AN/ I own nothing except for the story you're about to read.
Later that day, after a ringing headache from the loud music and Jeremy finally showing face, we all huddled around the dining room table with a makeshift dinner. I honestly wasn't sure Jeremy was still the same dork of a brother when he walked through the door. But as soon as my giant oaf of a brother put his arms around me, I knew who he was.
Despite the circumstances, everything seemed to be the same dynamic as usual. Caroline making plans and being the control freak she was, Bonnie rolling her eyes and tossing funny looks every time Care said something obnoxious, me covering up my giggles by coughing and trying to be as attentive to Caroline as I could fathom, and Jer trying to find something on TV to watch, and settling on some chick flick I didn't recognize.
"And I'm sure the school will totally take into account you're having some... personal problems and be fine with you hanging out with the people you know and love until you get back on your feet." Care said faking her optimism while scooping general Tso's onto her plate for the second time.
"Personal problems?" I asked Caroline. "I can't remember a damn thing from the past two years, Care. I have a bit more than personal problems to deal with." I laughed.
"Care, personal problems? Really?" Bonnie laughed with me.
"I'm just trying to make light of the situation!" She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help to laugh along.
"I don't think there is anyway you could make the situation any lighter." Jeremy laughed as he walked back to the table to pile food onto his plate.
We all were laughing as the door swung open and in walked Stefan and Damon. Knock much?
"What's funny?" Damon asked in a tone that suggested he didn't find much of anything funny right now.
"Personal problems." I said looking up at him, the laugh dying off my lips as soon as it came. His eyes were scorching, but not in a irritation the way I thought they would. They shown with concern, and... wonder? I'm not sure.
"Wanna join?" Care asked mostly to Stefan. The way she looked up to him, made me wonder if they were involved with one another. Makes total sense now. I thought to myself. I couldn't figure out how the two guys were intertwined with my story, but it makes complete sense, the way Care looks at Stefan they totally have to be hooking up on the low.
"Oh," I whispered to Bonnie as Stefan sat next to Caroline and grabbed himself a plate while making small talk. She scooted her chair over to make room for him."They're together."
Bonnie coughed into her drink, while it seemed like the whole room went quiet, except for Jeremy shoveling food into his mouth. I looked up to find everyone's eyes on me. Was I that loud? Care and Stefan looking surprised and... disappointed? She began to quietly shuffle her chair further from Stefan. Disappointed in what, though? I thought.
Damon's smirk was present as he took a seat next to Stefan and across from me, picking up a plate to dig into as well. He side glanced Stefan as if saying 'Told you so.'
After an awkward dinner was over, we all migrated into the living room where Bonnie and I huddled together in the arm chair like we used to when we were kids.
"This used to work a lot better without my thighs." Bonnie laughed as we attempted to adjust ourselves and laughing when I practically sat on top of her.
"Or my ass." I laughed. "Like really where did this thing come from."
Not cheering anymore made me realize I was a lot curvier than I was before. I went from an A to a C, which was strange because even my mom wasn't hardly above a B. And my shape has definitely went more into an hour glass shape instead of a board, which is pretty nice if you ask me.
"I'll trade you!" She laughed and finally got settled squished in beside me.
"So where's mom and dad?" I asked Jeremy who immediately stopped shoveling ice cream into his mouth to finally swallow, hard.
"Uh," He looked past me to where Stefan and Damon stood. I glanced at them, what would they know about my parents?
He cleared is throat and swallowed again.
"For their last anniversary we chipped in and got them an all expense vacation to Aspen. Cool right?" He couldn't meet my gaze.
"Woah, how did we swing that?" I asked. I would've taken myself along with them had it been that easy.
"Well, Jenna-" a chocking sound came from beside me and I whipped my head around to the two men standing behind me once again. Both with very stern, blank expressions on their faces. I looked back toward Jeremy and waited for his answer.
"Jenna pitched in." I nodded my head. Would mom and dad really just up and leave? Did they know about what happened to me? Were they concerned?
"And where's Jenna?" I looked down at my hands.
"She is finishing up her master's at college." I nodded.
"Well is she coming to see us soon? To see me?" I asked hopeful.
"She's at college in New York, 'Lena." He whispered. "It's a little difficult for her to leave."
"Oh," I said lamely. Maybe we weren't as close anymore? The thought that Jenna wasn't always here too be mine and mom's right hand girl nearly broke my heart, but I hope she's happy.
"Well, do mom and dad at least know? About the accident I mean?"
"Of course they know Lena, but it really isn't possible for them to leave a three week vacation in the middle of the Mediterranean." I nodded. He was right it wasn't hardly possible to even get cell reception in Greece.
"How're you feeling since this morning?" Caroline asked purposefully changing the subject, but I didn't mind. Something was up, but I didn't want to push.
"I'm fairly certain I have bruises over a eighty percent of my body, and besides feeling like I'm getting over the hangover of a lifetime and not remembering shit from the past 2 years, I'm awesome, Care. And yourself?" I couldn't help the bite that seeped into my answer. Bonnie poked me in the ribs and I couldn't help the slight yelp that fell from my lips.
I heard a snort from behind me and I looked at Damon who was trying to hold back that signature smirk. Where did that come from?
"And who are you two? Really?" I asked before I could stop myself.
"Elena..." Caroline warned, but I didn't take my eyes off of the two of them. Stefan looked down at the ground suddenly very interested in his shoes, bashful almost. While Damon held my gaze unfalteringly. His eyes were so crystal clear, they made me feel as if I were falling into the deepest ocean, and I found myself never wanting to look away. "How about we let them explain on their own time, huh?" Care said carefully.
I rolled my eyes and turned back to Bonnie. I know Caroline was just trying to ease the situation, whatever the situation may be. But I missed the air-headed, hair-brained Caroline that had only two things on her mind, cheerleading and boys.
"So catch me up on current events, I want to know what I've missed- or don't remember." I laughed. Bonnie, forever Switzerland in any situation, dived into the crazy gossip that was Mystic Falls.
Once our catching up was majority over with, we decided to clean up the dishes. After getting frustrated more than once with things not being where they were yesterday morning, or yesteryear morning, I decided to stand next to the sink and dry what Caroline gave to me.
I handed what I dried to Jeremy and he put everything away with ease. I never remembered him willingly help put things away, but I also never remembered him being a whole head taller than me either. He was my not so little brother, and I really wasn't sure how I felt about it.
"You alright, 'Lena?" Care whispered to me while she kept her eyes to the sink.
"Everything is just so strange." I said after a minute. She handed me another plate. "I don't feel like myself. It almost feels like stepping into someone else's body... or another reality. I can't explain it." She shot a sympathetic look my way.
"See that. The Caroline I know would tell me to suck it up and get me to find a party or a boy to kiss. Now you're so..." I thought of my words carefully. "Motherly." She scoffed and shook her head.
"'Lena, we grew up. Things aren't like they were two years ago." I looked at the white plate I held in my hands knowing things must entirely be different than they were, but wondering if I should press for details now or wait. "We still have fun, believe me. But now, we have a lot more responsibilities. More people added to the family." She smiled.
"Really? Added to the family?" We used to always refer to our close friends as the family. Me, Care, Bonnie, Mat and Tyler. We looked out for one another, cared for one another, and had each other's backs when no one else ever did.
She grinned and nodded.
"Just wait, Elena. You'll see." She turned around to hand me the last plate to dry and nodded her head toward Stefan and Damon. I raised my eyebrows at her. Really? Just two years and they've successfully infiltrated our perfect bubble that we spent sixteen years building between one another. I wonder who suckered them into the group so easily. My money was on Caroline and her forever 'My Heart Lives in my Vagina' thought process.
"So when can Mat get out of the hospital?" I asked to no one in particular.
"Never, if I had my say about it." I heard from across the room.
My head snapped up to meet Damon's stare. He had a look as if to say 'Challenge me'.
"And you have a say?" I bit out. Caroline snorted and Bonnie covered her grin from across the room. I kept my gaze on his though, not willing to back down. Who was this man and why did he feel the need to rag on one of my long time friends and ex boyfriend who wasn't even here to defend himself? It was childish.
"More than you know." His gaze never wavers. I was getting really tired of no one filling me in on anything, and the fact that this-this man was just here to aggravate me even further wasn't helping any of their cases. Was I just going to be left in the dark to figure everything out myself? Was I ever going to remember anything for myself? Who were Damon and Stefan? Why did they matter? Why as everything so screwed up?
Instead of blowing up I did something super impulsive and a little dangerous, but I really couldn't help myself. Before I could stop myself the large white plate my mother bought in a new dining set last year- i mean three years ago smashed into about two dozen pieces against the granite counter tops.
Everyone was stunned into silence, including myself. But before I could fathom a decent response the tears started to overflow, out of being embarrassed or upset, I don't think I'll ever know.
I dropped what was left in my hand onto the floor before dashing out of the door. I'm not sure if it was Stefan or Damon that tried to stop me and who stopped them from stopping me on my way out, but I was upstairs locked in my bathroom before I had time to think about it.
Some time later I decided I needed bathe, especially after being dropped off of Wickery Bridge into the murky waters below. My hair has stayed up a majority of the day so I'm not sure what I would be getting into when it came down, but the water of my bath felt too good to worry about it. I filled the tub to the brim with bubbles and made the water as hot as possible.
Before getting in I decided taking inventory of all of my injuries finally, just to know what to look out for. I already knew my ribs hurt like hell, what with Caroline jerking me out of bed this morning and attempting to sit with Bonnie in our arm chair. I saw that giant bruise first, big ugly and purple spread out amongst most of the ribs on my left side. Another matched it on the right except higher and nowhere near as big. I realized now it was a seatbelt bruise I was staring at which made me laugh briefly. How ridiculous.
My collar bone on my right side wasn't in great shape either, as to be expected. Across both of my hips and abdomen was a long and narrow bruise that had started yellowing around the edges. Gross.
My forehead and right temple had a rather giant goose egg and ugly cut on my eyebrow. I hope that doesn't scar. I touched it softly and realized it wasn't as tender as I thought it would be, which was a good sign. Maybe it just looks ugly. My legs were left nearly untouched, except for a tiny bruise on my knee which could've even been there before the accident.
My hair was a completely different story taking it down. I definitely needed a haircut that was for certain. And I'm not sure if I had another bruise on my scalp or if the fact I had my hair up on top of my head all day left it feeling sore, but I figured I had accounted for enough bodily damage at this point and winked down into the hot water.
I scrubbed almost painfully at my skin, whether to wash the embarrassment off of myself or the dirt and grime from the water, I wasn't sure.
When I dunked my head under water to soak the rest of myself something strange happened. I saw flashes of my Mat in the drivers side of his truck looking at me in the passenger side. He was trying to speak but only bubbles came out of his mouth. Then it flashed to my mom and dad in our Suburban trying to keep his head above water. He kept saying we would be okay, don't panic. But I felt my breathing constrict into next to nothing. Stars shown behind my eyes and things were turning black.
"Elena!" I was yanked up and out of the water despite my groaning muscles to find Damon pulling myself out of the now Luke warm water in the bath tub. I didn't even have time to register I was naked until someone threw a towel around my dripping body.
I coughed and sputtered as I tried to regain my oxygen. My head was spinning out of control as I was being held up by a pair of strong arms that I located were Damon's. I still saw stars as they sat me down on the edge of the tub to compose myself. I didn't know whether I should cry or scream or what I needed to do with myself.
"What in the world happened?!" Caroline's voice came from the doorway.
"I- saw- Mat." I breathed out raggedly. I coughed some more, feeling as if I might get sick, but able to breathe much better than being under water.
"Mat?" Stefan asked crouched down next to me while Damon sat on my right.
"We were- in his truck..." I whispered pausing to cough and breathe deeply again. If my chest hurt before it felt like someone just stood up from sitting on it now. "He- He kept trying to talk to me, but- I-" I tried to will the tears to stop, but I couldn't hold back anymore. "I couldn't speak, I was-" I sobbed hard emanating a strange noise to come from my chest, something caught in between a cough and a smoker who couldn't quit.
I cried into the thankfully fluffy towel still wrapped tightly around my body. I think once the tears started they couldn't be turned off because after a solid two minutes I believe all the water in my body was completely gone. Which is pretty ironic considering I just almost drowned for the second time in twenty four hours.
After not being able to cry and calming down a bit more, I sat and examined my hands as they shook for a long while. I couldn't understand why some of the best people I knew weren't telling me the things I needed to know. Like what happened to me in the past 2 years? Who're these guys that I don't remember? Why is everything so screwed up?
"Elena?" Stefan asked quietly. "Do you want to talk about it?" I looked up to his green eyes, now eye level, and realized just how familiar they look. Comforting, inviting, and caring. And yet there was still something there that made my stomach flop over, and not in an I have butterflies kind of way.
"Not necessarily." I said barely audible. "Care?" I asked, hoping she would get the cue and breaking my gaze with Stefan. Thank God she did.
"Alright boys, out. It's our turn to handle things." Care said shooing the boys up. Stefan lingered for a moment, as did Damon, but they eventually followed Jeremy out of the bathroom and down the stairs I assumed.
"Let's get you dry-"
"I didn't get to wash my hair." I said as both Bonnie and Caroline helped me up off of the side of the bathtub whilst trying to not slip on all of the water covering the floor.
"Elena, I don't think it's-" Bonnie began.
"I'll take a shower." They both gave each other a glance but said nothing as I drained the water from the bath and waited for the shower to come on. If they were going to keep secrets, I at least wanted to do things my way before either of them could have a say.
"Okay, but we're staying in here this time." Caroline said gently as she took my towel from me and I stepped into the spray of the water.
After I was finally clean and dressed to sleep, Caroline had me sit in the middle of the bed while she brushed out the kinks in my hair. Bonnie said she was gonna go make me some tea, and from how hoarse I recognized my voice to be I didn't argue.
Thankfully Caroline had grown much more light handed than she was when we were getting ready for cheerleading comps. As she skillfully brought the wet brush through my hair I rubbed cocoa butter onto all of my bruises, wincing only every other one I touched.
When I was sure I had a second skin of cocoa butter, I looked up to assess my room for the first time. Same white walls, same huge windows, but it seemed more empty than before. Like there wasn't as many pictures just lying everywhere. I used to have a plethora of photos of my mom and dad, and Caroline and bonnie, and of course Mat when we were together. And now the bookshelf that stood across my room had more than one empty shelf, my dresser wads practically bare, and I only had one decent picture of my family when we went to the lake last summer, I mean 3 years ago.
That's going to be incredibly hard to get used to.
It's not two-thousand nine. You have missed two years of your life. Get with the program Elena. I rolled my eyes and stared down at the comforter on my bed.
They must really be worried about me if they're willing to keep so many things form me, I rationalized.
"Could you check for bruises on my scalp?" I asked Caroline quietly. "I haven't really been able to see them." I felt her gingerly part my hair in various places, until she stopped right at the base of my skull. I didn't need to ask to know what was back there. I'm sure it was big, ugly and nasty. It also probably explained my memory loss.
"There," Caroline said softly, putting my hair back in it's place. "All the knots are out." She patted my shoulder. Only now did I realize my hair was well past my waist. I reached around to feel how smooth it had become.
"It's gotten so long," I commented. "Do I even have layers anymore?" I asked rhetorically.
"Maybe we can take you to get it cut tomorrow?" Caroline said as she scooted off the bed. I considered it for a brief second.
"No, I think I like it." She nodded and set the brush down.
"We can go visit Mat tomorrow." She said taking a seat on the edge of the bed. "He should be able to go home tomorrow afternoon."
"Isn't that too soon?" I asked. "I mean he only got there last night."
"Yeah, but his injuries weren't severe. I think Tyler said something about a fractured wrist, but other than that he was just a little banged up like you." I nodded unable to meet her gaze.
"Elena?" I hummed a response to her. "I know this is all very difficult for you to understand, but just have some faith in us, okay? I promise we wouldn't do anything wrong by you." She grabbed my hand and I gave s weak smile to the comforter.
"Look what I have!" Bonnie sang as she walked in with a tray of goodies. Behind her were Stefan and Damon looking like they both just walked out of a broody magazine cover.
"Where's my brother?" I asked.
"Right here." He walked in between Damon and Stefan with another tray that held our tea kettle and mugs.
"Here," Bonnie handed me a box of cookies.
"Somoa's!" I jumped genuinely happy for the first time since I woke up this morning. "Where did you manage these?" I looked up at Bonnie before attempting to open the box. My hands were still shaking I noticed. Caroline took the box from me to open the box and hand it back but not before taking one for herself.
"Remember our emergency stash in the back of the pantry? I figured this was the perfect emergency." She laughed and grabbed the box from me to steal a few.
"Perfect." I laughed starting to feel like things were at least a little normal.
After everything that happened today, what with the protection, near death experiences and constant concern these people have shown me, I don't know how I'm just now realizing I can trust them. They are my family, and I love them all. Even Stefan and Damon must really care for me, considering they've stuck around through all the craziness that is apparently my life. Although, I'm still not sure what significance they have here, yet. The bathtub fiasco really opened my eyes.
The way Stefan looked so lovingly at me had me feel strange. Guilty? I really wasn't sure. I felt a pull towards the both of them, there was no doubt about that.
Damon on the other hand seemed more... intense? Like he would take a bullet for me. Like he overanalyzed every move I made. I felt like I was under a microscope.
"So what're our plans for tomorrow?" I asked around a mouthful of Somoa.
"You're staying here to rest up." Jeremy said pouring tea in a mug before handing to me.
"Oh, no." I shook my head. "I have missed the past two years of my life. I am not sticking around the house to sulk and not at least attempt to jog my memory a little." I looked at each face in the room.
"She has a point." Caroline said after a pause.
"If she goes to school and stays in her routine, she might jog her memory a little more." Bonnie said, both her and Caroline looking to Stefan and Damon. They both looked at one another, but I didn't wait for an answer.
"Perfect, so who knows my schedule?" I asked to everyone.
"You have first period with me and Bonnie," Care said, "and second with just me," She trailed off unsure of the rest.
"You have Bio with Mr. Richard's for third," Bonnie said.
"Then we have lunch together," Care said looking between Stefan, Bonnie and Me.
"And then History..." Bonnie trailed. I ignored the awkward silence that over came the room once again and wrote it off as usual for our new crowd.
"Perfect. So I'll see you all tomorrow morning at school then?" Hoping they would get the hint. I was suddenly very tired, it must have something to do with my near death experience for the day.
Thankfully everyone understood and got up to leave.
"I'll be just down the hall if you need me, 'Lena." Caroline said. I shot her a look. "Don't give me that, Elena. You almost drowned... again. I've already packed and I'm staying."
I rolled my eyes at her overprotectiveness, but shot her a smile nonetheless. She smiled back and exited along with Bonnie, Damon, and Jeremy. Stefan lingered behind and closed the door softly. He turned and looked at me, but didn't make anymore advancements toward the bed.
"Stefan...?" I asked unsure of what his intentions were.
"I know you don't remember me, or my brother-"
"Brother?" I asked before he could finish. His expression went from soft, to sad in an instant.
"Yes, Damon is my brother."
"Oh." I said lamely, unable to meet his pitying gaze. Pity was the very last thing I wanted from anyone. It made me just wish he would get out of the room faster.
"I know you don't remember us, but we both... care for you, very much. And once you're ready, we can sit and talk about things, okay?" He finished.
Things? What things? Why was Caroline's boyfriend-
It hit me like a ton of bricks. He wasn't Caroline's boyfriend. The way he spoke to me after the tub incident and when I brought up her and Stefan being involved. When everyone stopped what they were doing. So was I... involved with... brothers?
Jeez my head was spinning. Both of them? I had been busy the past two years.
"I'll see you tomorrow." He said before leaving and closing my door behind him.
"Ugh!" I fell back on my bed in typical teenage fashion and waited to fall asleep.