Written by: Peter
Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries are the property of L.J. Smith and the CW Network. I’m just writing about them for the fun of it.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post-season 3 finale.
Pairing: Stefan/Elena
For the rest of my life, I'll have to live in secret
I'll hide in the shadows...alone in the world.
Alone with him.
I should have left home. I know the risk.
But I have to live my life!
I am a vampire—this is my story.
-Elena Gilbert
No one had said a word.
Standing on a grassy hill behind the school, Stefan waited as the two teenagers in front of him stared, awaiting answers. Off to the side, Bonnie and Jeremy waited as well, even though they had been fully aware of the situation.
Stefan knew he should say something but, truthfully, he had no idea where to begin.
Finally, after what seemed like hours, Matt spoke up.
“Was that the other one?” he asked. “The girl from homecoming? Kathy, or whatever her name is?”
Stefan shook his head.
“No—no, that wasn't Katherine,” he admitted. “That was Elena.”
“She was a vampire!” Matt reminded him.
“Yes.”
Matt's face falls.
“Since when?” he demanded. “How long has she been--h-how could this happen?”
“Remember when Elena passed out and we had to rush her to the hospital?” Jeremy reminded him. “Doctor Fell—she said Elena had a cerebral hemorrhage in her brain. She needed surgery, but there wasn't time—so she used vampire blood to heal it instead.”
“Just like my dad...” Caroline muttered.
“I still don't understand!” Matt said, angrily. “I mean—I thought you had to die before you...”
“The bridge,” Stefan explained.
Matt shook his head, still in denial.
“We survived!” he insisted. “You pulled us out of the water!”
“I pulled you out of the water,” Stefan corrected him. “Elena, she—she wouldn't let me save her. Not unless I saved you first.”
A pained look crosses Matt's face.
“I went back for her, but...” he continued. “I tried to revive her Matt, I swear, but I was too late. There was nothing I could do.”
Matt hangs his head. Stefan prepares himself for the inevitable words that would follow. That Matt blamed him for this—that he should have been able to save them both. That this was all his fault. That he had failed her. That he was the reason Elena was a vampire.
“This is all my fault,” Matt whispered, much to his surprise.
“What?” Stefan asked.
“What?” Bonnie and Caroline repeated.
“I was the one who brought her out on that road!” he recalled. “She was supposed to stay at the house but—I drugged her, I kidnapped her, I put you in that position in the first place. Don't you get it? I'm the reason Elena died!”
“Don't say that!” Caroline urged him.
“It was as much my idea as yours,” Jeremy reminded him. “We made that decision together, remember? If you're to blame, then so am I!”
“Passing out blame isn't going to help anyone,” Caroline speaks up. “Speaking from experience, Elena probably feels really scared and confused right now. Having the person who killed you just show up and threaten to do it again doesn't help.”
Caroline pauses.
“Wow—I'm really, really speaking from experience here.”
“If it's anyone's fault, it's Rebekah's!” Jeremy practically growled. “She's the one who went after Elena. Elena would have been fine if she hadn't forced you off the road. She's the one who has to pay!”
“Seconded!” Bonnie agrees.
“Just wait a minute,” Stefan warns them. “I understand you're all angry right now. Believe me—I would like nothing better than to see Rebekah pay for what she's done. But—I know from personal experience how seeking revenge can make you lose sight of what's important.”
“I can't believe I'm saying this, but I'm starting to miss bad-Stefan!” Jeremy spat. “At least he was willing to do whatever it took.”
“You want me to be pragmatic?” Stefan challenged. “Fine—how would you go about making Rebekah pay, hmm? Even if we call Elijah's bluff about the council, Rebekah's an original! The only weapon that could kill her was destroyed when Alaric died. And even if it wasn't—even if we could kill her—you know what that could do!”
Jeremy stared at him in horror.
“We still don't know who started our bloodline,” Stefan reminded them. “If it was Rebekah, then killing her would literally be suicide. It would kill me and Damon.”
“And me...” Caroline added. “And Bonnie's mom.”
“And Elena,” Stefan admitted.
“Are you sure?” Jeremy asked. “Elena's part of your bloodline, too?”
Stefan nods.
“Whose blood did Meredith use?” Bonnie asked him.
“That's—that's not important,” Stefan said, quickly changing the subject. “The point is, as much satisfaction as I would get from hurting Rebekah, helping Elena through this is much more important.”
“She's going to be okay, right?” Matt asked.
Everyone's attention went towards Matt.
“I mean, she's still Elena, isn't she” Matt clarified. “Caroline didn't really change that much when it happened to her and, no offence Care, but Elena's always been more together than you.”
“It's true,” Caroline shrugs. “And, you know—Elena spent a lot more time involved with this stuff than I did as a normal person. Elena's going to have this whole vampire thing in the bag in a day.”
Caroline and Matt smile—but Stefan doesn't seem to share their relief.
“Isn't she?” Matt asks, slightly worried.
“It's different from everyone,” Stefan explains.
“Different how?”
Stefan sighs.
“When someone like you becomes someone like me...” Stefan tries to explain. “It changes you. Not just the powers and the bloodlust—something changes inside you as well. A part of you dies, and whatever's left becomes magnified.”
“Magnified how?” Matt questions him.
“I mean whoever you were before, you become more of that,” he continues. “If you were kind to people as a human, you become kinder. If you were selfish, you become greedy. Anger, compassion, jealousy, empathy—it all gets so much more profound. The things you want, suddenly you can't live without. Personal desires are harder to resist...”
“Well, that explains Damon...” Caroline snickers.
“I don't get it,” Matt interrupts. “Isn't that a good thing? I mean, Elena's one of the most caring people I know. Shouldn't that make her—I don't know—more good?”
“You're right,” Stefan agrees. “Elena was a very good person as a human. Better than most. But she also suffered—from loss, from pain, from guilt—she felt a lot of what happened to you was a result of her presence in your lives. Try to imagine those feelings multiplied by a hundred, and you might be able to understand how Elena's feeling right now.”
Matt flinches.
“Help her,” he begs. “Please.”
“I'll do everything in my power to help Elena live with what she's become,” Stefan swears. “But I can't do it alone. She needs you.”
Matt blinks—confused.
“Me?” he asks in disbelief. “But I'm just—human.”
“Exactly.”
Stefan turns to Bonnie, Caroline, and Jeremy—before turning back to Matt.
“I know Elena loves me,” he begins. “But—I'm a part of all this. Maybe I'm not the sole reason all this has happened, but I'm still a symptom of it. The four of you, though—you're all that's left of Elena's life before vampires entered it. You're Elena's connection to her humanity. She needs you—all of you. I can't do this alone.”
Matt steps forward, putting his hand on Stefan's.
“I'm in!” he proclaims. “Elena saved my life—the least I can do is return the favour.”
“It wasn't too long ago I was in Elena's place,” Caroline pointed out. “I call dibs on teacher's assistant, Professor Salvatore.”
Caroline stands at attention, causing Stefan to chuckle despite himself. She places her hand over Matt's.
“Do you even have to ask?” Jeremy commented.
“I know you'll do whatever you can to help your sister, Jeremy,” Stefan agrees. “But—I'll need you to do something difficult. Something that maybe goes against your instincts.”
“What?” Jeremy asks.
“I need you to trust me,” Stefan finishes. “Can you do that?”
Jeremy hesitates for a moment, before nodding.
“For Elena,” he admits, placing his hand with the others.
They all turn towards Bonnie, awaiting her answer.
“I know you think I've been—judgemental at times,” Bonnie admits.
“You've had reason to be,” Stefan agrees.
“Let me finish,” she cuts him off. “I've lost a lot because of vampires, and I've let the actions of a few shape my opinion of the rest of you. Caroline, I treated you horribly last year, even though it wasn't your fault...”
Bonnie and Caroline share a silent look. Caroline smiles at her, signifying her forgiveness.
“I've let the spirits of my ancestors dictate my actions, and...maybe this could have been avoided if I'd just told them 'no',” Bonnie admits. “From here on out, I'm going to do what I feel is right...not what anyone else tells me I should do. And what I want is to make sure my friend doesn't turn into a monster.”
Bonnie puts her hand on top of Jeremy's.
“I just have one question,” she asks the others. “What about Damon? Where does he stand in all of this?”
Stefan's eyes narrow. Bonnie feel a chill go up her spine.
“Damon's decided he'll let me handle Elena, while he focuses on the council,” Stefan explains. “But I know my brother well enough to know it won't last. While I was—out of it—he made some attempts to 'help me'.”
“Why does the word 'help' sound like 'torture' when it comes out of your mouth?” Caroline commented.
“Let's just say all of you would probably disagree with Damon on what's in Elena's best interest,” Stefan sighed. “Watch him. Carefully.”
The others all nod.
“Hey—has anybody seen Tyler?” Caroline questions the group.
*****
Meanwhile, in the empty history classroom, 'Tyler' examines the civil war model with interest.
“It's a shame we skipped out on this war, isn't it?” he commented. “Too self-contained for my taste. After all—how can you claim a victory when both sides are from same country?”
“I would expect, Niklaus, that you would have more appreciation for internal strife!”
Klaus chuckles.
“Touche, Elijah,” he agrees. “Have you discovered psycho-analysis in your old age?”
“An attempt to understand you.”
“Quite the Renaissance man, aren't you brother?” Klaus taunted him. “And for someone who actually lived during the Renaissance, that's saying something.”
“You'll be pleased to know that your body survived Alaric's attack,” Elijah informed him, sitting behind his desk. “The fact that it was a hollow shell must have afforded it some protection against the white oak's magic.”
Klaus clapped his hands, smirking with amusement.
“Now, that's what I like to hear!” he said. “Finally, some good news.”
“How did you convince Ms. Bennett to save you, might I ask?” Elijah questioned him.
“Oh, I didn't have to,” he corrected Elijah. “You see—that's the best part. As it turns out, I started Stefan's bloodline—which means every vampire in their little entourage is completely dependant on me staying alive. It's kind of satisfying, in a way. From enemies to bodyguards.”
“Does this mean you're not going to seek retribution for the loss of the doppelganger?” Elijah suggested.
“Is that what this is about?” he laughed—before turning bitter. “Make no mistake—there's going to be retribution—from Rebekah. I'm not about to punish someone for something they didn't do. Trying to drop me in the ocean, on the other hand—well, that's a different story.”
Elijah sighs.
“Oh, I'm not going to kill them,” Klaus assures him. “I'll admit, I've gotten attached.”
“Caroline probably wouldn't be pleased if you slaughtered her friends.” Elijah pointed out.
“Have you and Kol been gossiping about me behind my back?” Klaus teased. “Still—I should probably do something to keep them in line. Our esteemed mayor, perhaps? I could always turn Elena's brother—make them a matched set. And the quarterback. What do you think? Would he make a better meal or bodyguard?”
Elijah shook his head in disappointment.
“After all this, you've still learned nothing?” Elijah concluded. “You still seek to punish them, when their actions were only to protect themselves?”
“They had nothing to fear from me!” Klaus exclaimed, angrily. “I wanted to keep Elena alive—so did they! All they had to do was obey me! My blood created them—they belong to ME!!! As soon as Bonnie gives me my body back, I'll make sure they learn to respect their master!”
“You may find that difficult.”
Klaus froze, eyeing Elijah suspiciously.
“You told me my body was fine!” Klaus reminded him.
“I told you it survived,” Elijah corrected him. “Unfortunately, Esther's attempt on your life was not without consequences. You were heavily damaged. We could restore you to your rightful form, but you'll be in no condition to move. Not until the damage has been healed.”
“How long?” Klaus whispers.
“Thirty years,” Elijah admits. “Perhaps ten, if we provided a steady supply of blood.”
Suddenly, Klaus kicked one of the desks violently. It flew against the wall, splintering.
“AGHHHH!!!!” he screamed. “Three decades?!? Stuck like this?!?”
“Imagine how Kol or Rebekah felt, trapped in that coffin for a century?” Elijah reminded him. “Some societies would consider this karma, Niklaus. Be thankful you're even alive. Not to mention aware.”
“I'm vulnerable, Elijah!” Klaus growled. “Tyler's body's too young—too weak. Rebekah tossed me aside like I was nothing!”
“Frightening, isn't it?” Elijah asked. “To be at the mercy of someone else—knowing you don't stand a chance. That they could destroy you without even trying?”
“There has to be something!” Klaus muttered, a tinge of fear in his voice. “Some spell to speed up the healing process.”
“I'm looking into it,” Elijah reassured him. “And in the meantime—think of this as a learning opportunity.”
Elijah smirks in amusement. Klaus gives him a cold look.
“I'm so glad you're finding humour in this, brother!” he snapped.
“With Mikael dead, that makes me the head of our family,” Elijah reminded him. “Consider your current state a form of punishment. For once, you'll have to rely on others for protection—the very people you were tormenting not long ago. Once I feel you've learned your lesson—then we'll see about restoring you to your Original self.”
“What am I supposed to do in the meantime?” he exclaimed. “You don't honestly expect me to keep up this charade?”
“That's exactly what I expect, brother,” Elijah explained. “Do your homework, be a good son to Carol, play football, attempt to woo Ms. Forbes without your usual advantages—see things from the human perspective for a change. Or else let the Salvatores know where you are—and we'll see how long your freedom lasts. The choice is yours.”
Klaus simply stands there—in shock.
“Oh, and I'll expect you to read through chapter three of the text by Monday. There will be a quiz.”
Klaus laughs bitterly, before exiting the classroom—not pleased at all.
*****
Elena collapsed against the wall the second she had gotten through the front door of her house. She felt like she was hyper-ventilating—it was everything she could do to get home without completely falling apart.
Stupid. She was so stupid.
Why did she think she could just go on like nothing had happened? Why did she think the Originals would just leave Mystic Falls, since Klaus was dead and she was no longer important to them? Why did she think the world would just leave her alone, now that they'd taken everything from her?
Rebekah—seeing her there had just made her so angry. Elena had never felt such anger before—such overwhelming rage. How dare she? Stefan and Bonnie—they didn't even let her try to get her back. She had the power to do it, too. She wasn't weak anymore—she wasn't vulnerable. She had power now, and they wouldn't even let her use it. Just let her get her hands around Rebekah's neck—then they'd see how much 'protection' she needed...
'What am I doing?' Elena thought in horror. 'I—I'm not—that isn't me. I don't think like that. I never wanted this power.'
But since she had it, why not use it?
'No!' she thought again, forcing the idea out of her head. 'Maybe—maybe I wasn't as ready as I thought.'
Defeated, Elena made her way upstairs to her room.
“How was your first day back?”
Elena stared at her bed, where Damon Salvatore was currently lounging with his hands behind his head.
“What are you doing here?” he asks, concerned.
“What, no 'hello'?” he teased, smirking. “I just wanted to see how you were doing. I was worried. Stefan's not really generous with the details.”
“I'm sorry, it's just...” Elena stammered. “It's been a day.”
“Did you try to have the lunch lady for lunch?” Damon half-joked.
“Rebekah—was there,” she explained. “And Elijah—it's like they're taking over the school. She attacked me, and I—I completely lost control. I wanted to kill her, Damon.”
Damon nods.
“The others stopped me,” she sighs. “Stefan, Bonnie—even Tyler fought her, but they wouldn't let me do anything. I wanted to. I wanted to kill her!”
“Go with it!” Damon encouraged.
“No,” Elena said, shaking her head. “That's—that's not me.”
Damon jumped off the bed, wandering around the room.
“Maybe it is,” Damon suggested. “Granted, human-you never seemed to lash out—even if the person deserved it. But you're a vampire now. Whole new ballgame.”
He reached for Elena's dresser drawer. However, before he could open it, Elena blurred across the room and held it shut—giving him a warning look.
“I rest my case,” he said with a smirk. “You're fiercer now. I like it!”
“I know what you're trying to do,” Elena sighs. “It's not going to work, Damon. I'm not going to give in to—to whatever this is.”
Damon scoffed.
“You remember Caroline, right?” he pointed out. “When Liz had us down in that cave? She came to our rescue and killed two deputes. She didn't have to—could have just knocked them out—but she did. The longer you fight the urge, the worse it's going to be when you eventually slip—and you will!”
Damon's words sent a chill through Elena's bones.
“Just give in, and get it over with,” he suggested. “Count yourself lucky the person you want to kill is someone who deserves it. I mean, let's face it—even your precious Stefan got the person who killed him back for it.”
“Even if I wanted to...” Elena replied. “I can't. She's an Original, Damon. She can't be killed.”
Damon smirked, handing her an object wrapped in cloth.
“Consider this a rebirthday present.”
Elena unwraps the object, revealing a stake. Not just any stake, but THE stake. Alaric's stake.
The white oak stake.
“How?” she gasps. “How did you—my god, I thought this was destroyed when I—when Alaric...”
Damon grins.
“Didn't want Elijah knowing I had something that could kill him,” Damon explains.
“Who knows you have this?” Elena questions him.
“Just you,” he replies. “And I would like to keep it that way. Drive this through Rebekah's heart, and you have your revenge.”
Elena shakes her head.
“Damon, I can't--” she argues. “What if—what if she's responsible for your bloodline? We know it wasn't Klaus...”
“Do we?”
“He's dead, and you're not,” Elena pointed out.
“I'm not so sure of that,” Damon sighed. “See—I just got back from the storage depot. It's gone. Klaus' body is gone.”
“Because it burned up,” Elena pointed out. “Just like Finn's did.”
Damon shook his head.
“No, I mean—it looks like he didn't!” Damon clarifies. “I think he survived, and someone stole the body.”
“Klaus is alive?!?” Elena spat. “Is that what you're telling me?”
“I'm not sure--”
“Be sure!!!” she yelled. “If he's alive—if he's free—what do you think he's going to do once he finds out that I'm...that he can't use my blood anymore?”
“I know,” Damon assured her, taking her hand. “I promise, I'll find him. You worry about Rebekah.”
Damon looks down at her hand and freezes. He stares at it, almost in shock.
“What is it?” Elena asks him, concerned.
“Where—where did you get that?” he whispers.
Elena looks down, realizing he's referring to her sunlight protection ring.
“Bonnie made me a ring,” she explains. “She got it from Stefan—why?”
A mixture of emotions appear on Damon's face: pain, disbelief, anger, rage—he glares at the ring with such fury that Elena can almost feel it coming off him.
“Damon?”
“I've gotta go...” he snaps, and storms out of the room before Elena has the chance to say anything.
Just as he's about to exit the house, Jeremy comes through the front door.
“Hey, what's--”
Damon shoves him aside.
“Don't you have tables to wipe down?”
Jeremy glares at him.
“Jerk!”
He walks upstairs. Right as he's about to enter the room, Elena yanks open her dresser drawer and places the stake inside.
“You ok?” Jeremy asks. “I heard about what happened at school.”
“I'm fine,” Elena lied. “It was just, uh—I didn't expect her to be there. I thought the Originals were gone, y'know—after Klaus...”
“I wish I'd been there!” Jeremy sighs.
“I don't.”
Jeremy looks hurt.
“I don't want you to see me like that,” Elena confessed. “It wasn't pretty.”
“You do remember I dated Anna, right?” he teased her. “What's Damon's problem?”
“Do you need a list?” Elena sighs. “I don't know. He just saw my ring at he flipped out.”
Jeremy looks at it.
“It looks just like theirs,” Jeremy shrugged. “Maybe it's some kinda weird brothers thing?”
“Maybe...”
Suddenly, Jeremy got an idea.
“I'm surprised you didn't use that necklace,” he told her. “You know—that one Stefan gave you to protect you from compulsion? Whatever happened to that thing, anyway?”
Elena looked downwards, not wanting to discuss it.
“I just—wanna know if I could borrow it.”
She looks at him, surprised.
“What?” she asks. “Why?”
“Alaric needs it for something.”
Elena freezes.
“You've seen him again?” she questions Jeremy.
“Yeah, he's sticking around,” Jeremy explains. “He's the one who told me about what happened in the gym. He pushed Matt out of there.”
Elena's eyes went wide in surprise. She'd just assumed Bonnie had done it.
“You remember what happened last time, Jeremy,” she reminded him. “When Esther used the necklace so the ghosts could cross over completely. The tomb vampires started killing people.”
“He said Uncle John knows a way to control who the spell effects and who it doesn't!” Jeremy insists.
“You've seen John?”she whispers.
“No, but Ric has...” he answers.
“Does he know about...?”
“You could ask him yourself,” Jeremy suggests, smiling. “If this works, I won't be the only one who can see them.”
Hesitating for a moment, Elena reaches under the bed, pulling out a box. Inside are several familiar objects.
“Is that dad's watch?” Jeremy asks.
“The council turned it into some kind of vampire locator,” Elena explained. “I didn't want it falling into the wrong hands. Sorry.”
She pulls out the necklace, handing it to Jeremy. However, she's hesitant to let go.
“Don't lose it,” she instructs him. “It's—important.”
Jeremy nods, understanding.
“You sure you're ok?” he asks.
“Positive.”
Giving a reassuring smile, Jeremy leaves the room. The moment he does, Elena's mask cracks, and she sits back down on the bed—looking completely in despair.
She then opens the dresser and retrieves the white oak stake. Her eyes narrow as she examines the weapon—considering her options.
*****
Meanwhile, in the woods...
Stefan stood at the site of his childhood home, wondering why Damon wanted to meet there of all places. His message had been very brief:
He didn't have time for this. He wanted to see if Elena was ok, especially after what had happened at school. But he couldn't just ignore Damon—not when he was looking out for potential dangers.
“You had no right!”
Stefan turned to see a furious Damon standing behind him. The coldness in his voice was unexpected.
“Damon?”
“This is a familiar story, isn't it?” Damon continued. “First Rebekah's necklace, now this—you're always giving Elena things that aren't yours to give.”
“You're talking about the ring,” Stefan concludes. “I should have discussed it with you first, but I didn't think...”
“That's right!” Damon cut him off. “You didn't think, did you? You couldn't even wait a couple months? Wait for the wounds to heal?”
“It's just to protect her from the sun,” Stefan promised. “That's it, Damon. That's all it means.”
Damon points an accusatory finger at him.
“Don't try to sell me that!” Damon spat. “I was there, Stefan! I know what that ring means. So tell me—does Elena? Or does she get a say?”
“I'm not the one who keeps trying to take Elena's choices away from her!” Stefan growled. “Believe me—when the moment comes, and it will, Elena is going to know exactly what my intentions are.”
Damon flinched, as if cut by a knife.
“But that's not what that ring means to me—not anymore,” Stefan promised.
“Then why use it at all?” Damon challenged him.
“Elena's lost so many people,” Stefan explained. “I just—I wanted her to feel like she had somewhere to belong. That she wasn't alone.”
As he speaks, Stefan looks at his own ring.
“That she still has me,” he mutters. “And you.”
Damon looks down at his own ring, feeling—well--pretty low.
“Sorry,” he mutters.
Stefan raises an eyebrow.
“You're apologizing?”
“Tell anyone, and I'm breaking your neck—twice!” Damon warned. “I just saw that ring on her finger, and—I overreacted.”
“I should have told you first,” Stefan admitted. “You're right. You have as much right to decide who gets that ring as I do.”
“Don't kid yourself, Stefan,” Damon scoffs. “I have more right!”
“Can you honestly think of anyone else you'd rather give it to than Elena?”
Damon shakes his head.
“I guess not,” he sighs. “I'd just—much rather it be me that gives it to her.”
“Technically Bonnie was the one who...”
“Whatever, Stefan!” Damon groaned. “We have a much bigger problem than family jewelry ownership at the moment.”
Stefan crosses his arms, waiting for Damon to continue.
“Klaus might still be alive,” he confesses.
“No...” Stefan gasps.
“His body didn't completely burn up,” Damon explained. “Someone stole it.”
“Who?” Stefan demanded.
“That's what I'm trying to figure out!”
Stefan thought on it for a moment, trying to think.
“I took the other Originals bodies, remember?” he recalled. “It could have been an enemy who took the body, not an ally.”
“That doesn't make me feel any better, Stefan!” Damon argued. “What if Klaus was telling the truth? If he dies, we die!”
“The only way to kill Klaus was the white oak stake, and that's gone now,” he pointed out.
One look at Damon's face, however, and Stefan started to have doubts.
“It is, right?” he asked. “Damon, tell me you didn't...”
“Relax, little brother,” Damon laughed. “I promise—you have my word that I do not have an Original-killing stake currently in my possession.”
Stefan sighs in relief.
“Still I'd feel a lot better if we knew who took him,” Damon wondered.
“Katherine...”
Damon's eyes went wide.
“You think Katherine took him?!?” Damon questioned him. “Odds are he's in the bottom of the ocean by now, then.”
“No,” Stefan replied, shaking his head. “I mean you should try and contact Katherine. If anyone would know who may have taken Klaus—for good or ill—it's her.”
“She's probably partying it up in the Caribbean by now,” Damon argued. “And do you really want her snooping around here again? What, with Elena being a vampire now and everything? She's not gonna take it well.”
“When my humanity was shut off, she was the one who told me you were in danger,” Stefan explains. “If it wasn't for her—as much as I hate the idea of owing Katherine anything, I'm indebted.”
Damon just stood there, in shock.
“I'll—I'll try,” he says, before stumbling away.
It wasn't until Damon was gone that Stefan realized what mistake he'd just made. A very large, possibly disastrous mistake.
Damon hadn't known.
He hadn't known Katherine had given up her chance to be rid of Klaus forever—by saving his life.
*****
The Lockwood mansion...
'Tyler' made his way to his room, still fuming from his confrontation with Elijah. It was as though the fates were conspiring against him. No more doppelganger, with the person responsible being someone he was unwilling to kill. His invincibility stolen from him. Forced to play the part of a child, being a 'good boy' because his brother felt he needed to be taught a lesson.
At the mercy of a group of children. All things considered, he'd rather be resting at the bottom of the ocean.
'No argument here.'
Klaus froze. That voice—it almost sounded like...
It couldn't be.
Spinning around, Klaus looked in the mirror to see his reflection—Tyler's reflection—smirking at him. His expression was different, though.
“You didn't think you could be rid of me that easily, did you?” Tyler taunted him.
“Impossible!” Klaus proclaimed. “I'm imagining this...you're a hallucination!”
“No, I'm a contingency plan.”
Klaus' eyes narrowed.
“You thought Bonnie would just let you run free without something to keep you in check?” Tyler asked. “You didn't take over my body, Klaus. I let you in.”
“You were a willing participant,” Klaus laughed. “To save your own skin, no doubt.”
“And Caroline,” Tyler reminds him. “The way I see it, keeping her alive is worth the sacrifice.”
“Let's see if you still think the same when I'm through destroying your life...”
Suddenly, Klaus felt his body seize up. He falls to his knees in pain.
“Oh, I wouldn't suggest it,” Tyler threatens him. “Like I said, you're not in control here, Klaus—I am. You step over the line, and I can shut you down just like that.”
Klaus glares at the mirror in anger.
“Let's see how you like being on the leash for a change--'sire'.”
*****
It was night by the time Stefan returned to the boarding house. As he exits his car, he notices Elena sitting on the front lawn, looking up at the night sky.
They're two lovers in the night
Waiting on the sun to rise
Carefully, he approaches her.
“Nice night,” he comments.
Passing ships into the night
Under different skies
“Hmm,” Elena agrees, nodding.
Stefan sits down on front of her, wanting to look Elena in the eyes.
“Are you ok?” she asks.
But you just whisper what you said
One last time
Elena shakes her head.
“No,” she answers, her voice cracking. “No, Stefan—I'm not ok. I doubt I'll ever be ok again.”
I could have sworn I heard you say
That you are mine
Stefan sits there, waiting for her to continue.
“I thought—I thought that if I just ignored it,” she explained. “That if I just acted like nothing had changed, it would be everything was normal. That I was still the same. That, as long as I didn't admit what had happened out loud, it would stop it from being true.”
“It's okay...” Stefan said, trying to soothe her.
“No, it's not!” Elena insisted. “It's—it's just like when my parents died. My friends all walking on eggshells around me, me telling people I'm fine when I'm really not. Only this time—the person I'm mourning for is myself.”
Stefan touches the side of Elena's face, hoping the physical contact with give her some emotional support.
Faded flowers in your hand
The best that I could do
“I'm a vampire, Stefan,” she proclaims, sadly. “I'm a vampire. Not saying it isn't going to make it stop being real.”
Stefan nods, understanding.
It's the only way I've had
Of reaching you
“I'm sorry,” she tells him.
“You're sorry?” Stefan asks, slightly confused. “For what?”
I never saw it like you did
Didn't know that it was there
“I've been selfish,” she admits. “All this time, I've been so focused on myself. About how this effected me—of what I've lost. I've been so wrapped up in my own unhappiness that I didn't stop to think about how worried I've made the people in my life. You especially.”
“Elena...”
You don't see it in your hand
It's in the air
“You blame yourself for so much,” Elena whispers, grabbing the side of his face. “You carry so much guilt inside you over what happened with Klaus, and I'm—I'm just adding to it. I don't want you to feel guilty, Stefan.”
Be the one and only,
Wait for me
“I want to,” he told her. “After months of not feeling anything, I welcome whatever emotion that comes my way—good or bad.”
Elena bites her lip.
Will you be the only one
“Does it ever get easier?”
Stefan doesn't respond. Elena nods in understanding, realizing what the answer must be.
Will you be,
Be the one and only
“Someday it will,” Stefan promises her. “It's different for everyone. We'll figure it out together.”
Wait for me,
Will you be the only one
Elena manages to smile.
“I've, uh—been writing in my journal again,” Stefan tells her abruptly. “It's always helped whenever I was coming back from the edge to focus my thoughts. Writing things I couldn't really say out loud.”
“Like what?” Elena asked.
What if I knew how to yell
What would I pray
“How heartbreaking it is seeing someone you love suffer through something you know all too well,” Stefan confessed. “How much I wish I could make it easier.”
“You can,” Elena assured him. “You do.”
Elena hesitates a moment.
What if I knew how to tell
What would I say
“I've, uh—I've been writing in my diary, too,” Elena confessed. “This past week. I was too scared to talk to anyone—so I wrote it down. How scared I felt—how alone...”
“You're not.”
I will be the only one
If you say you'll never go
“I can't do this alone, Stefan,” she admits. “I need you.”
From the expression in her voice during those last words, it wasn't hard for Stefan to catch the double meaning. He gently brushed the hair of Elena's face, giving her a smile that said he understood the meaning—and welcomed it.
I'll be screaming out your name
From the back row
He wasn't about to rush her into anything, though. He would let Elena make the first movie.
And she did.
The kiss was gentle at first—lips barely brushing against each other. Elena felt nervous, wondering how different a kiss would feel with her new senses. In many ways, it was like having her first kiss all over again.
Be the one and only,
Wait for me
Will you be the only one
Then Stefan returned the kiss, and Elena could swear she felt her heart burst with a sudden euphoria. After days of feeling nothing but despair—such pure joy almost threatened to overwhelm her. Breaking off the kiss for a moment, Elena opened her eyes to gaze into Stefan's own—so filled with love and contentment.
Will you be,
Be the one and only
Wait for me;
Let me be your only one
“Is this real?” she whispers.
Stefan merely smiles, before taking the initiative and kissing her again. Elena returned the kiss with an unexpected ferocity she didn't know she possessed. Certainly more than she ever had as a human.
Be the one,
Be the one and only
Wait for me;
Let me be your only one
Maybe being a vampire wouldn't be so bad after all?
*****
If either Stefan or Elena hadn't been so caught up in each other, they might have noticed someone watching from one of the boarding house windows.
Damon Salvatore's jaw tightened, as he tried to control his anger. Slowly, a plan was forming in Damon's mind. He wasn't about to let Stefan 'win' after what he had done—not this easy.
If Stefan was going to get the girl, his brother was going to make sure he earned her.
Damon retreated back into the house, as the couple continued to kiss under the stars.
Will you be,
Be the one and only
Wait for me;
Let me be your only one