Elena rolls her eyes as she walks towards the Salvatore house, Stefan and Damon in tow.
"Why would Rebekah want to talk to you all the sudden? She's been here for weeks."
She stops at the door, tilting her head. "I don't remember asking you to tag along, Stefan."
"Right, I'm gonna let you interrogate a thousand year old vampire by yourself."
"One who's just joined the cheerleading squad and wants to be homecoming queen. There's a whole different set of rules at play here. I got this."
Stefan smirks, shrugging. "I can't wait to see Rebekah tell you how to kill her brother. I mean, I was with them for the entire summer and she never told me."
Damon rolls his eyes, walking between them and opening the door. "Let her take a shot. We're not getting anywhere with her and I'm tired of her living with us."
Rebekah meets them in the large family room, handing each a champagne glass. "Hey! What's up?"
Elena reminds her, "You invited me over? To talk?"
Rebekah nods, sitting on the couch and calling out, "All right girls, have at it!"
Their classmates appear, walking through the room, long, sparkling gowns swaying.
"You compelled your own private runway show?"
"I need a Homecoming dress. So, what do you think? Pick one."
Stefan sets down his champagne. "And that's all the fashion talk I can stand. I'm out."
Damon grimaces, asking, "What happened to you can't leave Elena's side as the big, bad protector?"
Stefan crosses the entryway towards the door, calling over his shoulder, "I'm sure she'll be fine. I mean her plans always work out so well, don't they?"
Meeting Elena's confused gaze, Damon chugs his champagne before following Stefan out to his car.
Spotting him, Stefan groans. "Why are you here?"
Damon shrugs. "Thought we could hang out. Some old brother bonding."
Stefan narrows his eyes. "You know, Klaus may want to keep Elena alive, but that doesn't mean she's safe with Rebekah."
Damon smiles. "Liar, liar, pants on fire, brother. Klaus compelled you to protect Elena and if you thought for even a second that she was in danger you'd be staying in that house helping them pick out dresses."
"Ya got me. You're good. Congratulations! You can go now."
Damon follows Stefan into his car.
"What are you doing?"
Damon shrugs. "Think we could both use a drink."
"So, how fun is this?"
Elena raises her brows half-heartedly, setting her glass on the table in front of them. Rebekah leans back, picking up a photo of Elena and Stefan from the side table. She stares at it for a moment, and then shows it to Elena.
"Honestly, I don't get you two as a couple."
"Why would you? You don't know anything about who he really is."
"I know exactly who he is. He's a vampire. We're a predatory species. We don't have time to care about humans and their silly little lives."
Elena smirks. "Is that why you did that runway show? 'Cause you don't care about the Homecoming Dance?"
Damon and Stefan play quarters inside a dark dive bar. A bartender sits on Damon's lap as Stefan flips a coin into his glass.
"Drink up, brother!"
Damon glares at him. "You've been on this bunny diet and life of brooding and boredom for a better part of fifty years. So, how is it that Saint Stefan of all people is so good at a drinking game?"
Stefan chuckles as Damon drinks from his whiskey bottle. "Ever think the bunny diet gave me lots of time to practice? Wallowing in despair, drowning in guilt, regretting my existence - it's given me precision born out of my tragic brooding."
"That would explain Elena's efforts to tone up in the gym. Bettering yourself through your sorrow by Elena and Stefan."
Stefan shakes his head. "You're worse than Elena. Getting me drunk, brotherly bonding—do you really think I'm gonna break down and go back to the guy I was? That guy is gone. You and Elena need to come to terms with reality."
Downing his own drink, he stands, offering his hand out to the woman in Damon's lap. She stands and follows Stefan to a dark corner. Raising his brows, he grins and winks at his brother.
Damon sighs and pours himself another drink.
A woman walks towards their table, peering towards the corner with concern.
Damon stands and compels the woman. "Nothing to see here!"
The woman nods and walks away.
Shaking his head, he slaps his brother on the shoulder. Stefan slowly leans away from the woman's neck, blood dripping from his mouth.
"Ease up. People are watching."
Damon compels the woman to leave as Stefan sits back at their table, pouring himself and Damon another drink.
"Alright, Damon, I'll bite. What's up? What's the point of this brotherly bonding?"
"Maybe I wanted to remind you what freedom was like before Klaus took it from you."
"As long as Klaus is alive, I do what he says."
"That's my point, Stefan. You've given up. Now, you could sit around and be his little bitch. Or you can get mad and do something about it."
"Damon, he can't be killed."
"Maybe I can help with that."
Both boys look up as an older gentleman approaches their table.
They immediately stand, Damon breathing out, "Mikael."
Mikael turns to Stefan, asking, "Is Klaus out of the country?"
He shakes his head. "I can't tell you."
"Has he spoken to you since he left?"
"I'm compelled to do what he says and he says to keep my damn mouth shut."
Damon rolls his eyes. "I really hope this game of twenty questions isn't your secret weapon."
Mikael slams his fist into Damon's chest. "Careful, Stefan. One move and his heart's gone. Now, where is Klaus?"
Damon grimaces, groaning, "His emotions have been shut off. He can't care about me."
Mikael smirks. "Is that right? He's willing to let his own brother die? Think, Stefan! No trick questions, no ideas?" Mikael shrugs. "I guess you're right. He's a dead end. And so are you, Damon."
"Wait! I can bring him back. I can lure Klaus back to Mystic Falls."
Mikael takes his hand out of Damon's chest, wiping it on a napkin on the table. "And there is our loophole! Get Klaus back to Mystic Falls and I will gladly drive a stake through his heart. Fail, I'll drive it through yours."
As Mikael walks away, Damon winces in pain, touching the open wound in his chest carefully. "Nice timing for a breakthrough."
"That wasn't a breakthrough, Damon."
"Right, your brother's about to die and you just have to save his life for the bajillionith time. Careful, Stefan, your humanity is showing."
"You know what? You're right, Damon. You reminded me what my freedom felt like. And when we kill Klaus, I'll be free. Free to leave. So, I didn't do this for you. I did it for myself."
"Sure, Stefan. Whatever you say."
"Why are you doing this? What do you want from me? Why is everybody trying to save me?"
Damon steps forward, yelling, "Because I have to, Stefan! Because you are in this mess with Klaus because you saved my life."
Stefan pouts, slapping his brother's shoulder. "Do you have any idea how pathetic that makes you?"
His eyes narrow and Damon punches him, throwing him to the ground. "Fine, you don't wanna be saved? I'll help you get your freedom and we'll call it even."
Elena walks out of her bathroom in her pajamas, stopping short at the sight of Stefan lying in her bed, his back against her headboard.
Dropping her hands, she whines, "Stefan! Seriously?"
He shrugs and smiles. "Klaus will be coming back soon. Figured he'd want to know exactly where you are."
"Well, here I am."
"How was Rebekah?"
Sighing, she crosses the room, sitting on her bed. "Informative. I learned that she's just a girl. She lost her mom too young and she loves blindly and recklessly, even if it consumes her. And when it's all said and done there's nothing more important than the bond of family."
Stefan raises his brows. "Damon tried to make the same point today. Although, I'm not sure Mikael would agree."
"You saw Mikael? How?"
Stefan shrugs. "No idea."
She rolls her eyes. "Stefan, I'm tired. I just—I want to go to bed."
"Don't let me stop you."
With a sigh, she lifts her comforter, lying beside him. Stefan leans his head back against the wall, closing his eyes.
"You know, I think Damon's gonna be the one that saves you. You won't come back because you love me. You'll come back for your brother."
"I'm not coming back, Elena. Not for you and not for Damon. I want Klaus dead, which puts us on the same side, but that's all."
She nods with her eyes closed, snuggling deeper into her bed. "Careful, Stefan. It almost sounds like you're willing to fight."
He smiles, watching her breathing settle into a deep rhythm.
His jaw tightens as he reaches for a picture frame beside her bed. It's from one of the dozen events they've been to over the last year. Neither knows the picture is being taken. They're dancing, Elena's arm around his shoulder and her hand on his arm. She's laughing as Stefan grins and whispers in her ear, holding her close. Closing his eyes, he lets out a long breath as he puts the picture back.
