Breaking The Fixation

Chapter 2

Elena's lips parted as she yawned and rolled on her side. The sun was shining through the curtains of her bedroom, causing her to feel all warm and cozy. She shifted, her brows narrowing as she felt the somewhat granular surface she was lying upon.

She chewed anxiously on her lip as her brows remained knitted together in confusion. A granular surface? In her bed?

Elena fluttered her eyes open, blinking to let them adjust to the bright light shining through the leaves of the trees that were surrounding her. She was left stunned once again. Trees? What was she doing in the forest?

Slowly, she sat up, her body feeling stiff from having slept on the hard floor. Elena leaped to her feet and stretched herself, another yawn passing her brims.

Running her slender digits through her mocha tendrils she glanced around. Elena curled her lower lip between her canines and she tried to remember how she got there as her eyes darted around the place.

She started walking, and piece by piece the memories of the day before came floating back into her mind. Bonnie, the spell, the wind, the shattered glass.

Elena fumbled for her phone in her pocket and hit the speed dial button for Bonnie's number. However, the only thing she heard was the low beep of a dead line.

No signal.

Muttering a few curse words under her breath, she stuffed the thing back into her pocket.

This was going to be a long day.

...

Elena had been walking for what seemed like an eternity when a small building, which looked like a carriage house, caught her attention.

A soft smile found its way upon Elena's face as she walked closer, her fingers wandering over the wooden frame of the carriage house.

Suddenly, a heavy hand was laid on her shoulder, causing her to freeze on the spot. Elena closed her eyes for a brief moment, swallowing back thickly. She didn't dare to move a single muscle.

When the person behind her noticed how tense her body was he (The hand was surely too big for a woman's hand) dropped his arm back to his side, and Elena slowly turned around.

She blinked a few times. A rather tall man was standing in front of her. He had dark blonde hair, was well-dressed and of Italian decent for as far as Elena could tell.

It was until a warm smile graced his features that Elena allowed herself to relax a bit, flashing the man a hearty smile herself.

''I'm sorry, I did not mean to scare you.'' he said, holding his hands up in an apologizing gesture. ''I mean you no harm, sweetheart.''

Elena just stared at him, unsure of what to say.

''Oh, how rude of me.'' the man said, extending his hand to her. ''The name is Giuseppe. Giuseppe Salvatore.''

Elena's eyes widened. He was Giuseppe Salvatore? The Giuseppe Salvatore? It took her mind a moment to process his words as she noticed he was still standing in front of her with his hand stretched out. Hesitatingly, she reached to grab his hand with hers. ''I-I'm Elena.. Uhm.. Gilbert. Pleased to meet you, sir.'' she stammered, barely audible.

Giuseppe slowly lifted her hand to his face, letting his lips brush over her knuckles ever so slightly. ''Likewise, Miss Gilbert.'' he said. He didn't comment on the way her hand was trembling.

''What are you doing here, all by yourself?'' he asked, lifting a questionable brow. ''It's not very safe to wander around alone, you know. Not something I would personally recommend to do."

Elena's heartbeat picked up speed and she started to panic slightly. What did she have to say to him? She didn't even know how she got here herself. After all, it was practically impossible. Stefan and Damon's father was human. He was.. Mortal. He had died a long time ago. Stefan had told Elena himself.

She was dreaming. She had to be. There was no other rational reason for why this was happening. Unless..

Elena's breathing hitched as reality began to dawn. Bonnie's spell! That was the reason why she was here. The spell was supposed to let her look back in time, but instead of that she was send back in time.

''Not that I mean anything by it..'' Giuseppe quickly continued as he noticed Elena's facial expression, cutting off the stream of thoughts in her head.

''It is just.." Giuseppe glanced around before continuing to speak, making sure only Elena could hear him. Not that there was anyone else who could hear them, for that matter. "You see, recently, there have been some.. Uhm.."

Giuseppe seemed to be the one at loss for words this time. Elena could tell he was deciding for himself whether she should tell her or not. She could see the battle raging in his eyes.

"Animal attacks." he eventually finished his sentence.

Elena nodded distractedly I response to his words, her thoughts whirling around in her mind. She had to ask him. "Uhm.. An odd question sir, but.. What year is it?"

Giuseppe stared at her blankly, blinking a couple of times before a low chuckle passed his lips. "It's 1864, my dear. Why do you ask?"

Just as Elena opened her mouth to save herself out of the messy situation she'd just created, she heard the faint sound of galloping horses coming from somewhere behind her. The rhythmic click-clacking of horseshoes hitting the dirt roads.

"Hoo!" She heard a familiar voice saying from behind her. There was a sound of someone jumping to the ground, then from approaching footsteps.

"Who is this, Father?"

Elena whirled around, her mocha hues locking with the oceanic blue ones of a tall, dark-haired guy who was studying her intensely.

"Elena, this is my oldest son." Giuseppe said, walking over to the young man standing in front of them and putting his hand on his shoulder.

"Damon, meet Elena Gilbert."