Must Love Dogs

Chapter Thirty- Three

"What are we, Stefan? Are you just going to be someone who is partly in our son's life? Because I can't have you telling me one thing and doing another. I refuse for you to break our son's heart for not being around. An absentee dad isn't what I want my child to have." Elena warned, locking her dark brown eyes on to him.

Stefan deeply inhaled, lowering his head. "I know." He said, turning his face to stare up at her as to confirm what he already knew, if he didn't prove to her that he had cleaned up his act, furthering their relationship wouldn't work at all.

"I want us to be a family. I want you, our son, duke and myself to all live together." Stefan offered, a small hopeful smile appearing across his lips.

"You want me to move in with you? What, after the baby's born?" Elena questioned with a curious gaze as Stefan leaned over towards her, placing his hand into hers and intertwining their fingers. "No, I want us to move in to our own place in the next few weeks, here. I want us to be together in Portland, until the baby is born and then we'll figure the rest of it out as we go along. Maybe eventually moving back to Florida together." He told her as his thumb stroked the top of her hand and she sighed out a deep uneven breath.

"Stefan, I don't..." She was about to argue, but Elena stopped when she felt the slight pressure as he squeezed her hand and secured his eyes on to her without looking away. "I've made a lot of mistakes with you and I'm sorry. But, I am never apologizing for falling in love with you and coming back to prove to you that I want you, Elena. I want you and I don't want anyone else." Stefan stopped, leaning forward and moved a strand of her hair away from her eyes that were glazed over with tears. "I want to be in your life and I swear to you the I'm going to prove that I've changed. Please, just give me a chance and some time to show you that I can be a different person."

"A chance?" Elena asked him, sniffling back her own tears as Stefan nodded and continued to hold on to her hands.

"Move in with me and let's start our lives together." She was crying now, dabbing away at her reddened and damp eyes, leaning her head against his shoulder as she turned her head towards him and whispered softly. "I don't know, Stefan. I don't know how that's going to work."

"Boss lady, nice to have you back." Enzo commented, spinning around in Katherine's office chair as he smiled over at her.

"What are you doing in my office?" She asked him, seeing his feet hit the ground and the chair he was sitting in stop moving.

"Keeping your seat warm, waiting for your return." He replied simply as Katherine pushed away from the door frame.

"Who hired the blonde barbie to answer my phone calls and be my personal assistant? I thought that was your job." Katherine commented, placing her purse on top of her desk and glaring at Enzo who innocently smiled at her.

"Stefan did, before he left." He explained as Katherine took a seat across from him, scratching her head.

"What do you mean, before he left?" She questioned, saying the words slowly as if she wasn't really sure of what Enzo had said.

"Yeah, I thought you knew. Stefan went to Portland to see Elena, and this time he did it without any convincing, all on his own." Enzo grinned gleefully, placing his hands behind his head and sighing out deeply. "Seems like he really loves her."

"So, he left the blonde barbie to answer my phones and make appointments for our biggest clients?" Katherine hissed out, watching Enzo nod.

"I'll be right back." Katherine stated, shoving up from her seat and walking straight into the lobby where Caroline was sitting, glancing down at her nails.