Vampire Diaries 1. Anatomy of Grace

Damon was alone in the on call room, his weary eyes glaring at the row of white lights on the ceiling. He was tired and every single chunk of him ached, heavy limbs pained right down to his bones. Damon had it good; his life was damn fucking beautiful. He reminded himself. He remembered his mother, her civil rights rallies, tofu dinners and Russian literature. Their last family gathering in Louisiana before she passed away seemed like such a long time ago, even though it had been last Christmas. He hadn't taken Bonnie to that either, Damon hadn't been ready for complications back then even though his mother had been a frenzied liberal who would've thrown an impromptu vegan dinner to welcome Bonnie into the family. Damon still wondered how a woman as remarkable and free-spirited as his mother could have fallen for the charms of his staunch Republican father.

He plunged a hand inside his pocket and snatched out his mobile phone, shaky fingers fidgeting with the keys. It was a weekend, which meant even longer shifts. Damon wouldn't be making it to dinner again tonight and he already knew that Bonnie would be disappointed.

"_No luck tonight. Love you." _He typed.

Tucking the phone back into his pocket, he shut his eyes and breathed out a heavy sigh listening to the familiar sounds of the hospital. The blaring intercoms, shouting patients, the shrill peal of ambulance sirens outside, these were all strangely comforting and reminded him why he was doing this to begin with. Why he was sitting in that lonely call room in a lumpy bunk bed and not at home with his girl.

"Paging Doctor Salvatore, paging Doctor Salvatore"

He listened to the intercom as the call echoed around the corridors then groaned as his pocket started beeping, dragging his unsteady hands down his face and rolling his shoulders, he lurched to his feet.

..

"You look beat," Stefan remarked and snapped on a pair of gloves, stepping away from the wash basin.

"That's an understatement," Damon shrugged glancing up at Stefan as they scrubbed and prepped for another long and gruelling surgery.

"Everything okay at home?" his younger brother dug and Damon gave him a nudge with his elbow feigning a smile.

"Why wouldn't it be Doctor Salvatore?" Damon cocked his head and winked.

"I went out to Bar Goto last night, great fucking place. I pulled a pretty nice brunette and I tell you, she was the best bang of my life. You guys should check it out." Enzo announced, barging into the room. He was already clad in green scrubs but took to washing his hands in the sink before shrugging into his gloves.

"I'm married." Stefan said lifting his left hand and tapping his latex covered ring finger.

"Then take your wife, tell her to try the cherry-blossom martini." Enzo said cheekily, baiting him.

"You're an idiot." Damon told Enzo and gave his colleague a side-glance.

"I'm a sexual tourist" Enzo lifted his surgical mask to show Damon his charming smile for emphasis.

"More like a sexual terrorist."

..

Outside, the sun had a stinging bite as Bonnie trampled fallen russet leaves along the congested sidewalk. They were bolting down the pavement, weaving through a crowd in an attempt to catch a husky delinquent who had assaulted a police officer. When Bonnie finally made contact, she lunged for the man tackling him to the ground before wresting with him. She yanked his arms, pulling them firmly behind his back and clamped a pair of handcuffs around his wrists.

"Come on cupcake, "she chortled into his ear "you know the drill" she puffed ignoring the vibrating phone in her back pocket. Patting him down, she kicked his sturdy legs apart and frantically pulled everything out of the offender's pockets.

"You have the right to remain silent," Bonnie commanded, thrusting the colossal brute in the backseat of the police car "anything you say or do may be used against you in a court of law" she said as she caught sight of her ruddy face in the car window; she looked swollen and tired from too many late nights in the job, too many late nights waiting up for Damon. She wondered when she had turned into this girl and shook her head as if shaking the very idea of this truth.

Finally, pulling the phone out of her pocket, Bonnie's eyes hurried along the text. Damon was cancelling again. Biting her bottom lip, she leaned back into the seat, snapping the phone shut. She was long done with feelings of disappointment, done with being pissed off, there had to be a new word for whatever she felt now.

"_Shit_," she muttered under her breath much to her partner's amusement.

"Is that the Mrs?" Katherine probed smugly, fingers rapping against the steering wheel.

"Keep your eyes on the road, Pierce" Bonnie replied coolly with an eye roll. She fiddled with her badge, the metal gleaming in the late autumn sunlight. Bonnie squeezed her eyes shut for a minute, tapping her short nails against the side view mirror. Christ, she missed how they used to be, how free they had been. So much had changed now, Bonnie wasn't sure who had changed first but everything was different now. It used to be them against the world and Damon used to be all hers, from his wild blue eyes to that quirky eyebrow thing that used to drive Bonnie crazy with need and raging ache for the surgeon.

Damn, she missed that.

..

Damon fiddled with the door knob, early morning light already scattering along the grey walls of their apartment. The light stung his eyes and he raked a hand through his dark curls, cerulean blue eyes coasting the room. Their shoes still littered the polished hardwood floor, old takeaway boxes scattered around the coffee table and Bonbon's shimmering police badge flung across the couch next to the TV remote control and gun holster.

Then his eyes saw it and settled on the cupcake for a long moment, studying its gaudy pink colour and the bright candy-striped candle on top of it.

Damon groaned having completely forgotten about her birthday. Tossing his backpack on the littered couch, he staggered toward their bedroom and slumped against the open door, watching Bonnie sleep. He listened to her shallow breathing and something stirred inside him. He had missed her, missed this, watching her sleep like this. Damon had missed the way her soft hair fell over her face, the way her lips curled at the corners in a tickled smile even in her sleep. Damon loved Bonnie; he never doubted that about himself and hoped that Bonnie never questioned it either. He might have forgotten dinners, even birthdays but they had been so wrapped up in their separate lives, both of them were to blame.

Slowly Damon slipped off his scrubs and slid into bed with his brunette, tangling himself around Bonnie's warm lush limbs. Bonnie breathed and he breathed, soft hair tickling his skin, hot breath dancing on warm flesh. Everything was warm, bathed in late October sunlight and Damon was delirious.

There was only one simple truth for Damon, he loved Bonnie and Bonnie made him happy. Yes, his life was indeed damn fucking beautiful.

..

Six o'clock, Sunday morning and Elena had locked herself in the decorated nursery starring at the powder blue wallpaper dappled with puffy white clouds. She took a long sip of her foamy cappuccino, held it on her tongue before she swallowed with a heavy sigh. They had picked a name for the last child, Thayer. Elena scoffed at the name, the plans they had made and the eventual pain of another lost pregnancy. She wasn't built to take so much hurt. Leaning her head against the white crib Stefan had built for their Thayer, she brought her knees up against her chest, the beige yoga pants easily accommodating her limber legs.

She thought her life would have some order by twenty-five, two toddlers to take care of, run around the park with, endless birthday parties and a slew of gala dinners with her surgeon husband, Stefan. Elena had even quit her psychology practice so that she could prepare for the birth of their son-at least it had felt like a boy-that was three years ago and her life had spiralled since then.

The knock on the door jolted her back into the expansive space of the room with hanging crystal chandeliers and fluffy area rugs.

"Go away!" she shouted, knowing fully well that it was her husband searching for her. Christ, she resented Stefan, she resented the fact that he healed so quickly after each loss, she resented the fact that he never grieved.

"Honey, "he paused; she could tell he was leaning into the door, his forehead pressed against the wood "please open the door"

"Go away, Stefan" Elena snapped gain feeling unhinged, his voice and his very presence behind that door grated her. Lately she couldn't even stand being in the same room as her husband.

"I made that breakfast you like" he coaxed and she tightened her grip around the ceramic mug, willing herself not to hurl it against the door.

"I'm not hungry"

"Then come back to bed" he pleaded, his knuckles gently tapping the door.

"Stefan, "she warned and he, catching the cautionary tone in her voice, retreated back to their bedroom with its beige cashmere walls and white Egyptian cotton sheets.

..

Bonnie was awake, he thought as he caught the buttery smell of freshly made pancakes. Damon could barely see her through the golden haze of sunlight pouring into their bedroom.

"What time is it?" his voice croaked as he untangled himself from the sheets, nearly falling off the rumpled bed. He took out his frustrations on the blankets, kicking them down toward the hardwood floor.

"Time for you to get up" she responded, not looking at him. It was a Sunday which meant lunch at gram's house.

"I'm sorry about your birthday" he pleaded with a slow calculated approach towards his brunette.

"Typical" she said, stiff lipped with a wicked eye roll.

"I will make it up to you Bonb-"

"I can't rely on you for anything, you never have my back. That cabinet in the kitchen, you've been fixing it since July!" she snapped smacking his bicep. Damon opened his mouth to say something but decided against it; instead he gently grabbed her writs to make her stop.

"How about can hang out together today?" he suggested, wriggling his brows.

"We go to grams house every Sunday" she countered, not missing a beat as she painted her lips a deep burgundy colour that brought out her eyes.

"We can break tradition" he leered, draping his arms around her and breathing in her heady scent of warm milk and honey. She looked at him in the mirror and her green eyes said it all.

"I'll take a shower" he said, admitting defeat as he snatched his towel robe from the regal blue linen sofa in their bedroom. Damon trudged toward their lavender scented bathroom with neatly packed terry cloth towel, still rubbing sleep off his weary eyes.

Bonnie was removing the salads she had prepared for gram's lunch from the fridge when she felt Damon press up against her, his breath fanning her neck. He kicked the refrigerator door softly and swung her around to face him.

"I'm sorry, "he repeated, the whisper of his breath teasing her mouth. Cupping her jutted chin with one hand, he pressed a kiss to the corner of her mouth, then her cheek, her nose and one on each eyelid. Bonnie blew out a sharp breath, nodding weakly as he rested his forehead against hers.

"Are you still mad?" he teased and Bonnie simply cocked her eyebrow as he pressed his lips to hers. When he hugged her, his black hand-knit sweater still smelled of acorns from last fall. They stood there for a while, Damon clinging to her and Bonnie's hands fastened around the Tupperware.

Damon logic, Bonnie thought. He was pretending as though nothing was wrong, as though forgetting her birthday was not a colossal mistake. He was being typical Damon and on any other day she would have carried on with her feet stomping and yelling but she was exhausted. Bonnie had grown up in a big family so she had to learn to fight and shout to make her opinions known. Her methods never seemed to work with Damon though, he was incorrigible.

..

The crisp afternoon air was wild with leaves, yellow cabs scuttling down Bleecker Street as Damon flagged down a taxi. Bonnie was busy buttoning her shearling coat, phone insistently ringing in her bag when a cab finally screeched to a halt in front of them.

"That's probably Emily, "Bonnie sighed as Damon eased her into the car, parcels and all "she's been telling me about some big announcement she wants to make all week"

"Maybe she's finally moving to Antarctica" Damon said rolling his eyes as the cab rushed past Marc and Max where he had bought Bonnie's lingerie for her birthday last year.

"Or she could be finally coming clean about being a man" he added, grabbing her hand inside the sun dappled taxi as they hurried past trees, trees and endless trees.

"Don't look at me like that, "he wiggled his dark brows "I love your crazy ass sisters" he flashed a mocking grin.

"Yes, we Bennett girls are totally badass" she replied airily.

"Speaking of, is your mother coming?"

"Don't know. Don't care" She deadpanned, the taxi moving swiftly out of Greenwich Village.

..

The bedroom was hot, Caroline thought as she swung her feet on the side of the bed and stepped on something squishy and loud. Her hands immediately flew up to cover her ears and she pried her eyes open, looking down at her feet. Making a face at the sight of Hope's pink fluffy pony, she picked the toy up and tossed it to the corner of the room.

"Morning, love" Klaus murmured and she glanced at him over her shoulder. Two empty glasses and a half finished bottle of red wine were still seating on the nightstand on his side of the big bed.

"Hmm" she replied, peeling herself off the covers before she felt his hand making a grab for her wrist.

"Getting up so soon?"

"I just need a shower, and then I'll come back to bed" she replied, shrugging into her short satin robe.

"Bullocks, you smell fine" he smiled, pulling back the robe and kissing her bare shoulder.

"I smell like piss, beer and too many cigarettes" Caroline groaned, rolling her eyes. She arched her neck, giving his lips better access as they mounted up to her jaw.

"I love it when you're filthy, "he smiled against her flushed ear, gently nipping the shell with his teeth "come on, talk dirty to me"

"Klaus" she protested worried that Hope might come barging in at any moment.

"Love, this is the one time that Hope sleeps in on a Sunday morning and you want to ruin it by taking a shower" his arms circled around her waist, drawing her closer to his heated body and slowly Caroline relented with a bog grin on her face.

"Hmm…well, since you put it like that" she laughed, diving back under the duvet, hands plunging into Klaus's hair as his hands sneaked into her panties.

..

They got out in front of a magnificent tree-lined row of brownstones, Damon carrying the load of prepared dishes and Bonnie walking slightly ahead of him. She swung her head back to look at him now and again, tossing her dark curls over her shoulder.

Bonnie hated the current state of their relationship, the predicament they had found themselves in. She had never been a doubter; she had always known who she was and what she wanted. She had joined the police force after her father, Rudy Hopkins and had every intention of making detective one day. Her life had a plan, she played by the rules then _he_ happened and down the rabbit hole she went.

Now, she was starting to question herself again. Parts of her would forever ache for Damon, would forever adore him but now she wondered about the road not taken. Inhaling deeply, Bonnie knocked on the wide front door turning around again to watch as Damon climbed up the stair to settle beside her. The door flew open and there was her grams, glowing in all that autumn light.

"There's my favourite granddaughter!" Sheila called as they walked into the warm house, the smell of spicy pumpkin pie consuming them.

"Grams!" Bonnie squealed hugging the older woman.

"Grams" Damon mimicked, pushing his sunglasses over his head and giving Sheila a firm bear hug.

"Happy Birthday!" Sheila exclaimed grasping Bonnie's hand and ushering the couple into the bustling kitchen.

"Aunt Bonnie!" a little girl tumbled into the kitchen nearly toppling her over. Laughing, Bonnie picked her up in one fell swoop and kissed her cherubic cheek.

"I think you're her favourite aunt" Tessa noted, smiling against her coffee cup.

"Happy Birthday sis!" Emily stormed in, her long bangs slapping her forehead when she made a leap for a startled Bonnie.

"Thanks" stammering, Bonnie looked over Emily's head trying to read Tess's eyes.

"I got you a gift" Emily persisted with a shrill squeal.

"_You_ got me a gift?" Bonnie made a face and wrinkled her nose.

"Oh yeah" she simpered before quickly adding a fervent, "BAM!" she cried gleefully sticking out her hand to show off her dazzling engagement ring.

"Marcel proposed?" Bonnie's eyes widened, examining the ring and the cut of it while Emily twirled her hand in front of her face. Bonnie deduced it to be at least a three carat and wondered how poor Marcel could afford such an extravagance on a fireman's salary.

"Fancy," Damon offered with mock enthusiasm and his notorious smirk.

"It's beautiful" Bonnie said then cleared her throat when she realized how pained and throaty her voice sounded. Of course she was happy for her sister. As careless and as flighty as Em was, she deserved happiness and that was Marcel and their baby.

"She picked it out herself, "Marcel announced, "she thought I would be cheap if I just surprised her" he chuckled, clinging to a cluttered corner, cradling their four month old baby.

"And you are cheap!"

"And you're spoilt!" he retorted

"Why am I even marrying this blue collar idiot?"

"Could be his ass"

"Oh yeah, there _is_ that" Emily giggled, tapping her fingers against her lips before she bounded for her fiancé. The group poured out of the kitchen and headed for the lounge with a blaring TV and a roaring fire.

"And when are you making an honest woman out of my granddaughter?" Sheila inquired, slipping her hands into a pair of quilted oven gloves.

Bonnie and Damon glanced at each other, deliberating which one should respond to the heated question.

"When is _she_ making an honest man out of _me_?" He finally conceded dipping his finger into a bowl of apple sauce before Bonnie swatted him off with her impatient hand. Shaking her head, Sheila accepted temporary defeat and set a steaming hot velvet cake on the wooden table.

"If I give you a treat do you promise to go away?" Bonnie asked her hovering boyfriend.

"Woof, "he growled into her ear before tickling her sides. Scrunching her shoulders, Bonnie tried to hide her giggles; her squirming nearly spilled the sauce she was busy whisking.

"Go" she laughed burying her face in her hands. As Damon sauntered off to hang out with the rest of the boys in front of the TV, her grams ambushed her with more questions.

"Did you do anything special on your birthday?"

"No, Damon forgot this year"

Sheila's eyes narrowed, her hand reaching out to brush a strand of hair from her granddaughter's face. Bonnie shook her head and swallowed hard trying to fight the erratic emotions welling up her chest, her throat.

"We've just been busy lately" she finally breathed, her attention drifting to her nieces playing with the gathered kaleidoscopic leaves in the garden.

"There's always time for love, "her grams said softly "you make time"

"Hmmm, tell her grams," Tessa cheered as she entered the kitchen. Handing Bonnie a small wooden box, she chirped "Happy birthday lil sis, "then added with an eager smile "it's something I picked up for you in Africa"

"You mean EBay, "Bonnie mocked, picking up an ivory doll and holding it up In the amber sunlight "is this a voodoo doll?"

"It's a fertility doll" she corrected, brows furrowing instantly. Bonnie loved to get under her skin; Tessa was so easily agitated by everything.

"Oh yes, because I'm trying to get pregnant by my commitment phobic boyfriend" she arched an eyebrow at Tessa.

"You know how it works in the Bennett clan Bon, first comes baby then comes marriage"

"I'm re-writing that Bennett curse"

"I'm envious of what you have you know. You're still free. "Tessa moaned folding her arms across her chest "I want to travel and Atticus wants more kids"

"You know what the problem is right? You're too alike"

"Yes, we're both controlling and a little crazy but it used to work just fine" she shrugged, raking her delicate fingers through her mess of dark curls.

"And where's my favourite little brother?"

"He's upstairs sparring with his little college buddy" Emily said with a wink as she drifted through the hot kitchen searching for something.

"Jamie is still in his bedroom with Jeremy? Tessa's sculpted brows vaulted in wild bemusement.

"Oh yeah" Emily chuckled knowingly as she existed the kitchen with her wailing baby.

Bonnie chuckled shaking her head and stealing a glance at her bewildered grams.

There really was, no place like home.

..

By early evening, they were dashing inside Stefan and Elena's pre-war apartment building in the Upper East Side. Rushing past the doorman, arms draped around each other as they tumbled into the upholstered elevator.

Sharing a forgiving glance at each other inside the lift, they both inhaled, preparing for another long session of obligatory Sunday stopovers. Damon shut his eyes as the lift climbed, still wishing that he was home in bed with his girl.

"We're thinking of using donor eggs," Elena said softly, refilling both glasses with red wine. Bonnie always felt too out of place in the couple's apartment, like some misplaced object among the white rooms and beige tiffany chairs. Nothing had colour, right down to the beige cashmere throw Elena had given her as a birthday present.

"So it's final, no adoption?" Bonnie inquired before her lips smacked together, eyes holding Elena's gaze. She thought about how miniscule her problems with Damon seemed when their friends had a bigger crisis to face. How arguing about Damon's dirty socks on the floor and her strewn spices on the stupid kitchen counter seemed so pathetic and childish.

"Stefan doesn't want to adopt, something about passing on his genes" Elena feigned a smile as she rolled her brown eyes.

"Do you have a donor already?" Bonnie asked.

Elena twirled her glass with a slight nod of her head, "I want the child to have some of my own genes too" she finally said before taking a hefty gulp of wine.

"Katherine?" Wide-eyed, Bonnie scooted to the edge of her seat. Elena nodded, tucking a brown strand of hair behind her ear, chewing her bottom lip.

"Katherine" Bonnie repeated, suddenly needing something stronger than the vintage bottle they were draining. Elena glared into her glass as if the words she wanted to say were scrawled somewhere deep inside it.

"I'm exhausted; this having a baby business is all we talk about, all I think about"

"I'm sorry" Bonnie soothed, her hand resting on top of Elena's. Mrs Salvatore looked up at her and allowed a faint smile to touch her lips. Her brown eyes said it all, _**Thank you.**_

They hugged firmly, Bonnie leaning over Elena's shoulder to stare at Caroline as she marched into the kitchen.

"I think I'm jealous of my stepdaughter!" she huffed throwing herself into a chair, crossing her tanned legs. She tossed her mobile phone on the table having gone down to the den earlier to relay a message about Hope to Klaus.

"Technically, Klaus is still just your fiancé" Elena corrected her as she composed herself.

"We all know you love Hope" Bonnie chimed in, already finishing her potent glass of wine.

"I do but whenever Hope is round, I feel so unimportant" she exclaimed motioning toward an empty glass. Elena did the honours by filling the glass to the necessary brim before getting up to fetch a fresh bottle of wine. Caroline snatched the glass hastily, guzzling down the burgundy liquid as a moan escaped her lips.

"Maybe I'm just being selfish" she finally said with a long breath.

"You're only human" Elena shrugged as she struggled with the cork.

"Damon and I are growing apart," Bonnie murmured, her cheeks growing hot from the wine and her own hastening pulse." I feel like everything is so forced lately" she threaded her fingers through her dark curls.

"Relationships are hard work" Caroline offered, plucking the wine bottle from Elena's hand. The blonde managed to rip out the cork and dispense its contents into the lined glasses.

Work, Bonnie thought with a forced smile, was a word she was even less fond of when it came to love. She worked hard enough on all other areas in her life and she didn't feel the need to work when it came to something as sentimental as love. You either had it or you didn't, maybe that was just the sceptic in her. She was a cop after all.

..

"We don't even have sex anymore unless it's during Elena's ovulation. She even has an ovulation calculator" Stefan scratched his head before leaning over the pool table, positioning the perfect shot "and those hormone shots are turning her into a crazy Godzilla!" he said hitting his mark as the balls rattled down the table, red sinking into a basket.

"Caroline is driving me up the bloody wall!" Klaus growled shaking his head, eyes focused on Stefan's next play. Setting up the shot, Klaus watched as the balls scattered around the green felt, smacking into each other, nothing sank this time.

"I don't get why she feels so angry and neglected whenever Hope is around. Hope is my daughter and that trumps everything" Klaus called over his shoulder, lining up his own shot and setting his drink to the side.

Damon shook his head, not quite sure when he had signed up for the broken-hearts club. It seemed to him that marriage required guts, guts to be miserable and he sure as hell wasn't ready for a miserable life. Bonnie made him happy, for as long as he had her Damon would be happy. He would never tire of her, as long as they never married.

"Hope is four and Caroline is twenty six. She should be able to handle things" Klaus said grimly gesturing to Stefan to take his shot.

"To therapy" Damon raised his glass, a muscle jumping in his jaw. He was a little drunk and feeling rather unstable around his two jabbering friends.

"You should see how she vexes when Hayley's in town"

"Speaking of, how is your magnificent ex-wife?" Damon slurred, smirking into his glass. He was irritated with the direction of this current conversation and eager to change it to something more entertaining.

"Don't even go there" Klaus threatened, notably uncomfortable.

"I'm not and I won't" he said "I love Bonnie. Besides, you know what they say," Damon added, clanking the ice inside his glass" for every beautiful woman there's a guy who's tired of screw-"

"So you love Bonnie?" Stefan's brows arched, seemingly doubting his brother's statement.

"No brother, that's why I've spent the better part of a year sharing my apartment with her," He mocked before guzzling a hefty glug of his drink, swiping his hand across his mouth "I love her. Truly, madly, deeply" he finally roared and gave them a deep dramatic bow.

"Just not enough to marry her" Stefan noted, thick brows furrowed as he studied Damon.

"I have my issues Stefan, don't judge" Damon shifted from his position, squeezing Stefan's shoulder.

"When was the last time you bought her flowers?" Stefan persisted.

"Bonnie doesn't _do _flowers"

"_All _women do flowers"

"Stefan, you cad"

"You should try a little tenderness, love" Klaus offered, swigging down his beer.

"Said the man who's having premarital problems with Care-bear"

"No, said the man who's been involved with two of the hottest women in Manhattan"

"Touche" Damon slurred with a wink, draining the rest of his bourbon.

..

Reaching for the light switch, Damon flicked it on and glanced upward as the lightbulb popped.

"Leave it." Bonnie mumbled, grabbing his face and turning back towards her. He kicked the door closed and backed her into the wall. She was drunker than him, Damon could tell from the way Bonnie swayed and staggered while she worked his shirt buttons with great effort. She yanked the tails of his shirt free from his jeans, driving him back against the door. Finally tearing his shirt open in haste, she buried her mouth around his nipples.

"Bonb-"

Damon flinched when her nails dragged down his chest almost tearing his red and raw flesh. Skull throbbing, he pulled her back with his fists firm around her dark hair and ravaged her hot mouth.

This was them now, what they did to feel.

Drunk and angry sex, exaggerated movements to make the other one hurt, to make the other party react.

"Uhm…Baby…"

Tonight, Bonnie was a woman on a mission as she eagerly dragged her mouth back to his hard pectoral muscles. She licked and sucked, teeth gripped tight around his aching nipples.

"Hmmm…" Groaning deep in her mouth, Damon cupped her ass cheeks, picked her up and whisked her out to the bedroom. She slid her arms around his broad shoulders, never breaking their kiss. Damon buried his excited hand in her thick hair, fingers woven around the soft strands. Their tongues tangled, breaths mingled in hot fiery hallucinations. Everything was a red blur, a riot of gut-wrenching emotions and heart palpitations as Damon buried himself in the hot, sweet lushness of her flesh.

Hurt people hurt people, Damon thought as she arched her head into the pillow, thrusting up her hips to meet his.

..

_You are fertility challenged_, the doctor had told them. At least he hadn't used the word barren because that is how Elena felt, like an old barren failure. She felt cheated at being a woman, isn't that what defined being a woman, her fertility and her children?

_We're a team,_ Stefan had reiterated, soothing, mellow and comforting. She hated when he spoke to her in that manner, it only seemed to heighten the situation as though he was cheering up and down with a big neon banner that read _Elena Gilbert, number one failure._

At twenty five she was told that she had old eggs. Elena would have laughed at this irony if the situation hadn't been so damn messed up. So now her options were slim and listed for her in big black print; egg donor, adoption or IVF. They were caught between adoption and requesting ovaries from Katherine, her coffee addicted sister who smoked like a funnel and drank like a fish. Elena could still carry _their_ baby; Stefan had assured her and the child would feel just like hers. Elena had the bold tenacity of a wasp but after countless miscarriages and endless doctor visits she had begun to lose faith.

After spending her entire life _not_ trying to get pregnant, here she was _unable_ to get pregnant. She couldn't help but chuckle, tonight had been one of her better nights.

With a great yawn, Elena sunk deeper into the warm foamy water, allowing its hot fingers to massage her prickled skin. She was drugged and sensuous from the warm wine and the milky water. She had lost track of how much she had drunk tonight and quite frankly didn't care.

The knock on the bathroom door snapped her from her luxuriously languid thoughts as her husband sauntered into the foggy room and perched at the edge of the big white tub. With half lidded weary eyes, she viewed him and smiled. She gave him one of those smiles he liked, the come-hither smile, the lazy jazz on a hot Sunday smile; the I want to spend forever just holding you smile.

"You okay?" he asked, tweaking the crystal water taps for a while and watching as she moaned, wiggling her toes under the burst of warm water.

"I'm just tired. What you got there?" she coaxed, eyes drifting to the layered cheesecake topped with bright red strawberries.

"Would you like some?" he inquired with a tender smile, gathering a forkful of cake as he scooted closer to his wife. Elena opened her mouth slightly wider indicating that she wanted to be fed but quickly paused, "You're not going to choo-choo train are you?" she beamed.

"Do you want me to? Sandy hair damp from the milk-white mist, he grinned and cocked an eyebrow as he lifted a mouthful for her pleasure. Elena let her mouth close around the fork and groaned softly, brown eyes gazing up at him.

Reaching out his hand, Stefan brushed a hair from her cheek and placed a light kiss on the tip of her nose. Tonight, she was in a good place. Tonight, there had been no judgement in Stefan's eyes. When she bit into the juicy strawberry he offered her, there was no judgement in her eyes either.

"Wanna join me?" her voice was husky and thick with lust.

"Do I seem dirty to you?" he cocked an eyebrow, a smile toying with his lips.

"Filthy" she rolled the word around her tongue like those dirty Spanish phrases she had learnt back in her catholic high school.

Slowly, Stefan unbuttoned his shirt, swaying to a beat in his head and she began to clap, laughing huskily. He looked up coyly at her, bottom lips sucked between his teeth and then he winked. His face swam in the silvery fog, the loveliest ghost she had ever seen.

"Take it off, take it off!" she cheered for him, smacking her hands together and cupping them over her mouth in loud approval. Stefan climbed into the bath with her, nestled behind her. Warm arms draped around her wet, soapy shoulders, his strong thighs pressed against her hips inside the muddled water. Burying her head in the crook of his neck, Elena sank back against her husband, closed her eyes and took in the woodsy scent of his familiar cologne. Leisurely, gently as if they were caught in a dream, he wove his fingers around her wet hair and lifted her face to him. His kiss was a slow rhyme, a sultry dance of fingers through wet strands, moist lips sweet with warm wine and it left her panting for more. His soft tongue sought without inhibition, nothing but air and heat between them.

"I'm ovulating" she breathed against his mouth, his fingertips brushing the curve of her lower back.

"Your seduction skills could use a little work" he chuckled, his lips never living hers.

"Shut up and kiss me" Elena finally gasped, her hand buried deep in his wet tresses. She pulled him firmly, eager for more of his inebriating kiss.

..

Tonight she wasn't angry Elena, tonight she was _his_ Elena. Tonight, she wasn't the Elena who cried about him hating her because she couldn't conceive. She was his Wasp Elena, college debate team Elena, half-Windsor knot tying Elena for that first interview at the hospital. He loved _this_ Elena.

Christ, their lives were perfect and they loved each other like there were still in med-school, so why couldn't they just have a damn baby? Why was nature so cruel?

Elena stirred in the nook of his arm and he pressed himself firmer against her warm, heaving body. He felt her breathing, listened to the gentle hum of it. It was nearly sunrise, he presumed as the careless grey shadows grew shorter, green and lavender lights playing around their bedroom, slowly making everything distinguishable.

Stefan had always wanted kids, small little rug-rats running around and crawling all over him. He never had that growing up. There had been just him, Damon and the gruelling hunting expeditions with their father. That's not the life he wanted for his kids, he wanted to be a different dad. He wanted to be their friend. Sure, he knew his dad had loved them but he was firm and oppressive. Giuseppe had only tolerated Damon while he doted on Stefan and Damon liked to tease him about being dad's golden boy. Naturally, Stefan scoffed at this idea but what he would never admit to Damon was that he had always envied Damon's relationship with their liberal mother.

Stefan tried to close his eyes again, wait for the buzz of his alarm but he still couldn't sleep. There was only one question antagonizing his restless mind, Katherine and Elijah's response to their incongruous proposal of using Katherine as their egg donor.


	2. Hopeful

Caroline Forbes was not a morning person.

Something nudged her foot, tugging her big toe and she pushed back, sleep dragging her slothful limbs, clinging to her lethargic muscles. The thing persisted, jerking her toes and scraping the pink soles of her feet. Squirming under the pile of pillows she had buried herself under, Caroline kicked back the blankets. She refused to get up; whatever it was would have to concede defeat and let her be. Grinning under her soft chrysalis, she groaned as sleep dragged her back into its beautiful fog. Then she felt the bed dip, heard the soft spurts of muffled laughter, tendrils of silver chortles bursting through thrilled fingers and her blue eyes cracked open and glared.

_Hope._

Electrified by the prospect of having awoken the blonde, the child began jumping up and down the bed with a spirit that shook Caroline from the mattress. Rolling over to her back, Caroline used her elbows to push herself up. She blew a strand of hair from her face and tried to calm herself.

"Sweetie, it's so early"

It was her one day off from the bar, no boisterous drunk clients trying to pick her up with tired lines, no sloshed customers getting sick on the floor and tipping her morsels. In truth, Coyote Ugly was one of the trendiest bars in the Meat Packing District and Caroline loved her job. What she loved even more than her job was her beauty sleep. Slumber, she would not be relishing because of the beautiful little monster rocking her bed.

"Wake up! Wake up!" Hope screamed, bouncing up and down on the bed.

Caroline grabbed her ankle, a move meant to sedate the hysterical child. What she had not counted on was jerking her small ankle, a trigger that sent the waif little thing plummeting down on the bed, immersed in a whirl of blankets.

Ow!" Hope cried, rapidly climbing down the bed "Daddy!"

Caroline groaned, smacking her head back against the pillows, clenched fists pounding the mattress. She was in no mood to deal with Klaus's wrath today. Caroline was tired and cranky, besides the fact that they hadn't had a proper love making session since Hope arrived. She was always on edge about Hope barging in on them mid tryst like she had done that one time.

Two weeks and counting.

"I swear nothing happened" Caroline shook her head, stepping back with her hands held up in meek defence. She was tired of defending herself every time there was a problem with Hope, tired of Klaus forever swooping in to rescue his daughter from the big evil stepmom.

"There, there" Klaus soothed while rubbing her knee "Daddy will make it all better. I promise" he cooed, brushing back her brown curls from her wide blue eyes.

Scooping his daughter up onto his hip, Klaus kissed her cheek and glared bitterly at Caroline.

"What happened?" he inquired and Caroline caught the repressed snarl in his voice.

"Nothing, it was an accident" she replied, puffing a breath of hot air through her lips. She didn't like his accusatory tone one bit and had it not been for the little monster

"Just let her jump on the damn bed, love" he said "she's only a child"

"It's seven in the morning!" she cried, hands splayed on her hips "You need to set rules, Klaus"

"_We_ need to set rules, we're co-parenting remember?" he said pushing open the double doors to the en-suit bathroom

"In theory but whenever there's an issue you come running. You never let me handle things"

"You're not my mommy! "Hope's bottom lip quivered, arms clasped around Klaus's neck.

"I think you girls are due some bonding time," he simpered, eyes darting from Hope to Caroline "don't you think so, love?"

"What am I going to do with her?"

"Go show her Nemo, you know how much she likes that"

Showing her Nemo meant taking Hope down to the aquarium. Klaus thought that the place calmed her and after reading an article about Aquarium therapy, he made her visits to aquarium almost mandatory. This would be Hope's fist therapist, Caroline mused because Manhattan was crawling with toddlers and therapists on daddy's payroll.

"Nemo?" she whined," Honey, I have a dress on hold at Bergdorf"

"Don't make me with go with_ her_, daddy" Hope moaned, pressing harder against her father.

"Pretty please, "he cajoled, closing the gap between them with his daughter snug around his waist "I'll make it worth your while, sweetheart" he told Caroline.

"You wouldn't tease a girl, would you?" she smirked, the pad of his thumb brushing her bottom lip. The brief flicker in his eyes disappeared as soon as Hope tweaked his ears, crying for his attention.

"I'm my late for meeting, love" he told his older blonde.

"Sure, go ahead. I'll take care of Hope" she surrendered, her fingers ruffling her tangled flaxen locks.

"Thank you" he grinned, setting Hope down on the bed before kissing the top of her head "Daddy loves you" he whispered before returning to Caroline.

"And Daddy loves you too" he reinforced with a lowly growl, hands cupping her face. Lowering his head, he kissed her with slow precision that disputed everything she had felt about him earlier than morning.

Klaus loved her and she didn't want to doubt that again.

..

Caroline loved the mammoth space of their loft. She loved the sunlight flooding through the wall to wall French windows, dancing around the baby grand in the middle of their lounge and she loved the neon graffiti walls in her photography studio downstairs where she could sit for hours developing her film. A collection of her work was displayed around the apartment, the grey prints sitting in a nice contrast against the exposed brick of Klaus's walls. He liked to show them off as if they were high priced Picasso's whenever a few of their friends and colleagues swung around for a drink or two.

As Caroline tied Hope's pink suede boots, she felt the little girl's scowl burning holes on the top of her head and she looked up.

"Is there a problem?" she puffed, nervously combing her fingers through her hair.

"Do you know what you're doing?" Hope huffed, arms crossed over her tiny chest.

"Theoretically, no" Caroline said before she cautiously took Hope's hand.

..

Katherine snapped the laptop shut and sat there for a long while glaring at rose pattern on the Oriental rug they had bought two summers ago. She wondered why they had even bought the damn thing before her mind drifted to that one time they had made love on it. Perhaps it had been the sumptuous scarlet colour of the rug, too much scotch or the raging storm that night but they had behaved like fervent teenagers.

A few military wives often referred to deployment as a little death. Katherine still felt the grief but she was getting better at coping, better at numbing herself to his absence. However, she still struggled with the empty bed, not having him there when she stirred in the early hours of a chilly morning. Katherine hated sleeping alone. One would think that with her being a cop she would be better equipped with handling his deployment but distances were distances and they affected relationships in the same manner. She missed him and she craved him.

_You got to stay army strong Kat. _

Wrapping her hands around the hot mug, her thumbs traced the bold NYPD letters printed on the ceramic. She sighed letting everything sink in, allowing the news to seep in.

Elijah was coming home.

After a year- long deployment in Iraq, he was finally coming home to her. Sixty more days until Christmas and her husband was coming home for the long holidays.

She ambled her way through to the kitchen, the cold snaking its way up her bare feet and she wiggled her toes on the cold tiles.

It was Monday morning and her new tenant was ushering out a different girl, a Sunday night pick up from some random pub, his tedious routine. He was naked as usual, nothing she hadn't seen before and she was starting to think that he was a nudist. Either way he loved showing it off and he loved that it riled her up in more ways than one. He stopped when he saw her, his eyes considering her carefully through long eyelashes and his jaw muscle jumped. Katherine cracked a hesitant smile and he gave a slight nod, a smile teasing his lips. Her brown eyes roamed over his hard chest, tanned skin glistening in the cold sun and dragged down to his hard muscles before snapping shut. With her lips pressed tightly together, she pried one eye open before snatching the cord and dropping the blinds. The white blades fell down with a sharp clank and she pressed her hips against the counter top. She was in desperate need for something cooler than the coffee she was filling up on. A powerful rush tickled up her spine and Katherine had to reprimand herself.

_Down girl, down._

Her Elijah would soon be home and all the nonsense would cease, officer Tyler Lockwood would go back to the searing undergrounds of hell from where he came. As much as she was loath to admit it, she had enjoyed having a man around the property. Lockwood had been very good with his hands. It wasn't that she couldn't get dirty but she enjoyed having someone else getting dirty on her behalf.

She sighed lighting a cigarette before finally submitting to her shower, the taste, the frantic pull, everything felt so overtly dramatic that she had to stub the thing out before she had satisfied her senses. Nothing worked; her nerves were getting the better of her. She needed to get to the precinct and shoot something and fast.

She pulled her hair back, taut around her shaky fingers; she had survived without Elijah for so long she worried if she could survive _with_ him.

..

They took the ubiquitous yellow cabs rushing past their grey bricked apartment building much to Hope's protests. She wanted to use their driver but Caroline felt that it was her duty to show the kid_ her_ New York, or rather _her_ Manhattan as they wold not be leaving the borough.

"I want ice cream!" Hope scoffed, sliding and writhing in the backseat of the taxi.

"No. It's too cold"

"Nobody says no to me!"

"Well, I just did"

"Daddy's paying you to make me happy!"

"Your daddy is _not_ paying me"

"He gives you money!" she objected, tiny brows furrowed and arms crossed across her chest in firm defiance. Caroline could feel the cab driver's eyes scrutinizing her from the mirror, she was about to retort, give the little girl a piece of her mind but thought it better to resign and play with the threads of her tweed coat.

..

They stood in front of the tank observing a school of fish as they floated around the deep blue sea. Caroline found the scene strangely soporific, beautiful and serene. She turned around to look at Hope.

"Pretty isn't it, Hope?" she asked in her sweetest voice.

Hope looked away from the tank, the intensity in her eyes startling Caroline, "I hate you" she seethed without blinking.

"Yeah, well right now I hate me too" she replied with a shrug and before she knew it, Hope was bent over throwing up on Caroline's brand new Manolo Blahniks.

..

"That's the third time you're throwing up today; seriously lay off the damn doughnuts"

"It's not the doughnuts, "Bonnie mumbled, wiping her mouth with a paper towel. She latched on to the sink to steady herself before pushing the tap down and washing her hands.

"Probably something you ate at Elena's place then?" Katherine said rolling her eyes but Bonnie could hardly hear her over the cold running water as she splashed water on her face.

"Maybe it's that ridiculously expensive wine my sister likes so much" Katherine added, grunting and examining her short manicured nails.

"I still can't believe you guys shared the same womb" Bonnie huffed, coming up for air.

"Regrettably" Katherine smiled, head cocked as she stared at Bonnie in the mirror.

"You look like shit" she offered with a big smile.

"How you managed to snag a great guy like Elijah is beyond me" Bonnie said tossing the towel into a distant dustbin as she followed Katherine out of the ladies bathroom and back into the bar to interrogate witnesses to a shooting.

..

Elena tucked her chin into her high collard cashmere coat, brown eyes scanning the playground as little girls pushed each other on a tire swing and a group of young boys wrestled each other next to a big yellow slide, trampling the sandcastle a fastidious little girl was building.

She smiled, suddenly wondering how the kid would turn up and what she wanted to become when she grew up. She speculated about the type of parents she had, whether they were deserving and gracious parents, if they loved her enough. Elena was terrified, thinking that she would never have that, these moments where a mother would sit in Central park watching as her kid played with other children.

She worried about Katherine's reaction when she asked her to be her egg donor and was frankly petrified about her sister's response. Katherine Pierce had always been a lose canon, who knows what tricks she could conjure up in that crazy head of hers.

Jolting up slightly at the sound of her mobile screeching from her Prada bag, she sat up quickly and yanked it out.

"Are you okay"

"I'm fine, Stefan"

"Where are you?"

"Saks, glove department, "she lied with a straight face "they have that calfskin you've eyeing"

"Nice, "he replied, not really listening to her "I'm gonna be home late tonight so-"

"Dinner will me in the microwave, as usual"

"What are you making?"

"Baked salmon with wasabi sauce"

"Cant wait, "he grinned broadly "I love you"

"I love you" she smiled, snapping the phone shut and combing through the playground again to watch the little girl with yellow ribbons in her dark hair.

..

"You're gonna need to sit down for this, "Bonnie said pushing a bottle of wine toward Caroline. It was already five pm, early evening and after a day of running around after Hope, Caroline was more than grateful for big glass or two.

"Uh…ok" Caroline furrowed her brows, looking from Bonnie to the bottle then back at Bonnie. She noticed that her friend had only pulled out one wine glass from the cupboard and wondered why she wasn't sharing a glass with her. Slowly, she settled into a seat across from her best friend, elbows resting on the table. She quickly peered over Bonnie in the direction of the guest bedroom where they had finally been able to calm down a restless Hope.

"Something's happened, "Bonnie said, wetting her lips as soon as Caroline picked up the bottle and poured herself a hefty glass.

"Uh…aha"

"Something really bad"

"Are you gonna continue being cryptic or are you gonna spill it out, Bon?"

"I'd rather show you"

"Uh…ok…"

Bonnie rolled up her sleeves, Damon's robe looking chucky and comfortable on her. Hesitantly, she sank a hand into her right pocket and pulled out a white plastic stick. Caroline watched as Bonnie placed the stick on the table, removed her hand from it and folded her arms across her chest, waiting. The blonde's blue eyes, widened, her mouth gaping slightly as she stared at two pink lines forming inside the window on the plastic stick. Then it finally registered and she could hardly contain her excitement as she leapt up from her chair.

"You're pregnant!" Caroline's face crinkled into a wide, teary eyed grin.

"Not the reaction I want"

"What do you mean, Bon this is super news" she exclaimed, grasping Bonnie's upper arms with her hands.

"No, it isn't"

"Of course it is and maybe now Damon can finally commit"

"No, I'm not doing that, I'm not lording some baby over him so he can commit" she shook her head vehemently "I'm not even sure I'm ready to be a mother, I still enjoy my job"

"This is not the twelfth century Bonnie; you can still work and be a mother"

"Yes, but not a cop…at least I don't want that for my kids"

"Great, then you can finally take that damn bar exam and suit up"

Bonnie shook her head, combing a shaky hand through her hair "I'm not even sure I want to be a lawyer anymore, I had my heart set on Detective Bennett" she said.

"That was just to please your father"

"Maybe"

"Well, now you can be Bonnie Salvatore, attorney at law" Caroline shrugged her shoulders with a sympathetic smile and quickly added, "or something"

"Bonnie Bennett," she affirmed, pushing a hair behind her ear "we both know I'll never be a Salvatore."

"Don't say that"

"Don't say what, that Damon will never marry me? Caroline you see how he is, you see how we are…" she snapped, glaring at Caroline's glass of wine, tempted to take a mouthful of it "Look at us and then look at you and Klaus-"

"Bad example" Caroline quickly interjected

"Or heck, Stefan and Elena, now _that_ is love"

"Damon is crazy about you" Caroline said, her voice quickly softening.

"And I'm crazy about him but he can't—he can't give me the kind of love I need right now" she took a seat, her knees sagging beneath her "I don't want him to love me in _his own way; _I want him to simply just love me"

Caroline broke into a warm smile, grabbing hold of Bonnie's limp shoulders and gripping her into a tight hug. She held her for a while, felt as Bonnie's weight sank into hers, waited for the tears.

"You stink" Bonnie's nose crinkled against Caroline's neck.

"I had a little accident with Hope" she murmured, gently swaying her friend.

"I'm gonna be sick gain, "Bonnie squeaked making a face.

"What is it with me today, is it my coat?" Caroline yelled, bunching up the lapel of her tweed coat as Bonnie ran off into the bathroom again.


	3. Strangers

Bonnie had to remind herself to breath as Damon weaved in and out of the bathroom, toothbrush sticking out of his mouth and eyes frantically searching for something he'd lost yet again. He was always loosing things, she thought shaking her head. He was so disorganized. Bonnie was surprised he hadn't been sued for losing a scalpel inside a patient. She quickly bit back the word _slob_ that had started forming in her head, threatening to tear from her lips. She hated the fact that Damon was the fun one, the one with no responsibilities in the relationship, the one that she had to parent.

She rested one hand on her flat stomach, the other wiping the mist off the mirror. Sighing heavily, she gave her reflection a tight smile and nodded in an attempt to boost her spirits. The doctor had confirmed during the week that she was in fact six weeks pregnant. She still hadn't gathered the nerve to tell Damon, she wasn't sure she wanted to because frankly she wasn't sure she wanted to _be_ pregnant.

There were other options to consider.

"Have you seen my ribbed navy socks, the ones we bought at-"he finally asked, popping his head into the bathroom.

"Second drawer, left corner"

"Thanks, "Damon paused, positioning himself behind her, his hands on her hips "Are you okay?" his breath tickled the nape of her neck, the warmth of his hands seeping through her police uniform. Slowly, Bonnie's eyes tracked the leisurely hike his hands were making from her hips to the curve of her waist. She sucked in a breath as his fingers padded to her belly, drawing circles over it.

"Fantastic" she said, pasting a smile on her face as she checked the safety on her gun before sliding it back into her worn holster.

"Are you sure?" Damon asked, looping his arm around her shoulder, his hip bumping her hip. Bonnie barely acknowledged the intimacy of the moment, pushing strands of her hair behind her ears as she shifted away from him.

"Go to work, Damon" she sighed, turning on her heel to exit the room, "your patients need you"

"Not so fast, "he tugged her arm, turning her around and gently lifted her chin up to meet his gaze

"I love you" he said softly, willing her closer with his smile. He framed her face with his hands, gaze dipping to her pressed lips.

"Do you?" Bonnie hid the urge to scoff, shaking her head but failed to rein in husky chuckle. Leisurely and with pained care, Damon kissed her crumpled brow and smoothed back her tresses.

"I love you" he reaffirmed, tracing the curve of her lips with thumb. Bonnie's body seemed to sigh as he did that, wilt against his fingertips and she chastised every pore on her flesh as it quivered to his touch. Massaging the nape of her neck, Damon drew her closer and pressed his lips against hers with the lightest of kisses. Slowly, he willed her mouth open, breath snagging in her chest. His kiss was slow and teasing, the languid strokes of his tongue melting her resolve and Bonnie found herself pressing harder against him. She loved the feel of his stubble against her cheek as she inhaled every scent of him, peppermint and a woodsy aftershave. Wave after wave of staggering passion washed over her before she finally came to her senses and pressed a palm against his heaving chest.

"I gotta go, "she wet her lower lip, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear "I'm gonna be late for work"

"Later?" Damon smiled, eyebrow raised as he tied the drawstring of his green scrubs. Bonnie nodded wordlessly, not wanting to give a promise that she wouldn't be able to fulfil.

..

Caroline was a size queen.

She loved the fact that her engagement ring was probably bigger than the damn Hope diamond in that Titanic movie. She examined the stone for the umpteenth time, watching as morning light played on the sparkling diamond. Pulling the ring off her finger, she set it on the counter and opened the sleek silver faucet. Caroline bent over the deep basin and splashed water over her face. She'd hardly slept a wink and today she was bartending at some magazine party.

"Morning, "Klaus said, meeting her gaze in the mirror.

"What happened to you?" she raised an eyebrow, unfastening her ponytail.

"Went to check up on Hope and she was having a nightmare" he shrugged his shoulders, blinking owlishly at his reflection.

"So you decided to spend the night in your daughter's room?" she asked, gathering her hair over her left shoulder. She knew that Klaus was trying to build a routine of reading to Hope then holding her in his arms until she fell asleep. She liked that Klaus was such a hands on dad, she really did, it was after all part of his charm but she couldn't deny the fact that it annoyed her at times. Didn't she also need to be rocked to sleep?

"Love, I fell asleep, "he rubbed her forearms gently; "it's not the end of the world" he tucked his chin on the crook between her neck and shoulder and dragged the camisole's strap off her shoulder.

"It's just that I woke up and you were gone" Caroline pouted her lips, watching as he kissed her bare shoulder.

"I'm sorry" he smiled, twining his arms around her waist, turning her around to face him.

"Now, daddy's ready to tend to his big girl" Klaus grabbed her wrists and kissed each palm before pulling her into the shower. Rolling her blue eyes, Caroline surrendered and dove into the wide stall with him.

"Damon's throwing Bonnie a surprise birthday dinner at Le Bernardin" he announced, his fingers sliding into the hair at the nape of her neck.

"A party at Le Bernardin?" Caroline clenched her eyes shut, the torrent of warm water sluicing down her face.

"It's not a party, love" he said, pouring papaya shampoo into his hands.

"I just think it's too fancy, that's all" she pried one eye open, watching as he scooped the lotion in both hands.

"Bonnie's not one for fancy parties, her idea of a good time is watching a documentary on Australian aborigines with a bottle of wine" she breathed, leaning against his chest, her back curving into him.

"What are you gonna wear?" Klaus asked, gently lathering her hair, foamy bubbles running down her freckled neck. Caroline tried to loosen her shoulders, she tried to relax beneath his touch as he massaged her scalp but she was seething.

"Don't know," she shrugged her shoulders "you picking my clothes too now?"

"It was a simple question"

"I'm sorry"

"Forgiven?" she coaxed, catching his lower lip between her teeth and pulling gently. Klaus drew back, licked his bruised bottom lip and grinned with a wink.

"Forgiven" he growled, pushing her against the tiled wall. He fixed her there, hands gripping her buttocks as he lowered his mouth for a zealous kiss. Capturing her wrists, he laced his fingers through her fingers and pinned her hands to the wall. Her heart jolted, hips rocking against Klaus's as her body floated. Before he could fully commit to pleasuring her, Klaus carried her into their bedroom, hands carefully gripping her buttocks. Caroline couldn't wait for the bed, couldn't wait to feel him inside her and so when they finally tumbled onto the rippling sheets, she fisted her hands into his hair and dragged him toward her lips.

Klaus pushed her on her belly and kissed his way from her bare shoulders to the cleft of her lush buttocks. Fisting his hand in her hair, he pulled her head up to face him and slanted his mouth over hers. Caroline's hips jerked up, her fingers tangled in his hair as she breathed hard and fast, waiting for him to completely ravish her. She drew her buttocks upward, groaned deeper into his mouth as Klaus's hand tightened around her neck.

Then, just when the tip of his cock touched the crack of her ass, the phone rang. Klaus growled, jerking back and she leapt up reaching for him.

"Don't you dare!" she snarled, flipping him over and knocking him back on the bed.

"Love, that could be important" he chuckled, fighting against her restraining hands.

"_This_, is important" she breathed, dipping her head to kiss him as she straddled him.

"Klaus, this is Hayley, your ex-wife" the voice drawled from the machine and Caroline felt Klaus wince as his fingers trailed up her shivering ribs. Caroline squeezed her eyes shut, drawing in a heavy breath. She hated it when Hayley called the apartment, hated it even more when it interrupted her time with Klaus.

"I'm only picking Hope up tomorrow morning, something came up in L.A" Hayley continued, unaware of what she had interrupted. Klaus pushed a lock of hair behind Caroline's ear, his gaze locked with hers silently. With a weary nod, she dismounted him and flopped on the bed. She sighed heavily, jolting up to her knees with her arms crossed against her chest. Klaus pulled his white dress shirt from the closet, shrugged into it and paused to smile at her. Slowly, he padded toward his jacket and pulled out his Nappa leather wallet.

"Here, "he said handing her his black American Express card" buy yourself something nice for tonight" he grinned, dipping his face to kiss her forehead.

..

Elena straddled Stefan, looping her arms around his neck.

"For Christ's sake Stefan, she wears scrunchies in her hair, what the hell is that?"

"Why the hell are we talking about Liv Parker?" Stefan raised an eyebrow, tucking another pillow under his head.

"Because you bring her up all the time, Stefan" she persisted, fisting his t-shirt in her hands. The playfulness in her tone was slowly dissolving and Stefan knew that he had to redirect her attention elsewhere.

"Come on, " he slapped her buttocks softly, giving them a tiny squeeze "let's go take a shower. We'll be late for Bonnie's party" he hooked a finger into the waistband of her white yoga pants.

"You promise there's no Liv issue?" Elena leaned over him, her dark tresses falling against his face, tickling his cheek. His hand skimmed up her arm, watching as her spaghetti strap slid off her shoulder.

"I promise" Stefan affirmed softly, raking his fingers through her hair before he kissed her.

..

Damon tapped his fork against the side of his champagne glass to quieten down the group. With a smile, his eyes fixed on Bonnie as the low lights of the restaurant glowed around her. She snared her bottom lip between her teeth, cheeks flushed with a searing red as she toyed with her duck and beet salad.

"I'd like to make a toast to the birthday girl" he said, fingers clenched around the glass. Damon cleared his throat, combing a hand through his hair as he rocked back and forth on his heels. All eyes around the table locked on him as he blushed nervously. He hated giving speeches. The last speech he had given had been at Stefan and Elena's wedding and he had stumbled through that with a hefty helping of bourbon.

"To my Bonnie, "he began, his blue eyes twinkling under the dim lights "I love your sense of adventure; I love your rhythm, your smile and I want to grow young with you without any sense of time or thought"

"To my Bonnie!" he raised his glass, a shiver creeping up his spine as he winked at her.

"To Bonnie!" everyone chimed in over the cacophony of voices and clinking plates. Setting himself down beside her again, Damon leaned in to kiss her and she didn't object.

"Come on, try some caviar" Damon whispered into her ear as everyone settled back into the rhythm of the dinner.

"No" she shook her head, darting a quick glance at him.

"Please, I promise you'll love it" Damon nudged her shoulder, handing a cracker smeared with Beluga caviar. The smell of it made her sick and she fought the gag tickling the back of her throat.

"No, Damon" Bonnie gently swatted his hand away, growing vaguely aware of the eyes around the table as they shifted toward them.

"Please, indulge me" Damon begged, trying to her feed her as his fingers brushed her lips.

"No!" Bonnie snarled, snatching the paper thin cracker and dumping it back on is plate.

"She's pregnant!" Caroline suddenly barked, snapping her chopsticks apart.

..

Damon chased her, threading through the rush of people and leaping over their feet. Midtown was a jittering wave of neon lights as he dashed after her. Finally catching up with her, he spun her around and fixed his hands on her shoulders.

"Bonnie…how …how did this-?"

"Well Doctor Salvatore, care for a lesson in reproduction?" she spat back, frantically buttoning her coat. The wind seemed to pick up, chiding her cheeks.

"I thought we were on the pill" he placed his hands on his lean hips, dropping his head.

"Clearly the ninety nine percent counts" her jaw muscles clenched as she snarled at him.

"I don't know if I'm ready to be a father" Damn moaned, damp palms finding his head.

"Ditto" Bonnie said, chin thrust as she stood slightly taller. Arching an eyebrow, she waited for Damon to look back up at her, to say something else but he should sagged there, shoulder's hunched.

"Good night Damon, I uh…"she shivered against the cold, lifting up her collar as she spun around to hail down a taxi "I think I'll sleep in Brooklyn tonight"


	4. Hopeless

Tonight was a bad night.

Tonight he didn't feel that bond between them. The string connecting him to her was tense, wavering.

Elena sat hunched up against the wall, knees pressed up against her chest and hands covering her ears. She was trying to shut him out. Squatting down on his haunches in front of her, Stefan picked a lock of hair licking her forehead and tucked it behind her ear.

"You think I'm a horrible person, don't you?" her voice was gruff and flat.

"No" he spoke softly, his hand cupping her stiff chin. Tapping her head backward against the wall, Elena observed him through her wet eyelashes.

"Why not?" she asked, a sneer on her face as if disgusted by his desperation. Dipping his head, he pressed his lips to the top of her head.

"You're my wife" his heartbeat pounded in his ears, a cry stifled in his throat. He needed a drink, he needed a shower, he needed his Elena and the discomfit was palpable.

"I wish you'd stop being so self-righteous and try honesty for a change" she croaked, lip snared between her teeth, "They don't deserve that baby, Stefan" she shook her head, lips quivering as her big eyes stared at him.

"They don't, did you see them?" her voice raised a few decimals, cheeks burning as she levelled her gaze with his. Stefan was tired, it had been a long evening and quite honestly he didn't know how to feel about Damon becoming a father. He didn't know how to feel about the fact that his brother had succeeded in the one thing that he didn't, that he couldn't.

Uncle Stefan, the idea made him clench his eyes shut. It hurt, it all hurt and he had to hide it from her because one of them had to bare the pain, one of them had to shoulder the burden.

"I don't they think they even want it" Elena continued as Stefan rose to his feet, fingers pinching the bridge of his nose to stop himself from crying. He walked to their bar, the city lights dazzling from the big wide windows.

"They don't deserve this!" she whimpered, her eyes narrowing into tiny slits to help the tears. She's putting on a show, Stefan thought and he loathed himself from thinking like that. Digging his fingers into the crystal decanter, he clenched his teeth and asked her, "Would you like a drink?"

She shrugged. She was being indifferent to him and indifferent to herself. His wife was a coward, his wife was an escapist. A dull pain began to pound in his head and he tossed a handful of crushed ice in his mouth to distract himself from the ache, to distract himself from her.

"Scotch?" he asked after taking a pull straight from the decanter. When he didn't hear anything, Stefan glanced at her over his shoulder and saw her slumped there looking defeated. Her mousy hair stuck to her wan face, eyes staring into space as she plucked the threads of her Caroline Herrera dress. He could remember them buying it at Harrods during the London trip a year ago. Suddenly he felt compelled to remind her that those were some of the perks to being childless, travel. He decided against it. Dragging in a breath, he trudged toward his wife and hovered over her. She tilted her head up to look at him when he handed her the hefty drink, her eyes big and wet.

"I'm sorry" she murmured, the chiffon ruffles of her dress tickling her chin. Stefan nodded once and squeezed her hand.

"Come to bed" he suggested with his hands outstretched for her.

"Not now"

"What will you do?"

"Stay right here and drink scotch until the sun comes up" she rattled the ice inside her glass. Stefan looked at her steadily then turned around to head to the master bedroom.

"I'm going to bed, honey" he said as he left the lounge "with or without you"

..

The glowing digits on the alarm clock swam into focus.

It was 10.15am but it felt like she hadn't slept a wink. She saw a figure silhouetted against a white wintry sun before squeezing her eyes shut. The glare was too strong and her eyes felt too raw.

"Caroline"

It was Klaus's voice but he sounded like the grinding traffic going down Times Square at peak hour. A feverish heat swept over her as she propped herself up.

"Everything hurts, even my teeth!" she gasped, willing her sudden nausea to recede.

"Coffee?"

"Shutters. Close. Now" she said gruffly just like a cave woman. The caffeine smell seemed to agitate her nausea even more. This must be a rare an unusual hang over, one not caused by simple sake.

"Wasn't it you who said tequila fixed everything?" Klaus remarked coolly, settling on the bed next to her.

"Whose side are you on?" she cried, a red flush colouring her cheeks as he tweaked her nose and kissed her forehead. Setting the coffee aside, he joined her in the bed and gathered her in his arms.

"I really put my foot in it last night didn't I?" she moaned, head hammering.

"You wouldn't be Caroline Forbes if you didn't" Klaus chuckled and slid his warm fingers in her messy hair. She liked this, having him so warm and so close to her but she still hated the nauseating smell of those Brazilian coffee beans.

..

Bonnie's childhood bedroom felt smaller than usual. Normally she liked sleeping in Brooklyn, liked having her grams a few doors down the hallway and liked eavesdropping on Jamie's midnight phone calls even though they grated her at times. Today wasn't one of those times. Her bed sheets itched which she found hard to believe because her grams was nothing if not hospitable. She's probably using a new fabric softer, she thought as she swung her feet off the bed. She stretched and scratched her leg, her old flannel pyjamas barely licking her ankles. She padded around her old bedroom, bumping into her old scrapbooks and coin collections. Grabbing an old robe, she made her way downstairs with the sun streaming through the large hallway windows. She was looking forward to Sheila's beacon and waffles but she certainly wasn't looking forward to the interrogation.

When her grams had opened the door for her in the middle of the night, she had been alarmed but tired and Bonnie hadn't been in the mood for explanations. This morning it was time to face the music. She could hear her grams' voice and Jamie's laughter and another voice she was not quite in the mood for, Emily.

"Well, look what the cat dragged in!" Emily exclaimed, handing her baby to Jamie. Bonnie groaned, her yes drifting from Sheila to a ragged looking Jamie. She guessed that he had been out last night which would explain why his phone had been off and her grams had to open for her. She was tired and no energy for Emily.

"What are you doing here?" Bonnie shuffled past her sister, moving like a zombie toward the smell of hot, fluffy waffles.

"She's bringing her laundry" Jamie drawled, burping the baby, "It's her Thursday ritual"

"Morning child, you sleep well?" Grams squeezed Bonnie's shoulder when she slogged past her.

"Morning Grams"

"Hmm-hmm-uhmm-hmm" Emily drummed her blue nails against the counter, tapping her foot. Bonnie could tell she was dying to say something. It was too early for Em to just be visiting so she knew someone had told her that she'd slept over. As she piled waffles on her plate, Bonnie glared at her little brother Jamie. She just knew he was the culprit.

"Bless them waffles, "Emily hummed, glancing at her "they sure taste good" she licked the sticky syrup off her finger as she stared at Bonnie.

"Yes, they do." Bonnie rolled her eyes and she took in a forkful, "Thank you, grams"

"Is there some reason why you're in Brooklyn so early in the morning?" Emily relented, narrowing her eyes at her sister.

"Emily, you need to mind your own business" Sheila warned making her way to the lounge with her cup of coffee. It was time for her General Hospital reruns and she never missed an episode.

"She is my business grams, she's my sister" Emily called after her, tossing her ironed hair over her shoulder. Bonnie caught sight of the ring again because Emily was obviously taunting her with it.

"That's rich coming from you" Bonnie finally mumbled between her sweet mouthfuls. Wagging a manicured finger at her, Em laughed and said, "I'll ignore that. I love you and I'm concerned.

Then very coy as if she was _mother Mary_ herself; she asked, "Trouble in paradise?"

"Oh, it hasn't been paradise for a while, child" Jamie came out of nowhere with that one and nearly gave Bonnie whiplash. She wondered why she was being attacked by her own siblings.

"I'm gonna go and take a jog around the block" she said to no one in particular while dusting off her plate.

"I didn't wanna anything but you are looking rather chunky around the middle" Emily laughed raising a hand to high-five Jamie.

"Preach!" he exclaimed, holding his hand up. Casting Bonnie a sidelong glance, he rolled his eyes earning him a husky chuckle from her. Bonnie didn't have time for their antics. Shaking her head, she strolled past the chortling duo with their fingers laced together as their eyes followed her up the stairs.

"And that's my cue "Bonnie laughed dragging herself up the stairs, hands pressed to the cherry-wooden bannister.

..

When Hayley's black town car pulled up outside the loft, Klaus was still buttoning up Hope's pink tweed coat. He picked up her Louis Vuitton suitcase and plonked it on the hardwood floor next to her.

"Hey, you're gonna miss daddy?" he tilted her face to kiss her forehead before lifting her in his arms. He couldn't stand the idea of her being miles away from him but knew he had no choice He shared custody with his ex-wife and Hayley had just about the same rights on Hope as he did.

"Very very much!" Hope exclaimed gripping his neck as he carried.

"How much?"

"This much" she kissed his cheek and they both broke into laughter as they headed for the door. When he swung it open, Hayley was standing in the sunlight hallway, an anxious smile plastered on her face.

"Morning" she blinked, her big chocolate brown eyes sparkling up at him.

"Hey" Klaus nodded, still holding on to his daughter. Dragging her eyes away from her ex-husband, the brunette focused on her daughter, "Hey, sunshine!" she greeted, raking a gloved hand through Hope's tousled hair.

"Has she been good?" she asked Klaus as he handed Hope over to her.

"Always" he replied curtly, his eyes fixed on his daughter. Hayley set Hope on the floor so that she could walk on her own two feet then took her suitcase.

"I'll see you next week then?" he raised his eyebrows, swiping a hand over his curly hair. He sensed hesitation on Hayley' part as she held Hope's hand.

"I'm going to L.A for a few weeks" she explained looking up at him.

"And you're taking my taking my daughter with you?" he didn't like the sound of this. He hated Hope being in Park Avenue, Los Angeles felt like another galaxy.

"Our daughter, Klaus and yes" she reminded him, leather cloaked fingers running through her shampooed hair. He caught a whiff of her as she stepped closer to him, airy and rosy like a blooming flower.

"Hale…" his voice broke, eyes darting down to Hope.

"It's only two weeks and you can fly up and visit her whenever you like" Hayley promised.

"What's in Los Angeles?" he asked as they walked away from him.

"A job offer" she replied matter of factly without casting a glance over her shoulder. Klaus stood on the threshold of his loft watching them until they disappeared into the elevator.

He was going to miss his daughter.


	5. Fighting the Cold

Day five without Bonnie and New York smelled like diesel and wet rotting leaves. He could smell the fresh asphalt on 68th street, caught a whiff of peperoni pizza as he fell in step behind a couple of Julliard students toting around violin cases. He dropped his head when he passed a garbage-piled alley with a stale urine stench and trotted a little faster to catch up to the Julliard girls. He loved how they smelled, the brunette in particular with her juicy fruit gum and a husky chortle. They reminded him of springtime in the city. They reminded him of long dinner dates on patios with Bonnie, lazy nights at the park watching jazz shows and Sunday brunches with poached eggs and mimosas. She always smiled with her whole face back then, barefoot in the kitchen rustling up some infamous Bennett recipe.

He winced when he recalled his dinner last night, three pizza slices and two glasses of merlot. Not having Bonnie around would certainly not be good for his waistline let alone his sanity. His cheeks felt raw as he pushed against the crowds, a nipping breeze chiding his nose. Narrowing his eyes to a squint, he loped through traffic to cross the street to the hospital and nearly slammed into a speeding cab. Slapping a hand on its hood, he pushed off and broke into a run again. He tucked his nose inside the upturned collar of his coat and passed a woman pushing a baby in a stroller just as he dashed inside the hospital.

They seemed to be everywhere, mothers, babies, mothers feeding babies, babies suckling on their mother's tits, toddlers yapping, and toddlers yelling and wailing. He was exhausted just thinking about it.

He strolled past a cluster of interns, some nodding over their cups of coffee no doubt the after effects of late night studying or possibly partying, Damon could never be sure. When he found his locker, he changed into his scrubs and made his way to the charge desk.

"How about a boy's night?" He felt a slap on his back and turned around to find Enzo with a ginormous grin plastered on his face. Enzo was his friend; he was also the resident Lothario with a penchant for sleeping with interns.

"There's a new place in Tribeca and it's supposed to have a gaggle of models tonight…some shitty fashion event or other" Enzo explained.

"It's a school night" Damon apologised with a shrug.

Enzo's eyes snapped up and glared at him like he'd just spewed sacrilegious propaganda, "Fuck school night and fuck Monday. This is New York"

"We might even run into Giselle or whoever Leo's fucking these days"

"As much as I love the idea of watching you get shot down by gaggle of models, " he cocked an eyebrow, his lips edging upwards, "I'm pulling a double shift" Damon replied, paging through the charge sheet.

"You, my friend, are a real trooper" Enzo called at the back of Damon's head as the other doctor disappeared down the hallway to pre-op.

..

"You're transferring to a desk job?" Katherine asked as they left the precinct. She squinted against the wan sunlight before slipping on her aviator sunglasses.

"I'm thinking about it" Bonnie opened the passenger door to the patrol car. "I'm reconsidering taking the bar exam"

"What happened to making detective?" Katherine leaned against the roof of the vehicle, eyes flicking back to the cues of people waiting for fresh bagels at the bakery shop.

"It's just a thought" Bonnie shrugged and tossed her a small paper bag. As Katherine peeled open her packet of soft pretzels, Bonnie's mobile vibrated in her pocket. She smiled when she saw the caller ID on screen,

"Caroline" she greeted, suddenly alert to the crowd around her.

"I miss you" Caroline whined.

"Care, you saw me five days ago"

"It just feels like you're on the other side of the world" she complained.

"I live in Brooklyn" Bonnie chuckled, getting into the car.

"Exactly, I mean Brooklyn is the new hip and all but really Bon its-"she took a ragged breath, "Wait, you like _live _in Brooklyn now?"

"Yeah" Bonnie nodded, stealing a glance at Katherine.

"You moved out of your place with Damon?"

"Not yet" she shook her head even though she had been planning to go and collect a few of her things. She was already short of clothes.

"Listen. Dinner. Me and you. This Friday"

"You got it" Bonnie chuckled, snapping her phone shut.

..

"Earth to Elena!" Jeremy waved a hand in front of her before snapping his fingers.

"I hear Elijah's coming home soon." he leaned back in his chair, drumming his fingers on the table top "he might even be here before Christmas"

"You heard or Katherine told you?" Elena raised a brow over the rim of her steaming cup and glared at him. The ceramic felt warm around her fingers, the heat coursing through to the rest of her body. Elena was hastily regretting her decision to wear a silk blouse with white cigarette pants but she hadn't counted on Manhattan being so cold. Maybe she could swing by Chanel for a new cashmere sweater, she thought drumming her nails against the cup. Her eyes drifted around the restaurant, flitting from patron to patron before coasting outside to marvel at the neighbourhood. Jeremy had insisted on meeting for brunch at Cafeteria in Chelsea because Jeremy being Jeremy wanted to relish the view instead of the dishes. Elena got it; the place was crawling with dapper looking boys in Burberry coats but what she really enjoyed was their fried chicken with waffles. When he eyes settled on the bare trees lining the sidewalks and fallen leaves stirring in the wind, it all sank in for her.

It really was winter. It seemed the year had flown by so quickly.

It was nearly over and she'd done nothing worthwhile to account for it. She was Elena Salvatore, an Upper East Side housewife who hosted horticulture parties and strawberry luncheons. She jabbed her fork into the salad, stabbing a piece of chicken several times.

"You look stressed" Jeremy sang much to Elena's annoyance.

"Thank you" she mumbled.

"Is it Stefan?" he continued to dig while he rolled the sleeves of his striped sweater.

"We're wasps Jeremy, we don't discuss our problems. We ignore them and hope they go away"

"How's that working ya?"

She dropped her head to avoid the question and tapped her suede loafers against the leg of the table.

"Have you spoken to Kat?" he probed again and she chewed the inside of her cheek.

"Kat?" her voice broke as she said her sister's name. She hated how Jeremy had drifted more towards Katherine. They seemed to have gotten closer since Jeremy started attending NYU.

"K-a-t-h-e-r-i-n-e" he said slowly, rolling his eyes as he motioned for the waiter.

"About?" she arched an eyebrow, tasting her waffles.

"The baby issue"

"No."

"Why?" Jeremy raised an eyebrow as the waiter arrived.

"Can we not…you know, do this right now?" Elena flung a look at the tall, blonde server in monochrome uniform. Jeremy nodded then ordered a bloody mary.

"How' Jamie? I hear you've been upgraded to Sunday lunches with the family"

"As a friend, "he argued, flipping open his vibrating mobile "Jamie still has issues about coming out to his family which is really a joke cause most of them know he's gay. I think the real issue is his dad, detective Hopkins" he made quotation marks with his fingers when he said detective Hopkins.

"I'm sure he'll come around. You just need to be patient" she smiled, her eyes crinkling at the sides.

"Look at you being all sugary and sweet."

"That's what big sisters are for"

..

Caroline thumbed through a glossy copy of Bridal Magazine while she waited for Klaus in the boardroom. She was considering a black-tie wedding with an orchestra but the idea of an outdoor wedding on a secluded beach also appealed to her. Maybe Klaus could even rent out a European castle for their nuptials; she giggled and closed the magazine.

She peaked into her picnic basket again and surveyed the mini meals she'd ordered from Scarpetta. They specialized in Italian food and Klaus had a special obsession for their duck and foie gras ravioli. As she picked up the wine bottle to read the label again, the door swung open and Caroline's jerked her head up.

"Camille?" she exclaimed, stunned.

"Caroline" she grinned and made her way toward her. "So lovely to see you" she smiled, extending her right hand to Caroline.

"Uhm, you too" she shook her head, still quite perplexed as to what Klaus's former mistress was doing at his workplace. She was in the process of accessing Camille with her eyes when Klaus came barreling in.

"Darling, Maggie told me you were here"

"Surprise" she half-smiled.

"You remember Camille" he gestured to other blonde and Caroline smiled without batting an eye. She told herself that she would give nothing away with his ex around.

"But of course" she shrugged and set the bottle of wine back on the table. Klaus's eyes flitted over the table where she had set up a small picnic for the two of them. The hint of a smile touched his lips before he gazed back at her in her belted coat and stilettos. She could see his mind working overtime as to what she had planned.

"Camille and I were having a meeting about-"

"Klaus, I'd love to stay and chat but I have a another meeting across town"

"Right, "he checked his watch" Let me walk you out"

"Not necessary" she grinned and touched his forearm with her hand.

"Caroline, so good to see you again" she averted her eyes back to her.

"Likewise" she nodded.

Caroline stood in the middle of the boardroom with Klaus as Camille walked away.

"I can explain" he said, the minute she left.

"I'm listening" she rasped, her heart pumping.

"She wants to buy a place in Napa valley for business. I'm simply assisting her with the acquisition"

"It's simply business, sweetheart" he edged toward her, snaking his hands around her waist. She sighed as he rested his forehead against his, "Forgiven?"

"Why you?" she croaked, "I mean why is she coming to you?"

"Because I know property, I know business and I darn well know money"

"Did you two reminisce about old times?"

"Caroline" he loosened his tie and rolled his shoulders before cracking his neck.

"Did you laugh about how the two of you used to fuck behind Hayley's back?'

"No. We were too busy talking about money"

"Right, "she nodded, stiff lipped" tell you what, I'll leave this here cause I know how much you love Scarpetta's duck and foie gras ravioli." She motioned to the picnic spread with her chin.

"But I'm taking this, "she plucked out the bottle of wine, "think of it as my little fuck you to you"

..

"Caroline, what're you doing here?"

It was late afternoon and after spending three hours in her apartment she was ready to commit murder. When she got to Amsterdam Avenue Caroline was already buzzed.

Buzzed and ready for battle.

"I'm doing the rounds today, "she shrugged and clutched her bag a little tighter, "making much needed apologies"

"It wasn't my place to tell you about Bonnie's pregnancy" she breathed, pursing her lips.

"Damn straight it wasn't" Damon slurred, scratching the back of his neck. He looked exhausted but she didn't care.

"Hey, watch it!" she warned.

"Listen, I'm having a shitty day and I'm really not in the mood for whatever this is"

"Well brace yourself cause it's gonna be even shittier" she approached hastily then stopped for fear of puking all over his scrubs.

"It wasn't my place to tell you about Bonnie's pregnancy" she began again, "and for that I apologize"

He waited and she swayed, pressing her lips tightly together before resuming with her argument, "What I will not apologize for however, is you knowing about her pregnancy"

"Thank you" Damon saluted her with a smirk before striding back down the fluorescent lit hallway.

Suddenly she remembered that she hated hospitals.

..

"What's the matter? Liv pinned him with her gaze. She was nimble swirls of blonde hair and dewy pink cheeks. Stefan rubbed the back of his neck, his eyes following the slope of alabaster nose before she wrinkled it in that adorable way that had become her signature.

"Nothing's the matter" he smiled wanly.

"Don't lie to me, Doctor S." she tilted her head, blue eyes narrowed at him and before he could slip away she placed a hand on his shoulder. She eased closer, her breath coming in whirls of white in the crisp evening air.

"Come on; let me buy you a drink. You look like you could use one" she smiled and looped her arm around his. Stefan sighed with a nod. He probably needed this, someone to talk to and Doctor Olivia Parker seemed to understand him.

They took a cab to a cab to West Village and found a spot swarming with NYU students but Stefan didn't mind as they could shoot some billiards. Ordering a couple of beers and a plate of Buffalo wings, she found a booth in a corner and settled in.

"Talk to me. What's wrong?"

"Its just stuff with Elena…" Stefan shrugged it off and took a swig of cold beer.

"You can talk to me" Liv put her hand over his, warming the skin there.

"We just found out that my brother is expecting a baby…and…uh..." he replied, picking up a sticky then placed it back down on the mini plate they were sharing.

"Damon?" she lifted a fry from the same plate and touched it to her lips.

"Yeah" he nodded, pushing the plate in her direction "Elena and I have…uhm…we've been trying …you know, "he took a giant swig before he continued, "we've been trying to get pregnant"

"I'm sorry" she soothed him with her voice and Stefan found his smile widening. He excused himself to go to the bathroom in order to gather his thoughts. After splashing water on his face, he weaved through a crowd of young adults to head back to his table. Stefan paused for a while, watching her. He saw her pouring a hefty glass of beer from the pitcher. H watched as she set it back down before applying a fresh coat of lipstick. He hadn't realized that he was wearing lipstick because it looked so natural. Taking a deep breath, he surged forward and plunked himself back down opposite Olivia.

When a pamphlet in her leather satchel caught his eye, he pulled it out and asked, "What's this?"

"Doctors without borders, ha?" he noted, not waiting for an answer.

"You know me, I'm the regular Florence Nightingale" she laughed as she gathered her hair into a sloppy topknot on top of her head. Stefan smiled when he spotted the green scrunchie on her hair.

"You're so different, "he chuckled, lifting his beer to his lips, "you're nothing like Elena…so very different…" he trailed off as he took a swig from the bottle.

Several beers later they were standing outside the noisy establishment ready to hail down a taxi. Olivia punched lightly on the arm and offered him a generous smile without saying a word. The air around them was palatable with something that Stefan could not define.

"This was nice" She tucked the ends of her scarf securely into the collar of her coat and slid her gloved hand down the strap of her satchel.

"Yeah, it was." He nodded vehemently, eyes fixed on hers.

"We should do it again." She suggested while she slipped a ratty beanie on her head. She looked like a crazy, free-spirited, indie, banjo playing college hippie. She looked like the type of girl he's shied away from in college because she didn't fit the part.

"Yeah, we should" his Adam's apple bobbed behind the collar of his grey tweed coat.

..

Damon peeled a yellow sticky note off the fridge, read Bonnie's scrawny writing about milk and chicken sausages then put the note aside in the drawer. He took out a box of Vietnamese takeaway, sniffed it then proceeded to the utensils drawer for a pair of chopsticks. Slouching against the kitchen sink, he snapped apart the wooden chopsticks and gathered morsels of battered frog legs and kimchi rice. With a groan, he slipped the food into his mouth. It tasted fantastic, so much so that he felt ashamed for washing it down with a can of beer. He padded across to the fridge, his white socks silent on the tiled floor. The cold of tiles seeped through the socks as he cracked open the fridge. The nip of cold reminded him that it was winter. It also reminded him that he was alone in a very cold and lonely apartment.

Sluggishly he moved to the wooden butcher's island and picked up his mobile phone. He stared at the damn thing for a long while before punched in Bonnie's number.

..

Armed with a bottle of red wine, Bonnie crept out of the cab and stood in front of her big sister's brownstone in Williamsburg.

When Tessa invited her over for dinner she hadn't refused because she needed to gather her thoughts and being around her big sister usually helped. As eccentric as Tessa was, she was the most grounded person than Bonnie knew. She was comfortable in her own skin and after two kids, an African dance studio and a professor for a husband she seemed happy.

Relatively happy, Bonnie corrected herself as she climbed the steps to the couple's door. When Atticus opened the door he was in his notorious plaid flannels shirts and corduroys.

"Bonnie" he smiled generously and raised a hand to scratch his scruffy beard. "Welcome, "he stretched out his hand and motioned her inside the house. The immediate heat warmed her skin and flushed her face. She was instantly aware of how cold she had been outside.

"Thank you for having me" she smiled and offered him the bottle of wine. As Atticus accepted the wine, his daughter came barrelling toward them, followed by a large barking German Shepard.

They walked through the small foyer, passing a bicycle leaned against the wall next to a couple of wicker baskets filled with old magazines and newspapers.

"Aunt Bonnie!" Frida screamed already dragging her by the hand.

Bonnie figured that the couple had named their kid after Frida Kahlo out of sheer laziness. That's probably why Atticus wanted another kid; he wanted to right his wrongs in the naming department. Shrugging off her maxi coat, she tugged at the hem of her cropped cable knit sweater and pondered why she hadn't worn a dress instead of jeans. The answer was pretty simple, her clothes were still at their apartment and she had to make do with whatever was in her wardrobe in Brooklyn.

"Hey, baby girl!" Tessa popped her head in the hallway before sauntering out to meet her. She looked homely in a headband and oversized denim shirt. Gathering her in her arms for a big bear hug, she gave Bonnie a tight squeeze before ushering her into the dining room. Bonnie always loved Tessa's home, from the African prints to the flickering fire in the redbrick fireplace. The brownstone was old but they'd renovated the place and modernized it with their eclectic décor.

"How's grams?" Tessa plunked a bottle of wine on the table and shooed the dog away with her hand as he nipped at her ankles. Bonnie drank in the atmosphere while Atticus hummed as he finished setting the table. Frida nearly shoved Bonnie into a chair so that she could better observe everything.

"Great" she replied, heat from the wavering flames warmed her face and she was grateful for it.

"How's work?"

"I'm demoting myself to a desk yuppie" she plucked a thread from their Ghanaian trim tablecloth.

"Yeah?" Atticus looked up as he placed a pot roast on the table "I thought you liked the action"

"I do—I mean the action is everything but…" she trailed off, grateful for the yapping dog because the couple seemed to be concerned with its antics. When Tessa served her the tomato and herb salad she made a point of telling Bonnie that she'd picked them from their rooftop garden.

"Hey, can I charge my phone?" she scratched her handbag for her cell phone, "it died while I was in the taxi"

"Sure" Tessa exclaimed, her eyes sparkling from the flickering light "here, honey she handed the mobile over to Atticus.

"So, you're in Brooklyn now. "Are you and Damon okay?" she asked the minute her husband disappeared into the other room.

Bonnie nodded, picked up her spoon and toyed with her potato and leek soup.

"Are you going through a rough patch?" her eyes narrowed and she pursed her lips. Bonnie mulled over her question by taking a sip water and after much consideration, simply replied,

"You could call it that"

"Frida stop that!" Tessa chided her daughter who was slipping a piece of beef to the dog under the table.

"Honey, do you wanna show auntie your little dolphin project?" she quickly asked and smooth back Frida's wild curly hair. "She's trying to save all the little fishes, aren't you honey?"

"I think they're called mammals "Bonnie corrected Tessa.

"You should've seen her science project last month. She built a damn dinosaur!" her eyes widened, her entire face aglow as she praised her daughter.

"Oh yeah, what kind?" Bonnie chimed in, cheering on the proud parent.

With a wave of her hand, Tessa dismissed the probe and picked up her glass of wine "I don't know, some flying bat thing"

"Technically, those are not dinosaurs" Bonnie persisted with her sage wisdom earing a hint of a scowl from her big sister.

"Right, whatever" Tessa picked up a bottle of wine and held it up, "care for a glass?"

"Not tonight. You got any ginger ale?" Bonnie put her hand over the rim of her glass.

"We haven't bought that since we were pregnant with Frida" she replied absentmindedly as Atticus stepped back into the room. His face looked reddened as he took a seat opposite his wife.

"We've got to book some sort of trainer for the dog" exasperated, he gestured with his chin and raked a hand through his dark curly hair.

"Which is why I told you to get a puppy" Tessa twirled her wine glass in her right hand, left hand picking at the glazed morsels of beef in her plate. He didn't bother using a fork but rather licked her thumb and index finger when after she'd swallowed the meat.

"Please don't start" Atticus sighed, studying the legs sliding down the sides of his wine glass.

"Atticus likes to think of the dog as a substitute for the child he wants" Tessa smiled addressing Bonnie.

"The child you refuse to give me"

"Can you blame me?"

Bonnie's eyes sparked between Tessa and Atticus as they fired verbal shots at each other. She was pretty sure that it was trivial bickering between a married couple, surely if their baby issue was such an issue they would've sought counseling. They were after all the typical Williamsburg couple and therapy was as close to their heart and growing their own vegetables.

"Bonnie was asking for ginger ale" Tessa suddenly announced, prompting Bonnie's head to jerk up.

"Bonnie?" Atticus's intelligent eyes honed in on her and Bonnie's eyes widened.

"How far along are you?" Tessa cried, slapping the table with her hand, "Wait, don't tell me?"

"I've read a ton of books of midwifery"

"Indeed she has" Atticus affirmed looking at his wife with swelling pride.

"That's why we decided on a water birth with his little one" she fussed and smoothed back a lock of Frida's hair behind her ear.

"Does Damon know?" Atticus raised his glass to his lips.

"Yes" she answered simply with no hesitation.

"Have you told grams?" Tessa reached for her hand and squeezed her fingers.

"No"

"Remember Bon, your uterus is like a garden. It needs to be watered and nurtured" her hand lingered over Bonnie's hand before she removed it.

"I'm gonna go and walk the dog" Atticus announced, rising to his feet.

"Take the poop bag with you" she smiled up at him as he lowered his head to kiss her forehead.

When Tessa caught Bonnie with a wide grin on her face, she asked" What's the matter?"

"I just realized that I want what you guys have," she took a deep breath, color seeping into her cheeks, "and nothing less"


	6. Safe Places

Klaus's bristled chin rested on her shoulder, his finger drawing zigzags along her quivering abdomen. His mouth tested her earlobe, feathery kisses that moved to her jaw until he managed to roll her over. She clenched her eyes shut; she knew exactly what he was doing. He was testing her response and his lips were crumbling her resolve.

"Morning, love "he mapped out her delicate jaw with the back of his hand. Caroline closed her eyes, enjoying the gentle strokes of his hand.

"Hmm, a very good morning" she moaned against his chest.

"You hear that?" he murmured, his fingers questing past her puckered nipples to the small patch of hair between her thighs "It's a quiet house. It's just you and me, no Hope…"

"We might even utilize the kitchen again…" he chuckled softly, his breath fanning her forehead and the vein she could feel climbing there.

"You bent over the counter with nothing but your heels on." He smiled, tilted her face up and held her gaze briefly before he kissed her. Caroline felt his arms wrap around her as he pulled her over him. She welcomed the move, pressing her breasts against him, her hair tickling his face, her mouth locked with his. When Klaus cupped her buttocks, she paused, her mouth poised over his neck. Camille's face suddenly swam into focus and she eased herself off him.

"What's the problem?" his eyebrows shot up as he propped himself up on his elbow. Swiping her hair out of her face, she heaved a sigh and shook her head.

"Caroline, "he repeated, his voice beginning to lose its patience.

"I can't do this right now, "she spoke softly, shrugging into her dressing gown. Before he could argue, she pulled their bedroom door open and bounded down the stairs. Her heart was racing by the time she reached the last step, her cheeks burned with anger and shame. Klaus had lied to her about Camille because omission was just as good as a lie. He was working with his ex-mistress on a business deal and Caroline had been none the wiser. If she hadn't gone to his office, if she hadn't paid him a surprise visit, she would've never known about their interactions. Just thinking about it, made her heart hammer faster and harder against her chest.

Marching into the kitchen, she rummaged through the glass-front cabinets for a coffee mug and a can of instant coffee. She slammed the mug on the black marble top island before switching on the kettle. If he was hiding things about his business dealings, what else was he hiding from her? As she drummed her fingers against the mug, her pulse eased down in rhythm with her drumming until she felt more relaxed. She carried her coffee to the lounge to watch the view from their expansive windows. The boats bobbing in the Hudson River always seemed to calm her. She scanned the landscape, watched a fog roll across the river to smother the city before her eyes drifted down to the yellow cabs slinking down wet roads.

"Caroline!"

His voice made her jolt, snapping her head toward the entrance. He stood there looking shaggy and destitute in his dishevelled hair and his pajama pants. She wanted to run up to him and hug him but she was so angry with him.

"I want transparency in our relationship" she choked, cradling the steaming mug in her hand.

"What is this about?" slowly he advanced, his eyes fixed on her making Caroline's breath hitch. It never failed, she thought, it was as though he had some sort of string he could pull whenever he wanted. He could direct whichever way he liked. She sucked in her breath and replied,

"It's about Camille and you hiding things from me"

"She is a non-issue!" he yelled, inciting her to narrow her eyes, an inaudible snarl escaping her lips.

"I really want to be objective about this but I'm really uncomfortable about you working with her" she was firm and resolute as he drew closer to her.

"You're vexing for nothing, love. Camille is business, nothing more" Klaus placed his hands on her shoulders and squeezed.

"Then why hide it from me?" her eyes lit up, her chin thrust out in determination.

"Tell you what, come with me" Klaus dragged his gaze down to her mouth before coasting back to her fiery eyes.

"Come with you where?"

"I'm going to L.A next week and it will be perfect opportunity for you to-"

"And you're only telling me about L.A now?" she tore herself free from his grip and marched toward the piano.

"I've arranged for a business meeting in L.A with Camille and since I'll be in town I will see my daughter. Now I'm asking you as my future wife to accompany me"

"I'm bartending at some Halloween party next weekend" she waved him off then trailed a finger around the rim of her mug.

"I make enough money so that my wife doesn't have to work" Klaus sighed, "Look at Stefan and Elena, they make it work"

"Don't compare our relationship to their marriage" her nostrils flared as she stomped back toward him.

"Why can't you be like Elena, she's a housewife and she's happy" he simply replied, ignorant to her anger. Then quickly smiled and batted his lashes, "They make it work, love"

Caroline had a mind to pour the scalding coffee over his bare chest but reined herself in.

"I'm going to take a shower then go to work," She hissed, "it would serve you well to reconsider your stance on this Camille issue."

..

Bonnie was accessing the newly fixed cabinet in their kitchen when she felt his presence. Without turning her head, she knew he was there, she could smell him, she could hear him breathing and staring at her. His eyes were burning holes on her back.

Slowly she pivoted and her eyes collided right into his. For a long while, they stood there saying nothing but their eyes spoke volumes between the spaces. All she could hear was his heavy breathing and the patter of rain sluicing down the pixelated window. His eyes were pleading with hers, searching hers for an answer, for a reason. The air felt so still that she could make out dust particles riding a beam of light right in front of him. It was the same light that played on his eyes now. It made them wild with intention, so wild with passion that it made her own heart ache. She didn't move and he didn't move, they just stared at each other, lips half parted for what felt like an eternity.

"Damon," she finally whispered and her voice seemed to start up the world again.

"Hi" He stood in the doorway, shaking raindrops from his leather jacket. His eyes dropped to her left hand and to the luggage bag she was clutching.

"I thought you'd be at work"

"I'm working a late shift" he explained and started up toward her.

"I work ninety hours a week, fifty two weeks a year and I barely have time to collect a thought"

"But since you've been gone, that's all I've been doing. I've been thinking about you, about me, about us and about the baby"

"It's all so very…"

"Overwhelming" she completed the sentence for him. Seeing the new spark in her eyes, he smiled and moved even closer to her.

"And then there's your shitty schedule" he said, almost ruefully.

Grazing the corner of her bottom lip with her teeth, she tried to smile and said "And your even shittier schedule"

"We're wading in deep waters here Bon, but I wouldn't have it any other way" his voice was soft, comforting.

Hesitantly, she touched his unruly hair and he touched the hand holding her bag. She felt his cold fingers wrap around her left hand and slowly released the bag to him.

His gaze slid from her hand to her face, "Stay" he pleaded, his voice gruff with desperation.

"Damon, "Bonnie breathed him in as he pressed his forehead against hers. Her eyes slid closed, skin tingling as Damon repeated again and again, "Please, stay"

She heard the soft thud of the bag as he dropped it on the floor and then his hands slipped to the nape of her neck, his fingers woven in her hair. When his hands cradled her face, she sucked in a breath and waited to feel his lips against hers. She heard him swallow, heard the throb of his heartbeat pulse around her own throat and before she realized it, Damon was kissing her. Warmth infused her entire body, uncoiling things that had been dead in her for a long time. She deepened the kiss and Damon obliged and wrapped his hands around her back, nearly squeezing the air out of her lungs. When they finally pulled apart, they gazed into each other's eyes for a long time before she whispered,

"It won't be perfect"

"Who needs perfect?" he chuckled and gathered her in his arms, easing her head against his chest.

They stood still, breathing together, fingers laced tightly together as her body molded against his. He moved his lips lightly on the top of her head, his breath stirring her hair. With her head safely tucked under his chin, he swept his hand up her back and brushed the edge of her shoulder.

"When's your next doctor's appointment?" he murmured into her hair.

"Thursday"

"Is it ok if I come with you?"

"Yeah, I guess we could figure something out" coyly, she lifted her head and winked at him.

..

Elena watched a sales girl wrap up a sterling silver baby rattle inside their notorious eggshell blue paper. Her eyes darted back to the man on the moon feeding spoon she had chosen as her second option. There was even a baby rattle in the shape of the man in the moon but being Elena she had decided to purchase Tiffany's classic sterling silver barbell rattle and hoped that Bonnie would like it.

"Thank you" she nodded to the girl and took her parcel. She was thinking about going to Brooklyn sometime in the course of the weekend and was buying a pre-baby shower gift as a form of apology to Bonnie. They haven't spoken since the evening at Le Bernardin, possibly due to Bonnie's shock about the baby and Damon and Elena's own baby envy. She didn't deny it to herself, yes she was jealous, and yes she was angry that it happened to someone else while she was pining for a baby but she wouldn't begrudge Bonnie her moment. When she marched out of the store, a cold rain pelted her head and she dashed through the raindrops to hail down a cab.

"Elena!"

Swiftly, she turned around and placed her quilted tote over her head to shield her head from the rain.

"Jo?" she cried, her brown eyes widening. Jo was married to the chief of staff at St Luke's where Stefan worked. She was also an old friend who shared her plight of becoming a mother since she'd also been failing to get pregnant with Alaric.

"You look great" Jo said extending her hand for her.

"And you look pregnant" Elena offered, an alarmed look on her face.

"Six months" she exclaimed, brushing her belly.

"How, I thought you and Alaric were-? Elena stammered, her eyes locked on to Jo's enormous stomach.

"A little miracle called acupuncture"

Ten minutes later they were seated in the lounge at the 230 Fifth restaurant exchanging information about fertility.

"So you figure that acupuncture can help with fertility?" Elena shot her glance as she dipped a spoon into her spicy tofu soup.

"Oh yeah, I think it has something to do with the needles being inserted into specific points in your body. It's an ancient fertility treatment but it still works" Jo smiled generously and hunted her bag for something. She eventually pulled out a long, skinny mobile phone and scrolled through it before handing it over to Elena.

"We used an egg donor for our son" she said, motioning to the picture on her phone.

"What's his name?" Elena asked taking in the image of a little boy in a Red Sox baseball hat.

"Joshua"

"He's beautiful" she swallowed and handed the phone back to Jo.

"Alaric insisted on using a Harvard graduate for a donor"

"Stefan and I are considering going that route" Elena attempted to smile then quickly added clumsily, "The egg donor, not the Harvard graduate"

"You got someone lined up?" Jo sipped her chamomile tea slowly, studying her over the edge of the cup. "I can refer you to my agent, she's got a great database with-"

"We're thinking about using Katherine" when Elena blurted the revelation, she wished that she could take it back but now it was out there. It was out there for Jo to manipulate anyway she saw fit.

"Katherine, as in your sister?" Jo narrowed her eyes, setting the cup down on its saucer.

"Yes" Elena frowned, glaring at her soup.

"Are you sure?" Jo propped her chin on her hand, "I mean have you considered the implications when she or he grows up and starts asking questions?"

"I just want…"Elena cleared her throat then tried again, "I want a baby who looks like me too, since Stefan is so adamant about using his sperm"

"You want the baby to have a part of you as well" Jo said matter-of-factly like she got it.

"Yes, does that make me so much of a bitch?"

"No, "Jo smiled, placing her hand over Elena's, "It makes you human"

..

"I guess congratulations are in order." Emily said spooning a portion of collard greens onto Marcel's plate.

"Thanks"

"You sure hid it long enough"

"Preservation"

"Pah!" Emily scoffed and gave her a nudge with her shoulder, "hand me that mashed potato, will ya?"

"Say please" Bonnie stuck out her tongue and laughed.

"I'm glad to see you and Damon made up" Tessa came up on Bonnie's right side and bumped her hip against hers before she picked up a fork to pick a chunky slice of smoked pork from a silver platter. All three glanced back over their shoulders to look at Damon seated at the table between Marcel and Atticus. All three were chatting up a storm and recounting childhood stories for Sheila.

"So when you're gonna make it official? "Tessa leaned against the table balancing two plates. Bonnie's eyebrows shot up before she rolled her eyes. Her sister's would never change. They teased her about her boyfriends in high school-and sometimes a lack thereof-and they were still doing it now.

"We're still dealing with the baby issue; we don't wanna jump the gun" she explained, piling a spoonful of sweet corn and mashed potato in her mouth.

"How you ever gonna jump the broom if you don't jump the gun?" Em teased then made her way back to the table where she sat on Marcel's lap. She took a glass of wine from his hand, sniffed it, sipped it then handed it back to him. Following Tessa back to the table, Bonnie snuck a glance at Damon and smiled as she took a seat next to her grandma.

"Grams this collard greens are slap your momma delicious" Damon smirked, taking in a forkful, "how'd you get the so darn tasty?"

"If she tells you, she's gonna have to kill you" Tessa chuckled and took a long sip of red wine.

"I dunk them in beer" Sheila replied coolly, tossing her coifed hair over her shoulder.

"Grams!" Emily cried trying to get up but Marcel held on to her laughing.

"Well since he's family now he's privy to a few Bennett family recipes" Sheila admitting with a wink before draining the rest of her wine. The whole table laughed and Bonnie and Damon exchanged a long tender look over the boisterous conversations.

When Bonnie found herself alone in the kitchen with Sheila, she knew that her grams had more questions to ask.

"You thought about how you're gonna make this work?" Sheila arched an eyebrow as she placed a banana cake on a small cake stand.

"I know we both have lousy schedules but I'm taking an administrative job" Bonnie shook a can of whipped cream, "I'm also taking the bar again"

"You told your dad yet?" her grams asked as Bonnie sprayed swirls of cream on the cake, adding another layer on top of the icing sugar.

"No. He's coming back from Chicago next week, guess I'll tell him then" with a shrug, Bonnie stood back so that her grams could place red cherries and glazed orange peels on top of the cake. They stood to admire their work then she felt her gram's arm drape around her waist.

"As long you're happy, child" Sheila said with a smile.

"Thank you, grams" she smiled and squeezed her gram's hand.


	7. Helpful

Bonnie's comforting weight was back on their bed. He'd missed her warmth in their bed, missed the shampoo smell of her hair and the way it tickled his cheek in the morning. Damon drew her closer, resting his chin on top of her head. He wanted to get it right this time; he didn't want to lose her again. He couldn't bare the thought of losing her again.

"Morning, "he murmured when he felt her move against him and his cock sprang to life. She wriggled her ass against him, the sensation shooting straight to his dick.

"Hey Geppetto, nice wood "she whispered back then lifted his hand to her lips. Slowly she turned, looked at him and brushed a finger down his cheek. Sunlight streamed though the edges of a closed curtain and toyed with her hair.

"The roses were a nice touch." She purred, picking up a petal from his pillow. Damon shot a glance at the floor and took in the scattered red rose petals which had been strewn over the bed the night before.

"And the candles?" he asked, his gaze roaming over a field of candles burned down to stumps.

"That too"

"And the pizza?"

"The jury is still out on the pizza."

"I missed you" she said, her gaze holding his.

"I love you" he told her, his voice soft and sincere.

Straddling him, she leaned forward until her hair spilled across his chest. She looked so sexy, warm and flush like that. Damon's hands settled on her hips before moving to slide over her shoulder blades.

"Put me inside you, Officer Bennett" he said hoarsely, starring up at her.

"You know you're gonna have to stop calling me officer pretty soon, the new code word will be lawyer mommy" she said breathlessly, shifting on top of him.

"There could be a sex appeal in that" he rasped, nipping her bare shoulder with his teeth.

"Lawyers are very sexy" She fixed him with a gaze, a smile tugging the corners of her mouth.

"Yes they are, but mommies are even sexier that's why they invented the word MILF"

"Who came up with that term anyway?" she chuckled, pulling her baseball jersey over her head, exposing her puffy brown nipples.

"Someone who was obviously fucking a hot mommy" Damon caught one nipple with his teeth and spoke around it before sucking it into his mouth.

Pressing the tip of his cock to her moist cleft, she nudged her lips apart, teasing him. The mischievous glint in her eye told him that she wouldn't quit until she drove him senseless with need.

His hands slid to her face, "You better fuck me like you mean it."

She guided him inside her with one hand while she braced her other hand against the headboard and he watched as his shaft disappeared inside her, sliding in and out as she moved on top of him. He found that she was already wet and ready for him and his cock throbbed for relief but he held back, exerting every ounce of willpower to stop himself from coming. Their thrusts sent ripples up his body and as he caught her nape puling her down for a kiss, he felt the tight grip of her flesh around his erection and knew that she was also close. When she moaned his name into the kiss, he pumped harder and felt her jerk on top of him. His own release was powerful and left him trembling, spent and lethargic.

He felt alive again, content, calm and it was all because of Bonnie.

"I'm in the mood for waffles" he announced, drawing her closer to him.

With a chuckle, she ran her fingers over his chest "I have no objection to waffles; in fact waffles have been known to make my girl parts very warm."

"Then in that case, one round of waffles coming up right after this round." Damon leapt up from the bed, rolled over her and pinned her wrists to the bed.

..

"You look tired"

Elena looked up to find Stefan in the doorway carrying a woven tray laden with a continental breakfast. The smell of coffee, eggs and bacon wafted into the room. He paused, framed in the doorway and smiled at her.

"Thanks a lot." She chuckled huskily and rolled her eyes.

"What time did you get up?" he asked.

"I didn't get much sleep" Adjusting the spaghetti straps of her sheer chemise, she walked into her walk in closet with black and white wedding photographs adorning the walls and fingered through a row of dresses.

Stefan watched her quietly then set the tray down on the closet island while she examined an outfit in the wall to wall mirrors fitted outside the built-in wardrobes. She chose a dress a dress and slowly slipped into it, skimming her hands over her hips. His gaze followed her hands, sliding over the slim flare of her hips and his cock reacted.

"Let me help you with that" he moved behind her, catching the zipper. He slipped a hand inside her dress, her warm flesh under the pads of his fingers and palmed her breast. The filmy fabric of the chemise felt cool in contrast to her skin. He pressed against her, watching her face in the mirror as he kneaded her breast.

"Stefan" she lowered her eyes, biting the corner of her lower lip. He brushed his lips over her earlobe, gently grazing the flesh with his teeth. With a hitch of breath, he pinched at her nipple and felt a bolt shoot straight to his groin. He wanted her so much, wanting to be inside her, needed to be inside her. Lust spiked through him as he felt her shiver against him. He knew he could feel his erection, knew how much he needed her.

"I'm gonna be late." Elena gently pushed away from him, walking to the other side of the closet.

"I uh…have been thinking about this acupuncture procedure that Jo was talking about and I think we should give it a shot." She announced drawing him out of his fog of lust.

He swallowed his disappointment and the tingling ache in his groin and replied to her, "We've tried everything, honey."

"DO YOU KNOW HOW I FEEL?" she raised her voice, flinging her hands in the air and Stefan stared at the vein riding her forehead." I feel like I've lost my sense of purpose, "she continued, lowering her voice again but the anger was still there" Its like I'm not enough and I just need to do this one thing. I can't just give up and I know we've been trying but I want to keep trying because I need this. I need this and I need your support."

"I'm sorry." He pulled her against him, squeezing her closer and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. It didn't take her long to voice her discomfort by pressing a hand to his chest to drive him away.

"I'm thinking about inviting Katherine over for dinner" She unwound herself from him and went to bedroom to grab her tote bag. Stefan gave an exasperated sigh and walked around the island, pausing at the tray before following her to the room.

"I thought we were going to wait for Elijah to come back from his deployment" he pinched the bridge of his nose.

"I thought you were eager to start this baby process" she arched an eyebrow.

Shaking his head and exhaling sharply, he asked "You will do anything to keep avoiding this issue, won't you?"

"What issue?"

"We haven't made love in weeks" he grumbled and felt like a whiny child the minute he blurted out the words.

"Is that all you care you up, exercising your dick?" Elena parked her hands on her hips.

"You're avoiding my question" he reined in the anger clenching his stomach and stepped closer to her.

Stepping back before he could touch her, she ran a shaky hand through her hair and sighed "Like you said, I'm tired"

The peal of his phone interrupted them and he cursed under his breath. Pulling it out from his pocked, he looked at the screen and saw that it Liv Parker.

"Who's that?" Elena asked, slipping into her stilettos.

"Nobody." He tossed the phone back into his pocket and glare at her.

"If we were stranded on a desert island with no means of survival would you eat me?" he deadpanned.

Looking confused, she glanced up at him "What?"

"Would you eat me to stay alive?"

"I don't know. I suppose. Honey, I have to go."

Without giving him a kiss goodbye she marched out and left him standing in the middle of their bedroom.

..

It was already light outside when Caroline woke up. She kicked off her sheets and ventured downstairs still rubbing the sleep from her eyes.

"What are you doing?" she stopped in her tracks, her eyes flitting over the small suitcase on the floor. She look at Klaus then the suitcase and then back at Klaus.

"I was gonna leave you a note" he explained half heartedly.

"So you're really going?" she pressed her lips together and signalled to the plane ticket lying on the island next to his empty coffee mug. He'd obviously been up for a while, she thought glaring at the suitcase again. She could feel her face getting hot.

"Before you say anything I want you to know that I've booked you a flight to L.A too. You can fly out there the morning after the Halloween party."

"I can't believe you're doing this."

"Marriage isn't a license to hold the other person hostage." He shot her glance as he took out his cell phone to dial his driver, "If you can't trust me Caroline then what's the point of us getting married?"

Too angry to speak, she listened as he gave orders to his driver and then once he'd hung up, his gaze softened on her. He reached out for her hand and raised it to his lips, kissing her engagement ring, "I'll call you when I land."

After he left she made herself a cup of coffee and held her hand out to glare at her ring while the kettle boiled. She wondered if this is what she was signing up for, marriage with a husband who constantly went away on business trips and spent long hours in the office. Sure Klaus was a hard worker, she knew that going into the relationship with him and he wouldn't be so successful had he not been such a go getter. So why was it bothering her now

..

The doctor squirted lubricant on a wand and moved the goopy thing firmly over Bonnie's lower abdomen. Damon held her hand, lacing his fingers through hers as they watched the monitor.

"You can't see much at eight weeks but there's heartbeat" the doctor explained, his eyes darting between Bonnie and Damon.

"So everything is fine, I don't have to be confined to the bed or anything."

"Everything looks fine for now." He smiled, wiping the gel from her abdomen. He stripped off his latex gloves and dumped them in a nearby trash can.

..

"When can we start talking names?" Damon asked as they left the doctors office. She looped her arm through his and braved the cold chiding her cheeks

"Names?"

"How about Lily Salvatore?"

"You do realize that the baby will have my last name since we're not married, right?"

"Not necessarily."

"That's the one rule I have, Mr Salvatore."

"You think we'll need a bigger place?" he asked already picturing the color they'd paint the nursey.

"Wow, you realize that you just did a complete one eighty right?"

"Blame it on the sonogram?" he laughed lightly then draped an arm around her shoulder, drawing her closer to him.

"We have a lot to look forward to."

"Yes, we do."

..

Caroline marched into Bonnie's apartment carrying two bottles of wine and a wrapped package tucked under one arm. She shrugged out of her quilted coat and flung it across a nearby chair. Calling out for Bonnie, she wandered into the kitchen where she found Bonnie and Elena setting out glasses on the island. They greeted each other with earnest hugs then Caroline set the bottles of wine down on the wood topped counter, plonking her butt down on one of the industrial swivel stools lining the island.

Without abandoning the glass of wine she had already poured for herself when Caroline came in, Elena poured wine for Caroline and handed her the goblet.

"Are you going to register for your baby shower?" Elena asked, swirling the wine in her glass.

"Hey!" Caroline nudged Elena with her elbow.

"You mean my _surprise_ baby shower?" Bonnie cocked an eyebrow, an amused smile on her face, "Look as long as it doesn't turn into a scene from Rosemary's baby, I'm game."

Taking fat gulps, Elena watched as Bonnie rummaged around the cabinets, pulling out a box of chocolate covered peanut butter crackers and assembling them on a plate. Then waving Caroline aside, Bonnie took out a tub of ice cream from the freezer and scooped some into a bowl.

"If it isn't the nausea it's the tender nipples and the heavy limbs. I feel like I have to drag myself everywhere and then of course there's my new obsession with chewing blocks of ice." Bonnie said with a chuckle. She was amused by the sheer look of horror in her friends' faces.

"Here" Elena smiled handing her a package bound in an eggshell blue paper.

Bonnie tore through the wrapping and opened a small Tiffany box. A smile lit her face as she retrieved a sterling silver baby rattle.

"I've always wanted one and I thought-"Elena explained, her voice breaking before she could finish the sentence.

"Thank you, Elena. This means a lot to me."

Elena shrugged, blinking back tears and picked up her glass, lifting it to her lips for a sip. Raking a shaky hand through her hair, she tried to ignore Caroline's reassuring hand on her shoulder and stared into her glass, the shaky smile never leaving her face.

"Who do I have to blow to get a drink around here?" Katherine exploded into the apartment and they all sighed, relieved for the release as the tension in the room had begun to mount. Elena excused herself, walking off into the kitchen where she tried to collect herself. She took a deep breath, listening to the stream of conversation that flowed out from the living room. Banging her head on the pot rack suspended over the island, she squeezed her eyes shut and drained the rest of the wine in her glass.

When she turned around to head back to the living room, she spotted a picture of a sonogram on the fridge held by a magnet. She swallowed a lump in her throat and cast a glance at the rest of the things tagged to the fridge; pink and yellow sticky notes with handwritten lists, a takeout menu from a Chinese place and a selfie of Bonnie and Damon drinking wine at some restaurant. She gripped the neck of a nearby bottle and anxiously refilled her glass. Draining the first glass, she poured another and took slower sips, allowing the wine to loosen her muscles and numb her emotions.

She could get through this. This was Bonnie's night after all.

..

They held up their glasses toward Bonnie and congratulated her on pregnancy and the next stage in her life. The ding on her phone alerted Caroline of a new message and she discreetly checked her phone she discovered three more missed calls from Klaus. He was probably calling her to tell her than he'd landed safely but she still had no desire to talk to him.

Dropping the phone back in her bag, she crossed her legs, took another sip of wine and tried to enjoy her evening with the girls.

..

"Doctor S."

Stefan whirled around at the sound of his name and shoved his hands into the pockets of his coat.

"Doctor Parker." His breath came out in short puffs of white.

"What happened to Liv?" she laughed, tossing her wild blonde curls over the shoulder of her tweed coat. She looked flush, messy and unapologetic about it.

"Come on, its Halloween let me buy you a drink." She suggested, elbowing him playfully.

"Uhmm…"

Sensing his hesitation, she closed in on him and looped her arm through his before he could protest "It's the end of your shirt right?"

"Yes."

"Then I'm buying you a drink" she patted her messenger bag to illustrate her point.

..

Stefan adjusted his eyes to the dim light as they entered the wine bar. Liv led the way, shrugging out of her coat before they had even reached the bar. They pulled out stools and settled along the ornate bar and Stefan took in the exposed brick walls and barn wood floors that lent softness to the place.

There was a piano in the middle of a low stage where a man sat with a glass of whisky, stroking a few keys with his nimble fingers. Stefan looked around the space, taking note of a few patrons nursing drinks in their own nooks. He liked the lowly lit bar and it was certainly an improvement from the last billiards bar where they had shared a drink.

After a few drinks Stefan looked at her and confessed, "I'm using you."

Struck by his admission, she took a sip from her glass and waited for him to expand.

"I mean I'm using you to vent about my marriage and that's really unfair."

With a soft chuckle, she leaned back and said "But I bet the release feels good. Sometimes you need to blow off steam and have someone validate your feelings for a change. I get it."

"If I'm crossing any boundaries-"he began hesitantly.

"I'm a great listener." She reached for his hand across the table and squeezed it. Stefan hadn't touched in weeks but it felt longer than that because even when she did touch him it felt hollow, not like how it used to feel.

"You need to honor your needs too. You need space to think and just be Stefan again"

"How long have you been married?" she asked as he took a bite of his sandwich.

He swallowed before speaking, "Four years but we dated for two years before that"

"Med school?"

"Yep. The student library" he nodded, eyeing the sandwich that sat untouched on her plate.

"Ever dated anyone else besides your wife?" she leaned closer, her eyes flickering with amusement and a smile never leaving her face. "Let me rephrase that...uhm…have you ever slept with anyone besides your wife?"

Stefan's jaw tightened, perturbed by the conflicting emotions swirling inside him. He stared at the peek of lace under her shirt and took a hasty swig from his bottle.

"No." he replied, his eyes darting to the mirror behind the bar in an effort to avoid the flesh exposed between the lapels of her white oxford shirt.

"And you've never been curious."

"I have. I just never acted on it."

..


End file.
