This is my first story, I hope you like it. I hope it is not to out of character.
Flashback:
Elena rang the doorbell of the Salvatore boarding house, it chimed softly before the door slowly opened on its own.
"Stefan?"
Stefan appeared before Elena and she gasped. He had dried blood on the front of his jacket and he had a look on his face that she couldn't understand.
"Stefan, is everything alright? Your shirt?"
"It's nothing Elena, where have you been?"
"I was at the grill with Bonnie, why?"
"I have been looking for you; I thought Damon might have gotten to you. He has been acting strange ever since we opened the tomb, so I went out and drained a couple humans so I would be strong enough to protect you."
"Drained?" Elena muttered, "Did you kill them."
"It was quick and painless, at least they didn't suffer," Stefan reached up and put his hand to Elena's face lifting her chin up, "I did it for you."
Elena stepped back, shaking her head. "Stefan, you killed innocent people, even Damon has sworn not to kill. I thought I trusted you."
The energy of fresh life was vibrating in Stefan, getting his emotions mixed up.
"What are you trying to say?" Stefan asked menacingly crossing his arms.
"I can't be with you, Stefan, not this way. You drinking, no, killing humans puts all my loved ones at risk. I'm so sorry Stefan."
Elena turned to leave but Stefan grabbed her hand and pulled her back to face him, his thoughts becoming unrecognizable to himself.
Stefan's green eyes had a fire in them so frightening Elena wanted to scream or run. She felt a sharp pain on her arm and looked down, his grip and broken her hand, leaving a dark purple bruise that was slowly swelling.
"Stefan what are you doing?" Elena questioned, underlining fear in her tone of voice.
Stefan couldn't speak, he felt the power increasing inside him, the lives of the innocent burning into his soul creating power so deep he couldn't speak or think, only hear. What Stefan heard was an angelic voice filled with fright and concern. Katherine, he thought, she left me and my brother, why is she here. Stefan heard the crack of bones under his grip and he smiled. Katherine is getting what she deserves. He heard a small whimper as he brought his hand to Katherine's face and hit her, not with all his strength but enough to bruise. He heard a shrill scream and everything became clear.
Elena looked up into Stefan's eyes as he released her and fell to the ground. When he looked up again he spoke, "Elena, what have I done?"
Small tears formed in Elena's eyes as she walked out to her car and got in, not letting herself cry until she got home and collapsed onto her bed, her screams of pain and agony muffled in her pillow.
End of Flashback
Elena looked into the vanity mirror in her bedroom, the florescent lights so bright she was squinting. In her hand she had a bottle of concealer, trying to apply it to the bruise on her face the best she could with one hand. She brushed back her hair and looked hard at the bruise on her face, a large circle on her cheek a dark purple tint in color.
Her broken hand was the same color but she put on a long sleeved night dress that covered the bruise. The night gown had red lace along the top and around the bottom, and it fell a little below the knees, her most modest one.
Jeremy was out of town for a couple days with Jenna, as they went to go visit Elena's cousins in Florida. She remembered saying she didn't want to go because she would miss Stefan. Elena wondered if had she gone, would she be here right now trying to cover up a bruise that Stefan had made with his very own hands.
Elena felt a tear go down her cheek as she thought those troubling thoughts, the lights above her flickering on and off. She realized that even if she doesn't have much left, she still has her pride.
A knocking on her window startled her as she went and got into her bed and under the covers, her face covered by her fluffy comforter.
"Elena, it's just me, no need to jump into bed like I'm Stefan and your feeling "in the mood."
Damon can't see me like this, Elena thought. She shuddered at his voice and at the mention of Stefan, an odd hatred burning inside her when he said the name.
"Elena," Damon said sounding impatient. "Get out from under the covers, your tempting me to do bad things."
Elena pulled the covers up from over her but turned her back away from Damon, not wanting him to see her in this state.
"Go away Damon, I don't want you here."
"What's wrong, was little Stefie caught draining another bunny? I swear at the rate he eats those they will be extinct soon," Damon chuckled at his own joke.
Elena choked on a sob and shook her head slowly.
Damon heard and walked up behind her and sat on her bed, "What is wrong?" He asked genuinely concerned.
He grabbed onto her hand and felt how limp it was; before she could object he pulled up her sleeve to reveal the bruise.
"Elena," Damon murmured as he turned my face towards himself my other bruise fully visible.
Elena felt a tear go down her cheek and Damon wiped it away.
"Elena, who did this to you, I swear I will hunt them down."
Elena looked up into his beautiful blue eyes and frowned, she could not let him hate his brother, but he will find out somehow and if I don't tell him, he might get hurt too.
"Stefan."
"Why did he hurt you Elena, please tell me."
"All I know is that he drank human blood to protect me and then he got angry when I broke up with him, Damon, he killed two lives."
Damon looked at Elena and pulled her into his lap, her breathing becoming less heavy.
"Can I feed you some of my blood Elena, it will help fix your arm and will get rid of the bruises, am I allowed to do that?"
Elena nodded and Damon bit into his wrist, giving it to Elena, who drank the blood. He noticed her hand heal and her bruises go away after a few minutes so he took his wrist back as it healed up again.
"Thanks Damon, you are not as bad as Stefan told me," Elena said, the part of her heart deep down that cared for Damon coming to the surface.
Damon simply nodded as Elena drifted asleep in his arms.
In those moments of her falling asleep in his arms and him rocking her gently he realized she may look like Katherine but her soul is different, that they are two separate people. Damon also realized that wherever this girl was he wanted to be and he silently vowed to protect her until the day he dies.
