Return To Mystic Falls

Reunion

Diana

Ice slides forward in my glass, hitting against my lips. The sunlight coming in through the windows bounces off the frozen surface, creating a million tiny rainbows before my eyes. Across the room, people talk, oblivious to the fact that I can hear every single word of their conversations. Nothing is an intimate moment. I'm not here to listen in to the mundane lives of those who call Mystic Falls their home though. Today, a couple sitting at a booth in the corner, hold my attention. I watch them in the mirror hanging over the bar, Damon Salvatore and Elena Gilbert. His back is to me, but I can see her, a spitting image of Katherine. No wonder this new girl has Stefan and Damon wrapped around her finger. If nothing else, they're using Elena's looks to fill the void Katherine created some 140 years ago.

Damon slides out of the booth, saying a quick goodbye to Elena before walking over towards the bar. I slap a twenty-dollar bill on the counter before getting up and heading towards the door. As I exit, I glance over my shoulder, checking to see if Damon noticed me. He seems none the wiser. I want my presence to be known on my own terms. If I don't handle things carefully, my return could blow up in my face. I left Damon abruptly and he probably won't be thrilled to see me again. He's the worst about holding a grudge.

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The inside of the Salvatore mansion hasn't changed at all. It's still filled with old furniture that looks more like it belongs in a museum than sitting in the parlor of someone's home. The wood detailing still looks too clean and polished even though I know neither of the Salvatore brothers has ever picked up a dust rag. The thick carpet covering the floor has lost some of its coloring, the sun filtering in through the curtains not a friend to the antiques. In front of me is Stefan, shakily pouring himself a glass of bourbon from the same crystal decanter that was used by the man's father 145 years ago. The stopper almost falls to the ground as Stefan tries to place it back on the bottle.

"Good God, Stefan -" I announce my presence as the younger Salvatore brother slowly turns to face me, "- has Damon driven you to drink?"

Stefan's eyes are sunken in, his face pale, hands shaking. He looks like he's on death's doorstep. I can only imagine what kind of torture brought him to this. He stares at me, open-mouthed, bourbon sloshing all over his hand as he slowly walks forward. "What're you doing back, Diana?"

I let the corners of my lips twist into a slight pout, "Not exactly the greeting I was hoping for. Didn't you miss me, Stefan?"

"Did you miss me?" There is mistrust in Stefan's words. I don't blame him, but it still hurts a little. Stefan is like a brother to me. We were best friends. I helped Stefan navigate his first decade or two in this new life. I never thought the trust we built would be broken.

I sigh, moving closer to Stefan, helping him to the couch. He sits down heavily as if he has no control over his muscle movement. "Answering a question with a question...you've not changed a bit. Of course, I miss you, Stefan. You're my best friend. Now, you wanna tell me why you're drunk?"

"You can't just avoid answering me. What are you doing here, Diana?"

I roll my eyes into the back of my head, the world going dark for a split second, "I missed it here. This is my home. Doesn't everyone eventually come home?"

"Does Damon know you're back?"

Letting out a groan, I fix my eyes on Stefan's, pushing my bottom lip out a little, giving him puppy dog eyes, "Can it be our secret for just a little, Stefan?" It isn't that I don't want to see Damon, I just don't know if he'll be as nice about my return as Stefan. I did leave the two of them hanging.

"Damon's not going to be happy," Stefan answers after a little. As he drinks more, the color starts to come back to his face; the death look easing up a little.

"How long has it been since you've fed, Stefan?"

"I'm fine."

"You're drunk."

Stefan stands up, placing his glass back on the table behind the couch before responding to me, "I'm alright. I'll be fine. I'm going to have to tell Damon that you're back, Diana. He's going to figure it out eventually. Mystic Falls isn't that big and you're not very good at keeping a low profile."

I grin. Stefan knows me too well. As I pull him into a hug, the door of the Salvatore mansion swings open. I fly away from Stefan but am trapped in the room by fingers curled around my upper arm. I'm slammed against the wall, muscled arms appearing on either side of my head. Piercing blue eyes bore into my green ones. The metallic smell of fresh blood fills my nostrils. "Hello, Damon."

"Hello, Devil," Damon jeers; taking a few steps away from me.

"Now that's not very nice," I answer with a slight whine, reaching out to run my fingers over the grey cotton clinging to Damon's chest. The dark-haired vampire takes another step backward.

"What do you want? Did you come to ruin more lives? Did you eat through all the people in the place you disappeared to? How long are you staying for this time, huh? Are you going to stick around just long enough to screw things up again and then take off?"

"Oh come on, Damon. We both know why I left last time. I'm sorry I hurt your feelings," I respond, taking a step towards him. Damon doesn't move.

"What are you even doing here?"

I let out a sigh before trailing my fingers over Damon's neck as I walk past him towards the stairs, "The same thing you're doing."

"Well, we can't just let her run around Mystic Falls," I hear Stefan say as I continue to unpack the duffel bag I'd stashed in the spare upstairs bedroom before revealing myself. The two brothers have been in Stefan's bedroom, whispering between themselves, for the past twenty minutes, trying to figure out what to do with me. As if I'll go along with anything they say. I'm staying whether they like it or not. Mystic Falls is just as much my home as it is theirs.

"We can't exactly parade her around the kick-off party either. The whole council is on high alert. They'll be suspicious of someone new."

"A party?" I push the door of Stefan's bedroom open, leaning against the frame. "That sounds...exciting. I'll go get ready."

"Diana, you can't just walk in there," Stefan responds.

"Who's gonna stop me, Stefan?" I give him a small smile before heading back up the hallway, towards the spare bedroom.

Before I re-enter the room that I have claimed as my own, Damon grabs me by the shoulder, "I don't know what your plan here is, but you will not screw things up for us. Stefan and I have a life here and we don't plan to leave any time soon."

"Damon, if I wanted to screw things up for you and your brother, I would've already done it. I've been here for almost a month. I'm here because I missed my home. I didn't even know Stefan and you were back. I know it's going to take a while for you to trust me again, but there was a time when you loved me. Don't let my one stupid mistake take that away."

The oldest Salvatore holds my gaze for a second before answering, "Do you even have anything to wear?"

"I've got it all."