After Our Love Prevails {Stelena} (2)

5- We're Pregnant!

A week later

Elena's POV

I slowly rock Layla back and forth, my hand gently stroking her back whilst her head rests on my chest, her face turned towards my neck. I continue rocking her until I see her eyes close and hear her breathing slow into a rhythmical fashion. When I know she's asleep I kiss her head before lowering her into the cot and silently retreating out of her bedroom and into the study, only to hear the sound of our doorbell.
"I'll get it." Stefan says before smiling and walking past me and downstairs to answer the door. I turn my laptop off before making my way downstairs too, knowing that the first of our guests have arrived. Today is an incredibly special day since we're announcing the fact that I'm pregnant today. Everything has been absolutely fine with our little one so I feel confident enough to tell everyone that we're expecting our second child in five months. I do feel slightly guilty for not telling anyone until now, since I did get excited and told everyone straightaway the first time, but the midwife told me that because of the surgeries I had, my pregnancy could be a high risk one. It's actually been a lot easier to hide this pregnancy than I initially thought it would be since everyone, including us, has been really busy with work these past couple of weeks and we haven't seen a lot of each other. Despite already knowing, both Stefan's parents and my mum and Jenna are coming over since we thought it'd be nice to have everyone over for the first time in a while. It's been too long since we've all been together.
I tuck my hands into the pocket of my hoodie, which seems to be doing extremely well in hiding my protruding bump, as I make my way into the living room, where Stefan, Jenna and my mum are sat.
My mum smiles at my entrance. "Hi darling," she stands and greets me, hugging me afterwards.
"Hey mum. Hey Jenna."
"Hi, how are you feeling?"
"Tired, and I can't wait to get out of these unflattering hoodies and jumpers." I sit down next to Stefan, who softly laughs and kisses my head as I lay my head on the side of his shoulder.
"Bless, I can't believe you've hidden your bump for so long!"
"A girl can do many things with the right use of clothing," I laugh, and equally receive a laugh from all three of them.
"You got that right." Soon after we hear the door bell sound, and Stefan leaves to answer it before swiftly returning with Caroline and Klaus in tow.
"Elena! I've missed you!" We embrace in a light hug before she sits down next to me and practically starts spilling everything that's happened to her since we've last seen each other. Not that I'm complaining, I've missed her so much, but I can't help but laugh at her enthusiasm, which completely clouds her regard for other people in the room.
Within the next fifteen minutes, Jeremy, Damon, Lilly, Giuseppe, Bonnie, Lexi and Brian turn up so it's fair to say we have a full living room bustling with people and conversations. 
I glance over at Stefan and as we make eye contact I mouth a questioning 'now?', to which he nods and stands before making his way towards me. He sits on the arm of the sofa before gently lacing his fingers with mine, I can't help but smile at his touch.
"Guys," he starts, capturing the attention of everyone in the room. "We have something to tell you," he looks towards me.
"I'm pregnant," I state with a smile. From that moment on, the emotions and noise level of the room heighten as the girls scream with excitement and my parents and Stefan's parents smile and clap with delight. Jeremy, Damon and Klaus all gleam and congratulate us.
"Oh my god, Elena! I'm so happy for you both!" Caroline bear hugs me from the side and I laugh as Bonnie then hugs her, so we look like a human caterpillar.
"How many weeks are you?" Jeremy leans forward, a smile on his face.
"15 weeks."
"What?! I was expecting you to say 6 or something!" I can't help but to feel guilty at the surprised tone to Caroline's voice. Stefan knows I've been feeling guilty about not telling them, and so I feel him place a kiss on my head before answering for me.
"The midwife's told us that Elena's pregnancy could be high risk, so we didn't want to tell everyone until we got the all-clear that everything was okay."
"But everything's okay?" Bonnie asks, concern etching across her face.
"Yeah, everything's fine," I smile comfortingly at her as she briefly takes my hand in her own.
"So I'm guessing you have a nice bump under that hoodie of yours now?"
"Yeah, I actually don't know how we've managed to hide it for so long," I laugh and look towards Stefan, who faintly laughs at my words. "I guess everyone's been busy so we haven't seen much of each other."
"Which is definitely going to change, especially now you're going to have two kids." As if on cue, the abrupt sound of Layla's cries from the baby monitor fills my ears, almost making me jump.
"Speaking of kids," I say before sitting up and beginning to get off the sofa.
"Do you want me to get her?" Stefan offers.
"No, don't worry I've got her. I'm going to change whilst I'm up there."
Once I'm in her room, I smile at the precious sight in front me. She smiles as soon as I enter the room and attempts to pull herself up using the bars of the cot.
"Hey baby," I smile and place her on her changing mat and change her nappy. I kiss her cheek and carry her into our room before placing her in the middle of my bed, keeping a close eye on her as I swap my hoodie for a long-sleeved, dark green top. I carry her downstairs with me and smile at how one of her cheeks is still bright red from where she's been laying on it for the last hour.
A chorus of aw's and gushes at Layla begins as I bring her into the room before placing her down so she can crawl to her heart's content. I kneel on the floor so I can make sure she doesn't hurt herself and equally because this way I can communicate with everyone.
"Oh Elena your bump! I didn't realise you were showing so much already!" I can't help but to look down at Bonnie's comment, completely forgetting the fact that they haven't seen my bump yet and had no idea of how much it's grown.
"Oh yeah, I guess you guys haven't properly seen it."
"Have you felt any kicks yet?"
"Not yet, it's mainly light flutters at the moment." Layla crawls back over towards me at the sound of my voice, and presses her face against my bump, I smile and stroke the top of her head.
"Aw, Layla. You're going to be the best big sister ever, aren't you?" Jeremy asks as he leans over and strokes her head, which makes her look up at him for a brief moment and smile before returning her head back to my bump. I can't help but smile at having both of my children at such a close proximity, the idea of having two children amazes me every single day and I know it's all the two of us have ever wanted.
"How's college going, Jer?" I ask, wanting to know.
"Good, tiring though. I can't believe I'll be done with it all soon," he replies. Jeremy's about half way through his last year of college, meaning that he's going to be a graduate in the space of a few short months. His graduation ceremony date has already been set and falls around the time that the baby's due so depending on when I go into labour, my presence at the ceremony is unfortunately uncertain at this point.
"I can't believe that both my babies will be graduates within the next five months," my mum gushes. "You're all growing up so fast."
"I feel the same about both Stefan and Damon," Lilly adds. Both Stefan and Damon laugh softly and wear the same shy expression. "I feel like it was yesterday when I was watching Damon get his diploma and Stefan his doctorate."
"Oh my god I just realised!" Lexi gasps, making us all turn to look at her. She blushes at the attention before proceeding to tell us what she's just realised. "If you're pregnant that means you're going on maternity leave. And if you're going on maternity leave that means that you're going to leave me at work...again!"
I bite my lip at the rush of guilt I feel at that moment. Yes, this is a special moment for Stefan and I, as well as our family, but I can't help but to feel bad about leaving Lexi alone in the office, especially with Amanda there.
"Sorry Lexi," I say sheepishly, not knowing what else to say.
"I'm just kidding. You're having a baby, Elena, me being on my own isn't a problem," she laughs.
Before I can reply, Layla looks at me with her bottom lip protruding and starts to whine.
"What's wrong with you misses? Are you thirsty?" I take her into my arms and scan the living room for her beaker.
I locate her beaker by Stefan. "Babe, can you pass me her beaker please?"
He approaches us and passes me the beaker, which I give to Layla, before ruffling her hair.
"There you go, Layla." She drinks thirstily and I can't help but smile at her cuteness and kiss her head.
"How have your pregnancy symptoms been?" Caroline asks, smiling at Layla as she shuffles along the floor with her beaker in her mouth.
"Not really had an morning sickness except for the bout that I got that made me suspect I was pregnant. In terms of my mood, would you say I've had mood swings?" I ask with a smirk, turning to Stefan.
"I would definitely say you've had mood swings, yes," he replies with the same smirk.
Caroline looks between the two of us, trying to resist the urge to laugh.
"That bad, huh?" She looks between the two of us, after having decided to not hold back her laughs.
"I mean... one minute she'll be right as rain and then the next she's crying her eyes out, and then she's getting angry at herself for crying which then makes her cry more. Then the cycle repeats," he explains. "Although once she was crying and then she got mad at me for her making her go through this." I laugh as I recall the memory, I did apologise to him after I had calmed down. I suppose that anecdote perfectly sums up my emotional state over the last few months. I just feel bad for Stefan having to put up with me and my baggage of emotions, since he's normally on the receiving end of them or has to comfort me to calm me down.
"Basically, I'm an emotional and hormonal mess." They laugh at that and I can't resist laughing along with them. Layla looks around at everyone, probably wondering what the noise is about, and on seeing everyone laughing she giggles along with us.
"God could you imagine what I'd be like if I were pregnant?" Caroline asks with a laugh. Despite both the rhetorical and hypothetical nature of the question, Klaus' eyes noticeably widen and I have to bite my lip to suppress my laugh. On seeing the reaction of her boyfriend she laughs, puts her hand on his arm and tells him she's not, and then rolls her eyes jokingly when he sighs in, what looks like, relief.
"But good luck for when I am. I'm going to be such a drama queen, I just know it."
Bonnie furrows her eyebrows in mock confusion. "You're already a drama queen?"
She pouts at Bonnie's insult. "Ha ha. Fine. I'll be more of a drama queen."
"It was nice knowing you all," Klaus says. Caroline playfully slaps his arm for that as we all laugh. The banter that they have never ceases to amuse me.
"You'll be fine. It's not too bad," I say. "Just be prepared for a tiny human squeezing your bladder twenty-four-seven." She scrunches her nose as if she's debating whether having a child is worth that, but knowing Caroline, she's going to go on to have kids; she's one of most maternal people I've ever met. She's an amazing auntie to Layla, and I have no doubt that she'll be the best mother, when she has kids.
"Oh my god, I almost forgot! Guess who I saw at the supermarket yesterday!"
"Who?" Bonnie asks, perking her head up.
"Tyler Lockwood!"
"Well there's a name I haven't heard in a while," Bonnie says.
"Really? How is he?" I ask.
"He's good. He seems happy, he's working for his dad's company at the moment but is looking at doing some freelancing."
"I wonder how Carol's doing." My mum wonders aloud. My mum, Stefan's mum and Caroline's mum all used to hang out with Carol Lockwood when they were all at school, but ended up losing contact with her due to busy schedules.
"We should call her sometime, catch up with her." Lily suggests, looking towards my mum.
"Definitely," she agrees. Layla moves over towards Stefan and reaches her hands out towards him, gesturing her desire to be picked up. Of course he smiles and picks her up, continuing his conversation with Klaus and Damon. I smile at the sight of the two of them, like I always do when they're both together. My gazing must've been noticeable since, once I'd snapped out of it, my mum smiles and winks, knowing all-too-well what I was staring at.
Since Layla is no longer on the floor and is instead in her father's arms, I stand up and reclaim my seat next to my mum. My back almost sighs in relief as it makes contact with the sofa.
"You okay?" She subtly asks as I wait for the pain in my back to subside; when it passes I smile and nod to answer her question. A smile of relief sweeps across her face as we both turn our attention back to the conversation, which has escalated to Bonnie teasing Caroline for some unknown, but probably, funny reason. I smile contently at them all, knowing I have the best family a girl could ever ask for, and that my children are being raised with the amazing support system they deserve.

A few hours later

Everyone left a few hours ago, I really enjoyed talking with everyone and it was such a relief to tell everyone about the baby, it feels nice knowing that I won't have to hide my ever-growing baby bump.
"She's asleep." I turn and see Stefan stood by the door frame, exhaustion written across his face. He approaches before sitting down next to me, placing my feet on his lap.
"I've been thinking," I start, sighing in content. "About working part-time from now on, and not going back full-time."
"I've been thinking too."
"About what?"
"About reigning in on the amount of hours I do."
At this I sit up, concern must be plastered across my face. "Wait, what? Why?" Stefan loves his job just as much as I do, but I could never ask him to cut down his hours.
He gently smiles before tucking my hair behind my ear. "Because it would mean I'd be able to help with the kids more, and take some of the pressure off you."
"But you love your work."
"Yeah. But I love my family more." I smile creeps up on my face at this, and before my mind could register my actions my lips were brushing against his, my hands cupping his cheeks. The feeling of his hands on the small of my back radiates warmth through me, encouraging my body to press against his, minimising the space between us.
"I know you do. But I can still write as a hobby whereas you can't exactly go around operating on people's brains for fun."
"I know but reducing my hours is the least I could do."
"I just don't want you to regret it."
"Nothing could make me regret spending more time with my family."
"But..." He silences me with a kiss.
"Not buts. I want to do this. Let me do this." I feel my skin warm as his thumb glides over my skin. "Okay?"
I smile, not completely sure whether I'm okay with him pulling back on his hours or not. I mean, I'll definitely enjoy spending more time with him, and I know he'll enjoy spending more time with our children, but at the same time I know how much he loves his work and I wouldn't want him to regret the decision. "Okay," I reply. I rest my head against his shoulder and smile as I feel a kiss being placed on my head and his arm wrap around me. Knowing that I have such an amazing husband, who is willing to sacrifice anything and everything for his family, makes me both incredibly proud and happy. Layla and I, and our unborn child, are extremely lucky, to say the least, to have him in our lives.

AN: Hope you enjoy the chapter! I'm really trying to quicken my updates but I've got a lot on my plate at the moment so I'm not sure when my next update will be. Thanks for reading!
-Chelsea x