Soon after they arrived at her lake house.
Before walking in the door Elena took a deep breath as memories of her family consumed her.
The last time she was here they were all alive, and now she was the only one left.
Stefan looked at her and saw the sadness and pain in her eyes.
He took her hand in his giving her support before she walked through the door.
Stefan waited outside unable to enter as he watched Elena look around the house from the front door.
She turned around and was confused why Stefan was not coming in, and then realized that he needed to be invited in.
She decided to use this to her advantage and play a small joke on him.
"Why aren't you coming inside Stefan?" she asked innocently.
"Because I am a vampire Elena, I need to be invited in," he replied.
Elena then faked a gasp and looked at him before she apologized over and over.
"I am so sorry Stefan, I completely forgot about that part. My house isn't under my name, I am so sorry Stefan, I can't invite you in," she said as she fake panicked.
Stefan just looked at her and didn't say anything.
She could see disappointment in his eyes, even though he was trying really hard to hide it.
He did not want her to feel as though she upset him, and Elena loved him even more for it.
"It's okay Elena, it isn't your fault," he said to her with so much understanding that it broke Elena's heart.
She couldn't keep up the joke anymore, so after another moment a huge smile broke out on Elena's face.
"Stefan Salvatore, I here by invited you in," she said as Stefan walked towards her through the threshold as he playfully grabbed her, spinning her around in his arms.
Her laughter filled the air as he placed her on the couch and hovered on top of her.
"You tricked me!" Stefan said as he laughed with her.
He slowly brought his hands onto her stomach and Elena knew exactly what he was about to do.
"Stefan don't you dare," Elena warned, although her smile remained on her face.
"You tricked me, so you deserve to get tickled!" Stefan told her as he began to ruthlessly tickle her stomach, loving the sound of her laughs.
"S-Stefan! S-Stop!" Elena chocked out, not being able to talk because she was laughing so hard.
His hands were all over her making her squeal and squirm in his grasp.
After a little while longer Stefan stopped tickling her but kept his hands on her hips.
Her heart skipped a beat as his face got closer to hers.
She felt him everywhere, Stefan was in every fiber of her body.
Her face turned bright red as Stefan just stared into her eyes.
"I love you so much," Stefan whispered as he captured her lips in a breathtaking kiss.
She succumbed to the feeling of his lips on hers as she became weak under his touch.
He had that kind of effect on her.
"I love you too," she whispered against his skin as he rested his forehead against hers.
Stefan left a quick kiss on Elena's nose before pulling her into his lap on the couch.
She sighed contently as he wrapped his arms around her, and she rested her head on his chest.
Elena was so comfortable anytime she was in Stefan's arms- it was like their bodies were made for each other.
Stefan just held her as he planted a small kiss on her head, leading down to her cheek, then to neck, and finally down to her shoulder- his lips lingering there for a moment sending Elena's heart into overdrive.
"We have this whole day to ourselves Elena, we can do whatever you wish," Stefan whispered against her shoulder.
Elena thought for a moment, and at first the only thing she could think about was staying like this, wrapped up in Stefan's arms all day.
But then she remembered how desperately she wanted to go in the lake and be in the water.
When she was locked up she used to dream of being here again, soaking in the sun.
She used to dream about the sun, and the water, and fresh air, but all those things became a distant memory the longer she was locked up.
"Can we go to the lake?" Elena asked Stefan hopefully.
Stefan always hated how she felt the need to ask his permission to do the things she wanted.
She was free now and more than anything he wanted her to feel that way.
"You know you don't need to ask Lena, I would love to. Let's get on our bathing suits and go enjoy the day," Stefan said happily as he kissed her on the forehead.
Elena let out a happy giggle as she got out of his lap and picked out a bathing suit from her suitcase.
It was one of the items they bought together at the store, and Elena could tell by the look on Stefan's face that he really wanted to see her in it.
Elena had never worn anything so revealing before, so she was extremely nervous, but she also really wanted to see what it would look like.
She made her way to the bathroom and excitingly put it on, but right as she was about to leave she caught a glimpse of herself in the mirror and gasped.
Her face crumbled as she saw her reflection.
Her body was absolutely hideous.
The people at the store were right, she was repulsive.
Everywhere she looked she could see another brutal scar or gash in her skin.
She covered her mouth with her hand as she took in the view in front of her.
She knew she looked bad, but she did not know how truly disgusting she looked.
Tears streamed down her cheeks as she remembered the countless ways she received the scars that plagued her skin.
After Stefan put on his swim trunks, he heard his least favorite sound in the whole world coming from the bathroom.
Elena was crying.
The closer he got to the door, the louder her cries became, and the more his heart broke.
Stefan softly knocked on the door, but he did not get a response.
All he could hear was his precious girl sniffling behind the door.
Suddenly a realization swept over Elena.
Stefan could never love her when he sees what she truly looks like.
He could never see her like this, she couldn't bare the thought of losing him.
"Elena can I please come in?" Stefan asked gently as he knocked on the door again.
"No," Elena barely croaked back, her body was shaking so rapidly that she was barely able to speak.
"Elena honey, please talk to me," Stefan begged through the door as her silent cries continued.
"You don't have to go through this alone anymore Elena, please just let me in."
Elena couldn't, she just couldn't let him through that door.
As much as she just wanted to feel his arms around her and be comforted by his warm embrace, she couldn't handle what his face will look like when he sees her.
She can't handle the disgust that she knows will be present in his eyes as he takes in how repulsive she is.
He will realize how broken she truly is, not just mentally, but physically as well.
Stefan deserved so much better than her.
"Stefan please," Elena cried through the door.
"Just go away," she wept ever so softly, knowing that he could still hear her.
She hated herself even more for how she was treating him, but he could not come inside.
Stefan's whole entire being ached for the girl behind the door.
He just wanted to pull her into his arms and never let go.
"I'm not letting you push me away Elena. You are too important for me to let you do that."
Elena crawled into the corner of the bathroom as she curled up in a tiny bawl on the floor.
She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face behind them, hiding her body underneath.
"Okay," Elena said so quietly she could barely hear her own voice, "You can come in."
She accepted the fact that Stefan will have to see her sooner or later, so she might as well get it over with now.
She just hid herself the best she could as she awaited the look of disgust that was bound to be present on Stefan's face when he saw what she truly looked like.
Stefan slowly opened the door and his whole being crumbled at what he saw.
His sweet Elena was curled up in a ball at the corner of the bathroom rocking herself back and forth as she sobbed into her knees.
He quickly ran over to her and pulled her into his arms, shushing her gently as he cradled her close to his chest.
"Shhh baby, I'm right here. I've got you, I've got you," he cooed while stroking her hair.
After a moment Stefan broke when he saw the state Elena was in.
Pain washed over his expression as he saw the deep scars that were scattered across her body, leaving barely any exposed skin.
Tears filled up his eyes as he realized the horrible agonizing pain she must have been in.
He couldn't imagine what happened to her to get those marks, and he began to feel sick at the thought of what was done to her.
Suddenly Elena broke away from Stefan's lap and scooted into the corner of the bathroom, covering herself up behind the sink.
"I-I'm h-hideous," Elena cried softly.
Stefan's heart broke.
Scars or not she was still the most beautiful girl he had ever seen.
"Oh Elena," Stefan breathed out as he approached her and kneeled down in front of her.
"You are anything but that," he whispered as he cupped her face in his hand.
"You are so beautiful Elena, so so beautiful."
She leaned into his touch- she tried so hard to resist him, but she couldn't.
His hand shot waves of comfort into Elena's body as she succumbed to the undeniable effect he had over her.
She couldn't bare the thought of him leaving her, that would be worse than anything she has ever been through, that would be worse than death.
Soon more tears streamed out of her eyes as she realized that soon enough he will.
Everyone she has ever loved has left her, and she knows one day he will too.
She is incapable of being loved.
Stefan wanted to die as he felt her hot tears falling onto his palm.
He couldn't bear seeing her in this much pain, not only physically but mentally.
He wanted her- no, he needed her to realize how much he loved her.
"Please don't leave me," Elena croaked out as tears still streamed down her cheeks.
A sharp pain shot through him the second those words escaped her lips.
Stefan quickly pulled her into his arms as his chest became heavy.
"Elena, I would never leave you," he reassured her instantly, his voice thick.
How could she even think that?
"I love you so much Elena, and I will be with you for as long as you want me."
"Look at me Stefan, really look at me," Elena croaked as she uncurled herself, finally exposing her full body to Stefan.
"How can you even say that? How are you not repulsed by me?"
Stefan just looked at her and grabbed her hand in his.
He slowly brought Elena's hand against her heart and held it there for a while before he spoke.
"Do you feel that, Elena?" Stefan asked her softly.
Confused, Elena just shook her head.
"Underneath your hand is the heart that I fell in love with. Your scars don't define you Elena, they just show how incredibly strong you are. You are so strong and so beautiful Elena. I just wish you could see yourself how I see you."
"Y-You s-still t-think I-I'm b-beautiful?" Elena sniffled as she looked up at Stefan.
Tears began to stream down her face again after hearing Stefan's reassuring words.
"I not only think you are beautiful, you are the most beautiful girl I have ever seen," Stefan responded immediately as he kissed her forehead.
"And trust me Elena that is saying something because I have been around for a long time," he said with a small smile.
A shadow of a smile appeared on Elena's lips as she sniffled softly and wiped away her tears.
"And I think you look so sexy in that bathing suit," he told her making her face turned more red than he had ever seen it.
"Come here beautiful girl," Stefan said as he enveloped Elena in his arms.
He stroked her hair as her face rested against his chest.
She has never felt more loved than she did in that moment.
Stefan truly excepted her for what she was.
He still loved her, even after seeing what she looks like, he still actually loved her.
Elena's smile got a little bigger against Stefan's chest and he could feel it slowly growing against his skin.
Stefan could not believe that she could ever think her scars could drive him away.
If anything after what he just saw he only wanted to hold her tighter.
His need to keep her safe only getting stronger.
He held her tighter against his chest reminding himself that she was safe now and that she was with him.
That she was not getting tortured by Klaus anymore.
Although she still was, Stefan thought sadly to himself.
Everything that she went through, all of the excruciating pain and suffering that she had to endure for so long still haunts her every day.
Although she went through hell, she will never have to deal with anything of that nature ever again for as long as she lives.
Stefan will make sure of it.