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

Chapter 37 - I hate it when Mom and Dad fight

FELL'S CHURCH TOMB

The trio approached the entrance to the tomb. Stefan looked at Bonnie, "You ready?"

Bonnie smiled with appreciation, "Yes."

Stefan and Bonnie descended the stairs to the tomb, and Damon started to follow but stopped abruptly when his cell phone rang, "Not a good time, Rose."

Not noticing Damon hadn't followed them, Stefan and Bonnie reached the tomb. Stefan dropped his bag and started rummaging through it when he heard slow footsteps.

Katherine, obviously hearing their steps, walked over to the entrance. Stefan could see she looked worse than when he'd retrieved Elena; it struck Stefan how strange it was to see Katherine so unkempt. Bonnie froze as she saw Katherine for the first time since she left Mystic Falls. Only when she saw the vampire unable to go past the barrier that Aella had put up did a part of her fear wane.

Katherine's eyes lit up when she saw Bonnie, "Oh look, the inferior Bennett is back." She glanced between her and Stefan, "This is an intriguing surprise."

Bonnie gritted her teeth; she hoped the vampire was too far gone to notice. However, by the grin Katherine now wore as she watched her, she knew Katherine could see the comment had irked her.

Stefan, ever the negotiator, stepped closer to her, "We're here for the moonstone."

Katherine rolled her eyes, "Is your memory that bad, Stefan? I told you, get your little witch to hocus pocus me out of here, and you can have whatever you want." She glanced at Bonnie, "I'd prefer your annoying girlfriend, but beggars can't be choosers."

"There are two ways we can do this, Katherine," Stefan began as he returned to his bag. "The easy way-" he pulled out the stake gun at Katherine "-or the hard way."

Katherine froze and went to run back into the tomb when she realized she couldn't move. Her eyes glanced at Bonnie, who was staring intently at her and muttering a Latin spell under her breath. When Stefan moved toward her, she smirked at him and snarled, "Go to hell."

Instead of shooting her, Stefan opened the envelope and took a handful of the ashes out of it. To Katherine's amusement, she watched him blow the dust into her face until she felt her consciousness shift. With a desperate gasp, her body fell to the floor, unconscious. Stefan nudged her with the gun, ensuring only the gun passed the invisible barrier; when Katherine didn't stir, he looked over his shoulder at Bonnie, "Good job."

Bonnie smiled tiredly at Stefan, but as she turned to pick up one of the torches, she wiped away the blood under her nose. She knew she was becoming weaker and weaker, but she knew she had to continue. However, she had a plan that would aid her and prevent any more weakness. Her eyes unconsciously darted to Katherine, inferior she was not.

SLATER'S RESIDENCE

Elena paced the room she and Alice were in. Elena looked through the window, noticing the sky was starting to go darker as time passed. She rubbed her eyes, wondering if this was the right decision. When she opened them, she jumped back as she saw Elijah's face in the glass one second, but as she blinked back her surprise, his face was gone as suddenly as it had appeared.

"Are you okay?" Alice asked her, looking at her curiously.

Wondering if she was losing her mind, Elena nodded, "Yeah." She thought her mind was playing tricks on her and resumed her pacing.

FELL'S CHURCH TOMB

Bonnie and Stefan had set up a circle of torches in the antechamber; she began lighting them with a flame.