Hey guys! This is my first SE one shot in a looooong time. Hopefully, I can still write good enough stories for my OTP. Hope you like it!
Note: Here, there was no conversation between Stefan and Katherine and she IS NOT in the house. Oh, and thoughts and flashbacks are in italics.

Elena was left in the foyer, the fire place burning, echoing the words in her mind Damon had said when he left her - "I'm letting you go Elena". She slowly felt this weight lift off of her, like something had just changed within her that she longed for, for so long; herself. She was starting to feel like herself. Her real self before she Turned. She realized that this entire time, even after turning her humanity back on, that the sire-bond was still in effect until Damon said those 5 words. 5 words that would make such a difference. She was free of this feeling that everyone else knew was wrong but her.

Stefan had heard everything. He had heard Damon and Elena arguing and he had heard Damon yelling at her to stop defending him. They were over. Damon had broken up with Elena. He had let her go. It was the perfect opportunity for Stefan. He could just go downstairs and comfort Elena. He could go get her back. But he wouldn't. Not after Damon had just broken up with her. If she wanted to be comforted by Stefan, she would come. He wouldn't force himself on her. He wasn't Damon.

She didn't feel sad. Why wasn't she sad? Damon had just broken up with her, and she didn't feel sad. Instead, she felt as if a huge weight were lifted off her. She had felt this way since Damon had said that he was letting her go. She felt lighter now. But there was something wrong. She no longer felt the bruising passion of her love for Damon. In fact, she felt absolutely nothing for him. No longing, no passion, no lust. No love. She then remembered the summer that she had spent with Damon. She was repulsed by the memories. She had spent her summer in Damon's bed? And then she had called it the summer of her life? Reflecting back on other memories, she realized that there had been something wrong with her. She had been the complete opposite of herself. She had killed Jesse. Oh my God, she thought to herself, I killed Jesse. Oh my God! She had done so many horrible things. She had said so many horrible things. She neglected Caroline, Jeremy, her own brother, and Matt to be with Damon. She hadn't even known or realized that Bonnie had died because she was distracted by Damon. She had forced people to do and tell her what she wanted. She had compelled answers out of Aaron. She had forced Tessa to complete the spell.

There were so many mistakes, so many horrible things. But none compared to the worst mistake of all: She had neglected Stefan. She hadn't realized that he had been locked in a safe for three months. She had treated him horribly since he came out. She knew what she had become. She had become a female Damon. She had to fix everything, she had to right her wrongs, she had to become her old self again. She needed to fix herself by getting rid of the horrible person she had become. The main tool that she needed to fix herself was here. The solution to her most regrettable mistake was here. And he was upstairs. She looked up the stairs and saw Stefan's light was still on. She felt the longing for him, and slowly made her way up to start her long apology and explanation of everything that had gone wrong since Damon's blood turned her. It was time to make amends, and prove that he was the one she loved all this time.

Elena ran upstairs to Stefan's room. Luckily, the light was on and the door was halfway opened. What if he doesn't want to see me? What if he wants nothing to do with me? Well, it's better to know for sure. She walked the last few steps to get to the door where she knocked lightly. No answer. She went inside and saw Stefan sitting at his desk. "Stefan?" He got up from his chair and inched a bit closer to her. "What are you doing here?", he asked.
"I came here to get the best choice I ever made back."

He looked down at the floor. Even though he wasn't looking at her, she could tell that he remembered when she first said those words to him.

Stefan remembered when she had first said those words to him. They had been captured by the Founder's Council, and were put away into prison cells. Although it had been quite a few months since then, he remembered those words as if they were spoken yesterday.
"I love you so much," Stefan whispered. "Do you know why I was on that bridge? I was coming back for you. I had to choose...and I picked you. Because I love you. No matter what happens, it's the best choice I ever made."

She had hurt him one too many times since then. "Elena...you've hurt me a lot since then."
"I know. And I regret everything I've ever done to hurt you. I'm so sorry, Stefan. Now, when I think about all those horrible mistakes that I've made, it feels like a thousand tiny needles are piercing my heart. I never stopped loving you, Stefan. The sire-bond, it must've come back."
"Elena, do you expect me to believe that the sire-bond came back?"
"It's true. As soon as Damon said that he was letting me go, I felt a huge weight lift off my shoulders and...God, I'm so stupid. I come in here and I expect you to just forgive me? Just like that? After everything I've done, everything I've put you through, you should hate me. God, I hate myself. I...I'll go."

Elena turned around and slowly began walking out of the room and into the hallway. But she was immediately stopped by Stefan, who now stood in front of her. He looked at her with his beautiful green eyes and he put a hand on her cheek. That one touch brought back so many memories, so many feelings. Slowly, he leaned into her and kissed her. She was surprised. She assumed that he hated her. After all, what hadn't she done to him?
He slowly pulled away, as if he could not bear to part away from her.
"I could never hate you, Elena. Because no matter what happens or what you do to me, I can't fall out of love with you."
"But Stefan...what about Rebekah and Katherine? I know you've spent nights with them."
"How do you know about Katherine?"
"Caroline spilled."
"Got it. Well, know this. No matter what I feel for her, I...I never unfall for you."
Elena gasped.

"If it were between him and me, and you had to choose who got the goodbye, who would it be?", Damon asked. Why was Damon asking her this? Well, he wanted the truth and that was the only thing that she could and would give him.
"I love him Damon", she began. She was choking back her tears and was barely conscious of Matt sitting right next to her. "He came into my life at a time where I needed him and I fell for him instantly. No matter what I feel for you, I...I never unfall for him."

That seemed like lifetimes ago. But her heart had changed. Been forced to change.
"But Stefan...I-I've been horrible to you and I-"
"Don't. There's no need for words."
He leaned in once more and connected them again. She was happy to finally be back where she belonged. She had found it again, at last. With Stefan, she was finally home. And she would never dare leaving again.

I hope you guys liked it! Sorry for not posting Stelena stories in a while. I'll try to write another one-shot soon! Thanks for reading!