A/N The Vampire Diaries Settings and Characters all belong to LJ Smith and the CW. Any original characters and this story are copyright © 2011-2018 to Hopelessromanticgurl, all rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the author.


The burning sunlight tickled Elena face that next morning. She stirred and opened her eyes. She smiled when she saw Stefan sleeping next to her. She rolled onto her side and gently rested on hand on his chest as she watched him sleep. Suddenly he spoke startling her making her jump.

"You're staring."

A smile appeared on both of their faces.

"I'm gazing." She argued playfully.

"It's creepy."

"It's romantic."

He turned his head to look at her. She gave him one of her famous innocent little girl smiles. He turned his head back and grabbed the pillow from behind him, covering his face with it.

"Hey!" she giggled.

She grabbed it and went to remove it from his face when he suddenly rolled over onto his side and onto her pinning her under him as they shared a deep passionate kiss. He started kissing her neck, and she giggled.

"Stefan!" she giggled. "Stop it that tickles."

He looked up at her and smirked. Her eyes went wide when she realized what she had just revealed to him.

"Oh no Stefan don't you dar…." She trailed off a squealed when he started to tickle her side. She burst into giggles twisting around trying to get free, but it was useless against his vampire strength which was even stronger now that he had human blood in his system.

"Stefan stop it!"

She tried to fight at his hands, but he just grabbed them and pinned them over her head. She laughed harder when he tickled her stomach…her weakest spot…and he knew it too.

"Stef-Stefan sto-stop!"

Stefan stopped and smiled at her. "Admit that you staring at me while I sleep is creepy and I'll let you go."

"But it's romantic Stefan."

"Have it your way then."

He lifted her shirt a bit and pressed his lips to her stomach right over her belly button and blew a giant raspberry. She screamed and burst into giggles.

"WAIT WAIT! I'LL SAY IT!"

Stefan smirked and looked up at her.

"Me staring at you while you sleep is creepy." She told him.

"Thank you."

"But you love it." She added.

He just laughed. "Yes, I do."

They started to make out a little more. Elena pulled away. "Oh no, this is bad of us." She groaned softly enjoying every minute, but still fearful because they were supposed to be in a breakup. "What if Katherine finds out?" She asked.

"Katherine who?" Stefan asked. They went back to kissing.


After a few more minutes, Elena pulled away. "Ok, I need to be in the shower."

"I love it, let's go," Stefan smirked.

"No." Elena giggled. "Just me. I'm decorating at the Lockwood Charity thing."

Stefan faked gasped. "What do you know, so am I."

"Are you sure it's a good idea for you to be at their house, Mason Lockwood tried to kill you."

"I don't trust Mason; I want to be there to keep an eye on him," Stefan said.

"Ok, but then we can't talk, or touch and no lingering stares," Elena said playfully as she grabbed a sewing needle from her side table. Stefan gently stroked her arm up and down.

She pricked her finger and gave it to him. "A little every day to help you get stronger."

Stefan nodded and took her finger. After calming the ripper in him, he looked to Elena. "We're going to get through this. I promise."

"I love you, Stefan."

"I love you too." They kissed passionately for few more minutes and then Elena got in the shower and Stefan went back home to get dressed and ready as well.


Shortly after Elena arrived at the Lockwood's, she ran into Bonnie.

"You're here." Elena smiled, happy to see her best friend.

"I'm here," Bonnie said but looked around for Caroline.

"Caroline's not coming. I told you." Elena sighed.

"Just making sure," Bonnie said.

"You know, eventually, you're going to have to talk to her."

"Could you make it a little less obvious you're on her side?" Bonnie said angrily.

"There are no sides, Bonnie…"

Bonnie cut her off. "Come on! Since Caroline became a vampire, we've barely seen each other. Losing Caroline was bad enough; I didn't think I'd lose you too."

"Come with me." Elena knew they needed to talk, and it had to be private.

"Where?"

"Not here. Some place quiet." Elena put her hand out for Bonnie to take. "We have to talk."

Bonnie hesitated for a moment and then takes Elena's hand, and together they walk off some place quiet and alone.


Once they are someplace private Elena tells Bonnie about everything going on with Katherine and her fake fighting with Stefan, and Caroline's almost attack from Katherine.

"I can't believe this." Bonnie gasped.

"it's a lot, I know." Elena nodded. "Katherine's going to do everything that she can to drive me and Stefan apart and Caroline just got trapped in the middle. Lexi managed to help protect her but now she's worried of being without Lexi and being a victim of Katherine's threats."

"It's not that you and Stefan are pretending to fight, is that I didn't even know you guys were fighting at all." Bonnie sighed.

"I'm sorry, I don't want to keep things from you, but you've made it pretty clear where you stand with the whole vampire thing."

"So that makes me the odd man out?" Bonnie growled.

"No, Bonnie, of course not!" Elena said quickly.

"I know where I stand, Elena and I know where you stand but where do we stand?" She asked softly.

"You're my best friend, Bonnie. I didn't mean to let this craziness with Caroline get in the way of that, but she needs you too."

Bonnie shook her head. "Not yet, I just… she's a vampire, I can't. I think we should get back." Bonnie stood up from the bench and walked away. Elena sighed as she sat there alone.

"Hey…"

Elena turned and saw Lexi.

"You ok?"

Elena just sighed and looked away. That gave Lexi all the answer she needed. She walked over and sat next to Elena. She rubbed her back. "She'll come around. She just needs time. Having your best friend become a vampire is a lot to handle."

"Yeah? What about me. I didn't want this to happen to Caroline either. I don't want to have to fake fight with Stefan just to protect those I love. Yet, I am, and I'm struggling with it, but all she cares about is that Caroline is a vampire so now Bonnie hates us both!" Elena vented. Then she blushed. "Sorry."

"It's ok. You needed to let that out. "I know you're struggling. Stefan knows too. That why I'm here."

Elena just sighed. Lexi hugged her and then stood. "Come on, let's get back."

Elena just nodded and followed Lexi.


As she and Lexi were sorting through some masks, Elena noticed Stefan and Bonnie talking, and they looked serious. She really wished she had super hearing to figure out what was being said.

"Lexi, what are they saying?" Elena asked.

"Bonnie saw you when she accidently bumped into Mason," Lexi said.

"Me? But why me?"

"It's not you; Bonnie doesn't know that yet. Stefan just figured it out. It's Katherine she saw. They must be dating or something because they were kissing."

"What? That doesn't make any sense. She said she came back for Stefan so why is she dating someone else?"

"You do remember that she was dating both Stefan and Damon at the same time?"

"Right. But it still doesn't make sense."

"We will figure it out. Just give it time."

Before Elena could respond, Damon walked over.

"What are you doing here?" Elena asked.

"Look for my baby bro, speaking of which can you tell yours to stop following me around?"

Elena froze as fear washed over her. "What's going on?"

"Ask him," Damon said and walked away.

"Jeremy, what is he making you do?" Elena asked.

Jeremy rolled his eyes. "He's not making me do anything, Damon and I…"

Elena cut him off. "No way, no, no, no, no. There is no "Damon and you". There's Damon and whoever Damon is using, and those people, they end up dead. Whatever is going on Jeremy, I want you to stay out of it."

"I don't really care what you want, Elena. It's because of you that I'm in this mess in the first place, so I'm sorry, you don't really get to tell me what to do." With that he followed after Damon and Elena sighed covering her face with her hands letting out a groan.

"You want me to follow him?" Lexi asked.

"Yes, please." Elena nodded.

Lexi quickly went after the two. Elena sighed. This was turning out to be a horrible day, and all she wanted was to go back home and snuggle with Stefan. But she couldn't, and she hated it.


She went back to the mask, but the noticed Bonnie was now involved with Damon and Stefan. All three of them had their heads together. She quickly sent Stefan a text but he just he'd fill her in later.

Elena couldn't stand waiting, so she called him.

"What are you doing, you shouldn't be calling me." He answered.

"I know, but I have no idea what's happening. Damon's got Jeremy into something, and you've got Bonnie with you and I'm sorting stupid masquerade masks for Ms. Lockwood." She all but whined.

Stefan couldn't help but chuckle. "Alright, it's okay. Hold on." He went somewhere private to fill her in on everything else.

Once Stefan filled her in she went back to sorting masks. She had Lexi keep an eye on them and keep her posted on what was going on.

She had a small talk with Matt about Caroline before Stefan walked in. Tyler asked about Mason, but Stefan just said he left.

Before he and Elena could speak his phone beeped, and he got a text message. After reading it he went to leave, and Elena went to follow but Stefan shook his head and then left in a rush. Elena waited, she really did. But she couldn't take not knowing where Stefan was going or what was happening so she told Matt she'd be right back and ran out after Stefan.


She finally caught up with him leaning over a well in the middle of the woods. "What's going on?" she asked.

"You shouldn't be here," Stefan said.

"I know, but I am. What's going on?"

"Bonnie thinks the moonstone is down here."

He broke the chain and removed the cover from a well and shined a flashlight down. He didn't see anything. So he made a move to go down there.

"Hey," Elena said stopping him. "Be careful."

"I'll only be down there for a minute." He told her with a small smile.

A second after jumping down Elena heard him screaming, and all she could understand was there was vervain in the well, and he was now trapped down there.

Elena tried to grab the chains to lower herself down, but they were too heavy. Caroline and Bonnie showed up a few seconds later, and Lexi wasn't far behind.

"Stefan's down there and the chain is rusty." Elena tries to choke out through her panic.

Lexi and Caroline instantly went to go down, but Elena stopped them. "No, no, no! You can't, it's full with vervain."

"Let's lower Elena down. She's still human it won't affect her." Lexi said grabbing the chains. Lexi, Bonnie, and Caroline worked together to get Elena wrapped in the chains and slowly lowered her down.

Elena landed and quickly unwrapped the chains from herself and wrapped up Stefan. "Pull him up, hurry." She called.

Stefan started rising, and Elena started searching for the moonstone. As she was searching, she was suddenly surrounded by snakes. Now, her two best friends and boyfriend were vampires, and it didn't scare her, but snakes…snakes terrified her.

She let out a loud blood curling scream and had to throw them all off and quickly grabbed the chain. "Pull me up!" she screamed.

She was happy when she started rising, and the snakes stayed in the water.

Once she was back outside she dropped down next to Stefan, he was unconscious, and his face looked like he had just been in a massive fire. She quickly grabbed a rock and scraped it across her hand and fed it to Stefan. "I got the stone, Stefan. Stefan it's going to be ok." She said her voice cracking. Lexi knelt behind her and rubbed her back.

"Is this enough?" Elena asked so soft only Lexi would hear.

"Yeah. Plenty." Lexi nodded.

Once Stefan was healed and feeling better, they grabbed the mood stone and quickly headed home.


As Caroline went to visit, her mother Lexi took Stefan and Elena into the bathroom and turned on the sink and shower to block out the sound.

"What's going on?" Stefan asked.

"I found out some news, but before I say it, Elena, I need you to understand that I was able to stop it in time, and everyone is safe."

"Oh no." Elena whimpered. "What happen?"

Katherine managed to get inside and switched Jenna's perfume and compelled her to stop drinking her vervain tea. She's been a spy for Katherine this whole time."

"What? Wait, I spoke to Jenna earlier she knew about Elena and I this morning." Stefan said.

"I know. I made sure Jenna didn't listen to Katherine and drank the tea and used her perfume again. She's safe. But you guys have to break up, for good this time."

"What? No!" Stefan said.

"Is Jenna ok?" Elena asked.

"She's fine. Do you both trust me?"

Stefan nodded, and Elena nodded too.

"Then trust me when I say you need to break up, for good this time. No more just fake fighting. You two need to stage an actual break up."

"Stage?" Elena asked.

"Just trust me, break up and then tonight after everyone has gone to bed…just trust me, Elena," Lexi said.

"I don't want to." Elena whimpered. "But I want my family to stay safe….I'm sorry, Stefan."

"I understand." Tears filled his own eyes.

Elena let tears fill her eyes, and she ran out of the bathroom with tears streaming down her cheeks. She trusted Lexi but what could she be planning?

It didn't take long for the word to get out. By midnight, all their family and friends knew about the breakup.


It was a little after 1 am, and Elena was still awake. She just laid in her bed crying into her pillow and clutching her teddy bear in one hand and the vervain necklace in the other.

"Elena, you awake?"

She gasped and sat up with a start at the voice. She saw Lexi and relaxed. "Yeah. I'm up."

"Elena, I know you're upset, and I'm sorry you and Stefan broke up. I have an idea of how to cheer you up, but you need to come with me right now."

Elena just nodded and dropped her bear and followed Lexi out of the house.


After walking for a long time, Lexi stopped and smiled. "We're here."

Elena stopped walking and looked up. Stefan was standing there with a flower.

"What…" Elena gasped.

"Fighting wasn't enough. You two had to really break up in order to get Katherine off your back. For everyone else to believe it, you two had to believe it. Neither of you are really broken up, but this place where we are now is the ONLY place you two can be romantic and loving. If you see each other anyway, you have to act broken up."

Elena didn't wait a second more before running into Stefan's arms hugging him and crying into him as he hugged her close and rubbed her back, kissing her hair. "Thank you, Lexi."

Lexi smiled. "I'll leave you two alone. Have fun. Just make sure you're back home before anyone wakes up and remember you two are broken up."

They both nodded.

Lexi sped away leaving the two lovers. They kissed passionately happy to be together again. But how long could they keep this up, how much longer until Katherine really hurt someone, or until she was gone for good?


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