Disclaimers: Elena Gilbert, Stefan Salvatore and friends, along with the Vampire Diaries I - IV belong to L.J. Smith. Everything else is mine. No harm intended or money made from this fic.
Notes:
~ Chapter ~
::Thoughts or telepathy::
_emphasis or italics_
~ One ~
It was raining again.
Elena sat in silence, watching the fat, wet droplets falling. She pulled Bonnie's soft woolen shawl more tightly around her shoulders and leaned against the side of the building.
It had been five days since Midsummer, the night of her miraculous return. After the mad euphoria and disbelief had worn off, everyone had fallen to practicalities. She and Stefan would leave Fell's Church in a couple of days. Where they would go, she had left to Stefan, had not asked.
Elena rather thought she should be spending what precious little time she had left with her friends; Bonnie, Meredith, Matt, even Caroline. And Margaret. Elena had been stealing moments with her whenever she could, but the time would soon come for her to close that chapter for her baby sister.
Yet, instead, here she was, huddled beneath a narrow awning, uncharacteristically enjoying the quiet. Memories ran through her mind's eye. Fell's Church was – had been? – home and she supposed this was her way of saying goodbye to it.
::I must pay my respects to Mom and Dad. And Honoria,:: she thought absently.
::Elena?:: The query brushed her mind. She could not answer telepathically, not anymore, but let her reply show in her public mind. ::Stefan.::
He appeared around the side of the building, a dark blur in the misty gloom, and settled beside her. Elena didn't care if he was a little wet from the rain; she leaned against his side and let out a soundless sigh of contentment when his arm curled around her.
"What are you doing here?" he breathed into her hair.
"Oh, nothing much. Just thinking. Nothing important."
"You gave everyone the slip. They all thought you were with someone else. I'd better let Bonnie know you're all right before they mount a search party," her vampire boyfriend said laughingly. There was a quiet joy to him now and he was still learning not to treat her like spun glass.
He sent his message mentally and the silence stretched, both of them lost in their own thoughts, content to just be together. Finally Stefan stirred.
"There something decidedly déjà vu-ish about this. Sitting under an overhang, watching water fall from the sky. The last time it was colder, though."
"You never notice the cold," Elena smiled, remembering that time too.
"At that time, neither did you." The solemnity of his tone made her look up. "Stefan?" she asked, uncertain of what he was thinking to inspire this change in mood.
His smile looked a little forced and didn't reach his forest-green eyes, but he shook his head dismissively and tugged her head back into the hollow of his shoulder.
Another spell of silence. Elena's memory turned back to when she had been a vampire, sitting with Stefan under the roof of the school, watching snowflakes drift lazily down. Snatches of their conversation then came back to her, and she remembered one subject they'd discussed then.
"Is Damon still around?" she asked. He seemed to grow distant and she had a sense of him reaching out again mentally.
"I... cannot find him. But that might not mean anything; I don't think he will be found if he doesn't wish to be."
She thought to ask him if he'd fed, then decided against it. "I wonder what he'll do now. He's been shadowing you, on and off, for the past five hundred years. Habits that old are hard to break. Do you suppose…?"
"That he'll show up before we leave?" Stefan shrugged slightly "I believe Bonnie may have more insight into my big brother than I," he said wryly.
"I wish he had agreed to stay with us," Elena admitted a little hesitantly. Beneath her cheek, Stefan's chest rose and fell as he sighed.
"Maybe it's better this way. For him. It can't be easy playing the fifth wheel, watching us and wanting you."
Now it was her turn to sigh. "I do care for him. But only as a brother." She craned her neck again. "Don't you wish you had a chance to get to know him more, now that the past is no longer between you?"
There was a short pause as Stefan considered. "Perhaps," he said finally. His arm squeezed her, signaling a change in the subject. "Let's go. The others are planning a farewell for us. It's suppose to be a surprise." He pulled away and grinned mischievously at her. "Shall we go make them work a little?"
Elena smiled, but shook her head in mock censure. "Stefan Salvatore, is that any way to treat your friends?" She saw his eyes widen and thought his breath catch at the last word before his smile grew.
"Well? Are you coming or not?"
She chuckled. "Yes," she said, pretending reluctance. "But only because someone's got to keep you in line!"
Notes:
~ Chapter ~
::Thoughts or telepathy::
_emphasis or italics_
~ One ~
It was raining again.
Elena sat in silence, watching the fat, wet droplets falling. She pulled Bonnie's soft woolen shawl more tightly around her shoulders and leaned against the side of the building.
It had been five days since Midsummer, the night of her miraculous return. After the mad euphoria and disbelief had worn off, everyone had fallen to practicalities. She and Stefan would leave Fell's Church in a couple of days. Where they would go, she had left to Stefan, had not asked.
Elena rather thought she should be spending what precious little time she had left with her friends; Bonnie, Meredith, Matt, even Caroline. And Margaret. Elena had been stealing moments with her whenever she could, but the time would soon come for her to close that chapter for her baby sister.
Yet, instead, here she was, huddled beneath a narrow awning, uncharacteristically enjoying the quiet. Memories ran through her mind's eye. Fell's Church was – had been? – home and she supposed this was her way of saying goodbye to it.
::I must pay my respects to Mom and Dad. And Honoria,:: she thought absently.
::Elena?:: The query brushed her mind. She could not answer telepathically, not anymore, but let her reply show in her public mind. ::Stefan.::
He appeared around the side of the building, a dark blur in the misty gloom, and settled beside her. Elena didn't care if he was a little wet from the rain; she leaned against his side and let out a soundless sigh of contentment when his arm curled around her.
"What are you doing here?" he breathed into her hair.
"Oh, nothing much. Just thinking. Nothing important."
"You gave everyone the slip. They all thought you were with someone else. I'd better let Bonnie know you're all right before they mount a search party," her vampire boyfriend said laughingly. There was a quiet joy to him now and he was still learning not to treat her like spun glass.
He sent his message mentally and the silence stretched, both of them lost in their own thoughts, content to just be together. Finally Stefan stirred.
"There something decidedly déjà vu-ish about this. Sitting under an overhang, watching water fall from the sky. The last time it was colder, though."
"You never notice the cold," Elena smiled, remembering that time too.
"At that time, neither did you." The solemnity of his tone made her look up. "Stefan?" she asked, uncertain of what he was thinking to inspire this change in mood.
His smile looked a little forced and didn't reach his forest-green eyes, but he shook his head dismissively and tugged her head back into the hollow of his shoulder.
Another spell of silence. Elena's memory turned back to when she had been a vampire, sitting with Stefan under the roof of the school, watching snowflakes drift lazily down. Snatches of their conversation then came back to her, and she remembered one subject they'd discussed then.
"Is Damon still around?" she asked. He seemed to grow distant and she had a sense of him reaching out again mentally.
"I... cannot find him. But that might not mean anything; I don't think he will be found if he doesn't wish to be."
She thought to ask him if he'd fed, then decided against it. "I wonder what he'll do now. He's been shadowing you, on and off, for the past five hundred years. Habits that old are hard to break. Do you suppose…?"
"That he'll show up before we leave?" Stefan shrugged slightly "I believe Bonnie may have more insight into my big brother than I," he said wryly.
"I wish he had agreed to stay with us," Elena admitted a little hesitantly. Beneath her cheek, Stefan's chest rose and fell as he sighed.
"Maybe it's better this way. For him. It can't be easy playing the fifth wheel, watching us and wanting you."
Now it was her turn to sigh. "I do care for him. But only as a brother." She craned her neck again. "Don't you wish you had a chance to get to know him more, now that the past is no longer between you?"
There was a short pause as Stefan considered. "Perhaps," he said finally. His arm squeezed her, signaling a change in the subject. "Let's go. The others are planning a farewell for us. It's suppose to be a surprise." He pulled away and grinned mischievously at her. "Shall we go make them work a little?"
Elena smiled, but shook her head in mock censure. "Stefan Salvatore, is that any way to treat your friends?" She saw his eyes widen and thought his breath catch at the last word before his smile grew.
"Well? Are you coming or not?"
She chuckled. "Yes," she said, pretending reluctance. "But only because someone's got to keep you in line!"