AN: hi all! First, sorry on the length of this chapter. I had some struggles with it but wanted to get this out to you. Probably not the best one, but hope it's alright! Second, please forgive my possible mistakes with the terminology and all at the middle. (You'll know what part.) I don't know how accurate it is. If anyone is willing to or knows some information, it will be greatly appreciatEd! Thanks! Happy reading! Hope it's decent!
xoxo
~*Four*~
It had been about a week since Elena practically ruined her and Damon's date by depositing her fear of heights on the top of the ferris wheel. She was far too embarrassed to see him again, and she was wrapped up in work. The spring was one of their busiest times, as brides warned summer weddings. However, today was the only free day she could get. She, Caroline and Bonnie were in the back of Caroline's mother's bridal shop, trying on wedding dresses. Of course, Caroline had been the only one of the three of them that had actually had a reason to try on wedding dresses, seeing as she was the only one engaged, let alone actually in an official relationship at the moment. However, it wouldn't hurt anyone if they had pretended for a moment.
"That's definitely the one," Bonnie cheered as Caroline twirled in her dress. Lace flew down her body, accenting every curve and giving her body a more pure and innocent look. Elena would've actually liked it for her wedding dress.
If you ever actually get married. Her Inner Romantic lectured. She obviously wanted someone to be happy with, but Elena shoved the depressing thought aside.
"It is beautiful, isn't it?" Caroline agreed as she eyed herself in the mirror in front of her.
"Elena,"
As she had heard her name, Elena snapped her head back toward Caroline and Bonnie looking at her expectantly.
"Yes, I love it." Elena nodded as she recomposed herself. "It's absolutely beautiful on you,"
Caroline squealed as she clapped her hands together. "I know, right?"
"Are you going to get it?" Bonnie wondered, and Caroline nodded excitedly. "I really love it."
"I'm going to go try this dress on," Elena said as she held an expensive pink dress in her arm, the color request for Caroline's bridesmaid dresses.
"Don't take it off before we see it!" Caroline demanded, to which Elena rolled her eyes at.
"Roger that," she retorted as she closed the door behind her.
Two minutes later, Elena stood in the front of the elegant glass wall, assessing her appearance in the mirror.
"Damn it," She hissed. She was struggling to get the zipper all the way up on the dress, but she wasn't able to.
"What's wrong?" Caroline wondered with a panicked voice. Elena sighed as she unlatched the door and swung it open.
"This dress won't zip up." she sighed. Immediately, Caroline scurried over and took the zipper from Elena.
As Caroline struggled to zip the dress up, Elena's hand flew to her stomach as the action was now beginning to suffocate her.
"Wha-Is it the right size?" Caroline sighed in defeat as she checked the tag inside the dress.
"It's a two," Elena nodded with a nervous look. She almost always wore a size two dress. Why the hell wasn't it fitting?
"You're right," Caroline sighed as she released the dress. "Well, you know, my mom may have accidentally had the labels misprinted-"
"It's not that simple, though," Elena shook her head. It didn't seem that simple.
"Well, let's just try the next size up." Bonnie interjected, and Elena had felt herself relax as she was not doubtful that the next size up would fit. As Bonnie walked over to the rack, she fetched the same dress and handed it to Elena, who ducked back into the dressing room.
"Oh, my god," Elena breathed.
It was a size 3.
And it still didn't fit.
"Here," Bonnie hollered, and before Elena knew it, a dress flew over the door, the same one but size 4.
"I don't understand," She said as she threw on the size 4. "I'm almost always a size 2."
"Well, maybe you've put on some weight-"
"Not possible," Elena shook her head instantly, more determined on countering Caroline's theory than being hurt by the comment. "I go to the gym three times a week. I do yoga every day and only drink water."
Elena was never one to care for her figure, but as she was approaching Caroline's wedding, she did want to look good in her bridesmaid dress.
"Thank god," Elena breathed in relief as she examined herself in her dress. The zipper fit, thankfully. She wouldn't have known what to do had it not fit. One thing was for sure, though-she needed to go to the gym more from now on.
"Let us see it!" Bonnie squealed, and Elena opened the door.
"Oh, my god!" Caroline placed her hands over her mouth in surprise, and Elena saw the smile hidden beneath.
"It actually looks better on you than me," Bonnie admitted. Elena shook her head.
"Don't be ridiculous, Bonnie," she said. "You look amazing in yours. I'm two sizes up than what I thought I was. I'm just upset. I need to go to the gym more." she decided.
"Elena, you're gorgeous," Caroline admonished. "You don't need to do all of this."
"I want to," Elena said. "It makes me feel better."
"Okay, then," Caroline threw her hands in the air. "Are we ready to go grab some food?"
"So, have you set a date yet?"
Elena, Caroline and Bonnie sat inside some fancy restaurant who's name Elena couldn't pronounce. They were discussing Caroline's wedding. The only thing they'd done about it was be excited and shop for their dresses.
"Not yet." Caroline shook her head as she took a sip of her diet coke. "Tyler wants to get married sometime in the winter. His parents are in Hong Kong on business, and the only time they can come is near then. I really don't care, but it's stressful finding the right date that works for as many people as possible,"
"Well, whoever wants to be there should and will make time to attend your wedding." Elena said encouragingly. She knew how neurotic Caroline could be, and she wanted to reassure her friend that it didn't need to be as complicated as she was making it.
"How about December 13?" Bonnie suggested randomly.
"No!" Caroline shrieked. "That's a Friday, Bonnie. I'm not risking my wedding."
"Oh, come on," Elena shook her head. "You don't actually believe in that superstition crap, do you?"
Caroline scoffed as she blinked. "Well..no, but that doesn't mean that I want to risk the chance of something bad happening!"
"Well, what weekday do you prefer to get married on?" Bonnie asked.
"Saturday," Caroline shrugged. "I think that there's just something-" she waved her hands as if she were a magician -'"magical about Saturday weddings."
"Well, Saturday it is," Elena giggled.
"Alright," a strange voice came out and Elena glanced upward to see a warm pair of green eyes as the waitress smiled. "Who had the spaghetti with meat sauce?"
Elena immediately raised her hand. She had been starving since they had gotten to the mall. Two hours of wedding dress shopping could do a lot to a girl's energy level. Especially when one of your companions was Caroline Forbes.
"Alrighty," the waitress, who wore the name tag 'Anna' said as she set the hot plate that contained perhaps the most delicious looking meal Elena had ever seen.
"And the fish sandwich?"
As Bonnie raised her hand, Elena locked eyes with the orange meat that was cushioned between two soft buns, and something inside of her stirred...the wrong way.
"Oh, god," She choked as her hands flew simultaneously to her mouth and stomach.
There was no time to excuse herself as she scrambled out of the booth. Thankfully, she had been on the outside. Otherwise the time for either Caroline or Bonnie to let her out would've only made it worse.
Once she was on her feet, Elena gave a track Olympian a run for their money as she dashed toward the women's restroom. Her knees gave out just in time to deposit her stomach into one of the stall's porcelain bowl. Shit, what the hell was wrong with her? Why was she getting sick?
"Elena!" The sounds of Caroline and Bonnie's voices cried from the other side of the door. Perfect. Elena reached her hand upward for a scrap of toilet paper and wiped the excess waste off of her mouth, and tossed the scrap into the toilet. Just as Elena stepped outside of the stall, Caroline and Bonnie stood in front of her, arms crossed and eyes narrow.
"What?" Elena shrugged as she walked past them and up to the sink, annoyed that her voice sounded hoarse. "Sorry,"
"Don't apologize," Caroline said, and Elena turned around. She was honestly shocked that Caroline wasn't giving her crap.
"Yeah," Bonnie nodded, and Elena landed her gaze on her. "We'll figure everything out at the doctor's, and all will be dandy."
Elena was about to protest, but she knew that she was coming down with something that when she just got medicine, she would be back to new.
"Fine," Elena surrendered as she threw her hands aside. "I'll call in the morning-"
"Oh, no," Caroline shook her head. you're not getting away that easily. We're taking you to the minute clinic."
"I don't think that'll be necessary-" Elena shook her head, but Caroline held her hand up.
"Yes, it is!" She exclaimed. "There could be something seriously wrong with you, Elena. Plus, it may be a week before you could get an appointment at the office."
"Alright," Elena sighed as she surrendered. She would go to the doctor, get a diagnosis and prescription, and soon, she's be back to herself. That was far less complicated than having Caroline give her closing argument.
"Excellent," Caroline clapped her hands together in triumph. "We'll head over straight after this."
Elena ran her fingers through her hair as she sat in the patient room, up on the examination table. Bonnie and Caroline were outside in the waiting room much to their reluctance. They- or in particular, Caroline- had been insistent on being at her side to support her, but Elena knew the that was not entirely the truth. They had expressed concern that Elena wouldn't tell them what the doctor said so as they wouldn't freak out. But fortunately, for herself, Caroline and Bonnie were not related to her legally, so they couldn't come in as long as Elena didn't want them to.
So here, Elena sat as she fiddled with her fingers, waiting very impatiently and nervously for the doctor to come and evaluate her. Just as Elena was about to wonder how much longer she would be waiting, a soft knock caused her to glance up.
"Knock, knock," A young ginger-haired woman peeked her head around the corner. "Elena Gilbert, is it?" She asked, glancing at her clipboard.
Elena nodded, feeling her nerves on high. "Yes," she said with a small voice. Damn, she really needed to get it together.
"Hi," the doctor greeted with a smile as she held out her hand. "I'm Dr. Mitchell."
"Nice to meet you," Elena took her offered hand and shook it nervously.
"So," Dr. Mitchell sighed as she walked over to the sink and washed her hands. "What's the problem, Elena?" She asked as she pulled out her clipboard and sat down at the desk.
Elena immediately sat straight up as she cleared her throat. "Over the past week, I've been having some nausea waves and have even thrown up a few times."
"When was the last time you threw up?" Dr. Mitchell asked as she looked up from her clipboard.
"Actually, just about a half hour ago." Elena said.
"Alright." Dr, Mitchell says, "Any other things?"
"We'll, I was trying on wedding dresses earlier today. My friends getting married, and I went for a size two, but the zipper wouldn't come up. The one that fit was a size four."
"Interesting." Dr. Mitchell assessed, "Is that all?"
Elena shook her head. "Lately, my breasts have been feeling a little sore."
Elena saw as Dr. Sage pursed her lips as she wrote something down. Uh-oh.
"Elena, when was your last menstrual cycle?" She asked suddenly.
"Er," Elena muttered as she thought back. "April 20th."
Dr. Mitchell wrote what Elena assumed was her date down, and Elena glanced over at the calendar on the wall.
May 25.
"Alright, well, before I can do an accurate diagnosis, I need a sample," Dr. Mitchell said as she held out a small clear container. "The bathrooms just around the corner on your left."
"Alright," Elena sighed as she took the cup and stood up.
As she made her way to the bathroom, she felt her palms begin to sweat. What if something was seriously wrong? What if she was contagious? Who had she touched?
Deciding that she was worrying over what may not be, Elena slid into the bathroom, leaving her worry outside.
Her worry was back as she handed the sample to Dr. Mitchell, who excused herself to take it to testing. Elena strongly attempted to count the clouds in the sky out the window as she wanted and needed a distraction.
A knock suddenly startled her, her nerves momentarily skyrocketing. When Dr. Mitchell entered, Elena tried to get a reading off off her face, but nothing was given away.
"Well, I have the results, and they are what I expected." Dr. Mitchell sighed as she looked at Elena cautiously.
Breathe, Elena. Whatever it is, medicine will cure.
"You're pregnant."
If time could've stopped, if would've stopped then and there for Elena.
"What?" She breathed, her voice so small that she want sure she'd spoken at all.
Of course.
Tender, sore breasts? Weight gain? Nausea and vomiting? Late periods?
How the hell was she not able to read the signs earlier?
"The next step is to have an ultrasound done, and as I have no other patients scheduled for today as it's a little late, if you'll just follow me into the next room, we can do a quick one here."
Elena's body went into autopilot as she stood up and followed Dr. Mitchell into the conjoined room. Her mind was replaying the two words that had stopped her world.
You're pregnant.
When bright fluorescent lights nearly blinded her, Elena saw the exam room come into view.
"If you'll just hop up and lay down on the table. Bend your knees onto the pedals. Also, please take off your pants and underwear. Use this to cover yourself." Dr. Mitchell instructed Elena as she held out a blanket, which she took absentmindedly. Her mind was definitely absent at the moment. As she finished undressing, she laid back down, pulling the fleece blanket over her private area, just below her abdomen.
"Now, this is a transvaginal ultrasound." Dr. Mitchell explained. I"t will be able to detect a pregnancy earlier than a pelvic one. We can see how far along you are."
Elena nodded as she prepared herself.
"Oh, god," she gasped as Dr. Mitchell slid the transducer into her center.
"Sorry," Dr. Mitchell apologized. "It can be a little cold at first."
Obviously.
Elena felt uncomfortable as Dr. Mitchell moved the tube inside of her, searching.
"Ah," She finally said as she pressed a button on the computer, pointing to the monitor. Elena's eyes flew to the screen, and when she saw the very small dot in the center, she felt time stop all over again.
Because it wasn't a dot.
It was a baby.
Her baby.
"Oh, my god," Elena choked out as her eyes clouded. A little human was inside of her. She had no idea how it had gotten there, but she didn't care right now, she was already attached to the baby as it nestled inside of her.
"H-How far along am I?" Elena asked, the first words she had spoken since she found out she was pregnant.
"I'd say about a week and a half. Give or take."
A week and a half. What had happened then?
Suddenly, Elena felt the wind being knocked out of her as realization smacked her in the face.
The Founder's Party.
That had to be it. It just had to be. There was no other event that she had attended a week and a half ago where she couldn't have remembered having a one-night stand.
And that's exactly what it was.
She was drunk; So drunk that she'd blacked out.
But who was the father?
Elena's focus was suddenly on just that.
Who had she been foolish enough to have drunken sex with? Who had gotten her pregnant? How the hell was she supposed to find out?
"And you're due around February of next year."
After being given a list of prenatal vitamins, Elena was referred to an OB/GYN nearby. Once that was taken care of, Elena madfe her way into the waiting room, where she saw Bonnie and Caroline talking.
"Elena!"
Elena's eyes met Caroline's panicked ones, and she watched as her and Bonnie rushed over to her.
"What happened?" Caroline asked. "You were in there for almost an hour."
"I-" Elena began, but stopped, she couldn't say it. She didn't even believe it.
"Damn it," Caroline hissed. "Spit it out."
Elena sighed as she took Caroline and Bonnie's hand, leading them outside. Once they were safely out in the fresh air, which Elena had desperately needed, she turned around.
"What's so secretive that you had to drag us out here for?" Caroline frowned as she threw her hands up.
"I'm pregnant." Elena announced finally.
Bonnie's mouth fell open, nearly touching the ground. "Oh, my god." She breathed.
"Yeah, right," Caroline scoffed. "Enough with the jokes. What's really wrong?"
"That is what's wrong." Elena said.
"That's ridiculous," Caroline shook her head. "I mean, in order to be pregnant, you need to have had sex-"
Elena raised her eyebrows expectantly at Caroline.
"Oh, my god!" Caroline cried. "Who-?"
"I don't know," Elena shook her head as she wrapped her hoodie closer to her body. "But I'm a week and a half long, which means that-"
"That you did meet someone at the Founder's Party."
"Exactly. The dates match. But, there's only one problem," Elena sighed. One major problem.
"I have no idea who he is."
"What are you going to do?" Bonnie asked softly.
"I don't think that there's anything I can do," Elena laughed at the surrealism. "I was stupid, drank at a party, and had sex with a stranger. I didn't get a name, number, nothing."
"Well, I suggest you tell Damon-" Caroline began.
"Tell Damon?" She squeaked as if that was the worst thing possible. Which, in retrospect, it was. "Yeah, no. There's no reason to."
"Well, if you tell him, then maybe he'll stay." Caroline suggested.
"I'm pregnant with God-Knows-Who's baby." Elena scoffed, "No guy would stay after hearing that bombshell. Which is why I'm going to call him when I get home and tell him I can't see him anymore."
"Well, maybe Damon's different," Bonnie offered quickly. "You'll never know until you tell him."
"I can't tell him. I don't even think I want to see him again." Elena said.
"We know that's a lie. You like him. Don't deny it. Look, you've been so careful to avoid any guy since your parents died, which is totally understandable." Bonnie explained. "But give Damon a chance. He seems like a really good guy. I mean you vomited on your first date and he still kissed you. What guy would do that? One who is clearly interested in you!"
"But I can't just tell him about this," Elena shook her head. "I'm pregnant and have no idea who the father is, and I probably never will. What guy would stay after that?"
"Elena, all I'm saying is that Damon really seems to like you." Bonnie sighed. "If you give him a chance, he may surprise you."
Elena didn't know what to say. If she told him, and he left her, she'd be devastated. But if she told him and he did stay, then she wouldn't have to go through this alone. She wouldn't have to go through it without him.
She wouldn't have to raise a baby alone.
"Alright," Elena nodded. "I'll try to tell him when I see him again."
Two sighs of relief filled Elena's ears, and she said no more on the subject as the three of them climbed into Bonnie's s blue Fusion.
All that Elena could think of as she rested her hand on her stomach was the small baby that she would meet in nine months.
And what what happen when the time came to tell him or her that she didn't know who their father was.
AN: Review for more! Love to hear your thoughts! They're greatly appreciated/welcome and strongly motivate updates! :)
PS: Feel free to check out my other stories! They're all DE!
PPS: Follow me on Twitter, EverbloomMist13!
~*Songs that were mentioned or that inspired this chapter*~
THEME: Terrified / Katharine McPhee & Jason Reeves