Wayward Heart: Book 1

Part 28

"Be safe," Stefan said quietly.

Elena nodded before picking up her bag and walking out the door.

"I'll be back as soon as I can," Damon promised Emma, "I love you."

"I love you too, keep yourself out of too much trouble," Emma kissed him one last time before releasing him and letting him set her down.

Damon winked at her, "I'll do my best babe."

Damon followed Elena out the door.

Stefan and Emma looked at each other, but where Emma wore the warm glow of love, Stefan was wearing the stoic face of someone trying to hold the last remnants of their life together.

Emma stepped past Stefan and walked over to the fireplace. She took off her ring and put it in her pocket before sitting down in front of the flames, she closed her eyes to concentrate for a moment before opening them. The power in the fire seemed to flow through her as she held her hand up, the flame moving away from it as she moved. She felt bold and empowered, and without Damon there to stop her, she decided to try something new. Her hand scooped into the flame and she was able to hold a small ball of fire. It danced in her hands as she passed it back and forth, she closed her hand and the ball extinguished.

"Hey Emma," Stefan broke Emma's concentration, making the fire that had once avoided her hand, attack it.

"Ouch," Emma pulled her hand back, a burn had formed on the outside, "dammit."

Stefan's eyes grew wide, "Sorry, I'm sorry."

"It's fine," she watched as her hand healed, still amazed by it, she held her hand up to show Stefan, "good as new. What's up?"

"Any suggestions on getting Alaric's alter ego to show?"

"Let's go get him drunk," Emma suggested, putting on her ring before heading over to Damon's liquor cabinet.

"I'm game," Stefan shrugged as he grabbed three glasses.

Both of them walked down stairs and back to the cellar. Alaric was laying on his cot with a book spread across his chest.

"Do you know how hard it is to fall asleep when that is what you are supposed to do?" He complained.

"That is why we brought you something to help," Emma held up a bottle of whiskey as he entered the cellar.

Alaric laughed to himself, "You know it is a lot less pathetic when I don't drink alone."

Stefan entered behind Emma and held up the three glasses and smirked, "Way ahead of you."

"So, a road trip?" Alaric asked while Stefan poured everyone their first drinks.

Stefan shrugged, "Yea, I needed to stay here."

"Okay, but why two of you? It doesn't take much to babysit me and wait for a psychotic break," Alaric accepted his glass from Stefan and immediately took a sip.

Emma took her glass too and sat down on the ground, "We are on limited time, trust me, I would like to avoid have to watch Damon torture you to a breaking point."

"Do you really think Damon would do that?" Alaric asked.

"What do you think?" Emma rolled her eyes as she took a sip.

"Look, Elena needed to go on that road trip with Damon. No matter what I go through to get her back; fighting my bloodlust, trying to gain control of my life again," Stefan looked down at the ground, "none of that matters if she has feelings for somebody else."