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Elena Gilbert was the picture of a broken woman. At the age of 25, she had moved back into the little town that she used to call home, Mystic Falls. When she was 15, her parents Miranda and Grayson Gilbert shipped her off to live with her Aunt Jenna in Los Angeles because she was hard to handle. She was staying out all night, not doing her homework and lashing out at her parents and her younger brother, Jeremy. Her parents had no idea how she would even get her hands on it but on the rare occasions that she did come home early, she would come home drunk.
Her and her aunt always had a close bond and she was the only one that was able to get through to her sometimes. Jenna moved to Los Angeles when she was 21 to pursue a career in the music industry. It was her dream to run her own label so she started off interning and eventually, made her way up.
At first, Elena wasn't too thrilled with having to leave Mystic Falls. She was leaving behind her two best friends, Caroline and Bonnie, Jeremy, and her boyfriend Matt. She decided to end things with Matt before she left, saying that she couldn't do the whole long distance thing.
Now at the age of 25, Elena is back in Mystic Falls and this time for good. But it's not for a good reason. She came back for Miranda and Grayson's funeral. They got into a head on collision with a drunk driver and they died instantly. Elena had always felt horrible with the way that she acted when she was younger, and it's even worse now that her parents are no longer here. Yes, she apologized when she talked to them or when they would come out to see her in Los Angeles, and they said that they forgave her but it was better for her to be with her aunt in Los Angeles. In a way, Elena agreed with them. She had finally changed her ways but feared that she would start going back to her old self if she moved back home.
Elena moved back to town mainly for Jeremy. She didn't want him to be alone and let grief over take him. He had his girlfriend Anna but he loved and needed his family so both her and Jenna decided to leave the city of Los Angeles and move back home to Mystic Falls. Considering how hard Jenna worked to get to where she was, she was more than willing to just pack up her belongings and move back home.
Even though she's only been home for two weeks, being home brought on so many memories for Elena. It brought on the memories of the way that she had treated her parents and how she took them for granted. Now she can never take back the way that she had treated them. She tried to visit their gravesites every day. She sat and talked for a while, thinking that maybe they were listening and with her. Caroline called her crazy for doing this but she just didn't understand. Even though her parents had been divorced since she was 14, she still had them in her life.
Elena met up with Bonnie and Caroline when she first came back into town. After she was unpacked at the house that she lived in until her parents shipped her away, she called them to come over. They cried when they seen her. They both always loved Miranda and Grayson, and they loved them as if they were both one of their own. After, they just talked.
Bonnie is married now to someone named Damon Salvatore. She told Elena that he and his brother lived in Mystic Falls all their lives but Elena never met either one of them. Caroline is engaged to Tyler Lockwood, who used to be a total tool but is completely different now. And Matt, well apparently it took Matt a long time to get over Elena. He didn't date anyone else until he was 17 and now he's married to someone named Lexi.
Elena was envious when she had heard all of this. Everyone had moved on and lived their lives and she was stuck. She hasn't been on a date with anyone since last year. In her defense, she was busy helping Jenna out at the record label and getting her associates degree for education but still. Everyone was settled down and she wasn't.
But then she saw those intense green eyes from the man that was standing only a few headstones away from her. She couldn't help but stare at him. His sad, forest green eyes, his sandy brown hair and his chiseled jaw. She could tell he was built, too, even from a few feet away. They both stared at one another for a minute until he broke the eye contact and turned and walked away.
Elena couldn't help but think to herself that now is not the time to be staring at someone like that. They were both in a cemetery for God's sakes. It took everything in her to not go to where he was standing to see who he was visiting. But she looked at her phone and seen that if she didn't get moving now she was going to be late for her volunteer service at the Day Care that Bonnie and Caroline run.
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"Sorry I'm late, Bonnie." Elena said, walking through the door of the Day Care. Her dream was to become a teacher and even though she holds a degree, they still want you to have some sort of experience so when she first came back into town, she told Bonnie and Caroline and they told her that they both ran a Day Care so she could volunteer there to get her experience that she needed.
"I see you made a pit stop?" Caroline said to her eyeing the cup of coffee that she clutched in her hand.
"Yeah, it was a late night. Jeremy had Anna over and we just hung out, watching movies, playing games, and talking." Elena took off her jacket and put her purse in the closet near the entrance. "What are we doing with the kids today?"
"Well right now we're finger painting. So prepare to get messy." Caroline said and turned to walk away. Elena quickly finished her coffee, threw away the empty cup and followed where Caroline was heading next to a group of kids. It was only her third day of volunteering so Caroline was still showing her the ropes.
One of the kids painted her a picture. It was a picture of a family and Elena noticed that someone was missing from it. She didn't bother asking Caroline or Bonnie because she knew that it was none of her business. The picture came from a little green eyed girl whose name is Arianna. Elena thought that the gesture was adorable but she still couldn't help but why this little girl would finger paint a family with one person missing.
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The day went on and Elena couldn't help but feel extremely happy while working with kids. She wishes that she could work in the Kindergarten class like she always wanted to but it's going to take time to get there. She's happy just volunteering at the Day Care.
The Day Care was ready to close and the parents were coming and going picking up their kids. Caroline and Bonnie had both asked Elena if she would be able to completely close up the Day Care because they both had something to do and figured that she could handle it. She agreed too. How hard can it be to shut the lights off and make sure the windows and doors were locked?
The only child that was left was the little green eyed girl Arianna. Caroline told her that sometimes her dad comes late because he works at a pediatrics office downtown. While they waited, Elena decided to read the little girl a book. 'One Fish Two Fish Red Fish Blue Fish' is what Arianna wanted to read. She said that her daddy reads it to her and it is her favorite book. She said he even tries to teach her. Right when Elena was done reading the book, she was just about to get up off the seat that she was sitting in, with Arianna on her lap, to put the book away when she heard the door open.
"Care, I'm so sorry I'm late. I got held up." She looked up and she saw the man that she had seen earlier that morning in the cemetery.
"Daddy!" The little girl screamed. She jumped off of Elena's lap and ran right to her dad. He bent down to pick her up and place her against his hap.
"Hey baby girl. I missed you." He said. He smiles at her and gives her a kiss on her forehead.
"I missed you, too, Daddy." Elena busies herself by putting the book away and then turns when she hears Arianna speak again. "Daddy, this is my new best friend, Elena." She says happily. Elena walks over so that she's standing in front of Arianna and her dad.
"Tell you what, sweetie. Why don't you go and get your jacket out of your cubby and after we can go to The Grill." She nods her head and he puts her down on her feet.
"Can we get ice cream too?"
"Depends. Were you good today?"
"I'm good everyday! Just ask Aunt Bonnie!" Elena heard Aunt Bonnie and realized that the man standing in front of her is Bonnie's brother in law. He's Damon's brother. Damon, who she hasn't even met yet.
"Okay, we can get ice cream after we go to the park, after we eat."
"Okay!" She says excitedly and she runs over to her cubby.
"Be careful!" He says and turns his attention back to Elena.
"So, you're not Caroline."
"No, Caroline and Bonnie had to leave so they asked me to close up." He nods his head.
"I'm Stefan. Stefan Salvatore." He sticks his hand out and Elena shakes it and she couldn't help but feel tingly and lost sort of, after she pulled her hand away.
"I'm Elena. Elena Gilbert."
"Nice meeting you, Elena." Elena wanted to ask him why he stared at her like that in the cemetery but though better of it. She just met the guy and the last thing she wanted to say out loud was 'Why were you staring at me, while you were standing by that grave?'
"Daddy, can Elena come with us?" Arianna said after she put her jacked on. She looked up at Elena expectantly and Stefan ducked down to her level so that he could zip up her jacket.
"Sorry kiddo. I'm having dinner with my brother tonight." She said looking down at Arianna sad expression. It broke her heart, really. This little girl is adorable and she was attached to Elena's hip all day. They grew close. "Maybe your Aunt Bonnie can bring you over one day. She and I grew up together you know." It hit Stefan like a ton of bricks. When she first said her name it didn't click. Elena Gilbert is Caroline and Bonnie's best friend. Her parents recently died and that would explain why he had seen her in the cemetery.
"Ready baby girl?" Stefan said standing back up and taking her hand.
"Yes. Bye, Elena." She waved her hand.
"Bye, Arianna."
"It was nice meeting you, Elena."
"You too, Stefan." Elena watched as he led his daughter away and out of the building. She shut the lights off and made sure everything was locked up before she grabbed her things out of the closet. She put her jacket on, put her purse over her shoulder and walked out of the day care, heading for her car.
A/N : Starting slow I know. But at least they officially met! =D
