Chapter 46

By the next morning, Elena was out of the bed and in the shower when Elijah joined her in there.

"Good morning my lovely." He whispered into her ear. "How'd you sleep?"

"Okay." She purred.

"Well I'm glad you're up and Bonnie will be too. She and Caroline were worried about you. That was a dangerous thing you did love," Elijah worried. "I wouldn't want to go on if something happened to you."

"I don't know what I would have done if something happened to you." She told him as she turned in his arms. Wrapping her arms around his neck, she kissed him deeply. "I love you so much."

"And I love you so much." He growled.

The next month passed uneventfully. Bonnie and Elena were now twenty-four weeks along in their pregnancies and Caroline was fourteen weeks. Katherine had grown much larger over the last month and was now 32 weeks along.

"This book says I can expect more growth this month too! I don't know how I could get any bigger!" She groused.

"I hate to disappoint you but it happens," Stefan said, "Rebekah didn't stop getting bigger until about week 37."

"Seriously?" Caroline grumbled. Stefan smiled at her.

"Yes." He said simply.

"What are you fussing about you're only 14 weeks. You don't even have anything yet. Wait until you get to be twenty-four weeks," Bonnie said.

"Wait until YOU get to be thirty-two weeks," Katherine said as she rubbed her large baby bump.

"Kat's got a point you two." Elijah smiled at Elena as she stood up for Katherine. "She's the one who's further along than the rest of us."

"Well Bonnie helped her start first," Caroline teased. "That's hardly my fault." Bonnie stuck her tongue out at the blonde who had a bag of blood in her hands, sipping delicately from the straw.

"Oh...I want some of that...Kol the babies are thirsty," Bonnie whined. Stefan was writing in his journal while rocking Lilly's bassinet with his other hand. As long as he kept rocking she would sleep on but if he stopped she started screaming bloody murder.

Kol ran out to get the preferred drink of his fiancée and came back with enough for everyone there.

Bonnie kissed him wholeheartedly and moaned with delight as she began to drink the delicious blood. She pulled Kol down and settled against him while he rubbed her baby bump feeling the babies kick and flip.

Stefan gave his thanks to Kol as he drank the liquid with a smile.

"No problem mate and besides-how's my little niece doing?" He asked.

"If I don't rock her she will cry." Stefan got out as he nearly stopped rocking her. Realizing what he nearly stopped doing, he went back to rocking her.

"Let me take a turn with her," Kol entreated, "good practice and all." Stefan shrugged and Kol scooped up his niece. As he settled her on his shoulder her little eyes opened but she was quiet as a church mouse while Kol gently patted her backside. He smiled to Stefan and then headed for his sitting room and some time with his niece.

"Don't worry Stefan-he's going to be really good with her!" Bonnie promised.

"I'm not worried about that-I'm worried about what to do with Rebekah." He sighed. "We still haven't picked a suitable punishment for her."

"Let it keep," Bonnie said, "we'll have a feeling when it's time to try again..."

"So we keep her daggered for a while?" Stefan asked and at her nod, he sighed.

"She's going to miss out on so much of her life." Stefan murmured as he went back to reading and journaling.

"She had her choice Stefan," Bonnie said gently. "I can't believe she chose having a vendetta against us over her beautiful baby girl but she did and not just once but twice."

"She promised me that she would go see a therapist...to sort out her resentment issues." He grumbled. "I fell for it-hook, line and sinker."

"It doesn't make you pathetic." Katherine told him as she rubbed her bump. "It just means that she can't leave the past in the past."

"Well you're proof that people can change. I'm so happy for you and my brother Katherine. Any regrets?"

"Not one regret." She said smiling.

"He truly loves you Katherine and I can't believe I'm going to be an uncle. Do you think you'll have anymore or stop at one?"

"Now that's up to your brother." She teased. Stefan grinned. He was so glad that his brother had finally found happiness with the woman he had loved for so long.

"I'm glad you got your happiness Kat." Elena told her as she felt her nephew (as she had begun thinking of Katherine as a sister much to everyone's surprise). "Now what name did you want to give this guy again?"

"His name's going to be Christopher Stefan Salvatore." Katherine said proudly. "I wanted to give him the first name Pierce but Damon said that he wasn't going to have a son named after a James Bond actor."

"Pierce Brosnan is hot!" Bonnie declared and Caroline nodded her agreement eagerly.

"You just think anyone that can use a British accent correctly is hot, darling," Kol said with a definitely hot British accent. It obviously worked on Bonnie who blushed as much as she was able. Klaus followed his lead and got Caroline's attention. Elijah put on his British accent and drew everyone's attention.

Elena grinned. "I'm saying this once and only once...Elijah is my first choice even without the accent!"

Katherine laughed. "You can have him. Who I want is tall, hot, mysterious and dangerous!"

Stefan groaned. "That's Damon."

"Precisely!" Katherine giggled.

"Wait, Elijah's my first choice..." Caroline teased as she was wrapped in Klaus' arms.

Bonny gave Kol a long moment of heated looks. Katherine who had never witnessed it before was captivated.

"Wow," she gasped, "that's...mesmerizing...do they do that often?"

"The eye sex thing? Yeah they have made an art form out of it."

"Unlike those two who go at it like bunnies." Bonnie teased as she looked at Elena. Elena herself preened.

"Elijah is mine-he is mine." She smiled at Elijah, who wrapped his arms around her and was preening as well. Her eyes turned to Caroline and smirked. "I've called eternity dibs on Elijah back when I first met him." She stuck her tongue out at the blonde.

"Seriously!" Stefan balked at the brunette who was wrapped up in Elijah's arms at the moment. "While we were together you called eternity dibs on him?"

She nodded. "Like Caroline did to Klaus while she was with Matt...and then Tyler." Kol looked to Bonnie.

"I thought you were hot and then I found out what you were and didn't want anything to do with you. What you saw is what you got - whole truth. Then your charms worked on me and here we are."

"She's already got him trained!" Katherine cooed. "It's so...romantic!"

"I'm kinda hungry." Klaus grinned at Caroline. "I'm in the mood for some tacos!"

"Taco salad!" Bonnie voted.

"Oh that does sound so good," Elena said.

Klaus, Elijah and Kol grinned as each one decided to make the taco salad and tacos for the girls. Stefan was grinning at them as they were feeling the other's bumps and giggling when the babies kicked.

By the time Elena's birthday rolled around Katherine was thirty-six weeks along and as the book had promised even larger in her pregnancy. Elena and Bonnie were now twenty-eight weeks along and over the last month their baby bumps had stretched outward and upward at an amazing pace. Caroline was eighteen weeks along now and there was no hiding the fact that she was carrying Klaus' child. Things in the city had become much quieter now that Elijah Mikaelson had taken charge.

VVVVVV

"That's my rib!" Katherine grunted as Damon's son kicked her in the rib.

"Yeah multiply that times two," Bonnie said as she tried to settle on a lounger in the courtyard to enjoy the late June day.

"Are you both okay?" Damon and Kol asked their respective fiancées.

"Your children broke some of my ribs." The women told them.

Elena laughed as her son kicked and only fractured a rib. Elijah was there and he placed his hand on the bump to feel the kick.

"How was business in the Quarter today?" She asked.

"Quiet," Elijah smiled. "There have been very few disputes of late, tourism is late and business is booming. The witches are pleased with the increase in trade and the vampires seem to be sufficiently motivated to practice non-fatal feeding practices."

"Mostly though we're just thankful to come home to you," Klaus said as he kissed Caroline.

"We're making plenty of money so you ladies needn't worry," Kol said. Each one smiled at their mate as they all sat on one of the lounge chairs in the courtyard.

"As much as I love this," Elena murmured to Elijah. "Do you think the wolves will come here?"

"I hope not. I think we have a pretty strong alliance with the witches here," Kol said.

"It would be okay if they weren't so resentful," Klaus growled as he cuddled against Caroline.

"Have the witches put more protection spells on the Compound." Elijah ordered. "I want my fiancée to have a great pregnancy and so far, everything has been perfect."

"Except for the Rebekah problem." Kol told him.

"We're not holding that against any of you," Bonnie smiled gently.

"My pregnancy has been perfect," Elena smiled to Elijah. "I just wish I wasn't getting so big."

"Try carrying twins," Bonnie groaned.

"And you still have two more months of growing to do," Katherine pointed out. Elena nodded and laid her head against Elijah's chest.

"Have you thought about having more?" She asked. He kissed the top of her head.

"With you, I would have many, many more." He told her. "First though-let's get this one to come out and meet the world and I marry you."

Elena smiled, "I would marry you right here and right now Elijah Mikaelson, just as we are. I don't need any fancy trappings all I need is you." She rose up and kissed him.

"Well...thank god I'm an ordained minister then." Kol said. "Ladies-get Elena ready, Elijah-you and Nik get ready." One by one, everyone went off to help either the bride or the groom.

VVVV