Chapter 1 - Wickery Bridge

It wasn't that long ago that Elena and I had left the party down at the quarry, we were supposed to be at home with our family but we both decided to ditch family night and go to the quarry and be with our friends at the party that was being thrown, curtesy of Tyler. In which, you can only imagine, didn't go so well when Elena was having another spat with her boyfriend Matt. They had been drifting apart for some time now, I could see it, everyone could see it. It was only a matter of time before my sister would break the boys heart, he was so in love with her it just didn't seem like the feelings were reciprocated back to him anymore.

As we walked to the road, the night was dark and a little cold. I regretted not bringing a jacket or cardigan, settling on a black long sleeve top that hugged my body a little too tightly and my straight jet black hair fell over my shoulders giving my neck a little warmth but obviously not enough to keep me warm.

I looked to Elena and I could see the sadness in her eyes, I couldn't help myself and wrapped a reassuring arm around her shoulders and her arm wrapped around my waist. I'm glad I was able to get her away from the party before it got any worse between her and Matt.

"I called mom, her and dad are picking us up" I gave my sister the tightest side hug and she squeezed me back, making a small smile spread on both of our faces as we walked to the side of the road and waited for our parents.

We didn't have to wait long, we both turned as our parents car approached and we were both in the back seat and in the warmth of our parents vehicle. Elena and I were holding hands and had them resting on the middle seat between us. Elena and I had always had that twin sister love for one another, when one was hurting, so was the other. We weren't just sisters, we were best friends. We spent every waking moment together and being the same age definitely helped with our circle of friends all being the same, it was like a family in its own.

"Thanks for picking us up", I spoke out in the silent car, knowing too well Elena wasn't going to because she was still in her own little world, gazing out the car window.

"It's no worries, darling" our mom, Miranda spoke and turned her head slightly to give me a side smile. She nudged her head towards Elena and I knew she was asking me silently 'What happened'. I just rolled my eyes and shook my head to say 'I'll tell you later'.

It was a couple minutes after that, that our father was just idly chatting with our mom. I was staring out my side window at the cold night when our mom practically screamed, "Grayson, look out". I looked to my sister for a brief moment and then I felt it, our car had lost control on the icy road and out my window all I saw were the headlights coming straight towards us from another car and the screeching of breaks which done nothing to slow the oncoming vehicle. I was numb, my head was foggy and then pain, the metal from the door was in the lower half of my leg and then weightlessness as our car went straight off the side of Wickery Bridge. I could see the water coming closer and I looked at Elena. My heart was in my throat as we crashed into the water, causing all of our bodies to jerk forward. All I could hear, and somehow didn't realise it was me, was an ear piercing scream. The door on my side where the metal was through one side and out the other side of my left leg, had moved even more with the impact of the water.

All I remember was, it was cold and there was so much blood in the water that was quickly gushing into the car. I looked to my right and I could feel the absence deep in my gut, my sister, she had her eyes open but there was nothing there. I was in shock from the accident and from seeing Elena and everything went black just as I started to feel the icy water reach my throat.

In that blackness all I could see were green eyes, that was it. That's all I saw.

When I woke, my eyes, they hurt so bad and my throat was so dry and saw like something had been shoved down it. It took me a while to fully open my glazed eyes, they were heavy, I could see the bright lights above me through my blinking and blurry eyes. 'What had happened?'

I couldn't remember the accident, I couldn't remember past the last time I looked at my sister in the back seat of the car. I couldn't remember anything apart from the searing pain in my leg which wasn't there anymore. I looked to my right, Aunt Jenna was there in the seat next to me holding my hand, she looked to be asleep. It took me a moment but I squeezed her hand, she sat up straight like she hadn't just been sleeping and her eyes were red and blood shot and the bags under her eyes were a clear indication of what happened made her upset and had little sleep. Her eyes caught my open brown eyes, indicating I was awake. She didn't say anything to me, she whaled and just about jumped on me, hugging me for dear life, making me wheeze because it hurt a little and tear up also at how happy but yet sad she was.

"What happened?" My voice was hoarse and it hurt to speak, she pulled back from me, tears still falling down her cheeks. "Where's Elena? Where's my parents?" All I could think was, where were they. If Jenna was here by my bedside, why wasn't anyone else.

"I'm sorry Emilia.." she paused, why did she pause, "they.. you are the only one that survived".

I couldn't hold back my sob as my hand came to my mouth, I had to move the oxygen tube from my nose and behind my Aunt I looked up and there stood the most fragile looking boy I had ever seen. "Jere.." I whimpered and he came barreling to me next to Jenna and they were both hugging me, crying, happy to see I was okay and awake but the emotions of losing our family weighed us all down.

After we had all somewhat calmed down from our crying, I noticed something else was off, not with them but with me and it didn't take me long to notice that something was missing. My leg.. "My leg.." I thought and voiced aloud. That was when my doctor had walked into the room, it took some time for him to explain what happened and the procedure but it seemed that during the accident, my leg was so badly injured that it just couldn't be saved. He said the reason I couldn't remember the accident was to do with the trauma, something to do with ptsd and losing my family. He also told me about what I would need to do for rehabilitation, but I think I blanked him out at some point because he was mainly talking to my Aunt Jenna. I zoned out, staring at the ceiling. Thinking. Green eyes, was all I could remember when I closed my eyes, why is that so prominent in my memory but the accident was gone.

For the first few days after the accident, I made it very clear that I didn't want to see anyone, I had heard Caroline and Bonnie were constantly begging Jenna to let them come in and see me. Even Tyler, Matty and Vicki were with them one time. My room was starting to look like a weird zoo/botanic garden and it pained me to open my eyes and see Jenna walking in the room with yet another stuffed animal with a balloon on its arm saying 'Get well soon'. She would always give me a pained, 'Sorry Em' and I just would wave her off and make sure to phone the person sending me gifts and thank them while they also gave me their condolences.

After those few days, it was Caroline who came running first, she had sad eyes the whole time but she smiled and in turn I felt a small smile tug on my lips, she could be so infectious sometimes, but of course the sadness was still there. I was sure that pain would never go away. I did have one request of her if she was coming though, that was, no gifts just fries and a cheeseburger because let's face it.. Hospital food is horrendous.

"So how's your.. leg" she asked as I popped one of the salty delicious potato sticks into my mouth. I was sitting up now in my regular clothes consisting of a pair of black sport shorts that where very high up on my thigh so the doctors and nurses could have easy access to my bandage around the stump of my leg where my knee used to be. Jeremy had loaned me a black sweatshirt of his to wear while I was in hospital. It made me think of home, where I desperately wanted to be right now.

"It's okay" I nodded, looking down then back up at her, she could see right through me. "Okay, it's not okay, I know in my mind that it's not there but somewhere deep inside if I willed myself to wiggle my toes, it feels like I'm wiggling my toes. It's bizarre" the doctors called it 'phantom limb' something like that. They said the feeling might go away or it might not, depending on the person really.

Caroline nodded slowly, "Did they ever find out who saved you?".

We both continued eating the fries and I shook my head, "The.. person who hit us said they could see someone drag me out of the water, they turned for like 2 seconds and they were gone" I looked at Caroline and she smiled sadly.

"I'm glad they did" Caroline spoke softly, her eyes welled up with tears as did my own and we just hugged and hugged. That was pretty much my whole day and I was so shocked and happy when Bonnie burst into my room as well half way through the day.

It was a good distraction to see everyone, it was in no way easy either. Each one of them who came to see me were always giving me sad eyes, filled with pity. I get and understand why, I lost my parents and my twin sister Elena. Oh how I longed to see her, when I looked in the mirror, I saw her eyes, which were mine. Elena and I were very similar in looks but we had our differences, our eyes, cheeks and face were the same except I had fuller lips and I dyed my hair so that if people approached from behind, at least they could tell us apart. I was also a bit curvier in my hips as opposed to Elena's small physique. So in hindsight, when I looked in the mirror, I was always reminded of her.

Finally after now being in hospital for 8 days now, in 3 days they were letting me go home. It would have been an extra 5 but luckily for me, because I am physically fit, they said I would cope a lot easier than others. Which was a huge thumbs up in my books.

Everyone had left for the day and I was thankful for that, I love my friends and I loved Aunt Jenna and Jeremy but it was smothering me. Sometimes it was nice to be alone, I finally got a chance to shower after a couple days of not wanting to go through the gruelling task of going into the bathroom. I wasn't allowed to get my bandage wet so I had a seat that I sat on while showering and used the handheld shower head to clean myself. I was back in my usual attire of sport shorts and a baggy oversized sweatshirt when I walked out of the bathroom, well hopped, with a crutch under my arm to help me walk. I heard a cough as I set my clothes down on my bag that was by the end of my bed.

"Liz" I smiled brightly, she walked into the room and engulfed me in a hug.

"I already told you Emilia, call me Sherif while I'm in uniform" she joked with me, I just nodded with a smile not fully reaching my eyes.

"Emilia.." Liz started and it caught my attention, I looked to her as I sat down on the side of my bed. "There is actually someone here I think you should meet.." she paused again. Why did people do that when they spoke to me, it's like they're waiting for me to magically figure out what they were going to say or I was going to combust. "He was the one that saved you".

My eyes went big and my mouth was dry, I swallowed the lump that was in my throat and I nodded to her. She went to the hallway just outside my door and was speaking to someone, I could barely make out their hushed voices. I sat on the edge of my bed, playing with the end of my still wet hair that hung over one shoulder. I was nervous, I don't know, maybe because I owed this person my life.

I looked up and I looked at him as he walked into my room he was.. handsome and looked my age. Neat but a little rough mousy brown hair and strong features, as he got closer. I noticed his eyes, green coloured eyes, I remembered those eyes. "I-I remember you" I spoke so soft, I wasn't sure if he even heard me, but he did because he nodded at my statement with his hands in his pockets, almost nervous himself.

"I came to see how you were!" He spoke in a calming tone, his eyebrows creased on his forehead, he looked somewhat concerned for me.

"I've been better.." was my only response, this guy I didn't know had saved me. Out of everyone in the vehicle, he chose me. I wish I could remember what happened.

"Will it grow back?" I looked at him confused like he had two heads, there was a small smile at the corner of his lips which obviously indicated he was joking.

Of course I smiled, if he was trying to cheer me up, it worked.. a little.

I got up from my spot on the bed, using my crutch for support, I noticed him take a few steps towards me to help me get up but I waved him off and he stopped. Yes I was still in pain but the more I moved, it helped. I used my crutch to walk up to the stranger in front of me and I stopped and engulfed him into a tight hug, my arms fully wrapped around his torso. I felt his rigid stance at first but it softened and surprisingly he hugged me back, thanking god he did otherwise the fact that I loosened my grip on my crutch to do so, I would have fallen. "Thank you, I will be forever grateful" I spoke softly. While I hugged this strange person for saving me, out of the corner of my eye I could see Liz standing just outside my door to obviously keep an eye on me. She caught my glance and gave me a nod as she wiped a stray tear that had slid down her cheek, she stepped away from the door to give us some privacy. I pulled away, as did he and balanced myself on my crutch and turned back to my bed to take a seat, it was definitely going to take some time to get used to this.

"I'm Stefan by the way, Stefan Salvatore" I raised an eyebrow, where have I heard that last name before.

"Are you related to Zach?" Surely he had to be, it wasn't like Salvatore was a popular last name.

He nodded, "He's my uncle, actually".

Of course he was, which I kind of already guessed that much. "I'm Emilia Gilbert.. but something tells me you already knew that or you wouldn't be here". He nodded only to confirm my suspicion, he probably got this information from the news or at least from Liz when he approached her to come see me.

I watched as he walked even further into the room and sat in the armchair next to my bed, he sat forward looking at me with his elbows resting on his knees and his hands clasped together in front of him. He still looked so rigid and tense.

"I'm sorry" he broke my thoughts and I looked at him questioningly, you'd think I'd have gotten used to people apologising to me by now, even though what happened was no ones fault.

"What for?" I asked gently, I was curious to what he was sorry for.

And he proceeded to tell me every detail about how he saw the accident and the car flying into the water and that he was right there, my dad wordlessly telling Stefan to not worry about him but to save his daughters. He wanted his baby girls saved instead of himself, he pulled us both out but it was too late for Elena. She was already gone but apparently I had a lot of fight in me. He was sorry he didn't stick around when the ambulance showed, something about the sight of blood made him sick, which I understand. But it didn't matter now, he was here and as tears rolled down my cheeks I rested a hand on his arm and he looked up at me, a brooding but solemn look in his eyes.

"I'm alive.." my voice came out hoarse as it was heavy with emotion, "…because of you". I spoke simply. He rested a hand on top of my hand that was still on his arm and nodded once.

[AN- Please don't hate me too much for doing that to Elena, I have plans for her later on if this story gets readers. There's a lot of angst and hurt at the moment but it will improve as I have already written the next chapter. All constructive criticism welcome, this is my first published fanfic so a little nervous]