Title: How He Realized
Summary: Stefan finally realizes that Elena doesn't just love him anymore.

He's back. It hurts but he's back. The man I was before, the feelings, the love I felt for her, the guilt of these last few months...it's all back and, even if it hurts more than it ever has, I'm glad I can finally look into her eyes and really love her.

I look at Damon and we both look in fear as Abby puts the sharp knife against Elena's neck, ready to kill her. We try to move against the magic that binds our feet to the ground but we can't.

"Take me instead," Damon finally speaks up. "I'll let you make it slow and painful but leave her! It was me who turned you! She's not at fault!"

'I had to leave my daughter for her! You turned me for her! All Elena Gilbert has brought to this world is pain and suffering!" The vampire shouts angrily.

Bonnie shouts out for her mother to stop but she can't stop her herself, she's tied up trying to keep Jeremy, who is lying in her arms, alive.

"Abby," I try. "You loved her parents, you were almost her god-mother...she's your daughters best friend...revenge isn't worth ruining all of that."

Abby shakes her head.

"The voices in my head are too much, I can't ignore it..."

The old witch starts to move the blade and almost in slow motion she starts cutting Elena's neck.

However, Bonnie's hand is suddenly moving and Caroline, who was lying on the floor next to an almost dead Tyler, manages to twist Abby's neck and take the knife from her hand.

As she falls to the ground, Damon and I are free to move and that's when I start to realize.

Because Elena doesn't search for my eyes, she doesn't let herself fall into my arms and cries into my chest. She reaches for her neck and looks up to find Damon's eyes and, before the vampire can even react, Elena has run into his arms and they're both holding eachother in a way Elena has never held him before, at least not in front of me.

And that's when she says it and, I know she doesn't say it to hurt me; I know she doesn't even think about the fact that I can hear her but, she says it. But she hugs Damon even harder and whispers 'I love you' in his ear. And then it all comes together and what I've realized becomes even more obvious.

I know Elena will feel guilty when she pulls apart from my brother and she'll feel confused because she trully loves me too but now I understands that I lost this battle even before I left with Klaus. Becuase it doesn't matter. Because the fact that Elena loves me is easy to understand, it's simple to realize that we're both similar, that I've always done everything in her best interest, that I would never hurt her without regretting in for the rest of his existance. And yet, she's standing there, whispering that she loves my brother, who has tried to kill her, tried to kill her brother, led her into traps, lied to her...And, that's exactly why I now understands that I have nothing to win in this battle anymore, because the only thing I had going for me was that I had gotten better, that I was almost good enough for Elena but that's worth nothing when Elena loves my brother even when he's not good enough for her. That's not worth it when, what she feels for Damon, is simply stronger than what she's always felt for me.