Chapter 8

Elena had been told that she would have to spend another two weeks in the hospital to make sure everything was ok. She was never alone, there was always someone in her room, either Bonnie, Jeremy or Caroline, who had come back after Stefan told her about Elena's accident. Elena insisted that Stefan went to work as they were technically both at the hospital, she told him over and over that everything would be fine and that if anything went wrong she would page him.

"Caroline! It isn't you day, why are you here?" Elena sad up in her bed to give Caroline a hug, she was grateful because the TV's didn't get many good channels and she had already watched every episode of Dance Mom's.

"Don't be silly Elena, I will come and see you when I want, I don't care if you give everyone allocated days, to make sure there is not too many people here at once. And any way we are going to talk baby names." Caroline fished into her bag and pulled out a little book, 'Top Baby Names' Elena smiled, and moved over so Caroline could sit next to her on the bed.

"Have you and Stefan talked baby names yet?" she was flicking through to the boy section of the book and then looked at Elena who was smiling.

"No. we just haven't had the time, with the accident and everything, but I would love some input." Elena now felt shameful, thinking that she hadn't even thought about what she was going to name her child.

"Good as we are going to go through every name in the book, well ones that are suitable for a baby as special as this one" she pointed at Elena's stomach. "Has he started kicking yet?" Caroline felt as if she should know everything as she could never have a child. "I'm sorry I shouldn't have asked, forget about it." She turned her attention back to the book, and started to flick through the pages.

"Care, its fine, and no he hasn't, Stefan says its fine at this point but if he doesn't in the next month or so I can tell that he is going to get worried. And I was thinking about Aiden, what do you think?"

Elena looked at Caroline who was obviously deep in thought.

"I like it, it's not an everyday name so it stands out, but not enough. What about Archer? I mean its 19th century so Stefan would like it as he is from then and all, and I think it stands out enough to suit the half vampire child." Elena was going over all the ups and downs of giving her child and 18th century name, and she couldn't think of any for all.

The same pattern went on for ages, Elena would choose a name and then Caroline would say it was not special enough and then Caroline would chose a name, Elena would like it but then Caroline would find a better one. It went on for hours until Stefan came in at about 5, but by then they had managed to whittle it down to 5 names each.

"What you doing, you don't finish your work for another hour?" Stefan came in gave Caroline a quick hug and then kissed Elena, he just completely ignored Elena's question. "Care and I are choosing baby names, want to join in? He could see the excitement on Elena's face and he had the time, so what was to stop him?

"Sure I would love to, what have you got so far?" Stefan pulled up a chair to the side of the bed so he could see both Elena and Caroline.

"Ok well I like Nathan, Aiden, Connor, Thomas, and Bradley. However Caroline says they are not special enough for our baby" at the two words 'our baby' it made Stefan smile and he thought just how lucky he was to get Elena, and to now be having a son. "Stef, what do you think?" Elena had started to gaze at Stefan for the answer.

"I like Connor and Bradley, I think there my favorites out of those five, they are simple and traditional, I think if I had to choose a third it would be Aiden. What have you got Caroline?" he turned to the blonde that was sitting next to Elena looking all happy and cheerful.

"Ok, I chose Jordan, Ben, Harrison, and Joseph. There is one name me and Elena both agreed on, it's from when you were human. But we both agreed on it and we think you will like it, prepare yourself. Archer." Stefan loved the name, and loved it even more when he said it over and over in his head, and it sounded even better the more he said it.

"Archer Salvatore…I like it. Traditional but it also fits in with the modern say names. I think we found our name, huh Elena?" Stefan looked at her with a big grin on his face, just waiting for her response. She looked down at her stomach and placed her hand on their son and looked up at Stefan.

"I think we have, and he feels like an Archer, I can tell. Caroline do you mind waiting outside for a second?" she looked at Caroline and gave her a wink. Caroline got up and just left the room leaving Stefan and Elena alone with their son, Archer.

Stefan had refused to sleep at home, and insisted on sleeping in Elena's room on the spare bed so he was there all night, and every night he would kiss Elena goodnight, sing a lullaby to Archer and then head off to bed. Every night went like that until, a Friday night, the night before Elena was due to go home, yesterday she turned 6 months pregnant and she could not stop eating the cookie dough ice-cream that was sold across the street, anyone who came to visit her would always bring her ice-cream and it was her most popular craving.

"Stefan wake up, I need you." Elena had been trying to wake him for a while now but was also trying not to wake the other people on the ward. She had got up at about 1 in the morning to pee as this boy loved to play with her bladder, when she noticed a strange feeling and she didn't know what it was, she had to wake Stefan.

"Stef…please wake up I'm worried." He got up but with a groan and rolled over to look and Elena, who was in her PJ's and looked so sexy right now in the dim lit room.

"What time is it Elena? It so early, are you ok?" he moved himself so he was propped up on one elbow and then started to rub his eyes.

"Its quarter past one, but I needed you. Budge over." He did as he was told as even though she looked sexy, she was still an angry pregnant woman. She lied down next to him and moved his hand onto her belly. "I felt something and I wasn't sure what it was, so I woke you." She felt it again and shifted uncomfortably in the bed. Stefan let out a small laugh and smiled and kissed Elena so hard, "what is it Stefan? Is everything ok?" now he wasn't a pediatric doctor but he was sure Archer was kicking.

"Elena, everything is perfect, he is kicking, that's what you are feeling, and that is our son." Stefan had now placed both of his hands on her belly and so had Elena. They sat there for the rest of the early morning, feeling their son dance around inside the womb.

At around 7 Stefan's pager bleeped, and he needed to go, sadly to Elena's disappointment he had to put on a shirt.

"You are going to have to start wearing a shirt at night because I think the nurses enjoy you getting out of bed shirtless, just too much for my liking. Stefan he is kicking again." Stefan placed his hand on Elena's belly to feel his son one last time before he left for his day.

"I love you Elena so much and I love Archer as well and I can't wait to meet him, just think 3 more months. Elena, we need to go shopping! How about this you, Bonnie and Caroline do clothes shopping and bits like that, me and Jeremy will paint the guest room and get the crib and stuff ready. And remember Jeremy is coming at 11 to take you home as I have surgery, and you are to rest easy, watch a film or some TV on the comfy sofa you chose." Stefan's pager went off again he kissed her and rushed off.

Elena had packed all her things and was ready to go, yet Jeremy said the sitter was running late by about an hour so, he would be a bit late. Elena had time to go and see Ric and tell him about all the updates.

She walked to go and find Ric, he had been moved to a room the floor below Elena, and there was less machines in the room which was a good thing. When she eventually found him he was walking round the room, slowly but he was walking, at the sight of Elena he went over to the bed and took a seat, Elena sat down on the end of the bed facing Ric.

"Elena, you look amazing, I was glad to hear you and the baby were ok, after the accident. Stefan said you were going home today, he was really sad as he said he wanted to be the one to take you home but he couldn't. The time you need to put into being a doctor, hey! He popped in this morning and said something about important news? He said that you should tell me and not him." Ric looked so happy, and she thought she knew why. "Come on spill." Elena showed a really big smile, probably the biggest smile Ric has ever seen her do.

"Ok well to start with, he started kicking last night. Me and Stefan didn't get much sleep because we were so happy about it we couldn't stop feeling him. Look give me your hand." Ric held his hand out and Elena moved closer towards him, she placed his hand on her belly and they waited for him to kick. And he did so. "See, he is an energetic little guy, Stefan says he is going to be an amazing soccer or football player with those feet." That made Ric laugh as it sounded just like something Stefan would say.

"Elena, that is amazing! You sounded like there were two things, what is the second thing?" he looked at Elena puzzled.

"We named him, last night Caroline helped but we chose a name and if I tell you, you have to promise not to make me change my mind." Ric nodded and let Elena carry on. "We chose the name Archer, Archer Salvatore, Stefan liked it because it was around when he was human and I like it because it is special just like this baby. What do you think?" Elena rested her hands on her bump which was now starting to really grow.

"I love it Elena, perfect choice, I can't wait to meet little Archer." He had to admit it was a good name and little Archer sounded brilliant. Elena's phone went off in her bag and she got up to go and get it. She answered it and Ric was thinking about how much he is going to spoil this kid rotten till he had gotten everything he ever wanted. When Elena hung up the phone she turned round to Ric and smiled.

"I have to go Jeremy is waiting for me and if I don't go now he will freak. I love you Ric and you are going to be an amazing granddad." Elena saw him cringe at the word granddad, "uncle…?" he nodded and went to hug her and then she left to go and find Jeremy.