Author's Note: Well, that's a wrap, guys! Thank you so much to everyone who read and reviewed. I thrilled that so many ppl enjoyed my 2nd TVD/Bamon fic. So, this is the epilog/finale I promised. It does feel bittersweet, but I promise there will be more drabbles of this family unit because I personally love Damon and Bella together :D Enjoy and as always please review. Thanks!
Epilogue
"Wouldn't June be a nice month?" She asked casually as her eyes scanned the beautiful scenery of the park with its trees filled with leaves that told that it was springtime. "Or maybe July … Oh, the 4th of July, we could have fireworks, huh?" She said as she leaned over and nudged her companion with her elbow.
"First you said December when December came you said March. Now, here we are in March and you're trying to push it off more. Nope, not gonna happen Witchy," Damon Salvatore spoke as they strolled along the path the led to the little bridge that overlooked the only lake that ran through town. "We are getting married this month as you promised, so, pick a date."
"What's the rush, Damon?" Bonnie asked.
"No rush really, except it took you nearly two years to finally accept my marriage proposal. Now, we've been going back and forth about setting a date for a year and a half, and I'd like for us to walk down the aisle 'before' I walk our beautiful daughter down the aisle," He joked and Bonnie rolled her eyes at him as she smiled.
"First of all, Bella's three," Bonnie stated which prompted the excitable toddler nestled securely in her father's arm to speak out.
"I'm this many, daddy," Bella announced as she held up three fingers in her father's face, who's bright blue eyes held immense love, pride, and joy as he regarded his child.
"That's right my little chicken nugget, you are that many," He replied as he held up the same three fingers. Bonnie's smile spread even wider as she watched father and daughter. It still amazed her to see how much Damon adored their daughter. Once upon a time, she had imagined he would grow bored of their newborn, but it had been just the opposite. He would dote on Bella and bent to her every whim, often times making Bonnie feel like the bad guy when she made him return jewelry, cars, and ponies he had bought simply because Bella saw it and said that she wanted one.
"Secondly, we both know you have no plans to allow her to ever have a boyfriend, so you'll never actually give her away to be wed," Bonnie said what Damon thought to be a very true statement and so he nodded his head. "Thirdly, I love you and I want to be your wife, so we will get married … someday."
"Yeah, someday in 'this' month, so you either pick a date or I will."
"Fine, the 25th, that'll give Caroline nearly two weeks to plan everything. I'll become Mrs. Damon Salvatore and people can stop calling Bella the 'B' word, you happy now?" She teased. Her last sentence made Damon stop dead in his tracks and turn to look down at her.
"Who, exactly, has been calling Bella a bastard?" He asked as he covered Bella's ear with one of his hands as he pressed the other ear against his shoulder to keep the inquisitive toddler from hearing the 'B' word and possibly repeating it. Bonnie tossed her head back a bit and laughed at his behavior as she continued to walk on with him following her a moment later. "I want names Bennett," He added seriously as he took his position back at her side.
"It's just a saying, Damon. No one has ever actually called her that, at least not that I've heard. Believe me, if I had heard them I would fry their-" She stopped short when she noticed Bella's blue eyes looking at her, soaking up everything she said. "Well, it would be a very bad day for them, let's put it that way."
"Rubber duckies, daddy, rubber duckies!" Bella exclaimed as she bounced in her father's arms with one arm wrapped tightly around the paper bag she carried and the other arm outstretched, with fingers pointing to the mother duck and her babies that swam in the nearby pond. Damon clutched her tighter and raced over to the pond as the squeals of joy from his beloved child filled his ears and elated his heart. Bonnie followed stumbling a bit as she tried to maneuver the stroller over the gravel that surrounded the pond.
"Why do I even bring this thing?" She mumbled to herself with a frown.
"Don't I ask you that every time we go out?" Damon asked over his shoulder before he planted a loud smooch on his daughter's cheek, which made her giggle in delight. "Has she ever even used it?" He asked and Bonnie frowned up a bit as she looked down at the contraption and realized that she hadn't.
"No, but I just thought, you know, that you might want a rest and would actually allow Bella to sit in it," She said as she rolled her eyes at him a bit.
"Sorry, besides she's nearly four now, and perfectly capable of walking," Damon stated and once again Bella held up her fingers and started counting.
"Well, let's see it, put her down," Bonnie challenged as she batted her lashes at Damon, who only smirked and continued to carry his precious cargo. "That's what I thought," She huffed out around her own smirk.
"Daddy, I'll be this many on my berfday," She announced now waving four fingers in his face.
"Yes, you will be my little croissant," He replied and then kissed her cheek. "And what do you want for your birthday, jellybean?" His nicknames made Bonnie giggle slightly as she recalled an earlier conversation with Damon where she asked him why all the nicknames he gave Bella were food related, to which he had no answer and hadn't even realized he was doing.
"I want an elephant and a himmapotus," Bella answered, her words garnering a giggle and chuckle from her parents. Bonnie's giggles died when she noticed the calculating look on Damon's face.
"No," She directed mainly to Damon who looked at her with a 'What?' expression on his face. "Sorry, baby but you can't have a 'real' elephant or a hippopotamus, they're too big," Bonnie's heart hurt a bit at seeing the disappointed look and pout on her baby girl's face. "But I'm sure Daddy will get you a 'stuff' elephant and hippopotamus if you're a good girl."
"Will you daddy?" Bella asked with her eyes shining. "I'll be a very good girl, daddy, I promise."
"Of course I will, snickerdoodle," Damon agreed, never able to truly deny Bella anything. "We'll stop by the toy store on the way home, ok?" She excitedly nodded her head and then replied.
"I want to go home now, daddy."
"You do? But, sweetie, we just got here. I thought you wanted to feed the duckies," Bonnie said. At her mother's words Bella looked down at the paper bag full of bread crumbs that she had been holding, and then she tilted the bag over, pouring out all of its content onto the ground.
"I feed the rubber duckies, mommy, can we go get my elephant and himmapotus now?" Bella asked as she balled the empty paper bag in her hands. Damon couldn't hide his amusement and he never could when his daughter said and did things that showed she was a true Salvatore.
"Yes, we can go now, tater tot," Damon was the one to reply.
"Fine," Bonnie said with a sigh. "But, Bella can walk and you can tote this thing back," She said and she released the handlebars of the stroller, reached over and grasped Bella, settled Bella onto the ground, and then gripped one of Bella's hands firmly into hers. Damon folded up the stroller, tucked in under one arm, and grabbed Bella's free hand into his as the little family headed back the way they had come. "You know, a Christmas wedding would be beautiful," Bonnie threw out as they strolled along making Bella look up at her with wide, bright eyes.
"Yay, Christmas!" Bella exclaimed as she jumped a bit, which prompted both her smiling parents to lift her up and swing her as they walked.
"If you want to have a wedding on Christmas to 'renew' our vows I'm down, but we're getting married this month," Damon said and he tossed Bonnie a wink and a smile. "I'm tired of us putting our lives on hold. I'm done being held hostage by Elena," He added and his words made Bonnie turn surprised eyes to him. "Yeah, I know that's the real reason you keep postponing."
"It's just that we've just started hanging out more and growing closer again, and I don't want to rock the boat, you know?"
"Bon-Bon, I get it, but Elena's moved on, she's dating Matt again and from what I've seen they are very happy together."
"Yeah, they are," She said nodding and she thought on the last time she had seen the lovebirds together. "But I think a part of her still loves you," Bonnie said as they continued to swing their inquisitive daughter, who was so thrilled that she wasn't even listening to their conversations like she normally did.
"Of course she does, I mean, look at me. What's not to love?" Damon teased and Bonnie playfully rolled her eyes at him. "And a part of me will always love her," Damon confessed and made Bonnie gaze at him with a slight frown. "But I'm not in love with her anymore and I don't want to be with her," He quickly added but could tell that his words didn't really lay Bonnie's insecurities and fears, that he regretted choosing her, to rest. "Isn't there still a part of you that has love for Jeremy?" He asked and she quickly averted her eyes back down to Bella. "It's ok, he was someone that you were in love with once upon a time, before us. Yeah, I never got it and I always thought he was soooo beneath you."
"Ok, stop," Bonnie tossed at him with an amused smile. "I get what you're saying, but I guess I still feel guilty like I stole you from her."
"Hello, I'm the one with the power to compel people to my will, not you," He joked and got the smile he was hoping for. "Why is it still so hard for you to accept that I fell in love with you, I wanted you, I chose you? I love, want, and choose you. I will always choose you, ok Bonnie Bennett?"
"Ok, Bonnie Bennett?" Bella mimicked in between her squeals of joy from being tossed about by her mom and dad, which garnered a chuckle from her parents.
"OK," Bonnie agreed with a sigh and a wide happy smile.
"Besides," Damon spoke out again just as they reached the parking lot. He leaned down and scooped Bella back up into his arms and then leaned over and gave Bonnie a sweet kiss. "I wouldn't trade any of this for anything in the world," He then gave Bonnie a wink and began to gallop to the car like a horse to the delight of Bella, who laughed and commanded him to go faster.
"I wouldn't either," Bonnie proclaimed as she followed them laughing at the goofy spectacle Damon always made of himself just to amuse his little girl. As she approached the passenger side of the car she reached into her pocket, grabbed her phone, and dialed out. She then stood by the door watching Damon buckle Bella into her car seat as she waited for her call to connect. "Hey Caroline, guess what..."