Dear Diary,
The time I have both wanted and dreaded has come. For years the fear of my father scared my childhood and made me afraid of the fact that one day he could come back. My mother and I tried our best to forget him and the abuse he put us through. I wanted nothing more then to never see that man again.
That was until last year when Maria approached me, someone I didn't even know existed until she came to me. She was my father's new wife and while I owed nothing to her, she brought two little girls with her, my half sisters. Meeting them and seeing their innocence I knew I had to do what ever I could to protect them from the type of childhood I had. For them and even for myself I am about to come face to face with my father and let everyone know the truth about him and what he had done.
Caroline
The shrieking sound of Claire's cries filled up the baby monitor that was sitting on Damon's nightstand. Her cries got louder and louder instead of quieter after a few moments to let her parents know she wasn't going back to sleep. A tired arm reached out onto the surface of the nightstand feeling around for the clock to check the time. When his hand wasn't making contact with the clock Damon sat up and reached over for the alarm clock. It was still pitch black outside so it was obviously still early for Claire to be giving them her wake up call.
His eyes were still heavy as he picked up the clock and tried to focus on the numbers lit up on the clock. When he saw it was only 4am he let out a tired groan as he dropped the clock and fell back onto his pillow. Turning his head to the other side of the bed Elena was s starting to stir beside him and rubbing her eyes. "What time is it?"
"It's 4am" Damon mumbled as he too rubbed his eyes in exhaustion. "What is she doing up at 4am?"
Elena let out a groan and rolled over onto her stomach and pressed her face into her pillow. This wasn't the first time Claire had done this; in fact all week that Elena had her while Damon was away at school she had started this. She wasn't sure why but it was almost like clock work where she would wake up at 4am. No matter what Elena tired she couldn't get Claire to go back to sleep in her crib and being so tired herself Elena did the next best thing and brought her into bed with her. Yet now she was starting to really regret that decision as Claire was waking up now on a regular bases wanting to sleep with Elena. "Oh I've been a very bad mother, and now we are getting punished" Elena groaned.
"What do you mean?" Damon asked her as he stared at the baby monitor, as Claire wasn't calming down at all.
"This has been her new thing, to wake up at some ungodly hour and not go back to sleep. With school and everything I've been so tired and having her wake up so early hasn't been easy. Since she wouldn't go back to sleep in her crib I started bringing her into my room to sleep for a couple more hours. I thought it was harmless at first but now it happens every night now" she told him as Claire's cried still filled the room.
"So this is all your fault" Damon said with a smirk as he rolled over and pressed a kiss on her nose as she tried to go back to sleep.
"I'm sorry," She mumbled tiredly.
"I didn't hear that, could you say that again?" Damon teased.
Elena's eyes popped open and she glared at a gloating Damon. Letting out a groan she threw her pillow at him because there was no way she was going to repeat herself to him. "Your daughter is crying go tend to her" Elena told him as she rolled over so her back was to him now.
As he slowly pushed off the covers and got out of the warm bed he said, "I really should since you will bring her in here" Damon teased back just before Elena threw another pillow at him as he left the room. Once he was gone Elena lay back down stealing the pillows from Damon's side of the bed and tried to go back to sleep as she could hear Damon entering Claire's room through the monitor.
"Ladybug what are you doing?" Elena heard him say through the monitor softly as Claire's cries started to lessen as Damon was with her. "Waking up at 4am is not good Claire, we'll have to put a stop to that," he said to her softly. As Claire's cries got a little louder it was obvious that Damon was trying to put her back down in her crib and the little girl wasn't having any of it. With a groan Elena knew that it looked like it would be an early morning for them, oh the joys of parenthood.
Caroline had dark circles under her eyes as she stood in front of her fill length mirror and she took in her appearance. She had on a charcoal gray skirt suit with a suit jacket of the same colour on. Under neither she wore a French Rose pink coloured blouse with just the top button undone. Her hands were at her sides and shaking like crazy as she thought about the moment that was just hours away. In just a few hours she was going to come face to face to her father and the person who was responsible for so much pain in her life including the reason she wasn't sleeping.
Last night had been like many of the others as she tossed and turned all night unable to get the face of her father out of her mind. As the day got closer and closer the nightmares got worse and it was her hope that after today she wouldn't have to ever think of that man again. With a shaky breath Caroline stepped closer to her mirror and reached beside her on her desk next to her mirror and picked up her make up foundation. Leaning closer to the mirror she dapped the sponge in the foundation and then padded the makeup under her eyes to hide the circles. Once they were covered she just stared at her reflection thinking about what was about to happen.
While she stared into the mirror her mother slowly stepped into the room looking both worried and proud of what her daughter was going to do. "Everything okay?" she asked her daughter.
Caroline did her best to smile as she set her makeup down on the desks and fixed her long curly blonde locks. She then turned to look at her mother who to was dress for the day they would spend in court. "You are so brave Caroline," her mother told as she reached out and pulled her daughter into her arms. "Stronger then I ever was," she added before kissing her daughter on the temple.
"It's because of you mom," Caroline told her doing her best not to start crying and mess up her make up. "I am who I am because of you," she explained.
"I love you so much" Liz said as she cupped her daughters face and smiled proudly at her.
"I love you too mom" Caroline replied before leaning in and giving her mother another hug. Today Caroline's voice would be heard, today she would help make sure two little girls wouldn't go through was she did as a child. As her mother checked her phone she told her daughter she would have to stop by the station for a couple minutes and would meet her at the courthouse. The two shared one last hug and then Liz left the room and Caroline alone.
With a nervous sigh Caroline moved across her room and picked up her cell phone that was sitting on her bed. She checked for messages from Tyler but still she got nothing. A big part of her wanted to know if he was going to come to the trial like he was planning months ago before things went south for them. Biting her lip and after a l thinking of maybe sending a text to Tyler to remind him about the trial today she also thought he probably didn't want to go. Deciding it was best just to leave him alone, Caroline tossed the phone back on her bed and then with a sigh while she took a seat at the end of her bed. Sitting there on her bed Caroline looked up at the clock on her wall as the seconds ticked away closer and closer to the trial.
"How are you holding up?" came a calm British voice.
Caroline looked up at Klaus standing in the doorway as he stood in a suit, as he too was ready to be there and support her.
"Hey" Caroline said with a smile as she stood up to greet Klaus. The two shared a hug as Caroline thought about how Klaus had been there for her over the last few more months. Klaus was especially there for her after he and Tyler broke up. Although Tyler accused Klaus of coming between them, at no point did Klaus give her that impression. Instead he had been a good friend to her and someone she could turn to after her meetings with Elijah when she had to discuss her past with her dad. He was a great friend and she was so grateful to have him.
"Are you ready for today?" Klaus asked her as he pulled away from the hug but kept his hands on her arms and giving her a reassuring touch.
"I think so, I mean as ready as I'm ever going to be I guess" Caroline told him as she nervously ran her hands over her skirt and straightened out her blazer.
"You can do this, you are one of the strongest people I know" Klaus told her with a smile as his hands slowly moved from her arms up to her shoulders. "You inspire me Caroline," he told her.
Caroline stood there staring at Klaus as his hands slowly moved up to her shoulders. It was a bit odd to her because this was a little more affectionate then what she was use to from Klaus. She was got a little nervous as she looked at the way he was staring at her in hunger and his hands started to move through her hair. "Klaus" she said in a whisper.
He just smiled at her as his one hand brushed her hair back away from her face and his eyes fell to her lips. He was standing so close to her and while Caroline didn't back away he took that as a sign and moved in. Caroline's eyes got wide as she took notice of what Klaus was doing and as his lips were just inches from hers she pulled back.
Feeling Caroline's face back away from his, his eyes opened to see her eyes not sharing the same lust his did. Suddenly Caroline watched as the affection in his eyes for her grew dark and his arms dropped away from her face and were now at his sides. Licking his bottom lip he too took a step back from her and looked very annoyed by this little situation. "Well this is quite the development" he spat at her in disgust.
"Klaus, look I'm sorry if I gave you're the impression…"
Klaus was shaking his head while he let out an annoyed anger laugh. He was pacing the floor in front of her like he couldn't believe that this was happening. "I have been at your side this whole time, I was there as you complain about your father and even when you complained about my brother for pushing you so hard about your past" he growled at her.
"Klaus I…"
"What the hell do I have to do to get you to forget about that pathetic ass Tyler Lockwood" Klaus complained still angrily pacing the floor in Caroline's room. "I've been here for you when ever you wanted to talk, hell I've let you blab about the wedding you're planning and I still get rejected!"
"Klaus please I have other things to worry about…"
"Yes because Caroline is all Caroline can think about" Klaus spat at her.
"That's not true" Caroline trembled as she did her best to hold back tears while Klaus was really pissed off about the situation.
"You know what Care, this is so not worth my time" Klaus spat at her as he started to leave the room.
"So Tyler was right, your were pretending to care in hopes of getting in my pants?" Caroline spat at him in anger.
"There is no getting into your pants with that chastity belt friends zone you stuck me in " Klaus growled at her.
"I thought you were my friend?" Caroline asked him.
He shook his head in anger. "I'm out, good luck Caroline" he told her and then stormed out of Caroline's room.
Wiping away her tears, Caroline brushed her hair back behind her ear and did her best not to break down. She heard the front door slammed as Klaus took off in anger. She hated that he got the wrong idea about them but at the same time she was upset that she was losing a friend and someone who had been helping her through everything. Turning back to the mirror she fixed up her appearance and tried calm herself down from her conversation with Klaus. Taking a deep breath she fixed her makeup and slipped into her black pumps, she didn't have time to worry about Klaus she had a trial that was just a couple hours away and a meeting with her father that was a long time coming.
Damon was whistling happily as he drove the car across Mystic Falls with Elena sitting in the passenger seat looking anything but pleased and Claire strapped into her car seat in the back. As he whistled he turned to get a glance at Elena who was just rolling her eyes at the fact her boyfriend was really enjoying this. "You're cruel you know that right?" Elena spat at him as she shook her head and nervously bit her nails.
"What?" Damon asked, as he played stupid.
"All morning you have been looking forward to rubbing it in Derek's face" Elena called him out on.
"You mean the guy that he was going to make a move on my girl, I got to mess with him a little bit" Damon teased but he wasn't able to get Elena to smile. "Oh come on, I've held back" Damon responded to her silence.
"How exactly?"
"I could have had Claire wearing her "I heart Daddy" t-shirt," he said with a laugh as Elena looked back at Claire as she just played with her ladybug in the back seat.
"How generous of you" Elena said as she rolled her eyes as she prepared herself for a very uncomfortable afternoon.
"I know" Damon laughed back and when he turned to smile at Elena she couldn't help but give him a smile back. She cursed herself for still being hopeless against his smile; even when she was really upset he had the ability to make her smile. She guessed she should be happy with the way Damon was taking things, he wasn't flipping out and on the hunt fight this guy and he didn't go all jealous mad man like the others had assumed. Sure this play date was a little cruel with Damon wanting mess with Derek but she also found it really hot at how protective he got about her and Claire when it came to other guys trying to get with his girlfriend.
Ever since her and Damon had started dating she was contently having to deal with his exes like Katherine as well as any girl who found him attractive which, come on didn't take long. It bugged her when they would boldly flirt with him in front of her even as she was eight months pregnant or had his baby on her hip. This turn of events although horrible was a nice change from how things usually went. A part of her was also worried about all the girls he would meet at school and even though she trusted Damon she didn't trust the other girls to do their best to get their claws into him. She was glad Damon was able to keep most of the girls at bay and then ones that didn't well they had Sage to deal with. Sage and Elena had become quite the texting buddies lately and she enjoyed filling Elena in on how she was so close to punching a girl at the bar who didn't take Damon's rejections too well.
As they pulled up to the park, Elena's heart started to pound faster and faster. It wasn't that she felt guilty or anything but she came to realize that Derek was obviously attracted to her and today he was about to learn that him and Elena would only ever be friends. As they parked the car Elena gave Damon a quick behave and be nice order before he hopped out of the car to unbuckle Claire from the back of the Camaro. Fidgeting with her hands Elena brushed her hair back as she spotted Derek on the playground with his daughter Katie. With her hands stuffed in her pockets of her jeans she nervously started to walk towards him and Katie while Damon followed not too far behind her with Claire on his hip. "That's him? Man I could take him and his bleach blonde hair in a second" Damon teased and with a warning Elena elbowed him in the stomach just as they were getting closer to Derek.
Damon couldn't help but laugh as he knew Elena although felt nothing but friendship for Derek, still didn't want him to get his feelings hurt. She saw him as a good guy and a good father and there as just a bit of lack of communication about what they meant. "I'll behave, or at least let him leave in one piece," Damon promised her.
"Elena!" Derek called out with a smile as he was picking Katie up after taking her down the slide and moved to meet up with her. His big smile started to slowly fade into confusion as curiosity as he spotted a guy he didn't know carrying Claire.
"Hi Derek," Elena sad to him and then knelt down to see Katie as she was holding her daddy's hand "hey sweetie" Elena added and got a shy wave from the little18month old. As she stood back up she caught a glance of both guys eyeing each other up and while Derek looked unhappy, Damon had a smirk on his face as he was really enjoying seeing the guy realize who he was. "Um Derek, this is Damon" she mentioned without making eye contact.
"Hi, I'm the boyfriend" Damon chimed in with a smirk as he held out his hand to shake his and watched as the guy's mind was going a mile a minute and Damon loved it.
"Oh hi" was all Derek was able to stemmer out as he reached out to shake Damon's hand in a firm shake. He totally wasn't expecting to seem him and most of all he wasn't expecting Elena to have a boyfriend. As they all made their way over to the playground Derek knew that this was definitely not going to go as he had hoped.
A little bit into the uncomfortable play date Elena had taken off with both toddlers and was following them around on the playground as they explored. Both girls were giggling like crazy and running around with Elena hot on their tails. They played peak-a-boo around the corners and posts and both little girls thought it was so hilarious when Elena played surprised to see them.
Sitting on a bench near the play ground Derek was watching his little girl with Elena while he nervously sat beside her boyfriend whom he was pretty certain knew he was interested in Elena as more then a friend. "Not exactly what you planned huh?"
Derek shook his head because he wasn't about to lie to the guy; no this was not at all how he pictured today going. "I had no idea your lived in town, I thought she was raising Claire on her own."
Damon smiled loving how this was so uncomfortable for Derek while he sat there at ease about this whole thing. "Well technically yeah, I'm away at school and she is takes care of Claire on her own during the week."
"I guess I just got the impression she was doing this all on her own when we talked" Derek stated hoping to make Damon feel bad about Elena having to do all the work.
"Yeah and I guess I want to thank you for that," Damon said and this caught Derek off guard unsure if he understood Damon correctly. Damon gave a smile as he had the guy exactly where he wanted him "You see most of Elena's girlfriends can't relate to the struggles she goes through between taking care of Claire, school and a part time job. You're like the girlfriend that gets it!" he said with a smile and watched as Derek shook his head in horror.
"NO it's not like that" Derek insisted not wanting to be compared to Elena's girlfriends.
"Really? Don't you two talk about your struggles, feelings, hopes and dreams, maybe new lunch ideas for the kids?" Damon asked him doing his best to hold back a big grin as Derek was taking this all in.
"Well yes but"
"Like Girlfriends" Damon interrupted with a grin as Derek became speechless and unsure how to answer that because that is in fact what him and Elena talked about.
Before Derek could reply they were interrupted as Claire came bouncing over calling out "daddy, daddy!" before she ran between his legs where he sat on the bench and gave him a hug while looking up at him with her big blue eyes.
"Want to go down the slide?" he asked her and as she nodded her head Damon picked her up and zoomed her towards the slide like an airplane as Elena was coming over stand a couple feet from Derek.
"So that's Damon" he stated and then turned to look at the cocky guy as he was playing with Claire knowing he stood here rethinking everything about him and Elena.
"Yeah" Elena told him as she kicked at the ground. "I know I should of made it a lot more clear that Damon and I are together" Elena told him honestly and he could tell that she did in deed feel bad about it unlike her boyfriend who was enjoying his recent discovery.
"I guess I'm just surprised given what I've heard about the guy" Derek stated.
"You mean from Amiee?" Elena said with a bit of a laugh as he took a seat next to her on the bench. "The girl who is friend with his ex, you think she is a creditable resource?" she asked him.
"She would really know him," Derek pointed out.
Elena gave a smile doing her best not to laugh because this wasn't the first time a conversation like this had come up. "So do all your exes have only nice things to say about you?" she asked him and watched as Derek saw her point.
"Look Elena, teenage relationships hardly ever work out and add in a baby the odds are even less" he told her not wanting her to get hurt.
"I know that" she replied with a nod. "Look I know why you hesitate trusting people because of what your ex and the mother of your child did by leaving you but it's different for Damon and I" she told him.
"Elena he just seems like one of those guys that will split when he has had enough, maybe him going off to school was the first test before he takes off completely" he told her.
Elena bit her lip because she could understand where he was coming from. There was a time when she did worry about Damon taking off and leaving her and Claire but that all changed when she saw Damon hold Claire for the first time in the hospital when she was born. "Damon is a great dad and the love he has for that little girl is something that I can't even explain. Every night no matter how busy or what he is doing he calls to say goodnight to her. It's so emotional to stand there and listen because Damon would love nothing more then to be tucking her in every night and telling her a bedtime story in person. As for Damon and I, well trust me we have our share of fights, our frustrating and exhausting moments but at the end of the day, whether he is beside me or miles away; he is the last voice I want to hear before going to sleep" she told him and watched as Derek gave a nod understanding Damon wasn't the bad guy he believed he was. As much as he wished him and Elena could have a chance he was glad she was with someone who loved her and made her happy.
Standing in the courthouse Caroline was surrounded by Elijah, Maria, her mom, Bonnie and even Elena had made it after her play date with Damon and Derek. All these people were here to support her but she couldn't help but notice two people who weren't here and it was her fault. She hated the fact that she had pushed Tyler away when all he wanted to do was help her. He was there for her and when she wasn't ready to talk about it he promised to wait. He had her best interests in mind but all she saw was Tyler being overbearing when it came to Klaus. Instead of turning to her boyfriend for advice and support, she turned to Klaus because she didn't want Tyler to have to think of his own problems and then punished Tyler when he was angry about it.
In the end he was right about Klaus, he only pretended to be interested in her problems so he could get close to her and mess with Tyler. She wanted to believe that Klaus actually cared about her as a friend instead of expecting some kind of pay off. Now after turning down Klaus' advances it was like she never existed to him. "All right its time" Elijah told her as he broke her trance on the door waiting for Tyler and Klaus to walk through it. With a sad nod she took her mothers hand and entered the courtroom with Elijah and along with Bonnie and Elena following behind to sit in the gallery.
Her heart was pounding and the seconds went by and she was getting closer to the moment she knew was coming whether she was ready or not. She tugged at her charcoal gray blazer sleeves as she took a seat at the first row of the gallery behind Elijah and Maria. He turned to his nervous witness and told her to concentrate of her breathing and try and relax but it seemed impossible. Turning to look behind her in the gallery she saw Elena and Bonnie giving her encouraging smiles letting her know they were behind her 100%. Beside Caroline, her mom sat there nodding at her daughter and letting her know she could do this. Reaching her hand out she grasped hold of Caroline's hand and gave it a reassuring squeeze.
There moment was interrupted as doors to the courtroom opened and a well-dressed lawyer entered the room with a briefcase and stormed in like he meant business. He looked a bit intimidating to Caroline but her thoughts of the lawyer soon vanished as she saw who followed in behind him. The man was of average built and a square jaw with a smirk on his face as he followed in behind. His short blonde reseeding hairline was just as she remembered. Those blue eyes were ones she wished she would never have to see again as he looked around the room as he nothing to worry about. This man with the smug look on his face was her father.
All those memories she tried to get came rushing back at the sight of him. This was the man who stole her childhood that made her hide the truth about her family from the world, from her friends. She hated him and today she hoped he would finally pay for what he had put her and her mother through all those years ago and stop him from putting her little sisters through that.
When it was Caroline's turn to take the stand her legs were weak and shaky. She wasn't sure she would be able to walk to the stand as pass her father without collapsing. Her heart was pounding faster then she ever thought possible. Climbing the steps and taking her seat she did her best not to look at the man who had cause her mother and her so much pain and instead tried to focus on the people here for her. Biting her lip she promised herself she would keep it together and not give that bastard the satisfaction of making her break.
She watched as Bill Forbes' Lawyer got up to address her as he did the door of the courtroom quietly opened. While everyone else was focused on Caroline, she looked up at the back to see who was coming in and she was in complete shock when she saw Tyler slip in side and take a seat at the back of the courtroom. Caroline felt her heart calmed a bit at seeing him and she gave him a smile while he returned a smile back encouraging her to do what she needed to do. Caroline Forbes wasn't alone she had a big support system here for her.
It was an emotional few hours for Caroline as she took the stand and was questioned by both Elijah and Bill's lawyer and she was pushed pretty hard in there. She had told her story to Elijah, the judge and the courtroom. She recalled all the pain he put her mother and her through before he left. All the abusive drinking and belittling he did to them almost every night. She talked about how his bad nights after work turned into nightmares for her and her mother. When it came to talking to Bill's lawyer she had to defend what she had said earlier as he tried to break apart everything she had said.
"You were six at the time your father had to leave, you remember a lot for a six year old"
"You haven't seen your father in six years, your mother who forced your father to leave wanted full custody. In those six years your mother would have a great impact on your beliefs and view of your father."
"Your mother told police and hospital staff her injuries were from a fall or from doing work around the house. Now, years later she is changing her story why should we believe that now Mrs. Forbes is telling the truth. Why was an upstanding citizen lying about her home like?"
"There are no reports of anyone ever being suspicious of your father being violent, Mrs. Forbes never took you into emerge for your allege injuries, how do we know you had any? There is no evidence other then the memory of my clients daughter who was six at the time, his ex wife who has a habit of lying and his second wife who wants full custody of their daughters and child support."
"Can we really take the word of a girl and what she thinks she remembers from six years ago when her mother who threw her father would have a bias opinion of my client?"
They were now waiting for the judge to make his decision and Caroline couldn't help but feel very nervous about what was coming. As she sat in the garden outside the courthouse waiting with everyone else she saw Elijah talking with Maria across the courtyard. Brushing her hair back Caroline took a deep shaky breath hating this waiting game, as she just wanted it all to be over so she could get on with her life. Tired of waiting she was about to go over and see what Elijah knew, when someone stood in her way. Her eyes widened in shock but relief at the same time when she was looking at Tyler. There was so much she wanted to say to him but after such an emotional day that she had been holding back she just broke down. Without hesitating Tyler had her in his arms whispering that he was here and that she was going to be okay. Caroline wasn't able to hold back her tears anymore and she clung to Tyler in a death grip. Even after everything she had put him through and how she pushed him away he came to support her and be her rock no matter what they were dealing with.
"Your okay" he told her softly, "and you did great up there, you're so strong," he added as he pressed a kiss to her temple.
As the two were in a loving embraced and Caroline's tears started to fade they both saw Elijah coming towards them in a hurry. "The judge is ready to announce the verdict," he told them and with a nod and hand in hand Tyler and Caroline headed into the courtroom.
Sitting in the gallery with Tyler on one side and her mother on the other, Caroline bit her bottom lip as they watched Bill Forbes take his place with his lawyer. From behind her Elena reached forward and gave Caroline a reassuring touch on the shoulder to let her know they were all there for her.
As the judge stepped into the room, everyone stood and Caroline grabbed hold of both Tyler and her mothers hands tightly as everything came down to this mans decision. As he took his seat he had the prosecutor and defender stand so that he could give his verdict. "With the charges of domestic violence battery, child endangerment I see no physical evidence to support these claims so I have no choice but to find the defendant, not guilty" he stated and watched as the whispers in the courtroom were a buzz.
"He's going free… after all this he is going free," Caroline cried in horror.
Bedtime at the Gilbert household wasn't going as easy as they had hopped as Claire cried and refused to lie down. Standing up in her crib her arms were reaching out for Damon to pick her up. It didn't seem to matter what he did she didn't want to settle and go to sleep. "Come Claire, after todays fun you should be exhausted," Damon told her as he kissed her little temple as she continued to cry. "I'm exhausted," Damon told her honestly. The little girl was stubborn though as her chin rested on the top bar of the crib and her big blue eyes tried to get sympathy from daddy.
Following their play date with Derek and his daughter, Elena went to the courthouse to support Caroline and this left Damon and Claire to have some father daughter time after her afternoon nap. He always enjoyed the alone time he could get with Claire since it was something he used to get all the time last year but now was very limited. With a sigh Damon gave in to his little girl and picked her up and carried her over to the rocking chair. As they two snuggled in the chair, Claire sucked on her soother and patted her little hands on her daddy's hand that was resting securely on her tummy.
This was how Elena found them as she came into nursery with a stack on papers in her hand. "See not so easy to stay firm with her huh" Elena said with a laugh as she came to kneel down beside the rocking chair. She reached over to give her daughter a kiss and then caressed her cheek.
"How's Caroline?" he asked her.
"As good as what can be expected" Elena said with a sigh as she thought back to this afternoon and how disappointed Caroline was when the verdict came down and her father wasn't going to face anytime. "She is upset that he got away with it, but she told her story and the truth is out there now," She told them him a smile. "How was your afternoon?"
"Oh we had lots of fun" Damon said with a smile and looked down at the tired little girl on his lap.
Elena smiled and then happily held up the papers she had brought in with her so that Damon could see them. "Well it's official, I've applied to college," she told him happily.
"Hear that ladybug? Mommy's going to collage," he said and Elena laughed.
"Hopefully if everything goes as planned we will end up in the same school," she told him with a sigh. "With spring break coming up Sage suggested we come up and we can scout the place out for apartment options, plus I think her and Rose want to babysit this little one" she told him.
"Yeah Sage had been bugging me about babysitting her for months" Damon said as he slowly got up from the rocking chair to try once again to put Claire down in her crib. Claire seemed to know what was going on and started to whimper but Damon just made hushing noises as he walked over to the crib. "It's bedtime and no 4am wake up call," he told his tired daughter as he placed her into her crib. She put up a little bit of a fight but ended up lying down and accepting that it was bedtime.
"Well if she does wake up you can play bad cop and come and see her," Elena told him as she picked up the baby monitor on the dresser.
"You mean you want me to drag myself off that comfy couch downstairs?" Damon teased as he wrapped an arm around Elena as they were turning off the light to the nursery and getting ready for bed themselves.
"Just think if we end up in the same school and live in an apartment, Jenna can't make sleep on the couch ever again!" Elena told him before leaning up for a goodnight kiss.