Stefan's New Life

Prologue: Moving On

Stefan's POV
I just finished my letter to Elena, Damon, and the others. This is what it says:

Dear Damon and Elena,
I'm sorry to say this, but I'm leaving Mystic Falls for good. I just need to leave this place. All it ever does is bring me pain. I know Silas is gone and we are now free, but are we?

Who knows, more drama could come, but I hope it doesn't, for all of your sakes. I know I can stay, but I don't want to. I mean I can't. All the pain and memories here, I need to move on from it.

Like how I want to forget, how over the past three months I was suffering, you didn't even try and look for me. You were just living happily together, along with everyone else.

I'm glad you were happy. I really am, but I just wish you would have at least bothered to see if I was okay, to at least still care for me. Silas is gone and we are all free. It's time for me to move on from Mystic Falls and build myself a new life, a better life.

I will miss you both. I will miss all of you; Bonnie, Matt, Gabriella, Greg, Caroline, Jeremy, Tyler, even Katherine. But I need to go and move on with my life, just like you two.

I wish you all well, and I'm sorry to leave like this, but it's for the best. It's time for me to move on. For us all to move on with our lives. I do hope you both have a nice life together. I will sincerely miss you all. I will never forget you and I know we'll one day meet again. Goodbye.
~ Stefan

Now I'm finished rereading it, I fold it and I put it in the envelope and I seal it. Now, I'm writing Damon and Elena on the front. I put it on the desk in their room. I hate having to leave like this, but it's for the best.

I have all my bags packed and now I'm heading out the door and to my car. I put the bags in the trunk and I make my way to the driver's seat and drive away to Portland, but I stop and park in the Wawa parking lot and go in and just grab a sandwich and a Dr. Pepper.

Don't judge. I may be a vampire but human food still tastes good to me and it's a perfect snack for being on the road.

Afterward, I head outside to my car and when I'm about to drive off, I stop and think for a moment. I get out of my car and vamp speed to my house and say just one more goodbye to it.

I hear Elena call out "Damon? Guys? Stefan left us a letter." Damn it! I thought they weren't home. Just when I'm about to leave, I couldn't help but climb up the tree and just look through the window and at everyone one more time.

I hear Greg ask, very worried "What? What does it say?" Elena shows all of them the letter and I couldn't help but shed a tear or two, at all their reactions.

Elena, Gabriella, Bonnie, and Caroline look sad like they're going to burst out crying and seconds later they do exactly that.

They all group hug and cry it out. Katherine looks the same way, only no one is comforting her. Matt, Greg, Jeremy, Damon, and even Tyler look sad.

I see Damon get up and go upstairs. Elena tries to go after him, but Greg says "No, let him be for a minute." I follow Damon and see him go to his room and he sits on his bed looking down at the letter and I see a tear come out of his eye and he says "I'm sorry, brother."

That makes me feel guilty for leaving like this. I shed a few tears, but try to remain strong. I need this. I need to do this for myself. It's time for me to let go and think about what I want for once. I look back to Damon and I see him flip all his tables, smash his guitar, and grab his lamp and break it into pieces.

I see everyone run upstairs to him and I see Greg, Elena, and Gabriella stare at him. Their eyes look red from crying too and that breaks my heart into billions of pieces. I see them pull Damon into a hug and Damon cries on Greg's shoulder.

I hear him say "It's all my fault! He left because of me. I was a horrible brother to him." I want to go in there and say how wrong he is, but I can't. If I do, all they will do is try and talk me out of leaving.

I hear Greg say "No, it's not. He left because he just wants to start over. He wants us all to have a better life, that's all. It's not your fault, Damon." Everything Greg said was completely true.

I hear Damon retort "How could he possibly think that I can have a better life if he's not in it?" I see him speed out of the room and outside to somewhere else. I look back inside and see everyone still upset.

I see Elena take out her phone. I think she is calling Damon, but no, she was calling me. Luckily I had my phone on silent just in case. I press decline then jump out of the tree and speed to my car, then I get in.

I pull out and drive to Portland. I say to myself "It's time to make a change." While I'm driving, I look out the window and see the Leaving Mystic Falls sign. I stop my car for a bit and look back and say "Goodbye, Mystic Falls."

I start driving again and I look on the road and think to my self It's time to move on. I hear my phone ring again. This time, it's Gabriella calling and I press decline and turn my phone off, and put it away. I say to myself "Portland, here I come."