A/N: Good news: I now have a beta! Huge thanks to JadeAlmasy for being my fabulous beta and catching onto things that I don't! I really loved this chapter and I hope you do too! As a side, I unfortunately have no ownership over any of the characters, they're just my puppets!
Chapter 3
Damon, using as little force as possible, picked Elena up and laid her gently in her bed. Before tucking her in, he got her dressed in sleep shorts and left her tank top so she would feel more comfortable.
She barely moved while he was getting her changed except to mumble, "No peeking…" before feebly attempting to smack him away and falling back asleep.
"Puh-lease," Damon rolled his eyes at the beautiful creature that was snoring softly beneath the comforter.
Damon was still relatively in shock from what she had asked him to do before she passed out. He would never turn her. Not for that reason. He had been down that road before and was grateful that he had Elena to thank for bringing his humanity back. If she was his and a little older he would consider changing her, but so they could have eternity together. Damon sighed. She wasn't his, though, and he wouldn't turn her so she could become the same kind of monster she hated so deeply.
Damon could sense Stefan the moment he came into the room, even though to the human ear, no sound would have been heard. He looked down at Elena, guilt and pain written clearly all over his face. He knelt down and kissed Elena's cheek, and Damon tensed at the display of affection.
"How do I fix this?" He asked no one in particular.
"You don't." Damon answered protectively.
Stefan turned to him, gritting his teeth. "I won't let you, Damon. I won't let you take her life away, whether she asks for it or not."
Damon scoffed. "I'm not going to turn her, you idiot. I'm taking her away from Mystic Falls for a couple of days, and you won't try and stop me."
Stefan's eyes widened at that. "She won't go with you, Damon. She knows you, the real you. The heartless monster you are that preys on the ones she loves for fun."
Damon gripped Stefan by the shoulders. "If I thought slamming you through the wall right now wouldn't wake her, I swear I would do it! She needs to breathe, to think clearly and to get away from all of the damned drama in this town, including you, Stefan. She's not as delicate as everyone makes her out to be and someone needs to remind her of that."
Stefan laughed bitterly. "And you think you can do that? Besides that, she is delicate, Damon. She does need protecting. She's a human!"
"Along with the other seven billion people on this planet, little brother." Damon retorted. "And I'm taking her, whether I get your stamp of approval or not."
"Why are you doing this, Damon? Was Katherine not enough, you need to take Elena now, too?" Stefan begged, growing more desperate by the minute. He couldn't let Damon have the opportunity to spend alone time with Elena.
"Why? You're asking me 'why', Stefan? Because I fell in love with her! I didn't ask for this, I didn't want this. It just happened. And I don't care if she never wants me the way I want her, I would understand why, in fact. But, I will tell you one thing, I will be behind Elena every step of the way from here on out to make sure no one hurts her like you did again. Now, go, I have to pack." He explained, motioning to the window.
Elena had been awake under the covers since Stefan came in and kissed her. So much was swimming through her head right now. Damon was right, she didn't need a partner to protect her, she needed an equal. As she drifted back to sleep, another thought was clouding her mind. Damon Salvatore was in love with her. Why did that make her feel better instead of worse?
A/N: So what do you think so far? Do you think Elena will actually go with Damon? R+R people! :D
