Disclaimer: I do not own The Vampire Diaries or their characters in any shape or form.
Ok, so I watched the season finale of TVD and can I just say, I absolutely adore where Stefan's story is going. Finally, finally, he's getting the spotlight. I love that the episode focuses on the brothers relationship, something I've missed sorely. After all the fighting they've been doing before, I needed this. And was I the only one who nearly cried when it was clear how far Stefan would go to save his big brother? All together now, .
All I can say now is Damon better step up to the game and go claim his little brother back.
Anyway, I know it's obvious now that Stefan's skipping town but I refuse to believe that he would leave without saying goodbye or leave a message or gaze at Elena while she's sleeping one last time or something! And there's no way he would leave without making sure for himself that Damon's okay.
So my mind started working and thus this fic is born. This fic will mainly on Stefan and his interaction with Damon, because I just love both of them. :P
The mansion is dark as he slowly enters the main door. He can sense his brother and Elena upstairs. Other than the both of them, no one's around, exactly how he prefers it. He hesitates, second guessing his action before steeling himself and quietly making his way up to Damon's room, footsteps not making a single noise. His fists clenches and unclenches and he knows, if his heart is still beating, it'd be pounding so hard. Almost too soon, he's standing in front of his brother's room.
He can't stay long, he knows that. He's surprised he's even allowed out of Klaus' sight, let alone leave and be trusted to come back.
"Go on now, Stefan. Tie up whatever loose ends you still have. Say goodbye. I doubt you'll have the chance to do so later on," Klaus smirked, a cup filled with what Stefan can smell from where he was standing as fresh blood dangling from his hand. "After all, we are going to be very busy. So do make it count."
He doesn't what Klaus' motives are, but he's not about to miss what could be his last chance of seeing his brother and Elena again.
He can easily break his word to Klaus, break this deal they made. He can easily run. But he's not stupid and Klaus has proven more than once how smart he is. He has no doubt that he's being watched, that Damon or Elena are being watched. And he can't take that risk.
This game Klaus is playing on him, whatever plan he says he has for him, it definitely has the best of Stefan. He's stuck. And after this, there's no going back. There's no way things are going to be the same. There's no way things are going to turn for the better. He just can't see it.
So he'll do as Klaus says.
As soon as he can find the courage to step into the door in front of him.
He doesn't know what the hell he's supposed to say to them, how he's supposed to explain.
But he needs this. He needs to see for himself that Damon's okay. He needs to look at Elena one last time. And after that, he'll be gone.
There's still enough of the Stefan he was with them that craves this, still enough humanity in him that remembers. He needs this.
Because the rest of him is lost, too late to save.
Even now as he stands outside his brother's room, parts of him are struggling for control. The human side he's trying to hold on to battles fiercely with the ripper inside, neither willing to submit.
He clings desperately to the memories of Elena and their times together, the way she makes him feel.
With a distant ache, he remembers Lexi and everything she's ever taught him.
He plays back in his head the times before when he and Damon could look at each other without hurt or spite, before Katherine and vampires and betrayals, some of the happiest moments he still manages to keep even after more than a century.
He tries anything he can think of to push back this urge to kill he has, this almost unbearable thirst for blood. It's only been a few hours since he last drank, but he's still so thirsty.
He tries to reign himself in because he knows that if he truly lets go, and he has a foreboding feeling he will, there's no way of stopping him, not this time, not after all the blood he consumed.
He already feeling stronger that he's ever felt in quite some time and he's liking it way too much. He can see even more clearly, hear even sharper, and run even faster. The pull he has for blood magnifies at a rate he can't process and frankly, he's losing it.
And that terrifies him.
That's why he has to do this. That's why he needs to say goodbye. This is why he needs to leave. Because no matter how he tries to elude it, he's not strong enough to fight against this. He's not strong enough not to kill and take what it is he needs and wants, consequences be damned.
He needs to go. He would never forgive himself he hurts Caroline or Bonnie or Jeremy. And he can't hurt Elena and Damon yet again. He can't.
He needs to go.
He takes a deep breath, steadies himself and prays for the strength to this.
But first…
He reaches for the doorknob, twists it open, and steps inside.
To be continued...