Elena

"Everyone is busy getting the Thanksgiving dinner ready throughout the day, my agent is already calling and texting wanting to know when I'll be back in New York. I haven't been gone very long and its she's already on my ass, well today isn't about work. It's about family and being thankful for all that we have, I'm taking off for a week so she'll just have to piss off for now.

Stefan and I work side by side in the kitchen, he's already slapped my hand twice for eating the food we're preparing. Matt and Tyler are talking about football which isn't surprising, Damon has went out on a beer and bourbon run with Ric while Bonnie is snapping pictures of Charlotte. Being that its her first Thanksgiving she wants as many pictures as possible, Caroline is picking up Kelly from work and will be coming over and later. I'll also get to meet Nadia for the first time, I can't wait to see Tyler's new girl. Since this morning's talk with Stefan I feel lighter, I know that may sound crazy considering that we were talking about his brother being one of my rapist, but still I feel good. I think we can actually be friends, him and Tessa may gross me out, but their relationship is none of my business. "Ok Elena, the turkey is in the oven don't fuck with it." I hear Stefan say from behind me. I roll my eyes and continue chopping pecans for my sweet potato casserole ignoring his smart ass comment.

"Elena wouldn't dare, she knows she can't cook meat to save her life." Bonnie giggles when she walks into the kitchen, she looks so good with her new hair cut. "Hey now what is this pick on Elena day?" She and Stefan laugh at me, but all is good when Bon hands me a glass of white wine and asks. "Would you have gone to the Macy's parade if you would've stayed in New York?" I shrug, "I don't know I've gone before and sometimes the crowd and the cold just aren't worth it." Stefan snorts coming to stand beside me, "Trust me Bon once would be enough for you." We laugh and sip our wine. "Ok, I need to hit the bong, ladies care to join?" Bonnie downs her wine and nods, "Yeah, Charlotte is napping, so I can take a hit or two." Stefan begins to walk around the counter heading to the garage and stops. "You coming?" I shake my head no. "No thanks, I'm going to finish this and wait for it to go into the oven." He looks at me strangely for a moment, but then Bonnie clears her throat and they walk away.

I would've loved to join them, but Stefan and I smoking weed together just wouldn't be the same as it used to be. I don't want this newfound friendship to put away our good memories, so now we'll just have to find new things to do. Its silly, but our past needs to stay where it is.

Once I'm showered and dressed I come out to join everyone at the dinner table, but before I can sit down I take a look at our family. The one we created for ourselves. Bonnie and Damon are cooing over Char baby who is in between them in her baby swing, Matt and his mom are laughing up a storm, Caroline is yapping away to Nadia who is a sweet girl while Tyler, Stefan and Ric argue over the Mississippi State and Ole Miss football game this weekend, the biggest rivals in the state. Ric is the only State fan here and we all give him hell for it. After Stefan moved here he quickly became a SEC football fan and joined our Ole Miss fan club. I take everyone in and realize that this is them with or without me here and it makes me sad, this is what I am missing. New York is great, but this is better. I take out my phone and snap a few pictures staying hidden in the hallway. "Hey everyone!" I shout, the chatter stops and everyone looks at me. I smile "Happy Thanksgiving."

We eat, laugh, argue, joke, and place our bets on the football game before making our way outside to have a backyard game of our own. After that its a bonfire and beer, Charlotte is sleeping and Bonnie has the baby monitor glued to her ear. "Who wants to listen to some music?" I asks standing up from my chair they all hoop and holler and I begin to go to the back porch where the stereo and speakers are. Soon enough I have some Slipknot blaring out into the yard and everyone is singing along to 'Before I Forget.'" I walk inside to use the bathroom and I hear a knock on the front door. Walking over I hear sobbing on the outside, I open the door and standing in front of me is none other than Tessa. "Elena, where is Stefan? I need him!" She cries out falling into my arms. She's muddy, crying and has a busted lip.

"Tessa what the hell happened to you?" I ask pushing her off of me, she wipes her eyes and sniffles. "I was attacked at work." I furrow my eyebrows, "By who?" She cries even more now, "Some of the regulars, just get Stefan please Elena." I nod my head, "Wait here." I make my way outside and run into none other than Stefan himself. "Hey where's the fire?" He asks with a smirk and I sigh, "Its crying its eyes out inside." Stefan shakes his head, "Charlotte?" I shake my head no and look to the ground, "Tessa, she's in the living room crying and asking for you. She said that she was attacked at work by some regulars, she's muddy and her lip is busted." Without a second thought Stefan harshly pushes past me making me fall off the porch onto my back and rushes into the house. Tyler and Nadia rush to my side helping me up and its then I notice that I have twisted my ankle. My agent is going to kill me.

Stefan

I rush inside to see why the hell Tessa is here for me, I text her earlier telling her that I would not be around until Sunday and that I would meet up with her then. If she was attacked she should be at a police station or a hospital, not here looking for comfort from me. I see her crouched down on the floor sobbing, I take a deep breath before approaching her. "Tessa, why are you here?" I ask her standing a foot away from her. She lifts her head and her sad eyes stare at me, "I didn't know where else to go Stefan, I need you." I get angry and throw my arms out in frustration, "How about the police and then the hospital Tessa? What the hell can I do?" She stands on her shaking legs and walks to me, "You can make them pay Stefan, you can hurt them for me."

I back scoffing at her crazy idea, "I'm not doing anything like that for you Tess. You need to report this to the police and then go to the emergency room if you need to." She pushes my chest, but I don't budge. Instead I glare down at her, "Don't put your fucking hands on me again." She screams, "If it was her you would save her wouldn't you? If it was your precious Lena who was hurt you would kill whoever dared to lay a finger on her!" She's right I would murder anyone over Elena and with Silas still fresh in my mind I still want his blood on my hands. "You need to leave Tessa, this isn't my house and you being here will just piss Damon off and I could be out of a place to live."

She snorts backing away from and shakes her head, "After I was there for you all that time, after you got out and needed to have your dick sucked and a place to crash from time to time, its still her. She's still the one for you?" I shrug, "Elena and I will always have something, but you and I are never going to be anything more." She cackles while making her way to the door, "You'll be sorry Stefan. When you find out about some of the shit she's done you'll be sorry for ever loving her." I roll my eyes at her insanity, "Don't let the door hit you on your way out." I turn to see Tyler and Nadia helping Elena into the house, she's standing on one leg and I rush to her side. "What happened?" She stares at me, "You pushed me off the porch." I blink at that. "I did?" She nods her head and wears a look that says 'yeah you did dumb ass'. Elena I had no idea, I was pissed that she showed up."

I take her from them and help her sit into a dinning room chair, "Lena, I'm sorry." She cups my face smiling, "Just get me some ice and a beer." I bite my lip and nod. "Well I can honestly say that work's going to be chewing my ass out." I turn to look at her, her pants are rolled up and there is a swollen bruise on her right ankle. "Fuck, Elena I... I " I don't know what to say. I just fucked up her work, she can't model in heels with a fucked up foot. "It's fine Stefan, I'll get bitched at, but I'm under a contract and they can't fire me for this accident." Closing my eyes I turn around and breath in and out for a few moments. Why do I keep hurting her? This time is was physical and though an accident, I still hurt her because of Tessa. I need to stay away from Elena, as much as I hate to say it... I can't wait until she returns to New York.

Elena

The night goes on and soon enough my hurt ankle is forgotten, Damon has kept me supplied with bourbon and now I'm feeling nothing at all. Caroline suggested we play charades and since I'm sitting down I opted out deciding to film everyone and laugh at what they come up with. Stefan has been M.I.A since he put ice on my ankle and wrapped it inn ace bandage, Matt said that he said something about smoking in the garage but he hasn't come back. "I'll be back, I need to get this off my foot and get into something more comfortable." I stand up and damn near hop along the yard while they laugh at me. As I get to my bedroom door I stop and turn to the door across from mine, Stefan's room. I can hear him playing his Les Paul guitar, I hobble over to the door and put my ear on it to hear what he's playing. As soon as I hear the chords string and his voice singing 'Better Than Me' by Hinder that I get choked up.

Not being able to stand it any longer I open his door and step inside his room and I'm instantly hit with the smell of him. His cologne, his detergent, him. It trickles up my nose and swirls inside my head making me gasp the fact that he's singing and playing the guitar doesn't help what I'm feeling. He stops playing and looks up at me, "Everything ok?" I melt right there when I hear his voice. He's sitting on the edge of his made up bed, he's only in jeans and a wife beater. The only light in the room is coming from his closet casting shadows around the room, I nod my head. "Yeah, I just heard you playing and its been a while since I've seen you do it." He smirks at me and I step closer, like a magnet is pulling me to this God of a man. "Sit, I'll play anything you want to hear." I hop over to him and as soon as my ass hits the bed I look into his beautiful green eyes and I'm a goner. "Stef."

The guitar is forgotten as he places it in its rightful spot, as soon as he looks back at me I smile. His shirt is off in seconds and then I'm laying under his solid form, I'm home.