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This chapter has a time jump. It's the beginning of February now. I want to move it along.
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The last couple of months flew by in a blur. Elena was working at the Day Care but still trying to find a job in the process. She had a degree and she wanted to put it to use and she was determined to do just that. If she did find the job that she's always wanted, she would miss working at the Day Care but she had to do what was best for her.
The only time that she seen Stefan was when he was dropping off and picking up Arianna at the Day Care. Ever since the night of Bonnie's Christmas party and he told her about Rebekah, she had somewhat of a soft spot for him. She respected Stefan and absolutely adored Arianna.
Elena felt like she was in High School again, though. On the days that she would see Stefan, after he would walk out the door of the Day Care, she couldn't help but smile. She would get butterflies in her stomach every time that she would see him and on the rare occasion that their arms or shoulders would brush up against the others, she would get a tingly feeling. She could deny to everyone else that she didn't have a thing for him but she couldn't deny it to herself.
Caroline and Bonnie knew that something was up with her, though. Just by the way that she acted, they could tell even if she lied to them about it. She had a smile on her face whenever one of them mentioned his name or when he left the Day Care. Of course when they mentioned this to her, she would deny it to the fullest.
On her way to the Day Care, she decided to stop for a cup of coffee at the local coffee shop. She needed it on this particular morning, getting little sleep the night before due to Jeremy's excessive yelling at some game he was watching on TV.
After she ordered and paid, she made her back out into the brisk February air. On the way to the Day Care, she couldn't help her thoughts as they drifted to Stefan.
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The kids were all hyper today. There was laughter coming from all the stations and non stop talking. Not that this was a bad thing. They were all having fun, including Elena, Bonnie, and Caroline. By the end of the day, the entire Day Care was in disarray. Elena felt a tug on her shirt so she looked down and seen Arianna staring back up at her.
"Can I still play while I wait for my daddy?" Elena gave her a gentle smile.
"Of course you can." Elena replied, turning to clean up the mess in the painting area. She felt another tug on her shirt so she turned back around to look at Arianna.
"Can you come with me?" Caroline overheard the conversation and made her way over to where Elena and Arianna were standing.
"I got this, 'Lena." She said knowing how attached Arianna is to Elena. She gently gave Elena a push on the back, ushering her away from the area. Arianna led the way into the House area and instantly began to take out even more toys. She grabbed a plastic necklace and placed it over her head and on her neck. She found a plastic tiara and placed it on her head.
"I'm a princess." She said twirling around in the spot that she was standing in. Afraid she was going to get dizzy, Elena asked her nicely to stop the twirling. She stopped and sat down on the chair that was in the area, grabbed a doll and a little brush and started brushing the dolls hair.
Elena smiled at her. She could be having the worst day before she gets to the Day Care and then just being in the Day Care center with all the kids, instantly warmed her heart and put her in a better mood.
"Do you like my daddy like my Auntie Bonnie likes my Uncle Damon?" Elena didn't know how to answer this. She didn't want to lie to her but she didn't really want to tell her the truth, either. Arianna always said whatever was on her mind. She never held back. Luckily, this time around, Elena could avoid this question. She heard Stefan's voice coming from around the corner and it seemed to sidetrack Arianna.
"She's in the House area with Elena." She heard Bonnie say. It was kind of weird to have Bonnie and Caroline here helping her clean and close up. Not that she minded them being there considering they co-owned the Day Care. She just got used to reading to Arianna while they waited for Stefan. It was almost a routine, minus today. Plus just seeing Stefan wasn't necessarily a bad thing.
He rounded the corner into the play area and seen Arianna's attire. She had a huge smile plastered on her face.
"See daddy? I'm a real princess." She said going over and hugging his leg. After she pulled away from his leg, he picked her up and kissed her forehead.
"How about you stay in here for a little longer? There's something I want to ask Elena." He looked at Elena sitting on the floor and smiled at her.
"Okay." He set her down and she went back over to the doll that she put on the ground to run to her father. Again, he looked over at Elena and she started to stand up, leading her out of the area.
"Can you keep an eye on Ari? We'll be back in a minute." Stefan said over his shoulder, to a smirking Caroline who immediately started whispering something to Bonnie. "You should get your jacket. It's cold outside." He said, stopping by the closet where Elena keeps her jacket and purse. She nodded and opened the door and grabbed her jacket. Stefan led the way outside, and crossed the street to the bench. After they were both seated, he turned to look at her, placing his hand on the back of the bench.
He took in her rosy cheeks and the red on the tip of her nose due to the chilliness. He didn't want to have to talk to her outside but he knew that both Caroline and Bonnie would be listening if he talked to her inside.
"So I've been thinking." He started saying. "Maybe we can go out sometime?" He said it quickly. Elena didn't even think she heard him right at first but the words started to register in her head. He was coming to her on his own, without the push of their friend's.
"You want to go out on a date with me?" She asked. She couldn't help the surprised tone that was in her voice.
"Yeah, I do. I know we don't know a lot about each other but I would like to change that."
"So you want to go out with me?" She asked, clarifying. She hasn't been on a date in forever. She knew that she needed a night out. She must have been making this hard for him but she couldn't clarify why anyone would want to go on a date with her.
"Yes, Elena." He said, a slight smirk forming on his face. How could she possibly say no to him? He was just so handsome. And charming. And he made her feel …. Something. She hasn't really felt much of anything since she stepped foot back into Mystic Falls.
"I'd love that, Stefan." She said, a huge smile forming on her face.
"So how about dinner on Friday? Maybe a movie?" He asked, smile forming on his face because she agreed and because he was determined to finally let himself move on.
"It's a date." She smiled again.
"I'll pick you up around 7."
"Perfect." She told him where she lived and stood up from the bench. He stood up as well and they made their way across the street to go back into the warmth of the Day Care. Elena couldn't help the smile that was plastered on her face. Yes, she really didn't know that much about him but that was going to change. She looked around the Day Care, noticing that everything was cleaned up and Arianna had her jacket on and was ready to go. Caroline locked everything up and shut the lights off.
"I'm going to head out." Elena said looking over at everyone. She waved at everyone before heading out back into the coldness.
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It was Friday. Elena had about two hours before her date with Stefan. Caroline and Bonnie ushered her out the door around four thirty after telling her that she needed to get ready for her date. She told them both about her date with Stefan the day after he asked her. They of course, had big smiles on their faces saying that they knew that they would go out on a date eventually.
Now she was standing in front of her closet, hands on her hips, examining what she had in her closet that was first date appropriate. Because it was chilly outside, she decided on a pair of dark blue jeans and a dark gray cashmere sweater. She pulled the clothes out of her closet and made her way to the bathroom so that she can take a shower.
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It was an understatement to say that Stefan was excited about his date with Elena tonight. He got out of work a little earlier than normal and picked up Arianna from the day care, promising that she would be seeing her Auntie Bonnie for a few hours later that night. Bonnie told him that she would be willing to have Arianna over the house for a while. Damon has wanted to see Arianna so he was thrilled to find out that his younger brother was finally going on a date and that he and Bonnie would have Arianna for a while. He even told Stefan that they could keep her over night if she was sleeping by the time he got back, which she probably would be.
By this point, it was nearly five thirty. Arianna had finished her dinner and he gave her a bath putting her in her favorite Hello Kitty pajamas afterwards, just in case she did end up falling asleep.
"Why am I going to Auntie and Uncle's house?" She asked him as he was putting her in her car seat. He had to drop her off so that he could shower and get ready. Bonnie told him that she didn't mind just taking her home with her but Stefan wanted to spend some time with her before. After all, she was his daughter.
"I'm going to hang out with Elena for a little bit." He told her, not wanting to lie to her. He started his car and started to drive towards the boarding house.
"Do you like Elena like Auntie Bonnie likes Uncle Damon?" She asked him the same question that she asked Elena a few days before. But he had no escape and truthfully, he didn't know what to say.
"I don't know sweetie."
"I wish you would." He took a quick glance in the rearview mirror to look back at his daughter. A few minutes later, they pulled up in front of the boarding house. He got her out of her car and they walked to the front door of the boarding house. Bonnie opened the door before he even had a chance to ring the bell. Stefan had enough time to tell Arianna that he loved her before Bonnie rushed him out the door to get ready for his date.
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Elena was staring at herself in the mirror. She blow dried and straightened her hair and she had on very light make up. But all in all, she thought she looked nice. She just hoped that he did, too. Looking at the time on her phone, she realized that it was 6:45 and she only had fifteen minutes before Stefan was supposed to pick her up. After grabbing her jacket, she left her room, closing her door in the process and made her way downstairs to wait for her date to arrive.
A/N : Date. =] So. How about that premier?
