With no words at all,
So tiny and small.
In love I fall,
So deep.
So deep.

My precious love,
Sent from above.

"She is so precious." I breathe out.

"She really is…" Damon sighs next to me as we stare down at our daughter. This is our first time with her alone. I love my family I do but there is something about spending it with just Damon that warms me right up.

We both probably slept at most four hours before we both stared at each other with the same blank stare that screamed 'I need to see her'. So we did. The past hour we have just been holding her and giving her as much love as we can. I also got to breastfeed her again and man is that hard and painful but I know it is for a good cause.

Helen was right. Salvatore's are big babies. Even though she is premature, for her gestation she is far bigger. It feels so weird to not be pregnant anymore and to have her kick me and having to run to the bathroom every half hour. The past twenty four hours seem absolutely surreal to me. In a matter of a few hours I became a full time mom to this newborn baby I really can't believe it.

"Here you take her." I hand her over to Damon. My arms are hurting but I would be lying if that was the only reason. I just really love seeing them together.

He smiles but willingly takes Cara into his cautious arms. Cara opens her eyes on command and stares up at him. I know she probably can't see much, she is so young but it is absolutely adorable.

She starts making noises with her mouth and we instantly both smile before Damon leans down and press a soft kiss to her temple.

"…So her room is all set up right." I smirk because none of us anticipated Cara making an early debut.

"Luckily yes. We are just very lucky I wanted to get it done early." He shakes his head. "I just never envisioned this happening."

I nod. "I know what you mean. I am still in shock." I lean my head against his shoulder and close my eyes. I know I need more sleep because I feel so tired but I don't want to be away from her.

I watch as Damon holds her close to him while he stares down at her. I start to feel myself drift off. The last thing I think is how much I love my life right now.

…..

"You look like your mom you know that? Even though everyone else keeps saying you look like me all I see is her in you."

I slowly open my eyes to a voice. Once they are fully open I realize I am lying on the couch provided by the hospital in the room. I turn my head and freeze once I realize Damon is the voice I heard. Oh my god….he's talking to her.

"And no dating till you are 30…maybe 40. Don't ever use your mom and me as a role model." He jokes as he rocks Cara in his arms, his back still to me.

I feel a smile tug at my lips. Of course he would say something like that. I always knew Damon would be super protective. I mean he is of me, anyone close to him, he protects and it's one of the many things I love about him.

"And eat your vegetables. You hear me?" He leans down and presses a kid to her. "As gross as they are, they are good for you."

I hold in a laugh that's trying to escape because I really don't want to ruin this moment. I take a few silent deep breaths before I am good.

"But most of all I can't predict the future but just know, I love you so much and I will be there for you as long as I can. You will never be alone and I will sacrifice anything I have to, to be there for you."

I feel a wave of emotions hit me because I know this stems from Damon's childhood how he was left with a nanny. At the time Helen and Giuseppe thought they were doing well by their sons to have a nice life but in the end it backfired. I know Damon will do anything and everything in his power to make sure that doesn't happen to Cara. He would go broke and live on the streets before that happened.

"And lastly…your mom is a great person. Probably the best person I have ever met and whatever happens in the future I just want you to know that I love her. I always will."

I feel tears escape my eyes at his speech. God this man. Whenever I think I can't love him any more than I already do he surprises me. I try to still be quiet because I know these are things he would never say in front of someone listening so I lay my head back down and close my eyes trying to make the tears stop.

They finally slow down then stop and I open them again to see Damon just now turning around. I decide to make my presence known and once he is facing me I fake a stretch and yawn.

"Hey." He smiles.

"Hey….How long was I out?" I rub my eyes, mainly to make sure they are dry.

"About two hours. You needed it though." I carefully sit up, making sure not to rip the stitches before Damon sits beside me with Cara still in his arms.

"How is she?" I ask.

"Strangely good so far. Hasn't made a peep, been sleeping. Though that won't last long. She probably needs to be fed again soon." He sighs rubbing her brown head.

"Your good at it you know." I smile.

"Good at what?" He frowns, confused.

"Being a dad. It comes to you so naturally." I rub Cara's arm.

He smiles and lets out a deep almost relieving breath. "I was always so scared of choosing my job over her or not loving her enough but….now that she is here I know that is impossible to do." He leans down and kisses her chubby cheek.

There is a knock on the glass door. We both look up and see Helen, Bonnie, Stefan and Caroline. I smile and wave them to come over. Bonnie and Caroline squeal before kneeling next to Damon with their jaws hanging.

"She is so cute!" Caroline gasps.

"Oh my god." Bonnie exclaims.

"How is she doing?" Helen asks, setting her purse down on the table.

"She has been sleeping. Any second now she will need to be fed." Damon tells her.

We all look up when there is another knock at the door. I frown because we aren't allowed to have any more visitors.

"I am here for birth and registration." The old lady announces.

"Oh." I nod. "This is for the birth certificate?"

"Yes and her social security."

We give her our information as parents and as the father before the biggest question comes.

"And the full name you would like to give her?"

I turn to Damon and smile and he nods. "Cara Miranda Salvatore." I announce proudly.

She types in the information and nods. "Okay so same last name as dad right?"

"Yep." I reply and turn to Damon to find his cheeks pink. I can tell he is still touched I had her carry his last name.

She finishes up the information before we are left alone with our families and friends again. Stefan gives it a go at holding Cara followed very cautiously by Damon who didn't seem to trust him with holding Cara a lot. I asked why and he whispered and my ear that Stefan has butter fingers and he wouldn't risk anything. I laughed.

Caroline and Bonnie are so in awe of her and her little body. Bonnie was holding her when she started crying. I told Bonnie it wasn't her she was due to eat for a while. So I said bye to my friends and Helen so I could feed Cara again.

As I am feeding her I look around and realize how much I really love everything right now. How much I really love being a mom and a parent alongside Damon. I couldn't want anything more than I have right now. I feel like have it all.

I smile at the button down onesie we dressed Cara in. It is one Caroline bought and its bright pink. Of course. Damon surprisingly didn't fight on it but I know there are more of those in the future. Cara has her bright blue eyes open and staring at me as look down at her.

Today we are both getting discharged from the hospital. It has been a week and a half but she is healthy and gaining weight so she was given the clear! Which Damon and I were really happy about. Damon right now is getting the car and things together with his mom and dad while I wait here with Cara. I sigh staring at her in the carry on car seat. I feel so lucky to be her mother.

Over the past week I have bonded with her like no other. I learned she is the most well behaved baby until she is hungry then she will scream her lungs out. I also learned she is tuned to me and Damon's voices the doctor said she learned that from the womb and I almost cried.

My dad had to go back to work but before and after his shifts and on his breaks he quickly came up to visit us. Jeremy is surprisingly super stoked about being an uncle and has been up to visit me numerous times….With Bonnie. I don't know what is going on there but I have more important things on my mind so whatever.

"Okay Elena we are all set." Damon walks in the room.

I let out a long breath. "Okay."

The nurse helps me get in a wheelchair to wheel me out to the car which I tried to object to but it is a hospital policy, while Damon walks beside me with Cara's car seat in his hand. We quickly load Cara's car seat into the backseat followed by me while Damon is beside his mom in the front.

"Everyone buckled?" Helen asks.

We all nod before we are on the road.

I thought for most of my pregnancy I would be taking Cara home to the house I grew up in but obviously that changed and for the better. My house has great memories, I was practically born there but it also isn't big enough for everyone to live there not to mention I want Damon to see Cara every day and help with me because he is graduating this year but I am not and I need all the babysitting and help I can get the next two years.

I smile looking next to me and seeing my daughter.

I think it has finally hit me that I am a mom but it doesn't scare me at all I am just so happy to have this role to my little one.

I move the blanket to cover her more and she moves a tiny bit before going back into her deep sleep. I feel a moment of sadness wishing my mom could meet Cara and watch her grow with me. Cara will never ever meet my mom and it really saddens me. As a little kid I would always imagine me bringing my kids over to see my mom. My mom loved kids and any kind of baby. She was definitely very mothering. But I promise myself and Cara that I will make sure to tell her stories about my mom and what she was like and that I know with all my heart she would have loved her granddaughter.

In no time we pull up to the house and I sigh as I unbuckle myself before climbing out and reaching for Cara but a hand stops me. I frown to see Damon beside me.

"I got her, you go and get comfortable, and I will bring her to you."

I nod because I am still pretty sore from having my stomach torn open. I make sure Damon has the car seat well before both of us head inside. I carefully sit down on the couch, Damon sets her down next to me and I smile before unbuckling her and holding her to my chest. She is once again sound asleep but I know any minute she will need to be fed.

As if on cue her cry echoes the room. I really need to lie down anyway and get more privacy so I stand up carefully with her in my arms and walk towards the bedroom.

"She need to be fed?" Damon asks behind me.

I nod and try to soothe her cries a little bit with rubbing her back but when she wants food she doesn't let up. We get to our room and I immediately go to the bed, missing this nice comfortable bed while I was in the hospital.

I groan and lean against the headboard while I arrange my shirt and Cara to feed her. Damon moves around the room gathering a wash cloth and handing it to me. I smile and take it while Cara tries to latch on. I wince as she moves around a little before finally getting it. I let out a breath of relief because breastfeeding really hurts at first but I am trying to get used to it because I know it is better for her but shit let's see how long that lasts.

Damon walks around the bed to the other side before plopping himself on the bed and looks over at us.

"Tired?" I yawn.

"Hell yeah." Damon scrubs his hands over his face.

"Same here." I sigh and continue to rub Cara's back as I feed her. "As soon as I can put her to sleep I am sleeping as long as I can." I yawn again.

"You feed her and I will put her to sleep deal?"

I think it over but nod. We shake on it.

Cara finally finishes eating before I have to burp her. Damon groans but grabs Cara and puts her in the baby rocker Helen set up for us in our room so we can be near her the first few weeks. Damon carefully sets her down and puts her light pink blanket my dad got her over her. He sets the rocking settings to low before he climbs back into bed with me. I watch her for a few minutes, making sure she finds sleep and she does. I wince as I roll over because my stiches are still sore but I come face to face with Damon.

Damon involuntarily closes his eyes. "You make good babies." He slurs from sleep deprivation.

I laugh as quietly as I can to not wake Cara. "Thanks…." I shake my head. "Hey Damon?"

"Yeah?" He sighs.

"You make good babies too."

…...

I wake up to the sound of Cara's cries; still disoriented I open my eyes and realize it is dark now. I sit up and notice Damon is gone from the bed. I squint into the darkness and find him in the middle of the room rocking Cara.

"Is she okay?"

"I just woke up myself but I think she needs her diaper changed." I notice in the darkness he raises her to his nose. "Yep. Definitely needs her diaper changed."

Deciding I probably won't be able to go back to sleep I carefully get up and turn on the light. While we were at the hospital Helen got many things out of the boxes or from the nursery to our room so the first few weeks Cara is here, it is more convenient to care for her. We have a bassinet, rocker and changing table in here for us.

"Want me to do it?" I ask but Damon shakes his head.

"I got his one…You get the next." He says as he starts unbuttoning her.

I smile and remember this is what he wanted. He wanted to be here for the nitty and gritty stuff a father does. Plus we made a deal that we would take turns changing her or whatever to keep things balanced and so she has a bond with both of us. That is very important to me and Damon.

I walk over to the nightstand and check the time on my phone.

8:47.

I feel my stomach growl. I am pretty hungry I just don't know if me and Damon missed dinner or not…..

I tell Damon I am going downstairs to get something to eat, luckily leaving the now dirty diaper smelling room with Damon. Score. I almost moan when I smell spaghetti and I know that Helen is either making it or made it. I enter the kitchen and see her stirring something in a big pot.

"Hello dear." Helen greets. "I checked in on you guys and saw you all were asleep."

I nod and take a seat on one of the barstools. "Yeah I was so exhausted from the past week. I still am." I groan and rub my eyes tiredly.

Helen sighs. "This is only the beginning hon, but if it ever gets to be too much or you need a nap I am a willingly-happy-free-babysitter." She smiles while chopping things for dinner.

I laugh lightly. "Thanks…I will probably take you up on that. It is so surreal though." I shake my head in wonderment.

"What dear?"

"Being a mom. I mean I expected my world to change or whatever but this…this is completely different. My entire outlook on life has changed, because of her."

Helen nods and smiles. "That is what being a mother does to you."

I look down and smile as well. It's weird to think I am only sixteen years old because I now feel thirty. I have matured so much for Cara now I am almost a different person. I look at things differently and certain things I wouldn't think about before I got pregnant I would think twice about now. It is not just about me anymore. For the rest of my life I will have that little girl to look after and she'll look up to me.

"Okay, diaper is all changed." I turn and look behind me and Damon has Cara in one arm while he makes his way into the kitchen. "Every time I put her down she cried so I had to bring her with me." Damon shrugs but has a huge glowing smile still.

"I am just waiting for dinner to be done." I smile guiltily towards Helen.

"Soon, soon my dear. About 30 more minutes." She turns back to the noodles and pot.

Damon sits down next to me with Cara in his arms and I just look at her in complete awe. Her eyes are wide open and darting around. I lean over and brush my hand over her lips and smile. She really has Damon's full lips.

Damon and I stay in the kitchen while Helen finishes dinner and we both make silly faces while she stares blankly at us. My dad said he has tomorrow off and would come by with Jeremy to visit me and Cara.

Damon hands me Cara while he and Stefan talk next to me. I rock her back and forth in my arms while she stares above. I didn't know it was possible to love someone so much but Cara and her dad have me wrapped around their fingers. Out of nowhere Cara lets out a small hiccup and I laugh at how cute a baby hiccupping can be before I rub her tummy to try and soothe her.

"Okay we are you guys ready to eat?" Helen smiles as she pours spaghetti in a big glass bowl.

"Oh am I ever." I mutter because I actually feel like I am starving. Not to mention the sweet aromas coming from the spaghetti is almost too much.

I bring Cara with me to the dining room as before we all sit down and eat our meals. Throughout most of the dinner I have to hold Cara who has developed this new thing where she has to be held otherwise she cries. Sounds like her dad.

I somehow get the whole eating while holding Cara in one arm down. I already feel like super mom even though it is such a small task. Damon keeps trying to steal her away from me but it only lasts a little bit till I steal her back.

After dinner we all head to the parlor and hang out while we can before Damon, Cara and I all pass out again. I know this is all calm before the storm but I feel so at peace. I am sure next week it will be a different story once we all get settled in and Cara has us trained but right now…right at this very moment it is so calm and easy. I definitely don't take it for granted.

Damon once again has stolen her from me but it is kind of worth it because I get to see him holding her and giving her kisses. A small sacrifice. I love looking over at Helen every now and then and seeing her eyes filled with warmth and joy. I can tell she is radiating happiness seeing Damon so happy with her first grandchild.

Damon keeps giving her light kisses on her head as she snuggles deeper into him. I smile. I knew since I was pregnant that it would be like this. Damon could always get her to kick and wiggle when I couldn't. Sometimes even at the sound of his voice she would start kicking. If I am being honest though I really love it.

"So you made a pediatrician appointment for her next week?" Helen asks.

I nod while still gazing at Cara. "Yeah with the same one I grew up with and that is friends with my dad."

"That's good…" She trails off watching us with Cara.

The fire is crackling in the background while we all sit in silence absorbing this new life we brought into the house. She still has the cute pink outfit Caroline got her on and I try to hide my smile at how Caroline keeps purposely buying pink outfits because one Cara looks super cute in that color and well there is the more obvious reason which is irritating Damon.

Cara starts snuffling and I already know that means she is about to cry. I quickly think over what she needs…Diaper…No…Eat...Maybe? Sleep….She shouldn't.

Within a few seconds she starts whimpering and before she goes into full blow screaming, Damon hands her to me also knowing she will need to be fed. I wrap her up in my arms before I give a quick goodbye to Helen and Giuseppe, getting her upstairs where we are both more comfortable.

Once in the room I get her situated and before Damon is even in the room she is already drinking. I feel like me and Cara are getting this down pretty well. Damon once again sits next to me on the bed while I feed Cara but I decide to position us a little differently so we are snuggled into Damon.

Once she is done I lay her between us while we both face each other. Our eyes glancing between each other and our daughter.

Our daughter.

I have a child with Damon Salvatore. That is just crazy. A year ago I would call him a man-whore who only cares about himself but….he is so much more than that−by a million. He is like a hard candy with a surprise center. He will just keep surprising you if you give him the chance. We both watch between us as Cara drifts off into sleep. She is so innocent and pure. She hasn't gotten her heart broken yet or been hurt. She has her whole life ahead of her.

"She is like a little miracle." I shake my head and softly rub my hand across her forehead as she sleeps soundly on her back with her lips partially open. "Through all the pregnancy complications with not being able to gain weight, stress, Braxton hicks and the pain then of course my gallbladder and the early labor…." I let out a deep breath. "But she held on and fought."

He smiles proudly. "She's a fighter. Like the both of us." He stares at me with his glistening cerulean blue eyes.

I look down to hide my eyes that are now filling up with tears. "She is my biggest accomplishment. If I die tomorrow I would be proud to leave the world with her in it."

"Well it's a good thing you won't die" Damon narrows his eyes at my words.

I shake my head and laugh before wiping the tears away. "But don't you feel that way too? That you are so proud you made her and that you Damon Salvatore gave her life; a chance to live and that no matter what other accomplishments you make none will match this one."

He looks down and chuckles before giving me a slow nod. "Hell yeah I do. I honestly get terrified at the mere thought." He takes a shaky breath and gives himself a second before continuing on. "What if we didn't dance on the beach that night? What if we used protection or you didn't get pregnant or we didn't get along like we do now or what if you never forgave me for sleeping with that girl from the bar? These thoughts plague me so much because what if my life wasn't like it is now? That scares me because−I am so happy Elena. God I am so happy and I know this is a stupid long sappy speech but I am so happy and I feel like something will bring it down but it just keeps going. I feel so lucky that everything fell into place and that we did dance on the beach and that we didn't use protection and that you did get pregnant and that you did somehow forgive me for sleeping with that girl. I am so fucking happy for everything." He chokes at the end and I honestly freeze for a second because Damon Salvatore choked up? And now his eyes welling up with tears?

This doesn't happen every day.

Or even every week. But I am so touched and moved by his speech. Cara is in between us so I can't do much but I grab his hand and put it in mine before squeezing it tightly. "It all did happen Damon and nothing or no one can ever make them not happen. You are allowed to be happy. Remember that." I grab our joined hands and press them to my lips.

He lets out a deep breath of relief like he has been waiting for someone to say that and slowly closes his eyes. "I love you." He whispers so quietly I almost don't hear it. "I don't think I could ever lose you or Cara." He sighs passionately.

"It is okay to be scared of those things I mean I think it makes you human to care about people you love and not want them to be gone but don't let that stop you from being happy or doing things you love." I tell him but look down at our sleeping Cara and sigh. "But even I have to admit if I lost either of you I would…." I shake my head. "I don't even know."

He snaps his eyes open and turns his head to me and smiles. "Then I guess we will have to survive."

I laugh. "Yeah I guess we will."

"Even through all the storms, earthquakes and bad weather…We will survive. Somehow we always do." Damon thinks out loud.

I nod. "Yeah somehow we always do."

Review?

Wow i have been on a roll lately! I am pretty ahead right now and wow. Only two more chapters to go. The next one then the epilogue...

This was a filler chapter i wanted to have you guys get to know Cara and Damon and Elena as parents. Also...Its calm before the storm...Next chapter they are trying to balance life with being new parents...Hm...How will they deal? ;D

Thank you Anna for being my beta! Thank you all the readers and people reviewing and favoriting! It is coming to a end...Not yet but soon.

Xoxoxoxo