Stefan's Hope

Chapter 8: Welcome To Mystic Falls

2 Years Later

Stefan's POV
It's been two years since Hope and I left South Carolina and moved to Miami. Miami was awesome and beautiful. Hope definitely loved it. She is now four years old and will be five in three weeks. 

I'm now on my way to Mystic Falls to meet Bonnie. She knows I'm coming to see her, she just doesn't know about Hope yet. I made it clear to her that I'm coming for only her, no one can know I'm there. 

She asked why, but I said "you'll see when I get there". I have to come to her because Hope is coming into her powers a little. Last week when we were getting ice cream some little girl came and bumped into Hope on purpose. Hope was glaring the girl down and the girl slipped on her back. 

I know that was Hope. The girl is alright, but I need Bonnie's help now. I go past the Welcome to Mystic Falls sign and Hope says "Daddy S, you never really told me much about this town you grew up in. You've told me about the people, but not about the town." 

I say "it's a long story Hope-- a story for another time." She nods her head and asks "Daddy S? Can we go to Wendy's? I'm hungry!" I laugh a little and say "sorry Hope, this is Mystic Falls there is no Wendy's here." She gasps dramatically and shouts "WHAT!" I laugh at her a little. 

She asks "Chick-Fil-A?" I say "no!" She asks "McDonald's?" I say while popping the P "Nope." She asks "Burger King?" And I say "uh-uh!" She asks "Jack-In-A-Box?" And I say "sorry Hope." She asks "what kind of place is this? They have no real food." 

I playfully roll my eyes at her and say "Hope, none of those places have real food and they're not even healthy for that matter." Hope gasps theatrically and says "hey! They are real food, you take that back Daddy S." 

I say "no Hope because I'm right." She says, determined "you are not." I say "well Hope, you'll love the grill. My friends and I always came here to hang out." Hope raises her eyebrows and states "so this place is for very old people." 

I say in a playfully warning tone "hey! Who are you calling old, Hope?" She says "you, Daddy S!" I say "okay! Okay! You win this round little one, but I don't look old, now do I?" She says, smirking "but you are." 

We both laugh at that and after a minute we stop. I'm almost at the grill and Hope says "Daddy S! I need to go to the bathroom, ASAP!" I say "okay Hope, hold it a little longer. We're almost there." 

Two minutes later, we make it to the grill and I park and get out of my car. I go to Hope's side and let her out. When I unbuckle her, I help her out of the car and she runs inside the grill making a beeline for the bathroom. I chuckle to myself and walk inside. 

I spot Bonnie and she spots me too. She widens her eyes and gapes in shock and joy seeing me. She waves for me to come over and I do. She says "Stefan! How are you?" 

She hugs me and I say "great. How about you?" And she says while pulling away "great! You know I've tried to find you. A locator spell and everything, nothing worked." 

Right. Hope's bracelet. I try to dodge that question. I look at her ring finger and I see it has a ring on it. I gape in shock and say while holding her hand "oh my God! You're married? To who? Jeremy?" 

She shakes her head and says while we're both sitting down "I'm engaged, but not to Jeremy. There's a lot to catch up on Stefan, but you first. What's up? Why did you need to meet me?"