Hello Readers,

I just wanted to thank everyone who reviewed. I have received so much more love for this story than I ever would have thought. Your words of encouragement, even when they may be sarcastic (which I find hilarious), are much appreciated. I also wanted to apologize for taking the week to update. My laptop has been extremely retarded as of late, I had a complete chapter typed out and every time I went to add something it would erase the whole page! But I didn't want to leave you people hanging, so I suffered through the process of write, copy, paste, and save, to get out this second chapter.

One of my readers requested that I not make Elena turn yet into a vampire, and so this chapter may disappoint...or not...probably will...if you're her...you should still read though. You might love it, I don't know, I really have no objective reviews of my work.

ANYWAYS, I will let you get on to the story and please do review and tell me what you think should happen next. I will always try to take your requests or view into account.

And the song in the beginning is "Hallelujah" sung by Kate Voegele (cover)


Well I heard there was a secret chord
That David played, and it pleased the Lord
But you don't really care for music, do ya?
Well it goes like this
The fourth, the fifth
The minor fall and the major lift
The baffled king composing Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Well you faith was strong but you needed proof
You saw her bathing on the roof
Her beauty and the moonlight overthrew you
She tied you to her kitchen chair
And she broke your throne and she cut your hair
And from your lips she drew the Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Well baby I've been here before
I've seen this room and I've walked this floor
I used to live alone before I knew ya
I've seen your flag on the marble arch
Love is not a victory march
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Well there was a time when you would let me know
What's really going on below
But now you never show that to me, do you?
And remember when I moved in you?
And the holy dove was moving too?
And every breath we drew was Hallelujah

Hallelujah (4x)

Well maybe there's a god above
But all I've ever learned from love
Was how to shoot somebody who outdrew ya
And it's not a cry you hear at night
It's not somebody who's seen the light
It's a cold and it's a broken Hallelujah

Hallelujah (13x)


Elena's POV:

I made it through the day. I must have said, "I'm fine" thirty-seven times.

Getting over my parents was never easy. I tried to be strong for Jeremy but they were the only ones who really knew me. They could always pinpoint exactly what I was feeling just by the look on my face or the sound of my sigh.

"I once told you I felt like a murderer because on the night my parents died, right before the crash, I pointed out the window at something and said look daddy. I have never been able to remember what that something was."

Jeremy is right to hate me. It's my fault; all of it. I try to do good but it only seems to backfire. If I wouldn't have said anything my dad would have kept his eyes on the road and…and him and my mom would still be alive. They have the right to blame me.

"You won't be sad forever, Elena."

Oh Stefan, if you only knew how much I wish your words that night had been true. But this feeling, it never goes away. It gnaws at your mind, leaving the worst memories and destruction in its path. I tried-I swear to you I did-but it never worked. You can only wear a mask for so long before it begins to show signs of wear.

"Some things could matter again."
"Maybe. But it seems a little unrealistic to me."

Damon was right. I tried to persuade him to see what I thought was sense, only to end up sounding like a hypocrite. Some things can't matter again. Some things just don't matter anymore, and they won't. No matter how hard I try to make them. Life was never meant to be contained; it was never supposed to be shoved into a square box.

There was a faint drone coming from somewhere nearby, and I realized I felt tremendously weak. Death shouldn't be this uncomfortable.

"If you walk away, it's for you. Because I know what I want. Stefan, I love you."

Love-such a strong word-but true nonetheless. I did love Stefan. I do love Stefan. I just don't love who I've become in his world. I was getting over the pain. Yes, I may have been gloomy graveyard girl, but they were my parents. I was learning to cope, to hide it all away, to put up the facades, and spin the half-truths to full-blown lies that soon became believable. I was learning to block out all emotion.

Stefan came along and made me feel. He brought back all the pain and worry…. Stefan also brought back the happiness and the joy I so desperately used to believe in. He made me live.

"Why are you doing this?"
" I'm showing you how easy it is for me to hurt the ones you love."

Ever since I found out I was adopted, I had wondered about my birth mother. I always pictured Isobel as caring and courageous. I mean, you had to be brave in order to give up your own child, right? However, she was the complete opposite. She was a selfish, uncaring, miserable, heartless bitch.

" Don't look for any redeeming qualities. I don't have any."

Isobel was absolutely correct. She has no redeeming qualities. I tried to look past the façade of a vampire and see the soft interior, but it didn't exist. It makes it impossible for me to see how Alaric could have ever falling in love with her. I didn't see how he could even want to remember anything about her. Although, there was one line she spoke that I will never forget.

"Because he's in love with you."

That one sentence was all it took for her to take my breath away. Me and Damon had an understanding. We were friends…best friends…but nothing more. Besides, there was no way he could love me. His heart was always set on Katherine and still, if it were not, I wouldn't be his first choice. I would always be the reminder of the cruel first love the Salvatore brothers once had. I would be a memento of the woman who broke them.

The humming was getting louder, more coherent, yet I still could not figure out what was making the noise. Surely, this is not what you heard in death. In the same sequence, you could hear a constant beeping, and the sound of air pushing through an opening.

Why am I having these thoughts? Why does it feel like I've been asleep forever? And why the hell am I not acting like myself?

I've never been weak. I have always stood my ground and fought till the end. I have never given up and just because life has gotten a whole lot tougher does not mean I should start now.

My god, would somebody shut that stupid buzzing up! It's starting to irritate me. I thought dying was supposed to be peaceful, like in the movies, not exhausting and overly exerting.


Elena's (Coherent/Aware) POV:

"Elena?"

My eyes fluttered.

Okay, so I obviously wasn't dead, but...why not?

And more importantly, what the hell was Damon doing here?

Wherever here was, exactly.

"Finally, you were snoring like the living dead," Damon sighed.

My eyes opened slightly.

A hospital room. Of course, beeping, humming, buzzing, wow it was a little dumb for me not to see this sooner.

"Oh really, you snore?"

"Ha ha, Miss Coma Patient thinks she's so funny. Maybe I should have brought you a mic and an audience."

My mind barely registered the coma part.

"What do you mean coma? Damon, answer me."

"Elena, you had lost too much blood; had too many injuries. My blood couldn't heal you completely, but it fixed a lot more than I would have expected. You're a fighter. After the third week, when your vital signs hadn't increased from practically the lowest point in history, they were about to call it quits. It was as if your body knew what was about to happen and decided against it, because at that moment, every monitor showed a raise where a raise was needed. They called you their medical miracle."

Damon scoffed.

"How-" my throat was sore from lack of use. "How long have I been under?"

Damon hesitated. "Not that long."

"Damon," I persisted.

He looked into my eyes and saw I was not about to give up easily.

"About a month and a half."

"What!"

I sat up quickly and gasped out in pain at the action.

Damon rushed to my side and pinned me to the bed.

"The healing process works better if you don't move. It's called bed rest. Besides, you do not want to irritate any of your wounds."

"The only thing irritating my wounds here is you," I mumbled, forgetting he could still hear me.

"Oh kitten, you don't have to hide your love, just admit I'm your loveable sex god," Damon smirked.

"I must not tell lies."

"You'll come around."

Damon settled back in the chair next to my bed.

"I never knew bed rest required a psychotic vampire to annoy me all day."

"Only in the modern era, kitten."

"Do I 'meow'? I certainly don't think so, therefore do not call me 'kitten'."

"Straight from a coma and I'm already getting lectured. I think I liked you better asleep."

"Is this how you get all the girls, Damon? You show them how much of a cocky ass you can be? I wonder how that works."

"Elena you make me laugh. You should know very well how I get my ladies," he replied, breath against my cheek as he leaned in.

"Anyways, I thought I was the sick one. Aren't you supposed to be comforting me or something, rather than pestering me and causing me stress?"

I just wanted a change of subject. These were memories I had already been thinking about during my..my coma?..I guess. That will take some getting used to.

"I could...but where would the fun be in that?"

"Must things always be fun and games with you, Damon? Do you even know how to be serious?"

I was so tired of his mood swings. One second he could be sweet and the next he's back to the ass everyone else sees.

"Of course I can be serious, Elena. I can be honest too. And if you want the truth, you better listen closely because you will never get this from me again. Granted you just awoke from a coma, I'll take pity. Elena...you are the reason I am still here. You have saved my life again. I know it was Bonnie who calmed the fire, but she did it for you, which amazes me. Not only because she seemed to have grown less fond of you but because that meant that somewhere along, the way you decided I was worth saving. I want to thank you for that."

Damon sounded one hundred percent sincere, and when I looked in his eyes I could see no indication that he was lying.

"Damon, you have never been the bad guy. You were just the one who strayed off the path for love."

Slowly he began to lean in.

My breath hitched, and heart sped up slightly.

I could feel butterflies in my stomach.

He gently kissed my cheek before pulling away and making eye contact.

Then he carefully touched his lips to mine, his eyes never leaving my face.

The kiss was sensual and different than you would expect of Damon.

It was caring and passionate, and even in the calm, it was like fire, but it was also smooth and appreciative.

Damon straightened in his chair once again, completely focused on me.

I smiled.

I know I should feel bad I just kissed my boyfriend's older brother but Damon was the one who came to my rescue, the one who stayed by my side. And where was Stefan? Who knows.

I could feel a vague twinge in my chest that I contributed to guilt.

I continued to smile through the odd sensation.

The twinge increased to a sting. I began to feel nauseous and a little light-headed.

"So Damon, do anything worthwhile lately? I mean, you are a vampire. You must have done something this past month and a half." I smirked, or I tried to.

The sting now felt remotely like a stab.

My breathing turned rapid.

It was like my lungs couldn't take in enough air.

"Elena, what's wrong?" Damon questioned anxiously.

I could not respond. My body wouldn't let me.

My eyes opened wide as my back arched off the bed.

I heard Damon call the nurse but it sounded as if he were so far away.

At that moment, two nurses ran into the room along with Aunt Jenna, Jeremy, and Alaric.

"She's going into psychological shock!" One of the nurses called to the other.

The second nurse began CPR.

My eyes remained wide open, but all I could see was the white of the ceiling before I escaped to the safety of unconsciousness...

the safety of the black.


It's that time again, to face yourself, your world's come crashing down, on you
Don't make the same mistake again, and hold it in like you always do...
Just for tonight, let's take your past and put it all behind
And forget everything you've tried to hide
Cause all that doesn't matter anymore
Just close your eyes, and feel the air blow through your hair then hide
To let you choke to appreciate your life
For all the days you've wasted in the past
You need to make this moment last
Breath in, breath out, you've heard it all before
But nothing takes the pain away except the pain itself but its too painful to ignore
Stop your acting, your script's way too flawed
Go steal some new lines, for you to safely read off...

("Flawed" by Jamestown Story)


And that my friends, is the second chapter of the story Forsaken... something. Sorry it's almost 3 am so I can't really remember the name of this story due to lack of sleep. But I hope you readers enjoyed this chapter. And yes I know I make Elena unconscious an awfully lot, but since the next chapter will be a split between Damon's, Stefan's, and maybe Jeremy's POV, I needed to get her out of the way. Plus, I didn't want to make her a vampire so soon in this story because they won't make her a vampire in the show till season three at the earliest (and that seems like pushing it). If I didn't make her a vampire, then I needed to give her some dramatic medical problems to make it realistic; I doubt that if Katherine wanted to punish you, you would be walking around like you won the lottery.

Well, I think everyone should be happy and review because I left my 43 fanfiction updated stories go unread in order to update this story.

Please read and review, feel free to suggest anything you would like to see happen or any songs you think would fit a scene or idea.

Namaste,
Nina