Blink

Disclaimer: The characters and other things from The Vampire Diaries don't belong to me. Credit goes to the rightful owners.

Chapter 8: Aftermath

Elena opened her eyes and tried to place exactly where she was her, head throbbing in protest with the simple action. Everything seemed unfamiliar, unsettling her as she surveyed her surroundings. She noted the dark and ornate furniture that filled the room, which was in stark contrast to the simple but extremely comfortable bed she woke up in.

"Ah, sleeping beauty has finally opened her eyes. Tell me, Elena, which prince kissed you awake?" Katherine asked from a chair in the darkest corner of the room, standing up to walk towards the bed.

Elena wanted to run but found she only had strength to push herself back on the wall, "Stay away from me. What do you want, Katherine?"

"You remember my name, that's good." Katherine said sitting casually on the side of the bed as if it was the most natural thing in the world.

"What do you want?" Elena repeated furiously, looking wildly around her for any weapon or escape.

"To talk. To say goodbye…for now at least. Take advantage, Elena. I'm giving you all the answers you want—free of charge. But under a time limit though because I'm gone the moment the Salvatore brothers come back."

"Where am I?" Elena asked tentatively, unsure if she could trust Katherine.

"The Salvatore boarding house, which you're very familiar with" Katherine answered, looking very bored, "Oh but maybe not this part of the house. You're in Damon's room to be exact. I'm sure Stefan would have protested but it wasn't as if anyone could do anything about it given Damon was the first to wake and by the time everyone else did, he had already taken you here. Think white knight with the damsel in distress."

Elena shook her head in confusion, "Where are they now? Where's Jeremy…and Jenna? What happened to my friends? What happened? I don't…"

"Shhh, no need to panic." Katherine said wickedly, "Don't worry your pretty little head, it's a harmless game of find the wolf. Well, as long as Tyler doesn't suddenly decide to bite them at least. They should be back shortly—an injured, bleeding and confused werewolf shouldn't be difficult to track down. They're all fine. Well, Caroline knocked out Bonnie pretty hard so she's still sleeping it off in the guest room but generally they're all just a-ok. You're really the one who got the worst of it."

Katherine shifted slightly so she faced Elena directly, "About what happened, let me ask you first—what's the last thing you remember?"

Elena frowned, struggling to piece together fragments in her head, the images flickering and fading before she could grasp anything. "I can't…I can't…"

Katherine's head turned sharply at her, alarm clear in her eyes for just a second before a mask of indifference slid over it, "It's a good thing I know you're a terrible liar or I'd think you're playing a part right now. This is a very interesting turn of events. Amnesia and the doppelganger—I like the sound of that."

Elena glared at Katherine as she lifted one hand to position herself better against the wall. She gasped as she noticed the bandage on it, finally registering the dull pain that came from it. In a trance, Elena clutched at the end of the gauze and slowly began to unravel the covering to reveal the slice on her arm—a barely healed jaggedly cut line. Elena traced the wound as she whispered to Katherine, flashes of events ran through her mind—someone pulling Stefan away to allow her to go to Damon, ordering her to run "You planned all this."

Katherine smiled at her in response, "I'll take credit for everything except your little love story with Damon. But I have to say, it worked out much better than I had hoped for—at least Stefan didn't have to be in the middle of it all, he's nursing a broken heart and I have a shoulder he can cry on. Perfect. And you also solved the pesky little obsession Damon had with me. It's win-win if you think about it."

"But yes," Katherine continued, "I did plan all this all the way back in 1864—making sure they both fell in love with me, then faking my own death and leaving both Salvatore brothers dead to wake up as vampires—it was always going to lead to this point. You see Elena, I traced my bloodline to Mystic Falls. The descendants of the daughter I had never even touched somehow found their way her and I knew it was only a matter of time before a doppelganger was born into this disaster of a town."

"What do Damon and Stefan have to do with that? You should have left them out of it," Elena said, anger rising in her as she digested exactly how manipulative Katherine was.

But Katherine only shot her a curious look, one corner of her mouth turned up. "Interesting how you now put Damon first when you talk of them. Is it really that easy to choose, Elena?" Katherine said before shrugging her shoulders not waiting for an answer, "Remember what I said about sacrifice Elena? I needed to give the Petrova doppelganger motivation and what better way than to do that than give her two beautiful boys to play with. I needed them to shape her life and make sure that she would behave exactly as you did tonight. They couldn't have done that if they had to deal with human mortality, they wouldn't have lived long enough. I had no guarantee you'd be born in that generation so I made alternative arrangements. You would never have met them if it weren't for me."

Katherine turned away from Elena as she continued, "I needed one brother to be the prince—to sweep you off your feet and draw you into our world. Stefan obviously fit the bill with his ever proper behavior. On the other hand, Damon was a shoe in for the role as the jealous brother who would make love impossible for you and Stefan. I needed him to make you stronger and force you to learn how to fight for that love. I just didn't expect you'd fall for the bad guy."

"Because you didn't—you went ahead and fell in love with Stefan," Elena pointed out.

"Also not in the plan—me falling in love. Glad to know you acknowledge it as a fact. They were supposed to just be pawns but it is what it is. I love Stefan." Katherine said matter-of-factly, "And yes, I assumed you would do the same and fall for his swoon-worthy qualities. Irrelevant now, since you still got the job done."

"What job would that be? To have my life and everyone I love dragged into a web of curses and sacrifices? For what? So you can be free of the price on your head?" Elena said angrily.

"I still have a death sentence running after me, Elena. In case you've forgotten, we only killed Elijah and not Klaus. Why do you think I have to leave now? If I had a choice, I'd never leave Stefan." Katherine said scathingly, "The original curse was about balance and it was never meant to be broken. Your sacrifice was going to undo all of that and Damon's would have freed you and every Petrova left on this planet—correct? But combined, you destroyed the key, making everything permanent and killing an Original in the process. Lovely how that played out, isn't it? The vampires and the werewolves will forever be confined to their places in this world with limited power. Forever cursed as the humans continue their ignorant lives. How profound."

"You know what I don't understand is that you're a vampire and you don't want the curse broken. Yes, Klaus will become invincible but isn't he practically that way now? Curse broken means you gain as he does—the odds remain the same. You will have to run either way," Elena said slowly, eyeing Katherine carefully, "What aren't you saying?"

"Think Elena—this means there are still werewolves out there who can kill Klaus, since he never became invincible. It means that someday, I won't have to run anymore and I can move on to Phase 3. Besides, do you really think I'm that much of a monster that I'd want to unleash such savagery onto this world? Think about it Elena—humans would be considered an endangered species by the end of this decade if you allow vampires to run rampant on the streets, feeding on anyone as and when they feel like it. I'm merely preserving my food source, Elena. I like to think of it as being conscious of the big picture, which Klaus in all his centuries is still impossibly self-absorbed." Katherine reasoned out, looking at Elena directly.

"No, there's another reason why you want things to stay as they are. Human life is irrelevant to you—just little pieces in whatever game you decide to play. And now you're telling me that you actually value it?" Elena said in disbelief.

Katherine merely turned away and stood up, "Time is up, Elena. But before I go, think about this—we all came from the human race. Werewolves and vampires all have human roots. I was born into this world, Elena. I didn't suddenly pop up as a bloodthirsty creature. I had a father, a mother, sisters and a daughter who was taken from me, who I never even got to hold. I'm old but I haven't forgotten, Elena. The Originals may have but not me. And I'd like to think that in pushing you to ensure that balance is kept I never will forget. I did my part in forcing you to end it so that no other Petrova doppelganger will be born. Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go find a powerful werewolf to end the oldest vampire in existence. Too bad Tyler is still just a pup."

"Wait," Elena called out, causing Katherine to pause, "Phase 3…You didn't save the future of humanity or our bloodline, but the possibility that you can still rejoin it. That's it, isn't it? You're making sure vampires don't erase humanity so that there's still something to come back to—you want to be human again."

Katherine turned around with a malevolent smile on her lips, "Why do you think I had to be around the moonstone when it exploded? Tell Stefan and Damon the race is on…oh, and Caroline too. Even with an unconscious vampire it should still work. Until next time, Elena…that's if you figure it out."

Elena blinked and Katherine was gone, the window left open remained the only evidence she was even there.

The sound of a throat being cleared drew her attention to the doorway. Damon leaned casually against the frame with a serious look on his face that was a cross between apprehension and concern.

They stared at each other, each unsure of what to say or do now that the dust had finally settled and the only thing left was the two of them.

"Katherine's gone," Elena said breaking the silence, pointing to the window behind her.

"I expected as much. I think she never stays too long so people gasp when she makes a dramatic return. Very theatrical, that one." Damon said pushing off the door frame and walking towards Elena, "How do you feel?"

"I'm in your room." Elena said slowly, "you brought me here."

"I didn't ask you where you were, Elena." Damon said tilting his head to look at her with concern, "Let's try again—how do you feel?"

"I hurt all over, my head feels like it's about to explode and this cut on my arm feels raw." Elena said rapidly. She took a deep breath before swinging her legs over by the side of the bed to stand up.

"I'm in your room." Elena repeated, facing Damon squarely.

"Nice isn't it? Very masculine." Damon said with a smirk, clearly amused by the frustration on Elena's face.

"You left me here with Katherine." Elena emphasized.

"Technically, I left you here alone with Caroline standing guard outside. It's not my fault that Caroline somehow figured that since Katherine hasn't killed you, it would be okay to leave you alone with the psychotic bitch. I apologize and for what it's worth I came rushing right back when I realized what she did." Damon answered, "So, I take it she told you a wealth of lies since that's her favorite pastime and you look like you had a dose of information overload. Feel like sharing?"

"Elena!" Stefan said rushing past Damon, heading straight for Elena, wrapping her in his arms, "Are you hurt? Did Katherine do anything to you?"

"She's fine, Stefan, other than the fact that you're cutting off her oxygen, she's perfectly fine." Damon said rolling his eyes as he watched the pair, careful to conceal the pangs of jealousy that he felt.

"Stefan," Elena said pushing him away gently, "I'm fine. Physically hurt but nothing I can't handle."

"Oh, so we're not back to that." Damon said smirking as he took in the hurt look on Stefan's face, "Glad to know I can finally get out of being the designated third wheel. Or at least hope for it."

"Damon…" Elena said with a warning in her voice as Damon merely put up both hands as his defense.

"Cut me some slack, Elena. It's only sarcasm." Damon said turning unexpectedly serious, an apologetic smile on his face, "It's hard not knowing where you stand with the love of your life."

"Damon…" Elena repeated, a hint of sadness and desperation in her voice, her eyes shining with the beginnings of tears.

"Just tell us what she said, Elena. Or not. It's late we don't have to do this now. You need to rest." Damon said cutting her off.

Elena frowned at Damon but answered anyway, "It's not over. Apparently what we did with the moonstone just paved the way for her to regain her humanity…and yours. She said to tell you the race is on."

"Yeah, I'm not playing that game. Whatever it is, I'm not going to be a part of it. She wants to turn human, fine by me. As long as she keeps well out of Elena's life, I don't care if she suddenly becomes a soccer mom. Have to say, I'm a bit surprised she wants that." Damon said shaking his head.

"You don't want to be human again?" Stefan asked his brother, clearly contemplating the possibility himself. Elena looked at Damon in silence, the same question plain on her face.

Damon took a deep breath and looked Elena in the eye, "I can't protect you, Elena, if I'm not what I am. And I'd rather be a monster if that means I'm able to keep you alive. I can't be selfish…not when it comes to you. So no, I don't want to be human again."

"You don't dream of a house with white picket fences, kids running around and us growing old together?" Elena asked Damon with longing in her voice.

"That's not me, Elena," Damon said with a note of sadness that none of them could even touch, "I don't dream of things I know I don't deserve."

"Say it again…whatever it was you told me that night you returned my necklace. The words you compelled me to, say them again. I need to hear it." Elena said hoarsely, forgetting they had an audience, focusing only on the broken man in front of her.

Damon frowned, undecided even as he walked towards Elena. He took a deep breath and smiled tiredly at her as he repeated his words from that night, "I just have to say something. It's probably the most selfish thing I've ever said in my life."

"I just have to say it once. You just have to hear it," Damon continued, his voice already breaking as he recalled that night.

"I love you, Elena." Damon said simply as he did the first time, meaning it even more the second time

"And it's because I love you that I can't be selfish with you…why you can't know this. I don't deserve you. But my brother does," Damon continued, breaking eye contact with Elena to nod to Stefan.

He turned back his attention to Elena, whose tears had already begun to fall. Damon stepped closer to her, smiled sadly at her as he caught her tears with his hand, "God I wished you didn't have to forget it, but you had to. And now you know."

Damon closed his eyes as he leaned in and kissed Elena on the forehead, coming full circle from that night. Elena closed her eyes, completely overwhelmed by his confession that she could only concentrate on breathing, unable to process anything else. Damon pulled back and let her go, glancing at Stefan who was stoic as he watched Elena battle with her emotion.

Damon let out a deep breath as he turned to leave but Stefan's hand pulled him back as Elena called out his name.

"Damon…" Elena said softly as she stood in place.

"I'll go." Stefan said to his brother, "this is your story now." He nodded to Elena before he left, acknowledging the apology she mouthed silently to him.

Elena walked towards Damon once they were alone, placing both her hands in his, opening her mouth then closing it again as she wrestled with the rush of everything she wanted to tell him and the release from the weight of not knowing why her heart felt broken.

Through tears, Elena merely shrugged and spoke the only words she was capable of, "I love you, Damon. That's all I have. Don't put me on a pedestal and think you don't deserve me. It's just me, Damon. And I love you. That's all that matters and I hope that's enough."

Damon tilted his head back, face up towards the ceiling, trying to steady himself before he spoke again.

"It's enough for me, " Damon said finally, facing Elena, closing his eyes as he leaned in to kiss her, his lips erasing every second of heartbreak he once compelled her to forget.


A/N: Almost done with this fic :) Just have the epilogue to go...although seriously contemplating the possibility of a sequel. What do you think? Anyway, thanks again for reading ...especially for the reviews. They make my day :P Hope you enjoyed this update and hope you read the next one!