Chapter 11

Elena

Elena pulled on her jacket, almost knocking over the lamp and whipping Damon across the face. Her hair got caught in the zipper but she didn't care. Mentioning for Damon to follow her, she flung open her bedroom door – and crashed right into Jeremy.

"Hey. What's going on?" Jeremy asked curiously, rubbing his collar bone where Elena had just knocked into, "What's with all the racket?"

"It's Bonnie – we have to go, Jer." Elena said quickly. She tried to go down the stairs but was stopped by Jeremy, who had his hand on her forearm.

"It's Bonnie?" He repeated, "Is she ok? What happened?"

"Someone broke into her house and now she's freaking out." Damon said insensitively.

Jeremy shot him a look of disbelief and started to follow Elena down the stairs. He decided to not ask what Damon was doing here. He had a feeling he wouldn't like the answer anyway.

"No, Jeremy, I don't want you to get involved." Elena said, realizing that Jeremy had the intention to go with them.

"Well, I am." Jeremy replied shortly, "It's Bonnie." And he reached the door before either of them and walked out into the night.

Elena sighed and followed his tracks. She'd always known that something was going on with her best friend and her brother, but it felt a little weird to really witness it.

"You Gilberts," Damon rolled his eyes, "are so stubborn."

Bonnie

When they got to Bonnie's house, she was having a panic attack. The Grimoire was something her grandmother had left her, and now it's stolen. Lately, it just seemed like everything she's doing is wrong.

This whole mess started with her. She was the one who messed up the anti-love spell and got her best friend to fall in love with a vampire she detested. She was the one who couldn't figure out how to make this right again. And now she was the one causing so much trouble, gathering everyone at her house to look for a spell book.

She knew Elena didn't blame her for anything, but she couldn't help blaming herself. What if she had gotten everything done right in the beginning? Damon would be out of town, never to bother them again, and Elena and Stefan would still be happily together.

Bonnie choked back a sob. The Grimoire was everything to her. Without it, she was powerless and weak. It was the only thing Grams left her. What would Grams think if she were here to find out that Bonnie had lost it?

"Bonnie?" Elena asked, coming to her side and taking her hand.

Bonnie shook her head and swallowed. Now was not the time to loose control. She's got to get it together. "I'm fine." She said in a steady voice.

"This is no coincidence," Stefan said, a frown creeping up his face.

"No, it isn't," Damon agreed, but he sounded less serious, "You house was ransacked when we were all down there with Katherine. What does that tell you?"

"That Katherine had something to do with it?" Bonnie whispered, her eyes widening as she realized the truth. Everything made sense to her now. They couldn't find Lucy in her apartment because Katherine was keeping her down in the tomb. And when they went down to try to save Lucy; Katherine stalled them while Lucy came to steal the Grimoire. Katherine must have compelled Lucy into doing this.

Katherine knew that Bonnie wasn't strong enough to perform the spell, but Lucy might be. Everything added up perfectly. As much as Bonnie hated to admit, Katherine was brilliant. But her plan wasn't infallible.

"We need to go the tomb right now." Bonnie said.

"I second that." Damon replied.

Bonnie was the first one out the door. The spell that she and Grams once did to seal the tomb took all the life out of Grams. Even though all the "tomb vampires" got out, she had managed to keep Katherine in there. And she was not going to let her get out, no matter what it takes. She'd re-seal the tomb if it killed her. It didn't matter anymore. Grams will not die for nothing.

Bonnie kept her calm all the way down to the tomb. She knew it would be most unfortunate if she had a mental breakdown right now, so she didn't.

When she arrived at the tomb, the sight of Lucy clutching the Grimoire and chanting in Latin affected her more than possible. Ignoring the many yells behind her, Bonnie went straight for Lucy.

"Hurry!" Katherine screamed at Lucy, pushing against the invisible barrier blocking her freedom. They had come sooner than she had hoped.

Lucy seemed to have no control over herself anymore as she continued chanting in the same monotonous voice. She had a horrible nosebleed. So horrible that the blood had already reached across her lips and is dripping down her chin.

"No!" Bonnie shouted at her, but she didn't seem to hear anything. If she continued, she'd die, but of course Katherine didn't care about that. Bonnie tried to grab the Grimoire away from Lucy, but she had a death grip on the book and would not let go. Stefan and Damon came forward quickly and pried Lucy's fingers off the Grimoire, but she was still chanting as if she had already recited the whole thing.

"Chant faster!" Katherine yelled, her hair falling all over her face. She was this close to getting out of here, and the witch and her doppelganger and can not ruin it for her.

Then Jeremy did something very stupid but very effective. He leapt at Lucy, knocking her to the ground. Her head hit the earth and she was out immediately. The chants stopped.

For a minute, no one said anything, and all that could be heard was heavy breathing.

Then Katherine let out a shriek of frustration behind them. She looked like a teenager throwing a tantrum. Her plan had failed yet again, thanks to them. Gritting her teeth, Katherine pushed the barrier again. There was no getting out of here. The tomb was still sealed.

Damon took a deep breath and looked at the fuming Katherine. He enjoyed seeing her so desperate.

"So, we'll be going then." He said, starting to grin, "Thanks for Lucy." He nodded at Katherine, who looked like she wanted to tear him apart.

Jeremy got up from the ground and dusted dirt from the knees of his pants. He bent down and retrieved the Grimoire, and handed it to Bonnie, "Here."

"Thanks." Bonnie said gratefully and hugged it tightly to her chest, "Is Lucy okay?"

"She will be." Stefan assured her, "Just unconscious for now."

"Come on," Elena put an arm around her, "Let's go."

Elena

It was hard to believe that all the action was finally over. Lucy had been staying with Bonnie until she's well enough to leave, and so far, nothing that involved Katherine happened. Elena was relieved that Katherine's plan to escape had failed. But now that she didn't have anything else to worry about, her thoughts led back to the spell, which she is still under.

Lately, everything had been so hectic that she hasn't had time to go over her thoughts yet, but now that she's thinking about it, she was hesitant once more. She was hoping that the spell would be unbreakable. Was that selfish of her?

Just then, her cell phone buzzed, indicating she had a text message. Elena took it out immediately:

From: Bonnie

Figured it out. Meet me at the Boarding House.

Elena stared at the text for a few minutes. Figured it out. So Bonnie and Lucy had figured out how to break the spell.

Instead of feeling relieved, she felt disappointed. She could literally feel her heart sink as her shoulders sagged. So this was it, then. In a few hours, this would all be over. Her feelings for Damon, her love for him, it'll all be gone. Elena wanted to climb under the covers and never come out. When the spell was first casted, she couldn't wait for it to be broken; but now that it will be, she's not so sure anymore.

She loved him. She really did. No matter how much she tried to fight against it these weeks, it still happened. There was no hindering these feelings. They were as clear as crystal. She loved him, and she had no intention to take away that love.

Elena pulled on her sweater slowly, trying to procrastinate. She didn't want to go to the Boarding House. But she knew she must. What's going to happen when this blows over? Would Stefan be expecting to get back together? Does she even want that?

With a million questions buzzing around in her head, Elena climbed into her car and started the engine. Why was she so unsure about this? She drove slowly; so slowly that other drivers honked her countless times. But no matter how much she wished her car would break down, she still arrived at the Boarding House.

Feeling numb, Elena slammed her car door shut and walked to the porch. She wondered how Damon was feeling. He must be even more disappointed than she was. The days they spent together had meant a lot to her, but now that she thought about it, everything that happened between them was the aftermath of a spell that went wrong. Things are going to get so complicated and awkward once the spell is lifted.

Elena was dreading this more and more by the second. Taking a deep breath, she pushed the door open. Everyone was already there, waiting for her. No one spoke as she flashed them a forced smile and went into the living room, where Damon and Bonnie were seated.

"Are you ok?" Bonnie asked immediately, seeing the expression on Elena's face.

"Yeah. Fine." Elena lied. She stole a glance at Damon. He was drowning himself in his drinks, but otherwise, he looked just like he did any other day. It didn't surprise her. He knows how to hide emotions way better than she did.

"Elena…" Bonnie said seriously, "I'm sorry I put you through this. I – I didn't know how to break the spell, but it was really quite simple; Lucy showed me."

Elena continued to stare at Bonnie, waiting for her to go on. Stefan was standing close to them, and Damon still looked like he had nothing to do with this whole thing, but both of them were listening intently.

"Remember when I said the spell is only effective as long as it still has its targets?" Bonnie continued when no one spoke, "I thought you guys –" she mentioned to Elena and Damon, "– were the targets. Well, Lucy pointed out that since I used your hairs to perform the spell, the hairs are actually what the spell aimed for. In other words, all we have to do is destroy the objectives, which, in this case, is the hair, and the spell will be broken"

Elena's eyes widened. That was it? All they had to do was destroy the hairs? That's it? It's this easy?

Seeing the expression on Elena's face, Bonnie quickly took out another candle and set it on the table, "But Lucy told me it's better if you do this yourselves. It should work."

The candle, at Bonnie's stare, lit up on its own again. If it were another occasion, Elena would have found it funny that both she and Damon had to hold a hair around a candle. But somehow, it didn't seem amusing in this case.

Running her fingers through her hair, Elena caught one and brought it to the flames. She could see Damon on her right, his expression unreadable. It was hard to believe that in just a few seconds, the spell would be broken, and her feelings for Damon…well, they would be gone too.

Elena bit her lower lip. Her hand seemed to freeze in mid-air. What was the matter with her? She can't move her arm. Her body was screaming in protest, not wanting her to end the spell. But she must. She had to.

"Elena?" Stefan asked, his voice concerned. Elena had remained in the same position for a while now, with no intention of burning the hair held in her delicate hand.

Elena snapped out of it upon hearing Stefan's voice. Everyone was staring at her now. She told herself it'll be okay as she lowered her hand. As the tip of the hair touched the flame, she felt like something died in her.

The hair sizzled, and the smell of burnt hair suddenly filled the room. It was over. Feeling empty, Elena backed away from the candle and waited for Damon's turn.

Damon was less hesitant than her. He merely put his hair on top of the flame. Elena heard the familiar sizzling sound again and knew that the spell was finally broken. Yet now it seemed like nothing could fill the emptiness inside her now. She felt…hollow.

Bonnie gazed at the pair of them nervously, "So…do you feel anything different?" She asked, her voice hopeful.

Elena raised her head to stare at Damon. He was still gorgeous. His hair was falling into his eyes in an amazingly sexy way, and he was still wearing the jacket she had given him. She averted her gaze when she realized she was still wearing the earrings he had given her. Did she feel anything different? Did she want to jump into Stefan's arms?

Shock exploded through her when she realized that she didn't. She didn't feel different at all. She still wanted to kiss Damon right there, in front of Bonnie and Stefan. This wasn't natural. The spell was already broken. She shouldn't be feeling this way anymore.

"Elena?" Bonnie asked, "It worked, didn't it?"

"I – yeah. Yeah, it did." Elena replied quickly, dropping her gaze and hoping no one could see she was lying. Was there something wrong with her? How could she still love Damon? She loved Damon because of the spell, didn't she? But the spell's over now. So why does she still want to throw herself at Damon?

Damon felt like someone had reached an icy hand down his throat and grabbed his heart, squeezing it in a death grip. It was painful to hear Elena say that it had worked. Well, it was what he had predicted anyway. Can't say he was surprised. He wondered what she was feeling now. Was her love for Stefan expanding or something like that?

"You're…you're sure that was supposed to break the spell?" Elena asked Bonnie.

"I'm sure. A hundred percent." Bonnie said determinedly, "Why do you ask? Did…did something go wrong?"

"No." Elena answered a little too quickly. God, she was a terrible liar. Bonnie looked suspicious now, "It's just…easier than I thought it would be." Elena explained in what she hoped to be a reasonable voice.

Stefan came forward and pulled Elena into a hug, "I think you should go home now. Get a good night's sleep."

"Okay." Elena agreed.

Damon said nothing as he watched Bonnie and Elena go to the front door and piled in Elena's car. He heard Stefan offer to drive them, and heard Elena refuse politely. Another minute later, they had pulled out of the driveway and vanished from his sight.

He knew he shouldn't feel devastated. But he did. He hasn't felt this bad in a long time. Trying to hide his feelings, Damon faked a smirk as soon as Stefan walked back into the door.

He started to walk out, but didn't even make it to the porch before Stefan pulled him back.

"Where're you going?" Stefan asked.

Damon rolled his eyes, "To The Grill, mom." He jerked his arm from Stefan's grasp, "I'll see you."

He walked a few steps before he paused again. Now that the spell was broken, Stefan and Elena would probably get back together. And he wasn't going to stand in their way or make it harder for them.

"About the night I stayed over at her house," Damon said with his back to Stefan, "Nothing happened between us."

Stefan mouth opened slightly in surprise. He had been sure that Damon slept with her, but to hear him explain it so seriously to him, he knew that he'd made a mistake. Well, he owed Elena an apology for that.

"Damon," Stefan called, making Damon stop in his tracks again, "Thank you...for not taking advantage of her."

Damon stood there with his back to Stefan for a long time. He was glad Stefan couldn't see his face right now.

"I didn't do it for you." He said quietly.

Elena

Elena couldn't even explain it to herself why she had lied back there. All she knew at the moment was she was trying her best to act like nothing's happened and that she was fine now, but she wasn't. She wasn't supposed to feel like this anymore, so what the hell happened?

Again, she went over the events in her head. Bonnie's anti-love spell backfired and she fell in love with Damon. But now Bonnie's lifted the spell, and she'd still in love with Damon. What was that about?

Maybe this was a gradual thing. Yeah. That'd be it. Elena consoled herself. Maybe she needed time. When the spell was casted, it took her weeks to fall in love with Damon. Maybe, now, it's going to take her weeks to fall out of love with him. Yes. That made sense.

Feeling a little calmed down now, Elena stopped pacing around the room. Right now, all she needed to focus on doing is to act as normal as possible.

Elena picked up her cell phone and dialed Caroline's number.

"Elena!" Caroline answered on the first ring, "I was starting to think you disappeared!"

"Um, I was wondering whether you want to hang out tonight?" Elena asked, her voice unsure.

"Wanna go to The Grill?" Caroline asked enthusiastically, "I'll ask Bonnie to come too."

Elena's nervousness returned at the sound of Bonnie's name. Right now, she didn't want to hang out with anyone who knew about the spell, "Let's just go, the two of us. You know, spend some quality time together."

Caroline giggled at the other end, "You do know you sound incredibly lame?"

Elena smiled. It was nice to know Caroline still treated her the same way. "I'll meet you there at eight."

"Don't be late." Caroline said warningly before she hung up.

Elena inhaled deeply and opened her closet, looking for something to wear. She could have fun. She could have a good time. There was no need to get all worried that her feelings haven't faded yet. They'll go away eventually. In the meantime, she should enjoy herself and live her life like she used to. And right now, she had a feeling that The Grill is the place to be tonight.

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Thanks for all the reviews! I'm finally writing DELENA scenes! ;P

mmchamp12: hmmm you're right, I didn't really think about that. Forgive the mistake please. ;)

smithsbabe65: Again, I thank you for all you have written! You have no idea how much your reviews mean to me.

Barbara SGB: You are the most faithful reader EVER.

Bookworm-with-bite: I'm a bookworm too, LOL.

Thanks for reading! Please review! :D