Ever since Katherine had blown back into town, her menacing presence always just out of reach, Stefan and Damon had taken turns watching over Elena, making sure nothing else happened in the house. Jeremy had had to have his stomach pumped at the hospital, and mostly stayed in his room blasting loud obnoxious music as he mourned Anna and hated Elena. Jenna too was unusually quiet after they had found Uncle John dead in the kitchen, fingers severed and a stab wound in his gut.

Elena had walked into the kitchen just a split-second before Katherine had darted out the back door, and just for that briefest of seconds their eyes had locked. Katherine's face was still distorted, eyes blaringly red, veins prominent on her cheeks, fangs sharp and white. She had narrowed her eyes at the look of perfect shock on Elena's face – and then the ghost of a smile turned up just one corner of her mouth before she had turned and blurred away, leaving Elena a dead bloody John on the floor and a hell of a mess to clean up.

Literally and figuratively.

Now Stefan was back in bodyguard mode, shadowing her everywhere, and Damon picked up the slack when Stefan had to hunt or was out looking for that bitch that was ruining Elena's life. And vice versa. Life wouldn't get back to normal – whatever that was – until Katherine was dealt with. Whatever that meant. And Elena just had to deal with it….and deal with Damon, who seemed to be on her mind all the time lately…

…but Elena pushed that traitorous thought out of her mind as she stretched in her warm bed on a deliciously chilly Saturday morning. Autumn took a long time to reach Mystic Falls, but it seemed it was finally here, a week after Founders' Day. Stefan's arm came around her, warm and strong, nestling her closer to him, her back against his muscular chest. She closed her eyes and smiled.

"Morning," he said softly into her ear, and she shivered, goose bumps rising on her arm.

"Hi," she replied back, and he shifted until he was on top of her, weight braced on his elbows. He kissed her and she sighed against his mouth. She loved him so much….

…but a memory of bright blue eyes haunted her as Stefan deepened the kiss and his hand slowly slid up her stomach.