Whatever It Takes {Two | Alaric Saltzman}

This Woman's Work

"I'm going to miss you," Abigail whispered in the dark.

Alaric carefully pulled her closer. "It's only a few days."

"Yeah, but a few days is a long time when we're on baby watch."

He took her left hand, kissing her ring as he did. "That's why I have to go. The house isn't anywhere near ready."

"I know," she sighed. "I haven't even started packing up your office, let alone the apartment."

He sat all the way up. "Oh, God."

"Hey, I'll get it done. We're not taking everything." She pulled him back down so that she was on top of him. "But you've got, what, an hour before you have to go? Do you know what we could do in an hour?"

"We could probably pack-"

She cut him off with a kiss. "I'm not talking about packing, Ric."

"Oh!" As her lips trailed down his body, he repeated, "Oh..."

After dropping Alaric off at the airport, Abigail made her way to Bonnie and Caroline's dorm room. A quick knock came with a quick invitation inside where Caroline was writing in her journal. She looked up with a smile, making it easy for her to relay what she learned on her drive over.

"Matt met someone. She's a cop, just like him, and, apparently, now that she knows about vampires, is sticking around to take a stand." Abigail sat down on the foot of the bed. "Sounds like they have potential."

Caroline set her journal to the side. "Are you sure she's real?"

"Her name is Penny. She's from Grove Hill. I talked to her on the phone briefly when I called Matt to tell him we were moving to Dallas." Abigail moved toward her on the bed. "But I have something else to tell you."

"And what's that?"

Her lips stretched into a smile. "Alaric and I are engaged."

"Oh, my God! Oh, my God! Oh, my God!" If she could have jumped up and down, she would've. "Let me see the ring!"

"That's what you care about? The ring?" She laughed through her words. "You don't want to hear about the moment he decided he just couldn't wait any longer to ask me?"

"Of course, I want to hear about that! I just really want to see the-" Abigail held up her hand. "Oh, my God! It's perfect."

"I know. I couldn't have picked it out better myself."

Caroline grabbed her hand to get a closer look. "Does Bonnie know?"

"Yeah," she laughed. "Alaric and I saw her at the coffee house on the way to the airport."

The door opened.

"Hey, sorry, I was trying to track down my brother-" Stefan cut himself off. "Is that what I think it is?"

Abigail nodded. "Sure is."

"Well, it's about time."

"That's exactly what I was hoping to hear Damon say. Did you find him?"

He sighed. "No."

Caroline sighed in the same way as him. "Okay. Just let her tell us the story and then we will help you track him down."

"Oh, wait! Hi, girls." Smiling widely, she put her hands over the babies. "Mommy and Daddy-"

Grabbing her belly, Caroline yelped.

"Are they kicking again?"

"Mmhmm. Yeah, just..." She rubbed her side, but the babies only seemed to kick harder. "Ow! That wasn't very nice."