Morning came far too quickly for Damon's liking. With his enhanced vampire hearing, he could hear Elena in the other room milling about. He presumed she was gathering her things to pack for their long trip home. Damon rolled onto his back, resting his arm behind his head, to stare at the ceiling. Unless he kidnapped Elena against her will, there was no way getting around going home. For a fleeting moment he contemplated doing just that. She'd be incredibly pissed, but at least they'd be safe. Besides it wasn't like she hadn't been pissed at him before. She'd always gotten over it eventually. He knew once the anger subsided, she would see he'd only done it for their own good, and she'd forgive him. Hell he'd killed her brother and she still forgave him. Surely hijacking her from returning to Mystic Falls wasn't anywhere near as bad. He frowned. Too bad she was on vervain. It would be a lot easier if he could just compel her from going back. Unfortunately, with Klaus and Rebekah around, it was too dangerous for her not to be on it.
Elena walked into the bedroom to see Damon staring up lost in thought. "Good, you're awake. I don't mean to rush you, but you should get packing. It's a long ride back so we don't want to get too late of a start." She picked up some garments she had tossed on the dresser and began folding them. As much as she had enjoyed their time away, she was getting homesick. Mystic Falls was the only home she'd ever known. Even with all the dangers, it was still where she wanted to be. All had been quiet since they left. She hoped that this was a sign things had calmed down in her absence. She knew it wouldn't stay that way for long, but she just wasn't ready yet to leave everything she loved behind.
Damon scooted himself up in bed, propping his pillow against the headboard. He gave Elena a devilish smile, attempting to entice her. In his silkiest sexy voice, he purred, "I've got a better idea. Why don't you put that down and come back to bed." He let his eyes slowly scan up and down her body seductively. He patted a spot next to him on the bed. He shifted in bed moving the sheet low enough to expose the chiseled 'V' of his abdominal muscles. He knew it was one of her favorite parts of his body that she couldn't resist.
She bit her lip at the delicious sight of him. Temptation almost got the better of her, but she was no fool. That's exactly what he was counting on and she knew it. He'd been trying for days to not so subtly convince her to extend their time away indefinitely. Now he was resorting to using her hormones against her. Ok I'll play along. Elena set down the shirt she had in her hand and slithered around to the side of the bed. Her eyes fixed on his in a lustful gaze. She ran her finger up the sheet, stopping when they reached his exposed pelvis. The thin sheet rose in front of her eyes with the swell of his arousal. She tried to hide her smirk. It didn't take much to turn Damon on. A light breeze fluttering at the bottom of her dress, a whisper close to his ear, and he was ready to go. It made her feel good to know she still had that effect on him in spite of her stretched out belly. Not that she ever doubted his love, but it was nice to know he loved her for more than her looks.
Her fingers glided over his hips barely touching him. He let out a breathy moan. "Mmm now that's more like it. Come here." He gently grabbed her by the wrist to pull her closer.
Elena complied. She crawled onto the bed on her knees and then straddled him. He squirmed underneath her, trying to press his hardness against her. His hands immediately went to support her expanded waist when she leaned down to kiss him. She pressed her lips to his in a closed mouth lingering kiss. Her lips left his, working their way along his chiseled jaw and down his neck. He closed his eyes at the pleasurable feeling. When she got to his ear, she nibbled on the lobe. He let another breathy moan escape him, pulling her hips down harder against his pelvis. Her tongue licked the inside of his ear, sending shivers of pleasure through his body. She blew a hot breath into his ear. She whispered, "Nice try, but we're still going home today." Her head came up so she could see the look on his face when it registered with him that she was onto his ploy. She grinned down at him.
It took a second for his mind to shift gears from lust to logic. He glared at her. Before she could even blink, he had her flipped on her back and pinned at the wrists. He teased her, but he was only half joking. "Or I could tie you to the bed so you can't leave." He raised one eyebrow in a challenge.
Unhappy, she whined, "Damon!"
He mocked her with the same tone, dragging it out even more. "Elenaaaaa!"
Annoyed at being mocked, she snapped, a little harsher than she meant to. "Damon, you've known for days we were going home today. Why are you giving me a hard time?"
"Oh, I don't know," Damon spouted, "maybe because there are people there trying to kill you, and I don't like taking unnecessary risks with my wife and child's lives."
She rolled her eyes. "I know that Damon," she huffed out. "But I want to go home. Our friends and family are there."
Damon let go of her wrists and rolled onto his side, facing her. He let out a sigh. "Look, if this is about Jeremy, we can send for the little stoner. We can hang out on the beach. He can play his Xbox games and eat pizza all day long. He'll be in little Gilbert heaven."
"It's not just about Jeremy." She softened her tone, hoping her explanation would be enough to push past his resistance. "Look, I don't want to spend the last few months of my pregnancy on the run if we don't have to. It's too much stress on the baby. I'd like to stay at home as long as we can." She shook her head sadly. "As it is we could end up spending the next 18 years in hiding. Besides, I thought you already had plans to fix up the Salvatore wine cellar for the birth. Remember, so we could be close by for Meredith to do the delivery?"
He shrugged. "If we don't go back, I won't have to do that." Elena hadn't been keen on the idea anyway. Maybe he could use that to change her mind. "We could find somewhere more comfortable, less musty." He smiled broadly, using her own description. "And if we're someplace no one knows us, it won't matter who delivers him. He's human."
She shifted her head on the pillow to look at him better. Her eyes scanned his face. It was etched with anxiety. There's something he's not telling me. "Damon, did something happen that you're not telling me?"
Only that I dreamt my bastard of a father, who's been dead for centuries, murdered our son in his crib. Yeah, that'll convince her not to go home. "No, nothing happened." His eyes cast down afraid she would see something there he didn't want her to see. He picked at the fuzz off on the sheet as he spoke. "That's just it Elena. We have no idea what's waiting for us when we get back." He scraped his top teeth over his bottom lip, making a sucking sound as it released. He shook his head. "We go home, and it's back to being on guard 24/7. I don't see how that's less stressful on the baby."
"Because I'll be more comfortable in our bed. I'll be surrounded by places and people I know I can run to if I'm in trouble and you're not there."
His blue eyes shot up meeting hers with intensity. He warned her, "We can't be as carefree as we've been since we've been away. I mean it Elena."
She contemplated that for a moment before responding. "Well Sheriff Forbes told you herself that the man who attacked me is dead." Sounding optimistic, she said, "That's one less threat we have to worry about."
"Don't be so naïve. That guy was just a hired hitman. The people who are after you are still out there, waiting for the opportunity when our guard is down." He warned, "Plus you heard what Bonnie said about Klaus snooping around. It's only a matter of time before he finds something, if he hasn't already."
"If Klaus knew anything, he'd have come after us by now." Damon opened his mouth to counter, but she cut him off before he could say anything. "And if we don't go back, he'll know we're hiding something. You said it yourself, we can't afford to tip him off too soon. At least this way, we'll be able to keep tabs on him so we can stay one step ahead. The Sheriff can help watch out for whoever else is after me."
The tightness in his chest and the pit in his stomach told him not to go home. It was too risky. Yet in the back of his mind, he knew she was right. If they ran too soon, they'd be blind to what to expect. Damon plopped hard onto his back and stared at the ceiling again. Sounding less than enthused, he bit out, "Fine." He shook his head, puffing out his cheeks, as he let out a frustrated breath. This is a bad idea. "Then we're going to need to work on an escape plan. Once I get the cellar set up, we can do some dry runs with Meredith. I don't want to leave anything to chance," he said firmly.
Elena stared at him a moment then smiled. He would do anything for her, but she knew he did have his limits. For now, she'd won. She leaned over him and planted a firm kiss on his lips. Sweetly, she said, "Thank you." She bounced up on her knees on the bed and tugged at the sheet as if to roll him out of bed. "Now get up so we can get going."
It actually took them two days to get home. Damon claimed he didn't want her to get too exhausted traveling for 16 hours straight. He insisted they stop overnight mid-way home. Even though Elena knew he was just trying to stall, she had to admit he was right. She was tired from the long hours in the car. Her back was hurting; her feet were swelling; she was hungry; and she had to constantly pee. Stretching out in a bed for the night had sounded pretty good to her.
Finally, they pulled into the driveway of the Salvatore Boarding House. Elena got out and stretched her back. "Ah, it's good to be home." She shut the door and walked up the driveway, as Damon got their bags out of the trunk. She put her key in the door and pushed down on the antique doorknob. In a flash, Damon was there with his hand on hers to stop her from entering.
"Hold on a second." The tension in his voice made Elena worried. With his vampire hearing, she was concerned he heard something she hadn't. He put his forefinger to his lips for Elena not to say a word. He shifted the bag to his opposite hand before opening the door slowly.
Elena swallowed hard fearing what was waiting for them. Perhaps it wasn't a good idea to return after all. Her eyes were wide and alert as they entered cautiously. She looked around room from the foyer. Everything looked ok to her, but that didn't mean anything. The boarding house was huge. Someone could be lying in wait for them in any one of the massive rooms.
Damon set the bag down quietly. His eyes scanned the room. He looked at her and pointed up at the ceiling, indicating he heard something upstairs. Elena remained still. Damon took her hand, pulling her to following him. It was a strange thing for him to do. Since her safety was his biggest concern, it seemed out of character for him to pull her into the potential danger with him. Then again, leaving her in the foyer unprotected wasn't the best alternative either. Hand in hand, with Damon in the lead, they crept up the stairs. The steps creaked as they walked. Elena cringed with the noise. Damn old house. Nothing like letting them know we're coming.
They paused at the top of the stairs, listening for a moment. There was a thud down the hallway. Damon looked at Elena with concern. He pointed towards the baby's room. They made their way quietly down the hallway, stopping when they reached the door. Damon looked Elena in the eyes, asking with unspoken words if she was ready. She nodded. He stood half in front of her for protection. He flung the door open quickly to surprise whoever might be inside waiting for them. As soon as they stepped inside, Damon moved out of the way so Elena could see. Standing on a ladder was Caroline, holding the end of a wallpaper border she was about to hang with Bonnie. Elena looked around the room confused. Jeremy was there too, moving a dresser against the wall. Everyone was frozen in position with their eyes all focused on Elena. Elena's mouth hung open. Caroline yelled, "Surprise," with an inflection one uses after a surprise has been spoiled.
The entire room was nearly finished with the exception of the remaining border Caroline and Bonnie were in the process of hanging. It was exactly the way Damon had pictured it in his dream. A chill ran down his spine. A playful shove from Elena pulled him out of his thoughts. She said, "You knew they were here."
Damon smirked. "Of course. I called ahead and told them we were on our way home. We wanted to surprise you."
Elena scolded him. "You had me scared someone had a trap for us. That's not cool."
He shook his finger back at her playfully. "A lesson to keep you on your toes about being cautious."
Elena huffed out a frustrated groan and rolled her eyes at him. She scanned every inch of the room, admiring how beautiful it had turned out. Her smile beamed. It warmed her heart that her friends would do something so special for her. Their bond was one of the reasons she loved being home. She held her hand to her stomach. Choking back tears, she said, "Wow. I'm speechless."
Caroline hopped down from the ladder. Jeremy was resting against the dresser. Bonnie walked over to Elena. She put her hands in the front pockets of her jeans. "Do you really like it?" Her question sounded uncertain. Caroline bounced over to stand next to Bonnie.
Elena gushed. "Oh my god I love it. Thank you so much." She pulled Bonnie in for a hug. Caroline wrapped her arms around both of them, putting Elena in the middle of a group hug. "How long did it take you guys to do this?"
Bonnie said, "Well, Jeremy helped us paint it last week." She glanced at Jeremy as he made his way closer. "We were finishing up the trim today."
Caroline jumped in. "Yeah, I swear could you have picked a more popular border to use?" She wiggled the piece of border in her hand back and forth. "It was out of stock. I had to special order it. It took forever to come in. We were hoping to have it finished before you got home." She glared at Damon. "Thanks for the short notice by the way."
"You're welcome Blondie," Damon taunted. "Anything to make your life more miserable." He raised his eyebrows up and down, and shot her broad smile. He took a little pleasure in seeing Caroline annoyed. He knew what a control freak she was.
Caroline blew him off with a huff. She rolled her eyes at him.
Damon rubbed his hands together. "Well, I'm going to grab a drink and get unpack while you ladies catch up."
Caroline responded icily, "Whatever." Her attention focused back on Elena. Excitedly, she said, "So tell us about your trip. Where did you go? What did you do?"
"It was beautiful and relaxing. There's so much to tell you, but I've got to eat something first. After traveling, the baby and I are famished." Elena's eyes roamed the room again. She said, "After all the work you guys have done, you've got to be hungry too." She looked over at Damon. "Damon, could you go to the Grille and maybe pick us up some carryout?"
Damon was about to speak, but Jeremy chimed in first. "Nah, none for me. Speaking of the Grille, my shift starts in," he looked at his watch surprised, "whoa like a half an hour." He asked Damon, "Hey can you give me a ride? My car is in the shop."
Damon's face contorted with annoyance. "What am I the errand boy?"
"Damon…," Elena whined.
He suppressed another sarcastic reply. "Sure." He put on an obviously fake smile. "It's what I live for." He slapped Jeremy on the back. "Let's go little Gilbert. I haven't got all day."
Jeremy pulled away to hug Elena. "I'll call you later ok?" She nodded. She opened her mouth to tell Damon what to order for her, but he beat her to it.
He pointed at her flirtatiously. "You, chili cheese fries, extra bacon, extra cheese." She smiled. He knew her well. He hesitated when he looked back and forth at Bonnie and Caroline. "Eh, you two get whatever I bring you." He grabbed Jeremy by the back of the neck and shoved him out the door.
Disgusted, Caroline shouted back, "You're such a dick."
Damon turned around. "I know," he said proudly before sauntering away.
Caroline threw her hands up in the air. "Uh, I don't know how you can stand him Elena. I really don't." Aggravated, she fiddled with the piece of border she still had in her hand. It tore in the middle. Even more frustrated now, she grumbled. "See what he made me do?" She looked at the supplies on the floor behind her and frowned. "Now I have to go to my car to get more." She put her hands out in front of Elena in a halt sign. "I'll be right back. Don't start without me. I don't want to miss anything."
Bonnie and Elena looked at each other and laughed as Caroline rushed out of the room. Caroline hated being left out, even if the details did involve Damon. "Wow," Bonnie exclaimed. "She's wound up."
"You know Caroline." Elena's left hand unconsciously rubbed at her stomach.
The light reflecting off of the ruby caught Bonnie's attention. She furrowed her eyebrows puzzled. "What's that?" Elena looked down not sure what Bonnie was referring to. "Where did you get that ring?"
Unprepared, Elena choked on her words. "Oh, um, Damon gave it to me." Nervously she said, "It was his mother's."
"Ok, but why is it on your left hand?" Her eyes widened when she realized she already knew the answer. "Oh my god Elena! You're married?" Bonnie was so caught up in the surprise that she didn't realize how loud she'd said it.
"Shhh. Caroline might hear you." Elena went to the door and peered down the hallway. Caroline wasn't in sight. She turned back to Bonnie. "Come on Bonnie you can't be that surprised."
"You ran off and didn't tell anyone?" Bonnie put her hand to her forehead.
"What did you expect?"
"You didn't even tell your own brother Elena," she whispered, flabbergasted.
"Because I didn't want the drama of being talked out of it. You know I'm in love with Damon. And we wanted our son to be born with Damon's last name." Elena saw Bonnie's eyes grow wide at the sight of something behind her. She turned quickly to see a stunned Caroline standing in the doorway. "Shit."
Caroline's mouth hung open. "Does someone want to tell me what the hell is going on here?"
They sat on the floor together, as Bonnie and Elena spent the next 20 minutes explaining to a shocked, and eerily quiet, Caroline. They told her everything right down to Elena marrying Damon. When they were finished, all she could get out was, "Oh. My. God. Elena."
Elena and Bonnie looked at each other, expecting Caroline would have more to say about it than just OMG. Bonnie couldn't believe her ears. "That's it? OMG? We just told you Elena and Damon's baby will get rid of the Originals for good. I can't believe that's all you have to say."
Caroline's words came out flustered. "Wha…what do you want me to say? Bravo Bonnie for getting Elena knocked up with the offspring of a psychopathic vampire? Or hey congratulations Elena on the wedding we weren't invited to?" Her voice rose in anger. "I know. How about thanks for deciding for the fate of all vampires by taking away our choice of whether or not to become human again?" She placed her hands over her eyes and shouted out. "Ugh! I can't believe this is happening?" Her hands ran through her hair roughly. As she calmed herself, she rested her hands on her knees. She sniffed trying to stop her nose from running from the tears she'd shed. "But most of all. I want to say, why didn't you tell me sooner? You're 7 months pregnant, and I'm just now finding out about this, and by accident still." She wiped a stragger tear from her cheek. "I thought we were friends. Don't you trust me?"
"That's not it at all Caroline," Bonnie tried to soothe. "It's just the less people who knew the truth, the safer it was for everyone."
"Exactly." Elena continued to explain. "If Klaus compelled you, you wouldn't be able to lie to him. We couldn't take that risk." She felt horrible that her friend felt so betrayed. "It wasn't about not trusting you Care. It was just about a risk we couldn't afford to take with the baby's life."
When Elena put it to her that way, she could understand why they didn't tell her. Even with Tyler still in the picture, Klaus had a thing for Caroline. She'd be the first one he'd compel for answers since both Bonnie and Jeremy were on vervain. Unlike Damon, she hadn't built up a slow tolerance for it. She didn't need to with her being away. Caroline nodded her understanding. "So now what do we do?"
Elena said, "Stick to the original story we told you. If we slip up," she stared deadly serious at Caroline, "we're dead."
Damon sat at the bar, nursing his bourbon, while he waited for their order. Not much had changed in Mystic Falls in the few weeks they'd been away. He heard footsteps approaching from behind. Without turning, he knew it was another vampire from the lack of a heartbeat. Damon felt his nerves tense. It had to be Klaus.
Klaus sat on the bar stool next to him. "Well, well look what the cat dragged in," he said in his smooth British accent.
Damon tossed back the rest of his bourbon before addressing him. "Ah, if it isn't Satan himself." He flagged down the bar tender to fill his glass again.
Klaus ordered himself a drink. "So Damon tell me, did you and Elena enjoy your little adventure? I trust you took good care of our girls."
"Hmm hmm hmm," Damon laughed. "How many different ways do I have to tell you Klaus? There is no you in our girls. There's only me and Elena." Damon swirled around the bourbon in his glass before taking another sip.
The dimples on Klaus' cheeks indented inward with his smirk. He was baiting Damon, steering the conversation right where he wanted it. "You know Damon you're awfully possessive for a man with no biological ties to the child."
The liquor in Damon's mouth went down hard as he swallowed. Where's he going with this?
Klaus continued to toy with him. "Unless of course you do."
Damon shifted in his seat to stare at Klaus suspiciously. He licked his lips before he spoke. He bit out, "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
"It means I find it suspicious that when Elena was injured, Bonnie would rather risk her dying than let me feed her my blood. Now why do you suppose that is?"
"I don't know. I wasn't there." Damon held his gaze as he emptied his glass.
"Yes, well maybe not. Nevertheless, it's obvious by Elena's speedy recovery that she'd received vampire blood. I'll bet you didn't even think twice about giving it to her, did you?"
Damon's stare was impassive. "So?" He reached for the bottle from behind the bar and poured himself another drink. He needed all the help he could get to remain cool through this cat and mouse game Klaus was playing with him.
"So, I find it intriguing that you would risk Elena losing her child, something she may never forgive you for, to heal her from injuries when she was already being treat at the hospital by a physician." Klaus studied Damon's face. "Maybe because you knew there was no risk at all." He leaned in closer, speaking in a conspiratorial voice. "You see I think you'd given her your blood before."
Sarcastically, Damon replied, "Again, so?"
"Well that brings me back to the Bennett witch. Now why would she stop me from saving Elena's life when clearly your blood hadn't harmed the child earlier?"
Damon didn't verbally answer. Instead, he made a motion with his hand as if to say who knows.
"You see I think she was afraid of what might happen if the child received blood that wasn't part of her own DNA. Say blood from her father?"
Damon saw the waiter exit the kitchen with his carryout order. Perfect timing. He tossed back the last of his drink and slammed the empty glass back on the bar. Through the burn of the bourbon in his throat, he croaked out, "Wow." He stood up and pulled his wallet out of his pocket. "While I'd love to stay here and chat with you about your delusions, I've got a hungry pregnant woman at home waiting for me." He handed the waiter the money for his order then tossed down a few bucks on the bar for a tip.
As Damon was about to walk away, Klaus said, "By the way, while you were gone I checked out Elena's little rape story." That got Damon's attention. He paused to listen. "It seems no one on campus ever heard of the incident. In fact, the register's office had no record even of any missing students."
"Of course they didn't." He put on a false bravado of cockiness. "That's because I compelled everyone. Come on Klaus you know me better than that. I always cover my tracks."
Klaus lowered his head snickering. He placed both hands on the edge of the bar and pushed off the stool dramatically. He stood within close proximity of Damon. He looked him in the eyes with dead seriousness. "Remember this Damon. The truth always comes out, one way or another." He held Damon's gaze a moment as a means to intimidate. He smirked then walked away.
Damon exhaled heavily, trying to regain his composure from the intense encounter. Out of the corner of his eye he swore he saw someone staring at him from across the room. But when he turned his head to look, all he saw were people enjoying their lunches. He mumbled to himself. "Great. Back less than a day and already we've got a problem." He snatched the carryout bag from off of the bar and walked out.
A man sitting by the window, watched as Damon got into his car and drove away. He pulled out his cell phone. "Hey, it's me. Looks like the Gilbert woman is back in town."