Chapter 2: I had a dream we were back to 17
*I have changed the summary but the story and plot would remain the same.
Summary credits: JessicaRae
Until an hour ago, Elena refused to believe anything. She was so convinced that Damon was playing another one of his practical jokes on her. A very well planned, detailed practical joke but then she had to face the reality when Caroline and Stefan, her best friends showed up.
They were much grown up and different then how she remembered them. Stefan was taller, more muscular and had grown into a handsome man. And Caroline… she looked so different than what Elena remembered. Stefan joked that it was because of all the cosmetic and plastic surgeries that she did to keep up with her superstar image. She found out that Caroline was a top model in the fashion industry and Stefan was a very well-known filmmaker.
As for her… she looked at herself again in the mirror. Her thick, long, wavy hair fell down to her waist beautifully. Her doe eyes stared back at her in wonder, surprised at the change in her face. She looked older, prettier and mature. How old was she again? 26?
"So I'm famous?" She asked, surprised when Stefan told her about her.
"Famous? you're TV Queen. You have two highest grossing movies last year and two high budget movies lined up. You're the face of a couple of A list brands, you had a lot of offers but you turned them because you had time conflicts. And you're in my TV series with Elijah Smith in lead."
"Elijah Smith? That Teen Vamps Star? I work with him?" She asked, excitedly.
"That precious expression is why I was insecure the first time when you told me you pitched a role in the fifteenth season of that series as the new love interest. Not so fun fact, he ain't a teen anymore." She heard her 'husband' reply, who until now was quietly standing in the corner, hands folded, letting her friends deal with her.
She looked up at him, their eyes locked and then she looked away nervously, tucking a strand of hair behind her air.
"Anyway, enough. By the looks of it, she doesn't remember anything still." He tried to hide the bitterness in his voice but failed. It just sucked that his own wife didn't remember him. He had a numbered family and now his own wife refused to acknowledge his presence in her life.
Elena hurriedly held Caroline's hand as if afraid of him. He pursed his lips, his face unreadable now. Was he angry? Was he upset? Was he sad?
"I'll send Meredith for her final checkup, I'm gonna go finish her paperwork, then we'll take her home. You stay with her," He instructed Caroline and she nodded.
As soon as he left Elena exhaled with relief.
"What?" Stefan asked, tensed.
"This is just so frightening," Elena said, as she laid back against the headboard.
"What is?"
"How can… of all the people, how can I marry him?" Elena said awkwardly.
"Because you are in love with him."
"Was I crazy? Did I hit my head or something?" Elena replied.
"Elena-," Stefan interrupted but Caroline held his arm, stopping him. "Sweetie, I know that this all must seem so surreal to you but-,"
"Surreal? I still think I'm dreaming or something. I still think this might be some practical joke." She felt tears stinging her eyes again as she remembered the somewhat little information Stefan and Caroline gave her. It was all so overwhelming. "I wake up to this stranger, holding my hand, calling me baby, trying to kiss me, claiming to be my husband." Her voice broke again. She had lost the count of times she had almost broken down, "I don't remember anything and-,"
Stefan stepped closer to her, and pulled her closer to him. "Elena, please don't cry. I know. I know this all might sound like a mess to you right now but trust me, you have a beautiful life here. You have a great career, you are happily married, you have an amazing house and Damon… he loves you so much, he practically worships the ground you walk on. He will do something for sure. You'll remember everything again." He tried to soothe her but it made her even more nervous.
She pulled away and shook her head, wiping her tears. "You still haven't told me where my mom and dad are. Why aren't they here? Don't they know I got into an accident? Don't they know I'm hurt?"
Stefan and Caroline looked at each other uncomfortably. Caroline nodded as if telling him to tell her.
"Please tell me, they're okay?" Elena said, afraid that maybe something has happened to her parents.
"They're fine. They just… they don't talk to you guys anymore." Caroline said hurriedly before she could jump to any conclusions.
"What do you mean?"
"Elena. They cut all ties with you when you left with Damon." Stefan replied.
"what? Why?" Elena asked, shocked. Why would her parents leave her? She was their only child. Her parents loved her madly. Her father… he wasn't exactly her father but he was very much protective of her. He would never leave her be.
"Elena, Grayson gave you a choice. It was either them or Damon."
"And I picked him?" Elena said in a shocked voice. "Why would I do that? Why in the world would I choose Damon? Why did I marry him? He was a bully. He was so mean to me. He had hurt me so many times. I hated him so much and-,"
"That was long ass time ago. Lena." Stefan seemed pissed. "It's been ten years. Everything has changed. You changed. We are not children anymore."
"It doesn't change what he did to me and you. He and his friends would corner us and-,"
"He was a kid then, Lena. He never physically hurt us or anything." Stefan defended him.
"Stop Stefan!" They never knew when Damon had come back to the room and had been listening in to the conversation.
Elena staggered back, holding Caroline's hand again.
"Elena, relax," Caroline whispered.
"Bab-. Elena. I can't imagine what you're going through. And yes, you're right, I was a monster ten years ago." He said stepping closer to her bed slowly. "But like Stefan said, things changed. So much. And yes, we married because we are in love. It's hard to understand now and be normal with all this. And I don't want to pressure you into normal life either. Fresh wounds don't heal fast. All I'm asking you is to trust me. Please."
She looked into his eyes and found honest love and sincerity. Was he always so handsome? Was he always so soft with her? She stared at him for an embarrassingly long time.
"Baby?"
She nodded, almost robotically.
A light smile came on his face. "Very well. I've done your paperwork. Let's go home."
..
..
She could hear the sound of cameras shutter as the car parked near a house. Caroline moved a bit to hide her from the papzz.
"Stef, pull her hood over. They shouldn't see her like this. God knows what stories they'll make this time," Damon instructed Stefan.
Stefan followed the instruction and pulled the hood on more to hide her fully.
"Caroline, can you handle them?" Damon said, looking at her from the rearview mirror.
"Yeah, Dan and I'll handle them. You take her inside."
"No." Elena held onto Caroline's hand, like a child. "Don't go."
"Elena, it's Damon, he'll-,"
"It's okay, Care. Don't force her, if she doesn't feel comfortable." Damon said, his voice filled with seriousness. He seemed to be walking on eggshells around her as if afraid of something.
Caroline nodded with a sigh.
"Come on, Stef. We'll hold the Papzz back." He said with a sigh as if he was tired of doing this.
..
..
He had just gotten rid of last of the reporters who wanted to know about Elena's surprisingly long visit to the hospital. Everyone knew she had an accident. But they had their own conspiracy theories that she was attacked, or that she was faking the accident for publicity. Damon had to give a statement to clear the air but he knew nothing could be resolved until Elena comes in front of the press herself.
"Hey," Stefan rushed to him. Stefan was always so concerned about him.
"Huh,"
"How're you doing?"
"I'm fine," Damon was never the one who opened up easily.
"Damon. I can see through you,"
"Then why are you asking?" Damon hissed. It's been awhile that he had been even slightly rude to Stefan, but right now he was worried sick and hurt that Elena didn't remember him. "I'm wrecked, okay. Elena and I… we had been together for five years, married for three years, and now suddenly she forgets everything, our memories, everything we have built."
"Damon…"
"No. Stefan. She was already sick, and now this happened. Do you realize this could be permeant? What if she decides that she doesn't want to be with me? I'll lose everything. I'll lose my wife, my best friend, my everything… she's my world. I'll lose my world." He hissed.
"I think you need to calm down." Stefan said, stepping closer. "I get it. You're freaked out. Elena had a condition before and this accident had… made things worse but I promise you it won't last forever. The accident may have erased you from her mind, but nothing can erase you from her heart." Stefan assured. "She loved you, she loves you and she will always love you."
Damon took a deep breath, letting Stefan's words sink in.
"For now, let's just focus on Elena. She's must be scared shit. She must think she is in another world or something. She's just as scared as you're. Help her. Make her fall in love with you all over again."
"It's not that easy Stefan. She remembers the me from ten years back. She hated me ten years back." Damon voice was filled with distress.
"Well, she won't hate you for much long. We'll remind her everything. We'll tell her all that happened in the last ten years. She'll be our Elena again."
..
..
Elena entered the lavish house. It had such a familiar feel. She looked around, stressing her mind to remember anything related to this house but nothing came to her mind. She touched the walls softly, feeling wooden texture under the pads of her finger. It was a great contrast of marble and wood. Just like she always wanted.
"You designed it," Caroline said, reading her mind.
"I did?" Elena asked surprised.
Caroline nodded, smiling. "I'll show you your favorite part of the house," Caroline said, turning down the small corridor to the left.
"This is the family room."
It was a beautiful, large, oval-shaped, well-lit room with high ceilings full of small lights. There was a black veined marble library in one of the corner of the room, a soft looking love seat next to it and maroon couch right in front of the fireplace. Different lamps were placed in the other corners of the room and the furniture was decorated with gothic statues. But what grabbed her attention were the intimate pictures of her and Damon that adorned all the walls.
She stood in front of the large portrait in which Damon had picked her up bridal style and was kissing her. Her eyes ran up to the other pictures, there were some silly pictures in which they were together, making faces at the camera, a picture where apparently he was teaching her how to play a game of pool, and another picture in which they were standing in front of the pool table holding their cue stick, Elena making a victory sign and Damon looking at her, apparently pissed but his eyes gleamed of love, maybe he had let her win the game and he was acting upset at his loss.
There were a bunch of other pictures of different award shows and vacations. Some were very intimate pictures of them kissing, holding hands or just about looking at each other.
"Sorry about all this," she heard Damon's voice almost making her jump. She turned around. "I'll take this all down tomorrow, if… if they're making you uncomfortable."
She didn't reply at all and looked away. She still felt awkward around him. Just the thought of him being her husband made her nervous and… shy.
She turned to the pictures of her at what seemed to be award shows and movie sets. She gasped almost scaring Damon, Stefan, and Caroline. "Is this Taron Davies?" She pointed at a picture of her and a very handsome man.
Damon rolled her eyes. He had to go through Elena's fangirling stage all over again. "Yes,"
"You worked with him in a project," Caroline revealed.
"I did?"
"Yes, it was a show about two friends falling in love with a girl. Elijah Smith and Taron Davies were your costars. Personally, I shipped you with Elijah. Taron's character was so stupid, he was a nuisance." Damon explained, actually wanting just a reason to talk to her directly.
Elena nodded, still star struck. "It also may have to do with the fact that Taron Davies is a douche."
Elena nodded again.
"No he wasn't. You were just jealous because Taron and Elena had so many sex scenes." Stefan joked.
"Hey, they were very realistic. And the jerks on the network would run those promos for a month before they were to air. I couldn't watch tv because of that," He replied, defending himself.
"Just admit it, Damon." Caroline mocked him.
"Fine. I don't exactly get turned on by some British dude boning my wife, even if it's just acting," He made a face.
His wife. Elena thought again. She was his wife. Oh, she couldn't take this much longer. Damon seemed to read her displeasure. She was about to turn to Caroline when he held her wrist. "Hey, uh, let me show you around the house."
She froze, looking at his hand until he finally let go. "It's okay if you rather Caroline do it instead," It was weird even for him to have her act so strangely with him.
"I think, you should go with Damon," Caroline said. "You two have a lot to talk about. And maybe it will even help you remember stuff. Dr. Meredith said that if we had to bring your memories back, we had to do it when the wounds are fresh, or they'll just be permanently gone,"
"But I-,"
"Stefan and I are here Elena. We are going nowhere." Caroline assured her.
Elena bit on her lower lip. Damon held out his hand to her. She looked at it for a while before she finally placed her palm in his hand.
..
..
"Keeping that five-meter distance, are we?" He noticed her pulling away to make space between them.
She pursed her lips as he added, "We can stop holding hands if it's all that what you want."
She stopped him in her tracks, "Stop that please." She said in a low voice, not wanting for Stefan and Caroline to hear.
"If you're going to act like you're the victim, all the time, making me feel guilty, it's not going to help me remember anything."
He bit the inside of his cheek as she continued, "I understand that you lost your wife in the process, but I lost the life I had yesterday, you have to understand that I am not the person you want. I am someone else."
He sighed, "I understand, I am not just used to being forgotten, I know I need to be stronger than this, for us, it's difficult but I'll have to do it,"
She didn't let go of his hand and waited for him to lead the way. "Consider me the guide." He gave her a friendly smile. She wasn't really used to him smiling. All she remembered was the gothic dark version of him, the Damon Salvatore who'd always act as if he was too good for everyone, the Damon Salvatore who never hung out with them, and held anger and arrogance in his eyes all the time.
"So you might have forgotten everything, but you might remember that Salmonella infection you got when I cooked you a steak." He raised his brows, "You made me promise I won't try to cook ever again. So you rarely let me enter here." He gestured towards the kitchen. He turned on the lights.
She blinked several times. All Italian styled. Multiple ovens, decorated and many cupboards installed.
There were so many pictures on the fridge. It seemed she loved to take pictures. There were multiple recipe books on the shelf, and a cookbook placed on a counter as if she had just left it there.
She smiled lightly, "It's nice, just like I wanted."
"Well, you wanted it, so we got it,"
He felt as if he was looking her after so long, she always use to smile and ever since she was back she'd rarely smile.
"You cook by yourself, although we've had an argument about hiring someone but you don't want that." He told her, "Elena, I really suck at cooking but you kinda taught me how to make the best coffee in the world."
Was he offering to make something for her? She took the cue anyway though she was really shy about it, "Well, make me one."
He let her hand go and for a very small moment, she missed that feeling as if something familiar let go of her.
These feelings were what made her believe the whole story that she was his wife and that she actually loved him… in some other time.
She watched him, expertly make the coffee, making it exactly like she liked it. She stared at him, nervously shifting from one foot to another. Holy hell he was handsome.
He was tall, with well-toned muscles, on a medium frame—his skin, light and dark hair that fell into his eyes. This man was her husband. Wow. She thought. Her teenager self was already crushing on him.
He asked, looking up, "Still no sugar?"
She nodded, looking away as if caught stealing, "Ahuh."
He looked at her confused by her behavior but then as if reading her, smiled. He filled the coffee in a big mug and handed it to her. "Be careful with that, love. It's hot."
She took it from him, their hand touching in the process. She hurriedly took the cup.
"Come I'll take you to our coffee spot." He said going out of the kitchen.
He went towards the balcony which was in the home office room. The balcony had ornamental plants and a swing with some cushions and a beautiful view of the city.
He gestured her to sit down, and sat next to her, keeping a little distance for her comfort, unlike usual when they were huddled close to each other, her head on his chest, God he missed it, "Do you like it?" he asked as if her approval was essential.
"The view, it looks so beautiful from here, you know, I have a similar spot in Mystic Falls where I can-,"
He said, smiling at her shocked expression, "The one on the hill near the waterfall right?"
She bit her lip. Of course, he knows everything.
"Yeah." She said sipping on her coffee.
"You told me about it, we use to go there, watch the stars after we watched the sunset," He said as if he could still see it. "You loved that song, that Herb Alpert song."
"This guy's in love with you?" Her eyes widened, "God I told you about that." She blushed as if embarrassed.
"Yeah we'd listen to it, sometimes sing it."
"This is not true, tell me, how can a person like you sing songs with me." She shook her head.
"Well, I'm a human after all. And after all, love changes people. You loved all movie stuff and I was in love, so I did what you wanted and then I realized I wanted that too, you never asked for that but I wanted to." He turned to her.
"I call bullshit. You are not serious." She said childishly, reminding of teenage Elena.
" You see this guy, this guy's in love with you
Yes I'm in love who looks at you the way I do
When you smile I can tell it know each other very well" He murmured the lyrics, enjoying now the bewildered expression on her face. "Like I said, lots had changed."
She blinked, "Do you really like that song?"
He nodded, "Yeah, That's our song, actually every song you like is our song, we vowed that whatever we like, we like together, we were that couple everyone hates because they are too cute and annoying in public." He joked about it.
She giggled lightly.
He got up, "So, this is awkward but do you want to see our bedroom?"
She felt the hair on her body rise, her crimson, "Eh sure."
She smiled as he took her empty mug, "Liked the coffee?"
"Not bad," She got up following him, after he put the mugs in the kitchen, he took her upstairs.
"The other room you saw was the guest room, and this is our bedroom." He opened the door to the large room. The framework was again wooden, off-white colored with light green in contrast curtains, a bed in the middle which looked puffy and comfortable, her royal vanity right with the front wall.
This was the bedroom from her dreams, she even remembered writing about all this in her journal. Was she dreaming?
"This is my room?"
"Ours," He thought of how she admired everything new but him.
She looked around the room
Again, there were a lot of pictures which would cause her to pause and look. She was looking at one on the nightstand.
"I like to take lots of pictures."
"Yeah, you were crazy about that. I had to take like a hundred pictures of you every day after I'm done with work. Only two makes the cut." He said with a chuckle, reliving some memory.
He showed up behind her, "This was from my birthday last year. I was home super late due to extra shift at the hospital and you were so sleepy but you still had that cake baked."
The picture was cute, she was licking the cake off his cheek, while he had his blue eyes widened at the camera.
"Looks like it was fun." She said in a low voice.
"It was actually. You had this surprise for me that I don't think is appropriate for me to share now."
Her eyes widened again, her cheeks crimson, getting the meaning of his words, she turned to the wall to see more pictures, a little curiosity in her eyes masked evenly by formality, but he could see through her, she wanted him to tell. She wanted to know.
"This is when I taught you to drive." He said when she was looking at the picture where they were making silly faces in the car. "You know you turned the fan to full speed just so you can get a picture with your hair like that and if it wasn't enough you told me to stop breathing so you can get that perfect selfie."
"Selfie?"
"It's a… stupid term we use for pictures."
She laughed , "Well. I am embarrassed. It looks like I give you a tough time."
"I loved it." He replied quickly. "Every minute of it. I have never felt more alive,"
She looked at him, uncertainly. She just couldn't imagine him loving her. He looked at her expectantly as if he wondered if she remembered anything but the light in his dimmed when he realized that she didn't remember anything.
He pointed to a picture of them, where they were both eye in eye, smiling at each other, with her sitting in his lap on that balcony swing.
"Oh and that one, God we had such a huge fight before that, but we made up after the photographer arrived. Apparently, you had booked a professional photographer to take our four month anniversary pictures,"
"Four months, isn't that a little insane." She asked.
"You're little pretentious but that's not your fault, you have a profile to keep, what with the media and all. They're always speculating we broke up when we don't upload a selfie every other week. Not uploading a picture… it's like showing them we have problems in our relationship."
"Problems. Did we… fight?" her eyes narrowed, " And why did we fought?"
He made a face. "Oh no. We fight like every other couple. Like, the last we had an argument was when… umm… well I was watching the game, and you told me to do the dishes after the game, which I didn't because I fell asleep on the couch, And boom."
"So we fought a lot?" She asked, worried.
"No, Not at all , there were things that pissed you off , but you were so sweet , we made up easily. Just like after this shoot, I went out to bring you your favorite chicken wings and you made me my favorite pasta at home so when I came back , you had the movie ready , we watched it , we ate and then we…," He didn't decide to tell her all the details, "-,went to bed"
"I'm staying here, right?"
"This is your house. So, of course, you are."
"We are not sharing a bed,"
"Elena-,"
"I feel uncomfortable. I can't sleep with you." She replied.
"Hey, your choice. But it's going to be a problem when you get your paranoia attacks."
"You know about that? How?"
"I'm your husband. I know everything." He said, rolling his eyes.
"Not everything!"
"I know you like to sleep on the right side of the bed. I know you like to cuddle. You do yoga as soon as you wake up. You like to do small talk in the shower. You play with your hair when you're nervous." He touched her hand that was playing with her own hair. "You pout when you don't get your way. You secretly eat fries when no one is looking but you always tell everyone that you're on diet. You watch romantic dramas, and cry your eyes out at slightly emotional scene. You love doing makeup but you hate removing it. You like your hair straight and simple, you're afraid of thunderstorms, you want someone to cuddle on those nights, you make this cute noise whenever you see something fluffy and yell puppy every time you see a dog, but you can't keep one because you're allergic to them." He stopped, pointing at the bed, "After a tiring day, as soon as I get home, you pretzel your legs around my one leg and lay your head right on my chest holding that wretched teddy bear of yours…in five minutes or less, you're fast asleep. You feel secure that way. "
She felt overwhelmed, "Okay, I get it, you know everything about me, Damon, more than I remember about myself. I'm overwhelmed and vulnerable, I'm sorry. I'm sorry but I just don't remember."
"It's fine. It's fine. I don't blame you for it. This is not your fault, I know everything about you because I have known you practically all my life, except, well a couple of years that I would regret, I was your power, I knew what my girl wanted, and you, God, Elena, you knew me more than anyone, so closely, I shared every feeling in my heart, every thought in my mind, you read me like my book, you were my best friend, when I see you like this, it puts me in more pain than you could be in because you still have your past, I lost everything I ever cared about, something that had made my life so beautiful is something I have to prove to you right now that it actually exists." He looked down at her and she looked back.
He paused to take a breath. "We'll get through this. I'll make you remember everything. This won't last forever." He had so much hope in his voice.
"I… don't know what to say. What if… what if I never remember. I don't know if I should say this, but your hope scares me. I'm going to be brutally honest. I… I don't feel anything… anything for you." She said, a little scared of his reaction.
He pursed his lips, the life in his eyes getting dimmer and dimmer.
"I know. And you might never." He said to more to himself than her.
A brief pause followed. She played with the end of her hair. "I'm so sorry. I… Everything you showed me… it's all beautiful but I still just- how can I fall in love with… you? No offense but… you hated me, and I… I didn't you like you either, all that I remember but all this you tell me, this just sounds silly,"
He laughed a brief humorless laugh. Then there was a silence for another brief time. Finally, he looked up, his hands reached to hers, his fingers touching her slightly, very softly, when she looked at him, he asked, "Can I ?"
She agreed by nodding, he intertwined their fingers, not missing the sigh she sighed. He placed it on his heart. "I am not lying, Lena, we had this beautiful life and you use to say you'd never give it up for the world."
"I won't pressure you for anything, I'm not going to force you to remember, I know it's not in your power. I know I shouldn't expect anything from you but you know it hurts, everything is right like you wanted it to be, the way you planned but then there's me, I can't come up with anything which makes you realize that you had stopped hating me."
" I… I don't hate you…" She lied to make him feel better, she felt pity for him, "The Damon I remember is who I don't like. You… you're a stranger to me. I don't feel… anything, not hate, not love," She tried to be as soft as possible.
He brought her hands closer to his lips, for a second she thought he was going to kiss them, her heart nearly stopped, maybe that's how he would prove to her that there had something between them but he didn't kiss them, he just breathed in the scent of her, as if it made him feel better that she was still that girl, the girl he loved so much, even if she wasn't exactly herself anymore. She just had that body. They both were more or less strangers.
The feel of Déjà vu clutched her heart, his closed eyes, the bedroom, the sound of him breathe. It was familiar, in a very distant dream, she felt like they had been together. She knew that if had been the Damon from her past, she wouldn't feel it, but they had something. Something abstract but substantial. She knew the woman he craved and loved was still there, lost somewhere and if she ignored it, that void would eat her alive. That void was him, the time and the life they had.
"Tell me then," she demanded. "When did it all changed."
"What's the last thing you remember?" His eyes lit with life again.
"You threatened to shave my hair if I ever spoke to you in a certain tone… we had some fight over Stefan, you were bullying him and I told you to leave him alone," Her head hurt when she pressured her mind to remember.
He nodded, narrowing his eyes and then remembered. "Oh. Right. That-," He seemed embarrassed. "I was such a douche,"
"I'm talking about the summer camp,"
"Of course, how can I forget that. It's what changed everything."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I was being a jerk to you in the bus and then we got lost,"
"We got lost? Then?"
"And then things turned around."
..
..
10 years ago.
Elena remembered how hard it was for her to get permission from her father for this summer camp. He didn't want her to go. But this summer camp was important for her grades, the students had to attend this activity as an extra credit hour so Grayson had no choice but to give her permission.
She was sitting in the last seat of the bus, waiting for her best friends, Stefan and Caroline to show up. She was very excited. She never gets to go out of the city without her parents and this was her first time she was going out alone. She pulled her teddy bear closer, the teddy bear that Stefan had gifted her on her thirteenth birthday. She loved it. She took it everywhere with her.
"Lena." She heard Caroline's exited voice as she and Stefan entered the bus.
"You made it." Stefan said excitedly.
"Told you so." She beamed.
"Funny how you're sixteen and your dad still treats you like a three-year-old." Caroline made a face.
"He just… loves me too much." Elena said, defending her father.
"Everyone's dad love them but… your dad is very controlling." Caroline commented.
"Let it go, Care," Stefan said, not liking the stressed look on Elena's face. "Okay. I have a news for you guys!"
"You're getting a new PlayStation?" Elena guessed.
"You got a girlfriend?" Caroline said as if she had just bumped over a scandal.
"No and no." Stefan said making a face. "Would you guys let me speak?" He said before they could make any more guesses. Elena stood up helping them with the luggage.
"This better be good," Caroline said.
"Oh, it is." Stefan said. "Damon is going with us," He said excitedly.
"NO!" Caroline and Elena shouted.
"What? It will be fun." Stefan said, with a big smile.
Stefan Salvatore worshipped the ground his brother walked on, even though Damon didn't give a rat ass about him. It was no secret to anyone that Damon and Stefan were stepbrothers. Damon's father had left Lily one night and never returned, three years later, Lily married Giuseppe Salvatore, a widower with a son. Stefan and Giuseppe welcomed Damon to the family with all their hearts but Damon never accepted them, he despised them and never tried to hide it.
He was very strange. He was always frowning. He was not even a percent friendly, a buzz kill and basically a spoiled brat. It was like when he was miserable he made sure everyone else was miserable. Despite that, he was quite popular among his peers. He was the pack leader, the alpha and everyone followed him. It bothered Elena that instead of schooling him about his attitude, everyone kissed up to his ass and did whatever pleased him, including Stefan, especially Stefan.
"Why is he going?" Caroline whispered, not pleased at all.
"My parents think he spends too much time in his room, also they think we need some brotherly bonding time, so they paid him to go with me," Stefan's eyes gleamed of happiness. He was always so happy to spend time with his brother even though Damon gave him such a tough time.
"How much did they pay him? I'll pay him double for not to go," Elena pleaded.
"You can't pay him fifty dollars!" Stefan said shaking his head.
"Why do your parents want us miserable so bad?" Caroline complained.
"Hey. Hey. He is not that bad." Stefan defended his brother. "He and Klaus-."
"Klaus? Klaus is going too?" Elena asked, horrified.
"Why won't he? He's Damon's best friend."
"They are evil and they will make this trip hell for us." Caroline hissed.
"Evil. That's an understatement. He is Satan. Wait, I shouldn't say that. That would be disrespectful to Satan. He's going to boss us around and make us do-,"Elena hadn't finished when she stopped feeling a warm breath on her neck. "He's standing right behind me, isn't he?"
She turned to face the seventeen-year-old dark haired boy with the most bluest and angriest eyes ever. "Hmm. Talking about me, Miss Goody Two Shoes."
She pouted.
"Here, take care of my luggage," He said, handing her the big bag, almost making her stumble.
"Klaus, come inside, we got our favorite backseat," He said, taking the seat Elena had reserved for herself and her best friends.
"Sweet," The British blonde boy entered, followed by another one.
"Enzo is here too?" Caroline made a face.
"Why, sweetheart? Does my presence bother you?" Enzo asked her. He sounded sweet but his expressions were nothing of that sort.
"Not like they can do anything about it," Elena wanted to slap the smirk of Damon's face. "Stefan!" Damon said in his authority voice. "Take my friend's luggage and get your girlfriends out of my sight."
"Okay," Stefan followed his orders religiously. He took the bags from Klaus and Enzo's hands. "Come on, Elena and Care. Let's sit somewhere else."
"Seriously!" Caroline said, making a face, but decided to not make a fuss when Stefan made pleading eyes at her.
..
..
"I hate this." was the first thing Damon said, when the bus started. "This is bus sucks. The seats are uncomfortable. Mom and Giuseppe must pay me extra for this. Who is driving the bus? Did you even pass the driving test? Are you trying to kill us? Everything sucks. I hate it. Stefan, get me water. Stefan, where is the bag of chips, Stefan these aren't the chips I wanted. This has garlic in it," He complained every other second, making the trip awful for them.
"Of course, he doesn't like garlic. Dracula's never does." Elena whispered, frowning.
Damon had not let Stefan sit with them, for five minutes straight, he always wanted something and Stefan was there to provide him butler service, twenty-four seven, happily.
"What did she say?" Her eyes widened when she heard Damon demand.
"She called you a Dracula." Stefan answered, acting like his loyal pup.
"No, I didn't." Elena said, shaking her head. "He-,"
"Miss Goody Two shoes have not so good mouth. Who knew? Want me to wash that with soap? Anyho, I'm in good mood so I'll throw your comment to section I-don't-give-a-fuck-but-and-be-warned-next-time,"
She nodded, hurriedly.
"Stefan," She whispered, frowning. "what the hell was that?"
"I can't help it when he asks-,"
"Stef, stop acting like his personal slave. What's wrong with you?" Caroline whispered.
"He's my brother,"
"Yes, he's your brother, not your master," Caroline said.
"Stefan, you don't have to do everything he says," Elena added.
"But mom and dad says,"
"Stefan, stop. Okay. The next time he asks for something, tell him to get it himself."
"But Elena,"
"Do it, or I won't talk to you," Elena threatened.
"Elez, don't do that to me, you know you're my best friend. I love you,"
"I love you too and that's why I want to help you get over your urge to make everyone happy," Elena replied, softly.
"Eww. Why are you two talking like that?" Caroline said.
"Not so fun fact, the camp area that we're headed to is filled with bears and they like to munch on certain brunettes with chocolate brown eyes," He said loudly, making Elena frown. She looked back, shooting him a death glare but it didn't affect him at all.
"That's scary," Klaus added, with a smirk.
"Are we messing with the Gilbert girl?" Enzo whispered.
"Who else?" Damon said, annoyed. "Stefan! Tell the driver to stop at the gas station, and then go get me some mint and a deodorant for Miss Goody Two Shoes. I can smell her from here."
Elena made a face, irritated. Now, she felt insecure that she smelled.
Stefan was about to comply to the orders but Elena held his arm, reminding him of their conversation.
"Da… Damon… do it yourself." He shut his eyes tightly as if waiting for Damon to explode.
"What… what the hell did you say to me?" Damon stood up, shocked.
"He said, do it yourself," Elena turned to answer.
"And who told you to say that to me, Stefan?" Damon demanded, angry now.
"Elena did." Stefan replied.
Elena frowned again, rolling her eyes at his betrayal but then she couldn't blame him. It was his habit to do everything his brother asked.
"Miss Goody Two Shoes,"
"What?" Elena folded her arms on her chest.
"Why are you turning my brother against me? Why are you coming between us?" He demanded, not a hint of humor on his face.
"Because I have had it with you bullying your brother around. He's not your personal servant. He is human. Treat him as such,"
"He's my brother. Mine. And I'll treat him whichever way I want." Damon answered, his nostrils flaring.
"No you won't. I won't allow that," She hissed back.
"Well, it's a good thing I don't require your permission."
"What you require is a good spanking from your mother. And I'll ensure that it happens, by calling her and telling her how you treat your own brother," Elena replied. "I want this. I want that. I hate this. I hate that. Whining like babies all the time. Act like a baby and you'll be treated as such,"
The bus filled with oohs and excited gasps. No one could ever stand up to Damon and she had not only stood up to him but insulted him too.
"I'll shave your head in your sleep if you ever talk to me again, like that, ever again" Damon threatened but she knew it was an empty threat. He never physically hurt anyone.
"The way I talk depends upon your own damn attitude. And enough with the threats. Don't make me report you to the principal. You'd not like that."
Caroline clapped in excitement. She seemed to be so proud of her friend's sass.
..
..
Present times
"That's all I remember," Elena remembered.
"Hmm." Damon seemed to be lost in a thought. "But what happened next is what changed everything between us...,"
..
..
A/N:
Still testing the waters if the story is going well with the readers. Give me a review and tell me if you liked it and if you're interested in reading more. How do you like the characters so far? 'Forget Me Not' will not be some typical amnesia story, I assure you of that. It would be different. And no, it's not the married couple delena two chapter story, that is still in works.
Waiting for your response on this because I love them. Review?
Have a safe weekend...
MMI to be updated next