Steroline: Even Now

Where Is She?

Stefan's POV~

I drag myself out to Damon's car, sitting in the backseat so that Elena could sit next to Damon who is driving. It takes about 10 minutes to get there, and those 10 minutes contained Damon singing to awful music on the radio, Elena typing loudly on her phone and me staring out the window, trying to process everything I've been told. When we finally arrive, I'm the first one out of the car, pausing, staring incredulously at what used to be my home. 

Damon and Elena lead me into the school and as we're walking, I hear people of whom I assume to be students whispering, "is that Stefan Salvatore," to each other. All i can think is, 'wow, I must be a popular subject around here,' as we walk past the 'Stefan Salvatore Memorial Library.' As we're walking, I hear someone drop their books. 

I look over towards the area that the sudden noise came from to see two girls staring at me. One had light blonde hair, the other dark brunette. The blonde runs towards me and jumps at me, hugging me. She's crying and when she pulls back, she whispers, "Uncle Stefan?"

I look at her shocked, "Lizzie?" She nods shakily and hugs me again; except this time, I hug back. I look over shoulder to the brunette and ask, "and you're Josie?" She nods and walks towards us and joins the hug. We stay there for a while until I pull back and look at them.

I put my hands on one of their cheeks each to wipe their tears away, even though I'm crying to. "You guys have gotten so big," I mumble. Lizzie replies by shakily saying, "and you've gotten not dead." I laugh and reply, "yeah, I did." We hug again, holding on tightly, because the bond of family, even if not by blood, is so strong that it can transcend even death. 

We hug for what felt like hours until Damon annoyingly remarks, "okay, great reunion, but we came here for a reason little brother." Lizzie and I turn around and glare at him, obviously pissed. I notice that Lizzie had the same exact glare as Caroline. I turn to her and smile, uttering out the words, "you look so much like your mother." She smiles back at me and says, "how the fuck are you alive?"

"As much of a mystery to you as it is to me," I reply. "Is there somewhere private we can talk; we have something important to talk with you two about." "Just follow us," responds Josie. We continue walking, corridor to corridor, until we get to a big double door entrance. Lizzie pushes them open and tells us that we can talk in there. 

We walk in and just a few seconds later, I see an old friend. Alaric sits there filling out what looks like paperwork. "Dad," Lizzie states, "we have some visitors." "Tell them to come in," he replies, proceeding to look up. He looks at Damon, Elena, then locks eyes with me, a look of absolute shock overtaking him. "Stefan," he announces, shook to his core. "How are you alive? Never mind, forget I asked, who actually stays dead in this goddamn town. Welcome back." "Nice to be back," I reply, "definitely didn't expect it to be seven years later though. Really thought it was my time this time." "You and me both."

"Anyway, what are you guys doing here, you know, other then, that?" Alaric asks wearily. "We're looking for my wife," I declare, turning to Lizzie and Josie, "and we think that you two know where she is. Do you?"

They turn to look at each other and nod, then Lizzie replies with a simple but confident "yes." Alaric turns to them, glaring, speaking sternly he says, "you told me that you didn't." "We lied, obviously," Lizzie continues. "Mom and Auntie Bonnie told us not to tell anyone, not even you guys, but we think that because Stefan's you know, alive, that we would make an exception. We've been visiting her since we were nine years old. Just don't be mad at her, she's in hiding for a good reason and the only reason Bonnie knows is because she lives with them, for their protection." "What do you mean by 'them' and why would 'they' need protection?" Asks Elena. "You'll have to find out for yourselves," replies Josie.

"So where is she," I ask desperately. "We can take you to her Stefan, Damon and Elena can come to, I guess. Though, we should leave now if we want to get there by tomorrow, I'll compel us a plane," Lizzie states casually. "You're a vampire?" I ask, curiously. "Heretic," Lizzie replies, quickly fixing my error, just like her mother.

"You guys have 2 hours to pack and group back up here, Dad you're staying here, the rest of us will go," order Lizzie. "I'll stay back here, make sure everything is ok with the school. Lizzie, take MG instead." Lizzie blushes and walks to the door before turning around, death glaring us all, "you have two hours, that's it." Elena quickly invites herself into the conversation and asks, "we have two kids, what do we do with them in two hours?" "I guess you can bring them, just make sure that they're quiet, I'm still new to the vamp thing. At first, I went to stay with Mom, and she helped me with control and all the other stuff, but it doesn't mean that I can just block out two screaming crying babies," replies Lizzie. 

"Ok, we'll be back in two hours munchkins," comments Damon, rushing out of the room with Elena in tow, before Lizzie or Josie can interject. I turn to them and ask, "What happened to my stuff?" "Mom took it with her when she left, at least the stuff of yours she was hiding in her room. She wouldn't let anyone take them or get rid of them." "Oh," I reply, "What do I do know then?" "Sleep, you just came back to fricking life, and as a vampire none the less, you should rest, especially because it will take us thirteen hours to actually get to the place she is. That's if you add the extra car distance." "Ok, where would you like me to sleep?" I ask softly, sleep sounds like a good option right now, even if my brain is running 100 miles per hour.

"Just sleep in Mom's room, we'll take you." I follow them down a couple more hallways until we reach a door that they stop in front of. "This was her room, I'm pretty sure it was your old one, she reserved it for herself." "Yeah, this was my room," I reply only just now realising. "Thanks for guiding me, wake me up when everyone's here." "Ok," Lizzie responds hurriedly, "now get to damn sleep." "Sure, will I see you at the sendoff, Josie?" "No, you want, I've got some honour council stuff to do," she answers sweetly. "Well then, I'll hug you goodbye now," I remark, pulling her into a hug. She hugs back, we hold on for a few minutes before she pulls back saying that I'd see her again sooner than I thought.

"See you later Lizzie," I mumble to Lizzie, walking into my old room already half asleep. When I look around, I can tell that it's almost exactly the same as I left it, except for a couple of photo frames with pictures of Caroline and I in them that weren't in there before, but I think that it's perfect. That's because it was Caroline's doing, everything she does, is and creates is perfect in my eyes. With a few thoughts about Caroline, Lizzie and Josie, and Damon and Elena having kids, I fall into a peaceful sleep. At least it was peaceful until I hear yelling in my ear, telling me to get off my ass and into the damn car.