The younger Salvatore released a heavy sigh as he stood at the edge of the woods in Bristol, Virginia - about forty minutes outside of Mystic Falls. Stefan could hear the loud and booming music even without his enhanced hearing that was coming from the large party a few miles into the woods at a large estate that apparently belonged to one of the local rich kids in the small town. Well, that's what Caroline had figured out this morning when they tried to locate as to where the Radkova witch would be.
Stefan glanced down to his right hand and gazed at the small needle that was filled with a tiny and safe amount of oleander to render his emotionless girlfriend unconscious for a few hours. The Salvatore vampire absolutely hated that this is the plan that they came up with last night. The group of supernatural beings collectively decided that it should be him, Stefan, who would be the one to trick Emily into the steel room that the Lockwood werewolf had found.
The location of the steel and windowless room was at an old underground werewolf shifting shelter that Tyler had found about in his father's study. They had all been surprised when they learned that it was right under their noses as it was located directly behind Mystic Falls High School in the woods.
The part of their master plan that the younger Salvatore didn't enjoy, though, was how he was going to be tricking the Radkova witch. Damon was the one that came up with it. Stefan's job was to seduce his girlfriend into lowering her guard, so he would be able to inject her with the oleander and trap her.
Stefan didn't exactly enjoy the idea of playing with Emily's mind but his brother thought this was the only way to lower the wall that she had around her hidden emotions since that was what usually worked when it came to emotionless vampires. The fact that they were pretty much in the dark about what they were doing with the Radkova witch, Stefan figured it was worth a try if it meant he could get his girlfriend back.
The green eyed vampire silently slipped the needle back into the front pocket of his dark blue jeans before he looked straight into the forest and towards the party. "This is necessary. I have to do this. I have to bring her home," Stefan quietly chanted as to remind himself that he had to do this, that he had to trick the love of his life. The Salvatore vampire hated the idea of tricking and locking Emily up but he knew it would be for the best if he ever wanted his loving and caring girlfriend back to normal.
"Let's get this over with," Stefan mumbled after he released another heavy sigh before he slowly headed through the woods and towards the large brick house that could easily hold at least two hundred or so people. It took the Salvatore vampire about ten minutes before he finally reached the party but he didn't mind. It gave Stefan some needed time to put his thoughts together about how exactly he was going to trick his girlfriend.
Stefan ultimately decided to just play it by ear, so his emotionless girlfriend wouldn't expect anything about his reason for being here tonight. The Salvatore vampire knew that he needed to act as normal as he could, so once he entered the large house filled to the brim with teenagers and college students, Stefan headed straight towards the alcohol. Stefan figured it could help calm his nerves around all of the humans along with help secure his act to trick his girlfriend.
The Salvatore vampire grabbed the strongest thing he could find - a twenty year aged bottle of whiskey - and poured it into a red solo cup all the way up to the rim. Stefan took a heavy gulp to help calm himself before his green eyes slowly began to search for the emotionless Radkova witch. It, thankfully, didn't take the vampire very long before he zeroed on Emily's form dancing between two girls in a black leather skirt and a matching crop top with silver chains all across her outfit.
Stefan couldn't but immediately feel turned on by his girlfriend's choice of clothing. It was definitely something that the old Emily Gilbert wouldn't be caught dead in but she happened to look extremely confident in right now and that was sexy in the Salvatore vampire's opinion.
Stefan decided that he would use his attraction to his benefit, so he slowly headed over to his emotionless girlfriend and the two other girls, who her dancing with the Radkova witch. The Salvatore vampire squeezed his way between one of the girls, the blonde one, and wrapped his cold arm around Emily's waist from behind.
The Radkova witch had been dancing with the two girls all night long, so she immediately took notice of the difference from the soft and slender hands on her waist to the cold and large ones. Emily was curious of who her new dancing partner was, so she swiftly twirled around and was equally annoyed and surprised to see it was her so called boyfriend. "Have you come to ruin my fun?" The Radkova witch pouted her dark purple lips towards the vampire as she crossed her arms over her black crop top.
Stefan sluggishly shook his head with a lazy smile playing on his lips. "Not at all," the Salvatore vampire muttered as he wrapped his right arm around the young witch's waist and pulled her closely into his chest. "I decided you had the right idea all along," Stefan whispered as he gazed down at his girlfriend. The green eyed vampire let a half smirk rise onto his lips before he murmured, "I think it was time I had some fun."
Emily stared up at the Salvatore vampire for a long minute before her own smirk slowly pulled onto her lips when she couldn't find anything in Stefan's eyes that told her that he had any ill intentions or an alternative motive for finding her tonight - thankfully for Stefan and their grand plan of tricking the emotionless witch.
"Well, it's about time," Emily muttered before she wrapped her right hand tightly around the Salvatore vampire's neck and pulled him into a fierce kiss. The Radkova witch made out with her boyfriend for a little less than three minutes but when she felt like she needed to breathe, Emily pulled away, turned around and slowly moved her body down Stefan's front side as she let the music flow through her veins.
The couple of the emotionless witch and the worried vampire danced between all of the sweaty bodies for about another three songs with Stefan acting like he wasn't plotting and Emily without a care in the world before the Salvatore decided it was time for the next step in his plan once he realized that his girlfriend was letting her guard down around him.
Stefan leaned down until his lips were settled against the shell of the Radkova witch's ear before he whispered as he squeezed her bare waist, "come on, let's get out of here." The Salvatore vampire hated having to act like he was going to seduce his girlfriend but he had to remind himself that it was necessary if they were ever going to get Emily back to normal again.
The Radkova witch turned around when she heard Stefan's rough voice in her ear before she rose an eyebrow at the vampire. "Oh?" Emily teased as she figured that Stefan wanted to go have some fun alone. "And where are you going to take me?" The young witch flirted as she loosely placed her hand on the Salvatore vampire's chest.
However, Stefan didn't answer the Radkova witch's question like she wanted. Instead, the Salvatore vampire simply muttered without confirming or denying what Emily thought they were going to do, "let's go outside for a minute." Stefan prayed the Radkova witch wouldn't get suspicious about his motives from the fact that he didn't actually give her an answer.
The blonde witch carelessly shrugged her shoulders as she didn't think anything of Stefan's response when she was more curious about what the Salvatore vampire wanted to do. Emily, however, would soon regret not being more careful as she linked her fingers with Stefan's and allowed him to lead her through the crowded party.
The Salvatore vampire honestly felt calm for the first time in the last couple of days by just feeling his girlfriend's warm fingers aligned perfectly with his cold ones. It made Stefan feel like maybe everything was going to be alright. It gave Stefan a comfortable and familiar sense to when they were happy.
The Salvatore vampire had to mentally shake himself out of his daydreaming thoughts and focus back onto his plan once they finally exited out of the crowded party and were standing in the empty backyard if he ever wanted to experience that happiness ever again. Stefan immediately took notice of a small pond a few feet away from them, so he didn't release the young witch's hand just yet. Instead, he silently and calmly pulled Emily along with him until they were a few inches away from the dark water.
The Radkova witch rose a puzzled eyebrow towards Stefan when he just continued to stare at her in complete silence. "What?" Emily inquired with a small chuckle. The blonde witch playfully placed her hands onto her face as she joked, "do I have something on my face?" Emily was honestly tipsy and enjoying herself too much to even realize the bad feeling her chest to realize that something wasn't right.
The Salvatore vampire instantly pulled Emily's hands away from his face before he shook his head as he squeezed her hands in his. "You look gorgeous," Stefan softly murmured as he gently pulled the Radkova witch into his chest before he wrapped his hands tightly around Emily's waist as if he was afraid that he would never see her again.
"Ooh, Steffie's turning soft," the Radkova witch teased as she gazed up at the Salvatore vampire's green irises with a smirk lazily playing on her dark purple lips.
"And so what if I am?" Stefan questioned in a strong and confident voice while he left no space between their bodies. "What's so wrong about becoming soft for someone I would die for, huh?" The Salvatore vampire continued to question while he tightened his old on Emily's waist as he tried to just get through to her with his words.
"Oh, God," the Radkova witch complained as she rolled her green irises and tried to pull away from Stefan's hold once she finally pieced together the reason why the vampire had brought her out here. "Of course this is why you came here tonight," Emily muttered in annoyance before she exclaimed as she glared at her boyfriend, "I'm not going back to how I was."
The Salvatore vampire tightened his grip onto Emily's hands, so she wouldn't get away from him or just escape all together or this would have been all for nothing. "This isn't what this is about," Stefan stated as he denied the Radkova witch's assumptions.
Emily rose one of her perfectly done eyebrows at the Salvatore vampire as if she didn't believe him. "Then what exactly is this, Stefan?" The Radkova witch challenged, "did you take me out here, so you could sweet talk your way back into my heart?" Emily barked out an emotionless chuckle before she told him, "newsflash, I'm dead inside."
"I don't believe that for a second," the Salvatore vampire instantly countered. Stefan released one of the Radkova witch's hand before he brought his hand up and pushed the platinum blonde hair from Emily's face. The green eyed vampire softly ran his thumb across the witch's cheek as he shook his head. "I think you, the real Emily Gilbert, is still in there," Stefan murmured while he gazed into Emily's emotionless irises as he tried to reach out to her feelings, "I believe she is screaming and fighting to get out."
The Radkova witch, once again, rolled her green eyes in annoyance before she exclaimed while she continued to fight the vampire's hold, "if you actually believe that, then you don't know me at all."
"But, I do, though," the Salvatore vampire countered. "I know you better than most people in this town," Stefan exclaimed as he continued to try to get through to his girlfriend. "I know you would die for your family and everyone else who you ever thought deserved to be saved," Stefan listed off, "I know you cherish your loved ones and I know you miss her. I know you miss Elena."
The Radkova witch instantly began to try harder to pull away from Stefan from him just uttering a single name. "Never say that name ever again," Emily growled out as she glared fiercely at the vampire.
"Why?" Stefan questioned with a twitch to his head before he tightened his hold onto the young witch's hand and pulled her tightly into his chest. "Is it because she's connected to your emotions?" The Salvatore vampire curiously inquired as he realized he knew he found her one weakness. Stefan gave the Radkova witch's hand a squeeze before a soft smile pulled onto his lips.
"You were meant to have those feelings and emotions," Stefan murmured as he continued to fight through that barrier inside of his girlfriend's mind, "they aren't bad like you think they are. Those feelings are what makes you Emily Gilbert - the caring, loving, and protective girl." The Salvatore vampire shook his head before he gently stated, "I can only imagine how scary becoming a witch has been for you, baby, but you need to feel."
The Salvatore vampire pushed a portion of blonde hair out of Emily's face before he continued to appeal to his girlfriend's hidden emotions to come out of the dark side, "you are the strongest person I have ever known. You can't just give up like this. You have to fight through your emotions and I promise you, you will come out so much braver and stronger than you could ever know."
The Radkova witch kept her green irises locked with Stefan's hopeful ones for a solid two minutes filled with nothing but tension before Emily surprised the vampire and used her icy powers until he released her hand with a shout. Emily let out an emotionless chuckle as she glared at her so called boyfriend.
"Did you honestly think a few sweet words was going to bring back that little bitch girl you guys all love to protect and control?" The Radkova witch inquired with an amused smirk playing on her dark purple lips. "You guys are so fucking delusional," Emily barked out as she slowly began to walk backwards away from the Salvatore vampire. "I don't need saving. I'm finally happy with who I am!" Emily exclaimed as she proudly raised her arms out.
Stefan shook his head in denial before he argued, "no, you aren't. You think you're happy without your emotions but you aren't." The Salvatore vampire slowly advanced towards the Radkova witch as he passionately continued, "the Emily Gilbert who I know, loves to feel. She likes the joy that she feels when she's cheering her heart out for her school. She likes how proud she feels when Jeremy or Elena would stand up for themselves. She likes the comfort she feels when she watches her favorite movies after a hard day. She likes the thrill of her hair flying through the wind while experiencing enhanced speed. She likes the happiness she feels when her loved ones are safe."
The Salvatore vampire was now standing directly in front of the silent Emily as he exclaimed, "you see? " Stefan ran his thumb along the blonde witch's cheek as he murmured, "you are meant to feel these things, Emily. They are what makes you, you. There is nothing wrong with feeling. It may hurt for a little bit but there is also so much joy and happiness from feeling things."
Stefan shot the Radkova witch a small smile before he assured his girlfriend and tried to get back the old Emily Gilbert from his words, "it's okay to not feel okay but it's just what makes you a person, a human. And I swear to you, you will never be alone in this just like I have always promised you. You can always count on me to be by your side no matter what. I will comfort and keep you safe forever."
The Radkova witch silently stared across at Stefan with an unreadable expression displayed across her green eyes before she released a fake yawn. "This is getting boring, Steffie," the blonde girl uttered in a singing voice. "We're just going in circles at this point," Emily complained, "and I have a fun party to get back to."
The Radkova witch slowly began, once again, to walk backwards as she told Stefan, "say hello to the others for me or don't." Emily carelessly shrugged her shoulders as she stated with a smirk, "I don't care." The emotionless witch shot the Salvatore vampire one last sarcastic grin before she swiftly turned around to go back to the party.
However, before the Radkova witch could take more than three full steps, though, she suddenly felt this hot sensation began to run throughout her veins after Emily felt something sharply poke the side of her neck.
"I'm so sorry, baby," the Salvatore vampire shakily apologized with hurt shining through his green irises while he slowly pulled the needle out of his girlfriend's skin. "This is for the best," Stefan whispered - partly to Emily and partly to himself - as he pulled the passed out Radkova witch into his arms.
"I'm going to fix this, I promise," the Salvatore vampire murmured as he cradled his emotionless girlfriend into his chest. "I won't let you be stuck like this forever," Stefan continued to assure his girlfriend as he slowly made his way through the dark woods. "We found someone who we think can help you," the green eyed vampire uttered as if he wasn't talking to someone who was unconscious, "I think he'll be able to help you. He sounds like he knows what he's doing, so I think we're going to be okay."
God, I hope so, Stefan mentally told himself as he prayed that this Deaton guy and the true alpha was the key to bringing back his old, loving girlfriend back. The Salvatore vampire glanced down to Emily in his arms before he bent down and placed a gentle kiss onto her forehead. "I love you," Stefan whispered for possibly the final time before he had to painfully watch the love of his life fight for her emotions.