I know, I'm terrible for not updating. As I told you last time I updated, life has a habit of getting in the way, and not everything's all shiny and happy right now - I'm trying my hardest, folks, and I'll try and update as often as possible!

That being said, thank you SO much for all the love you guys give me with your reviews! You have no idea how much it means to me! Hope you'll continue doing that, 'cause it makes my day!

Chapter 9:

-Two weeks later

I put Elena's duffel bag in the trunk of my blue camaro, as I tried not to notice her baffled expression.

"This is what you drive? But it's a classic!" she said, looking at it with big eyes. I raised an eyebrow at her, and opened her door for her.

"It is indeed. You know much about cars?" I asked, making sure she was safely seated, before I closed the door. Refraining from using my vampire speed, I walked to the other side, and got in behind the wheel.

I had spent almost every single day in the past two weeks in the hospital, watching over Elena, and making sure she made a full recovery. At first, she had been pretty shy around me, not really daring to talk to me, any other than answer my questions, but as I'd spent more time with her, she'd trusted me, and started telling me stuff about her life.

She'd gotten a lot more comfortable around me, and now, she actually seemed to be looking forward to living this new life. Of course, she wasn't over her parents deaths, and she still cried about it, but it would be all right. It would take a while, but she would learn to cope.

The day before, Caroline and Stefan had visited us at the hospital. I had told her that we weren't the only ones living at home, and she'd seemed to react somewhat okay to those news. She obviously wasn't used to living like that, but I'd told her it was an Italian thing – which wasn't a complete lie. It was an Italian tradition to live with your family, but Stefan and I hadn't kept it up for decades – actually, we hadn't lived together since before we turned. Not really.

Elena had been relieved to meet Caroline, and I think that the thought of another girl in the house calmed her down. If only she knew the girl was a woman in her 110's. Caroline still looked like she was 17 years old and sometimes she was acting the same way, but if you knew her well, it was clear she had a lot more experience than a 17 year old should have. Luckily for her, though, she could easily pass for a 21 year old, which meant she was known to be one of the youngest event planners ever.

I wasn't going to worry right now – I needed to get Elena home and make sure she was comfortable. She had been told to stay home until after the winter holidays, which gave her almost 2 months to get used to her new life. She'd be okay.

"Yeah, my... Uhm, my... Dad... Taught me a bit about cars..."

She looked down at her hands, fighting to keep the tears at bay at the memory of her father. I put my key in the ignition and placed my hand gently on her shoulder.

"Hey, it's okay. It's not easy losing your parents, okay? Are you ready to go home?" I asked, waiting patiently for her to gather herself. She nodded, and swiped a tear from under her eye. I smiled at her, and started the car, pulling out from the parking lot.

She was – as usual, not very talkative on the way home. She mostly just stared out of the window, while I kept to the speed limit through the town. I'd spend a lot of time with her alone during the past two weeks, and I felt like I was getting to know her. Just a little bit, at least. Hopefully she would start fully trusting me when she was settled in, and talking to Caroline might help as well. Girls usually needed to talk to each other, and that might be the solution for me to get closer to Elena.

"So, what do you wanna do for lunch? Should we head by The Grill to get something to eat?" I asked, reminding myself that she needed food. I couldn't let that one slip from my mind. I would be living with a human, and she would need to be fed. And I would have to keep up the facade of being human as well.

What the hell had I gotten myself into?

Why had I decided to take her in? Sure, she was my singer, and she was supposed to be the most important thing in my life, but no matter what, I was going to screw up. I didn't want to compel her, if I could help it. She didn't need some asshole to mess with her head, right after she'd lost her parents.

"I'm not really... Uhm, I'm not really hungry," she said, looking at me with those big brown eyes. I shot her a pointed look.

"Then we'll pick up something light. You need to eat," I said, pulling into the parking lot. I'd heard a lot about girls her age having anorexia, and I didn't want that for her. She was thin enough as it was. She didn't need to lose anymore weight, or she would cease to exist.

"I'm not really..."

"Elena, we're getting something to eat. Do you wanna bring it home, or do you wanna go inside?" I asked, as I parked the car and turned off the ignition. She slumped back in her seat, and kept her eyes on her hands.

"I'd like to eat at home," she said, fiddling with her fingers. I nodded and got out, walking to her side and opening her door. When I opened it, she looked up at me with a frightened look. I frowned, instantly noticing her fear.

"What's wrong?" I asked, bending down to her level. She bit her lip and let her hair fall down in front of her face. She was suddenly very shy, comparing to the time we'd spent back in the hospital.

"Would you, uh... Would you mind letting me stay out here? I'm not really ready to... Face everyone," she said, mumbling the last part. I felt my gaze soften a bit by her words, and placed my hand on hers, which was currently resting on her thigh. She looked up at me, her eyes big in wonder. I found myself thinking back to when she was merely a newborn baby, and noticed that her eyes had changed. Not in their shape or color. The expression behind them was changed. She knew how cruel life could be now. She knew nothing in this world was really fair, and she knew that things could change in a matter of a heartbeat.

Even though I knew that her family's deaths had been what brought her to me, I wished it had never happened. She didn't look right. Sadness was in her eyes, and honestly, she looked way too skinny for a girl her age.

If her parents hadn't died, she would be a normal teenager, enjoying spending time with her friends. She wouldn't be living with a stranger, and she wouldn't look as sad as she did.

"Just wait here, then. I'll be back, okay?" I said, as she nodded and sat back in her seat. I honestly didn't want to leave her alone out here, but I didn't want to push her. I locked the car, and hurried inside, going straight for the bar. The bartender instantly reached for the bourbon, but I held up a hand to stop him. I honestly did understand him. Every time I'd stepped into his bar, I'd wanted bourbon. He couldn't know I was actually out for food this time.

Not having any kind of patience left, I compelled him instantly to get some of everything for me and hurry up with the order. His eyes looked dazed for a moment, before he responded with an "absolutely, Sir," and went on with it.

I sat down on one of the bar stools, waiting impatiently for him to return, while focusing on my own heartbeat. It beat in the usual pace, meaning that Elena didn't feel too frightened. Honestly, I hadn't expected her to get into the car. I'd expected to walk her home and then go get the car later, but she'd gotten in, and she'd actually seemed comfortable with my driving. Maybe she wasn't as affected by the accident, as I'd thought.

It took ten minutes for the kitchen to finish the stuff I'd ordered, and when I got back to the car, Elena was looking at me with big eyes from the car. I merely smirked at her, and put the stuff in the backseat, making sure it wouldn't leak all over my leather seats.

"I wasn't sure what you'd like, so I just ordered a bit of everything," I said, shrugging, as I got into the front seat. Her mouth was slightly agape at the sight of the food. She'd been used to hospital food for almost two weeks – that was changing now. I knew how to cook, but I didn't really have time for it. Today, I'd rather order out, and have her talk to me while she was eating. I'd show her my cooking skills some other day.

"Why didn't you just ask? You didn't have to spend that amount of money on food," she said, looking at the backseat as I turned on the ignition and pulled out of the parking lot.

"Because I'd rather find out like this," I said, secretly hoping she'd eat more if the table was completely full. She wouldn't like wasting food.

She didn't say anything as she sat back in her seat, looking out the front window and watching the city blur past us. I tried to stick to the speed limit, watching her carefully to make sure she wasn't too uncomfortable being in a car again. She kept her eyes turned to the windows on the full trip home, so I didn't have to hide the fact that I didn't have to look at the road to keep us alive.

Her eyes went big as soon as we reached the boarding house. She seemed to be looking everywhere at once as I parked out front and turned off the ignition. I chuckled slightly and opened my door, hurrying to the other side to open hers as well. Her brown eyes focused on me instantly, but they didn't get any smaller. I smirked and extended my hand to her, trying to be as proper as possible. This wasn't Italy in the 18th century, but that didn't mean I'd lost my manners. I knew how to properly treat a lady.

She took my hand and let me help her out of the car, as her eyes went back to looking at the house. She didn't say anything, and as soon as I'd closed the door behind her, she wrapped her arms around herself and bit her bottom lip.

I immediately turned my gaze from her and pulled her duffel bag from the trunk, needing something else to do. She couldn't know just how inviting it was to see her bite her lip like that. That probably wasn't what she was focused on right now.

When I'd gotten her luggage, I grabbed the food from the backseat, and stood besides her. She looked so small when she hugged her body like that. Small and insecure, actually. We would have to change that. I wanted her to be sure of herself, and to know just how great of a person she was – it had taken less than a day for me to see just how amazing she was. Inside and out.

I shook my head slightly to get those thoughts out of my head. She was my Singer, and that was the sole reason for my thinking like that. I didn't do humans like that. I fucked the female ones, once in a while, but I never saw anything good in them.

Never.

"You ready to go inside?" I asked, keeping my sarcastic comment inside. It was kind of just something I did. Being sarcastic, that is. But right now, she probably didn't need an asshole to push her, so I would keep it in for her.

She nodded, and tried to take her duffel bag from my shoulder, but I just shot her a look and she retreated immediately. Did she really think I'd let her carry her stuff by her self? She had a lot of learning to do.

I pushed the door open with my elbow, unlocked as always. Anyone stupid enough to try something here would have three very angry vampires to deal with, so we never bothered to lock the door.

Elena's eyes wandered over the decorations inside as I made my way to the kitchen, knowing she would follow once she was ready. This was a lot of new things to take in, and I would give her the time she needed.

I quickly got the food ready and put it on the table in the dining room, making it look as nice as possible. Should I light a candle on the table as well?

What the fuck, Salvatore?!

Where the hell did these thoughts come from? Lighting a candle on the table? This wasn't a freaking movie, or some silly teenage book. She didn't need candles on the fucking table.

Once again I shook my head at myself, and went back to the parlor. She had walked to the window, looking out at the garden, her arms still wrapped around her tiny body. I put on a polite smile and made my way to her, knowing she hadn't heard me at all.

"I've made the table for you in the dining room. I'll give you the tour when you're done eating," I said. She jumped slightly, turning around quickly and suddenly standing a bit too close for my liking. I stepped back, smiling politely at her. Listening to our synchronized heartbeats, I noticed it wasn't sped up. She hadn't been too surprised, or her heart would be speeding right now. And it wasn't. It was beating like it always was.

"It's this way," I said, nodding towards to kitchen. I let her follow me to the dining room, and heard the small gasp of surprise from her, when she saw the food laid out on the table. I turned around, and saw her eyes go from the table to me and back again. I chuckled and pulled out the chair for her.

"It's fine, Elena. Eat what you feel like, and I'll come down later and check on you. I'll put your stuff in your room while you're eating," I said, giving her a reassuring smile, before I left the room to pick up her bags.

While she'd been in the hospital, I'd gone by her old home and picked up her clothes and personal belongings. It had been nice being back in her room, actually. I'd been there before, on special occasions, but this time, I had all the time in the world to look around her room. It was a typical teenage girl's room. She had a lot of pictures of her and her friends and family, and of course all of those girl's items, that I've never quite understood.

I'd vamp sped around the room, collecting her stuff, and taking care not to break anything. In the end, I had looked around, and noticed the teddy bear on the bed. She still had that one. I'd been so surprised to see that old thing still sitting on her bed, but it made me warm inside. She'd kept it. She'd gotten it from a complete stranger in the hospital back when she had been no more than a child, but she'd kept it, and judging by it's position on the bed, it was important to her.

I smiled as I picked it up and added it to her belongings.

When I'd told her I was going to gather up her stuff, she'd asked me (with her cheeks red as a tomato) if I could bring her journal and a pen back for her. I'd honestly been a bit surprised to hear she was still doing the whole journal thing. I'd been even more surprised to find a number of old journals in her closet, but had quickly decided on putting them in the suitcase, without reading anything. It'd be a lack of confidence, and if she wanted me to, I could read them later on. I was, honestly, pretty curious about that first journal. If she remembered me at all.

I shook the memory out of my head, as I walked the stairs with her bags. I should probably have let her choose a room for herself, but I wanted her close, and the biggest room that wasn't taken, just so happened to be just down the hall from my own. Maybe I'd come to regret that choice later on, but I liked having her close. It'd be faster for me to get to her, if anything happened.

The room was pretty neutral decorated. The sheets on the king sized bed was white, and it was a standard four poster bed, made out of wood. The floor boards were made of the same dark wood as the rest of the house, and she had one closet for clothes, one for other stuff and a desk. Another door connected the room with the bathroom, which would be hers as well. It didn't have the same kind of shower I had in my room, but it did have both a shower and a bathtub for her to use.

I'd made sure she had everything she'd had in her old bathroom and more, to make sure she was comfortable. I didn't want her to miss anything.

Now I was up here with her bags, and honestly, I had no idea whether I should be packing out or letting her do that. I wanted to be a good host, for some odd reason, but I didn't want to put my nose where it didn't belong. Maybe I should just let her unpack herself, and get settled. I didn't know how she wanted her stuff, and I wasn't going to start dictating that.

She would have to do it herself. Hopefully she'd ask me for help if that was what she needed. I spent some time looking around, before walking back downstairs, and into the dining room. She had gotten up from her seat, and was now walking around the room, looking at the artifacts and the books on the shelves surrounding the dining table. I tucked my hands into my pockets and cleared my throat, expecting her to turn around.

She did turn around, but it was a lot more slow than I'd expected, and her heart was only speeding up a little bit. She wasn't surprised.

I looked at the food on the table, noticing she'd only eaten a little bit. At least it was something. When I looked back at her, her cheeks were flushed.

"I wasn't, uh... I wasn't very hungry," she said, twiddling her thumbs in front of her body and looking down at her shoes. I didn't know how to react. I was mad she wasn't eating more than she was – she'd been eating hospital food for so long, and she needed her stamina. I wanted her to gain weight, and I wanted her to be a bit more healthy. But on the other hand, I knew humans had a weird way of coping with stuff as losing people – and she'd just lost her family. I should have compelled one of the nurses to tell me what it was like, 'cause all I remembered from my mother's death, was the pressure of suddenly being the oldest, and the one with all the expectations.

"It's okay, Elena. I'll take care of it. I put your bags in your room, so you can go unpack when you want to," I said, lifting one hand and scratching the back of my neck. What the hell was I supposed to do with a human in my house? What did humans do, when they weren't sleeping and eating? I knew she loved writing in her diary, and I could imagine writing had become a thing for her. Besides that, what the hell did humans do?!

"I'd like to go to my room," she said quietly, still looking down. I nodded, knowing there was no way of pressing her into something she didn't want to do.

"Follow me, then," I said, walking towards her room. She walked behind me on the entire way, her eyes trailing the floor as I led her to her bedroom.

She didn't come down again until hours later, when I asked if she wanted dinner. She had packed out a little bit, but I found her sitting on her bed, hastily wiping away tears and writing in her journal. I felt my heart clench uncomfortably, but I ignored it. I couldn't care about her like that, I just couldn't.

I was a vampire for Christ's sake. I was a blood drinker, a killer. Why should I care about a little teenage human girl?

So, that's it for now! Hope you guys liked it. Sorry for it being so short - I've got a bad case of writer's block at the moment. Working on it, though! Leave a review, and I'll see you next time!