Her hair is now thrown up into a high pony tail, she's cozy with Matt's large jacket wrapped around her form as she sets at the table to collect money from the customers. She's mostly dry, the towel and the seam beaming down had helped. As a customer walks off none other than Stefan wonders over to talk with her. "Let me guess, Caroline confined you to this table?" Stefan questions her, amused look on his face and she looks up at him, nodding slightly but also smiling a little.
"Staying away from the water." She tells him with a small shrug as she into to kean on the idea of getting drenched again.
"Don't like the water?" He jokes but It was the wrong question to ask. It's not until then the smile falls from her face, it's not water she fears, it's never been water... it's drowning. Even though she knows he didn't mean it it doesn't stop her thoughts and feelings. She can still feel the water that felt as cold as ice, she can feel herself try and hold her breath until her head feels like it's exploding...She forces herself out of those thoughts, can't bare to think of her parents final moment, can't bare to think of her and Elena almost dying. Shaking her head and blinking a few times to push those thoughts away. The look on her face is slightly distant, her eyes are a little glassy as she looks up to Stefan.
"Sorry..I didn't mean-" Stefan starts, realizing the other meaning behind those words and looking so apologetic.
"It's okay..I know." Alexis cuts him off, trying to assure him, not really wanting to be on that topic. She looks at him softly though it's a little strained. "Water fight with the others. I only just dried off and don't feel like being drenched again." The girl explains and he laughs a little, taking the path of an easier topic.
"Really, how'd I miss that?"
"Probably too focused on Elena." She teases with a knowing look on her face and he can't help but to smile at the truth of that.
"Probably, so how'd you appointment go?" He asks remembering that she told him she was going yesterday and as he still finds peace hearing her and the baby's heartbeat beating in sync with one another. At the mention of her unborn son her face softens as she nods.
"The baby is perfect, everything is going exactly as it's meant to." She takes care in not referring a gender as they speak, her and Matt decided they wanted to keep it a secret for a while. Alexis sounds so proud and for some strange reason it makes Stefan feel proud as well.
"How about you? How are you?" He questions and it surprises her, people usually tend to ask about how the baby is, totally forgetting that it is also a check up for the mother to be as well. She knows they care all care but it's also nice that he's asked her.
"I'm good, I'm a little smaller than what I should be but my doctor said she was expecting that because of my small frame and athletic habits. She assured me it's nothing to worry about." Alexis informs him, thinking back to her appointment and feeling content.
"That's great and if you ever need anything I'll always be here."
"I know and if you ever need me I'm here...I'm also amazing at keeping secrets." She keeps lets him now again, she can tell he's isn't the best at opening up and is all 'mysterious' but she can see the person beneath. He keeps slowly opening up and she's happy about that. His secret..he's not sure he'd ever want her to have to live with that knowledge. He thinks about what I'd be like if she learnt of his secret... she could react badly along with/or just along with the stress and overwhelming tidal waves of emotion that comes with knowing what he is could cause her to miscarry. He'd never forgive himself if something were to happen to her baby. He nods, giving her a tight lip smile but she doesn't notice its a strained and not fully true when she smiles back.
"I know." He tell her before he's about to excuse himself but this conversation has been about her and she needs to remedy that by asking about him. She could also learn more about him, Damon's words still ringing in her head.
"Hey, come on, sit down. I could use some company." She tell hims, motioning the the chair beside her behind the table. After a moment, Stefan caves and walks around the table. It's so easy to talk to him about anything she finds. The only pause the conversation everything a customer comes over but they are quick to pick it back up. Alexis finds it so endearing as he tells her about last night, how he surprised Elena and cooked for her. Alexis finds herself secretly proud when Stefan tells her Jeremy helped set up everything so Stefan could do it. He's telling her about how
"You cook?" She lights up, realizing they two of them have even more in common. Stefan's lips quirk up in amusement as he nods, thinking of his next words.
"Yeah, I love it.. Elena said you do as well and mine was 'sub-par compared to yours'."
"Really?" She laughs and he chuckles while he nods, looking at her fondly.
"And I agree, the food you cooked for our double date was amazing." Stefan tells her, voice full of honestly and she beams at the compliment.
"Thank you, though I'm sure you're good at cooking as well." Alexis assures him but she only waits a short beat before continuing. "But you really missed out the other week when you guys didn't eat the 'brunch' that I made." She tells him, mock thoughtfully causing him to let out a loud huff off amusement. She can't let that go, not yet, not until she remedies it and he does as well. It's not something bad, it's something to look forward to, something fun.
"Well next time you offer me food, I'll be sure to accept" He promises her, sounding both amused but also a little apologetic.
"You better." She tells him, leaving no room for argument and he can't find himself even wanting to argue that. He just smiles at her, it's something, she's something, that makes him feel not just alive but human. After a moment her eyes drift off to her sister in the distance then back in front of them seeieng an old man walking steadily over.
"You should get back to Elena." She tells him and Stefan finds himself agreeing. he's quick to politely excuse himself from her and leave while she turns to look at the old man, she's assuming will be a customer, arrive before her. The old man stares off after Stefan as he walks up to the table Alexis is at, distant look on his face and concern drips into her wondering if the man is alright. "Are you okay, Sir? Is anything wrong?" She finds her self questioning instead of politely greeting the man, feeling worry for him. The man slowly looks over to her without answering, she then realizes he was looking over at Stefan and looks quite put out. "Do you know him?" She asks the elderly man who frowns as he pulls his wallet out.
"Well, the boy, he looks like someone I once knew." The man tells her slowly, almost sadly, as he hands her the twenty dollars of cash in note as the price of getting his car washed. She takes it from his hand slowly, finding his words intriguing as she speaks up.
"Stefan Salvatore?" Alexis asks him, brow creased in curiosity and concern as she puts the money in the small cash box. The man pauses but he is quick to shake his head.
"Nah, it can't be. He hasn't aged a day...It's just my mind playing tricks on me." He's trying to convince himself, she realizes, like he thinks it can't be possible and she wonders why. She pauses a brief moment, confusion seeping in as the words 'he hasn't aged a day' ring in her head. Alexis presses her lips together, titling her head.
"Well, where do you think you'd seen him before, Sir?" She asks, thinking that might help jog his memory. The man lets out a breath, looking at her as he thinks carefully.
"When I first moved here, I stayed at the Salvatore boarding house." He starts.
"Really?" She speaks feeling a little confused. He nods, continuing to explain the story of how he first meet the youngest Salvatore brother.
"Stefan was just passing through to visit his uncle. I mean, none of us knew he was even here until the attack." The man speaks and Alexis frowns. The way he says it sounds like quite some time has past, like Stefan was just visiting and hadn't moved her so that rules out the recent attacks. Her frown deepens because Stefan said he hadn't been back in Mystic falls for years and it really doesn't make sense.
"The attack?" She question, wanting to have things be clearer to her.
"His uncle got killed. Mauled by an animal in the woods." He tells her, grim voice and she furrows her brow.
"His uncle? Zach?" She thinks for a moment but she is sure Zach is alive living with Stefan at the boarding house. The man shakes his head.
"Mm-mmm. Joseph." He corrects her and with every word he speaks she feels even more confused.
"I'm sorry, sir. I don't think I'm familiar with the story." Alexis tells him, feeling very confused and as if something is very wrong.
"Oh, how could you, child? I mean, this happened years ago. Years before you were even born." He tells her, looking at her in a questioning but slightly sad way. The pregnant girl's eyes widen slightly, appearing shocked and confused, not sure what to think of his words. Before she can even think of forming a question Tiki comes over.
"Grandpa, you gotta go. Mom wants you home. Okay?" Tiki tells her grandfather interrupting their conversation and the man nods before staring to walk away. Tiki sighs, looking to Alexis. "He wasn't bugging you, was he? He's a little alzy-heimer."
"No, he was sweet." Alexis tells Tiki distantly before looking at her. "Hey Tik, can you do may a favor and take over here for a moment?" She doesn't even wait for the girl to answer before she gets up and goes after that man.
"Hey, sir, I'm sorry. Um, are you sure that the man that you saw, that you knew, his name was Stefan Salvatore and not something else?"
"Yes. I remember his ring and his brother-" The man shrugs.
"Damon?" Alexis cuts him off, she doesn't even like saying that mans name after what he did.
"Yeah. Stefan and Damon Salvatore." He nods.
"Sir, do you remember when this was?"
"It was early June, 1953. Yeah. June, 1953." He tells her and she doesn't even know what to think of that before he walks off leaving her in a haze of confusion as she thinks about it. Three pairs of Salvatore brothers over time, all with the names Stefan and Damon. On pair during the civil war who both loved a women who had died tragically in a fire. Another pair of brothers, Damon and Stefan Salvatore lived in the 1950's and that Stefan looked just like this one and he also wore the same ring. those brothers stayed in town with their uncle who was then mauled to death in an animal attack. Much like the animal attacks going on now.
Then there were her Stefan and Damon, the ones from right now who both live with an uncle, wear rings and both loved a women who died in a fire. Alexis didn't know what to think of it. Alexis turns and slowly starts to walk back to the table but suddenly her sister is in front of her, stopping her.
"Hey, just need some more towels. Where's Caroline?"
"I think Caroline bailed but I'll go get them." Alexis tells her, about to turn and leave to get some but Elena can clearly see that something is up, she looks over to the man who just walked away then back. Elena reaches out and stops her sister. Alexis looks to her, seeing the worry on Elena's face.
"Something wrong?What was that about?"
"The weirdest thing just happened..." Alexis breathes out giving her sister a look before she gives Elena a shorts gist of what the man told her and Elena seems put out by it. Wondering how much she actually knows about her boyfriend with a bad feeling in her stomach. Elena walks off forgetting about the towels and Alexis forces herself to think of actual ways it could make sense. Maybe it's pregnancy brain that has her all confused or maybe that man was confused. Maybe, It could simply be a mix Family rings, Family names, genetics and maybe history just repeating itself. Nothing logic defying, maybe a little improbable but possible. She accepts that answer because she has to. She's a smart girl, she believes in logic, fact and reason, she lets it go but something in her doesn't quite forget it. It's telling her to stay cautious of what she does not know, for it may be a danger to her and her child. She finds all of it strange yet she lets it go though because it probably is just nothing, nothing that actually matters anyway. Her sister is off heading over to question Stefan while Alexis moves back to sit down, protective hand resting on her belly and almost straight away she's distracted from what just happened as a customer comes over to her.
THanks for reading sorry this chapter is short but school is really kicking me lately and I haven't got much free time which sadly is why this day is going to be split into three (mostly becuase I don't have much time to write but didn't want too leave this un updated for too long) So Alexis is finding out a little while after elena so not in the next few chapters okay? Anyone let me know what you think of this! This was really a filler sorry next chapter will be much longer and finish of the day, I promise!
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