Chapter 3
"Where have you been?"
Elena wished desperately that Stefan hadn't _ actually _ asked _ that _. She took off her coat and put it in the closet. Why was life so complicated?
She walked into the bedroom and stood in the doorway. She knew that Stefan would notice the change in her.
His green eyes widened with shock. Elena noticed the pain flash through the now dark emerald eyes. Stefan's eyes slid closed, and he took a deep, shaky breath. Elena prayed that she hadn't made a big mistake.
"Why?" Stefan was angry. That much was clear. But Elena could sense the pain in his voice, and she felt guilt building up inside.
"Stefan, don't you get it? If I had stayed human, eventually I'd grow old while you stayed young. I did it for us." Elena pleaded. She went on before he could interrupt. "I can't go back home; I'll never see my family again either. I love you Stefan, and I want us to be together _ forever _ this time. I don't want anything to come between us, especially death." Elena sighed, adding, "We've had enough of that all ready."
Stefan was completely focused on her, eyes riveted with attention. He didn't speak and Elena took it as an invitation to go on.
"Since you wouldn't do it, I arranged a meeting in the graveyard back in Fells Church with Damon." She swallowed thickly. "But—"
Stefan's eyes flashed with anger. " _Damon?! _"
"He was the only other person who could do it."
"So you went behind my back to my _brother! _ My _ brother! _" Stefan was infuriated, and she could see his hands clenched into fists. She wasn't afraid for herself— Stefan would never hurt her— but she was afraid for Stefan— and the window.
"Please, Stefan, just calm down!"
Abruptly, he got up, a scowl distorting his handsome features.
"What the _ hell _ were you thinking?! Do you really want Damon back in our lives?"
Elena's anger had reached its peak. "Would it be so horrible if I said yes?" she shouted.
Elena realized what she had done as the door slammed behind Stefan.
~*~*~*~
As much as Stefan hated using humans as food, he had no choice. He made it easy on the man, and he laid him gently on a bench. Then, he shifted into the form of a falcon, flying towards the presence of his brother.
Finally, after ten minutes of flying, Stefan spotted a Ferrari cruising down a dirt path. _ Good, no one else will see… _ Stefan could tell that his brother was driving; the car was going at least 100 miles an hour.
Stefan dove down, gaining momentum. He didn't stop as he neared the passenger window of the black car. In fact, he used his beak to smash straight through it. As he flew up, he could hear Damon swearing continuously as the car screeched to a halt. Even as a bird, Stefan could smell the burning rubber.
He saw Damon get out of the car. He wasn't surprised when Damon began shifting forms, but he was surprised by the form his brother chose.
A slick, black wolf growled viciously as Stefan perched on a branch.
_ Come down, brother; I won't bite… _ Damon's voice dripped sarcasm as the wolf grinned. Stefan knew it was a grin; it was too Damon not to be.
_ I suppose this is about my little… rendezvous with Elena. _
Stefan shifted into his human form, squatting on a branch just beyond his brother's reach.
_ Big mistake, _ Damon told him, lunging at him. Stefan's eyes widened as Damon shifted from wolf to crow mid-jump.
Stefan ducked out of the way just in time, avoiding having his eyes pecked out.
Damon dove to the ground, but when he landed, he was a man again.
"I suppose you want me to know how much you hate me, right?" Damon asked.
"Just how long with it take you to get over the fact that she chose _ me _ over you? She's _ mine, _ Damon; my girl."
Damon slammed Stefan into a tree, holding him in place by the throat. "Then tell me, little brother; what's so bad about having her for eternity?"
Stefan's eyes were confused. "What?"
"Damn it, you're an idiot! You have her forever now! Till the day you die, she'll be with you! I did you a favor! Damn you and your bad feelings! If you hadn't changed her and kept her with you, I would have!" Damon yelled.
Realization hit and suddenly Stefan knew his brother was right. He'd never really had a _ reason _ for not changing Elena. He'd hated himself for being a vampire for so long that the thought of Elena going through the same thing was enough reason for him.
Damon, seeing that he'd made his point, released Stefan and walked back to the car. He sat on the hood, staring at the night sky.
Stefan felt awkward; what was he supposed to say now?
"I don't love her, you idiot."
Stefan looked at Damon, bewildered and doubtful.
"I don't." Damon's voice was hard and emotionless.
"Then explain your fixation with her," Stefan said, but it was more of a request than a command.
"Damn it, Stefan, you've got even less of a brain than I thought. I do love her, but in a different way than you. Yeah, I love her, and if you weren't in the picture I'd have her. But it's not what she wants, or what you want for that matter. And I know when I'm kidding myself. She sees more in you than she does in me. And I accept that. Yeah, it hurts, but I'm a survivor; I'll get over her. You wouldn't. I'm gonna stop terrorizing the two of you for all our sakes."
Stefan was surprised by the amount of emotion Damon was revealing. But he still had unanswered questions.
"Why do you hate me so much?" Stefan asked. He was somewhat afraid of what the answer might be.
Damon sighed and said, "Too many reasons. But it isn't _ hate. _ Yeah, for a while I blamed you for our mother's death. But I got over that. Then there was Katherine. I didn't _ love _ her; I wanted her to ruin your life. You had our father's love _ and _ respect. Besides, it's the whole sibling thing. I want to kill you, but at the same time I want to protect you; like when Klaus beat the cr*p out of you. I, however, am sadistic, so it went one step further."
Stefan nodded. Knowing Damon, it was all true.
Damon got in the car, and Stefan knew that their "fight" was over.
"Thanks for trashing my car. By the way, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, there'll be hell to pay."
Stefan smiled as Damon drove away.
~*~*~*~
End Chapter 3.
1.1
"Where have you been?"
Elena wished desperately that Stefan hadn't _ actually _ asked _ that _. She took off her coat and put it in the closet. Why was life so complicated?
She walked into the bedroom and stood in the doorway. She knew that Stefan would notice the change in her.
His green eyes widened with shock. Elena noticed the pain flash through the now dark emerald eyes. Stefan's eyes slid closed, and he took a deep, shaky breath. Elena prayed that she hadn't made a big mistake.
"Why?" Stefan was angry. That much was clear. But Elena could sense the pain in his voice, and she felt guilt building up inside.
"Stefan, don't you get it? If I had stayed human, eventually I'd grow old while you stayed young. I did it for us." Elena pleaded. She went on before he could interrupt. "I can't go back home; I'll never see my family again either. I love you Stefan, and I want us to be together _ forever _ this time. I don't want anything to come between us, especially death." Elena sighed, adding, "We've had enough of that all ready."
Stefan was completely focused on her, eyes riveted with attention. He didn't speak and Elena took it as an invitation to go on.
"Since you wouldn't do it, I arranged a meeting in the graveyard back in Fells Church with Damon." She swallowed thickly. "But—"
Stefan's eyes flashed with anger. " _Damon?! _"
"He was the only other person who could do it."
"So you went behind my back to my _brother! _ My _ brother! _" Stefan was infuriated, and she could see his hands clenched into fists. She wasn't afraid for herself— Stefan would never hurt her— but she was afraid for Stefan— and the window.
"Please, Stefan, just calm down!"
Abruptly, he got up, a scowl distorting his handsome features.
"What the _ hell _ were you thinking?! Do you really want Damon back in our lives?"
Elena's anger had reached its peak. "Would it be so horrible if I said yes?" she shouted.
Elena realized what she had done as the door slammed behind Stefan.
~*~*~*~
As much as Stefan hated using humans as food, he had no choice. He made it easy on the man, and he laid him gently on a bench. Then, he shifted into the form of a falcon, flying towards the presence of his brother.
Finally, after ten minutes of flying, Stefan spotted a Ferrari cruising down a dirt path. _ Good, no one else will see… _ Stefan could tell that his brother was driving; the car was going at least 100 miles an hour.
Stefan dove down, gaining momentum. He didn't stop as he neared the passenger window of the black car. In fact, he used his beak to smash straight through it. As he flew up, he could hear Damon swearing continuously as the car screeched to a halt. Even as a bird, Stefan could smell the burning rubber.
He saw Damon get out of the car. He wasn't surprised when Damon began shifting forms, but he was surprised by the form his brother chose.
A slick, black wolf growled viciously as Stefan perched on a branch.
_ Come down, brother; I won't bite… _ Damon's voice dripped sarcasm as the wolf grinned. Stefan knew it was a grin; it was too Damon not to be.
_ I suppose this is about my little… rendezvous with Elena. _
Stefan shifted into his human form, squatting on a branch just beyond his brother's reach.
_ Big mistake, _ Damon told him, lunging at him. Stefan's eyes widened as Damon shifted from wolf to crow mid-jump.
Stefan ducked out of the way just in time, avoiding having his eyes pecked out.
Damon dove to the ground, but when he landed, he was a man again.
"I suppose you want me to know how much you hate me, right?" Damon asked.
"Just how long with it take you to get over the fact that she chose _ me _ over you? She's _ mine, _ Damon; my girl."
Damon slammed Stefan into a tree, holding him in place by the throat. "Then tell me, little brother; what's so bad about having her for eternity?"
Stefan's eyes were confused. "What?"
"Damn it, you're an idiot! You have her forever now! Till the day you die, she'll be with you! I did you a favor! Damn you and your bad feelings! If you hadn't changed her and kept her with you, I would have!" Damon yelled.
Realization hit and suddenly Stefan knew his brother was right. He'd never really had a _ reason _ for not changing Elena. He'd hated himself for being a vampire for so long that the thought of Elena going through the same thing was enough reason for him.
Damon, seeing that he'd made his point, released Stefan and walked back to the car. He sat on the hood, staring at the night sky.
Stefan felt awkward; what was he supposed to say now?
"I don't love her, you idiot."
Stefan looked at Damon, bewildered and doubtful.
"I don't." Damon's voice was hard and emotionless.
"Then explain your fixation with her," Stefan said, but it was more of a request than a command.
"Damn it, Stefan, you've got even less of a brain than I thought. I do love her, but in a different way than you. Yeah, I love her, and if you weren't in the picture I'd have her. But it's not what she wants, or what you want for that matter. And I know when I'm kidding myself. She sees more in you than she does in me. And I accept that. Yeah, it hurts, but I'm a survivor; I'll get over her. You wouldn't. I'm gonna stop terrorizing the two of you for all our sakes."
Stefan was surprised by the amount of emotion Damon was revealing. But he still had unanswered questions.
"Why do you hate me so much?" Stefan asked. He was somewhat afraid of what the answer might be.
Damon sighed and said, "Too many reasons. But it isn't _ hate. _ Yeah, for a while I blamed you for our mother's death. But I got over that. Then there was Katherine. I didn't _ love _ her; I wanted her to ruin your life. You had our father's love _ and _ respect. Besides, it's the whole sibling thing. I want to kill you, but at the same time I want to protect you; like when Klaus beat the cr*p out of you. I, however, am sadistic, so it went one step further."
Stefan nodded. Knowing Damon, it was all true.
Damon got in the car, and Stefan knew that their "fight" was over.
"Thanks for trashing my car. By the way, if you breathe a word of this to anyone, there'll be hell to pay."
Stefan smiled as Damon drove away.
~*~*~*~
End Chapter 3.
1.1