Hello lovely readers! Im back yay! I hope you haven't given up on this story, I promise there will be faster updates since I shackled my fickle muse to the bed ;) This is kind of a filler chap because there is a lot coming our way, but on the bright side the next one is almost finished so you won't have to wait long. Thanks to Chelle for her beta work on this chap, she is as outstanding as an author as she is as a person!

Elena paced around the parlor, her steps where short and agitated. She tried to take deep breaths to calm herself down and Bonnie had brought her some tea, but every attempt was futile. She tried sitting down and giving the tea a second chance, but it had turned cold and honestly everything tasted off to her these days. She could wake up with a murderous craving for a particular dish in the morning and end up loathing it before the clock struck noon.

Damon had been most understanding, pampering and spoiling her rotten. Even more than he already did, and she couldn't deny that being the object of her husband's undivided attention was something she enjoyed immensely. But he had been out of town for a couple of days now. Elena hated that he had to go away, but the business required it. She hated that he wasn't here today specifically.

The day after they learned they were going to be parents, a letter from her mother arrived informing her they were going to pay a visit. She was ecstatic to see her parents, but the letter also said that the Salvatore's were coming along. All of the Salvatore's.

Her husband wasn't so happy about the news either, especially due to the way things were left with his father. Damon wanted to see Stefan, they were always incredibly close, but he dreaded the effect that Katherine's visit would have on his overly sensitive, pregnant wife. He tried to delay or change the date of the trip, but it had been impossible. So he left Elena with the promise that he would return by dinner time on the day of their families' arrival.

"Madam," a voice coming from the door pulled Elena out of her reverie.

She turned to the door and smiled at Tammy. The young servant was carrying a tray with a tea pot and she made her way inside and across the room towards the table where Elena was sitting.

"Mrs. Flowers asked me to inform you that the guest rooms have been prepared. The one in the same wing as your own for Mr. and Mrs. Gilbert and the other two on the opposite part of the house," Tammy spoke while freshening up the cold cup of tea.

"Thank you, Tammy, is everything for dinner ready too?" Elena squeezed a lemon in her tea, not planning on drinking it, but she thought it was sweet of the servants to tend to her so diligently so she was at least going to pretend she intended on doing so.

"Yes ma'am, Bree outdid herself with the feast, I guarantee your family is going to be very pleased. She also made some refreshments for when they arrive," Tammy smiled and Elena couldn't help returning it.

"Please inform me when they arrive, and Tammy, ask Bonnie to lay out my blue dress for dinner will you?" Damon loved that dress and she was going to make sure he got the welcome home he deserved.

Tammy curtsied and exited the room leaving Elena alone with her thoughts again. She had come from that silly girl that believed she was in love with Stefan. She had made a rush decision back then in joining the convent, and if she had stayed there, she wouldn't have known real love, she wouldn't have Damon.

Every time she thought about her husband, a smile grazed her face. He had taught her so much, about life, about love, about herself. She started admiring him and now she loved him like she never imagined a heart could be capable of. Her body was experiencing a terrible sensation by not having him close. On the days he was gone she slept with his pillow on his side of the bed just to feel him close.

She decided to go to the kitchen and check with the staff to see if everything was ready. Elena felt as if every single person working in the house was a part of the family. For safety purposes, they looked like slaves to the public eye, but Damon had granted their freedom with the option of staying and working as hired help. They all chose to stay. It was in that moment that Elena knew the man her husband was and she couldn't have been more certain of her love for him. God, she missed him.

Everything in the kitchen was set and ready to go, the guest bedrooms where prepared and stocked. She paid particular attention to Giuseppe's room figuring that if he found everything to his liking then she could lift his mood and things would run smoother with Damon. Intentionally, she had prepared the room furthest away from her and Damon's for her sister and Stefan. She wanted to avoid her sister an opportunity to play her games, which was why she had packed their agenda with visits from friends and sight-seeing. The more time they were away from the house the better. She could use her pregnancy as an excuse not to go with them and she knew Damon would claim he had to be there for her to stay by her side. They had carefully planned the next few weeks, and with Jenna's and Alaric's help, Katherine and Stefan would be kept away from the house as long as possible.

Elena went upstairs to her bedroom and lay down on the bed to kill some time and have some much needed rest before the guests arrived. She grabbed Damon's pillow and hugged it close to her chest, sinking her face in it to inhale his lingering scent. Damon smelled like the comfort of a fireplace in a cold night, he smelled like home. Closing her eyes she reveled in her husband's scent. She remembered how those lazy Sunday mornings he slowly traced her temples and forehead with butterfly kissed and breathed her in, burying his face in her hair. She could feel his breath unsettling the loose strands of hair on her forehead. His scent felt even stronger, the memory became so real she felt moisture where he had kissed her. A shiver that belonged to him and him alone made its way down her spine and made her snap her eyes open.

There, right in front of her eyes and staring back at her was Damon's too perfect-for-words face just inches away from her own.

"Damon! You're here early!" Elena squealed and didn't give him a chance to reply before she crashed her lips to his. Home. She was back home. He chuckled while kissing her back and cupped her face with his hands, tracing circles with his thumbs on her cheeks.

"You have no idea how much I missed you, Mrs. Salvatore," Damon said with an adoring look on his face he moved his hand to his wife's stomach and gently caressed it.

"-and you, Baby Salvatore," he smiled and pecked Elena's lips again. She tangled her hands behind his head and buried her face in his neck.

"I'm so happy you came back before they arrived," Elena whispered and Damon felt grateful he had worked non-stop and without sleep to be here when she needed him the most.

"I'm glad I could make it too. Now, what do I get for being such a diligent husband?" Elena hadn't noticed he had started to sneak his hands beneath her skirt.

"Damon we don't have time for that, they are going to be here any minute now," she swatted his hand away. He ignored her knowing that she wanted it as much as he did, and continued sneaking his hand under her dress. When he got to the hem of her undergarment he looked into her eyes with such fire that she felt a heat wave coat every single inch of skin on her body, her resolve crumbling in a second.

"Fine, but we have to be very quick, both at the same time, no nonsense," Elena said while struggling with her dress. Damon smirked and started undressing.

"Elena, I'm not a brute, I need to get you ready first you know," he said when they were both already half naked.

She slid her hand beneath her underwear, swiping her core with her index finger. She moaned low and took her hand out of her clothes. Elena brought her hand to Damon's face and traced his lips with her drenched finger. The tip of his tongue came out to follow the path her finger had just traced.

"Don't I taste ready to you?" She looked at him through her eyelashes and she barely had time to angle her body to fall on the bed when he pounced at her like a panther.

Elena was hastily rearranging her hair in front of the mirror while Damon was fixing his tie. They were both grinning like fools because no more than fifteen minutes before they had been tangled in an ancient war of limbs. She sprayed some perfume and pulled a necklace from her jewelry box.

"Do you mind, darling?" she asked locking her eyes with his through the mirror.

"Not at all, my love," he smiled and blew a kiss at her.

Damon walked forward and came to stand right behind her and took the necklace in his hands to clasp it around her neck. When he was done, he leaned forward and traced the back of her neck with his nose and then placed an open mouth kiss right below her ear. He squeezed her hip with his hand and pulled her back to rub her against him. He was ready to go again.

"Damon." She meant it to sound cautionary, but it came out faintly as a breathy moan.

A soft knock on the door made them both step away and take deep breaths to cool off. Damon smiled at her before answering.

"Come in." He took one last look in the mirror as Bonnie made her way inside.

"The guests are here," she said and shot an apologetic glance in Elena's way.

Damon offered her his arm and a reassuring smile.

"Shall we?" She laced her arm through his and they walked out of the bedroom together, as the united front they were.

Downstairs, the small group of visitors was gathered by the front door as servants were getting luggage out the carriages and offering damp cloths and beverages to cool off. The eyes of the five guests turned to the stairs at the sound of their hosts' voices. They were looking at each other; well more like Damon was smirking and Elena was blushing.

Elena's eyes immediately sparkled at the sight of her father, she ran the rest of the steps and launched herself in his arms.

"Father!" she cried and Grayson held her in his arms, Damon was in a similar situation hugging and welcoming Miranda.

"Dear Lord, Elena, look at you baby girl, you look stunning and so radiant. I take this fellow has been treating you right?" Grayson teased his daughter and drew his son-in-law in for a hug.

"I'm just giving her the life she deserves, Gray, though I wish I could give her so much more," Damon answered truthfully and turned to look at his wife in the eyes.

Someone clearing their throats made them acknowledge the rest of the visitors. Damon walked to his father while Elena embraced Katherine and Stefan briefly.

"It's quite the lovely home you have here, son," Giuseppe took Damon by surprise by pulling him into a hug.

"Thank you, Father, it's my pleasure to have you here," Damon answered coldly and then smiled as he pulled Stefan into a tight hug, to his surprise Stefan resisted and smiled dryly.

"Brother, it's nice to see you." Elena shot Damon a worried glance and he just shrugged, but kept in mind he had to find out what was wrong with his brother later.

"Well brother, aren't you going to welcome me?" Katherine said in a sultry tone of voice that spoke nothing but trouble. Elena noticed Stefan stiffen and press his lips into a hard line when he caught her staring and he tried his best to smile.

Damon walked over to Katherine and gave her a small kiss on the cheek before turning to take his place beside Elena again, this time she broke the silence.

"You must be so tired. Tammy here will lead Mr. Salvatore, Katherine and Stefan to their rooms, and Mom and Dad why don't you follow us, you are going to be staying next to ours." Elena nodded in Tammy's direction who gestured the Salvatore's to follow her.

Before they were out of earshot they heard Grayson ask, "So, we are right next to your room?" Grayson looked at Damon and Elena with a playful smile.

"Yes, and we apologize in advance," Damon answered, making Elena blush furiously from head to toe. Katherine turned to give Elena a death glare and then made her way upstairs to follow Tammy.

Once everyone was settled and resting Damon and Elena decided to go back to their room to get ready for dinner. As soon as the door was closed they turned to look at each other and said at the same time.

"Stefan knows." They both said.

"What on Earth could have possessed Katherine to tell him? Or even worse, Damon, who knows what she might have told him, I doubt it was the truth." Elena paced around the room until Damon stood before her and put his hands on her shoulders, making her look up into his eyes.

"Elena, do you love me?" Damon asked.

"Of course, I love you how can you even ask that?" She cupped his face in her hands and gently pecked his lips.

"Elena, do you regret anything that has happened?" he asked again.

"No, Damon, I don't. It brought us together. If anything I am grateful it happened," she smiled and he nodded.

"Then you have nothing to worry about, my love. Their marriage is the one built over a lie. Their marriage is the one at risk. It's their problem, Elena, not ours," he said passionately.

She sighed and nodded, but she couldn't help the nagging feeling in her chest that something was going to happen tonight and there was no way she was going to be able to stop it.

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