Longer Chapter than the last two
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They had been laid side by side, holding onto the feeling that was left over from what they had just done. Elena's hand had snaked it's way into Damon's and she clung to it like it was the last thing holding her to this planet, her head lay on his chest lightly. He looked down at her, using his unoccupied hand to brush strands of her long brown hair behind her ears and away from her face. Revelling in her beauty. Neither of them wanted that moment to end, the pure happiness, the way that the only thing that seemed real and important was their bodies still pressed together on the bed they had just made love in. But it couldn't last, there was other things to think about, things that couldn't be ignored. It wasn't long before Elena had to say something.
'What're we going to do?' she asked out loud what she had been wondering for the past half an hour or so.
'Well, I was thinking a little coffee, some food for the human. Or maybe we could just stay in bed' Damon replied huskily, he couldn't keep the tone of desire from his voice as he said that last part.
'Damon, that's not what I'm talking about, we need to think of things outside of us right now. Jeremy, S-Stefan, Klaus. What are we going to do about them?' Elena stuttered over Stefan's name, feeling slightly guilty for everything that was happening with Damon while he was gone.
'I don't know, not yet anyway. ' He sighed, 'We need to talk to Alaric and Bonnie as well, they need to know what's going on. We'll go see them soon I promise.'
Elena pulled herself away from Damon and the bed, pulling Damon's shirt over her head as she stood up. Her head swam as she placed herself on the ground, her body still regaining the use of its legs after the workout they had just had. Damon giggled at her as she swayed, flashing inhumanly quick from the bed and appearing behind her. He placed cool, strong hands on her shoulders to steady her and whispered seductively into her ear.
'And where exactly, do you think you're going?'
Elena shivered as his cool, sweet breath brushed over her ear and across the side of her face, he pressed himself against the back of her body as a reaction to her reaction.
'N-no, don't do that. We need to actually get out of this room. I'm going to shower. No, you can not join me. Then we're going to see Jeremy and Bonnie, call Alaric while I'm getting ready, ask him to meet us there. Okay?'
She sounded sure of herself as she said it, but her legs still felt like jelly and her mind was just screaming at her to get back into the bed and stay there. Elena forced herself away from Damon, taking one last look at him changing into tight black jeans and midnight blue shirt, before disappearing into his shower to wash and get changed herself. It didn't take her long to get ready, she was rushing herself as the worry about what had actually happened took over her. She rushed downstairs and ran straight into Damon, carrying two cups of coffee to the table.
'Good job I have excellent balance' he laughed and set the cups down on the table, 'What's the rush? You know we're not going anywhere without coffee, right?'
'Right, coffee, sorry for knocking you' Elena replied distractedly, taking a cup from the table and sipping it.
It was good, not that she had expected anything less. He seemed to be knowledgeable on all things Elena and that seemed to include her coffee preference.
'I rang Alaric, he's going over yours now and meeting us there. Bonnie was already on her way over, she's going to wake Jeremy up for us' he smiled over to her, noticing how distracted she seemed. 'Elena, stop worrying, we'll fix this. I promise.'
He leaned over the small table between them and laid a small kiss on her forehead, she smiled up at him as she felt his cold, yet soft lips press against her skin again. Remembering how they had felt pressed against her last night. The desire lighting up her eyes again, Damon noticed and winked at her. It felt nice, to finally accept the chemistry between them, no more tension and petty arguments. They both knew what the other wanted, what they had denied for so long now. And that was each other. There was nothing that could change that anymore.
Elena drained what was left of her drink and pushed her chair back, walking over to where Damon was standing, looking out of the window to the side of the house. He was lost in thought and Elena surprised him when she lay a small, warm hand against his back and inquired to whether they were leaving soon. He turned and pulled her into a tight hug, her head pressed into his chest and her arms circling around his waist. She didn't know what he had been thinking off, but she didn't really mind right now. If it led to hugs like this, he could think all the secretive thoughts he wanted.
'Yeah, if you're done we'll leave now' he whispered into her hair.
Elena raised her head and pushed herself up onto her tip toes, kissing his mouth softly and holding him close for a second longer.
'I'm done, lets go' she replied, grabbing his hand and making for the door.
It was a new feeling, one she cherished. Holding Damon's hand in her own and feeling like it belonged there. Like no one else had ever been there. She was sure he could feel it too, the way he looked at her as they got into the car, a look that made her feel warm and protected inside. She had never felt as safe as she did with him. It wasn't far to Elena's home, and they rode in a comfortable silence, their hands connected between the seats as Damon drove one handed. The past few days had been exhausting, she wished inside for a rest, a good thing to happen so that she could just take some days and let what had recently happened sink in, but that wasn't happening anytime soon. They reached the house in record time and walked in hand in hand, they didn't want to hide anything from anyone, somehow they had mutually decided on that without even saying it. The only person who seemed slightly surprised was Bonnie, but she didn't say a word to them about it. All five of them got straight to business after Elena had confirmed that Jeremy was okay, he seemed distant and distracted but he wasn't hurt. She would have to ask what was bothering him when they got some alone time.
'Katherine said that Stefan had gone with Klaus in exchange for the cure that Damon needed' Elena told the others, 'the only thing is that I don't understand why Klaus would want him. He has no use now that he is full hybrid.'
'There are other uses for a vampire, Elena. Killing, information gathering, changing others into vampires. Many reasons. However I do believe that Klaus has a specific task in mind for Stefan' Damon had addressed Elena in the first part, but the rest was intended for them all. 'Stefan has a past, one he has kept from you all. One where he was a blood crazed monster who people called a 'Ripper'. He's ashamed of it, it's why he drinks from animals now. But if Klaus found a way to re-awaken that in him, then no one is safe'
Damon cast his eyes down to the table as the others absorbed what he had said, the shock of hearing of just a tiny part of Stefan's long past had shocked them all. Elena's hand had grasped his beneath the table again and he looked up at her, the look in her eyes was desperate. Searching. She was wracking her brains for a way to make this better, a way to find him, a way to stop Klaus. Anything.
'We'll search for him then, force him to stop. Kill Klaus if we have to, we'll find a way'. Alaric had been the first to speak up.
'No.' Jeremy whispered, 'I can't let Bonnie get messed up in this again, I won't risk losing her again'
'Jeremy! I can look after myself' Bonnie exclaimed, she had grabbed his hand and was now dragging him away from the table, obviously off to discuss his issue in private.
'Okay.. So how do we find them, stop them?' Elena inquired, looking at both Damon and Alaric in turn, hoping that one of them had an answer, a solution that would actually work.
'No idea, we need to gather some information, look around in the news, ask around. See if there has been an increase of vampire attacks or killings somewhere and then start looking there' Damon had turned to look at her directly, forgetting almost that Alaric was still at the table with them. 'Elena I don't want you to be mixed up with this, you could get hurt, I don't know what kind of mind Stefan is going to be in'
'Do you really expect her to stay out of it?' Alaric laughed tiredly, he had been through more than enough since moving here. He too had recently lost Jenna, was fighting vampires and looking after Elena and Jeremy. It was no wonder he sounded tired in everything he said.
Damon sighed and looked at Elena, she had that set look of defiance on her face and he knew he wouldn't be able to talk her out of it. Alaric stood up and went into the kitchen, Damon could hear him making phone calls, trying different sources. You could always count on Alaric to get the ball rolling, thought Damon before looking back to Elena. His heart felt like it was physically aching thinking about the danger she was about to put herself in again, about all the danger she had been in since he and Stefan had come back here. All the pain they had caused her and her family. She must have seen it in his eyes, the sadness in them that came from thinking about the sadness that had taken over her life. She was the human and yet she had been stronger than any vampire that she had come across, including him and his brother. Elena was always strong, especially when confronted with pain, sadness and danger. Even now when she saw his sadness for her, she was strong.
'We'll be okay, Damon, I know it. We'll find him. Then yeah we'll have some things to sort out. But we're going to be okay.'
It was all she needed to say, his pride and trust in the girl he loved grew inside of him till he thought he would burst. He stood and went over to her, crouching by her knees, he took both her hands into his and looked up at her.
'I know' he whispered and rose to kiss her.
That's when they heard it, that familiar sound of smashing glass and startled shouts. They had both risen quicker than they had thought possible, looking around for the danger, a sign of what had happened.
Bonnie, Jeremy and Alaric joined them back in the table just in time to see a figure walk into the room slowly.
It looked like the search for Stefan hadn't taken as long as they had thought.
