Now And Then - Stefan Salvatore (currently editing)

1.115 "Turn It Off"

Later. 

Damon and Bonnie had come back from the island. Damon, Stefan and i were outside of the house. 

The rest were inside.

Damon " She's out of her mind, Stefan. The nutty professor's got her totally brainwashed."

Me "and what do you mean by that?"

Damon "I mean, the whole flight back home, all she could talk about was how she's the one that can drop the veil between this side and the Other Side."

Stefan looked confused " Drop the veil? What does that even mean?"

Damon "What it means is, the myth about Silas being able to raise the dead is not just one, or some. It's every supernatural being over there. Three massacres, three hot spots, and the witch spell of the century, and every supernatural being over there is back with a vengeance.  "

Me "Like one Original who would love to rip your heads off"

----

I was sitting on the sofa with the bottle in my hand. 

Elena came downstairs "Where's Bonnie?"

Caroline" We told Matt to take her home. We thought it'd be best."

Elena nodded " Okay. I guess we're gonna have to do this the old-fashioned way."

I raised an eyebrow "Do what?"

Elena turned to Damon who was holding Jeremy's body in his arms "Put his body on the couch"

I stood up and walked to Caroline. 

Elena went into the kitchen and started opening and closing cabinets.

Caroline "Elena? Elena, you need help finding something?"

Elena took a bottle of lighter fluid out of a cabinet and squirted it over the counter" Got it."

My eyes widened. 

Caroline "What are you doing?"

Elena continued to squirt the fluid everywhere " We need a cover story, right? You think I didn't hear you guys talking earlier? Well, what are we gonna say-- animal attack, "tumbled down the stairs"? No. We burn the house down with him inside of it. "

She walked to the couch and squirted the couch. 

Stefan raised his voice " Elena, stop it!"

Elena turned to him " Why? Because you want me to not be in denial? You want me to face the truth? This is the truth, Stefan. I don't want to live here anymore. I don't want these sketches."

She sprayed them with lighter fluid and kicked something "I don't want this Xbox. "

Then she threw down the empty bottle and reached into a cabinet " Not gonna need this bourbon anymore. Alaric's not here to drink it, I mean, unless you guys are willing to bring back every supernatural creature on the Other Side to get him back. "

She turned to Damon " Would you? I know you want your drinking buddy back. "

Then she walked closer to him "*Would you, Damon? Because I wouldn't. "

She walked over to Jeremy's body " I don't know, I mean, does that make me a bad person? I-- I have no idea. "

Then she pulled the Gilbert ring off of Jeremy's finger and tossed it to Damon "He's not gonna need that anymore."

Caroline shouted scared "Elena, stop it. You're scaring me!"

Elena took down a picture frame from the fireplace mantle "What else are we supposed to do with the body, Caroline? I mean, there's no-- there's no room in the Gilbert family plot. "

She threw the frame down on the floor and the glass cracked "Jenna and-- and John took the last spots. "

Then she threw the empty bottle of bourbon against the wall and it shattered, then grabbed a match from the mantle and lightened it.

My eyes widened.

Stefan " No, no, Elena. Stop."

Elena started to cry hard "There's nothing here for me anymore, Stefan. Every inch of this house is filled with memories of the people that I love that have died-- my mom, my dad, Jeremy, and Jenna and Alaric, John, even John. I mean, they're all dead. Everyone is dead. So what am I supposed to-- I mean, how am I gonna-- I can't even-- There's nothing left for me-- aah!"

The flame had burned down on the match and started to burn Elena's hand. She dropped the match but Damon vamp-speeded over to catch it before it could ignite on the lighter fluid everywhere. 

Elena sobbed and started to crumble.

Damon "Elena, I need you to calm down."

Elena shook her head crying " No, no, no, I can't. I can't. I can't. I-- "

She fell to her knees. She looked so hurt.

 Then she grabbed her heart " No. It hurts. It hurts. Just make it stop. Please make it stop. It hurts. "

Me "Damon"

He turned to me. 

Me "Help her"

Damon crouched down next to her and pulled her to him.

Elena cried " I-- I-- "

Damon touched her face " I can help you. I want you to let me help you. I can help you."

Elena calmed down a bit " How?"

Damon " Turn it off."

Stefan's eyes widened "What? No, no."

Damon held up a hand to stop him from intervening.

Damon "Just turn it off, and everything will go away. That's what you have to do. It's what I want you to do. Just turn it off."

Elena's face turned slowly expressionless and still. 

I sighed. 

 Outside. 

Elena was inside with Caroline while the boys and i were on the porch. 

Stefan " It was a mistake."

Damon " It wasn't, and you know it. This is the only way she's gonna survive. We'll help her, keep an eye on her. When she's ready, I'll use the sire bond to bring her back."

Stefan "Her humanity, Damon, that was all she had left."

Damon "Humanity means nothing when you don't have anyone to care about, Stefan."

Stefan nodded "She had you."

Damon's face fell " She lost her brother. I'm not enough, not this time."

Stefan "Listen, Damon. I know that you and I, we've been through some...bad spots lately, especially when it comes to decisions."

 Damon "Yeah. Well...guess none of that matters anymore."

Stefan " Well I just, um...I want you to know that, um..."

Damon put a hand on Stefan's shoulder and nodded " I know, Stefan."

We walked back inside and saw Elena holding a lighted match. 

Me "Elena, don't do this. We can find another cover story."

Elena shook her head"This is the best one. No one will ask questions."

Stefan sighed "Look, if you burn down the house, it'll be gone. What if one day when this is all over, you want to come home again?"

Elena watched the flame, then looked up at Stefan " I won't."

Then she dropped the match and the floor immediately ignited. 

We walked out of the house. 

This is going to be interesting.