A Century's Love

Chapter 7: Stefan

After I had a near episode in the cemetery, I headed back to the Salvatore Boarding House, meeting 'Uncle' Zach on the way in. Our relationship was complicated. "Another animal attack, Uncle Stefan, you promised." he said, showing me the newspaper from this morning "That wasn't me, you know that. I came here to start over, not to terrorize people." I said. "Are you sure?" he asked. I pinched the bridge of my nose. "I wouldn't do anything to hurt people, you included. I'm not like him," I said, mentioning my brother.

I walked up the stairs, slipping Elena's journal on the desk beside my bed. I opened the bearu, seeing a collection of journals from the last 170 years. I had learned that if I didn't write it down I would forget it. I slipped a photo of my first love, Katherine, out of one of the journals. I stared at it for a moment before the door to the balcony opened,

"Hello brother," Damon  crooned. I slammed my journal closed, walking over to him. "Animal attacks? I know it's you," I said, my hand going to his neck. He ducked, pulling away from my grip. "You shouldn't have come back," I said. "I promised you an eternity of misery, and I'm here to fulfill my promise," he said. I lunged at him, both of our bodies flying through the second story window and to the ground below.

    "You're gonna have to try harder if you want to get rid of me." he said, smirking and laughing at me. I stood up, looking at my fingers, finding them bare of the ring. "Where is my ring?" I asked.  "You'll have to find it before the sun rises, otherwise you will be..." he teased. "It's good to be home brother," he said, walking away from the mess of broken glass. He flicked me my ring, giving me a smirk.

**&**

    I opened the door, seeing Elena standing there, a smile on her face. She looked so much like Katherine it was uncanny, but that was where the similarities ended. Elena was gentler, kinder, more hopeful then Katherine ever was. "Hey," she said. "Hey," I said. "I just wanted to thank you for last night," she started. "It was nice to talk to someone who gets the whole 'family tragedy,' " she said. I gave her a smile. "You won't be sad forever, Elena," I told her. "Do you want a ride to school?" she asked. "Sure, let me grab my things," I said.

    We headed to school, my mind still on the conversation with Damon from the night before. I needed to try harder to get him to leave, but as long as I was in Mystic Falls, he was going to be here. It was like he said, he promised me an eternity of misery and he was just going to keep coming back to annoy me. There was only one person I knew could control him and the last thing I knew, she had died back in the 1800's. But I wished she was here to talk some sense into him.

    "Are you okay?" Elena asked. "Yeah, I'm okay." I said. "Just thinking," I added. We arrived at school, and just as I suspected, I was the hot topic among everyone there. Girls wanted to know if I was single and guys wanted to bash my lights in. I had never liked attention, even as a human, but now that I could hear every conversation within a 45 feet radius it was almost worse. You hear so much gossip and things about yourself that people would never dare to say to your face.

    The school day was a blur of lectures and notes, trying to avoid the nagging in my mind. "I'll see you at the Grill later?" Elena asked. "I'll see you there at 5?" I asked. She nodded, giving me a smile. "Bye Stefan," she said. I headed home, finding someone I never expected to see back in my life, sitting on the couch in the living room.

    "Lyn?" I asked, seeing her there, a soft smile on her face. For 150+ years, I thought she was gone and I missed my friendship with her. "Stefan Salvatore," she said, smiling even wider before she ran towards me, wrapping her legs around my torso. "I can't believe you're here," I murmured into her hair. "Apparently, you can't get rid of me," she said, releasing me from the hug. "When did you turn?" I asked. "1866, I was just after my 20th birthday," she said.

    "I thought you were dead," I said. "I thought you were dead," she said. "Well to be fair, we are all kind of dead," Damon said, walking into the room. "Hello Lyn, it's nice to see you again," he said, a smirk on his face.

**&**

    "You died," she said. "So did you," Damon retorted. "Well, at least I didn't leave the love of my life all alone," she snapped. I was hoping this was going to a reunion for the ages, two epic lovers reuniting after almost a century apart. I couldn't be more wrong.

"And I failed to mention that after you left me high and dry being dead and all, I had a child. A child Damon," she said, her callous attitude now almost gone. I could see the regret on her face, how broken she was. "And then I died too, leaving my daughter, our daughter all alone in the world." she said, a stray tear running down her face. She hastily wiped it off, sighing.

    "But what do you care? You just want to tear my throat out," she continued. "Lyn," Damon started, I could see how sorry he was. For not being able to be there for her and their daughter. For not trying to find a way back to them.

"I named her Lillian, after your mother." she whispered, and I felt my heart constrict. "You don't know how sorry I am," he started. "I don't want to hear it. You made your choice and I made mine. I just came to see you both. I have to go," she said softly.

    She stood, the girl I remembered was gone. I missed one of my best friends. "Lyn wait." I started. "Why don't you stay the night? We have plenty of room, and I promise Damon will be on his best behavior." I said, glaring at my brother, who was too infatuated with Lyn to be bothered. He still loved her, after over a hundred years apart, he loved her.

"Why not, I have no where better to be," she said. "And maybe you can tell me about the century we spent apart," she added, looping her arm with mine.

    We ended up at the Grill. "What did you do in the 20s?" I asked. "Oh I was a flapper, on a rage for women's rights," she said, smiling. "It is so weird to be here right now, with you. Mystic Falls is so different now," she continued. I nodded. "How did Damon manage the transition?" she asked softly.

"He was very spiteful of me, because I forced him to turn. I didn't want to do it without him," I said. She nodded.

"I wish he could have seen her, Lillian I mean. I have never been more happy except for the day he proposed." she said, and I noticed the ring he gave her was still on her finger, just beside her daylight ring, the ring that enabled us to walk in the sun.

"I was stupid to keep it all these years. Mourning a love that was gone. But I held on hope, that one day I might see him again and that he might still love me, but of course, it was a stupid thought." she said.

    "It wasn't stupid, Ly. He still loves you. He talked about you all the time, wishing that things could have gone differently, wishing that he had lived a normal human life with you." I said, she laughed bitterly. "That is not what he wants," she said.

"Enough about me, what about you?" she asked. The door to the Grill opened, Elena walking in with Bonnie and Caroline. "Is that?" Lyn asked. "No, her name is Elena Gilbert." I said, a smile finding its way to my face. "Is Stefan Salvatore blushing?" she asked. "Lyn," I warned.

    "Too late, she's already walking over here," she said. "Hi Stefan," Elena said. "You must be Elena." Lyn said, smiling. "Stefan told me about you. I'm Madelyn Grant, one of Stefan's oldest friends," Lyn said. "She goes by Lyn though," I interjected.

"It's nice to meet you Lyn. Can I join you?" Elena asked. "Of course, you're welcome to bring your friends," Lyn said. Elena waved her friends over. "How long have you known each other?" she asked, once Bonnie and Caroline sat down. "It honestly feels like a century ago that I met him." Lyn teased. My eyes widened and I shook my head at her antics.

    "I actually was engaged to his brother, Damon," she continued. "I heard my name, what are we talking about?" Damon said, sliding into the both next to Lyn. She rolled her eyes, standing up and getting a chair from a table next to us.

"You are a dick," she told him. "I'm flattered that you think that highly of me," he said. sarcastically "I don't," she said. "Okay, enough of you two bickering, you can do this later," I said. "You know she loves me," he said. "Highly doubt it," I muttered, Lyn laughing along with me. I suddenly felt a feeling of hope, everything was going to be okay.