Chapter 13

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing. Only the story is mine.

Note: Hey, guys! I'm going to do the next chapter of "Cat and Mouse," since it's been a while since I last updated. Thank you for the reviews! You guys rock! No spoilers, except the action takes place the next day.

Atlanta, Georgia – Next Day...

Elena looked over at Damon, who was gazing out of the window at the scenery that was zooming by them as they drove. He hadn't said much since they started out on their trip, which was probably due to the fact that he was nervous about seeing his family again after not seeing them since he was fifteen. Making sure that there were no other cars on the road, Elena pulled over and killed the engine, grabbing his hand and giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"Damon, you have nothing to be nervous about," she said. "I'm going to be right there with you."

"I know you are," he replied. "I just don't know what I'm going to say to them. What do you say to people you haven't seen since you were fifteen years old?"

"I know that it's not going to be easy. Not all reunions are," said Elena. "I've seen it many times with kidnap victims who are seeing their families for the first time since they were taken." She then placed both hands on his face and kissed him. "Just try not to dwell on the negative. Focus on something that has made you happy, such as when you kissed me for the first time, or the first time we had sex."

Damon smiled at her words. He remembered both of those things very fondly and he doubted that he would ever forget them either. He returned her kiss and moaned against her mouth as their tongues danced. After a few minutes, he pulled away and looked into her brown eyes with his blue ones.

"I'll definitely focus on those two."

Elena smiled. "Good." She kissed him again. "Everything is going to be fine, Damon. As I said before, I'm going to be right there with you. I'm not going to let you do this alone. I love you, Damon."

"I love you too, angel," said Damon. "I don't know what I would do without you."

"Try not to think about it, okay?" said Elena. "It'll ruin the moment."

Damon chuckled and kissed her again. "I won't. I'd rather think about you."

That being said, Elena started the engine again and they continued the trek toward the address that Elena had found in the folder. Stefan had sent her an email with directions to the house last night so that she would be able to find it. So far, the directions had been helpful and Elena was looking forward to this little meeting. Even though she had met with thousands of families whose loved ones had gone missing and a majority of said meetings often didn't go well, Elena viewed this one as special, because it concerned the man she loved.

Home of Elisabetta Salvatore – That Afternoon...

Several more hours of driving brought Damon and Elena to a quaint little house. It looked decent for a single mother to raise her family in, because it was in a good neighborhood and it had good schools. Upon stepping out of the car, Damon and Elena held hands as they went up the walk toward the house. As they did so, Elena looked around at how the yard was decorated, noticing little garden gnomes and deer statues. The lawn was well maintained and the flowers were absolutely beautiful.

Upon arriving at the door, Elena knocked and within a few minutes, Stefan answered. He smiled when he saw Damon, came outside and hugged him.

"Thank God you're alive," he said. "Mom never gave up hope of seeing you again. Dad denied it, but she always knew that you'd come back."

Damon reluctantly returned Stefan's hug, letting go of Elena's hand for a moment. He smiled himself, tears stinging his eyes. I guess I was wrong about them thinking I was dead, he thought. Apparently, I was missed.

"It's good to see you again, Stefan," he said finally. "You've grown since I've been gone."

"Well, it's kind of mandatory of children," said Stefan. "So, yeah, I guess I have grown." He stepped back and smiled at Elena. "Hey, Elena. It's good to finally meet you. Were the directions I sent okay?"

Elena nodded. "Yeah, they were fine. Thank you." She cleared her throat. "This is a very nice place you've got here. How long have you guys been living here?"

"Not long, about a year," said Stefan. "Mom didn't want to stay at our old place, because it contained too many bad memories of Dad's betrayal. Now, I'm not saying that I agree with what he did, mind you, because infidelity is inexcusable, but..."

"No, it's okay, I get it," said Elena. "She wanted to start over and Atlanta seemed like the perfect place for it."

Stefan nodded. "Would you like to come in?"

"Sure," said Elena. "I'd like to meet your mother. She sounds like a great woman in spite of what happened to her before you guys moved here." She looked at Damon. "I'm pretty sure that Damon missed her as much as he missed you. Right, Damon?"

Damon nodded. "Right." As he spoke, he reached into his pocket and fingered the small box that he had placed in before he and Elena left for Atlanta. He had every intention of giving what was in the box to Elena later. Thankfully, neither Elena nor Stefan noticed what he was doing.

"It's settled then," said Stefan. "Come on in. I'll let Mom know you guys are here."

Elena nodded, took Damon's hand, and the two of them followed Stefan into the house. Damon was half anxious to see his mother again and half nervous. After all, he hadn't seen her since he was fifteen, and he wasn't sure if he remembered what she looked like. The only features he really remembered were the black hair and blue eyes he inherited from her.

A few minutes later, Elisabetta Salvatore herself appeared in the hallway. When she saw Damon, tears of happiness stung her eyes and she went toward her eldest son, hugging him and showered his face with kisses. Damon made no attempt to fight her off, because he knew that she was only doing this out of happiness.

"Damon, my angel boy, you're alive," she said. "I never believed Guiseppe when he said that you were never coming back. I always knew that I'd see you again. I never lost faith, not even for a second."

"That's great, Mom," he replied. "It's good to know that you didn't give up on me." He stepped back and presented Elena to her. "Mom, this is Elena Gilbert, the love of my life. Elena, this is my mother, Elisabetta Salvatore."

"It's nice to finally meet you, Elisabetta," said Elena. "Your son is a very special young man and I love him more than anything in the world."

"It's nice to meet you too, Elena," said Elisabetta. "I'm so glad that Damon has someone like you in his life. You're good for him and I can tell that he loves you very much." She hugged her. "You truly are an angel, my dear."

Elena smiled and returned Damon's mother's hug. She liked her already and wondered what it would be like to have her as a mother-in-law.

That evening...

Damon held Elena close on the porch swing as they gazed at the stars. It was a beautiful night and it was ideal for a couple like them to be alone like this. Elisabetta and Stefan were cleaning up from the dinner, allowing them to have their privacy. It was quiet until Elena spoke.

"Your family is very nice, Damon," she said. "I really like them."

Damon smiled. "Yeah, they're good people." He looked at her. "They like you too. My mother said that you were good for me, and I agree with her. You're the best thing that ever happened to me and I don't regret falling in love with you." He reached into his pocket again. "Now that we're alone, there's something I want to ask you."

Elena blinked. "What is it, Damon?"

Damon carefully got off the swing and got down on one knee, taking Elena's hand in his, kissing her knuckles before he said, "Elena, the moment I saw you, I knew that you were the one I would spend my life with. True, it was a bit of a rough start, but as we went along, the love I had for you multiplied. You are my angel, my love, and the best friend I could ask for. I love you and I want to spend the rest of my life with you, if you'll have me." He took the small box out of his pocket and opened it to reveal a diamond ring. "Elena Gilbert, will you marry me?"

Elena couldn't breathe as she looked at the ring. It was so beautiful, just like his proposal and there was no way she could possibly say no to that, not when she loved him with everything she had.

Finally, with tears streaming down her cheeks, she said, "Yes, Damon Salvatore, I will marry you."

Damon smiled and got to his feet, lifting her off the swing and kissing her before setting her back on the ground. "I love you, Elena."

Elena returned his kiss. "I love you too, Damon. I'll always love you."

Note: Yeah, this chapter was kicking my ass, but thankfully, I got the flow to where I wanted it. How's that for an update, huh? Thought I'd include a Delena proposal. Don't you just love me?

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