HUMANITY - A Stefan Salvatore Fanfiction

CHAPTER 14 - SOBER

The next couple of months passed by in a slow and anxious rhythm. Junior year had come to an end, but everything still felt gloomy and lifeless.

Sophia Lockwood sat up in bed, and reached for her phone on the nightstand. She rubbed her eyes, blinking away the sleep as the morning sunlight slipped through the cracks in her blinds. It was mid-morning, and she knew that if she didn't move soon, Caroline would kill her for being late.

Sophia had booked the day off work, and they were meant to be going shopping. It was Elena's birthday, and of course they were preparing a party, but everything still felt so uncertain.

It had been months, and Stefan was still out there somewhere.

After everything with Klaus, Sophia knew that standing on the sidelines wasn't an option anymore. Stefan had saved her life, and she wanted to help him, more than anything. Damon felt the same, even if he tried to deny it. Stefan was his brother, after all. And then there was Elena, who of course felt guilty about the entire ordeal. And so, their summer had been spent tracking animal attacks across the country. Keeping an eye out for any leads or killings that might have had something to do with Klaus.

Finally however, Sophia hauled herself out of bed, making her way to the mirror. Her fingers traced the scar in her brow, a silvery slit that had only just begun to fade. Part of it reminded her of the pain, of Klaus and his menacing grin. But now, it reminded her of Stefan, and the blurred memories from that one night.

When Sophia was released from hospital all those weeks ago, she found herself at the boarding house, and it was Damon that had opened the door.
"Damn, you look like you pissed off a grizzly bear." He said to her, in his usual sardonic tone. And then, Sophia hugged him. He froze for a moment, half tempted to make another comment before hugging her back hesitantly.
"Whatever happened to hating my guts, Lockwood?" he quipped at last, and she glared back at him in annoyance.

It was the first time they had spoken, truly as friends, since Mason had been killed. She didn't forgive him for it, and it hurt, raw and biting. But Damon was still important to her, despite what he had done.

Stefan gave his life, to save his brothers. And that's why Damon wanted to save him from Klaus, he owed him that much.

But one thing he still couldn't work out, was why it mattered so much to Sophia.

__________

After shopping with Caroline, the pair headed to the boarding house, picking Tyler up along the way.

Her brother and her best friend had grown close after the last few months, and it was confusing for Sophia, to say the least. They laughed and joked with one another like friends, but they had still kissed a while back.

Sophia wrinkled her nose at the thought, and finally hopped out of her car. There were a few other people there to help with party setup, but there was a few hours to go until the other guests arrived.

From the trunk, the trio grabbed an array of boxes and bags filled with decorations. Caroline and Tyler were strong enough to carry a lot more, and it made them laugh as Sophia tried to lift a beer keg to no avail.
"Here," Tyler said, taking it from her with ease. "You take the cups, I'll grab this."
She pouted at that, as her brother took the keg into the house. "Being the only one without super-strength sucks, you know."
Caroline smiled. "Hey, you're human. No pessimism allowed with that, just embrace it."
Sophia smirked. "Will do, vampire."

The pair laughed, before carrying in the rest of the party stuff. Inside, it didn't take them long to find Elena. She seemed happier, but it was clear that the burden of guilt was holding her down.
"I feel like I have to fight Damon every single time we get a lead on Stefan." Elena complained to the group.
Tyler looked up from his box of decorations, shrugging slightly. "Maybe he doesn't want to find him."
"Tyler!" Sophia shot him a look. "Don't be a dick, of course he does. We all do."
"What?" He pulled another box onto the table, before turning to the doppelgänger again. "You're into eachother, aren't you?"
Elena hesitated, before replying again, completely avoiding the question. "The only reason Stefan left with Klaus was so that he could save Damon's life. I mean, trust me, Damon wants to find him."