These Long Hours
Summary: Set during Season 3 Ep 16 1912, major spoilers, Elena spends the night alone and has time to reflect.
Author's Note: Sort of a prequel to my other story from 1912 called Choices
Disclaimer: LJ Smith, The CW, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec et al. are amazing. I am but their humble fangirl. Squuuuueeee.
Elena triple checked the locks before she went to bed, confident that the murderer was still on the loose and that Alaric sitting in a jail cell wasn't protecting anyone. She had no idea how wrong she was.
Climbing into bed it was hard not to realise just how alone she was. Since she'd sent Jeremy away there had been plenty of nights when Alaric had been gone most of the night, he was a vampire hunter, he had a girlfriend, and he spent way too much time downing shots at The Grill, but despite all of that it had been a comfort knowing that there was someone else calling the old Gilbert house home. It was a family home, it was meant to hold a family, not a single teenage girl.
Matt has offered to sleep over of course, he of all people understand what it was like going home alone, and for the first time she realised how hard it must be for Matt, going home every night to an empty house. How often did they forget about him and his loneliness because they were all so wrapped up in their end of the world, life or death dramas? Good old Matt, steadfast, loyal, dependable Matt. Matt, whom rarely complained, and even more rarely asked for help. At least when Tyler had been around he'd had someone he could spent some guy time with and the Lockwoods never minded Matt crashing on their coach, though he was too proud to make a habit of it.
Elena was beginning to regret sending Matt home, not for herself but because she realised that maybe the offer had been about him needing some company as much as she did. Bonnie and Caroline were all wrapped up in the Abby situation, who else did Matt have these days? She hadn't seen any sign of a girlfriend since Caroline, unless you counted Rebekah's little flirtation but Rebecca was clearly busy with other things… like shagging Damon, Elena grimaced. And Elena seriously doubted Matt would be inviting the blonde original vampire over for a slumber party anyway.
Elena had gotten used to Damon being around in the evenings, he like to make sure she got home safe, and even when she didn't necessarily see him she often suspected he was checking up on her. She tried to resent the intrusion but couldn't. It should have scared her that he sometimes came into her room while she was asleep but he'd never hurt her and with the house so empty any kind of company that didn't involve actually crossing that line between them was nice. Being asleep when he came in simplified things, he could admire her, stroke her cheek, tuck her blanket in and they never had to discuss what it all meant. More than once she'd sensed him but kept her eyes closed.
In the past weeks she'd thought she'd sensed Stefan too, outside the house, lurking, she'd gone to her window and searched for him in the dark but all she saw was shadows, if he didn't want to be seen she wouldn't see him and she didn't know if she was just going crazy, looking for a hint that wasn't there.
Tonight Damon hadn't come by, he was still so angry with her, so hurt by everything that had gone one between them since that stupid ball, when she'd said those unimaginably cruel things. It wasn't the first time she'd pushed him away or hurt him but this was different. It was like this time he'd given up, now instead of trying to win her he was what, playing matchmaker? Trying to get her and Stefan back together? She should have been relieved but it hurt more than if he'd just walked away.
The hours ticked by slowly that night, and whether she wanted to admit it or not she was silently wishing and praying not just for Alaric's release but also for a certain vampire to come back to her.
Authors Note - If you've read this and Choices should I go ahead and write another one set after that? I could see a little trilogy here.