Author's Note: Just some fluff. Story format changes slightly after the fighting. Reviews are love!

After Elijah's deal, Elena thought that life would get back to normal. She and Stefan would finally have room to breathe, to enjoy life, together. And for a while, they did.

Then they started to fight.

The first was over Elena's visit to Katharine. She had wanted to understand more about the turmoil surrounding the Petrova line, the Originals, and the Curse of the Sun and the Moon. Katharine seemed the perfect resource, compelled to stay in the tomb, and she could always bribe her with blood from Damon's stash.

Stefan didn't quite see it the same way.

"She's a liar, Elena! She's the last person you want to ask about this!" Stefan shouted emphatically.

"Stefan, she has no reason to lie to me! She's helped before!" Elena tried to reason.

Stefan growled and turned away, pacing angrily.

"It's not a good idea Elena. And I can't believe you did this without me! She's dangerous!" He growled.

"She's compelled to stay in the tomb! It's the same as if the spell was still in place! And I didn't mean to leave you out, I just didn't think you'd want to come!" Elena cried, getting frustrated.

"That's not the point! You need to be kept safe! Who knows who found out Katharine is in there by now, you could have been someone's lunch!" He shouted.

"Whoah!" Elena shouted back, "I am not some child who needs babysat all hours of the day! I'm fully capable of taking care of myself!"

"Elena, that's not what I meant…" Stefan said, backpedalling.

"Yes, Stefan, it is. All I was trying to do was find out more about this whole mess without drawing any extra attention to us!" Elena was screaming at this point, angry at Stefan for treating her as an incompetent child.

Stefan plopped on the couch, wind taken from his sails by the logic of Elena's reasons.

Elena, however, was still angry.

"You know what, Stefan? I'm tired of being treated like a doll."

With that, she turned around and stormed out.

The second, third, and fourth were about her friendship with Damon.

After he came for her in Richmond they had rekindled their friendship. It was easy to be around Damon, he was teasing, relaxed, fun. She loved Stefan with everything she had but sometimes a girl just needed to let loose.

Stefan didn't like the fact that Elena and Damon were close. He knew how Damon felt about Elena and wasn't entirely sure about what his brother's plans were as far as those feelings were concerned. Damon was unpredictable at best, there was no telling what he might do when blinded by love.

The fights generally started with Elena mentioning something silly, or funny, or ridiculous that happened, or was said, while she was with Damon. That usually started Stefan off about how much he disliked her spending time with Damon.

That was enough to get a rip-roaring fight started.

Elena always defended Damon, arguing that he was changing, that spending time together was harmless, that they were nothing more than friends.

Stefan argued his experience with Damon, his history, everything and anything, trying to get her to see without divulging his brother's secret. Isobel had let the cat out of the bag awhile back, but he didn't think that Elena had taken that seriously.

These fights never really resolved. They left them both emotionally exhausted and stuck that the same impasse they had been at before the fight.

"I hate fighting with you, Stefan." Elena murmured from across his bedroom after their third fight on the subject. She was staring out the window, facing away from him.

"I don't like this any more than you do, Elena." Stefan sighed, moving towards her.

When he went to put his arms around her, she held out a hand to keep him away. The pang he felt resonated throughout his being and was clearly evident on his face.

"Elena..." He started.

"No, Stefan. I can't keep this up. I need a break. I need to figure out what's worth fighting for anymore." She lifted her face to his as she spoke, the pain of the words reflected in her eyes. "I don't want to hurt you, but this hurts both of us more."

He nodded, eyes full of sadness and pain. He watched as she grabbed her purse and headed out of his room.

When Elena got home she paced back and forth, the emotional exhaustion manifesting as nervous energy. After trying to be distracted by the internet, music, a book, her journal, and simply lying on her bed, she finally pulled out her phone and dialed Caroline.

Halfway through the second ring Elena hung up. If she was being honest with herself, Caroline was not who she wanted to talk to. She wanted to talk to Damon.

Damon would be able to cheer her up, get her out of her funk. So why was she so hesitant to call him?

Shaking off the strange feeling, Elena grabbed her phone off the bed and hit Damon's speed-dial.

"Hello gorgeous, what can I do for you tonight?" Damon answered suggestively, and almost immediately.

"Hey Damon, can you come get me? I'm at the house. Stefan and I got into it again and I just need a time-out."

Damon grinned into the phone, their codename for a mini-road trip, burgers and beer (possibly leading to some shots, but that was a rarity). It had stemmed from their impromptu road trip to Georgia. Now they kept it local, usually just to the next town over so they wouldn't be recognized as easily (and Elena wouldn't get caught drinking underage).

"Be there in fifteen."

Elena clicked the phone off and changed into a fresh pair of jeans and a clean t-shirt. She combed her hair and touched up her makeup, which had been messy from her unshed tears during her and Stefan's fight. She heard a knock at the door and headed downstairs, grabbing her purse off the floor.

Damon smirked and offered his arm as she opened the door—she rolled her eyes—but surprised him, and herself, by accepting it. They walked to his car, he opened the door for her and she climbed in, he shut it once he was sure she was in, and vampire-sped to the other side of the car.

"Ready for a great time out?" He asked, smirking once more.

She smiled half-heartedly and leaned her head back against the head rest, pushing her hair out of her face with her hands and closing her eyes.

Damon frowned, usually she was in a better mood for these, and sped off into the night.