Here is the first chapter, I put a lot of effort in this and even though it's not the longest one I have ever written, I like it.

Please take your time and review to help me improve my work.

I don't own anything except my OCs.

-Chapter 1 - Moving on?-

I entered the Grill, looking through the people sitting and talking, enjoying their simple lives, not bothering about death or destruction.

I spotted my purpose on being here and shrugged out of my coat, sliding into the booth opposite of him.

"Hey Ben" I smiled shortly and looked into his face, his tanned skin glowing with his smile. His light brown hair was falling into his dark blue eyes and I had to smile just seeing him again.

"Stell, you look tired. What happened since we last met?" He asked kindly and took my hand in his, gesturing the waitress with his other hand. This was him, always taking control of the situation when he knew I wasn't capable of it.

"It was just hard seeing the memorial outside."

He nodded and placed one of the drinks the waitress had brought in front of me.

"Ben, it's strange you ordered me back here. Why did you want to meet in Mystic Falls?"

"Because I found out something that might be of interest for you." Benjamin smiled and sipped his drink. He loved to make a spectacular scene.

"Spill the beans, dork" I said with a smile.

"I found out how you can break the sire bond. You need the blood of who you're sired to."

I nearly choked on my drink. "You've got to be kidding me. How am I supposed to get Klaus' blood without getting killed?"

Ben shrugged. "Sorry hun, but that's what you got to figure out. I helped you with your search just like you asked me to."

"Don't say you'll leave now, I need you, Ben!" I said and placed my glass back down on the table.

"I won't, don't fret" he laughed at my face. "But I think it's time you introduced me to your brothers" he made air quotes with his fingers at the word brothers.

"I will, Ben" I said and sipped my drink again. "Don't push me, they don't even know I'm back yet."

I made my way slowly towards the Boarding House. It was strange being back, I had left without a word and I didn't answer a single call or voice message they had left. I was afraid they would be angry or sad I had abandoned them but I wanted to explain what had happened.

I knocked on the door as I had left my keys when I ran away. I waited patiently, my small traveler bag in my left hand, my right hand stuffed into my coat pocket. I was so used to behave like a human, it was difficult giving up that habit just now. I had pretended to feel the heat during the summer, and the cold during the winter, that was the reason for me wearing a coat. And since I didn't know how long I would stay this time, I saw no point in stopping behaving like being one of them.

Suddenly, the door opened and Stefan stood in front of me.

"Stella" he said nearly breathless. He obviously couldn't believe it was me standing there.

"Hey Stefan" I said with a smile. "Can I come in?"

"Of course" he said quickly as if he just remembered his manners.

I entered and all the smells came rushing back to me. I remembered the fights and the quarrels I had inside of here, the good times and parties I had attended. It just felt like home.

"Take a seat, sis" Stefan said and as I sat down he took his place beside me.

"Okay now. What's going on? Why are you back?" He asked, all eager and smiling.

As I was about to answer, but we both heard the front door open and laughing followed shortly.

When the voices reached us, I felt my face fell of its own accord. It was Damon, his arm slung loosely over Elena's shoulders. When they spotted me, their jaws nearly simultanously dropped open.

"Stella? You're back?" Damon asked and started forward, pulling me up from the couch and crushing me into a tight hug.

"It's nice to see you too, Damon" I answered with a half-laugh. I wasn't used to Damon showing that many emotions.

Elena stood back, smiling, but letting the family reunite on their own. With a twist to my heart I saw the look Stefan had on his face when he side-glanced at Elena. It still was full of love and longing, but she didn't seem to notice.

I hugged Damon back and when he let go, we all sat down.

"Now where have you been? Why did you vanish like that?" Damon demanded, sitting close to me.

"I am sorry I ran away like that, not telling you where I was going, but it was for your safety. Klaus was on my heels and it was sure he would demand from you telling him where I was. And I couldn't risk him finding me."

"He was here, indeed" Stefan told me. "But he quickly understood that we had no idea where you were hiding out."

"I was here and there, I mainly tried to find ways for breaking the sire bond. And I found a very good companion on my search. He'll be here later today to get to know you."

"That's all?" Damon asked incredulously. "You've been gone eight months and all we get is you were here and there?"

I laughed. "Calm down. I'll tell you everything once Ben's here. What happened here while I was gone?"

Damon and Stefan exchanged a glance which made me feel strange.

"Klaus tried to find the cure, but he was unsuccessful. Jeremy vanished shortly after you" Stefan finally said and glanced at Elena again. This time, her look was hurt.

"We don't know where he is right now, he didn't call a single time since he left" she said, looking down into her lap.

"Klaus must be furious about this" I noted dryly but while thought furious would be an understatement.

"You have no idea" Damon said and leaned back on the sofa. "He was rampaging throughout the town and we had problems covering his tracks. He had the town shut down for shortly by his hybrids but since you and Jeremy could have flee, they obviously did a bad job. I bet some had had to pay."

I nodded. "I tried getting away with Sage a few days before I really left and they were overall town. It was difficult getting past them."

Damon looked at me strangely all of a sudden ad I frowned.

"What? Is Sage gone too?" I asked them, which followed another chance of glance between my brothers.

"No, he's still here, but he's not doing so good."

"What do you mean?" I asked them. I was afraid I had hurt Sage, again.

"Well, when you vanished at first, he was devastated. We weren't even able to get him out of his room. He was sulking in his own misery" Damon said with a roll of his eyes. Elena slapped his arm at the gesture.

"And then? What happened?" I asked, I didn't care about their interaction.

"And then he changed. I haven't seen him behaving like that in a long time." Stefan said sadly.

"How is he behaving?" I asked, afraid of Stefan's answer.

"He's drinking, a lot and he's...well he's seeing all kind of girls" Stefan terminated quickly, thinking it might hurt me to hear that.

"So he's like Damon in his best times" I stated dryly. I didn't like the idea, but I knew he would eventually have moved on.

"Damon in his best times on crack." Stefan looked at his brother who just laughed out loud.

"Is that a compliment?" He asked with a wide grin.

I stayed silent for a moment, sunken in my own thoughts. So Sage had moved on, it shouldn't bother me, I should be happy for him. What did I expect? That he would wait until I return and still be head over heels for me? It was stupid of me to even think that for a second. It was selfish and I knew that but still it hurt just to hear it out loud.

Suddenly, I was ripped out of my thoughts. The front door opened again and I just heard a high-pitched giggle. When I turned to look, Sage stepped into view, his hand around a petite blonde girl's waist, who was smiling and giggling at something he obviously had told her just moments ago.

He laughed back at her until his eyes fell upon me. His face fell and his hand dropped from the girl's waist.

"Stella?" He asked, not believing I was there in front of him.

"Who? My name Aliana" the girl next to him cried in an annoying voice.

He swiftly turned to look into her eyes.

"I don't care, be quiet" he compelled her and only at that point did I take in her demeanour. A frilly scarf was wrapped around her neck and she was wearing an impossible short skirt. Her cleavage was nearly completely revealed and her hair do was extremely fluffy. The scarf was obviously there to cover bite marks.

Not that moving on I was thinking of, I thought to myself but I but my lip and kept quiet. That was what my brothers had talked about. Seeing all kind of girls...Behaving like Damon in his best times...

"Hello, Sage" I answered quietly and looked directly into his eyes.

I hope you like it and tell me what you think by leaving a review.

xoxo - Lalapaya