The black Porsche pulled up into the long driveway and Bonnie shut the
engine. She stepped out and shut the door, the keys jingling in her hand.
Pressing the button on the key chain the doors locked and Bonnie walked up
the path and into the house.
"I'm back," She called from the hall and placed the keys on a hook.
Stefan turned at the sound of Bonnie's voice. "Did you get the oil?"
She walked into the kitchen. "Yes. I found a little shop downtown."
He nodded.
Elena sighed. "Now it's time for you guys to get the hair and blood…Wait. How will you know which is Matt's and which is not? And don't police clean up the scene of the crime when they take out the body?"
"Not if it's recent enough. They probably still need to run tests," Stefan told her. "As for knowing which blood is Matt's and which isn't.... I'm not sure. We'll find a way."
Damon, who had been standing silent, finally said, "Isn't it a bout time we get a move on?"
"You're right. I guess we go now. Where does he live now?"
Bonnie spoke. "Still in Fells Church, only not his old home. He's moved into a much better house down on Magnolia Street. You know where that is, right?"
Stefan went to answer but Damon broke in with, "I do." He shot a glance at Elena that said, 'remember?'
Elena made a wry face and then said seriously, "Be safe and don't do anything stupid."
He laughed then and it was a genuine laugh that she hadn't heard in a long time. It was inviting and as always the laughter touched his eyes. Her heart thudded hard as it did when she really noticed how beautiful he really was.
"Me? Do anything stupid? Never."
"I'm serious! Please just do what you need to and save the bickering with Stefan for some other time."
The laughter faded from his eyes and they were hard and serious once more. Elena felt chilled at how quickly his emotions changed. "I told you I would. For once trust what I say, Elena."
Elena's eyes dropped to the floor. She wondered if she always snapped at him like that or made him feel she didn't trust him. At the moment she felt guilty.
But then she raised her eyes as he said to her, "We don't have time for such things."
She raised her eyes back up to his again and pulled him into an embrace. His arms went around her waist lightly. Elena's voice was slightly muffled by his neck as she said, "Sorry I snapped. Promise me you'll watch out for him and you'll cooperate. That's all I ask."
"Promise." Damon pulled away and Elena stepped back.
Stefan hadn't been paying any attention because at the moment he was focused on Bonnie who was looking panic stricken again. "Be careful. And if the cops come then leave. And don't forget-"
"Bonnie!" Stefan reprimanded. She closed her mouth and her shoulders slumped.
"Relax. I'll be fine. Okay?"
"Oh all right. I just don't kn-"
"If you don't calm yourself we'll never get out of here. The sooner we leave, the quicker this will be over with."
The redhead nodded finally, if not reluctantly, and smiled waveringly. "Go on then."
"We'll be back soon." Stefan gave the small girl a hug and she clutched him so close he could smell the shampoo she had used still clinging to her curls. She acted as if it might be the last time he ever saw her. Suddenly he felt rather saddened, wondering if this would distress her too much. But he knew he had to go.
He breathed in the heady sent for a moment. Bonnie stepped back and looked at him. He lowered his lips to hers in a soft kiss that lingered long enough to make Elena, who'd been watching, think that possibly Stefan was finally accepting she wouldn't go back to him.
Stefan untangled his fingers from Bonnie's curls and Elena glanced away quickly, studied the marbled floor and her slip on shoes, as to not be caught invading their moment.
Stefan nodded to Elena and Damon gave her a last glance as he followed after Stefan. Once in the hall Damon grabbed his keys from the table in the hall before Stefan could get his. "If I have to go, I drive."
Stefan shrugged. "Fine. I don't care just as long as we get this over with." He stepped outside onto the porch. Damon shut the door and walked down the step as Stefan added, "You know I don't want to be with you any more than you want to be with me."
"You know, _little brother_, if you don't shut your mouth-" He stopped as he recalled his promise. Throwing Stefan a searing look he continued to his car.
The doors unlocked with a click and a beeping from the button and he slid inside the drivers' side. "Well? Taking your time is not an option. Get in." He said to Stefan who was looking hesitant.
Finally, green eyes smoldering he got in.
Damon put the key in the ignition and glancing into the rearview mirror began pulling out of the driveway. Stefan stared out the window, brooding, as Damon rounded a corner and stopped at a red light.
"Good to know you at least obey traffic laws." Stefan muttered.
"If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut. Because my patience for you is limited and right now it's running out." Damon told Stefan. The light turned green.
Stefan made no comment.
"Back to good ol' Fells Church." Damon said with mock cheerfulness and in the passenger seat Stefan sat darkly.
"I'm back," She called from the hall and placed the keys on a hook.
Stefan turned at the sound of Bonnie's voice. "Did you get the oil?"
She walked into the kitchen. "Yes. I found a little shop downtown."
He nodded.
Elena sighed. "Now it's time for you guys to get the hair and blood…Wait. How will you know which is Matt's and which is not? And don't police clean up the scene of the crime when they take out the body?"
"Not if it's recent enough. They probably still need to run tests," Stefan told her. "As for knowing which blood is Matt's and which isn't.... I'm not sure. We'll find a way."
Damon, who had been standing silent, finally said, "Isn't it a bout time we get a move on?"
"You're right. I guess we go now. Where does he live now?"
Bonnie spoke. "Still in Fells Church, only not his old home. He's moved into a much better house down on Magnolia Street. You know where that is, right?"
Stefan went to answer but Damon broke in with, "I do." He shot a glance at Elena that said, 'remember?'
Elena made a wry face and then said seriously, "Be safe and don't do anything stupid."
He laughed then and it was a genuine laugh that she hadn't heard in a long time. It was inviting and as always the laughter touched his eyes. Her heart thudded hard as it did when she really noticed how beautiful he really was.
"Me? Do anything stupid? Never."
"I'm serious! Please just do what you need to and save the bickering with Stefan for some other time."
The laughter faded from his eyes and they were hard and serious once more. Elena felt chilled at how quickly his emotions changed. "I told you I would. For once trust what I say, Elena."
Elena's eyes dropped to the floor. She wondered if she always snapped at him like that or made him feel she didn't trust him. At the moment she felt guilty.
But then she raised her eyes as he said to her, "We don't have time for such things."
She raised her eyes back up to his again and pulled him into an embrace. His arms went around her waist lightly. Elena's voice was slightly muffled by his neck as she said, "Sorry I snapped. Promise me you'll watch out for him and you'll cooperate. That's all I ask."
"Promise." Damon pulled away and Elena stepped back.
Stefan hadn't been paying any attention because at the moment he was focused on Bonnie who was looking panic stricken again. "Be careful. And if the cops come then leave. And don't forget-"
"Bonnie!" Stefan reprimanded. She closed her mouth and her shoulders slumped.
"Relax. I'll be fine. Okay?"
"Oh all right. I just don't kn-"
"If you don't calm yourself we'll never get out of here. The sooner we leave, the quicker this will be over with."
The redhead nodded finally, if not reluctantly, and smiled waveringly. "Go on then."
"We'll be back soon." Stefan gave the small girl a hug and she clutched him so close he could smell the shampoo she had used still clinging to her curls. She acted as if it might be the last time he ever saw her. Suddenly he felt rather saddened, wondering if this would distress her too much. But he knew he had to go.
He breathed in the heady sent for a moment. Bonnie stepped back and looked at him. He lowered his lips to hers in a soft kiss that lingered long enough to make Elena, who'd been watching, think that possibly Stefan was finally accepting she wouldn't go back to him.
Stefan untangled his fingers from Bonnie's curls and Elena glanced away quickly, studied the marbled floor and her slip on shoes, as to not be caught invading their moment.
Stefan nodded to Elena and Damon gave her a last glance as he followed after Stefan. Once in the hall Damon grabbed his keys from the table in the hall before Stefan could get his. "If I have to go, I drive."
Stefan shrugged. "Fine. I don't care just as long as we get this over with." He stepped outside onto the porch. Damon shut the door and walked down the step as Stefan added, "You know I don't want to be with you any more than you want to be with me."
"You know, _little brother_, if you don't shut your mouth-" He stopped as he recalled his promise. Throwing Stefan a searing look he continued to his car.
The doors unlocked with a click and a beeping from the button and he slid inside the drivers' side. "Well? Taking your time is not an option. Get in." He said to Stefan who was looking hesitant.
Finally, green eyes smoldering he got in.
Damon put the key in the ignition and glancing into the rearview mirror began pulling out of the driveway. Stefan stared out the window, brooding, as Damon rounded a corner and stopped at a red light.
"Good to know you at least obey traffic laws." Stefan muttered.
"If I were you, I'd keep my mouth shut. Because my patience for you is limited and right now it's running out." Damon told Stefan. The light turned green.
Stefan made no comment.
"Back to good ol' Fells Church." Damon said with mock cheerfulness and in the passenger seat Stefan sat darkly.