Author's note: I haven't touched this story in a while, and I think that I absolutely owe it some love! I've been stuck - and now, thanks to Ixilight, I'm unstuck and very happy!

It's such a magical tale, and I missed it so very much, so I decided that it's time for chapter 2! This isn't going to be a very long story, so perhaps it's high time update it. :)


The sky was alight with resplendent color as the midnight hues were washed away by bright twin flames soaring through its vast expanse. All over Mystic Falls, great beams of light shot from the sky like soaring meteors, though their composition was far more exotic – notorious in certain circles, while a welcomed balm in others – pure magic. Its targets acted erratically to the untrained eye, though those familiar with the Twin Flame spell knew that chaos was the melody it played with utmost competence.

While Elena and Damon continued to watch the summer light show unfold, hand in hand, seizing a few moments together before Elena inevitably got back together with Stefan and they would be denied this manner of closeness, the other two birthday attendees fought their own internal strife elsewhere in the forest.

"Stefan!" Caroline eagerly called, approaching the object of her affection. It had been past midnight, and both Elena and Damon disappeared somewhere. The night of magic had officially stretched into Elena's birthday – at which point, everyone had expected that Elena and Stefan would get back together. They had been broken up for months now, leaving Stefan to stew in a whirlwind of guilt. Caroline saw her new, yet dearest, friend slowly deteriorate while he urged her that he couldn't let this continue. Elena had lost her parents, he insisted, and he couldn't let her suffer this tragedy alone. He would be there for her in the strongest capacity.

Caroline stifled her aching heart. Elena and Stefan are epic, she reminded herself, regardless of her own unexplored feelings for him.

Stefan looked no more enthused about the night's events. Caroline could tell that he was forcing himself to smile as the unusual four friends gathered under the Midsummer Moon hours ago. It was odd that Damon had spent so much time with them lately – yet not so much when she considered his very obvious and annoying feelings for Elena. Didn't he know that she belonged with Stefan?

Don't I? She thought morosely, forcing her heart to quiet.

After Katherine cruelly turned her, Caroline was set adrift in the world of vampirism. Everything was so loud and so confusing – and she had this insatiable hunger. Elena looked exactly like the woman who insisted on tormenting her. Damon wanted to kill her, convinced that she'd run amok and expose them all.

The only one who took her side and gently led her through this world was Stefan. She allowed herself a dreamy sigh for a brief moment before her ever-present sense of control took over again.

"Where did you go?" she asked, when he finally turned his tortured, green gaze upon her. She could tell that something was wrong, but as usual, he kept his broody thoughts to himself.

"I was just looking for Damon and Elena," he explained. "They disappeared shortly before midnight."

Caroline scoffed in response. Of course, they did. No doubt Damon wanted to get his grubby hands all over her and corrupt her friend's vulnerable mind while she was technically single – and on her birthday, no less! That scoundrel probably wanted to steal the birthday kiss that belonged to Stefan, to boot.

"I'm sure they'll turn up," she huffed importantly. "Once Elena finally makes Damon realize that she's too good for him. She's probably out fighting his annoying advances as we speak, and soon she'll come here, declaring you her epic love!" Caroline exclaimed, her smile freezing on her face despite the pain. She would be – she had to be – a good friend. Stefan helped her through one of the most difficult times of her life, and she wouldn't betray him with her own growing, practically out-of-control feelings.

Stefan looked at her skeptically. "Am I?" he wondered, aloud. "Her epic love? Is she mine?"

"Of course!" Caroline chirped. "No one else questions this," she pushed. "Trust me."


It had been almost fifteen past midnight, Elena realized with a pang, as she allowed herself another few seconds to revel in Damon's embrace – in being so close to him. Once she and Stefan get back together – probably for good this time – all this would be denied to them both. She felt her traitorous heart shatter as her body trembled with unshed tears at the thought, wishing desperately that someone – anyone else – could bring Stefan back from the edge of ripper-dom.

That she would be allowed to pursue her heart's true desire.

"What's wrong?" Damon asked, tracing comforting circles along the palm of her hand, right over her pulse point. In the last few minutes, his arms found their way around her, making her feel so safe, that it was almost impossible to leave.

"I wish we could stay like this forever," she whispered, knowing it was selfish given the potential consequences.

"Maybe you should have shoved that Cure down my brother's throat, instead of threatening to do it to me," Damon scoffed, recalling how adamant Elena was that he took it when he was affected by werewolf venom from Galen Vaughn's Hunter bullet. "No vampire; no ripper."

"And I would do it again in a heartbeat!" she exclaimed, turning abruptly in his arms to face him. "You could have died! I will never let that happen," she added after a brief pause, softening. "I didn't get it before when you made me drink your blood before Klaus' ritual, but I do now."

"Guess we're more alike than you thought," he smoothly countered, raising his eyebrows pointedly.

"I'll always try to save you, and choose you, Damon," she breathed, as she cupped his cheeks gently, pressing her forehead to his and closed her eyes, allowing herself to sink into the moment. "Always."

"Except you're choosing Stefan now," he muttered caustically, hoping to portray an air of nonchalance, but Elena caught the sharp sliver of pain slicing through his tone, because she felt the same in her heart.

"If your brother goes on another ripper binge across the country, you won't be able to live with yourself, and you know it. This is as much for you as it is for him," she added quietly.

"Okay, enough of the pity party!" Damon announced with forced joy as he stood, pulling Elena up with him. "It's your birthday, and birthday law demands that you spend it happy," he declared, spinning her around before he pulled her into his arms to dance to the forest's music.

"Since when do you care about laws?" Elena giggled as she swayed to the rhythm of cicadas and something otherworldly – an ethereal je ne sais quoi that coated the entire forest mere minutes ago as their spell took hold.

She could have sworn that they danced to the beat of magic, itself.

"I care about you being happy, Elena, and if that means I have to reduce myself to following rules and laws," he added with a dramatic wrinkle of his nose in distaste, "then so be it."

She laughed and threw her arms around his neck, letting the night's magic twirl them in its timeless dance.


"Hey, Stefan, don't worry," Caroline soothed. "Everyone knows Damon's nothing compared to you – he's just trying to trick her."

Stefan studied her for several long moments before speaking. "Are you sure we're doing the right thing?"

"Yes!" Caroline insisted, exasperated. "Your icky, impulsive brother doesn't deserve your happiness. Now come on! Let's look for them."

"It's not that," Stefan countered. The truth was that his own passion for Elena had faded long ago While the two of them formed an immediate connection, it never really had much romance. Over time, Elena increasingly began to feel like a sister, while Caroline … He stifled the thought. He couldn't betray Elena like that – not with her best friend. She needed him. "It's just – are you sure Elena needs me? That I have to –"

"Of course, she does! How can anyone be better than you?" Caroline asked, looking genuinely confused.

"I'm just not sure I'm the right guy to make her happy," Stefan shrugged, hoping he was right – that Elena would find happiness outside of him. He wasn't sure what made him finally voice these hidden thoughts aloud, but the last few minutes had practically ripped the sentiments out of his long-buried subconscious.

"Stefan, I am very, very, very sure that you are the only person in this world that can make Elena hap –" Caroline pressed, when she was interrupted by the joyful laughter of the woman in question, joined melodically by Stefan's aforementioned brother.

"Ugh, what are you doing!? Get your slimy paws off her, Damon!" Caroline shrieked, scandalized, when she caught them dancing in the forest grove.

"Oh, look, it's Vampire Barbie and Pessimism Ken!" Damon announced with faux enthusiasm.

"Be nice," Elena whispered, placing a hand on Damon's chest to calm him, much to Caroline's chagrin.

"I just don't think it's fair to waste all this energy on me while all the forest creatures are leading such peaceful, terror-free lives. Stef's clearly not living up the title of Tyrant of Terra, and Blondie here isn't the best motivator," he shrugged at Elena, his cerulean eyes widening in mock-innocence.

Elena stifled a laugh, to Caroline's obvious annoyance, who didn't notice the growing beams of light that headed directly toward them.

"Watch out!" screamed Damon, as he used the last second to push Elena out of the way, while the remaining three were engulfed in the seed of magic.

As the particles evaporated around them, Elena was finally able to find her way inside the haze. The three of them appeared to be asleep. In a panic, she knelt by Damon's form – a sneeze erupting when she inhaled some shared air. She shook him gently, praying he wasn't hurt.

"Are you okay?" she breathed with relief, as she saw the blue fires of his irises awaken. "I was so worried," she murmured, gathering him into a tight embrace. "Why did you push me away, Damon?"

"I'm great," he replied with an easy grin, seemingly without a care in the world. Elena watched in alarm as both Stefan and Caroline got up with similar looks of casual disinterest. "I feel better than I have in years."


I always liked that parallel about Elena trying to get Alaric to force-feed the Cure to Damon when he was affected by werewolf venom to him trying to turn her to save her life during Klaus' ritual. It's the same instinct. As angry as she was at the time, we learn later that she would have done the same exact thing. (Reminder: in this story, Freya gave the Cure to Kol.)

One of the reasons I returned to this is that I have to get myself used to writing both Stefan and Caroline for other stories – and since this one is relatively short, and they play such a huge role here – I thought it would be fun to dive right in!

Warm hugs to all of you beautiful souls. I appreciate you all so very much.

I'm not entirely sure what the update schedule for this story will be. It's not a long one, though I can't promise that this will be my main focus. Either way, I hope to get it done relatively soon. Looks like the Twin Flame spell finally started working its magic!

Until next time, be good to yourselves and each other. Much love, all! :D