Reckless Love

A Proposal

~4 Months Later~

I wake up and Damon isn't next to me. I look over at my nightstand and I see a single rose and a note.

Elena,

Come find me. The map will guide the way along your journey down memory lane. ;)

-Damon

I smile then on the back is a map of Mystic Falls. I do need exercise before Toby or Aimee get here. Alex must be at school already. I notice there are stars on the map. Huh, he's sending me on a scavenger hunt. I drive to the place marked #1. Hmm... Mystic High? Wait- I look at the other places marked. We have romantic memories in all these places. Well... when Stefan and I broke up once, we made out under the bleachers here. But nothing more. I go over to the football field and I go over to the coach.

"Hey Coach Reynolds?"

"Elena! It's good to see you. What are you doing here?"

"My boyfriend is sending me on a scavenger hunt. I have no idea what he's doing though."

"That's romantic. I haven't seen him."

"He hid something here under the bleachers."

"Feel free to look." I smile at her then I go under the bleachers. I see a little bag tied to one of the supports. I look at the map again. He's sending me to 8 places. The last is supposed to be the Falls. He has been taking me to a few places in the last 2 months... what the hell is he up to? I open the bag and I find 2 little scrabble letters, W and I. I head to spot #2, the grill. We had the same drink the day we got together. What was that bottle... Bourbon, 1945. I go into the grill and up to Matt.

"Hey, can I see one of your bottles of bourbon? A specific one?"

"You can't drink though."

"No, Damon's sending me on this weird scavenger hunt. He marked places on a map and I'm figuring out that we have specific memories in all the places."

"Oh, right. He told me."

"What's he doing?" Matt smiles.

"Can't tell. Here's that bottle though." There's another little bag. I open it to find an E and an L. I smile and thank Matt. I head over to the Lockwood Manor, spot #3. Oh yeah, the Miss Mystic. I decided to drop out this year though. I knock on the door and Tyler smiles.

"Damon said you'd come here. He told me to give this to you." He gives me another little bag. I open it to find an R and an M. I put them in my bag of letters then I head to spot #4, the Mikelson Manor. This has memories too, Damon told me he loved me and we danced together. I knock on the door. Klaus answers, his reddish brown hair messy.

"Hello Elena. Come here for Damon's little bag?" I nod then he goes to get it. He comes back and I smile, thanking him. The letters U and O. I head to the Gilbert House, spot #5. We kissed on the porch. I find another bag tied to the knocker. I open it to find 2 letters- A and Y -and a question mark. I head to the hospital, spot #6. I go inside then I go up to Meredith.

"Did Damon give you a little bag?" She smiles then hands it to me.

"Thanks Mer." She nods then goes back to work. I open it. Another Y and another R. I go to the 7th place. The road where Damon and I met first. I see a huge bag on a tree. I go open it, and I find a scrabble board, an L and M, and another note.

Elena,

You have the letters now, it's up to you to figure out the message. Hint- it's 4 words and it has to fit on the board.

-Damon

I sit down on the ground with the scrabble board and the note, then I take out the letters and I think. 4 words. A question. I line all the letters up. Double R's, double L's, double M's, and double Y's. I take out the O and the U.

"You." I put it down. It has to fit on the board. I count the letters, including 4 words with spaces. The last word has to have 3 letters, including the question mark. I think.

"Me." I say out loud. Obviously it includes both of us, otherwise he wouldn't have sent me to places about us, so you and me. I put it down for the last one with the question mark.

"Double L's." I whisper. I put the W and I together with the 2 L's.

"Will." Will you me? But there's a blank. I look at the remaining letters.

"An M, 2 R's, an A, and a Y." I play around with the words. His mother's name was Mary. I spell it. One more space. One more R. There are 2 different ways to spell Mary. One is a name and the other- I straighten up and a grin breaks out on my face. I put the R in. Then I look at the message.

WILL YOU MARRY ME? I look at the last location on the map. Mystic Falls. I put the scrabble board back in the bag then I flash toward the falls. I jump to the top and I look around. I look around then I spot Damon standing on a rock that safely overlooks the Falls. It even has a fence and some benches. I drop the bag and walk over to him, tears in my eyes. He turns around and smiles at me. I start crying and Toby or Aimee starts kicking. My lips meet his and he puts his left palm to the back of my head and his other hand wraps around my waist. We finally pull away and I lean my forehead against his. He pulls away then drops to one knee and produces a beautiful ring.

"Elena Margaret Gilbert, will you marry me?" I nod.

"Yes!" He stands up and he pulls me back into the kiss. I put my hands on my bump in hopes to calm Toby or Aimee. Damon tucks my hair behind my ear and I smile at him.

"That was fun."

"I'm glad." He sits down on one of the benches then pats his lap. I sit down and I lean my head against his. We look out on the day and Damon makes little circles on my bump that make our baby kick. He smiles as he feels it.

"I asked Aunt Caroline to take Alex tonight." She smiles at me.

"I know exactly what day I want the wedding to be." He looks at me.

"October 4th."

"When I came back." I nod then I tuck my head in the crook of his neck. We watch the day go by. Soon my eyes get heavy. Damon and I get up then we decide to hike down the falls. Damon intertwines his fingers with mine gently and I smile at him. We make it back to my car and we drive home. I put the bag of scrabble letters in my nightstand then I get in my pajamas, some fuzzy black pants and a black tank top. I pull on my slippers and my robe (both also black). I smile at him then I admire the beautiful ring.

"Where'd you get it?"

"My mother. She gave it to be before she died. I almost gave it to Katherine, but I didn't feel like I'd be making me or my mother happy." I laugh then the doorbell rings. I get up and I get it. I see 2 people standing there.

"Can I help you?"

"Hello, is this the Salvatore residence?"

"Yes. Are you looking for Damon or Stefan?"

"Both of them." Damon gets up and I turn around to face him. The look that comes across his face is shock.

"How-"

"Damon."

"You don't have to be invited in." I say quietly.

"How do you know about vampires?"

"Are you Giuseppe and Mary Salvatore?"

"Yes."

"It's either you're vampires or that's a really good face lift." They both step inside. Wait a minute- Damon and Stefan's parents?!? Most important- Damon, my fiancé and father of my children's parents?!? I go over to Damon.

"Damon, can I introduce myself or do you want to?" I say nervously.