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Chapter 18: Going home
Elena walked up to the front door of the Salvatore home, figuring that since the grill was closed they'd be home, and knocked. She waited about two minutes and Stefan answered the door.
"Elena? Is everything ok? Who's with Alexis?" He quickly asked, surprised to see her.
"Caroline is there… I tried calling you." She replied.
"Yeah, sorry, my phone died and I just put it on the charger. I haven't had time to check it." Elena nodded. "Come in." Elena walked inside, and Stefan shut the door behind her.
"When you didn't come back, and didn't answer my calls, I figured you were mad at me.""No, Damon was pretty drunk when I found him, so I brought him home."
"How's he doing?"
"He's sobered up quite a bit, and he says that he's fine-""Which in all reality means he's not, and he's just hiding it." Elena finished, this time Stefan nodded. "Where is he?"
"Living room." Elena nodded once again and took a deep breath and walked down the hall into the living room. She saw Damon sitting on the couch, scotch in his hand. He was staring into the fireplace.
"How's Alexis?" Damon asked, sensing her.
"She's about the same, Caroline is with her." Elena took another step into the room. "How are you?"
"I'm fine Elena." Damon immediately answered, taking a drink.
"No, you're not Damon." She said and walked over to the couch, watching as Damon just watched the fire. "I'm sorry."
"For what?" He asked, taking another drink.
"For saying what I said to you." Damon glanced at her. "I really am sorry Damon, I didn't mean to say it, it just came out.""It's fine." He replied."Damon… I-" She began, only to have him cut her off.
"It's seriously okay Elena. I'm over it. It's done." She looked at him, knowing full well that he wasn't 'over it' , but she could tell that he wasn't about to talk about it anymore either.
"Okay. Well, goodnight Damon." She said and got up.
"Night." He replied and finished his drink. Elena sighed and walked out into the hall, seeing Stefan waiting for her.
"You look exhausted, why don't you stay tonight?" He asked her.
"You sure you want me to?" She asked, yawning. Stefan chuckled.
"Of course. Now let's get you to bed." He said and kissed her, before leading her up to his room.
The Next Day
Elena woke to the sound of her phone ringing. She groaned, un-raveling herself from Stefan, she'd fallen asleep in his arms, and grabbing her phone off of the nightstand.
"Hello?" She answered, sleepily. Stefan, who was now awake, sat up, looking at her. "Sorry Jenna, I know I should've told you. I just came back to Stefan's last night after being with Lexi, and fell asleep. He didn't want to wake me and let me stay." She listened, nodding at what Jenna had said. "Okay, tell Lexi I'll be by in a little bit. Bye." She said and hung up, groaning and rolling over to face Stefan.
"Jenna mad?" He asked. He hadn't listened in on her call, he didn't like invading her privacy.
"A little bit, not that I stayed, just that I didn't call and let her know." Stefan nodded. "She and Jeremy are about to leave the hospital, they were visiting Lexi."
"How is she doing?"
"I guess her fever's gone, and we can take her home. Jenna can't sign the release form, since Damon told them I was practically her only family.
"Oh. That's great that she gets to come home though."
"Hey, why don't we have a welcome back party for her at the house tonight? Pretty much do what she had wanted to do the first night she got back." Stefan nodded.
"I'm sure she'll love it." Elena grinned. "Let's go get her."
Katherine walked up to the receptionist at the hospital, glancing around to make sure nobody was watching. The receptionist turned to face her.
"Hello Miss Gilbert, ready to check Miss Langton out?" She asked, Katherine stared at her for a second and then nodded.
"Yes, that would be great thanks." She replied. Not exactly her first plan, but this one seemed to work. The nurse smiled and turned around, gathering papers. Katherine turned, hearing a giggle coming from the hospital entrance. She cursed, seeing Stefan and Elena coming in. She quickly ran out the back entrance, she knew she would get her chance later.
Stefan and Elena were walking towards Alexis' room, a bag of clothes for Alexis in hand, when the receptionist called out to them.
"Here are the sign out papers, Miss Gilbert." Elena walked over to her, surprised that she had them ready already.
"Um, Thanks." She said, taking the papers and sitting down on one of the chairs in the waiting room. She looked up at Stefan.
"You don't have to wait here. Why don't you go get Lexi ready for me?" Stefan nodded and headed off down the hall.
Alexis shook her head, watching as Caroline's head fell down for the third time. She was about to say something when her door opened, and Caroline's eyes opened and shot towards it.
"Hey Stefan." Alexis said, seeing him enter, looking at Caroline, confused. "What's got you so jumpy?"
"No-nothing." Caroline replied.
"Hey Alexis, how are you feeling?" Stefan asked, before she could interrogate Caroline more.
"Okay I guess. Ready to get out of here already." Stefan chuckled.
"Well Elena is signing you out as we speak." Alexis smiled.
"That's awesome!" Alexis looked over at Caroline, who was slightly snoring. "Care." She said, making Caroline jump awake. "Go home and go to bed. I told you that earlier missy! You're exhausted." Caroline looked at Stefan sheepishly and nodded.
"I'll see you later ok?" She said to Alexis, who nodded.
"Get some sleep!" Caroline walked by Stefan, who whispered in her ear, telling her about the party later tonight. Caroline's eyes lit up and she nodded. She turned to smile at Alexis and left the room.
"What was that about?" She asked.
"Nothing." Stefan replied. "I see you got a new sling." He said, changing the subject. Alexis was about to say something when the door opened and Elena came in pushing a wheelchair.
"Hey Lexi, ready to get outta here?" Alexis smiled.
"Hell yes!" She exclaimed, wincing a little.
"Lexi! Be careful." Elena chided. "Here, let's get you dressed so we can go. We have a party to get ready for." Alexis looked at her.
" A What?"
"A welcome back party for you!" Alexis smiled.
"You don't have to do that Elena." She looked at Stefan. "That's what you were whispering to Care about right?" Stefan nodded, grinning.
"And of course I have to do it, we didn't get to have one yet." Elena added. She held up a bag, and tossed it to her. "Stefan, give us a minute." Stefan nodded once again and left the room.