HAPPY BIRTHDAY EVA! LOVE YOU!

We were strangers, starting out on a journey
Never dreaming, what we'd have to go through
Now here we are, I'm suddenly standing
At the beginning with you

No one told me, I was going to find you
Unexpected, what you did to my heart
When I lost hope, you were there to remind me
This is the start

And life is a road that I wanna keep going
Love is a river, I wanna keep flowing
Life is a road, now and forever, wonderful journey
I'll be there when the world stops turning
bI'll be there when the storm is through
In the end I wanna be standing
At the beginning with you

"Oh Elena, you look absolutely stunning," Jenna gasps. "If I could cry I know I'd be a sobbing mess," she hugs her and kisses her forehead. "I have something for you," she opens her bag and pulls out a sapphire and diamond bracelet.

"It's beautiful, Jenna," Elena's throat thickens with emotion as she runs her fingertips over the stones.

"It was given to your mom when she married Grayson, she'd want you to have it," Jenna smiles and fastens it on her wrist. "Now you have your 'something old and something blue'."

"Thank you so much," she hugs her aunt, admiring the way the stones shimmer from the sunlight that's streaming in through the window. Elena needs a minute to compose herself before they leave the room - it's almost time.

Inside the church, everyone is waiting for them.

"All right. I'm going to be in the first row next to Liz." She gives Elena a nod then goes to take her seat. Moments later Alaric appears to walk her down the aisle.

"Ready?" Ric asks.

She looks at him confidently and nods her head. She's more than ready to become Mrs. Damon Salvatore.

She takes Ric's arm as the organist begins to play Pachelbel's Canon in D. The wide doors open, and everyone stands up. All eyes are on her.

Lizzie and Josie are the flower girls. They throw petals down the aisle as she and Ric walk over them.

When she looks up, she sees Damon who looks absolutely breathtaking in his black tux, as do Stefan and Enzo, his groomsman. Caroline and Bonnie are both beautiful in their baby blue dresses.

As soon as they reach the altar, she gives Ric a hug. He shakes Damon's hand firmly and takes his seat next to Jenna.

For the next thirty minutes while the minister conducts the ceremony, she doesn't pay much attention. Rather she and Damon just stare at each other.

"The bride and groom have prepared there own vows." she suddenly hears from her right side. The minister closes the book and turns to Damon.

"Elena, I knew from the very first moment I laid eyes on you that you were my forever. Someway, somehow, I was determined to make you mine. And from that day to this one and every day forward my heart is entirely yours...

As we continue to grow in our lives together, I promise to give you all of my words when needed, and to share in the silence when they are not, to pick you up if you are down, to love you unconditionally, to lay my bare skin on yours when it's needed most, to care for you for as long as we live, to say I love you before falling asleep each night, to be the best I can be as we grow a family together, and to always know in the deepest part of my soul, that when challenges arise we will always find our way back to one another.

Elena, you are my everything and this is my promise to you," he slips the ring on her finger as he finishes his vows.

"Elena," the minister nods at her.

"Damon, I used to think that we met by chance but now I know without a doubt that the universe put you in front of me because we were meant to spend our lives together.
You have filled my life with joy and have given me a sense of peace that I have never known. You are my best friend and my biggest supporter.

Although today marks the start to the rest of our lives, I know it will not be enough time with you. I will not take our time together for granted. And because words cannot do it, I promise to show you, for the rest of my life, how much I love you.

I promise to encourage you to follow your dreams.

I promise to hold your hand through both the good times and the bad.

I promise to be loyal and faithful and to put you before all else.

And I promise that when we are old and gray, we will look back on our lives together and have no regrets... From this day forward, you will never walk alone," she slides a platinum band over his knuckle, giving his hand a squeeze before dabbing her eyes with her lace handkerchief.

After giving her a few moments to compose herself, the minister continues with the ceremony.

"Do you, Damon Joseph Salvatore take Elena Josephine Gilbert as your lawfully wedded wife, to love and to hold, through sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"And do you Elena Josephine Gilbert take Damon Joseph Salvatore as your lawfully wedded husband, to love and to hold, through sickness and in health, until death do you part?"

"I do."

"I now pronounce you Mr. and Mrs. Damon Salvatore. You may kiss your bride." he announces, winking at the groom.

For the first time as husband and wife, Damon kisses her through her tears while running the pad of his finger over her ring - where it will rest through this life and into the next.

"You do realize the gravity of what you've done...?"

Damon takes a break from kissing her to ask the question. His voice has a low, growly quality that makes her feel flushed and she lowers her eyes, not sure why she's suddenly feeling shy. They're alone in the elevator but it wouldn't matter if there was an entire stadium, filled to capacity watching them - to her - it would still feel as if the rest of the planet has ceased to exist.

That's probably why, despite the fact that they have a perfectly lovely suite waiting for them, no doubt decked out with flowers, candles, champagne on ice and a lovely view, she's not entirely sure they'll make it that far. She can already feel his fingers toying with the back of her dress in their quest to find the closure. The cool platinum of his wedding band slides against her warm skin causing her to shiver with pleasure.

"What do you mean?" she asks, looking up at him from beneath the fringe of her lashes. Her shyness has vanished and replaced by the much stronger urge to play along.

He grins, his eyes gleaming. They are the perfect kind of electric blue. Striking yet soft. Not the electric shock that paralyzes her or crawls under her muscles, but the kind that makes her blood dance.

When he leans forward, coming in close to whisper, she practically trembles with anticipation.

"You've shackled yourself to me permanently," he breathes against her ear. "As in forever. And ever. The rest of your life..."

Elena bites back a laugh, and regards him as innocently as she can manage. "Is that what I've done?" she feigns surprise. "I really should have read the fine print."

He smirks, and his hands move lower, holding her to him by the hips. "Too late. You're stuck with me now," he waggles his brows in the playful way she loves.

She cocks her head, pretending to consider her fate. "Well technically, the marriage hasn't been consummated yet so..."

Damon nearly growls, a sound born of pure frustration, "I know, I know, but..." He glances over his shoulder at the electronic display. "We've only got four more floors to go. I could push this and stop the elevator," his fingers ghost over the emergency button. "I'm more than willing to make things official right now..."

She bursts into laughter, "Call me crazy, but I really don't want to spend my wedding night in an elevator."

He smiles, sneaking another kiss. "I wasn't planning on spending the whole night... just the next twenty minutes or so."

She giggles again, but he's kissing her, swallowing the sound, and she can't remember ever feeling such overwhelming happiness.

Elena sighs dreamily, and somehow in her distraction, he manages to back her up against the rear wall, his hands tugging even more insistently at the back of her dress as his kisses leave her breathless. She arches her back when she suddenly feels him against her stomach - hot, hard and oh so tempting.

Flames lick at his hooded eyes. Framed by long dark lashes, they're a shade somewhere in between silver and blue. She can't even begin to explain all the complicated depths and hues that are there .

How can she possibly think rationally when he looks at her like that?

"Damon," she groans against his mouth, tugging desperately on his jacket. He tastes sharp like champagne and it leaves her feeling light-headed. She isn't quite sure how they're going to get around her dress in this tight space - it might just have to come off completely. "Push the -"

She can't even finish the sentence, though because it dings and the door slides open. Damon drops his head to her shoulder with a groan, and though she feels his pain, she can't stop grinning.

"So close," he laments with a pronounced yet adorable pout.

"Think of it this way," she starts pushing past him to step out of the elevator. "At least now you'll have more room..."

She's about to turn to him and smile when she feels an arm wrap around her waist - sweeping her off her feet. Her dress whooshes in the air around her, and she lets out a noise that's half giggle, half shriek.

"What are you doing?" she looks at him once she's gotten her bearings.

Damon holds her in his arms easily, grinning his amusement.

"Carrying you over the threshold of course."

She shakes her head with a laugh. "Our room's all the way down there," she points over his shoulder in the opposite direction.

He doesn't say a word, just smirks, turns and takes off in the right one. There's no point in arguing with him to let her down, he won't oblige her anyway. Truthfully though, she loves it when he gets traditional and romantic with all the grand gestures.

"You sure I'm not too heavy?" she asks when they're just steps away from their suite.

He doesn't appear stressed in any way, but she can't resist needling him a little bit.

"I think I can handle it," he winks at her.

When they reach their suite, he shifts awkwardly then, trying to reach the key card in his pocket while balancing her in his arms. They stumble, bumping against the wall, and Elena can't help but chuckle.

"I bet it's feeling like a hardship right now," she teases.

Stretching easily, she keeps one arm anchored around his neck and shimmies around till she can slip her free hand into his pocket. His breathing grows uneven, though he's leaning back against the wall, letting it bear their weight - she's not sure why he's sounding so winded. It takes a moment, but eventually she finds the key card, tugging it free and waving it in front of him.

He pouts adorably. "Couldn't you have probed around in there a little longer?"

"Things will get plenty interesting," she whispers against his ear. "If you'd just open the door."

He doesn't need to be told twice.

Somehow he manages to shift her around enough so that he can fit the key card in the door without dropping her. The tiny green light flashes and he grins. The room light is subdued as he carries her inside. She gasps at the dozens of roses - yellow, purple, peach, red - all artfully arranged in each corner of the room, and an ice bucket with a bottle of Dom Perignon tucked inside. He even remembered the bride and groom etched champagne flutes.

He's thought of everything, as he always does - she's never felt more cherished. He doesn't bother flipping the light switch, the way he's looking at her, with that soft smile and those shimmering eyes, it's as if he can see her perfectly, as if no one else has ever seen her more clearly.

"You don't have any idea," he whispers. He extends his hand, his fingertips grazing her cheek tenderly.

"Any idea about what?" Her voice trembles ever so slightly.

"How beautiful you are right now," he murmurs. "All day, actually." He leans in, trailing his lips over the path his fingers have just taken. "Don't get me wrong, you're always gorgeous, and never fail to take my breath away, but today... I don't know, Elena, you're simply stunning. I've never seen any woman as lovely as you in my entire life."

She laughs nervously, feeling her cheeks flush. "Now that we're legal," her eyes drop to the ring on his finger, "I have to be the most beautiful woman..."

He shakes his head, looking strangely serious. "That's not it. It's..." He cocks his head, looking thoughtful. "I just... I think about the leap of faith you took today, that you've been taking with me for a couple of years now... I look at you and quite honestly, you steal the breath from my lungs."

Elena blinks, feeling suspiciously close to tears. They've been just below the surface all day, and till now she's done a pretty good job of keeping them at bay - not wanting to be a blubbering fool on her wedding day. Then there's Caroline who would have killed her if there'd been mascara trails down her cheeks while she stood at the altar. Alone with Damon now, in this wonderfully dark and warm room, she can no longer hold them back.

"You took the leap too," she whispers. "And I know it had to be just as terrifying for you, Mr. 'I'm not the type to settle down'." She reaches up to stroke his cheek. "You're just as beautiful and perfect to me."

"You're right, that's how I felt until a certain pushy brunette stormed her way into my life." Damon's smile is as soft and sweet as she's ever seen from him. He brushes a loose ringlet of hair behind her ear and then there's a hint of mischief in his eyes, "Keep the compliments coming and I think this marriage thing is going to work out just fine."

"Do things feel different now?" she asks suddenly, not sure where the question came from. "I don't know why, but I was expecting it would somehow..." Elena turns, walking towards the window. The city's lit up like a string of Christmas lights. It's lovely, same as it's always been, and she rests her hand against the cool glass, almost wishing she could reach out and touch it. "It all looks and feels the same..."

She looks at Damon over her shoulder. "There's one thing that I knew wouldn't change."

"What's that?" he pushes a ringlet behind her ear.

"Ring or no ring, there isn't any part of me that doesn't love you and it's been that way for so long... Whether I see it or not, my world's already been changed - by you."

Damon cocks his head, looking pleased and a little overwhelmed. "You love me that much?" he asks teasingly.

She nods.

"Then prove it."

She laughs, crossing her arms over her chest. "How exactly would you like me to do that? Isn't marrying you enough for one day?"

He tugs at his tie, pulling it loose as he moves closer to her. "You're the one who so eagerly pointed out that our marriage hasn't been consummated yet," he toys with the with the pretty diamond on that finger. "I think that'll go a long way in making me feel loved."

She shakes her head, laughing again. "Do you now?"

"Ah ha," he bobs his head and circles around her. "As beautiful as you look in this dress," he nearly growls, looking determined and hungry. "There's one thing I've been wondering about since pretty much the first second I saw you in it..."

"What's that?" Her voice is low, tentative even, but when he presses her back against the window, so the cool glass meets her hot skin, her gasp is as loud as a gunshot.

"How long it's going to take to get you out of it."

She laughs again, holding him to her as he kisses his way along her jaw, down her neck.

"Seriously," he groans. "Please tell me there's a zipper. I'll lose my mind if I have to deal with hundreds of pearl buttons right now."

She can feel him tugging at the back of her dress again, almost desperately this time.

"Damon, don't you - "

"I'm not kidding, Elena. I'll rip it to shreds if I have to..."

She pushes him back a bit, reaching for her side. "There's a zipper," she explains, "over here."

Immediately his fingers take over for hers, and she feels the dress quickly begin to loosen.

"So is this how our marriage is going to be?" she teases. "No romance, no foreplay... just the wham, bam, thank you, ma'am?"

He looks up at her, smirking devilishly. "Well... I was going to thank you in a really thorough and thoughtful way..."

Elena smiles, reaching up to stroke his cheek. "Seriously," she whispers, "can we just take a minute to catch our breath?" His expression softens, and his hands still. "I mean... we're actually married now, Damon. Married. Can you believe it?"

She knows that she sounds like a little girl but she can't help it. When Damon grins, in a way that makes her believe he's feeling exactly the same way, all self consciousness leaves her.

"Actually," he drawls. "I still can't believe you said yes."

"I love you," she tells him again. It's beyond redundant at this point, but that hardly matters. "It may sound crazy... the fact that I get to spend the rest of my life with you - it makes me feel like I can accomplish anything."

He licks at his bottom lip, eyes bright. "Anything?" he growls. "Because if I remember correctly, you're pretty bendy... Maybe we could - "

"Is sex all you think about?" She rolls her eyes playfully.

He makes an adorable face, as if to say, 'Duh', and plucks at the top of her dress, trying to pull it off her body. "I want to make love to my wife."

His low, husky voice nearly makes her melt. She smiles, loving the way he says that one simple word.

Wife.

Elena steps away from him, letting go of her dress, and it falls away like she's shedding old skin. Her lingerie is lacy and white, from her bustier to her stockings, definitely befitting a bride on her wedding night. The way his eyes trail over her, like a man parched for thirst, makes her feel unspeakably beautiful, and she smiles.

He reaches for her, lifting her once more but this time by the waist. She wraps herself around him, how perfectly they seem to fit together. She kisses him, her heart pounding against his, and forever, the rest of her life suddenly seems like not nearly enough time. Once they're beside the bed, he lowers her once more, the friction between them as she slides down his body leaves them both flushed and breathless. He traces the edge of her bustier with his fingertips, the gentleness of his touch is a maddening tease.

"I love this," he plays with it a little longer. "But I'll cry like a little girl if there's a hundred more of these little hooks."

She winks at him, "There's another zipper over..."

He tugs it down without hesitation. The lace and silk frock falls from her waist to the carpet silently and he watches with obvious pleasure. "Like magic," he bends forward, his tongue sliding slowly along the curve of her breast, and she clutches at his shoulders, afraid she'll topple over. He eases her back against the bed, and she almost feels almost dizzy with anticipation. She focuses on the absolute love and desire she sees shining in his eyes.

He brushes a strand of her from her face before pressing his lips to her bare shoulder.

Elena closes her eyes, stretching against the pillows as he begins a lazy exploration of her upper body with his mouth. A growl leaves her own mouth when he swirls his tongue along the underside of her breast. When he starts to kiss down her belly, slow and unhurried, her hips surge up, wanting so much more. Damon however is busy with her garters, unsnapping them deftly and rolling off her stockings in a slow, deliberate manner as if he's concerned about snagging the silk. Earlier he was worried about buttons and hooks but the truth is - he's always been exceptionally skilled at getting her out of her clothes. They seem to fall off without much prompting whenever he looks at her with those blue eyes. Still he takes his time with her panties, tugging them down ever so slowly while watching her the entire time, his lips curving into a sly grin.

He knows exactly what he's doing.

Eventually Damon brings one of her hands to his mouth and kisses each one of her fingertips. Elena mimicks the movement with his other hand and she can see the smile in his eyes. She bends forward and places delicate kisses at the corner of each eye, over his lids, and the tip of his nose. Her fingers trace the curve of his lips, committing the sensation to memory. She wants to absorb everything about this moment - they'll have only one wedding night.

She feels his hand curl around the back of her neck and he draws her just close enough to brush his lips against hers. Immediately little shimmers of pleasure shoot through her. Damon must feel them too because he deepens the kiss, drinking her in as if her mouth is made of the purest ambrosia.

Elena kisses him back, wanting him to taste everything she feels in it. She wants him to feel how much she loves him, to know that there isn't anything she won't do for him and that without him, she could never be complete.

He strokes his knuckles gently up and down her back, content – for a moment at least – just to hold her. But contentment shifts to hunger. When Damon's mouth latches onto her nipple, Elena's shiver turns into a steady tremble. She feels every tug reverberate through her body from head to toe.

She digs her fingers into his hair and arches even deeper into the contact. Damon groans against her skin, she's so responsive to his every caress; everywhere he touches, he can feel her burn.

It's intoxicating but it isn't enough. Falling back and then rolling over, Damon pins Elena underneath him. He takes a few seconds to just savor how beautiful she looks with her kiss-swollen lips and the silken cloud of her hair fanning out around her. She is breathtaking and truly, his.

Elena smiles up at him and then leans up on her elbows so that she can seize his lips with hers and drag him into the maelstrom of desire that's beckoning. They linger for long moments in simple appreciation of how good it feels to be pressed together - skin against skin. They explore each other thoroughly and slowly; there isn't a curve or a hollow, an angle or an indent that goes untouched. The spark between them stokes itself steadily, burning hotter and higher with every whispered groan and strangled plea for more.

"Damon, please," Elena gasps.

Damon knows exactly what she wants but he's determined to take things slow all the way to their inevitable spectacular conclusion. He guides his tip to her entrance and presses in. Elena cries out as she's swamped with the pleasure of it. She lifts her hips, trying to pull him further into her body but Damon withdraws.

Elena bites her lip in frustration and despite the effort restraint is costing him, Damon smiles. He pushes forward again, only a few inches and then gritting his teeth against the way she clamps down around him, he pulls out again.

By the time he's buried to the hilt, Elena is completely wild underneath him. Locking their fingers together, Damon sets a sinfully controlled rhythm; each stroke of his body into hers is swift and deep. Over and over he fills her heart, her mind and her body; there isn't a single part of her that is distinct from him.

The climax, when it comes, is all the more earth shattering for the way he stokes the flames, adding more fuel with each stroke. It swells higher and higher until it comes crashing around them in a brilliant shower of fire and light. She hugs him to her as he rides out the now ebbing waves.

It is wondrous - this thing they share.

He rolls off her, flinging an arm over his face. Neither of them can seem to catch their breath, and when their eyes meet once again, they laugh together like giddy children. It takes a minute but he finally drags himself out of bed to grab the champagne. They wordlessly touch their glasses together, the Lennox crystal pings through the quiet room like music, and they sip the bubbly which is even sweeter than the 'Veuve Clicquot Brut' they served at their reception.

She's unbelievably content. This is the perfect way to celebrate what they've done.

What they are together.

He reaches out, running a hand over the back of her hair. "What are you thinking about?"

"Honestly?"

He smirks, "Well, I hear that's what good marriages are based on, so we might as well try."

"I'm thinking..." She pauses, fairly certain of what his reaction will be. "That our flight leaves at noon tomorrow so we should probably be at the airport by ten, we'll have to forego sleeping in."

Damon laughs, "We make love for the first time as a married couple and you're thinking about alarm clocks instead of round two? I must've done something seriously wrong," his eyes drop to his now soft manhood.

"Stop it," she swats him playfully. "I'm just excited about our honeymoon in Bermuda - I mean if tonight was a preview..." she rakes her eyes over his glorious naked body.

He laughs again, nodding eagerly. Taking her glass from her, he places it next to his on the bedside table. Without a word, they huddle together in the center of the bed. She tucks her head in the curve of his shoulder and he winds his arm around her waist, keeping her close.

Elena thinks about spending every night for the rest of her life like this, and she can't imagine anything better. "Do you think we'll always be this happy?" she whispers against his neck. Her hand rests against his chest so she can feel his heart beating and his breath ruffling her hair.

"It's inevitable that we'll go through some rough patches - that's a part of life - but I think if we work really hard and never go to bed angry with each other," he presses a kiss to her hair, "Then yes, I think we can."

"I'm so lucky to have married you," Elena smiles against his shoulder.

She doesn't have to look up to know he's smiling too.

I'm sorry for missing last week's HTBMTB update. In addition to my screwed up work hours, my baby (he's the youngest of my 4 children) ended up in the hospital. He choked on a piece of ham and tore his esophagus - leading to internal bleeding and literal collapse. His hemoglobin dropped to as low as 7.8 - way low - he had to have 4 transfusions - and several days in the hospital but he's finally home now - returns to see the surgeon tomorrow.

Synopsis quote courtesy of Sarah Dessen.

'At The Beginning' by Richard Marx & Donna Lewis from 'Anastasia'.

Huge thank you to Kate, despite working many overtime hours, she graciously agreed to for beta read this for me.

HUGE APOLOGIES for not responding to the "Cheeseburger in Paradise" reviews. Know that we're grateful and appreciate each and every one of them. You're all super amazing people.

We'll see you next with HTBMTB - hopefully tomorrow.