Short Stories and Oneshots

This Left Feels Right - Part 3 - Final

This Left Feels Right

Part Three – Mystic Falls

"It's just weird is all I'm saying," Elena huffed as she obligingly walked into the Mystic Grill as Stefan held the door open for her.

Stefan sighed, frowning at the back of her head as he followed her in. "I understand you're worried, Elena, but this is Damon we're talking about. He's fine."

Feeling a mite defensive at the placating tone, Elena's shoulders tightened as her eyes scanned the crowd for her friends. Spying them in a corner booth, she marched over not bothering to check if Stefan followed. "So he just gets some call and ups and disappears – is that normal? I mean, it's been almost two months now. He has responsibilities here and he just abandoned us all like a bad habit."

Sliding into the booth, Elena greeted Bonnie and Caroline with a wan smile.

Again, Stefan gave a sardonic, closed lip smile as he said once more, "This is Damon we're talking about – are you really that surprised?"

The tightening in her eyes told them all that she actually was surprised. A part of her really couldn't comprehend just what could tear Damon away from Mystic Falls when he'd been all but their self-appointed leader as of late. Sure he caused more than his share of problems, but it was also him getting his hands dirty for her sake; him making tough decisions that had to be made even though no one else was comfortable making them because of their uncompromising sense of morality.

Out of all of them, Damon was the only one willing to get his hands dirty and because of his mysterious and extended absence, their plans for staving off Elijah and dealing with the still unseen Klaus had all but stalled. They all knew it, too. Their booth remained uncomfortably silent as each of them came to terms with their predicament. Whether they liked the vampire or not, Damon had actually done more to help them than any one of them had done for him and was likely their best chance of solving their current woes.

More than that, Elena actually missed the guy. As quick as the thought formed, though, she brushed it aside, refusing to accept it or analyze the faint stirring of emotion the realization provoked.

For a moment, each of them got lost in their thoughts and the only sound amongst the awkward group was stilted shifting and a dull slurp as Caroline finished her drink.

"Well this sucks," Caroline said, setting her drink down with a thud that had an ice cube jumping out of her glass. "Elijah is lurking who knows where, Katherine is running around causing trouble, who knows when this Klaus guy is gonna get here...and we've got nothing, absolutely nothing to go on. Our enforcer has up and left us to fend for ourselves."

"Fend for yourselves doing what?" Matt asked, coming up to swipe away some of their dirty dishes.

Caroline clammed up. "Um, fend for ourselves socially what with the thing – the gathering thing – and reasons."

Pity tugged at Elena's heart. Caroline had been doing her best to protect Matt – their only friend not in the supernatural know – but to say things had been tense between them was like saying the sky was blue.

"Right," he drew out looking almost amused at her pathetic cover-up even if hurt tinted resentment began to simmer in his baby blues. "Because that's believable."

Caroline floundered for a response, but Matt ignored her and proceeded to gather up a few more plates. He'd turned away from them, feeling like an outsider amongst those he'd once considered friends and more, but in doing so he caught sight of Tyler trying to mack on a girl he didn't recognize.

He snorted.

"What's so funny?" Elena asked, trying to salvage the situation with a distraction.

Matt shook his head. "Looks like Tyler is doing his best Damon impersonation on some girl by the pool tables..." with that, he wandered off to get back to work.