Hey guys I just wanted to clear something up! Stefan is around twenty-four and Caroline and Elena are about nineteen! Here is chapter 4 enjoy!

Chapter 4

Stefan

"How did he get my number?" said Stefan.

"I don't know," replied Lexi.

"It's your job to know these things." Stefan banged his fist against the table.

"Did you change the sim?"

"Is there a point if he can get the number?" He slunk into a chair by the window and peered through the wooden blinds. It was early, the sky was still dark, but morning was beginning to break. He picked up a glass of bourbon off the windowsill and gulped it down.

"No one is going to find us here." She covered Stefan's hand with hers. "Hey," said Lexi. She crouched down and placed her hands on Stefan's knees. "It's going to be ok, I'll figure something out."

"He must have known I came to you."

"He thinks I'm dead."

"No, we think he thinks you're dead," said Stefan. "It's not the same."

"I'll figure something out." She took a phone out of her pocket and handed it to him. "He won't locate this. I stole it before you ask."

"Great." Stefan pushed the phone into her chest. "When it gets reported stolen and traced here-"

"Off a dead man," said Lexi. "And no I didn't kill him. I just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"You're never in the wrong place at the wrong time."

"True." She glanced at her watch. "But I do have a problem with being in places on time. I have to go." She picked up her bag which she had discarded at the door and handed Stefan a crumpled piece of paper.

"What's this?"

"Where to go if he ever does find you." Lexi gripped Stefan's hand and turned his face towards her. "But he won't. I've got you covered. Stop worrying, enjoy all that Lumberton has to offer." She leaned forward to press her lips against Stefan's but he pushed her away.

"I told you we're not going back there."

"Spoil sport," said Lexi as she shifted her bag onto her shoulder.

"You left early this morning," said Anna when Stefan returned home.

He shrugged off his jacket and hung it on the coat rack by the door before tossing his keys onto the cabinet beside it. He walked into the sitting room to find Anna sitting on her usual chair beside the fireplace with her fingers wrapped around a steaming cup of tea. Stefan's eyes drifted towards the table beside Anna where there was tea pot, a waiting cup and saucer, and a bowl of sugar cubes.

"You have company or have you pre-empted my arrival?" he said.

"Where were you?" said Anna. She placed her cup on the table and turned to face Stefan. Her eyes were hard and her lips were set in a thin line.

"With a friend."

"What friend?"

"Nobody you'd know."

"Try me."

"Are we going to have a problem?"

"God I hope so," said Kai. Stefan turned to see Kai leaning against the door frame, arms folded across his chest and a devilish smirk resting on his lips. "That would be such fun." He pushed himself off the door frame and walked to the chair opposite Anna. He picked up the teapot and poured the steaming liquid into the spare cup. "You didn't want any did you?" Kai dropped two sugar cubes into the cup. "You know what would be perfect with this, some scones. You have some don't you Anna?"

"In the kitchen." Anna looked pointedly at Stefan.

"I'm sure you both know where that is," said Stefan. "While you both make your way there why don't you have a think about whose house you're currently residing in and why you can reside here."

"Was that a threat Salvatore?" said Kai.

"If it was a threat you wouldn't to ask, would you?"

"If it was a good threat I wouldn't have to ask." Kai studied Stefan for a moment before he crossed his legs and reclined back into the chair. "I like you Salvatore, you've got spunk. More importantly, Anna likes you, so how about we ignore our last meeting and start again. I forgive you for letting your opinion of me being tainted by Elena's behaviour." His lips twitched as he said her name and his grip tightened on his cup. "What do you say Salvatore?"

Elena

"So," said Caroline as she dug her spoon into her sundae. "You like Stefan?"

"You like Stefan," said Elena.

"You deflected, I don't like it when you deflect. When you deflect, it means you're hiding something which means you do like him, God." Caroline dropped her spoon into her sundae before laying her head onto her hands.

"Calm down. I don't know him to like him."

"You don't have to know somebody to like them. Do you think he likes me? I thought he liked me. I asked him out for a drink but he didn't answer."

"Did he ignore you or deflect?"

"Neither," said Caroline picking up her spoon and loading it with ice cream. "His phone rang."

"And?"

"He didn't look happy; I didn't want to pry."

"When he comes back to The Diner ask him again."

"I don't want to look desperate," said Caroline with wide eyes.

"I'll ask him or you."

"Speaking of asking people about things." Caroline dropped her spoon and took a sip of her water.

"You're finally getting to the point of why you brought me here." Elena leaned back into her chair and crossed her arms over chest. "Go on what is it?"

"Why didn't you tell me Kai's back? More importantly why didn't you tell me he came up to you? Don't give me that look, you should have come straight to me."

"What would you have done?"

"I would've called Klaus."

"And what would he have expected from you in return for his help?" said Elena. She scanned her eyes over the mildly packed room before leaning forward and whispering to Caroline. "You know better than anyone that his help doesn't come without a high price, a very high price."

"That is for me to worry about."

"Just like Kai is for me to worry about."

"You're not being fair."

"How did you find out Kai was back?"

"I swore complete anonymity to my source." Caroline squeezed her lips shut.

"Stefan told you. It seems you two have quite the conversations."

"You cannot let him know I told you. He was worried about you; it was quite sweet actually. Whatever he saw worried him, so we need to fix this."

"There is nothing to fix," said Elena. "Kai is gone."

"He's at the Salvatore boarding house with Anna," said Caroline. She leaned forward. "That's where Stefan's staying."

"That means nothing to me." Elena shrugged her shoulders and picked up her coke.

"Let me call Klaus."

"I said no."

"Then at least tell Jeremy."

"You know why I can't talk to Jeremy," said Elena in a voice much louder than expected. She glanced around once more before lowering her tone. "I can't let him risk everything for me and for nothing. Kai and I covered up what we did. And since it happened a year ago and the only other person who found out was you. I say our chances of keeping what happened under wraps are pretty good."

"He is your brother, tell him."

"How am I supposed to tell my brother I helped cover up a murder?" snapped Elena. "I can barely cope knowing what I did, I'm not going to put him through the same thing."

Stefan

"Hi," said Stefan. He was in his bedroom with his phone pressed against his ear as he gazed out of the window. Kai was unloading bags from his car and bringing them into the house.

"Hi," said Caroline.

Stefan smiled at the joy in her voice. "I never answered your question."

"Which one?"

"The one about if I wanted to have a drink with you?"

"Do you?"

"Yes," said Stefan as he watched Kai unload the last bag from his boot. "Is tonight alright with you?"