Chapter 9: Wishing and wanting

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Leighton still couldn’t believe it; that her life with Eli was a lie, that vampires were real and that the oldest vampire of all time needed her blood to create some stupid army.
All Leighton wanted was to wake up and find out that Elena and the existence of vampires were just a part of a surreal and terrible nightmare, and that Eli really was just Eli; a professor and the love of her life.
What else has Eli I mean Elijah lied about to me? None of it was real. It was all fake, our life together was just Elijah acting. I’m a complete fool. Leighton thought silently as she sat at the bright orange table at the Coffee Nut cafe.
Her orange and poppy seed muffin was in pieces scattered on her plate and she couldn’t help but notice how the muffin resembled her broken heart.
Stop thinking about it, stop thinking about him! Leighton ordered herself.
“I know I’m one of the last people you want to talk to but I can answer all your questions; I know you have some,” Stefan spoke gently as he sat in the empty seat across from Leighton. He had heard the fight between Leighton and Elijah, and knew it was his chance to swoop in and try and fix his not so great relationship with Leighton.
“Go on,” Leighton replied. Stefan was right, he was one of the last people Leighton wanted to see; let alone talk to but she had a lot of questions and she needed answers now, and not a minute later.
“I know you are freaking out, but this is all real and your life really is in danger. We want to help you please let us help you,” Stefan spoke in his ‘many years of wisdom tone of voice’ and Leighton couldn’t help but engage him besides she needed someone to talk to and most all of she needed a distraction.
“Why do you want to help me?” Leighton asked. Stefan didn’t know her at all yet he was risking his life to save Leighton’s and she couldn’t understand why he would risk his life to save hers; plus it didn’t help that Leighton could barely remember the speech she got from Stefan and Elena which had been less than two hours ago.
“Because I can’t let Klaus build his army and hurt another innocent person,” Stefan left out the part about how he cared for Leighton. He knew it was far too soon to share that information.
“So that’s it? And you weren’t trying to make me jealous at the club with Halley? I mean what was that about?”
An awkward laugh escaped Stefan’s lips as he tried to figure out how to explain himself. He couldn’t tell Leighton that he had been watching her for the past few weeks, and that he had developed feelings for her; that would sound just plain creepy.
“Okay fair point and maybe I was trying to make you jealous but in my defence I was drunk and I blame the alcohol for my dick actions,” Stefan chuckled and he wasn’t completely lying. He was just a little drunk but it was still no excuse. He had acted like a jerk and wished he could take it all back.
“Right,” Leighton smiled surprised that Stefan was actually succeeding in distracting her from her negative thoughts of Elijah.
“Ask any question you want I promise to answer it truthfully,” Stefan crossed his heart before sneaking a small chunk of Leighton’s destroyed orange and poppy seed muffin.
“But your heart doesn’t beat right? So technically that crossing your heart thing doesn’t apply to you,” Leighton smirked pleased with herself and still very grateful for the distraction.
“Okay so I take it back,” Stefan smirked.
Getting past the stuff at the club when he acted like a major douche; Stefan is actually kind of attractive. No, no, no... No don’t even think about it you literally only just broke up with Elijah who ripped out your heart and stomped all over it by the way! Leighton reminded herself.
Leighton couldn’t even talk about it to Halley and Jen who didn’t know that vampires existed and Leighton couldn’t burden them with this information; she wished she didn’t know the truth herself.
“You want revenge don’t you? Why else would you risk your life to save a stranger? And you have to answer me you promised,” Leighton reminded Stefan who was realising he shouldn’t have made the promise in the first place, but Stefan thought Leighton would ask questions about Klaus and vampires, and being a doppelganger.
“Klaus is a monster and I can’t let him hurt another person,” Stefan replied repeating the exact same answer he gave her just minutes ago; he was trying his hardest to avoid telling Leighton the real reason he didn’t want Klaus to succeed.
Klaus was the reason Stefan and Elena weren’t together anymore, Klaus was the reason Stefan returned to his ripper ways and Klaus was the reason Stefan had to leave Elena behind with Damon.
“So you want revenge because he ruined Elena’s life? Were you two a couple or something?”
“Trust me you don’t want to hear about it. I’m sorry about what Elijah did to you, you don’t deserve to be lied to.”
“I don’t want to talk about it; not until you start answering my questions . . . Truthfully,” Leighton forced a small smile. She knew Stefan wasn’t being 100% honest, and Leighton wasn’t going to spill her heart out if Stefan was going to keep her at a distance.
“Okay maybe I take that back. Eli I mean Elijah said that he was protecting me yet Klaus is his brother, I don’t know what to believe.” Leighton frowned as the name passed through her lips. Part of her knew she shouldn’t have been talking to Stefan about it considering it was obvious Stefan wanted her, but it was eating away at Leighton and Elena wasn’t anywhere to be seen; so Stefan was going to have to do.
I wish I could talk about this to Halley and Jen. Leighton tried not to exhale in disappointment too loudly. Even though Stefan had made a terrible first impression; she didn’t want to offend him.
“If I was in Elijah’s place I never would have lied to you. I would have told you the truth even if it meant there was a huge chance you would have written me off as insane,” Stefan smirked at Leighton glad he seemed to be mending his relationship with Leighton and not ruining it.
“Well I would have written you off as insane.”
“And then I would have watched over you, and done everything in my power to protect you,” Stefan replied.
“Why? How long have you been watching me for Stefan?”
“I told you I can’t let Klaus ruin another person’s life, and that’s not important,” Stefan avoided answering Leighton’s questions. He didn’t want to talk about it plus he knew Leighton would think he was trying to replace Elena in a creepy and morbid way; but that wasn’t it.
What Stefan liked the most about Leighton was that she was different than Elena. Leighton shared Elena’s compassion and empathy but there was a fire in Leighton that burned brightly; she was fiery and fierce and very strong.
“Are you ever going to tell me the truth?” Leighton asked annoyed; she couldn’t handle anyone else lying to her, she just couldn’t.
“Someday,” Stefan shrugged. “Do you have any other questions? Like maybe how you are related to Elena? About Klaus and why he needs you?” Stefan tried steering the conversation in a different direction.
“Sure as long as you actually plan on answering truthfully,” Leighton crossed her arms over her chest and raised an eyebrow, “No lies.” She added glad she had invested a lot of her time watching shows like Lie to Me and The Mentalist; where she had learnt to read body language.
Well obviously she was clouded by her love for Eli to pick up on his tells, but she wasn’t going to make that mistake again.
“Well Elena’s mother is your grandmother’s sister and your blood is special. Klaus needs it to make more of his werewolf- vampire hybrids. If he finds out you exist you will basically be nothing more than a blood bag to him; a pet he doesn’t want to keep alive but needs to keep alive,” Stefan replied harshly. He had to make Leighton understand just how much her life was in danger.
“Why hasn’t my mother told me about her? She said she has no family like at all; she was adopted.”
“Your mother was given up for adoption after your grandmother died giving birth; your grandfather decided he couldn’t raise your mother on his own and he made the decision to give her up.”
“How do you know all this? I don’t even know all this. Wait a minute does that make Elena like my great cousin or something?”
“I did my research and yes it does,” Stefan answered simply. Glad he was able to give her a straight and honest answer.
“By research do you mean you talked to my mother? How did you find out about my grandmother? My mother told me she doesn’t know or care who her biological family are.”
“I did and I found out the rest through public records.”
“So you’re not all looks then,” Leighton replied and wanted to take it back instantly; she didn’t want to give Stefan a big head or for him to know that she was warming up to him.
“Does that mean you find me attractive?” Stefan smirked pleased with himself. He knew Leighton was starting to like him well maybe tolerate was the better word to use.
“I’ll answer that question if you tell me what happened between you and Elena and why you hate Klaus,” Leighton couldn’t help but smirk. She knew Stefan wouldn’t answer her which meant she didn’t have to answer him.
“Maybe another time,” Stefan replied. He wanted to be 100% honest with Leighton but he knew it wasn’t the time; not yet.
Leighton felt her phone vibrate in her pocket and thought for sure that it was going to be Elijah apologising and begging for Leighton’s forgiveness; although there was the small chance it could be Jen or Halley.
After a few moments deliberation Leighton decided to check her phone, and sighed in relief after she read the text message. It was from Jen and apparently there was a party tonight.
“Well I’m going to a party; you in?” Leighton asked.
“I go where you go.”
“You know that is a little creepy right?”
“I’m not the only one.”
“Right you’re talking about Elena and . . .”
“Damon,” Stefan smirked and had to hold in the laugh that was trying to escape. He was more than glad that Leighton had forgotten Damon’s name to say the least.
“I’m never going to get used to this,” Leighton sighed. Part of her was still wishing and hoping it was just a bad dream as stupid as that may seem. Leighton couldn’t help it. She wanted her old life back, the one that was vampire free.

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