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She had come home.
This was where she belonged, and she had found it at last. With Stefan, she was home.
He pulled back slightly, and she could feel that he was trembling.
"Oh, Elena," he whispered against her lips. We can't –
"We already have," she whispered, and drew him back down again.
It was almost as if she could hear his thoughts, could feel his feelings. Pleasure and desire raced
between them, connecting them, drawing them closer. And Elena sensed, too, a wellspring of deeper
emotions within him. He wanted to hold her forever, to protect her from all harm. He wanted to
defend her from any evil that threatened her. He wanted to join his life with hers.
She felt the tender pressure of his lips on hers, and she could hardly bear the sweetness of it. Yes,
she thought. Sensation rippled through her like waves on a still, clear pond. She was drowning in it,
both the joy she sensed in Stefan and the delicious answering surge in herself. Stefan's love bathed
her, shone through her, lighting every dark place in her soul like the sun. She trembled with pleasure,
with love, and with longing.
He drew back slowly, as if he could not bear to part from her, and they looked into each other's eyes
with wondering joy.
They did not speak. There was no need for words. He stroked her hair, with a touch so light that she
could scarcely feel it, as if he was afraid she might break in his hands. She knew, then, that it had not
been hatred that had made him avoid her for so long. No, it had not been hatred at all.
Elena had no idea how much later it was that they quietly went down the stairs of the boarding
house. At any other time, she would have been thrilled to get into Stefan's sleek black car, but tonight
she scarcely noticed it. He held her hand as they drove through the deserted streets.
The first thing Elena saw as they approached her house was the lights.
"It's the police," she said, finding her voice with some difficulty. It was odd to talk after being silent
so long. "And that's Robert's car in the driveway, and there's Matt's," she said. She looked at Stefan,
and the peace that had filled her suddenly seemed fragile. "I wonder what happened. You don't
suppose Tyler's already told them… ?"
"Even Tyler wouldn't be that stupid," said Stefan.
He pulled up behind one of the police cars, and reluctantly Elena unclasped her hand from his. She
wished with all her heart that she and Stefan could just be alone together, that they would never need
to face the world.
But there was no help for it. They walked up the pathway to the door, which was open. Inside, the
house was a blaze of lights.
Entering, Elena saw what seemed like dozens of faces turned toward her. She had a sudden vision
of what she must look like, standing there in the doorway in the sweeping black velvet cloak, with
Stefan Salvatore at her side. And then Aunt Judith gave a cry and was holding her in her arms, shaking
her and hugging her all at once.
"Elena! Oh, thank God you're safe. But where have you been? And why didn't you call? Do you
realize what you've put everyone through?"
Elena stared around the room in bewilderment. She didn't understand a thing.
"We're just glad to see you back," said Robert.