FAMILY MATTERS Always

Deja Vu

"My God, Stefan- this place is..." Laura can't find the words to describe the huge wave of deja vu that has nearly knocked her over after stepping foot in his condo. Stefan proceeds to his small bar to pour them two glasses of champagne.
"I know, right. Amazing, huh?" Laura grabs the glass from him without taking her eyes off of the familiar environment.
"I was thinking more along the lines of unhinging." Stefan chuckles.
"I'll admit... it is a little wild, but what do you expect? This decor reminds me of the happiest times of my life." Stefan steps closer to her and grabs her around the waist, "A time when I had you by my side." The weirdness Laura feels makes her take a step away from Stefan. She giggles nervously.
"I can't believe you did this. I mean, every single detail is a nearly perfect replica of your room in the Urkel's basement." She turns to look at the personal elevator they just stepped off of, "Even the elevator has those lights with the gold trim." He nods his head.
"Yup. I wanted everything to be perfect."
Laura makes a curious face, "Perfect for what?"
"For you," he says sexily, invading her personal space again. She doesn't run from him this time. Instead, she engages with his brown eyes. "Even the champagne in your hand is the same brand we had that special night at my place... the night I surprised you with that live performance." He removes a small remote from his pocket and points it towards the stereo system. Freddy Jackson's "You Are My Lady" begins to play a few moments later. The nostalgic moment nearly takes Laura's breath away. She glances in the direction of the elevator again.
"Don't tell me Freddy Jackson is here!" Stefan chuckles again.
"Not this time." Laura chuckles, too.
"You scared me." Stefan takes a sip from his glass before pressing his body against hers. His hand rests on the small of her back.
"Don't be. Tonight, it's just you and me." Laura finally breaks their eye contact once her old feelings for Stefan try to flood her heart. She was so in love with Stefan when Steve first transformed into him all of those years ago... A feeling that has never truly gone away.
"Stefan, what are you trying to do?" She comes right out and asks. He slowly lifts his hand to her mouth before softly rubbing his thumb across her bottom lip. His palm eventually rests on her cheek.
"I had this place decorated like this because I knew that one day, you would come back to me. I simply had to be patient." Laura places her hand on Stefan's chest as if to tell him to slow his roll.
"Come back to you? I never said anything about that-"
"You didn't have to, Laura. No matter how much you try to run from me, we are forever connected. I am your first love, remember? Just like you are mine."
Laura's immediate instinct is to protest his words but she realizes quickly that she can't. Yes, Steve has always been in love with her, but the first person she said "I love you" to was Stefan.
"Stefan, that was a long time ago," she states in a shaky voice. She tries to pull away from him but he grabs her tighter.
"Tell me you don't still love me." Stefan's unexpected request chokes Laura with its bluntness.
"I..." she starts, but she has no idea what to say.
"If you tell me you don't love me anymore, then I swear I will take you back to Maxine's and never bother you again." She stares deeply into his eyes, realizing that he is dead serious about the subject of them. Laura swallows hard.
"I can't do that," she reluctantly admits.
"Why not?" Stefan questions with a hopeful glare.
"Because... I- I do still care for you, Stefan. I've never stopped loving you."
***
Even though the Urkel's basement is covered in cobwebs, it still very much looks like it did the day Steve moved out of it. It took him some time to get the elevator to work, but it's finally in decent enough shape to carry him to the basement floor.
"Shit," he mumbles, allowing his glasses to fog when his tears make their way to his eyes. He removes his bifocals to wipe them. Afterwards, he knocks spiderwebs out of his way as he moves further into the basement.
The elegant, but outdated decor jogs his memory to a time when he was sharing his space with his other self. Even though Stefan's taste was more appealing to the masses, he still preferred his modest sleeping space, lab gadgets, and bug collection. His eyes land on the huge photo of Laura hanging over his cold fireplace. He gives the sight of his wife a heavy sigh. He can't believe they are beefed out right now, especially at a time like this. After everything he has just found out about his family today, especially his mother's death, there is no one on this Earth he needs to talk to more than her.
"I need my best friend," he mumbles to himself. He eases down on the dusty couch after deciding it's fit enough for leisure, "But she's angry with me." The sadness he feels sweeps through his body like a tidal wave. More tears trickle down his cheeks. He doesn't think he'll be able to deal with his emotions alone. If he has to go one more night without her, he'll implode.
"I have to talk to her," he says aloud. He whips out his cell phone and dials her number. It rings and rings, but he never gets an answer. A pre-recording of Laura's sweet voice tells him to leave her a message after the beep.
"Laura- sweetie, please... I'm so sorry. I'm sorry for everything. There is so much we need to talk about, and I promise to be 100% honest with you, my love. Also... my mom died- and I- I just don't know what to do." Steve begins sobbing on Laura's voicemail. He eventually calms down enough to finish his message, "Baby... please... call me back. I don't think- I mean, I can't do this without you."
***
Stefan's lips taste just like Laura remembered them tasting. He swirls his tongue in her mouth, making her squeal from the surprising motions. He smiles after their kissing pauses.
"I picked up a few tricks with my tongue over the years. I can't wait to show you what I've learned."
Stefan moves in to kiss Laura again, and as much as she wants to stop him, she can't bring herself to do it. He backs her towards the wall with his warm smooches. He places their champagne glasses on a nearby table without removing his lips from hers.
"I've missed this," he exclaims as his lips move down to her neck. Laura moans unwillingly. Stefan's passion is taking her over the edge.
"BUZZ... BUZZ... BUZZ..." Laura's phone starts vibrating in her pocket. She finally has the distraction she needs to interrupt Stefan's seductive behavior.
"I have to get that," she whispers. She yanks her cell from her pocket, but freezes in sheer horror once she sees the picture of her and Steve looking back at her.
Her husband is finally calling her.
Stefan glances down at her phone as well.
"That couldn't have come at a worst time," he mumbles frustratedly. Laura slides from between Stefan and the wall to put a little distance between the two of them. Her thumb hovers above the answer button, but she's too afraid to press it. She stares at it ringing until it stops.
Laura suddenly has the strong urge to cry. Stefan attempts to interject before the mood goes sour. He's so close to getting her back, he can taste it. He approaches her holding her champagne glass.
"Now, where were we?" He asks, extending the drink in her direction. She stares at it, and then at him.
"Stefan... we can't-"
"Shh..." He takes her phone from her hand and replaces it with the glass. He sets her cell on the table. "Our spouses betrayed us, Laura. They went behind our backs and acted on an impulse that has been lying dormant in our backgrounds for decades. It's only fair that we do the same."
He holds his hand out for Laura to grab. She hesitates to do so, but eventually does. He leads her down the hallway to his bedroom. Laura is out of ear range when her phone notifies her of Steven's voicemail.