Elena felt like she might throw up as she walked up the front walk of the Salvatore boarding house. Caroline had been early – of course she was early, this was Caroline, after all. Bonnie had arrived in the meantime, she noted. The two girls had taken up position on one of the large sofas, with a very drunk looking Damon in the arm chair. She was thankful that Bonnie had not called Jeremy to come – this would be awkward enough without having to explain to her brother.
She made eye contact with Caroline first – her lips were pressed together tightly, a scowl on her usually cheery face. Elena blew out a deep breath – she was in big trouble, clearly. Bonnie's face was less angry looking, but more concerned. Bonnies was clearly uncomfortable judging by the way she was fiddling with her bracelets.
Finally she let her eyes slide over to Damon. He was sprawled in the leather arm chair, a half empty bottle of bourbon on the coffee table in front of him. His cheeks were red and blotchy, but his eyes were bright. She rolled her eyes as he stumbled out of the chair, made his way to her.
"Well, 'Lena, the cat's out of the bag so to speak." He plastered a rugged half smile onto his face. He was far more drunk than he had been in a very long time. He felt out of control, but joyfully so. He reveled in the sensations that his erstwhile human body offered him. He put his arm around her, the sensation of his skin toughing hers sending a jolt through him. The memory of her body under his flashed through his mind, making him feel hot. What he wouldn't give to be with her again.
Ric was nowhere in sight, but Elena could hear clattering around in the kitchen that she supposed meant that he was hiding out from all the drama. She wished she could go hide out with him.
"Hi guys." She murmured, looking around uncomfortably. She led Damon to the couch opposite the girls and sat down.
"Alaric, don't think just because you're in the kitchen that you're not going to be a part of this conversation." Caroline shouted assertively. Moments later Alaric emerged from the hall with plates of toasted bruschetta.
"I thought we could all use something to eat while we strategize." He offered, setting down two plates stacked high with points of toast covered in tomatoes and herbs. He took one and sat back in the arm chair, raising an eyebrow discreetly at Damon. Damon shrugged apathetically and grabbed a toast point.
"Like mama used to make," he nodded appreciatively as he chewed. "I'm impressed, Ric." Meanwhile Caroline was getting more and more flustered watching this while situation.
"I'm sorry, can we get to the conversation at hand? Here's a recap - Stefan's missing, Damon has been saved from the werewolf bite - but now he's basically human - Katherine is out on the loose somewhere, and Elena and Damon hooked up." The last words were spoken with disdain. There was an almost simultaneous intake of air as everyone gathered took in what had been said.
"Thanks for that, Care." Elena retorted, her voice thick with sarcasm.
"Hey, I'm not the one who -"
"Alright, alright, enough," Alaric broke through the bickering. He looked skyward and shook his head, trying to remind himself that he was the adult in a room full of adolescents. "I've been calling Stefan's cell phone all day - he's not answering. Damon is, well..."
"I wouldn't say I'm completely human," Damon interrupted. He wasn't about to let on that his speed had slowed to nothing that afternoon, and that he wasn't even drinking blood, couldn't. Despite the joy that he had allowed in that afternoon, his stomach roiled with fear when he thought about the fact that Caroline was the only fully functional vampire in Mystic Falls - and that she didn't like Damon very much. He swallowed, Adam's apple bobbing. "But some of my vampire juju is on hiatus. That means you get to play the role of bad ass until I'm better, blondie." He flashed his signature grin, then grabbed another bruschetta.
"On hiatus," Bonnie repeated. "So what exactly does that mean?"
"Well," he swallowed the bite and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "It means that for the next few months, I'll be passing for human. Food, boo-boos - all that stuff."
"Uh huh." Bonnie drawled, eyeing the dark haired man skeptically.
"Unless there's something witchy you can do?" He pulled up his sleeve to show her the scabbed over cut on his forearm. He watched her dark face intently, saw her eyebrows press together in consternation. She held both hands over Damon's arm, bringing the power up from inside. She concentrated, focusing all of her will on seeking out the magic at play inside him. After a few moments, she relaxed her face and removed her hands.
"There's no spell at work – you said Klaus' blood did this?" Damon nodded the affirmative. "I'll do some more research when I get home, but I don't know what I'll find. Have you ever heard of anything like this Ric?"
"Nope." He spun the thick ring on his finger. "But I suppose we could check Isobel's archives." He doubted that there was anything about this in her research, though. Her file on Klaus had been no more than a sheet of paper with a few dates and places – certainly nothing about the magical properties of his blood.
"So, Stefan." Elena said, clearing her throat. She felt guilty even saying his name after what had happened. "We need to get a line on where he is, and if he's okay. Do we have any idea what Klaus would want with Stefan?"
"I can have my mom keep an eye out for any suspicious deaths – especially animal attacks." Caroline spoke up, taking on her usual air of authority. "Elena, you keep calling Stefan. Maybe he'll answer for you. Bonnie, maybe you can do a tracking spell?"
"Sure – I can try."
"And Damon, why don't you make a list of places he might go – just in case he gets away from Claus and can't get back here." She locked eyes with him meaningfully, and then he realized why. "And stay out of Elena's pants." He cursed under his breath.
"Oh, I think I'm going to like being the bad-ass," she joked, scooping up the bourbon bottle at vamp sped and taking a long swig. She smiled at him sardonically. He didn't even bother trying to take it back – there was no way he could take her. This was going to be a long summer.
###
Everyone made an expedient beeline for the door as the meeting adjourned – all but Elena. She stood awkwardly at the door, unsure of whether she should stay or go. Damon looked into her deep brown eyes, narrowed his eyes in a look of uncertainty and then motioned towards the kitchen with a tilt of his head.
"I promised you dinner," he said, brushing by her. She followed him with trepidation, bracing herself for the really awkward conversation that they were inevitably going to have. He gestured her to have a seat at the table while he finished putting together dinner. There was a long, thick silence between them as he worked sautéing chicken breasts and boiling pasta.
"Damon, I think what happened last night was a mistake." She spit it out. Caroline had shamed her, but good. She hadn't even had the courage to try and text Stefan yet - how was she going to talk to him when he got back? What's worse, she had basically been the instigator. Even if she did have feelings for Damon - she certainly couldn't deny that she did - she cared for Stefan.
"Do you want white wine, or red?" His blue eyes flashed at her, catching her by surprise. He was not going to let her push him away, he thought to himself. She needed him, just as he needed her. He silently cursed Caroline - if she only knew the pain she was causing! Elena blinked twice, looked down at her hands and smiled the tiniest bit.
"White." Damon turned to the fridge and opened it, hiding the smile and the sigh of relief that came, unbidden, to his lips. She would stay. He closed the fridge door, rummaged through the drawer for a corkscrew.
"Damon," Elena tried again, touching the cuff of his soft grey shirt. His eyes snapped from her hand to her soft brown eyes. He set the wine bottle down, unopened, and pressed her against the cabinets.
"No, Elena. I won't let you say that, not when you don't mean it." He moved closer, his lips a breath from hers, pressed her hand to his heart. "You can't tell me you don't feel this."
Her heart skipped as he spoke, her fingertips resting on the bare skin of his chest peaking from the unbuttoned neck of his Henley. She closed her eyes, her lips trembling.
"I can't," she whispered, her heart aching. Damon raised his free hand to her face, angling her face up to look at him, his thumb stroking her cheek. He watched a tear fall from her dark lashed eye.
"I know," he murmured back to her. "I know. But I'm here, and I'm not leaving." Their lips found each other in that moment, a soft kiss. This was not a kiss of passion, of fire, as they had been last night. Instead this was gentle, kind, balm for her soul. He deepened the kiss, fighting the needs within himself, focusing only on setting order to the tumult within Elena. Finally he pulled his face away and pressed her toward him, angling her head onto his shoulder.
"I feel like I'm going to break." Elena's voice was barely a whisper.
"I'll be here to pick up the pieces." Damon responded, petting her hair. And then he led her upstairs, without a word, without hesitation. She stood, motionless, while he undressed her and tucked her into his bed. He smiled down at her, tucking the goose down duvet under her chin.
"You rest. I'll go get you the best fettuccini alfredo you've had in your life." She smiled weakly at him, tears still threatening at the corners of her eyes, and nodded.
###
Hours later, Elena woke up, warm, comfortable and satisfied. Damon had brought her dinner in bed, and let her eat in silence. She had waited for him to push his luck, to try something, but he never did. She rolled over, expecting to find him in bed with her - in his own bed - but he wasn't there. Instead she found him slumped over in an armchair across the room, his breathing quiet. Oh Damon. She flipped back the covers and donned the robe that he had left for her. She padded over to his sleeping form, hiding her smile with her hand when she saw that he had drooled on himself. She traced her fingertips over his cheek and when he did not stir she glided quietly past Damon in search of a blanket to cover him up with.
Stefan's room was just as he had left it but, of course, he wasn't there. All of the artifacts and mementos of his life were stacked neatly on tables, or set together on bookshelves. She ran her hand across the spines of countless leather bound tomes, sorrowful. I'm so sorry, Stefan. She thought to herself. He was gone now, with Klaus, she hoped, and not dead. Even if he came back, though, things had changed. Whatever feelings she had for Damon aside, she had slept with him. How would she ever be able to explain? Why should she have to she thought, suddenly angry. She pressed her lips together hard, forcing back tears.
Her hands trembled as she tore books of the shelf and tossed them to the floor, upended furniture and sent delicate treasures smashing to the floor. The tears flowed freely as she tore pages from a hundred and fifty years of journals, scattered them like leaves. She didn't know what she was doing until, strong arms came around her, pulled the letter opener out of her hand and brushed the feathers from her face.
"Elena," his voice held all the sorrow she felt. "We're going to find him. I promise." He pulled her back so she could see his face. "Elena." His voice was a plaintive plea. "It's ok…Or it's going to be." They sat there together on his brother's bed for a long time, holding hands. His eyes passed over the destruction she had wrought. He didn't blame her. After a long time, he leaned back on the bed and kicked his booted feet up onto the remains of the bedding. Elena followed suit, and he secretly thrilled when she curled up to him.
"You know Klaus really hates me, right?" She could feel the small shaking of her body as she laughed. "So, for him to trade Stefan for my life – he must really want Stefan. Klaus has something planned. He's alive, Elena, and I will find him for you." He felt her curl closer, her head on his chest.
"Right now, I don't even know if I want him home." The words held more hurt than sadness. She shocked herself by saying the words out loud. Did she really mean that? She sighed. She didn't know what she felt. All she really knew was that Damon was here, holding her, because Stefan had sacrificed himself. He knew he was leaving her alone with Stefan, he knew that Damon was in love with her. He knew that Elena cared about Damon, though certainly he didn't know how deeply those feelings secretly ran.
Damon held her, listening to her words. He felt conflicted, more than he had in a long time. If Stefan had not left, Damon would be dead. He had to appreciate that his brother had saved his life. On the other hand, he had left Elena behind, devastated and ready to crumble. What did he think was going to happen? Damon sighed in frustration.
He would not be the arms that Elena conveniently fell into in Stefan's absence, as much as he might want her. He would bring Stefan back for her. He would be her hero, even if he was only human. He owed it to his brother, and he owed it to Elena. Even more, he owed it to himself.
A/N: This is (in my mind) going to be a pretty long story (50k+), so please bear with me as the characters develop. It's my intention to follow the rough timeline laid out in season 3, but with the AU of this timeline changing things up. In the next few chapters we'll check in with Stefan, Klaus, and Katherine. Hopefully I can will the characters into a little more sex, too. ;)
As always, reviews are welcome and appreciated!
