Prompt: Elena has a nightmare, and Stefan helps her with coming to terms with it.

Pairing: Delena (the prompt may make it seem like Stelena, but I promise, it's not)

Characters: Elena, Damon, Jeremy(mentioned), Stefan, Caroline, Bonnie(mentioned), and Katherine.

Rating: T

Words: 2,848

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries.

AN: Hey guys! I know it's been awhile, so I figured I'd let you know I'm still alive and kicking. I've had a lot of different prompts coming to mind for a while now and decided to create this "story" (even though it's more like a series of one-shots) as a way to bunch all of them together without having to create separate stories for each individual one. Anyways, I wanted to let you know that this doesn't just have to be a shit ton of only my ideas, but some of yours too. If you're in the mood for a certain pairing and have a good prompt for it - and for whatever reason don't have time to write it yourself- then just send it to me, and I'll do my best. Promise! Thanks for reading, and as always, please review.

BTW: I'm going to try to update this every week or so. If it takes a couple days longer, sorry, but it's probably because I'm being swamped with schoolwork. So don't kill me! *Uses pillow as a shield*

Chapter 1

The witch's chanting rang in her ears as Klaus stalked around the ring of fire that held Jules. It was time, the moon was at its peak and shown down on the three sacrifices for what would be their final minutes alive. The soon-to-be hybrid stood behind Jules, arms locked helplessly by her sides when he brought his hands to her delicate neck, snapping it like a twig, leaving it at an odd angle, before leaving her sprawled across the undergrowth, dead. One sacrifice down, two to go.

"No!" Elena yelled, eyes darting frantically between a newly turned vampire, her Aunt Jenna, and the hybrid stalking ever so closer to her. Her Aunt turned her confused and frightened wide eyes to Elena as she tried to piece together the events taking place. Elena watched as her Aunt's eyes hardened, her eyes narrowing at her in accusation.

"Why, Elena? Why?! You should've told me when you had the chance! I had a rightto know the truth, Elena, and you took that choice from me." Jenna spat, hurt shining in her eyes as she gazed at her niece from the middle of her own personal circle of flame. "Did you ever think that we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place if you'd told me? Huh? Are you just gonna stand there, gaping at me, or are you going to answer the question?"

Elena stared on speechless. All she could do was stare as the woman who had been her guardian from the moment her parents died ripped her apart, piece by piece, from the inside. Yet she didn't do a thing to stop it because, deep down, she knew it was her fault. Maybe if she'd been up front about everything to her Aunt, she'd still be alive, and her and Jeremy wouldn't be feeling abandoned yet again by someone they loved.

"I'm sorry," Elena whispered brokenly, unable to say more. But Jenna wasn't done yet.

"Oh, you're sorry? Last I checked, I'm still dead Elena, and whether you're sorry or not, that's not going to change. And it's all your fault. You were nothing but a monster then, and you're even more of a monster now. Just as bad as him." Jenna jerked her chin over to the hybrid that loomed over her prone form. "Goodbye, Elena."

Klaus ignored the babbling blonde, choosing to send Elena an amused quirk of his lips before beheading the vampire in one smooth motion. A scream tore its way through Elena's throat, agony gripping her heart as she watched one of the few remaining members of her family have her life stolen from her.

"Ah, sweet relief. All that talking was giving me quite the headache," Klaus jabbed, "and I didn't think that was possible for an Original Vampire, sweetheart."

Klaus took the final steps to Elena, sidling up right in front of her, like she was some animal on exhibit at the zoo, as the flames parted for him. His eyes closed in exhilaration. After centuries of waiting, he'll finally be able to unlock his dormant werewolf gene, and become an almost completely unkillable creature of the night.

"Are we ready, love?" Klaus called out to his witch.

"Yes, master." She confirmed, beginning to chant louder as he made the final sacrifice. Grabbing Elena by her upper arms, he yanked her into a standing position, him pressed intimately against her back as his fangs found her jugular. Every pull made her feel weaker, and her eyelids began to droop lazily before fluttering shut completely.

Elena bolted up into a sitting position on the bed with sweat glistening off her brow. If her heart worked as it once did, it would've been racing in her chest. Her chest rose and fell rapidly like she'd just run a marathon. She looked around her and Damon's room which was bathed in the silvery glow of moonlight, and tried to push away the horrible nightmare.

She couldn't.

Damon stirred next to her and murmured groggily, "'Lena?" Her heart and breathing rate were in overtime as her chest rose and fell at a rapid pace. Damon slowly blinked the sleep out of his eyes to see his Elena staring blankly into the space in front of her.

"Elena, you okay?" Damon asked. Her eyes came into focus and turned their gaze on him. The hard look in her eyes faded and softened minutely as she took in his bedraggled figure.

She shook her head with a hint of a frown on her face, "It's nothing. Just a nightmare."

"Want to talk about it?" Damon prodded with a look of concern etched into his face. He perceived that she'd said that to assure herself more than him.

"I'm fine." Elena replied, smoothing away her distress from view. Elena moved to cup his jaw in her palm softly and tugged him forward until he had her wrapped in his arms. She slid a hand to the nape of his neck, tangling her fingers in his hair, and pulled his mouth to hers, wordlessly reassuring him. She was fine. Aunt Jenna on the other hand…Elena shook away the thought and concentrated on the sensations he was giving her—the brush of his tongue against hers, his exquisite taste, and a scent that was just uniquely Damon which seemed to encompass every inch of her being. His essence surrounded her, and she reveled in this very welcome distraction.

"I love you." She mumbled between kisses. He hummed against her lips in response and shifted them so that they lay back onto the pillows. He broke away from her as he began to yawn.

"Sleep, Elena. Just a few more hours until morning." Damon said tiredly, his arms still coiled tightly around her. Elena rested her head against his chest contently and mumbled intelligibly. With her held securely in his arms, Damon fell seamlessly into sleep, Elena trying not to wake him by making any sudden movements.

She tried multiple ways of falling asleep to no avail. Her nightmare haunted her, making it impossible to get even a wink of sleep. Elena remembered the way her mother would comfort her after a nightmare when she was a child. She would bring up a mug of hot tea from downstairs for her to drink, and tell her that she was safe, and that everything was going to be okay. Afterwards, Elena would be tucked in, her mother would plant a kiss on her forehead, and she'd fall asleep to the sound of her mother's soothing hum. And while her mother may be gone—had been for a while now—that didn't mean that the tea was too.

Elena shifted her legs beneath the covers, feeling how they were intertwined with Damon's, and did her best to disentangle them without waking her sleeping lover. It took a couple tries, but she was able to soundlessly pull free.

A slight rustle of the covers behind her caused Elena to tilt her head to the side curiously. Damon lay with his nose shoved into her pillow where she laid moments before and let out a content breath. She had to bite back the giggle that threatened to break loose, and sunk her teeth into her bottom lip as she fought the urge to get back in bed with him. Elena's feet patted softly to the kitchen, where she pulled out a mug and a tea bag before getting the hot water going. She hummed a soft tune as she walked around the kitchen, absentmindedly taking in the soft noises that echoed around the house. Jeremy's snores could be heard from his room, though he'd deny that he snored at all—the thought caused Elena to emit a dry chuckle.

"Someone should teach you how to be stealthier. I could barely sleep with the ruckus you were making down here," a muted voice teased. Elena rolled her eyes.

"Are you offering?" She questioned wryly. Stefan shrugged, not indicating a yes or a no.

"So, what's been bothering you lately?" Stefan inquired, tilting his head to the side, concerned.

"What makes you think something's wrong?" Elena dodged, gazing intently into her cup of tea.

"Well for one, the bags under your eyes are a good clue. It's clear to me that you haven't slept well in days Elena, and I'm not the only one who's noticed." Stefan revealed, moving to stand by her. He placed a comforting hand on her forearm, "I'll always be here if you need to talk." Elena gave him a jerky nod, her eyes clouded as her mind raced a mile a minute.

"I keep dreaming of that night," Elena finally uttered, "the way Klaus sacrificed me, Jules…Aunt Jenna. I just don't know why it's hitting me now of all times. It's almost been two years, Stefan, and the guilt… it's eating me alive."

"Seems to me you've got a case of survivor's guilt." Stefan said after a beat and paused to look at her empathetically. The look didn't surprise her. If anyone was prone to self-loathing, it'd be Stefan. "I know it may feel like it is, but what happened was in no way your fault. I mean, you have no control over your genetics, and it's not like you chose to be the only thing keeping Klaus from his dormant werewolf side. Over time I've learned that you've just got to let go of your guilt, forgive yourself even if no one else will, or else it's going to eat at you until you're nothing more than a shell of who you once were. And that I'm sure is not what I, nor any of the others, want."

Elena smiled weakly, "How is it that you always know exactly what to say to me?"

Stefan grinned, "That's because I know you Elena. What makes you and I tick is practically one and the same." He paused, brows furrowing in thought, "I think that's why we never would've worked out in the end, why we didn't. We were—we are—both too similar, and you know how they say "opposites attract." Damon and Katherine are the same way; they're too alike to have worked out, but with us it's perfect. They keep us and our martyr-like tendencies in check as well as keep us from letting our guilt consume us. We in return push them to do—be—better. We help curve their darker cravings, and stop them from going off on the occasional killing spree when they're upset."

"Are you going somewhere with this?" Elena smirked. She understood what he was saying, and full heartedly agreed with his assessment. Damon helped her own even the darkest parts of herself. Hell, he accepted her when no one else would.

When Katherine had first shown up at the Boarding House, looking to stay for a while, she'd been strangely okay with it. The longer they were forced to share a home and be in the same room for long periods of time, the more the two doppelgangers got to know each other. Now, they weren't hesitant to seek the other out for a girls' day. Elena might even say she began to enjoy the older brunette's company, and even more so when she saw the effect she had on her best friend. Stefan became less of a worrier, and more of a guy you'd want to hang out with for a good time. His control on human blood increased immensely too, and he didn't bury himself in guilt anymore if anything went wrong.

"I'm getting there," Stefan promised. "We both know that I'm not the best at dealing with guilt, so I'm going to have to channel my brother for this one. Don't feel guilty. You didn't ask for any of this. Hell, none of us asked for the lives we've been given, but here they are. Everything happened the way it did for a reason. If Jenna hadn't died, who do you think would've taken her place: Caroline? Me? Damon?" Stefan watched her flinch with every loved one he threw at her and hoped that he was getting his point across to her, "So you see, it doesn't matter what you could've done that night Elena, because someone was going to die that night, and unfortunately, Jenna happened to be at the wrong place at the right time. All we can do now is honor the sacrifices that have been made for us and be grateful for every breath we're able to take. We can't let those sacrifices be made in vain." Stefan eyed her and refrained from stepping towards her when he saw the water pooling in her eyes. He understood that she was taking in the full impact of his words and that while her guilt would still gnaw at her for a little longer, she'd get better within time. She needed to see the error in her ways, just as Katherine had shown him his, and again, that would take time—which they fortunately had a lot of.

"Beautifully put, Stefan, I nearly shed a tear," Damon snarked sleepily. The duo turned to see him leaning against the side of the entrance, raven hair piled messily atop his head. Elena bit her lip to hide a smile at the image of a young, cranky Damon dragged out of bed early by an eager Stefan way back in the early years of their youth.

Damon didn't waste another moment waiting across the room and took his place next to Elena, wrapping his arms around her lithe form. "Good morning," he muttered against the crown of her head, "'though I'd rather wake up with you there next to me." Elena turned away from Stefan to look behind her at Damon.

"Couldn't sleep." She explained, twisting around to brush her lips across his cheek apologetically. He hummed his pardon, having caught the tail end of her conversation with Stefan.

"Judgy called," Damon informed them, "her and Enzo should be back from their trip sometime tonight. Enzo expects us to load the house with bourbon and tequila, since coming back here 'requires copious amounts of alcohol to process.'" His voice slips into a British accent as he quotes the vampire. "And I for one don't blame the guy. Who'd be crazy enough to come back here after finally managing to escape this supernaturally fucked up town." Elena and Stefan rolled their eyes at him. He himself was crazy enough to return to Mystic Falls after seeing it fade away in his rearview mirror. In fact, he's repeatedly done so for a century and a half. Not to mention, he's barely left it ever since he discovered Elena in all of her doppelganger glory.

Elena acknowledged that Stefan had done this too, and even stayed for the same reason Damon had.

Something about the small town attracted the supernatural into its borders, and for however long they decided to remain, they'd have to deal with those supernatural creatures.

"Morning all!" Caroline chirped, walking into the room with wet hair.

"Care?" Elena turned to look at her best friend from the circle of Damon's arms. "What're you doing here so early?"

"The town's water supply was spiked with vervain again. Luckily my mom warned me before I found out the hard way." Like last time, Caroline remembered with a wince.

"Guess there'll be no feeding from the locals," Damon muttered sourly, the implied unfortunately was strong. Elena snorted at his obvious displeasure and nipped at his pulse reprimandingly. Before he could start a round of his own in retaliation, Stefan emphasized his presence with a loud cough.

"Get a room," He groaned. Elena grinned at him and pushed away from her boyfriend, ignoring the teasing attempts to pull her back to him.

"Can't, Care and I have to meet up with Bonnie at the mall." She glanced at the phone in her hand. Upon seeing the time, Elena raised her eyebrows in surprise. "Care, we're going to be late!" Elena bounded up to Caroline, looped her arm around the blonde's and hurriedly tugged her out the front door.

"And that would be my queue, later Stef," Damon said, grabbing his leather jacket and his car keys before heading out to meet Ric at the Mystic Grill. Stefan shook his head and glanced down at the forgotten cold cup of tea in his hands.

What a morning.

Stefan's ears perked up at the clacking of heels, and turned towards the entryway. No one was there. He kept his ears peeled, concentrating deeply for a clue of her whereabouts.

"Mmm, what'd I miss?" Katherine murmured huskily from behind. Stefan, grinning stupidly, spun around swiftly at the sound of her voice. He gave her a once over—black skinny jeans, an off the shoulder top that showed off a delightful piece of olive skin, and her signature heels—and hummed his approval.

"I'll explain later." He laced their fingers together, and dragged her off to an unknown destination where they began their own little adventure.