"Elena..."
Suddenly, a voice like velvet pierced through her thoughts.
"Damon?" she turned to see him standing there. Was he real? Or just another projection from the curse? A cold child ran through her, she snapped her neck to the side and looked behind. She turned back to Damon, Elena sniffled.
Damon knew she'd be like this. He'd prepared himself, knowing that she'd be under the influence of the curse... but something about this moment was terrifying. He hadn't thought she'd be beaten by it... that she'd actually want to end her own life. But here she was... on the bridge.
"H-how did you find me?" she whimpered out, eyes closed, swaying from side to side. She was clearly disoriented.
Damon cautiously began to approach her. "It didn't take a genius to figure it out." He gave her a half forced grin, took in the moment as it really hit him, "Third time's a charm?" Of course she'd come here. To the place she was supposed to die. Twice. He dared to get a little closer, but could clearly see she was off kilter so he stopped- afraid that anymore movement my spook her like a fawn in the woods.
"Y-you were right Damon..." she stammered. "Vampires kill people." Said Elena with conviction. Damon stared back at her. His own words were coming back to haunt him, haunt her, clearly part of the root of this big whole mess. If only he could take his words back. "Stefan was right too..." Elena began again. "I can't live with myself." She turned her head to look back out at the water. It didn't matter that Damon was here. He wouldn't stop her. It was already done. The bridge just made sense.
Damon furrowed his eyebrows and chanced a step closer. If he could get close enough he might be able to overpower her. "Look at you..." he started, genuinely scared that the wrong move might cost him her life. "...being all glass is half empty. Let's just go talk about this before you do something stupid. Okay?" he stared at her, trying for closer, looking for the opportunity.
"The sun will be up soon." came a deep gravelly voice. Connor had re-appeared. The hunter. Elena's devil on her shoulder. Or maybe an angel. A dark angel. She turned to face him, losing her grip on reality, no longer knowing he wasn't really there. "It's almost over" he said reassuringly. Elena felt it. Reassured. She was here for a reason. She was here to end it. Connor was right. It was almost over. Just a little more. She nodded back at him.
Damon stared on as Elena nodded at someone he couldn't see. He wasn't sure what she was seeing or experiencing, but he felt his metaphorical grip on the situation giving. Damon was starting to feel scared. That wasn't an emotion Damon even allowed himself very often.
Elena turned her face away from him and stared dead-pan out at the stagnate water. The tiniest rays of sunlight were creeping in from the edge of the darkness. Elena knew it would be her end, but it also represented hope. Hope that she could at least be someone different. A ghost, an angel, dead... it didn't matter so long as she wasn't a monster. She turned her face down and Damon followed her gaze.
Ice spread through Damon, panic ran up his spine as he followed Elena's gaze. "Where's your ring?" he tried to ask calmly as the pieces of this puzzle started to connect in his mind. Elena turned her face back up to the sky. "Where's your ring Elena?" He was panicked now. "We need to get you inside." he stepped as close to her as he dared, and she turned briefly to look at him. There was nothing left of the Elena he knew in her eyes. All he could see was a defeated, hopeless, sad, little girl. The spark that made her, her... was missing.
"It's almost time." came Connor's voice and she started to turn around. Damon caught her doing it this time- turning as if some invisible being was talking. He knew now this was the curse, this wasn't what Elena wanted. Not that he'd let her do it even if she did want it.
"What you're going through... is a curse!" he exclaimed desperately. "We know how to break it! We just have to get you inside!" he said pleadingly. Connor drew closer to Elena.
"Don't let him stop you." insisted Connor. "I know you want to, but you can't."
When Elena looked at Damon it was like she was looking at no one. She mentally knew he was there but there was only the tiniest emotional response to seeing him. Damon couldn't trump her own mother. If it had only been Connor and Katherine harassing her that was one thing, but the instant Elena's own mother had appeared and validated her choice- Elena knew she had to end it.
"Don't." Came Connor's voice, stronger this time. Elena looked away from Damon.
They were running out of time. Damon could hear the birds starting to sing, the crickets starting to chirp, and even the fish starting to dart after insects on the surface of the water. The sun was coming. "Damnit Elena!" he wasn't going to let her choose, he jumped out at her but with vampire speed she eluded him and they were now opposite on the bridge. He felt a black hole pit in his stomach. Damon had always been able to save Elena. She wasn't always happy with how he chose to do it- but he'd always been able to save her. This time she was slipping through and he wasn't sure what was going to happen!
They stared at each other from across the bridge- Elena like a frightened animal, Damon like a black panther. Suddenly Elena gasped, the wind blew against her, and there was a familiar light in her eyes. "He's gone." she said to Damon- quickly coming to her senses as if waking from a dream. She was breathing heavily and shifting her weight nervously- hoping she was right. She looked for Connor...but he wasn't there.
"It's okay." said Damon timidly- relief showing on his face. The others must have gotten to Jeremy. Elena gasped again, and Damon picked up on the unmistakable smell and sound of burning flesh. Fear ran across Elena's face, and terror ran across Damon's.
Elena stared down at her hand, and so did Damon. Even though he knew what he was about to see- his mind didn't want to accept it. Smoke was beginning to rise and the skin started to crackle like kindling in a stove. The realization of what she'd done hit Elena. Damon darted another look at the sun. They'd have enough time- he'd make them have enough time! It started to rise full power.
"Damon?" cried Elena looking at him. It only took that look to fill him with a new sense of purpose and strength. He knew she didn't want this. She wanted to live and he needed to save her. It only took him an instant to assess the situation. While Elena stood in shock he ran into her full speed launching them both over the bridge.
Despite her vampire senses Elena was still overwhelmed. She didn't resist Damon and let him push her. She was only vaguely aware of his arms around her as both their bodies crashed into the water. Elena was dying. But at least she'd die in Damon's arms. She'd have to take comfort in that. She blacked out.
They hit the water just as the sun rose above the clouds. The water refracted the light and offered minimal coverage. Elena's eyes were closed but Damon knew that as a vampire she could not drown. He pulled her over underneath the shadow of the bridge and dragged her up on the bank. She laid there dripping and unmoving, but still a very much living vampire who thankfully was no longer burning. "Damn Elena..." he muttered with concern all over him. He pushed her wet hair out of her face- it stuck to him like dark little tendrils. Damon allowed himself only a moment to appreciate the fact he'd arrived just in time before turning to search the river bed for her ring.
It took him the better part of half an hour even with his vampire senses. When he finally found it he'd almost been ready to give up and stay with her under the bridge until night fall. Elena hadn't moved in the slightest while he searched and Damon stopped every so often just to be sure she was really there. His mind couldn't help running into panic mode imagining all the possible different outcomes this could have had- but with the ring wrapped tightly in his fist he emerged from the water and tried to let all those fears go.
Soon he had her in his arms, the ring on her finger, the water drying from their clothes quickly as he sprinted her back to her home. Damon went full vampire speed knowing that no one would be able to see them. When he finally reached her house Stefan and the others were standing on the porch.
"Is she...?" began Stefan standing up quickly.
"Well she's not a pile of ashes brother." he shot. He wasn't sure why Stefan had sent him out to be the one to try and bring her back. He chalked it up to the trust issues Elena was having as a result of Stefan working with Klaus. He was still a bit annoyed. Having two of them would have been easier- faster. "She was pretty deluded, but you did your part just in time." he nodded at Jeremy who watched him carry his sister up the stairs. Stefan stayed behind, sitting on the porch.
"You're not going after her?" asked Jeremy, a little shocked.
"...Something tells me I'm the last one she wants to see right now." replied Stefan looking down. "I'll let her come to me when she's ready." Jeremy frowned in response.
Meanwhile Damon had Elena back in her bed and under the covers. He knew he should probably leave the rest to Stefan... but he couldn't stop reliving the moment of the bridge. The look on Elena's face- the sheer determination to kill herself- and then the wash of confusion when the curse was finally lifted. It twisted his stomach. He resigned himself to sitting in the window next to her, alone with his thoughts.
Elena had been dreaming of drowning. She was at the bottom of the water under the bridge- like she was supposed to be. Tethered to water plants, trapped forever, when a warm sensation started to arouse her. She could feel pressure all over her body. It wasn't water, it was soft. The sensation on her hand didn't burn... it was warm and soothing. She wriggled her fingers reflexively and began to wake up.
She stared at her hand a little confused at first. The first thing that came into focus was her ring- the blue ring- the one Stefan had given her. Then, everything started rushing back faster than she wanted. Stefan wasn't the one who saved her. Elena leaned up and experimentally moved her hand in the sun. She wasn't burning. She didn't die.
"Fished it out of the river for ya." came a familiar voice. She startled and sat up, turning to see Damon looking at her with a sad expression sitting across from her bed. "Little tip, vampires hate to swim." he grinned, looking at her from over his shoulder trying his best to seem like this was the most uninteresting thing in the world.
Elena closed her eyes for a moment and ran her fingers across her forehead and through her hair. Somehow she knew Damon had done that to her somewhere. "How ya feeling?" he asked carefully.
"My head's clear." she said thankfully, touching her face again to be sure it was all real and turning again to look at him. He turned his body right around now, letting down his protective wall, he wanted to know how much she could remember. She looked off beyond him, "I can remember everything, but not like I lived it... like it was a really... bad... dream." Elena explained.
Damon stared at her, sad. He had hoped she didn't remember it all, he didn't want her to feel like she lost, like she gave up, like she wasn't strong. Elena caught the look of pure concern coming from him. She stared back for a moment. She remembered the bridge. She remembered his arms around her as they fell into the water. "You saved me." she said in awe. It hadn't been the first time, but it felt somehow different.
Damon stared back at her, feeling torn. He was so relieved she was okay that he wanted to pull her into his arms and never let her go. Elena had chosen Stefan though- he couldn't do that. So he tried to force a cocky smile- but it didn't come off right. "Thank-you." said Elena earnestly.
Damon turned his head cockily again, trying to gain back his attitude and make the moment lighter. He stood up and walked toward her bed. "Well you know what they say about teenage suicide..." he sat down on the bed and pointed a finger at her. "Don't do it." she grinned and let a dry laugh escape.
Elena stared at him, she took him in, really took him all in. This was Damon. The guy who seemed so unreliable and free spirited yet could always be counted on and acted like her rock. He saved her. He had tried to talk her down. He fell into the water with her. For a moment she thought about telling him that she was happy she'd at least die in his arms. Why did she feel that way? She shook her head. "I just can't believe that I almo-"
"You weren't yourself." he interrupted putting his hand on her knee through the comforter on the bed.
She instantly took his hand. "Yeah but if it wasn't for you." she insisted. The physical contact caught Damon off guard and a shock resonated through his whole body. He glanced down at her hand- holding his, then he glanced back at her, sure that in a second the dream would fade and she'd snatch her hand back. She didn't. She stared back at him. Then, Elena looked down at their hands and squeezed his tightly. She looked up at him with her doe eyes. Damon stared back, looked down at the hands again, and felt guilt creeping into his chest.
"Ohhh..." he sighed trying to turn the hand grasp into somewhat of a hand shake. Elena wasn't letting go, so he ran his thumb across her skin. Fine. He'd be the bigger one. "I'm about to take a very high... annoying road." he whispered. "And tell you something." Damon couldn't allow himself to dream that in this moment Elena was in her right mind. He couldn't dare to hope. This was just residual damsel in distress mentality... and the truth was she didn't know the whole story with Stefan. If he was going to win Elena- it had to be the right way. It had to be fair.
He took his hand out of her grasp reluctantly, and put it on top of her hand instead. "... because I know that you think Stefan's been lying to you..." he began as earnestly as he could. Damon knew inside he was doing the right thing, but it was breaking his heart to do it. "Which yeah- he has." he added. "...but this rough patch that you two have been going through... it's not what you think." he shook his head while Elena just blinked and stared back at him.
Had Damon known all along? That Stefan had a secret deal with Klaus? That there was something going on behind all their backs? Why was Damon about to be the one who told the truth and not Stefan? She frowned, crinkling her eyebrows. "Everything that he has been doing he's been doing for you." explained Damon. "To help you. And after he kills me for telling you this I want you to throw my ashes off of wickery bridge- okay?" she stifled a little giggle but it was really just to break the mood a bit. The image of Damon dying and ending up under the bridge- was not something Elena wanted to think about. She peered back at him instead, waiting for the truth.
Damon hesitated for a moment, looked away from her, but thought better of it and looked back. "There may be a way out of this for you Elena." It was like a weight had been lifted from his shoulders, and he watched her as the realization crept into her eyes bringing back a familiar shine. She stared back at him questioningly full of hope. "There may be a cure." her mouth fell open and she took a deep breath. This changed everything.
"I... I don't know what to say..." she finally stammered out. Damon just half grinned back at her and shrugged his shoulders.
"I just thought you should know the truth." he replied.
"...at least someone did." said Elena still in shock. Damon frowned. It wasn't the whole truth- he wanted to save her from the reality of Connor's death.
"I'll let you get some rest." he started to stand up when Elena pulled on his arm. He paused and looked at her, confused. She pulled him back down to her level and wrapped him in a hug. Damon was surprised at first, but hugged back.
"Thank-you. Just, thank-you for everything." she closed her eyes tightly as she hugged him and fought back tears.
Damon wanted to stay in her warm arms, but he was the one to break away. "You should talk to Stefan." he said standing up and walking toward the door. "...when you're ready."
"Yeah." Elena gave a nod but leaned back in her bed. Damon disappeared through the door. He'd use the back door today- didn't want to run into Stefan after all that. Things with Elena and Stefan were weird, and with everything that had happened between himself and Elena he wasn't surprised. Damon wasn't about to take advantage of her when she'd been in the mind to kill herself only hours earlier.
Elena sat there in her bed, replaying everything in her mind. She'd instantly gone to Stefan when she became a vampire. Despite everything he did as the Ripper, things had just fallen into place with them. It just seemed normal to go to Stefan when she wanted safety. But it wasn't Stefan who kept saving her, in fact when she really thought about it- it wasn't Stefan who continued to stick with her either. It was Damon. Damon was the one stepping up to be dependable. Damon was the one who fought for her right to choose what she wanted. Damon was the one who never gave up on her and went running.
Suddenly Elena remembered something... Damon said he was only sticking around this town to take out the Hunter. With Connor dead- did that mean Damon would leave? Her heart sank and for a moment it was like all the air rushed out of her. She didn't want Damon to leave. She didn't want Damon to leave at all.
There had always been this strange connection she has with Damon, even as a human. Now that she was a vampire and had remembered everything he ever tried to compel her to forget- she knew he was the one she'd met first. Maybe her subconscious wanted Damon all along? Now that she was a vampire- everything about it was magnified. She even noticed the smell of Damon in a room.
Damon. Thinking of his arms around her as they crashed into the water, her heart skipped a beat. Damon. Things were different. They'd been different... for a while. Damon had seen the most extreme sides of her, between the frat party and this. He didn't treat her any differently. Stefan treated her like a ticking time bomb. Like she'd become the Ripper. Sometimes like she was a little bird that would fly away.
Things had changed. She felt differently. It was time to talk to Stefan.