Fate or Destiny ⌁ TVD [1] ✓

{34} Precious Memories

***

ELENA AND I WERE down in the cellar. Elena was looking inside through the bars at Stefan, bringing me back to when we had locked up Damon down here. Those weren't memories I was fond of. Damon was upstairs, drinking. He knew Stefan was going to fly off the handle, jump off the edge, but he didn't want to believe that it happened.

"It's so hard to see him locked up like this," Elena said, still watching him.

"Elena, if I remember correctly, you locked Stefan up in the first place," I replied, watching her. It was rough seeing her watching her bloodthirsty boyfriend lay there.

"You came up with the plan, Char," Elena defended, turning to look at me. She wasn't wrong. But she was getting off topic!

"Well, the council is looking for vampires, and I can't have Stefan getting caught now can I?" I rhetorically asked, "Besides, Damon was the true mastermind of this whole operation."

"Think it had anything to do with him actually caring about Stefan?" Elena asked me, leaning against the dark wall. She really cared for Stefan, and I loved that about her. Everywhere we went I saw girl after girl practically drool over Stefan and him turn them down. Elena.. she was different. For all
sorts of reasons.

"That's our thing, not his. He's hated Stefan for as long as I can remember. I'd like to think that Damon would make up with him someday, and forgive him for everything, but I don't think today is that day," I said sadly to Elena, and she only nodded at me. I could remember the great times with Stefan, very precious memories nowadays.

***

FLASHBACK
Stefan and I were staying in a hotel, completely drained from the night we had in Vegas. Stefan and I had been to Vegas together countless times throughout the fifties to the late eighties. He and I partied together till we dropped. I didn't drink much, I wasn't a fan of alcohol. But when you handed me a fruity drink, I'd start with one and end with me asleep on the ground. And it was Vegas. You always drink in Vegas.

We had just had the biggest night before, and we were both exhausted. Stefan met a couple girls, I met a couple guys. We danced, we badly karaoked, and we laughed. We laughed more than anything. I remember looking over at Stefan on the opposite bed, him patting the bed to come lay down with him. He needed to know I was alright after that night, he needed physical love, and most of all: he needed a friend.

We were both exhausted, so I walked over and laid down in the bed with him, turning to face him. "I think that was the best Vegas night we have ever had, Stef," I said softly. His eyes were a little red, his voice was scratchy and groggy. My hair was a mess, makeup all over my face. We were perfectly imperfect. It was the perfect evening.