The house was eerily quiet yet something caused Damon to stir awake. Groggily he looked over at Elena to find her sleeping soundly next to him. Out of habit his eyes glanced down to her stomach. The pronounced bulge he'd gotten used to seeing was gone. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes and blinked a few times to clear his vision. Before his brain could catch up with what his eyes were seeing, his attention was drawn away by a faint sound outside of the bedroom. He slid out of bed quietly so as not to wake Elena. When he stepped into the hallway, he heard the sound again. It was like a soft whimper, and it was coming from the baby's room. He didn't know exactly why, but he had a sense of foreboding as he made his way towards the room. The door to the bedroom was partially open. As he stepped inside, his eyes scanned the room. Everything was decorated just as they'd planned. The walls were a periwinkle blue with a border around the ceiling. The border was patterned with cute little animals in soothing colors prancing about. To the left of the door was a changing table. Next to it was a dresser with a lamp in the shape of a puppy. A child's toy chest sat on the floor to the right of the closet. The enormous bear Klaus had given them was plopped on top. In the corner beside the window, Elena had placed her mother's antique rocking chair. She'd wanted to gaze out at the lush garden, as she rocked the baby to sleep. Near the rocking chair, along the wall was the baby's crib. The mobile above it was slowly spinning as it wound down playing Twinkle-Twinkle Little Star.
From his vantage point, Damon could only make out a lump of blankets inside the crib. As he approached the bed with caution, he was perplexed by the fact that he couldn't remember what his son looked like. He gazed down into the crib to see the angelic face of a newborn infant, swaddled beneath blankets. The baby was lying still, resting peacefully. Damon tilted his head considering. Too peacefully. He stared at the infant a moment. There was something terribly wrong with this picture. Then it hit him. He couldn't hear a heartbeat. Panic began to set in. From behind him came a familiar voice, one he hadn't heard in 146 years.
"It had to happen, son." A stern sounding voice bellowed from behind him.
Damon turned around sharply. Breathless, he said, "Father?" His eyes widened, stunned to see his father before him.
"You know this isn't natural. He shouldn't exist. He's a monster just like you."
Even now with all that was good in his life, Damon couldn't escape the sting of Giuseppe's reproach. His father's words resonated deeply with him. Damon's heart sank as the implications of his father's words settled in his mind. Panic gripped him again. He turned his attention back to the crib, his dead heart pounded with fear. He swallowed hard preparing himself for what he might find. When he pulled the blanket back, he felt a sudden searing pain as if his heart had been ripped from his chest. His son was dead. A stake had been plunged into the left side of his tiny chest. Tears instantly sprang from his eyes. In anguish, Damon yelled out. "No!"
He jolted awake, sitting bolt upright on the couch. His heart was racing, his breathing was ragged. Disoriented, he glanced frantically around the room. For a few moments he didn't recognize his surroundings. He shook his head trying to rid the lingering anxiety. Now he remembered. They were at the last beach house on their trip down the coast. Elena had gone to bed, but he'd been too restless to sleep. Not wanting to keep Elena awake, he'd gone into the living room to watch the news. Obviously, he must have fallen asleep. He spun his feet around, planting them on the floor. With his elbows resting on his knees, he leaned forward and dropped his head down. His fingers ran nervously through his hair, massaging his scalp. What the Hell was that? He brought his head back up and rubbed his hands down his face. He rested his lips against his laced fingers as his mind continued to race.
The dream played over in his mind. Damon's lip snarled as he recalled his father's words. He may be a monster but that didn't mean his son would be. His son was innocent. He didn't deserved to die. Giuseppe had always treated Damon poorly even before he became a vampire. His feelings of unworthiness were something that plagued him his whole life. He'd spent most of his vampire existence proving his father right. Yet in spite of all the horrible things he'd done, Elena had fallen in love with him. And he'd been given something no other vampire had ever had, a child. Even if he didn't believe he deserved it that was reality. The moment Elena entered his life everything changed for the better including him. He slowly started to see something in him he thought was long gone. He saw the man he once was before his father had murdered him. Elena had a way of bringing out his humanity.
This dream was about more than his lingering insecurities. It was warning that danger was close to home. It was a warning he couldn't afford not to heed. For those few weeks while they were away, they got a taste of what it was like to be happy. They had the chance to live like a normal couple, without having to look over their shoulder all the time. No one had been after them. Hell, no one even knew who they were. They were simply a newlywed couple expecting a baby. Admittedly, Damon realized he had relaxed his guard far too much. This nightmare was his subconscious telling him to wake up before it was too late. Their honeymoon had flown by. They were headed back home tomorrow, where danger surrounded them like a blanket waiting to suffocate them.
When they last spoke to Bonnie, Klaus' suspicions had him pressing for answers. With Esther's grimoires at his disposal, and his annoying penchant for persistence, Damon wondered how long it would be before Klaus discovered the truth. They needed to stay one step ahead of him. And then there was the other problem. Liz had gotten nowhere with questioning the council about their connection to the man who was murdered. Some members feigned relief that the culprit had been caught. Others were offended at the implication that they would participate in such a heinous plan. If anyone knew who had hired this guy to hurt Elena and the baby, they weren't talking. The council members may be split on the issue of an alliance, but they were united when it came to keeping secrets. It was the code the founding members like his father had created and passed down from generation to generation. They were self righteous in their belief that they were doing what was best for their town regardless of the cost.
So, between these two threats it was no surprise Damon had anxiety about returning home. They'd been lucky Elena and the baby had survived the first two attacks. There was no doubt in his mind there were more to come. They had to make it through these next few months. Damon would just as soon not return to Mystic Falls until the baby was at least 18 years old. But he knew Elena would never go for that because of Jeremy. He mused to himself, I knew I should've killed him right the first time. Stupid kid. He smirked, shaking his head. Who was he kidding? As much of a pain as Jeremy was to him, he took care of him like a brother for Elena's sake. He knew she would be lost without him. The truth was, despite Jeremy's claim to not like him, he listened to Damon more than Damon's own brother did. In a weird way, Damon had become the male figure Jeremy had been missing in his life after his parents died. And even though Damon would never admit it, he felt a sense of pride in being a mentor of sorts.
Damon rubbed his eyes, too tired to think anymore. At the moment all he wanted to do was climb into bed with Elena and enjoy their last night of peace together. He made his way down the hallway to the bedroom. When he reached the bed, he paused a moment to watch her as she slept. His finger ran gently along her cheek like he'd done, so long ago, the first night he'd snuck in her room. So much had happened since then, it seemed like a lifetime ago. He slipped into bed beside her and wrapped his arm around her stomach. He buried his nose in the nape of her neck, inhaling the scent of her hair. Elena stirred slightly as she cozied her body against Damon. Still asleep, she let out a pleasant sigh when he kissed her on the head. If only they could stay like this forever.