'There are only two ways to live your life. One is as though nothing is a miracle. The other is as though everything is a miracle' Albert Einstein

Finally our wedding day is here. We'll be married outside then we'll all descend upon the boarding house property to an old barn that has been sitting there for generations. After making sure it was sturdy, we decided that it was the perfect location for our reception. My mom would never let my dad tear it down, always proclaiming that we would want to use it some day. Well, she was correct. Bonnie, Caroline and many of our other friends got together to clean it out. We rented the tables and chairs. Then my mom went to the fabric store, buying yards of material for tablecloths. Hay bales are strategically stacked with huge D and E initials sitting atop them.

There is a large chalkboard displayed with our menu. The tables are decorated with bouquets of wildflowers sitting in large mason jars decorated with ribbon. The place settings are horseshoes with the person's name attached. The dishes and silverware are old fashioned. The drinking glasses are made to look like old fashioned glass milk bottles. The ceiling has been strung with lights. After the meal, the tables will be pushed aside for our wedding dance. It all looks so magnificent.

"Calm down, Damon. These people are just our friends and family. What are you so nervous about?" Stefan asks.

"I just want this day to be perfect for her. I'm not as much nervous as I am anxious."

"I guess that's understandable. You're ready to say those two little words," he teases elbowing me gently in the ribs.

"Yep," I reply, rubbing my hands together.

Before long, Enzo, Ric and Jeremy make their way over to Stefan and me.

"It's almost time to line up Damon," Ric tells me, squeezing my shoulder.

"Let's do this," I reply and start to walk into the meadow. There are rows of benches set out for our guests. We split logs to build the benches. They really look nice but let me tell you, I got a lifetime's worth of slivers. Luckily, Elena is handy with a tweezers. The girls put pine branches wrapped in ribbons on the ends of each bench. Stefan and Ric built a rustic looking arch. Enzo and Caroline covered it with flowers and strings of beads like the kind you'd put on a Christmas tree. It looks fabulous. The hilltops are covered in blooming wildflowers. We couldn't have asked for nicer weather. It's in the seventies. Due to Elena's injury sometimes she feels really hot and other times cold. Jenna pulled me aside and told me how beautiful she looks and that she's feeling really good today.

She's now into her thirtieth week of pregnancy. Sometimes she complains of a little shortness of breath because the baby is pressing on her lungs. We ran to the emergency room the first time she complained of it, but they reassured us that it wasn't a pulmonary embolism. They told us if she gets shortness of breath that is unrelenting with or without chest pain, then we need to rush her to the ED. She also has some swelling in her ankles and feet but Elijah assured that it wasn't anything abnormal. He told us that a deep vein thrombosis would be painful and her leg would more than likely be reddened and swollen too.

Although she refused to let me see it, she found an 'Alfred Angelo Cinderella' wedding gown. She said it fit over her bump alright but the bodice needed some alteration. Mom is an excellent seamstress and was able to fix it to Elena's liking. I can't wait to see her in it. Since she has no use for heels, Caroline found her some simple yet lovely I'm told, white flats to wear with her dress.

At first we though about clearing a spot for Elena to wheel her chair down but we didn't want to have to rake the meadow. With Elena's consent, she'll be brought to the arch in a golf cart. Ric will lift her out and set her in her chair as he's giving her away. We made the aisle wide enough to accomodate the golf cart.

My thoughts are interrupted by strains of 'Pachelbel's Canon'.

"It's time, Damon," Stefan tells me. I nod and then move to take my place in front of the marriage arch. I look down the aisle as Caroline begins the march. Following right behind is Bonnie. Lastly is Jenna who's the matron of honor.

After they've all taken their places, I raise my eyes to see Ric and Elena pull up and begin their slow drive down the aisle. My God, she looks stunning. Her hair is up with long ringlets cradling her face. Caroline did her makeup for her. She's never looked more beautiful than she does in this moment. Ric parks the golf cart off to the side then lifts Elena into his arms and delivers her to me. I have no doubt my smile does indeed reach ear to ear.

Once she's in her chair, I bend over to press a kiss to her cheek. "You look, just wow. No words do justice to how stunning you look today," I whisper then take her hand in mine.

Blushing, she smiles back at me before both of us turn our eyes to the Father.

After he says a few things, he turns to me. "Damon, please read your vows."

"I promise to encourage your compassion because that is what makes you unique. I promise to nurture your dreams, because through them your soul shines. I promise to help you shoulder our challenges, for there is nothing we cannot face if we face it together. I promise to be your partner in all things. And lastly, my beautiful and perfect, Elena, one lifetime with you could never be enough. I love you," I tell her squeezing her hands gently but firmly.

"I, Damon, take you, Elena, to be my wife. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"Elena, it's your turn," the priest says, turning his eyes to her.

"Damon, I take you to be my life partner. I promise above all else to live in truth with you. I give you my hand and my heart as a sanctuary of warmth, love and peace. And I pledge my love, devotion, faith and honor as I join my life to yours. I love you so much," she says to me, her eyes glistening.

"I, Elena, take you, Damon, to be my husband. I promise to be true to you in good times and in bad, in sickness and in health. I will love you and honor you all the days of my life."

"By the power vested in me by the state of Virginia, I now pronounce you husband and wife. Ladies and gentlemen, Mr. and Mrs. Damon Salvatore," Father Jack says, smiling widely.

"Thanks, Uncle Jack," I whisper, shaking his hand. Father Jack is my mom's oldest brother. He flew in from South Dakota to perform the ceremony at my mom's behest.

"My pleasure, Damon," he replies.

The celebration is in full swing. Everyone has congratulated us. We had a meal of ham and roast beef, mashed potatoes and gravy because it's my favorite comfort food as well as corn and green beans and a fruit salad. Our cake is unique. It's a three tiered cake made to look like one hat box on top of another and is decorated with edible wildflowers. I'm astonished at how pretty it turned out to be and the taste was out of this world. Elena is thrilled with the end result as well. One of Caroline's New York friends is a baker. At Caroline's request, she flew down here to bake us this cake. She is one of our guests today, she seems to be enjoying Nik's company. They've been inseparable this evening so far.

"Can I have your attention?" my dad yells. "It's time for the first dance. Damon, I give the floor to you."

"Thanks dad," I reply before lifting Elena into my arms and swirling around the dance floor as the band plays an oldie for us.

'We've only just begun to live,

White lace and promises

A kiss for luck and we're on our way.

We've just begun

Before the rising sun we fly,

So many roads to choose

We start out walking and learn to run

And yes, We've just begun

We're staring into each others eyes as the music plays. It's like we're the only two people in the world in this moment. Her arms are wrapped around my neck as she fingers the hairs on the back of my neck. "You're giving me goose bumps," I tease.

She drops her lips to my ear whispering, "I'm so in love with you Mr. Salvatore." Just then I feel our baby kicking where her tummy is pressed against me.

"Someone's awake," I chuckle while continuing to swirl her around the dance floor.

Sharing horizons that are new to us,

Watching the signs along the way,

Talking it over just the two of us,

Working together day to day

Together.

And when the evening comes we smile

So much of life ahead

We'll find a place where there's room to grow

And yes, We've just begun.

When the song concludes, unable to help myself, I plaster a smoldering kiss to her lips and pull her even closer to me. We pull back, each of us breathless to the sound of thundering applause.

"I love you, Damon. Thank you so much for coming into my life," she whispers as a few stray tears begin to leak from her eyes.

"Thank you, Elena, for loving me," I whisper next to her ear before setting her back down.

When I see her yawning, I know she's tired. She is quite pregnant after all. After we thank everyone and tell them to stay and enjoy the party, we say goodnight.

When we get home, I make her wait for a little bit while I get our bedroom ready. I light candles and turn on the stereo to play some of my favorite oldies. 'Longer' is playing when I carry her into the room. I sit her on the bed and begin undressing my bride with the utmost gentleness. In no time at all we're both undressed. I help her get comfortable spread out on the sheets like a goddess. She uses her index finger to gesture for me to come closer. I crawl up the bed before laying myself beside her. Her tummy is too big now for me to lay atop her so we've had to get creative shall we say.

"I want to be on top but you'll have to help me," she purrs.

"Anything for you lovely lady," I smirk seductively and raise my eyebrows. I sit up and pull her on to my lap. I take one of her legs then the other, carefully bending her knees and laying them at my sides, wrapping them around me. "How's that?"

Elena has a lot of upper body strength. She grabs my onto my shoulders and with my help we raise her up. She pulls me inside as we bring her down. It takes a little effort but soon we find a rhythm that works for both of us. Elena's forehead is resting against mine as I help her move up and down along my length. When I see that she's biting her bottom lip and staring at me with lust filled eyes, I know she's feeling the magic that is us.

I can feel when she starts to tire as her movements begin to slow. Taking matters into my own hands, I help her roll onto her side, her back to my front. I pull her leg over my hip before sliding in again. She reaches her arms around my neck pulling me in for a blistering kiss. I thrust in and out, gyrating my hips while I use my hand to tweak her nipples. When her mouth drops open and a moan escapes, I lower my hand to stroke her below, intensifying her moaning. A light sheen of sweat and chill bumps erupt on her skin and on mine. I speed up chasing my own release when I feel her begin to shudder almost violently, her moans of ecstasy filling our room. Then as if struck by lightening, I'm almost convulsing in rapture.

Once I can feel my limbs again, I pull out and help her reposition so she's snuggled in against me. With Elena being so pregnant, it doesn't take long for her to doze off. Her belly is resting against mine. I run my hand along her bump caressing it gently when I feel my baby waking up. There's nothing in the world like that feeling.

"Pretty soon you'll get to meet mommy and daddy," I whisper. After pressing a kiss to her belly, I close my eyes as 'Longer' continues to play on my stereo.

'Through the years as the fire starts to mellow

Burning lines in the book of our lives

Though the binding cracks and the pages start to yellow

I'll be in love with you, I'll be in love with you

Longer than there've been fishes in the ocean

Higher than any bird ever flew

Longer than there've been stars up in the heavens

I've been in love with you, I am in love with you'

I'm so angry that not only were we robbed of a beautiful reunion when Damon slayed the universe to return to her, now after waiting the whole season, her memories returning were given mere lip service. I will not be watching S7. Song lyrics: 'Longer' by Dan Fogelberg. 'We've Only Just Begun' by The Carpenters. Thank you Eva and all of you who've made this story such a success. Thank you all so much. Especially those of you who do take those few seconds to write me a review. It's so nice to receive feedback on something you've worked hard to create. They do spur my creativity. I'm still hard at work on 'Shatter Me'. It should easily surpass "NEM' lengthwise. It will start posting once I'm finished writing it. Please check out 'Pieces of Eight' and 'Nothing Else Matters'. One chapter left. Until next time...