Elena's POV
I waited anxiously outside the spare bedroom in my house, unsure if I wanted to do this. The spare room was where I kept everything from my past; every memory I had of the Salvatore brothers (except for the ones floating around in my brain) were in that room. Photos, journals, and books I'd taken from their rooms, some of their jewellery, like bracelets. I'd saved it all and kept it there. Also, memories of my past were there. My cheerleading costume was there, my year book, etc. It was all just piled up in there; a big mess. I sighed. I knew I had to sort through it all. My mind made, I opened the door and peered inside. Ugh. It was a right mess. I flicked on the light, just as Maverick padded in. He jumped onto the spare bed, without casting all the junk a second glance. Sighing heavily, I slowly knelt beside the memories. This would take a while.
An hour later, I dug up my photo album. My breath caught in my throat as I looked at the first photo taped inside. It was of me, Caroline and Bonnie. I missed them so much. Caroline and Tyler were living together in an apartment, still in Mystic Falls, and I knew Bonnie was still with my brother, Jeremy. Caroline was doing the job she'd always been interested in: broadcast journalism. Tyler was a football coach, Bonnie was still at medical school, training to be a paediatric nurse, and Jeremy was a fire-fighter. I turned the page to find a picture of Bonnie and Jeremy with their arms around each other, me and Jeremy, me and Bonnie. I turned the page again. Caroline and Bonnie. Me and Matt. Tyler and Caroline. I felt tears threaten in my eyes as I turned the page to a picture of me, Jeremy and my parents (not my real parents, but my adopted ones, Grayson and Miranda Gilbert). I sighed as one of my tears splashed against the page. Sniffing, I looked up at the ceiling, willing my tears to fall back. But they only came heavier. On the opposite page was a picture of Aunt Jenna and Alaric. Oh, Jenna. She'd died seven years ago after Klaus had used her as the vampire in the sacrifice ritual. Alaric had basically been the fatherly figure for Jeremy and me, but he'd finally settled down, married and had a child five years ago. They still lived in Mystic Falls. I turned the next page, and my heart thumped a little faster. It was a picture of me and Stefan. I closed my eyes as the usual pang of pain started up in my stomach when I thought about him. I wondered if he was alive, and if he was, if he still thought about me like I thought about him. Did I love him still? I think a part of me did. And Damon. What had I felt for Damon? I'd cared about him...missed him more and more, but I had to remember he'd ditched me. When I'd needed him most he hadn't been there. And I'd heard nothing from him. I wiped my eyes, feeling somewhat stronger. I knew I couldn't put off visiting Mystic Falls much longer. I guess I would leave tonight.
After letting Maverick out into the garden, I picked up the phone and dialled my old homes' landline number, where Jeremy still lived. He answered on the third ring.
"Yeah?" he mumbled groggily; obviously still half asleep.
"Shouldn't you be getting ready for work about now?" I chastised.
"Elena?" he asked in surprise, sounding more awake. "Hey, how're you doing?"
"I'm okay, Jer, how are you?" I enquired.
"Good. We're all missing you here," he told me.
"Me too," I replied, feeling a little stab of guilt. I hadn't visited Mystic Falls for eight months now. "Um, how's everybody doing?"
"Everyone's fine," he said. "Bonnie and I have some news; when are you planning on coming up here?"
"Um, is tonight too soon?" I asked.
"Of course not! That's awesome; how long are you planning on staying?" he enquired eagerly. I felt another stab of guilt when I heard how happy he sounded that I was coming.
"I'm not sure...but I'll bring stuff with me, don't worry," I added.
"Are you bringing that dopey dog of yours?" he asked.
"Yup," I replied. "Mav and I are a team."
Jeremy chuckled. "Okay. You want me to come and pick you up?"
"No, no I'll drive, thanks," I said.
"Okay. See you later, Elena," he said.
"Bye, Jer," I replied, before hanging up.
From outside in the garden, I could hear Maverick barking incessantly at something. I sighed. He'd probably seen a squirrel, or a badger or something. I pushed open the screen door and walked out onto the porch. Maverick was standing on all fours, tail wagging as he barked furiously at the black bird sitting on the fence.
"Come on, Mav, it's just a bird," I called, but he didn't stop barking. Exhaling irritably, I stomped down the porch steps toward Maverick and the bird. As I neared them, I soon recognised the bird to be a crow. Sighing, I knelt beside Maverick, and stroked his head. He turned to face me, whining slightly and licking my face.
"What, Mav? It's a bird," I repeated, kissing his nose. The crow cawed loudly, startling me. I glanced at it, straightening up. It was staring intently at me, and I was reminded horribly of the time when I'd been in the cemetery and the crow had sat there. Hadn't I later found out that Damon used crows? So what was I suggesting? That this was Damon's work? I scoffed, shaking my head.
"What are you looking at?" I muttered to the crow, before gently taking a hold of Maverick's collar and leading him inside, shutting the door firmly behind me. As I turned around, the crow hadn't moved an inch. It was still watching me.
A couple of hours later, I had my suitcases packed up with my clothes and other necessities, along with my laptop fastened securely in its case, and everything needed to take care of Maverick. My cases were all packed in the car, and I'd already sat Maverick in the car too. The television was on in the background and the news was on. I grinned as usual when I saw Caroline delivering a report. Her perfect, blonde curls were tucked neatly in a bun, and she was wearing a black and white pin-striped blazer with a matching skirt and a black vest. She must have been the youngest-looking reporter on TV; frozen at age seventeen, but modelling a twenty-five year old. She may not have aged a day, but she had the whole authority vibe, which therefore made everyone believe she was an adult. By now, the wind had picked up outside, and small droplets of rain were beginning to fall. I was all ready to leave, but first I wanted to hear the weather report.
"Over to Lillian with the latest weather forecast update," Caroline said clearly, smiling dazzling at the camera. I skimmed through the weather report. It was meant to snow heavily tonight in Mystic Falls, and here, so I'd better get a move on if I wanted to avoid the snow storm. It was now half past two in the afternoon; if I left now I'd be there for about seven. I switched the TV off, did a quick double check of the house that I'd locked everything and turned off the water and electricity, before locking up and making my way down to the car. My red scarf fluttered and billowed in the breeze, and I pulled my coat tighter around me, shivering. I felt like someone was watching me. When I shivered again, it had nothing to do with the cold, sharp wind. Just as I was about to open the car door, a crow's cry shattered the silence around me, and I jumped. The crow was now perched on top of the mail box, watching me closely.
"What do you want?" I snapped.
The crow simply cocked its head, watching me with dark, but intent eyes. Kind of like the way Damon used to watch me.
"Damon?" the name had slipped from my mouth without my permission, and I immediately shrank away from the idea. Impossible. My hand reached out, again without my permission, to touch the bird. I was about a millimetre away from touching it, when it cawed again loudly. Startled, I swore and yanked my hand back. Beating its black wings furiously, the crow took flight. Hands shaking, I opened the car door, switched on the engine and turned the heater right up. Maverick watched me from the passenger seat, completely oblivious. I reached out and stroked him behind the ears, and he closed his eyes in content.
"Am I crazy, Mav?" I whispered. Maverick opened his eyes, sneezed in my face and then turned to the window.
"I guess that answers that," I said grimly, reversing off the drive.
Snow had begun to fall lightly from the sky as I pulled over outside my old house. The sky was pitch black, and there were no stars tonight. Just small, white flakes of snow. Maverick was curled up asleep in the passenger seat, his head hanging off the chair. I switched off the engine, pocketed the keys, and got out of the car into the cold night. I immediately felt myself trembling in the wintry air as I opened the trunk of the car. I heard footsteps come toward me, and I glanced up to see Jeremy jogging out of the house, beaming at me.
"Hey, Elena," he grinned, pulling me into a hug.
"Hey, Jer," I said, my teeth chattering as I hugged my brother.
"Take Maverick inside," he told me. "I'll bring your stuff in."
"Thanks, Jeremy," I replied, opening the passenger door. Awake now, Maverick leapt out of the car and made a beeline for Jeremy. He jumped up at him, licking his face.
"Maverick," Jeremy groaned, but I could hear the smile in his voice. Laughing, I dragged my dog away from Jeremy and toward the house instead. Bonnie ran down the hall from the kitchen and threw her arms around me excitedly.
"Elena!" she squealed, clinging to me.
I laughed and hugged her tightly. "Hey, Bonnie."
"I'm so glad you're here," she told me eagerly, releasing me. "I just made chicken pie!"
I giggled. "That's great, Bon, I can't wait."
"Ooh, and check out what I'm reading," she grabbed my hand and dragged me into the living room. Wow. Nothing had changed; it was exactly how I'd left it. Bonnie grabbed a book off the coffee table and showed it to me. I grinned. It was my book; my first novel I'd ever published. It was titled 'Forbidden Love'. I'd written it about a girl who had lost her boyfriend in a car accident, but now that he had come back to life, he was different; evil, almost, and she couldn't be with him. But despite everything, they still loved each other. I'd gotten it published two years ago, and it had sold really well. After that, I'd also written a series of books about an immortal woman who fell in love with a human (yeah, I found it easier to adapt my life experiences somewhat into stories). I was now working on the sixth book in that series, and it was going pretty well.
I grinned. "How many times have you read this?"
Bonnie shrugged. "A fair few. But it's so good!"
"Thanks," I smiled, as Jeremy staggered back inside, laden with my suitcase, my laptop case and a box of Maverick's things.
"You're not moving here permanently, right?" he asked sarcastically, but I could still hear a glimmer of hope in his voice. Feeling like about the most terrible person in the world, I answered.
"No, Jer," I said, forcing a smile.
"Right," he nodded, averting his gaze from my eyes. "You want these in your room?"
"Yes, please," I said quietly, watching him go upstairs. I turned to Bonnie, sighing.
"He misses you," she told me softly. "You're the only family he has left, Elena."
"He's got you," I pointed out half-heartedly.
"Yeah. He loves me, but you're his sister. It's not the same," she said gently.
I sighed as Jeremy returned down the stairs, and I quickly changed the subject.
"So, Jeremy told me you guys have some news?" I asked, and as I did, my eyes strayed to Bonnie's hands. On her fourth finger of her left hand, she wore a gold ring set with a simple, square diamond. Bonnie and Jeremy grinned as I put the pieces of the puzzle together.
"You guys are engaged?" I exploded happily.
"Yes!" Bonnie giggled, and I immediately ran to hug them. We stood there; the three of us with our arms wrapped around each other. Maverick jumped up at me, annoyed he wasn't a part of this.
"Oh, I'm so happy for you!" I told them, pulling away. "When's the wedding?"
"We don't know yet," Bonnie smiled. "But I want you to be the maid of honour, Elena."
"Of course!" I laughed, hugging them both again. I couldn't believe how happy I was for them. For one moment; just one moment, I forgot about all the heartache I was suffering.
After dinner, I excused myself to go to bed early, Maverick following. I peered into my bedroom and flicked on the light. Everything was almost exactly as I'd left it; but the things most important to me were back in Thomasville. I had a hot shower, brushed my teeth and changed into my pyjamas. When I came back to my bedroom, Maverick was curled up asleep on the end of the bed. I didn't have the heart to push him off, so instead I crawled into bed, tucking my feet underneath his warm belly. I switched off the light. Just as I was dozing off to sleep, the cry of a crow exploded into the night outside.
