A/N: So here we are. The Beginning of the End... again. I do hope you all enjoy this story. We are starting off at the beginning of season five with Stefan in the safe and Elena with Damon. Tyler is back in town, and with Caroline, and Matt and Rebekah are back from traveling the world. Silas still lurks in the town of Mystic Falls, but no one know's what he wants. Who knows what will happen from here?
I own nothing of The Vampire Diaries. But I do claim ownership of the character Stella.
STEFAN'S POINT OF VIEW
My eyes flick open and I see nothing but black vastness. I try to move my arms but they are restricted by cold metal walls. I kick my feet and it's the same way. I open my mouth to fill my lungs with air, soon to realize the only thing rushing in is the water of the quarry that I was thrown into.
I have no clue how long I have been down here. There is no way to know. When you're at the bottom of a body of water, where no sunlight can reach, how are you supposed to figure it out? After being in here for so long, I have accepted the fact that I am going a bit insane. How can you not? Being alone, in a locked box, in the dark, going in and out of consciousness over and over, you start to lose your mind.
I have no perception of time but I figured out that a short while after I was pushed in here, I started to go crazy. I would be knocked out cold and all of the sudden I would think that I hear her voice, or see her smile. I would think she was here to save me, only to be hit with a hard dose of reality when I would violently wake up and the water would fill my lungs again. Repeating the process once more.
It takes a toll on you, when this happens more times than you can count. I… I'm losing it again. My brain is going fuzzy and I can't think straight. I can't fight it. It's an involuntary reflex to just give up now. I try my best to think of one thing that will keep me calm. Give me serenity, peace… happiness.
So I think of her.
My eyes snap open and I suck in air, expecting it to be water. But it comes as a surprise when it is fresh, cool, summer night air. When I move my arms, I can actually stretch them further than a few inches from my own body. My limbs are stiff, but it's a relief to be free.
Wait, am I free? Or is this all a hallucination or maybe it's a dream. That's when I hear a snap come from behind me, making me realize, for the first time, we are in the woods. I turn around and see no one.
"Stefan…" I hear a whimsical whisper come from behind me. I whip around and have to cover my eyes from the sun that shines in my face. Even though it's so bright, it feels amazing. Being in the dark for, God knows how long, to now being bathed in the sunlight.
"Stefan." I hear someone spit out. I turn around and that's when I finally see her. I smile the biggest smile I have felt on my face in the last few months. My first instinct is to go grab her in a hug and spin her around.
So that's exactly what I do.
ELENA'S POINT OF VIEW
I shoot straight up from my lying position and grab my chest, while gasping for air. I can't seem to get air in my lungs, so I start coughing. Finally, as an invisible wall broke, air rushed into my throat, then down to my lungs. I was dreaming about him again. It was different this time though.
Whenever I see him in the land of my own mind, he's smiling. He's happy and laughing and I can see that happiness spread to his moss green eyes. The sun is always consuming him, making his golden wheat hair glow. And every time I see that beautiful smile, it's directed at me. My dreams make absolutely no sense. They are always about us, sitting in an open field, laughing and talking and just enjoying being near each other. Or they could be in a secluded area of the forest, where there is a small pond only we know about. Laughing and splashing each other, actually being happy.
But this time, it was dark and gloomy. The skies overhead were gray and rumbling with thunder. Instead of the freshwater of a small pond, it was black water of a large lake. And in the middle of it was Stefan, chained to weights, slowly sinking down to the depths of the unknown. I'm trying to help him, I am trying to run to him but something is holding me back; I can feel their hands on my arms. And when I look up to see who it is, I realized it was the man I was laying in bed next to. Damon. When I looked back to the spot where Stefan stayed struggling, he was gone. Almost as if magic was involved, in a matter of seconds he was laying in front of me, unconscious.
"Please let me help him." I say as I look up to Damon. "He needs help!" I yell, as he releases my arms and I fall forward almost landing on Stefan. I sit on my knees and hold a hand to his face. It's cold and feels like stone. I can feel the tears well up in my eyes as I move my face closer to his and plant a gentle kiss upon his lips. As I start to turn away, he coughs, water coming up with it. I rush over to him and set his head on my lap as all the water comes rushing out of him. When he finishes, he sets his head down on my legs, and I feel him relax.
Then I woke up.
And I woke up next to the man keeping me from saving his brother in that dream. Sure, Damon was fun to be with. But it started to get old. Always the same thing with each other: feeding and sleeping together. Not having any meaningful conversations, and he hasn't even taken me out on a date. Sitting here, the only one awake, I can admit that I-.
My thought is interrupted the sound of a door opening and closing. No, not just closing, but slamming. Making the whole house shake on its foundation. I can tell it awoke Damon, because beside me he started to stir. I can also hear the shuffle of other people staying in the Salvatore Boarding House. Right now Damon, Caroline, Tyler, Rebekah, Matt, and myself occupy it. After Klaus let Tyler return to Mystic Falls, him and Caroline have been inseparable. But lately Care just seems off. Rebekah and Matt started staying here after they came back from their summer vacation. And I guess that they decided to be more than just friends, because they announced they were dating as soon as they walked in the door, fingers linked with the others.
"I know everyone in this house is a vampire, so you all better get your asses downstairs and in the living room!" I hear an unfamiliar, female voice speak to all of us. I look over to Damon and he just shakes his head and starts to get out of bed to get dressed.
"Damon, what's going on?" I ask him as I follow suit and grab my jeans to put them on.
"We need to get downstairs." He says before he goes into his closet. He then comes out in a shirt and says, "Now."
After I finished putting on my clothes we headed downstairs. He grabbed my hand and interlocked our fingers as we started toward the living room. We walk in and everyone is already there, along with a girl that I do not know, but she can't be more the fifteen, maybe sixteen. She looks over towards Damon and I, shoots us a disgusted look and points for us to sit down on the couch.
"I want one of you to tell me where Stefan Salvatore is, right now." She demands, looking from face to face.
"He went out to feed, I heard him leave this morning." Damon spoke up and tightened his grip on my hand. The girl laughs at hearing this and then starts to pace back and forth.
"Oh, Damon. Damon, Damon, Damon. I am very ashamed of you. You can't even tell the difference between your own brother and an imposter." She says quietly, trying to keep calm. "Because if you knew anything about your brother, you could see that the person who has been living here, is in fact, not him, but Silas. Stefan's doppelganger." She says the last word slowly, and drags it out so it feels like an eternity before she finishes.
My jaw drops. Stefan? A doppelganger? And he's Silas' doppelganger! The girl draws my attention back to herself when she starts to speak again.
"So let me ask one more time. Where. Is. Stefan?" She says, taking slight pause after every word. She looks over at Rebekah and Matt, they shake their heads. Then to Caroline and Tyler, they, of course, shake their heads. And she should believe Caroline, her and Stefan are best friends, if anyone knew where Stefan was, it would be Caroline. Finally she looks to Damon and I, we both shake our heads. She lets out a loud guffaw and starts to speak, "Well that's too bad. Because I do know where he is. Or where he has been for the past three months, would put it into better words. Would all of you like me to educate you on the whereabouts of Stefan Salvatore lately?" She asks, not caring if any of us answer her, she begins. "He has been… locked in a safe… at the bottom OF A FUCKING QUARRY!" She bellows and I can feel her scream rumble through me, all the way to the core.
All the air rushes out of me, Stefan, drowning, over and over again. Is that what that dream was about? Telling me to help him. I have to help him. I untangle my hand from Damon's and get up to walk out of the door.
"Sit down!" She yells and with a flick of the wrist, I am flying back onto the couch. She's a witch?! What the hell? Damon sets his arm around my shoulder, as a protective instinct and pulls me closer.
"But here's the real question. Who did it?" She says and looks around once again for someone to answer. "Miss. Mikaelson," She begins and I can see Matt tighten his grip on her hand, "I do recall that Stefan has dumped you twice. Well, you can't really call a one-night stand dumping. So, did you do it?" She asks Rebekah, walking toward her.
"No, I didn't. Why would I want to? Stefan's a good guy." She answers, straight and simple, to get to the point.
This girl then points her finger at Matt and squints her eyes, just a bit, "You're a human, so you couldn't have done it." Then she turns to Caroline and Tyler, just as Caroline is about to speak, this girl cuts her off. "You were out of town," She points to Tyler, "So you couldn't have done it. And you're his best friend. So that rules you out, also." She says, as she points to Caroline. "That leaves you two. You do realize how suspicious this looks, don't you?" She tells Damon and I. Before I can even blink, she's in front of Damon with her fingers wrapped around his throat. Wait, what? She's a vampire… I thought she was a witch. None of this makes sense.
"Was it you? His own brother." She says with a cold tone, her fingers tightening their grip around his neck. He has his hands wrapped around her wrist, trying to get free. I move to help him but then she shoots me a death glare and hisses, "Sit down." Then she turns her attention back to Damon, "You were worried, that if he ever came back, she would run straight into his arms, and leave you in the dust. That's the reason, isn't it?" She asks while whispering, I can see her fingers digging into the sides of his neck, drawing blood. "ISN'T IT!" She screams at the top of her lungs, causing both Damon and I to recoil away from her. "I've had enough of you." Then snap, and Damon goes limp next to me. She broke his neck! Who the hell does she-, my thought is cut off by the need for air. I can't breathe, I move my hand to my neck, examining it to see if I feel a hand, but I don't. I look up and I see her holding a hand out towards me, with her palm aimed toward my chest.
"Maybe it was you, now that I think about it. Everyone assumes you're an innocent little girl. But, I know the truth, you broke him, Elena. You wore him down until he was nothing. So maybe you did it. After you picked Damon, you didn't want to change your mind, even though deep down, your heart wanted to. So you got rid of the other choice, didn't you?" She says while walking towards me. I am shaking my head no and trying to get words out, but they wont come. I can see the black fuzziness at the edge of my vision, threatening to take me with it. Then all of a sudden, the pressure is gone and I start coughing, forgetting how to breathe. I fall to the floor, landing on my knees with a hand pressed to my chest. Finally, I gulp down air and regain my composure.
"You can come in now." She says to no one in particular. Then I hear the door open and I see him for the first time in months. And he looks different, darker, and angrier. "Sit," She says, as she moves her hand in a swaying motion, and a chair comes sliding right behind Stefan. He slowly lowers himself down into the wooden chair and scans the room. Starting with Rebekah, flashing a barely visible smile, then Matt, tilting his head a bit. Moving his way to Tyler, giving a slight nod. Then to Caroline, who has an ear to ear smile plastered on her face, and he returns the smile and I can see it spread to his eyes. He then looks to Damon and I swear the color washes out of his face. Oh goodness, please don't look at me. I pray to myself, looking down. And when I finally look up, his eyes instantly connect with mine. I want to pull away, but I can't find it in me to break this contact. Finally, he pulls away and looks up to the girl.
I realize I am still on the floor, so I get off from my hands and knees and sit down on the couch. Everyone is silent for a few moments until Damon starts to stir beside me. He groans a little, and rubs his neck trying to decipher what just happened. After he took inventory of the situation he turns his look to the right and speaks, "Well hello, brother." And within seconds, Stefan has Damon pinned to a wall, with a hand around his neck.
"Don't you dare, 'Brother,' me. I have been locked in a damn box, for…" He turns his attention back to the girl, standing quietly with a smirk on her face, "What day is it, darling?" He asks with a completely different tone towards her.
"August twenty-seventh." She replies to him, finding entertainment out of the situation. I can hear Stefan sharply inhale a breath of air, while trying to keep calm.
"For almost three months. I have been drowning, over and over again. Falling in and out of consciousness, while you have probably been having the time of your life, right?" He says through his teeth. "Having fun with my sloppy seconds?" He says through a smirk with a sinister tone. "I don't want him here anymore." He says, releasing Damon from his grip. He turns towards the girl and makes an annoyed hand gesture towards Damon.
"Damon Salvatore, you are no longer invited in this house." She says, then I look at Damon and he is gripping at his chest. Gaining control of his actions, he uses his vampire speed to rush out the house. As he hits the cement of the driveway I can hear him take a breath.
"What the hell was that?" I say, surprising myself that the words came out.
He turns around and gives me the coldest stare I have ever seen on his face. He starts slowly walking towards me and speaks in a low whisper, "What the hell was that? That was for him not looking for me when I was trapped in a metal box, underneath the water, starving and desiccating for twelve weeks." He is now only a few feet away and I can feel the hate radiating off of him.
"We all thought you left." I say in a barely audible voice. Looking down at the floor and twirling my thumbs nervously.
"Everyone?" He asks and I shake my head yes. "I didn't call, I didn't text, I didn't email anyone in this whole town. I didn't visit once, and all of you thought I was okay? That nothing was wrong? That nothing could have happened to me?" He says, his voice rising with each passing word.
"We didn't think you would to come back after-," Caroline starts, but as she realizes what she is about to say, she immediately stops. Stefan looks over to her and gives a fake laugh.
"After what? After she broke my heart, right?" He said while pointing to me. "After she shattered it into a million pieces, then my brother stomped on it some more, just to rub it in. Well you're right, I wouldn't have come back. I wouldn't have even stepped one foot into this God forsaken town if I knew she was here. Because every moment of the past four years that I have spent here, was a complete and total waste of my time." He spits out to no one in particular. Well, that one stung a little, but I guess I deserved it.
"Stefan, you don't mean that." Caroline says sympathetically, walking towards him, but he backs away from her. She's trying to break through to him. Of course, he doesn't have his humanity off, but he's full of anger and needs to calm down, because when Stefan is angry, there is no getting him back until he lets out some steam.
"I do, Care. Being in this town has brought me nothing but pain." He says with a defeated tone. "I don't want to feel like this anymore, it hurts too much." I can see the tears gathering in his eyes, and I know Caroline has done it.
"Then don't, Stefan, find something that makes you happy. Then feel that and only that. Do you hear me?" She asks with a hopeful smile, waiting for him to say yes. When he finally nods, the girl tells him to sit down for a minute.
"So I'm just going to ask the question everyone is thinking." Rebekah says, butting into the conversation. "Who are you?" She asks pointing to the girl who called this 'meeting' to order. The girl looks at Rebekah and gives a nonchalant smile.
"I'm Stella," She begins then walks over to Stefan, who is sitting down in the chair, and hops onto his lap. Her legs are hanging over one arm of the chair, one of her arms is over Stefan's shoulders around the back and the other the same way, but in the front. She then looks to Stefan's face and gives him an honest smile, to which he returns. Surprising everyone, she lays a kiss on Stefan's cheek then says, "Your worst nightmare."
A/N: Back to this story! I hope you all like it very much. Things will be different than last time, I promise! Keep reviewing and favoriting! Future, written-from-scratch chapters will be much better, I swear!