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Chapter Text

A/N: This story was requested by the lovely TVDVampireKat. Since I know she loves Stefan and Katherine together so much. I decided to write this up. I don't think Elena will be making an appearance at all and I'm not sure how many chapters this will be. However, I hope you all like it. It's an AU and All HUMAN story. The pairings will be: Stefan/Katherine, Damon/Lexi and a few other characters will be popping up throughout this story.

Fearless – Chapter One

"Mr. Salvatore...Mr. Salvatore!" Carol Forbes was about to throw him out of her office if he smacked his gum in her direction one more time. He was damn near close to getting thrown out of the University of Notre Dame and here he was, legs spread out with his shirt untucked and blood splatter across his face. Acting as if he didn't give a shit about anything or anyone; maybe he really didn't.

"Gambling and fighting?" She asked him, curious as to what a twenty-four year old young man would be so pissed off about to risk it all. He had a scholarship here, kept his nose clean for the most part and was half way to making everything possible for himself. Stefan Salvatore was on his way to making a name for himself as last year law student; that was if he could stop with the double life he was leading. During the day, he was an intelligent and good looking, rich boy from Washington, D.C. Although, during the night, he was a partying fool with gambling issues and who loved to pick fights with anyone that looked at him the wrong way. No one had known about that last part, until today.

"So," Carol began to say as Stefan nervously shifted in his seat. "I screwed up." He commented, licking his bottom lip nervously as it hit him. This was it, the dean's office and she was nearly snarling at him to say that he was more than screwed after getting caught in the middle of a fight club scenario in the basement of his house after one of his roommates unknowingly called the cops.

"That asshole roommate of mine, Matt Donovan has had it out for me since day one. You know, he did this because he thinks I have a thing for your daughter. It's a set up though." Stefan shrugged, exhaling deeply as he contemplated going back home to Washington. He really didn't want to. To be honest, he wanted to be the farthest possible from there because of what his parents and older brother would say. He should of stayed on their sprawling 20 acre farm and help his older married brother out with maintaining it.

"Stefan. I don't care what part my daughter's boyfriend had in this. The problem here is that you're being expelled from the University and from what I know about you. You're the only one in your family to get this far in an educational setting. Your own brother got married young and never finished college." She sighed, tapping her long red crimson colored fingernails against her desk. Stefan stared up at her for a moment and then spoke in a much softer tone. "I can't go back to D.C. You don't understand how much shit my family is going to give me for this little stunt." He explained as he watched Carol move around a few papers on her desk before she handed him a brochure.

"Luckily, for you. I don't think you'll have to go back there. Listen," She paused for a moment. Carol liked Stefan and she knew his family. The older Salvatore's were all mostly Notre Dame alumni and she did in fact know that people would talk if they found out the youngest son was in hot water at the school. Stefan examined the brochure in his hand, confusingly looking it up and down before he spoke.

"This is a treatment center for troubled youth. Last time I checked, I'm not a child anymore." He clarified as Carol laughed a little, shaking her head.

"Well, then. Allow me to explain. Stefan, I think you're a smart kid and I think that you could do some good here, working with these kids. It's ran by a very sweet young girl who's family donates a lot of money to our campus for our social work department. Her mother was an alumni of the school and now, they run a ranch with therapy programs in Montana for troubled youth." Stefan raised an eyebrow, still very confused about what the hell he'd do there. He had a background with horses as a teenager because his family owned a few acres on the outskirts of the big city. However, Stefan hadn't been around horses in at least two to three years. He didn't remember much about training them either because he barely had ever listened to his brother, Damon when he had tried to teach him about what Stefan needed to know.

"And, you think that I'd do good there? Lady, you're about to expel me from my dream school! I don't spend most of my time with horses. My older brother does that. He's the farmer in the family. What makes you think sending me to the middle of no where is going to help me with anything?" Stefan questioned, becoming a bit agitated.

Carol crossed her arms over her chest and smiled brightly up at him. "I think it would be a good lesson to learn and since I'm the dean of this University. Son, believe me. I can revoke tough decisions as quickly as I can make them. How about instead of expelling you. I send you here for six months, to help them out? Think of it as a suspension from school and a field trip of sorts. This might even teach you to value your education a bit more." Carol offered, watching Stefan's green eyes glisten a bit at her offer.

"So, this whole expulsion would be swept under the rug and after my six months of hell are up at the crazy ranch? I get to come back here and finish things, like nothing ever happened?" Stefan asked eagerly.

Carol laughed a little, clearly amused as she shook her head once again. "No. I want you to check in with me regarding your progress. So that I make sure you aren't screwing around there. So, during your time there, I'm going to have Valerie Pierce's daughter, Katherine make sure you don't screw this up."

"You're going to have me be babysat by some ranch girl?" Stefan asked, scoffing.

Carol walked around her desk and took a seat, inhaling sharply as she placed her hands on top of her desk and stare directly back at Stefan. "Valerie and I are old friends, Stefan. Also, her daughter is a very successful equestrian rider who helps out her parents at the ranch from time to time. Her whole life revolves around the sport and her horses."

Stefan got up, dusting off his hands from his jeans and extending out his right hand to Carol. "Listen, I like this idea of me going out to god knows where and helping some lonely ranch girl. But, I'd rather be expelled from school and go back to D.C. It sounds a lot more interesting." Carol tilted her head to the side, watching him crumple up the brochure and toss it on to her desk.

"Stefan," She shouted after him as he headed towards the door of her office. He'd been in there for almost an hour, listening to her lecture him. Stefan had clearly had enough and he needed a drink, a stiff one.

"I'm giving you a week to think about what I said. You'd be really helping them out. And, yourself too. You might learn some thing good about being responsible!" Carol reminded him, hearing him mumble something under his breath as he walked out of her office without another word.

She loved mornings. She loved the way the damp grass felt under her bare feet as she walked out towards the barn. Katherine loved everything about Bozeman, Montana. The brunette had been lucky enough to grow up on 20 acres of farm land and to be raised in the same house that her grandmother had grown up in too. The house was an older 1930s style ranch home that had been remodeled a few years ago to be a bit more modernized with the times. The barn that was up a hill near the house was rustic with it's red paint chipping off and only housed enough space for her most prized possessions.

"Good morning, princess." Katherine cooed, gliding her fingers over the white strip across the horse's shoulder. It was too early in the morning for stress, Katherine thought to herself as she looked around the stables. Things had changed so much in the last year of her life that she'd been so afraid to leave the old parts of herself behind. Yet, she needed to let it all go. Even though it was harder than she had thought it to be.

"Out here again?" A familiar voice called out to her, his heavy boots making the snow crunch underneath his feet as he walked up behind her with a bale of hay. She nodded, glancing down at her scuffed up dark brown old riding boots. She missed the sport, the rush and everything else that accompanied being an equestrian endurance rider. It made her heartache that all she could do now was come out to the stables; feed the horses and clean the barn.

"I think the doctor ordered it. You know, since I can't ride. I might as well be out here, trying to figure out what I'm going to do next with my life." She sighed out deeply, hearing the bale of hay drop to the ground as she leaned up against one of the doors that led to a now empty stable. After her head injury, everything had changed. The prized horse in which Katherine had been riding was taken away from her family and her dreams of winning another competition had been crushed. Racing and competitions had been out of the question for months.

"The damn accident placed you in a coma, Katherine. You're lucky to be alive!" The man stated with a bit of anger in his tone. He was her best friend since they were kids, he knew everything there was to know about her and just like everyone else, he hated that a year later; she wanted nothing more than to get back on a horse and go riding again.

"Elijah." Katherine began, lifting up her hand to stop him from talking any further. Yet, he still wasn't having it.

"Katherine, another dangerous fall. Another horse show or a race," Elijah paused, licking his bottom lip before he stated blatantly. "It could kill you!"

She nodded, as if she hadn't already known that. When Katherine had awoken from her near death experience; everything was different. She had to relearn how to walk and do things on her own. Her mother and nearly everyone that had stayed vigilant by her bedside had thought she was going to die multiple times; including Elijah.

"I almost lost you!" He told her, rolling his eyes as she puffed out an annoyed breath and came to stand in front of him. Katherine extended out her arms towards him, pulling him into a hug as she stood on her tippy toes and pressed her body against his. Elijah had been there for Katherine throughout everything, he'd been her biggest support system and at the time; her long time boyfriend.

"I love you. But, you know that this is why we broke up. Because, I can't leave this behind and you want me to do just that." Katherine's hands slipped away from his face as she took a step back and closed her eyes. She had been dreaming of the day where she would be able to ride again, to feel the wind blowing through her dark long curly hair. It's all she wanted; to get better and to become an even better competitor.

Elijah gave her a disappointed glance as he crossed his arms over one another and inhaled through gritted teeth. "Fine. You don't want to give that up, I get it. You love the thrill and the adrenaline rush that riding gives you." He cleared his throat as she watched him shift his weight, hearing him sigh deeply before adding on. "So, how about we comprise? I have a horse that I need to give to someone and I want it to be you. I want you to train her. I want you to do it because you are that good and I wouldn't trust anyone else with her. Besides, you two have something in common. You both used to race." Elijah offered as Katherine gave him a perplexed look. Maybe agreeing to taking the horse in would make Elijah realize that Katherine was doing better, that she was ready to get back into the saddle and continue her dreams of being a top notch equestrian rider.

Clearing her throat, she clarified quickly. "The horses that your family houses for us are part of my parent's treatment program on the ranch. They're all tame. Elijah, I don't train them. I ride them, that's all I know."

He laughed, glancing at her from across the stables as he said. "I know you do and this is going to be a challenge for you. But, you can do it! So, how about once you train her. She'll be all yours. Because, at the moment. She won't allow anyone near her. She's an awfully energetic thoroughbred and I'm sure that you and her will get along just great." He told Katherine as she crossed her arms over her chest, thinking about his words. The last thing she needed was some unruly horse to train.

"Fine." Elijah heard her state in a soft tone. "What's her name and when do I get to meet her?"

He excitedly clapped his hands together, pulling Katherine into a tight hug as he kissed the top of her head, telling her how amazing she was. "Thank you! Her name is Stella and I'll have you come over tomorrow morning to meet her. Before we start our new group of kids at the ranch. How's 7 am sound?" He asked as she still felt a bit reluctant to what she was exactly agreeing upon.

"Sure, 7 in the morning is fine." She stated, watching Elijah head back to his truck as he grinned widely at her and told her that he'd be seeing her then. Katherine shrugged her shoulders, standing all alone once again in the middle of the stables while hearing him add on that he needed to go to the feed store to get more hay bales for the horses. She watched him leave as she took a deep breath. Training would be a good thing, wouldn't it? She thought to herself. Maybe it could get her mind off of all the things she felt she was missing in her life.

A/N: So, thoughts?

Chapter Text

A/N: This story is no longer being updated.
After years away, I’ve moved into writing original fiction and started a brand-new series called Cascade Ridge.
If you’d like to follow my new work, you can find me on Wattpad under WovenEmbers. 💛