A/N: Holy Cow, two years! I am so, so, so sorry. I don't have any excuses other than life happens and gets in the way sometimes. Recently a story that I follow was updated and it brought me back to this site and to this story and I felt so bad for not wrapping it up and giving you the ending that you guys deserve, I started by rereading the entire story to get my footing with it again, I changed some stuff here and there, some of it was just grammatical errors, some of it was format, I deleted some things and added something in case any of you want to give it a re-read to refresh your memory or for any new followers that may join us but all in all the plot is the same, so there is no NEED to re-read if you don't want to. Anyways, I'm back, and I promise you that I WILL see this story through to the end. Thanks for coming along for the ride.
"You have to tell him Damon" Stefan chides, as he takes a sip of coffee from the mug our waitress just refilled
"I know" I groan
"It's been two months since you found out that Elena's pregnant, I know he's not the most supportive guy in the world, but he deserves the right to know, I mean if you don't tell him now he's going to end up finding out that he's going to be a grandpa at the gender reveal party" he laughs
"Gender reveal Party?" I question
"Yeah it's a thing" he shrugs
"It doesn't really sound like it's an Elena thing though" I argue "and I didn't invite you to breakfast so that you could lecture me"
"Have you met my fiancé? If I know Caroline I'd be willing to bet that she already has the whole thing mapped out in her head" he gives me a pointed look "and I'm not lecturing you Damon, I'm just simply pointing out what the right thing to do here is"
"You have a point" I shrug "speaking of fiancé's shouldn't you guys be finishing the final touches for the wedding this weekend instead of nagging me and planning gender themed parties?" I question
"It's all done, I have no idea how Caroline manages to get everything done so quick, but it's all set, now she's just going stir crazy, ready to actually get married, which is why I'm pretty positive that she has moved on to planning her next event… tell him Damon" he swings back around to our original discussion
"Ok, I will. He'll meet her this weekend at the wedding right; so at least I'll get a chance to properly introduce them, and then lay the groundwork for having dinner sometime in the coming weeks"
"Just please don't put this off, it needs to come from you, it would be terrible if he found out from someone else"
"Like who?" I challenge "the only people that know beside Elena and me are you and Caroline, and I know you guys wouldn't do that"
"Not intentionally but what if it slipped, Caroline does have wedding brain right now, and that's not the point… just tell him"
"Can I get you guys anything else?" our waitress interrupts
"No, I think we're good, thank you" I take my card from my wallet and hand it to her in the little black folder she put on the edge of the table
"I just said I would" I continue once she walks away "and FYI wedding brain is not an actual thing" I pick up my coat from the booth next to me and stand you leave once the waitress brings back my card, Stefan follows
"Oh yes it is brother, tell that to the wedding planner that went home in tears yesterday, I love Caroline to death and I can't wait to marry her, of course so that we can start the rest of our lives together but also so that this woman and that taken over her mind will go away once the wedding is over"
"Just 3 more days baby brother, and this will all be in the past"
"Thank goodness"
After a long day of work, I finally exit the subway and make my way to the new apartment that Elena and I now call home.
We moved in just three weeks after I hit her with my grand idea, I was a little bit nervous to be cohabitating with someone other than Stefan after so long, but I have to say that it went much more seamlessly then I had ever imagined.
"Hey, I'm home" I announced as I shut the front door behind me, the new apartment was so different from my old one, everything had been so modern and gray, it was very Andie, our new place has more color, lots of pastels, and it screams Elena.
"Hey" Elena greets as she comes around the corner from the kitchen to greet me, she smiles up at me at places a kiss on my lips, the normalcy of it all makes my heart swell "I made dinner" she adds
"You did?" I take my coat off and hang it in the closet next to the front door "Should I make sure poison control is on speed dial just in case?" I tease her
"Hey!" she playfully slaps my arm "you have cooked for us almost every night since we moved in here and on the nights you don't, you take me out, it was the least that I could do , and I know I said that I don't know how to cook, but I bought a book and-"
"'Lena" I soothingly rub her cheek "I'm just kidding, I would eat anything that you make, thank you for being so thoughtful" I lean down and kiss her on the lips once more "So what'd you make?" I ask and walk into the kitchen
"Stuffed peepers" she answers "They're in the oven should be done soon. So how was your day?"
"It was exhausting, the Mikealson case is kicking my ass" I sigh "how was your day?" I ask
"It was good; I'm working on this new piece about coffee shops and the people that frequent them"
"That's perfect for you, you have experience on both fronts" I smile
"Yeah, a little too much experience maybe" she laughs and rubs her still flat abdomen lovingly
I can't help but chuckle at her insinuation "Speaking of which..."
"There's a speaking of which?" she questions "Did you get another coffee shop girl pregnant?" she laughs
"Ha Ha" I say sarcastically but can't help but chuckle at how funny she thinks she is "No love, just you" I answer
"Good" she smiles
"Anyways, I had breakfast with Stefan this morning before work, and in typical Stefan style he was hounding me about our dad"
"Ok…" she eyes me warily
"About how we need to tell him that we're expecting a baby"
"Well yeah Damon, shouldn't he know that he's expecting his first grandkid?"
Except that he's not going to see it that way, in his mind he was already expecting his first grandkid, in his mind she should be about two months old by now, his father has never been a very open and understanding man, he would not be able to wrap his mind around what was happening, around Elena, and he could be harsh, even cruel sometimes, and Elena doesn't deserve that
"I agree, he should, I'm just…" I pause to think about my words, not wanting them to hurt her feelings "I guess I'm just worried about how he'll take it, he was extremely close to Andie, sometimes I used to think that he liked her even more then he liked me, and I just don't want him to lash out at this situation and have you get hurt in the process"
"I get it" she nods in understanding "this wasn't anything that either of us expected but you and I have come to terms with it and are even excited about our future together and I don't think it's fair for him to not be given an opportunity to be a part of that future, besides…" she shrugs "parents love me"
"Of course they do, I just don't want you to get your hopes up only to be let down by his poor response, I wanted to give you a heads up first" I love her optimism, but I feel like she's gravely underestimated my father
"Thank you" she smiles
"I don't want to say anything to him before the wedding, this is Stefan's time and I don't want to take away from any of that but he will be at the rehearsal dinner on Friday and of course at the wedding, I think it would be a good time for you guys to be properly introduced and then we can sit down with him for dinner in the next week or so and tell him" I must look nervous because Elena takes my hand and starts rubbing soothing circles with her thumb on the back of it
"Hey, we're in this together, you and I remember" she eyes me
" I know" I smile "Thank you" I lean forward and press a kiss to her lips, just has I start to deepen it we're interrupt by the kitchen timer
"Oh! Dinners ready" she explains happily
"Alight Gilbert, lets test these cooking skills of yours" I chuckle as she rushes over to the oven and pulls out her creation, she pulls two plates from the cupboard and carefully places a pepper on each plate and adds a side of salad before walking over the table, placing a plate in front of me and one in front of her
I glance over at her and see her staring at me expectantly, waiting for me to be the first one to take a bite. I pick up my fork and knife and cut off a piece to eat
"Wow! 'Lena that's actually really good, that must be one hell of a cookbook"
"Really?!" she questions
"Really" I nod and take another bite
"You're not just saying that?" she asks and I shake my head "So you would eat it again?"
"Absolutely" I answer, I look up as she claps her hands and smiles ear to ear and just like that I feel my heart swell again
"No, no, no" Caroline shakes her head "you're walking to fast Bonnie"
"Caroline…" Bonnie starts
"No, this is my wedding day, this is the one day in my life where my opinion on how fast you walk matters"
"Somehow I think she'll find many more reason to give her opinion" I say under my breath
"Damon…" Stefan chides
"Yeah, what was that Damon? I don't think we could all hear you under your mumbling" Caroline says and turns her attention on me
"I said-" unlike everyone else, I'm not afraid to stand up to Blondie but I don't get a chance
"Ok" Elena interrupts "I think everyone is just a little stressed right now, why don't we all take a break before trying this again"
The room is filled with collective sighs from the groomsmen and bridesmaids as they make their way in to the hall, to the table filled with tea and cookies
"Ok" Elena starts "I know that I have never been engaged or had to plan a wedding and I can't imagine how stressful it is but you have to get it together Caroline"
"But Damon-"
"Watch it Blondie-" I interrupt
"No" Elena stops both of us "Caroline like I said I know that you're stressed but you need to chill out or you're not going to have a wedding party tomorrow, you need to remember that these people are your friends, you can't just yell at them" the she turns to me "and this does not give you an excuse to mumble things under your breath, you know what this whole wedding process is like, you of all people should be a little more empathetic"
"Yes mam" I mock salute her
"And you" she points at Caroline "please go apologize to those people out there, they're all here because the love you"
"Ok, I'm sorry Elena, I just went a little crazy and I just want everything to be perfect"
"I know, you don't need to apologize to me" she smiles sweetly, and Caroline goes out into the hall to make her apologies
"Whew" Elena dramatically wipes her forehead "I am much too pregnant to deal that level of energy" she laughs as I move to wrap my arms around her
"When did you become so authoritative?" I nuzzle my head into her neck "it's sexy"
"I don't know, maybe it's my natural maternal instincts coming out" she giggles
"When can we leave? I just wanna get you home and out of this dress" I press a kiss to her neck
"Not till after dinner" She blushes
"Ugh, stupid weddings" I groan
"Do you think you would ever want to do it again?" she asks
"What? A wedding?" I don't know why I sound so surprised, I should have expected that this talk would be coming eventually
"Yeah" she shrugs, trying her best to seem nonchalant about it
"I suppose so yeah" I nod, and I mean it, I've already wrapped my head around the fact that Elena and I are starting a family together, I love spending time with her and I really can't picture my life without her anymore "when the time is right"
"Good to know" she nods, trying to hide her blush, I lean down and press my lips her hers but we're interrupted by the sound of someone clearing their throat, I look up to identify our intruder to see none other than my father staring at Elena and I incredulously
"Hey dad" I unwrap my arms from Elena's waist and move to stand beside her
"It's been quite a while son, I see some things have changed" he eyes shift to Elena
"Yeah" I exhale a deep breath I hadn't realized I was holding, I reach down for Elena's hand and entwine her fingers with me, "this is Elena, my girlfriend" I glance over at her to gauge her reaction, she's blushing, it must not have gone unnoticed by her that this is the first time I have publically introduced her that way
"It's nice to meet you Mr. Salvatore" she smiles sweetly and extends her hand
"You as well" he returns the handshake but not the smile "would you please excuse us for a moment, I would like a moment to talk to my son"
"Of course" Elena smiles nervously and then gives me pointed look that tells me to behave before she exits the room
"Ok, let it all out dad" when he doesn't respond I keep going " come on, what are you waiting for, lay it on me, tell me that it's too soon, that I'm making a mistake, come on, I know it's in there"
"What will people think?" he finally speaks
"Ah, there it is" I sneer
"It hasn't even been a year Damon, and you're publically hanging all over this girl, and calling her your girlfriend? Why couldn't you just date around, at least then we could have used your grief as an excuse"
"My grief is not just some excuse for you to justify my actions to your friends at the golf club, what happened to me was real, I was drowning in grief and-"
"And what Damon, you found solstice in some girl, you abandoned your family Damon, I suffered a great loss that night as well, I also know firsthand what it's like to lose a wife, that doesn't mean you just go out and find a replacement"
"Stop" I say through clenched teeth, I'm livid "Don't you ever refer to her as a replacement ever again"
"Why not? That's what people will see Damon, or are you to dense to realize that"
"Then fuck them"
"Excuse me?" he snaps
"I said, fuck them. Who the fuck cares what they think… Nobody has any right to judge me, and I didn't turn my back on my family, Stefan and I are closer than ever, he was there for me, I turned my back on you, the man that has never been anything but cold to me, so I'm sorry if you're not the person I turned to in my darkest hour. You are right about one thing though dad, you do know what it feels like to lose a wife, but everyone grieves differently and I am not you, I think I have proven that time and time again with what a disappointment I am to you, but Elena… she is not a mistake or a disappointment, and she sure as hell isn't just some replacement. She saved me dad, I was drowning , I really was, and then she came along and pulled me up for air, so I don't give two shits about what everyone else thinks, because she's not going anywhere, not for as long as she'll have me because I love her dad, I love her"
He stares at me silently until we're interrupted by the creak of the floor, and I look over to see Elena standing there
"Um, I'm sorry for interrupting, I just came to tell you guys that everyone is headed back in to continue the rehearsal"
"Thanks" I smile tightly, still wound up from my dad's words
"I'm going to go find Stefan and give him my regards, Damon we'll continue this later"
"Great" I say sarcastically
Once he's exited the room I make my way over to Elena "how much of that did you hear?" I ask
"Not much" she shakes her head "are you ok?"
"Eh, I just hate that he always gets under my skin" I start to look down at the floor but I feel her hand on my cheek trying to stop me
"Damon" she says quietly once I've met her eyes "I love you too"
Despite everything that has gone one in the last ten minutes I can't help the smile spreading on my face and for the third time that week I feel my heart swell, like another piece of it has been put back together.
END NOTE: I hope you guys enjoyed it, let me know your thoughts, I'd love to hear your thoughts, and see how many of you are still with me, or if you're new here let me know what you think, see you guys again next week!