An Elemental Difference - FIRE - Book 2 (Stefan Salvatore)

Chapter 9 - Weeds are flowers too

THE EARLY HOURS OF THE NEXT DAY

MYSTIC FALLS WOODS

Aella yawned as she leaned against Tyler; the sun was barely rising as they waited for their guest to arrive. She had been unable to sleep after learning that not only Matt had left town, but so had her grandmother and Bonnie, hence why she was here. She needed something to take her mind off of that, and so focused on the one thing she could do something about, help Tyler and help Mason. When she and Tyler both heard a rustle in the tree's they turned their attention to it, only for Aella to turn away and hide her hand in front of her horrified eyes.

Mason was muddy and very, very naked.

Tyler smirked at the brunette's reaction until Mason realized the both of them were there, and his own eyes widened. He stood as still as a statue as he mentally assessed the situation before he motioned the clothes in Tyler's hands. "Wanna toss me those?"

Once passed, Aella cleared her throat as her voice sang around them, "Mayo... You got some splainin' to do."

SALVATORE BOARDING HOUSE

Stefan tossed in his sleep, his mind fractured as his body tried to make up for the lack of sleep he should have had instead of worrying out of his mind waiting for Aella to return from confronting Mason. Finally, at 5am, Aella stumbled through the door, falling into his waiting arms, declaring how tired she was. She was asleep, face tucked into his neck before they reached the second floor. The same could not be said for Stefan; at first, he had lied there, listening to Aella's mumbles as she slept. Even asleep, the girl wouldn't shut up. Stefan found it cute and would often fall asleep to the sound. That day it seemed nothing wanted him to rest his mind. When his body finally rested enough for his eyes to close softly, his mind did not let off.

"Stefan, help me!"

Aella's cries for him echoed around the room he was in, but there were no doors for him to rush through and find her. Stefan's fists struck every surface he could reach, trying with all his might to power his way through the walls to find his girl. Yet every time he hit a wall, the cracks from his strength would repair themselves before his eyes.

"Stefan, help me!"

Stefan sobbed as Aella's cries became more desperate; his fists were raw from his hits and the wall untouched except the streaks of blood that patterned the wall.

"It hurts, doesn't it?"

Stefan spun at the familiar voice, scowling when his eyes met Katherine's smirking face. She dressed as she did in 1864. His scowl deepened when he recognized it was the same dress she wore as his final day as a human. Before everything changed.

Stefan sped towards her and grasped her arms tightly, growling when Katherine laughed at the action rather than fear him, "Where is she?"

Katherine glanced over his shoulder, then Aella's voice, closer than before, called out to him, "Stefan!"

Stefan pushed Katherine away and turned to see Aella in a glass box, thin and pale, as she looked up at him with fear in her eyes. Stefan had never seen her usually vivid green eyes so dull. He ran towards the glass and, with all his might, hit the transparent wall. Despite that, the glass reformed itself, just as the walls had done. Tears fell from Aella's eyes, and Stefan continued hitting the glass, yet the glass would not collapse.

"Now you know how I feel," Katherine's breath tickled his throat as she gleefully whispered over his shoulder. "So near, but yet so far. Don't fight it, Stefan. You loved me once. You can love me again."