The soft hum of equipment filled the silence in the Salvatore living room as Jo Parker-Saltzman zipped up her medical bag, a thoughtful frown etched on her face. She had insisted on running the examination herself after Bonnie’s shocking revelation the night before. Despite the unconventional circumstances, Jo approached the task with calm professionalism, though the results had left her feeling more than a little rattled.

Damon stood with his arms crossed, leaning against the wall, his face blank but his eyes sharp and expectant. Stefan sat in the armchair beside Caroline, both watching Jo intently. Bonnie remained near the window, silent but anxious.

Jo turned to face them all, taking a steadying breath. “I don’t know how to say this without it sounding impossible, but…” She hesitated, scanning their tense faces. “Elena is pregnant. And as far as I can tell… she’s carrying twins.”

The words hit the room like a thunderclap.

Stefan straightened in his seat, his eyes wide. “Twins?”

Damon pushed off the wall, his calm veneer cracking for just a moment. “Wait. Twins? You’re sure?”

Jo nodded, her voice steady but careful. “I triple-checked, Damon. I didn’t believe it myself, but I’m certain. There are two distinct heartbeats.”

Bonnie’s breath caught. “Two?”

“Yes.” Jo paused, her brow furrowing as she considered the implications. “And the strangest part is that, as far as I can tell, this pregnancy seems… natural.”

Caroline’s eyes narrowed. “How is that even possible? Elena’s a vampire. Vampires can’t get pregnant—let alone with twins.”

Jo shook her head, still processing the impossible herself. “I don’t know how, but her body is sustaining this pregnancy as if she were human. It doesn’t make sense, and yet, biologically, everything appears normal. Her heart may not beat, but the babies… they’re alive. They’re growing.”

This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

The room fell into stunned silence.

Damon broke it first, his voice low and wary. “So you’re saying this isn’t some weird supernatural abomination? It’s just… natural?”

Jo met his gaze, her tone soft. “As natural as something like this can be, yes.”

Damon turned away, running a hand through his hair, his mind racing. The skepticism and sarcasm that had shielded him earlier seemed to fade, leaving only raw confusion. “Twins,” he muttered to himself. “Of course, it’s twins.”

Caroline glanced between Jo and Bonnie, her mind already spiraling. “Okay, but what does this mean? Bonnie, your vision said the pregnancy would bring about the end of everything. And now there’s not just one child—there are two.”

Bonnie’s jaw tightened, her arms crossing as she stared at Jo. “Are you sure there’s nothing abnormal about them? No signs of magic, no strange energy?”

Jo shook her head. “Not from what I can tell. Physically, they seem perfectly healthy. But I’m not a witch, Bonnie—I can’t sense those things.”

Stefan cleared his throat, his voice calm but firm. “Let’s take a step back for a second. Bonnie, you said your vision warned you about the pregnancy. But you also said we’re not going to hurt these kids, no matter what.”

Bonnie nodded slowly. “I still stand by that. Whatever I saw… it wasn’t clear. The vision showed destruction, but it didn’t show why or how. Maybe these children are a danger. Or maybe they’re the key to stopping it. We don’t know.”

Damon turned to face her, his blue eyes hard. “Then we’re done talking about destroying anything. Until we have proof that these kids are a threat, they’re off the table. Clear?”

Bonnie held his gaze for a long moment before sighing and nodding. “Clear.”

Stefan glanced at Damon. “And Elena?”

Damon’s expression darkened. “We wake her up. Jo, is there any way you can reverse this spell?”

Jo shook her head, her voice apologetic. “I’m a doctor, Damon, not a witch. The sleeping spell is beyond me. I’ll need Bonnie or another witch to break it.”

Bonnie straightened. “I’ve been working on that. The spell is strong—ancient, even—but it’s not unbreakable. I just need more time.”

Damon shot her a sharp look. “Then get it done. I don’t care what it takes—just wake her up.”

---

Later — The Salvatore House Porch

The cool night air wrapped around Bonnie as she stood on the porch, staring up at the stars. She could hear Damon pacing inside, Jo explaining her findings again to Caroline and Stefan. But Bonnie’s mind was somewhere else, stuck on the cryptic words from her vision.

“It will bring about the end of everything.”

Now there were two children. Two lives growing inside Elena—lives that weren’t supposed to exist. Bonnie knew Damon was right about one thing: they couldn’t do anything until they understood what this pregnancy meant. But that didn’t stop the dread clawing at her chest.

“Bonnie.”

She turned to see Stefan stepping out onto the porch, his expression soft but concerned.

“You okay?” he asked gently.

Bonnie gave him a half-smile, though it didn’t reach her eyes. “Not really. This whole thing… it doesn’t feel right. Even if Jo says the twins are natural, there’s something off about this. I can feel it.”

Stefan nodded, stepping closer. “You’re not alone. We’ll figure this out. Whatever’s coming, we’ll be ready for it.”

Bonnie sighed, looking back up at the sky. “I hope so, Stefan. Because something tells me this is just the beginning.