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: Finally! My long forced hiatus is finally at its end. I'm never taking on a workload like this one ever again. I'm not so sure about this chapter, but then I am a bit rusty and the way the show has been going... Delena sire bond, dead Kol and Jeremy, humanity less Elena and apparently Klaus will be a witches puppet and hybrids can procreate... things are just not going awesomely.
On the other hand you guys are beyond awesome!
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Unwillingly Succumbing to Truth
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assembled for assistance
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"'Lena." His velvety smooth voice whispers with sleep still evident in its soft rasp. "We're here." He continues giving the reluctantly awakening girls slender waist a small squeeze.
The beautiful brunette forces her large doe eyes to flutter open. "Where's here?" She questions not quite sure why she's being forced out of her raspberry flavoured dreams. "I had the most wonderful dream." She continues before he can answer her already forgotten inquiry.
"Let me guess." The raven haired boy starts dramatically which is bound to end with a lewd remark. "Yours truly was the main course." AND there it is.
It's true, but she better not inflate his already humongous ego. "Raspberries." She says still laying in his arms and not about to move from there any time soon.
"What?" He retorts looking adorably confused. God, he looks absolutely edible.
Smiling drowsily up at the cute boy she yawns. "The main course tasted like raspberries." She clarifies as she stretches her long limbs unknowingly reminding him of the kitten he so often calls her.
"Come on kitten. Everyone's waiting for us." He states making her frown and realize that they are indeed the last ones left.
"Don't call me that." She mutters sitting up as something bitter invades her every pore. She may get her, but she doesn't appreciate being dubbed her mini-me.
She hears him sigh bitterly as he withdraws his arms from around her leaving her feeling cold and unwanted. Damn him.
They're parked in front of a huge warehouse with a gigantic yellow sign that says THE ORIGINAL RENT-A-STORAGE in neat black block letters. "Is this a joke?" Tyler asks as he gestures at the distasteful sign.
"He's an arrogant prick." Her mirror image spits bitterly. "Check out the number."
Caroline crinkles her brow looking quite lost. "I don't get it." She mutters rereading the sign over and over.
Her ancestress turns away from the taunting sign seething with rage. "NICK-laus; is his full name." She grinds out through gritted teeth and the three other girls grimace as the two boys huff and curl their upper lips in disgust... it's almost as if they've secretly been practising the synchronization of the facial move.
That disappeared feeling in the pit of her stomach resurfaces and rolls around before tugging at invisible strings that seem to magically make her legs begin to move of their own accord. Her big doe eyes grow wider in alarm before a tranquil feeling settles over her making her feel as if she's on her way home.
It's blissful and fuzzy inside her bubble except for an incessant buzzing in the back of her mind that seems to be snaking its way into her heart with every step she leisurely takes. The buzz tugs and tickles and she can't help the giggles that merrily spill from her parted lips... she feels kind of drunk.
She thinks she might be swaying on her feet as tiny pebbles dig into the sensitive skin of her soles... isn't she wearing any shoes? The hazy girl giggles once more at the ludicrousness as she stumbles forward on shaky legs.
Someone's strong warm hand has wrapped around her slender wrist intensifying the feeling of home and love... he's making sure she's alive.
Her lids flutter closed as the warm tingling feeling intensifies and spreads in small waves; claiming her whole. Humming she tries to get the hand to follow her as her feet keep moving, but she seems to be rooted to the spot.
"Elena." It's barely a whisper and she would have missed it had not the buzz tugged at her heart so violently at the sound.
"'Lena." There it is again... she forces her independent limbs to stop their journey momentarily to try and find the source of the faint whispers.
Blinking sluggishly she tries to get her large chocolate pools to focus their black centres. Once she manages her task she's rewarded with the sight of two crystalline lakes so deep she might be able to sink in them forever without ever reaching the bottom of their freezing depths. The breathtaking sight sends delightful shivers down her spine making her groan in appreciation.
"Elena stop." The velvety voice whispers sending a hot caress of air fanning over her face.
"She's compelled." Her own voice whispers, yet she's sure her dusky pink lips aren't moving.
Her limbs no longer care to be still and restart their halted journey and her belly tingles with tickling heat as it tugs her limbs in the right direction. The warm hand is still lovingly clamped around her wrist as it without struggle follows along. Her vocal cords supply a tune for her to calmly hum, it's lovely... whatever it is.
There's a cold metal handle in her clenched fist and she's pushing it down repeatedly without anything happening, thankfully the hand keeping her company on her way home navigates her away from the uncomfortably cool steel and facilitates for her to go through the door previously hindering her path. She'll have to thank him properly once they've gotten all the way there.
A soft smile slides over her face as she feels the smooth lacquered wood beneath her slender fingers that only stop once she's found the right one. She's almost there. She remembers this; the soft yet prickly fabric against her skin and the slender hilt cocooned inside the haven of her palms and entwined fingers... the force it takes to remove...
The slender brunette stumbles back as the sound of metal hitting concrete echoes in the large room. Strong warm arms catch her from behind making sure that she never falls, but bursting the buzzing in her mind and heart into tiny little shards that embed themselves deeply into the very core of her being.
She pants as her head pounds incessantly and her joints seem to pulse with a sort of dull ache she's not familiar with. The brown eyed girl whimpers helplessly as her knees give out and she slumps back into a broad solid chest as the arms instantly encircle her waist... she can barely breath.
"Shh... s'alright 'Lena, I've got you." A familiar velvety smooth voice murmurs into her ear letting her know that she's finally come home. "S'alright, I'm here." He murmurs again as he scoops her into his inviting arms where he cradles her limp body. "I'm here... s'alright. You're safe." He says and she knows without a doubt that he's right.
"Home." The weakened girl whimpers as she nuzzles into the comforting crook of his neck where she revels in the undiluted scent of him.
"Soon." He coos misunderstanding her completely, but she's in too much pain from the shards of him merging with her making her far too tired to correct him. "We'll go home soon." He says hugging her to him tightly before he lulls her into a dreamless slumber.
It's quickly becoming a pattern with the two of them; she falls apart only to wake up in the safety of his arms. She's sitting on his lap, her head securely tucked under his chin as he slowly rocks them from side to side.
"What happened?" She questions in a hoarse voice that instantly scrapes her tender throat from the inside.
"You led us to Elijah and then fainted." Her blonde best friend supplies bluntly crouching down to the brunettes eye-level.
"Oh." Is all she manages to say before the raven haired boy that's still rocking her slowly in his embrace shushes her and tries to get her back to sleep. She doesn't go back to sleep, but she also doesn't leave the confines of his comforting arms... she likes it there.
Time ticks by and day gives way to nigh and still nothing happens. The waiting is the worst part, there's too much time to mull things over. All the thoughts she's stuck a pin in, the emotions she's swept under the rug and the actions she's refused to analyse are suddenly swirling around in her mind, forcing her to face some hard and sometimes ugly truths.
She's not the good girl she thought she was, she's even been horrible at times... especially to him; not that he's any sort of saint himself, but then he never pretended to be that either... and she's not even half a cup of fun any more. She's back though and there's no putting her back in the box again.
Will he even like her now that the real Elena has resurfaced? Will any of them?
Finally they're all distracted by the almost comically loud inhale of air from the handsome Originals corps as he sits up with a start. "Katarina?" He chokes out as he exhales.
Her ancestress however is ridiculously enough trying to hide behind the much smaller witch. After a long beat filled with pregnant silence she finally nods timidly making her seem so very young and sweet... and human.
"What the hell did you do to Elena?" Surprisingly enough it's her blonde bestie that defies the heavy silence; breaking it with a steady voice filled with authority.
Taking his sweet time the previously comatose undead man rises smoothly to his feet and brushes off imaginary dust from his impeccable suit. "Made sure she'd come to free me." The dark haired Original answers evasively as if that answer actually explained anything which it might actually do, but only to him... if that.
Twirling the dagger previously lodged in the ancient vampires chest expertly Caroline shoots him her best glare. "It better be the only thing you did." She warns while the rest of them gawk in fascination over her courage... or possible insanity.
"Have you taught your daughter no manners?" The raised eyebrow and question are directed firmly at the raven haired vampire still slowly rocking the exhausted doppelgänger in his arms.
"My lesson plan is far more extensive than what my maker so generously taught me, but I'm afraid manners aren't encouraged." The blue eyed boy answers back although it's clearly directed at her double and not the vampire inquiring.
"Manners will get you what compulsion will not." Elijah remarks offhandedly in a way that makes it clear that that is the end of this particular discussion. "You best be off children. Have a safe trip." He says shooing the lot of them out of the large storage unit.
She's thankful that Damon says nothing and just stands up with her cradled in his arms as if it were the most natural thing in the world... oddly enough, she's not wearing any shoes which she finds immediately upon him depositing her in the back seat of Tyler's truck.
The were, the blonde vampiress and the witch join her as the blue eyed boy saunters back inside with two large coolers filled with stolen blood. When he re-emerges a strangely deflated Katherine trails after him, stopping and hesitantly looking between the car and the large building.
The girl stands there looking so very unsure and torn. Unfortunately this she can as well very much relate to; wondering what decision is the right one... who is the right one.
As if on autopilot the brunette slips on her shoes and saunters with determined strides towards her mirror image. They stand face to face for one very long beat before the younger of the two slips her arms around the others shoulders and squeezes her tightly to herself. She's the third person she does this for that at that very moment hadn't deserved the comfort she willingly gives.
It's not that she all of a sudden likes or even cares for her often evil ancestress, but there is good in her that is worth saving. There's still hope for her much like what she recognized in Damon... and as horrible as the very though is; she's truly thankful that the monstrous girl found the two brothers. As twisted as the whole situation is, she would most likely not be alive had it not been for the girl in front of her... even if the deed was inadvertent.
"You're so much like your mother." The vampiress murmurs into the others hair as she slips her own slender arms around her beautiful descendant.
She knows that she means her biological mother and she has an inkling that the statement was meant as a compliment. It's all too fresh in her mind though, watching her burn to death, so she releases the other and gives her arm a light squeeze before she turns and walks back to the car.
Just as she's about to open the door she turns back and locks gazes with the eyes that have never looked more like her own until that very moment. "Trust him." She says simply, not quite sure why she's so certain in her conviction.
She's rewarded with a soft knowing smile and a little wave. "Take care of our boy." The vampiress says and strangely enough she's sure that they're both thinking of the same boy.
"I'll make you a deal." She says grinning widely at her ancestress. "You take care of the one in there and I'll take care of the other one." She says inclining her head slightly towards the building behind her. She will of course either way, but that's not really the point of the deal they're making.
"Deal." The doe eyed vampiress says as she starts walking backwards towards the building with the previously implied man.
When she gets in the car it's obvious that the raven haired boy has misunderstood the conversation he'd clearly been eavesdropping on. His eyes have turned cold and his posture screams that he's about to snap any second now so... she ignores it.
She kicks off her tired old Chuck's and slides into the spot next to him. Gingerly she wraps her slender fingers around his wrist and drapes his arm over herself as she snuggles into his chest. Without a word she closes her eyes and curls her legs up as she ignores his stiff posture and reluctant limbs.
The other three in the vehicle seem to be in the same mind frame as the engine revs up and the radio is tuned to a station playing soft soothing music.
It takes almost half an hour until she feels him shift and relax as he pulls her closer and envelopes her in his strong welcoming arms. It only takes ten more minutes before his fingers are tangled in the silky strands of her long hair as he soothingly draws random patterns with his other hand on the exposed skin of her arm... she'll take such good care of him.
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She tucks a wayward strawberry blonde strand of hair behind her ear as she studies the assembled crowd and wonders if she would have done things differently if she would have known what was truly going on. Most likely she would have gotten herself killed... much like Andie.
"I can't do this Elena." She hears Damon whisper brokenly standing only a few feet away. "It's all my..." He starts, but is immediately cut off.
"No." She hears her niece whisper back sternly as she grabs hold of his upper arms. "Klaus did this. Not you." She continues craning her neck as she tries to catch his gaze. "She was neither bitter or angry with you. She was brave and smart and she cared so much about you. Don't sully her memory by taking the blame for something you didn't do." She finishes softly once she's caught his reluctant gaze.
She knows Elena said it hadn't been her kissing Damon on their front porch, but she can't help but wonder if that was just one more lie. The way she's looking at him... the thing is she hadn't at all been surprised to find them there in a lip lock, but then again she'd been utterly clueless to what was going on.
She leans into Alaric pushing all their troubles to the back of her mind as she lets him reassure her that they're going to be fine despite the fact that they're sitting at one of her closest friends memorial service... because there will be no funeral fore there is no corps to put in a grave only a rusty bucket filled with ash sitting pitifully on Damon's bedside table. Elena never should have had to go through that. She's been such a horrible guardian... BUT she'll deal with all of that and so much more tomorrow.
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AN: Idk about this chapter, but boy am I glad it's done and posted.
I don't know why, but Jenna was in no mood to share much of her thoughts and Elijah was being quite tight lipped as well. Remember my wonderful readers: reviews are love... and I'd write ten to you each because you're all just that awesomely awesome ;-)