Omg wow! The response to the first chapter has been amazing! Giant bear hugs to all the marvelous readers who have taken the time to review, follow, and/or fav! You guys made my whole week! And thank you to readers who can't or don't have time to click the buttons – you're awesome, too
I have quite a few chapters done on this one so updates should come quickly. I really hope you like this chapter as much as you liked the last one!
xoxo
Chapter 2
He gave her a thin smile and let his vampire face take over; the veins popping up to dance under his skin and blood rushing to the whites of his eyes, turning them the eerie shade of red. She let out an audible gasp but she didn't scream. Instead, to his complete shock, she reached out with one hand and lightly brushed her thumb over his cheek. Damon let her feel the blood moving wildly through the veins there before gently grabbing her wrist and pulling her hand down. Brave little thing, aren't you? He thought to himself. Any normal teenager would have been petrified but since Elena was clearly not your average teenager, he decided to rip off the proverbial Band-Aid.
"I'm going to show you my fangs but I'm not going to hurt you, ok?"
She nodded slowly and he lifted his upper lip to show her the razor sharp incisors that had pushed through his gums.
"Oh my god" she whispered and realization washed over her face "the man in the road, he was a vampire too, wasn't he?"
"Yes he was"
"You saved me…thank you" she said bewildered.
"My pleasure" he told her with a grin and let his face return to normal.
"But you can't tell anyone about us" he added.
"I won't tell a soul. Who would believe me?"
"In this town, probably more people than you think"
"I have so many questions but my head is still throbbing"
"We'll just take it one step at a time, ok? For the time being, you need to know that vampires are dangerous and knowing about them is even more dangerous. You absolutely have to keep this to yourself"
"I will" she promised and then gave him a pointed look.
"Are you dangerous?" she asked him.
"To you? No. But as far as vampires go, they don't get much more dangerous than me"
Elena looked at him cautiously.
"Will you take me home? This has been a really freaky night and I think I want to go to sleep"
"Sure" he said and stood up.
She tried to get up but she wavered on her feet and he quickly caught her under her arm.
"Still feeling dizzy?" he asked.
"Yeah but I'm ok."
"Let me help you" he said and put an arm around her waist.
She let him help her to the car and almost as soon as they were on the road, she seemed to remember that she hadn't gotten the answer to her initial question.
"I still don't understand about Katherine. Why do I look like her?"
"I really don't know about the looks thing. It's definitely strange. Katherine was the vampire that turned Stefan and I in 1864"
"Is she dead?"
"I don't know that either. A witch told me that she's trapped in a tomb under the old church by a spell. The witch was going to help me get her out but she died before she could undo the spell that's keeping Katherine in there"
"A witch?" she asked skeptically
"Yep"
"Like magic wands and spells?"
"I've never seen any wands but yeah, they cast spells"
"And how was this witch going to help you?"
"Something about a comet and a crystal. I don't really know but she had the crystal on her when she died and I looked but I never found it. Every other witch I've asked, and I've asked a lot of them, says that without it they can't break the spell"
"You loved Katherine" Elena stated simply.
"Yes, I did. Very much"
"I'm sorry"
"For what?"
"You lost someone you love. I know how that feels"
"I heard about your parents" he told her.
She nodded and looked out the window without saying anything.
"So if you're a vampire…what do you…how do you…?" she fumbled for words.
"What do I eat and how am I alive?" he finished for her.
"Yeah…" she said tentatively
"I need blood to survive and I don't have a pulse but otherwise, my body functions pretty much the same way yours does"
"Where do you get blood?"
He gave her a meaningful look.
"People…and blood bags. I've killed people, Elena, and the list of victims is far from short. If you're looking for the PG version of a vampire, Stefan is your guy. These days he only feeds on bunny rabbits and deer. I'm not quite so…tame. Although, I haven't killed anyone since I met you" he said the last part under his breath, only just realizing it himself.
"This is probably a really stupid question, but why haven't you tried to…you know, bite me?" she asked and he saw her swallow thickly.
"I like you, Elena" he said softly and looked over at her.
"Because I look like her?" she asked self-consciously
"No, I like you. I'll admit your face is what caught my interest but you're nothing like Katherine."
"No? What was she like?"
"Striking, seductive, selfish. Cruel at times"
"Sounds like a nice girl" she said sarcastically
He laughed.
"She was complicated and it made her incredibly hard to resist"
"Are you still in love with her?"
The questions gave him pause and he thought for a moment. He'd loved her for so long the answer was almost automatic but when he tried to imagine seeing her again, it didn't hold the same thrill as it once did. In fact, it didn't hold any thrill at all. A century and a half ago he would have killed and died for Katherine Pierce but thinking about her right now, he felt almost nothing.
"You know, I don't think I am."
They'd pulled up in front of her house and Elena looked over at him.
"I'll keep your secret but I'd like it if you'd stay away from me for a little while. Stefan too, if you wouldn't mind letting him know. I just need some time to process and figure out how I feel about…all this."
His heart sank but what she was asking was only fair.
"Ok. Take all the time you need."
"I like you too, Damon. I like you a lot" she said before she hopped out of the car and made for the front door.
The comment had him smiling all the way home. Stefan was going to be pissed that he'd outted them to Elena but she'd handled it really well. He had no doubt that she would keep it to herself and he'd do his best to keep his distance while she sorted it all out in her head. When he walked in the front door of the boarding house, his mood instantly darkened.
"Where is she?" Stefan demanded angrily and slammed him against the far wall.
Damon shoved him back easily and pushed past his brother.
"I assume you're talking about Elena" he said and went to pour himself a glass of bourbon "she's at home, safe and sound"
"What the hell happened? One minute I was getting my coat to take her to dinner and the next I hear her car screeching out of here like the place was on fire."
"You left the picture of Katherine on the kitchen counter. She he saw it when she went to get some water. Well done, by the way" he said and tipped his glass in a mock cheers.
"Oh my God…I pulled it out of an old journal and completely forgot it was there. What did you tell her?"
"Well after she crashed her car and was almost some other vampire's dinner, I tried to compel her into forgetting the whole thing. But since she's apparently on vervain, I had to tell her the truth"
"You…you did what?"
His brother looked completely stunned and he very nearly laughed but he stuffed it down and put on his serious face.
"I told her the truth about us. She handled it fantastically. No screaming or freaking out. She did ask that we give her some time to process though. So leave her alone for a while, ok?"
"Are you out of your mind? What if she tells someone?"
"She won't."
"How do you know? Did you compel her?"
"No. I just told you she's on vervain. I trust her."
"But you don't trust anyone. You don't even trust me!"
"I know. Weird, isn't it?" he was playing it nonchalant but it really was weird.
There was just something about her. Damon knew she wouldn't betray him.
"Who are you and what've you done with my brother?" Stefan asked.
Damon gave him an amused smirk.
"What can I say? You were right. She is special"
"I hope you're right about her" his brother warned and walked out of the room with a bemused smile on his face.
A week went by and he didn't hear from her. Then two weeks. Then three. He was starting to get antsy and he was on the verge of breaking his promise when the doorbell rang late one afternoon. Since he wasn't expecting anyone, he stood silently near the door and listened for a moment.
"Please be home"
It was barely a murmur but he heard it. It was her voice. After weeks of waiting, she was on the other side of his door. He resisted the urge to wrench the door open and demand to know what had taken her so long. Instead, he put on his cool mask of indifference and opened the door.
"Hi!" she said, her perky voice accompanied by a hopeful smile.
"Really, Elena? It's been almost a month and I get 'hi'?" he asked sardonically
Her face fell.
"I know I'm sorry. Can I come in?"
Damon said nothing but stood back and gestured for her to come inside. He vowed to himself that he wasn't going to cave into her just because she batted her pretty brown eyes at him. Elena stood awkwardly in his living room and twisted her hands together nervously. She stared at him and chewed her lip for a moment before finally speaking.
"I can't stop thinking about you" she blurted out.
He raised his eyebrows at her but still said nothing. Clearly she had something she wanted to get off her chest and he was inclined to let her.
"I'm more than a little disturbed by the fact that you openly admit to having killed people and that you drink human blood but I can't stop thinking about you. It's been driving me crazy for weeks and today my friend Bonnie told me that I need to either deal with whatever has been eating at me or get over it. And since 'getting over it' clearly isn't working, here I am and now I have no idea what to say to you"
"That was a pretty good start" he told her and smirked.
"Is that all you're going to say?" she asked, sounding exasperated.
"I can't stop thinking about you either" he said and flashed across the room to stand directly in front of her.
"Really?" she seemed relieved.
He reached out and brushed his knuckles over the smooth skin on her cheek.
"You're all I think about, Elena."
She took a shaky breath and looked up at him.
"Then I think you should take me on a date"
"A date?" he asked and a grin spread across his face.
"You know, dinner and a movie or something?"
"Sure, I could do that. When?"
"Tomorrow? Pick me up at 7?"
"It's a date" he said and tried not to smile like an idiot. What is this girl doing to you?
They exchanged numbers then stood there staring at each other for another minute.
"Ok, well I guess I'm going to go then" she said
"Ok" he said and walked her to the door reluctantly.
"Bye" she said over her shoulder
"See you tomorrow" he told her "and Elena?"
She turned around to face him.
"Yeah?"
"Wear something nice"
Every bone in her body was alive with excitement as she drove back to her house. He'd been on her mind every day since he'd dropped her off and knocking on his door today had been the most nerve-wracking thing she'd ever done. Elena knew she'd waited too long in the middle of the second week and then she'd chickened out until Bonnie had yelled at her this afternoon. Now she was going on a date with him and she was mentally checking off items in her closet as not good enough. How is a girl supposed to choose an outfit for a date with a vampire? she thought manically and giggled to stomach leaped into her throat when she saw Stefan sitting on her porch as she pulled up to her house. She really didn't want to talk to him but it would appear she didn't have a choice. It wasn't that she disliked him but she got the impression that he wasn't happy about her knowing his secret.
"Hey" she said as she approached him.
"Long time no-talk" he said.
"Yeah I know…I just needed to process" she'd seen him around school but he'd kept his distance.
"Sure, that's totally understandable. Damon just told me about your date" he told her and stood up.
"Oh" she didn't know what to say.
"Look Elena, I'm not going to tell you what to do but you need to know that Damon can be dangerous. He's very…volatile and he doesn't deal well with being hurt"
She furrowed her brow.
"I think I know what I'm getting myself into"
"I really don't think you do" Stefan told her
"Well I appreciate your concern and I promise to be careful" she said in what she hoped was a reassuring voice.
He sighed and nodded.
"I'll see you later, Elena"
"Bye, Stefan" she said and went up the steps to the front door.
Elena barely slept that night. She'd spent three hours tearing her closet apart and putting it back together but she still didn't have an outfit she thought was good enough. Finally she gave in and called Caroline to come over to help her tomorrow afternoon. Caroline had been thrilled and Elena smiled thinking back to the conversation.
"You have a date?!" she screeched
"Yes, Caroline. I have a date" she said, mildly annoyed at her friends surprise.
"With who?!" she demanded gleefully.
"No one you know. It's Stefan Salvatore's brother, Damon."
"Isn't he Stefan's older brother?" she asked with a scandalous smile that Elena could almost see through the phone.
"Yeah, so?"
"Nothing, I'm just surprised that's all. I'll be there at three with plenty of options"
"Thanks, Care"
"You're welcome. See you tomorrow!"
After that, the bubble of nerves and excitement in her stomach wouldn't go away. Part of her knew she should be scared but she wasn't. No matter what he'd told her or what Stefan had told her, she wasn't afraid of him. When she finally fell asleep, she dreamed about him. He was the first thing she thought of when she woke up the next day and school was all but impossible. She'd completely spaced out during history class and she felt guilty for not listening to her favorite history teacher.
"Elena?" Mr. Saltzman asked.
"What?" her head snapped up, her eyes suddenly alert.
"Do you know the answer to the question?"
She stared at him shamefaced.
"Which question?"
He shook his head at her in disappointment.
"Does anyone know what year Mystic Falls was founded?"
Caroline's hand shot up and she answered before Mr. Saltzman called on her. Elena smiled at him apologetically and tried to pay attention to what he was saying for the rest of the hour. When the bell rang at 2:30 she bolted from her seat and raced to her house to beat Caroline. She wanted to have a few minutes alone to just breathe. She got five minutes before the doorbell rang and her peppy blonde friend was at the door with an armful of dresses.
"Makeover time!" Caroline cried.
"I don't want to go too crazy…" Elena said worriedly
"You have a date with a hot older guy who told you to wear something nice. You have to look amazing"
"I trust you, Caroline" she said more as a warning than a compliment.
"And I promise you're going to look gorgeous" her friend assured her as she shoved her up the stairs to Elena's room.
It took all afternoon to settle on a lacy little black dress and matching black heels. It was the fourth little black dress she'd tried on before she lied and said she liked it best. Truthfully, they all looked pretty much the same to her. Caroline seemed pleased with the choice and set about doing Elena's makeup. It took another hour and a half and Elena was started to get frantic.
"He's going to be here in twenty minutes"
"Relax. You're supposed to be a little late"
"I don't want to be late" she whined.
"Trust me he'll think it's worth the wait"
Caroline was putting the finishing touches on her hair when the doorbell rang.
"Almost done. Hold still…"
When Caroline finally freed her, she raced to the hanger and wiggled into the dress. Once she'd shoved her feet into the heels, she appraised her reflection in the full length mirror. She had to admit, Caroline had done a fantastic job. Her makeup was more than she normally wore but still tasteful, the dress was perfect for her figure, and her hair was neatly curled and pinned.
"Wow, thanks Care" she said and smiled.
"Anytime. Now wait here while I answer the door. I want to meet the mystery man" her friend said and wiggled her eyebrows.
Elena took a deep breath and smoothed out her dress as she listened to Caroline answer the door. She envisioned her friend's eyes popping out of her head at the sight of Damon and smiled.
"Oh wow…Um…I mean, come in. I'm Caroline. Elena will be down in just a second"
"It's nice to meet you, Caroline. I'm Damon"
"It's nice to meet you, too"
She took that as her cue and started down the stairs. When she saw him at the bottom she almost tripped. He was beaming up at her in an impeccably tailored suit and he was holding a single, perfect red rose. She managed to get the bottom of the stairs without humiliating herself and smiled back at him.
"Hey" she said breathlessly
"Hey yourself" he said and held the rose out to her.
She accepted it and buried her nose in the petals.
"It's beautiful, thank you"
"You look stunning" he told her as his icy blue gaze danced over her figure.
"You clean up pretty nicely yourself" she commented.
He smirked at her and plucked her coat from the hanger by the door.
"Ready?" he asked, holding the jacket up.
She slid her arms into the sleeves and turned back to him.
"Ready"
He looped her hand through his arm and walked her out the door. She peeked over her shoulder at Caroline who was standing at the door slack jawed. Oh my god her friend mouthed to her. She smiled enthusiastically before facing forward again. Just as they were almost to the sidewalk, Jenna pulled up.
"Crap" she muttered
"Who is that?" he asked
"My aunt"
"I take it you didn't tell her about our date?" he asked, sounding wounded.
"No…but only because she would have made a huge deal out of it and embarrassed me…like she's going to do now"
"Looks like you'll have to introduce me" he told her as Jenna got out of her car and approached them.
"Hey, Elena" she said as her eyes fell on Damon "I'm Elena's aunt Jenna. And you are…?"
Damon let go of Elena and held out his hand.
"Damon Salvatore"
"Any relation to Zach Salvatore?" she asked as she shook his hand.
"He's my uncle" Damon said smoothly.
She nodded.
"And where are you two going all dressed up?"
"It's a surprise but…" he let go of Elena and leaned forward to whisper in Jenna's ear.
"Oh she'll like that" she told Damon with a smile "you kids have fun"
Jenna winked at her and headed into the house.
Stifling the chuckle that bubbled up when he saw Elena's astonished expression, he held his arm out to her.
"Shall we?" he asked.
She hooked her arm through his and waved at her aunt with her free hand.
"How did you do that?" she asked when they got in his car.
"Do what?"
"Get away from my aunt without her giving you the third degree"
"I can be fairly charming when I want to be" he told her with a smile.
"I see that" she said.
"Zach Salvatore isn't really your uncle is he?" she asked.
"No. I could more accurately be called his uncle"
"Did you and Stefan have another brother?"
"Technically yes. He's related to the offspring of the woman my father chose to cheat on my mother with."
"That must make for interesting Thanksgiving dinners"
Now he did laugh.
"If we had Thanksgiving dinners, he would probably end up the main course"
She looked shocked for a moment then suddenly laughed, too.
"That really shouldn't be funny"
"You just have a good sense of humor" he told her.
"You wouldn't really kill Zach though, would you?"
He looked at her seriously for a moment and pulled over to the side of the road. This was the make or break moment.
"Elena, I want you to know me. All of me. And the vampire is part of who I am. Do I have any plans to kill Zach? No. But I'm an impulsive, selfish, and fiercely possessive creature. If he tried to hurt you, for example, I would snap his neck with zero hesitation, zero remorse. I don't want to make promises I can't keep"
She appeared to think for a moment.
"But you wouldn't kill him just to kill him, right?"
"No, I wouldn't kill him just for fun"
"Do you think killing is fun?" she asked and her voice wavered.
It was a difficult question to answer but he tried to be as honest as he could.
"Part of me does, yes. If I turn off the human side of me and let the vampire take over, I love it"
"Can you do that? Just turn it off?"
"Yep. It's like a switch you flip when the guilt gets to be too much"
"But you have it on right now?"
"Humanity switch is in the full 'On' position" he assured her.
"Why would you ever turn it off?" she asked.
"I was very angry at Stefan for a long time. After I turned, I blamed him for talking me into becoming a vampire and I blamed him for losing Katherine. It was easier to turn it off and give in to the hate"
"How long did you have it turned off?"
"It's been off and on over the decades but up until the night I saw you, it'd been off for almost twenty years."
"You turned it back on because of me?"
"I didn't do it on purpose but it started to make an appearance the minute I realized I couldn't kill you"
He watched for her reaction but her face was unreadable.
"What do you think? Do you want me to take you home and never speak to you again?"
A/N: She's made it this far but do we think Elena can handle the truth? I can't wait to hear what all you lovely readers think so pretty please review if you can! Until next time…
