Disclaimer: I do not own Vampire Diaries
"I'm doing this to try to keep everyone I love safe." Elena murmured as she picked up the phone. She had found a number that would be a vampire who would put her in contact with Klaus. She dialed the number and listened to it ring a few times before a voice answered.
"Hello?" It asked.
"Hi, um I was given this number to get in touch with Klaus." She said hesitantly.
"You're looking for Klaus?" The voice asked before letting out a barking laugh. "People don't look for Klaus. Klaus finds them." And with that, he hung up. Elena sighed and put the phone down.
"Elena?" Damon asked appearing in her bedroom with a rush of wind from the window.
"God Damon! Don't sneak in my bedroom like that! She huffed.
"Who were you talking to?" He demanded looking at her suspiciously.
"I was on the phone." She said holding up the phone.
"With whom." He snarled snatching the phone from her and looking at the number she had just called.
"Wrong number." She said.
"You made the call." He said.
"And it was the wrong number." She said defiantly.
"I heard you talking about Klaus." He said unintentionally crushing her phone in his hand.
"Just leave me alone alright?" She demanded.
"No Elena. You are not sacrificing yourself." He snarled as his eyes flashed dangerously.
"It's my choice not yours." She said.
"But given that your choice is stupid I have the right to ignore it." He said.
"Ignore it all you want it's still going to happen." She said.
"Elena if you think I'm just going to let you sacrifice yourself then-" He looked angrier than he'd ever been.
"Just please Damon, it's hard enough for me to do this, can't you just trust me?" She asked as tears welled in her eyes. "I need to do this to protect everyone I love. To protect Jeremy and Stefan and you and Jenna and Bonnie and Caroline and-" She was cut off by a sob trickling from her lips.
"Elena-" He said looking pained. "You don't understand that we would protect you? All of us?" He asked stepping closer to her but stopping she curled into herself.
"So why can't I protect you? One person for many instead of many for one." She said with shuddering breaths.
"Elena, Klaus can kill everyone in the entire world. I'll never him get to you. Because if it comes down to you and collateral, I will always choose you." He said taking the remaining few steps to get to her and gathering her in his arms tight against him.
"You may be okay with that but I'm not!" She said trying to push herself away from him.
"Sh-Elena. Just let me protect you." He said holding her tight despite her struggling.
"No let me protect you!" She said shoving him hard. He looked down at her with pain in his eyes. "No Damon! It's not fair! I can't let you die." She sobbed clutching to him. He held her close, petting her hair and wishing he could just make everything okay for her.
"And you think I can let you?" He asked softly. "I'm selfish Elena. I refuse to live a day without you so if you think for a second I'll let you go through with this self sacrificing plan of yours then you must not know me." He said.
"Why can't I be selfish? Don't I get to be selfish?" She asked looking up at Damon through tear soaked eyes.
"Because you're too good Elena. You're too special, too important." He said kissing her head. "You've always been good and I've always been the selfish one." He said.
"You've never been selfish." She said sniffling.
"Katherine made me selfish. You've never seen me be selfish because you bring out the humanity in me. As horrible as humanity may be." He said chuckling. Her crying slowly subsided.
"You loved her." Elena said as her face softened.
"My...thing with Katherine was a sickness. It was unhealthy and it brought out the worst in me." He said carefully as his face contorted at the memory. She seemed deflated and allowed him to hold her without struggle.
"I don't want to think about that. I just want someone to hold me and tell me everything it going to be alright." She said.
"I'll call Stefan." He said as he began to move away from her. She grabbed hold of him looking frightened.
"Damon, tell me everything it going to be okay. Lie to me and tell me everything is going to be okay." She said clutching desperately to him.
"Elena, everything is going to be okay. I promise. I'll make everything okay for you." He said looking in her eyes seriously.
"Liar." She laughed swatting him playfully. He laughed and brushed away her tears. "Thank you." She said softly as she pulled him close. He covered her up and lay next to her on her bed fucking her in with her stuffed bear. She shut her eyes and snuggled against him.
"Goodnight Elena." He whispered into her hair.
"Gnight Damon." She mumbled.