An unheard word. Something that happens so often in our daily lives that half the time we say "what?" out of habit because so many things are muttered so quickly that it's difficult to make out what was intended to be said.
This phrase did not go unheard. It was not muttered, and "what?" was not said after. This phrase was out in the open and loud. Loud enough that my brain triggered a series of questions the second she said it.
I pretended that I didn't hear it. That the phrase, "turn me" wasn't anything but a misheard word. Many times people hear what they want to hear if they want it bad enough. I guess that I want Elena to be a vampire so badly that it was coming up in my very personal life.
Two weeks went by and nothing was spoken about it. Elena adjusted to life with Summer, constantly tending to her needs. I tried to stay home and help as much as I could, but I had to also support us somehow.
"I still don't understand why you're the one that has to go to work and make us money. Don't you have like a billion dollars tucked away somewhere?" She asked the day I told her I had to start working.
"The small fortune I've acquired over the past years was reduced due to several things, but mostly being the credit card fraud that my own brother committed in my name." I answered, watching as her eyes shifted to the floor.
"Well that's not good." She said softly. I smiled at her answer and pulled her in for a kiss before leaving. She smiled as I left and watched me from the porch with Summer as I drove away.
All I could think about was the two words. I so desperately wanted to hear them, but I was so afraid that she wouldn't transition well. And now with Summer, we're at a crossroads too.
I always thought that the guys in movies who had self contemplating thoughts and an inner monologue were corny and annoying, yet lately that's all I've been doing. Apparently talking to myself rather than talking to Elena is more effective.
I heard my cell phone ring and looked at the caller id to see Caroline on the other line.
"Hello?" I answered, not really in the mood to discuss my recent happenings with Caroline.
"Stefan Salvatore, where have you been?" She asked, making her voice higher at the end of the sentence. I grinned slightly and answered, telling her that I was at home with Elena and Summer.
"That doesn't mean you can't pick up a phone once in a while" She demanded, making me chuckle at her ignorance.
"Car, I have a lot going on right now and I didn't think to call. I'm sorry" I offered, listening to the sound of a distant sports game on television in the other line.
"It's fine, just update me!" She exclaimed, most likely sitting down at her table with a cup of coffee and this weeks issue of People as she did every Sunday morning.
"Well, can I call you back with that information?" I asked, realizing that I should talk to Elena before I went gossiping to her best friend.
"Sure, just don't forget me now that you got everything you wished for" She said, causing me to think even after we hung up. Everything was an understatement. I knew that I had anything I ever wanted, and it was all wrapped up in Elena. The only thing in the whole world I was scared of was losing her, which explains why I heard her ask me to turn her. It was a hallucination.
I drove down the familiar road to the boarding house and saw Elena and Summer through the window at the top of the stairs. I parked the car and walked in, realizing that this was the kind of life I thrived for. It felt so human to go to work, come home to the woman I love and our child, and to have no threats hanging over our head. Yet somehow, even the most human situation is interrupted with the fact that I'm a vampire and she's not. It will never go away.
I walked into the doorway and smelled something burning. I sprinted to the kitchen across the house and saw Elena juggling Summer in one arm and stirring pasta with the other. I chuckled slightly and came up behind her, taking the remnants of the garlic bread out of the oven while kissing her neck.
"Stefan, I'm sorry! I just wanted to do something nice for you since you worked all day" She said apologetically, facing me with spaghetti sauce on her forehead. I laughed and wiped it away as she slightly pouted at her failed attempt.
"You are nice enough just to come home to Elena, you don't have to cook for me too. You're already handling Summer all day, the least I can do is cook for you" I responded, letting her sit down with Summer.
"You know what Mr. Salvatore. I think we have this whole living together thing down pretty well" She said lightly, nursing Summer.
"You make it easy" I replied, finishing the pasta and tossing it with the sauce. I turned on the other burner and threw some onions and mushrooms from the fridge into a sauté pan for the sauce. I watched as she cooed to Summer, kissing her forehead every chance she got. I smiled while watching her, realizing that if I could be frozen in this moment, I would be overwhelmingly happy.
We ate our dinner through Summer crying, and put her down finally at 2am after 6 hours of hysterics.
We both collapsed onto the bed and shut our eyes, exhausted.
I turned to her and watched as she got comfortable in bed. She opened her eyes and saw me staring at her, turning her body to face mine.
I knew that I had to ask her eventually, but was afraid that this was too soon. Yet my mouth still opened despite my inner monologue.
"Elena, I need to ask you something, and I don't want you to take it the wrong way" I opened, using a prelude to catch her attention.
"Okay, what's wrong?" She asked timidly.
"Nothing, nothing. It's just… Remember that night that we slept together when we first brought Summer home?" I asked, hoping she would remember.
"Of course" She said shakily, as if it were bad that she remembered.
"Well, I don't know if I imagined this, or if I heard something wrong, but I just need to clarify" I said, watching her nod at me when I told her I needed clarity.
"Did you ask me to turn you?" I asked bluntly, watching as her face turned sheet white.
"Uhm. Stefan," She began, making me think that I really did just imagine it, creating a pit in my stomach.
"No Elena, it's fine if you didn't. I just really want to know if I actually did make it up" I clarified, suddenly embarrassed.
"Stefan, I did ask you to turn me" She replied, making me sit up straight. She soon after joined my position and just sat there for 15 minutes.
"Are you serious?" I asked finally, hoping that I wasn't making it seem like I didn't want her to be a vampire.
"Yeah. I mean, I guess it's sort of necessary now. You and I are one, Stefan. I can't live without you." She said. I smiled and kissed her passionately, excited that she finally was ready. We heard a cry from Summer and broke our position but still locked eyes as I got up to tend to Summer. I walked over to her crib and picked her up, rocking her back and forth. She eventually mellowed out, only to have her woken up by my cell phone blasting.
"Hello?" I asked quietly. The other line spoke, and soon I knew that the non threatening life we had was soon to be over.
A/N: Thank you to everyone that reviewed for the poll! I urge you all to check out the Kidnapped series! Look for a new chapter this week! Paley fest is in 6 days! Can't wait to see the episode 5 days early AND meet the cast for the first time! Read/ Review please!