Homecoming

Prologue:

Elena walked through the bedroom that she shared with Stefan and found him staring out through the window with his back to her.

"Stefan?" Her voice echoed throughout the dark and silent room.

He didn't turn around and she knew deep inside her heart that something was wrong. Something she feared nothing would be able to fix.

She walked toward him and touched him lightly on the shoulder. He flinched and she dropped her hand.

"Stefan?," She swallowed and the dreaded feeling in her gut worsened the moment he turned around to face her.

His eyes - - once green and vibrant now were dark around the rims and there was something haunted inside them.

The look upon his face told her things may never be fine again. It made her stomach turn in pieces.

"What's wrong?" She asked him as her heart beat faster than she ever knew it could.

He put his hands in his pockets and stared at the floor.

"I can't do this anymore"

She stared at him as she tried to understand his words.

"Do what?"

He took a deep breath as the words came fumbling out, breaking his heart into tiny bits at every syllable that he muttered.

"This. You and Me"

Elena's voice suddenly gave way. Out of all the things she thought he would say this was not even on the list. She had never imagined this scenario playing out in her mind ever.

Not now.

Never.

"I don't understand" Tears started to clam up inside her pupils and she willed them to stay there rather than come crumbling out.

Not yet.

"What is there to understand Elena? We're done. I'm leaving"

What?

"Why?" And just like that the tears stumbled down her cheeks straining her eyes.

"I just can't.. "

Stefan tried to keep himself calm and told himself that all he had to do was get through this moment, because it will be easier later on.

But he was wrong.

This was never going to be easy. No matter if its now or next year.

'Can't what?" Elena voice grew harder and louder as her emotions overcome the best of her.

"Be here and watch you choose My Brother"

There. He said it.

Elena almost choked on her own words.

"What?" She blinked to make sure she had heard him correctly.

"You think that I'm going to leave you for Damon?" She clamped her mouth shut and her eyes hardened in disbelief as to what she was hearing.

"At some point.."

She just shook her hear. "No Stefan. That would never happen"

But there was no deterring him. "I can't take that risk."

"So it's a do it before she does it kind of thing?," Her tone turned sarcastic as he rolled his eyes.

"No Elena. It's not like that."

This time she did scream at him.

"Then tell me Stefan. What is it like? I want you to explain to me why you think leaving will do more good than harm"

Stefan punched the wall in aggravation.

Why did she have to be so stubborn? But he knew that was one of the reasons he loved her so much.

"Maybe if I am not here then you can explore whatever feelings or attraction you feel for Damon"

Sure she felt something toward Damon but it certainly didn't compare to how she feels about Stefan. Not in the least.

"It will never happen"

"Never say never, Elena."

He started to walk towards the door in an attempt to leave. But she wasn't having that.

"No Stefan."

She turned him around to face her as he tried to walk past her. "I am not going to fall for that"

"For what?" He raised an eyebrow at her.

"Trying to do that psycho babble on me. It won't work"

He shook his head, "I'm not trying to do anything, Elena"

She knew at that point there was going to be nothing she could do or say to convince him he was wrong.

She closed her eyes to stop any more tears from falling. Her heart breaking like never before.

He then cupped her face in the palm of his hands and looked her in the eyes that he so loved

"Promise me one thing."

She nods against her sobs and then he whispered something in her ear.

"Always remember."

"For always I'll love you until my death"

And then he brought her lips to meet his own. They kissed passionately as if it was the last kiss they would ever have and to them it was.

The moment their mouth met and opened up, Elena felt a surge of electricity pulse through her whole being. Not just her mouth but her hands and mind and body.

The connection they had would always be there no matter if he was here or some place else.

"I love you," She cried out as he let her go and separated himself from her then walked out the door.

The moment Stefan left the room she crumbled down on the floor and cried and cried until there was no more tears left to shed.

The last time she had cried this much was when her parents died and she never thought she would feel so much pain ever again.

But how she was wrong.

Stefan tried to control his emotions as he left Elena, but boy was it the hardest thing he had ever to do.

But this is for the best. He had kept telling himself, but it didn't seem to make things any easier.

She needed to get Damon out of her system and for that to happen he knew he couldn't be anywhere near them.

He just couldn't stand to see them together. It would be too much to bare.

He knew he just needed to get as far away from this place as possible.

I'll love you more than you'll ever know, Elena.

He told the wind as he got in his car and drove away from the boarding house and away from Elena. Forever.