Here's another. I'm writing more than I thought I would be able to. Hope you can forgive any mistake in grammar, English is not my mother tongue so... Enjoy it.
As usual: nothing is mine, just a bit of the story line in here and my love for the couple.
"You did what?"
"Save me the lecture, Caroline." She was just staring at Stefan with an astonished expression in her face while the three of them were sitting at the Grill's bar.
"I was not going to say anything," she said while trying to reach the bottle of whiskey a little bit annoyed, but Damon slapped her hand and took the bottle instead.
"Sure you were," he said while challenging Caroline with a stare. "Because you, my brother, are being incredibly stupid. What were you thinking?"
"I don't want to talk about it anymore. Let it go."
"It's that... I don't understand. You can get well if you want to, Stefan. I mean, it's not as if you haven't done it before. You and Elena always looked so good together, you are like... my fairy tale couple." Damon almost drowned in his drink trying to hide a laugh. "What?"
"Don't want to ruin the moment for you, Barbie, but everything in life has an end. And this life we are living is anything but a fairy tale."
"Sure. You are saying that because you are also in love with her," said Caroline seriously looking at him. "It will serve so good to your cause for them to end up things."
"Right now, I am beyond that."
"Really? Because you are not exactly helping."
"What are you talking about? I am here, ready to wipe away his tears."
"This is not funny. Why do you always have to make a joke out of everything?" she asked.
"Just knock it off, both of you. I don't want to make it the headline of the day. We have more important issues in our hands."
"Yes, we do, like trying to kill an entire original vampire family, and... Guess what? We have no particular weapons in our hands."
"I think we should give them a break," said Caroline. "Take a break ourselves, too. At this moment there is nothing but worries about who is getting killed next, and every time we are the ones who suffer a casualty. I only want a normal day without dealing with vampires, original or not, werewolves, all that stuff... Suddenly going to school, doing homework, organizing a decade dance does not sound like a bad idea at all."
"Well, that's something difficult since you are a vampire yourself, but... good luck with that," said Damon mocking at her.
"I presume you are not talking about forgetting everything Klaus has done."
"Of course not, I am just saying... let's call it a day. All of this is because we keep pushing him over the edge and every time he answers back with more blood for us, more killing, more pain. I am tired of that."
"He has to pay for what he did to me; for what he had done to all of us," said Stefan.
"Don't listen to her, she is only saying that because the guy gives her jewelry and smiles like an idiot to her presence," said Damon while pouring himself another drink. "I saw you at the ball and I know exactly how distracted he can be around you. Are you starting to return his feelings?"
"Don't be so stupid! I know he has to pay, Stefan, and I am perfectly fine with it... the thing is... saving Elena is always top priority for you guys, for all of us but there's always a point when is somebody else the one who gets hurt. This time it was Abby, but next time it can be Matt, or my mom, or even Tyler. I only want you to think very well about the plan you have for bringing him down before actually putting it into practice."
"She might have a point in that. We suck every damn time we come up with a plan to kill that bastard." said Damon. "Though we wouldn't have to wait too long to find out if our next attempt will be the right one."
"What are you up to, Damon?"
"Don't worry, brother. I'll let you know as soon as I have all tied up." he said and stood up to get out of the bar. "Hey, man, don't let these kids with the bottle here. They are underage."
"What's wrong with you?" asked an angry Caroline after an smiling Damon who got out.
"Forget about him. He's trying to piss you off."
"Well, he's good at it. Can I have at least an orange juice?"she said to the bartender so they can chat freely.
"Have you found out something about what I told you?"
"I've been asking questions, but it's not that easy. Digging up on Katherine's descendants is not exactly why I would call a snap; there's little information about the Pierce or the Petrova family, even compelling people. Whoever I've asked about it didn't have a clue what I am talking about most of the times. But I guess you knew that would happen."
"Yes, it can be difficult, and dangerous, it needs to be done though. It can't be so difficult for you since you are Elena's friend."
"You are her boyfriend, oh wait, let me correct that: you were her boyfriend, thanks to your own martyr sense of stupidity I can say that phrase in past tense now," answered a sarcastic Caroline, but Stefan did not want to misguide the conversation.
"And I am also a Salvatore. Everyone will start wondering about me and the relationship of my family with Katherine at that time."
"And what exactly makes you think that they won't when I show up asking about her?"
"Because there was not a Caroline Forbes back in 1864, at least not one who looked exactly like you. There are some people who might remember, have pictures, keep records, journals just like the founding families in Mystic Falls did, and that can be a problem. I can't take that risk, not yet. You, on the other hand, can think on a great excuse for the investigation, I am sure you have one by now."
"Actually, I do. But I'm still in the dark about why Katherine's bloodline is so important for vampires. Obviously both Salvatore and Mikaelson men have been infatuated with the women of that family. First her, now Elena."
"It's more than that, Caroline. And that's exactly what we need to find out. We have to get beyond what everyone knows, get to the source. Klaus has not been very secretive about why he needs Elena's blood, but I bet that there's more to it."
"This whole thing is driving me crazy. I can't have my normal day, can I?" Stefan shook his head. "I'll see what else I can find out."
"Try not to draw too much attention to yourself. This is about saving Elena's life, not putting her or you in more danger."
"You could have told her that. I am sure she would understand, and help us at the same time. And this part time task would be a hell lot easier."
"Nah. We know Elena very well. She would be against anything if that put any of her friends in danger: which means you in this case. Even when you are not, actually, in danger. She likes acting like a martyr."
"Says the one who let her go for the same reason."
"I am just saying that we need to be careful because if Klaus or Rebekah only suspect that we are investigating so far back in vampire history, they are probably gonna get very irritated about it."
"Yes, and they don't do irritated very well. I get it. I better be going then."
Caroline said goodbye and headed for the door. The vampire stood there for some more minutes before exiting too. The day outside was starting to change, so he decided to go home and wait for any news there. Somehow school did not sound as attractive as it did for Caroline. His head and heart were not in the mood to stay around wasting time. So, Stefan decisively did up a bit the zipper of his coat, placed his hands in its pockets and started to walk. There was no rush this time, no need to get to a big house where there was no one expecting him, no need to hurry to visit certain house painted in white. The more he thought about it, the worse he felt. Then it happened: when crossing the park he saw her and immediately stopped in his tracks; the same thing did Elena when she almost missed him. They remained like that for several silent, long seconds looking at each other without saying a word. They haven't seen since the hurtful and disappointing conversation they had the day before. She probably hates me by now. Elena recovered her breath and talked first; she had learned to take the initiative all the time.
"Hi."
"Hi. How are you?"
"I'll live. Were you at the Grill?" When he nodded she continued talking. "I am looking for Caroline. She is supposed to meet me there. Did you see her?"
"You just missed her." He limited himself to answering her questions; deflecting the conversation will take them both—especially him—to dangerous grounds.
"Oh..."
"Why do you need her?" he couldn't help asking.
"I... nothing. I'll talk to her later. Thanks." She went straight passed him and let him with the feeling of not being helpful at all. Not wanting him to be helpful to her. She was hurt, and wanted him to know that. He was cool with it. Of course I am not cool with it; I'll never be cool with it. But those were the consequences for trying to keep her safe. However it was clear that she was looking for Caroline because of something.
"If you tell me what it is maybe I can help you," the words came out of his mouth before he could snap it shut. He had no clue about what he was doing; he should have kept walking to the nowhere he was going, but he wasn't able nor wanted to let her go yet. It worked. Elena turned around and closed the distance between them.
"I don't know what you are doing, but I hope that it's not trying to turn me into an insane person because I've had enough for a lifetime."
"What?"
"One minute you love me so much, and the next one you break up with me giving me some poor excuse which I haven't completely believed, but since it was your decision, I accepted it. And now, for some reason you think I might need your assistance... Stefan, I love you, but I am not that desperate." Keep telling that lie to yourself, Elena, maybe you'll believe it at the end of the day. You are absolutely and completely desperate.
"No, I..." a loss for words, again. How does she always manage to make him lose the line of thought by only staring at him like that? "I know Caroline is out of town making some preparations for an event, something to do with school." Great, now you are lying to her face. When exactly do these lies start? "She told me something about it at the Grill, that's why I offered to help you."
"So, you are doing this out of pity?"
"Of course not, Elena. How can you think that of me?"
"I don't know what to think anymore. Especially if it is about you. You keep acting like..." She let out a deep breath, but at the end she couldn't help telling him the truth. He seemed genuinely interested so she gave in. "I want to go and see Jeremy in Denver. I miss him. That house seems so big for me."
"I thought Damon had told you to move in with us..."
"He did, but there's no need for that."
"Elena..." he started to say but she cut him short.
"Stefan, I am fine. I am not that useless and crippled Elena anymore. I couldn't be her for much longer. You said it yourself: I am tougher now, stronger."
"I know that, but at least you can stay with us for a while because living at that house... you have lost so many people, there are so many memories..."
"They are all not bad, I have many good ones, and they remind me of all the people I've loved, all the people I've shared my live with in there." You are one of those good ones. "Someone told me once that memories are too important. I agree and that's why I want to hold on to all of my memories. Moving in with you both will not help me to get rid of any of them, not that I want to... your house is also full of them." He didn't reply this time; there was nothing he could really say. He also had those memories so fresh in his mind. Old ones that look like recent ones, and recent ones that were giving him a heartache, an unbearable nostalgia. "Caroline agreed to go with me. We were going to talk about it but... I can see that something else came up. Whenever I think about doing something normal, here comes life reminding me that it's never that easy."
"I can go with you," said Stefan after a while.
"Seriously?"she asked with an skeptical look. "Why would you do that?"
"Because what happened between us does not mean that I would let you alone if you need me." He got closer to her without noticing. "You never abandoned me. You never gave up on me, I owe it to you."
"No, thanks. I don't want you to do it because you feel like you are in my debt."
"That would not be the only reason, Elena."
"What the other reasons are then?"
At that point Stefan thought that it would be probably safer if he backed down. Man, can you just keep your mouth shut? It had been really painful treating her the way he did; making her believe that he did not want her around him anymore when it was the complete opposite. And now... his offer was at odds with all he had said the day before. Suddenly, he found himself focused in her mouth, in her soft, sweet lips... Maybe making a road trip with her was not the best idea to let her go after all. Being away from her was like fighting the urge he had to drink human blood at the beginning; he kept fighting what he wanted the most, and eventually he always gave in. He couldn't; this whole thing was for her, and there were no perks for it, he had to be strong. Elena was also in a rush of thinking herself; she had missed him so much that she was willing to do all in her power to get him back. But doubts and a recent broken heart had made her a little unsure about things, and now about accepting him to go with her.
"I don't think it would do us any good if you go with me."
"Probably not, but you can't go by yourself. It's not safe."
"I thought being around you was not safe either," she said looking deep into his green eyes.
"You are right. It's not, but you going alone is even more dangerous than being with me."
"I still have some other people who I can go with."
"I know that."
More silence. It was amazing how long they could stare into each other's eyes without breathing a word. Stefan just wanted to reach out and touch her face, feel her hair between his fingers, hold her tight. It was as if they were in a dream where he never pushed her away, where he was a mortal just like her, and they were only two silly teenagers who had the rest of their lives to love each other. The sounds around him snapped him back to reality, making him aware that they were still in a public place, that he was still a vampire eternally in love with the human doppelganger. It took also Elena sometime to recover the line of conversation and answer. Having him there, looking him straight in the eyes brought to her mind the beautiful and precious hours they had shared the day before in his house, and almost forget about the sad moment she just had after that. An answer on her part was in order:
"OK then. Pick me up tomorrow early in the morning. You are driving."
Said this she turned around and went back home. If Stefan wanted to play the we are nothing more than friends game, she could play it too, even if it was another pretending. She had told him she would have been miserable, and now going back to an empty house made her feel that way. Her life was a complete mess. So many losses, so much pain. And just when she thought that after all the things she went through she would finally have him back to deal with all the sorrow, everything fell apart. She would not give up, not only because of her love for Stefan, but because she owe it to herself. She felt like she deserved some happiness among all the disaster her life has become. It was a selfish thinking, but human beings tend to be selfish in the most awkward moments. She'll have to run out of opportunities first to finally convinced herself that his love for her had finally died. Deep down, she only could not miss the chance to spend the day with him, watch for herself if the man she loved was really lost. If he was, then she had no other choice than to let him go too.
Reviews are more than welcome :)