Warrior | Stefan Salvatore

Chapter 8

So, Stefan was a vampire.

It shouldn't have been so shocking to her, considering the world they lived in. But damn, it could be such a small world sometimes. It still made her head spin.

"Wait, what?" said Graciela, looking between him and Elijah. "You're a vampire?"

He was equally confused and curious. "You're his daughter?"

"Adopted. When did you—?"

"1864. Are you a—?"

"Untriggered werewolf. Why are you here—?"

Stefan faltered. "Long story," he said, eyes flickering up toward Elijah. "It's been awhile since the last time I saw your family. I saw Klaus and Rebekah in January when Katherine died. I thought you'd be there."

"I had business in New Orleans."

Graciela was too curious to let them have their own conversation. "When did you first meet... each other?"

Elijah thought about it, "Around two years ago."

"Two years? Elijah, you've been holding out on me when it comes to information about what you were up to before you came to New Orleans."

"A discussion that can wait for another day," he said simply, pulling Graciela to stand behind him, his stance more protective. "Thank you, Stefan. I will come by in the morning to fetch the car. Your help is much appreciated. We'll be in touch."

"Yeah," replied Stefan. "My number's still the same."

He went to his truck, climbing inside to make his way toward the auto shop. Graciela looked up at Elijah, who offered his arm. She took it, and immediately shut her eyes, holding on tightly as they zoomed back to the house.

"Hold up," she panted when they landed, and she couldn't even stand up straight. "I think I'm gonna throw up." She handed him the milk gallon and leaned over, her hands on her knees, coughing over the grass.

He waited until she was alright to lead her into the house. Cami was waiting, obviously concerned.

"Everything okay?" she asked.

"It's fine," said Graciela. "Car's battery was dead and corroded but it's fixable. Maybe I should add an auto mechanics course to my schedule."

Elijah didn't speak much while he was making the waffles. Graciela expected that he was pondering on what he should and shouldn't tell her about his past with Stefan. Clearly, there was a lot to discuss. He'd been honest with his explanation about what had happened since his siblings arrived in New Orleans, leading up until the point where they launched their attack on the Guerreras. But this was a lot to explain. More sides of himself that he wasn't proud of.

But, he knew Graciela would stop at nothing to find out. And if she asked Klaus, he'd probably tell her everything without sparing a single gorey detail, likely making the Salvatores out to be villains. At least this way, he could try to be honest about what really went down. Fair. Truthful.

She was already in bed, her phone open as she debated sending Stefan a text. She set it down when Elijah came in, seating himself by the footboard. "Would you really like to know?" he asked.

She nodded her head eagerly. "I want to know everything. Please."

So he told her. Starting first with a backstory about the events of 1919 that led him to be separated from his siblings, temporarily. The fight in 1933 when he learned Klaus was faking letters from Rebekah. How he enacted a plan to kill Klaus while his brother was still searching for ways to unlock his wolf side without a doppelgänger. His arrival to Mystic Falls, trying to take Elena Gilbert (the doppelgänger) then striking several deals with her only for the ritual to end in disaster and tragedy when Elena's aunt was killed and Stefan tried to die in her place.