While some things had remained the same, girls crying over the loss of a boy's love, parents ever protective of their children, the humanity of man controlling their actions, but how different things were now. Faster, everything was faster. There was a great disconnect, not only one human to another, to the power of self, and the connection to the earth, that was now taken for granted, if it was even recognized at all. As a Guardian, it hurt my soul so deeply, rage filled me. No Guardian could feel rage, it confused me, we were made of light, of hope, and of love. How could this be? I had awakened different, something was wrong, something was very wrong.

Walking out from my resting place, fear filled me as well. No matter where I looked nothing was the same, the waterfall that protected my resting place was now lifeless, lacking the luster it once held. It was no longer a place I could view as my Eden, my heaven. There was no longer luster, everything muted with hate, sadness, and fear. The vibrancy I once saw, long forgotten, as I had been forgotten. I had been asleep far too long. With what lay ahead of me, how I was feeling, I wasn't sure I could repair the damage that had been done.

As the last of the Guardians, I was alone in darkness that so deeply overwhelmed not only everything around; I was allowing it to touch my soul. What was wrong with me? Darkness had no place in the soul of a Guardian. Stefan, memories, happy memories coming to me, bring me the balanced I needed.

Smiling softly, remembering the last time I was here with Stefan, flowers so bright, moss so thick you felt as if you were walking on clouds, lush grass blowing to the rhythm of the wind, of love that was once known here. As I slowly walked closer to the water I called to all the powers with in me, bringing back the love this place once knew. I could almost see Stefan and I lying side by side, talking, holding hands, us just taking in the other. Caresses that branded, claiming every each as ours alone, to never be forsaken or felt by another. Our bodies become so entwined, not knowing where his body ended and mine began. Our truth was here, my truth was here, held secret within my soul and mine alone.

Reaching within the crack of the rock I was sitting on I pulled out a little box. Knowing what was inside my heart began to lift with the love I once felt. I allowed the tears to fall, pulling out the only treasure after thousands of years of life I felt worth keeping. Gold so fine, bond two crescent moons at their tips, forming a perfect circle to make the moon whole, from each tip, gold threads reached out, wrapping the deepest purple charoite stone to its center. Stefan, he found the stone on the day we first met, a stone meant for love, protection, healing and power.

"Stefan….." his name escaping my lips, a longing so deeply imbedded inside me, one I knew, I would never again be able to satisfy.

Stefan was sitting with Bonnie when he heard someone call his name. Looking at Bonnie he asked, "Did you hear that?"

"Hear what?" She was looking at him confused.

"Bonnie, something is going on," he was immediately interrupted.

"Stefan, it was probably just a bad dream!" was she trying to brush him off, she sounded as if he was inconveniencing her.

"That's the thing; it didn't feel like a dream, it felt like a memory," taking a deep breath he continued, "A memory from when I was human. One I was supposed to forget."

"Really, Stefan, with all that is going on, maybe it was your way of telling you to take a time out." He could tell she was tired, maybe even burnt out, always having to help everyone, everyone but herself.

"Before I met Katherine, just after I returned home from the Boys Academy there is a chunk of time I don't really remember. It was like, suddenly I woke up, searching for something, someone. I was never content or at peace. No matter who I talked to, I never felt they understood me, I always felt disconnected from everything and everyone. When I woke up this morning," looking up into Bonnie's eyes, "I felt whole, peaceful, part of something, someone. Not once, have I felt this way as a vampire." Taking a long deep breath, "There is something else."

She just raised her eye brows at him, telling him, "There is always something else."

"I woke up without the blood lust." Saying it, daring her, to make the statement it was just a dream. That it was normal, for him, after everything she had learned about him sense Klaus.

He knew she was processing what he was saying and he didn't blame her. It sounded crazy to him. Could a vampire, could he even feel those things?

"Bonnie, do you think you can read me? You know, like the day you gave me Elena's number?" there was a little hope, and a little desperation in his voice.

"This is really bad timing, you know that Stefan. My magic, it's not right. Hasn't been, but I can try. Give me your hand."

Instantly upon touching him, she pulled away, "No that can't be right. Give me your hand." Closing her eyes, "Stefan, you feel human inside?" removing her hand from his she continued, "I mean, I don't know what I mean? I didn't see darkness, well a little. Not like before, I was scared of you before. I…." She just stared at him, unable to finish the thoughts running through her racing mind.

They just sat there staring at each other for a moment. He let out a laugh breaking the stare, "Well, we both know, I am far from human."

"I have no Idea what is going on?" he could tell she was processing something that she was seeing, "There is something else, I just can't seem to grab on to it. It's just dangling in front of me but not letting me see it." She didn't really want to continue, her head was starting to pound, but she felt it was important.

"Divine, I keep thinking the word divine, and I can feel power, lots of it." Pausing, closing her eyes she continued, "This isn't you Stefan, but it feels like you. It just doesn't make sense."

Inhaling deeply, as if she couldn't breathe, "It's attached to her, the women in your dreams." Bonnie smile a little, "She is," frustrated, "attached to you. There is something else; something is blocking me from seeing it." With wide eyes, she looked directly at Stefan, speaking as if in a trance, "Forever, one half of a whole. I am yours, you are mine."

Stefan reached out to shake her. He had never seen her like this. "Bonnie!" he didn't say it load, but forceful enough to get her attention.

"Oh my god!" she sounded almost giddy, "I… what the hell just happened?" Looking around hoping no one noticed anything. Then she looked up at him and smiled. "Your soul mate? Is that even possible?" questioning herself more than him.

"Were you a vampire in your dream?" she asked

"No" wanting her to go on he replied without hesitation or question.

"And you don't remember her? Or anyone that was like her, when you were human?"

"No, I remember my father wanting me to marry some girl, nondescript really. I can't even bring her face to memory." A little disappointed and a little frustrated, he shrugged his shoulders "Katherine, that's the only one that I can think of that stood out."

"She is important, Stefan? I don't know how, but she is. All I felt was a raw power. I have never felt that kind of power." Stefan noticed the little shiver that left her body as she said this.

"Not even with the dead witches?" There was a little concern in his voice, even when he wanted to hide it.

"Not even close! Times what they make me feel by your age and we might be close. Might!" even though she was trying to make a joke to lighten up what she was saying. It didn't work.

"Thanks Bonnie," He started to stand up, "We'll talk about this more later?" Not waiting to hear the answer her walked toward the entrance. He needed to get out there.

"Sure. Stefan, are you going to be okay?" She tried to catch up to him, looking worried.

Turning and putting on the best smile he could, he replied, "Yup, I will be fine." He walked out of the Mystic Grill.

He wanted solitude right now, quiet, he wanted to think. He knew the answers he needed where deep inside him. All completely out of reach. Had he been compelled to forget? Why? Who? More questions than answers, he climbed in his car and drove with no one direction in mind. All he knew he needed to get far away, from everything and everyone.

He wasn't sure where he was exactly, but as he climbed out of the car the fresh air felt good against his skin. Where ever he was everything was quiet, no people, no Damon, and no Elena, nothing to interrupt the silence he needed. So he just started walking aimlessly toward the trees.

Thoughts of Elena, almost like an evasion, came to him. Elena. He just didn't feel as connected to her as he used to. If he was honest with himself, He did not feel the love he had for before. He felt more of an obligation, guilty that she was the one thing she never wanted to be, a vampire. Shaking the thoughts away, he started bring back the dream. Why was he feeling this way? He didn't feel even a twinge of The Ripper inside him? Maybe that's what he feared the most, not remembering how dark he really was in the core of his being. It just wasn't there. Like there was a switch, like the humanity switch. When he was around humans he always felt the blood lust. He always felt The Ripper inside him. Today, nothing not even when he was surrounded by humans did the thought of blood come to his mind. The one thing he hadn't told Bonnie, he felt that power surging through every fiber of his being. Undeniably, a feeling of being indestructible.

"Hello, brother!" Stefan was so deep in his thought; he didn't even notice his brother, until he said something, and continued on like he still wasn't there.

"Carrying the world on your shoulders, as usual, I see." Damon always had a tone that grated on Stefan's nerves. A snide, teasing tone, smartass, Stefan thought. It was becoming tiring and he had no patients for Damon today.

"What do you want Damon?" His brother was changing; he saw it, humanity that he had not seen in him for a very long time. All reflected toward Stefan. Damon acting like a concerned older brother, protective, like a father, it was almost laughable.

"So you going to tell me what is going on or, are you going to wallow in yourself inflicted torture?" Damon always looking for a fight.

"Go away, Damon." Stefan was not in the mood for Damon's baiting.

Then he stopped in his tracks. He felt something vibrating through him. It wasn't a bad feeling, it actually felt pleasant.

"Do you feel that?" Stefan wasn't really asking Damon, he had already dismissed him from his mind. It was more of a question for himself.

He had felt this before; he just couldn't put his finger on it. Focusing his eyes on what was around him, he noticed the waterfall standing with pride several yards in front of him. Was this the waterfall from his dream?

"Power" Stefan thought he heard his brother say. Stefan started toward the fall.

"Ah hell, Stefan," Damon sounded a little fearful, then the thought of a fight light up his face, "Fine, Ill play along."

Stopping where the landscape changed to lushness, Stefan began to feel slightly dizzy, images flashing though his mind, none making any sense. They were all of him, at a waterfall, this waterfall, but he had never been here before not as a human. He was definitely human in the flashes. Or had he? He felt right, as if he took a deep breath and every worry left him. In a daze he started to step closer, wanting to become a part of all that he was feeling, all that he was seeing. Damon grab his arm and was trying to get his attention.

"Not a smart move, bro. Whatever, is in there, it's stronger than you and I put together." Damon was never cautious! Stefan stopped shaking his head trying to clear it. That when he saw her.

As if she was floating, she appeared out from under the waterfall. He couldn't breathe. He knew to not even try, it would ruin it, and she would hide. Was she even real? As she came closer to him through the water, he felt his body, his soul, react to her; he knew her, his body knew her. Tears came to Stefan's eyes, like the water that cascaded down her body, each drop bringing her skin back to life, bringing him back to life.

As if pleading, words he knew he couldn't hold in were spoken, "I am yours."

"We need to go, NOW!" Damon demanded "Now!"

Stefan wanted to stay, he wanted to see her face, he had to look into her eyes. Just as he step closer he notice that she stopped, standing so still, as if she was hoping she would go unnoticed.

Everything began to go out of focus, realizing Damon had thrown him in the other direction, Stefan turn to his brother and hit him so hard the tree that he slammed against broke in half.

Stefan started walking back toward the waterfall, searching for her again. He felt a slight panic, he couldn't feel her, he couldn't see her, she was gone.

Turning back to Damon, "What the hell is wrong with you?" There was so much disgust, lined with anger in his voice that Damon, stepped back from him.

'What the hell is wrong with me? What the hell is wrong with me? Coming from someone who just threw my ass against a tree so hard the it broke in half? What's wrong with me? What's wrong with you?" Damon even a little fearful of Stefan, he began to step closer.

"Stefan, we need to go. Whoever, whatever that was. It's not to be messed with. . no matter how incredible eatable she looked." Damon was searching for her as he continued, "I don't feel her anymore. What in the hell just happened Stefan?"

"I don't know, but I am going to find out." Stefan meant each word he said. All he knew was that she was the answer to what was going on with him. Maybe she was the answer period.

He felt a little clearer and a whole lot stronger as he walked back to his car not even caring if Damon was following him.