She takes a long breath, and for some reason it feels like it's the first breath she's taken in a long time. It passes through her awakening every organ in her body. The taste of rusted metal lingers on her tongue. She knows what it is. She knows she shouldn't be craving for more. But her body totally is – it's yearning for more blood. Everything inside of her feels different – like she's dead. Could she be? Her memories are scattered. The last thing she recalls is telling Stefan to save Matt's life. Did he? Did she die before Stefan could get to her? She doesn't dare open her eyes, for she knows if she could, then the worst has happened: she's a vampire.

She can hear the sound of feet running towards her, but they're more like repetitive thuds. And then she hears his voice and her insides shiver. Never has she felt that before – not even with Stefan. But here she was trembling in thirst as she hears Damon speak. But all of a sudden, her head spins and wanders to places she never even knew existed.

"I love you, Elena, and it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you. I don't deserve you, but my brother does."

"You want a love that consumes you. You want passion, adventure, and even a little danger"

She opens her eyes and finds both Salvatore brothers hovering over her. They both look like they've wept for a while. She is dead.

Stefan quickly leans in and embraces her tightly, but her eyes wander towards Damon. She keeps staring at him until their eyes finally lock. His icy blue eyes enthrall her; they mesmerize her. All she wants to do is jump at him and taste the blood on his lips, smell his neck, and let the coldness of his body warm hers.

Yes, Stefan loves her. Yes, she loves Stefan, too. But she wants more than that. She wants exactly what Damon told her that night – before her whole world fell apart. She wants passion, now more than ever. She wants this fire that burns within her whenever Damon smiles. She wants this feeling of completion she gets every time he touches her. She wants him.

-xxx-

She rests in her bed. They're all sitting by her side: Bonnie, Caroline, Tyler, Jeremy, Damon, Stefan, and even Matt. It seems like Klaus isn't the one they descend from; he's dead but they're not.

She scans the room and a feeling of emptiness fills her heart. Not everyone's there. Alaric's gone. The only parent she had left has fled this world. How was this fair? How did Alaric die while she got to live again? They were linked together; this was never supposed to happen.

Caroline interrupts her thoughts, though, "Now we're literally best friends forever, Elena."

Elena appreciates Caroline's efforts; she has a good heart. She's always chirpy and trying to lift everyone's spirits up, but it's not going to work this time. She's not ready to smile yet. She's not ready become a vampire – this creature she has loathed and was infatuated with for so long.

"I'm not sure I wanna live that long, Caroline." Those were Elena's first words as a vampire.

Silence descends into the room; the only one who breaks it is Caroline.

"What? What are you talking about? Elena, you can't. Okay?"

"I don't want to be a vampire. I can't," she weeps. They were all wondering when she'll break down; she finally has.

"I can't lose you, Elena," Jeremy confesses as he sits on her bed and holds her face in his hands, "I don't want you be a vampire, either, but your other choice is to die and I won't let you do that."

"She already is dead."

"Tyler!" Caroline shouts.

"Sorry."

Elena looks at Damon wanting him to shove a blood bag in her mouth, but he doesn't. He just looks at her with adorable puppy eyes that make her heart swell. He has changed. He's being selfless. The old Damon wouldn't let her make a decision like that. He would force her to live, but he isn't this time. And then his words haunt her head once again,

"I love you, Elena, and it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you."

"Give me a blood bag," Elena states calmly.