So, I changed the title. Annoying, I know, but the old one was depressing me. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter! A big thanks to you reviewers out there. You guys keep me writing! (You and that annoying little voice inside my head.)
She slipped out of the room hesitantly, looking for Damon. When she didn't find him upstairs she stole down the steps, surprising herself by how quietly she could move. She stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened, instantly zoning in on his voice. She made her way through the house and out the front door, stopping when she found him pacing in the dark in the driveway, his phone to his ear.
"Damn it, Stefan. It's over and done with. She's fine." He paused. "I don't give a fuck about Caroline right now. You need to get your ass back here." He stiffened and spun around, his gaze fixing on Elena standing on the porch. "This isn't a negotiation, Stef," he hissed into the phone and then ended the call, sliding it into his back pocket.
"How ya holding up?" he asked, coming towards her, lightly springing up the step to face her. "Stefan should be back soon."
"He's blaming himself for this," she said, frowning, torn between her anxiety for Stefan and the fact that she could make out ever detail of Damon's face in the almost non existent light.
Damon stiffened slightly at her comment. She could practically feel the anger coming off him, but he just shook his head and didn't say anything. He looked her over, smirking at the slightly awed expression on her face. "Didn't take you long to find me."
"I could hear you," she replied, glancing out into the darkness abruptly, distracted by a distant sound. She forced herself to ignore it and focus back on him. "Where's Jeremy? I need to see him, let him know I'm going to be all right."
Damon shook his head, reaching out and turning her around and forcing her back inside the house. "Nope. No way. The sun will be up in less than an hour, and you don't want to be around people just yet."
"Damon," she said critically, breaking his hold with surprising ease. "It's Jeremy. He was a wreck when he left."
"Yes, Jeremy. Cute, little, full of warm, pumping blood, Jeremy," he said, letting her go and facing her.
At the mention of blood she could practically feel her mouth starting to water. She flushed in embarrassment, shame, and a sliver of horror. They were talking about her brother, for heaven's sake!
"Would you like some?" Damon asked quietly.
Her brown gaze snapped to his, and she felt the tingle around her eyes briefly before she forced herself to think about something other than what she was craving the most. "Uh, no. I'm okay."
Damon flashed in front to her and she stepped back in surprise. "Denying yourself isn't going to help anyone. It will only make it worse. You asked for my help. If you wanted to play the martyr you should have asked Stefan."
Anger flared white hot within her. "You're right, Damon, I did ask for you! I've been a vampire for what? An hour? I have no idea what I should be doing and what I shouldn't!" she cried in near desperation. She shook her head, throwing her hands up in helplessness. "The way you looked at me earlier after I transitioned… How can you expect me to just give into it again?" she asked, her voice cracking slightly at the end.
Damon paled. "It wasn't the blood, Elena," he said, the shocked look that had flitted over his face vanishing to be replaced by regret and understanding. "It was you. I was watching you fall apart in my arms." His expression softened slightly, and he hesitated before continuing. "Do you still trust me?"
"Yes," she said softly, knowing it was absolutely true.
He nodded as if to himself. "Okay, because I need you to be honest with me—with yourself. You need to understand what drives you before you can control it."
She let out a long breath, raking her hand through her long hair. "Okay," she said, squaring her shoulders and facing him. "Honesty." She hesitated then plunged on. "I want blood." She let herself own it, and her lips parted slightly with the acuteness of it. "No, it's more than want. I need it." She looked up at him, her eyes darkening even as that spark of fear flashed in them. "I've never needed something so badly in my life. Damon," she gasped, breathlessly, as she reached out and grabbed his arm in a death grip to steady herself.
"Easy. I got you," he said, grabbing her hand. "Come with me." He tugged her towards the stairs to the basement and the monster inside of her writhed with glee, knowing exactly what it was about to get.
She tried to move past him, but he held her tightly, forcing her to a human pace until they reached the freezer in one of the locked rooms. He let her go, giving her a warning look to stay put as he opened the big lid and pulled out a bag.
Her whole body twitched to jump him and take it, but with a supreme effort she forced herself to stay stone still. He looked up at her as he closed the freezer and smiled slightly. "Good girl."
"Damon, don't treat me like a child," she snapped, her patience completely frayed as she stared at the bag in his hands.
He smirked. "You kinda are."
She snapped. She lunged for him, a freedom she couldn't explain flowing through her as she completely gave into her nature. All she could think about, all she wanted was to rip and tear and feed, and if she admitted it, maybe fuck a little too.
She caught him by surprise, knocking him back into the shelves of junk against the wall as she heard the delicious crack of bones and a grunt of pain. He grabbed her arm, twisting it violently, and she growled at him, but her other hand found the bag and in the wild struggle, it ripped, spattering cold red blood over the two of them.
The smell overwhelmed her, and she lunged for his throat, just wanting to sink her teeth into something. Damon moved, faster than she could follow, and suddenly she found herself slammed into the wall next to the door, gasping as pain momentarily flashed down her back and ribs. She pushed and kicked and struggled, trying to dislodge him, but he was still way too strong for her as he held her hands bound in one hand, his other wrapped around her throat.
She looked up at his completely vamped out face speckled with blood, the blue of his eyes even more startling in contrast to the deep scarlet, and her breath caught as she slowly stopped struggling, aware that he was very obviously pressed against her from knee to chest, pinning her to the wall. His fingers around her neck loosened, gently brushing her skin, and the veins around his eyes disappeared. He gazed down at her with eyes darkened by something that made her insides twist, and that part of her she really didn't want to acknowledge came roaring to life.
She licked her lips, feeling her new fangs, and as abruptly as her sense had gone, it came flooding back.
"Oh, God," she breathed, not sure which emotional cliff she was about to plummet over.
There was a sound to her right, and she felt Damon stiffen a split second before he disappeared to a spot across the room from her. She slumped slightly, looking up quickly to find Stefan standing in the doorway staring at her.
"Stefan?" she said in a small voice as she took in the shocked look on his face.
His expression darkened as he turned his gaze on Damon and she knew exactly what was about to happen next. She shook her head, sliding down the wall, her hands fisting in her hair. "No, no, no, no, no," she started saying, over and over, not even completely sure what she was saying no to. She was aware of some yelling, and then strong arms wrapped around her, picking her up easily and carrying her from the dank room.
She was laid on something soft and she forced her eyes open, blinking through the thick tears. She felt a light hand on her shoulder and recoiled, jumping off the bed she was on and facing the person in the room with her.
"It's okay, Elena," Stefan said slowly, talking to her like she was a wounded animal, and maybe she was.
She looked around his room with a frown, briefly catching a glimpse of herself in the mirror, her hair wavy and disheveled, blood splattered across her face, her eyes dark with blood lust. She looked like Katherine.
"I'm just like her," she breathed as a fresh horror overwhelmed her.
Stefan took a step towards her and she flinched back. "You're nothing like Katherine," he said firmly, staying where he was.
She looked at him, wondering, if she was nothing like Katherine, then why was that the first thing he responded with. "I attacked Damon," she said in a steadier voice than she felt.
Stefan shook his head. "Damon shouldn't have had you down there. I don't know what I was thinking, letting him anywhere near you."
"Stefan, I—" she started, her voice breaking, but he moved in front of her, his face a mask of determination as he hesitantly brought up his hand and brushed her bloodstained cheek, his fingers sliding through her hair.
"Everything will be fine, Elena. We can get through this together. Just the two of us." He smiled, but she didn't think it reached his eyes. "We can start over."
She flinched away from his touch, turning away. She didn't know what she wanted anymore. Her choice hadn't been simple, and easy wasn't the right word, but when she had made her decision before the crash, she had known it was the right thing to do. Now… she just didn't know. She knew she couldn't just lock herself in this room with Stefan and forget everything else, like she had done in the past.
"I need to talk to Damon. I need to apologize," she said, turning back to him.
Stefan blinked in surprise. "No you don't, Elena. He pushed you too far. You couldn't help yourself."
"That's exactly it, Stefan. He was trying to help me so I could help myself." She shivered as she flashed back to the feeling of power and freedom she had felt course through her in that moment, the need she could still feel just under the surface. She felt the brief tingle in her eyes and quickly pushed the thought aside.
Stefan was staring at her with a furrowed brow. "This is all my fault."
"It was my choice, Stefan." She reached up a hand, touching his face, and he closed his eyes as if in pain. "Please don't blame yourself. I've already hurt you so much." She closed her own eyes as regret flashed through her, squeezing her heart in a vice grip. "Both of you."
"I've hurt you back."
"I know." She backed away. "I'm going to talk to Damon."
Stefan opened his eyes. "Damon left."
She felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. "What?" she asked in a cracked voice.
Stefan shook his head as he started to respond, but she was already gone, rushing from the room and flying down the stairs. She checked the basement, the giant cooler of blood forgotten, and the drink cart in the study before looking in his room and every other room she could think to check.
"Elena, stop!" Stefan called, as she stumbled to a halt in the main living room, her gaze falling on the front door. Maybe he was out in the driveway making a phone call. Hadn't he said something about Caroline earlier?
She flashed to the door, ignoring Stefan's frantic calls behind her, and threw it open, only to find the rising sun.
Thanks again, guys!