A/N: I do not own The Vampire Diaries Franchise. This story is merely a byproduct of my escapism.

Elena leant against the countertop as she watched the two Salvatores argue in front of her, and refrained from rubbing her temples. A pounding headache had started up since she had returned home from the dance, and the vampires across from her were not helping matters.

As her mind went back to the absolute disaster that had been the decade dance, she barely withheld a shudder as the terror and panic she had felt almost overwhelmed her now that the adrenaline had drained from her system.

Elena held onto her composure by a thread as her boyfriend and his brother continued to argue, not noticing her inching towards a breakdown.

"–but how sure are we that he had no one else helping him? Didn't you hear what he said? We are not the only ones wanting to open the tomb," argued Damon.

Stefan sighed and pinched his nose, " I agree with you on this one but all I'm saying is that we don't need to worry about that tonight, okay?"

"Fine," huffed Damon, and then turned to her. "Are you okay, Elena? That dick did throw you around a bit."

At his words, Stefan came closer with a visibly worried face, hesitation in his movements, as if worried his touch might hurt her even more.

As she opened her mouth to reassure them that all she had were some bruises, she heard the front door being opened.

Curious as to who was coming in as her aunt and brother were upstairs, she cautiously entered the living room, only to be struck dumb by the sight in front of her. Stefan and Damon tensed at her back where they had followed her from the kitchen.

Hands in his pockets, a crooked smile on his face, Alexander Gilbert said, "Hey Elle. I'm back."

As soon as those words left his mouth, she flung herself at him.

"Oof," Alex grunted, smile growing wider as he caught her and spun her around. As he settled her back on the ground, she tightened her grip on him as his hands cradled her tenderly. As her twin's familiar scent reached her, all of the terror and anxiety she had felt those past few months came back rushing over her, and she promptly burst into tears.

Alarmed by her tears, Alex immediately scooped her up and pushed past the two vampires (and what the fuck had happened in the three months he had been away in New York that there were vampires hanging around his beloved little sister?) and sat on the sofa with her curled up on his lap.

Adjusting his hold on her to be able to run his fingers through her hair, he crooned, "Shh, Braveheart, it's going to be alright, I'm here now. I'll take care of everything now that I'm back. I'm sorry I left you to deal with it all alone. I'm here now."

He continued to soothe her, her hiccupping sobs slowly lessening as she relaxed into his hold.

As Alex listened to his younger twin's cries, a slow, frigid rage started building up inside him. Whoever had pushed his Elle into a minor breakdown would suffer his wrath. And he had an inkling as to just who to blame, he thought as he eyed the two men across them.

Up till now, he had ignored the two vampires in his house to focus on his sister. Lifting his eyes to meet the confused but hostile gazes of the vampires, he tilted his head as he observed the two but kept his face absolutely blank.

"Who the hell are you?" demanded the blue eyed vampire, hostility seeping through his words.

Alex sneered at that but replied, " I'm Alexander, and as this is my house, I should be asking who the hell are you two, and what exactly are you doing in my house."

Understanding dawned on the other one's face.

"You are Elena's twin brother."

"Bingo."

"Elena has a twin?" asked Blue-eyes incredulously.

"Yes and he is still waiting on your answer, gentlemen."

At his snappish reply, the brown haired one straightened up and said, "I'm Stefan Salvatore, and this is my older brother, Damon."

At his words, Alex's gaze sharpened.

"Stefan...so you must be my sister's new beau. As for you," Alex narrowed his eyes at the one called Damon, "The last I know of, Elle despised you. Now here you are, all but making yourself at home here."

As Alex and Damon sneered at each other, Stefan shifted his attention to the brunette in Alex's arms. Her cries had decreased to intermittent sniffles, but she showed no sign of detaching herself from her brother. His brow was furrowed with concern and worry for Elena.

Noticing the vampire's attention shifting to his sister, Alex tightened his arms around his Elle.

"It's better if you two gentlemen leave now. This matter does not concern you." Alex stated firmly, his tone indicating that it was not a suggestion.

"But.." Stefan protested slightly, glancing at Elena.

"Leave. She is in good hands," Alex said, tone softening somewhat at the naked concern in Stefan's eyes for Elena.

With one last look at her, the two brothers left, with Stefan needing to prompt Damon slightly to get him moving. The older vampire followed him without saying a word, his eyes flashing with an unidentifiable emotion.

As the door closed behind the two vampires, Alex closed his eyes as he buried his face into his twin's hair and inhaled her relaxing scent, a fragrance of lilies and vanilla. His senses had always been a little more enhanced than humans, and this familiar scent of home relaxed something in him.

While he was very close to his little brother and mother (his father was a completely different can of worms which he didn't particularly want to open), his twin had always been his other half, his partner-in-crime, the yin to his yang. There was no one closer to his heart, though his magic did come a close second. And so seeing her crying her heart out in his arms broke his heart.

Swallowing the upwelling of shame for his abandonment of his siblings after their parent's deaths (though his siblings would never think of it as abandonment, he always would, he was supposed to be the oldest, the most responsible one), Alex rubbed her back in comfort as Elena sniffled against his shoulder.

After a while, Elena pulled back and wiped her eyes with her hands. As she made to get up from his lap, Alex tightened his arms around her.

Looking down at her tear stained face, his mien softened and he kissed her brow.

"Hey Braveheart. Feeling better?" He asked, softly.

Hearing the barely hidden concern in her Alex's voice made her smile softly, love for her twin welling up inside her.

As his worried grey eyes gazed down at her, she replied, "Yes, I'm feeling better, surprisingly. I needed that, I think."

And she meant it. Her mini breakdown had lessened the stress on her mind. The fact that Alex had come back eased some of the worry and fear constantly present inside of her. She had always felt that she could take on the world with Alex beside her.

His eyes lightened at her admission.

"I'm glad to hear it, Elle. Will you be able to tell me what troubles you or should we table this conversation for tomorrow? Anything is fine with me. I don't want to pressure you."

Immediately she shook her head. No, she wanted to tell him. If she waited till tomorrow, odds were, she would talk herself out of relying on him.

She was relieved to be able to tell someone of the horrors she had seen over the course of the past few months. She did not even think of hiding anything from her twin.

"Everything began on the first day of school…" She started explaining.

A/N: Please review!