Disclaimer : I do not own the Vampire Diaries or any and all of the characters and settings used.

All You Wanted

Chapter 4 : We All Know You're In Denial

"It had been days Katherine, what are you planning?" John asked as he poured himself a glass of a red-like drink.

"No worries, John. We have a lot of time. First is first though,I have to go meet an old flame. Worse comes to worst, prepare your tux, we might have an annual anniversary party to attend to." Katherine devilishly grinned.

It had been two days since Katherine turned John into the least thing he ever wanted to be, a vampire. At first, John was furious. He wanted to protect Elena and Mystic Falls. But Katherine got him wrapped around her little finger by telling him that they will rule and own Mystic Falls together, and by lying that she will never hurt Elena.

"What are we gonna do?"

"Well, I figured we need more vamp buddies to hang out with so we will turn one or two people to complete our 'how I met your mother' gang." Katherine smiled to John as he smiled back in concordance.

"Damon? Damon! Where are you?"

Elena ran from corner to corner in a dark alley. She was scared. And she had nowhere else to go to. Damon was her last hope but he couldn't find her. Suddenly, a rapture of light covered everything. And she felt a blast of wind pull her to another dimension. She closed her eyes tightly. And when she opened it, she found herself in a dark room. There in front of him, was Damon. He was covered in blood.

"Damon! What happened?" She run to him in horror. But he wouldn't budge.

Unknowingly, behind her was Katherine with a big sharp knife ready to cut her head off. Damon widened his eyes to warn Elena. But it was too late.

"AAAAAAAHHHHH!" Elena screamed as she tried to gasp for air. She was in her room thankfully, she was safe and sound. It was a nightmare, she felt relieved.

Jeremy pushed the door with power leaving the door swinging.

"What happened Elena?"

He was so worried he could feel his heart thumping over his chest. Even though he didn't like what her sister did, slathering him up with lies, he already lost everyone he loved. He could not lose Elena. He could not bear even the thought of it.

"I'm okay Jeremy. Just had a nightmare. Go back to bed."

Jeremy let out an air of relief. He held Elena's shoulder tight.

As he was about to close the door, Elena called out, "Is it okay if I go out for a while? I have to go somewhere." Jeremy nodded. He entered the room wondering where Elena was going in the middle of the night. He slept in a state of worry.

Elena put the car to a halt. She gripped the wheel tighter. What am I doing here? She had no clue whatsoever why she ran there in the middle of the night. She was filled with an emotion she did not comprehend.

She got out of the car and slowly walked into the dark night. She reached the door and she knocked a couple of times. But there was no answer. She started to think that maybe this was fate trying to tell her that it was a bad idea.

She knocked one last time at the wooden door of the Salvatore boarding house, not knowing who would get the door, and not caring. No one answered. She waited... But no one did. She walked back to her car. But a figure got to the car door even faster than she did. It was Damon.

She felt what was a truly unexpected feeling, relief. She saw Damon and for the first time, she felt relieved. One thing was for sure, she came to the Salvatore, not because she wanted to see her lover Stefan.

"Lemme guess. You miss me?" Damon sarcastically commented.

His full and impeccably shaped body leaned on the car's door. He twitched his lip and raised his brows, waiting for Elena to answer. Elena was now even more confused. She just doesn't get Damon anymore. A while ago, he was all serious, and now he's back to his normal sarcastic self. But she was there, she had to tell Damon what she came for.

"Why are you leaving Damon?" Elena asked as she crossed her arms.

"You came here running in the middle of the night, just to be all 'Late Saturday Night with Damon'? How showbiz. I like it."

"Cut it Damon, I'm serious."

"Well, I'm not really needed or wanted here if you haven't noticed. Besides, Stefan's here to be Superman. And I am personally running out of ideas to make his life even more miserable than it already is. Plus, Katherine. Ugh. So not my cup of tea."

"I came here to tell you... Don't leave."

"Look, Stefan can protect you and everyo..."

"I DON'T want you to leave. Damon."

Damon felt his whole body shiver, as if what Elena said weakened his knees. His emotions overwhelmed him that he felt like he was so exposed. Elena saw the sudden change of expression in Damon. He furrowed his brows and turned his head to the side, not wanting Elena to see through him. He got all serious that Elena started thinking if she really was doing the right thing. She didn't even know why she didn't want Damon to leave. And she never bothered to ask herself why. Being the Elena she is, she just came running in an impulsive mind control without knowhing why or how to stop the villain from leaving.

Damon stood straight, off of the car, and started to walk closer to Elena. He was so close to her, he could almost feel her breath. Elena moved back, she couldn't gasp for breath. Her heart was beating at its fastest, and she felt like she was about to faint. She moved back some more. But Damon insisted, and moved forward. He was even closer to her now.

"Why Elena?" Damon was searching for answers in her face. There was only one reason that he wanted to hear from her, but he was doubting if that was even Elena's reason. He saw confusion in her eyes,and then blank... And her heart beat quickened, leaving Damon hanging over the edge.

"Because... because Damon... we need you here."

There was complete silence. Only the sound of swaying trees and the breathing of Elena were heard. She was waiting for something. Damon had to say something. But it felt like even he was lost for words.

What happened next was what Elena never expected. Damon took a hold of her face. She brushed it gently as if he wasn't the Damon that Elena knew. As if there was another side of him that's yet to be known. Damon slowly moved his face closer to hers. Their foreheads touched, and Elena found herself closing her eyes. She did not know why she closed her eyes, maybe she was too scared, or maybe she was lost in her thoughts. But, at that moment, she could feel Damon's warmth encompass her. She could almost imagine that Damon was human, or at least had a piece of humanity.

As Elena closed her eyes, she was unsure of what would happen next. But her mind went blank, and her body froze. Her heart; however, was slowly sinking. Suddenly, she felt warm lips touch her forehead. She opened her eyes and saw Damon kissing her forehead with what seemed like repressed passion and concern. He had his eyes closed as if it was the last of her that he would see.

Slowly, Damon moved his faced away from Elena. Just right enough to stare at her round face. He slowly pulled her to his arms, not thinking about how she might react, or about anything else.

Their bodies touched as the night covered their feelings with a warm blanket. The moon dawned on them as if what they were doing was not wrong or ill-fated. Elena didn't budge. He didn't hold him back either. But Damon felt her heart beating faster, like it was about to explode. He didn't know why but he thought maybe Elena felt the same way that he did.

With Elena in his arms, Damon said, "I'm leaving Elena, not because you told me that you love Stefan or because you thought there was no connection between us in that dance..." He paused and squeezed his eyes closed. He had to say it. What is wrong with you? Just say it already! His mind was in a constant battle until he realized that the words were already coming out even before he asked them to.

He continued, after what seemed like forever, "For what it's worth... I'm leaving... because you know that we did have something in that dance, yet you don't want to admit it... I'm leaving because you chose to come here just to tell me 'We need you here.' when all you really had and wanted to say was, 'I need you here.'"

Damon moved away from Elena. He held her shoulder at its tightest, and as if he had excrutiating pain in his face, he said, "Goodbye Elena."

In a cold dark weary night, Elena found herself alone in an instant. No one was hugging her anymore. Damon was gone. She couldn't believe it but what seemed like the worst thing for her, happened : a tear from her eyes fell for Damon Salvatore.

Mason was jogging in the block near the Lockwood Mansion. He was wearing a plain white shirt and sweat pants. He had been running for about an hour now, but he hasn't even felt the least bit tired yet. His head; however, was exhausted trying to think about where the crystal was. He needed it for something important and something confidential. He didn't want tyler finding out what he was, and what he was trying to do. Though, he knew Tyler would find out anytime soon. But right now, he needs more time.

"You're not even sweating." A voice from behind Tyler said.

He was a man about 6 ft tall, with brown hair and incredibly dark black eyes. His nose was crooked as if it had been broken a dozen times. His lips were dark and his teeth darker. He was wearing a jogging attire too like he was just a neighbor trying to make friends.

"I haven't been really jogging for long," Mason smiled as he and the stranger slowed down. "You're new?"

"If by new, you meant in the neighborhood, yes I am, but if you meant with dealing with werewolves, I'm most definitely not."

Mason halted walking. The stranger who he could never recall ever meeting in his life, knew what he was. Mason did not know if that person was a friend or an enemy. Nevertheless, he had to find out.

"I have the vase of ashes that you need Mason, to complete the ritual. I will give it to you, but I need you to do one simple tiny thing for me."

Mason needed this vase, and surely this stranger could not make up something as specific as that just to try and get to him. He had to get that vase.

"What do I need to do? And who are you?"

"Who I am is not important. But I have the vase, and that is. All you need to do Is kill a vampire for me."

"Who's this vampire? And why should I kill him?"

"Enough with the prep talk please. Let's just say this vampire owes me a lot. I will tell you who he is when it's time. I know how to trap him."

Mason tried to look for the truth in the stranger's eyes. But all he could see was anger. Surely, this person wanted revenge. He didn't want to join such vendetta but he needed the vase so he decided to agree with the stranger. They jogged back to the Lockwood Mansion. When they got there, the stranger was no longer beside him.

Stefan opened his diary and wrote :

Dear Diary,

Damon finally left for good. I overheard him and Elena talking last night. Elena tried to stop him from leaving. I didn't stop them, coz I wanted to hear what she had to say. Is it just me or is Elena having too mcuh concern for Damon? I do not want to be the jealous boyfriend that my brother says I am. Now, I have to deal with Katherine, first and foremost. It seems to me that Elena is starting to notice the change in me ever since Katherine came back. But it's not because I still have feelings for her. The truth is, I'm worried. I'm worried that Katherine will tell Elena the truth about us. I have to see Katherine and talk to her. But I don't know if that's a good idea. Besides,

As Stefan continued writing, a ghostly entrance was done by Katherine. In a quick flash, she was standing behind Stefan, holding his shoulders gently.

"Katherine."

"I thought you might want to see me."

Stefan pushed Katherine away from him, closed his diary and stood up straight and stared at her. It was odd to have Katherine back. It had been too long that he even forgot the scent that Katherine had with her. The scent that he fell for.

"I love Elena, Katherine."

"Well, of course you do. But, Stefan Salvatore, we had a deal." Katherine smirked as she run her fingertip to Stefan's lips.

The truth was Stefan met Katherine fifty five years ago. He knew that Katherine escaped from the tomb but he didn't tell anyone. They made a deal that Katherine will stay away from Damon as far as she can, but in time, she will go back to Mystic Falls and Stefan and her will be together again. Stefan did that because he wanted to protect Damon. He knew that if Damon and Katherine joined together, they will own Mystic Falls in no time. And it would be well, messy.

"That was fifty five years ago, Katherine. I have fallen in love with Elena."

"I think you're forgetting Stefan, Elena was only part of the deal. She was supposed to distract Damon, remember?"

"I am not leaving with you Katherine."

"Of course you're not, my darling. Because we're staying here where we first had our little acquaintance. And, of course, you will break up with Elena before the annual anniversary of their school, or I will make sure to break each and every bone of all the people that she loves."

Stefan grew furious. He pushed Katherine to the wall with all his strength and strangled her neck. But in quick response, Katherine pushed him back, leaving him choking on his own breath on the floor.

"I am Katherine, Stefan. You know what I can do."

Katherine disappeared in an instant. Stefan laid on the floor. His hands were over his head. He did not know what to do. He loved Elena and he couldn't leave her but he can't bear seeing her lose anyone again, because of him. He knew what he had to do.

Author's Note : As much as I don't want Damon to leave, he has to. Elena has to be far from him for a veeeery short time (Promise!) Like they say, absence makes the heart grow fonder. BTW, Thanks for those who put me on story alert and favorite, really appreciate it. Hope you could leave reviews as well so I can continue the chapters the way you guys like it. :)

How did you find Damon's love confession-ish?

What do you think is Stephan's plan?

How did you think about Katherine's and Stephan's revelation of their deal?