Stefan

Sometimes it is only a second that can change the course of everything. With a flick of a finger can all you once loved turn into dust and only leave you with the bitter aftertaste, with guilt and with the question – what if? What if I had turned up a minute earlier? What if I hadn't decided to close my eyes just for a second? What if? I should know, because I have lived with these questions for a big part of my existence. Everything I do is driven by my inner machine that tells me that I always have to do the right thing, because the past has taught me that it is never good to listen to your heart. It never leads to nothing good. You only get burned, or even worse, your heart will be ripped out of your chest and all you will be left is a gaping hole and the knowledge that there's nothing you can do to fix it. If it's a battle between your brain and heart, you should always let the brain prevail; at least that is what I've been telling myself for almost two hundred years, because you never know when your heart may betray you.

But this is not the time for second guessing. Had I been a minute earlier, who knows what would have happened. Damon was at the edge of a cliff, and if he had dove down into the stormy waters... I don't even want to think of it.

There aren't enough words to describe how sorry I am for not being there earlier, the hurt in Elena's eyes, the accusation, it was almost too much to handle. A single "I am sorry" will never be enough.

I didn't arrive here deliberately late, I wanted to come as soon as I felt Elena's distress, but I wasn't able to. And there's a pretty good reason for that.

Earlier

I left Elena's room to give her some privacy, to let her sleep. I wasn't planning to keep her entirely alone, though; my intention was to keep a close eye on the perimeter of the house, in case my brother should appear. But there were complications with that plan. As soon as I exited the room I was drawn out of this realm. I found myself in a familiar place – heaven. A place I should call home, but ever since Damon and Katherine, all I feel is disgust towards this place, so I try to avoid it as much as possible. Its brightness blinded me for a second, and I couldn't make anything out, as to where I was exactly.

"Stefan, old friend." I was greeted by Niklaus' familiar voice. Great, I was in Klaus' office.

"Niklaus." I stated, trying to keep my face calm, not to show my inner turmoil, how much I wanted to return to Elena.

"Aren't we pass that, Stefan? You can call me Klaus." he took a step closer and patted my shoulder. His voice was friendly enough, but I could detect a glint of anger in his eyes. Something was clearly wrong. I felt shivers running down my spine as I considered the options.

"Right. Klaus." I managed to choke out, wincing, too disturbed by what he could be wanting. "Why am I here?"

"No reason. I just wanted to see my friend. Haven't seen you up here for a very long time."

Friend? I have never been friends with Klaus, what kind of a crazy notion does he have in mind?

"Okay, you saw me, now can I go?" I tried, hoping too much. I knew that he wouldn't let me go so easily. Clearly, I wasn't there just for him to see me.

Klaus made a circle around me, examining me. I tried to seem nonchalant.

"Why? He asked. "What could be more important than meeting your boss?" Now he had a clear edge to his voice. "Besides, I don't think you need to worry about your charge right now, as I recall, it's quite early in the morning for the humans, so she's probably sound asleep."

I knew that, but what bothered me is that I didn't know how long this was going to take, and time here moves in different ways up here. Ten minutes in heaven could mean four hours down the earth.

"I like to keep a close eye on my humans." I reasoned, knowing that it probably won't help.

"So I've seen throughout the years, yes. You have a magnificent track record of keeping your charges alive." Why did I feel like he was hinting at something?

"I am just doing my job."

"Indeed."

I was getting tired of this game he was playing. Why wasn't he getting to the point? I was sure at that moment that I wasn't there just to amuse him.

I brushed my hand through my hair, agitated – "Klaus, just get to the point." I was tired and nervous and I did know that I may have addressed him in a wrong way; it was dangerous to speak to him like that, knowing how easily he could snap.

"Very well then." His tone was icy. I definitely had offended him. "First, I want to know something."

"Yeah, whatever you want to know." I realized that I had to control my tongue more.

"You do remember what happened to Damon? And to the lovely wife of his? What was her name?"

"Katherine." I almost felt the bile rising to my throat, this was definitely heading to the wrong direction.

"I take you as an honourable man, Stefan. Always doing the right thing, isn't that so?"

"I try." I responded dryly.

"Stefan, you're so tense, ease up." His voice was so close to my ear that I jumped a little from the surprise.

"I just don't get what you're getting at, Klaus." I told him, looking him straight to the face which betrayed no emotion.

"Ah. It'd be better if I just get to the matter then, right?" He made a circle around me. "You see, I have heard some troubling news about you and your lovely charge."

I could swear that at that moment my heart stopped beating. I clenched my fists into balls beside me, waiting for him to continue.

"From what I've gathered, things have been getting too personal between you and the human. Do I need to remind you of the rules, Stefan?" Klaus' eyes glimmered with anger.

"No." and that was when I felt it. Elena. Something was happening right now and I couldn't get to her, not without making matters even more complicated.

"Good. Still, I think it would be wise to go through them once again." Klaus smirked, clearly he had some other agenda as well.

"I know the rules very well." I wanted to get out of here, to get to Elena. I could hear her voice in my head as she was calling me, asking for my help. I was suffocating, I needed to go. Now.

"Take this as an advance warning, Stefan." Klaus' voice cut through my own thoughts, I raised my head to look into his eyes, and they were malicious. "Do not cross the line, or you will suffer from the consequences, you and your human. Do you understand me?"

I nodded weakly, hoping that he will let me go.

"Do not disappoint me, Stefan." Klaus said and then I found myself in Elena's house again, where I saw her cradling Jeremy in her lap and Damon breaking the furniture. "I am sorry." I whisper to Elena before turning to Damon.

"Damon." I call out, catching his attention.

He turns around and gives his signature smirk – "Stefan, what took you so long?"

"Damon, let's take this outside," I opt to reasoning, "There's no need to pull Elena into this, clearly this thing here is between me and you."

He raises his eyebrows, eyes darting between me and Elena, his face something between being amused and angry. His face has always been easy to read, and it is clear to me that he isn't even considering my words.

"Why would I do that, Stef?" he asks, taking a step forward. I step in front of Elena, shielding her. "Ooh, defensive much?" he teases.

"Just stop, please." I have no idea how to get through to him and I don't know what he is planning to do.

"But this is so much fun! Here we all are, my brother, who basically betrayed me because I dared to love and now he is in the same situation." He throws his hands up in the air, gesturing wildly and I can't help but to feel utterly wounded by his words. "Why would I let Elena here miss out on the game?"

I have had enough of games for today. First Klaus and then my brother.

"Stefan," Elena's weak voice sounds behind me, I turn around to see her tear-streaked face. I try to give her a reassuring smile, but it comes out more like a grimace. "It's okay, I promise."

Damon watches our exchange, and I could swear I saw something else besides resentment and malice flickering in his eyes, but I can't be sure. Then he speaks up again – "Let us all go the living room, to have a nice little chat, shall we?" now his eyes are shooting daggers at me and the tone of his voice is condescending.

"I am not leaving Jeremy." Elena says, gripping onto his brother even tighter.

"Seriously?" Damon calls out, his hand flinching like he wants to punch something, I can see how much he struggles to keep himself in control. "Stefan, tell your girlfriend to listen to the big bad brother here." he turns to me. I glare at Damon, but he just nods his head at me and waves his hand at Elena. I let out a big sigh and kneel beside Elena. Fresh tears have started to fall from her eyes.

With a flick of my finger I catch one tear from her cheek, but another one starts to fall again. I hate myself so much at that moment, I could've come sooner; sent Klaus to hell and been here in the right time. But I didn't, and now she's desperately holding onto her brother, crying her eyes out. I wish I just could take all the pain away from her.

I put my lips close to Elena's ear and whisper - "Elena, please. You have to trust me. Just listen to my voice and try to concentrate." She takes her head away from mine and looks me straight into eyes, but she doesn't say anything. Then I hear Damon's annoyance behind me – "You know I can hear you, Stef."

"Just shut up, Damon," I snap back, irritated and then turn back to Elena. I can see that the stream of tears has at least stopped.

"Jeremy..." she whimpers, stroking his head.

"I know, but he is alive, that's the important thing. Elena, we have to do what Damon wants right now, I'll keep you and your brother safe, that I can promise, but now, just now, please, come with me." I offer her my hand which she takes hesitantly and I pull her on her feet. I look at Jeremy lying there and then at Elena, and I realize that I can't leave him just to lie here on the floor. I can also hear Damon tapping his foot against the floor; he's getting impatient.

"I'll take Jeremy upstairs." Elena looks up at me, her eyes are big and I can finally see a small smile on her lips, it's not a happy one, but nevertheless I can see that she's beginning to calm down a little. "Thank you." She mouths.

"C'mon, Stefan!" Damon's angry voice sounds in my ears, "Now you're playing the hero suddenly?"

I say nothing back to him, knowing that there's nothing that I can say that would please Damon.

I scoop Jeremy up, shot Elena a glance and then I warn Damon – "If you lay a finger on her..."

The corner of Damon's mouth rises up in a smirk – "Jeez, if I wanted to harm your pretty girl here, I would have already done it," he raises his hands up in defeat.

In a flash I am in and out from Jeremy's room. I put him on his bed, hopefully he will recover soon.

Damon and Elena have already taken a seat in the Gilbert living room, facing each other. Damon is wearing a lazy smirk and Elena eyes are so angry that if looks could kill, Damon would be dead in an instant.

"Oh, goody," Damon states, his eyes never leaving Elena's face, "Now we can begin."

"Begin what exactly?" I ask him, taking a seat next to Elena.

"Our little chat, what else?" he reaches to the back pocket of his jeans and pulls out a smeared sheet of paper, folded several times and then slaps it onto the table.

"What's this?" Elena enquires, taking the paper in her hands, and starts to unfold it. I can see how her hands are shaking, she's still upset, probably afraid, but she's trying to put on a brave face.

"Read it." Damon commands, leaning himself back, a smug look on his face.

Elena examines the paper for a second, then hands it to me – "Stefan, you take it," I take the paper and notice how rough it feels, I am guessing the paper isn't exactly from this century.

I look at Damon suspiciously, I don't understand this at all; what is he doing? I thought that all he had in mind was to get his revenge on me, but this, this behaviour of his, is strange.

"Go on." He flicks his finger at me.

I clear my throat and let my eyes wander over the ragged page; at first it doesn't make sense at all.

"What is this?" I ask, furrowing my brows. Damon just shrugs his shoulders, clearly pleased with himself.

"You can read that?" Elena suddenly asks, "Because it's all gibberish to me." She scoots closer to me, our sides touching and I can feel the familiar current flow through my body.

"It's in Enochian, the angel language." I look at Damon again, oh yeah, he is very pleased with himself.

"The Angel language?" she says through a small laugh. "I should've guessed."

"Yes. And Damon here isn't supposed to have this."

"What can I say, I am a man of many wonders." he smiles even more widely, his blue eyes sparkling.

"What does it say?" Elena asks, pressing her body closer to mine, letting her fingers touch the paper.

One fallen shall be the redemption of the other.

One soul shall set free what once was imprisoned.

Three human souls will find salvation,

Two will flourish,

One will perish.

When I finish with the last word, an eerie silence falls over us. It feels like the air got chillier in a second. Elena grabs hold of my arm, gripping it tightly. Even Damon's face has lost its gleefulness.

"Damon..." I begin, wary, "What's the meaning of all of this?"

His face adapts his usual expression again – "That, baby bro, is a prophecy taken from heaven."

I actually know nothing about angel language, all my knowledge comes from Supernatural and Wikipedia lol

I just wanted to send a big hug to everyone who is reading this story! I know that I am not the fastest updater and I know that my chapters aren't especially long either, but you guys still keep reading this and everything you've said has encouraged me to continue with this, because, to be honest, I am really really insecure about this story. But you guys make it all worth it! So I can't thank you enough! :)