Elena was stretching her hand out with a wide smile on her face. Stefan was looking at her hand that was hoovering in the air in front of his body, then moved his confused look to her face. He glanced at Damon who looked as confused as Stefan was. When Elena realized the man who's standing in front of her is not going to greet her, she looked at Damon who was looking at her with a confused face expression. Then she looked back at the man in front of her and moved her hand closer to her body.

„Get her inside" – Stefan ordered Damon.

„But.." – Damon said, still confused. He knew what happened. Or he could have guessed what happened. But still, that knowledge did not wash away shock and confusion from his face.

„I told you to get her into the house" – Stefan sinabi while moving in the direction of the forest that was surrounding their house.

„Where are you going?" – Damon yelled after him.

„To find Klaus" – Stefan answered loudly.

Stefan knew exactly where Klaus was. He had watched over him over for the past week without Klaus even knowing it. Or at least he thought so. He knew that Klaus took residence in the house on the edge of the town, and he took the shortcut trough the forrest to reach the house. Anger was boiling inside of him. He felt like he could tear Klaus apart with his bare hands if he showed up in front of him at the moment. He didn't remember the last time he felt so.. furious. That fury, that rage was leading him, and he did not like the feeling of it. But he couldn't help himself. Plus, he was hungry. No, he was starving. Hunger mixed with rage was not a good feeling, especially not for Stefan. But in the moments, when his weaknesses got trough his strength, he felt sad, and scared. Elena was looking at him like she was seeing him for the first time. And not in a good way. She was literally looking at him like she has never seen him before. She did not know his name, and she wasn't putting her hands around his neck after getting up from the ground. She simply stretched out her hand to him like he was a stranger. And the look in her eyes, it was simply empty. And that made him said, because when he looked at her, he couldn't find her anymore. He couldn't see the girl he fell in pag-ibig with. And he was scared of thinking he never will. He finally reached the house on the edge of the town. He climbed on the porch and kicked big white doors with his foot.

„Klaus!" – he screamed as he stepped in the house.

„Stefan. I was expecting you" – he heard a voice coming from the room on his left. He entered the room and saw Klaus sitting on the sofa. Blonde girl was sitting susunod to him, with her head on his shoulder, and with her wrist in his mouth. There was blood all over her hand, but she looked liked she's enjoying herself. Klaus did not have any blood on his face, though. Bampira as old as him were not messy eaters.

„I suppose you want to know what I did to your lovely Elena" – he sinabi while putting girl's wrist on her lap.

„What I did, you mean?" – the woman appeared behind him. She looked at Stefan with an evil smirk on her face, then sat on the sofa susunod to Klaus.

„Witches, always have to brag about their work" – Klaus sinabi while smirking.

He looked at Stefan who was frowning.

„Ah yes, lovely Elena.." – Klaus sinabi silently. „I was thinking, how to make you pay for taking away my family, and not giving them back after I asked you so nicely" – Klaus got up from the sofa. „I thought about torturing you so you can experience slow and painful death, but what would that do, when you would be dead in the end? And then I figured it out. The best way to hurt you.. is sa pamamagitan ng hurting the woman you love" – Klaus was standing in front of Stefan, and he could feel anger boiling inside of him. He could also see it in his eyes.

„I thought about killing her, but then Amalia here" – he pointed at the woman who was sitting on the sofa, „pointed out I might need madami of Elena's blood. And she introduced me to this spell. She took away every memory Elena had of you. Every moment you shared. But you remember, don't you? And you'll have to live with that. You'll have to look at her every single day, as she moves on with her life, as she falls in pag-ibig with other men, and you won't be able to do anything about it. It's a perfect punishment, isn't it? She will be there, but she won't really be there. Worse than death" – Klaus went back to his upuan and cerassed the hand of his witch.

Nothing was worse than Elena dying – Stefan thought. But somehow, this was. And as much as he hated to admit it, Klaus was right, this was the perfect punishment for him. Just sa pamamagitan ng thinking about how he'll have to watch the ghost of the woman he loves moving on in some other life without him, was breaking his heart. Seeing her, but not being able to touch her. Talk to her, but not being able to share memories. Those thoughts made him ten times angrier than he was, and the urges to tear Klaus were back again, and his eyes were ipinapakita it.

„Now, now Stefan" – Klaus sinabi while reaching for the girl's wrist again. „We both know that you attacking me would be a stupid idea. One bite, and you're gone."

And he was right again. One bite, and he's gone. And for a moment, being gone seemed like a good idea to Stefan. But he knew he would never take that way, he would never take the easy way out. At least not while Elena is still there. He knew that as long as she walks and breaths he will be there, protecting her, even if she doesn't know who he is. He will be loving her, even if she doesn't pag-ibig him back. And he will be hers, even if she's someone's else.

„You can go now, I won't try to stop you. I know your torture will only begin now" – Klaus replied while sucking blood from young girl's wrist.

Without thinking, Stefan turned around and started walking to the exit.

„Oh Stefan" – Klaus called. Stefan turned around. „Don't think about asking your little witchy friend to break the spell. You see, this spell is like locked door. Only one key can open it.. the one that closed it. You can try and break the door to get in, but if you do, you break Elena too" – he sinabi while keeping that evil smile painted all over his face. Stefan wanted to erease that smile, but he contained himself. He simply turned around and walked outside. He was standing on the porch for good 10 minutes, thinking about taking his ring off and walking into sunlight. He thought about going away, from the town. About moving on to some other place. He thought about a lot of things that included him not going back to that house. But then he remembered, she's there. Elena is there. Maybe not his Elena, but one form of her is. So he started walking trough the forest towards the house. It wasn't a long walk, but every segundo he had to spend alone with his thoughts felt like a century. Every step he took, he had a feeling he's walking towards his own destruction. And there was silence in the woods, in the worst moment possible, there was silence. He could even hear the sound of leaves falling on the ground. Even the sound of wind going trough the branches sounded louder than usual. His head was pounding, but as soon as he walked out of the forest as saw the house, calmness surrounded him. Without any hesitation, he kept walking towards the door, and in the moment he wanted to grab the handle, the doors opened and Caroline walked out.

„Stefan.." – she sinabi silently. It was madami of a whisper.

Stefan did not know does she know what has happened, or does she know what is he doing there. All that he know she could be randomly stopping sa pamamagitan ng the house. And Caroline saw that in his eyes, the fact he was Nawawala in his own thoughts and buried in his feelings.

„Damon explained me everything" – she finally said. He nodded to her. „But I don't understand" – she continued. „She remembers me. And Damon. And she seems perfectly fine. Didn't Klaus mess up with her memory?"

„Her memory is perfectly fine" – Stefan replied. But he knew there is something wrong with that statement. Her memory was not perfectly fine.

„But Damon told me that she didn't recognize you."

„Klaus.. his witch. She didn't mess up with her memory. She only erased me from it."

And somehow, the word erased seemed wrong. If something is erased, it means that it's gone. But he was still there. And she is going to see him, and meet him, and talk to him, even if she's going to think she's doing it for the first time ever. And everything they had – every kiss, every hug, every conversation, every touch – he remembers them. And he always will. He'll remember them for both of them.

„But how does she explain everything to herself if you never existed?" – Caroline was confused. „Did she got some new memories to fill the hole you left?"

„No, I don't think so. I don't think she even had time to process it yet, or need to. If she began to, she would be confused."

Caroline saw the pain in Stefan's eyes. She could not even imagine how is he feeling at the moment. Having all those memories, all those feelings, and the woman with whom he shared those memories and feelings does not even remember he was once such a huge part of her life. She thought that she would never have enough strength to stick around someone who has no memories of her, and she admired Stefan, because she knew he's not going anywhere. He'll be there for Elena, no matter what.

„Stefan, just don't.."

„I know" – he interrupted her in the middle of the sentence. „I won't make her remember anything. I'll.. adapt to her" – he said. She tilted her head and nodded to him. He managed to put a half smile on his face and nodded back to her.

„And Stefan!" – Caroline yelled as he turned around. „Welcome home."

„Thank you, Caroline" – he replied, and this time, truly smiled at her with a full smile. She smiled back to him.

Stefan stepped in the house. It was still warm. He heard someone in the living room. He walked in, and there she was, putting her stuff back in her bag. The floor squeaked under his feet and she instantly turned around.

„You again" – she sinabi happily.

„Yes. Sorry for running of earlier.. very rude of me."

She had put her stuff down on the mesa and walked to him.

„I'm Elena" – she stretched out her hand to him again.

Stefan looked at her hand, and this time he was sure he won't run away. But touching her skin now seemed impossible. It seemed like a step too far. He was sure that such a little, insignificant thing could drive him over the edge of sanity. Probably because the part of him hoped that when she touches him, she will magically remember everything.

„I'm Stefan" – he stretched out his hand to her and shaked it. „Damon's brother."

But she didn't feel anything. She didn't remember anything. She shook his hand and kept smiling. She touched him, and her skin was cold. And she wasn't as caring to him like she used to be. And he understood why, but it still felt strange. And it hurt.

„Speaking of, where is Damon?" – Stefan asked.

„I don't know, he went out, I think" – she replied while putting the rest of her stuff in her bag.

„Have we met before?" – she asked.

Of course we did – Stefan thought. We kissed in front of this house for the first time. You also told me you loved me there, for the first time. We made pag-ibig in the room right above this one, countless times. I pag-ibig you, and once, in not such distant past, you loved me back.

„No, I don't think we did."

„Are you sure? I can swear I saw you before.. you seem so familiar."

That words stung Stefan right in the heart.

„It's impossible. This is my first time visiting" – he replied.

„Oh well, could be just my imagination. Anyway, I need to get home. It was nice meeting you, Stefan. I guess I'll be seeing you around."

„I guess you will."

She smiled to him, waved, and disappeared from the house, leaving him alone in his own despair. But before he had let himself drown in his own thoughts, he started walking towards his room. He didn't wanted someone to see him like that, like a sad little tuta with tears in his eyes and broken puso he wears on the palm of his hand. He entered his room, and wave of memories washed over him. Everything in that room reminded him of her. Somehow, things that didn't even have any connection to here were screaming her name. Sheets were full of her smell, and walls were whispering with her voice. Everything she touched seemed madami beautiful. He walked to his dresser and picked up a picture of them. He touched it with his thumb, gently like he would touch her, and got a strong need to throw that picture out of the window. To break the frame and tear up the picture. He wanted to make that memory go away, simply because it had hurt so much. But he knew he would never, because now, memories are all that he has. He smiled at the picture, opened the drawer of his dresser and put it in. He knew he's not going anywhere. He will stay sa pamamagitan ng her side even if she never remembers him. He will protect her, and pag-ibig her, and cherish her, even if she's not his. He will watch over her, even if he has to watch her with some other man. He knew that he would never leave her. She is his girl. His love. His puso and his soul. Everything that is good about him. Somehow she made him better, and she made him a man just sa pamamagitan ng loving him. And he fell in pag-ibig with every feature of her face and with every word that comes out of her mouth. And he still is, he's still falling in pag-ibig with her. With every segundo of the day, he loves her a little bit more. I will find you, my pag-ibig – he thought and closed the drawer.