The next few weeks went by without too many things to complain about. Elena had moved in to Stefan's room and shared his bed, though she opted to use her own bathroom after he "accidentally" walked in while she was showering. He had been a perfect gentleman while in bed with her too, remaining on his side of the bed and keeping his hands to himself. Most of the time. Some mornings she would wake up to his arms around her, his body against hers. Then she would huff, throw his arms off of her and get out of bed. No big deal though. She started to realize that he was pretty much harmless. Annoying and obnoxious, yes. But harmless all the same.
The mood between them had lightened up and they could hold actual conversations and be in the same room for more than five minutes without wanting to kill one another. Elena realized that she had a lot of time to go before she could be free of Stefan for good. So, she might as well make the best of it.
Elena walked in to the sitting room and passed by him on the couch, in search of her book. Stefan put his magazine down and stared at her. "And where are you off to?" he asked causally.
Elena was still searching. "I got called in to work the afternoon rush" she answered. "Have you seen my History book?" she asked.
"Nope" he replied. Elena came back towards him and searched under the table for it. When she bent over, he swung his leg out and kicked her in the backside.
"Hey!" she laughed, standing up quickly. "Knock it off. I'm going to be late" she said, bending down to look under all the papers he had. Stefan kicked her again. "Stefan!" she yelled, turning around and pointing her finger at him with narrowed eyes.
Stefan grabbed her finger. "What did I say about pointing this finger at me?" he asked, failing miserably at trying to sound serious.
Elena smiled. "You told me not to do it" she answered. "But I'm going to do it anyways" she shrugged. Stefan's foot came around the back of her knee to knock her off balance, sending her landing on top of him. "Stefan!" she yelled again, using his chest to push herself up.
"What?" he asked innocently. She groaned, though he could see a smile forming.
Elena checked her watch. "Now I'm really late" she told him, getting off of the couch. She walked across the room and grabbed her jacket. It was a ten minute walk to the bus stop and another ten minute ride on the bus. "Hey" he called out. Elena turned to face him. "Take my car" he said, tossing her the keys.
Elena caught them and smiled. "Seriously?" she asked. He was going to let her drive the Porsche?
"Just remember, if you put so much as even a tiny mark on it, I will end you" he told her. Elena shook her head and smiled, throwing a thank you over her shoulder as she went out the door. Stefan looked around the empty house and frowned. He had work he could be doing, but opted to do it later. With Elena gone, he was going to be pretty darn bored.
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The clock struck finally four o'clock and Elena sighed a deep sigh of relief, tossing her towel down on the counter. She never did understand why the place got so busy in the middle of the afternoon. She untied her apron, grabbed her bag, and waved goodbye to the manager. As she came around the counter, she nearly collided with someone.
"Hello Elena" Damon smiled, holding on to her arms to steady her. Elena immediately took a step back. What was he doing there? "Headed home?" he asked.
"None of your business" Elena said, crossing her arms.
Damon smiled again. "Actually it is my business" he said, pulling Lily out from behind him. Elena hadn't even seen her there. "I need a favor. I would normally ask Stefan, but since I have you here and I am in a rush, you will have to do" he said.
"You're not doing a very good job of convincing me to help you" Elena pointed out. If Lily had not been standing right there, Elena would have probably called him a few choice names.
"Look, I need to run in to the city for a few hours this evening and I need someone to watch Lily" he said. "Katherine is in New York visiting friends" he said, almost as if he was trying to convince himself. "And I really don't want to drag a six year old into the city to a meeting" he explained.
"Six and a half Daddy" Lily corrected.
Damon looked down at her and smiled. "Sorry, six and half" he said. Lily looked up at him and smiled. "I know Stefan is home, I just don't have time to run out there to drop her off. And you're headed that way ..." he trailed off. Elena still did not look convinced based on the look she was giving him. "I'll be home to get her by nine at the latest" he tried again. Still nothing. "Stefan would want Lily to stay with you guys" he tried yet again, trying the manipulative route. Nothing. "Fine. Please?" he asked. He really did not want to resort to asking nicely. But he was getting desperate.
Elena smiled victoriously. "What do you say Lily, do you want to come hang out with me and Stefan for a few hours?" she asked.
Lily smiled brightly. "Uncle Stefan will let me brush the horses!" she said excitedly, looking up at her dad for his reaction.
Elena watched Damon carefully to see what he would do. Would he ignore the little girl's excitement like Katherine probably would? "I want you to tell me all about it tonight when I come and pick you up, okay?" he asked her. Lily nodded. "And tell your uncle to take pictures for me. I need new ones of you and the horses."
"Okay Daddy" she smiled.
Damon bent down to her level and zipped up her jacket. "You have fun and mind your manners" he told her. She nodded once again as he pulled her into a hug. "I love you" he said. Elena watched the interaction with mixed feelings. The guy was a total jerk, but like Stefan, he was good with Lily.
"I love you too Daddy" Lily replied, pulling away from him to receive her kiss on the forehead.
Damon stood up and reached into his pocket for his wallet. Elena watched him take out a card and hand it to her. "This is my number if you need to reach me" he explained.
"I think we'll be fine" she said, pocketing the card. "You ready Lily?" she asked, holding out her hand. Lily looked at Elena's hand hesitantly before taking hold of it. Damon waved goodbye to them as they exited the diner. He could faintly hear Elena telling Lily about Stefan teaching her how to ride.
Damon took out his phone and scrolled through his contacts. Settling on a number, he dialed and waited. It rang and rang until the voicemail kicked on. "Katherine, it's me. Where are you? Can you please call me back?" Damon hung up and slowly put the phone back in his jacket.
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Stefan looked up from his computer when he heard the front door open. "Elena?" he called, standing up and walking out. He caught sight of Lily and smiled.
"Look who I brought home" Elena smiled, helping the little girl get her jacket off before taking her own off.
"Uncle Stefan!" she squealed, running towards him at full speed.
Stefan caught her in a hug, pulling her close. "Lily!" he squealed back, mocking her. She didn't seem to notice. "What are you doing here?" he asked. Not that he was complaining, but he had some more work to get done.
"Damon had to go into the city, so he asked me if I could bring her here for a few hours. He said he would be back by nine" she explained, taking her scarf off.
"I want to see the horses!" Lily said excitedly.
Stefan sat down on the couch with her, trying to decide how best to break the news to her that he had to work. "Listen Lily. I have to finish up some things for work right now" he said. He watched her face fall into a sad frown. He hated that look. That look could destroy him instantly. He had to compromise. "But how about we go after dinner?" he asked. She looked up and her face instantly became brighter. He felt relieved. "But, first you are going to hang out with Elena for a little bit so I can finish things up. Then I'll make dinner and afterwards, we'll go see them. Got it?" he asked. He chanced a glance at Elena to see if she approved since he basically volunteered her to babysit for a while. She looked a tad annoyed.
"Got it" Lily smiled, hopping off of his lap.
"Hey, why don't you go and get a snack out of the kitchen" he suggested. They watched Lily run off. "You don't mind, do you?" he asked Elena. "I really have to get stuff done for work."
Elena glared at him. "I have reading to do for class" she told him. He shrugged it off as if it was not important. "And I don't know what to do with her for a whole hour or however long it will take you to finish" she said, tossing her arms up in the air.
Stefan groaned. "She's a little person, Elena. She talks. Ask her what she wants to do" he said. "You're the one who agreed to bring her home anyway" he threw in.
This only seemed to annoy Elena more. "Because your brother was desperate" she informed him.
"Where's Katherine?" Stefan questioned, looking behind him to make sure Lily was not walking back towards them yet.
"New York. Visiting friends" Elena replied.
Stefan snorted. "Or Los Cabos with some guy she hooked up with at a club" he guessed. Elena's annoyed expression went away and one of concern replaced it. "Look, forget I said anything. Just give me an hour to finish up my work and then I will take over, okay?" he asked.
Elena really wanted to ask Stefan about Katherine being in another country with another man, but she thought it best to let it go. "Okay" she agreed. Stefan nodded before retreating back towards his office. Elena remained where she was, waiting for Lily.
Her little boots clapped along the hardwood floor moments later as she carried a piece of string cheese in her hand. Elena smiled at her and the little girl stood there, staring at her. "So, what do you want to do?" Elena asked. Lily shrugged. Elena sighed. This was going to be the longest hour ever.
"Do you want to watch a movie?" Elena asked as they climbed the stairs.
"No" Lily answered, shaking her head.
"Do you want to play a game?" Elena asked.
"No" Lily said.
"Do you want to listen to music?" she tried again.
"No" Lily replied. Elena sat on her bed, looking defeated. Elena took her hair out of its ponytail and shook her hair loose. She stood up and walked over to her vanity, taking a seat and grabbing her brush. Lily watched her carefully. "Can I do your hair?" she asked.
Elena stopped brushing her hair and turned around, somewhat surprised by the little girl's interest in her hair. "Of course" Elena said, holding the brush out. Lily walked forward and took the brush, beginning to slowly run it through Elena's hair. "Does your mom let you do her hair?" Elena asked, figuring that was the only reason for the interest.
But Lily shook her head no. "Mommy says I might ruin her hair" she said, continuing to brush strands of hair carefully. Elena found that sad. So she opened up a drawer housing a bunch of clips in all various shapes and sizes, along with headbands, ribbons, and ties. The little girl's face beamed with happiness. "Use anything you want" she told Lily, sitting back in the chair.
Lily came around to the front and looked through the drawer, a smile on her face as she picked through everything. "How about this one?" she asked, holding up a medium sized brown clip.
"That is one of my favorite clips" Elena smiled. Lily smiled right back at her before returning to her spot behind Elena and fastening the clip in her hair. She took it out and redid it numerous times, sometimes pulling Elena's hair. But Elena didn't complain. They were bonding.
Lily chose a few more items and tried different styles with Elena's hair. For the most part Lily carried the conversation, telling Elena all about her room and all of her toys. "Was Uncle Stefan your first boyfriend?" she asked out of nowhere.
Elena looked in to the mirror to see Lily staring at her. Elena shook her head no. "No, I had a boyfriend before I met your Uncle Stefan" Elena told her.
Lily tied a ribbon in Elena's hair. "Why didn't you marry him?" she questioned.
Elena smiled sadly. What should she tell such a little girl about the realities of being an adult in love? Did she lie, tell the truth, or say something in between? "Because he wasn't very nice to me" Elena told her.
Lily paused for a moment and then went back to putting clips in Elena's hair. Elena sighed with relief, thinking that Lily was done talking about it. "Did he call you names and stuff?" Lily asked curiously.
An ache instantly appeared in Elena's chest at the thought. But she took in a small breath and reminded herself to relax. "Yeah, something like that" she answered.
Lily was quiet for a few more minutes as she brushed pieces of Elena's hair. Just then, Stefan knocked on the door before letting himself in. Elena sighed again, glad that he was able to distract Lily. "Look Uncle Stefan, doesn't she look pretty?" Lily asked, motioning to Elena's hair.
Stefan had to hold back a laugh at the sight. Elena had hair twisted up and sticking out with a bunch of clips and ribbons in it. But he held it in. "She does look pretty. You did a really good job Lily" he told her. Lily smiled proudly. "Come on you two. Dinner is ready." Lily ran out of the room, determined to be the first one down. Stefan wandered over towards Elena, admiring the new hair style. "Thank God you didn't let her use scissors" he chuckled.
Elena attempted to slap his leg, but he moved out of the way. "She had fun. That's all that matters" she said, pulling clips out of her hair. "She's a great kid" Elena said. "Very inquisitive."
"She gets that from me" Stefan shrugged. Elena tried hard not to smile, but she couldn't help it. He was getting to her. In the best way possible. But she was still cautious. She had to be. "You comin'?" he asked, walking towards the door.
"Yeah" she said, pulling the last clip out of her hair and following him downstairs.
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Dinner was surprisingly nice. Elena found that she really enjoyed sitting around a table again with people, even if they didn't talk much. Stefan had made breakfast for dinner after explaining that it was Lily's favorite. The French toast was amazing and so were the potatoes and bacon.
It was quiet though and Stefan noticed that Lily was hardly touching her food. "You okay Lil?" he asked. She nodded her head yes. Stefan looked at Elena who looked back at Lily. "Do you want something else to eat?" he asked, watching her play with her food. She shook her head no.
When Stefan and Elena had finished up, Stefan took Lily down to the barn while Elena went back upstairs to read.
Stefan tied the horses up and pulled out the stepping stool for Lily so she could brush the horses. Lily was still quiet and looked almost sad. It was bothersome because normally she was so talkative and full of energy. "Everything okay kiddo?" he asked her. Lily didn't respond. "Hey" he said, grabbing on to her elbow to gently turn her towards him. "I know something's wrong. You better tell me" he told her. She always told him everything, even when her parents made her promise not to. That is how he got most of the juicy details about his brother and ex-girlfriend.
Lily sighed and went back to brushing the horse. "Elena said her boyfriend was mean to her" she told him. It had really bothered her because she liked Elena and she didn't like the idea of someone being mean to her.
Stefan looked at Lily curiously. "What boyfriend?" he asked her.
Lily stopped brushing and looked at Stefan. "Her boyfriend before you were her boyfriend" Lily said. "She said he wasn't nice to her" she said sadly.
Stefan swallowed, afraid to prod anymore for information. But he needed to. "Did Elena say how he was mean to her?" Stefan asked.
Lily nodded. "She said he called her names and stuff" Lily answered. But Stefan questioned that. "And stuff" could have meant a whole range of things and probably really bad things too. If Elena had previously been in a bad relationship, it sure did explain her behavior. She was always so closed off and defensive around him. It was like she was afraid to let him get anywhere close to her, and not just physically. Not that he wanted them to get closer, but her behavior was interesting. Lately though she had been more relaxed around him though.
"Did she say anything else?" Stefan asked.
Lily shook her head no. "Uncle Stefan, I don't want him being mean to her no more" she said, her head dropping.
Stefan pulled Lily close and bent down to her level to talk to her. "No one is going to be mean to Elena anymore" he told her.
"Promise Uncle Stefan?" she asked.
Stefan did his best to give her a genuine smile, despite how concerned he was about this ex-boyfriend of Elena's. "I promise" he said, tapping her chin. "Now finish up brushing Ben. We need to tuck them in for the night" he smiled. Lily smiled back and Stefan felt relieved. She went back to brushing the horse and Stefan looked out of the barn towards where the boarding house sat. He could just make out the light coming from Elena's room. Now he was torn. Did he bring up his conversation he had with Lily? Or did he ignore it and stick to his end of the deal? To stay out of her past if she stayed out of his.
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Elena was folding clothes in her room, getting ready to head down the hall to Stefan's bedroom so she could go to sleep. She picked up a shirt from her pile on her bed and folded it before picking up another. "Lily go home?" she asked, not bothering to turn and look at Stefan who was leaning against her door.
"Yeah, Damon just picked her up" he said. "She wanted to tell you goodbye, but Damon was in a hurry" he added.
Elena smiled and turned to face him briefly. "I'll see her soon I'm sure" she told him, folding a pair of jeans.
Stefan looked at her. Really looked at her, but she didn't seem to notice as she continued to fold. "She usually doesn't warm up to people this quickly, but she really likes you" Stefan said.
"I like her too" Elena told him, continuing to fold.
Stefan debated on whether or not to say something. Part of him wanted to let it go. The other part of him wanted to know. "Elena?" he asked.
"Yeah?" she asked, keeping her back to him.
"Was your ex-boyfriend abusive?" he blurted out before he could stop himself.
Elena completely stopped what she was doing and as a result, the pair of jeans she was holding fell to the ground. But she made herself slowly turn around to look at him. And her look told him what he didn't want to know. The panic in her eyes. The tremble in her hands. The fact that she looked like she was reliving a traumatic memory in that very moment.
Stefan felt a lump in his throat grow bigger with every passing second that no one spoke. He couldn't take it anymore. "What did he do to you, Elena?" he asked, so quietly that Elena barely heard him. Stefan wasn't sure that he wanted to know. Elena's heartbeat quickened as she stood there. He wanted answers. He suspected something. But how? Why would be bringing this up? Seeing that she was not going to say anything, Stefan walked towards her. As he got closer, he could see just how upset she was. He reached his hand out to touch her arm in a comforting manner, but she stepped away from him. "Elena" he said, his eyes practically begging her to talk to him.
Elena's eyes met his and she saw the concern in them. He saw the fear in hers. "Get out" she said in a quiet, yet demanding voice.
A/N: So, what do you all think about this new revelation? Will Stefan get out or will he get Elena to tell him everything?