Elena blinked rapidly, her heart pounding in her ears. She felt something heavy on her and she tried to push it off. As her eyes started adjusting to the darkness she could make out a man in a hood. He grinned at her, his eyes hungry with lust. She screamed and shut her eyes...
Then an instant later she felt pain, so much pain, as she hit the ground hard and the room she was in was spinning. She heard the sound of a gunshot, and she screamed and slammed her eyes closed again.
When she opened them this time, the room wasn't spinning but she could taste blood in her mouth. She could feel it dripping down her face. She felt so weak and when she looked down she saw her whole arm was bloody. She closed her eyes tightly, willing the image away. It had felt far too real.
Every time she opened her eyes there was something new there; each image more horrifying than the last. She heard crying and begging and it felt like it came from her own mouth. The cries echoed in the small, dark space. She could feel a man's strong, bare chest against her fist as she pounded on it. She blinked, seeing there was no blood on her hands like before. She shut her eyes again as he held her wrists in his hands. She was far too scared to look up at his face.
Another flash...Then she heard the sound of clothes tearing and she could smell more blood. It was sticky against her chest. Then she felt a hot mouth cover hers, her body pressed into the wall and a lean muscled body against her. She could feel his bare chest against her bra. But the roughness of the kiss scared her.
Another flash...She could feel herself panting hard. She looked down at herself and saw she was wearing a black button down shirt that was much to big on her. Was it Stefan's? Its buttons were torn and it had blood and holes in it. She felt the coolness of the air on her bare legs. Her hair was soaked and she was so cold.
She could not explain it but she felt fear. Fear like she had never felt before, wrap its twisted evil fingers around her. She blinked over and over hoping that what she was seeing was not real. But this image would not go away like the others.
She could see Stefan standing tall, the muscles in his chest tight, his face a combination of determination and pure horror. He held a tree branch, sharpened to a point like a stake at one end and he spun it in his hand and he walked away from her.
She gasped as she saw where he was walking...Damon was on his knees, chains around his wrists behind his back, his skin glistening with sweat, and he looked mournfully at her. "Close your eyes." He choked out, with tears slipping down his cheeks.
Realization of what she was seeing hit her like a freight train and she thrashed back and forth, her eyes closed but moving so rapidly under her eye lids. Suddenly she threw her head up and sucked in air, panting hard. She sat up fast, gripping the soft comforter in her fingers as she looked around.
She squinted at the sun streaming into her window. She was in her room. She was okay. The nightmare had felt so real and so vivid. She felt sweat dripping down her chest, and sliding below the hem of her purple lace tank top.
She put her hand on her heart, trying to calm her heartbeat. What the hell had happened? She whirled beside her, reaching for Stefan's strong arms to wrap around her and make all the horrific images disappear from her mind. But the space beside her was empty and the sheets cool. He hadn't been there. He couldn't have been.
She pulled the blanket higher till it was almost at her nose, hiding herself from anyone or anything, her hair nearly dripping with sweat against her neck, as she tried to recall the events of the night before . . .
Fighting against Damon. Wanting to see Stefan.
She had returned after her little suicide mission with Rose who had run at the sight of Elijah. Damon had protected her, and looked like he was ready to die for her. Then just like that, Elijah left.
Jeremy had met them at the door, holding a huge wound on his neck and told her Stefan was in the tomb! Damon followed her and stood between her and Stefan. He had held her tightly between him and the wall of the crypt and let her punch and struggle till she had no strength left. Damon refused to let her see Stefan, who was trapped in the tomb with Katherine.
She shivered and wrapped the covers tighter around her. Elena was completely expecting Stefan to be there. Anytime she would have a nightmare, he would automatically wrap her in his tight strong embrace and cover her toes with his. Shielding her from the world and all its horrors.
But she had wanted space and to feel safe before they were together again. How ridiculous was that? She thought to herself, sitting up slowly and pulling the blanket down. Why would she say that? She tried to remember what she was thinking the night of the Masquerade Ball. That night seemed so far away and her wishes so pointless.
She snuck a peek around her room. Damon was nowhere to be found. She had heard him promise to Stefan that he would protect and look after her; keeping her away from the tomb. She had been right by the doorway to the tomb and had planned to wait till Damon left and would sneak back to see Stefan. But Damon had escorted her home and led her in the door and shut it without a word to her. She thought he would leave but she saw him leaning against a tree facing her window. He knew her so well and must have known she would try to slip back out.
She had put her pyjamas on and even waved to him from her window, frowning in displeasure to show him she knew he was there and she did not like it. He had given her his famous Damon Salvatore smirk and even blew her a goodnight kiss. To which she rolled her eyes at him and closed the curtain, a little too forcefully and the rod fell slipped past the metal bar holding them up and the rod, curtain and al,l fell to the floor!
She fumbled and hung them back up, not daring to look back at him. He had been chuckling and had his head down, his hair in his eyes, just leaning back against the tree, his hands in his pockets. But that smirk of amusement still graced his lips. He caught her glancing at him, and seeing him wink at her, she stuck her tongue out. She stalked back into the room leaving the curtains open, not risking them falling again, making her look even more ridiculous.
She had waited a long time and had eventually fallen asleep while writing in her journal. She thought Damon would have jumped at the excuse to be closer to her and would now have a fabulous excuse to have slept in her room with her all night, at Stefan's request no less. But he was quite the gentleman and stayed outside. Elena had no idea how long he had been there, maybe all night. She didn't know but when she looked out her window in the morning he was no where to be seen. Her room was silent and empty with just the wind moving the sheer curtains ever so slightly.
But he did stay outside, didn't he? Maybe he had been in her room while she slept? He could easily have slipped out before she woke up. She wouldn't have put it past him to have slept right beside her. He wouldn't have. Would he? She thought puzzled. She knew vampires were very capable of influencing humans' dreams. He would never have given her a nightmare, she knew that. But she could not shake the feeling of the kiss that had felt so real in her mind.
She had never kissed Damon before, but he had certainly tried to kiss her; once in her room when he was very drunk and in a dangerous mood. He was feeling hurt and emotional from her rejection of him and Katherine's too and mixing that with alcohol was never a good combination.
He had completely believed he had kissed her the night of Founder's Day, when Katherine surprised them all by coming back to Mystic Falls. And when he had divulged that juicy info to Stefan, she had hurt him deeply saying she would not do that and put herself between them to prevent Stefan from ripping him apart.
She pushed the rest of the nightmare from her mind, determined not to give it another thought. She had scary dreams before and probably more often since she had been made of aware of the reality of the supernatural world.
She drew in a deep breath, and released the fear and the images she had seen. Turning around and dug her fingers into the side of her mattress and pulled out the moonstone. Jeremy had given it her last night when she got back from the tomb. Stefan getting trapped in there was all because of this stupid rock. She held it up to the light and it shimmered in her hand. This was part of what Klaus needed to break the curse. This stone, along with her and her friends. So many people she loved in danger, all because of her.
But she couldn't hide it. Klaus would hurt her or her family for sure when he found out. She hadn't heard much about him yet but definitely enough to know that the word "No" was not in his vocabulary. She sighed and tucked the stone under her pillow and climbed reluctantly out of bed, not wanting to face the day, or any day for that matter.
She moved across the floor, barefoot toward the bathroom and couldn't seem to shake the feeling of the rough, yet hot kiss from her mind. It was different. It didn't feel like the way Stefan kissed her. He was always so tender and gentle. No, she couldn't say how, but it was like it was . . . oops! She almost tripped on the laundry she had tossed on the floor the night before, not looking at all where she was going. Get a grip girl! She scolded herself.
She slipped out of her deep purple lace tank top, short shorts and underwear and turned on the shower. She stepped in and let the warm water cascade onto her face and down her body. She was still lost in her thoughts and showered quickly, determined she was going to sneak off to see Stefan. The dream looked like it took place in that dark tomb so as much as she missed him she absolutely needed to make sure he was okay.
No one was awake yet in the house and she could possibly slip away unnoticed. She dried and flipped her hair up in another towel. She brushed her teeth and put on her make up, and headed out of the bathroom to get dressed. Digging in her drawer, she pulled out her purple lace bra and panties.
What are you thinking? She smirked to herself. It's not like you can actually do anything with Stefan when he is trapped down there. Especially knowing she was there with him, she thought. Still, she wanted to look her best for him and she knew this was his favorite set of hers. Maybe she would give him a tiny peek... knowing how long it had been since they were together. Far too long.
Unwinding the towel from around her head, she pulled her brush through her long brown hair till it fell silkily down her back. She put a thin white camisole over the sexy underwear and then buttoned up a soft green blouse. Shrugging into her skinny jeans and pulling on her socks, she dug around in her closet for her tall brown boots. There! She thought standing back up and looking in the mirror. She smiled at herself and what Stefan would think and fingered the beautiful vervain necklace she never took off.
"It will keep us out of your head." He had explained, telling her he had never compelled her. But this way she was always safe from Damon's influence. And she loved again how much he protected her even from afar. He couldn't be there at all times but this way he could protect her mind from vampires.
Damon had never compelled her, he had said. But she didn't really know how much that was true. He had returned her necklace to her a few nights ago, after Elijah had ripped it from her neck when she had been kidnaped for him. She felt strange after Damon left that night, the necklace safely in place. She had a nagging feeling that something that night had changed but she had no idea what it could have been.
Elena started walking to the door, boots in hand and at the last second she turned back and grabbed up the moonstone from her bed and tucked it deep into her back jean pocket. This stone was far too valuable to just leave in her room. So many people wanted it and she didn't want to let it out of her sight.
She tiptoed down the stairs, careful not to wake Jeremy or Jenna. Jeremy usually had his headphones on to fall asleep so she was very sure he wouldn't hear her but Jenna was a really light sleeper and she had admitted on more than one occasion to hearing Elena and Stefan in Elena's room at night.
The old floorboards beneath her sock feet squeaked slightly as she was almost to the front door. She slipped on her leather jacket, wrapped her soft green scarf around her neck and pulled on her boots. The door didn't make a sound and she closed it slowly behind her and stepped out onto the wood porch.
The wind whipped at her face as she began to run toward the cemetery. She stopped several times along the way and spun around, almost positive that she was sensing someone following her. Every time she looked around though, she couldn't see a thing. If it was Damon, then she was sure he would have vamp sped her onto his shoulder and carried her like a sack of potatoes back to the mansion. But no one came. It was eerily quiet except for the wind as she hurried along.
She crept through the cemetery. Damon would be one very pissed off vampire, when he found out what she was doing. If he found out, she told herself. There was not much she could ever get past him. He could usually tell when she was lying or trying to hide something from him. Her damn heartbeat gave her away, he had told her. She couldn't hide that, even if she tried. But she smiled to herself that right now she was outsmarting him.
The fog still blanketed the ground and the air was frosty and cold for a fall morning. She pulled her thin jacket tighter wishing she had thought to bring something warmer. She wasn't planning to stay all day. She would be quick and get back before anyone knew she was gone. She just had to see him.
Elena tucked her hands in her pockets and took one more quick look behind her still not being able to shake the feeling that she was being followed. She squinted her brown eyes deep into the distance and she still could not see a soul.
She knew Caroline was spending the day with Tyler. And Bonnie was home resting from the horrible spell she tried in order to get Jeremy and Katherine free. She had almost died and then Stefan, ever the hero, rescued Jeremy, but got himself trapped in there, with Katherine.
She shivered again and turned back toward the entrance of the tomb and tripped on a branch on the ground. She fell, skinning her knee. Her jeans were ripped and she was bleeding, but not badly. It reminded her of the first time they met in the cemetery. That seemed like a million years ago.
She made her way down the steps and quietly entered the crypt. It was still completely dark with just a sliver of light coming from the doorway. Should she call out to him and risk waking Katherine? Would he hear her? Was he okay? Katherine was so much stronger than he was and she could overpower him easily. But Elena knew Katherine loved him, a really sick kind of love but love all the same, so she knew he would be okay. She trusted him with her life but she didn't trust Katherine at all. Katherine had done everything possible to mess with both the brothers heads and even pretended to be Elena just to be close to Stefan more than once since she came back.
But Katherine was right and this whole thing was Elena's fault. Not because Elena loved a vampire or anything about them, but just for being born and being the doppelganger. She had to find a way to stop it; to stop Klaus from hurting all her friends. She certainly wasn't going to run like Katherine did either and risk him killing her family. No, she would find an answer to everything and protect them like they had protected her so many times already.
She didn't know what to make of the original vampire Elijah. He could have killed Damon and taken her in an instant. Instead he killed the other vampires and just left them there.
She startled herself back out of her thoughts when she heard her name softly whispered and looked up...
Authors Notes:
This is the first fan fiction I have written so I am eager to hear what you think of it. Please review! It gonna get deep and intense quickly. I currently don't have a beta but I am looking. Its hard to find someone that enjoys the triangle aspect. Most people love one couple and hate the other. I've written this whole story 43 chapters already, so I can post chapters often if people like it. Enjoy!