A/N: *I don't own the characters or anything that comes along with the vampire diaries. I'm just playing in their sandbox… =D* This Story doesn't follow the series completely as I use some of the storyline from both the books and TV show, as well as add my own twist to it. In my story, up to now Elena had found out the Salvatore brothers are vampires and has accepted that but she is unaware of their history with Katherine other than that they were both heartbroken over the same girl so they don't get along. It's the way I saw S1E10 playing out after she found the picture. The story is a little O/C and AU But its Delena so it's gotta be a little twisted *Winks* =D

Truth Be Told

Chapter One- Ending before it begins.

"NO STEPHEN! I just can't…" I pleaded.

"You have to listen cause you're making a HUGH mistake!" insisted Stephen.

"No Stephen you listen, all we have is lies!" I exclaimed exasperated

"No Ela-"he started

"No Stephen." I cut him off. "You lied and broke the only thing we had. Trust. It is everything a good relationship has. It is the fundamental building block that any relationship is made of. And don't even get me started on that picture…" I trailed off choking on the thought, tears threatening to spill over.

"You don't understand, YOU are not her Elena, you are everything to me and she is nothing." He begged.

"And is that supposed to make me feel better?" I ask incredulously. "Stephen you have no idea what this means do you?" I asked genuinely shocked that he couldn't see why I was having such a hard time with this situation.

"It means nothing Elena! She was a bitch that toyed with both me and my brother; you are kind and caring and have so much love within you an-"He cut off when I made a cut gesture with my hand.

"That isn't what I'm talking about Stephen and I think that's why you're listening but not hearing me." I paused making sure I had his full attention. "The problem is simply trust Stephen. It means more to me than anything and you broke that. I gave you my virginity and what feels like seconds later I find out the ex, you and your brother are so crushed over looks exactly like me! I have no idea how to process that information by the way but that is neither here nor there." I paused, trying to collect my thoughts while pacing the floor in front of Stephen. "What I'm trying to say is that I thought I knew you Stephen. I thought that no matter what we could be honest with each other. I accepted the fact that you were a vampire, as crazy as that is and you didn't think to mention this little fact?" I asked rhetorically.

"Elena I-"He began again but I was finished so I silenced him again.

"I don't want an answer. I gave you everything, every piece of me Stephen and you accepted it knowing that you have been hiding things. Knowing that you were being deceitful!" I half yelled, my anger growing. "So for that and that alone, I'm leaving and I won't be coming back. Nor will I be calling." I finished, tears welling up in my eyes. My anger vanishing only to be replaced with regret and heartbreak.

"I was too afraid to tell you, I figured you would leave me and I didn't want that to happen. It looks like I was right." He huffed, stuffing his hands in his pockets and kicking at something on the floor. Is he looking for sympathy? I thought as I felt my anger come back full tilt but he continued before I could comment. "If you'd let me explain, Katherine turned my brother and I. She used u-" He started to tell his tale before I cut him off yet again.

"I said I don't want to hear it Stephen. You didn't want to share this with me before we made love, what changes that situation now? Because I found her picture?" I hissed. "I don't think that's a good enough of a reason. I'm going home now Stephen." I said grabbing my bag off of the chair. Turning on my heel I started for the door. As I reached for the door handle Stephen was there standing in the way. His face was a mixture between pain and anger. Grabbing me by the shoulder he shook me stiffly.

"No Elena I cannot accept that, we have something too special to just throw it away without even an explanation. You have to listen to me and then you can make your decision." He said his grip getting tighter. His tone sent shivers up my arms and not good ones.

"NO Stephen, I've made my decision. Let go of me, your starting to hurt me." I said as sternly as I could manage, my panic rising. Suddenly we were in motion, when we stopped I was cuffed to the radiator in Stephen's room.

"And I have made my decision." He said turning and seeing the stunned look on my face. "You will listen to me and if you don't, I will rip the necklace off and compel you to listen." He hissed until suddenly a twisted smile broke out across his face. "Or maybe I'll just compel you to forget you even saw the picture." He said, his smile growing wider.

"Stephen you can't do that. You can't take my memory and pretend like none of this happened. You can't just erase the memories you don't like, it would be like forcing me to love you!" I pleaded with him. I was now just plain scared and would do anything to keep him talking. To maybe get through to him because the Stephen I knew would never do this to me. This was a Damon move. Until a horrible thought struck me, I don't know Stephen at all. Wasn't I just saying that a minute ago?

"Oh you won't have a clue what happened. It will be like everything was magical and you went home and slept a little longer because of how passionate we were…" He trailed off with a smile, coming up with his cover story. Apparently we were going to have a fairy tale night and forget this whole thing happened. Could that actually happen? Is he really going to do this to me? I thought to myself. I was trembling now, fear seeping into every bone of my body. There's no way my mind would let me forget this betrayal, the fear mixed with heartbreak, those were strong emotions to just get rid of. I won't forget this no matter how well he compels me, I promised myself.

"So would you like to work things out Elena? Will you listen to me and talk this over till we come to a solution?" Stephen asked with a hint of a threat in his tone.

"Stephen, we have talked and I have come up with a solution you just don't want to accept it!" I said tears streaming down my face. "Please just let me go home. I won't ever say any of this to anyone and we will go our separate ways. You don't want to do this to me. Please Stephen just let me go home." I begged him feeling like it was my last chance to get through to him how awful he was acting.

"You just won't be reasonable Elena. Stubborn, that's what you are. Why won't you listen to all the facts before you decide to break my heart? Why won't you even consider working this out?" he said pleadingly. I could see the pain and guilt plastered all over his face. He knew what he was doing was wrong but he just wouldn't accept the inevitable.

"Stephen please, you have to listen to me carefully, it isn't about the facts, it's about the betrayal. You deceived me and omitted the truth after I open myself up to you, fully giving you my body and soul. How do you think I'm going to feel if you compel me and sometime down the line I manage to remember? How betrayed will I feel then? Whatever life we may have together would be tainted forever and that is only if something doesn't happen to break us up before then. You can't just compel every argument we ever have away." I insisted trying to get him to see reason. Sighing he walked over to me and knelt down his lips just grazing my ear.

"Elena we belong together. I will do this and we will have a second chance and you will see that I was right. One day I will give you back your memories and you will thank me, I promise." He whispered and kissed my forehead. By this time I was crying so hard my whole body was shaking.

"No no no no no. Please, if you give me time… I may be able to forgive you. Just please let me go in one piece and we'll talk in a few days…" I said trying anything to compromise with him. My hand went to my neck to make a feeble attempt to keep the trinket close to me but it was already gone. I closed my eyes knowing that I'd lost and any minute I wouldn't remember one second of this and I concentrated every ounce of my determination into remembering every emotion I was feeling because that is what will bring my memory back. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't take my feelings.

"Fine," I sobbed. "You think anything you'd like. I will hate you for this Stephen. That is something you can be damn sure of." I snarled glaring at him. He focused his gaze on me and I could feel my body start to get heavy and my head got hazy.

"Elena, you will remember nothing from this night. All you will remember is how much we love each other and how passionate our love making was. I took you home early and you snuck up to your room and fell asleep before you had a chance to talk to anyone else in the house that is why they didn't hear you come in. When you think about tonight you will only remember what I have just told you." He said in a trance like voice.

"Only remember what you told me…" I agreed groggily.

"Sleep now Elena. I will come for you tomorrow…" he whispered as I dozed off into the bliss of darkness.

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When I came back into consciousness I was warm and comfortable. Opening my eyes to the darkness of my room I sighed. It was just a dream, closing my eyes I tried to drift back off to sleep.

"Elena…" a voice whispers.

"Nope." I mumble turning over and cuddling into my covers, thinking I was still just dreaming.

"Princess… You need to open your eyes…" The voice whispers again a little louder.

"Hmmm… I don't want to…" I mumbled again. Man my thoughts were annoying; couldn't they see I was trying to sleep? I huffed and snuggled closer to the warmth beside me, my arms wrapping around a torso. Wait… something isn't right… but what? I asked myself.

"Okay but just remember that I tried." The voice purred and I was enveloped in warmth.

"Gwood…" I hummed half asleep again sighing contently. I could feel someone chuckle underneath me and it made me smile. Wait…

"WHAT THE HELL?!" I exclaimed leaping out of my bed going for my light switch which caused me to stub my toe on my desk. "SON OF A-" I yipped as I clutched my toe as a hand covered my mouth, another one steadied me and I was face to face with none other than Damon Salvatore.

"You're going to wake the whole damn house if you keep yelling like that." Damon smirked. "If you want, I could give you something pleasant to yell about?" He commented with an eye brow raised. I could help but smile behind his hand and roll my eyes.

"Hmm Hmm Hmm" I replied into his hand.

"Sorry what?" he said keeping his hand over my mouth and turning his ear to me.

"I said, ha, ha, ha." I replied after prying his hand away from my face. "What are you doing here Damon?" I asked realizing he still had a hold of my waist and a tingle of pleasure shot through my body.

"Well I have an unfortunate situation I find myself in and am in need of your advice actually." He replied seriously, releasing his hold on me.

"If you couldn't wait until tomorrow, don't you think a phone call would have sufficed?" I asked pretending to be annoyed but not really pulling it off.

"Nope, I think this is a "in person" kind of thing." He frowned and turned to sit on the bed. I walked over to my bed lamp and switched it on and climbed back under the covers wait to hear the problem.

"Okay, shoot." I prodded after a few minutes of silence.

"Well… um…" Damon hesitated seeming at a loss for words, which instantly made me nervous. Was he actually looking at me with pity in his eyes? I asked myself, mentally giving my head a shake.

"Spit it out Damon." I urged. Whatever it was, it couldn't be good.

"Do you remember what you did last night?" He asked in a rush. Suddenly I had chills running throughout my now tense body as I nodded my head yes.

"Ye- yes, o-of Course I remember what I di-did…" I stumbled, my mind going into over drive.

Do you remember? A voice inside my head asked. Yes, I replied to myself, I was with Stephen and we spent a passionate night together. After he took me home… I was so happy and I fell asleep… at some point in my musing I realized I was acting insane talking to myself. Insane or not, if your night was so passionate why is your body going into shock? The voice sneered at me. Shock? I ask stunned.

Feel…

When I tuned back into my bodies reaction I realized I was in the fetal position with Damon holding my shaking body whispering soothing things to me. Well I guess you have a point but I don't feel anything only numbness. How did I get here? I asked myself incredulously.

"Shh… I'm sorry… it's Okay, You're okay…" Damon chants over and over, his voice as soft as silk.

"I-I don't un-understand…" I gasp. "I re-member ha-having a wonder-derful ni-night." I managed before I lost all control of coherent speech. I felt trapped in my own head. I just couldn't understand why? You're not trying very hard to understand, you need to focus… the voice taunted me. Focus? On what? I ask myself.

Listen…

"Elena, you need to look at me…" Damon demanded his voice full of authority with a twinge of panic. I don't know how long I'd been arguing with myself but apparently it was long enough for Damon to start to worry, And what was with the look at him thing. I was looking at him. "No Elena you've got to look at my eyes, I can help you. Please let me help you." He pleaded softly with me. Something in his voice caught my attention. I tried to gain any control over my body and found that it took a lot of effort but slowly I pulled my eye up to meet Damon's.

"That's my girl." He said taking my face in his hands and focusing his gaze.

I could feel when I connected with Damon. I could feel his presents in my thoughts but couldn't see or hear him. It's not that easy…The voice scoffed. What's not easy? I snapped. This was starting to get annoying; I wish I would just cut to the chase. I'm getting sick of the games. Oh god. I really must be crazy. You promised… The voice implored. Promised what exactly?

See…

Suddenly the night flashed through my mind like a slide show from a third person perspective. Me giving myself to Stephen… the picture… the argument… Cuffed to the radiator… crying begging him to let me go… my promise to remember… his promise that I would thank him… the last picture is the blank look on my face when his was compelling me.

Remember…

That is when the pain penetrated every inch of my being making my body turn in on itself. The heartbreaking betrayal, the fear from being cuffed to the radiator and the overwhelming sense of helplessness had me gasping for air. That is when I felt Damon's arms tuck my into his body as his influence washed over me. I could feel a numbing calm flow throughout my body until my breathing returned to normal and my body relaxed. I found myself curled up against Damon's chest with my head in my hands; my fingers weaved into my hair. Slowly releasing my hair, I let my hands fall and leaned my head against Damon's chest focusing on his breathing.

"There you go. Relax… let you heart rate come down to a human level." He smirked into my hair, his voice like liquid honey.

"What the hell just happened to me Damon?" I croaked my voice sore from not speaking for a while.

"That Princess is either one of two things. The compulsion was either done wrong or your free will was just too strong. I'm betting it's the latter considering you let me into your mind but wouldn't let me let help you." He said in a kind of awe. His arms tightening slightly around me. "I have never met anyone that fought the compulsion. You only let me in when you truly remembered for yourself." He finished.

"So you were in my mind? Were you seeing and hearing the same things as me?" I asked an embarrassed blush flushing my face.

"Yes." He said simply.

"I guess you think I'm crazy." I finished somewhat sadly. For some reason the thought of him not liking me stung a bit. I cared what he thought.

"No crazier than a hundred year old vampire." He chuckles giving me squeeze. "No Elena, What I got a chance to see tonight is you're determination, bravery and stubborn pride. Not to mention some of my brothers darker moments." He grimaced.

"I don't know what I'm going to do. I can't pretend I don't know… and I don't know what he'll do if I tell him I remember." My heartbeat sped up a little at that and I'm ashamed to admit that I was scared. I don't know what Stephen was capable of anymore.

"I'm so sorry Elena…" Damon blurted out, guilt pouring from him. "If I hadn't been such a pansy, I would have been there to hear you, too stop him…" he murmured.

"It's okay Damon. It isn't your job to protect me." I said with a heavy sigh. "wait, how do you even know anything?" I asked shocked, I doubt Stephen opened up to him about this.

"with Stephen on the bunny diet my power is stronger, I caught him carrying you home and I compelled him to tell me why you were passed out. I got the gist of the story and came in after he left to see if I could help." He said with a shrug. I turned to look at him and could see his face.

"Why would you do that?" I asked genuinely surprise. I know he has had some issues with Stephen but they were still brothers, helping me wouldn't help Stephen. Then it hit me, the picture. I look exactly like her, which has to stir up some feelings in both Salvatore brothers. The thought that Damon only cared for me cause I looked like his ex, gave me a pang of heartache. I didn't feel this way with Stephen. I only felt betrayed from his deceit. With Damon it felt more personal.

"Well I can't have you thinking my brother is a saint, now could I?" He quipped, obviously growing uncomfortable.

"It's because I look like Katherine isn't it? I remind you of her don't I?" I asked in a small voice saying her name for the first time. He stopped breathing for longer than humanly possible and when he didn't answer right away I sighed heavily, feeling even more defeated then I previously had. "That's what I thought…" I trailed off; one single tear escaping down my cheek, thoroughly grateful I was still resting against his chest so none of this was visible to him.

"You can tell your thoughts that there wrong." He breathed finally breaking his silence. "You are nothing like she was. You don't even look like her to me anymore." He admitted and it was my turn to go silent. "Elena I came here because you are always trying to tell me to do the right thing and you may think I don't listen to you when you say those things but I do. For some reason I want to do better for you. I want you to have a reason to believe I'm worth saving." He volunteered his words making me melt.

"You don't have to give me a reason Damon. I know you're worth saving because I can see something wonderful in you." I said finally lifting my head and letting our eyes lock so he could see that I was sincere.

"See this is what I mean when I say I could never compare her to you." He whispered with wonder in his eyes. "You are lying in my arms after going through a traumatic experience not once but twice and you're trying to convince me that I'm worth saving. There's no category for a girl like you Elena." He finished as he gently brushed her hair from her face.

"Well, I call 'em as I see 'em" I chuckled. Not really knowing what else to say. "I honestly don't know what I am going to do about Stephen though." I said steering the conversation away from me and his ex.

"I have a few ideas'…" He trailed off, an evil glint forming in his eyes.

A/N: Okay so please don't be too harsh on me! This is the very first time I've attempted fan fiction and this idea just popped up out of NO WHERE and I just had to write it. I wasn't planning on writing any fan fiction. I love reading it but have a hard time writing it but as I said the idea just kept nagging at me until I had to give it a shot! If you love Stephen this may not be your kind of story because in my story Stephen has the potential to get darker and I plan on going with the Delena theme right off the hop. Please review and tell me what you think! I have a hard time improving myself if I don't know what needs improvement! =P I'm also open to suggestions to what you'd like to read, right now I'm just letting the characters take me away… thx for reading! XD –Karlita xoxo