Disclaimer: TVD belongs to whoever receives the royalties and that sure as hell isn't me. I just pretend while I'm writing.

Summary: It starts as the taste of him hits her tongue and before all is said and done, tears and blood have been spilled and lives have been lost... but most importantly none of them will ever be the same.

Elena's journey to realization that she's in love with the other brother. AU from the moment Damon forces his blood on Elena. Prequel to Unsuccessfully Saying Goodbye, but can stand alone.

AN: A friendly warning; fevers make you write the strangest things.

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Unwillingly Succumbing to Truth

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swaying the swarm into submission

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"Elijah, it's Elena, please call me back. I need to know if there's any way to cure a werewolf bite. I'm desperate. Please call me and be safe. Bye." It's not the first message that she leaves on his voice-mail as she makes her way towards the front door.

There's this ominous feeling that's settled over her as if something's... off; wrong in some way with Elijah. She cuts the call just before she pulls the heavy door open and lets Bonnie in. She's the last of the bunch to arrive.

The cool night air wafts in with the witch causing goosebumps to erupt on the Gilbert girls exposed slender legs and arms. They smile warmly at each other and embrace before she turns on her heel and heads towards the parlour.

"Cute shorts." Bonnie remarks in what sounds surprisingly enough like a teasing tone.

The brunettes back goes rigid and she turns back to her friend with slightly pinking cheeks having completely forgotten about what she was wearing considering... "Thanks. They're silk and really comfy." She mutters feeling like she's been caught doing something she's not allowed to as she discreetly tries to tug the bottom of the t-shirt over the monogram on the back. It's as if it's turned into a self-inflicted brand on her behind... did she just compare herself to cattle? And what exactly would that make the owner of that particular monogram then be to her?

It turns out she's unsuccessful at not being caught, no thanks to her distracting thoughts. The hazel eyed girl bats her hand from the hem of the top. "Leave it." She chides before smirking amusedly.

Is this really happening? "I eh... I... OK so I really just wanted to wear something that made me feel safe." She confides awkwardly in a hushed whisper, realizing that what she's just said makes little to no sense at all. "And the way his things... smell make me feel just that... I..." She stops her stuttering and worries her lower lip not quite sure were her thoughts are heading or where they came from. The buzzing in the back of her mind makes itself known and without thinking she raises a hand and starts rubbing gently at the base of her scull.

Bonnie takes her hands, forcing her to ignore that incessant buzzing for the moment, giving them a gentle squeeze. "I get it. He saves you all the time... and now he's sick. It's not rocket science 'Len." She knows the cinnamon skinned girl isn't saying all she knows; suspects, but she's sure she's not ready for it just yet so she rolls her big brown eyes.

"I know I'm being stupid about it. I just need to feel safe after everything." That's as far as she's able to go right now... wait, but then where is she going? She's in... she isn't, is she? She is? But... wait, what?

She's being shaken lightly by her shoulders. "Elena, snap out of it." Yes, she definitely should... this just isn't the time for this... and with that the buzzing fades into the background.

Blinking rapidly to rid the half formed thoughts from her mind she finally focuses her gaze back on her friends concerned face. "I..." She starts, but stops as Bonnie widens her eyes in warning.

The front door opens and closes revealing Stefan. "Hey, why is everyone here?" He asks and she realizes then and there that she hasn't seen him at all since she left the house this morning... and what that says about her; she firmly shoves to the back of her mind where she plans to ignore it until the end of time.

Her hand unconsciously flies up to her bruised arm fully visible now that she's wearing a t-shirt. Wincing at her own touch she takes a step backwards as her hands hover in front of her as if waiting for the next blow to come. "Where have you been all day?" She asks suspicion lacing her tone, thinking of his older brother sleeping in a fever haze writhing and whimpering in pain.

"Hunting. Didn't Jeremy tell you?" He asks as if that merits a full day disappearing act. It doesn't.

At the mention of her brothers name her blood starts to boil and her lungs seem to expand violently as each breath makes her nostrils flare. She cocks her head to the side narrowing her big doe eyes into menacing slits. "He was a little too preoccupied dying in order to protect your brother. You know, the delirious VAMPIRE one you left alone with my HUMAN baby brother." So she might be a tad furious at him for not being there to prevent any of the disastrous things that went on earlier. He can't protect any of them.

"What?" He says dumbly and she wants to beat him to a bloody pulp with a tiny stick or wooden spoon... something that'll make it take extra long... shoving him into a splinter filled bathtub might just do the trick.

Crossing her arms over her chest she ignores the shocked warning glances Bonnie is attempting to shoot her. "It was a good thing your brother was conscious enough to snap his neck or..." She spits at him, feeling the control on herself slip with every syllable uttered. "You know what? I can't do this right now. We need to save your brother." She barely manages to reign herself in before turning and stomping away, leaving the seething vampire behind.

"Jeremy!" Bonnie shouts racing past her and into the parlour looking decidedly pale. Perhaps she should have been a bit more tactful, but she's just furious that Stefan's just wasted a full day on squirrels and rabbits when Damon's dying upstairs.

After she's recapped her brothers most recent death and explained the plan to them they all sit in silence letting it all sink in. It's not an elaborate one, but she thinks there just might be something beautiful about the simplicity of it... which is also why she desperately hopes the half-assed and potentially disastrous plan she's cooked up'll work.

"I owe him." Tyler states seriously after a long pause with a sideways glance towards Caroline. "I'm in." He says as Caroline slips onto his lap and gives him a firm hug. They're really cute together in a tragic sort of doomed star crossed lovers way.

"Me too." The bubbly blonde chimes in with an accompanying nod. It seems that her once tormentor has redeemed himself in her eyes and to be fair he's saved her as many times as he's hurt her... if not more.

John starts pacing nervously back and forth running a hand through his hair. "I'm not comfortable with this. Don't get me wrong, I want to save him, but we don't actually know that it wont end horribly." It's strange and absolutely wonderful seeing him like this... and then it really truly hurts her to her very soul.

Why didn't he want to be her father? Sure he was young, but then there was the accident and he didn't come for her; them... "... but he's here now." murmurs a voice in her mind that sounds suspiciously like her mothers... not the biological ones.

She gets up from her seat to force him to stop his nervous pacing. "I know. That's why I'm hoping Bonnie could go back to the witches and ask for their advice." It's a bit dirty of her to play on her friends emotions like this, especially after the accepting way she'd acted earlier.

To her surprise that particular friends amused and knowing voice sounds from behind her. "I was about to suggest the very same. It's worth a shot, isn't it?" Smirking sweetly she adds. "I'm in, in case you hadn't realized."... and then she winks... winks? She's officially entered Bizarro World, The Twilight Zone or maybe she's still dead as a doornail.

Well that was strangely easy. She shares a baffled look with her brother who shrugs slightly before slinging his arm over her best friends shoulders in a sort of silent thanks... and possibly to cop a feel... ick.

"You wont get Katherine to give you any blood. She doesn't care about Damon." Stefan says looking very broody and... damn it, what the HELL is going on?

Not bothering to answer she saunters angrily into the kitchen and comes back with the blood filled pickle jar setting it down on one of the tables with a loud clink, making a dent in the antique table. She should probably be a bit more careful with that, but she's simply too angry to control her fine motor skills.

"She cares a whole hell of a lot." She declares with a smirk and arms securely crossed over her chest, forcing him to see the pain he'd previously inflicted on her. No wonder Damon hates him some of the time; she sort of does as well right now.

The green eyed boy stands up and reaches for the jar which she snatches out of his grasp with lightning speed. "She gave you that?" He asks incredulously pointing at the jar possessively cradled in her arms.

"Yes, she gave me her blood because she wants us to save Damon." Why it's so hard for him to believe that his brother is lovable to anyone other than him is... she doesn't want to know. It's depressing enough to know that he does... self-righteous ripper... "She's not all bad, Stefan, she's scared." She adds oddly enough feeling the need to justify her ancestresses activities... maybe because she actually gets it; her.

He snorts unattractively and rolls his eyes making her feel like she's the one that doesn't get it and only serving to infuriate her even more. "I'm sure." He says under his breath acting like a total prick. Was he always like this?

She doesn't tell him that she brought her great - times a gazillion - granny a cooler filled with blood and booze or that she plans on springing her double out of her cage as soon as this is done with. She knows he'd just jump to the conclusion that it's only because of those things that she did it. She knows better and Damon doesn't deserve to be thought of as someone who's life is only saved if it's bothered bartering for. That wasn't what it took.

"Well, I should get going. I don't want to be stuck at that creepy old house later then I have to." Bonnie says effectively breaking the tension filled silence. Jeremy stands up with her fully intending to follow her out into the night only to be stopped by John.

"You're not going." He says sternly to a scowling Jeremy. "I need you to stay here and keep researching in case this plan doesn't pan out. I'll go with Bonnie." He continues giving the younger Gilbert a firm squeeze on the shoulder and a meaningful look that Elena just can't seem to decipher.

Her brother glances over at her briefly before nodding and replying with a look full of promises to her father. What the devil's going on and why isn't she being let in on whatever this is?

Oh, whatever! She doesn't have time for any of this bullshit, she needs to go make sure Damon's still somewhat alive and make sure he drinks some more blood... even if she has to funnel it down his throat as if he were a goose bred for his liver.

Brining the jar of Kat blood with her, she makes her way towards the stairs. "Someone needs to feed Misses Forbes. I'm going to go and feed Damon." She throws out not even bothering to turn around to make sure if anyone is listening.

"I'm NOT going down there." She hears Caroline declare angrily. "I wanna make sure Damon's OK." She continues and she hears two pairs of footfalls follow her, but she's pretty sure that there are three of them trailing after her up the stairs.

"No, no, go ahead I'll do it." Stefan shouts after them sarcastically.

"Awesome. Thanks man." Tyler answers back ignoring the sarcasm completely and she can't help but snicker along with Caroline and Jeremy as the quartet make their way up the stairs. It's starting to feel like the good old days. Sure it's only the four of them that belonged back then, but more than a few of the others have clocked out, some even permanently... poor Vicky.

Well, she's clocked back in and she'll be damned if she isn't going to drag Damon to the party with her, even if she has to bring him back from hell in order to do so. The Devil wont know what hit him before she's done.

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He was pretty sure Elena was with the younger of the two Salvatore's, but clearly he was wrong... well, maybe... it doesn't matter. She's back to her old ways and he's relieved and ecstatic to have his old friend back, despite her already having beaten him up. It's not like it's the first time she's made him bleed. She's one of the few people in the world that he actually enjoys having knock him around... Caroline is definitely also one of those.

… ahh good times...

Lenny's all consuming fire is back and she's going to burn them all alive... and he just can't wait to be caught in the scorching flames... he can't wait for Care to get caught in them as well... shit... the two of them are truly something entirely else when they pair up. Fucking spectacular!

He needs to have one of those parties he used to throw back in the day as soon as they fix the prick that killed his uncle... it's weird how everyone can't help but forgive the bloodsucker. He himself got over it once he realized that his uncle had been plotting one of his dearest and oldest friends murder. Kill or be killed... everyone knows that Damon always chooses Elena above everyone and everything else. That does however not mean that it doesn't cut him to the core.

Glancing over at the bubbly blonde pestering the Gilbert kid he has to admit to himself that he totally gets it. What it all boils down to is keeping the one you love safe and if that means that you have to make enemies and kill a few people to do so, then he himself has no scruples doing exactly that... it's not unique, it's just the way that some of them are built. Damon, him and Jeremy just happen to be built the same way... no one's to blame... it just is.

"Ty?" The gorgeous brunette hovering over the mess of a vampire on the insanely large orgy sized bed asks pulling him out of his musings.

He smirks feeling his eyes flash unnaturally as he pulls himself back to reality. "What's up Blair?" The wolf questions knowing full well that he was once considered the Chuck of them all... rich, arrogant and threw a hell of a part... good times.

She smirks back hearing him use the old nick-name rolling her eyes amusedly. "Wolfsbane slows down the change, doesn't it?"

He always did admire that hell-bent streak of hers and never understood why a hell-raiser like her went for the bland boys; they never could keep up with her.

"Only poison we can't seem to heal properly from." He replies knowing where the fiery girl is going with her line of inquiry. "It's worth a try... so if you happen to have any, by all means make him eat it." He continues enjoying himself as her smirk turns into one of her blinding mischievous grins that he hasn't seen in far too long.

She quickly darts of the bed, her silky shorts riding high up on her tantalizing thighs as she does so allowing him and the weakened vampire delicious glimpses of her shapely long legs. He can feel the others icy glare pierce him and he turns his head with a grin worthy of the wolf that he is. The guy is so far in over his head... the monogram on her tight little ass did not escape him.

"Blair." He says holding the undead boys gaze steadily. "Wear gloves. Those flowers are poisonous to you as well." It's cruel to torture a dying man... BUT then Damon technically isn't one.

Predictably Elena chuckles at his insistence to call her by her old nick-name and gives him a loud kiss on the cheek. "Thanks Chuck. Xoxo." Right before she exits the room she turns her eyes over to the beautiful blonde. "You keep an eye on him, Serena?"

Caroline nods giggling and leaves the Gilbert kid alone. The little shit's kind of grown on him.

Oh, he just can't help himself as he winks cheekily at the sulking hundred and something year old boy giving him the stink eye. The sick thing is that he's pretty sure that one day quite soonish the two of them will end up being the best of friends... if they manage to save the eternal jerk.

Chuckling out loud and shaking his head in amusement at the still glaring guy he considers letting the blue eyed monster in on her big secret.

No, he'll let him stew... it's not like Lenny'll let up on them until he's back to his arrogant self again and then she'll have to tell him. His fucking head is going to explode.

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AN: Apparently Tyler has a bit of a wicked streak still left in him. Be completely awesome and review!