"So..." Damon trails off.
"Yeah." Stefan returns.
"Do you believe her?" Damon's asks still processing everything she said.
"About which part?"
"I don't know. Everything? Knowing the future and past? Wanting to help me? Breaking out Enzo? Do you believe her?"
"I don't know. El is not what I thought, but I think we can trust her. If we couldn't, she wouldn't have told you about Enzo or talked to us at all." Stefan tells him.
"She's got fire, that's for sure. She kinda reminds me of Katherine, resembles aside."
Damon says with a thoughtful expression.
"No, she's not like Katherine. She doesn't play games." Stefan says.
"Speaking of, do you want to talk about what she told you?" Stefan asks cautiously.
"Nope." Damon replies getting up and walking out the door.
The next day Elena, Bonnie, Caroline, and Vicki are handing out pamphlets about the nights comet, while talking about the green eyed Salvatore.
"So, he hasn't called?" Bonnie asks Elena.
"Nope. Not even a text. I mean, I totally understand, I dropped a pretty major bomb on him. I just... I don't know." Elena says while shaking head.
"Well, I do. You like him. You want to be his friend and now you're afraid he'll reject you." Caroline tells Elena sympathetically.
"I see the doctor's in." Vicki tease as Caroline sticks her tongue out at her and Bonnie and Elena smile.
"But she totally right. Don't worry El, he'll come around. I think he likes you too. And before you say it, not because the doppelganger thing. Because it's you.
"Vic's right, Ellie. He seems really happy to be around you. I think it makes him feel human or something." Bonnie assures her friend.
"Maybe." Elena whispers unconvinced.
Later that night, the whole gang is sitting at a picnic table and lighting their candles, when Stefan walks up to them.
"Hey." Stefan says to the group with a small nod while looking at Elena who turn around at his voice.
Afrer the group greets him, Elena says "Hey."
With a smile while gesturing her head to walk with her.
"So-" Elena interrupts Stefan.
"Is this goodbye? Because if it is, I understand. I mean, it's not everyday a girl tells you she knows the future and your past. I will still help you and Damon with whatever you need."
"El, stop." Stefan stops Elena's rambling with a smile.
"This isn't goodbye. I would still like to know more, but this doesn't change anything. I like you. And your friends."
"So, you still want to be friends?" When he nods she continues.
"Wow! I was not expecting that. I was sure you would ghost.
"Ghost?" Stefan asks confused.
Elena smiles, like she always does when someone catches her using future slang.
"It means, disappearing. It doesn't matter. You're not gonna disappear. Do you want to go to grab some dinner with us? Of the human variety." Elena teases him.
"Sure." Stefan answers with a snort and a smile.
Later that night, the group was integrating Stefan while sitting in booth at The Grill.
"So Stefan, what's it's like being a vampire?" Tyler asks bluntly.
"Umm... alright. I guess? I mean, it's different for everyone." Stefan says while looking over at Elena.
"Don't worry, I didn't tell them anything that wasn't important. They only know about Kat. Nothing personal." Elena whispers to Stefan while he smiles relieved.
"You don't have to tell anyone anything. It's your business, they won't push." She assures him.
"Thank you." He whispers back sincerely.
"What's it like to be compelled?" Caroline asks.
"Uh, weird. You are completely aware unless compelled not to be. If someone compels you to not be scared, you still know you should be, your just not." Stefan tells her, speaking from experience.
"What's it like to drink blood?" Jeremy asks.
Stefan clears his throat.
"Sorry, are we making you uncomfortable? We can stop." Vicki tells him.
"No its just, I never met anyone, especially a whole group, who wasn't supernatural be so... open?" Stefan says more like a question.
"Well, El told us about everything a few months ago. I guess we just got used to it." Matt says.
"Also me and Tyler are supernatural." Bonnie tells him not going into specifics.
"And you guys trust me? To not like... eat you?" Stefan asks confused.
They all bust out laughing.
"Yes Stefan, we trust you to not eat us. And not just because of the whole bambi thing. El trust you. That's all we need to know. She very protective and if she thought you would ever hurt us, you would already be dead." Jeremy tells him.
Stefan breathes out, not sure why he feels so relieved they trust him.
"So back to the questions. What's it like to no longer be held back by the law or human morals?" Caroline asks not realizing how heavy that was.
"Jesus." Elena mutters as Stefan just looked stunned.
"Um... uh, well... I, it can... uh-"
Elena interrupts Stefan's stuttering.
"You know what? Let's save the more philosophical questions for another time."
The group laughs unaware they're being watched.
Across the restaurant Damon listens in angry and intrigued. Angry that his brother seems so happy and intrigued by the little group who seem to put all their faith in the Katherine lookalike.
Damon is dragged out of thoughts when he over hears a two girls talking.
"God, would you look at that? Less than a week and the new kid is already following Elena around like a lost puppy. Is it not enough to have the team captain and the quarterback?" One of the girls seethes looking at Elena.
"I don't know, she seems nice. Grace told me that one time in the locker rooms after cheer practice the other girls stole her clothes during her shower and when they laughed at her while she cried, Elena came in, looked between them, walked up to the girl who took her clothes and punched her right in the face. And while the girl was on the ground holding her broken nose, she walked to her locker, pulled out some clothes, handed them to her, winked, and left. That's so cool!" The other girl defended Elena to her friend.
"Whatever, she thinks she so mysterious and cool. I was there, her nose was not even broken. You know she's never talks to anyone outside of her friend group. That's weird. And who spends that much time with their little brother." The girl was going to continue when she caught sight of Damon.
She blushed as Damon tipped his drink to her. She smiled her best flirty smile and he smirked.
Stefan walks Elena home while they watch the comet above them.
"Can I ask you a question?" Stefan asks her hesitantly.
"Of course. What's up?" She replies.
"Why do you want to help me and my brother? Why do you care?"
Elena smiles a small smile and responds.
"I guess I always had a soft spot for the infamous Salvatore brothers. When I saw your past's and future's I couldn't help but feel bad. You guys were so close before Kat got in between you."
"Oh, so you pity us." Stefan says jokingly.
"You know, that always catches me off guard. In the timeline I saw, you were always so serious and broody. But this time, you keep making jokes and playing around. I like it." Elena tells him with a smile.
"You kinda make me feel like I do around Lexi. You know Lexi, right?" When Elena nods Stefan continues.
"Can you tell me somthing else about the other timeline? Were we friends?"
"Um, you and OG Elena had an epic romance. Before you showed up Elena was depressed and putting on a smile because she thought it would be easier on everyone else. When she met you, her smile was genuine for the first time in months. She fell madly in love with you." Elena tells him, recalling her knowledge that always manages to stay at the front of her mind.
"Why do you call her "OG Elena?" Do you really not think of her as you?"
"She's not me, Stefan. We're too different. I'm different." Elena says looking down.
I'm different. Stefan thinks as he looks at her. He knows what she's not saying. She's different. A different Elena. An Elena who's most genuine smile goes to her little brother. An Elena who isn't depressed and just putting on brave face. An Elena who won't fall madly in love with him.
Stefan should feel worse about that. He should be heartbroken. The girl that he saved, watched, and stayed in the town he died in for, just told him she won't ever have feeling for him. But he's not.
Stefan feels a little like he just missed out on something great, but his worlds not ending.
I'm different.
The Stefan from a few days ago who was absolutely entranced by the mysterious girl who just happened to look like his first epic love. He would be shattered that this wonderful girl who put a sign in her window, that is just now making sense, eliminated all possibility of a relationship with him. He'd be angry that he let himself fall for someone just to lose them.
But he's not. I'm different. He thinks. And he his. He's not the guy who felt the need to be mysterious and closed off to intrigue her. He's not the guy who kept fighting himself about staying, about putting her in danger. He's not the guy who wants to be dragged by the pull he feels towards her.
He's different.
He's different with her. She doesn't make him feel like Katherine did. Like your biggest fear is falling but if she's at the bottom you would gladly jump with a running start. And she doesn't make him feel like Lexi either, it's closer but not exactly. With Lexi he wants to be better. She pushes him to be better while having the most fun of his life. But with Ellie, it's like he doesn't have to be anyone else. Doesn't have to hide or pretend that's he's not a monster. Because with her he doesn't feel like one. With her, he feels like no matter what he does she will always support him.
It should freak him out that he is relying on someone he just met so much, but it doesn't. Because he knows, with every part of him, she will be there for him. And he's okay with that, while a Stefan from a few days ago would be freaking out.
Shes different. And that's okay, because he's different too.