at an intersection, waiting for the light to change. "So have you decided what you plan on doing while you're gone?" As the light turned green, she started to creep into the intersection.
"Nothing specific. We're going to…"
Out of nowhere, a pick-up truck came tearing through the intersection, running the light. The truck smashed into the passenger side door of Bonnie's SUV. The force of the crash spun their vehicle around 90 degrees in the opposite direction, allowing the driver of the truck to take off. The airbags deployed upon impact, slamming hard into the girls' chests. Bonnie's shoulder slammed into her door, and her head snapped to the side sharply, cracking against the window. The collapsing of Elena's door pushed her forward, jamming her knees into the glove box. Her window shattered, showering her face with large shards of glass. A piece of rough metal from the door lacerated Elena's forearm, and embedded itself there.
Both girls were disoriented from the impact. But within minutes, Bonnie snapped back to awareness when she heard Elena scream in pain. Elena's door had been pried away like it was made of Styrofoam. The metal from the door was still partially stuck in her arm. When the door was ripped away, the metal tore the gash open wider. At first, Bonnie wasn't sure what she saw was real. She blinked her eyes to clear away the fuzziness, and was surprised to see Klaus' figure in the doorway. Then she heard his voice, asking Elena if she was OK.
Klaus had squatted down so he was eye level with Elena. He gently shook her shoulder to rouse her attention. "Elena, tell me where it hurts love." Elena didn't verbally respond. Instead her answer came in the form of whimpering moans. She appeared to be in shock. Her hand shakily came up to touch her face. When she pulled it away, it was spotted with blood. Klaus gave her a quick scan to see where she was hurt. Although sirens could be heard in the distance, Klaus decided not to wait. He bit his wrist and was about to feed Elena his blood, when Bonnie stopped him.
Panicked, Bonnie yelled, "No, don't! You don't know what it could do to the baby." Bonnie knew that when Elena had been poisoned, Damon fed her his blood to prevent her from miscarrying. Damon's blood had no adverse effects on the fetus because it was his blood that flowed through the baby's veins. There was no telling what would happen if Elena was fed the blood of an original, who the child just so happened to be created to kill. They had no precedent to draw on to know what would happen. It was a chance they couldn't afford to take.
Klaus stopped and stared at Bonnie. "Non-sense. Over the centuries, I've seen plenty of women with child receive vampire blood without incident. It's the quickest way to heal her. There's no telling what internal injuries she's sustained." His wrist had already healed, so he bit it again.
Bonnie had to think fast. She blurted out, "But none of the others were doppelgangers. We have no idea what it could do to her. Are you really willing to risk damaging your blood supply?" Klaus brought his wrist down from his mouth and gave her a curious look, as though he were considering her argument. The sirens were getting closer. "Please Klaus. The ambulance is on its way. Let them take care of her."
Klaus reluctantly backed away. "She had better survive or I'm holding you responsible." The 'she' he was referring to, of course, was the infant.
Bonnie sighed in relief. A sharp pain seared through her head when she nodded her acknowledgement. She touched her head and winced. A huge knot had already formed.
Police sirens could still be heard off in the distance, but the EMS had finally arrived. Noticing the passenger side door took the brunt of the accident, the first EMS worker ran immediately with an emergency kit to Elena's side. Klaus was blocking his way when he arrived. The worker bluntly said, "Sir, I'm going to have to ask you to move, so I can attend to the victim." Klaus wordlessly stepped out of the way. But he remained close enough to watch, as the rescue worker began asking Elena questions, assessing her level of alertness. "Ma'am, ma'am. Can you tell me your name?" He took out his pen light and pried her eyes open one at a time, to shine the light on her pupils.
Initially when Klaus had arrived, Elena seemed incoherent. However, the piercing brightness of the pen light flashing in her eyes, helped her regain some alertness. She croaked out, "Elena…Gilbert." Her head bobbed slightly as she tried to remain conscious.
Klaus shot a warning glare towards Bonnie, as the second EMS worker opened her door and began asking Bonnie the same questions. Her eyes scanned from Klaus to Elena, and then back again, before she responded to the EMS worker. "Bonnie Bennett. I hit my head, but I think I'm ok."
Damon had been on his way back from picking up the marriage license, when he got the call from Jeremy saying Elena had been in an accident. Jeremy told him her injuries weren't life threatening, but it hardly made Damon feel any better. Elena being in an accident at all, especially when he was away, struck fear in his heart. He felt like he was reliving the night she went over Wickery Bridge and drown all over again.
When he saw Damon rush through the E.R. door, Jeremy immediately stood up to meet him. "Where the hell have you been man? I called you a half an hour ago."
"I was out of town," he said exasperated, "checking on a lead Liz gave me." Obviously, he was lying, not for his own sake, but because Elena had wanted their plans kept quiet even from Jeremy. Damon's agitation was growing by the second. He snapped out. "How is she? What's going on?"
"I'm not sure yet. They're running some tests. I only got to see her briefly before the doctor pushed me out."
Damon's heart sank. "What you mean? Where's Meredith?"
Jeremy knew Damon would flip when he told him. "It was her day off. So when Elena was brought in, they assigned her to the on-call doctor."
Damon's jaw clenched, gritting his teeth. He glared at Jeremy. Inside he was fuming. He grabbed Jeremy by the shirt, pulling him close to his face. "And you let him treat her? How could you be that stupid?"
Returning Damon's intense glare, Jeremy raised his voice to defend himself against Damon's berating comments. Jeremy struggled, trying to free himself from Damon's grasp. "He was in there before I got here. What was I supposed to do? She was hurt, and they couldn't reach Meredith. I didn't exactly have a choice." Jeremy continued to struggle against Damon's grip on him. "Look, Meredith is in there with her now." Jeremy subtly tilted his head to the side, trying to let Damon know that they weren't alone.
Damon roughly shoved Jeremy away, releasing him from his hold. He looked in Klaus' direction. "What the hell are you doing here?"
"Luckily, as fate would have it, I was there when the accident happened. You know you should be thanking me. I was helping to free Elena before EMS even arrived."
"What happened?" Damon's breathing was ragged, as he tried to control his anger and frustration. It was bad enough that Elena had been in harm's way again. But having to deal with Klaus' bullshit on top of it, just made things worse.
"Hit and run driver. You realize this is the second time in less than a month that someone has tried to kill her. You know I don't think you're doing a very good job of keeping her safe."
"Lucky for me I don't really care what you think. It's none of your business," Damon mouthed off. He turned to head towards the triage area, but Klaus stepped in front of him, blocking his path.
Staring him dead in the eyes, Klaus said, "I beg to differ. The doppelganger only exists because of the curse that was placed on me. Her bloodline is the only way to create my hybrids. So you see it is very much my business."
Jeremy looked nervously, back and forth, between the two of them. "Yeah, well while you two are wasting time battling for dominance, I'm going to do something constructive, like check on Elena and Bonnie." They both ignored him and continued to stare intensely at each other. Jeremy shook his head and walked away.
Klaus shot Damon one of his big dimple-filled, mocking smirks. "See, now I bet young Jeremy could do a better job protecting Elena than you're doing. If you don't step up your efforts, I might just have to take matters into my own hands and lock Elena away for safe keeping."
Damon's eyes squinted at Klaus. He was sick to death of his arrogance and oppressive behavior. He couldn't wait until his son was old enough to kill his smug ass. "Elena is not your property. You're not taking her anywhere."
Klaus took a menacing step closer. He pressed his fingers against Damon's chest, in an intimidating fashion. "On the contrary, her bloodline has been tied to me long before you were born. Which means that child belongs to me. And I will take what is rightfully mine as I see fit."
Damon's blood was boiling. The fuck that child belongs to you. In a painfully controlled voice, he spat out, "Over my dead body."
"Now, I would rather enjoy that. Though I think Elena would be heartbroken." Klaus emphasized that last word in his usual taunting tone. He sauntered over to one of the waiting room chairs to pick up his coat. "Speaking of the lovely Elena, do tell her for me that I hope she has a speedy recovery." With that he walked away and exited the hospital.
Damon had been so riled that he hadn't even realized his fists were tightly clenched, until after Klaus walked away. He opened and closed his hands to work out the stiffness. Then he took a deep calming breath before heading towards Elena's room.
When Damon entered the room, all eyes turned to him. Elena was alert and sitting up in bed, but his heart sank at the sight of her. The right side of her face was littered with slashes from where the shattered glass made contact with her skin. And her lower lip was swollen and split. The white of one eye was now blood red from broken capillaries. Her right forearm was wrapped in bandages from her wrist to her elbow. Both knees were black and blue with softball size bruises. An IV was dripping into her arm, and a fetal heart monitor was attached to her abdomen.
Jeremy could see by the look on Damon's face that it was time to excuse himself and give them some privacy. He said to Elena, "I'm going to go check on Bonnie. I'll come by later tonight and see how you're doing." He leaned down and gently kissed Elena on top of her head. "I love you."
Elena looked up at Jeremy and squeezed his hand. "I love you too Jer." Then Jeremy walked past Damon and exited the room.
Damon took Jeremy's place at the bedside, grabbing Elena's hand. He glanced down at Elena, giving her a tentative smile. Then he looked towards Meredith with uncertainty. He asked, "So?"
Meredith gave a big sigh as she filled him in on Elena's condition. "To start with, the baby is fine. Elena has some bruising along her lower abdomen where the seatbelt dug in, but no serious damage. She has a couple of fractured ribs, some cuts and bruises, and a tear between her radius and ulna." She paused, giving Elena a reassuring smile. "Overall it's not as bad as it could have been." She turned her attention back to Damon. "Nothing a little vampire blood can't fix."
The tension in Damon's face noticeably eased. He nodded. "Good."
Meredith continued. "But we have a bigger problem. I managed to track down the ultrasound footage and dispose of it before it was read. And I can alter any notes in Elena's chart about the baby's sex, but you're going to have to compel the ultrasound tech to forget what she saw."
"That's not a problem. What about the doctor that saw Elena when she came in?"
"I already spoke with him," Meredith said. "He did an initial assessment of her injuries, but nothing that would tip him off."
"You're absolutely sure? We can't afford to be wrong," he warned.
Meredith nodded. "I'm positive. I'm going to go now and see if I can track down that tech for you to compel before you take Elena home."
Elena had been quiet the whole time Meredith was giving Damon the rundown. Now that they were alone, she started to cry. The tears stung at the cuts along her cheek as they trailed down her face.
Damon sat on the edge of the bed facing her. He gently placed his thumb and forefinger under her chin, tilting it up to meet his eyes. "It's going to be Ok." He was pissed that any of this happened, but letting her know that wasn't going to change anything. What she needed right now was reassurance. He soothingly stroked her hair. "Just think about our trip. We're going to get away for awhile, just the two of us. It's going to be Ok." He bit into his wrist and placed it up to Elena's mouth. "Now drink. I"ll go take care of the tech, and then I'll take you home."
Damon and Elena spent the next day flitting about the house, finishing up some last minute packing they couldn't get to because of Elena's trauma the night before. She was feeling much better today like the accident never happened. Vampire blood had a way of healing everything except the soul. Damon came downstairs to grab a few books from the library to take with him. As he turned the corner to the room, he heard a knock at the front door. He flung the door open to find Klaus standing there.
"What the hell do you want?"
Klaus gave him one of his maniacal smirks. "Now is that any way to answer a door?" Damon wasn't in the mood to play. "All right then. I just came by to see how Elena was doing. She was pretty banged up yesterday."
"She's fine." Before Damon could shut the door, Elena came trotting down the stairs.
"Who's at the door?"
Damon half turned to answer her. "No one important."
Klaus said, "Now come on mate. I came by to see how she was doing." As she came up behind Damon, he noticed that her wounds were completely healed. "Well, it looks like you're doing much better."
Elena swallowed hard. "I'm fine."
Damon turned back towards Klaus. "See, she's fine."
Klaus gave him a curious glare. "That's funny because yesterday when I tried to give her my blood to heal her, Bonnie told me it wasn't safe. Yet here she is, good as new, no doubt thanks to your blood. Now why would Bonnie tell me such a thing if it wasn't true?"
Damon's eyebrows rose, as he down turned his mouth. He shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Don't know. I wasn't there. But if you want to be helpful, why don't you track down the driver who hit her?"
"Well now isn't that your job?" Klaus leaned against the door frame, crossing his arms. He could no longer enter the boarding house, without an invitation, ever since the deed had been signed over to Elena.
Flippantly, Damon said, "You're the one who said I wasn't doing a very good job of keeping her safe. So I'm just going to sit back here and keep Elena company, while you do all the work." Damon thoroughly enjoyed baiting Klaus. He could see Klaus' anger rising. He shot him one of his notorious sarcastic grins. "Bye now." Then he slammed the door in Klaus' face.
The next day they headed out of town. It was mid-day when Damon's car pulled up in the driveway of the old plantation house. The wedding wasn't to take place until 5:00 pm, but they had been eager to get out of town before anything happened to prevent them from leaving. Also, they wanted to arrive early to check in and get settled before getting ready for the ceremony.
Around 4:30 pm, Damon had gone downstairs to meet with the officiator and photographer leaving Elena to finish getting ready. She hadn't wanted him to see her until it was time. She was still in the bathroom when Damon came back to the room to get her. He rapped his knuckles lightly on the door. "Elena? They're ready for us."
Elena answered, "Ok, just a minute." She looked herself over in the mirror once more, making sure everything was in place. She wore a thinly strapped white dress made of chiffon with a beaded empire bodice. The dress flowed loosely over her stomach to just above her knees, exposing her beaded sandals. Her hair was partially swept up in curls, with some strands cascading down her back and framing her face. As she stared at herself in the mirror, she felt a strange mixture of elation and sadness. She was happy to be marrying Damon, but at the same time, sad that her parents couldn't be there to witness it. How she wished her father could have given her away. There was also a sense of guilt for keeping all of this from Jeremy. He was the only family she had left, and she had excluded him from one of the most important days of her life. The baby must have sensed her sadness and gave her a gentle kick, pulling her out of her melancholy state. She looked down at her stomach and smiled, giving it a gentle rub. No, Jeremy wasn't her only family. Soon her family would be expanding to include Damon and their son. She took a deep, calming breath and smiled at herself in the mirror. She was ready.
Damon was staring out of the window, when Elena exited the bathroom. He turned around to face her, and his breath suddenly escaped his lungs. He was floored by the sight of her. He'd seen Elena dressed beautifully many times before in formal gowns, but this was entirely different. This time she glowed like an angel. And this time she was his. He stared at her in awe, as an uncontrollable smile spread across his face. "I've never seen you look more beautiful."
Bashfully, Elena smiled then lowered her gaze. She walked over to where Damon stood and began fiddling with the rose on his lapel, straightening it. Then she ran her hand over his chest, smoothing out the wrinkle in his jacket. Glancing up at him, she said, "And you look very dashing yourself." Her eyes ventured down to the bouquet of wild flowers he held in his hands. "Are those for me?"
He had been so enamored by her beauty that he had completely forgotten the flowers he brought for her. He looked down at his hand, suddenly remembering. Stumbling nervously over his words, he said, "Oh, um, yeah." He chuckled at his confusion as he handed her the flowers. "I got them from the garden outside." He held his hands up in mock defense. "I didn't steal them, I swear. They gave them to me."
She raised them to her nose and inhaled their fragrant scent. Her face lit up with a big smile. "They're beautiful."
Damon held his arm out for her. "Shall we?" Elena nodded in agreement, looping her arm through his.
They made their way down the hall, and then descended the staircase, arm and arm. Damon led Elena outside to the gazebo, located in the flower garden. In the background, a violinist played soft music as they approached. It was a warm spring day in Virginia, and the sun was shining bright. The fragrant scent of the freshly bloomed flowers wafted in the breeze. The gazebo was a pristine white with ivy and irises woven through its slats. The landscape behind it was a brilliant array of floral pastel colors that collectively reminded Elena of a rainbow. Internally she quipped. What no unicorns?
At the cusp of the steps, Damon removed Elena's left hand from his arm to take in his own. Like the gentleman that he was, he placed his right hand on the small of her back and guided her up the steps ahead of him. With nervous excitement, they stood before the officiator, holding each other's hand.
The officiator was a heavy-set man in his late 60's, with a round jovial face and rosy cheeks. Since they had no designated officiator, the owners of the estate had recommended to them the soft-spoken man with the pleasant southern drawl. He began the ceremony with a warm, inviting smile. "Elena, Damon, on behalf of Ashford Estates, I'd like to congratulate you on the start of your lives together. It is a harsh reality of life that this world can hold such great sorrow. But for those who seek it, it can also hold the greatest joy. Love. However, love can be elusive. Many search their entire lives and never find it. Those who do will face many trials and tribulations meant to test the strength of their resolve and commitment to love. Against all odds, your hearts have managed to find one another. You've been given life's greatest gift. Now it is up to each of you to face these challenges together and decide if love is worth fighting for." The officiator's words affected Damon and Elena deeply. Both knew exactly how hard they had fought to be together, and how hard they would have to fight to protect all that they stood to lose. "As you stand before each other, may you profess what's in your hearts. Elena?"
Elena's heart raced with nervousness, as she gazed into Damon's deep blue eyes. She said, "Damon, you've always been there to protect and support me whenever I needed you. And I want you to know how grateful I am for that. I wouldn't have made it through without you. You've loved me unconditionally, without expecting anything in return. And I want you to know that nothing can ever take away my love for you."
Her words roused deep feelings within him. Never had he thought he would have real love. It was something he'd always felt unworthy of, yet he so desperately craved. The depth of his emotion overwhelmed him. He had to swallow the lump in his throat before he spoke. "Elena, I can't begin to fathom what it was you saw in me, when we first met, that you thought was worth saving. But you believed in it and you made me be a better man because of it. I spent my life waiting for someone I thought was the woman I loved more than life itself. But I know now that it wasn't her that I was waiting for. It was you. I know one day we'll be parted by death, but know that I will love you for all of eternity." He took his mother's ring and slid it on Elena's finger.
Tears welled in her eyes. Yes, one day she would die and so would their son. Damon would be left all alone to carry that burden for eternity. Her heart hurt at the thought of it. The officiator spoke again bringing Elena back from her sadness.
"Elena, Damon are both of you ready to accept each other in marriage?"
Holding hands, they gazed into each other's eyes. In unison, they said, "Yes."
With a pleasing smile on his face, the officiator said, "Then you may seal it with a kiss." Their kiss was deep, and sweet, and filled with the intense emotions of two people, whose passion was so strong it consumed them.
After the ceremony, they had taken pictures and enjoyed a leisurely stroll around the estate grounds. The long walk had tired Elena, so she decided to rest before dinner. Later that night, they had an intimate dinner in the dining room of the old estate, which had been converted into a restaurant. The room was decorated with the elegance of the era, right down to the antique china and silverware that dressed the tables. It was primarily lit by candlelight, and soft, soothing music played in the background, giving it a romantic feel. In front of the fire place, there was a small space left open for dancing.
When they were finished with dinner, Damon stood up and offered Elena his hand. "Care to dance?"
Elena smiled up at him, placing her hand in his. "I'd love to."
It only took them a few steps before they reached the dance floor. Their bodies molded together naturally like two pieces of a puzzle that were meant to fit. Elena rested her forehead against Damon's chin, as they swayed gently to the music. For a while, they got lost in the peaceful euphoria of the moment. Elena whispered in Damon's ear, "Thank you for today." She pulled her head back to look into his eyes. His blue eyes seemingly glowed, as the light of the fire reflected in them. She said, "I couldn't have asked for a more perfect day."
An adoring smile spread across his lips. Sweetly, he said, "You're welcome." Damon pulled her close again, giving her a kiss on top of her head. He rested his chin against her once more and closed his eyes, as they continued to dance. After a time, they retired to their room and made love until they feel asleep in each other's arms.