"You okay?" Stefan asked Payton as he came through into their bedroom back into the Lockwood mansion a while later, she was stood in front of the bed packing up her things, ready to get the hell out of there like they had been instructed.
She had finally stopped crying after collapsing into her fiancé's arms when she came back inside the Salvatore house, Stefan knew this would be hard hitting for her, but he didn't realise how beaten up she would be, it wasn't just the loss of friendship with Matt she was grieving, it was the one she felt she had lost with her Dad too.
He couldn't help but feel guilty that this was all his fault. But then he reminded himself that he was going to show her a million times over just how much he meant to her and how he wasn't going to let her go like they had so easily.
Stefan had gone down to the car to load some of their things into the trunk and then came back up to check on how she was getting on, "Yeah I'm okay," She nodded back, snuffling slightly, as she put some of her clothes into a suitcase, "I guess I can't believe this is happening."
"I know," He sighed lightly, before going to come over to her and pull her into his arms, "but we'll come back."
"I feel like we say that an awful lot," Payton snuggled into him, wrapping her arms around his lower back, "but never actually come back. Not permanently anyway."
"I know but this time will hopefully be different." Stefan tried to stay positive for her sake thinking she needed it right now.
"How are you?" She asked looking up at him.
"Uh yeah, about the same as you really." Stefan admitted to her sadly.
"This isn't fair! None of this is!" Payton grumbled.
"I know but at least we've still got each other right," He pointed out to her, before picking up her hand and looking down at the engagement ring, "we're all we have right now."
"I'm glad it's you," She told him, looking down at the ring and then back up at him, "I'm glad I have you."
"Me too," Stefan leant down and pecked her lightly on the lips, "I don't want to waste another second."
"Don't talk like that," Payton said to him with sadness in her eyes, as she shook her head, "you don't need to."
"Yeah but I don't know how much time I'll have. I'm on a time limit." He reminded her painfully.
"No," She shook her head again, putting her finger over his lips, not wanting to hear it, "no time limits here. We have plenty of time."
"Payton..." He sighed, linking her hand through his, thinking it was sweet how she wanted to try forget about it, but it was always going to be there for as long as Rayna was alive, "Rayna won't live forever. So therefore neither will I..."
"This supernatural world has a way of working out so I'm going to keep hopeful." Payton told him, knowing if she didn't, she'd crumble and she couldn't do that to herself, not yet anyway.
"But if it doesn't..." Stefan squeezed her hand, knowing this would be hard to hear, but they had to be realistic.
"How can you be so okay with that?" She looked back at him in confusion.
"Funny thing is it actually makes me feel human again like every minute counts." Stefan explained to her with a small smile.
She shone him a sad smile back, thinking he had a point, "Does that mean you want to make it count?"
"Of course," He nodded back, before using his other hand to rub over her cheek lightly with his thumb, "I don't want to just sit around and waste my time with you."
"So what are you thinking?" Payton asked with raised eyebrows.
"Have you ever wanted to travel?" Stefan asked her curiously.
"Uh well," She chuckled lightly, the mood lifting instantly as the excitement hit her stomach, "you're talking to the girl who was home schooled and learnt her education in many different countries," She reminded him, as Stefan nodded and an amused smile crossed his lips at the reminder, "you know I always said I would never travel again because I did it so much, but now I'm older, it does kind of sound more appealing to me if it was on my terms."
"Then let's go." He encouraged.
"Where?" Payton smirked back.
"Anywhere. Let's book a flight. We both have cash." Stefan pointed out to her excitedly.
"I know we do." She was slightly taken back by this proposal, one minute she had been crying over her losses, now they were planning to travel, so much to take in.
"I want to be with you, Payton," He laid his forehead on top of her own and pulled her closer, wrapping his arms around her waist, "I want to experience things with you as my fiancé."
"I want to be with you too." Payton breathed, resting her forehead against his and shutting her eyes.
"Then let's go." Stefan kissed her.
Payton kissed him back hard, thinking if he was right and he wanted to make the most of the time, then why should they just stay in this country?
"Book the flight and surprise me." She said against his lips.
"Sound's good." Stefan kissed her once more, before pulling her in closer, wanting to hold her close and never let go.
A little while later, Payton was going through into the kitchen after hearing one of the Lockwood men return home, she found Mason in the kitchen, he was then grabbing himself a blood bag when she walked in.
"I thought I saw my jeep parked out front!" Mason beamed when he saw her, then saw the sorrow look on her face, his smile instantly wiped, "oh god...what's happened?"
"Uh..." She breathed, knowing she had to drop the news to him about Matt and his plans, "everything's fine, well, kind of."
"Kind of? You found him, right? He's going to be ok, yeah?" Mason looked back, thinking if she had come all of this way and took his car for nothing, then he wouldn't be happy.
"Yeah um, kind of, Stefan is going to be okay for now, but we're on a time limit. The huntress is being held captive, so whether she gets out and escapes or she dies, either way Stefan doesn't know how long he has," Payton explained to him, before she nervously admitted, "but that's not the problem right now."
"What is?" He frowned back, thinking what else could be troubling her.
"Matt threatened us tonight. All of us. Us vampires." She confessed nervously.
"What do you mean?" Mason was confused by this, he knew the guy was going through a hard time, but he didn't understand why they guy would threaten them.
"He's threatened us to leave and if we don't then he'll expose us. He has footage across all of a town, hours of it, from over the years of all of us doing some very inhuman things." Payton explained to him, even just thinking about it all made her angry.
Mason scoffed at this, "So what we've just got to leave?"
"Apparently so," She answered back, before adding, "I knew I had to tell you because you're a vampire too. I don't know what this means for you though or Tyler even. But I knew I couldn't leave without telling you."
"Yeah, uh, thanks," He was trying to get his head around this, before saying, "so do I need to go or what?"
"I have no idea. But I don't know what Matt would have over you or even if he'd do this to Tyler but..."
"No, you're right," Mason agreed, before he went on, "what about the Grill?"
"God, I don't even know!" Payton hadn't even factored in the fact she bought the Grill last summer, it seemed like such a long time ago, it was such a long time ago, she hadn't even had her chance to make her own yet, because so much had happened and now she was leaving town, there was no way she was ever going to live out her dream through that place, "I guess I'll just have to hire someone whilst I'm away to manage the place especially if you can't stay around."
"Where am I supposed to go?" Mason sighed in distressed, quickly going to down the blood bag he had in his hand to try ease some of it.
She looked back at him, her chest tightening as she told him, "You know where."
Mason quickly stopped drinking and looked back at her, knowing exactly what she meant, "You think I should go back there?"
"I know you're not 100% happy here, neither is Tyler, you guys wouldn't keep going on your little trips if not." She pointed out to him.
"I guess so." He shrugged back.
"Then go!" Payton encouraged, thinking if he didn't, then he'd just been unhappy forever, "get out! Otherwise Matt might just break your door down too."
"Where are you and Stefan going?" Mason wondered.
"Somewhere far far away." She answered back.
"What about your Dad?" He asked her back.
Payton lowered her gaze to the floor at the reminder of just how shattered her relationship with her Dad was, "He, um, he doesn't even know I'm back."
"What?" Mason looked back at her in confusion.
"He doesn't need me anymore." Payton told him looking back at him painfully.
"Are you sure about that?" He wasn't so convinced as she was.
After packing up the rest of their things and saying goodbye to Mason, who had promised her that he would be heading to Florida as soon as he had spoken to Tyler, they bundled into the car and drove out of Mystic Falls, for god know's how long, they had no idea if or when they would ever come back, it felt like they were driving away from a lifetime of memories, when in reality it had only been a few years, but even then, it had been truly epic.
When she had finished her conversation with Mason, Payton had come back upstairs to finish of the last of the packing and had turned to Stefan, she told him that maybe she should check in with her Dad before she leaves just incase. Stefan agreed it would be good for her to say goodbye, but he also had to stop by to deliver a letter to him from Damon, so it would be the perfect chance to do both.
But ever since she had got in the car and drove closer to Dallas, the more she was beginning to regret her decision, she couldn't do this, she couldn't face him again, after knowing he hadn't even called her to check in on her the past few days and had just left her. Sure Caroline could have told him, but what even was Caroline doing with her Dad and her baby sister's in the first place?
Did she even want to walk in on their happy family moment knowing she had just been kicked out of their town and was basically on the run with limited time with her fiancé?
Their relationship had been so rocky ever since he had put that gun to his head and lost Jo. Payton felt like she had really lost him that day even if he hadn't pulled the trigger. It was like that day he had never been the same guy to her. He had been pushing away and breaking off and now he had two new daughters to look after it was the perfect excuse to truly cut ties with her.
And she didn't understand why, what she had done so wrong or maybe she had done nothing wrong at all, maybe it was his own guilt and shame, maybe he didn't want to face it anymore, so he pushed her and it out, because every time he looked at her, he could feel it and see her broken face over and over again.
When they pulled up at the address she knew her Dad had moved to, Payton turned to Stefan and admitted, "I don't think..." He turned to look at her, seeing her drained face, "I don't think I can do this..."
"Payton," Stefan reached across and took her trembling hand in his own, "it will be fine..."
"No it won't!" Payton snapped back at him, fear in his eyes and Stefan knew that he shouldn't push her, he could tell she was serious, this wasn't just nerves, this was serious fear.
"If you don't want to do this, then we can just go to the airport now." He told her thinking he just needed to post the letter then they could be on their way to their new future.
"No," She shook her head, thinking maybe she was being stupid, Payton could at least try, couldn't she?, "let's do this."
Reluctantly climbing out of the car, Payton waited for Stefan to join her on the sidewalk before they began to head up to the front path and the door, when they grew closer, Payton could see a gap in the window and as she looked through, her stomach dropped at what she was seeing, Caroline and Alaric were gushing together over the babies, looking so happy and close, she felt physically sick at the sight of them together, with her baby sisters, who she probably wouldn't grow up to know at this rate.
How had she missed this, her best friend and her Dad growing close?
Or maybe she hadn't missed anything and this was something new?
Was this going to be how it felt if Jo had stayed alive and they had moved to Dallas to be a family?
She felt so rejected right now. Like she didn't even have a Dad or a family anymore. The baby sisters she held in her stomach for months on end felt so distant to her, so disconnected and like it didn't even happen.
Feeling Payton stop beside him, Stefan pulled back and turned to her, seeing the broken look on her face, he followed her gaze and saw what she was looking at, Stefan felt terrible for her, this wasn't what she wanted, it was all her biggest fears coming true.
"I'm just gonna go..." Payton went to turn on her heel, but Stefan pulled her back.
"Payton..." He sighed, feeling so bad for her right now, he wanted to comfort her there and then.
"I can't do this," She shook her head, trying to hold back her tears, she was so tired of crying that day, "seeing him like that...with her and them..."
"I know," Stefan could completely understand her pain right now, it was so valid, she did not deserve this, "go on."
Payton nodded back at him and headed back to the car, whilst Stefan went to the mail box at the end of the drive and posted the letter from Damon to Alaric through it, before turning back and joining her in the car.
"Are you sure you don't want to just call him?" Stefan said to her once they were ready to set off again.
"I can't face him." She told him, thinking she should just leave it, to push him out like he has with her, but also to think that their last memory together was the one where they said goodbye at the hospital.
Because if she went in there that night, she knew she'd be fighting another losing battle, he wouldn't see what had gone wrong, he would be so wrapped up in his own new baby bubble to even bother to see what had gone so wrong for them, so she would leave it, she would focus on herself, the same way he had and take their last goodbye as the final.
"Alright." Stefan nodded back in acceptance, respecting her decision, before he started up the car again and pulled away from the Dallas home.
~ One year later ~
Payton turned to her fiancé who was sitting beside her, the moonlight shining from above lighting their surroundings along with the fairy lights coming from the beach bar behind them, she stared back at him, taking in just how breath taking he truly was, a golden tan on his skin, the light stubble across his cheeks from where he hadn't bothered to shave, his shirt buttons were open slightly, revealing his upper chest, she just wanted to grab hold of him and kiss him hard.
"Here's to one year of us," She said to him, picking up her cocktail glass and bringing it closer to him, "one year of no one getting involved, no people catching feelings for the other, no exes, just us."
"A whole year?" Stefan smiled back at her at the realisation, as he picked up his whiskey and knocked the glass against hers, "really?"
"Uh-huh." She nodded back, before taking the last sip from her drink.
"It's been so perfect I can barely remember." He told laying the glass back down.
"I know," Payton sighed in happiness, agreeing that it had been so near to perfect, "so perfect."
"I just wish we had sorted my scar situation." Stefan pointed out to her in sadness.
"We will," She still tried to remain hopeful, somedays were harder, but right now she felt optimistic, maybe because she was a little intoxicated, "we just need more time. And whilst we still have it we can at least continue to have fun."
"Hmm." He smiled back at her, loving how she always remained so optimistic, it was a side he knew she had within her, but she had just needed time and the right time to get it out of her, this year had been good to her.
Stefan quickly leant across and gently pulled her off her chair, she squealed and began to laugh loudly, as she allowed him to stand her in between his legs, he had been trying to resist her all night, but she looked too good in the hot pink satin body-con mini dress that hugged her body in all the right places, leaving little to his imagination, her natural wavy golden hair was hung over her shoulders, her skin sun-kissed.
"Are you a little wasted?" He asked her laying his hands on her waist.
Payton sat her hands on his shoulders, smirking down at him mischievously, "Just a little. But I am trying to be on my best behaviour tonight so that we when get back to the room I can actually remember our sex the next morning."
"Is it really that bad that you'd rather forget it?" Stefan teased.
"No," She chuckled lightly, her fingers playing with the ends of his hair, "it's amazing which is why I want to remember it and not let the booze get to my head!"
"Well, you did once say once you were not pregnant anymore and back to normal that you wanted drunken sex." He reminded her of what she said such a long time ago now.
"Yeah but I still want to remember it otherwise what was the point?" Payton pointed out to him with a slight pout.
"I guess I'll have to make sure you get back in one piece tonight." Stefan promised her with a smirk.
"You better." She sighed before pushing her lips onto his forcefully, Stefan kissed her back just as hungrily, as she ran her fingers down his back.
After a little bit of time, Payton pulled back and hopped back onto her chair, grabbing her empty cocktail glass, "Let's make another toast!"
"To what?" He chuckled lightly at her sudden outburst.
"You." Payton grinned back at him excitedly.
"Me?" Stefan couldn't stop looking back at her in awe, she had completely stolen his heart.
"Yes, let's toast to you for being you." She told him proudly.
"Now I'm worried." He teased her again.
"What?" Payton looked back playfully, wanting to do this for him, because he deserved it.
"You're drunk." Stefan told her with a smile and grabbed her hand, entwining their fingers together.
"I'm not!" She protested back, shaking her head, as she tried to fight back to the grin, "can't I toast my fiancé?"
"Not without a good enough reason!" He said back.
"I did have a reason!" Payton exclaimed, as she added, "for being you."
"Alright, alright," Stefan chuckled once more, thinking she didn't have to do that for him, she was too sweet as he went to suggest, "you want another round?"
"I thought I wasn't getting drunk tonight." She pointed out with arched brows.
"You're not..." He assured her.
"Well, let me get it then!" Payton said, reaching over and pecking his cheek, before bouncing over to the bar to grab them another round of drinks.
When she got to the bar, the bartender looked over at her, as she went to ask, speaking slowly and clearly in the hopes he would understand, "The same again, please."
"I understand," The guy answered, before going to make her drinks for her, taking her back slightly, everyone else had barely spoken a word of English, but this guy sounded from around their parts, "I also understand what you were saying over there."
"W-w-hat do you mean?" She wondered, thinking it was kind of weird how he was eavesdropping, but what part of the conversation was he so invested in?
"I think I know how to help." The guy told her.
"With?" She frowned back, suspicious if this was something to do with Stefan's scar problem.
The guy nodded his head over to where Stefan was sat at the table waiting for her, he was busying looking down at his cell phone to even notice them, as Payton turned back to the bartender and gave him an uneasy look.
Shortly after, Payton returned back to Stefan with no drinks and found him sat on a blanket on the beach, looking up at the nights sky, she felt slightly weird after talking to the bartender, she never knew how to handle these leads they came across, she was always so suspicious of everyone.
"You know this would have made such a perfect proposal spot." Stefan told her as she went to take a seat beside him on the blanket.
"Well I haven't got a problem with you doing it again if you want." She responded back jokingly, but it was forced, causing Stefan to turn back to her.
"What is it?" He asked immediately picking up on her tense behaviour.
"The bartender has a theory." Payton informed him what she had learnt since grabbing their drinks which she didn't even bother taking in the end.
"Of course he does," Stefan said dryly, looking back to the shore ahead of them, "if there's one thing we have learnt on our travels around the world is that every bartender has a theory and every one is wrong," Payton sighed, knowing he was right, before he pointed up at the sky, "Now look up."
"'At what?" Payton frowned, turning her head to look up at the nights sky above them.
"'The sky obviously." He mocked her.
Payton shoved him playfully, as she went on, "Alright. But why? What are you looking for exactly?"
"Just living in the moment, appreciating the beauty of the world whilst I sit beside my beautiful fiancé." Stefan wrapped his arm around her and pulled her into him.
Payton began to giggle, flushing slightly at his compliment, still even after all this time, he still had an effect on her, she stared up at the stars above he in the nights sky, her hand came to rest on top of his, before he pulled her completely into him.
She giggled then snuggled up against him, as he wrapped his arm around her back, her body now pressing into his stomach, as his legs laid around her.
"Why did we never do this back home?" Payton asked him after sometime of sitting in a comfortable silence appreciating the world around them but also each other.
"Because we were always so busy." Stefan replied honestly.
"Yeah that's true." She sighed at how much she didn't even miss her old life, this one she had built with him over the past year was perfect.
"They're bigger this close to the equator." He retold to her.
"Look at you!" Payton began to taunt him flirtatiously, "you've turned into some astrology expert.'
"Well I have many talents." Stefan beamed confidently.
"Oh yeah I could name one." Payton smirked back, running her hand down his arm teasingly.
"Don't..." He warned to her in a rough tone, before planting a soft kiss on the back of her neck from behind.
"Oh my god," Payton was gasping now, he knew what he was doing back to her now, "stop!"
"You're so beautiful." Stefan reminded her, titling her head towards his by lacing his finger under her chin, he always had to remind her how special she was to him.
"I love you." Payton kissed him hard, knowing she meant it, every single word of it, she always had and she still did, that had never changed and would never change.
Just as she was getting into it, Stefan pulled back and blurted out something that completely took her back, "Marry me."
"I already am, you idiot!" Payton laughed back, nodding down to the engagement ring that had sat on her finger for more than a year now.
"No, I'm serious," He pressed, as her laughter died down and she realised that he wasn't joking, "let's get married."
"W-what?" She looked back at him with such surprise, she was speechless almost.
"I want to marry you." Stefan told her seriously, this wasn't him asking her to marry him, this was him telling her that he wanted to go through with it.
"You mean like now? As in soon?" Payton quickly caught on to what he was implying.
"Yes. Why should we wait? Who knows how long we have or how long it will be till maybe things work out? We love each other and want to be with each other, so why should we wait? When I waited before I nearly lost you and I am not prepared to do that again." Stefan explained to her how he felt and why he wanted this so badly.
"Stefan…" She felt like she could barely breathe right now, she couldn't believe this was happening, but her gut was telling her that this was the right thing do, that he was so right, what was the point in waiting anymore?
They didn't know how long they had left with each other. Stefan's time was still limited. And she didn't want to not have her happy ending.
"What do you say?" Stefan looked back at her with hopeful eyes after she fell silent on him.
"I say...yes…" Payton beamed back at him, before she smashed her lips back onto his and kissed him deeply, Stefan smiled into the kiss and kissed her harder.
~ Two years later ~
Payton hissed as she leant her body against a stop sign in the middle of a street, her eyes rolled down to the bloody wound on her upper thigh, she sighed at the sight and winced, before shaking her head and staggering up the street, heading to one location in particular.
As she grew closer, she breathed a sigh of relief when she saw the same car in the driveway as what she had seen the last time she had been here, clearly they still lived here, they hadn't moved and hopefully they wouldn't mind too much that she was turning up on their door step late in the evening.
She had been on her feet for what felt like hours, Payton had been using most of the strength she did have to vamp speed her way here, but she didn't know how long she had been out of it for, her phone had died hours ago, she had no idea how long time had passed, but she also knew when she saw the sign of the state she was in, there was no way in hell she wasn't going to make use out of the connection she had.
Payton needed her strength back so she could get back on her feet and put an end to this disaster they had been avoiding for the past few years.
She just didn't expect to get hurt and beaten along the way.
Wincing once more at the pain coming through her thigh, Payton stumbled up the front path and over to the front door, she rung the door bell and knocked lightly, before backing away slightly, her hand coming to rest around her thigh now, trying to breath through the pain she felt right now, as she waited with unease.
Within a few moments, the front door opened, causing her to narrow her eyes over to the figure now stood behind it, their shocked eyes came to meet with her nervous ones, as they took in the sight of her standing at their front door after all this time.
"P-pay," Alaric choked out at the sight of his daughter, his eyes rolled down to the bloody wound on her leg, "w-w-hat happened?"
"It's kind of a long story," She grumbled out, not really wanting to do this on his front door step, "can I please come in?"
He looked back at her for a moment, the shock still very much there, he hadn't seen her in years, not even spoken to her in years, yet here she was on his front door step with a bloody wound and looking exhausted, she had stained blood all over her clothing, her hair and makeup were a mess.
As much as he didn't want to know what she had been up to and why she was in such a state, Alaric knew he couldn't leave his daughter and not help her.
"Uh yeah, sure," He nodded back, before inviting her inside in her condition, "come in."
Payton flashed him a small smile in gratitude before going to step inside the home, thankfully Alaric wrapped his arm around her for support so she didn't have to keep putting so much pressure on her wound. She held onto him lightly, as he went to walk her through into his home, using his foot to kick the door shut, just as he was about to guide her through, the sound's of little footsteps could be heard.
She lifted her head up from the ground where she had been keeping an eye on her movements, her stomach dropping when she saw two of the most beautiful and adorable little girls emerge from the sitting room, they looked so innocent and sweet, completely and utterly intrigued by what was going on, Payton was seeing her little sisters for the first time since they were born.
Payton could have cried, either through the pain in her thigh and the worry she felt about what was going on whilst she was here, but also at the sight of the tiny humans that she could call her sisters if she had stuck around to see them grow up.
"Girls, uh, go back inside, let Daddy deal with this, ok?" Alaric said back to the girls, an awkward tone in his voice, both of them knowing they didn't want the girls to meet Payton in this way, but he had no choice now.
"Ok." They both chorused at the same time, before obeying and skipping back through into the sitting room to continue playing.
Payton turned her head to look back at her Dad when they disappeared and she noticed she had tears in her eyes, Alaric looked back at her painfully, thinking it wasn't just him who felt like she had missed out on so much since she had been away, but now he could see that Payton had been feeling the same way.
Helping her walk again, Alaric helped her through into the kitchen and carefully hoisted her up onto the bar stool at the kitchen counter, Payton's winced as she looked down again at her wounded leg, Alaric instantly went over to the medicine cabinet and began to get somethings to help her.
"Why aren't you healing?" He asked her as he began to gather up everything.
"I have healed, trust me, I looked a lot worse than this," Payton answered him back, as she winced again at the pain, "I've got a bit of wood laced with vervain stuck in my thigh! I couldn't get it out."
"You want me to get it out?" Alaric turned his head back to her slightly repulsed at the idea.
"I just need someone to squeeze hard enough to dislodge it so I can get my strength back!" She responded.
"Alright, alright," He said coming back over to her, he went to look down at the bloody wound that was exposed from the cut in her jeans, but he found his emotions and protective father instinct get the better of him, "what the hell happened, Pay?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't even believe me..." Payton trailed off in a sad tone as Alaric went to squeeze her skin.
She winced even move as Alaric began to try to locate the splinter that was stuck inside of her thigh, "Go on. Try me."
"Well I was just having a normal day in New York city, we'd only been there five days and we'd done more of the touristy things," Payton began to explain to him through her deep breathes, as Alaric continued to work on her thigh, "and then..." She winced as he located it, causing him to look back at her with panic, but she gave him a stern look, "keep going!"
"This is going to hurt!" He warned as she braced herself for the impact, as Alaric dug right into her skin and managed to pull the piece of wood that was lodged in her.
As she felt it come out, Payton let out a loud gasp as she felt her wound throb and then begin to heal, causing her to clench on to her Dad in relief, as she glanced down at the now perfectly healed skin that formed over where the once bloody wound was.
Alaric also let out an exhale, before his eyes looked down at the blood covered piece of wood in his hand, "I, uh, should probably clean up..."
"Yeah, thank you," Payton said back to him, as he went to put the wood in the trash can and then went to wash his hands in the basin, "I should, um, probably head off then."
"Wait," He spun his head round to see her now back onto her feet, "you're leaving just like that?"
"Well, if we had got to the end of the story, you'd understand why I can't stick around! I don't even know how much time I've already wasted today." Payton explained to him.
Alaric looked back at her in disappointment, this was the first time he had seen her in three years and now she was already going like it was nothing, "What's going on?" He pressed.
"Matt took me earlier today. I was literally about to follow Stefan in my car," She breathed in shakily, as she admitted, "his scar opened back up today. We were doing a grand escape, Stefan was torching his car and going to wake up Damon, I was going to catch up with them once I'd packed up our things, but then as I said..."
"Matt took you," Alaric repeated what she said before, a deep frown coming across his forehead in confusion, "why would he take you?"
"So I don't get in the way of Rayna finishing what she started," Payton answered him in a strained tone, as she went on, "she knows I'm a threat because I will do anything to keep him safe and he'll do anything to keep me safe. If I'm not around to stop her then it gives her a better opportunity to get the job done."
"Why would Matt take you though?" He was still confused and not able to put the pieces together.
"Why do you think?" She raised her eyebrows up at him, clearly he had no idea how Matt had been with her the last day in Mystic Falls, "he hates vampires, Stefan is a vampire and Rayna can put down said vampires."
"But..." Alaric looked down at the dried blood on her clothes before back up at her face, "d-d-did he do this to you?"
Payton painfully nodded back at him, before she quickly gathered her emotions and shook her head, "Like I said it doesn't matter, I have to go..."
"Wait, wait," Alaric called her back before she could walk away again, Payton turned to look at him uneasily, "will I see you again?"
She looked back at him, surprised that he was even asking that, she thought he had given up on her years ago, Payton had no idea he wanted her in his life still.
This was news to her.
"I can't make that promise," Payton said back to him honestly, as she drew in another nervous breathe, "all I can say is that if we somehow make out of this alive, then I'm going back to Mystic Falls to live the life I had planned."
"Daddy!"
Payton snapped her head round to see the twins bursting through into the kitchen this time, adorable grins on both of their faces as they stared back at Payton, she couldn't help but smile back at them, their smiles were just infectious and she was just in awe at them, that they were even in real, that once they had been in her stomach and they were her actual sisters, she wasn't the only child.
"Girls, what did I say..." Alaric warned them again, not wanting them to be apart of this and he wasn't sure how Payton felt.
"It's ok," Payton said back softly to her Dad, before she bent down to them, "hi."
"Hello." They both responded back shyly.
She looked back at them with tears in her eyes, as she went on, "I'm, um..."
"We know who you are." One of the twins answered smartly.
"Y-you do?" Payton was taken back that they did, as Alaric watched on from behind Payton with his heart aching, this was all that he had wanted for so long, his littlest girls to meet his biggest one.
"Yeah you're our big sister!" The other twin responded back with an even bigger grin than before.
She snapped her head round to Alaric with surprise, as she broke out into a smile, before turning back to the girls, "And you're my little ones."
"Will you stay and play?" One of the twins then asked her with hopeful eyes.
Payton felt the guilt hit her hard, knowing she couldn't stay and she most certainly could not play, "I, um..."
"Payton has to head off to go back to her job, you know, the one I always tell you about." Alaric tried to tell the girls.
"Another day?" The other twin asked with a big smile.
"I hope so," Payton said back to them softly, before going to lean back up and she turned back to her Dad, repeating again, "I hope so."
Alaric shone her a painful smile, thinking he had been thinking the same for the longest time, that she would come back to them one day, so they could be the family he had been earning for.
"Is it fixed yet?" One of the twins asked looking up at her Dad with pleading eyes.
Payton frowned slightly wondering what she was referring to, as Alaric glanced over to the kitchen table and Payton followed his eyes, a toy doll was laying out on it, a few screwdriver's and other tools around it, clearly it was what she was referring to.
"Not yet, sweetheart. And it's past your bedtime." Alaric pointed out after looking up at the clock, not realising he had been working so hard for so long and with the distraction of Payton turning up, he had lost track of the time.
"No!" One of the twins responded back cheekily causing Payton to smirk.
"Yes, it is." Alaric said back to them, trying to fight off a grin at how innocent they truly were even when they were pushing him.
Suddenly the doorbell rang again for the second time that night, causing Alaric to frown slightly, wondering who the hell it could be now, after Payton had turned up in the way she had and what she had told him had been going on, he couldn't help but worry there was trouble lurking behind the door.
"Uh, Payton, could you stay with them for a second?" Alaric said to his daughter, as she nodded back, picking up on his sudden unease, "I gotta get this."
"Sure, of course," Payton told him, nervously watching him leave the room and then going to look down at the two twins in front of her, "I hope you're not too much trouble for your Daddy."
"No." One of the twins answered smugly.
"I need you to look after him for me whilst I'm gone, ok? Just like you have been, ok?" Payton said to the two of them as they eagerly nodded back.
"Mommy makes sure we do!" The other grinned back.
Payton felt her stomach drop at the words 'Mommy', she had tried to not give too much thought into what had really happened with Alaric and Caroline, but clearly by the sides of it, a lot had happened and there was feeling just as sick as she did the day she learnt Caroline was helping him, looking cosy and at home with Alaric and her new twin sisters.
A painful reminder of one of the reasons as to why she walked away and chose Stefan.
But she had bigger problems right now, her vamp hearing picked up on a familiar voice, causing her to tuck her hair behind her ear and wonder over to the door way that lead through into the kitchen, the girls looked on interestedly, wondering what she was doing, but Payton was so concerned right now, she couldn't stay back.
"Damon." Alaric said back to his former friend, causing Payton to quickly storm out of the kitchen, worried why he was here.
Upon seeing Payton shoot out of the kitchen, the girls quickly followed her and came bundling over to their Dad, but the blonde one who Payton still didn't even know which one was, lingered beside Payton, clearly feeling safe around her already as Damon stared back at them in the doorway, Alaric already looked shaken up to see his former friend.
"Well, aren't you adordable?" Damon remarked to his friend, before looking back down at the girls, "you girls, too."
"Stay behind, Daddy and Payton," Alaric warned his children, as Payton also made sure they were safe.
"Why so gloomy? Looks like you got everything you wanted." Damon said after witnessing Alaric and Payton act to protective.
"What are you doing here, Damon?" Payton questioned the guy, an awful feeling in the pit of her stomach, "where's Stefan?"
"Payton told me he was waking you up." Her Dad added.
"Something real terrible happened and if you don't let me inside, something else might happen," Damon said to the two of them, before he looked around at the door, "so you gonna invite me in?"
Payton narrowed her eyes over to her Dad with an uneasy look but forceful look, he had to let him in, because Stefan should have been going to Damon, he should be with him and if he wasn't, then it means that Rayna caught up with him and if she did, then her whole world would be crashing down around her.
As Alaric stared hard at Damon and then allowed his eyes to fall back onto Payton, he could see the fear and pain in her eyes, and he knew he couldn't be selfish, he had to help her.
Drawing in a nervous breathe, Alaric turned back to Damon, knowing he would later live to regret this, but for now he allowed it, "You can come in."
After Damon was allowed entrance into their home, Payton went to sit the girls on through in the living room, not wanting to leave her Dad alone with Damon and her Dad not wanting to leave the girls or Payton alone with him either, so she sat them in the living room in front of the TV watching a kids show, whilst the adults went through into the kitchen to talk.
"So tell me, what thoughts go through a man's mind before he decides 'I think I'll take the ones with the roosters?'" Damon said as he walked away from staring at the drawings on the fridge to the tea towel on the kitchen island.
"I didn't pick those out." Alaric told him firmly.
"Enough of the small talk!" Payton hissed at Damon, as she gave him a concerned look, "where is Stefan?"
Alaric titled his head to the side when Damon reached across and pulled a piece of glitter off his friends face, "Hang on, Glitter."
"Yeah, well, it goes with the territory." Alaric defended himself, not in the mood for his friend's humour that night.
"Damon, please..." Payton begged, folding her arms now as she tried to hold back her tears, "where is he?"
"When's the last time you talked to your fiance?" Damon asked Alaric ignoring Payton once more.
"What?" Payton looked back at her Dad, distracted for a moment at Damon's choice of words, as she gave her Dad a disgusted look, "fiancé?"
"I see word travels fast," Alaric remarked at the fact that Damon knew about his and Caroline's engagement, he hadn't talked about it to Payton, she had no idea and he didn't want her to find out like this, but if tonight was anything to go by, there was a lot going to come out, "she texted me earlier today. Why?"
"What time was it?" Damon began to ask further, causing Payton to frown as Alaric's own confusion grew, "what's she say?"
Alaric pulled out his cell phone and began to click on his last text to Caroline, "12:18. Do we need bread?"
Payton stared back at Damon with frustration now, "Would someone please just tell me what the hell is going on? Where is Stefan?"
"Well, she's not answering her phone now," Damon said back to them both.
"Yeah, well, she doesn't like to answer the phone before a broadcast." Alaric informed him.
"A broadcast? Are you serious?" Payton looked back at her Dad, all of this fear and worry about where Stefan was, now they were revealing loads of shit about Caroline that she had no idea about, everything was making her head spin.
"Get her a blood bag, Ric." Damon remarked instantly sensing Payton's lack of ability to hold it together.
Alaric sighed lightly, going over to the refrigerator to get out a bag, "Fine. But tell her where Stefan is."
"I will but get your fiancé on the horn." Damon instructed in a stern tone.
"Please just tell me, Damon, one minute I'm about to get in my car to come pick you guys up and then I wake up in the middle of bunker with Matt Donavon torturing me, I just need to know he is safe." Payton pressed as her Dad came over to give her the bag.
As she went to take it from him, she noticed just how much she was shaking, Payton quickly took it from him and ripped it open, going to down it and needing every last drop of blood.
"I don't need to really tell you what's happened, do I?" Damon looked back at her with a knowing look, as he only then confirmed her worries, Rayna had got to him, "and it's only a matter of time before Caroline's the bait that's used to lure him out," Damon warned to the two of them.
Payton felt her stomach drop with fear not only for Stefan, but for Caroline too, now she was being caught up in this, "W-w-why Caroline?"
"Isn't it obvious? She was your guy's best friend. Stefan wouldn't give up on any of us. You and I are far too easy to use." Damon answered.
Payton quickly went over to the TV in the kitchen and turned it on to check in with Caroline's broadcast.
He went to go follow her, but Alaric pushed past him to go check out the TV, hoping Caroline was fine and safe, "Move."
Payton felt her stomach drop when she saw Caroline appear on the screen, she was tied up to a desk chair in front of the news desk, she looked shaken up and beaten, a bloody wound sat on her forehead, as she went, "We apologise for the interruption to your current program. My name is Caroline. I am a segment producer for KQBC News. Please listen carefully..."
"Oh my god.." Payton mumbled under her breathe in shock, as she narrowed her nervous eyes onto her Dad.
"Please listen carefully," Caroline continued on, as Alaric looked on in fear and Damon watched on curiously, "I have an urgent message for Stefan Salvatore."
"Oh, well, I guess the old ball and chain won't make it home for dinner, after all, will she?" Damon remarked to them both.
"We have to do something!" Payton exclaimed as the message kept playing throughout the TV, she couldn't stand to listen to Caroline's fearful voice speak and the thought of Stefan being chased down all over again, it was driving her crazy, the thought of him going back inside that hell stone for good and as much as her relationship with Caroline was a distant memory, she didn't want to see the girl caught up in this.
"You're not doing anything," Alaric warned his oldest daughter, as he switched off the TV and let out a large huff.
"Are you serious right?" She looked back at him with disbelief, this was Stefan they were on about, Payton wasn't going to not do anything.
"Someone need's to stay and look after the girls. I will go with Damon to sort this out and get Caroline back." He said back to her.
"No! Absolutely not! What are the girls going to think if you or Caroline don't come back?" Payton pointed out to him, as she turned to Damon, "I will come with you."
"No, Payton! I only just got you back!" Alaric yelled back at her.
"And I have been away for three years, not once have you bothered about my safety then, so don't bother worrying about it now!" She grumbled at him.
"You're not risking your life." He told her in an angry tone.
"I have been risking my life for the past three years I have been on the run! But neither are you. There are two little people who need at least one of their parents to come home tonight." She protested back.
"And there is a father stood here not wanting to let his daughter walk into the danger zone."
"I have been in the danger zone, Dad! I'm going whether you like it or not. I'm not letting this physco bitch hurt the man I love anymore." Payton stood her ground firmly.
It was a little too late in her opinion for him to start caring now.
"Please, Payton, I know I have a lot of making up to do, but god, I don't want to lose you again." Alaric said to her once more with a pained expression.
Exhaling loudly, she knew her Dad always meant well, but this time, he could not hold her back, Payton looked back at Damon, "Let's get out of here."
Damon nodded back at her, before going to head out of the door, Alaric went to call her back when she went to leave, "Payton..."
"Look, I will make sure I bring Caroline back," Payton said to him assuringly, knowing it was the least she could do, "and when I do, I will also be bringing back Stefan and putting that bitch Rayna down."
"Wait," He said once more, before digging his hand into his pocket and tossing her some keys, "take this. You're going to need it."
Payton nodded back at him in gratitude, before going to jog out of the door to catch up with Damon, at least they had Alaric's car to help them get there fast enough.
Author note: Eeeek a brand new part! And we've got to the part of the time jump. Thank you so much for taking the time to read :)
Special thanks to Djone246 and everylittleflowers for reviewing the last part. It means so much to me! I also love it when you call Payton out as she's not perfect and I definitely try not to write her in that way. She makes mistakes and hurts people.
I'd love to know your thoughts on this one!
Payton and Stefan marriage?
Damon and Payton teaming up to work together?
Thanks so much.
Best wishes always,
guiltypleasurexo