A/N: I don't even want to know how long it has been since I updated this story! I hope you're still interested in reading it. A little M-ish in this update. Blame Elena.

Now, I need to go let the horses out of their stalls since I hope they have finished their dinner by now!

Stefan sat in the hot tub, having changed much quicker than Elena. He let the warm water relax his muscles as he tipped his head back and closed his eyes.

He had planned the evening with Elena in mind, but he was soon realizing that he needed to get away too. The private hot tub was a great idea.

Stefan was about ready to get up and see if she needed help when he heard the sliding glass door on the balcony open.

He sat up and opened his eyes, allowing them to scan up and down her body several times. She was absolutely mesmerizing in her black string bikini and her hair thrown up in a messy bun.

"Something wrong?" Elena asked, stopping at the edge of the hot tub and looking down at him.

He had to clear his throat some, finding it to be dry. "No, not a thing" he said, smiling when she reached her hand down for him. He took her hand and helped her step in. Then he watched as she moved to the other side of the tub and submersed herself in the water up to her chin.

Elena closed her eyes and sighed, completely relaxing. She felt like she hadn't been relaxed in weeks. If she wasn't worried about Stefan, she was worried about starting school again. Or how she was going to juggle school, work and a relationship.

Elena smiled, because she could feel his eyes on her still and she knew he was smiling. "What now?" Elena asked without opening her eyes.

"I was just wondering why you are all the way over there?" Stefan asked.

Elena opened one eye and looked at him. "Because" she said. "Someone might see us" she added, hinting at their inability to keep their hands off each other if she were next to him.

Stefan leaned over and grabbed for the cord, closing the blinds on their balcony so they could have a little more privacy. Then he slowly made his way over to her, unable to resist ducking his head against her neck and kissing her skin slowly. "Better?" he asked.

"Uh huh" Elena sighed, tilting her head to the side so he could continue kissing her. She could feel his hand sliding from her hip up to the bottom of her bikini top. His fingers traced over the material, causing her to squirm on the hot tub bench.

He leaned back and Elena whined at the loss of his lips kissing her neck. Clearly, she was just as grateful for the evening of privacy they would get to have.

She opened her eyes and saw him staring right back into hers. It made her smile to see him look at her that way.

Stefan leaned in and kissed her gently. "I love you" he told her. "And I am so grateful for you looking after me these past few weeks" he added. He knew it was not easy on her.

Elena reached her hands up to cup his face, studying him for a moment or two. Had she lost him, she was not sure what she would have done. "I love you too, Stefan. And I'm just grateful I get to tell you that" she said.

Stefan leaned in and kissed her again, trying to take her mind off of what could have been. He didn't want her thoughts clouded with thoughts of him not around.

Elena pulled away from the kiss first and moved to sit on his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck as she faced him. Elena smiled when she felt him grab onto her waist and slowly rub his hands up and down her body under the water.

When Stefan's hands ran back up her body, they moved around her back and his fingers grasped the string tying her top together. He thought about it for a moment and then decided against untying it.

"Stefan" Elena said quietly.

He looked right into her eyes and could see that she had something on her mind. She had that look that he had come to love about her. His hands slid down and rested on her lower back, holding her close to him.

"I want to get married again" Elena told him. "I want to be Mrs. Salvatore." It really hit her when she had to check the box saying she was single on her school forms.

It warmed his heart to hear her say that, because it was what he wanted too. But he knew it wasn't that simple. Slowly, he reached his hand up and placed it against her cheek. She was so beautiful. "I want that too" he said with a small smile. As much as it still scared him to think that one day he could end up hurting her again, he had to remind himself that his downfall had been not trusting her enough to let her in when his past had come back to haunt him. "Let's just … get settled first" he suggested. "Get you back to school, me back to work and us back to … us."

Elena smiled. She could not argue with that. "Okay" she said, leaning in and kissing him. She was so incredibly happy. Much to his displeasure, she ended the kiss once again. "You know, this is shaping up to be a pretty great night" Elena told him.

"Yeah?" Stefan asked, raising an eyebrow curiously. "And what might just make it the best night ever?" he asked her.

Elena grinned. "Less talking, more … kissing" she decided.

Stefan leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. "Done" he whispered as he looked into her eyes one last time before kissing her again.

Elena couldn't help but laugh when his fingers skimmed over her ribcage. "That tickles" she told him, ready to get back to kissing him. As soon as her lips met his, he ran his fingers over her again, causing her pull away and laugh again. "Hey" she warned. She loved the playful smile he was sporting though. He looked genuinely happy.

She leaned forward and kissed the corner of his mouth, turning her head away from him when his lips sought out hers. She wanted to give him the same, slow kisses that he had given her a few minutes ago. Starting along his jaw, she continued downward and kissed along his neck, then his shoulder. Stefan's arm tightened around her waist and it made her smile.

Stefan leaned his head back against the hot tub and sighed contently. Elena had eventually rested her head against his shoulder and closed her eyes, her hand placed over his heart. He kissed the top of her head and smiled. His plan to get her swimsuit off was no longer a priority. He just wanted to sit there with her, hold her, and listen to her steady breathing.

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"Dinner will be here in about 30 minutes" Stefan said, walking back inside after making the phone call. As much as he did not want to get out of the hot tub, they needed to eat.

"Enough time to take a shower then" Elena commented. She pulled on the ponytail holder and let her brown hair fall loose. "Can you help me untie this?" she asked, turning around and grabbing onto the ties on her bikini top.

Stefan didn't have to be asked twice as he walked up behind her and pulled on the ties. Her top fell to the floor. His hands instinctively reached up to cup her breasts as he pulled her backwards towards him. His lips found her neck and he heard Elena moan softly. "Mind if I join you in there?" he asked, nibbling on her ear.

"I was hoping you might" Elena answered. She did her best to reach down and tug on her bottoms, trying to get those off too. She ended up needing some help from him as the wet material stuck to her skin. Then she turned around and yanked on his shorts, sending then sliding down his legs. Her eyes roamed over his body and by the time they made it back up to his eyes, they were begging him to hurry.

Stefan stepped forward and she jumped up, wrapping her legs around his waist as she kissed him hard. Stefan groaned as she squeezed her legs even tighter. With one arm securely around her back, he used his free hand to find the light in the bathroom and then to turn the shower on. He pulled his lips away from her a couple of times to try and see what he was doing as he worked on getting the water's temperature just right, but Elena just pulled his face right back to hers so she could kiss him. She was impatient and needy by the time he carried her into the shower.

He ran his hands back and forth under her thighs and it was driving her crazy. "Stefan, please" Elena begged. She had held out all day and even during the hour or so they were in the hot tub. But enough was enough. Her head leaned back against the shower wall and she closed her eyes, panting hard with anticipation as her hands rested on his shoulders. She felt Stefan loosen the grip she had around his waist as he held her against the wall.

"Elena" Stefan said. He waited for her to open her eyes and look at him. He reached his hand up to touch her cheek, letting his thumb wipe away a water droplet from the shower. "You're so beautiful. Absolutely breathtaking" he told her over the spray of the shower.

Elena swore her heart could explode every time he said something like that to her. She didn't have time to reply as he shifted her in his arms and she felt him slowly sliding into her. She held her breath and bit down on the bottom corner of her lip.

Elena gripped his shoulders and did her best to keep her eyes on his. All they wanted to do though was roll into the back of her head as she felt him inside of her.

His hips pulled back and then thrust forward again and Elena couldn't help the tiny screams of pleasure that escaped. It definitely wasn't just about the physical stuff when she was with him. They connected emotionally too. And sometimes, there weren't even words to explain how he made her feel.

She tried to help him, tried to move her hips with his, but their current position didn't allow for her to do much. She felt bad that he was doing all of the work, but every time he would hit a particular spot deep inside of her, she stopped caring. She could be selfish tonight and make it up to him tomorrow.

When her release hit her, she couldn't even think straight. Had it not been for Stefan supporting her, she would have been on the shower floor, panting and heaving. Elena rested her head on his shoulder and hugged her arms around his neck, trying to come back down from such an incredible high.

Stefan shut the water off and carried her to the bed, laying them down on top of it not too worried about them getting the bed wet.

Elena welcomed the cool air from the air conditioner hitting her warm skin. She looked up at him and he leaned down, smiling right before his lips were on hers. Elena raised her knees slightly when she felt him hips start to move against hers again. It was about all she could do with how tired she was, but he deserved to feel what she had felt moments earlier in the shower.

Her nails ran lightly over his naked back as he moved on top of her. His lips left hers and the only sound in the room was their breathing. She could tell he was getting closer though. His hips were a little more frantic as they thrust against hers and his breathing was getting heavier.

Another minute or so and he was calling out her name and collapsing on top of her.

His head rested against her chest and Elena ran her fingers through his wet hair. He felt so relaxed that she thought he might fall asleep.

"I love you" Stefan mumbled. He turned his head slightly so he could kiss the top of her breast.

"I love you" Elena said, smiling as she continued to play with his hair.

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Stefan set the last of their bags that he had packed in the living room so they would be easier to load as soon as Elena got home with the Jeep. As much as he loved his brother's house, he was thrilled to be heading back to the beach house. The previous two days when he had spent time alone with Elena at the hotel made him realize how much he missed his privacy with her. He wanted to be able to undress her the moment the need hit without worrying about his brother walking around the corner and finding them.

"So you're really leaving today?" Katherine asked, walking into the living area and noticing the bags.

Stefan looked over at her and smiled. "As soon as Elena gets home" he replied. Elena had gone into work. Stefan tried to go too, but Damon had convinced him to take one more week off. "I'm sure you will like having the house to yourself again" he added.

Katherine shrugged. "I don't know. It gets kind of lonely around here when I'm by myself" she admitted.

It made Stefan a little sad to hear her say that. He was about to respond when they both heard the doorbell. "I'll get it' Stefan offered, walking to the door and opening it. On the other side stood a woman. "Can I help you?" Stefan asked. She looked nervous.

"Umm …" she said nervously, looking away from him. "Is umm … is Elena here?" she asked.

Stefan furrowed is brow slightly. The woman looked familiar, but he could not quite place her. "She's at work right now. Can I give her a message?" he asked, finally noticing the backpack and envelope she was holding. Stefan could also tell that she was on the verge of tears.

"I … I need her to take Jeremy" she said, pulling a small brown haired boy from behind her and into view.

Suddenly it clicked. Jenna. Elena very rarely talked about her, or Jeremy, but Stefan remembered the picture she kept of the two of them on her nightstand. He was also suddenly very uncomfortable with the situation. "Would you like to come in?" he asked, hoping that they could sit down and talk.

A truck honking behind her made her jump slightly. "I can't" she said quickly. "Just … just tell Elena I'm sorry" she said, handing Stefan the backpack and the envelope. Then she bent down in front of Jeremy and turned him to face her. "You're going to stay with your sister, okay?" she asked him. The first tear slid down her cheek. "She'll be here soon" Jenna told him. "I love you, so much" she said, smiling sadly. The truck honked again. Jenna kissed his forehead and then stood back up. She walked away, refusing to look back at them.

Jeremy stood still, watching his aunt leave. When the truck started to pull away, he took off running after it. "Aunt Jenna!" he cried out, making it to the end of the sidewalk before he was being pulled back.

"Hey, Jeremy!' Stefan said, grabbing his shoulders to prevent him from going into the road. They both watched the truck turn the corner and disappear.

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"Do we call the police?" Katherine asked in a quiet whisper as they both watched Jeremy sitting on the couch in the next room, watching cartoons.

Stefan shook his head. "They'll just take him to the station, and then he'll be placed in temporary care until they figure out what to do" Stefan answered. It was a messed up thing Jenna had just done, but it had happened and Stefan was determined to make sure Jeremy was not dropped off with even more strangers that day.

"We should call Elena" Katherine told him.

"No" Stefan said quickly. He looked at the clock on the wall and it was only noon. He did not want to disrupt Elena's day and have her rush home. "Can you keep an eye on him? I'm going to call my brother and let him know what's going on."

Katherine folded her arms and nodded as she leaned against the wall. She watched Stefan walk away and sighed. Just when she thought things were going back to normal.

She watched Jeremy look over at her and it broke her heart to see him trying so hard to hold it all together. But she knew he was confused and scared. Just like Stefan had been when he had first come to live with Damon. She sighed again and made her way over to the couch. He hadn't touched the sandwich she had made or the juice sitting next to it. "Hey, Jeremy" she said gently. "Not hungry?" she asked.

"When is my aunt coming back?" he asked.

Katherine smiled sadly. "I'm not sure" she told him. "But your sister will be here in a few hours" Katherine reminded him. Jeremy gave her a blank look and Katherine realized that he probably did not remember his sister. "How old are you, Jeremy?" she asked, changing the subject.

Jeremy held up five fingers as he turned to face her again. "Five" he answered.

"Five" Katherine repeated. "You're going to start school soon then" she added. She smiled when Jeremy nodded.

"How old are you?" Jeremy asked.

Katherine felt so relieved that he was talking to her that she didn't even care about admitting her actual age. "I'm 34" she answered. Jeremy turned his attention back to the cartoons. Katherine sat back, content with watching cartoons with him for a little while.

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Stefan met Elena out in the driveway when she pulled up in the Jeep. "Hey" she smiled, getting out and reaching up to kiss him. "Are you ready to head home?" she asked. Elena had been thinking about the beach house all day.

Stefan prepared himself to deliver the news. "Not exactly, Elena" he said. He watched her smile disappear slowly. "There's something I have to tell you."

"Stefan, what is it?" she asked, starting to get worried.

Stefan looked back at the house and sighed. "Your aunt showed up with Jeremy earlier" he told her. "She left him here with a backpack and a letter addressed to you. He's inside with Katherine."

Elena shook her head slowly, not understanding. "Why?" Elena asked. She knew that Jenna loved Jeremy very much. "How could she do that?" Elena asked, her eyes starting to sting with tears at the thought.

"I don't know, Elena" he told her. "But he's safe and that's what matters right now" he reminded her.

Elena backed up and rested her hands on top of her head, feeling overwhelmed with the news. "I don't … what am I supposed to do?" she asked, starting to panic some. The last thing she expected was for Jenna to drop Jeremy off unannounced.

Stefan walked forward and pulled her into his arms. "We're going to figure this out together" he told her, hugging her close. "Okay?" he asked, needing her to believe him.

Elena nodded sadly as she wrapped her arms around Stefan, letting a few tears escape.