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Stefan sat at a large mahogany desk, staring at papers set before him. They contained his financial status and outlined all of his assets, they were very vast. He would not have to worry about money at all, which was a good thing, since he was now responsible for more than one person.
Soft white hands suddenly slid down his neck and over his chest. Stefan grinned and turned in his chair. Elena stood behind him. Stefan's breath caught, as it always did when he saw her. After all they had been through, he still found it hard to believe she was actually here, alive, with him. And she was no longer a vampire, which gave him mixed feelings. He would not have to worry about her dying again so soon if she had the powers of a vampire once again. But he knew she had not liked being one, so he did not say anything about it.
But there was something different about her. She was not a vampire, but she did not seem quite human either. Little hints told him this, such as when she had crept up on him right now. He had not heard her do it. Normally, he could hear a human from a mile away, or at least sense their presence. She remained shrouded, and this frightened him, but again, he kept it to himself. There was no reason to frighten Elena over it.
"How are you, my love?" Elena asked Stefan, snapping him out of his disturbing thoughts.
"Good, now that you are here." He pulled her towards him and kissed her.
"And is anybody concerned at all how I feel?" asked a sardonic voice from the doorway. Stefan released Elena and glowered over her shoulder. Damon stood in the doorway, a small grin on his dark face, "Or should I know well enough by now then to ask such a question."
Stefan had to swallow a tort remark. Damon was still the same. He had thought he would change, especially after the battle with Klaus, but he had been mistaken. Elena, however, thought that he had changed and insisted they all stayed together. And what Elena wanted, Elena got. So they were all forced to live together. And Stefan and Elena barely had a moment's chance to be alone, as Damon always seemed to interrupt whenever they were, as he had just done.
"I just came by, dear brother, to see if you wanted to go hunting with me tonight. If I recall correctly, you have not eaten in three days. That makes for sad conditions." Damon's voice was full of brotherly concern, but Stefan knew better. Elena did not want Stefan to forego feeding and become weak, and she got mad when she found out he was not eating.
"I will hunt on my own time, and under my own terms," Stefan replied. He knew Damon often hunted young women, and Stefan would not allow himself to feed off of people. He much preferred to go into the woods and find some small creature.
Elena looked at Stefan, concern in her blue eyes, "Stefan, why have you not eaten for three days? Do you want to kill yourself?"
"I have not been hungry," Stefan replied evasively.
"That's I lie and we all know it," Elena continued unphased. "Do you think I don't remember what the thirst was like? Go hunting now, you don't have to go with Damon, but I want you to eat something."
"But what about you? I do not want to leave you alone," Stefan persisted.
"What about me? I'll be fine. I am not going anywhere, nothing can happen to me. Don't worry so much. I can still handle myself, even without super powers." Elena was not going to let him get out of hunting.
Stefan sighed, defeated, and pushed away from the desk. He stood up, and as Damon continued to watch bemusedly, gave Elena a kiss on the cheek and a strong hug. "I will be right back," he promised her.
"I know," was all she said and then shoved him away, "now get going."
Damon turned and exited the doorway, and Stefan followed him outside. But once they reached the dark streets of Florence, they parted ways. "I still don't understand you, brother," Damon's voice called to his back, "after all you have been through, I would think you deserve a little fun, and real food." Stefan did not bother to answer and only continued on his solitary way.
Stefan's hunt was brief before he found a white rabbit before him. He was just about to reach out and grab it when a soundless shock shook his whole body and he collapsed to the ground reeling from the power. There was a tunnel opening before him, and he recognized it vaguely. Bonnie? he thought weakly, knowing it had to be her. She was the only one who knew this kind of contact.
Stefan! We need help, something else has come. We will need all the help we can… the tunnel collapsed on itself.
Stefan lay still, letting the last remnants of power work itself out. He sat up groggily when it was all gone and rubbed his neck. Why did Bonnie always insist on communicating like that? The summoning spell she used was very powerful and always left him disoriented from it. Hadn't she heard of phones or e-mail or anything? Of course, a small portion of his mind reminded himself, they had left no such numbers or ways of contact. Stefan had left Fell's Church with Elena immediately, wanting to get her away from that forsaken place. There had been no time to give out contact information. He had thought that the rest of their small group had left Fell's Church as well. Apparently, Bonnie was the only one who had stayed.
Stefan thought of her brief message. Something else had come? Stefan could not imagine what, nor did he want to. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to the place that had held such grievances for him. And he especially did not want to bring Elena back there. And he knew that Elena would insist on going back with him if Stefan decided to go. So there was only one option left, tell Elena of it and go, or forget about it and abandon Fell's Church.
For his own part, Stefan did not give a damn about that awful town and its people. Fell's Church would rather see him dead than receive his help. The only reason he had gone back the last time was for Elena. But Elena was with him now, he had no other reason to go back. Except for Bonnie. Elena's dear friend, and one of his own, he admitted to himself. He could not leave Bonnie alone in that town to face a new evil. So there was yet another option, get Bonnie out of there. Then they would all be safe, and the rest of the town could go to Hell, as it most likely could, considering the recent happenings there.
Stefan got up from the ground and started back home. He would have to tell Elena, he could not keep things from her. Trust was very strong in their relationship. Stefan vaguely realized that he had never gotten a chance to eat, as the rabbit had bolted when he had sprawled. But that did not matter right now. He would ignore the dull throbs in his veins just like all the other times he had ignored them.
Stefan sat at a large mahogany desk, staring at papers set before him. They contained his financial status and outlined all of his assets, they were very vast. He would not have to worry about money at all, which was a good thing, since he was now responsible for more than one person.
Soft white hands suddenly slid down his neck and over his chest. Stefan grinned and turned in his chair. Elena stood behind him. Stefan's breath caught, as it always did when he saw her. After all they had been through, he still found it hard to believe she was actually here, alive, with him. And she was no longer a vampire, which gave him mixed feelings. He would not have to worry about her dying again so soon if she had the powers of a vampire once again. But he knew she had not liked being one, so he did not say anything about it.
But there was something different about her. She was not a vampire, but she did not seem quite human either. Little hints told him this, such as when she had crept up on him right now. He had not heard her do it. Normally, he could hear a human from a mile away, or at least sense their presence. She remained shrouded, and this frightened him, but again, he kept it to himself. There was no reason to frighten Elena over it.
"How are you, my love?" Elena asked Stefan, snapping him out of his disturbing thoughts.
"Good, now that you are here." He pulled her towards him and kissed her.
"And is anybody concerned at all how I feel?" asked a sardonic voice from the doorway. Stefan released Elena and glowered over her shoulder. Damon stood in the doorway, a small grin on his dark face, "Or should I know well enough by now then to ask such a question."
Stefan had to swallow a tort remark. Damon was still the same. He had thought he would change, especially after the battle with Klaus, but he had been mistaken. Elena, however, thought that he had changed and insisted they all stayed together. And what Elena wanted, Elena got. So they were all forced to live together. And Stefan and Elena barely had a moment's chance to be alone, as Damon always seemed to interrupt whenever they were, as he had just done.
"I just came by, dear brother, to see if you wanted to go hunting with me tonight. If I recall correctly, you have not eaten in three days. That makes for sad conditions." Damon's voice was full of brotherly concern, but Stefan knew better. Elena did not want Stefan to forego feeding and become weak, and she got mad when she found out he was not eating.
"I will hunt on my own time, and under my own terms," Stefan replied. He knew Damon often hunted young women, and Stefan would not allow himself to feed off of people. He much preferred to go into the woods and find some small creature.
Elena looked at Stefan, concern in her blue eyes, "Stefan, why have you not eaten for three days? Do you want to kill yourself?"
"I have not been hungry," Stefan replied evasively.
"That's I lie and we all know it," Elena continued unphased. "Do you think I don't remember what the thirst was like? Go hunting now, you don't have to go with Damon, but I want you to eat something."
"But what about you? I do not want to leave you alone," Stefan persisted.
"What about me? I'll be fine. I am not going anywhere, nothing can happen to me. Don't worry so much. I can still handle myself, even without super powers." Elena was not going to let him get out of hunting.
Stefan sighed, defeated, and pushed away from the desk. He stood up, and as Damon continued to watch bemusedly, gave Elena a kiss on the cheek and a strong hug. "I will be right back," he promised her.
"I know," was all she said and then shoved him away, "now get going."
Damon turned and exited the doorway, and Stefan followed him outside. But once they reached the dark streets of Florence, they parted ways. "I still don't understand you, brother," Damon's voice called to his back, "after all you have been through, I would think you deserve a little fun, and real food." Stefan did not bother to answer and only continued on his solitary way.
Stefan's hunt was brief before he found a white rabbit before him. He was just about to reach out and grab it when a soundless shock shook his whole body and he collapsed to the ground reeling from the power. There was a tunnel opening before him, and he recognized it vaguely. Bonnie? he thought weakly, knowing it had to be her. She was the only one who knew this kind of contact.
Stefan! We need help, something else has come. We will need all the help we can… the tunnel collapsed on itself.
Stefan lay still, letting the last remnants of power work itself out. He sat up groggily when it was all gone and rubbed his neck. Why did Bonnie always insist on communicating like that? The summoning spell she used was very powerful and always left him disoriented from it. Hadn't she heard of phones or e-mail or anything? Of course, a small portion of his mind reminded himself, they had left no such numbers or ways of contact. Stefan had left Fell's Church with Elena immediately, wanting to get her away from that forsaken place. There had been no time to give out contact information. He had thought that the rest of their small group had left Fell's Church as well. Apparently, Bonnie was the only one who had stayed.
Stefan thought of her brief message. Something else had come? Stefan could not imagine what, nor did he want to. The last thing he wanted to do was go back to the place that had held such grievances for him. And he especially did not want to bring Elena back there. And he knew that Elena would insist on going back with him if Stefan decided to go. So there was only one option left, tell Elena of it and go, or forget about it and abandon Fell's Church.
For his own part, Stefan did not give a damn about that awful town and its people. Fell's Church would rather see him dead than receive his help. The only reason he had gone back the last time was for Elena. But Elena was with him now, he had no other reason to go back. Except for Bonnie. Elena's dear friend, and one of his own, he admitted to himself. He could not leave Bonnie alone in that town to face a new evil. So there was yet another option, get Bonnie out of there. Then they would all be safe, and the rest of the town could go to Hell, as it most likely could, considering the recent happenings there.
Stefan got up from the ground and started back home. He would have to tell Elena, he could not keep things from her. Trust was very strong in their relationship. Stefan vaguely realized that he had never gotten a chance to eat, as the rabbit had bolted when he had sprawled. But that did not matter right now. He would ignore the dull throbs in his veins just like all the other times he had ignored them.