I'm not L.J. Smith, Kevin Williamson, Julie Plec or any of the other authorized Vampire Diaries writers. I'm just borrowing their characters for a little while. I'll give them back...I promise!
"That's Elena's bear." Stefan stared at the addition to his bed. "How did it get here?" He looked around the room. Nothing else seemed disturbed.
Damon reached down and pulled the sheets back. Elena's bear sat alone in the middle of the bed - no message attached.
The bear was the message.
"We've had company tonight." Damon picked up the bear and tucked it under his arm. "Someone was in the house." Damon didn't need to say who'd paid them a visit. Both brothers knew Katherine had been in their house...and Elena's.
Stefan wasn't listening. He was already dialing his phone. "Elena, pick up." His voice was taught with worry. "Come on, Elena." He dialed again, but still no answer. He threw the phone down in frustration. "Its going straight to voice mail. I just talked to her. She was fine a few minutes ago." Stefan wasn't sure if he was reassuring himself or talking to Damon.
"Let's go!" Damon didn't look back to see if his brother was following him.
"You're coming?"
"Stefan, if Katherine's there, you can't handle her alone."
They flew down the stairs. Damon stopped short when he saw Caroline sleeping on the couch. He remembered Liz in the basement. "Caroline," he shook her arm.
Caroline blinked up at him in a mixture of surprise and fright.
"No time to explain. We're leaving. Stay here. Take care of your mom."
"What? Uh, what's going on?" Caroline was still only half awake. "Why are you carrying a teddy bear?" Her eyes seemed to focus and she sat up in alarm. "Isn't that Elena's bear?"
Stefan paced impatiently next to the door. "Damon."
"Short answer - yes. We'll explain later." Damon sped to Stefan's side.
Stefan and Damon stood quietly on the edge of Elena's lawn. Neither seemed sure of what they might be looking for, but the house seemed as quiet as every other house on the street.
"Her window's open." Stefan nodded at the darkened house.
Damon bit back a sarcastic remark about Elena sleeping with her windows open. Now really wasn't the time. And, to be honest, a closed window wasn't much of an obstacle t a determined vampire. He followed as Stefan made his way into Elena's room.
Stefan noticed the sound of her breathing first. He slowly let out his breath. Until now, he hadn't realized he'd even been holding it. As long as she was breathing, so could he.
"Is she alright?" Damon leaned against the wall.
"I think so." Stefan smoothed her hair back from her face as he whispered to her. "Elena, Elena, honey. Wake up." He stroked her cheek until her eyes began to flutter open.
Elena bolted up in fright. "Stefan!" She scooted back on the bed as she noticed Damon standing behind Stefan. "What's wrong?"
"Are you alright?" Stefan took hold of her hand. "You didn't answer your phone." He picked it up off the nightstand. It was powered off. He thumbed the power button and turned it back on.
"Why wouldn't I be?"
Damon tossed her bear to her. "This was in Stefan's bed tonight."
"No. I had my bear when I went to sleep."
"Exactly." Damon's grimace was barely visible in the dim light leaking through the curtains.
Elena's breathing sped as she reached for Stefan. "Stefan?" Her eyes darted to the doorway. "If someone was here..." She started to climb out of the bed. Stefan sat on the edge of the bed and wrapped his arms around her. "Katherine was in my room?"
Damon nodded to Stefan. "You stay with her. I'll look around." Damon rounded the corner into the hallway. Even from this distance, he could hear Jeremy's soft snores. Jeremy wasn't who he was worried about, though. Damon took the stairs two at a time and was soon standing outside Jenna's door. He listened carefully. Jenna wasn't alone.
He didn't hesitate as he pushed the door open a crack. Looking at the bed, he blinked in surprise. "That was unexpected." He muttered under his breath. Jenna's red hair fanned out over Alaric's chest. Damon backed out of the room, but he didn't know Jenna's door squeaked.
Alaric's eyes shot open as he looked back at Damon. He tugged on a pair of boxers as he crossed the room and looked at Damon with suspicion. "What are you doing in Jenna's room?"
"Not here." Damon motioned for Alaric to follow him. The pair walked into the living room. "Someone was here tonight." He quickly explained the situation to Alaric. "I was checking to see if Jenna was alright."
Alaric looked at the stairwell. "Elena and Jeremy?"
"They're ok. Stefan's with Elena."
Alaric let out a deep breath. "What are we going to do now?"
"Stefan's not leaving that room tonight." Damon folded his arms in front of his chest. "I'll be outside. If she comes back, I'll know."
Alaric turned back and looked at Jenna's room. "I didn't hear anything." He ran his fingers through his hair. "I was right here."
"And you'd all be dead if she'd wanted to kill you."
"Damon?" Stefan called softly down the stairs. "Is that Alaric?"
Damon met Stefan halfway up the stairs. "Alaric has been here all night. He didn't hear anything." Damon gave a wry smile. Judging by Alaric's state of dress, he wasn't sure if would have heard much earlier in the evening. He followed Stefan back into Elena's room. Someone had turned on her bedside lamp. The room was bathed in a soft yellow glow. Elena was perched on the edge of her bed, worry etched in her face. "Everyone's fine, Elena."
Elena sighed and leaned over, holding her head in her hands. Normally so strong, this seemed to be almost to much to ask her to deal with in one day. Stefan sank back on to the bed next to her. He wrapped his arms around her, and she buried her head in his shoulder.
Damon looked back and forth between the couple. Even in the dim light, he could see Elena's hands shaking. If they left, she'd never sleep tonight.
He'd done what he came here for. Elena and her family were safe. "Stefan." Damon tapped his brother's shoulder. "I'm going to be outside. Alaric knows you're up here." He leaned over Elena. "Try to get some sleep." He ducked out the window and dropped to the ground. He crossed the porch and sat on the swing trying hard to ignore the whispers coming through the window above him.
He didn't deserve her. He'd proven that when he'd made his mistake with Jeremy.
Only after he'd seen her look up at him - her eyes filled with hate - had he realized just how much she meant to him.
A single mistake. His life was riddled with them.
In one instant, he'd lost any hope he'd had with her, but he wasn't going to keep that from protecting her...the woman he loved now from the one he'd once loved.
Stefan stroked Elena's face, and he wasn't surprised to discover her cheeks were wet. He kicked off his shoes as he slid back on the bed. Peeling his shirt off, he leaned back onto the pillows and pulled her down onto his chest. After everything she'd been through, tonight may have been too much. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her forehead. He reached out and turned off the lamp before he pulled the blanket up to her chin.
He absently rubbed her back as he stared up at the ceiling. Katherine wouldn't be able to get to Elena again tonight.
Caroline stood at the window watching the sun rise. Her mother was awake. She could hear her walking around downstairs. Damon told her to take care of her mom. She knew she'd need to eat soon.
She walked into the kitchen and rummaged through the refrigerator. After a few minutes, she'd made a presentable breakfast. Caroline poured a glass of orange juice and picked up the plate of French toast.
Taking a deep breath, she walked down the stairwell into the lower level of the Salvatore house. She tapped at her mother's door. "Mom?"
Only silence answered her.
"Mom?" She looked through the hole in the door. Her mother was sitting up with her back to her. "I brought you something to eat." Her voice broke. She shifted hesitantly from one foot to the other. Her mother gave no sign of hearing her. "I'll just leave it here for you."
Caroline bent down and placed the plate and juice on the ground. "I'll go upstairs now." Slowly, she made her way up the stairs.
"Did you not sleep well?" Jenna studied the circles under his eyes.
"I just stayed up a little late."
Jenna giggled as he pulled her to his chest. He couldn't let her see the worried look on his face. Someone had been in the house last night...as far as he was concerned, he'd be in Jenna's bed every night until that person was caught. "I'd better go." Alaric bent down and kissed the top of Jenna's head. "I don't think you want them to know about last night."
Someone jogged down the stairs behind him.
"A little late for that Mr. Saltzman." Jeremy brushed his hair out of his face as he walked into the kitchen.
"Jeremy, can you go get the newspaper?" Jenna's cheeks were flushed pink as she rubbed her hand against Alaric's back.
Jeremy walked through the door and stepped onto the walk. He walked barefoot through the damp grass and stooped to pick up the paper. As he turned around, he came face to face with Damon. "What are you doing here?"
"We need to talk."
Elena's phone buzzed, dragging her from sleep. "Who's calling me this early?" She untangled herself from Stefan's arms as she reached for her phone.
Stefan sat up on one elbow as he listened to the conversation.
"Hello?"
"Hello Elena." Katherine's voice purred over the phone. "Did you really think your fake fight would fool me?"
"I don't know what you mean." Elena fought to keep her voice steady.
"Of course you do. Just like I know Stefan's in your bed right now. He couldn't bear to have you in danger." Katherine giggled over the phone. "Too bad he didn't listen to me."
"What are you talking about?"
Katherine's voice took on an icy edge. "Why don't you let Stefan explain..." The call ended with a click.
Howdy friends! I appreciate all the reads. I hope you're enjoying the story. This isn't my first journey into fanfiction...I know what you can do with that lovely little review button. I'm not saying reviews make me update faster, but it can't hurt.
Thanks a million!
-N.E.P.