Where'd You Go

Vampire Diaries Stefan/Elena Post season 2 "As I Lay Dying"

Disclaimer: I don't own Vampire Diaries or it's characters...the only characters that are mine are the new kids and Phillip.

Author's Note: So . . . here's chapter 1. I'm glad that you guys like it and I know it's a little dark . . . but it's kinda hard to make light of the situation. Again, let me know if you have any questions or concerns.

Chapter One: Sunk In Biology

A little later that morning . . .

"Millie, sweetheart, the bus'll be here any minute!" Elena called up the stairs, holding a tiny pink backpack in her hands.

"Coming, Mommy!" Millie shouted back.

Elena heard tiny feet running around upstairs, convinced Millie was on her way down. She frowned when she heard the doorbell. Who would be here this early in the morning? "Hurry up, baby!" She sighed, her hand on her sore back and ribs as she went over to open the door. She dropped her hand and swung the door open. Her breath caught in her throat and her heart fluttered. Was she imagining things? Was she dreaming? "Stefan . . ."

"Hello, Elena," Stefan indeed stood on her doorstep at eight in the morning. "I know it's been a long time."

He was here . . . it wasn't a dream. After so many years . . . "I-I . . ." She didn't even know what to say. Self consciously she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear, letting out a deep painful breath.

His eyes fell on the pink backpack. "What are y―"

"Mommy, I'm ready! Is the bus here yet?" Little Millie peeked out from behind Elena's legs. Her eyes were up on the strange man her mommy was talking to. Never one to be shy, she eyed him suspiciously. "Who's that?"

A million things were going through Elena's brain all at once and she couldn't focus. She couldn't even get her mouth to open. Just then the bus pulled up and Millie anxiously ran outside. "Bye, Mommy!"

Elena blinked, tearing her gaze from a confused Stefan. "Um . . . bye honey. H-Have a good day at school. I love you!"

"Love you too, Mommy!" Millie waved as she got on the bus. The old driver Mr. Nettles – who'd been the driver long before Elena was a kid – waved as he drove off.

"Elena . . ." Stefan's voice drew her back in. She glanced at him. Every time he spoke sent shivers down her spine. He was now staring at the wedding band set on her ring finger. "Can we . . . talk?"

Tired, she thought. He looked tired. Had she ever seen him so tired? She didn't think so. She found her voice. "Where have you been?"

Her question threw him off. "Not now. Can we just talk?" He glanced around the neighborhood. "Inside . . . please?"

"Um . . ." She shifted, glancing back in the house. It was probably better. If one of the neighbors saw they'd tell him. "Yeah . . . c-come in." She stepped inside, allowing Stefan to cross the threshold. Memories of the first time she'd invited him in her childhood home flashed in her mind.

Stefan nodded and she closed the door behind him. They stood in the doorway in the awkwardness. It felt so weird to be around him after so many years. And oddly comforting . . .

She turned her upper body to start walking deeper in the house, gesturing for him to follow her. A pain spread throughout her ribs and she sucked in a breath, her feet halting.

Stefan was in front of her in a moment, his hands gently on her shoulders. He scanned her over. "What's wrong? You're hurt. What happened to you?"

"F-fell down the stairs," She lied, not looking him in the eyes.

"No . . . I don't buy it," He shook his head. "Look at me, Elena."

She obediantly raised her head, an unwanted tear gathering in the corner of her eye. Her eyes locked with his and she couldn't let go of his gaze. She spent too many moments convinced she'd never see him again.

"There's faded bruises around your eyes, your cheeks," Stefan's voice sounded as broken as she felt inside.

She stepped back, clearing her throat. She wiped her eyes. "I'm a klutz." She chuckled, hoping he'd drop the subject. "Sometimes I trip over my own two feet . . ."

Stefan was still staring at her. It was unnerving.

"I-I thought you wanted to talk," She sighed. "Why don't we sit in the living room?" Stefan nodded. "Would you like some coffee?"

"Sure," Stefan said. She led him to the living room and disappeared in the kitchen to get some coffee. She took a few deep breaths, wiping leftover tears from her eyes. Taking a few more breaths, she went back into the living room with two mugs. She found Stefan staring at the family pictures on the mantle above the fireplace. She set the mugs down on coasters on the table and went to stand by him.

Stefan was holding a recent picture of Millie. "She's beautiful."

Thankful for the change of subject, Elena allowed herself to smile. "Millie's my everything. I dunno what I'd do without her."

"She's . . . four?" Stefan guessed.

"Six, actually," Elena told him, sighing, as she thought of the first two months of Millie's life spent in the the NICU. "She's small for her age. She was born a couple months premature. She's perfectly healthy . . . just small."

Stefan nodded, putting the frame back where he'd found it. He picked up another one – this one of Millie, Elena, and Phillip. "You look happy . . . all of you do."

"Sometimes," The word flew out of Elena's mouth before she could stop herself and she inhaled in surprise.

Stefan's head whipped around to face her. "Sometimes?"

"W-we are," She corrected herself, exhaling deeply. "We're happy."

Stefan seemed to study her. He was watching her face as if to see something she wasn't telling. He put the second frame back.

"I got us some coffee," She tried to get him to sit down. "It's decaffeinated though. We don't keep any caffeine in the house."

"You love caffeine," He said as they sat down.

His statement caught her off-guard. "I've changed, Stefan. I'm not seventeen anymore. I've grown up."

"I'm sorry . . ." He seemed startled by gruffness of her voice. "I didn't mean anything by it."

She instantly regretted the harsh tone she'd had. She was so used to being on the defensive all the time. "It's okay . . . I just . . . I'm sorry. I didn't mean to snap. I just don't understand why you're here."

He just stared at her.

"It's been nine years, Stefan," Elena's voice caught in her throat.

"I know," He sighed.

"You left and didn't even say goodbye. I didn't know if you were ever coming back," Elena said.

"I wasn't," Stefan put his mug down.

"But―" Elena watched him curiously.

"I did it," He smiled weakly, sighing. "Klaus is dead."

Her eyes widened.

"What did you know about where I was?" He questioned.

"N-Nothing," Elena shook her head, putting her own mug down. "Katherine brought the cure f-for Damon. She said you gave yourself to Klaus to get the cure. A-And then she was gone. She hasn't been back since."

"Katherine's dessicating in a tomb underground in Atlanta," Stefan told her. He wasn't looking at her. Elena was both comforted and disturbed by that statement and the tone with with Stefan spoke it.

"W-we tried to find you. All of us – me, Damon, Bonnie, Caroline, Ric, Jeremy . . . we've been searching for years but we couldn't find anything." Elena's heart was beating furiously.

"I had to . . ." Stefan sighed. "It was the only way to save Damon."

"By leaving me?" Elena's voice was trembling. All the pent-up feelings of nine years were bursting. "I needed you . . . and you were gone."

"I'm sorry." He said. He looked around. "You seem to be fine. Nice house, nice family. You're alive."

"I adjusted," She said quietly. She glanced at the clock. "You need to go. I have things to do."

"What are you afraid of?" Stefan was watching her again.

"What? Nothing. I'm just busy." She deflected. "Please, just go."

"We weren't finished talking," He told her.

"Come over tomorrow . . . same time." She blurted. "Now please, go."

Stefan sighed, nodding. He stood. Elena practically pushed him out the door.

Once he was gone, she sighed. She couldn't take the chance that her husband would come home early again or that one of the neighbors would find out. And she certainly couldn't give Stefan any reason to belive she was lying about being klutzy.

Her first order of business now: a long, hot, bubble bath to ease her sore muscles.

She trudged up the stairs to start the bathwater and poured the lavender-smelling bubble bath in. She undressed in front of the mirror, nearly bursting into tears as she saw the fresh purple bruises mixed with the faded ones that covered her body. She'd have to go to the store and buy more concealer soon. Pretty soon she'd have to switch stores or the clerk would wonder why she's buying so much concealer.

Sniffling, she went into the bathroom and turned off the water. The tub was nearly full. As she stepped in she hissed as the hot scalding water bit at her wounds. After a few moments her skin numbed and she sat completely under water, letting out a deep breath.

She inhaled the fresh lavender and leaned her head against the tub. The water undid her curls, straightening her hair once again. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, dreaming sweet dreams of Stefan and the moments they'd had together in high school.

TVDTVDTVDTVD

The next morning Stefan arrived promptly at Elena's house, early even. He watched Millie jump on the bus and waited until it drove off to approach the door. He knocked on the door, expecting her to open it.

"Come in!" He heard her shout. Her voice was raspy . . . maybe she just got up.

Raising an eyebrow, he opened the door and went in.

"I'm upstairs . . ." She shouted . . . followed by a pained cough.

Stefan followed her voice to a bedroom – the master bedroom. Hers and her husbands. The thought didn't sit well with Stefan.

She gave him a weak smile as he walked in. "Hey . . ." It was barely above a whisper. She was curled up in her bed under the covers.

"You look horrible, h His gums itched, wanting to immediately find what was wrong with her. After all these years apart, it still tore him apart to see or think about her hurt or in pain.

Indeed, she did look awful. Large fresh bruises covered her face and her lip was split open with dried blood caked around the split. Tears tracked under her eyes. He was willing to bet there were more bruises hidden by clothes and covers.

"Who did this to you?" He growled.

She jumped at his harsh tone, crying. "N-No one, Stefan. Please . . . it was an accident . . ." He could tell by her voice how much it hurt her to talk, to breathe. He listened to her heartbeat, her breath going in and out of her lungs. It didn't sound good.

"Bullshit, Elena," He pulled the covers roughly off of her. She squealed. Dark bruises tracked her arms and her neck and collarbone on the skin not covered by her white satin nightgown. The nightgown seemed strange on her. When he'd known her she always preferred shorts and a tank top or one of his shirts. Had she even owned any nightgowns back then?

"Stefan . . ." She whispered.

He sat down beside her. She flinched when he accidently bumped into her hips. He gingerly pressed his fingers against her hip, her stomach. She gasped in pain. It was then that he noticed the imprint of a hand in the bruises on her shoulders.

"This wasn't an accident . . . this was intentional." Stefan's eyes rose to meet hers. He felt the blood rush under the skin in his face as her heartbeat increased. "Who did this? Who hurt you?"

She looked away from him, pulling the covers back up around her broken body. "I t-told you yesterday . . . I fell. I'm a klutz."

"This is new," He shook his head. His hand gently outlined the side of her cheek. "All this wasn't here yesterday. It happened after I left. Did the house get robbed? Was it a vampire attack?"

She turned farther away from him. Around the straps of the nightgown on her back he saw more bruises, more red marks. Some of the marks were in different stages of healing than others. Was there any part of her that wasn't bruised and broken?

"Who's been hurting you, Elena? Who is it?" A grim thought filled his head and he thought back to the day before when she'd said "sometimes" when he said she and her family looked happy. "Was it your husband?"

Her body flinched involuntarily the moment the word 'husband' left his lips. Her hands began to shake.

"It was, wasn't it? I'm gonna kill him . . ." Stefan growled.

"N-No, you can't . . ." She sniffled, turning to face him. Her held her hands together to get them to stop shaking. "He doesn't mean it . . . he doesn't. H-H-He just gets so mad. I-I make him mad. It's n-n-not his fault. It's m-me . . ."

"Are you listening to yourself, Elena? He's brainwashed you," Stefan shouted. His gaze fell on the picture of Millie on her bedside table. "Is he . . . is he hurting your daughter too?"

"No," Elena shook her head. "No . . . it's just me. He'd never do that. As long as it's only me it's okay."

Stefan sighed. "Come with me. Stay with me at the Boarding House." Elena started to protest but Stefan shook his head. "We'll pick up Millie from school early and she can stay there too. Please."

Elena sighed, still crying. "Stefan . . . it's still in my name and since we're married Phillip owns it too . . ."

"So? We'll keep him out," Stefan said.

"H-He's probably there now . . . with Amarra . . ." Elena whimpered.

Stefan's face grew angry. "Let me get this straight . . . he beat you up last night and now he's at the house you own with another woman?"

Elena shrugged, "He doesn't know that I know."

"Wait . . . where's Damon? Why hasn't he ripped this Phillip to shreds by now?" Stefan said.

"Um . . . he and Caroline are out looking for you. They left shortly after you disappeared . . ." Elena said. "The last we heard from them was a phone call two years ago." She winced, holding her ribs. "Aaah . . ."

"Elena, you could be bleeding internally," Stefan said softly. "Let me heal you . . ." He held out his wrist, about to bite it.

"No . . . Phillip will notice if I'm suddenly fine," Elena took a deep breath.

She was right. Stefan sighed. He dropped his hand. "Can I at least take you to a hospital?"

Elena shook her head. "Phillip's a doctor there. He'll find out." She took a few painful breaths. "Can you just help me draw a bath? It helps with the pain . . ."

"Of course," Stefan was gone and back in a flash. He helped her out of bed and across the hall to the bathroom. Her movements were slow and pained. She stared at him for a moment and he nodded, turning around. He heard the shuffling of clothes and Elena wincing and hissing. "Elena?"

"Yes, Stefan?" She let out a deep breath.

"Does anyone know? Alaric? Bonnie? Jeremy?" Stefan asked her.

He heard her sharp intake of breath and the squeak of tile and turned around. She was frozen . . . half in and half out of the tub without her clothes. He couldn't believe this was the same girl he'd known nine years ago. The number of bruises – both fresh and faded – astounded him. He'd never seen that many bruises on one person before. Her grip of the edge of the tub was tight but her weak and battered muscles were failing her. She was falling backwards.

Without thinking he rushed to her side to help her, his hands on her sides. She flinched at his touch, pulling away.

"S-Stefan, I'm married . . ." She hissed in pain.

"Just let me help you," He guided her in the tub and she let out a deep breath as she settled in. If he had his way, she wouldn't be married for much longer. She didn't deserve to be treated like this.

"No," She spoke. "To answer your question . . . no. Nobody knows." Her eyes were hooded with shame.

"Tell me," He aid. "Tell me. Tell me everything."

"I shouldn't . . ." She sighed. "A-And what if he comes home early?"

"You let me worry about that," He shook his head.

"B-But what about Klaus? Tell me how you killed him," Elena deflected.

"Don't do that. We'll talk about that some other time," Stefan said. "Tell me how you got in this mess."

"You're not mad that I didn't wait for you?" She whispered.

"No," He said immediately. "I left you. I wanted more for you than I was able to give and . . . you didn't want to be a vampire." He remembered the day so long ago when Damon force fed her his blood and Stefan took her to the waterfall.

"Everything's falling apart," The floodgates burst and her head dropped in shame.

"What happened?" He asked.

"You were gone and . . . Jenna and John were dead. Ric moved in and took emergency custody of Jer and me and things were fine for awhile. We were trying to find you and we finished school. Then Damon and Caroline left and me and Bonnie started college. I met Phillip freshman year when I sprained my ankle on campus. He was my doctor. He's six years older than me. We got married before freshman year was over and two years later I had Millie." She swallowed the pain. "He promised . . ." She gasped. Stefan reached forward and lay his hand on her back. She exhaled painfully. "He promised to protect me. H-He promised to make me happy . . ."

"You're not," He said. "You're not happy. You're not protected. Elena, one of these days he's really going to hurt you. He'll kill you. Do you really want to leave your daughter in that situation?"

Elena heaved, sobbing. "No . . ."

"Leave him. Get yourself and Millie away from him." Stefan said. "Please . . ."

"I'm scared," She sobbed.

"I know," He rubbed her back. "I know you are. I'll be with you every step of the way."

"Stefan?" She sniffled.

"Yes, Elena?" He said.

"The reason he hit so hard last night was because I forgot to clean up our coffee cups from yesterday morning." She exhaled. "H-He accused me of cheating . . ."

Stefan's face hardened. They hadn't done anything – literally – then take a few sips of coffee. "I will get you out of this, Elena. I promise."

"I-"

The door opened downstairs. Stefan perked his ears. Elena's eyes widened in fear. Her body tensed. Stefan heard humming . . . . it was a woman.

"Oh god . . ." Elena whispered. "It's him, isn't it?"

Stefan shook his head. The humming voice continued.

"Elena?" It was . . . Bonnie? Since when did Bonnie hum?

"Bonnie," Stefan mouthed.

"She can't see me like this," Elena shook her head.

"Elena, you need to talk to someone other than me," Stefan said. "You can't keep this hidden."

"Elena?" Bonnie called out again. "You home?"

"She can help you," Stefan said. "Your pain."

Elena sighed, nodding. "I can't yell anymore."

Stefan nodded, gently rubbing her back. He sped out of the room to find Bonnie. He appeared behind her and covered her mouth. "Bonnie . . . don't scream. It's Stefan." She nodded. "Please, don't scream." He lifted is hand and she turned around. Her eyes were wide. "It's okay. I won't hurt you." He then noticed her rounded belly. "Either of you. I need you to stay calm."

"Where's Elena?" Bonnie said.

"Upstairs," He said. "We need to talk." He turned and started walking upstairs. Bonnie reached out and touched his shoulder, letting out a strained gasp. He knew that she just saw everything he'd done in the last nine years. "I told you . . . I won't hurt you." He didn't turn around and continued upstairs to Elena. Bonnie followed.

Before they walked in Stefan stopped and turned around. "You're not going to recognize her. And . . . don't let her talk you out of the truth."

Bonnie gulped, nodding. "Did you do something to her?"

"Never," Stefan shook his head.

They stepped into the bathroom where Elena was still soaking, still crying.

"B-Bonnie . . ." Elena looked down in shame.

"Oh my god . . ." Bonnie gasped. "Elena . . ."

"It was her husband," Stefan spoke, knowing Elena would fall apart if she had to talk about it again. "And it's not the first time." Bonnie's hand was still on her mouth. Stefan bent down next to Elena. "Elena, I'm going to go talk to Bonnie. We'll be just down the hall, okay?"

Elena nodded, laying back into the tub with her eyes closed. Stefan and Bonnie left the room and walked down the hall. They went into what appeared to be a guest bedroom. Bonnie wrapped her arms around her rounded belly and sat down on the bed. Stefan stayed standing.

After a few moments, Bonnie spoke. "You killed Klaus."

"I did," Stefan nodded.

"And that's why you're back," Bonnie said.

"It's one of the reasons," He told her.

Bonnie held her womb protectively, "You killed people. Innocent people. Hundreds of innocent people."

Stefan sighed, "Yes."

"And you expect me to believe you're not here to kill all of us?" Bonnie was still holding her stomach.

"I assume you saw everything when you touched my shoulder downstairs," Stefan said.

"I did," Bonnie nodded. "Doesn't mean I believe it."

"Whether you believe me or not . . . . we have to help Elena," Stefan said. "She needs to get away from him."

"I agree," Bonnie told him. "If I had known about it, she would already be out of it. You know that."

"I do . . . and I'm not blaming you or Elena or anyone but this Phillip guy," Stefan scowled. "I haven't met him and I already don't like him."

"For the record, I never liked him – Phillip," Bonnie said. "He's an ass. And . . . he's not Elena's type."

"Elena has a type?" Stefan raised his eyebrows.

"You, Matt, her first boyfriend Eric . . . you're all good guys. Phillip . . . isn't," Bonnie explained. She sighed, at a complete loss. "How are we going to get her out of this?"

"I'd like to just snap his neck and make her a widow," Stefan admitted.

"You know, I almost agree with you but we can't do that," Bonnie said.

"She has to leave him," Stefan said. "As soon as possible. Is there any way you can give her a little extra protection in the meantime? If I heal her he'll notice something's up."

"Um . . . yeah," Bonnie nodded. "I'm a little out of practice though. Jer doesn't like me doing magic when I'm pregnant."

"I completely understand and I agree," Stefan said.

"I'll let her soak in the tub for a bit before I do anything," Bonnie sighed. "Just how bad is it?"

"Honestly, it's amazing she isn't unconscious right now." Stefan told her. "I don't think she'll survive much more of this."

Bonnie scowled. "I always felt that something was off with the way Elena would act around Phillip when she thought no one was looking."

"She's terrified of him," Stefan sighed. "Just before when she thought you were him coming home early her entire body language shifted. She was trembling."

"It's so weird to think of Elena being afraid," Bonnie said. "She's never been afraid of anything."

"She'll get through this," Stefan said. "I'm back and I don't intend to leave her again. Ever."

"No . . ." Elena's voice echoed down the hall. "No . . . Phillip, please . . . I won't do it again . . ." She screamed.

Stefan sped down the hall to the bathroom. Elena was asleep, her head thrashing from side to side. Water splashed out of the tub. Stefan knelt at her side, his hand on her bak.

"Elena . . ." He said.

"Phillip, I'm sorry . . . please, no . . . it hurts . . .you're hurting me . . ." She sobbed in her sleep.

"Elena!" Stefan shook her. Her eyes flew open wide and she let out a gasp. "It's okay." He gently rubbed her shoulder. "It was just a nightmare . . . you're okay. I'm here."

Bonnie – out of breath – appeared in the doorway. "What happened?"

"It was just a nightmare," He told her. Bonnie nodded. Elena stared back and forth between them.

"Elena, honey, why don't we get you out of this tub and into bed?" Bonnie said.

Sleepily, Elena nodded. Her eyelids were getting heavy.

"I'll get her out," Steafn said. "Why don't you find her some clothes to put on and we'll be there in a minute?"

Cautiously, Bonnie nodded. With arms around her stomach she went across the hall to Elena's room.

Stefan grabbed a plush white towel from the rack and stood. Elena had fallen asleep again. "Elena . . ." Stefan said. She shook awake.

"S-Stefan . . ." She sighed. "You have to help me find my curling iron . . ."

"Why do you need your curling iron?" Stefan decided to go along with her conversation. He hooked his arms under her arms, remembering after the 60's dance when he'd had to pull a grieving Elena away from Bonnie's seemingly dead body. He pulled her to her feet.

"I-I need to curl my h-hair . . ." Elena mumbled.

"You hate curly hair," He told her as he wrapped the towel around her. "It reminds you too much of Katherine."

"He likes it . . ." Elena's voice was pained.

His entire body tensed and the rage he felt threatened to take over. The monster inside of Stefan, the animal he'd been for the last nine years wanted to immediately search out this bastard who dared hurt his Elena and rip him apart, limb by bloody limb. But the pain and fear in Elena's eyes, the way she clung to him like she would fall into oblivion if she let go . . . it calmed him down. The throb in his gums settled and his body relaxed. "I would never make you curl your hair," Stefan sighed. He lifted her out of the tub and set her standing on the shag rug. "In fact, I prefer your hair straight."

She leaned against him and let out a strangled cry, "I miss you, Stefan, Why did you have to leave me? Why won't you come home to me?"

Stefan froze. She thought she was still asleep. "Elena, I'm really here. You're not dreaming."

Her eyes widened and she just stared at him. Her breathing became heavy and her knees buckled.

"Whoa . . ." Stefan reached out his arms and held her waist to keep her from falling. "Let's get you back to bed." Elena just nodded, her hands gripping his biceps desperately. "Just hold on to me, Elena. I won't let you go." He bent over, one arm behind her knees and the other tightened around her waist. He lifted her, careful not to jostle the towel or hurt her, and carried her out of the bathroom.

She was asleep again before they reached the middle of the hallway.

To Be Continued . . .