Their dinner is reminiscent of those they all shared on the Lusitania before everything went so tragically wrong. It's different for Damon though, he normally didn't eat or sit at same tables as the extremely wealthy first class passengers. Niklaus' children keep the adults entertained with their youthful innocence. As soon as they finish eating, their parents give them permission to run outside to play in the backyard. Bonita, one of their maids follows along to keep an eye on them.

Elena is the center of attention, the women insisting that she tell them everything that happened since they parted ways at the harbor. Mr. Mikaelson Sr. and Finn engage in conversation about business as usual. It strikes Damon as funny the way the two men can't resist eavesdropping and inserting their opinions when Elena tells them about both of her families. It's clear the Mikaelson family doesn't share the Lockwood and the Gilbert opinions on what Elena should do with her life. The younger ones look rather enraged on Elena's behalf. Yet it's Mikael and Esther's disapproval that warms Elena's heart. Damon feels extremely grateful that these kind people have taken both him and Elena under their wings.

Elena more so because she needs the support and he can see by the happy glow on her face that she feels good. As they sit next to each other they always find the opportunity to brush their sides or just fingertips. At one point he even dares to take her hand for a few moments.

After dinner they all move to the garden, it's a warm summer evening and no one wants it to end. The children and Bonita are playing with a ball. Their laughter fills the air, Damon hopes someday that he and Elena can be outside on a night just like this, playing with their own children. If she isn't able to have one, perhaps they can adopt a baby or maybe they could give a home to some child from an orphanage. His best friend growing up, Alaric Saltzman lived at their church orphanage. His mother used to cook for them. Damon would play with the kids while she was busy in the kitchen.

"Thank you," Damon says when their maid, Alaze serves coffee. Kol, on the other hand, receives his preferred bourbon. Niklaus takes a sip of his coffee and addresses his younger sibling. "Brother, I wasn't aware that you had an interest in the shipping business or are you looking to become America's next humanitarian of the year?"

Kol blinks and gives him a curious but rather amused look. "What are you talking about, brother?"

Niklaus turns his look back to the newspaper he's just reading. "The Manchester Manx Society rewarded the 'Wanderer' skipper and her crew with medals designed by Mr. F. S. Graves with the inscription: "In remembrance of the fortunate act of charity and courage." He winks at their mother before continuing.

"On July 5th, Lord Raglan presented medals to the men on Tynwald Day, the Isle of Man Day."

Niklaus turns his head, his eyes meeting his younger brother's. "However, the rewards were not over yet. William Ball, an employee of the Wanderer's owner, received word that funds had been lodged with a lawyer in Peel on behalf of one of the American survivors he had rescued. Mr. Ball said the money is going to be used to underwrite the building of his own fishing boat, to be built in Peel according to his personal specifications. He wanted to thank the young whippersnapper for his generosity."

He puts the newspaper down and drops his glasses onto his lap. "Whippersnapper?"

Everyone else is looking at Kol by the time Niklaus finishes the article. It's obvious that the American survivor is Kol. True to form, Kol smirks, "Ehm, what can I say? I place a pretty high value on my life as I'm sure you all do." Raising an eyebrow had adds, "How could I not express my gratitude to the man who made sure that I was saved? Wouldn't it have been bad luck to do anything less?"

Niklaus rolls his eyes at his antics. "Yeah, yeah, I'm sort of glad you're safe as well," he admits with a crooked smile. "What I'm trying to say, is it that you used your money for some actual purpose, a meaningful one at that and not just fun?"

All the Mikaelson children have funds at their disposal. They have been entrusted to invest into their own endeavors or rather the family business if they so choose. Kol however has been in no hurry to engage himself in real work.

Mikael Mikaelson looks at his youngest son closely, torn as to whether he should be impressed or rather concerned for Kol spending so much money for others. "It was a nice gesture son. But you should consider investing into some actual business, maybe participate in family matters..."

"Well, I'm actually glad you brought that up, father," Kol relaxes and finds a comfortable position, his face indicating he found his usual ground. "I have decided to join the family, or lets say Niklaus' business, the shipping line he's planning to start."

Niklaus exchanges look with his father. "I've been trying to convince you to join for a few years now. You insisted shipping and navigation is not, nor would it ever be something that interests you. Why the change of heart?"

"Well, I changed my mind," Kol declares cheerfully. "However, I have one condition." The silence is deafening. Everyone is looking at him with rapt attention, trying to figure out what this new Kol is up to but clearly he's enjoying the cat and mouse game.

"I will invest both my name and my money into your business, Nik. However there is one condition that I have. There is a person that I would like to be involved. I trust him and I promise you that he'll be an asset to our company and to tell you the truth, he'll be more help than I ever could. "

It takes a moment but then Niklaus' face lights up with a beaming smile and all eyes turn to Damon. Damon's cheeks heat up and he swallows thickly as he doesn't know how to react to the implication. Elena gasps as she correctly comprehends what's going on and squeezes Damon's hand that she's been holding for a while now. "Damon?"

Niklaus bows his head in his direction. "I'd say, welcome to the business, partner."

Damon can't believe what's happening. He looks at Mr. Mikaelson, only to see approval at Kol's choice. Not one of their faces shows even a hint of doubt. At last, he looks at the youngest Mikaelson and can't see to find the words to express how grateful he is. He gawps, only silence leaving his mouth. Kol chuckles, saluting him with his typical amused expression.

August 11

It's not more than a month later on a beautiful summer day. The early hour that finds Elena dressing up in her room in Sage and May's company. Her dress is decent, her widow status needing to be respected but neither she nor Damon wanted to postpone the wedding. To hell with societal conventions and other people's opinions, what matters is that they're going to be together. The two of them sat down with the entire Mikaelson family including Mikael and Esther. They asked for their advice and instead of frowns, they received their full support. Esther was almost giddy to have the wedding at their estate. The matriarch rolled up her sleeves and in less than a few days time, had almost everything organized. Elena was grateful that she embraced the older woman and held on for dear life. Elena is looking at herself in the mirror. Although she's a little nervous, it's nothing like what she felt when she was readying herself to marry George.

She startles slightly as Sage gently takes her shoulders and turns her around to give her one more once over and to consider last minute touches. She smiles with satisfaction when she sees Elena wearing the bracelet she lent her. It's quite old, it belonged to Sage's grandmother. She runs her fingertips over the emerald stones and when her eyes meet Elena's again, she gushes, "Are you ready?"

A beaming Elena bobs her head excitedly. "I'm more than ready to drop the last name 'Lockwood'. And I can't wait to become 'Mrs. Salvatore'."

"All right then, lets not keep them waiting."

Damon waits impatiently at the altar, not from nerves, but from anticipation. He can't wait to have her stand by his side. Until he hears the Father's confirmation, only then will he believe that this is all real, that's it's not some beautiful dream that he's going to wake up from. Damon takes a moment to glance at the guests. His mom and dad are sitting in the front row. His mother is already in tears but he knows they're happy ones. He smiles and then his gaze reaches Kelly who's sitting beside his mother. When he glances down the aisle again and Elena is still not there, he rubs his clammy hands together. Kol, standing beside him, gives him a friendly pat. "She's coming, no worries."

Damon nods but barely pays him any attention. Finally, the music starts playing and then... first Sage and May, then Elena walk up the makeshift aisle to him. Mikael is her escort as her own family chose not to attend. It's hurts Damon though because he knows that despite everything, she still felt a little hurt inside at yet another rejection. May takes her place to Sage's left to mimic that of her husband who is standing to the right of Kol.

When they finally reach the end of the path, Damon takes Elena's hand from Mikael and they turn to the altar when the Father starts talking. He breathes a sigh of relief. Now everything's right in the world.

The reception is much bigger than they meant it to be but it's alright because that's how their family and friends like it. Damon and Elena are just happy to be together, everything else is unimportant. Soon they leave them to celebrate their union and the carriage takes them to their new house. The generosity of the Mikaelson family is without equal. They helped them buy and get their home ready in record time.

Elena made a deal with the Lockwoods, giving them everything except her own dowry that she brought into the union when she married George. She was quite surprised when they also gave her compensation for her and George's home since they planned to keep the place. Although she tried to say no, eventually she accepted, because they appeared to be genuine in their offer. They used that money to begin to build their new life together. Although Damon would have liked to arrange it by himself, he didn't begin to have the means to make such a grand purchase. Noticing that he was rather melancholy about it, both the Mikaelsons and Elena herself persuaded him that they're going to be one family and Elena's money is theirs now.

Once he carries her over the threshold and kicks the door shut with his boot, he sits on the couch with her, holding her close and kissing her senseless. All ruffled in his arms, warm and out of breath, she's looking up at him adoringly. Damon's heart squeezes almost painfully. How did he deserve this? He gives her one more kiss. "I love you... And I want to make love to you. But I don't want to hurt you."

Nothing can compare to Elena's feelings right now. She's not afraid of the act itself, it's the circumstances and the man. She knows being with Damon will be a world apart from being with George. That though alone makes all the difference in her thoughts about coupling, she no longer dreads it, she's excited to share something so profound with her new husband.

"I love you," she whispers. "And I want all of you. I want to be your wife in every sense of the word." She doesn't even know where the words come from but it all feels so natural, that she doesn't even need to think it through. She moves in a sitting position and turns around waiting for him to help her undress.

He starts undoing the buttons with shaky fingers not quite believing this is happening. Half way through he lets instinct take over and plants gentle kisses on her bare back along the way. Elena shivers and closes her eyes to keep the feeling inside. When he bares her shoulders, she keeps the dress to her chest and turns to face him. With one hand she caresses his cheek.

"I'm not afraid, Damon, I know you won't hurt me. I want you to make love to me," she repeats the words knowing she has yet to experience what they truly mean. She lets the dress go and Damon pulls her closer to satiate the overwhelming need that's been growing inside since the day she first kissed him aboard the Lusitania.

He lifts her into his arms again and slowly lays her down on the bed. He carefully peels off her underwear and gets rid of his own clothes rather quickly, all the while keeping his eyes on her face so as not to make her feel uncomfortable. Elena watches him calmly and when he moves to lay beside her, she reaches out to embrace him, letting him know she's ready. They lay like this for a few minutes just soaking up the warmth of each other, synchronizing their breaths until it feels like they're one.

At some point Damon starts caressing her back and shoulders, his gentle fingers following the line of her spine, descending lower and lower with each move. He feels Elena's fingers massaging his shoulders and can tell the exact moment she relaxes and arches her back in reaction as he presses himself against her lower abdomen. He rolls her on her back, his hand brushes the damp hairs and suddenly he can't wait anymore. With as much patience he can manage he moves on top of her, Elena surprising him as she slips under him, receiving him in a welcoming gesture.

Her soft sigh when he enters her doesn't sound like a protest but he doesn't move for a few moments just to assure himself that she's alright. Slowly he starts moving while kissing her lips and neck and shoulders, every place he can reach. He's delighted by Elena's reactions, her ragged breaths, every kiss she returns with vehemence, encouraging his efforts. When she squeezes his buttocks to pull him even deeper he loses his remaining composure and pounds into her with all he has to give. He knows he won't last after all the months of longing but he can't help it. A few more thrusts later he feels his insides tighten and he's coming in powerful waves, pressing into her with ferocity.

At the moment he starts thinking again he feels panic rising. Did he hurt her? Is she alright? He lifts his head checking her over. Elena's caressing his arm, her eyes closed, trying to slow down her breathing.

"Elena? Are you alright?"

She opens her eyes, swimming in tears and nods. "I'm more than alright. I... I...," she can't find the words to tell him she never felt like that before. With her first husband, it was a chore, a duty but with Damon, she now knows what it means to be loved and cherished and wanted. And more importantly, she knows how it feels to truly share herself with someone that she loves. It is a wonderful, moving and meaningful feeling so much so that her love for him brought her to tears.

Damon looks at her with concern but the more he's trying to read her reactions, the more he's sure she speaks the truth. She's more than alright. However... "I'm sorry Elena, I'll make it up to you."

Elena gives him a confused look. "What are you talking about? You have nothing to feel sorry about..."

Damon shifts to move beside her and starts caressing her chest with his mouth, descending lower. He doesn't hesitate to put his hand right where she aches, the kind of ache that is not exactly painful. While he lays his head down on her belly, his fingers are doing wonderful things to her body, her body reacting in the most amazing ways.

"What are you doing...?" Elena breathes, her heart pounding against her chest wall.

"Relax Elena, just let yourself feel."

Elena does just that. Her head keeps spinning and the aching feeling growing to the point of no return. She can vaguely recognize Damon taking her under her knee opening her up to him and at the final moment she thinks she feels his tongue caressing her most intimate places. And then her body jerks forward, her hand catching Damon's to ground herself, her shaking form falling deep into oblivion for a long, blissful moment.

She comes to her senses to Damon's soothing words, lying in his arms like a rag doll, feeling absolutely boneless. He's looking down at her lovingly and she can tell he's happy. Just like she is. "What was that?" she asks aloud.

"That, Elena, was how much I love you. It was making love," he answers softly.

The next minutes he's busy to stop the flow of happy tears. Not that he minds. And then he needs to show her again.

It's still early, the sky grey and overcast, rain splattering against their bedroom windows. The fresh salty sea air intrudes the privacy of their room. Damon's having a wonderful dream about making love to his beautiful wife, he subconsciously fights whatever is trying to arouse him from his slumber. He wants to hold onto it just a little longer so he can once again experience the most unique sensation, that of coming inside of her, surrounded by her warm, tight and oh so gorgeous body.

He's not going to have it and his mind snaps into consciousness only to find that the dream was not a dream as he can feel Elena's mouth on him under the covers. The shock wakes him completely and an uncensored moan escapes at the same time he raises his hips to go deeper inside.

"Eleeeena!"

He really has no choice in that matter, he can only let himself fall over the edge at her command. His hands are fisting the sheet beneath him, anchoring him to the earth when the rest of him is flying.

She slowly moves upwards, leaving trail of kisses on his chest. Her hair in all directions, she emerges from under the sheets, an adorable look on her face. Damon, panting heavily, brings her closer, relishing in her warmth she so generously shares. She nestles on his chest, listening to the beat of his heart, lulling her back to sleep.

"You don't need to do that...," he kisses her forehead. "Not that I'm complaining though.. wow."

"Why?" she rises her head leaning her chin against his collar bone to look at him. "You do that all the time... And I like it," she adds with a shade of pink coloring her cheeks.

Damon gives her a beaming smile and not for the first time he thinks how lucky he is to have her by his side. He bares her shoulder and starts giving it open-mouthed kisses.

"No, Damon, we don't have time!"

"Are you sure? I think we still have a little time..." Elena moans and Damon promptly turns her around, her back to his chest. He lifts her knee to drape her leg over his hip and then without hesitation, he enters her from behind while his other hand plays her like a virtuoso with his Stradivarius. There's still the instinct to be careful not to hurt her but in moments like this Elena welcomes him completely, knowing she's perfectly safe with him, are glorious beyond his ability to speak. In no time she starts trembling and a few gasps later they are both falling into oblivion. They have no time to recover though before...

"Mama? Papa?"

Elena quickly pushes down her nightdress and Damon adjusts his pajama bottoms, winking at her. "That was close!" He pushes the heavy door open letting their boy inside. Peter doesn't hesitate and makes a beeline right for his parents' bed. Once he crawls under the covers beside his mother, he calls for his dad. "Come papa, we lay here."

Damon chuckles and joins them on the bed. "Is that right? And why aren't you still asleep?"

"We go to see ships today," he looks at Elena for confirmation.

Elena nods with a smile. "Of course we are. We're going to see daddy at work. Big ships and all."

Damon can't stop looking at his family. It wasn't even a year after the wedding when Elena told him she was pregnant, her worries turning out to be unfounded. Peter Joseph was born four years ago and they have hopes to add more children to their family.

The Mikaelson business expanded successfully, so much so that even Kol settled down to do some work. Damon couldn't wish for a better job, he gets to go to the sea when he likes but thanks to the work he does in the office he doesn't need to leave his family too often. Reluctantly, he gets up and starts his daily routine before leaving for work. "Bye-bye papa, we come to see you!" Peter waves standing at the open door with his mom.

Several hours later Elena walks along the harbor, her son in tow, stopping every few steps to see what he's pointing at. Everything seems so interesting! Although it's not the first time they head for the harbor, Peter always finds it fascinating. He's so much like his dad.

Elena watches a large transoceanic ship disembark, the tugboat horns blaring alerting the harbor that their ship is making sail. She can't but think of the unfortunate Lusitania. Despite the tragic circumstances, she can't completely dismiss these memories. How could she? The voyage gave her a new life, Damon and Peter Joseph. It gave her people who became a true family, despite no blood relation. She wonders how many lives have been changed since that fateful day, for worse and sometimes for the better.

She can see Damon coming out of the office building to join them for lunch. Peter runs ahead and jumps into his arms. And Elena knows she will never regret anything that happened to her, leading right to this moment. She quickens her pace to catch up with her boys.

Fin

The RMS Lusitania was a British Ocean liner of the early twentieth century, owned and operated by the Cunard Line. Her keel was laid on 16, June 1904 and she was launched on 7 June 1906. Lusitania began her maiden voyage out of Liverpool, England on 7, September 1907 and arrived in New York on 13 September.

Lusitania was the largest, fasted and most luxurious ship in the world at the time of her launch, although she was soon eclipsed in size and speed by her sister ship, Mauretania and in size and luxury by rivals Olympic and Titanic. Lusitania would make 202 crossings during her 7 year and 9 month career.

Lusitania became a casualty of World War 1. On 7 May 1915, Lusitania was torpedoed off the coast of Ireland by the German submarine U-20, sinking in 18 minutes. Of the 1,959 passengers on board, 1,198 perished in the Lusitania disaster. The wreck of the Lusitania lies at 51° 25′ N8° 33′W, about 300 feet underwater and approximately 11 miles south of Old Head of Kinsale, Ireland.

Lusitania was carrying a great number of Americans, women and children as well as war material for the British Army. The sinking of the Lusitania and resulting deaths of civilians and neutral nationals aboard the ship is considered one of the first modern examples of 'total war' and a turning point in WW1.

The sinking of the Lusitania is credited for turning the then neutral American public opinion against Germany. Fearing American wrath, Germany restrained themselves in submarine warfare which may have been Germany's best chance at winning the war. Yet it was Germany's resumption of unrestricted submarine warfare in early 1917 that finally forced the United States to declare war.

Thank you all for coming on this voyage with Eva and I. A huge thanks to Salvatoreboys4ever for suggesting this story. I'm very glad that Eva and I could write this for you, Bonnie. Please check out her stories too. She's very talented.

Thank you all for you reviews, follows, favorites, encouraging words and endless support. You're all the BEST.

And Eva, without you, I would not be here. You make everything better, your wisdom, brilliance, insight is remarkable. Thank you for everything you do for me.

Chapter title: 'Today You're Mine'

I did post what I imagined to be her wedding gown and diamond ring on my FB page.

'Tomorrow' and 'This Isn't What We Meant' continue.

I hope you all have a fabulous day. Thank you all again for your amazing outpouring of support.