A Time For Change

Chap 1

Elena was too quiet for Damon's liking as he drove her home from the hospital. She really hadn't said much since she'd come back, come back from the dead. Elena was now a vampire. Thanks to the vampire blood Dr Fell used to heal her head injury the previous day and no thanks to Stefan who left her to die in the lake. Elena just watched the night pass by as he drove.

"What are you thinking about?" Damon asked

"What do you think I'm thinking about Damon?" Elena replied. She was angry at what had become of her. She'd never wanted this for herself.

"Elena I know how you feel but what's done is done. Stefan and I are going to help you through this. Everything will be ok."

"No Damon you don't know how I feel. You can't possibly know." Elena argued

Damon wasn't going to argue with her. She was still too new to be reasoned with. Her emotions were still too on edge.

"Where are we going?" Elena asked

"To my place."

"Damon I want to go home." Elena complained

"That's not a good idea right now Elena."

"Why not?"

"Because we haven't told Jeremy anything yet. Plus you haven't fed and until you do, which needs to be soon, you are a danger to him. So until you are in control you need to stay with us." Damon explained.

Elena was quiet again until they were almost to the boarding house. "I haven't decided if I'm going to yet." Elena finally said.

"Going to what?" Damon asked as he pulled into his driveway.

"Feed" She said

"Elena you only have 2 choices. You feed or you die. There is no third choice." Damon said.

Elena looked at Damon with her eyes full of sadness, "I know that Damon."

Damon didn't follow Elena into the house. Instead he sat in the car stunned at what she'd said. He didn't want to lose her again. This was his second chance. He wanted his chance. It was selfish and he knew it but his love for her went beyond all rational thinking. He'd do everything he could to get her to feed and finish the transition. Damon finally got out of the car and went into the house. Stefan was coming down the stairs.

"Where's Elena?" Damon asked

"She went up to your room. She wants no part of me. She wouldn't even look at me." Stefan said.

"I wouldn't look at you either if you'd let me drown."

"I did what she wanted me to do Damon. I got Matt out of the truck. It's what she wanted. What would you have done?"

"I would have ignored her and got her out of that truck. Elena always has and always will come first. She would have hated me but she's hated me before and gotten over it." Damon said

"That wasn't what she wanted Damon." Stefan argued.

"I don't care what she wanted. Now she's become something she never wanted to be, but we have an even bigger problem. She doesn't want to feed."

"That's he choice Damon."

Damon looked at his brother like he had 2 heads. "Did you really just say that? I mean, I know I heard it but I can't believe you said it. Do you love Elena at all because I'm beginning to wonder."

"You know how I feel about Elena and part of that is respecting her decisions. If she doesn't want to feed and finish the transition we can't force her." Stefan said.

"No we can't but I'm going to go talk to her." Damon said and started up the stairs.

Elena was sitting in a chair by the window. She hadn't turned on any lights she could see just fine without them. She sat watching the other creatures of the night roaming through the trees in the woods outside the Salvatore property. She heard the bedroom door open and close but hadn't made any effort to acknowledge the person who'd come into the room. From the scent she knew it was Damon. He smelled delicious.

"Elena can we talk?" Damons voice came out of the darkness.

"I really don't have anything else to say Damon."

"Then just listen to me. Elena you have a second chance. I know it's not the life you wanted but it's a life. Take it for what it is and make the best of it. Elena, I can't lose you again. I know you don't want me and I respect your decision but that doesn't change how I feel"

Elena got up from the chair and stood by the window. "I wanted to chose you Damon."

"Wait, What? I'm confused. You wanted to chose me but you chose Stefan instead? I don't understand. After everything he did to you and put you through. After everything I did to protect you and to keep you alive. You still chose him and threw me away like an old used rag"

"I know you'll never understand Damon and I don't expect you to." Elena said

"Then Elena please, help me enderstand." Damon said his eyes pleading.

"I'm not sure I can Damon."

"Try"

"Stefan is safe and familiar. Our relationship doesn't require any thought or effort." Elena looked at Damon, "Everything with you takes effort. You make me a different person. You make me look inside myself, question myself. You challenge me, you change me Damon. You are everything I need." Elena said looking into Damon's eyes with love and tenderness.

"So then what's the problem." Damon asked still not understanding.

"The problem is you're everything I need but everything I don't want."

"Wow! Why don't you really rip my heart out Elena it might be a little less cruel." Damon said.

Elena shook her head, "That came out all wrong. I'm so confused Damon. Everything is jumbled around in my head. I'm not thinking straight."

Damon let his hurt and anger subside. As a human Elena had always been very open and honest about what she was thinking and feeling. Now, as a vampire, all of that was amplified. "Elena you need to feed. That will help. Everything will become more clear. Stefan and I will help you through all of this."

Elena nodded and started to cry. "I never wanted this Damon. I never wanted to be a vampire." Elena covered her face with her hands and began to sob.

Damon took Elena in his arms and held her as she cried. Trying to comfort her. "Shhh, Hey it's going to be ok. We'll get you through this. Nothing has really changed. You'll still be you. Just less fragile." Damon said trying to get Elena to smile, "Besides if Caroline could get through it you sure as hell can."

Elena nodded still clinging to him. "That's true." She said sniffing.

"Elena look at me." Elena looked up at him, "You have been through more than anyone I know and you have come through it all just fine. This is nothing. Just a change in diet and look at it this way millions of women around the world would give anything to stay 18 for the rest of their lives."

Elena smiled sadly at Damon. She was starting to feel a little better. "I'm sorry for what I said. It came out all wrong."

"I know. It's ok." Damon said.

"I need to go talk to Stefan. He must feel horrible."

Damons heart sank. He let go of Elena but put a hand on her cheek. "It really is going to be ok." What he really wanted to to tell her was that he loved her and would always love her but he kept it to himself. She'd made her choice. He had to live with it. Soon she'd remember everything.

Elena nodded. "I better go."

"Yeah I'm sure he's waiting."

Damon watched Elena walk to the bedroom door. Before she left she looked back at him and said, "Thank you Damon."

Damon smiled his crooked smile. "You're welcome Elena."

Elena smiled sadly back. She knew he was hurting but her choice was made. She turned and left the room.

"I love you Elena." Damon whispered into the dark and empty room.