Chapter 11

After Jessica and Elena had finished their conversation. Elena decided it was time for her to head up to bed. Sometime after Elijah walked into the library, and stood leaning against the mantle blocking the light Jessica was using to read. She lifted her head to look at him, and tilted her head to the side in curiosity at the extremely serious look on his face.

"What's wrong Elijah did something happen?"

"Not anything dangerous, but before I tell you what's happened I'd like you to answer a question for me."

He walked over to the couch she was on, and took the seat next to her.

He took her hands in his and asked. "Why are you willing to risk leaving us all behind instead of becoming a vampire? We all care about you, and we need you here so why would you risk dying. I have a theory that I'm sure is correct, but I'd like to hear it from you."

Jessica thought about refusing to answer as she had done with the others, but Elijah had become her closest friend other than Damon so she took a deep breath, and answered him.

"I don't want eternity if I have to spend it alone, and I don't mean without friends. I would want it Elijah if Damon loved me in return, but that's not the case, and I don't want to live forever without him. More than that though I don't want to spend any longer than I have to watching him love someone else. Not even if Elena is that someone else. It hurts too much now, and I don't want to even think about what it might feel like with all the heightened emotions of a vampire. No things are better this way."

Elijah nodded his head at her "I thought that was the case. You do realize that it is possible for you to find another to love. Eternity is a long time my friend, and you may yet find happiness."

Jessica made an effort to smile at him, but it came out as more of a grimace.

"I'm not the type to fall out of love apparently. If the last two years haven't proven that I'm not sure what will. It's not a chance I'm willing to take Elijah. I'm just not strong enough."

Elijah's following sigh was resigned, and he relented.

"Very well then we will not speak of it again."

Jessica squeezed his hand and questioned. "So now that I've answered you what happened that required the serious talk?"

Elijah gripped her hands tighter and said. "It seems that after Damon returned to the house he went to find Elena to make sure she was alright after Stefan upset her. The two of them during their conversation decided that they should give a relationship a try."

Jessica smiled at him more genuinely than she had earlier though it didn't reach her eyes.

"Really, I'm so happy for them. They both deserve to be happy, and they really do love each other. I'm glad that Elena finally decided to give it a chance. Damon will do everything he can to make sure she's happy."

Elijah gave her a look that said he knew she was lying though her teeth, but he would humor her.

"I thought it would upset you more than this. I guess I was mistaken." The look he gave her was sympathetic.

"I'm not going to be the thing that ruins this for them Elijah. Besides I don't want this version of Damon. We've already had this discussion. He's not the Damon I fell in love with anymore. The man with all that fire and passion is gone."

"I know Jessica, but you need someone to tell how you really feel about things. I don't mind being that person especially as you listen to me ramble on about missing my family, and never complain." Elijah tells her.

"I know you're willing to listen. Thank you for that, and if I'm going to talk about it I'll find you I promise." Jessica squeezed his hands in return.

She was worn out. The emotional turmoil since Elena came back to the house was wearing on her. Apparently Elijah could see it because he gently pulled her to her feet, and lead her toward the stairs.

"You need to rest. Your health is precarious enough as it is. No need to tire yourself."

He picked her up and carried her to her bedroom. He placed her gently in her bed. Then he covered her and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I know I haven't said anything about your decision Jessica, but I would miss you very much were anything to happen to you. Please remember that."

He left the room without giving her a chance to respond. She laid in her bed trying to sleep, but so many thoughts were running through her head it made getting any rest difficult.

She knew her friends would miss her if the worst did happen, and she didn't want to hurt any of them. The alternative however wasn't something she could fathom. Watching Damon and Elena together was fine when she knew at some point she would die, and the pain would end. To have to watch it forever though. Death seemed much kinder even if the others would be hurt. The only question then became, could she be this selfish? Could she risk dying, and leaving them all just to spare herself the pain? She couldn't make a decision one way or the other, but eventually exhaustion pulled her into a fitful sleep.

Damon was extremely happy. No he was ecstatic. Elena had chosen him not Stefan him. He was at this very moment holding her in his arms as she slept. He couldn't remember the last time he felt so good. He wasn't even sure that he ever had. The only thing that kept this from being the best time in his long life was Mystery's illness. He didn't understand why she wouldn't just let him turn her. None of them with the exception of his idiot brother could stand the thought of losing her. He would do it without her permission if it came down to it, but he didn't want her to hate him. He couldn't honestly remember a time she was even angry with him not really. Her hating him the way he did Stefan would suck.

Over the next several months Damon spent as much time as he could with Elena. Sure they still fought like always, but for the most part it was great. He didn't get to spend as much time with her as he would have liked, but taking care of his Mystery was important to him. She was one of the best things in his life and she was fighting to survive right now.

Mystery starts coughing again, and he quickly moves from under Elena to race to her room. He's beside her in an instant. Holding her upright so she doesn't choke. As the coughing subsides he brushes the hair out of her eyes, and when his hand grazes her forehead he stills. He moves his hand so that he can check her temperature, and realizes she's warmer than she should be. He immediately picks her up carries her down the stairs, and out the door to his car. He didn't even bother to tell the others what was going on or where he was taking her. He just rushed as fast as he dared to get her to the hospital.

The flu Mystery had caught the flu most likely from one of the teenagers since the bug had been making the rounds at school, and because Damon wasn't paying attention like he should have been she's spent two weeks in the hospital. Her immune system was weak to begin with so when she didn't get treatment right away the flu had developed into pneumonia. He should have been taking better care of her. He had gotten so wrapped up in Elena lately he hadn't even realized she was getting sick, and with the cancer already wreaking havoc on her body it wasn't fighting this new illness as well as it should.

She was supposed to have her surgery to remove the tumors on her lungs months ago, but obviously that hadn't happened. It had been delayed due to other infections because the doctor wanted her to be as healthy as possible when the surgery took place. The only problem with this approach was that the longer they delayed the worse Mysteries chance were. The tumors were getting larger, and that decreased the chances of removing all of them. It also increased the odds of the cancer spreading elsewhere in her body. If that happened it was pretty much a death sentence at this point. At least that's what Damon heard the doctor tell Mystery when he'd been eavesdropping during one of her appointments.

These events had lead Damon to where he was currently sitting at Mysteries bedside at Mystic Falls General. He was losing her. He couldn't even try to deny it anymore. He could hear her struggling to take each breath. To make matters worse he and Elena seemed to be fighting more often lately. She was upset at all the time he was spending with Mystery, because they hadn't had much time to spend together. Damon on the other hand wanted to spend all the time he could with Mystery while she was still here. Elena just saw it as him choosing Mystery over her. That attitude came mostly from the fact that Elena refused to believe that Mystery would be anything other than fine. Damon knew that she was mostly just afraid. She'd lost so much already and Elena was afraid to lose anyone else, and so she was taking it out on him. Knowing that didn't stop him from being angry with her though. It didn't stop him from wanting her to be here with him while his friend was dying she was the best friend he had ever had, and she was dying.

The other vampires made sure that one of them was in her room with him at all times because they didn't want him giving her his blood. So even that option wasn't open to him anymore. He felt like he was losing a part of himself, and it made him so angry. This is what he got for letting himself care about other people. He shouldn't have fallen into this trap. He knew better other people only hurt you in the end. That was a lesson he had learned long before he became a vampire, and he couldn't at this moment figure out why he forgot it.

Mysteries breathing started to slow, and become more ragged. Damon leaned over and whispered to low for the others to hear.

"Hey now don't you give up just yet. Fight Mystery. I need you. I can't lose you. I'm not sure I'd survive it. So don't you give up. Please fight."

Elena came storming into Mysteries room at 3:30 the same why she had every day for the past week. She never stayed or spent any time with her pseudo mother. She came and fought with Damon to leave the room, and when he refused to budge from his friend's side she got angry, and stormed right back out. Today was no different than any other except that instead of storming out of the room she asked Damon to talk to him privately. She said it wouldn't take long, and they didn't have to go far so he agreed. They had reached the end of the hall when she stopped and turned to look at him.

"Damon this has to stop I'm done fighting with you so you need to make a choice either Jessica or me. I'm not going to stand by and watch you keep choosing her over me"

"Elena what are you talking about I'm not choosing her. She's sick Elena, and you can keep denying it all you want, but she's going to die. All I want is to spend as much time with her as I can before that happens."

"No you're choosing to spend all your time with her. Your acting like she's your girlfriend Damon, and I'm done feeling like you think I'm second best. So choose Damon."

"Elena I'm not going to do that I love you. You know that. I don't know why you're acting like this, but you need to stop. There is no reason for you to be so jealous. She's my best friend, but I love you."

"You don't act like she's your best friend you sit vigil at her bedside like she's the one you're in love with while I get ignored. You know what you don't want to choose fine I'll do it for you. We're done Damon. I knew I never should have given you a chance to begin with."

Damon was so hurt and stunned that he didn't respond or move even when she turned and walked away.