Weeks had passed since Katherine's burial. I'd worked on the case with Elena every day, but it seemed as if maybe the accident was just that - an accident.

"No, Stefan, I know it's here," she'd said when I'd told her my feelings about it. "It's right in front of us. We just have to look harder."

It was times like these I was glad for the boardinghouse. The only expense was that I cleaned up after myself and bought groceries when they were low. Otherwise I would've been broke. My only other roommate, the owner, Mrs. Flowers, was a laid back old woman who didn't mind my odd arrivals and departures.

My savings were dwindling, so I'd gotten a job at the Mystic Grille. I was a busboy along with Matt, but I also waited tables every now and again when somebody called off. I didn't much like the job, but it was a good way to meet the townspeople. Tyler, one of the pallbearers, came in a lot, and so did Caroline.

Caroline was so generous to me. She'd come in and then make her way to sit-in dinner bar, and she always had something for me. Whether it is a nice button-up collar shirt and a pair of blue jeans or just good news, she was never empty-handed. I'd told her from the beginning that I didn't have the funds to reciprocate, and that I was sorry, but she said she understood and just liked talking with me on breaks.

I'd developed some sort of attraction with her, but I wouldn't call it relationship-worthy. She was a good friend, and that was something I'd truly needed when I came here to Mystic Falls...despite what I told myself after Katherine's burial.

When it came to Katherine, the pain dulled with time, but it was still an ache in my heart nothing else could heal. At first, I thought it was Elena being a constant reminder of what I couldn't have, but in actuality, the two couldn't be any more different than they were.

I was wiping tables when Elena came bursting through the doors yelling my name.

"I've found something, Stefan!" she screamed as she ran over to the table I was washing. She laughed and began jumping up and down.

"What?!" I laughed at her. "What did you find?"

"A clue!" she whispered as she jumped.

I put my hands on her shoulders to stop her erratic behavior.

"It was in Katherine's pictures!" she said. "The mark on her body wasn't recorded in the medical examiner's report, meaning that I'd forgotten all about it. But now I know what it is!"

"Shh," I gestured for her to be quieter. She was gathering unneeded attention from onlookers.

"You'll have to tell me when I come over later," I said quietly. "If we discuss this here I'm likely to get fired. Matt already hates me because I'm spending so much time with you."

"What?" she said in a serious tone. "I highly doubt that Matt hates you for that."

"I don't," I began. "I'd be mad to see some good-looking guy spending lots of time with my girlfriend."

We laughed.

"He may be jealous, but he has no right to be," she said.

"Why wouldn't he?" I asked.

"Stefan, I broke up with Matt last week," she stated. "We'd gone out on a date and he wanted something I wasn't willing to give him."

"Sex?"

"No," she smacked me lightly. "Marriage."

"What?" I said in a surprised tone. "But you're both so young. I mean, wouldn't want to get married unless I knew it was with the one person I wanted to spend my life with."

"Didn't you want to spend your life with Katherine?" she asked.

The question caught me off guard, and I'd suddenly remembered the times that we'd spoken of marriage, kids, and our future together.

"I did," I choked, "but we didn't want to be married at such a young age. We wanted to see how strong our bond was before we made a commitment as serious as that. We never got to test it because of the incident."

I couldn't really say the words 'Katherine' and 'accident', or even 'die' in the same sentence regularly quite yet. Mostly because I never confirmed with my mind that she died in an "accident". It was the whole reason I was still here, after all.

"Oh," she began. "Are you testing your relationship strength with Caroline, then?"

"Huh?" I looked at her like she was crazy.

"You're together, aren't you?" she asked.

"No," I said casually. "Why? Did you think we were?"

"I did when she began telling everybody that you two were dating," Elena smirked.

"What the hell?" I said with big eyes.

Seemingly on cue, Caroline walked through the doors of the Grille and sat down at the bar. I finished the tables while speaking with Elena and she went to sit by my "girlfriend".

"Hey, Care," I said as I brought her a bottle of water. She only ever drank water here.

"Hey," she said with a smile.

I'll admit that Caroline was beautiful, but she had this preppy sassiness about her that kind of turned me off from the beginning. She was a great friend, though, so I'd never said anything to anybody about it.

"Did you tell people that we were dating?" I asked.

"Yeah," she said like it was the most obvious thing in the world.

"Since when are we dating?"

"Since you told me you loved me," she clarified. "It was the day my mom made steak, and I brought you leftovers. You said, and I quote, I love you so much right now, Caroline. Thank you."

I smacked my face, "I meant it in a friendly way, Caroline. Red meat is my favorite."

Her face turned beet red, "Oh my God, Stefan, I'm so sorry! Please forgive me. I was so stupid to assume that and-"

"Hey, now," I interrupted. "It's alright. Don't fret. It was just a misinterpretation. I get it."

"You do?"

"Yeah."

"Oh, thank you, Stefan," she nearly screamed. "Thank you, thank you, thank you!"

"It's no problem, Caroline," I said. "But you gotta tell everyone you were mistaken or that it was a joke or something."

"On it," she mumbled as she pulled out her phone. Her fingers flew across the glass as she texted her friends.

Elena had stayed for lunch, and I joined her when I got off of my shift. Caroline had gone to do "damage control" and tell everybody that we weren't dating after all.

"How's your brother?" she asked when I sat down across from her.

"I don't know," I said. "I haven't heard from him since he went back. He left here, visited my mom for a week in New York, and then went back to our father's in Italy."

"Are you still on the outs?"

"Not really," I began. "We reconciled, kind of, when he came down for the funeral, but I haven't spoken to him since he left."

"Well," she said, "he seemed nice enough. He told me a fun fact about your name. He said that the name "Salvatore" meant 'Sa-"

"Salvatore as in 'Savior'," I cut her off. "He says that to everybody. He may seem nice, but so did the serpent that tempted Eve in the Garden of Eden."

"You really don't like him, do you?"

"I love my brother, Elena," I said. "That doesn't mean I have to like him."

She laughed, "You're impossible, Stefan Salvatore."

I held up my glass of soda and drank, "Amen to that."

She shook her head and looked down at some paper's she'd brought with her, "Do you need me to take you home?"

"Nah," I said. "My car is being hauled down here from my mom's along with the rest of my belongings. It feels weird to be off on my own now, since it was so unexpected. I actually had to fork out three hundred dollars to have everything packed and hauled down here."

"That sucks," she commented. "Though, you don't have your car at the moment. Are you sure you don't need a ride?"

She looked hopeful, so I gave in.

I waved a goodbye to my supervisor and could see Matt glare at me from behind the counter. I'd be happy when his hours got shifted next week. He'd work from two in the afternoon to ten at night, and the only time I'd see him is during the shift change when I'd be leaving. It'd definitely minimize the indiscreet glares he'd give me.

I'd exited the building and saw Elena's poor little Jeep parked in the nearest spot that wasn't reserved for the handicapped.

"Do you want to come over?" she asked. "Jeremy misses the challenge of attempting to beat you on the Xbox."

"He should get the hint that I'm unbeatable at MW3," I laughed. "But Jeremy is definitely a worthy opponent."

"I don't know," she hinted. "He's been playing all week for a rematch. He's gotten a lot better. He won't be home until later, though. He's working today at the Lockwood Mansion. He's the representative for our family since he's the first boy, and because I've been busy with this." She gestured to the files on her dashboard.

"Well, if he won't be home until later," I suggested, "then what about going to the river's edge for a bit of sunny research? You always talk about it, but we haven't been there yet."

"You're saying that you want to go to the bridge where my family died and search the river for evidence?" she asked.

"Well, when you put it like that it seems like a bad idea," I said quietly.

"It's a brilliant idea, Stefan!" she said. "We may not find any hard evidence since the water probably washed it away, but any bit helps."

We made small talk the whole way.

Once we got there, we got down to business. Elena parked further away from the bridge and we crossed under the metal caution railing that was set up. Ever since the accident, Wickery Bridge was deemed unsafe for use and railed off.

"Be careful," I said to her as she took the lead.

"Don't worry, I will," she smiled.

Elena had retrieved her camera from her car and took wide-shot pictures of the bridge. Upon closer inspection, she noticed the faded skid marks.

"Are those from the accident?" I asked.

"I honestly don't know," she said, "but I'm guessing that they are. They lead to the broken guard rail where we fell off."

"How do you not know?" I said.

"I was asleep during the accident," she said quietly. "We'd been driving for a long time, and I was tired. I put my headphones in my ears and went to sleep. The next thing I know, I woke up to the screams of my mother as we plunged into the cold water below.

"Thankfully my window was already down to escape. I tried to save my family, but the impact broke my parents' necks instantly, and the door on Katherine's side was hit in by the driver. He hit it so hard that the metal from the outside thrust inward and stabbed her. If it makes you feel better, I'm pretty sure she was killed instantly upon impact."

Poor Elena. I wouldn't be able to talk so openly about this, but I had to press further, "Is that what the mark was on Katherine's body?"

"Maybe," she said. "That's the thing: the impact would've cut her in half at the waist. She was cut vertically. The only conclusion I could come up with was that she was lying down on her stomach with her hands pressed on the door. Like she were Superwoman trying to stop it from caving in or something, but I'm not certain because I was asleep. I think her hands were near the top of the door, but the car that slammed her hit near the bottom and sliced her from her chest to her thigh."

"Nobody mentioned how she was positioned?" I asked.

"No."

Just as I was about to say something else, my phone rang from my pocket. I answered.

"Ciao, Stefano," I heard in a thick accent on the other line.

"Ciao, Papà," I said. "Come stai?"

"I'm doing well, my son," he said. "Are you good this day?"

"Sì," I replied. "I'm alright."

"That is well," he replied. Ever since he moved back to Italy, his English skills had fallen drastically.

"Are you really well, Papà?" I asked.

"Yes," he replied. "Have you listened from Damon?"

"No, I haven't heard from him. Is something wrong?"

"He was to be on the plane here, but the plane come, and he was not on it."

"Maybe he decided to stay with mom for a bit longer," I suggested.

"Yes, but I phoned Nicolette and she say he was not with her. She say he left three day ago," he said.

"Well, I don't know, Papà," I admitted. "I haven't seen him since Katherine's funeral."

"I am sorry for loss of Katerina," he said. He always called her Katerina. Sometimes even "Katerine".

"It's alright," I said. "She's in a better place.

"Sì," he agreed. "Well, I should go off the telephone. I love you, Stefano."

"I love you, too, Papà," I said.

"Arrivederci," he said smoothly.

"Goodbye," I said and hung up the phone.

"What was that about?" Elena asked when I put my phone back.

"Damon's not in Italy," I said. "He should've been on the flight that arrived there not long ago, but he wasn't on it. My dad called my mother, but she said he left three days ago."

She shrugged, "Damon's a grown man. He didn't have to go home if he didn't want to."

"Yeah," I agreed. "I don't know where else he could be, though."

"I wouldn't worry about him," she said. "He seems like the type to go on spontaneous adventures."

That was true, so we continued with our personal investigation. The water below rushed with a shallow current. The sun's rays bounced off the surface to blind any onlookers. I tested the water with my fingers, "It's warm."

"Well, then I guess we should look for evidence," she laughed as she started stripping off her clothes to nothing but her bare essentials.

"Elena!" I said as I averted my eyes.

"Relax, Stefan," she said. "They're shorts and a sports bra. Now, unless you want to get your regular clothes wet I suggest you take them off."

"Alright," I said quietly as I began to remove my shirt.

I noticed Elena staring, so I turned around as I worked at my belt buckle.

It was dead silent until I heard a big splash coming from the river. Looking over, I saw Elena pounce into the deep middle and dive underwater.

The water was clear, so I could see her chocolate brown hair as it moved and danced under the surface. Her light body trailed behind it and her small arms made way as she swam. I was impressed at how long she could hold her breath.

I was down to my thin boxers now and I quickly dove into the warm liquid.

When I came up for air, I saw Elena examining the riverbed. Her wet hair was disheveled as it stuck to her face in a way that I found oddly arousing.

Stop it, Stefan. Be better.

I did my best not to look past her neck as her sports bra was thin and showed the outline of her chest. I wrestled with the angel and devil on my shoulders.

It's not like you don't know what all of her looks like. She's the exact replica of Katherine.

That's enough. She's your friend, and your boxers already show too much as it is.

She's single now, Stef.

Stop thinking about it! And stop calling yourself 'Stef.' Only Damon does that.

"I don't think there's anything here," Elena yelled and swam to another spot.

I tended to stay close to her but still scan the premises where she didn't. My back was turned when I heard her scream.

"Stefan, help!" she yelled.

When I turned around, she was gone.

"Elena?" I yelled.

I saw her head pop up from the water and her hands thrashed into the air as she fought for breath. Her body was being taken by a current too strong to fight.

My instincts took over. Thankful for my short stint as a lifeguard at sixteen, I jumped into action.

I fought the strong current as I swam to retrieve Elena's body, but it was even hard for me to put up with. I could only imagine what it would've been like for her little body. My arms hurt and my legs cramped, but all I could think about was the fact that Elena was out there, and that I might lose her if I didn't fight for her.

"Stefan!" she yelled when she resurfaced again.

I could see her, and I was mere inches from grabbing her, but she slipped under the water again. My heart raced as I dove below the surface and swam to catch up with her writhing body.

It took me a good minute and a half to find her through the blinding current, but when my hand caught hers I moved and dug my feet into the ground full of sharp rocks and pushed up.

With hardly any energy left, I kicked my way to the edge of the shore and drug Elena with me.

When we reached land, I let out a big sigh of relief and stood by as Elena coughed all of the water out of her mouth and lungs.

"Don't you ever do that to me again," I said breathlessly as I pulled her into a suffocating hug. My hands stroked her wet hair and I collapsed onto my back, for I was too tired to sit up. I hadn't let go of the hug, and thus I'd brought Elena with me, and there she lay - on top of my chest as she looked me in the eyes.

"Th-thanks," she said. She was shaken up.

"You're very much welcome," I replied.

For a moment, everything was quiet but our racing heartbeats atop one another's, and we continued to stare at each other. Without realizing, I'd moved in closer until I could see my own reflection in her pupils. What I did notice was her lips parting ever-so-slightly, and I knew I was a goner.

Her eyes closed slowly, and I went in for the kill. I felt her hot breath cover my face and my heart raced faster, but this time it wasn't from swimming or panic.

Her soft lips were less than a millimeter away from mine…

"Hello, Elena," I heard somebody say from behind us.

She opened her eyes quickly and nearly jumped away. Her eyes were torn from mine as she looked up. I tilted my head up to see who it was.

"Hello, Little Brother," the voice said again.

"Damon," I said his name like a curse word.

"You dropped this on the shoreline," he said as he held up what looked like a black chunk of metal.

"Oh my gosh, thanks, Damon!" Elena said as she jumped off of me to retrieve it. That wasn't a good feeling.

Elena grabbed the piece from Damon, but he stroked her face just once before she turned back around to show the object to me.

"This is what I found in the water, Stefan," she said. "It's a part to our car, but it was so heavy that I lost my balance in trying to get it and the current took me under. I managed to hang on to it until we got to the shoreline."

I noticed the black piece, but I didn't scrutinize it. Instead, I gave it a sideways glance before zeroing in on my brother, "You should be in Italy, Damon."

"And you should be covering your little brother, Little Brother," he laughed. I looked down at my manhood making itself known to the sun and turned over onto my stomach.

"I'll grab your clothes while I get mine," Elena said as she ran up the shore to retrieve our belongings. I was grateful she didn't entertain his jabs.

"Why are you still here?" I asked.

"I just wanted to see the town for a bit longer," he smirked.

"Bullshit," I spat. "You wanted to see Elena for a bit longer."

"Perhaps," he agreed with a sinister smile. "That Caroline Forbes is a babe, too, though. It's a shame you didn't agree to date her. Of course, you've always liked the dark haired ones better. Does she remind you of Katherine, Stefan, or are you just desperate to have some action?"

"Shut up, Damon!" I seethed.

"Until next time, Little Brother," Damon said as Elena came back with my clothes.

I averted my attention to her.

"Where'd Damon go?" she asked.

"He should be walking back up the road that way," I said as I pointed and looked…but he wasn't there. He was gone.

"I don't see him anywhere," she noted.

"Hmm," I cocked my eyebrow. It was odd, to say the east. "Well, I don't know. Though, I think we've done enough digging for today. We've found our clue, now let's go."

We dressed and got into her car, at which time we went to her house. Elena didn't mention how my last comment was short and commanding. I also didn't apologize for it, though I knew I should've. It was Damon getting under my skin-not her.

I beat Jeremy again on the Xbox.