A/N: I don't want to rush this story along! I want to make it at least 30 chapters, but I have a lot of ideas for this story that I really want to use, so I'm gonna try speed up the Stelena process a little bit. Not too drastic though, he's not gonna tell her he loves her anytime soon.
It was time for lunch and the all group met up again, including Rebekah and Katherine. Elena quickly introduced Kai to everyone and then they spent the rest of the time talking to him. Everyone else at the table felt a little awkward, but they just sat and ate their food. Stefan couldn't help but feeling extremely jealous, he denied to himself that he liked Elena. He had only known her for a day, but a lot of people like people the day they meet them.
"Hey Elena, can we go into town? I wanna see what the American shops are like." Caroline asked.
"Okay, let me just change my clothes." She said goodbye to the group and Kai looked sad that she was leaving. Stefan already hated Kai.
Once they got changed they started walking into town.
"So, Kai's something." Caroline said, trying to hide her bitterness.
"Don't you like him?" Elena asked, she didn't really care if Caroline did or not. It wouldn't affect her friendship with either.
"I do, he just seems to want all your attention." Caroline said sadly. It wasn't that she needed all of Elena's attention, but it would be nice if she could say at least one word to her friend without him dragging her away.
"I know, I'm sorry Caroline I didn't mean to ignore you. I just wanted to catch up with him, but now all my attention is on you." Elena told Caroline, linking their arms.
"You're an amazing friend Elena." They smiled at each other, once they reached the town they started to look around a few of the shops.
"Oh! I have signal here, can I call Tyler?" Caroline asked and Elena nodded. She expected Caroline to be gone for at least half an hour so she found somewhere comfortable to sit down. But Elena was surprised when Caroline came back only a few minutes later.
"He couldn't wait to get off the phone." Caroline said, she was confused and hurt as to why he didn't want to speak with her.
"Maybe he's just tired?" Elena suggested.
"Yeah, there is a time difference between us now." Caroline spoke, trying to accept that this was probably the case, but she couldn't help but feel that something was wrong.
"We should get back." Elena suggested and they started walking back, she could tell Caroline was going to be sad for the rest of the day.
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A few days had passed, and Elena was having the time of her life. She was doing fun different things everyday, whilst getting to know Stefan. She didn't know too much though, just that he hates cats, his favourite colour is green because of his eyes, and he loves food but he prefers junk food. Elena told him that if he continues to eat junk food he'll get fat, but he just told Elena that if he was going to get fat from it he would have by now.
It was nice to see Kai at first, she had missed him over the years, but now he was getting too much for her. Wherever she went he would follow, he wouldn't ever leave her side unless he had too. She felt like he was drowning her.
Caroline was having a good time too, she got to know a few more people and they all really liked her. But who wouldn't like Caroline. She hadn't spoken to Tyler since he rushed to get off the phone but she tried not to let it bother her.
Elena woke up at 8, something Elena hadn't gotten used too yet was waking up so early. But Caroline dragged her out of bed every morning, knowing she would be pissed if she missed breakfast. They spent the day just exploring the campsite, until it was time for them to go and eat dinner.
"I can't believe we've been here a week!" Caroline shouted whilst they were leaving the food hall after having dinner.
"I know, 7 weeks to go." Elena spoke.
"Are you going to miss this place?" Caroline asked her.
"Yeah, very much. But I'm gonna be excited to go home too." Elena told her and Caroline agreed. Suddenly someone shouted Caroline's name and they both turned around.
"Tyler?" Caroline whispered, shocked that he was there. Suddenly she ran up to him and hugged him. "How are you here?" Caroline asked, then kissed him.
"I spoke to the camp leader, Damon, and he said I could stay here for the night as long as we didn't break the rule the no sex rule." Tyler explained.
"Well, were definitely gonna break that rule." Caroline told him and they both laughed, Elena grimaced knowing they were gonna do it in their room. Elena and Tyler greeted each other and Elena was smiling at how happy Caroline was.
"You can have the room tonight, I'll stay somewhere else." Elena told them and as soon as she did they ran off to their room. "Goodbye to you too." Elena whispered under her breath. She then mentally slapped herself because she knew she had no where to stay. She then saw Kai walking around and quickly ran off in the opposite direction before he saw her, she bumped into someone and when she looked up she saw that it was Stefan.
"Hi." She spoke to him, feeling relieved to see him.
"Hi, why aren't you gossiping with Caroline." He joked.
"Because her boyfriend surprised her, so now I have no where to sleep." Elena complained and pouted. Stefan wanted to tell her how cute she looked when she pointed but he held his comment in.
"You could stay in my room?" Stefan offered, Elena remembered that he had his own room since his brother is the camp leader.
"Oh no, I couldn't." Elena told him, even though she really wanted too. But if she stayed in his room, who knows what could happen.
"I'm not letting you have no where to sleep, so you don't have a choice." He told her and she gave in.
"Fine." She whispered and he smiled, something about her sleeping in his room made him happy. Stefan continued to try and convince himself that he didn't like Elena, but everyday his feelings for her just grew stronger.
"So what do you wanna do for the rest of the night?" Stefan asked her.
"Can we just sit by the waterfall until 11? That's the only place Kai hasn't found me yet." She groaned.
"Oh so you have noticed that he's following you around like a lost puppy." Stefan joked.
"How could I not." Elena whined and he just laughed. Once they reached the waterfall they sat down on the grass. Elena wanted to know more about him and she figured this is the perfect time to ask. "I want to know more about you Stefan Salvatore." She told him.
"Oh yeah, what do you wanna know Elena Gilbert." He smirked.
"Everything there is too know." She found herself getting braver, she hoped that this didn't make Stefan want to run away.
"Well, I have a brother but you knew that. This place really is his life, he told me that he's going to buy it next year. My mom was my best friend but she left when I was 7, she was unhappy with my dad and I guess one day it got too much for her. My dad stopped working when she left, he knew I was only young and that I couldn't look after myself but as soon as I turned 13 he threw himself back into work. Figured I was at an age where I could take care of myself. He comes home one day a week to give me and my brother a check and then leaves again, I honestly don't even know if he has another home or if she just lives in his office. My dad owns a big company so we're quite rich, my dad was disappointed at first when my brother didn't want to follow in his steps but then he got over it." Stefan explained some of his life, and Elena didn't feel sorry for him but she just wanted to comfort him. Hug him and tell him she'd never leave him if he let her into her life, but it didn't feel suitable to say.
"What about you, do you wanna follow in his footsteps?" Elena asked him, she was curious about him.
"No, I don't even know what I wanna do yet but I know I would never like to run a company. What about you Gilbert, what's your life story?" He asked, he felt as if he was giving a part of him to her and he hoped she would do the same.
"My life is quite boring really. I grew up in the North of England with my parents, brother and aunt. I then moved to London when I was 10 because my dad got a job offer he couldn't refuse. I was mad at first but as soon as we moved I fell in love with London instantly. My aunt moved with us too and I was happy, she was my best friend. And I'm here now." Elena told him. He noticed that she spoke about her aunt in the past tense and he wanted to know more.
"What happened to your aunt?" He asked, he felt selfish for asking but he just wanted to know all about her.
"She died, well no she was murdered. She was going to get coffee when someone decided to rob the store, I never understood why they would want to rob a coffee store. Anyways they were pointed a gun at the old lady who owned the place, and Jenna knew the old lady well. So she defended her, figured the people who robbed it were bluffing and she called them out. They then shot a bullet into her heart, she died protecting people because that's the kind of person who she was. It happened when I was 15 so I've had enough time to deal with it." She told him, she also felt like she was giving a part of herself to him and she knew she could never get that part back.
"I'm sorry Elena, I hate that that happened to you." He told her, honestly.
"Can we go back now? I'm getting a bit cold." She asked him and he nodded. He wanted so bad to wrap his arms around her and tell her that she would never lose him. But then he remembered he had a girlfriend and he felt guilty, he hadn't even opened up to his own girlfriend about his mom leaving him.
Once they get back into Stefan's room they both sat on his bed.
"When you got scratched by the thorn bush last week how did you not cry? Or even react to the pain? Your arm was pouring with blood it must have been painful." Stefan asked.
"If you can find a strong enough distraction you can not focus on the pain, we only react so badly because all we do is think about the fact that we're in pain. If you force yourself to not think about it you can deal with the pain." Elena told him.
"That's really smart." Stefan told her and she giggled, she don't know why she giggled like a school girl but he seemed to have that affect on her. They stayed up talking for hours about meaningless things, Stefan knew he was going to fall for her but he didn't want to stop himself. It was about 1am and Elena found herself getting tired, but she didn't want the conversation to end. Whenever Elena gets tired she finds that she says things she wouldn't say when she wasn't tired, almost like she's drunk off tiredness.
"Why are you with Rebekah?" She asked him, she regretted it as soon as the words left her mouth.
"What?" Stefan looked shocked that she would even ask him that.
"Whenever you are with her you never laugh, it just seems like it's forced. Not that I know you're relationship but it doesn't seem like you have any passion." Elena tried telling herself to shut up but she couldn't stop the words from coming out.
"You're right, you don't know my relationship so you don't have a place to say anything about it." Stefan started to shout, he told himself that he's angry because she's judging his relationship but he knew that he's angry because what she's saying is true.
"You're an ass Stefan." Elena spoke as she stood up.
"Where are you going? It's late." Stefan felt guilty for shouting at her, he knew that all she's saying is the truth.
"I'm going for a walk." Elena eat out of his cabin and walked towards the woods. She heard someone shout her name and she turned around to see Kai. Normally she'd want to run away but she found herself wanting to be in the company of someone who wouldn't shout at her.
"Hey, can I walk with you?" Kai asked and she nodded. Kai starts to lead the way and they start walking into the woods, Elena couldn't help but feel like something bad was going to happen.
"I'm tired Kai, I' m gonna go back." Elena told him but he grabbed her hand instead.
"Sit with me." Kai asked, but it felt more like a command.
"No I'm tired." Elena told him, starting to get irritated.
"I've liked you for so long Elena, and seeing you here now makes me realise that I'm in love with you. Why are you chasing boys like Stefan Salvatore when you could be with me." Elena could see Kai getting angrier as he spoke and his grip on her hand tightened.
"Kai." She whispered, she's scared and she wants to get away but it's clear he's not going to let her. He kisses her, she tried to push away but he grabs her hand, holding her still. When she didn't kiss back, he slapped her across the face.
"Kiss me back!" He shouted. She tried to turn and run but that just made him angrier. He pushed her with so much force that it knocked her down and her head hit a rock. She cried out at the impact of it, and she can feel herself getting sleepier. He grabbed her waist and tries to go on top of her. Elena fighted to stay awake, and he's about to lift up her shirt when her fight instincts kick in.
"No!" She screamed and kicked him with all the strength she had, he flies back and she stood up and started to run. She could hear him shout her name and she can't help but cry, she runs through the woods and focuses on getting back to camp. It seems like hours pass until she sees the camp site, since it's so late she thought no one would be there but she sees Damon.
"Damon! Help me. Help me please!" She shouted and he turned to look at her. Damon feels himself running towards her wnd when he reached her she collapsed in his arms.
"Elena oh my god? What happened." Damon asked as he shouted for help.
"I'm so tired Damon." Elena whispered, she can still feel herself crying and all she wanted to do was sleep.
Stefan sat on the end of his bed, he's been trying to sleep since Elena left but he can't stop thinking about what she said. Suddenly he heard shouts come from outside, it takes him a few moments to realise that it's his brothers voice. He quickly ran outside and he sees the back of Damon, he's holding someone in his arms but he can't see who. As he gets closer he felt his heart drop, Elena. He's holding Elena.
"What the fuck happened?" Stefan shouted, taking hold of Elena's hand.
"I don't know she came running in through the woods and she was screaming for help." Damon explained, he can feel himself panicking.
Elena looked up to see Stefan, and for some reason she suddenly felt safer. "Stefan, I'm sorry. I didn't mean what I said." She whispered and start to cry even harder.
"Elena, you have to tell me what happened." Stefan whispered, stroking her hand with his thumb.
"It was Kai, he tried to kiss me and when I didn't kiss him back he got mad." She explained.
"I'm gonna fucking kill him." Stefan yelled, he can feel himself getting angry. Just then he heard someone start screaming and crying, he turned to see Rebekah and Caroline. They start asking what happened but he's too focused on Elena.
"Stefan, she keeps saying she's tired." Damon told him.
"Elena, did you hit your head when you were running?" Stefan asked her.
"No, he pushed me down and my head hit a rock. He tried to take my top off but I kicked him and ran." Elena told Stefan.
"She has a concussion, Damon we need to keep her awake." Stefan felt tears come to his eyes, he hated seeing her hurt.
"Elena, you were telling me that you avoid pain by distracting yourself. You need to distract yourself now." Stefan urged her.
"I can't think of anything to distract myself with, I'm too tired." Elena whispered.
"My hand, focus on holding my hand. I'll talk to you. Did I tell you about the time I was 12, I was with some of my friends and I wanted to impress them by watching a horror movie. But Damon came into the room screaming midway during the movie, it scared me so much that I started crying. My friends never spoke to me after that." Stefan told her, he was trying so hard to keep her awake.
"You deserved better friends, I wouldn't leave you if you cried." Elena told him and Stefan felt a tear fall out of his eye.
"I know you wouldn't." Stefan smiled and squeezed her hand. Someone must have called an ambulance when he was talking to her because all he saw was doctors running towards her. She wanted to stay awake for him, so she fought hard to do so. But as soon as the doctors reached her she felt her eyes involuntary shut, and then she was asleep.