Chapter Two
"Good morning, human." Damon said as Elena walked into the kitchen and made a beeline for the coffee machine.
"Good morning." She answered back, her palms suddenly sweating with the realisation of what they did last night.
Well, he did it, but she didn't say no.
"Did you sleep well?" He asked appearing behind her making her jump. She didn't reply at first, instead she finished adding milk and sugar to her beverage.
"Yes." She answered as the tea-spoon clanked the sides of her mug. Damon's hard gaze was burning a hole in the back of her dark-haired head.
Elena turned around to face Damon, looking an innocent as possible. "What?" she urged.
"Did you sort out your business?" He said in a sharp breath. Elena's heartbeat spiked up several levels.
"Yes." She replied almost a thinly. "I'm fine."
His eyes cut into hers like glass. "I should hope so." He replied almost with a warning. He turned away and started towards the parlour, and Elena let out a long breath she didn't realise she'd been holding.
Once she'd finished making herself another coffee, she started up the stairs and went straight into Stefan's bedroom where she slept all night, the bed was unmade and her sleep-shorts and tank were lying there.
She blinked seeing flashes of last night.
What we did was so wrong. She told herself with a shudder. I wish Stefan was here. I wish stupid Klaus would go away!
Frustrated, Elena grabbed her diary from her special hiding spot- under the mattress and fished for a pen in the old oak draw in the bedside draw. It didn't take her long to start pouring her heart out...
She began writing furiously trying to empty all the junk from her mind.
Dear Diary,
Last night I did such a terrible thing- and it wasn't like I planned it. And now I can't imagine coming clean to Stefan about it, and I know I got to tell somebody- so I guess that somebody has to be you.
Last night...I was struggling, even right now, my stomach churns trying to write all this crazy stuff down. My words are way outside the lines and everything probably looks jagged and jumbled up-much like my life right now.
You don't know that Stefan went away- well he did. He left to find Klaus to stop this whole doppelganger crap, and I did the worst possible thing last night and now I feel completely...screwed.
Because in the truth of everything, Diary, Damon screwed me. Yes. I said that.
SCREWED.
Last night I couldn't go, no matter what I did, or what I ate. It must have been all this stupid, stress and with school on Monday, last night was weighing so heavily on me.
Anyway, he heard me in the bathroom trying to go, so he said he'd help me.
Even now it makes me shudder. He didn't rape me. I guess I went along with it.
He just dropped his pants and...gave me anal.
He thought it would help- and it did- except for the fact it was cheating. And Stefan was-is always going to be my guy.
How could I be so stupid?
He flashed those big eyes at me, he bent me over and then it was over...in like seconds.
Now I'm so screwed. Stefan comes home tonight. And I know it's going to be awkward.
Damon's keeping watch of me already because of the Doppelganger Klaus threat, so he's not going to take it kindly if I slip off to the grill- I need to talk to Bonnie...or Caroline or even Matt.
I feel so upset right now.
….
Screw it. I'm going to the grill. I'll climb down the drainpipe.
Elena closed her dairy, placed it back under Stefan's mattress and started riffling through her closet for something comfortable to sneak out in.
Her fuzzy dressing-gown wasn't going to do it.
Finally she settled on a deep-blue long-sleeved shirt, her leather jacket, Converse and worn jeans.
She attacked her knots with her brush until it sat straight and silky and then pulled on socks, put in some small earrings and closed her closet door quietly.
The next task was difficult, lifting the window up as far as it would go, the outside world looked more out of reach than she ever anticipated.
Still, she could see the drainpipe she could shimmy down, and Damon would catch her if she didn't hurry up.
Elena straddled the window sill and then like a cat gracefully pushed herself onto the drainpipe and started shimmying down.
She was almost at the bottom, but still pretty high when she realised with dread her window was open.
She debated how on earth to close it, when she started to slip and she landed less than gracefully onto the cement. She had no time to access herself for cuts and bruises. Instead she peeled out of the street like a rocket.
The grill was quiet for a mid-morning and Matt was at the bar, tea-towel over his shoulder and glass in the other.
"Elena?" He greeted. "I didn't think I'd see you. I thought you'd be studying."
Elena's cheeks burned. That paper was due on Monday...
Guilt aside, she tried to act casual.
"No, actually. I've finished it."
Lies.
Matt's goofy grin widened and she melted at his easy happiness at the simplest of things.
"Cool. What do you say- a celebatory drink?"
"I was hoping." Elena said with a nod. Feeling the hairs stick up on her neck she began thinking.
"Actually," She paused. "Could you grab your coat and come with me to yours.
Damon surely wouldn't look there first...
"Yeah sure." He grinned. "I'm about to go on break anyway."
Five worrying minutes later, her and Matt were walking out of the grill and down the street.
"So, what's got you so churned up, Gilbert?" Matt asked with teasing blue-eyes.
"Nothing." She replied as she caught a glimpse of a leather jacket turning down another street.
It can't be Damon. He wouldn't have realised yet.
"I actually have something I want to talk about, can we take a different route to yours?"
"Sure. There's only a million of them." He linked his arm in hers. "Come on, this way."
Twenty minutes of talking of his job and her of school and anything but the Salvatores, they were wiping their feet on the front-door mat and walking inside his small home.
"I don't have much, but make yourself at home."
Elena nodded taking off her jacket and sitting on the off-white lounge. "That's ok."
"Do you feel like something to drink?" He asked from the small kitchen.
Elena's tummy grumbled, but she ignored it. She'd skipped breakfast- again.
"Yeah, actually. What you got?"
"Black coffee, coke, beer?"
"Um, just black coffee, please."
"Coming up." He replied as she heard an old kettle boiling away.
A minute later she was presented with stale but acceptable coffee that was scoldingly hot, but Elena was so grateful regardless.
"So, you said on the way over you wanted to talk, so what's going on?"
Elena blinked. "I know I haven't been the best friend, Matt, but there is something I really need to tell someone, and I trust you."
Matt didn't say much as he sipped his beer. "Good to know."
Elena turned to matt, her eyes wide with fear.
"Last night-"
The door rattled suddenly and Matt got up before Elena could say another word. Her heart beated faster and her palms began to sweat when the door opened.
He found her.
"What are you doing here?" Matt demanded trying to be protective, he had a sinking feeling it has something to do with Damon what Elena was trying to tell him.
"Stay out of this, Donovan." The vampire warned. He crooked his finger at Elena with a stern look on his face.
"You." He barked. "Time to go."
Matt stood in between Elena and Damon. He swallowed. "She doesn't want to go with you."
Damon's eyes clouded over the a furious storm about to come pouring down.
"I'm sorry." Damon said his voice dripping with mock-kindness. "Was I talking to you?"
Matt's heart pounded harder but he didn't back down. "She's fine with me."
"Well I disagree." Damon snapped. "Elena, get your jacket, we're leaving."
"I'm not going with you." Elena finally said standing up.
"You see." Matt replied. Damon's hand smacked Matt across the chest and sent him back on the chair. He grabbed Elena's arm and began pulling her hard.
"Let go of me, Damon." She warned.
"Or what?" He seethed.
Elena's eyes hardened, her tone just a stubborn and rigid as his posture. "You know I'll just keep sneaking out, whether if you approve or not."
Damon's hand tightened on her arm. "And I'll just keep tightening my leash on you until you understand that I am trying to protect you."
"You're not protecting me!" She yelled. "You're smothering me! I can take care of myself."
"No you can't." He argued and began pulling her out the door. Matt looked at Elena.
"Matt, I'll call you." She yelled out as Damon slammed the front door and released his grip.
"You're incredibly stupid." He spat. "I mean, really? You didn't think I'd realise you were gone."
Elena wiped her eyes furiously to stop tears from falling.
"Everything was quiet, I thought-"
"Every breath you take. Every step you make. I hear you."
"You sound incredibly like a stalker."
"I don't care. I heard you leave." His eyes watched hers carefully and tapped his ear lightly. "Vampire super-senses, remember?"
Elena groaned. "You're so annoying."
"I don't give a damn, Elena, I am trying to look out for you, and if you are going to act like a big baby, then that's your choice."
"Then I will." She snappped.
"Try me, Elena. Just keep pushing me. I dare you."
Elena blinked, she started losing her breath and the world began to spin. Suddenly she started to sob, her chest shaking with every breath and before she knew it she on a park bench with concrete arms steadying her.
"What's wrong with you?" He brushed the hair from her eyes carefully. "Please, understand, Elena, I'm only trying to keep you safe."
She couldn't look at him when she forced her words from her shaking lips.
"Why did you do what you did last night?"
"Excuse me?" Damon demanded.
"I said-"
"I know what you said!"
"Then why-?"
"It's pretty obvious, isn't it?" Damon glowered.
"No, it's not. I'm with Stefan."
"It wasn't about whether or not you were with Stefan. I was helping you."
Tears burned Elena's eyes. "Helping is that what you call it? It was practically rape-""
Damon eyes glowed, his nose an inch from hers, his voice cut like razor blades.
"Don't you ever say that again." He warned. "I would never ever do that."
"But you put your-" Elena was silenced as he clamped his hand over her mouth and shushed her.
"I'll admit what I did was impulsive...probably completely wrong, but you didn't ask me to stop, did you?"
Elena faltered when he removed his hand.
Damon smirked. "I didn't think so."
The air rustled through the trees, and Elena felt the bile rise in her throat. "I hate you."
"It doesn't matter, you're stuck with me."
*~*~*
Night rolled around all too soon, and the cramps had returned with a vengeance. Elena had gone through every single medicine cabinet in the Salvatore home, but she couldn't find even a measly Panadol.
She tried to be quiet, but she felt so sick, and she was half-considering sticking her fingers down her throat to relieve the churning in her stomach. Her face connected with the cool, porcelain bowl, and she started to cry.
I want Stefan. She realised. I want him to wrap me up in his arms, and compel the pain away. Everything hurt so much.
Her tears continued to fall, and before she knew she was sobbing loudly, and she didn't care anymore.
There was a flash, and then Damon was staring into her eyes, crouched on the tile floor.
"What are you doing down there?" His voice was the same as yesterday, detached, clipped.
"I'm in so much pain..." she admitted in the most pathetic voice Damon had ever heard. But, it broke Damon's undead heart.
"Where does it hurt?" He replied in the same cold tone.
"Everywhere." Elena complained. "My stomach, my back, my head is spinning."
"Let me help you, Elena." Damon said in a different tone. "Let me make it better."
"I love, Stefan, Damon. I can't betray him."
"You're not." He replied almost impatiently. He rose his wrist to his mouth and clamped down tearing it open, the blood ready to be taken.
"Drink from me." He soothed. "I'll make everything better."
"I don't...want..."
"Drink, Elena." He insisted more urgently. He pressed his wrist into her mouth and she suckled like a newborn from a mother's breast.
"There we go." Damon said as he stroked her hair back. "Good girl."
Elena pulled away for a second, her heart pounding double time, she looked up at him with doe-eyes.
"The pain..." she managed in awe. "...It's gone."
Damon nodded and then got to his feet and blurred away.
In bed that night she tried to sleep, but when she arose the next morning it was like she never slept a wink. In fact, the same routine as yesterday came around, and she found herself on the tile floor moaning in pain all over again.
She felt herself get sick, and she had a horrible sinking feeling. She knew it wasn't possible, but being a doppleganger was different to being a regular human.
And as Elena pretended to do her morning crossword with Damon watching her with a close eyes, it occurred to her the word described in the puzzle was the same word she had been dreading.
Could it be possible that all this was because she could be pregnant?
*~*~*
