Is Love Eternal

Chapter 3

Stefan packed various articles of clothing into his duffel bag. This was new to him. Stefan hadn't packed clothes for a holiday in a very long time. Vampires never had to, because they never really stayed in one place long enough to set up a house wth a wardrobe. But where he was going, he didn't have enough time to buy new stuff there.

"Hello Stefan."

Stefan turned to face the voice and saw Elijah in his bedrooms doorway.

"Elijah," He greeted, resuming his packing, "What are you doing here?"

"Just making sure that you're ready for your trip."

"I've just finished packing now." The young Vampire said, zipping up the duffel bag. "Good." Elijah said, walking into the room, "I do hope you're up for this Stefan. We need you to be ready." "I know what i'm doing Elijah. I'll do what i have to do." Elijah grinned, "That's good. Call me when you get there. I'll look after everyone here while you're away."

Elijah began to move to leave but Stefan stopped him, "When all this is over, you're going to give me what i want right? Because i'm not doing this if you're not going to keep your word."

Elijah looked back to the younger vampire. After a moment, he answered, "You know my rule Stefan. I make a deal, i keep a deal."

Elena looked down at her daylight ring. She couldn't stop thinking about Stefan telling everyone that he was leaving Mystic Falls.

Elena knew that despite what she had told Caroline the night before, she did care for Stefan. She didn't want to lose him. She loved him but everytime she thought about feeling anything for Stefan, she would get this bad feeling in her chest and it wouldn't go away until she thought about Damon. When Damon crossed her mind, any bad feelings she had would go away and she'd feel happy. Happy and content.

Elena shook her head, trying to get rid of those thoughts. Those bad feelings were just guilt, she tried to tell herself. Guilt for thinking about Stefan while knowing she was with Damon. Guilt for feeling guilty about sleeping with Damon. She shouldn't feel guilty for that. She loved him.

But Elena wasn't sure. She wasn't sure about anything anymore, ever since she became a vampire. Elena thought that understanding her feelings when she was human was hard, but it was so much easier than. Her feelings were amplified so much, she couldn't begin to understand them. All she understood was that she had to be with Damon, had to make him happy. She didn't know why.

Elena picked up her phone and checked to see if anyone messaged her or rang her. It hurt when she saw that nowone had tried to contact her. Nowone wanted to talk to her anymore and she was only just beginning to realise it.

Damon was the only person who spoke to her. She had nowone else, nowone else wanted to be around her. She couldn't remember the last time she spoke to Bonnie or Caroline, or even Alaric or Jeremy about anything other than the cure. She wanted her friends and family back but she didn't know how she had drove them away.

She picked up her phone once again and looked through her contacts to find Stefan's number. Before she could change her mind, she hit dial, and placed the phone to her ear.

But he didn't answer the phone. Elena knew it was because he didn't want to talk to her. Stefan was the first of all the people in her life who had left her because of what she was like now.

"He won't answer the phone, Elena."

Elena looked up and saw Caroline standing in the door way, "Stefan won't answer. He told me that. He won't even answer my calls while he's away. He's cutting to ties with everyone here."

Elena sighed, "He shouldn't be leaving. He needs to be here, helping us find the cure, instead of running away."

"He's not running away, Elena." Caroline said, "He's not turning his back on finding the cure either. He's just turning his back on you." "Of course he is. He just can't be happy for me and Damon, can he?" Elena felt so much guilt after saying that. She wasn't meaning to say these things, this way. It was like she couldn't control what she was saying.

"No, he can't be, Elena." Caroline snarled, "He can't be happy for his evil prick of a brother and the love of his life to be together. Even if she's turned into a vindictive, selfish bitch."

"I think that's probably the real reason why he's leaving." Caroline told her, "He doesn't want to look at what his love has turned into."

Elena felt like crying at her words. Caroline had never spoken to her like this, even the other night when she had when she had choked her. And what she was saying to her, really really hurt. She didn't want to feel this pain, this guilt. She doesn't want to hurt anyone.

"I just want this all to stop!" Elena screamed, making Caroline move back. She didn't expect that.

"I don't want to feel this pain! I don't want to hurt anyone, especially Stefan! I just want this all to STOP!" She screamed again at the top of her lungs. She wrapped her arms around her knees and hid her face in them.

Caroline was shocked. This was the most emotional pain she had seen Elena show since becoming a vampire. Caroline knew it was weird to say but she felt like this was the first time she had seen her real friend in a long time, so she now actually felt the need to comfort her.

"Elena," She said, wrapping her arms around her friend. "You can't just make it stop Elena. You can't just turn it off and i know that what your thinking of doing.

"I don't... want... to hurt him... anymore Caroline." Elena sobbed.

"I know but turning your humanity off will just hurt him more and make everything worse." Caroline told her, still hugging her.

"Than how do i make this better?" Elena asked, trying to stop her tears. Caroline let her go and moved off her bed.

"For starters you need to stop acting selfish." Caroline said, now being harsh. She was glad that Elena was starting to see what she was doing wrong but that doesn't mean she gets away with everything.

"You need to start treating people better and focus on something other than Damon and the cure and show you actually care about everyone."

"And when it comes to Stefan," Caroilne said, "You need to apologise to him and try to figure out whether or not this stupid thing with Damon is real or whether its just the sire bond. Either way, it's gonna take alot for Stefan to forgive you."

Elena wiped her face, nodding, "I know. Is he going to come back?"

"Of course he's coming back." Caroline told her, "Elena, Stefan would never just leave us all. And even after everything thats happened, he doesn't have it in him to leave you. It's impossible for him to leave you, just like it's impossible for him to hate you. He loves you to much."

Elena almost smiled at that but a huge pain shot into her chest. It was like her heart was breaking inside her chest and she couldn't stop it.

"Elena, are you okay?" Caroline asked, seeing her wrap her arms around herself, trying to numb the pain.

"Yeah, " Elena gasped, "I'm okay, i just need to be alone now. I have to think about some things." She said, trying to keep the pain out of her voice.

Caroline slowly nodded, "Okay, i'm gonna go see Tyler. I'll see you later."

She began to walk away before turning around again, "Elena?" She said, making Elena look up, "It's good to see a bit of the real you again." And she continued to walk out of Elena's room.

By the time she heard the front door slam shut, Elena had a genuine smile on her face and it was just than that she noticed, the pain in her chest was still there but it was a hell of alot better than before.

A/N: Sorry it took so long to update. I came up with a new idea for this story and was just trying to figure it out in my head before i continued writing. I'll try to update more often. hope you liked it and please review!