Archive of Our Own

Elena opened her eyes slowly, blinking against the bright light she wasn’t used to any longer. For a few seconds she felt completely disoriented. Then a familiar face appeared in her line of vision. Familiar, yet not. A face she hadn’t thought she would ever see again.

“Bonnie?” she whispered.
“Hey, Elena.” Bonnie answered with a smile.
“Am I…”
“You’re awake.”

Elena sat up, touching her cheeks. She couldn’t believe it. She was awake. And Bonnie was still alive. Even though she looked quite a bit older. Half-laughing and half-crying they hugged each other. Elena didn’t want to let go of her best friend at all, but Bonnie pulled back after a short moment.

“But how…”
“It took a lot of time. But I finally figured out how to break Kai’s spell.” Bonnie explained.

“Technically it was us who broke the spell.” a new voice chimed in.

Elena jumped in shock, only now noticing that she and Bonnie weren’t alone. Two girls were standing next to the bed she was laying in. The blonde one, who had spoken up, gave her a look of cold disdain. The brunette smiled shyly.

“You did. Once I told you what to do.” Bonnie reminded, before turning back to Elena. “This are Lizzie and her sister Josie. As it turned out, the spell could only be broken by a siphon from Kai’s coven. I guess Kai overlooked that loophole, because he thought the Gemini coven wouldn’t exist anymore.”

Elena had trouble taking it all in. It was too much information at once. And too confusing. Bonnie seemed to sense this, because she promised “I’ll explain everything.” before turning to the two girls. “You should go home. Thanks for your help.”
“Anytime, aunt Bonnie.” Josie assured.
Lizzie just rolled her eyes and herded her sister out of the room. Just before the door fell closed behind them, Elena heard her muttering “What’s so special about her? Why is everyone making such a fuss?”

“You have to excuse Lizzie. Tact isn’t her strong suit.” Bonnie joked wryly.
“They’re… related to Kai?” Elena wondered.
“Well… his nieces, actually. Lizzie and Josie are Alaric’s daughters.”
“What? Ric’s daughters? So much time has gone by?”
“Almost 16 years.”
“16 years? Oh my god!”

Elena hadn’t thought it possible. It was one thing to learn that you’d have to spend half of your life in a magical coma, but quite another thing when it actually happened. Somehow Elena had always believed Bonnie would find a way to break the spell. She just hadn’t thought it would take her this long.

“At least Jo survived.” she tried to think positive.
“She didn’t.” Bonnie said quietly.
“What?”
“Jo died at the wedding. Just like Kai planned. Like the rest of the Gemini coven.”
“But how…?”
“The Gemini witches knew they would die. They used the last of their strength for a spell to save Jo’s babies. They put them into Caroline.”

Elena could only stare at Bonnie in shock, unable to comprehend what she was hearing.

“I know it sounds crazy. I’ve never heard of such a spell before. And it seems that only the Gemini coven was able to perform it. So don’t ask me how it worked. I just know that Caroline gave birth to them.”
“Caroline. Wow.” Elena muttered.
“Yeah. She’s a great mom.”
“But… she’s still a vampire, right?”
“Yes, she is.”
“Okay.”

“Maybe I should get you something to eat now. Or would you like to shower first?” Bonnie asked.
“No, I’m… not hungry. Let’s talk first.”
“I don’t want to overwhelm you.”
“I’ve missed 16 years, Bonnie. Please. Tell me everything. How are the others? Where is everyone? Where is…”
“They’re all fine.” Bonnie interrupted.
Elena frowned, but Bonnie went on quickly.

“Caroline and Stefan are out of town. But they’ll be back in a few days and looking forward to seeing you. We didn’t want to overwhelm you, so we thought it would be best if you spent a few days here with me. I can bring you up to date before you see the others. I’m going to tell you everything you’ve missed. We’ve also been keeping a diary. Well, Caroline and I have. And Stefan of course. You can read mine in a few days, if you want. For now it should be enough to know that everyone’s well.”

That sounded extremely vague. Elena got suspicious. Bonnie had never been a good liar. She usually tried to avoid lying and ended up talking a lot of nonsense instead, trying to stall. And that’s exactly what Elena guessed she was doing right now.

“What are you hiding from me, Bonnie?”
“Nothing. I just don’t want to tell you too much at once. It’s a lot to take in, believe me.”
Elena had a sudden, horrible suspicion. “It’s Damon, isn’t it? What’s wrong with him?”
“Nothing.”
“You’re lying. I know you’re lying. Oh god, he’s dead, isn’t he?” Elena sobbed.
“No, he’s not. He’s alive and well.”
“But what is it then? Tell me!”

Bonnie sighed. “I’d forgotten how stubborn you can be.”
“Tell me, Bonnie!”
With another sigh Bonnie gave in. “He’s married.”

That was not what Elena had been expecting. Not at all. The news hit her like a punch to the guts. She’d always expected Damon to wait for her. When she finally woke from her magical coma he would take the cure and they’d get their happy ever after. That had been the plan. Of course she’d told him to live his life, but truth be told, she had expected him to put everything on hold. Okay, she would’ve accepted a one-night-stand or two. She wouldn’t have been thrilled, but she would have accepted it. But that he’d found someone else? How could he forget her so quickly? He’d waited for Katherine for almost 150 years!

“Married.” she repeated. It felt wrong.
“He has a family, Elena. He’s happy.”
“Without me.”
“I’m sorry.”
“How long?”
“Pardon?”
“How long did he wait before he got married?”
“That doesn’t matter.”
“Yes, it does. I want to know.”
“About five years.”

Five years. He’d waited only five years. No, probably not even five years. She couldn’t see him getting married out of the blue.

“I wanted to break it to you gently.”
“It’s okay.” Elena mumbled, even though nothing was okay.
“I’m sorry.”
“Not your fault.”
“Maybe I’ll get us some lunch now?”
“Okay.”

***

Bonnie treated her with caution for the rest of the day. She only volunteered information reluctantly, as if she was afraid Elena would break. Elena didn’t get it. She’d already heard the most devastating news. What could be worse than the fact that the love of her life and had found happiness with someone else?

Elena learned that Stefan and Caroline had gotten married as well. That Matt was sheriff now. That at least made her smile. It was what she’d wanted for him. She learned that Bonnie had moved into her Grams’ old house. Only when she left the room and collided with a cheerful Enzo did Bonnie admit that she had gotten married as well. To Enzo of all people. Elena felt like she’d stumbled into a parallel universe. Still she smiled and tried to feel happy for her friend. It wasn’t Bonnie’s fault that her own future was shattered. Enzo at least showed some tact and disappeared again. Elena didn’t see him again for the rest of the day.

A little while later Bonnie showed her pictures of her children. “This is Danielle. She just turned nine. And Alexander is seven now.”
“She looks just like you at that age.” Elena noted.
“Yeah, Care said the same thing.”
“And… who’s the father?”
“Enzo, of course.”
“But.. Enzo is vampire?”
“Not anymore.”

Elena felt completely stumped. Enzo had taken the cure? How was that even possible?

“We did a lot of research.” Bonnie explained. “We knew that the cure was in your blood and we had the theory that anyone who drank at least a drop of your blood would ingest the cure. As far as I can tell we were right.”

“That means… Enzo bit me?!” Elena yelled in shock.
“Of course not. I used a syringe to take some of your blood. Really just a tiny bit.”
“And then you gave it to Enzo.”
“Yes. To Enzo and… Damon.” Bonnie admitted.

Elena froze. She didn’t know what to say. Damon had taken the cure. He’d become human again. But not for her. For someone else. He’d well and truly left her behind. It felt like the worst kind of betrayal. She could feel tears burning in her eyes, but she refused to let them fall. She would not cry. Not over Damon.

“Where’s Jeremy.” she quickly changed the subject, trying to take her mind off it.
Bonnie seemed relieved. “Right now he’s in Boston. He’s travelling a lot. But I called him and he’ll be here as soon as he can.”
“And… how is he?”
“He’s fine. Still drawing a lot. It’s actually his job now. He’s mostly illustrating fantasy books.”
Elena smiled, glad that her brother was finally leading a normal life, away from the supernatural world. “That’s good.”
“He sometimes hunts down vampires or takes on the odd job for Ric.” Bonnie added, effectively shattering her illusion.
“Oh.”

When evening dawned Elena pretended to be tired and went to bed early. But she’d slept more than enough, so she kept tossing and turning, her mind going a mile a minute. She kept seeing Bonnie, 16 years older. Mother of two kids. Married to Enzo of all people. And then the picture of Damon appeared before her mind’s eye. Back at the wedding, when he’d promised to take the cure for her. Liar! Maybe it was her own fault. She should have never trusted him. Never fallen for him in the first place. He had never really changed.

***

The next morning Bonnie acted all chipper, but still dodged her questions. She only mentioned again that Stefan and Caroline would be back soon and insisted that it would be better if Elena stayed inside the house for now, just until she got used to the new situation. She also reminded her that she couldn’t just walk around Mystic Falls. There were still some people who knew her and would get suspicious because she hadn’t aged. And they couldn’t allow anyone to get suspicious.

“Elena, listen… I’ve got to do some grocery shopping. Will you be okay for a an hour or so?”
“Of course.”
Bonnie looked doubtful. “I’ll hurry. And if you need anything, Enzo is upstairs.”
“I’ll manage, Bonnie.” Elena grumbled. She wasn’t a child.
“Of course. But… stay inside the house, okay?”
“Yes. No one can see me. Got it.”
Bonnie grabbed her hand and gave it a squeeze. “I know it sucks. But we have to be careful. There’s too much at stake.”
“I get it.” Elena said a little less hostile.

Once Bonnie had left, Elena just continued to sit there, staring off into space. Bonnie had shown her around the house yesterday, but Elena had made sure not to look at the many pictures lining the walls. She’d been too scared of what she might see. The same fear kept her rooted to the kitchen chair now. She also didn’t want to run into Enzo. Bonnie had tried explaining their relationship yesterday and how she had fallen for Enzo in the first place, but Elena still couldn’t understand that she had actually married the guy.

Almost as if reading her thoughts, Enzo appeared in the kitchen. Elena only noticed now that he actually looked a bit older than she remembered.

“Hey, I need to leave. It’s an emergency. Can I leave you alone here?”
Elena rolled her eyes. “Of course. I’m not a child.”
“If you say so… Just… stay inside, okay?”
“Bonnie already told me not to leave the house. Why didn’t she lock me in with a spell if she’s so concerned?”
“I guess she trusts you.” Enzo mused. “Don’t make her regret it.”
“Whatever.”

With a snort he finally turned away and left. And Elena… just continued to sit there. Until she couldn’t take it any longer. Without really meaning to she walked towards the front door, hesitating a moment, before opening it and peeking outside. No-one there. Maybe she could sit out in the garden for a while? Some fresh air would be nice. But then a different thought struck. A thought she’d been pushing away since yesterday, if she was completely honest. She wanted to see Damon. She wanted him to tell her face to face that he’d married someone else.

The boarding house was on the outskirts of Mystic Falls. If she was careful, she could surely reach it without encountering anyone. She could avoid the town centre and take the hidden path through the woods. And she could borrow a jacket from Bonnie and hide beneath the hood. If she kept her head down, no-one would see her face. Bonnie would most likely be mad if she went to see Damon now. But she couldn’t really expect Elena to stay locked up in her house forever. Elena had every right to see Damon.

For a moment she continued to hover in the doorway. Then she quickly grabbed a coat from the nearby wardrobe, put it on and pulled the hood over her head. After taking a deep breath she stepped outside. The more distance she put between herself and the house, the better she felt. She was finally doing something. She just wasn’t made for sitting around idly. She was made for action. She buried her hands in the coat pockets, kept her head down and walked at a brisk pace, veering off into the woods as soon as she could. It would take longer to reach the boarding house this way, but she was less likely to run into anyone.

She actually didn’t see a single person. The wood was eerily quiet and seemed hostile, somehow. Elena felt goose bumps rising on her arms as she hurried along the almost forgotten path. She kept looking around nervously, but couldn’t see anything suspicious. Perhaps it was her subconscious, playing tricks on her. She had a harder time finding the right path than she had expected. The forest had changed during the last sixteen years. But finally the boarding house loomed in front of her. Only that it didn’t look like she remembered either. There was a fence around the grounds and the house looked somehow bigger. Elena stopped in front of the large gate, pushing back the hood of her coat and frowning at the coat of arms which was adorning the gate.

She could see a group of kids lounging around in front of the house, which only served to heighten her confusion. What were they doing here? And were they wearing school uniforms? Elena flinched when suddenly a girl broke away from the group and walked towards her. Only on second sight did she recognized the brunette from yesterday. Alaric’s daughter. What had Bonnie said her name was? Josie?

“Hi? Are you looking for my dad?” Josie asked with a friendly smile.
Elena frowned. Had Ric moved in with the Salvatore’s? “I…I wanted to see Damon Salvatore.”
“Oh. He’s got to be inside somewhere. Come on.”

Josie opened the door and waved Elena inside. She led her towards the house, past the other kids, who were all gaping at her. Elena avoided eye-contact and couldn’t help but stop and stare around in wonder once they’d entered the house. Some of it felt familiar, but a lot had changed here as well. There were even more kids inside. Not only teens, but also younger children. They were all wearing clothing similar to Josie’s and nearly everywhere Elena could see the coat of arms she’d noticed on the gate. The noise was deafening. Kids were talking and laughing together and in a corner she spied two girls who seemed to be levitating a stack of books.

“What the hell…” she whispered.

She didn’t know where to look first. There was just too much to see. Josie noticed that she wasn’t following her any longer and went back to peer at her worriedly.

“Are you okay?”
“Yes. Sure.” Elena lied, forcing a smile to her face.
“We should try the library first.” Josie suggested.

But before they had even taken two steps, a voice made Elena freeze.

“No ballgames in the hallways! That goes for wolves as well, Jed.”
“Sorry, Mr. Salvatore.”

Slowly Elena turned her head, trying to ignore her hammering heart. And there he stood. Just like that. Staring down one of the teens. It felt strange to see him without his trademark leather jacket. She always pictured him with that jacket. But today he was wearing a red sweater and dark jeans. His hair was longer than it had ever been while she’d known him. She felt unable to move. Could only stand there and stare.

Josie didn’t have such qualms. She called out his name, causing Damon to turn in her direction with a bright smile. When he saw Elena however, the smile fell. It felt like a punch to the gut. She should be the reason he was smiling. Not the reason he stopped smiling. He hesitated slightly, before walking towards her. He did look older than she remembered, but to Elena’s utter frustration the years had only made him hotter. That wasn’t fair at all.

“Elena.” he said softly.
“Damon.” she replied, cursing the way her voice wavered.
“I’ll leave you to it.” Josie decided, obviously noticing the tension between them. “Don’t forget about tonight.”
“How could it forget a date with my two favourite witches?” Damon joked.
Josie giggled. “Don’t let aunt Bonnie hear that.”
“Ah, Bon-Bon knows she’s only my number three these days.”

Damon watched Josie leave, before turning back to Elena. Again his smile fell. For a moment they both just stood there, awkwardly staring at each other.

“I guess we should talk.” Damon finally said with a sigh.
“We should.”
“Come on, then. Let’s go to my office.”
“Your office?”
“Yeah. It’s just around the corner.”

Without waiting for her reply, he started walking down the hallway. Elena hurried to catch up.

“What’s going on here? What are all these kids doing here?”
Damon gave her a confused look. “Didn’t Bonnie tell you?”
“She didn’t tell me much at all.”
“Oh. In that case… Welcome to the Salvatore School.”
“You… turned the house into a school?”
“Yep. Ric’s idea. A pretty good idea, I’ve got to admit. Which is why I was all for it. I just still don’t get why I had to become assistant headmaster. I thought he’d choose Care-bear.”

He pointed to a door and sure enough she could read the words: ‘D. Salvatore, Assistant Headmaster’ there in curved letters. While Elena was busy staring at the door in shock, Damon opened it and ushered her inside. She found herself in a cosy, little office, although one that didn’t look like it belonged to a school. The shelves were lined with books on supernatural creatures and legends and Elena spied a well-stocked bar in the corner. Typically Damon.

He took a seat behind his desk, so Elena hesitantly sat down in one of the chairs facing it.

“I thought Bonnie would explain everything before she brings you here.”
“Yes, well.. Actually…”
“Ah, she didn’t bring you here, did she? Did you sneak out?”
“Of course not.” Elena hissed, very offended. “Bonnie went grocery shopping and…”
“And you thought you’d use the chance to pay me a surprise visit. Without consulting her first.”

Damon looked way too amused. He was supposed to look guilty and beg her for forgiveness, instead of making fun of her! But before she could start berating him or firing off one of the many questions she had, he was already talking again.

“The Salvatore School isn’t a normal school. We’re a boarding school for supernatural creatures.”
“What?”
“Ric’s idea, like I said. He wanted a safe place for Josie and Lizzie. And created so much more.”
“So… all these kids out there are…”

“Vampires, witches or werewolves. Aside from the regular subjects we teach them to control their powers. We prepare them for a life among humans. So they can have as normal a life as possible. Or how Ric would say: We integrate them into society. Of course the whole thing is one big secret. The people of Mystic Falls think we’re a private school for rich young trouble makers.”

“And.. you’re heading the school?” Elena asked in disbelief.
“Ric does. I’m just.. his second in command. Of course Caroline is involved in most things as well and so is Bonnie. It’s practically a family business. Only Stefan likes to stay on the side-lines.”
“Is your wife working here, too?”
Damon gave her a puzzled look. “My what?”
“You don’t need to deny it. Bonnie told me that you got married!” Elena hissed.
“I’m not denying that I’m married. But I don’t have a wife.”
Now it was Elena’s turn to look puzzled. “Huh?”

With a sigh Damon grabbed a picture frame from his desk and turned it so she could see the picture inside. It showed him and Ric, grinning into the camera. Both were wearing elegant suits and auch of them was holding a little girl in a princess dress. Elena knew that the picture was supposed to be a hint. She knew that she should understand what Damon was trying to tell her by showing her this. But she just didn’t.

Damon rolled his eyes and explained “That’s our wedding picture.”
“You… you married.. Ric?!” she yelled in shock.
Damon leaned back in his chair with a smirk. “You know.. you’re the first to actually be surprised. Everyone else just said it was about time.”
“But… how?”

He avoided her eyes, instead staring up at the ceiling. “You know… Ric and I, we… we always had this special connection. Right from the start and despite our.. rocky start. He’s always been my best friend. My soulmate. The one who got me like no-one else. We should have gotten together way sooner. A few times we almost did. But somehow fate always got in the way.”

“And with fate you mean me.” Elena guessed, hating herself for how bitter she sounded.
Damon finally looked at her again “You, Jenna, Jo… death. There were many factors.”

That she was only one of many factors for him hurt almost as much as his light tone. Elena wondered if Damon had always been playing her for a fool. Had she only been a replacement for Ric? Or had he only pursued her to piss off Stefan? Had he ever really loved her?

“After the disastrous wedding we were both pretty bad off.” he went on, seemingly oblivious to her inner turmoil. “Ric had lost everything. At least he thought so. We were there for each other. And once we realized that the girls had survived… He was so torn. He was happy, of course. But he was also even more scared of losing them. Of course the whole thing was tough for Care as well. We all just… got closer, I guess. Care had Stefan, who helped her during the pregnancy. And Ric… Ric had me.”

“Did you ever really love me?” Elena asked, even though she wasn’t sure she wanted to hear the answer.
Damon gave her a strange look. “Honest answer? I don’t know. You were my dream. My vision of a perfect love.”
“Okay.”
“I’m sorry, Elena. I never meant to hurt you.”
“Really?”
“Yes, really. I know it must feel awful right now, but maybe in time you’ll come to the same realization that I have.”
“And what is that?”

Damon sighed. “That we were never good for each other.”
“How can you say that?”
“It’s the truth. I brought out the worst in you. You could never accept me the way I am.”
“That’s not true.”
“Yes, it is. You always tried to change me.”
“I just wanted…”
“You wanted me to be like Stefan. And I tried to change for you. But it never worked, because I can’t change who I am. We had a toxic relationship, Elena. You’re better off without me.”
“Oh, and you just decided that for me, yeah?”
“I’m better off without you as well.”

She had to stifle a sob at his words. Damon actually looked guilty when he realized how much his words had hurt her.

“I’m sorry.”
“Why? You’ve obviously gotten your perfect happily ever after!” she yelled at him.
“Maybe you should talk to Emma.”
“What?” The sudden change of topic threw her completely.
“She helped me. Made me see things clearer.”
“Who the hell is Emma?”
“Our school agony auntie.”
“Your what?”
“Ric has a different word for her. An official title. But it think agony auntie fits her.”

Before Elena had a chance to reply, the door burst open and Bonnie rushed in. “Damon! Elena is…”
“here.” he finished in a dry tone.
Bonnie whirled around to glare at Elena. “You can’t be serious! You promised Enzo you wouldn’t leave the house!”
“You made Enzo babysit?” Damon asked, clearly amused.
“I don’t need a babysitter. I’m not a child!” Elena protested.
“You’re doing a good job of acting like one right now.” Bonnie said harshly, before turning back to Damon. “He got a call and had to leave. Some emergency at the Armoury.”
“Ah.”

“The Armoury?“ Elena repeated.
Bonnie gave her a cold look. “Enzo’s in charge of the Armoury, though we also keep some artefacts here at school. I was going to tell you all about it during the next couple of days.”
“I’m so sorry that I didn’t want to spend even more time sitting around uselessly.” Elena snapped.

Bonnie was about to reply, not doubt with something equally nasty, when there was a knock at the door.
“Come on in!” Damon called cheerfully.
Elena felt the overwhelming urge to slap him.
The door opened and a boy poked his head in, looking between them curiously. “Umm… Mr Salvatore? Do you have a minute? You said you’d help me with my essay for…”
“Your bloodline and you.” Damon finished. “Sure thing, MG. Come in.” he said with a smile. “We were done here anyways.”

They were not nearly done in Elena’s opinion, but she still allowed Bonnie to drag her out of the office. Her opinion didn’t seem to matter. Damon was obviously glad to get rid of her again.

Since they were already here, Bonnie decided to show her around and introduce her to Danielle and Alexander, who were also attending the school.

“Enzo wasn’t thrilled that they’d be living here as well, but it’s just easier.” Bonnie let her know as she continued to lead her around. “In the end we settled for a compromise. They stay here during the week and come home over the weekend. And Enzo stops by almost every day to visit. He can be a bit of a mother hen.” she joked.

Elena didn’t feel like laughing. “Why didn’t you tell me?”
Bonnie stopped walking and turned to her with a sigh. “Told you what?”
“Damon and Alaric.”
“To be quite honest… I wasn’t sure how to tell you. I didn’t want to overwhelm you. I thought it would be best to tell you everything bit by bit.”
“You thought I wouldn’t be able to handle it.”
“I didn’t want to overwhelm you. It’s a lot to handle.”
“I can handle it, Bonnie.”

Elena could see that Bonnie didn’t believe her. She wasn’t even sure if she believed it herself. Could she really handle the fact that Damon, who she believed to be the love of her life, was married to a man now? To Alaric, of all people? She didn’t even understand how that could have happened in the first place. And Damon’s explanations had been anything but helpful.

“He said I was the first one to be surprised.” she remembered.
“Damon?”
“Yes. Does that mean… you all knew that they…” Elena didn’t even know how to finish that sentence.

“I knew that they always had a special connection.” Bonnie said slowly. “I always thought Ric was the only one who really got Damon. The one with the most influence over Damon. And after Jo’s death… it just evolved, you know? They were there for each other. The helped each other. When it turned out that the twins had survived, Ric immediately turned to Damon for help. And Damon jumped to help him, no questions asked. It brought them even closer. And we all could see it happening. The little changes, the touches and smiles… When Damon told me that they were a thing now, I really wasn’t surprised. It seemed like the logical next step.”

“Do you think he ever loved me?”
“That is a question you need to ask Damon himself.”
“I already did. He told me he doesn’t know.”
“Oh.”

“He also claimed he’s better off without me and that our relationship was toxic.” Elena blurted.
Bonnie sighed. “Yeah, brutal honesty was always his way to go. And that last part sounds like something Emma would say.”
“He mentioned her. Told me I should talk to her.”
“Not a bad idea, actually.” Bonnie mused. “Emma is our school psychologist. She could help you.”
“She doesn’t even know me.” Elena pointed out.
“That’s a good thing. She’s unbiased.”
“I’ll think about it.”

They rounded the corner and Bonnie suddenly stopped dead in her tracks. Elena was about to ask what was wrong now, when she noticed the reason for the sudden stop. Alaric stood a few feet ahead of them, talking to some kids. Unlike Damon he at least had the decency to look guilty when he noticed her. And he damn well should feel guilty, Elena thought surly. Ric had been her sort-of stepfather and he of all people had stolen her boyfriend!

After a slight hesitation he excused himself and came over. Alaric too had only gotten hotter with age, Elena noted with growing anger. He tried to smile at her, but it looked more like a grimace.

“Hello Elena.”
“Ric.”
“I didn’t know you’d be stopping by today.”
“It wasn’t planned. She snuck out.” Bonnie said with a snort, prompting a smirk from Ric.
“Don’t say it like that!” Elena pouted.
“Why not? It’s the truth. You snuck out like a naughty teenager.” Bonnie shot back.

Elena looked at her in indignation, but before she could protest, they were interrupted yet again. It seemed that you could never have a quiet moment around here. This time Alaric’s other daughter barged in. The blonde, bitchy one. Elena hadn’t bothered to remember her name.

“You need to hurry to the old mill. Alyssa Chang is on the warpath.”
Bonnie groaned. “Not again.”
“Can you go?” Ric asked. “Or should I fetch Emma?”
“She’s got her weekly session with Dorian right now. I’ll take care of it.”
“Actually… I think you should both go, dad. She was trying to rile up Hope when I left.”
Ric grimaced. “Great.”

Bonnie gave Elena an apologetic look. “Can you wait here for me? I’ll try to hurry and then we can continue the tour.”
“I can show her around.” Ric’s daughter offered.
Bonnie seemed reluctant, but Ric just smiled at the blonde. “That would be great, Lizzie.”
“Sure thing, dad.” Lizzie assured, linking her arm through Elena’s and giving her a sweet smile. “I’ll show you the garden. We planted it with aunt Bonnie.”
“Nice.”
“Is it really okay for you, Elena?” Bonnie checked.
It really wasn’t, but Elena didn’t want to make a scene. And Lizzie seemed nice enough. Maybe she’d just gotten a wrong, first impression of her. So she forced herself to smile. “Sure. It’s fine.”
“This way.” Lizzie said.

She started leading Elena down the corridor, but as soon as Alaric and Bonnie were out of earshot, she suddenly stopped and let go of her arm. The smile was gone. Instead she crossed her arms over her chest and glared at Elena.

“Okay, now that I’ve got you alone, let me make a few things clear. If you’re planning on getting your claws into Damon again… forget it. He’s happy with dad. He doesn’t need you. He doesn’t want you. And I sure as hell won’t allow you to destroy our family. I’ll put you back into a magical coma, if I have to. And this time I’ll make sure nothing and no-one can wake you anytime soon. Got it?”

Elena was completely taken aback by her ferocity. She could only stand there and stare at Lizzie in shock.

“Did you understand what I just said?” Lizzie snapped.
“Yes.” Elena croaked. The girl was only a teenager, but she looked surprisingly threatening right now.
“Great. Glad we got that cleared up.”

And just like that the smile was back, which scared Elena even more than the threats if she was quite honest. Lizzie led her out into the garden and showed her the flowerbeds and different herbs, explaining what they could be used for. She was all smiles and friendly chatter now, but she also made sure to tell Elena how many of the herbs were poisonous if used incorrectly. Elena understood the subtle threat all too well and couldn’t help but wonder if Ric had any idea what kind of psycho he was raising here.

She breathed a sigh of relief when Bonnie finally returned. Bonnie at least seemed to see right through Lizzie’s act, because she gave her a sharp look and asked if everything was okay.

“Sure. We had a good time, didn’t we, Elena?” Lizzie claimed with a perfectly innocent smile.
“Lizzie told me what the herbs are used for.”
“I’ve got to go and get changed now.” Lizzie announced. “Damon’s taking Josie and me to the cinema.”
Elena forced another smile to her face. “Have fun.”
“We always do. It was nice talking to you.”

“Are you really okay?” Bonnie checked once Lizzie had disappeared back inside.
“Sure.”
“Just ignore whatever Lizzie said.”
“She’s… scary.” Elena admitted.
Bonnie laughed. “She’s fifteen.”
“I know. But…”
“Lizzie isn’t nearly as dangerous as she likes to pretend. Don’t worry.”

Bonnie could laugh and joke all she wanted. Elena had seen the sincerity in the eyes of the girl and though it would be smarter to take her threats serious. So what if Lizzie was only fifteen? She was also a witch. And related to Kai! There was no telling what kind of sick things this girl could come up with. No, thanks. It would be better to let Damon go. He’d obviously forgotten about her quickly enough. She should do the same.

***

Elena was relieved when they finally left the Salvatore School and went back to Bonnie’s house. Enzo thankfully wasn’t back yet, but there was a police car parked in the driveway. Elena got a shock at seeing it, but then Matt got out of the car, wearing a sheriff’s uniform and she relaxed.

“Elena.. I can’t believe it. It’s so good to see you.” Matt gushed, pulling her into an embrace.
“It’s good to see you too.”

And she meant it. Matt, at least, hadn’t changed much. Yes, he looked older as well. And he wasn’t ageing as well as Damon or Alaric did, if she was quite honest. He looked tired. But he was still Matt. Her followed her and Bonnie inside and they had tea, while he told her a bit about his life. He’d climbed the career ladder pretty quickly and had become sheriff of Mystic Falls two years ago. He was currently single, had never gotten married and didn’t have kids.

Matt left before Enzo came home. There was obviously still some bad blood between those two. Bonnie let Elena know that Matt also wasn’t happy about the school. He would prefer Mystic Falls free of supernatural beings, but kept the secret because of his old friends. Elena could only guess how hard it had to be for him.

“Can’t leave you alone for a minute, huh?” Enzo joked when he came home.
Elena rolled her eyes and didn’t reply. She felt no need to be nice to him.
Bonnie on the other hand giggled. “Take it as a lesson for Danielle’s rebellious teen phase.”
“Don’t scare me, darling.”
“Don’t worry. Obviously I’m going to be the bad cop and you’re the good cop, who lets her get away with everything.”
“I can be the bad cop, too.” Enzo claimed.
“Sure you can, honey.” Bonnie muttered, patting his arm.

It felt weird for Elena to see the two together like that. They seemed so close. So comfortable with each other. She just didn’t get how that could have happened. How could Bonnie fall in love with someone like Enzo? Even start a family with him? Did it only feel this weird because she hadn’t seen it happen?

Once again Elena went to bed early and then lay awake for a long time. She’d learned so much today. So many crazy things. For the first time she realized how much things in Mystic Falls had changed. The world had moved on, while she’d been asleep. Now she had to find her place in this new and confusing world. And after the day she’d had, she couldn’t help but wonder if this place was still in Mystic Falls.

***

Two days later Elena returned to the Salvatore School with Bonnie and Enzo. Stefan and Caroline had finally arrived and Caroline had invited the whole gang to a picknick at the old mill on school grounds. Elena went with some trepidation. She was looking forward to seeing Stefan and Caroline again, but she could have done without seeing Damon and Alaric. All the more when they reached the old mill and she realized that Alaric’s daughters had been invited as well.

For the moment her attention was diverted by Caroline, who called out her name and then nearly crushed her in a hug. Elena returned the hug, thankful that Caroline at least seemingly hadn’t changed at all. She was still happy, exuberant and eternally pretty. Stefan hadn’t changed either. He greeted her with a melancholy smile and a gentle hug.

While the others put the finishing touches on the picknick tables, Caroline and Elena took a short walk and Caroline told her what she’d missed. The pregnancy had been hard and giving birth even more so, but Caroline had fallen in love with the twins at first sight.

“It was really crazy and not at all planned, but I’m still glad it happened.” she finished.
“And.. how do they handle it? I mean, do they know…”
“They know everything. We told them as soon as they were old enough to understand it. But I’m still their mom.”

Elena’s eyes caught on Lizzie, who was just laughing about something Damon had said. “They seem close.” she muttered.
“Yeah, Lizzie’s always been a Damon-girl. Which is totally surprising. She’s a lot like me at that age, you know? Sometimes it makes me wonder how things between Damon and me could have turned out, if he’d already been this mature back when we met.”
Elena looked at her in alarm. “You think you and Damon…”
“Oh god, no!” Caroline laughed. “I’m very happy with Stefan. What I mean is.. Damon might have been some sort of … big brother for me.”
“So.. you get along nowadays?”
“We do. He’s a really good brother-in-law. And great with the girls. I never would have thought.”
“How does he even fit in there? How does this whole.. patchwork-family-thing work?” Elena wanted to know.
“Well, Alaric is their dad. I’m their mom. Stefan is uncle Stefan. Has been right from the start. And Damon’s always just been… Damon. It’s hard to explain. He’s a bit like a second dad, I think.”

Elena couldn’t grasp the concept. It sounded too weird for words. Damon, helping Alaric raise his daughters. Getting along well with Caroline. Teaching kids. But it was easy to see that he and the twins were close. So that was what Bonnie had meant when she’d told Elena he had a family.

Bonnie’s children were there as well and Elena was slowly starting to understand what Bonnie might see in Enzo. He was great with the kids and it was easy to see how much he adored them. How much he adored Bonnie. Or how much she loved him. She kept watching him with a smile, while he played with Danielle and Alexander.

Finally everyone settled around the table to eat. There was lots of laughter and chatter. Elena looked into all the happy faces and felt like an intruder. These people were supposed to be her friends. Her surrogate family. But she just didn’t belong anymore. She was a relic from the past. They had all matured, while she’d been stuck. She felt more than ever what she’d though the second day. There was no place for her here any longer.

The feeling didn’t get better when two late guests arrived. Elena hugged Jeremy and had to blink back tears. Her little brother now looked older than her. Even though he was still wearing jeans and a hoodie, she couldn’t overlook the changes. Tyler hung back nervously. He had a slight stubble and looked really good. Time seemed to have been kind to everyone but Matt, which she found really unfair.

“Sorry that I wasn’t here when you woke up. Ty and I were with a wolf pack near Boston and it took a bit longer than we thought.” Jeremy explained when they had sat down again.
“A wolf pack?” Elena repeated doubtfully.
“Werewolves.”
“Oh.” Elena’s eyes snapped to Tyler. “That’s why he went with you?”
“Not really.” Jeremy mumbled.

Elena saw him exchanging a strange look with Bonnie, who shook her head slightly. Jeremy grimaced and Elena once more got the feeling that she’d missed something. It was getting really tiresome.

“We’re together. Tyler and I.” Jeremy let her know.
Elena looked at him quizzically. “What does that mean?”
“It means they’re fucking.” Lizzie chimed in.
“Elisabeth! Language!” Alaric admonished.
“Come on, dad. It’s the truth.”
“You and…” Elena stammered, shocked beyond belief. First her ex-boyfriend and now her baby brother?
Jeremy blushed, but held her stare. “Yes. Though I would’ve put it a little… less drastic.” he grumbled, shooting Lizzie a dark look.
She just smiled at him sweetly. Next to her Damon was trying in vain to stifle his grin. Elena was slowly starting to understand why those two got along so well.

Despite the perfect weather and the fact that (almost) everyone was on their best behaviour, Elena was glad when the picknick was over. The whole situation was just too much for her. It made her feel to keenly how much she had missed. How much had changed during her sixteen year absence. And it was easy to see that Alaric felt uncomfortable in her presence. Damon didn’t look at her directly and didn’t talk to her once. Lizzie glared at her when she thought no-one would notice. Caroline and Bonnie tried their best to involve her in the discussion, but Elena still spent most of the time just sitting there, listening to the others talk.

While Caroline overlooked the cleaning up, ordering Stefan, Damon, Alaric and the twins around, Jeremy offered to drive Elena back to Bonnie’s. Bonnie and Enzo wanted to hang back and spend some time with their kids, who were staying at the school over the weekend too, while Elena stayed with them. She felt guilty for a moment, but then again, she hadn’t asked Bonnie and Enzo to make their kids stay at school.

She dropped into the passenger seat of Jeremy’s truck and stared out of the window without really seeing anything. The silence felt awkward, but she didn’t know how to break it.

“Are you okay?” Jeremy finally asked quietly.
“Sure.”
“A lot to take in, huh?”

Maybe it was the gentle tone of his voice, as if he was afraid of spooking her. Maybe she’d just reached the limit of what she could take. Whatever the reason, Elena’s reaction was a hysterical outburst.

“What exactly do you mean? The fact that you all continued your lives and forgot about me? That I don’t belong anymore? Don’t fit in anymore? Or the fact that not only my sort-of stepfather and ex-boyfriend have suddenly turned gay, but also my little brother?”

Jeremy pulled over and stopped the car. Elena hated how he looked at her. Hated that he looked so grown up. Acted so grown up. Hated that he stayed this calm while she had a nervous breakdown.

“First of all… no-one forgot about you, Elena. Bonnie read through hundreds of grimoires, trying to find a way to wake you. Caroline and Stefan travelled all over the world, talking to witches. You’re still one of us. You still belong here. That hasn’t changed, even if it might feel weird for you now, because of all the things you’ve missed. And… no-one suddenly turns gay. I’m bisexual. Always have been. I’ve actually had a major crush on Tyler when I was fifteen.”

“You what?!”

He shrugged. “I didn’t want to admit it back then. Not even to myself. I was already the misfit. The weird Gilbert kid. I didn’t want to add liking boys to the list of labels. It took me a long time to come to terms with it. Tyler is the same. No wonder, considering what a prick his dad was. Thankfully the world isn’t quite as narrow minded these days. Although… some people here in Mystic still are. They don’t voice it openly, but they still give us weird looks. That’s one of the reasons why we travel so much.”

“Oh.” She didn’t know what to say. Her brother had always liked boys as well and she’d never noticed. Had she really been so preoccupied with her own drama? And what about Bonnie? “But… you’ve dated Bonnie? Was it just an act?”

“Of course not. I loved Bonnie. And I loved Anna. Like I said, I’m bisexual. And before you ask, Tyler really loved Caroline and Liv. One doesn’t have to exclude the other.” Jeremy insisted. “And Damon and Ric… both of them have also dated men before they came to Mystic Falls. They just never announced it openly or anything. Damon once told me that you just start experimenting when you live as long as he did. Stefan would probably disagree, but I get his reasoning.”

Now Elena really didn’t know what to say. Her head was starting to hurt. Jeremy seemed to notice that, because he wordlessly started the car again and the drove the rest of the way in silence. Again Elena got a small scare when she saw the police car, but then she immediately thought of Matt and relaxed.

Jeremy brought her to the door and promised to stop by tomorrow so they could talk some more. He nodded at Matt and left without another word. Elena pulled out the spare key Bonnie had given her and led Matt into the house.

“Why didn’t you come to the picknick?” she wanted to know.
“I avoid the school whenever possible.”
“Hm… Bonnie told me you weren’t happy about it.”
“About a bunch of teenaged vampires and werewolves haunting Mystic Falls? No, I’m not happy about it. I don’t trust these kids. And I don’t trust Alaric to keep them in check.”
“Has something happened before?”
“Nothing… major. A few small incidents.”
“And they expected you to hush it up.” Elena guessed.

“Tell me about the picknick.” Matt changed the subject.
“It was nice to see Stefan and Caroline.”
“You don’t sound all that excited.”
“Oh, well…. I … I felt like I don’t really belong.” Elena admitted.
“I get that. It has to be hard for you.”
“You have no idea.” she sighed. For some reason she didn’t feel the need to pretend with Matt. He would understand her. He always had.

“Have you thought about what you want to do now?” he asked after a while.
“Not really. I mean, I can’t show my face in Mystic Falls, can I? Someone could recognize me.”
“It’s possible.”
“But.. this is my home. It’s always been my home.” she whispered.

Matt gave her a searching look. He seemed to war with himself for a moment. “Listen… “ he said then. “I got a job offer in Elizabethtown. I could become sheriff there.”
“Oh. That’s… great.”
“You could come with me.”
“What?”
“You could come with me. There’s a university. You could study medicine, like you wanted. Start over. Without that whole, supernatural crap.”
“Matt, I… I don’t know what to say.”
“Don’t say anything now. Just think about it. Okay?”
“Okay.”

***

Two weeks later:

“You’re really sure?” Caroline asked for what felt like the thousandth time, while they watched Matt packing the last bags into the car.
“I am. Stop asking me that.” Elena grumbled.
“I just don’t want you making a mistake.”
“I’m not.”
“I also don’t want you to use Matt. He deserves better.”

Elena looked at her friend indignantly. “I would never do that to him!”
“Maybe not on purpose.” Caroline pointed out. “But this whole thing is very sudden.”
“Matt was my first love.” Elena reminded her.
“Yes. And then there was Stefan. And then Damon, with whom you wanted to spend the rest of your life.”
“He obviously not with me.” And damn, that still hurt.
“And that’s the problem. Damon didn’t wait for you, so you run back to Matt.”
“It’s not like that.”

It really wasn’t, was it? She had loved Matt once. He’d always been a part of her life. She could fall in love with him again. Things like that happened. Maybe Matt had always been Mr. Right and she’d just been too blind to see it. Because unlike Damon, Matt had waited for her. He hadn’t said it in so many words, but the fact that he’d stayed single said enough. Matt had never stopped loving her. He’d always been there for her. Matt was reliable. Down to earth. Which was just what Elena needed now. And he had offered. She wasn’t using him.

“I know what I’m doing, Caroline. Can’t you just trust me?”
Caroline didn’t seem convinced. “As your friend…”
“As my friend you should support me. You know I can’t stay here.” Elena reminded.
“We would find a solution.”
“Which one? Should I hide at the school like you and Stefan?”
“We don’t hide.” Caroline insisted. “And it would be an option.”

No, it wouldn’t. Seeing Damon and Alaric every day. Seeing how happy they were with each other. Elena couldn’t do that to herself. Seeing that Alaric had what should have been hers hurt way too much. She’d stayed away from the school as much as she could these past two weeks. Not to mention the fact that Alaric’s daughter was scary and had it out for her.

“I don’t fit in there. I’m not supernatural.”
“You’re the doppelganger.” Caroline reminded. “And Damon and Ric aren’t supernatural anymore either.”
“I want a normal life, Care. Without all the supernatural crap.”
“Now you sound like Matt.”
“See? We want the same things. Stop worrying so much.”

With a weary sigh Caroline finally gave in. “Fine. If that’s your last word…”
“It is.”
“Then I wish you all the best. And promise me that you’ll call. That we’ll see each other.”
“We will.”

“Are you ready?” Matt asked, finally done loading the car.
Elena nodded. “Let’s go.”

She hugged first Caroline and then Bonnie, who had come to bid her farewell. So had Jeremy. Leaving wasn’t easy for Elena, despite everything. But as she sat in the car with Matt and they left Mystic Falls behind, she also felt a bit excited. Caroline had gotten her new papers and a spot at university. She would continue studying medicine and become a doctor, just like she’d dreamed. And she would be happy with Matt. She would forget about Damon and leave her old life behind. At least that was the plan.

“Are you okay?”
She looked at Matt and smiled. “Yes.”

So her future looked different than she’d dreamed about. Instead of an exciting life with Damon she would have a quiet one with Matt. She should have had enough excitement to last her a lifetime. Maybe Matt had been her destiny all this time and the years with the Salvatore brothers were just a slip up. A cosmic mistake. Maybe Elena should have never been special in the first place.