Return To Mystic Falls

Trust and Instincts

"Where do you think you're going?" Damon demands of Elena as we return home. His jaw is set, muscled body blocking the front door. He mirrors Elena's step as she tries her best to push past him.

She fakes left; trying to slip right, only to be blocked by a wall of flesh, "Back to Elijah."

"No."

Elena pushes on my boyfriend's chest, "Get out of my way, Damon."

"If you so much as try and take a step out of this house..." Damon curls his fingers around Elena's upper arms, lifting her so only the tips of her shoes are left to brush against the floorboards.

Stefan rounds the corner, arms crossed over his chest, "Let her go."

He can't be serious. I know Stefan is putting all his trust into the teenager but this is bordering insanity. While I understand that Elijah is clearly against Klaus, that does not mean he's on our team. Elijah has been burned by all of us. He's not someone I'd put on my list of trusted allies.

"Are you kidding me? She just came back," Damon does set Elena back down but refuses to move from in front of the door.

Stefan grabs Damon's arm, giving him a hard yank, "You heard me. I said let her go."

"That's twice you've stood in my way today," Damon gives up his protection of the door, forcing his brother backward as he rips his arm from Stefan's grasp. "I wouldn't try a third."

Sensing that the water in the pot has started to boil over, I step in between the boys. Pressing a hand to each of their chests, I shift my gaze between the two as Elena slips out the front door. "Boys, not right now."

Even after they've been separated, the tension continues to hang in the house. Wandering upstairs, I knock on Stefan's door before pushing it open. The vampire's window is open, his back to the room. Padding across the hardwood floor, I climb out onto the roof. Damon's brother scoots over, allowing me a place to sit.

"I need you to explain your reasoning to me, Stefan."

He glances over at me, snatching my lighter away seconds before the fire is able to lick at the end of my cigarette. "I thought you were done helping."

"I am, but if I'm going to be able to keep Damon and you from fighting I at least need to understand your side."

Stefan traps my lighter under his hand, sliding the flesh closer to me. Gently, I set my hand over his, "She needs to know she has a say. This is Elena's life. If we don't give her the ability to take control of it, she'll lose faith in herself. I love Elena because no matter what, she knows who she is and what she stands for. If we take that way from her what does she have left?"

"People who care about her safety. Elena can make decisions about who to be friends with, what she wants to do with the rest of her life. She's strong, yes, but no teenager is equipped to know how to handle a situation like this. Damon, you, and I know how to handle this. We've dealt with threats before. The vampires are in the best position to handle vampire related issues."

Damon's brother shakes his head, "She can't learn if we don't let her."

"She'll have plenty of time to learn when the stakes aren't as high. What will you do if she makes a wrong move and gets herself killed?" I try and talk some sense into Stefan. He trusts Elena and wants her to have the ability to control her own fate. Right now isn't the best time for that. When we get through this, then we can start giving Elena autonomy. She can make all the decisions she wants as soon as we've saved her life. Klaus isn't a science experiment. He's a legitimate threat that needs to be handled by competent opponents.