Chapter 3

Elena walked in slowly to the ICU, where Ric's bed was, he had been in a coma for three and a half years. He had a nasty accident while driving his car, he was angry as Isobel for hurting Elena and showing up un-announced at Elena and Stefan's house warming party. He had wrapped his car around a tree and he had severe brain damage. He was slowly improving and they refused to turn off the machines. "Hey Ric...me and Stefan have some good news, we are really happy and we hope you might be so happy that you wake up and can see just how happy we are. I'm pregnant Ric. And I really happy, but I'm not too sure about Stefan. I saw the look in his eyes when the doctor first told us and it was disgust and hate, and I'm worried Ric, I think he thinks that I have cheated on him and that this baby is not his. But it is, I would never cheat on him and I would never leave or do anything to make him miserable. I love him. But after he saw me, looking at him, he burst into a smile, but I scared that he was only doing that for me...I wish you would talk to me Ric." Elena took a deep sigh and she knew she could confide anything in Ric.

"On my wedding day you soothed my nerves and when me and Stefan sold the boarding house and brought the new house you told me that is was the right decision. I wish you could see Jeremy, I talk to him all the time. He is so happy about being a dad, and I can wait to be a mom. But I'm scared and I wish you would wake up and get rid of all the worries that I have. I love you Ric and you know that. I hope you can hear me."

She gave him a kiss on the cheek and left, trying not to look over her shoulder or she would start crying.

She went to go and fond Stefan in his office, but he wasn't there. "Congratulations! I heard the big news" it was Logan Stefan's intern. "Thank you, were really happy" Elena was beaming because she was so happy.

"Stefan is over the moon! He is going round telling all his patients with young children, I am sure half the hospital knows already. He always seemed so sad that he can't have kids and he became even sadder when I told him that my girlfriend was pregnant. He even started to look into adoption." she didn't know Stefan was even looking at adoption. How much was he not telling her?

"Thanks Logan. Do you know where he is? I just want to talk to him about stuff." Elena battered her eyelashes. She knew that he had always had a thing for her because Stefan told her, that whenever she is around he gets all dumbfounded. She found this really cute, and it did the job.

"Yeah, you just missed him. He got a page to room 532, the ICU. I was going to go with him but he said it was personal."

As soon as Logan had said room 532 Elena had left running to get to the elevator, but it was to slow so she ran for the stairs. The only thing that mattered right now was Ric.

"Please Ric, be ok...I need you right now more than ever."

Her heat was thumping and she couldn't stop running until she heard a laugh coming from the room almost quiet enough to be a whisper.

"Ric!" Elena said beaming, as she ran over to hug him, kissing him over and over again. Stefan just stood in the corner smiling, she knew how much Alaric meant to Elena, and that if he ever died she would be heartbroken, it would tear her apart. "Congratulations! I heard you, I can't wait to meet the new Gilbert, or should I say Salvatore." at that moment she saw Stefan flinch, only slightly bit enough to be seen, and she knew Ric had seen it as well.

"I am happy! Aren't we Stefan?" he just gave a small nod, know that this was their moment, and that he should leave them alone. "I can't wait to tell you about all the stuff that has happened in the last three years" Elena couldn't believe that Ric had woken up on the same day she found out that she was pregnant.

"I would love to hear about all that has happened, but first can I have a chat with Stefan?" he gave her one of his special smiles but it was weak, but she knew it would get stronger.

"Sure. Ric I am so relieved, I have been so worried about you."

She wanted to leave them alone but could not resist the temptation to stand outside the door and listen to what he had to say, especially if he had heard what she had said."

"Ric I am so relieved that you are ok, Elena has been on edge and has been worried sick. She was the one who insisted to not turn of any of the machines"

"Cut the bull shit mate." This obviously shocked Stefan as she heard a short intake of breathe, or it might have been Ric preparing for a very long speech.

"I like you Stefan, you know that. I know you care for Elena and you love her. I may not have known Elena for a long time and I sure haven't know her recently. However, after Jenna died I took responsibility of Elena and Jeremy, because I am technically her step-father, she is pregnant and that is a good thing, but she said she was worried that you think she cheated on you. Now I know Elena and she lives you and she would never do anything to hurt your feelings that is your child."

The mention of step-father made Stefan drop his pen. Elena wasn't too sure why, but it just had and it made Stefan annoyed.

"Ric, I like you, you are a good friend and have been there for Elena when she needed you. But I am her

Husband and we have been together for four years and I love her. But of course I would think of things when we found out she is pregnant, of course I would. I can't have children! No vampire can have children! Never in the history of vampires has one sired a child!"

Stefan was now shouting and all nurses were looking at the room especially as the word vampire was mentioned. Elena didn't want them falling out, so she walked into the room, mainly to stop all the nurses looking at the room and hovering round the door.

"Stefan, I would never cheat on you. I love you, and you mean everything to me. I can't live without you. This is your child, this is our baby."

Stefan just stared blankly at Elena and Ric.

"Stef.." he held up his hand to indicate to stop talking of in other words, 'I'm thinking shut up' he just turned and stared at Elena, walked forward and kissed her on the cheek. "I'll see you at home" and he just left, Elena then sound down next to Ric and just started to cry. She didn't know if it was the hormones or because this was meant to be the happiest day if her life, she was going to be a mom. But it was ruined.