Chapter Twelve

                                    

                                          

Due to Damon's two-seater, the trio struggled to fit in the car as Saraphina sat in the middle of the driver's and passenger's seat. 
                          
"Remind to never do this again", She huffed.
                          
Damon stared ahead at the road and drove as he replied, "Dually noted."
                          
"Alaric sure likes his weapons", Stefan said looking down at a uniquely formed glass bottle filled with liquid. Damon looked over at the item and asked, "The hell is that?"
                          
"I don't know, it's a vervain bomb, or a grenade launcher, or something like that", Stefan replied looking up. "Weird."
                          
"Hey, how much further is it?"
                          
"About 80 miles", Damon replied.
                          
"Who do you think took her?" Stefan questioned both of his siblings.
                          
Damon answered, "Someone from Katherine's past. She said she was running from someone. They got the wrong girl."
                          
Stefan sent Damon a long look as Saraphina mumbled, "Clearly."
                          
"But you know who she was running from", Stefan said to his sister. "Don't you?"
                          
She shrugged, "Perhaps."
                          
Damon rolled his eyes, "Now's not the time for your one worders Sara."
                          
Saraphina hummed. "Okay. Would you believe me if I said it's someone extremely dangerous?More so than I?"
                          
"Well that just gives me false hope that we'll get Elena back", Damon said looking to Stefan.
                          
"Enough. We'll get her back. It doesn't matter who or what has her, we'll get her back", Stefan replied and Saraphina watched her brother carefully. During her time as a human, she's never seen her brother care so much for someone the way he did Elena. She of course didn't count Katherine, mostly because in her opinion, her brothers weren't in love with her, they were obsessed. 
                          
"Thank you for helping me", Stefan suddenly said. "Both of you."
                          
"Can we not do the whole road trip bonding thing? The cliche of it all makes me itch", Damon groaned as Sara snorted. They were so much alike it actually bothered her. 
                          
"Oh, come on Damon", Stefan said gazing out of the window. "We both know that you being in this car has absolutely nothing to do with me anyway."
                          
"The elephant in the room lets out a mighty roar", Damon replied dramatically. 
                          
"It doesn't have to be an elephant", Stefan said, obviously wanting to get to the bottom of how his brother was feeling. "Let's talk about it. Sara doesn't mind, right?"
                          
"By all means, talk. Please", She quickly said trying to ignore the feeling claustrophobia she was getting. "If it'll get you both to shut up, then, by all means, resolve whatever issues lie between you and the human."
                          
"There's nothing to talk about", Damon laughed.
                          
"That's not true. I'm sure there is. Just get it out. I mean, are you in this car because you want to help your little brother save the girl that he loves? Or is it...is it because you love her too?" Stefan's question led further while Saraphina listened in on Damon's heartbeat which was ironically enough off the chain. She was surprised she was still able to do that given her recent attempts. "Hmm? I mean come on, express yourself. I happen to like road trip..bonding", He continued.