Return To Mystic Falls

The Return

The moonstone sits in my pocket, finally in the hands of people who wouldn't use it for evil. Elijah lies out across the dirt-covered ground, dagger safely in place where it will stay until the end of time. Diana sits atop the freezer box, her emerald green eyes set on my younger brother. Something happened between them tonight. Their usual silent connection seems stronger, influenced by the events of the past few hours. Things have shifted in the house. I just wish I knew if it was for the better.

"So, that it?" Elena moves forward, leaning against the open door to the cell that will be Elijah's final resting spot. "I mean, as long as we keep the dagger in there, then he stays dead."

Nodding, I shut the cell door, ensuring that it's locked, "Pretty much."

"Okay then," Elena heads for the stairs, stopping with her foot on the first one. She turns back, looking between Stefan, Diana, and me. "You know, if you guys want me to fight then I'll fight. But if we're gonna do this, you can't keep anything from me anymore. For this moment on, we're doing it my way."

Elena's plan did go off without a hitch, more than I can say for mine. She was willing to sacrifice herself in order to re-kill Elijah. If we're going to get her to stop trying to turn herself over to Klaus we need her to think she's got a say in things. "That seems fair."

The brunette looks to Stefan, crossing her arms over her chest as she awaits his answer.

"Okay," my brother answers with a nod.

Elena looks to my girlfriend, "Diana?"

"I think it's the dumbest thing I've heard yet-" Diana pushes herself off the freezer, slinking towards Elena who has begun to nervously shift her weight from foot to foot. "- which is saying a lot because all three of you have said some pretty dumb shit." As Elena goes to cut her off, Diana reaches forward, curling her fingers around the human's shoulder. "That being said, if this means we all get to stop trying to keep you from killing yourself, I'll go along with it. There have been stupider plans put forward, I guess."

For a few seconds, the females stare at each other, trying to figure out if the other is genuine in intention. Diana's gaze remains stony, unblinking, daring Elena to crack under pressure. The brunette cedes, giving my girlfriend a curt nod, "Okay."

I watch as Stefan's girlfriend disappears up the stairs, turning to my brother once the basement door is shut. Something about this seems staged, like Elena has some kind of plan hidden up her sleeve, "Seems like she's had a change in attitude. How'd you get through to her?"

"I told her a little story about when I was making wrong decisions and somebody showed me there was a better way," Stefan answers, frown lines appearing around his mouth.

"Lexi?" He's never going to let me forget that I killed his best friend.

My brother nods, "Yeah. You remember her?"

"Hard to forget when you keep dredging it up," I grumble back as Stefan disappears upstairs.

Diana stays silent, eyes set on the floor above, listening as my brother walks through the living room, climbing the steps to the second floor. Once his bedroom door has been shut, the blonde vampire turns her piercing green eyes on me, "We're not seriously going to let Elena Gilbert control this operation, are we?"

"Course not," I scoff, rolling my eyes. The only thing that'd come out of Elena handling this situation is everyone dead.

Diana nods, "Good."

I watch her walk away.

The shower in the bedroom is running by the time I make my way upstairs. Gentle humming fills the room, steam flowing from the bathroom. As I make my way across the bedroom, I begin to unbutton my shirt. A flash of dark hair, the stiffening silence as the water cuts out; my fingers hover over the last button on my shirt as she turns around. This isn't possible.