DISCLAIMER: I do not own the Vampire Diaries, or any of the characters. I simply like to toy with them once in awhile. ;P

Haunted

X-X

"You know... It's okay to love them both," Rose began, her eyes taking on a glassy shine, "Stefan and Damon- I mean."

"I don't love Damon, I love Stefan." I said calmly looking down at the vampire slowly dying on Damon's bed.

"Don't lie to me, Elena. I can see it in your eyes when you look at him. In your body language when you're around him. I can hear your heart race when he merely comes near you, and when he touches you? I feel as though you'll go into cardiac arrest from the pace of your heartbeat. Stop lying to yourself."

"I'm not lying to myself! I hate Damon! My brother would be dead if it weren't for the ring because of Damon! I'm in love with Stefan! " I practically screamed, rising off the bed and walking frantically over to the window. Putting my hand on the ledge I whispered, "Plus... Damon loves Katherine. He only sees her when he looks at me."

I could practically hear her smirk from her spot, and I could tell she was now sitting up from the rustle of the sheets. "That's where you're wrong. He loves YOU, Elena."

"You're lying. Both you and my mo- Isobel. Damon doesn't love me."

I clutched the window ledge tighter, closing my eyes trying to push away everything.

The next thing I heard was extreme coughing coming from where I knew Rose was. I turned swiftly to see her clutching her shoulder with one hand and her head with the other.

I rushed over to her side, and she looked at me with frantic eyes. I backed away slowly and picked up the stake I kept in my boot just in case- I knew the risk of being up here with her. Rose was on me in a heartbeat, pushing me up against the wall, and I noticed that the hand that had touched her rotting shoulder was now also rotting. It was spreading.

I reacted on instinct.

It all happened in a blur. I saw her raise her hand and I staked her in the heart. Her eyes widened but a smile was on her lips. I leaned forward to catch her before she collapsed and that was the scene Damon walked in on: Rose being held by me, with a stake in her heart.

Her final words were: "Elena, thank you. Please, remember what we talked about. Think about it."

And then she was gone.

~/~/~/~/~/~

A week passed before I had the nerve to even approach the Salvatore house again. Many times I tried- I'd get in my car and make it all the way to the door, but I never got the courage to knock, and no one ever took the initiative to open the door. They knew I was there, they could hear my heartbeat, and they could sense my blood, but they still hadn't bothered to see me.

And I realized I hadn't wanted to see them.

Stefan tried calling me a few days after the incident, but I forwarded it to voicemail. I couldn't bear to look at him or Damon after what had happened- after what Rose and I had spoken about.

That day kept playing over and over in my head, haunting my dreams- torturing me. Damon's face... THAT was the one thing always in my head. He looked so... Broken. He stared down at me, his mouth slightly ajar, and all I could do was mutter, "Damon... I-I'm sorry." Then I got up and ran as fast as I could home- no one followed me; No one bothered.

I didn't know what was going on with me. I shouldn't feel so horrible! Rose just DIED, and yet here I am thinking about relationships, and Damon!

Damon...

No, no! Stefan!

I love Stefan! ... Right?

I needed to get this worked out. I got out of my bed and headed to the bathroom to shower and brush my teeth. When I returned to my room I got dressed and did my hair before grabbing my car keys and driving over to the Salvatore house.

I kicked open my door and marched up to the front door of the house. Before I could knock, it opened revealing Stefan with a solemn face.
"Elena..." He breathed, and I nodded- tears beginning to fill my eyes, but I quickly blinked them away.

"Stefan... Stefan I love you so much." I went forward and hugged him fiercely, my hands locking behind his back. "Stefan... We need to talk."

I felt his body tense in my embrace, but felt him nod. We walked silently to the living room where we sat opposite each other.

"Elena... Look- about what happened- I don't blame you, but Damon he-"

"No, Stefan. Stop, please. Just listen okay?" I gave him a small smile that didn't quite reach my eyes.

"I don't think I can do this anymore, Stefan. I'm not happy. I love you- I do, so much! But I feel like I'm not complete I feel like there is something missing and I need to find it or ill explode." I took a deep breath and looked at him in the eye, "Rose made me think about a lot. She made me realize that there is more to life and I shouldn't tie myself down. I have a choice here, and I REFUSE to do what Katherine did. I want to live, Stefan, but I need you with me. I need you and I need Damon, and I just want to see what happens."

"You... Love him?"

No.

Yes.

"Maybe, I don't know." I answered truthfully.

"Okay..." He stood up and looked towards the door. "I understand, I'm gonna go and hunt." He looked at me and before I knew it he was inches away from my face, holding my hands gently. "Elena... No matter what decision you make I will always be here. I will always love you."

"Thank you, Stefan. The feeling is mutual."

He got up and sped to the door, but before he left her he turned around and said, "Damon is upstairs in his room. He hasn't left it since Rose died. Try to talk to him please."

I nodded and then he was gone.

I braced myself then got up and walked over to the staircase. I was suddenly very worried about Damon. Was he okay? Was he depressed? Why wasn't he coming out of his room?

I approached his door, and didn't even bother to knock- he knew I was there so I just walked in.

And then there he was in all his glory. Even upset, he was the most handsome man I'd ever laid eyes on. He was resting against the windowsill, staring out into the forest.

Slowly, his head turned to look at me, and a brief look of relief flew across his face, before the mask went up again.

Now I saw no emotion. No sadness, no grief, no relief.

"Well, hello Elena! Good to see you! Come to return to the scene of the crime?" He remarked sarcastically- his favorite way of speaking.

"Damon... Talk to me."

"About what, Princess?" He stood inches away from me now, and gave me one of his signature smirks.

"Don't push me away, Damon. Don't put up a wall." I stepped forward and reached out to him but he sped across the room- away from me.

"Don't even try to get to me, Elena. There is nothing for you here. I'm a monster. I have no feelings- I turned those off a long time ago. And if you think you can just prance your pretty little self in here and change that, you're horribly mistaken." He crossed his arms, and gave me the stare that tempted me into melting.

"Damon- I know there is no switch. Rose... Rose told me. She told me a lot, Damon."

That was when I saw his demeanor change. He was less defensive and stared at me apprehensively. I went over and sat on the edge of his bed, and then I pat the spot next to me, signaling him to come and join me.

Reluctantly, he did.

"Elena... How could you..." He spoke in hushed whispers and I felt tears fill my eyes. This time I didn't blink them away.

That in itself was like an epiphany with me. Where I had maturity and control with Stefan, I had passion and instinct with Damon. Damon made me feel things that I didn't quite understand, and quite frankly- I loved it.

"Damon, I'm so sorry! I didn't want to kill her, but she was making a swipe at me, and I just did it! I'm so sorry! I never wanted to hurt you, and I know her death is painful for you- for all of us, but Damon I just- I don't know what to say- I'm sorry!" I was rambling now, trying to fix the patch I had ripped open.

But I noticed he was looking at me like I was crazy, and then he was smirking. My heart shattered, because I thought he had put up his defenses again.

Boy was I wrong.

"Elena... What are you talking about?" He looked down at his interlocked fingers on his knees, looking like he was trying to figure out what to say next, and I felt my stomach jump to my throat- nervous about whatever he would say.

"Elena, I am upset about Rose... She was a very good... Friend of mine." A slight smile crossed his face when he said that and then he continued, "But I knew she was going to die. That werewolf bite was fatal and it was only a matter of time before..." He stopped then and then he looked at me, his eyes going through any defense I had worked up against him.

"You were the one I was worried about Elena. You were the reason I've holed myself up in my room for the last week. You just... You just left. You ran out and I was so worried sick that you were done. That Rose dying and almost killing you was going to be the last straw and that you'd never speak to me- er- Stefan ever again."

When he finished all I did was stare with wide eyes and an open mouth. Almost immediately I saw the shields go back up and he turned away.

"No, Damon! Do not push me away anymore. Please..." Other than that I had no idea what to say. Were his fears based on any truth? Did I consider just walking away from everything? He just laid his heart on the table, and I wasn't sure where to mend it or stab it now.

"Damon, I would NEVER leave you."

"I'm worried about Stefan."

"Mhm, sure you are." I grabbed hold of one of his hands and rubbed circles with my thumb on his palm absentmindedly. "Damon, you guys... Are a lot to handle, sure. But I would never leave you. Before I met you guys I felt empty. I felt like I didn't belong, and that I was never going to fit in. Now that you're here I feel like I found my place, and it's with you both. Even though I am in danger, I wouldn't change it for the world. I know I'm safe with you and Stefan."

After that, my breathing kind of stopped because of one look.

He spared one measly look at me and the depth of his eyes just crashed into me and left me breathless.

If the house had caught on fire, I probably wouldn't have even noticed. If Stefan had walked in and saw us gazing so intently into each other eyes, no- our very souls, I probably wouldn't have cared. The only thing that mattered to me in that moment was Damon.

And that scared me.

X-X

A/N: This is my first time writing for the Vampire Diaries, and I really want to continue, but first I need some reviews. I love writing for the hell of it, but with my schedule I don't see the need to busy myself if no one is going to read it anyways, haha.