Disclaimer: TVD belongs to whoever receives the royalties and that sure as hell isn't me. I just pretend while I'm writing.

Summary: She thinks that maybe she's doing them more harm and causing them more pain than Katherine ever did... and for what; something she thought was love?

Elena's journey to realization that she's in love with the other brother. AU from the moment Damon forces his blood on Elena. Prequel to Unsuccessfully Saying Goodbye, but can stand alone.

AN: As per your request dear reader, here it is. Enjoy!

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Unwillingly Succumbing to Truth

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inoculating before the inevitable

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Her mouth is rapidly filling to the brim with his surprisingly warm and sweet tasting blood. It's nothing like the first time when he tasted bitter from their betrayal. She's responding on pure instinct; kicking, hitting and trying her damnedest to scream. She's frightened out of her mind. She can't fucking breath; he wont let her.

His perfect powder blue eyes suddenly flash electric blue as his gaze turns frantic. "I can't lose you." He hisses and she thinks she might just die on the spot from the pain and desperation he's emitting. If only he would just stop loving her so damned much; she doesn't deserve it.

Their eyes connect and it's as if he's letting her see straight into his soul and she hates him for it. It's so agonizingly beautiful that she can't fight him any more... and so with tears in her eyes she swallows a mouthful of him. It slides down her throat far too smoothly leaving a trail of desperation and something impossibly divine in its wake. It settles deep within her and suddenly she realizes that she didn't know what love actually felt like before. She can still taste it on her tongue, his love for her, it's the most delicious thing she's ever tasted in her very short life.

He lets her go and she scrambles backwards. It's too much, they might all die and it's too much. "Get away from me." She wheezes holding up her hand in a pathetic attempt to stop him because she can also still feel him. He's everywhere, running rampantly through her veins with every tug of her heart... he's in there as well, fitting perfectly into the Damon shaped hole that's been there all along.

Remorse shines in his beautiful eyes and she can see that he's misunderstood, but she doesn't have the strength to correct him. She doesn't have the time either. His jaw tenses and his gaze hardens and she'd start crying if she already wasn't.

"What's going on?" Stefan's warm green eyes flash as he spots her blood smeared face and she knows what's going to happen next. She doesn't have the strength to stop that either.

They're at each others throats; literally. She vaguely realizes that it's her voice shouting at the two of them to stop, but she can still feel him inside of her. Loving her. It's still too much. She's just seventeen and of course she had no clue what love really was.

She shrieks as she watches the older and constantly overlooked brother stake the younger that she knows he loves in the gut. She thinks that maybe she's doing them more harm and causing them more pain than Katherine ever did... and for what; something she thought was love?

Stefan's slumps to the floor clutching the jagged piece of wood protruding from his abdomen. She can see how broken the other is despite the thick layer of fury he's put up in front of it. She knows he can't take much more so she whispers... "Just go." … and he does. It's still too much.

She shushes the green eyed brother before wrapping both hands around the makeshift stake and pulling it lose. He's groaning and wheezing and she thinks they might just loose the fight if that's all it takes. Scolding herself mentally she helps him up and out of the room. She's going to die... and maybe she'll come back and it wont be so bad.

Depositing the mess of a boy on his bed she says. "I'll get you some blood." She turns and is almost out of the room when his voice stops her.

"Thank you. There's some rabbit blood in the freezer." He gurgles out and she's glad she isn't facing him. He can't protect her.

She doesn't scold herself for thinking that the supposed love of her life isn't trying hard enough to keep her alive as she descends the stairs. She's seventeen and scared beyond belief and it's not unfounded. She is going to die.

She wipes the remnants of him from her swollen lips before she stops abruptly at the bottom of the stairs. One of them is doing everything to keep her alive even if that ends with her hating him... she thinks she might end up loving him for it instead, now that she knows what love really feels like.

"I'm afraid the elixir is of no use to you now." It's Elijah's smooth calm and collected voice that pulls her back into the moment. He looks genuinely sorry and it's a bit of a surprise to her. She did kill the guy after all.

She smiles apologetically at the handsome Original. "It's OK. He's just trying to keep me safe the only way he knows how." Wiping the tears form her cheeks she steps closer.

The faintest traces of an amused smile appear on his lips. "You're not cross with him for robbing you of your choice?" He asks looking like he already has the answer, but wanting her to have it as well.

She takes a single step forward and their toes almost touch. "I think..." She starts with a whisper afraid of saying the words out loud. "I think that I might be grateful for the gift he was attempting to give me." She worries her bottom lip between her perfectly straight white teeth. "I'm just not sure I ever wanted it."

He smiles then, a soft understanding smile. "My dear, you still have a choice." He waits while the weight of his words sink in. They terrify her, but not for the reason they should. His obsidian twin pools convey all the other unspoken choices she's had for some time now and they have nothing to do with dying. Perhaps Originals can read minds as well.

She nods slowly her gaze transfixed on her scuffed Chucks. "Is he here?" She asks knowing he'll know exactly who he is.

He shakes his head knowingly, his eyes never leaving her face. She can feel them on her, she doesn't need to look up to know that he is. "No, but there is still time my dear."

She hears his intake of breath. For some reason he's hesitating on his next words so she lifts her eyes to meet his. "What?" She questions searching his façade for cracks she can peer through. There are none.

Narrowing his eyes he leans in the tiniest bit closer. "There is a way." He whispers so quietly that she thinks she might have imagined the words. She just blinks and waits for him to continue, worried that if she interrupts he might not say what's on his mind. "I can purge you of him."

"What do you mean?" It comes out in a breathy whisper. She barely recognizes her own voice and she's frightened stiff from the implications. She doesn't want him taken away from her... she can still feel him inside.

He takes her hands in his and gives them a reassuring squeeze. "I can clean your blood of his. It's painful, but it can be done."

She looks deeply into his eyes pleading for the truth. "Why would you do this for me? I killed you." Perhaps she shouldn't have reminded him of that fact, but she doesn't understand and her curiosity has gotten the better of her like it so often does.

His lips twist into a smirk that is hauntingly similar to the blue eyed vampires. "Who says I'm doing this for you?" The clear confusion on her face seems to amuse him further. "An eternity of guilt, my dear, would be far more painful."

Of course, she should have known. It surprises her that it's not until now that she sees the similarities. His façade is merely better perfected than the others. "Do it." She urges and she knows that he just saw the coin drop.

His fangs unsheathe, but there are no signs of blood-lust. He looks as human as herself; it's eerie. It's far more terrifying than any vampire she's seen before... and she's seen quite a few. He brings one of her wrists to his lips. "Ready?" He breathes against her skin and she simply nods.

His teeth piercing her flesh is far less painful than stabbing oneself in the gut, but it's in no way pleasant. It's when he draws the first sip of her that the excruciating pain begins and she's pretty sure she'll faint in a second or two. He quickly wraps an arm around her waist the moment her knees give out. She buries her face in the smooth fabric of his dark suit in an attempt to muffle her pain filled cries. An eternity of guilt, she reminds herself right before she slips into oblivion.

She blinks blearily up at the hovering figure in front of her. "Elijah?" Her head is spinning and she can't see straight, but somehow she just knows it's him.

A gentle hand pushes on her shoulder as she starts to sit up. "Stay still." He urges and she obliges closing her eyes and relaxing against the plush material supporting her back.

"Is it done?" She asks shakily trying to quell the sudden nausea rising to her head. She has no idea how long she's been out.

"It is." Replies his smooth voice just as someone enters the house throwing the door closed quite violently.

The loud thud hurts her ears and head, and she groans clutching at the sides of her head, tugging lightly at her hair in an attempt to distract herself from the sudden increase in pain.

Someone's crouching in front of her and she can feel the anxiety radiating from the person as their hands lightly skim over her. "'Lena, what's wrong?" The velvety voice soothes her ears and she blinks her eyes open, wincing slightly at the bright light.

His crystalline eyes are piercing into her; he's distraught. Her hands move to either side of his face of their own accord. "We're fine." She says and leans her head forward so that their foreheads lightly touch. "We're fine." She repeats and closes her eyes. She can still feel him inside and the immense relief that washes over her comes as a surprise. She doesn't want him gone from there... ever.

He pulls back searching her big brown eyes for something, she isn't sure just what he's looking for. "You... you forgive me?" She's never heard him sound this fragile and hopeful. It hurts her heart.

She smiles drowsily and swallows down what's left of the nausea. "I would have done the same." She admits, but she can see that he doesn't grasp the full extent of her statement. "I would have done the same for you." She thinks that given time he will eventually understand that, but not yet.

He smiles softly with relief shining in his beautiful eyes and he looks so much like the sweet boy he once must have been. His big hands reach up to cover her smaller ones and he closes his eyes briefly. "We're fine." He says echoing her previous statement.

"Drink this. It'll help to restore you." Elijah says holding out a glass of what looks like orange juice, but then he winks and she realizes what he's actually saying. He's not letting on to Damon and now she's pretty freaking sure he can read her mind.

She smiles and slips her hands from beneath Damon's to take the glass being offered to her. "Thank you." She thinks experimentally as she shoots the slightest of smirks Elijah's way.

He rewards her with an amused. "You're welcome."

Oddly enough it isn't frightening at all that he can hear her thoughts, although she wonders why things went the way that they went that nigh at the lake house. But she doesn't really need an answer to that so she just drinks the concoction he's brought her and says a silent prayer to whatever deity might care to listen. It actually doesn't taste that bad.

"Where's Jenna?" She asks once she's gulped down all of the potion. It's embarrassing that she only just now realized that her aunt is missing... oh, and Alaric as well.

His crystalline eyes go wide and flick up to meet the Originals obsidian ones.

"Safe." The Original answers monotonously. At the other twos startled appearances he smirks. "I had you're witch seal her, your brother, father and stepfather in and everyone else out of your house. They break far too easily."

He's keeping his deal with her and she's unbelievably thankful for that. "Caroline?" She questions because that's the only one left that is not a part of the plan and that he promised to keep safe.

The younger of the two vampires clears his throat uncomfortably still on his knees in front of her. "Barbie, Cujo and Ken are safe. I made sure of that."

OK, so Caroline wasn't the only one that she needed to be safe and somehow he knew even though she had forgotten. "Thank you." She says giving him a bright smile. "Oh, shit!" She exclaims suddenly remembering that her boyfriend is unconscious and bleeding upstairs. She's embarrassed to say the least. "Stefan; I fainted before I could get him blood." Both of the vampires disappear behind their façades so quickly that her head starts spinning again. She has no idea why.

The one crouching rises smoothly to his feet. "Better not keep little brother waiting." He says coldly. She feels nauseous again.

"I still feel kind of sick. He said there was rabbit blood in the freezer. Damon would you mind?" She says and there are sudden flashes of shock that run through both of their eyes. "I'll take it up to him." She assures. She doesn't want a repeat performance. "Don't." She pleads hearing the question long before he attempts to speak it. "It's too late now to do anything about." She is going to die.

The younger of the two undead men disappears in a blur and returns instantly holding a jar of frozen blood that disturbingly enough looks like some kind of jam. She can't help the curl of her upper lip. She won't be eating any red jams for some time... if she comes back to life that is.

The blue eyed vamp smirks and winks at her cheekily. "I promise the people blood is far more appetizing." Maybe she should just tell him. No, he has to have hope.

Instead she rolls her eyes at him and rises slowly to her feet. Gauging her equilibrium she takes a tentative step forward. "Just give it here." She chides far too lightly considering she's going to die tonight.

His smirk broadens to a full fledged grin as he hands over the cool jar. Had he not been pumped full of vervain she'd have asked Elijah to compel him to stay safe. She would take all his choices away if it would guarantee his safety. She can still feel him tucked safely into the hole in her heart made just for him and it makes her feel safe and protected... and loved. She needs it now that she's experienced it.

She makes her way slowly up to Stefan's room only now just realizing that the night has fallen and the full moon is grazing the starlit night. It's almost time.

She rouses him calling out his name softly and he stirs. She hands him the cool jar of cranberry jam... err... rabbit blood. He gulps it down quickly not seeming to mind the frozen, or are they congealed, lumps and she tries her best to hide her returning nausea.

He catches on, but misunderstands. "I guess we've never really talked about it." He says and it occurs to her that it's strange that they never have. She has sort of talked about it with Damon, Rose, Lexi and even Katherine... not to mention just before with Elijah. Yet never with her undead boyfriend.

Tucking a stray strand of her dark tresses behind her ear she sighs heavily. "I guess it's because I could never picture it." She says honestly wondering for the first time if it's because of who is with her in the picture. "I don't want that kind of forever." It's true, but there's this buzzing in the back of her mind. She just can't hear what the buzzing is quite yet.

"You still have a choice." He says sweetly apparently unable to disguise his own hopes and hurt feelings. She really doesn't need this right now.

His statement only reminds her of what it had meant coming out of someone else's mouth; someone older and wiser. "I know." She replies simply, having made her choice earlier. "It's almost time." She says standing up not wanting to have this talk any more. An eternity of guilt; she reminds herself. She's made the right choice.

There's a blur of movement and a startled yelp. She's staring at Stefan's empty bed wondering what the hell just happened. "Elijah!" She shouts at the top of her lungs ambling down the stairs two and three at a time.

"Yes." He says sweetly standing very close and she stumbles into him.

She straightens up catching a glint of something mischievous in his eyes. Furrowing her brow she asks. "Did you?" She doesn't need to say more because he smirks that eerily familiar smirk.

"I did." He replies and she lets out a breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. "The witch sealed two of the cells in the basement at my request. She can be awfully helpful." His head tilts to the side as she chuckles. "You're ride is here." He says right before there's a knock at the door.

"Thank you." She mouths not sure who's standing at the door and Elijah just nods before vanishing out of sight.

She swings the door open with an appropriately large flourish for the occasion. "Klaus." She greets the blond curtly stepping out of her safe haven.

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Elijah watches her walk out and away with his brother as he has done so many times before with the other doppelgängers. Maybe he was wrong to force her warm brown eyes open to the options she has when she might not be coming back to choose between them.

He can't help but chuckle at himself. He's being ridiculous, she's coming back and he's made sure she wont be repeating Katarina's or any other doppelgänger's mistakes. This one will chose the other brother; the one who's truly meant for her.

He may have cheated a tad bit aiding, giving leverage to, the one he favours himself... to the one he relates to. He so did enjoy the blue eyed boys antics and outbursts even though he ended up having to rattle him a bit to get him to do the right thing faster. There's no doubt in his mind that the outwardly impulsive baby vampire would have ended up saving all her friends. No, the boy isn't impulsive at all, he's quick and calculated... just like himself. It's such a wonderful trait, not to mention convenient and helpful. It's that particular combination that's given him the upper hand on innumerable occasions. The boy just needs more and better information to act on, maybe he should... maybe...

When all this is over... he's going right back to being who he used to be so very long ago. That man who did everything with utter intensity and let his feelings run rampant and wild. Hell, he might even let himself fall head over heels for some silly little human.

Shaking himself out of his musings Elijah makes his way out of the Salvatore Boardinghouse following the pull of the girls blood. Yes, he was very wrong about her. How very delightful... especially for the raven haired boy.

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AN: There it is the very first instalment of Unwillingly Succumbing to Truth. I'm quite nervous about this one so be good and review... purdy pleas...