Damon had only ever imagined such things happening for him. Nobody had ever truly loved Damon, Stefan made sure of that. Their father had favored Stefan, his first love Katherine had favored Stefan, but what had hurt most of all was that the one girl he'd been willing to open up again to...the one he gave his heart to long before she gave hers back, his Elena...she had favored Stefan too. For the longest time he endured hearing "It's always going to be Stefan." He endured watching her be close to him, hoping just being nearby was enough to soothe his need for her. But now...by some sort of miracle things between them had changed. That one girl, the girl it was tearing him apart to not be loved from, was carrying his child. She had told him she loved him, she had blood shared with him, went on dates with him, and made love to him. All of those things had made Damon feel like the luckiest man in existence, but this...this feeling welling inside of him was different. When the words escaped Elena's pouty little lips it was like something inside of Damon snapped. All the pain he'd gone through in his 171 years on this Earth were suddenly right beneath the surface, mixed with all his love and his fear and even his anger. It was as if every emotion he'd ever felt was washing over him simultaneously. Finally letting all of his walls down...he cried. Damon Salvatore cried. The tears were gentle and silent and he smiled a tortured yet strangely happy smile. He pulled her into the softest, most tender kiss she had ever felt. She wrapped her arms around him and he buried his face into her neck, beginning to cry a little harder. She curled her long fingers into his raven mane and comforted him, half scared that he was unhappy.

"Damon...you changed your mind didn't you? That's why you're upset?" She asked in a terrified whisper. He pulled back to look her in the eyes, feeling guilty at the rejected look he found in them. His tears stopped falling and he composed himself, wanting to kick his own ass for letting all his emotions show through.

"Elena you have to understand something. You are the first person in over a century to even utter 'I love you' to me. My own brother hasn't even said it. I'm the bad brother, I will always be the evil impulsive older Salvatore. I'm not upset and I haven't changed my mind." He placed his hands on the sides of her face, his eyes looking as if they were piercing her soul.

"I'm thankful, Elena. After everything I've done wrong, you were the only one that still loved me. And now you've given me this gift..." He was no longer looking at her, but was gently caressing her flat-for-now stomach with his thumb, the rest of his hand woven protectively around her waist.

"You're everything to me." He whispered, pulling something from his pocket and kneeling before her.

"And it's because you're everything to me that I want to spend forever with you. Elena Marie Gilbert...will you do me the highest honor of being my wife?" He was doing it again, acting as if he were his old self. Elena loved who Damon was now, but old Damon was appreciated at times like this. This time it was her turn to cry, gasping his name and nodding a yes. He slipped the ring on her finger and got up, twirling her around in his arms and kissing her deeply.

"I love you so much." He murmured into her hair, running his fingers through it.

"I love you too. It's beautiful, Damon." And just like that his usual smirk was back in its everlasting glory.

"Just like someone else I know." She rolled her eyes and nuzzled into his side happily. She looked up at him when she felt him sigh and he still had the smirk plastered on his face, but she could tell he was genuinely happy.

"You better not tell a soul what my reaction to your little bombshell was." He mumbled. She grinned.

"Or what, you'll hurt me?" She shot back playfully. He put a look of mock-seriousness on his face.

"Maybe." He smiled inwardly as she rang out in laughter, he loved hearing her laugh.

"Well, what are we going to tell people?" He grinned.

"Tell them I knocked you up on the hood of my car in front of McDonalds and when you told me you were pregnant I said I was just proud to have a 'Baby Stud' running around." Elena smacked him and giggled.

"I am not telling people that!" He wrapped an arm around her shoulder.

"Oh yes you are, because you are the only person that gets to know that weepy emotional Damon exists." She rolled her eyes again and smiled adoringly at him.

"Fine." He kissed her temple and took her by the hand, leading her to the Parlor where he knew Stefan and Katherine were.

"Why don't you practice on them, Elena?" She nodded and the couple took a seat on the opposite end of the couch as the other two vampires. Damon could tell that Elena was nervous so he put his hand on her leg and have it a gentle squeeze to let her know it was okay. She inhaled deeply and turned to look at her ex boyfriend. "Stefan...Damon and I have something to tell you." Stefan got a curious look and wrapped his arm around a smug looking Katherine.

"Okay then...spill it." Damon wrapped his arms around her from behind, feeling a little protective now that Katherine seemed to be a permanent part of his little brothers life now. Elena turned her head in his direction and whispered "which news first?" Damon shrugged.

"Start with the easy news and go for the big finish." Elena nearly laughed out loud at Damon's news reporter voice impression but held it together and grinned happily over at Stefan.

"Damon and I are getting married." Stefan's face contorted into a look of chagrin. He looked like he was going to vomit and Katherine didn't look so amused herself. Enjoying that entirely to much, Damon nipped at Elena's ear and cooed "and what else, my princess?" Making sure to glance at Stefan victoriously as he did. Elena stifled a giggle and almost felt bad for Stefan as she prepared to tell him the happiest news of both her and Damon's lives.

"I'm pregnant." This time Stefan stood up swiftly and stalked towards Elena. He grabbed her by the throat and nearly lifted her off the couch.

"That's impossible, quit fucking with me Elena! Isn't it bad enough that your throwing everything in my face by selling your soul to my brother?! This takes it too far!" Damon let out a deep growl and lunged for Stefan's throat. He immediately dropped Elena and was sent flying into the nearest wall. "I told you never to touch her again!" He roared in anger, his eyes turning black.

"She really is pregnant! Doppelgängers can procreate once they find their soulmate, it was in Adrianna Bennett's grimoire! Not that this information is useful to you now that I'm going to rip you apart." He spat, his voice trembling with rage. Damon grabbed Stefan's arm, twisting it backwards until the bone snapped. Damon was fully prepared to rip his limb off, but Katherine called out "Don't you dare hurt him!" Damon laughed maliciously.

"And what makes you think I'd do anything you asked of me? That ship sailed long ago, Katherine." Elena got up and put her hand on his shoulder.

"It's okay, Damon. I'm alright, let him go." Damon let Stefan's mangled arm drop and he kicked him hard in the ribs, pleased at hearing some of them crack.

"I wouldn't touch her again, brother. If I catch you so much as breathe in her precious air I will rip your heart from your chest. Got it?" Katherine got up from her spot on the couch to check on Stefan when all of a sudden a wave of nausea hit her and she threw up right next to his face. Stefan gagged in disgust, trying to hoist himself up but failing since his arm hadn't healed yet. Damon's expression twisted into horror.

"Dear god...a baby Patrova...related to my ripper brother...oh please no." He groaned. Elena just walked over to Katherine wearing a smirk she'd learned from Damon.

"I didn't know vampires got the flu." She retorted, strutting up the stairs to her and Damon's bedroom. Damon beamed.

"I knew there was a reason I fell for her." He chuckled, gliding up the stairs after her.