Anyways, here's chapter 29.
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Must Love Dogs Chapter Twenty- Nine
"You're lying to yourself." Bonnie pointed out bluntly as they placed some of the things that Elena had gotten for her apartment in the car. She watched as Elena slowly turned around, leaning her body against the closed trunk door.
"What are you talking about?" Elena questioned, wide eyes and pursed lips.
"You act like you don't want him, like you don't need him. Because, falling in love with him scares you and I understand that. But, Elena. Stop lying to yourself and just admit it. You are miserable without Stefan and you do need him as much as he probably needs you." She pointed out, causing the brunette to gawk at her.
Maybe Bonnie was right, it was time to stop avoiding her suppressed feelings and finally face them. "I should call him then, talk to him." Elena replied, glancing down at the ground as she shuffled her feet and turned to take her keys out from her purse. Bonnie placed her hand on top of Elena's quickly. "Yeah, you should. Because, he's probably just as sad as you are. Don't lie to me, I know you and I know that being back home is what you want. Although, being here all alone isn't what you thought you were going to get."
Elena closed her eyes, spinning her keys around her finger as she pushed away from the car and sighed deeply. "I knew getting into the deal that he and I made that I wasn't going to be in Florida for very long. I just- I guess I didn't realize that I was going to fall for him as quickly as I did."
"It happens." Bonnie shrugged, pulling the car door handle on the passenger side before getting in and watching Elena follow her movements.
"So..." Elena's voice trailed off as she turned towards Bonnie who was smiling at her.
"Don't go on the date with Matt." Bonnie suddenly blurted out, watching as Elena lifted her eyebrows at her in surprise.
"It's not a date. It's just dinner with an old friend. Who happens to be my ex boyfriend." Elena corrected, hearing Bonnie laugh.
"An ex boyfriend who didn't really break things off with you. I saw him today, he had that hopeful look in his eyes that you two are going to recoil things. Elena, you need to make it clear to him that you aren't interested." She heard her best friend advise as she started the car up and it came to life with a loud roaring sound.
Elena nodded, backing out of the parking lot and thinking about Bonnie's words. "I'll call him when I get home." She said, dropping the subject and hoping that Bonnie would as well.
"Good." She simply said, glancing out the window as they drove back to Elena's apartment in silence, the thought of Stefan not far from her mind.
It was late, almost everyone had gone home and yet, Stefan was still working on paperwork. His office the only one on the whole floor still with the lights brightly lighting up the room when Katherine sauntered into it, sliding his cell phone back to him before she sat down across from his desk and crossed her legs over one another.
"I called her. Told her that if she doesn't come back that I'm going to send you to her in a care package." Katherine winked, leaning back into her chair and giving Stefan a sour look as he continued writing.
"Did you hear anything that I just said." She asked him with agitation, pushing up from her seat and tapping her nails against his desk.
After a few minutes. He finally looked up, deadlocking his eyes on to her. "I'm working, Katherine." Stefan said in a stern tone, causing Katherine to become a bit more irritated.
"No, you are drowning in work. Do yourself a favor and give her a call." She told him, pivoting on her heels as she stopped near the door as she added. "You know I'm right. Besides, talking to her and realizing you actually give a damn about someone other than yourself is a good thing. It's called having a heart and emotions, Stefan."
She heard him sigh deeply as she walked out of his office, smirking to herself. As she walked away and began to leave for the night, Katherine pulled out her cell phone and dialed a number that she rarely called.
"Boss lady. Do you know what time it is?" He asked in a groggy tone as Katherine grinned. It was a little past 8pm and she wasn't even sure what he was doing in bed so early. To be honest, Katherine could have cared less about that. What she was more interested in was if he'd take her up on the offer she was about to ask of him.
"It's early still." She sighed into the phone, standing near the elevators and watching the numbers go up and down as she waited for one of them to open up. "Look, Enzo. I need you to do me a favor." She told him, hearing as he groaned.
"What do you need of me now?" He questioned as Katherine smirked, thinking about what she wanted him to do.
"Stefan has a business meeting that's supposed to be in New York in the next few weeks and I want you to reroute his trip to Portland, Oregon. Or, if you can't do that. I want you to go to Portland by yourself." She could hear Enzo laugh a little harder than he had probably intended as he ran his fingers through his hair.
"What the hell is out in Portland, Oregon of all places? I've heard it's fairly depressing there, darling. I am not going there for that long and I highly doubt Stefan would want to be stuck there for two weeks or however long he is going to be away for." He told her as Katherine shook her head, pressing the down button once more for the elevator.
"That isn't all true. There's lots there from what I've heard. My husband had an old college roommate who lived out there for a while. There's food carts, beer, lots of Starbucks on nearly every corner. Oh and one thing that Stefan really needs right now." She grinned when she heard Enzo ask. "And, what's that?"
"Elena Gilbert." Katherine replied sweetly, pausing when the elevator doors finally opened and she stepped inside, clutching her cell phone and adding in. "I want you to bring Elena Gilbert back here so that Stefan realizes how much he needs her." Katherine told him.
"It's only been three days. Don't you think we should do that after a few months?" Enzo asked.
Katherine scoffed. "Oh no. Not months. There is no way in hell that I am dealing with his moody attitude for months. Look, just figure it out and whatever you do. Book yourself the first flight out there. And, bring her back here, Enzo. I don't care how you do it. Just, bring her back because he needs her more than he wants to even admit to himself. She makes him a better person. I've seen it first hand. But sadly, right now without her. He's off the rails!"
"You want him to go and do what?" Damon asked with a stunned voice, spitting out the mouth wash in his mouth as Katherine lay on their bed, placing moisturizer on her freshly shaved legs.
"I'm sending Enzo to Portland to bring Elena back here for Stefan ." Katherine tried to reason with him in a calm tone as he took his toothbrush out of his mouth and stared at his wife.
"Katherine, I know that you love him and that you care deeply about my brother. But, Elena visiting him should be on her own terms. Not yours. So, with all due respect dear beautiful wife of mine. Stay out of it!" Damon exclaimed, glancing up at Katherine to see her frowning at him and pouting just a bit.
"You know that I'm right about this, Damon. It's better that she comes to see him before he goes on this little extended two week long business trip with Lexi Branson. Stefan isn't in his right mind to be alone with a pretty single woman. It would lead to results that aren't good. So, maybe seeing Elena will make him realize that he loves her and he won't go." Katherine told him, watching as Damon wiped his mouth with the back of his hand. He leaned his shoulder against the door frame and looked out at her as she blankly glanced directly at him.
"See, that is where you're wrong. He won't be alone. Because, while you're stuck here helping Jenna with doing what I told Elena that you'd help her aunt out with. My brother and I will be going to New York and making a deal with Lexi on this little project of hers. Also, instead of my brother. I'm going to have Klaus helping you while we're away for those two weeks." Katherine scoffed, lifting her body up from the bed and slowly moving towards her husband.
"Why can't you and I go to New York and Klaus stays with Stefan." She smiled as Damon's lips pursed together and he spoke. "Well, because I'm going to use this time to knock some sense into my brother. And, I thought you said that you can't be his life coach all the time. Consider this time away from my brother, a small vacation that you've earned." He grinned as Katherine exhaled deeply. Working with Stefan was one thing. But, working with Klaus was going to be a whole other ball game. Just as long as neither of them mentioned the name Rebekah Mikaelson, things were going to go smoothly, at least Katherine hoped that they would.
Stefan stared down at his cell phone on the desk, it was getting later and later in the night as he just sat there, replaying Katherine's words. There was a 3 hour time difference between them and he was afraid that he was going to wake Elena up if he called this late. It was already nearly a little past midnight in Florida.
Stefan's fingers lingered over the keypad as he stared down at her phone number. He waited a few minutes to collect himself and then, he finally pressed the call button.
After the second ring, she answered in a groggy tone. "Hello?" Elena sighed into the receiver. She hadn't really looked at who was calling her since she was getting ready for another sleepless night in an apartment that just wasn't what she had pictured it was going to be at all.
"I know that I probably shouldn't be calling you. Although, It's late and I'm at the office working on a few things and I wanted to hear your voice. I guess I just wanted to make sure that you were okay." He told her hesitantly, coughing out a breath.
Elena leaned back into her pillows that were against the wall as she sat down on a small full sized bed that her brother and mother had brought over earlier in the day. She closed her eyes, picturing him sitting in his office late at night, the only one still there with folders and files scattered everywhere, blueprints on the floor and his computer screen reflecting light off his face. Burying himself in his work.
"I'm okay. Just, adjusting to things here..." Her voice trailed off. What was she supposed to say? I want to come back to you. I miss you. Yeah, those two things were just going to make the conversation even more harder. So, she decided to avoid them.
"I bet you are." He laughed a little, running his hands through his hair as he leaned his elbows onto the table.
"Listen, I don't really know what I'm supposed to say here. Elena," He paused. The words on the tip of his tongue as he thought about how they left things. The feeling of her arms around him, the kiss of his lips still tingling on hers, even all these days later he couldn't get her out of his head even though he had tried nearly everything to do so.
"We're friends and you're just calling to check up on me. Which, I appreciate. So, thank you. How are things going there? Are you and Katherine making progress with what I asked Damon about?" Elena asked him as Stefan smiled. Katherine had told him about helping Jenna out even though she couldn't stand him. He couldn't resist helping her because he felt like he owed it to Elena after everything that had happened and Rebekah destroying Jenna's lively hood.
"Yeah, I'm actually going to New York with Damon to talk about a few options in a deal with this realtor named Lexi Branson. It's for a new project. But, Katherine is staying behind to pull a few strings for your aunt Jenna. My brother called two hours ago and told me that." He relayed to her as Elena smiled at the thought of Jenna getting a brand new place to restart her business. She deserved a fresh start more than anything.
"Thank you." Elena stated quietly. Hearing as Stefan replied back. "It's the least I could do. To be honest, I wish I could help her out more. But, I'm kind of needed in New York for striking up this deal with Lexi. Although, I'm going to make sure that Katherine gets it done." There was a long silence on the phone between them for a while until Stefan suddenly blurted out. "I miss you."
Elena was silent. Those same words on the tip of her tongue because deep down, Bonnie had been right. She was miserable being away like this from him after thinking that leaving was the best thing for her to do. Elena sighed, teasingly adding. "Stefan, don't do that. You're going to make me want to come back."
He huffed out a breath, smiling to himself. "You should. But, when you're ready. Elena, I'm sorry for not saying it sooner. But, I did mean what I told you at the airport. I am falling in love with you and being away from you like this is killing me."
"I miss you too." She stated, feeling a bit relieved that she could tell him that without feeling guilty about her emotions. She had been falling in love with him, as much as she had tried to not feel that way. Being around him and not getting those pesky feelings involved were nearly impossible. And now that Elena knew he felt the same way. There was a sense of relief in that.
"Hey, I should get going." Stefan added in abruptly, leaning his head against the phone in his hands as he glanced down at the clock. It was getting late and he was sure that the cleaning lady had left hours ago and left Duke roaming around the house all alone which meant that he really did have to get home and check up on the dog.
"Yeah, me too." Elena said back, her eyes getting heavy and the thoughts of Stefan running through her mind.
"I'll call you soon." He told her, hearing her yawn as she agreed.
But just before they were about to end the call, Elena's mouth said something that she probably shouldn't have said and she was hoping that Stefan could barely hear. "Don't go falling in love with other girls. Maybe, I will be back in a few months to visit."
He laughed, shaking his head and telling her. "I won't. I'll wait for you. I promise."
The dial tone blared in Elena's ear as she hung up the phone and fell back into the pillows, allowing sleep to come and the thoughts of Stefan to run through her mind because she was pretty sure that as he sat in his office, he was thinking about her too.
It had been a little over three weeks since Katherine had suggested the visit. Damon and Stefan had already left for New York a day before Enzo had booked his flight out to Portland. So no questions were asked when he left early the next morning. Yet, something inside of Enzo told him that going all the way out to where Elena was, would be a total waste of time. He sighed as he caught a cab from the airport, glancing down at his cell phone that read:
Address: 2457 NW Everett Street.
Sitka Apartments
Apartment number #22
"It's in some area called the Pearl District. God only knows why they call it that. Listen, just do as I say and find her. Please. He left for New York yesterday morning and he looked like he didn't want to go at all. I'm kind of thankful that Damon went with him, maybe my husband can really talk to him and make him realize all the things he feels for Elena aren't just because of some silly agreement they had. He really loves her, Enzo. I saw it on his face when he told me that she left and that she wasn't coming back. He was heartbroken. That's why we need to do this."
"Just get into town?" The cab driver asked, watching as Enzo nodded and sighed out a breath, looking up at the cloudy skies and the large buildings that looked like something that he had seen in London, years ago. The city was full of beautiful architecture and it was evident as they drove down the freeway and go closer to it.
"Yeah, staying only for a short time. Strictly business." He answered, texting Katherine back. "If Elena isn't home or if she doesn't want to come back. I'm staying here for a few days and enjoying this city."
"Fine, whatever." Katherine replied, a clear snarky tone seeping through the message. Enzo smiled to himself as he told the driver the address and then went back to messaging Katherine. "On the company's tab, that is. Since, this is a business trip. ;)" He added in, just to piss her off.
"Okay. But, this little 'trip' stays between the two of us. I told Damon that I might be sending you out there and he totally disagreed with him. However, I think that my plan is going to work." She replied with a sense of hope. Enzo shook his head, he hoped it was going to work too. Because, if it didn't. He was going to be stuck with Elena in Portland for a few days. Although, maybe that wasn't going to be such a bad thing since he really did enjoy being around her. She was fun and sweet and nice to look at.
The 21 minute commute was over by the time Enzo looked up and handed the cab driver some money. "Keep the change." He told him, stepping out of the car and looking up at the large 6 story building with it's hanging flower baskets near the entrance and the glass windows and doors where he could see his own reflection off of them. It was a nice place and sure enough Elena must have had some help from someone getting an apartment in this overly fancy building.
"This was a mistake." He mumbled to himself, slinging his carry on bag over his shoulder and taking a step into the building's lobby. He took his cell phone out once again before he entered the elevator, memorizing Elena's apartment number.
"If you aren't home, Miss Gilbert. I'm going to the local pub and getting drunk. Maybe even getting myself a nice little Portland girl." He told himself, walking through the quiet halls until he reached the door that had her apartment number on it. Enzo held on to his bag tightly as he lightly knocked, taking a step back when the door opened up and she appeared. Elena's makeup was smudged, her hair a bit of a mess and she was still wearing her pajamas. She looked nothing like the girl that he had seen in the bar a few weeks ago when he had first met her. And another thing he noticed was that it looked as if she had been crying.
She rubbed her head and groaned, blinking her eyes at him, wiping away her tears. "You've got to be kidding me." She mumbled, attempting to close the door on his face.
"Wait! I didn't come all this way for you to shut the door on my face, gorgeuous. Listen, this wasn't even my plan. She put me up to it!" He explained, begging Elena not to close the door on him.
"What do you want?" Elena hissed out a breath, growing irritated.
She stopped, her hand still holding the door as she registered his words. "Katherine sent you here? Oh for the love of god! Look, I talked to Stefan last night. I miss him, okay. I do and we just talked because I wanted to hear his voice. But, Enzo...Rebekah is the reason I left. And, she's not gone yet and if I come back now. She's just going to keep wedging her way into whatever shred of a relationship that Stefan and I have left or that we decide to build with each other."
Enzo closed his eyes. He should have known. Rebekah Mikaelson was the reason for everyone's problems as of late, including his.
"Don't let her get to you. It's that simple, Elena. Just, hear me out. He's miserable and so are you, clearly. So, why not come back. Get yourself a nice little apartment near Stefan and the two of you can be miserable together." Enzo stated with a small laugh.
"It's not that easy." Elena replied, swallowing the lump that was forming in her throat as tears began to brim over her eyes.
"And why not?" He questioned in a soft tone as he watched Elena suddenly fall against him, begin sobbing into his shirt. He was a bit taken back as to why she was so upset. Although, he had a gut wrenching feeling that there was another even bigger reason why she was so hesitant on coming back to Florida so soon. Enzo said nothing as he held her, listening to her babbling on about how much she hated being back home. And then, she finally said what he was silently suspecting.
"I slept with Stefan before I left." Her voice broke, tears covering her cheeks as she locked her eyes on to Enzo. Elena swallowed back her words and watched as Enzo wiped away her tears with his thumbs while he glanced up at her with a saddened look. "I just. I don't even know why I did it. But, I took a pregnancy test this morning." She sighed out a breath, still holding on to his shoulders for support. "And it turned out to be positive." Elena replied in a tearful tone, clutching on to him and leaving him and herself stunned by her admission.
A/N: Okay...Let me first say this before you all freak out on me and stop reading this story because I decided to go this route with it...I NEVER intended for the story to go this way. But, I was kind of thinking What IF it did happen...Just maybe, it'll make things a bit more interesting for Stefan and Elena's relationship and it'll force Stefan to have no other choice but to pull himself together and Elena to have to come back to Florida, eventually.
That is if Elena's pregnancy test is correct and if she really is pregnant. Although..I guess we'll have to wait and see. ;)
-Until Next Time!-