Chapter 4

Stefan couldn't help himself. He had to see Elena. He had to make sure she was ok. She had no idea who the real Damon was, what he was capable of.

He'd been watching from the crowd around the park and when he saw her walk off alone he followed. Making sure no one saw him he ducked into the woods. Stefan found her sitting by the creek with her feet in the water.

"Elena"

Startled Elena turned "Stefan?"

"Hi" he said.

Elena stood up. Stefan walked over to her. Elena couldn't help it. She grabbed Stefan and hugged him tight. Stefan returned the hug.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"I had to see you. I had to make sure you're ok."

"I am now," she said, "Stefan I've missed you."

Stefan pulled out of her embrace, "Couldn't have missed me too much. You and Damon have gotten pretty close."

"Stefan that's not fair. You just walked out of my life. I didn't hear from you for, what, 2 weeks? Damon was a friend to me." Elena argued.

"You don't know him Elena. He's not the oerson you think he is."

Elena laughed at the irony of Stefans statement. "Well I guess that makes 2 of you because you turned out to be someone I didn't think you'd ever be."

"I didn't come to fight with you Elena."

"Then why did you come Stefan?"

"I just wanted to check on you. I needed to make sure that you were ok."

"Well you've seen me. You can go now." Elena turned her back on Stefan. She didn't know who she was more angry with. Stefan or herself for letting tears fall for him.

"ok, I'll go. Just, Elena, be carefull. I love you Elena. I'll never stop loving you."

Elena let out a sarcastic laugh. "Goodbye Stefan."

"bye Elena."

When Elena turned around Stefan was gone. She put her shoes back on and started back to the park. Oddly she felt better. She felt like she had the closure she needed. She'd said goodbye to Stefan which was something she'd needed to do to truly move on with Damon.

When Elena got back to the park the softball game was over. The crowd was milling around eating and socializing. Damonspotted her and started toward her looking concerned. Their eyes met and her tears began to fall again. 'OMG he's going to think that all I do is cry' Elena thought. She wiped her tears away, ran to Damon and threw her arms around him. Just about knocking him off his feet.

"Hey what's this all about?"

"Can we go somewhere and talk?"Elena said letting go of him.

"Sure lets go sit over there." Damon said pointing to some benches. "You've been crying. What's wrong?"

"I saw Stefan."

"Stefan? Where?"

"At the creek."

"Oh I see." Damon said looking away towards the hiking trail.

"It's not what you're thinking Damon. I didn't have him meet me or anything."

Damon nodded.

"He just appeared. It was a little creepy actually."

"What did he want?"

Elena told Damon the whole story.

"So basically my little brother thinks that I'm going to hurt you in some way?"

Elena shrugged, "I guess so."

"Have I ever given you any reason to be afraid of me Elena?"

"No, Damon you haven't."

"Then don't worry about what Stefan says. He's just trying to put a wedge between us."

Elena nodded. "I know that Damon, but, I'm glad I saw him."

"You are? Why? He upset you and frankly that upsets me."

"Yes, Damon he upset me, but don't you see? Damon I was able to say goodbye to him. I've needed that."

"I guess I can understand that."

"I've finally let him go Damon."

"You have no idea how happy that makes me Elena. Honestly I was beginning to think Stefan would always be coming between us in a way."

"I know Damon and I'm sorry."

"You have nothing to be sorry for. You guys never really had an ending. Now you can officially say it's over."

"Yes I can."

Damon never felt so relieved. For a minute when Elena asked to talk he was affraid. He'd seen Stefan hanging around and when Elena went off alone he really didn't know what to think. He trusted her without question. Stefan was another story.

Over the next few days Elena's feeling of relief faded. She had hoped that after her fight with Stefan she'd finally let him go, but it seemed the opposite had happened. She was even more consumed with thoughts of him and worry.

"I don't know what t do Bonnie. I can't stop thinking about him." She said one day. "I actually had a dream last night that he was in my room. He sat on my bed, touched my cheek, kissed my forehead and told me he'd always love me. I woke up crying. It freaked me out Bonnie. It felt like he was really there, but he couldn't have been right?"

"Not unless he broke in and I'm sure your parents would have known about that, but let me ask you something."

"Ok shoot."

"You're still in love with him aren't you?"

Elena looked down at the lunch she was no longer hungry for and sighed. Bonnie knew her so well, "I can't help it Bonnie. It's like he's a part of me and now that part's gone and I need it back."

"Then you need to go get him back Elena."

"I can't Bonnie, He's off in some deep dark part of himself and no matter what I do I can't seem to reach him. Besides I'm with Damon now. I can't hurt him like that."

"Are you in love with Damon?"

"Of course I love Damon." Elena said defensively

"But are you IN love with him? Like you love Stefan. Be honest."

Much to Elena's relief the bell signalling the end of the lunch hour rang so she didn't have to answer nor think about Bonnie's question, but that was all she thought about. Did she love Damon the way she loved Stefan? She couldn't answer that question honestly. Even to herself.

After school Elena skipped cheer practice and walked to the park. She just wanted some quiet alone time. She went to the same spot she'd last seen Stefan. Sitting next to a large Willow tree she pulled out the old Wuthering Hights first edition Stefan had given her. She didn't even remember putting it in her backpack that morning but she must have for some reason. Elena gently opened the front cover and noticed something she hadn't seen before. There was and inscription, faded but still readable.

This book,

presented to my son

Stefan Salvatore

in the year 1864

"1864? How is that even possible?"

"I thought I'd find you here." Elena heard Stefan's voice say.

"Stefan?" Elena was suprised to see him. They hadn't parted on the best of terms the last time. "What are you doing here?"

"I looked for you after school but Bonnie said you didn't show up for practice."

"You talked to Bonnie?"

Stefan smiled a sheepish grin. "Yeah I kind of did."

Elena smiled in spite of herself. Stefan almost looked like his old self. "What did Bonnie tell you?"

"Nothing really. Just that you blew off practice and a few other things."

"What few other things did Bonnie tell you Stefan?"

"Don't be mad at her Elena she cares about you."

"Whatever, What do you want Stefan?"

"Why is it that when I see you these days you end up with an attitude?"

"You're not the only one going through stuff you know," Elena took a deep breath and let it out trying to let go of the attitude. "Well you found me. What did you want?"

"I just wanted to see you. I miss you."

Elena's attitude softened and her heart stopped beating for a split second. "I miss you too Stefan." Elena reached out and took Stefans hand. "How are you doing Stefan? I've been really worried about you."

"I've been alright." Stefan looked at his hand in hers. He missed her. He missed what they'd had, but he didn't know if he'd ever be able to have it back. Not with Damon involved. He didn't know to what lengths his brother would go to keep her to himself and that scared him. Damon tended to think of the women in his life as property, but not so they'd know it of course, but if you got in his way you were as good as dead. "Are you happy Elena?"

"Yeah, Sure I guess so." She said with a shrug.

"You guess so? What does that mean? Doesn't Damon make you happy?"

"Well yes it's just.."Elena didn't really know what to say to Stefan.

"Just what?"

"It's just different."

"How so?" Stefan was pressing her. He wanted to know how she still felt about him.

Elena looked at him in the eyes, "He's not you Stefan. I still love you. I'm still in love with you. No matter what I'm doing or who I'm with that won't change. I'm not giving up Stefan."

"I can't help but feel like you already have."

"I guess maybe in the beginning of all this I had. Stefan can you please tell me what's going on? Give me some reason for all this. Just so I can understand why this has happened to us."

"I Can't Elena. There are just some things I can't tell you. You just have to trust me."

"How can I trust someone who goes out of his way to keep secrets from me?"

"I'm sorry Elena that's just how it has to be."

"I'm sorry too because I can't accept that. If we're going to have any chance of being together Stefan I have to know everything about you. The good and the bad. That's part of loving someone. I feel like I don't know anything about you anymore. You feel like a stranger to me now. I've kept nothing from you Stefan. Absolutely nothing."

"Elena please! Just drop it!" Stefan was starting to get angry. He hated being angry. Especially with Elena. Stefan looked away from her. He could feel his blood flowing.

Elena took Stefans face in her hands and forced him to look at her. "Stefan please what ever it is we can get through it. I'm not going to drop this until you tell...Stefen your eyes! What's wrong with your eyes?"

Stefan turned away away from her, "Elena you need to go it's getting late."

"Stefan are you ok? Look at me."

"I can't Elena now go! Go now before you get hurt!"

"Hurt? What are you talking about? Stefan look at me." Elena grabbed Stefans arm and tried to force him to look at her. Instead he pushed her away from him. She tripped backward and fell. "Stefan what's wrong with.." When Elena saw Stefans face she screamed in horror. His eyes were scarlet. He quickly turned from her.

"I'm sorry Elena I told you to let it go."

"Stefan..what..are..you?" Elena asked, her voice shaking in fear she'd never felt before.

Stefan took severl deep breaths before he was sure he was calm enough to turn around and face her.

" Stefan answer me. What are you?"

Stefan slowly turned to Elena. He'd never seen that kind of fear in eyes. Slowly he walked to her and offered to help her up off the ground. She let him.

"Stefan?" She took several steps back from him, "I'm going to ask you one last time. What..are..you!"

Stefan sighed. He couldn't hide it any longer. "I'm a vampire Elena."

Elena couldn't believe what she'd heard. There was no such thing. "What? N..No, Stefan, There is no such thing. "

"It's true Elena. I'm a vampire. Please will you let me explain?"

Elena could only shake her head as tears ran down her face, "No it's not possible." She took several steps away from Stefan.

"Elena please I won't hurt you I promise."

"I can't, I have to go. I need to find Damon." Suddenly Elena looked at Stefan in shock, "OMG Damon! Are you even really brothers?"

"Yes Elena"

"Then that means that he's...OMG! Everything's been one giant lie! WHY STEFAN! WHY DID YOU COME HERE? WHY DID YOU PICK ME?" Elena tried to run but Stefan, being quicker, stopped her. Blocking her way.

"Elena please just listen to me."

"I can't Stefan. Please! If you love me like you say you do you'll let me go home. PLEASE STEFAN! JUST LET ME GO! I'll keep your secret. I promise, just let me go home." Elena was terrified and sobbing.

"We need to talk about this Elena. I need to explain. I can't leave things like this. I can't have you afraid of me. Please Elena, Let me explain." Stefan was pleading.

"NOT NOW STEFAN! Please just let me go."

"Can we meet back here and talk?"

"I don't know. Maybe. Give me some time. I'll call you when and if I'm ready."

"Ok."Stefan stepped aside so Elena could pass by him. "Elena?"

"What Stefan?"

"I love you Elena. Nothing's changed that."

Elena couldn't help but laugh. "Ok Stefan."

Elena walked home slowly trying to process what Stefan hd told her. Things fell into place for her. Stefan's odd behavior during their relationship. His sudden departure from her life and now the odd inscription in her book. It all suddenly made perfect sence. But how did Damon fit into all of it. He hadn't shown any of those signs. She felt she had to talk to Damon. She needed answers. She trusted Damon to give her honest answers. She dug her phone out of her purse and dialed his number.

"Hey babe are you ok? I've been calling"

"No Damon I'm not ok. We need to talk. Can I come over?"

"Of course. You know you don't have to ask. Want to clue me in though?"

"No. I don't." and she hung up.