Once I was finally back inside my own house and the two perky besties had been sent on their merry way, I collapsed into my favorite couch, with my favorite liquor in hand, in front of the fireplace.
"Isn't it a little early for that?" Elena asked, coming to collapse into the couch beside me, stealing my glass and downing it in one. I was speechless at the act, "So, I figured I should tell you, I got a hold of Jeremy and I'm moving back in with him tomorrow." She was trying to smile; that much was obvious, but wasn't anywhere near convincing. She still looked exhausted, like she hadn't had a fair sleep in months.
Before I could stop them, the words were out of my mouth, "You can stay here, you know."
A half-hearted smile crossed her face, "Damon, I'm four months pregnant. Another month, and I won't be able to fit on this couch anymore. And I'm not exactly keen on the idea of staying in my dead ex-boyfriend's room." I couldn't say anything after that. I knew whatever I was about to say, she would most likely take the wrong way. I felt her hand on my forearm suddenly and looked up to meet her gaze, "Thank you."
"For what?" I asked. For busting you out of you own wedding? For possibly being the most selfish person ever to be put on this earth?
As much as I tried to convince myself otherwise, I know I didn't go to that wedding and object for her. I couldn't stand to see her with that human, "You saved me, Damon." Why did she have to do that? Why did she have to make me feel so damn horrible about what I'd done, "Can I tell you something, that you have to promise not to tell anyone?" Were we in the fifth grade again? It just sounded like such a childish thing to say, but I decided to play along.
"Promise," a cocky smirk crossed my face as I lifted up my right hand, "Pinky swear." She latched on and we both laughed together for a solid minute before sobering up, "So, what is it?" I finally managed to ask.
She took a deep breath to compose herself before whispering something that could've killed me, "The baby…" she could barely keep her emotions in check. I could see her internal struggle. Her eyes quickly became glassy, "Matt isn't the father." She spat out, before collapsing into me in quivering heap.
I absently rested my hand on the small of her back, not sure how to respond. I mentally ran through a check-list of anybody it could've possibly been, before coming up blank and asking, "Then who…"
"You'll hate me." Elena whispered, and that sent me reeling wandering what could have possibly been that bad that she could think that of all things.
"Elena," I took her face in my hands, but she continued averting her gaze, "Look at me," I commanded and she complied almost instantaneously, "Nothing can be that bad." I tried to lighten the mood by adding, "Plus, I have to know who to tear apart now." It was to no avail.
She took a shallow, shaky breath, before whispering, "Tyler Lockwood."
A million different thoughts began to swirl through my head at lightning speed, "But- werewolves can't- "
"Well, apparently Tyler can. He doesn't even know yet. And I can't tell Caroline because she's the only person I can talk to anymore. She's my best friend. I can't just tell her I slept with her boyfriend! She's like a sister- a really obnoxious, bottle-blond sister. I don't know what to do, Damon."
She buried her head in my shoulder. I couldn't believe this was happening. I held her tight and just let her cry it out, "I don't even know what to say right now." I told her, after the heaviest of the crying had ended, "But I think you need to tell someone, and I think you need to tell them before youstart popping off werewolf puppies."
"I can't believe this is happening to me," she sobbed, "If things were normal-"
That was when I had to stop her, "Elena, if things were back to normal, you have Klaus and Elijah on your tail, there would be vampires and werewolves all over this town, all intent on your death, and Katherine would still be in Mystic Falls, trying with all her might to seduce Stefan and me back over to her side. Is that really how you'd prefer it? Because I'm pretty sure there are still some hybrids out there who are just waiting to take a bit out of both of us."
"Well, at least then I wouldn't have this hybrid-human thing growing inside me!" I had to give her that one. That was probably a valid point.
I had nothing left to say. She didn't even remotely resemble Elena anymore. Elena was strong, and fearless. She didn't cry. She didn't come to me for comfort. This person almost scared me. For the first time, I noticed the grey growing at her roots. She had been coloring her hair. That was when I realized, this wasn't Elena because she was hiding. She was hiding behind the façade she had been putting up for her former fiancée. As I held her to me, stroking her hair carefully, I knew I was going to have to do everything in my power to bring the old Elena back, "I am going to fix you, Elena."