Hey everybody! Sorry it has taken so very long to get this chapter up. For a little while there I wasn't sure where exactly i wanted to go. Anywho, along with that a lot of personal stuff got in the way. I will do my best not to take that long to post an update ever again. I hope everyone enjoys as always. And please feel free to review!
Elena felt the ground before she opened her eyes, confused. She'd heard the thunderous crack followed by the swoosh of air and then the cold ground enveloping her in its arms. She opened her eyes to see Dean with a smoking gun next to Sam who was breathing in a sigh of relief.
Stefan was in her face in seconds. "Elena! What did you do?"
She rubbed the back of her head and frowned.
"She didn't do anything; we got here in time." Dean answered. The fury slithered through his words.
Damon was a foot behind Stefan with his hands on his hips. "What were you thinking?"
Elena stared at her feet unable to answer anyone's questions. No one was supposed to know what she'd done.
"I want to talk to her." Dean said.
"Talk away." Damon challenged.
"Alone." The one word held so much emotion no one spoke for a few moments.
Finally Sam took Caroline and began trudging back to the Impala. Stefan and Damon made no attempt to leave.
"Go, guys." Elena finally spoke.
Stefan looked deep into here eyes with unmistakable hurt, "Do you really want us to go?"
Elena looked away but nodded.
"We won't be far," Damon said eyeing Dean in manner that scraped his nerves.
"Defeats the purpose, don't you think?" He responded.
Neither man answered as they walked into the dark.
Dean watched their retreating backs before turning his glare up a volume on Elena.
"You want to tell me what the hell you were thinking?" He held none of his anger back.
"I, I thought I could," She stuttered, "I thought…"
"No you didn't think! You don't have a clue as to what you just… almost did." Dean took a few gulps of air trying to put out his inflamed rage.
"I knew that my soul was the price," Elena whispered.
"Oh, is that it? Just your soul?"
"Right."
"Wrong! It's not just your soul you give up. You go to hell and that is beyond your or my understanding! It's not an easy run getting there either. You get your ass ripped apart! That's how you are killed to get there. I've seen this happen to others before and believe me it's not something you want! Nothing going on around you is worth giving up your soul!" Dean's voice had reached full volume.
Elena's eyes widened. "How do you know what is worth my soul? You don't even know me! My family and friends are more than worth it!"
"Not if you can fight it another way!"
"You don't know that," She whispered.
"I do know that! I've been ganking monsters for as long as I can remember, and you," the word was meant to as an insult, "want to tell me that there isn't a way to take one out? Please." Dean couldn't believe this girl.
"You know what," Elena finally lost her nerve, "Who are YOU to tell me anything! You made a damn deal with a demon! How come it is ok for you?"
Tremors rocked Dean at her bold statement, but he refused to give her the satisfaction of seeing its effect. "That was different!"
"How, Dean? You did it to save Sam's life. I am doing it to save all of your lives!"
"Just because me and Sam are sticking around doesn't mean you can save either of us, don't give yourself too much credit."
Elena's face prickled with the threat of tears. "You are wrong."
"We don't need saving, don't lump us in with your pathetic friends!"
"Don't you be so self righteous! You and Sam were included in my deal! I was going to get you out of yours!" Elena let a few fresh tears spring out and roll down her cheeks.
Dean eyes snapped to hers, "You what?"
"I asked him if he would release you from your deal as part of the protection of this town. I thought it would make up for you helping us out already."
"Oh I am so glad we shot that asshole." Dean muttered.
"Why? You don't always have to be the hero, Dean!"
"Oh, how can I put this delicately for you, if you had made that deal you would have killed SAM!" Dean began to shake.
Elena sucked in air. "How… I mean… what? How is that possible?"
"It's part of my deal. I try to get out of it in ANY way, Sam dies. Didn't anyone mention it to you?"
She thought back to the night before, Sam had in fact mentioned it. She'd forgotten completely.
"Ah, I see that doesn't matter to you." Dean looked down on her with disgust.
"That is not true! I do care; I was just trying to protect everyone I could. I was trying to do right."
"By sacrificing yourself? My brother? That wouldn't help anyone! It would have destroyed many of your precious friends!" Dean's sarcasm reminded her of nails on a chalkboard. "You're vampire twits would have to pine for you the rest of their lives. Your brother, I wonder how he'd feel about that. Sam would go underground and I would have to spend the rest of my life hating you for saving me. I'd read about you in the papers and only find where you were laid to rest to piss on your grave. You didn't think of anyone but yourself. It was selfish."
"No more selfish than you!" She screamed. "How can you patronize me?"
Dean didn't answer.
"What? No smart ass remarks intent on degrading me and everyone else here. I must have hit close to home." This time Elena had jumped up and planted herself in front of Dean on her tip toes in attempt to get in his face. "I was thinking of other people! I was saving more than the one person I couldn't live without. I was thinking of everyone but me! You think I am not afraid to die? Let me clue you in this time, I am terrified! I was going to do it anyway!"
Dean leaned closer into her face and she could smell him. She took a deep, unsteady breath.
"No, but you decided to sacrifice the one person half these people couldn't live without. Not only yourself, but yeah, the person I couldn't live without." His lips were so close she could feel them glide across hers.
She couldn't speak for a moment. "I just want them to be ok. I can't stand the thought of any of them dying because of me."
"What about Sam, he would've died because of you. Is that something you can so easily look past?"
"Of course not!"
"So then it was because he isn't as important to you as everyone else you were protecting." Dean refused to phrase his accusations as questions.
"No, I had completely forgotten about that and I am sorry."
He narrowed his eyes as he stared down his nose at her. She seemed to be telling the truth, but if they hadn't gotten there in time he knew her sorry wouldn't have been enough.
"I don't know what else to do. It just seemed like an easy out."
"You can trust us. We will find another way."
"Precious, but I think the young lass has a deal to finish with me," The demon had reappeared.
Dean stepped in front of Elena shielding her with his body. "Like hell you do," He growled.
"I do, in fact, Dean. She has agreed to my terms and I to hers. There's only on little complication to fix before we proceed." He said with a slimey smile trekking across his face.
Dean glanced over his shoulder, "Tell him no. Tell him you reconsidered and don't want this anymore and you are sorry for summoning him."
Elena was frozen unsure what she should do. She knew that if she sealed it she would have a guarantee that everyone would be saved. Except for Sam, he would die and Dean would forever blame her. Then again her family was infinitely more important than the two hunters that came to town in search of vengeance.
She stepped out from behind Dean with her decision made.
Sam paced furiously next to the open door of the Impala where Caroline was perched.
"Did she make the deal?" She wrung her hands together in worry.
"No, they have to kiss to make the deal. We shot him before their lips met." He never broke stride.
"I can't believe she did that. What do you think she was trying to accomplish?" Caroline examined a nail as she spoke.
"I don't know. I'd have to find out what her deal was."
To the unsuspecting human it was a serene night with small shifts in the air that made everything seem slightly romantic, but the latest one caused Sam's neck to prickle. Everything was calm, quiet, sweet even. Too sweet.
"Do you hear that?" Sam asked.
"No, everything is quiet."
Without another word Sam took off back to where he'd left Dean and Elena.
Sam skidded to a stop as he saw Elena approach a man he'd never seen before.
She leaned in close to the man and Sam realized what rather than who it was. Elena said something he couldn't hear but then the demon disappeared and Dean seemed to relax his tense shoulders.
"I thought you were going to…" Dean let it hang and Elena turned to face him, catching sight of Sam and Caroline just behind Dean.
"No, I couldn't." She whispered looking to her hands again. "If you say that we can do it another way then let's do it."
Dean nodded.
"But," She held a finger up, "If it doesn't work, I am coming back and I am going to make this deal."
"Like hell you will!" Dean shouted. "I will lock you up in that house of yours and never let you go."
"You won't be able to hold me there forever, Dean." It almost sounded like a threat.
Sam frowned. "What exactly was your deal?"
"Nothing I want to talk about. I just want to go home." Elena said.
"We'll take you," Damon answered reappearing out of the shadows his eyebrows drawn so tight on his forehead he resembled Stefan more than usual.
"No, I will because you have something that belongs to us." Dean spoke.
"Meet us back at the boarding house?" Sam suggested interrupting the glare fest that ensued between both headstrong older siblings.
Stefan nodded taking a step towards Elena. He placed his hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eye forgetting that there was an audience present.
"Don't scare me like that ever again," he whispered.
She nodded.
"I am serious, Elena, you can't ever try that again. It's not worth your life."
He placed his lips on her forehead before pulling her tight into the vice of his arms. She hugged him back but it lacked the intensity he was displaying. Her eyes never left the imposing Winchester brothers.
Dean drove back to Elena's numbly. The silly girl had almost cost him his brother, again, and it still made his skin crawl. He would never tell Sam all the details of her deal just to ensure that Sam didn't get any ideas that would lead to his own demise. The only part that confused Dean was that this demon had accepted her proposal to break his deal. Was this with the knowledge that it would kill Sam or was his soul no longer of any use to them in Hell?
Dean shook his head. That wasn't it; he knew how badly they wanted him, how badly they wanted to inflict the same pains on him that he had on the demons of Earth. So why would this demon risk the whole realm loosing his soul?
They parked in front of a white two story and got out of the car.
"Wait here and I will bring you the journal."
"No," Dean argued.
"What? Why? I can't have you go in there without having to explain it to Jenna so just stay put."
"I don't trust you as far as I can throw you sweetness, so we are coming with. I don't care what you tell her."
Elena stomped ahead only to be met at the door by Jeremy.
"Jer, where are you going?"
"Out, what are they doing here?"
"They just need to borrow some stuff, do you think you can, uh distract Jenna till I can get them back out of the house?"
Jeremy frowned, weary of trusting the two.
"Please, Jeremy. I need this."
"Yeah, fine." He shuffled to the side to allow her and the two men to enter the house but before Sam or Dean could step foot in he moved back into their path. "If you do anything that hurts her, I will kill you."
"That's cute kid but there's really nothing you could do to either of us. Besides we aren't interested in hurting her."
Jeremy stayed skeptic but moved out the way again before shutting the door and going to the kitchen to find Jenna.
Upstairs Elena moved around her room looking for the bag she'd left the journal in. It was gone. Along with a few other items that usually littered her desk. Panic began to squelch her insides. If she lost that, she knew Sam and Dean were going to be beyond pissed.
Sam was the first to enter her bed room. His rather large form seemed too robust for his surroundings, but Elena liked the contradiction. She liked the way her soft room made his features even more angular masculine. She liked how his intelligent gaze swept the room professionally. She shook her head and began her search again.
"Where is it?" Sam asked as he finally took in her erratic movements.
"It was here. In a bag with some stuff but now it's gone." She tossed her drawers knowing full well that the bag was not going to be found. Sam looked underneath her bed finding nothing but dust and a couple boxes. He looked through her book shelves and found nothing.
"How could you have lost it?" He accused.
"I didn't. I left it here. I don't know what could have happened." She looked at all the surfaces in her room before looking back to Sam. His face was contorted with worry and fear. "I'm sorry."
"What's taking so long?" Dean whispered, as he poked his head in the doorway. He looked from Sam to Elena's tortured expression. "Oh, what now?"
"Someone's been here." She whispered.
"Son of a bitch," Dean said.
When they arrived back at the boarding house was quiet. Dean was wringing his hands together angrily as they made their way into the living room.
"Elena what are you doing here?" Stefan stood the instant he saw them.
"I, uh..."
"Someone broke into her house and stole some stuff including our dad's journal." Sam said plopping down onto the couch. His moved his booted feet to the coffee table, taking on a relaxed position Dean always used. His mouth was set in an angry line. Elena joined Sam on the couch and held her face in her hands.
"It just disappeared. Jeremy didn't have it and Jenna didn't even know what I was talking about. My picture was gone too but that's all I caught. I don't know if anything else was missing.
Damon walked over to his liquor and poured himself a tumbler. "This is just wonderful, as if we didn't have enough problems."
Dean glanced over to him, "You mind if I have one?"
Damon gave him a once over before shrugging. "What the hell?"
Dean raised his glass for half a second then threw back the drink.
Bobby came into the room with a bag slung over his shoulder. "Well, did you get it?" His eyes cut to Elena for a quick moment, silently thanking God that the two hadn't gone ape shit on her for stealing it.
"Nope." Dean said with a resounding clank of his glass onto the wooden table it came from.
"Why not?" Bobby sounded as upset as the brothers.
Stefan caught this fact and decided he'd ask about it later. "Someone got into Elena's room and took it. The question we should be worried about most is who it was." Stefan said taking command of the room again. "It couldn't have been a vampire, unless someone unknowingly invited another vampire into the house."
Elena stood and walked toward a window. She peered out into the night. "I don't think so. We have all been really careful about who has been let inside. Even Jenna thanks to Alaric."
"Bobby, where were you going?" Sam asked finally catching sight of his bag.
"Oh, well, Rufus gave me a call he needed me else where and since our plan is really at a standstill I figured I could go and get back before any of the action started."
"You were just going to go?" Sam's voice betrayed the hurt his surrogate father caused.
"I am telling you now aren't I?"
Dean rolled his eyes, "Yeah, Bobby. Go on. We'll probably be hear when you get back."
"You boys, watch out for each other, ok?"
"Oh jeez, would you like us to vacate the room so you can all have your moment?" Damon asked exasperated.
Dean chuckled, "Chick flick moments bother you too?"
"You actually might be smarter than you look." Damon responded and Dean laughed a little harder. Their glasses clinked together while Sam sighed annoyed on the couch.
"Yeah, Bobby, you know we will." He gave him the most reassuring look he could muster and Bobby headed for the door.
He stopped midway and turned back, "If any of you vamps doing anything to hurt them, make no mistake that every hunter I know will be after you."
"I'm shivering." Damon muttered.
"Good, that will just make it easier to find you if I have to rip your head off." Bobby smiled and left.
"Gramps has got no sense of humor does he?"
Elena gasped from the window and flung herself around trying to see something no one else could. Stefan appeared at her side instantly.
"Elena! Elena! What's wrong?" He tried to shake her back to the room because her eyes had gone glassy.
"I thought, I just thought I saw… Elijah." She whispered.
"Impossible." Damon sputtered.
"I know; I guess it was just a late reaction to the fear." Elena tried to explain.
"C'mon. You need to get home and get some sleep." Stefan said slipping an arm around her and steering her toward the door.
"Are you gunner stay with her?" Dean asked.
"Of course."
"Good." Dean was still sore about her misusing the small amount of trust they'd given her but he didn't want anything bad to happen to the girl either.
"I think she'd be much safer here." Damon chimed. "More of us to take care of her if worst came to worse."
Stefan mulled it over a few times. "Makes sense. What do you think?" He asked turning to her.
She nodded and looked over at the Winchesters. "Is that ok with you?"
"Oh wow, Sam they are actually asking for our help rather than just telling us!" Dean's mock surprise annoyed more than just Elena.
"I know! I can't believe it. Do you want to stay?"
"Please," she whispered for fear of her voice cracking.
"I guess. What would it hurt?" Dean's voice had almost lost all the sarcasm.
"Yeah," Sam muttered kicking off his shoes. "I'll take the couch."
"There's a guest bedroom upstairs, Dean. It's got a view of the front of the house. You can stay there."
Dean nodded and followed Stefan out of the room.
"Am I going to have to worry about you two getting too comfy?" Damon sneered looking from Sam on the couch to Elena still frozen by the window.
"Shut up Damon!"
Sam slid deeper into the couch, "I wonder what sucks more, being competition with your brother or a perfect stranger?"
"Don't flatter yourself. Perfect is hardly the word I would use." Damon said taking his leave.
Sam was twisting his face and mocking Damon as Elena plopped herself down across from him. She laughed aloud.
"What was with the freak out?" Sam asked and before Elena could judge his sentiment by his voice she looked into his eyes full of concern.
"I thought I saw the vampire that Rose was taking me to behind me."
"I don't understand if Rose was the one who kidnapped you and was going to turn you over to the Originals than why is she helping you all out now?"
"She was only doing it to appease them because her friend Trevor turned Katherine centuries ago. I was sort of her insurance policy to a free life. But then we saved her and she offered to help us out."
"So just like that you trusted her to help you? I am sorry but I have seen way too much to even think about just trusting someone like that."
"That's where you and I differ. I haven't seen too much like that to be completely untrusting of everyone. Plus, she seems genuine."
"So did Bella," Sam muttered.
"Who is Bella exactly?"
"Rose's doppelganger, I guess is safe to say now. She is also a thief, one that has caused me and my brother so much grief already. She is stubborn, selfish, does anything to get ahead, and she shot me."
"Oh my God! She shot you! Where?"
Sam pulled the side of his shirt down revealing a round puncture scar just about his muscular shoulder. Elena unconsciously licked her upper lip at the sight of his bare skin. It looked so smooth, soft and very warm.
Sam slid his shirt back into place and she realized how inappropriate she was being. What is wrong with me? She thought. Elena knew she loved Stefan still but there was something that seemed so broken about this man that she wanted to find out more about. She wanted to be the one to fix him and most of all she knew she wanted to give into the lust simply looking at him caused.
"It was all over this stupid Rabbit's foot that was cursed with seriously bad mojo. If you touched it and kept it you had the best luck you could imagine, but loose it and you are dead in less than a week. I had the misfortune of touching it. Believe me this thing was the real deal and she swiped it so she could sell it. No matter that I could've died if Dean hadn't gotten it back. The point is, we were about to de-spell it so to speak, and she wasn't very happy about that. So she shot me in order to convince Dean to give it back." Sam laughed at the memory.
"How'd you survive?" Elena asked completely enveloped in his story.
"Dean threw it at her and she touched it." Sam's smile widened sinisterly.
"So in order to get rid of it she had to de-spell it?"
"Yup."
"Why didn't she just sell it anyway?"
"You had to set it on fire." By this time Sam's smile had turned on his dimples.
Elena melted to her seat. She got up and moved next to him on the larger sofa. "So, you have been doing things like de-spelling cursed objects, fighting demons, and killing ghost all your life?"
"Pretty much, I mean it wasn't the life any one chose really but when you are born into a hunter's family, you never really get away."
"So, your dad was a hunter his whole life then?"
"No, not really. It was after my mom died. She, uh, was killed by this yellow eyed demon and he figured it out. He'd leave for weeks at a time and Dean would take care of me. He taught us how to fight against things by category and we'd go from there."
"Wow, it must have been so hard, growing up like that," Elena said suddenly coming to terms with the fact that she hadn't had it very hard at all. "Are both of your parents…."
"Yeah, Dad for a little while now and mom when I was six months."
Elena shook her head. The supernatural world was one she'd been shocked into and now she was only beginning to see the true danger behind it when she thought she'd already known.
"It's no big deal though. I mean I've still got Dean, for now, and that's going to have to be good enough. I've come to terms with that." Sam said starring at his feet on the table.
"You're lying. I know you aren't because I wouldn't be."
Sam smirked, "You got me."
She placed a hand on his shoulder. "I know it's hard, Sam. You know, after it happens, you could come back here. I mean, I, er, we could help you."
"That's very nice of you to say, but when it happens I don't think I will be much for company."
"I know, but what's better than coming back and having someone who understands and can try to help you?"
"Bobby will still be with me."
Elena was silently hurt that he was trying to dodge her offer. She wanted to help him since she knew the pain could be overwhelming at times.
She leaned her head onto his shoulder and closed her eyes. He slung his arm around her and pulled her closer to his chest. She listened to the powerful beat of his heart. She heard his voice rumble through his chest.
"Thank you. I am sure what your offering is all well meant. I don't want to seem like I am ignoring the hospitality. I just, I don't know. I am not sure what I am going to do when it happens other than try anything and everything I can to get him out. I don't want to fill you with false hope."
Elena shifted her head so that she was still cradled underneath his arm but looking up at him. "I think you would do what felt right."
He met her gaze and saw the compassion that lay there.
"Why do you care so much?"
"I don't know, I just relate to you on some level I guess. I can see that you are a good hearted man but that doesn't make you weak or anything. You channel that into the actions you take, or at least that's what I've seen here."
Sam considered it for a minute, pleased with the fact someone was realizing the heart he really put into things. He knew Dean may have seen it but hearing it out loud without any coercion was nice.
"Thank you," He finally said letting his eyes slide back to hers.
She leaned up ever so slightly, unsure if she was actually going to follow through with her thought but he seemed to have realized what she was doing and he closed the distance between them and allowed their lips to meet.
When his mouth finally closed the gap Elena let herself slide into the kiss. His mouth was warm, soft. His mouth was everything she thought it would be and then some. She opened her mouth and allowed his tongue entry. He tasted so good. It was a mixture of something she'd never really experienced before but whatever it was she knew she'd never get the full effect of it like she was at that moment.
Somewhere in the back of Sam's mind he knew that this was probably not the time or place to be allowing this to happen. They were in the middle of a hunt that was taking them places he knew were going to require every ounce of his concentration yet he wasn't about to detach himself. Elena was so small he was afraid that too much force would cause her to brake, but her passion made her seem so strong her size wasn't to be worried about. Hell, Dean had fun in the middle of intense hunts before and he always seemed fine.
She leaned backward onto the sofa, pulling Sam along with her to where he was positioned on top of her, their legs intertwined. Her mouth became more forceful with every touch as her hunger increased. Sam responded to her delight. Her hands met the buttons on his shirt and in seconds, it was off and his chest was naked. She slid her hands along his broad shoulders and down his chest feeling his perfection. It wasn't enough to just feel it though. She opened her eyes so they could drink him in. When she finished her scan his mouth was just leaving her neck where he playfully nibbled. His eyes met hers and they shared a private moment that caused flutters in Elena she'd never felt before, even with Stefan. That much scared her, while it excited her at the same time. She leaned back up so she could taste him some more.
Upstairs Dean stared out the window into the murky night. There was absolutely no activity going on there or any where else as far as he was concerned. Ideas tossed their way around his head like a stormy sea. He kicked back and fought the urge to fall asleep. He knew that would do nothing to help their cause. Of course, there was no telling how long this was actually going to take – he complained internally. Then again what does he have to do in the mean time? It was a hunt and he was going to ride this one out as long as it took.
A knock on the door interrupted his reverie.
"Come in," He said not leaving the chair he'd finally gotten comfortable in.
"Hey," her voice was a surprise.
"Hey, what's up?"
"Nothing, they just sent me in here to see how things were looking."
"Bleak, boring, and making me want to do nothing but roll over and fall asleep."
"That's all it makes you want to do?" She teased.
"Well, not only that but from what's available I'd say sleep is my best option."
Rose was taken aback. What he meant by what's available was slightly confusing, did he mean options in women or?
Dean felt her uneasiness in the strained silence. "I didn't mean like that."
"Like what?" She grinned but he could see it was fake.
"You know what."
"Right, well, since there nothing going on in here, I'll be on my way."
"Goodnight, Rose." Dean said.
"Goodnight." She leaned down to kiss him on the cheek but Dean moved his head with practiced time to make it a kiss on the lips. She pulled back and he smiled brightly even in the dark.
"What was that for?"
"I don't know." His smiled stayed strong while she remained confused.
"I thought you didn't…"
"I told you it wasn't like that."
"Right." She started to lean up but Dean caught her arm and pulled her in for one more but this one was longer.
Meanwhile, Sam and Elena lay quiet on the couch. Both of their upper halves were bare but their jeans were still in place, even if disheveled. His arms were wrapped around her while her hands remained on his chest. Her forehead lay against his and they watched for any sign of the other to move.
There was the added danger that they were in a household full of vampires, as well as laying in the middle of a wide open room that was welcome to anyone in the house.
"I should probably go upstairs." Elena whispered not wanting to move a damn muscle.
In answer his restricting arms loosened enough so she could wriggle out. He watched her dress before she turned to place of more kiss on his swollen mouth.
"Goodnight," She whispered against his mouth.
"Goodnight."
With that, Elena turned and ran up the stairs. She was passing through the hallway just as Rose was letting herself out of the guest bedroom hurriedly fixing her shirt.
"What are you doing?" Elena demanded.
"I was just checking on Dean, like Damon asked. Just to see if there was any action going on." She answered in a rush
Interesting choice of words Elena thought. "And?"
"None. Goodnight, Elena." She whispered over her shoulder as she scurried down the hallway.
Wow, Elena thought, could you be any more obvious? Then again, who was she to talk? Hadn't she just been doing something similar?
Elena finished the trek down to her room and shut the door, hoping that the night would go fast.
