Emily's POV
She watched them sleep after her brother helped her bring them to the quarry. To her surprise Damon awoke before Stefan and before he could make his way to the church she grabbed his hand.
"Please, take this. This will keep you alive until and if you decide to feed… and if you do feed, you'll be able to walk in the sun like a normal person," she told him and when she attempted to let go of his hand he held on tighter. She looked up and met his ice blue eyes that were full of fear and desperation.
"She is fine right?" he asked her once he let her hand go.
"I have given her a necklace that will protect her, she will not be burned Damon," she whispered to the man hoping to comfort him even if it was with a lie.
"I need to go see her," he told her and she looked over to Stefan who looked so at peace.
"We can go to the church, they were planning on setting it on fire before sundown," she told him as they made their way towards the direction of the church. Emily looked over him and sighed, she knew the man was in love with Miss Katherine and the fact that the vampire would be leaving them alone without guidance sickened her.
"Why did she change him too? Could I not be enough?" Damon asked her snapping her from her thoughts.
"She loved you both," she told him and set her gaze on the ground. "Mr. Salvatore… you must know that she loves you but… she loves your brother as well," she told him as they reached the field nearby the church. She worked on a glamour spell to make Damon think that he saw Katherine being dragged inside. When she saw the tears in his eyes she knew when to stop.
"Damon, make sure no one is coming, and if they do… you'll need to take care of them. This is a big spell and being so far away I need to concentrate," she lied to him. He looked around and gave her a nod and she closed her eyes. She conjured up the power of nature and a gust of wind came across the field. She stumbled a little to make it look like she was weakened by the spell.
"Emily?" Damon asked as he grabbed her upper arm and she jerked out of his reach as the wind picked up when the towns men set the church ablaze. A loud crash was heard from the church when it came collapsed. She fell to her knees as if she was burnt out and Damon was at her side. "Are you okay?" he asked her as he picked her up. She was grieving her vampire family that she grew to care for since it was her fault she had not really protected them. They had all died, except for Katherine, Pearl and little Anna Marie.
"It's done, but Damon… I didn't have the power to protect them without having power from an outside source. See that comet," she said as she pointed towards the comet that was passing above them below the moon. "Celestial power drawn from it kept Katherine safe. The town thinks they've destroyed them but they are not burned, we'll let time pass now and come back to let them out," she promised him although in her heart she knew that would never happen.
"Thank you Emily, I am indebted to you," Damon told her and she almost felt bad for him as he held her up against him with his gaze trained on the now burnt church.
"Her last breath… she told Stefan she loved him. She didn't even look at me," he told her as he helped her walk in the direction where the quarry was.
"She loves you as well Damon," Emily whispered.
"But she loves Stefan more," he told her dejected.
She placed her hand over his and gave it a squeeze, "to love is to risk not being loved in return but the risk must be taken because the greatest hazard in life is to risk nothing." He remained quite after she spoke and they remained that way.
"It's not worth it… to become like her when she didn't just want me…" he continued and Emily hoped that perhaps the oldest Salvatore would reject this curse.
"The final part in the transition is up to you Damon, you can choose this curse. Or take death," she whispered as they came back onto the quarry where Stefan was still unconscious. The part of her that fell for the youngest Salvatore pulled her in his direction.
"You fell in love with him, didn't you?" Damon asked her making her snap away from her gaze in the direction of Stefan.
"He has a kind heart," she whispered not answering him but telling him everything at the same time.
"He's the reason we had to run! He's the reason she was captured!" Damon screamed with such emotion that made her catch her breath and look away.
"I am sorry Master Damon," she whispered slipping back into her peasant ways hoping to not anger him further. Only she didn't hear further anger, only a sigh of defeat escape his lips.
"Don't… not that," he asked her as he lifted her chin to meet her jade eyes with his blue ones. "We've become… friends haven't we?" he asked her confusing her further.
"I was, am Katherine's handmaid Master Damon. Because of my relation to Miss Katherine it is a matter of time before the town's council searches for me. You will only be my lineage's protector until I can return to free Katherine," she told him indifferently.
"And how will I know when you return," he asked her with his eyes turning hard.
"With the return of the next comet," she lied to him with a smile. "I must go check on my children now."With that she left his side holding herself up to a tree. "I forgot what it was like to use such spells," she whispered.
"Will you be okay?" he asked worried.
"Nothing rest won't cure Damon," she whispered as she walked away.
"Emily?" he called out to her and she turned around. "Thank you."
She couldn't even manage to smile, she just gave him a small nod and made her way to the barn.
"I never thought you would stoop to the level of Miss Katherine," her brother told her angrily when she stepped inside.
"She saved my life once, I was returning the favor," she told him as she went to see her angels sleeping.
"No, I meant lying to the brothers," he told her bringing her guilt out.
The next morning she awoke before her children did and made her way back to the quarry where the brothers would be. She saw Damon in the distance but before she made her way over to him she had to check on Stefan who was now sitting upright. She saw how he was inspecting himself, his wound was now healed but Emily could see confusion in his demeanor. When he was scrutinizing the ring she spelled for him and his brother, she was within hearing distance from him.
"Katherine had me make that for you weeks ago," she told him as she brought over a clean pair of clothing to him. When he asked her where he was she heard the fear in his voice. Oh Stefan, I am so sorry she told him silently. "You are in a quarry just north of town. My brother and I brought you here last night… after you were killed," she informed him. She hated seeing the indifference he held for her now, but she told herself that it didn't matter. That soon she would be reunited with Miss Katherine and she would go back to their way of life before the Salvatore brothers got in the way.
When he asked about his brother she pointed to where Damon sat near the water, not moving. Emily's heart felt for the older Salvatore but she knew that time would heal his wounds. Soon Stefan was asking if they were vampires now and Emily had to tell him the truth.
"Not yet, you're in transition," she told him as she fixed the shawl that was around her shoulders without looking at Stefan's face.
"But how?" he asked confused. "I never… I never-" she couldn't let him continue.
"You had Katherine's blood in your system when you died. She had been compelling you to drink it for weeks," she told him bluntly. When asked about Damon she smirked, "no compulsion was necessary, he drank from her willingly."
"How could you not tell me she was doing that to me?" he asked her as he stood up startling her with his speed. She backed away from him hitting the wall of the shed that was in the quarry but she stood her ground when he was in her face staring at her intently.
"You would not have believed me Stefan," she whispered and looked away from him only to have him reach up and cup her cheek.
"You called me Stefan," he whispered softly making her look up and meet his gaze. His hazel eyes were full of gentleness and her heart broke a little more. "Remember when you told me you couldn't call me Stefan?" he asked her as his eyes probed her soul.
"It's different now," she whispered as she saw his eyes flicker to her lips. She took in a deep breath and when he was leaning down to kiss her she looked away. "You should go talk to Damon," she whispered and he only leaned his forehead against hers and let out a sigh.
Stefan's POV
Having her so close, staring into her beautiful jade eyes sparked a memory in him, a feeling; a feeling that made him feel hope. They had something, he and Emily, although wrong and prohibited, they shared something but Katherine took that away from him when she compelled him to only love her. To only have eyes for her. With bits and pieces of his memory that was once compelled by Katherine, was now returning, he was determined to get what he and Emily shared back. As he stood with Emily in his arms, in transition as she told him, he had all the time in the world. He would do anything to be worthy of Emily's affection.
"It is different now Emily, please… remember that" he whispered in her ear and then walked away making his way over to his older brother. He knew that Damon must be taking this harder than he, for Damon truly loved Katherine, took her blood without compulsion. As Stefan walked towards Damon the chirping of the birds and the heavy footfall of his steps were the only things that could be heard and it pained him to see his brother so sullen.
"I woke up last night and didn't know where I was. I went to the church and I saw them Stefan, I saw them dragging her inside. Then they set fire to it and the whole church went up into flames," his brother told him with tears in his eyes causing Stefan to feel responsible for what happened. He saw Katherine now for her deceiving ways but that didn't mean that his love for her ceased over night. It hurt to know that the woman he thought he was madly in love with was now dead. "They killed her Stefan. She's gone," Damon told him fighting the tears that were threatening to spill over.
"Damon-" Stefan started but his brother didn't let him talk.
"Just… leave me alone… for a while at least…" Damon told him broken.
Feeling out of place Stefan gave a small nod and back tracked towards where Emily was. She was seated underneath a tree; sitting in the shaded area that was hit with rays of sunlight sparingly. She looked beautiful, the sun in her face and a peaceful air around her. He wished he could still time right now, let it just be him and her for eternity.
"It's not polite to stare Stefan," she whispered with a hint of a smile on her lips but never once opening her eyes.
"I can't help it Emily," he told her as he made his way over to her side as quickly as possible. "I was drawn to you before, but Katherine stopped it by compelling me. I was infatuated with you because of not only your beauty… but…" when she wasn't looking at him he cupped her cheek leaning in making her eyes open, "knowing you for as long as I do… you care with all your heart and when I'm with you I want to be more than who I am," he whispered and leaned in to rest his forehead on hers.
Emily let out a shaky breath and brought her soft hand to his chest pushing him away and whispered, "You love Katherine, Stefan." She looked away from him and began to move away. Stefan's anger flared as he grabbed her chin with his thumb and index finger and made her look up at him.
"I will admit, I was struck by Katherine's beauty. But how do I know if any of it was real? With you… I know it is real," he told her heatedly. He noticed her uncomfortable demeanor and he sighed and began to move away from her only to have her hand shoot out and take hold of his wrist.
"I feel in love with you Stefan, even if you were aiding Miss Katherine and it was wrong to feel the way I did, the way I do… but I couldn't stop the course my heart chose," she whispered making his now dead heart feel alive. With her hand still on his wrist and her eyes searching his he leaned down and rubbed her cheek.
"Don't fight us Emily," he whispered as the sun made its presence known and the sensitivity to his eyes he shielded his face backing away from her effectively breaking the moment that was shared. But the stifled laugh of the beauty beside him snapped him out of his pain.
"I'm sorry, I understand this may be painful for you. I have yet to encounter a transitioning vampire during my time at Miss Katherine's side, but she told me what it would be like. You'll be sensitive to the sun, muscle aches, and you'll feel sick. It's your body pushing you to feed so the transition will be complete," she informed him. He didn't know if he was ready to feed, but he knew if he didn't he would lose Emily right when they found each other. He noticed her eyes were on Damon's back and he saw worry.
"Is something wrong Emily?" he asked her with dread in the pit of his stomach. He loved his older brother, he was truly his best friend, but when it came to Emily's affection he couldn't stand the thought that he'd have to compete for her love as they had for Katherine's.
"I'm worried about your brother Stefan. You should have seen him last night. He was devastated," she whispered and his gaze went to his brother once again seeing what she saw now. Despair, sadness and he stood up and decided to go over to him and talk.
"You should go speak with him while I go see my children, I will be back later," she whispered as she began to stand. He held his hand out and she took it. He hauled her up into his waiting embrace and finally brought his lips to hers, kissing her gently. When she tentatively kissed him back he felt whole.
"The desire to do that has been inside me far too long," he whispered as he caressed her face taking her in. "You're so beautiful," he told her as he brought his lips to hers once more.
"I'll return later Stefan," she whispered as she pulled away. He watched her walk away from him and as he stood there seeing her go he knew that if he wanted forever with her someone had to die in order for that to happen.
Lost in his thought he made his way over to where Damon now was washing his clothes. The clothing that Emily had brought him earlier had been a size to big for him, so he decided to wash his own clothing like his older brother was.
"I bet Jonathan Gilbert has told father by now," Stefan told Damon as he took a seat next to him. "I wonder how he took the news that we were dead."
"As if he cared," Damon's not surprising response came. "He betrayed us."
"He thought he was protecting us Damon, he thought he was protecting this town," he tried to justify his father's actions. Damon chose to change that subject and squinted at the glare of the sun.
"Aaawww… the sun hurts my eyes," he complained and Stefan took it upon himself to explain to him what would happen.
"That's part of it. The muscle aches, the sick feeling. Emily says it's our bodies pushing us to feed. To complete the transition," he relayed.
"That's not going to happen," Damon said as he was scrubbing at his shirt.
"Is that your choice then? To die instead?" he asked.
Damon's POV
Hearing his little brother ask him if it was his choice, to die instead of feeding Damon remained quiet. He wanted to finish the transition so he could be with Katherine once Emily got her out of the tomb. The only obstacle in the way was the nuisance of a brother, so instead he chose to manipulate the predicament since Stefan did not know Katherine was safe.
"Isn't it yours?" Damon asked him instead of answering. "This was all to be with Katherine. She's gone. I want it over," he lied to his once best friend. He hated Stefan now, hated him for coming between him and someone who loved him. Truly loved him. "Or maybe it isn't your choice right Stefan? Since you have Emily ready to be bedded," he jabbed knowing that would anger his brother.
"I care for Emily dearly Damon," Stefan growled as he abruptly stood up and walked away from him. Damon balled up his shirt and threw it into the quarry, letting out a frustrated grunt. He would ruin Stefan's happiness with the witch so he could chose death.
A/N:
What do you think? I want to finish this one soon, so I may only have another chapter left then I will go back to working on History Repeating Itself. Only it shall be titled something else. I have BIG plans for that story. I hope it will be accepted! Please review!