One Of The Ones
Chapter 1: There Is No Pain
Damon and Elena were lounging on the tattered and well-worn cushions of the sofa in the Gilbert house, laughing loudly and endlessly at the vampires of Twilight. Elena's feet rested in Damon's lap, the popcorn bowl in Elena's. But, it wasn't as awkward as Elena thought it'd be. She'd been reluctant to watch a movie alone in the dark with Damon, but she'd eventually given in and now she was a having a great time, a first for her in months. Since Stefan had left them all behind to be Klaus' shadow (or his bitch, as Alaric had charmingly put it), they'd all been high-strung and expectant for another attack. Instead, there'd been silence for over six months. They were just starting to lapse back into a comfortable rut.
Elena laughed again as sappy Edward watched boring Bella sleep.
"Can you believe this guy?" Damon managed to choke out, spitting popcorn seeds. Elena giggled and covered her mouth with her hand, trying to suppress her laughter.
Damon abruptly stopped laughing when Edward stepped into the clearing, his eyes bugging out. Elena waved a hand in front of his face, raising an eyebrow. The corners of Damon's mouth twitched before he threw his head back and roared with laughter.
Elena's breath caught as she watched Damon. He'd never looked so beautiful to her, so happy. She found herself sitting absolutely still, so as not to startle him and ruin this perfect moment.
Just as Damon's laughter slowed to muffled guffaws, there was a knock at the door. Neither of them moved, they weren't expecting anyone. There was another knock, followed by continuous pounding and muffled shouts. Elena carefully pushed the popcorn bowl off her lap and removed her feet from Damon's lap. She watched as Damon's forehead creased and he immediately stopped smiling, replacing the happy expression with a frown.
Damon mumbled something and got up, heading for the front door. "What the hell is that smell?" Elena heard him mutter.
Damon opened the front door and she saw his entire body go rigid. "Jeremy!" he shouted. Damon disappeared behind the door for a moment then reappeared seconds later, carrying a disfigured body in his arms. It looked like half the persons skin had been melted away, leaving the flesh ragged. Blood oozed steadily from several cuts on their body. Their hair was matted down, with blood or sweat, Elena didn't know, and she wasn't too keen on finding out.
Elena frowned, not understanding. "Jeremy?" she said quietly, confused. She was answered by a moan. "Jeremy!" exclaimed Elena, rushing to his side. Damon set him gently on the sofa and Jeremy practically screamed at the slight jostling. He clutched at the couch, only to cry out as his blackened fingertips exploded with pain.
Alaric appeared behind Damon, fresh tears staining his face, a look of utter helplessness on his face. "I…I couldn't save him. They-they were too strong for me," said Alaric, looking stunned and on the brink of breaking down.
"What happened?" asked Damon quietly. He stared down at Elena's baby brother with a look that matched Alaric's. Damon glanced sideways at Elena, who was busy running her fingers through Jeremy's matted hair, the only place she could touch him without hurting him, and even that simple gesture made Jeremy flinch in pain. Damon felt his long-dead heart give a sharp squeeze as he heard the rush of blood in Jeremy's veins. But it wasn't the scent that made Damon wary, it was the amount. The amount of blood in Jeremy's body could only be described as little to none. Before the thought even crossed his mind, Damon's heart knew there was no way to save Jeremy, not when he was this hurt.
"We-we went to the boarding house, hoping to find some clues in Stefan's room to where they'd gone off too when…" Alaric choked, then cleared his throat. "When Stefan appeared out of nowhere. He…he threw something and-and Jeremy just…exploded into flames." Alaric had to stop, he was hyperventilating, on his knees now beside the dying teenager.
"God, Jeremy, I'm so sorry," Alaric sobbed.
"S…..'nottt your ffffault," Jeremy slurred. That just seemed to make Alaric sob even harder.
Damon placed a hand on Alaric's shoulder. He was holding back his own tears. He needed to be strong for Elena, for Alaric and more importantly for Jeremy. He could tell the kid knew he was going to die, though he wasn't showing it.
Elena looked up at Damon, tears streaming freely down her cheeks. "You have to do something," she pleaded. Damon bit his lip, because the look Elena was giving him, was going to be enough to make him cry.
Damon shook his head. "There's nothing I can do for him, Elena. Even if I give him my blood, he'll become a vampire. He doesn't want that," explained Damon, crouching down to Elena's eye level.
"There has to be something we can do. Bonnie could help.." Elena trailed off as she looked at her younger brother's charred body. Jeremy managed to smile at her.
"S…'okayy. I geeeet tooo see mooom and dadddd. And Auuuunnnnnt Jennnnnnnnnnna," said Jeremy. "I'llllll tellll them youuu saiiid hiii," he added.
Elena brushed his hair from his forehead, and she nodded trying her best to smile at him. "Tell them I miss them? That we're all doing fine? Let Jenna know I'm sorry? I never wanted her to go that way," Elena said.
"Offf courrssee," agreed Jeremy. "Daaaammmoon."
Damon looked up and furiously wiped away a tear that was trying to fall down his cheek.
"Taaaake care of Eleeena. Orrr I willll haunnnt youuu," Jeremy said, quirking the skin where his eyebrows used to be.
"Of course, Jer." Damon moved his mouth next to Jeremy's ear and lowered his voice so Elena couldn't hear. "Let go now, Jeremy. There'll be no more pain, Elena will understand," urged Damon. He hated seeing the kid in so much pain. He'd become almost like a little brother since Stefan left and he found him much more enjoyable than the younger Salvatore.
"Thhhankks," drawled Jeremy. Jeremy coughed heavily and Damon moved out of the way of the blood spatters. Elena lifted Jeremy's head into her lap as she sat on the sofa.
"Jeremy, you know I love you, right? No matter how many fights or arguments we've, I will always love you. I'm so sorry," said Elena, gently stroking Jeremy's flaking cheek.
"Llllooove you tooo, 'Lennna," said Jeremy, his eyes closing. "You'rrrree a good sissstterrr."
Elena sniffed and nodded. "Go to sleep, Jeremy. It's okay," she said, wiping her tears to keep them from falling on Jeremy's charred skin.
"Byyyyyye…," Jeremy trailed off as Damon heart the last few stutters of his heart. Elena looked up at Damon, her eyes fearful. Damon nodded and Elena started to sob uncontrollably. Alaric stood, his face hard as stone, that of someone in mourning but not willing to give in to the crushing despair. Damon clenched his teeth and stood.
"Jeremy?" said Elena, touching his face. "No, no, no. Jeremy!" she practicaly screamed. "NO!"
"Ric, get Elena out of here," Damon ground out. Alaric nodded and moved to pull Elena from the sofa.
"No!" gasped Elena, clutching a her brother's blackened jacket. "Please, don't take him away from me…he's all I have left!" she sobbed. It sounded like a plea to God, but Damon knew she was telling them to give her more time with him.
Damon tugged on the sleeve of Ric's anorak and jerked his head towards the door. Ric nodded and walked stiff jointed out of the foyer.
A/N: I'm sorry for killing Jeremy! I'm sorry, but someone had to die for Damon and Elena to start seeking comfort in one another. Don't kill me, you can vervain me, but DO NOT KILL ME.
You can always review though, get all that pent up frustrations out, right?
Love, Anoraks and Hiding From Bobbies,
Rae Scrausson
XOXOX
Song of the Chapter: Everyone's Fixed Memories- Michael Suby