Back in Time

18

The next three weeks passed in a whirlwind. Damon was the perfect husband, and we kept trying for a baby night after night. I knew that my time was limited, and I would have to do something soon, but for now, I just couldn't.

I woke up one morning and felt something off in my stomach. I sat upright and stayed still for a moment. Then, I jumped off the bed and bolted for the bathroom.

"Elena?" Damon called after me. I fell onto my knees and threw up into the toilet. "Hey." I felt Damon lifting my hair out of the way, one hand gently rubbing my back. "You're okay."

"Yeah." I gasped, leaning back against his legs and closing my eyes. Damon crouched down and hugged me lightly, comforting me.

How was I vomiting? Vampires didn't do that. Well, unless they had taken vervain or really bad blood., and even that wasn't often. I was so confused, but right now, I just had to stay silent.

"What happened?" Damon asked as I washed my mouth out at the sink.

"Food poisoning, I think." I wiped the water from my lips. "Maybe I ate something bad."

"Or..." Damon trailed off, one of his hands landing on my stomach. It took me a minute to figure out what he was implying. I sighed, running a hand through my hair.

"Damon, let's not get our hopes up." I told him, but I could tell that he already had. "Let's just give it some time, okay?"

-

I threw up at least once a day for the next two weeks.

Eventually, I gave in and sent a message to Katherine. She arrived early the next morning, Emily at her side. Emily sent Damon to visit Stefan, probably just to get him out of the way.

"Lie down." Emily said. I lay down on my bed and Katherine sat beside me, holding my hand. Emily started murmuring a spell, and then I felt a shift in my stomach. My eyes widened.

"Do you hear that?" Katherine tilted her head. There was a tiny fluttering heartbeat, and it was coming from my stomach. I gasped.

"It seems that you are pregnant, Elena." Emily said "Your bump has hidden for some reason, would you like me to remove the cloaking?" I nodded, and she muttered a spell.

I blinked and then there it was. My baby bump. It was a lot bigger than I thought, and I looked up at Emily for an explanation.

"Because you are a vampire, your pregnancy is accelerated. My guess is that you conceived one month ago, and you are three months along. Your baby will be born in two months." Emily patted my shoulder. "It looks like that pregnancy spell worked."

"What?" I yelped, but she was gone. I turned to Katherine, who was looking very guilty. "Explain. Now." I demanded.

"Okay, it was me." She admitted. "I slipped you a pregnancy spell the day of your wedding. That's why your blood tasted a bit off. You said you always wanted kids, so..." I threw my arms around her neck.

"Thank you." I sobbed. "Thank you." Katherine hugged me back, seeming surprised at my reaction. "Katherine, thank you."

"Emily has gone to get Damon." She mumbled. "I don't know how you're going to explain this to him. Maybe just tell him that you have no idea what's happening."

"Yeah." I leaned back, circling my bump. "Katherine, this is big even for three months."

"That's because there's probably more than one baby in there. The spell never gives you just one."

"Two?" I gasped.

"Yeah." Katherine shrugged. "Sorry, this is all a lot to drop on you."

I just shook my head, rubbing my bump with one hand. Everything over the last ten months was insane. I had travelled back in time, married the 1864 version of Damon, and now I was pregnant with his children.

"Elena?" His soft voice sounded from the door. I looked up to see Damon's eyes fixated on my bump. Katherine stood and left the room quickly.

"Hey." I said as he sank down on the bed next to me.

"You're pregnant?" He asked. I nodded. Damon laughed and hugged me tightly, being careful of the babies. "But how..."

"How am I so big?" I asked. "Good question. I have no idea."

"We're having a baby." He murmured against my hair. "I love you so much Elena."

"I love you too." I kissed his cheek.

My vision blurred, and I saw a flash of the Salvatore boarding house from the future. It flickered, and then faded. It came again, more real. I caught a glimpse of Bonnie, kneeling on the floor, muttering a spell.

"No!" I gasped. "No, I can't go back!"

"Elena?" Damon was panicked.

I already felt myself slipping away. I grabbed Damon's hands and looked up into his eyes. He looked down at me, confused and shocked.

"Tell Katherine that I said to give you the choice if you want to turn. She'll know what I mean." I gasped as the image came again, forcing myself to stay. "If you turn, you will see me and the babies again. Ask her to tell you about me. I will find you again, I promise."

"Elena, what's going on?" Damon looked even more panicked.

"Katherine will explain." A tear ran down my cheek. I was almost out of time. "Never give up Damon. I will find you again, I know I will. I'll always be your wife. I love you."

"I love you too." Damon murmured. I crushed my lips to his for one last kiss, and then everything was gone.

"Elena!" I heard his faint voice calling for me, and I squeezed my eyes shut, tears spilling down my cheeks.