DISCLAIMER: I only own the plot (of the fanfic).

Chapter 2
The Leaf

Elena

Willow grasped my hand as we walked under the grove of tress scattering our block. The beautiful maples were coloured with red, yellow, and orange, their leaves descending down onto the wet roads from last nights rain.

"Oh this is a pretty leaf." Willow exasperated, yanking my hand slightly as she reached down to fetch her desired plant. "I can draw this at the studio." She decided, twirling the leaf between her fingers and looking at the marvelous red and yellow combination.

"It's very pretty." I comment helping her jump over a puddle of water as we went on with the walk.

"I love it." She looks up at me and I look down to her. "Here, I want you to have it." She lifts her outstretched hand to me and I analyze the leaf.

"But it's yours," I point out. "You found it."

"Yeah but you can turn it into art for me." She points out, wiggling the slightly soaked leaf.

"We can both make it into art." I say, releasing her hand and opening my purse to pull out a tissue to keep the leaf safe. I unfold the large tissue and she delicately places the leaf down, folding all four sides into it and allowing me to place it into my purse once again.

"Now it's safe." She says delightfully, taking my hand again and proceeding with our walk.

~.~.~

"Hi Elena, hey Will. No school today?" The receptionist, Cameron, asks when we enter the high school.

"Nope, I get to come to work with mommy."
"That's fun." Cameron exasperates, crouching down in front of Willow.

"Yeah, I get to do art with the big kids." She replies.

"Well have fun."

"Thank you."

"Oh and Elena, there's been a block change. Your first class today is with the tenth graders." Cameron says, rising from the floor and handing me the folder with my name on it. I accept it and smile up at her.

"Thanks for letting me know. I'll see you later." Willow and I wave as we walk away, heading through the teen clustered hallways and receiving few "Good morning Miss. Gilbert." Willow hugs herself a little closer to me when the scrawny ninth graders turn into large twelfth graders. Just as I enter the art studio the bell rings and my students begin to flow in close behind me.

"Good morning, please take your seats. Hats off, sunglasses off. Yes Lucas, a toque is a hat, therefore you must remove it." Lucas' friends laugh at him as he yanks off the hat and takes his seat, chucking the toque at a still laughing friend.

"Good morning Miss. Gilbert."

"Good morning ladies." I smile at the group of girls, walking to the door and looking out to the hallways quickly for any still stranded students. I shut the door and walk back to my desk, hushing the rowdy morning group who talk of their weekend events. Willow hops off my chair and waits for me to sit down before joining me again.

"Alright, today I want you to sketch an image of what makes you happy. A person, object, word. Be it anything, I want you to think of it, draw it, and prepare a quick speech on what it is and how it makes you happy. Everyone must present today." I explain, looking to Willow expectantly. Whenever she comes to work I make assignments that she can do as well so then she stays in the loop and feels like a student. "Get to work." I instruct, pushing back in my chair and rising with Willow in my arms. I place her on my chair and then crouch in front of the bottom drawer of my desk. I pull out her sketch book with her name written on the front in loopy print.

"Here Bug." I say, handing her the book and her colour pencils. She gets to work, furrowing her eyebrows the way a very familiar face did when she was focused.

I walk away when I know she's comfortable, heading over to the desks to see how each student portrayed their happiness.

"If those are boobs Mr. O'Neil then I truly do hope you will like the 0 for inappropriate behavior." I warn him, he snickers and leans back in his stool.

"Miss. Gilbert, you have it all wrong. I would never draw a womans chest." He says with sincerity, I cross my arms and raise a eyebrow.

"What is it then?" I ask, cocking my head to the side a little.

"I drew her butt." He explains with a burst of laughter afterwards.

"Dear God." I sigh, shaking my head and turning to walk away. "Please draw something appropriate Keith." I say.

"Yes ma'am." He agrees. I hear a page tear behind me and smile in satisfaction. The one thing about being an art teacher is that your students actually like you, and respect you… sometimes.

"Mommy." A voice chirps up in the semi-quite room. Some girls cooed at the sound, expressing the adorable child at the desk.

"Yeah Will?" I ask, walking back to my blushing daughter and bringing my ear down to her head.

"Can I have my leaf please?" She asks quietly, cupping her hands over my ear. I nod and reach behind her for my purse. I grab the tissue and hand her the leaf, glancing at the image before walking back to the desks. She so far drew big trees, all aligned like the ones on our street.

"That's very pretty." I whisper to her, stroking her blonde curls and kissing her cheek. She giggles and thanks me before getting back to her work.

"Miss. Gilbert." I look to the door and see Cameron standing with a very confused look. She beacons me to follow with a subtle motion of her hand. I raise my finger quickly and look to my class.

"Excuse me for a moment, keep the talking to a whisper and finish those sketches please." I say, going to Willow.

"Can you stay here for a few minutes?" I ask her, she looks worriedly to the class but nods, her eyes showing a glimpse of determination. "Okay, be good." I say, pecking her forehead and hurrying over to Cameron.

"Hey, what's wrong?" I ask, shutting the door behind me, and beginning to follow her down the hall.

"You have a visitor at the office, he said it was urgent and that he needed to see you immediately." She explains, picking up our pace slightly. I rush with her and arrive at the office, only to see the back of a very familiar head. My mind flashes back to the first day of school many years ago.

"Hold up. Who's this?" Bonnie asks me, stopping our walk through the hallway, right in front of the office.

"All I see is back." I say, shrugging at her desperate behavior.

"It's a hot back." She says, I smile slightly and laugh at her words. "I'm sensing Seattle. And he plays the guitar." She says, pretending that her psychic abilities truly do work.

I laugh once again, "You're really going to run this whole psychic thing to the ground, huh?" I ask, turning to face her.

"Pretty much." She agrees, laughing with me.

"Elena,"

"Stefan."