I loved writing this chapter! Lot's of sweet Delena, and Elena's reaction to the news! :)
The rest of the day passed in an overview of the town. Elena couldn't help but note the difference between Mystic Falls now, and Mystic Falls a century and a half ago. It was more crowded, and less green, but after a few hours of roaming around with Damon, it was starting to feel familiar again. She had to admit, though, she felt relief when they finally made it back to the boarding house.
"You might want to call Ric." Damon told her.
"Why? What's wrong?" She asked, feeling slightly guilty for not even thinking about her stand in gaurdian.
He showed her his phone. "He's been calling. And we're on a bit of an...out at the moment, so I'm assuming he's trying to reach you."
She nodded, walking to him to grab his phone.
"Damon." Ric answered on the second ring.
"Ric, It's me." She spoke into the phone.
"Elena, thank God! Where are you? You're with Damon. Are you okay? Why haven't you called?" He ranted for a while, the parental concern almost making her smile.
"I'm fine, Ric. Yeah I'm with Damon, I'm at his house. Um, there's some stuff that we've been trying to figure out with Bonnie, it's a long story. But I'm okay, I promise. And my phone must still be in my room or something."
She heard Alaric sigh in relief. "Okay, that's good. This thing with Bonnie, how long is it gonna take?"
"I don't know, Ric. It's more than just that, but like I said, it's complicated."
"Elena. I know you're eighteen, and that your an adult and all, but I'd still apreciate being a little more informed. You're with Damon, Elena, and he isn't exactly very stable at the moment. Now what is going on?"
It was her turn to sigh. "Ric, I'm sorry. I know you deserve more, but it really is complicated. But don't worry about Damon, I'm safe, he wont hurt me. And I'll call you. How's...Jeremy?"
"He's fine. Still working with Matt, getting home at a decent hour."
She smiled at that."That's good, just keep him safe, please."
"I will Elena. Just get what you need to done."
"Okay, Goodbye Ric."
"Goodbye Elena."
She ended the call and handed the phone back to Damon, who had moved to the couch with a glass of whiskey. "Well that was pleasant." He joked.
"He's just worried." She defended, stretching out next to him and laying her head in his lap.
"With good reason," He mumbled.
"Stop that, Damon. Ric's just being concerned. Parents do that. He's angry, but he's your friend. He'll get over it."
"Yeah, maybe." He let his hand run through her hair, and she closed her eyes against the feeling.
A moment passed, and Damon decided he couldn't avoid the inevitable.
"Elena."
"Yes?" She asked, without looking up.
"We need to talk, and it's kind of important." His almost nervousness got her attention, and she sat up, facing him.
"Okay, what's the matter?"
"What Bonnie told you, well there's more too it."
Her ears almost literally perked. "What do you mean?"
"There might be a way around this."
"This being...?"
He took a breath, then launched into the concept Bonnie had presented.
Elena seemed more and more decided with each word he spoke.
"Lets do it." She said, as soon as he was done.
"Uh, Elena, have you thought this through."
"What is there to think about, Damon? I want my babies, if there's a chance to make that happen, I'll do anything."
"You realize the scenario is completely different now, don't you? I mean, you'll be a pregnant teenager, in the eyes of everyone else. You'll be judged, treated differently. Are you sure you don't want to at least wait?"
"No. I want Jeremy, and our other child. I miss them. And people can think what they want, I don't care. Besides, the longer we wait, the more time passes, the less likely Bonnie will be able to line the past timing up for us to be able to have Jeremy. I want this to work, Damon." She stated this with conviction, before her face fell. "Oh my god, I'm sorry, I'm just assuming that you wanted to be a part of this. But...you'll live forever, I wont...they wont." This truth settled in on her, and her shoulders sank back. "I'm practically asking you to be a sperm donor, aren't I? Look, I'd understand if you don't want to do this. It's your life too, I guess. I just assumed, God, I still feel like we're married, like we're living our lives together, but that's not true either anymore, is it?"
"Elena, I love you. I've messed thing up, a lot, in the past, and this all still feels surreal. And I want you to have what you want." He took her face in his hands, staring straight into her eyes. "And I promise this to you, I will be there for you, Elena. No matter what happens, and whatever you decide. And if we go through with this, and it actually works, I swear to love our children, and be every bit of the father they deserve, as long as you want me around."
Tears were in Elena's eyes, but for once she didn't look sad, "Oh Damon, of course I want you around. I love you, and I want our children to know you. I want you to be a part of their lives, and mine. And in all avoidance of this sounding like a proposal, I want a family with you, Damon."
He chuckled at her words, before claiming her mouth. They kissed, embracing each other, in what was beginning to feel like a new hope.
"So I guess this means we can be together now?" Elena asked tentively.
"And you really don't care about what people will think, about you, or us? And what about Stefan? As much as a buzzkill it might be, I can't let him stay Klaus' lapdog forever, he did save my life after all. And what about the future? When you get older, when the children start to grow? What then? I watch you all die?"
He was satisfied when Elena was quiet for a moment, seriously thinking through his words. Finally she spoke. "I love you, Damon. Let people talk, I know what I feel, and what's right, and this feels right to me. And Stefan...your'e right, we do have to save him. And I'll help, but ultimately it's his choice to let us help him. But Stefan, and Klaus are going to be around for a long time, so while important, it may not be the most urgent thing at hand. And as for the future, well, I have an idea, but no one's going to be too crazy about it."
"Tell me," he urged.
"Our children will be human. And I want their lives to be as normal as possible, but as we live in a town full of supernatural entities, I think it's more important that they be prepared, and protected. So, once they get a little, older...I want you to turn me."
Those words left Damon shocked. "Elena...are you sure? You hated the idea of being a vampire, you deserve a human li-"
"Damon, this is what I want," she looked him dead on, "I will get part of my life, my children, and a few years to 'grow up', but then you can turn me, we can still raise the children as vampire's, they can live a full, happy, human life, have kids of their own, and we'll get to watch every generation, protect them, love them, and eventually we'll be forgotten, and we'll move on. Then later, if another Doppelganger is born, we'll be around to help her, and protect her from Klaus."
In theory, it all made sense, but if she meant her words, that meant he'd get to keep her forever. The idea sounded very appealing.
"So you want to do this, and your'e sure."
She nodded in confirmation. "Yes, this is what I want."
"And you realize you'll be stuck with me forever?"
She smiled before kissing him again. "I couldn't think of a better way to spend an eternity, than with the man I love more than my own life."
Damon closed his eyes, letting her words ease his heart.
"And it doesn't bother you that I'm different now? That I'm not the same as I was when you first married me?"
She shook her head, "I told you, I don't care, Damon, I'll love you in all of your forms, but before you decide you want to be stuck with ME for all of eternity, I'm going to tell you that I don't want to be around anymore death, if you have to feed off a living human, please don't do it around me, and when you turn me, keep me in check, teach me to feed off the bloodbags. But the killing has to stop, Damon. And if this works, I never want our children to have to see a dead body."
He nodded. "I promise."
That was all she needed to hear, and she believed him, will all of her heart. Sure, he was difficult, and stubborn sometimes, but she had a feeling his long burried instincts would kick in, if it was possible for them to have their babies, he was a wonderful father in the 1800's and she knew he'd be just as good now."
Wordlessly, she climbed into his lap, cupping his face and kissing him. His lips, his forehead, his cheeks, his eyes, worshiping his beauty with her mouth, before simply taking him in her arms, and holding him against her chest. His arms tightened around her too. "I love you, Damon, so much."
And finally, he believed her. He would be good, for her, for their children. He would refrain from unnecessary killings, and be someone she deserved. He'd accept her love, a gift he was unworthy of, but for once, he'd enjoy.
"I love you, too, Elena." And all the walls around his heart fell down for her. She had chosen him. In the most ultimate way, and he'd get to keep her, forever. More than anything, this is what he wanted, and he'd do anything to make it happen. He finally gave in, she loved him. Clear and true.
He watched a while later as she climbed into bed with him again, imagining that this was their everyday routine. And it seemed like now it could be, because maybe this would backfire later, maybe he'd get his heart shattered beyond repair this time, but it was a risk he'd take, because their were so many maybes. Maybe this would be the family he never thought he'd get to have, maybe this amazing woman was about to give him a life he could have only dreamed of. Maybe this time, he'd get the happy ending.
Ahh Okay Fluff was killing me! I love writing sweet happiness for Damon! He deserves it, dang it, he's earned it by now! Can't wait to see what you guys think!