Here's another update guys! I had sometime to write today because I'm sick! Yuck, but I just sat here with my tea and my computer and Damon and Elena…we've had a good time together….anyway, enjoy!

Thanksgiving finally came and Elena was in full on family mode. Everyone was required to attend the dinner, whether they had previous engagements or not. They were to make an appearance at sometime during the day. And since Elena had mentioned to Damon how important it was to her, he was making absolute sure to enforce her expectations of the group.

"Look, just make sure your all there. We're the only thing Elena has left in the world. We owe her this." He tells them one day when Elena was gone. They all groan, because with everything on their plates, the last thing they want to do is actually celebrate a holiday, but they agree, because it will make Elena happy, and none of them really want to cross Damon where she's concerned.

And since he knew that it would mean something to her, he calls Stefan. She mentions him from time to time in passing, where he is, if he's doing okay. She's genuinely worried, and if Damon's being honest with himself, so is he. Stefan is still his baby brother after all. She misses him and worries about him. She simply wants to know that he's okay. After calling him several times, Damon finally gets an annoyed answer.

"What do you want Damon?"

"Hello to you to brother."

"I'm busy Damon, and you won't stop calling me every five minutes. Please just tell me what you want."

"We want you to come back. Not for good, just for Thanksgiving. It would mean a lot to Elena." Stefan sighs on the other end of the line, while Damon keeps the same bored feeling he always carries when dealing with his brother's drama. "I can't come back Damon. Klaus wants me here."

Damon sighs; for once he wants him to make the right decision where Elena's involved. And she needs this; she needs closure, something only Stefan can give her.

"Well we need you here. Elena's…dealing with something."Stefan pauses, "Just for thanksgiving?" Damon gives an internal sigh of relief. "Just for thanksgiving, it will really make her happy."

"Okay, I'll be there."

….

Elena spent the whole day before and almost the whole day of preparing food, with some help from Damon. A hormonal Elena couldn't be entirely trusted with something as fragile as thanksgiving dinner. She tried for the whole traditional, normal family thanksgiving. She forced all of them to sit in the living room and watch the Macy's day parade and football as the smell of turkey and dressing wafted through the house.

Around noon, she let them snack on a few of the appetizers she'd prepared, before sending them out the door to play football in the backyard. Something she now sat watching, giggling to herself as Alaric argued with Tyler about a flag on a play.

"They are pretty entertaining." Elena looked over her shoulder at Damon who was laughing at them with her. "I know, Alaric and Jeremy are wearing their rings right, I would hate for a casualty to result from all of this." Damon laughed some more before stirring something on the stove. "Yes, everyone is protected from the wrath of an angry Caroline."

Elena smiled and turned her gaze back out the window as Caroline took Bonnie down, making all the guys watch in amazement at the ensuing girl fight. "And just why aren't you out there with them. I'm sure you could show them up. You were alive when the game was invented." She joked; he rolls his eyes, although it was entirely true. "I'm just not in the athletic mood right now. Besides, I would rather be in here with you two." He said caressing her from behind, cradling her stomach in his arms. Elena placed her own hands over her swollen stomach lovingly.

"How are you holding up? You shouldn't really be exerting yourself this much." His brow creases in worry, she was always doing more than he was sure she could handle. He didn't want her exerting herself just to prove a point, something he was sure Elena was not above doing.

Elena sighed contentedly, shrugging her shoulders. "I'm fine. Really I am. I feel perfectly normal, there's just a little extra weight to carry around is all." She goes back to scrubbing the counter tops, and Damon picks up his phone when he notices the time. Stefan should be here by now.

Suddenly the doorbell rang, making Damon's eyes light up, knowing who it was, wanting to surprise Elena. She looked at him quizzically, "Who's that?" he shrugged, saying he'd get the door, and went to let Stefan in.

They walked into the kitchen together, and Elena suddenly turned around and both Stefan and her eyes lit up in surprise. He stared at her belly; looking to Damon he shook his head, telling his brother without words that now was not the time to bring up that situation.

"Stefan!" she rushed over to him, hugging him, the best she can with her protruding belly. She caresses his face and looks at him, as if trying to grasp the fact that he's really there. "I've missed you. I've worried about you."

He gives her a tight smile and hugs her again, trying to fathom what in the hell is going on. He tries to ignore the million questions flying through his brain as he feels her stomach poke his abdomen, but tries to stay happy and indifferent. "Well I'm here now. And it looks like congratulation is in order." He says placing a hand on her belly, still with that tight lipped smile. She laughs, and says it doesn't matter. "I'm just glad you're here." She's suddenly becomes at a loss for words and just pulls him in for another hug.

Over Stefan's shoulder, she meets Damon's gaze that seems… dare she say it…jealous. She mouths a 'thank you' and he just nods in understanding, he knows.

…..

Their dinner passes by with flying colors, Elena is happy and carefree, they all laugh and joke and talk about old memories of past Thanksgivings. Damon's eyes stay glued to her the entire day, ever since Stefan showed up she'd been even more excited than normal, happy that their strange little family was complete he supposed.

It's funny how she's already like a mother to them all. She chastises Ric before he tries to eat a large fried piece of chicken, knowing full well that he'll be blubbering with heart burn within an hour. She keeps the peace between them all, making sure Damon doesn't overstep his boundaries and making sure that no one said anything too enticing to make him want to jump down their throats.

It's actually a peaceful day, one that will go down in a catalogue where his brain reserves these kinds of things. This thanksgiving is one of the first that he's celebrated in years; he doesn't get too many invites to family dinners. Stefan, for all he's trying, is being at least normal for Elena's sake. He doesn't bring up anything too touchy or that could lead into an argument and for that, Damon is thankful.

A few hours after dinner, Stefan announces that he has to leave, much to Elena's dismay. But she hugs him and thanks him, and sends him off with a kiss on the cheek and a promise that he will always have friends here. Before he walks out the door, Stefan motions for Damon to follow him out the porch.

"You didn't think it would be a good idea to mention that she's pregnant?" asked Stefan as he whisper yelled, not wanting Elena to hear them.

"I knew that if you got presented with that kind of information you wouldn't come, and for some reason, Elena needed you to come here. She hasn't looked that happy in months. She needed this…and I… I just wanted to give her something she deserved for a change."

Stefan nods his head, looking past Damon and into the night, hoping he'll find the answers to all his questions written in stars in the sky. "Is it mine?" Damon shook his head no, "We both know vampires can't procreate." Stefan actually had the nerve to look hurt. "She slept with someone else?"

Damon cut his eyes at his brother, "It was an accident, but yes she did. But I don't think there's any more room your feelings in this situation. You've completely deserted her." Stefan sighed, beginning to make his way down the porch; Damon made no move to follow him, just followed him with his eyes.

"We both know it's a little more complicated than that Damon." Damon gave a small sinister laugh. "That it is brother." He watched him retreat down the sidewalk and turned to go inside the house, when he heard the small whisper from Stefan at the end of the driveway. "Take care of her Damon."

He turned around to answer him, but there was no one there. Stefan was gone. As he opened the door he gave the night his reply, "I will brother."

…

He walks back in the house to find Elena perched on the couch, holding her stomach. "Where's Ric?" she looks over to him and smiles, "He's in the kitchen doing the dishes. I was getting a little tired." Damon falls down on the couch beside her and she lets her head fall onto his shoulder. "Now I get to start planning for Christmas."

"Christmas? Christ Elena, Thanksgiving day isn't over yet." She giggles and snuggles into his side. "I know, it's just, this Christmas will need to be special. The baby will more than likely have been born by then and…I just want her first Christmas to be special." She continued to smile at her stomach and Damon smiled with her looking at her in wonder. "Times flown with this hasn't it? It feels like just yesterday we found out."

"Yea, it does, but I'm kind of excited and ready for her to come out. I want to know what she looks like and how her personality will be, what her voice will sound like. There are so many things that I have to learn about her, and I just can't wait to get started." He smiles, glad to finally hear something positive about the baby come from her lips.

"What did Stefan want to talk to you about?" she inquires, but he just tries to brush her off. "Nothing important."

"Is he angry with me?" she looks up to his face, hoping for once he'll give her a truthful answer. "I don't think so. He understands." She nods, but suddenly gets a faraway look in her eye that tells him she's thinking. "Thank you, for inviting him. I needed that, I needed…"

"Closure." He finishes for her and she smiles and whispers, "Closure.", repeating him. They sit in the silence for a moment and Damon racks through his brain, trying to change the subject.

"So, have you thought about a name yet?" she looks at him a moment completely bewildered. "I forgot about a name. What kind of mother forgets to name her child? I just…I haven't even thought about it." She starts to tear up, upset as usual; it doesn't take much these days. He pulls her to him, shushing her; she's flushed up against him, crying about more than just forgetting a name. Suddenly he feels a bump, but doesn't think much of it, and continues to consol her, petting her hair trying to get her to calm down over something so menial.

He feels the bump again and looks at Elena. "What is that?" she sniffs and looks up at him. "What?" she looks down at her stomach and smiles. "She's just kicking," her eyes light up, "Did you feel it?" he nods in wonderment and moves his hand forward, "May I?" she nods at him, eager for him to feel a part of the magic she gets to feel on a daily basis.

Damon rubs circles on her belly, and she places her own hand over his, watching his face. He feels the kick again, a grins in utter amazement despite himself. He's never felt something so real; a miracle is the only word he can think to describe it.

Alaric walks into the living room, finding the couple snuggled into each other on the couch with serene looks on their faces and decides to leave them alone, sending Jeremy back upstairs to give them some privacy. Everyone else has left, and it's just the two of them.

"I can hear her heartbeat you know." Elena looks at him in wonder, but he keeps his eyes trained on her stomach. "That must be amazing." She replies in a gentle whisper. Something about this moment made her want to stay quiet. His brow crinkles as he lays his head on her stomach and still caressing it. Elena's surprise doesn't last long, and soon she brings her fingers to his hair to run them through his raven colored locks.

"Can you hear it now?" he nods his head, "I can hear her move like this, she's moving right." Elena smiles and says 'yes'. And he smiles to himself before sitting up, and taking her face in his hands. "You'll think of a name, and we'll make sure that Christmas will be perfect for her. Okay?"

"Okay." He pushes a stray piece of her hair behind her ear and just looks at her for a moment. He hesitates for a moment, and doesn't know what is compelling him to do this, but somehow, it just feels right, and he moves forward placing a light kiss on her lips. She's unresponsive at first, and Damon worries, fearing he may have upset her, before she places her hands around his neck, pulling him towards her.

The kiss is languid, nothing to intense. Simply fulfilling something they both desperately wanted and were through denying. It had been a long time coming. Damon pulls away from her, and she smiles shyly at him. He just lies down on the couch and motions for Elena to join him, and she does. His hands move to her belly, hoping she'll kick again, and they lie in the peacefulness of things that were finally no longer left unsaid.

….

Elena wakes up in the middle of the night, groaning and Damon opens his eyes to find them still on the couch with Elena rubbing her stomach. "What's wrong?"

"I don't know Damon, something just doesn't feel right. Ahhh…" she yelled, grabbing his hand and squeezing, needing something to get through the pain. "Oh god, I can't be having her now! She's early, I'm supposed to have another three weeks. The nursery isn't ready or, or…ahh…" she breathed in and out, trying to make herself calm down.

"Elena, look at me." She looked up at Damon who was still holding her hand, "You're going to be okay. Let's just go to the hospital, okay?" she nodded, pulling herself off the couch. "Will you grab my bag? It's upstairs in my room." He nods and rushes up the stairs, stopping to wake up Ric and Jeremy.

"Ric…Ric…come on man, get up!" Alaric stayed unmoving, throwing his arm out, mumbling for Damon to go away and that he'd deal with it in the morning. "Ric, Elena's going into labor!" yelled Damon, pulling the covers off of him, soon Ric shot up. "What?"

"She's having contractions, please put on some clothes man, I didn't need to see all that." He said shielding his eyes as Alaric rolled his. He had on underwear, he was just being dramatic. "Then don't come in here in the middle of the night, pulling off my covers."

"Do you want to miss the birth of your grandchild?"

"Quite calling it that!" Damon smirked; knowing Ric halfway liked it when he called the baby that. They all knew he'd become a fatherly figure to them all. "Just hurry up, Elena's waiting downstairs, I'm going to go ahead and take her, wake up Jeremy."

Damon walked across the hall and picked up Elena's bag, when he noticed he'd had a smile on his face during all this, he was…excited. He made sure to bring back his face of indifference when he came back to Elena. "Ready to go." She raised her eyebrows and sighed, "Ready as I'll ever be."

They load into Damon's Camero and head to the hospital. Damon calls Meredith and she announces that she's on her way. He looks over to Elena, who's rubbing her belly soothingly, breathing in and out, he instantly begins to worry about her. "Are you okay?" she nods, "Yeah, I'm fine, you know, just having contractions I suppose, you know they're not as bad as I thought they were going to be."

"Yeah?" he asks, just trying to keep conversation flowing and her mind off of the daunting task before her. "Yeah." She smiles, mostly to herself as she looks absentmindedly out the window.

"Have you thought of a name yet?" she shakes her head, "No, I'm just sort of hoping that one comes to me. Once I have her in my arms…I just feel like I'll know."

He nods his head and they sit in peaceful silence for the rest of the car ride. They reach the hospital and just as they get out another one of Elena's contractions hit her, and she's holding on to him again. Dr. Fell immediately finds them and get's Elena into a room for a checkup. They send Damon to the waiting room, where he has to sit by an overly worried father, who is sitting in a chair, looking forward, his feet tapping on the floor. He wants to make fun of the guy, but deep down knows he can't this is nerve racking for him too.

Soon Alaric and Jeremy join him, looking half excited, half worried. They're just about to call Caroline and Bonnie, and everyone else, when Meredith comes walking into the room, shrugging her shoulders. "False alarm."

"What do you mean false alarm?"

"Braxton Hicks contractions. Mild discomfort, caused by contractions in the uterine wall. They can be hard to distinguish from actual labor; you did the right thing by bringing her here. We're just going to keep her overnight as a precaution. You can go back to see her whenever you'd like."

They suddenly felt deflated after the excitement over thinking the baby was coming. Although the men would never admit it out loud, they were excited. They called Caroline and told her the news, the last thing they needed was everyone hearing that Elena was in the hospital and they weren't told about it. Caroline promised to tell everyone and to keep her updated.

…..

They made their way into Elena's room where she was perched in a bed looking annoyed, talking to the baby. "You know that wasn't very nice faking me out like that. I know I might have put you through a little stress today but that was nothing compared to the stress you just put me through." They remained back, making sure she was done before they came into her room.

"Hey guys." Greeted Elena as her family came walking into the room. "Hey kiddo, how are you holding up?" asked Alaric, gently sitting down on the bed. "Okay, you know, just a little disappointed." She shrugged. "You and Jer should go home Ric, there's no since in you guys sitting here all night. There's not enough room, and nothing exciting is happening tonight."

"We were about to head out; we just wanted to make sure you were okay first."

"I'm fine. Go get some rest." She smiled and hugged Alaric and then Jeremy, who she whispered in his ear. He laughed and then they left, waving as they walked out the door.

"You should get some rest too. I know you couldn't have gotten much rest on that couch." Damon shrugged and just waved her off. "It's no big deal, vampires don't really need sleep."

She smiles and pats the bed next to her, scooting over making space for him. He obliges her, lying down next to her on the small hospital bed, facing her.

"You know it's a shame Damon I just don't feel close to you anymore," He looks taken aback for a minute before she giggles and motions to her stomach. ", I just feel like something has come between us." He laughs, glad that she can still joke, despite everything.

"So you're not too upset that she didn't come yet?" she shakes her head and huffs a small reply. "No, I suppose not."

"You should get some rest. You've had a very taxing day." Elena gave a small laugh with closed eyes, "A very memorable thanksgiving." He smiles back at her, although she isn't looking at him. "You stole the words right from my lips."

Soon she's fast asleep, and Damon's stuck unable to sleep, listening to her heartbeat in time with the babies. It's a relaxing sound that would be able to lull him asleep if he wasn't so restless.

He tentatively reaches out his hand to caress her stomach, although he's done it many times, it's still strange to hold Elena in this way, like he's embarking on marked territory. Stefan may be gone, but he had defiantly left his impression.

"You gave us a start today." He whispered, talking exclusively to the baby. He doesn't know why, but sometimes it just felt right to talk to her. It was rarely when Elena was awake; it just wasn't something he was willing to do in front of conscious people. "I mean a real start. You can't keep tricking us like this or we might not believe you when it really is time for you to come. Trust me; you don't want to be known as the little baby that cried wolf."

He stares at her belly for awhile longer, trying to figure out why he feels so attached to the baby. It's not like it was even remotely close to being his. And even with Elena's professions of love, they still weren't technically together, were they? They hadn't really been given a chance to talk about it. The simple fact was that he loved her…and the baby, which was why he was so attached.

He turned his attention back to rubbing circles on Elena's swollen abdomen. "You've got to hurry up and come out. We just can't wait to meet you."

"She can't wait to meet you either." Whispered Elena, slightly opening her eyes to meet Damon's, smiling languidly at him.

"I thought you were asleep." She laughs. "You usually do when you talk to her." she smirks letting him know he's been caught. He smirks right back. "When did you get sneaky?"

"I've always been sneaky, that's why I'm so good; no one suspects it from me." He smiles and kisses her quickly on the lips, "Good night Elena."

"Good night Damon."

Okay! This chapters a little longer than the others! Wooohooo! Yay! Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this! Also, let me know if you have any ideas for the baby name! I am completely drawing a blank! I can't think of one that makes sense you know? I want it to be good! So P.M. me if you have an idea! I want it to be surprise and I don't want everyone to see it! So anyway, please review!