A/N; Took longer to get this out with all the various points of view and back and forth. I haven't done chapters this complicated in awhile. So it took a few more days to get everything to flow. Almost done the next one too. And that is the chapter that Damon finds out the baby is his. They still don't know about the twins yet.
Thanks so much for all the great comments, pms and reviews and new readers and silent readers sharing. I treasure every one and they spur me on to write faster!
Enjoy! and have a safe and happy weekend :)
Damon's heart was pounding in his chest as he watched Klaus advance on them slamming the door behind him. He could not get caught here like this. Klaus would use him to try to force Elena out of the cabin again. She was pregnant and if he was worried about protecting her before, that feeling felt fucking tenfold now. He could never let Klaus near her or her baby. He would stand between her and any danger till the last beat of his undead heart.
He drew in a deep breath, judging the distance that it was from where he was kneeling on the floor to the back door almost behind him. He had not even seen it in his panicked state a minute ago. It was dark brown wood, the same wood tone as the walls and tucked behind the shelves full of wood. Would he be able to get to it before Klaus was on him? To pull Jeremy out with him?
His gaze snapped back up in front of him to the monster snarling with rage in front of the door. He stood up slowly, not making any sudden moves, carrying Jeremy's lifeless body in his arms. He could feel the boys blood soaking through his thin pajama pants and dripping down his legs. How much blood had he lost?
Elena was still leaning against the frame of the outside door, wrestling in her mind if she should go out there. He made her promise to stay. He didn't compel her but she had promised him. He needed her and the baby to be safe. She knew Damon was fiercely protecting them both and he already had seemed so connected to that little one.
She knew she needed to stay put but was frantic for him and for Jeremy too. Had Katherine somehow gotten Jeremy to come to her? To free her? Her brother said that he had been hearing her call to him. How could her just calling him get him to go to her? It didn't make any sense.
She turned around seeing Elijah come into the living room. She ran up to him, her eyes wild and still streaked with tears.
"Elena, what's going on," he asked her, an edge of uneasiness in his tone. She looked frantic about something or someone. He had been busy himself setting up plans with his witches for her to disappear as soon as they could get her out of here. He wanted at first to try to reason with his brother. He knew after all why he was so desperate to get his hands on the doppleganger.
He had seen a lot of what his father had been capable of over the years. And since he and Rebekka had run with Niklaus centuries ago and when they had sided with him he had always been an enemy of his father too. But Klaus did not see the danger in all the power he thought he needed in order to beat him. So Elijah took it upon himself to stop him in whatever way he could.
He had lined up more vampires, his sires to battle his brother if it came to that. They were ready and waiting for his go ahead. But Elijah did not know how many vampires or witches Klaus had nearby. He had seen a few stalking him last night as he surveyed the area around the lake. He avoided them easy enough and it seemed that they had no been given any kind of attack instructions. Just to surround them and keep them there.
But he turned his attention to the young human begging for his help, his eyes focused on her.
"It's Damon," she gasped out. "He went out to where Klaus was holding Katherine! He said she was calling Jeremy. What would that mean?" Her breath was heaving out of her as she looked up at him.
He grabbed both her shoulders trying to steady her. "Elena, calm down. I'm sure Damon can handle himself with Katerina. He will be fine. He wants you to stay here, then you need to do that."
Bonnie was at her side too. "He's right. You need to relax and trust Damon. He will get Jeremy back. Katherine is tied up, she can't hurt either of them." She had to admit she was worried too but she wanted Elena to calm down for the sake of the baby. She looked back outside after trying to get Elena to sit down and was praying that Damon and Jeremy would get back here quickly. What could they be doing in there?
"Where do you think you are going?" Klaus hissed at Damon. "You think you can outrun me? You think you can beat me! How dare you release her!" He was furious that Katerina escaped. How the hell did that happen? Was the dead boy in the vampires arms responsible for that?
Damon's eyes widened in fear as well as confusion. "Wait, you think I let that bitch free?" he asked the Original. "I wanted you to kill her! Hell, I would be happy to kill her myself! She put Elena and I through hell! I was overjoyed that Elijah threw her outside to you."
Klaus had still not moved any closer but Damon was bracing his body to race to the door at the first sign of him making any kind of move toward them. He thought there was no way he would make it if Klaus was so focused on them. He needed a distraction, anything to make the bastard look away from them for half a second.
He thought of his brother. He had called to him in his mind a couple times now in the last few days and he was sure Stefan had done so as well, without even meaning to or knowing what would happen when he had been begging for Damon to get to the tomb to save Elena before it was too late.
Brother, please. Hear me, he pleaded in his head. But he had no idea if he would hear him at all. Stefan was so weak and possibly hours from dying. The only reason he was still alive was because he had kept feeding him his blood.
Lifting Jeremy back up more in his arms, Damon looked down at him. His head hung back off his arms and the blood from his torn throat was seeping into his dark blue t shirt as well. He could smell how fresh his blood was. This attack could not have happened more than a half an hour ago. Probably at the same time that he had been with Elena and Bonnie and comforting his love as she was gagging in the toilet from her pregnancy.
The baby...
He was holding the baby's dead uncle in his arms. He needed to get back to its mother. Elena would need him. How could he ever explain to her that her only brother was gone?
He called again to Stefan, still keeping a close watch on Klaus' movements. The vampire was still just standing there in front of the door. Maybe he thought that was the only way out. Maybe Klaus thought he had him trapped and that was why he had not moved closer yet.
Stefan's head flew up from where he was lying in bed. Damon? He looked around. What was going on? He was sure he had heard his brother's voice. Was he just dreaming? Did something happen to him? He struggled to his feet, his legs wobbling and leaned on the wall as he stumbled to the door. Something was wrong, very wrong. He could feel it.
"What are you thinking, little boy?" Klaus taunted Damon, raising his eyebrows. "There is nowhere to run. You showing up here could not have been more perfect." He was loving torturing the young vampire. This baby vampire had such passionate, intense feelings for his doppleganger.
He was calm now, Damon could see. Much calmer than he had been when he entered the garage a few minutes ago. This was another instance where having the power to read minds would have been so handy. What could he do? It wanted to get Jeremy out of there but the extra weight might not allow him to move fast enough when he needed to.
He called to his brother again in his head. Send Elijah Stefan. Klaus found us. Hurry before he kills me!
"What the hell do you want?!" Damon snarled at him. You said you wanted Katherine. Well, go find her!" There had to be a way to get out of this.
Stefan heard him this time loud and clear. He needed to reach Elijah. He leaned his body weight against the wall and slid himself toward the door and opened it. He could hear arguing downstairs then already. Leaning on the railing he took a shaky step forward trying to call out, but his throat felt so sore that even opening his mouth he could not get their attention. He maintained his balance for the first step down but then his other leg felt weaker and could not hold his weight so he went tumbling down the stairs.
Elena turned to the noise behind them and saw him as he was falling. "Stefan," she called out to him raced to where he lay. Holding his head in her hands, she shook his head gently. "Stefan, what are you doing of bed? You are so weak. What is wrong?"
He shook his head and looked past her to Elijah walking toward them. "Damon called me, he's in...," he coughed hard and felt more blood trying to come up but his throat was so weak. He felt he room spinning as he knew he needed to force the words out of his mouth but he felt darkness clouding his vision.
Elena heard Stefan say Damon's name and she saw him looking like he was going to faint. "Stefan! Stay with me. What about Damon?!" He opened his mouth again but nothing came out. She knew it was risky, especially without the vervain to placate him but she knew it was the only way to give him strength. She forced her wrist under his mouth and felt just the tip of one of his fangs and ripped her wrist across it and the blood flooded into his open mouth.
Stefan felt the darkness taking him and then the next second he felt the warmth of human blood, human not vampire like his brother had been offering him to keep him alive last night. The blood felt so thick and sweet and he weakly swallowed it down his sore and aching throat. He lifted his hand and held her wrist to his mouth and sucked in more of the sweet blood. He pulled back and tried to talk again and this time his voice had worked. He looked up to Elena's panicky eyes on his.
"Damon's in trouble. Klaus found them. He was calling for Elijah to come." Stefan gasped out. He nearly moaned as he swallowed the blood in his mouth that tasted so good.
Elijah had no idea what he was talking about. Damon had somehow gotten a message to him all the way from the garage to the upstairs of the cabin? But seeing the fear in Elena's eyes he nodded quickly and bolted out the door without a word. Bonnie ran right behind him.
Elena looked down at Stefan laying in her lap on the floor at the bottom of the stairs and he smiled up at her that she gave him the strength to deliver the message.
"I don't know how you did it, how you knew that Damon was in trouble but thank you." she sighed with relief and her head fell back against the wall behind her.
Stefan still felt her arm pulsing with fresh blood where it lay on his chest. He struggled within himself but he was still so hungry. He just wanted a little more. It was helping his symptoms so much already. He knew he would have already been dead if they had not been feeding him a steady supply of Damon's blood to keep his organs functioning. Once his organs deteriorated and there was was no blood to regenerate them then he would be gone forever. But this band aid of a fix had worked all night. There was nothing to say it could not delay things even more.
Elena lifted her head feeling his fingers on her bloody wrist and looking around she saw they were alone. "Stefan," she called out and she slowly turned his head toward her. "Stefan, are you okay?"
And then he opened his eyes and they were all flooded with blood and his veins pulsed under his eyes. She felt his grip on her wrist increase. "Stefan, no. It's not safe!" she cried out as he pulled her arm against his mouth and sucked up more blood.
"Just a little bit more," he mumbled, feeling the blood sooth his pain. "I just need a little more."
"No, let go, please. I'm pregnant Stefan. You don't want to hurt us." she whimpered. She felt him instantly let go of her wrist and his head snapped up, his eyes on hers.
"Your pregnant?" he mumbled incredulously, his vampire visage gone from his face. He still felt so weak and very dizzy but he had heard her loud and clear. That was the last thing he expected her to say.
She put both her hands over her belly and nodded to him. "Yes, Damon heard the heartbeat already. Bonnie saw images of the baby too. I am. I've even been throwing up already too. Its not a trick like back in the tomb. I really have a baby growing in there." She caressed her belly as she looked at him.
He smiled hesitantly at her, his hand shaking and he reached out tentatively to touch her. She nodded and pulled his hand onto her stomach and watched his face as he must of felt the tiny heartbeat too. His hollow, pale eyes lit up with wonder as he smiled. "I can feel it Elena! That is incredible!"
Klaus just laughed low in his throat and grinned at Damon. "Oh I will find Katerina. She has something I want."
He lifted his head, his eyes focused on Damon's and his eyes turned a fierce shade of yellow as his hands clenched at his sides. "But then again, so do you..." He relished the fear in the dark haired man's eyes. This really was too easy.
"You are not getting near her ever again!" Damon screamed at him, his face flushed with anger, his eyes as yellow and fiery as Klaus'. He wanted to run forward and rip the monster to shreds. He wanted to set him on fucking fire, like he had done to his wolf minion. He wanted to rip his heart from his chest and watch him see him holding his beating, bloody heart in his hand as he fell dead in front of him. Yet all he could do right then was stand there and glare at him.
Klaus took a step toward them and Damon took one back to maintain his distance. The Original sure was not being very aggressive. More like he was stalking them thinking he had boxed them in a corner.
"Maybe I don't want to just get near her..." Klaus hissed at him. This was such delicious torture he thought, knowing just what he was going to say. If he was wrong it was no big deal. But if he was right...
"Like hell you don't!" Damon snapped at him, his fangs clicking down in place as he felt the veins in his face pulsing hard.
"Maybe I don't want to be near her, or want her at all..." he whispered to Damon seeing the massive confusion on his face as his own his evil smirk grew. He had the love struck idiot right where he wanted him. "Maybe Damon…. I want what is IN her?"
He let that last sentence just hang there in the air as he watched the vampire's face with rapt anticipation.
Holy fucking hell! Damon's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets! He knew about the baby!
He bent his head, his voice low and as menacing as it had ever been. "You will be laying on the ground, writhing as a disfigured mass of flesh and blood, before you EVER touch that baby!" he growled at him, his face clenched, his body shaking in rage at even the thought of that monster laying a finger on her precious, innocent, helpless angel.
Klaus smiled again and let out a chuckle. "Oh so the lovely Elena IS with child? You see I wasn't sure that the spell had worked. But thank you for clearing that up for Uncle Klaus. Or maybe I should be Saint Nik. Ha ha. You know much children love Santa!"
Damon's eyes darted back and forth in confusion, disgust and shock. He had baited him? He hadn't known anything!?
Damn him! How could he have been so stupid!
He slammed his mouth shut having no idea what to say. He just wanted to get the hell out of there and back to her.
Klaus was laughing at him his grin a mile wide. He had needed to know if his spell had worked and now he knew. That would mean that the witch would have no memory of it now but somehow this vampire knew. And he was most definitely her lover. There was no question there. Caroline had warned him that if he took Elena from him that this vampire could be an even worse enemy to him than his father already was. What to do?
"Niklaus, leave him alone!" He spun his head around seeing Elijah standing in the open doorway.
Then there was a scream, a loud terrifying scream. It was Elena! He grabbed for the long metal shelf with one hand and pulled it down in front of him and Jeremy. The logs crashed down all around them as he saw Elijah turn too and it looked like he wasn't sure if he should run back to the cabin. He bolted to the back door and slammed his body weight into it. The wood smashed under his supernatural strength but there was something blocking it. The door opened but only a little ways. There was something heavy behind the door.
Damn it! He needed to get to Elena!
She watched him as he stroked his fingers over her belly. "It's Damon's isn't it?" he whispered.
"We don't know yet," she told him truthfully. She was not sure how he would react at all to any of this.
He leaned his head back on the wall. "My brother is going to be a dad?" But then he backed away from her, his hand off her warm belly. He didn't seem to have heard that she said they did not know whose it was "You can't risk the baby with me so unstable Elena. You need to get away from me."
Elena saw him backing away and her eyes darted back and forth. "What, no? You would not hurt us."
"Well I don't know that. I almost did!" he yelled at her. He could feel the hunger returning and the blood flood his eyes. "I'm not in control not now Elena. It's not safe for you and the baby to be near me!"
Elena had known it was dangerous to feed Stefan her blood, but she had no idea how dangerous. He looked hungry for more blood and she saw him looking down at her wrist that still had not healed from when she tore it open to feed him before.
Stefan shook his head, his vision in front of him clearing. "I.. I don't want to hurt either of you. Damon deserves to be happy. You have to kill me, please," he begged. "Elena, I would never forgive myself if I hurt you and your precious baby. Damon's baby. I can see your wrist bleeding and my body wants that blood."
"No Stefan! Caroline is bringing you the cure. I promise. You just need to hold on for a little longer. You can do it."
"No, it's too late for me. And I can't risk hurting you Elena. You can be a family with Damon. Let me die." he begged her.
She was shaking her head. "No Stefan, you can be apart of our babies life to. You don't have to give up.
"I'm not giving up. I keeping you safe! My hands are shaking smelling your blood. My body feels ripped apart from the inside out and blood is the only thing that helps that. He spun around and grabbed for a piece of wood on the floor. "I can't hurt either of you. I'd rather die than hurt you, beautiful." He lifted the wood up to plunge it into his chest.
"No!" she screamed at him as she grabbed the chair beside her and pushed it into him hard, and knocked him to the floor. He hit his head on the wall and was still. She stepped around the him slowly, seeing the wood still clutched in his hand. She could not let him kill himself. Damon would be devastated to lose his brother. He had already been so emotional about losing him to the damn wolf bite but there was a chance for a cure and she could not let him give up.
She raced upstairs and ripped open the bag of supplies and weapons that was on the bed. Vervain, vervain, where the hell was more vervain?
She dumped the whole bag upside down and searched through the contents. Moving things around she finally found another syringe. But then she felt her stomach contracting again and she ran for the bathroom and gagged and puked in the toilet. The coolness of the porceline felt so good on her warm cheek as she felt more coming up.
"C'mon sweetheart. Mommy, can't do this now," she whispered as she stroked her belly softly. "I need to make sure your Uncle Stefan is okay and get your daddy back to us. Can you give mommy a few minutes to do that?" She was already talking too that Damon was the daddy. Part of her just felt it had to be true. Stefan did not even fight her on that or even question if it was his child.
She wiped her mouth and stumbled back down the stairs. Stefan was still laying there. He had not moved. She crept closer, the needle clutched tight and ready. Her hands were trembling, she was still so scared of what he could do to himself.
He needed to just hold on a few more minutes maybe. Caroline was coming, She had to be. She bent down, staring at his face, his eyes closed as she grasped the wood in her hand. Just as she had started to pull the wood from his fist his eyes flew open and she screamed again as she jammed the vervain in his neck!