Chapter 37: Epilogue

Damon

Two years later…

She looked beautiful, radiant even, in that flowy light pink dress. She reminded him of the fresh hydrangeas she was holding in her hands as she walked down the aisle. His mind flashed to that summer, a year ago when she walked down an aisle on a Caribbean beach, her white dress and long hair, flowing with the breeze. Only their closest friends and family shared their moment with them as they made their vows to each other. Back then just like now, her eyes were on his, her smile a silent promise only for him as she took her spot on the opposite side of the alter.

Everyone else was watching his brother's bride, in her perfect white dress, walking down the aisle but his eyes were only on her, his beautiful wife.

Stefan and Caroline said their vows. Damon promised to love her forever. They put on their wedding rings. Elena promised the same. No one else was there but them and as the groom kissed his bride, the best man and the bridesmaid were clapping but their smiles were only for each other.

Later in the reception, Damon said a few words about Stefan to his new bride and their friends and family. "I want to congratulate my brother on his beautiful new wife. She obviously doesn't know what she just signed up for. I mean, just the amount of time he spends in front of the mirror, shaping that hair…"He cracked a few more jokes and made his brother blush a little to the amusement of everyone else.

Then it was Elena's turn to talk. "When we were little, Caroline used to come over and we'd dress up and play wedding. It was her favorite game and she of course always played the bride and I had to play the groom." Scattered giggles spread in the little pause she took. She smiled and went on. "I used to get annoyed with her, demand that we switch but she refused so we screamed at each other or pulled each other's hair until our parents split us up. It took us five minutes tops to go back to being best friends and she'd still end up playing the bride." Now everyone was outright laughing. "I'm so happy that Care found her groom and I got to be her bridesmaid instead." She smiled and turned around to address her friend. "So Caroline, my best friend, my family, I wish you all the happiness in the world because you certainly deserve it..." She finished her heartfelt speech that made her, Caroline and Bonnie all cry and hug each other like they were never seeing each other again.

Girls, man.

The newlyweds started the dancing and the dance floor started filling up. Damon and Elena were right there in the corner, too wrapped up in each other to notice anything else. She was in his arms, beautiful, perfect and his. He twisted her around, held her back against his chest and could not help but let his hand drift to her stomach, still flat and perfect but not for long which made him so happy that he could sing. He was not even embarrassed about that notion.

No one else knew the secret they shared, just the two of them for now. They just found out yesterday so Elena thought they should wait before telling everyone. "It's Stefan and Caroline's day," she had said.

To be completely honest, he was fine with that. He liked the thought of it being their little secret.

"I love you," he whispered in her ear before he twirled her around again and the sound of her laughter pulled a chuckle or two out of him too.

"We love you too," she said when she was safely back in his embrace, her doe eyes twinkling brighter than all the lights in the room combined.

He pulled her in for a kiss, maybe their hundredth for the night but who was counting. She melted in his arms and for that moment, they were alone, celebrating their news.

His brother and his new wife were finally off to their honeymoon and he and Elena just stepped into their living room. They moved into this house six months ago. A couple of years ago, if someone had told him, he would be living in the suburbs, he would have laughed really hard and proclaimed that person delusional. Yet, here he was and he was happier than he could ever imagine.

The paparazzi decided that he was not that interesting after all so he and Elena started looking for someplace more family friendly. They agreed that they were not going to raise their kids in the city. This was where they ended up, a two-story, four-bedroom house with a backyard and front lawn that he had to mow every once in a while.

He had to commute every day to the city and back for work but he was fine with that too. He had taken over some of the administration work for the HIH and was working alongside Ric. Now that Salvatore and Co. sponsored the foundation, they were able to do much more work which needed more administration. It was not very lucrative but he was not there for the money. He only even agreed to take it because Ric insisted those were the rules. His mother had left him and Stefan enough to last them and their grandchildren all their lives without a day's work and he still had his shares from Salvatore and Co. No, he actually liked working there, liked what he was doing and the people he was working with.

Speaking of salary, Elena was now making three times more than he did on her blog that had now become a must read and in maybe a year or two, she could open her own magazine and start hiring people to work for her.

Now though, nothing else was on her mind but the thought of getting upstairs as fast as possible. She did not even stop to take off her coat before she started climbing the stairs, trying to be quiet about it but not really managing in her hurry. He smiled and followed her in a more reasonable speed. She reached the bedroom right down the hall from the master bedroom and opened the door quietly.

When he reached the same door, he saw her kneeling by the bed reaching over the tiny sleeping form to place a kiss right underneath the unruly curls over her forehead. He kneeled on the opposite side and did the same.

Honey had been living with them for almost a year now. She had turned their life around since then. They were happy before but it was a whole different level of happiness when she was there.

It took some time for her to adjust and it helped that she already knew Elena and loved her but now it was like she never knew another life. She even started calling them mommy and daddy some time ago and it had been the three of them ever since.

Now they were going to become four and he could not wait for that day.

Honey's sitter had already left right after they arrived so they just closed the door to her bedroom and headed for theirs.

He had been waiting for this moment the whole day. When they were alone in their bedroom with the door closed and he could finally have her all to himself. She was out of her dress in the bathroom and had the bathwater running by the time he had closed the door and gotten rid of most of his tux.

Not too long after, they were both in the tub, her back against his chest and his lips moving lazily across her shoulders, to her neck then meeting her lips. That was it. Those were the moments he lived for, the ones where he spent his time with his girls, not necessarily doing anything but being.

Their life was by no means perfect. Still it was the life he had always yearned for but never realized that he did and he never would have had it without Elena. She saved him from himself and she gave him everything he wished for. No amount of "I love you"-s or kisses would be enough to show her the magnitude of his feelings for her but he still tried and this time was no different.

"God, I love you so much," he said and kissed her even harder.