AN: Sorry for the late update, I'm experiencing some serious writer's block and it's not the best feeling in the world :P I don't particularly like this chapter but it's going to help move things forward (hopefully) and I didn't want to keep you guys waiting for a new chapter. It's a short chapter, but there are some important information being given out :)

To Girlz-Rule and TVDlover99 : thank you SO MUCH for the constant reviews after each chapter. It means a lot that you're actually interested in knowing what will happen next.

TVDlover99: I'm sorry about the whole Caroline/Stefan hookup, but it's part of the plan ;) I'll try make Elijah more likeable. Thanks for the review :)

Girlz-Rule: Your questions are going to be answered in this chapter :) I'm glad you liked Elijah, I like him too :P

Everyone please review and any ideas of what could happen next in this story would be great or is there no hope for it (that would suck)? I'm aiming for at least 15 reviews before uploading the next chapter.

Have a good reading time. :)
Love y'all

Elena returned from school that day feeling slightly better than when she left, thanks to Elijah. She went up to her room and opened her computer to log onto Facebook. Aunt Jenna was at work and Jeremy wouldn't be back until later, so that left her alone, with Facebook. She logged on and quickly scrolled down the home page until a pop-up chatbox from Caroline appeared. "I've got news for you" it said. Elena already knew the news and she didn't want to be told a second time, but Jenna wasn't meant to tell her anything, so Elena went by the innocent rule.

"Tell me everything", Elena wrote back.

"I hooked up with Stefan :) :) :) ," Caroline answered. Elena wanted to grimace at the overuse of smiley faces. At hat moment right there, Elena wished she had never met Caroline so she could hate on her without feeling guilty.

"No way! Are you happy?"

"Yeah.. Yeah, I am :) I mean, we've been close for about four years now and suddenly I came to realize that he's grown into this sweet, caring and sensitive man." Elena read her explanations with a face that showed less expression than a brick. Everything that Caroline was describing about Stefan, Elena had spotted that from her first encounter with him at the football match. Elena wanted to ask Caroline how she could have done that to her. She then realized that when she kissed Stefan, they were surrounded by strangers on the dancefloor; so people saw, but no one knew them. There was a high probability that Caroline has absolutely no idea what happened between Elena and Stefan. She softened towards the whole situation but then she thought of Stefan, what the hell was he doing? Telling her not to leave, begging her to stay, kissing her so passionately, only to repeat it with Elena's best friend.

"Yeah, Stefan is a great guy. I'm really happy for you! :)," Elena typed. She was glad that this conversation wasn't happening face to face or she might have just have broke down the minute Caroline would have opened her mouth to tell her the gossip. "But what's going to happen now? I mean, you're leaving for university in Australia in a few days and he's staying in Mystic Falls?" Elena couldn't help ask her friend. Her heart was throbbing and she needed answers.

"Well… It's just a summer fling. I mean, we've been 'together' for the past two weeks and it's simply just great. He's so sweet to me, and there are a few pecks here and there and all I want to do is cuddle with him and never let him go."

"Care, I've got to go. Sorry! Jenna is stressing downstairs about whatever. See you. Love you," typed Elena so fast that she couldn't even see her fingers move on the keyboard. She closed her laptop as well as her eyes and breathed in and out heavily. She lied to Caroline about Jenna, she was still well at work, but Elena needed any excuse to stop talking to her best friend, she couldn't keep on reading how Stefan treats her. Everything that Caroline wrote, Elena kept on thinking: It should have been me.

Although Elena kept telling herself that she barely knows Stefan and that him and Caroline are perfect together, she wanted to cry at the sound of his name. Elena understood Caroline's point of view: two best friends getting to know each other so well that they eventually start dating because it got to that point and they become the blissful couple that no one would freaking shut up about. Elena knew that Caroline didn't exactly see it that way, but it was close enough. What Elena didn't understand was Stefan. All the moments that she had spent with him had seemed so special; apparently he didn't feel the same way about it. Elena had unconsciously re-opened her laptop again and was back on Facebook. She was staring at her homepage without actually reading it. She was about to close it once more when a pop-up chat came up. She prayed that it wasn't Caroline; she had heard enough stuff about her. Elena still loved Caroline with her whole heart, but just right now, she needed some Carolineless time. She looked at the name of the chatbox: Stefan Salvatore. Elena couldn't help smile, she knew she should be upset and angry but she couldn't.

Stefan: Hey. I have a lot of apologizing to do.

Elena's anger came rushing back just by reading the first line. She knew that she was being irrational by getting angry, but Stefan had to know.

Elena: Nothing to apologize for.

Stefan: I'm sorry about everything that happened.

Elena: Sorry about what? Elena was actually getting slightly confused, was Stefan apologizing for kissing her or for what is happening between him and Caroline.

Stefan: About what's happening between Caroline and I.

Elena: Why are you apologizing?

Stefan: It's not fair. To you. And I know that you know what's happening between the two of us, she told me that she told you. Wow, that is one complicated sentence. I don't know what exactly happened, I mean she's my best friend and I felt like we owed it to each other.

Elena smiled at the slight joke, but didn't bring it up in their conversation; it was just a minor detail that didn't need to be discussed.

Elena: Yeah, well it didn't stop you from doing anything, fair or not. But whatever, I'm happy for you guys. And by the way, it's not as if there ever was anything between us Stefan.

She was keeping her responses cold and to the point, she was still mad at him and she would need time to heal. The only reason Elena kept telling people that she was happy for Caroline and Stefan was because she was hoping that it would help her accept the situation. She was trying to convince herself that everything will work out for the best.

Stefan: Stop lying to yourself, Elena.

Elena: Excuse me?

Stefan: Don't deny it. Even I can't deny it. The gravity between us is intense. I feel like whenever you're around, a magnet is pulling me towards you. It's something that I've never felt with anyone before. And it feels good… different.

Elena: Why are you telling me this now?

Stefan: Because you deserve to know that what happened between us, it meant something to me. I know that given the situation I'm in right now it doesn't seem like it, but it did. Whatever it is that happened between us, I don't want to lose it.

Elena: You can't juggle girls like that Stefan, so consider whatever we had- lost.

Stefan: I freaked out Elena! You're this amazing girl that I see again after so long and you've changed. You've become the definition of perfect. I could never be good enough for you!

Elena: You don't get to make that decision for me Stefan. And where does Caroline fit into this?

Stefan: I don't know what I feel about Caroline. She's my best friend, and now she's a little more, but not my girlfriend. I don't know Elena, I really don't.

"Stefan Salvatore. What. A. Dick," came Elijah's voice from behind Elena. She jumped and twirled around at the sound of his voice. "Stefan, that's when you're meant to answer 'I love you Elena, Caroline is just a summer fling, but I love you'. You don't answer some shitty thing like 'I don't know what I feel.' Who does that? Seriously?"

"Elijah!" half screamed Elena. "How long have you been stalking me?"

"Long enough," he answered until he caught Elena squinting at him, challenging him to keep on talking. "Alright, alright. I came when he was describing you as the perfect girl, which isn't wrong by the way, until the end where he basically blew his entire chance at winning you back." Elena stayed silent and sat beside him on the edge of her window seat. "Please tell me he's a dick," encouraged Elijah.

"He apologized, Elijah. He's still half way to being a good guy," answered Elena without even knowing why she was defending Stefan; moments ago she was deeply mad at him.

"He's having a fling with Caroline right after you guys had an epic night. From what I can recall, it meant something to him too- I'm pretty sure I saw that in your chatbox."

"Yeah well whatever it was, it's over. He's there, I'm here and the world will keep on spinning."

"How do you do that, Elena?"

"Do what?" she innocently asked. For the first time, she couldn't read Elijah's face and she had absolutely no idea what he was talking about.

"Pretend that everything is okay. You're crushed by this whole Caroline/Stefan situation; it's all over your face. Yet, when someone brings up the subject, you smile and look like a kid on Christmas day and pretend like everything is right in the world."

"I can't have people asking me all the time what's wrong with me. I'd rather put on a good face and not have people worry rather than telling a story that's just going to hurt me even more."

"You know you don't need to pretend with me Elena."

Elena smiled, "I know. But sometimes I'd just like you to have a day without any of my drama bothering you, a day where you get to take care of yourself, a day where you don't need to make sure that your best friend is alright and happy."

"You're like my little sister, I like to take care of you. It makes me happy. And when you're truly happy, do you have any idea how beautiful you are? When you're happy, you've got this constant smile on your face and your eyes laugh as well. People who know you well enough can see the amount of mischief in your eyes. When you're sad however, you're not focused, as if you're constantly thinking about something, your face is glum and you have not even half of a smile, it's more like a quarter of a smile. You can't hide forever Elena, no matter how hard you try. I've got to admit, you're brilliant at hiding, but not from me you're not."

Elena looked over to Elijah with tears in her eyes, she was thankful once again that Elijah was there, he always is. She hugged him tightly before realizing that her Facebook was still connected. Stefan was now offline, but he had left multiple messages before leaving.

Stefan: You still there?

Stefan: I get it if you're mad at me, but please don't ignore me.

Stefan: Look, I've got to go. Let me know when the silent treatment is over.

Stefan: I miss you

Elena read and re-read and re-re-read that last line. She was about to type 'I miss you too' when Elijah suddenly said, "Don't even think about typing 'I miss you too.' No, don't be the easy girl that will welcome him with open arms anytime, anyday, because that's not you. If he wants another chance with you, he's going to need to fight for that chance, he's going to need to earn it, and you're not going to just give it to him. Alright?"

"Yes sir," she answered while saluting Elijah like a soldier. It had surprised her that Elijah actually knew what she was going to write. Then again, it was Elijah, he knew her like the back of his hand.

~!~!~!~!~!~!~

Damon has been in Switzerland for three weeks now. He's been keeping in touch with a few friends but not as much as he had hoped. Moving in has taken a lot of his time and with his work piling up, it's becoming harder for him to fit it a time to talk or write emails. He hasn't heard from Elena in two weeks and he missed her. She had called the first week when he moved in, but then nothing. He hasn't tried calling either. Damon has tried multiple times to find a friend like Elena in Switzerland, but no one would even be a close second. Conclusion: Elena was unbeatable. He couldn't quite be himself now; his dry sense of humor and sarcastic remarks weren't really appreciated here.

The only person who Damon has actually been keeping in touch with quite regularly is Stefan. Stefan told him what was happening between him and Caroline and Damon didn't even try to hide his disappointment. He loved Caroline, she's a great girl, but he couldn't help but think of the hurt that he was causing Elena. Damon never talked to Elena about it, but he knew her well enough to know that it must be painful. He remembered her face when she had said goodbye to him, tear-stained and make up leaking down her cheeks. Damon was so off in his world that he hadn't noticed that the Skype icon on his MacBook was jumping up and down, indicating a message. He opened it and smiled when he saw Stefan's name. 'Speak of the devil', he thought.

Stefan: I talked to Elena for the first time today since she left. She said she's happy for Caroline and I, but for some reason, I can't believe her.

Damon: Hello to you too brother! Of course she's going to say she's happy for the two of you, she's a million miles away, what can she do?

Stefan: She could tell me the truth, tell me what she actually thinks. Right now, she's giving me the silent treatment. This means that she's mad, in other words: not happy of Caroline and I.

Damon: She could tell you the truth, but it's not going to change what happened or what's happening. You've got to give Elena some time, Stefan. But she'll come around, eventually.

Stefan: I love her, Damon. I'm in love with Elena and I have no idea how to fix the mess I made. I love her, Damon.