Chapter 26
"I'm nervous" Elena was pacing up and down in front of the door, they had decided to invite everybody round to tell them all together. "What if it is too early?" he grabbed her by the shoulders and held her still,
"Elena you are 13weeks you can tell them, it will be fine." He kissed her and then pulled away with a groan as they heard Archer coming into the hallway.
"Daddy! Where is uncle Ric?" he lifted his hands up which meant he wanted to be picked up, Stefan picked him up and threw him into the air, "Daddy!"
"He's not here yet Arch but he will be here soon, do you want to go and get some of your toys out to play with him?" archer nodded and Stefan set him down on the ground, and he ran off into the play room. Stefan grabbed Elena's waist and pulled her closer so she was pressing into his chest,
"It will be fine. Trust me" and with that there was a knock on the door. Stefan let Elena go and he answered the door.
"Hey Ric, how are you?" Ric came in and looked at Elena and smiled, she gave him a little nod and he hugged her,
"Where is the little guy, I brought him a new toy?" he held up a little box wrapped in wrapping paper,
"Playroom, he is getting his toys out for you, and Ric you don't need to keep buying him toys."
Ric just ignored the second part to Stefan's statement and then headed into the playroom. Elena laughed and Stefan just gave her a look and she stopped instantly.
"Oh, Stefan, relax. Ric loves to spoil him."
All the adults were gathered in the kitchen, talking while Stefan finished the food. Elena was swinging Mitchel side to side and kept giving Stefan a smile every now and then, only them and Alaric knew why. "Bonnie, he is so cute."
"Daddy." Grayson came in holding his arm and crying, Jeremy turned to see a small trickle of blood dripping from his arm,
"Grayson, what happened." Jeremy grabbed a tea towel and pressed it down onto what looked like a gash.
"Archer bit me" Stefan dropped the knife he was using and then left the room. Archer had now started to cry even more but in-between sobs he managed to get out what happened. "I cut my self on one of the toys and then he bit me. It really hurts daddy." Jeremy tied the towel, and then pulled Grayson in for a hug, but he wouldn't stop crying.
"It's ok, shhh." Elena handed Mitchel back to bonnie and then left the room to go and see what happened.
"Archer Bradley Salvatore! Come here." Stefan was on the verge of shouting which he knew he shouldn't do, but his son had just bitten his nephew, and tried to drink from him. Archer who sitting in the corner at the little colouring table, walked over to Stefan while looking down at the floor.
"Why did you bite Grayson?" Stefan had crouched down to his height and Archer was nearly crying.
"There was blood daddy, and I see you sometimes drink it, so I thought I could. I didn't like the taste though, and I felt bad as soon as he ran out the room. I'm sorry daddy." Archer grabbed Stefan's legs and held them tight. Stefan looked at Miranda, who was huddled in a ball in the opposite corner to where archer was.
"I think your daddy is looking for you, I also think there might be some ice cream in the kitchen." She ran off through the door into the kitchen. Stefan picked up archer and sat in one of the chairs.
"Archer, you and I are different, and you are one of a kind. You are only a year old and you talk fluently and you behave well. Now I have to drink blood to survive, but I didn't like killing people like mummy or Uncle Jeremy, so I drink animal blood. But you, you are special you can eat normal food and survive, if you don't like the taste of blood that is fine but remember, never hurt anyone. That is the worst thing about being one of us, we normally hurt people, but not me and you. I love you now go and say sorry to Grayson." Archer jumped of Stefan's lap and walked very slowly as if with sorrow into the kitchen to find Grayson.
All of the drama from earlier on had been sorted out, and the adults had migrated to the living room, for drinks. Stefan took Elena aside in the kitchen quickly,
"I think it's a good time to tell them. All the kids are in the other room and we need to tell Archer separately anyway." Elena gave him and nod and then Stefan kissed her on the cheek, and they headed back into the living room, hand in hand
"We have something to tell you all." They all looked at the two of them, Caroline was the first to talk,
"Spill, I want to know!" Elena smiled and Stefan placed his hand in the small of her back,
"I'm pregnant" there where screams and squeals mainly coming from Caroline, but then Jeremy raised from the sofa,
"What! Get rid of it." Jeremy was shouting and was storming towards Stefan, with his fists raised.
"Jer? How can you say that?" Elena had started to cry and Caroline was trying to console her, while Stefan was backing away and was nearly up against the wall.
"Your son, bit Grayson and tried to drink from him! He is only a year old, he talks and walks! How can you bring another one of them into the world?" Elena could see the anger raising in Stefan's eyes,
"How dare you say that? Archer was just trying it and he said he didn't like it." Stefan was now advancing on Jeremy who was holding his ground
"Get rid of it or I will." Elena was sitting on the sofa, curled up in Klaus' arms and was crying silently. "Don't you ever tell me to kill my child" Stefan advanced on Jeremy so he is standing right in front of him. Stefan swung his arm back and then put all his weight into hitting Jeremy, there was a loud click and then a thud when Jeremy fell to the floor.
"Daddy?" Stefan turned to see archer hugging one of his Teddy's and crying, "Am I a monster?" Stefan went over to him and kneeled down to his height,
"You are not a monster if anyone is it is me, you are just different. Come here" Stefan opened his arms and then archer cuddled up to him, Stefan picked him up and stroked his hair, Stefan turned round to see everyone looking at them and Jeremy had scooted across the floor and was sitting in front of the sofa.
"Jeremy leave, now" Jeremy looked at him while also rubbing his nose "you have no right to talk to me like that, especially when everyone else is happy for us. Bonnie and the twins are happy to stay but I would like you to leave."
Seeing how angry Stefan was earlier it was odd that he is quite calm. Jeremy got up and kissed bonnie and then headed for the door.
"Thank you and I am not going to get rid of my child." Jeremy left and started to walk so he left bonnie with the car to take the kids home. Elena was still sitting on the sofa sandwiched between Klaus and Caroline, what was meant to be an exciting announcement had turned into a family fight.
Shortly after Jeremy left, bonnie followed. Which just left Klaus, Caroline and Alaric
"We better get going sweetheart, it's getting late." Klaus shook Caroline who had fallen asleep on the sofa, Elena was curled up next to Stefan and had her head resting on his chest. Ric had taken Archer up to bed, and promised to actually put him to sleep this time and not let him talk into the night. He was still upset by what he had heard but after Ric took him into the playroom, he was slightly happier.
"Care, come on" he placed a kiss on her forehead and then she started to stir,
"Elena we are sorry for what happened earlier, and I want you to know we are really happy for you." they both started to get up but Klaus stopped them
"It's been a long day, we shall see ourselves out." Elena gave him a smile and then they headed for the door, they heard it open and then shut and it was just them.
Elena started to cry again, but more than last time.
"Shhh, what is it? Tell me" Stefan started to rub his fingers up and down on her arm.
"how can he say that?" she placed her hand on her stomach "this is his niece or nephew, just because archer showed one vampire characteristic doesn't mean he is going to be a horrible person." she sunk her head into his chest and let out a deep sigh.
"Elena, archer was just trying what I do, I knew I should have listened to you and not drunk around him. He said he didn't like it and that he was really sorry for hurting Grayson. I'm sorry Elena, it's all my fault." he kissed the top of her head and then heard someone coming down stairs, he turned to see archer in his little Mar. Men pj's that Klaus had brought him, holding his little wolf.
"What you doing up little man?" archer walked over to them and jumped onto Stefan's lap.
"Uncle Ric fell asleep reading me a story. I'm sorry mummy I didn't mean to make you sad." he kissed her cheek, and he cuddled into Stefan's other arm, and fell asleep.