Part 8
Stefan was more than a little worried about coming back to Fell's Church. Every time he had been there, something had happened, and innocent people had died. It was bad enough that Elena was supposed to be dead and buried, and that vampires were likely to be involved again.
All he had wanted when he had come here in the first place was a normal life, to fit in and have a place to belong somewhere. Was that too much to ask? Apparently, he thought with a frown as the cab took them to Bonnie's house, it was. Elena was oddly quiet and pensive as they drove down the familiar streets, a distant look on her face. Lost in memories? He wondered.
The can stopped and he paid the cabbie, who seemed to want to get away from them as fast as possible. Her hand was tightening on his as they walked up Bonnie's drive.
"Are you okay?" he asked her softly.
Elena smiled and nodded. "Fine," she asked as she reached up to ring the door bell. There were sounds of movement from inside, then Bonnie was opening the door. She hadn't changed at all, still small with curly red hair and large inquiring brown eyes.
There was an awkward moment of silence. It was one thing talking on the phone, but then your dead friend showed up again at your door, maybe it wasn't as easy as it had been that night in the clearing. "Why don't you guys come in?" Bonnie said finally.
Stefan smiled a little and followed Elena into the house and the comfortable cluttered living room of the McCullough house. He and Elena found seats on the couch and Bonnie perched on an arm chair. "So what's going on?" Elena asked. "Are Matt and Meredith coming?"
Bonnie shook her head. "Not this time. I didn't call them, I thought the less people involved maybe things would go smoother." Her eyebrow raised meaningfully. Then she made a face. "Well, Damon sort of showed up by himself, he thinks it's got something to do with him. I guess I should go call him."
"No need."
Stefan's teeth gritted as Damon appeared in the doorway, a casual bored smile on his face. "What have you been doing this time?" he asked.
"No how are you, I missed you?" Damon showed his teeth.
"Knock it off," Elena snapped. "Damon, play nice. Tell us what you've done."
Stefan listened as Damon told them about the girl in the library, yet another Elena incarnation. Not exactly thrilling in itself. Damon had mistaken her for Elena, Bonnie had been having weird dreams, and Damon had found a red rose on his pillow.
"So what, if anything, does all this mean?" Elena asked finally. She seemed annoyed, and Stefan guessed he couldn't really blame her. She obviously didn't like the idea of anyone resembling her. Maybe she thought it made her less special.
"Someone has a problem with you two," Damon suggested. "Which I just can't imagine."
"Maybe we could try talking to this new girl, Jane, she can't be *that* hard to find," Bonnie suggested. "Providing you don't scare her off." She glared at Damon.
The red rose appearing out of nowhere brought up unpleasant feelings inside Stefan, reminding him of his own bad dreams lately. He had never mentioned them to Elena, before he could, Bonnie had called.
Damon snorted. "Oh give me a break. You all automatically assume that I'm always the bad guy. I have feelings, you know." He was trying, and failing, not to smirk again.
"You're not the bad guy," Stefan said softly. "I am."
* * *
Stefan was more than a little worried about coming back to Fell's Church. Every time he had been there, something had happened, and innocent people had died. It was bad enough that Elena was supposed to be dead and buried, and that vampires were likely to be involved again.
All he had wanted when he had come here in the first place was a normal life, to fit in and have a place to belong somewhere. Was that too much to ask? Apparently, he thought with a frown as the cab took them to Bonnie's house, it was. Elena was oddly quiet and pensive as they drove down the familiar streets, a distant look on her face. Lost in memories? He wondered.
The can stopped and he paid the cabbie, who seemed to want to get away from them as fast as possible. Her hand was tightening on his as they walked up Bonnie's drive.
"Are you okay?" he asked her softly.
Elena smiled and nodded. "Fine," she asked as she reached up to ring the door bell. There were sounds of movement from inside, then Bonnie was opening the door. She hadn't changed at all, still small with curly red hair and large inquiring brown eyes.
There was an awkward moment of silence. It was one thing talking on the phone, but then your dead friend showed up again at your door, maybe it wasn't as easy as it had been that night in the clearing. "Why don't you guys come in?" Bonnie said finally.
Stefan smiled a little and followed Elena into the house and the comfortable cluttered living room of the McCullough house. He and Elena found seats on the couch and Bonnie perched on an arm chair. "So what's going on?" Elena asked. "Are Matt and Meredith coming?"
Bonnie shook her head. "Not this time. I didn't call them, I thought the less people involved maybe things would go smoother." Her eyebrow raised meaningfully. Then she made a face. "Well, Damon sort of showed up by himself, he thinks it's got something to do with him. I guess I should go call him."
"No need."
Stefan's teeth gritted as Damon appeared in the doorway, a casual bored smile on his face. "What have you been doing this time?" he asked.
"No how are you, I missed you?" Damon showed his teeth.
"Knock it off," Elena snapped. "Damon, play nice. Tell us what you've done."
Stefan listened as Damon told them about the girl in the library, yet another Elena incarnation. Not exactly thrilling in itself. Damon had mistaken her for Elena, Bonnie had been having weird dreams, and Damon had found a red rose on his pillow.
"So what, if anything, does all this mean?" Elena asked finally. She seemed annoyed, and Stefan guessed he couldn't really blame her. She obviously didn't like the idea of anyone resembling her. Maybe she thought it made her less special.
"Someone has a problem with you two," Damon suggested. "Which I just can't imagine."
"Maybe we could try talking to this new girl, Jane, she can't be *that* hard to find," Bonnie suggested. "Providing you don't scare her off." She glared at Damon.
The red rose appearing out of nowhere brought up unpleasant feelings inside Stefan, reminding him of his own bad dreams lately. He had never mentioned them to Elena, before he could, Bonnie had called.
Damon snorted. "Oh give me a break. You all automatically assume that I'm always the bad guy. I have feelings, you know." He was trying, and failing, not to smirk again.
"You're not the bad guy," Stefan said softly. "I am."
* * *