All Elena
My mind works harder than usual as Damon parks his Camaro in front of the Boarding House and we both rush to the front door. Now that I'm dead and surviving on human blood, I've finally come to realize that whenever the Originals are involved things get messy. No matter how noble and trustworthy Elijah has always seemed to me, his visit won't be good news – for that I am sure of. But, what is it this time? What else could go wrong? How much more can our lives suck?
Damon opens the door hesitantly, our ears trying to pick up sounds that break the heavy silence of the night. I half expect Rebecca to appear out of the blue and try to finish me off. But it's peaceful in the hallway and all that's waiting for us in the living room are Stefan and Jeremy. The room is dark and warm; Stefan is sitting on the couch, face buried inside his journal and Jeremy's sprawled on Damon's sofa, cursing his algebra book. The feeling of coziness and peacefulness hits me hard and a wave of gratefulness takes over my body – more of a tsunami, really. I feel like crying, blessed for having all these people around me – supporting me, even though I'm a monster who drank a poor girl's blood. Damn those heightened vampire senses.
"Well, aren't we one big, happy, family!" Damon sighs and walks to his usual spot, filling his glass with alcohol. Our ride back was silent and uncomfortable - Damon trying to think of ways to deal with whatever new crisis Elijah has to throw at us and I…well, wanting Damon. Smooth Elena, real smooth. After practically begging him to kiss me when he saved Stacey from my killer instincts, I found it impossible to sustain my lust. In his car, it was like Denver all over again. Only, while human, I usually did a fantastic job hiding my feelings for Damon. These couple of days, they've been all I could think about – along with blood, of course. Of course.
Stefan closes his journal and his eyes meet mine, wary and sad. His understanding and complete compassion only make whatever feelings I hold for Damon look out of place. Gratefulness turns to guilt in a second and I fight the desire to break something. So I opt to sit by his side and curl in his embrace, hoping it will make him feel better and take some of my gut-wrenching guilt away. It doesn't. And now I have to face Damon's eyes as he turns around and takes the sight of us together in. Fuck. My. Life.
"I can't believe Elijah left without saying 'hi' first. So rude of him." Damon mocks and I half smile, not being able to help myself. Jeremy rolls his eyes and tosses his algebra book away, brows furrowed.
"He was quite the gentleman actually. He even apologized on Rebecca's behalf and said he was extremely happy that Elena survived." Jeremy informs Damon mockingly and comes to plant a kiss on my cheek. I hold my breath and tense under his tender touch, careful not to let his smell in. I won't allow my bloodlust to ruin this new found affection Jeremy's been showing since I turned. He's the main reason I wake up every morning and don't just shut this whirlwind my emotions currently are off.
"He said he was sorry? That changes everything, right Stefan? Did we leave you enough time to strike a new deal with our favorite Original?" Damon asks sarcastically and Stefan's arm against my shoulder stiffens. I press closer to him, legs stretched on Jeremy's lap who is now sitting next to me, but my eyes involuntarily stay fixed on Damon – the way he gulps what's left of his drink, the muscles under his grey T-shirt, his strong hands, his hard eyes judging Stefan. What's the point of choosing if I can't stop my stupid mind from fantasizing about Damon? Elena, the horny vampire – just great.
"Actually," Stefan starts, meaning to talk business. I can feel the air around me change and look up at Stefan's face, trying to trace any signs of trouble. "Elijah came to warn us. Klaus's alive."
Shock washes over me and I sit up, avoiding contact with both Jeremy and Stefan. I glance at Damon, whose face mirrors mine perfectly. The hand holding his tumbler has gone limp and there's nothing but anger and disbelief in his voice as he mutters "Shut the fuck up."
"He's lying." I whisper in the same tone. "He has to be lying."
"Why would he be lying Elena?" Jeremy wonders and leans forward to take my shaking hands into his, but in one swift movement I'm up and next to Damon, scared of what my anger, fear and sudden need for blood may lead me to do.
"Does he need a reason? That's what they do – lie, manipulate and kill." Damon shouts and fills his glass again. I hope he's right; he has to be. The possibility of Klaus having survived after what we did to him is downright scary.
"I don't think that's the case this time, Damon." Stefan's up too and pacing around the room. He doesn't notice my proximity with Damon or decides to ignore it.
"Klaus is dead Stefan. I saw him die. Alaric staked him and his desiccated body went up in flames. My eyesight is brilliant, thank you very much."
"But, then, how are you still alive?" Jeremy breathes and my insides swirl around. The fear I experienced when I thought they would all die; my phone call with Damon, his voice breaking when I told him I loved Stefan and left him there to die alone – it all comes back full force and I feel like someone just punched me in the stomach.
Damon halts in place and then fixes his glare on Stefan. "So what are you telling me, Fabio? That Klaus was actually telling the truth about initiating our bloodline? And that he, somehow, managed to survive bursting in flames and is now plotting his revenge?"
"Pretty much, yeah." Stefan breathes and comes to drag me on the couch, sitting me on his lap. "Elijah's positive it was Klaus who turned us. Plus, he came across some hybrids. Alive and kickin' hybrids."
"Shouldn't Tyler be alive then?" Jeremy asks, hope in his eyes. I eye Stefan hopefully too. Caroline, tears in her eyes and her body shaking, told me that Tyler's body hadn't been found and his mother was going crazy. It felt wrong, having no one to burry and it was in Matt's hospital room where the three of us cried, until Bonnie came and whispered soothing words so we could get a grip. That was two days ago and I can almost picture Caroline bouncing up and down if I tell her there's a chance Tyler's still alive, somewhere.
Stefan shrugs, trying not to get our hopes up. If Tyler's alive, then where the hell is he? We fall in silence, each one cursing our bad luck, until Damon's low timbre breaks it and sends shivers down my spine.
"Did Elijah tell you where Klaus is?"
"He said he had no idea and that he wanted to find him just as much as we do." Stefan sighs and looks at Damon, whose features have turned dark and dangerous.
"I bet he does." Damon starts walking away slowly and my gaze follows him. "Alaric died for nothing, Elena died for nothing; these past months have been for nothing." He means me. He means that everything he went through for me has been for nothing. "Klaus is still one step ahead of us."
"Where are you going?" I snap before I can control myself.
"Out." He answers without stopping. "This unexpected turn of events calls for some distraction."
I hear him slam the door behind him and rage inside. I take two deep breaths, reminding myself that Jeremy's still with us in the room and fix myself on Stefan's lap, burying my face in his neck.
"Can I have a blood bag?"I ask Stefan, neglecting what Damon told me about overdoing it with the blood. His departure is practically the reason I need it so much.
"Ok. You can tell me how your first hunting experience went."
The moment Jeremy hears us talk about 'hunting experience' he grabs his book from the floor and heads upstairs. "Can I skip school forever?" he shouts from the top of the stairs.
"No." Both Stefan and I shout and head for the basement. I try to focus on what Stefan's saying, but the image of Damon sensually feeding on a girl's neck and giving her 'the best sex she ever had', as he so cockily named it, keeps popping in my mind and all I can see is red – as in blood red.
Two o'clock. Two fucking o'clock and he's still not here. I toss and turn in my sheets and hate – hate – the waves of jealousy and lust and possessiveness that take over me every five seconds. From the moment Stefan left my room with nothing more than a soft goodnight kiss, I've been occupying myself with all sorts of activity. Three hours later, I've officially gone crazy.
All the noises and smells and sights I would probably pay to experience while human are now being a pain in the ass. All I want is to hear Damon's footsteps climbing the stairs, alone. I want him to check on me before going inside his room and even flirt a little – the way he so skillfully did the entire time Stefan was gone. Most of all, I need to know he's okay; that he doesn't blame me for having to stay here and deal with trouble that doesn't belong to him, only because I asked him to. My consciousness – or what's left of it – needs to know he doesn't blame me for choosing Stefan. Do you blame yourself? Maybe I do, but I guess it's too late to take anything back.
I'm re-reading Bonnie's text [Sorry for not visiting 2night. Caroline cancelled and I got a call from Jamie. We'll be there first thing tomorrow morning! Xoxo] when my ears finally catch the long-awaited sound of Damon's footsteps on the stairs. I toss the phone aside and sit up, eager to see what he'll do. Ok, it kind of feels like stalking him. It doesn't really count when you're a newly turned vampire that can hear and see and feel everything. The moment he approaches my door I feel my blood – or Stacey's blood – pump through my veins forcefully and I'm positive I'd be hyperventilating if I were still human. This moment, accompanied with these fierce, strong emotions, feels too good to be true.
But, the moment passes and his footsteps fade into his room without even halting outside my door; leaving my chest hallow and my mind filled with scary thoughts, the biggest one being: I've lost him forever.
I fall back on the pillows and listen hard. I can practically picture him in front of me, taking his boots of, then his jacket. Sighing lightly, his brows probably furrowed. He steps inside his bathroom and leaves the water of his shower running. I hear him remove his jeans and T-shirt and the sight of a shirtless, gorgeous Damon captivates my mind almost immediately. I fight my memories of having him pressed against me that night in Denver, but my fingers trace circles on my stomach on their own accord, moving slowly but steadily down.
I focus on his movements again. He's pacing around the room and in about five seconds I understand why. A low melody fills my ears and I half smile at his choice of music; The Black Keys – Lonely Boy. He hums along the music while entering the shower, completely naked. I spot my hands, which are currently fondling the insides of my thighs, and mentally curse. As much as I'd love to, my hands can't compare to what Damon's hands would be able to do to me, so I order myself to stop and instead sulk at the guilt that takes over my body. I even let some tears spill, because it's just too much.
The moment he gets out of the shower, I sit up again and leave my bed – scared of what I might do with the mood I'm currently in. I wait patiently until I hear him pick his phone and dial a number. In two o'clock in the morning. What are you up to now, Damon? The phone rings once, twice before a female voice I know oh-so-well answers from the other end and my insides freeze, jealousy strong enough to make my vampire face appear.
"Hello?" Meredith asks, surprised.
"Hey Doc. It's Damon. You know; the guy whose blood keeps you from getting fired." Damon's voice is cool, like he's talking with an old friend on a beautiful Sunday morning.
"Damon." Meredith breathes- her tone calm and surprisingly relaxed. "How did you get my number?"
"Rick had you as an emergency contact." Damon confesses and I hear him lay on his bed, in nothing but his towel. "Did I wake you?"
"No." Meredith sighs and if I focus hard enough I can hear her movements too. Like how she's stretching in her sofa, while talking. "Doctors have too much of a guilty consciousness to be able to sleep at night."
"And here I was, calling to say thank you." Damon smirks at the phone and I feel like banging my head on the wall. Or bursting inside his room and tossing his phone outside the window.
"Thank you for what?" she voices my question.
"Practically saving Elena's life." Silence between them. "I haven't had time to drop by and…hm, let you know how grateful I am. So, yeah, thank you."
I feel more tears fall from my eyes. I know Damon; I know he'd rather eat vervain than mutter the words 'thank you' and 'sorry' to anyone. But he's doing it now; and he's doing it for me. Just like every other noble thing he does for me.
"You're welcome Damon. But, it's not like I predicted she'd have the accident."
"No, I know that. But she would have died from that brain hemorrhage. Either way, you saved her."
Another silence and all I can hope now is for Meredith to wish him goodnight and close the phone. Stop bonding. Damon doesn't do bonding. Not with anyone that isn't me.
"I think it was you who saved her. You're right; I'm not much of a doctor without your blood." She laughs bitterly and Damon chuckles.
"I'll probably start selling it. You know what they say; never do anything you're good at for free." He sighs and I hear his eyelids close heavily. "Well, goodnight then."
"Damon. Did Rick die?"
"Yes, he did; in my arms. The moment Elena drowned. I'm sorry."
Shit, this conversation is starting to contain too much feeling. And I'm starting to get emotional too, with Rick's death being mentioned and of course being associated with my own.
"I'm sorry too. You were his best friend you know. He talked about you quite a lot. Anyway; good night."
The phone line disconnects and all I can catch are Damon's shallow breaths and his chest moving up and down, making the bed shift ever so slightly – enough for me to hear. Putting my impulse no second thought, I leave my room and open the door to his in only two seconds.
He doesn't move a muscle as I step inside and carefully sit beside him, on the bed, not lying down. I try to control my breath and let no sign that his half naked figure is having any kind of effect on me show. Only that it has.
A Beatles song is playing on the background but now that I'm inside the room I can't tell which one. Get a grip Gilbert.
"I don't think you should be worried about Klaus."
"I have nothing to worry about. You on the other hand…Stefan; both of you definitely should." He keeps his eyes shut and I glance back at him from above my shoulder.
"Well, we're not your problem."
He sits up and leans on his pillows, eyeing me sarcastically. "My brother is always my problem, Elena. I'm either trying to kill him or protect him – that's what my poor excuse of an existence consists of."
"At least you're on to protecting him again." I laugh humorlessly.
"Yes, so I can kill him after Klaus finally dies; if that ever happens."
"Well," I say and get up, heading to leave "you don't have to worry about me. I'm no longer the human doppelganger. I bet I'm no use for Klaus anymore."
I don't believe that. And he doesn't either.
"I'm sure he'd love to see you dead, just for the fun of it." He sees me walk at the door and leans even lower in his pillows. "Plus, I bet vampire Elena has even more troubles coming her way than human Elena ever did."
"Always ready to make a girl feel better." I say sarcastically and open the door to leave. I got what I wanted. In only three minutes, I could sense he had drunk enough blood and alcohol to keep him going for a week or so. Now I need to go in my room and order my thoughts away from him.
"Is that why you clung to me for dear life back at the bar?"
His voice is so low in my ear, so erotic. He has both hands slammed on the now closed door behind me. Without knowing how or when, I've been turned around, my chest pressed on his and my back on the door. He's breathing in my ear and God, he feels so very good. Flashbacks of him standing naked in front of me in the living room, applying first aid on my cheek, kissing me softly on my porch come back and I have to fight with my hands, which are aching to touch his bare torso.
"Damon…" the voice that leaves my mouth isn't mine. It's the voice of a woman who is in need of something – something of vital importance.
"I know Elena. I know." he says, completely ignoring my needy tone; purposefully ignoring it. "You love Stefan. He gave you something to live for and you fell for him, instantly. But you care about me and that is why you had to let me go." His voice is cold as he repeats my words and I can't hold back the tears that are coming. "The thing is - you're doing a shitty job showing how much you love him and how much you need to let me go."
With that, he opens his door and I rush in my bedroom, thanking my vampire speed with every fiber of my being, and fall on the bed. I cover my ears with my pillows and cry myself to sleep.
Stop it, whoever you are. I grunt and moan as the curtains open and a happy female voice hums sweet melodies while moving in my room.
"What. The. Hell." Too much sunshine, way too early.
"No hell Elena." Caroline sing-songs and I force my eyes open, her voice triggering my curiosity. "Today is paradise."
I sit up and smile. Caroline is standing in front of my bed, dressed in bright colors. Her hair is perfectly curled and her eyes are lit. She's beaming. Her smile is huge and she half dances, half bounces at my questioning look.
"I know I should wait until Bonnie gets here, but I can't." she takes a deep breath in and for a moment she's bubbly old Caroline again. No trace of vampire whatsoever. "Tyler is alive Elena! He is alive!"
She jumps on my bed and hugs me tightly. I return the embrace with a huge smile on my face. Tyler is alive; there's no doubt now. Klaus is alive too.
And I? I am doomed.
1. I'm a Claroline shipper so I'm going to play with the idea of Klaus being inside Tyler's body a bit. Just for the fun of it. 2. No, I'm not planning on making Meredith Damon's new flame. Ew. No. I just wanted to put Elena through a bit of jealousy. Now that her emotions are stronger, I want her to experience everything Damon's felt - kinda put her in his shoes. 3. Yes, I'm planning on Damon playing hard to get. Why? Because Elena must realize he deserves her as much as Stefan does. Cross that - more. So bare with me. And don't read any S4 spoilers - they'll ruin your summer. I practically die every time I read the season will start with Stelena. -.-''
I hope you enjoy. I know I sound like a broken record whenever I repeat this, but I am so here I go again: I appreciate every one of you reading, reviewing, adding my story to their favorites/alerts. You make me happy. Thank you. Yours, S.