Elana's body sprung up as she gasped for the air that her lungs screamed for. The first thing she noticed was the agonizing pain deep within her head, her body was in overdrive as her senses were heightened. The sights around her began to come into focus, she captured the gaze of a familiar face at her side, she knew this face, but she couldn't place where she knew him. She watched as his hand met her shoulder pushing her to calm down, she saw his lips moving in a slower than normal motion, but all she could manage to hear was the increasing thrum of something in the distance. She focused on the sound, closing her eyes to tune out her other senses, she could hear the panic escaping his mouth, she heard the sound of his skin colliding with another, and the sound grew stronger as she realized this thrumming sound was a heartbeat.

"Elena! Elena!" His face smothered in panic he rushed through the halls in search of her.

She knew this voice all too well, the sound of her own heartbeat synchronized with his as she tore her eyes open. The sound of his soothing voice, was replaced with a melody of metal clangs, stern voices that she failed to recognize, the sound of sobs, laughter, but most prominently heartbeats. The sounds began to fade into the distance to her relief as she came into contact with her other senses. She felt a burning sensation just beneath the surface of her skin, and she felt a strong pressure built up behind her eyes. She quickly took in her surroundings, she could see clearly; every edge lacked the previous blur. She scanned the room in search of the light source, but a concerned look was replaced as she saw only the fluorescent bulbs that were dim in comparison to the room. She felt everything, she felt the cotton brushing against her collarbone, the roughness of her jeans as they clung to her body, and she felt blood rushing through her veins. For only a moment all of her surroundings dissipated around her, as the heartbeat she once heard grew closer to her, she pulled her eyes to the doorway and saw the face in front of the drumming that lulled her into a calmness. She seemed to be drawn to him, his face all too familiar for her not to know him. She desperately studied his face in search of a name, clamoring the air for any answer at all. She watched his face, seeing his harsh features, his strong jaw and his surprisingly soft blue eyes. Everything seemed slower as she saw a strand of his long dark hair fall into his eyes, before he brushed his hair back in a single movement.

"Elena!" The same panic ridden voice called out to her. He struggled to keep himself from shaking her violently as he watched her eyes study him from afar.

Elena. The sound of the letters melted together familiarly, the name that she had heard previously she heard again directed at her. She struggled for her breath as she searched for something, anything at all to tell her who she was, who they were. Her body began to convulse instinctually as her head rolled back, she saw a young girl, whose face seemed embedded into her head. She watched, as the girl grew older, she quickly realized that this girl was herself. She relived every step she's ever taken, every breath she's ever drawn in. The memories flooded her brain like a dam had burst, as fast as she had awoken with no memory at all she returned to reality. Flashes of herself in a car slowly sinking into water shown in front of her, and her body stiffened at the sight of this same man who stood beside her saved her life once, but failed to save her again. She opened her eyes once again, and opened her mouth in search of words; she struggled to form what was once second nature as she drew out her breath the only sound that escaped was that of a hunger deep inside of her. She was pulled into a sitting position on the cold metal bed that she rested on. She once again focused on the heartbeat that was so peaceful; she looked to Damon as she realized that the heartbeat she had heard was not that of her boyfriend, but his brother. Panic overrode her and she placed her hand onto Stefan's chest in search of his rhythmic beating. She struggled to hone in on the sound of his heart but when she managed to tune out all else and focus on the sound, she wasn't calmed by it, it was sporadic and it tortured her maniacally. Her hand dropped from his chest and she found her words.

"Stefan…" She said weakly, she searched for his reply as she returned her focus to Damon's heart to calm her once again. She watched his face as a single tear, that seemed to follow many previously, fell from his cheek onto her arm. She returned to her consciousness, and the sense of confusion and panic evaded her body. She steadied herself in an attempt to stand before nearly falling as her arms rejected to support her.

Stefan quickly placed his arm around her waist as to steady her as he helped her to her feet. She felt his touch on her, but somehow ached for more. She couldn't tare her eyes from Damon; she searched her head for an answer to why she was so calmed by his face, his voice, by his heartbeat. To her disappointment she found no answers, but when she looked into his eyes she remembered. She remembered what he once told her to forget, made her forget. His words pierced her ears as she heard him:

I just have to say it once. You just need to here it. 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. God I wish you didn't have to forget this, but you do. She studied his eyes as she saw his pupils grow and shrink methodically as he told her she had to forget.

She remembered their first meeting"

It was her alone on the phone.

"You're right you and my mom are right, but i just can't bring myself to tell him, at least not tonight, i'll call you later."

"Katherine?" It was Damon

"Uhm...no..I..I'm Elena."

"Oh..you...you just look...I'm sorry...you just really remind me of someone..i'm Damon"

"Not to be rude or anything Damon but it's kind of weird that you're out here in the middle of nowhere"

"You're one to talk..you're out here all by yourself.."

"It's Mystic Falls...nothing bad ever happens here." She then regretted that statement "I got into a fight with my boyfriend..."

"About what? may i ask..."

"Life...future...he's got it all mapped out.."

"...and you don't want it?"

"I don't know what i want..."

"Well that's not true...you want what everybody wants.."

"What..? a mysterious stranger who knows all the answers?"

"hmm...well lets just say i've been around a long time..i've learned a few things.."

"So..Damon..tell me..what is it that i want?"

He then stepped closer.

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

"So..what do you want?"

There was a honk and car lights pulling up to where they were.

"That's my parents"

"I want you to find everything you're looking for, but for right now i want you to forget that this happened, can't have people knowing i'm in town yet, goodnight Elena."

And then he was gone.

She then remembered the jolt of electricity through her body as his hand pulled hers into his own previously at a motel room, and the life that she had searched for since her parent's death returned to her when her lips finally met his on the same night.

Stefan was holding her "Shh, shh. It's okay. It's going to be okay." It was then that she realized tears were falling from her face. She hesitantly turned her head from Damon and onto Stefan. She pushed away these previous thoughts, these feelings that she struggled to understand. Her arms found their way around his neck as she had many times before as she returned his soothing hug.

She tried to remember, remember her and Stefan, how he made her feel. But when she thought back but now it all seemed like a ghost of emotions. She felt blood rush to her face, but it was somewhat different than when she blushed, the pressure returned behind her eyes but now also in her gums. She abrubtly pulled away from Stefan and without another thought rested her hands on Damons chest feeling his heartbeat pulse through her hands, like electricity flowing through her body. Her eyes closed and her face relaxed, relieving the pressure. She looked up at him from under her lashes, realizing that she was probably making him uncomfortable.

"Sorry." She mumbled, as she pushed herself away from him avoiding the contact of his eyes.

He watched her face in confusion, and saw Stefan eyeing him. In that same moment Jeremy tore into the room where his sister stood.

"Elena?" He frantically looked at her face in search of the similarity. He stood in astonishment as he realized that it was in fact his sister who stood before him, living, breathing. He ran into and embraced the sister he feared he lost. "I-I don't understand. I saw Alaric's ghost and the only way he could be dead was if-" He stopped himself from continuing, the thought of the words like needles to his skin. Damon saw her face change from the relief she felt from seeing her brother as it scrunched up into pain, he saw the veins form under her eyes momentarily and disappear all the same.

"It's okay. It's okay." She comforted her brother, "I'm okay." As soon as the words escaped her mouth she straightened up, her eyes filled with confusion.

"Elena?" Jeremy asked concerned, he watched, as she looked panicked "Elena, are you okay?"

She studied the room, she was in a hospital, but she wasn't in a patient's room. She remembered drifting off into a sleep deep under the water after refusing Stefan's help before Matt was helped. "I-I was," She couldn't comprehend what had happened before. "I was only unconscious." Her hands covered her face, tracing her features in search of comfort. "I was only unconscious." She repeated the phrase to herself. Tears began streaming down her face again as she frantically turned around the room. She felt Stefan's hand on her back in an attempt to comfort her, she turned to face him before repeating, "I was only unconscious…" she watched his face carefully in search of an affirmation to her suspicions. His eyes closed after she said this, telling her that she wasn't only unconscious. She didn't understand, she had died, how was she standing here? She hadn't had any vampire blood in her system. She turned her focus to the scalpel that rested on a table a few feet away, she grabbed it and made a single incision deep into her forearm and she watched the wound bleed. The blood escaped from her body and dripped on the floor and she saw as the wound began to heal before her eyes. Stefan tore the bloody scalpel from her hands in an attempt to keep her from repeating herself. She looked up to see Jeremy's eyes filled with terror, and astonishment.

"Am- am I a…?" She questioned the group that surrounded her as she scraped her fingernails where the wound previously was in search of the incision. The blood covered her palm and she studied it. Her hand began to shake and she looked to Stefan for an explanation.

"When Jeremy brought you here earlier, your injuries were worse than Dr. Fell led on, you had bleeding in your brain…" Stefan trailed off as her panic ridden face awaited his continuance. "She gave you blood to heal you." He stared into her eyes as she saw the pieces fit together. He held her arms in his own and when she understood what he was telling her she tore herself away from him, walking backwards before running into Damon, she turned herself to see his worried eyes before she pulled away from him as well, she began to fall and Damon caught her resting her limp body against him as he carried her home with his inhuman speed.

He began to set her onto her bed but before turning she squeezed his hand in an attempt to bring her closer. He scooted under her pulling her up to rest against his chest as she began to stir awake. Stefan was in the room with a handful of blood bags and he made his way to them. The room was dark, the only light escaping through the window was that of the moon, that illuminated onto her olive skin. He opened the first bag bringing it to her face; she violently turned away from him avoiding the bag. His brows furrowed as he pulled the bag to her once again, "Elena, you need to drink to complete the transition." He watched her face intently as he spoke to her.

Her eyes filled with sadness looked up to Stefan, "I never wanted this." she looked down at her hand that rested in Damon's "I don't want this." a series of tears trailed down her cheek as she studied Stefan's face, awaiting his reply. She wasn't surprised when he nodded in compliance, he had always respected her and her decisions. As he left the room Elena felt Damon tense under her, his hand almost painfully gripping her own. She pulled herself off of him turning to face him and she saw the pain, fear, but most of all anger in his eyes. "I know you don't understand, Damon." she started hesitantly, "But I need you to support me." her words pleading him.

His look grew cold and she could see him on the verge of shutting off his emotions to spare himself the pain, but then a glimmer of hope shone in his eyes, followed by an intense confusion,

His voice croaked as he pleaded with her, "Why?" he wanted to understand why she didn't want this.

She shut her eyes in search of an answer, several moments passing between the two before she raised her head to his studying his eyes "I don't want to become a monster." Tears fell from her eyes as she came to terms as to why she had never wanted this, even if she did want an eternity with Stefan.

A sense of hope replaced the anger in his eyes, "I can help you, Elena. You don't have to be a monster. You have to try." His eyes pleaded with hers in search of hope "You have to fight." This statement hit home, Elena had never been one to give up on something, especially life.

She failed to pull her eyes from him, "I don't want to fight anymore, Damon." She was tired, tired of fighting so hard for something that it seemed it wasn't meant to be, her life.