καταναλωτής
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a/n: I think it's about time Elena became a vampire, honestly. There wasn't any other direction for the show to go, though the Klaus aspect is intriguing. I'm glad he isn't dead, but sort of disappointed that Joseph Morgan isn't playing him at this point in time. The moment that Elena said "I love him" to Damon, I kind of broke a little inside. But honestly, the Stelena kiss was just flat for me. I don't think it could have been any other way. Stefan seems just as committed, though more despondent. And their relationship is just safe. I can understand why she wants to go back to him. The whole consume comparison was so well done and overall, it looks hopeful for Delena, at least to me. Reviews are ever appreciated.
If Elena seems a little psychotic in this, I apologize. She'll calm down. Her emotions are just haywire right now.
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"I was supposed to grow up, decide if I want to have kids and start a family and grow old. Now? It's all gone.
I don't want to be a vampire, Stefan. I never wanted to be one." - Elena; 2x20
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She doesn't wake up like Snow White or Sleeping Beauty.
Not even close.
Instead of gracefully opening her eyes, she lurches up, gasping and sputtering. Damon later said that her eyes were like shiny black pieces of hell. All she remembers is that she couldn't find the correct way to breathe and when she finally did, it scraped the sides of her throat like the sharp point of a knife. She tasted blood on the back of her tongue. Every one of her muscles ached, like she'd worked out for the first time in years. And, oddly enough, she suddenly had the irresistable need to find a snack.
"Elena."
What is my name, she thinks blearily.
Something jabs her arm. "Hey," a familiar voice snaps. "You can stop trying to fake your death now. No one buys it." Damon. The name whispers at the edge of her mind, surrounded by a guilty feeling.
"Leave her alone," a softer voice - male - answers. Stefan. The one who keeps her safe. The one she loves.
Reluctantly, she peels open an eye and looks at them, tilting her head to the side as if to ask what the big deal is. Both Salvatore brothers are looking down at her with equal expressions of worry. Stefan's is right there in his eyes, bleak, sharp. Damon is trying to hide his, as though he isn't allowed to feel it anymore.
"What happened?" Elena mumbles weakly, wincing as she takes another breath and a wave of pain accompanies it. She feels like a piece of shit, honestly. Can't someone knock her out with a few pills, give her a chance to hibernate?
Both brothers look at each other and then back down at her, their faces tight.
"You and Matt, well -" Stefan begins, struggling for the words.
Damon rolls his eyes, though she can see his lips trembling just the tiniest bit. "You and Matt had an accident. Maybe you thought that bridge diving was a new sport. I'm not sure. Either way, the doc had given you blood to help with your accident earlier, and when you died-"
"I died?" Elena nearly shoots up off the little table. Stefan's hand flies out and pins her in place. She glares at him, the look quickly fading to fear.
"Well, obviously you're alive now," Damon answers her with one of those smiles. She'd like to smack him, but knows that joking is his way of coping with things. And if what he had said was the truth, he had probably thought she was dead for a little while.
"Wait, if I-" Elena begins, cutting off as the truth dawns on her. "No. No. This can't be happening." She goes to leap off the table, but Stefan restrains her. She glares at Damon, not knowing what else to do with the bubbling fear and anger inside of her. "Are you seriously telling me that I'm in transition?" she shrieks.
Damon shrugs, "More or less." Again, she sees the quiver in his lips.
"Were you guys just going to force-feed me blood too?" Elena cries, waving her arms about. "Were you even going to wake me up?" She jerks herself away from Stefan, feeling guilty about it when his expression turns even more stony.
"I'll get the doctor," Stefan says, heading for the door.
"Don't be such a drama queen," Damon tells her. "Of course we were going to wake you up. I just assumed that you would want to become a vampire to save your oh-so-epic love with my little brother."
Elena grits her teeth. "How can you be so nonchalant about this?" A wave of dizziness overcomes her, and she takes a moment to let the world right itself. Damon unconsciously lurches for her, remembering to back off just before his fingers meet her arm. Some tiny part of her wants to feel his hands on her again. She needs the comfort of someone's touch.
"Because you're alive," Damon argues.
"Don't you even care about how I feel about all of this?" Elena asks him, still pissed off. Her whole body feels like a lead weight, but she refuses to show the dark haired vampire how vulnerable she's actually feeling.
"Don't give me that," Damon spits, his voice heating with rage. "I thought you were dead, Elena. So sorry for joking around when you're alive!"
Elena bites on her tongue, wanting to snap back at him, but knowing that he doesn't really deserve it. Suddenly, she remembers something else. "Oh God," she says. "Where is Matt? Is he okay?" Struggling up once more, she tries to launch herself off the bed, but Damon's hand pressing right against her chest, his fingertips brushing the underside of her left breast, stop her. She catches her breath. He sees how her expression changes, how her heart rate picks up, and immediately removes his hand like he's been burned.
"He's in critical condition," Stefan says as he re-enters the room, giving both of them slightly suspicious looks. "But they're keeping a close eye on him. He'll be fine." He tries to smile at her and comfort, doing all he knows how. All of the words inside of her claw and punch for a chance at spilling out of her mouth. She clamps down on her lips.
"Hey there, Elena," Meredith says from next to Stefan. Her cheeks look a little paler than usual and Elena wonders why. "How are you feeling?"
"Hungry," Elena answers truthfully, feeling the sudden urge to cry. She can't do this. Not now. Not so soon.
Stefan flinches. Damon just looks impassive.
"That's normal," Meredith answers. "Look, because you've got these two, I'm releasing you to bed rest. I trust you'll be feeling better soon, though just keep an eye on it, okay? I'm here for any questions you might have." The way she speaks, it is as if she assumes that Elena is going to go munch on the first person she meets upon exiting the hospital.
"Thanks," Elena answers weakly, her thoughts a mess. She feels numb, yet so close to a breakdown.
"I'll take her home," Stefan says. It's a statement, not an offer.
"As it so happens, my plans for this evening were cancelled," Damon says. "So I might as well join you two."
"Damon," Stefan starts.
"Look," Damon cuts him off, "she almost died. Just let me have one last night. I'll be packed up and gone by the morning."
"You're leaving?" Elena asks. This is what she was afraid of, losing one of them. She can't deal with it now on top of everything else.
Damon shrugs. "You made your choice," he mutters. He doesn't find it prudent to bring up the conversation with Stefan. "So I have to go."
Her lower lip quivers. "But I need you."
"You have Stefan," Damon tells her, though not meanly. It feels like he's stabbing her in the chest. She inhales slowly, trying not to cry. "Speaking of Stefan...brother, why don't you carry the lady to the car. I'm sure she's not in any state to be walking."
"I can walk," Elena argues.
"Stop being a bitch," Damon snaps back at her. She turns away from Stefan when he attempts to pick her up. "Just because you died does not give you the right to act like this."
"Doesn't it?"
"No," he stresses, "it doesn't."
"Well, you did it," Elena bickers. She knows she's being childish, but if he's going to leave then she may as well vent all of the terrible, awful feelings brewing inside of her that she can't seem to deal with. "You went on your whole 'pity-me-because-I'm-a-part-of-the-undead' rant and expected everyone to just feel sorry for you."
"Now you choose to use me as your role model," Damon groans, throwing his hands up. "Fabulous, Elena. Can you just let Stefan get you to the car so we can find someone for you to feed from. You'll want to transition as soon as possible."
Stefan opens his mouth to say something, looking a bit shell-shocked at how vicious they are being to one another, but he is cut off before he can begin.
"Who says I want to transition?" Elena yells. "No one has even bothered to ask me that, Damon." Tears bud to the surface of her dark eyes, spilling down her cheeks. Stefan, ever the gentleman, plucks a tissue from one of the boxes in the corner and hands it to her. She takes it, still staring at Damon. He looks devastated. He reaches out to touch her cheek, then thinks better of it. She hates him for dropping his hand. Just touch me, damn it.
"Please tell me you're not serious," Damon says, more subdued.
Elena sniffles, beginning to cry even harder. "I told Stefan months ago that I didn't want to become a vampire. I wanted to be able to live my life and raise a family. I told him that I hated being forced into it. What could possibly change my mind, Damon?"
"I don't know," Damon begins, looking panicked, "maybe the love of your life." He gestures towards Stefan.
"Stop acting like I don't care about you," Elena hisses. "Just stop. Maybe I love you too, okay? Maybe I'm just scared about that. But not even loving you two is going to change my mind about this." She wipes the tears from her cheeks, looking at the clock and wondering when the real pain will begin. "I'm not going to transition."
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to be continued
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