A/N: Okay, I like to get the first two chapters up pretty quickly but I can't promise anything with regards to speed from here on out. I have my first exam on Friday but then I don't have another until 10th June and I'm often away as weekends with no internet so I can't normally update then but I will try to make sure the wait isn't too long. There are line breaks between the future scene and the present but they are the only indications, if it's confusing I can change it but I didn't want to break it up too much so it flowed better this way, if it's hard to follow let me know. I hope you enjoy it.

So on with the next chapter...

Chapter 2

They all waited in anticipation. When Bonnie opened her eyes to signify she had finished the spell everyone looked at the area where Caroline had spread the herbs. Nothing.

"So which one of you messed it up?" Damon asked aimed at Caroline and Bonnie.

"I didn't mess it up, I did exactly what Bonnie told me too." Caroline defended.

"Clearly"

"Hey, it least I helped."

"Can't you two please stop so we can sort this out?" Stefan again tried to play mediator. "What went wrong Bonnie?"

"I don't know; nothing. It should have worked." She sounded a little frustrated and confused as she started to look at the spell again.

"Well, something did because it's not working" Damon argued

"Maybe it's because you're here." Caroline responded.

"Guys!" Elena shouted over their arguing. "Look." Everyone turned to see a faint light coming from the area above the herbs, slowly it became clearer until it almost seemed like a giant floating TV screen above them. Everyone fell silent, all attention diverted to the picture.

The house was empty; it looked vaguely reminiscent of Elena's childhood home. Pictures where set about the house, most of them of a young couple. There were some of a group of girls, seemingly at various high school events, a few of the girl's family and one of the girl and two guys. The house while empty definitely seemed lived in, it had a homey look to it, clean but not clinical. A coffee mug still sat on the coffee table and there were dishes in the sink.

"Well this is exciting" Damon was the first to speak, his tone sarcastic.

"I think this is where you live Elena." Caroline said. "Look those pictures are of you and Stefan. And that's the three of us at graduation." She continued pointing to one of herself Elena and Bonnie.

"But where are we?" Stefan asked, slightly confused by the empty house.

"I told you, I have no control over what it shows you, maybe you just aren't in yet." Bonnie explained. As if that triggered it the front door opened.

"You know I could help you with those bags." Came Stefan's voice from outside the door.

"And I told you I am perfectly capable of carrying my own shopping bags, beside you can't know what's inside them. It would ruin the surprise." Elena answered, excitement in her voice as she walked through the door carrying two plastic carrier bags of groceries followed closely be Stefan.

"Well, you can't say I never help."

"I can't say you never offer."

"We agreed dinner was your thing remember?"

"It is, which is why dinner is a surprise." She asserted as she put the bags down on the counter.

"Does this mean you're kicking me out?" He asked as he followed her into the kitchen.

"Not yet, go wait in the living room while I put this stuff away then I'll join you, I don't need to start dinner yet."

"Alright." He leaned down and gave her a soft kiss before leaving her to unpack.

"You look happy." Caroline commented as they watched Elena putting the food away.

"And normal." Bonnie added.

"And boring" Damon couldn't resist.

"Do I...?" Elena started before she trailed off, glancing again at the picture before pulling her eyes away from it again. "Do I look older to you?" Everybody stopped suddenly and looked back at the picture as Elena finished putting her food away. Everyone glanced between that Elena and the one sat with them a couple of times before everyone stopped in awe.

"I'm... I... I aged." Elena managed to get out. Before anyone could respond their attention was drawn back to the scene as Elena sat down next to Stefan on the couch and started to talk.

"Okay, I'm done" she announced as she plopped down on the couch next to him, he put his arm around her shoulders and she leaned into him. He turned down the volume of the TV so they could here each other clearly.

"Good."

"I'm not made of glass you know."

"I know."

"You don't have to treat me like I'm going to break; I'm not as weak as you think."

"But you're not as strong as you were."

"I thought you-"

"I did. I do. I just want you to be happy."

"I am."

"That's all I want Elena."

"I know, so have you heard from anybody lately?" she asked changing the subject.

"Well, apart from Bonnie's wedding I haven't heard much."

"You can't use that. I was the one who told you and showed you the invite, we were one of the first ones to find out when she got engaged."

"Elena." He sighed, his tone almost scolding and heavy as he said her name.

"It sounds like he doesn't want to answer what you're really asking." Damon put in, a little bored and unsettled by the scene he was witnessing.

"I'm sure he has his reasons." Caroline jumped in to defend Stefan.

"I forgot, this is Saint Stefan, he does no wrong."

"We know nothing about their lives. We don't even know what they're talking about." Bonnie pointed out.

"Don't we? Look who's missing in almost all the photos." Stefan sounded a little saddened, and perhaps very slightly annoyed. He wasn't sure whether it was because even in this future she wanted to know about his brother or just that everyone in the room was denying that that was what she was asking about.

"Look, we don't know how long this scene will last; I don't want to miss anything." Elena interrupted the atmosphere that had developed since Stefan's observation. They all turned back to the scene.

"What?" She asked her voice still cheery and her question innocent. Whether it was forced they couldn't tell.

"It's just, you got away. You're out."

"Come on, we both know that I'm never gonna be 'out' as long as he's alive and out there I'll never be out."

"So, Caroline?" Stefan conceded still dodging what he probably knew her question was.

"Yes, have you heard anything?" Elena genuinely sounded as though she was asking about Caroline.

"Last I heard she was still on her big search."

"She's still not heard from him?" Elena sounded saddened for her friend

"Not a word, she's trying to track him like you did me that summer, only without all the bodies." He said with a laugh trying to lighten the mood it seemed. "But the point of hiding is that you aren't easy to find, I wasn't hiding."

"Yeah, she'll get a break I'm sure." Elena said confidently. "So speaking of that summer." Elena picked up on Stefan's inadvertent slip. He groaned.

"I haven't heard much, he's alive. It hit him pretty hard, you know that."

"Maybe we could've-"

"Elena, it's been years. It could have been worse. It went the best way"

"I know, it's just..."

"You know, you say that every time and yet somehow I still don't think you believe me."

"Do I get points for trying?"

"Sure." He agreed with a sad but comforting smile. Elena snuggled further into him.

"All the sweetness is killing me"

"Hopefully they'll keep it up and finish the job."

"Guys, please!"

"Fine."

"Fine, but he started it." Damon opened his mouth to respond.

"And Elena finished it." Stefan cut him off.

"God, it's like babysitting a bunch of children." Bonnie muttered to herself. She was quite amazed and proud of the effects of the spell. If all the future scenes were as helpful as this one then it really might help Elena make her decision.

Elena watched as her future self snuggled up against Stefan. It was obvious that they were used to this, she couldn't help but wonder if this was a regular conversation between the two of them. She could take a guess at who 'he' was. They hadn't mentioned a name but Elena was still pretty sure. The conversation was weird to look at, it was one you could follow without knowing what had happened but had a deeper meaning that they couldn't understand without knowing all the facts.

"Honestly, he's okay."

"Yes, well, you weren't always the best judge of that."

"Elena." It was that tone again, like he was begging her to
drop it and semi-resigned that she wouldn't.

"Sorry. Have you seen him?"

"No. Neither sight nor sound."

"He'll come around."

"I thought I was the one telling you that"

"I'm not the only one who lost him."

"He's not lost, more like... misplaced."

"Okay, well whatever you like to call it."

"Ready for a change of topic?"

"More than."

"So, tv or dinner?"

"I'm not telling you want you're having for dinner. It would ruin the surprise."

"I'm sure I can get you to cave eventually."

"I'm sure you can't."

"They look comfortable." Elena commented as the couple debated whether Elena would tell him what dinner was going to be as they watched the TV in the background.

"You know I'm curious as to what that dinner is going to be." Stefan teased.

"I guess you'll just have to wait and see." Elena teased back but immediately regretted in. She hadn't meant to say that, not like that at least, not in this company. She quickly turned to Damon; she could see he had caught it. "No, I didn't meant-"

"I get it Elena." His tone was short and she could see and hear him shutting down.

"No, I shouldn't ha-"

"Don't worry about it Elena, it's always going to be Stefan remember?"

"No, it's not... it... You can't still believe that."

"Why not Elena?" His anger leaking through his tone.

"I... You..." Elena couldn't form words; she wasn't sure how to respond to that. Before anything more could be said Caroline interrupted her stuttering.

"Hey, where'd it go?"

"I told you already. I can't control it." Bonnie was starting to get annoyed that no one seemed to be listening to her when she said this. "They could last for any length of time, they could show anything, any moment within that year; with the two of them in it."

"So it's over?" Stefan wanted to clarify.

"Yes, the scene from that year is over. It will be easier if we stick with Stefan for now and just change the year. Is that okay with you Elena?" Bonnie asked as she turned her attention back to her.

"I just, I just need a minute." Elena managed to get out as she stood up and fled the scene. She found herself in the kitchen and promptly poured herself a glass of water. Her head was swimming with thoughts about what she had just seen and about what was said. Maybe it had been a bad idea. She had to wonder if she would still have the option of making a choice at the end of this. Watching Stefan again might not be the easiest option for her, or Damon, but if was Bonnie doing the spell and if they wanted to last through them all it had to be easiest for her.

She allowed herself a moment to think back over what she had seen. She had looked older. Not 10 years older but older than she did now. She had also mentioned being treated like glass, maybe she was... Maybe she was human. That thought both excited and scared her. It was what they had all been fighting so hard for, but the thought of going back. She had never wanted this life but things had changed so much since she was turned and it was hard to imagine going back, having done things and seen things as she had. Still she couldn't deny the thought excited her. Her life with Stefan seemed to be exactly what she had been fighting for, for so long; a normal life, but did she still want that? And if she became human again would she want that again? She didn't know. It sounded like Damon had taken it hard, if that was in fact who they were speaking of, but that was to be expected. It had given her so much and so little information. There was only one thing left to do now. She had to go back in.

"Alright, let's watch the next one." She said as she walked in and sat back down in her place, the air was thick and she knew things must have been said while she was out of the room. She still couldn't look Damon in the eye. Did he really believe that still, after everything?

"Okay." Bonnie acknowledged before she started to chant again for the next scene.

Right, I hope you enjoyed it. Yes, I know it was mainly a Stefan and Elena chapter. (I have issues with using the joint names don't ask me why I have no idea) I have no intentions of turning him evil like many stories seem to. I'm trying to keep them fairly in character. If you want to know which 'team' I'm on looking on my favourites on my profile should solve that problem. I hope Stefan isn't too ooc, I'm not that used to him but in the future it has been 10 years and we don't know what has happened in those years, they could have changed them both. And Elena slipped up but what's the Vampire Diaries without a little conflict of some sort. It was a little difficult writing the future scene in that I can't write what they are thinking, it's like watching the TV you can only pick up on how things look not on what people are thinking and feeling. I have also had a terrible idea, it happens when I spend time thinking about things. I have thought of a way to continue this story after the 11/12th chapter, depending on how many there are, which would mean that in what should be the last chapter could open up the story into something else which an unknown number of chapters. As I said, me thinking is dangerous. So let me know what you think and I will ask about that later on as we get closer. Also another thought about a story although not one I intend to write, at least not unless people really want me to, but there are a few stories about current Elena or future Elena going back to season 1 where Damon doesn't really care about her. What about one where season 1, Stefan loving, Damon hating Elena were to come into season 4 instead. now that would be an interesting situation. (Not that I don't like the other stories they are good too) Also I am adding Stefan to the character choices because it is a love triangle story and it should be pretty unbiased, for now at least, and I actually don't know exactly how it will end in the present, I may have an idea for the future one though and which path it will take. Okay let me know what you think, sorry for the babble, If you review and I can respond I will give you a little summary/teaser for the next chapter, and to the two guest reviewers, thank you, it means a lot, I would respond if I could. I hope you enjoyed it and see you in the next chapter.(*smiles*)