The Vampire Diaries.

Twenty-Two: The Departed. Part Two.

Later, Ellie sat on the windowsill looking out the window and Matt walked into her bedroom holding two cups...

"Mm. Thank you. You don't have to stay with me, you know." She says.

"You're welcome, and it's really no problem."

She took a sip of the tea and groaned.

"Ew, Matt." She said, and her face twisted in disgust.

"Sorry, I over-honeyed. I suck at tea."

She chuckled.

"So Stefan?"

She signed. "He saved my life, you know?"

"He did?"

"I never told you that. I don't think I told anyone. The night my parents' car went off the bridge... Stefan was the one that saved Elena and me." She said.

"You feel like you owe him or something?"

"No, it's not that. Not at all. I fell for him. It's... after the accident... I kind of felt like I didn't know how to live anymore. Like I didn't want to. But then, Stefan arrived in town, and being with him, I just... somehow I figured it out. And that's what love should be. You should love the person that makes you glad that you're alive. And I love him so much, Matt, so much." She says.

He looked at her.

"When I'm with Stefan, or just around him, speaking to him, he just consumes me. And I know I can't love them both. I don't love Damon. I don't know." She tells him.

He smiled at her softly.

"I don't want to lose anyone. I can't. I won't survive that. I just... I just... I wish I had my mom here to give me some advice." She says, looking out the window.

*Flashback...*

Ellie was stumbling slightly, and she phoned Jenna...

Ellie: "Hey, it's me."

Jenna: "Your dad is making me play Pictionary. I suck at Pictionary."

"You do. You're terrible."

"Bite me, Grayson."

Ellie laughed softly, hearing them in the background.

Ellie: "Do you think someone can come pick me up?"

Jenna: "Oh, are you having second thoughts about ditching family night?"

"Here. Let me talk to my daughter." Miranda said, holding her hand out for the phone.

Jenna hands her the phone, so she can speak to her daughter.

Miranda: "Ellie, is everything okay?"

Ellie: "Tyler and I got into a stupid fight. He was talking about college and marriage... and all the stuff he always talks about, and I just... I don't know if I've forgiven him yet."

Miranda: "He doesn't really care, that's why, sweetheart. He's just trying to figure out how you feel, honey."

Ellie: "I don't know how I feel."

Miranda: "Yes, you do. You're just afraid to say it and be left single."

Ellie: "I don't wanna lose him."

Miranda: "You're not gonna lose him, honey. You're setting him free."

*End of Flashback...*

Ellie woke up and felt her body moving, and she looked around. She saw Matt driving...

"What's going on?"

"It's the only way I was gonna get you in this truck." He said.

"The tea. You drugged me?"