"You _WHAT_?!"
Elena cringed. Stefan was enraged. But she had expected it.
"I've been sleeping with Damon," she repeated quietly.
"My God, Elena! WHY?" he screamed.
She found her voice. "Stefan, you need to understand," she pleaded.
"Understand? What the HELL is there to _understand_?! I think I pretty much get it, Elena."
She shook her head. "I never wanted to hurt you."
Her husband looked about ready to smash the window and snap the coffee table into toothpicks.
She felt hot tears forming behind her eyes and she let them come. "Please," she whispered, desperately.
He looked at her then; her voice seemed to make something click. His face softened slightly.
"Elena, I gave you everything I could, from the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. I gave you everything I thought you wanted. I guess I was wrong. You'll never change. You always want what you can't have. But you got it this time, didn't you?"
Stefan sounded deflated, as though he'd finally accepted the final utter failure his fate was giving him.
"Stefan," she murmured quietly, trying to breathe around the lump that had formed in her throat and the steel hand that seemed to be clamping around her heart. "I know you did. And I do love you, Stefan. You have to know that. And I thank you for everything you gave me in life. I swear, if there was any way that I could be telling you this without hurting you, I'd do it. I never, ever, meant to hurt you."
"Are you doing this because I can't give you a baby?"
She shook her head again. "No. I realize that this isn't what I want. You gave me all you could, but it just wasn't enough."
"No. It never is, is it? Not with you, anyway," he told her softly. His eyes looked so lost, his face so anguished and full of longing, as if his very soul was being split in two.
Elena wanted to go to him, to tell him she was making a terrible mistake, to tell him that she loved him still and that she'd been a horrible, selfish woman to do this, but deep down inside, she knew what she had to do. Even if it meant having to hurt him.
"I thought I could make you happy. We almost had eternity. But I guess only a short time was all I got. That's the way it always is. It never changes, does it?" Stefan asked, his own eyes brimming.
"Oh, Stefan." Elena put her arms around him. She held him. "Please forgive me. Don't hate me."
"I could never hate you," he told her, and Elena knew he was crying.
"I'm leaving. I need to, Stefan."
He was silent.
"This just isn't what I need. I know you tried. And for a while I was happy."
"I know. I'm just sorry I couldn't make you happy for longer."
He'd lost her. Again. And this time he wouldn't get her back. It felt like Destiny was playing cruel games with his life. As though he'd been given Elena as just a taste of what he couldn't really have. It hurt like hell. But he knew she'd made her mind up. And God help him, he wouldn't stop her if it would make her happy. He'd do anything for her. If he couldn't make her happy, at least he knew she'd be happy with his brother.
"I'm all ready packed," she replied. He nodded.
He breathed in the scent of her hair, knowing it would be the last time he did. "I love you, Elena."
He'd stopped crying. Elena pulled away and looked at him. She gave him a slight smile, though her lips were trembling.
"I know, Stefan. I know."
"So you're going tonight?" he asked, and Elena knew it was taking everything he had not to break down.
"Yes."
He was silent for a moment, just watching the way the faint light cast by the lamp lit up her hair, the way her lips curved, remembering the way her body felt against his. He memorized every detail of her face.
He felt like crying again. And then, he realized he was.
"You're sure about this?" he asked, some part of him still hoping that she'd take him back.
She nodded. "I'm sure."
"All right..." he said, sighing.
It was over then. This was it.
He gave her another hug. She placed her wedding band in his hand, closing his fingers over it with her own.
What about "till death do us part"? His mind asked. Then he realized he was dying. Without her he was dead.
He had half a mind to get on his knees and beg until she'd come back to him. But instead, he was letting her go.
"Good bye, Stefan. I'll come see you, I promise." She turned to leave.
"Elena?"
She paused. "Yes?"
"If things don't..." he paused, voice wavering, then tried again, "If you ever decide that you're not happy..."
She shook her head one last time. "I will be," she said. Then, "Thank you."
He was startled. "For what?"
"Everything."
Elena cringed. Stefan was enraged. But she had expected it.
"I've been sleeping with Damon," she repeated quietly.
"My God, Elena! WHY?" he screamed.
She found her voice. "Stefan, you need to understand," she pleaded.
"Understand? What the HELL is there to _understand_?! I think I pretty much get it, Elena."
She shook her head. "I never wanted to hurt you."
Her husband looked about ready to smash the window and snap the coffee table into toothpicks.
She felt hot tears forming behind her eyes and she let them come. "Please," she whispered, desperately.
He looked at her then; her voice seemed to make something click. His face softened slightly.
"Elena, I gave you everything I could, from the bottom of my heart to the depths of my soul. I gave you everything I thought you wanted. I guess I was wrong. You'll never change. You always want what you can't have. But you got it this time, didn't you?"
Stefan sounded deflated, as though he'd finally accepted the final utter failure his fate was giving him.
"Stefan," she murmured quietly, trying to breathe around the lump that had formed in her throat and the steel hand that seemed to be clamping around her heart. "I know you did. And I do love you, Stefan. You have to know that. And I thank you for everything you gave me in life. I swear, if there was any way that I could be telling you this without hurting you, I'd do it. I never, ever, meant to hurt you."
"Are you doing this because I can't give you a baby?"
She shook her head again. "No. I realize that this isn't what I want. You gave me all you could, but it just wasn't enough."
"No. It never is, is it? Not with you, anyway," he told her softly. His eyes looked so lost, his face so anguished and full of longing, as if his very soul was being split in two.
Elena wanted to go to him, to tell him she was making a terrible mistake, to tell him that she loved him still and that she'd been a horrible, selfish woman to do this, but deep down inside, she knew what she had to do. Even if it meant having to hurt him.
"I thought I could make you happy. We almost had eternity. But I guess only a short time was all I got. That's the way it always is. It never changes, does it?" Stefan asked, his own eyes brimming.
"Oh, Stefan." Elena put her arms around him. She held him. "Please forgive me. Don't hate me."
"I could never hate you," he told her, and Elena knew he was crying.
"I'm leaving. I need to, Stefan."
He was silent.
"This just isn't what I need. I know you tried. And for a while I was happy."
"I know. I'm just sorry I couldn't make you happy for longer."
He'd lost her. Again. And this time he wouldn't get her back. It felt like Destiny was playing cruel games with his life. As though he'd been given Elena as just a taste of what he couldn't really have. It hurt like hell. But he knew she'd made her mind up. And God help him, he wouldn't stop her if it would make her happy. He'd do anything for her. If he couldn't make her happy, at least he knew she'd be happy with his brother.
"I'm all ready packed," she replied. He nodded.
He breathed in the scent of her hair, knowing it would be the last time he did. "I love you, Elena."
He'd stopped crying. Elena pulled away and looked at him. She gave him a slight smile, though her lips were trembling.
"I know, Stefan. I know."
"So you're going tonight?" he asked, and Elena knew it was taking everything he had not to break down.
"Yes."
He was silent for a moment, just watching the way the faint light cast by the lamp lit up her hair, the way her lips curved, remembering the way her body felt against his. He memorized every detail of her face.
He felt like crying again. And then, he realized he was.
"You're sure about this?" he asked, some part of him still hoping that she'd take him back.
She nodded. "I'm sure."
"All right..." he said, sighing.
It was over then. This was it.
He gave her another hug. She placed her wedding band in his hand, closing his fingers over it with her own.
What about "till death do us part"? His mind asked. Then he realized he was dying. Without her he was dead.
He had half a mind to get on his knees and beg until she'd come back to him. But instead, he was letting her go.
"Good bye, Stefan. I'll come see you, I promise." She turned to leave.
"Elena?"
She paused. "Yes?"
"If things don't..." he paused, voice wavering, then tried again, "If you ever decide that you're not happy..."
She shook her head one last time. "I will be," she said. Then, "Thank you."
He was startled. "For what?"
"Everything."