AUTHORS NOTE: Hey guys sorry its been so long ive been working on some other stuff and have been pulled away from this show a little but i'll continue to keep the updates coming more frequently now i promise. Hopefully it was worth the wait, enjoy.
AND PLEASE LET ME KNOW WHAT YOU THINK
Silence gripped the room squeezing the oxygen from everyone's lungs. Elena's breath faltered and her knees quaked under her. She moved to step forward but her legs gave out, unable to carry the weight of the news thrown at her moments earlier.
Wordlessly Stefan turned and caught her around the waist. He lifted her tenderly and placed her on the same level as himself, still partially behind him. She glanced at him briefly, only allowing herself a fleeting moment to shift her gaze from her fathers face. His eyes were wide and distant. He didn't even notice her gaze on him but felt the shift in her body so he just shook his head slightly instead, warning her not to speak. She rubbed his arm in an effort to ease the tension radiating from him but he simply shrugged her off. She flinched but didn't attempt to touch him again, instead easing into the corner of the stairs behind him.
No one said anything and the silence stretched on, leaving them all to agonise over their own thoughts.
It was Stefan's mother who broke the silence first with a wry, un-amused laugh. Stefan involuntarily flinched at the cackle that escaped his mothers lips as it chiselled at his so carefully constructed icy front. Elena could see him quaking slightly and reached out to him again, only to stop herself half way and let her hand limply return to her side. She scrunched her fist resisting the urge to touch him- to comfort both him and herself.
" Truly children now a days -Sinfully over dramatic." She said in an elegant condescending tone.
" Honestly Stefan, you've had a century to mature and grow out of this and yet here you are, the same as ever. But worst than that I hear you're not even a meat eater anymore. Why do you do this to yourself? Why deny who you are? What you are?"
"I know Lill, I've tried telling him this but do you think he listens?It's that bit-"
"Enough of that Catherine. Know your place. I won't hesitate to rip your throat out and feed it to you."
Catherine shrunk back behind Lillian and looked to Elena with hooded eyes. When they made eye contact she bared her fangs but Elena hardly even noticed, and definitely didn't flinch in the way that Catherine was so accustomed to seeing - it was clear she was too shocked by Lillian's outburst. She looked away again focusing on nothing in particular and hung her head slightly.
"Tell me whats going on mother. Believe it or not I'm in no need or mood for surprise visits or life counselling from the woman I believed to be dead for decades. I woman who let me believe that she was dead for decades." Stefan spoke in a hushed breathless voice and it was clear he was holding back more than shock. He was angry - no. Furious Elena realised.
"Now now no need for that, obviously explanations to come, but for now why don't you give me a hug?" She said the words coated in venom, her lips pulled back into a mock smile revealing her perfect teeth. At her age they should be beyond decayed but they were completely flawless.A perk of living forever I guess, Elena thought while licking her own teeth.
Stefan remained immobile in his position on the stairs making it clear he had no intention to return his mother's warm gesture. She sighed loudly enough for even Elena to hear with her inferior human ears and moved forward towards them without hesitation. It was clear she was either oblivious to, or pretending to not notice Stefan's increasing hostility as he hunched forward mimicking the position he had been in when Catherine had entered. But while Catherine had been offended and somewhat intimidated by Stefan's show of dominance, Lillian only offered another sickening chuckle and kept moving forward- smile still intact.
A small growl escaped Stefan's lips as he hunched further forward and pushed Elena further into the corner she was already retreating into. He arched his arms out in front of him and slowly stepped forward,challenging her. Whether she noticed again was unclear as she continued to advance towards him. When she finally reached him the room was filled with static and tension until it was impossible to breathe. She reached forward and rubbed her hand up Stefan's arm in her own show of dominance. She tugged him forward slightly so that he was standing on the same level as her and pulled him into a tight embrace. One hand remained on his arm as she snaked it around her waist while the other rested on the nape of his neck, firmly pulling his head in towards her. He made no effort to touch her in return and instead he simply stood frozen where she had pulled him. After a few moments of awkwardness and unrequited affection she let out an exasperated sigh and pushed him aside, instead setting her gaze hungrily upon Elena.
" Ah I see, so this is our newest treat Stef. Personally I can't imagine she'd be more fun than Catherine dear, less ... durable wouldn't you say?
A savage growl that could have been mistaken for a while animal escaped from Stefan's lips as he lunged for Lillian's arm attempting to pull her down away from Elena. He made contact... but so did she.
She turned towards him effortlessly, not sparing a single movement. Her perfectly manicured fingers tore into his forearm as she turned again, this time facing the door. It was as if time froze as Elena processed the scene playing out before her. Her dad's eyes hadn't moved from her face, he was staring at her with... longing? It was hard to tell because it was clouded with so many emotions. Catherine stood where she was partially shocked but she attempted to mask it with a confident smile as she watched the man she so clearly loved get attacked by someone she was obviously close with to some Elena there was no question, she was looking at Stefan. She saw the look of agony capture his face briefly as his mother tore into his arm. Then the savage vindictive Stefan overtook it again... but it wasn't long before the previous agony returned and held him captive indefinitely.
Lillian had turned to face away from Stefan after deeply embedding her fingers into his arm. It happened so fast after that. She pulled Stefan off balance. Kicked her leg out. Pushed and pulled at once and just like a poorly constructed toy...
Pop.
Wails of agony filled her house, clawing at the walls looking for some reprieve. They didn't find it in Lillian. She tossed Stefan's right arm aside easily and licked her fingers, savouring the bitter moved towards Stefan as he crawled towards Elena while cradling his now missing forearm. She reached out suddenly and grabbed a fistful of his hair. A hysterical cry escaped Elena's lips, pleading with Lillian not to do what was about to come next. Lillian arched Stefan's head back so his body was bowed away from her and he was looking directly at Elena
I love you...
close... your ... eyes he mouthed as a sad smile touched his lips.
She cried louder now, holding one hand over her mouth to hide it and the other reached out towards him.
Lillian simply shook her head in mock humour and ran one of her long nails up his exposed throat - hard enough to draw blood. She wasted no time licking the blood off her fingers this time, no doubt knowing that there was plenty more to be shed soon.
" Elena honey, not everyone are born to live forever."
