Hello my lovelies! I'm back with the next chapter and this ones a good one I hope! I hope you all enjoy and pls let me know what you think in the reviews! I love to hear from you guys each review makes my day! Much love! & thanks to all who read! xxx

"This is a modern fairytale, no happy endings, no wind in our sails. But I can't imagine a life without breathless moments breaking me down, down, down, down.." The heart wants what it wants by Selena Gomez

Stefan stood, mentally frozen as he tried to let it all sink in. Elena didn't love him..

Elena loved Damon.

"Stefan.." she said, her voice sounding as frail as he felt. No matter how many times the words ran through his brain, he couldn't make it stick. It was like every fibre of his being was rejecting the information. Refusing to believe something so..unbelievable.

"Stefan please.." she whispered, and it took him a second before he realized she was standing right in front of him, staring, a look of concern on her face and tears in her eyes. How long had they been standing here..?

"Stefan please say something.." she begged him, hands trembling as she went to put them on his face in attempt to free him from whatever trance he was currently in.

That seemed to wake him up, his own hands shooting up and catching her's by the wrist before she could touch him, "Don't." he demanded, his voice much harsher than any tone he'd ever used with her before, "Don't touch me.." he said, slightly softer.

Elena seemed wounded by that, her expression crumpling, but she obliged, moving her hands away, "Stefan please just-"

"Stop." he interrupted her, shaking his head, "Not here." he said.

He wasn't ready to have this conversation. Not now..not ever. But he needed answers, no matter how much it might destroy him, he owed it to himself.

"Meet me in the car." he told her, turning and walking away without another word, his heart breaking just a little bit more with every second he didn't hear a step behind him.

Damon put the key in the door, opening it and walking in, dumping the bags on the bed before running a tired hand over his face.

They'd finally made it to New Orleans. For now, they were holding up in some random motel he didn't bother remembering the name of. He hadn't even payed for the room, simply compelled the woman at the front desk to give him a key.

It didn't matter anyway, they wouldn't be here long. They just had to wait it out till morning and then they could go and find whatever witch Katherine needed to perform the spell. Piece of cake.

Damon turned around, his eyes widening as he saw Katherine lifting up one of the duffel bags, his attention locked on the dark purple bruises that now covered her shoulders and neck.

"Katherine." he said, startling her a bit as she looked up at him, the two of them staring at each other, "What?" she asked, causing him to pause in thought for a minute.

Katherine wasn't weak. She was one of the strongest people Damon had ever known and by far the strongest woman. She didn't need his coddling or to be frequently asked about whether or not she was okay, not in a situation like this.

If she'd just been mauled by a werewolf, or had just barely escaped the clutches of Klaus, then she would accept it. The coddling and the questions.. She would accept it, offering a few snarky remarks to show her appreciation. Maybe even feel a little sore if she didn't receive them.

But she did not just get mauled by a supernatural killer with a poisonous bite. Nor had she almost lost a five hundred year battle against a psychopathic original vampire hybrid.

She'd almost been killed by Elena Gilbert.

Elena, who Katherine saw as inferior, weak and altogether pathetic. Any sort of coddling or uneccesary attention would just be insulting.

Damon took a few steps forward, walking over to her and wrapping his hand over hers, letting it linger before removing the strap from her grasp, looking her gently in the eye.

"That one's mine." he told her, picking up the one seated further up on the bed and putting it in front of her.

Katherine blinked, thanking him softly before shaking her head. Damon catching glimpse of a blush before he turned away, tossing his duffel bag to the opposite corner of the room a small smile on his face. It was little things like that, that almost made him say he might miss Katherine's humanity when it was gone.

Well, maybe if he didn't know just how much she despised it he might. But even then that would be a stretch. He didn't like Katherine being human, it didn't suit her the way vampirism did. But that's not to say that he couldn't love her if she was. He loved her either way.

Wait.

Damon froze, his entire body going rigid as his train of thought quickly reversed itself.

Love.

He'd said love, or rather he'd thought it but same difference.. He could have chosen any other wording or phrase known to mankind. Like, care, desire or even fancy being some of them but no..he'd chosen love.

He loved her.

"Damon."

Damon's head snapped up, finding Katherine standing in the bathroom doorway, a look of concern mix confusion on her face, "You okay?" she asked.

Damon swallowed, his heart racing in his chest as he nodded at her mutely, her eyes looking unconvinced but still she nodded in response, "Alright." she said, moving on as she pointed a finger toward the bathroom door.

"I'm gonna take a shower." she said, waiting patiently for some sort of response.

Damon nodded at her once, the act feeling stiff and awkward, "Yeah." he said dumbly, motioning for her to go ahead.

"Yeah okay."

She looked at him curiously, a small frown forming on her lips that told him she knew something was wrong. He held his breath, his pulse quickening as he waited for a string of questions. To his surprise, she let it go, simply offering a, "You should probably get those left overs out of the car." before disapearing behind the door.

Damon shot up, jumping at the chance to get out the room and get some fresh air. Thankful that she had unknowingly given him a perfect excuse. Although a strong part of him told him that she'd known that, that was exactly what she'd done..

Stefan sat, hands limp at his sides, his mind now trapped in a foggy haze as he stared blindly at the steering wheel. He idly noticed Elena sitting in the passenger seat beside him, he didn't know how long she'd been there..didn't hear her come in.

"What.." Stefan spoke, voice croaky as he finally began to talk, "What did I do?" he asked, his eyes not leaving the steering wheel.

"Did I.." he paused, his mind struggling to form words, "Did I do something?" he breathed.

"Did I not do something?"

He couldn't see Elena shake her head, but he felt it, heard her entire body as it shifted to face towards him.

"What?" she said in disbelief, "What-no. Stefan, no." she told him, her throat closing up on her as she felt herself breaking down.

"Then why." he hissed, his teeth clenching together as he struggled to hold in his tears, pushing passed the golf ball that was currently lodged in his throat. There were so many different questions locked up into that one little sentence.

Why this, why now, why not tell him sooner, why wait, and why dear god why did it have to be his brother?..

Elena shook her head, her mouth opening and closing, "I-" she started, her voice breaking off, "I don't know." she said miserably.

"Things have just.." she paused, her mind scrambling for the right wording, "changed," she decided, "between Damon and me.." she said before frowning.

"Or, at least for me.." she whispered sadly.

Stefan closed his eyes, his head turning away from the steering wheel, "I can't do this.." he whispered back, head shaking once, "I can't listen to this, I can't hear it.." he said, his left hand rising up to pinch at his tear ducts.

"I can't."

Elena turned to him, voice desperate as she shook her head, "No wait Stefan please just," she said, her words fast and urgent, "I know I don't deserve it but just please."

"Just hear me out.." she begged, her eyes big and round and filled with fear. Stefan's heart going out to her, still, despite the current situation.

He shook his head once, mouth open as he drew in a shakey breath, "Okay." he agreed, his heart prickling as a wave of hope washed through Elena's tear filled eyes.

"I don't know what's wrong with me." she said, not wasting any time as she jumped into the conversation. Everything was at stake here. Her entire life was hanging by a thread in front of her and she did not want to lose it. Not Stefan, anything but Stefan..

"I-I haven't felt," she trailed off, her mouth rushing to catch up with her thoughts, "I don't know what it is.."

"What I feel.." she said, voice trembling, "when I'm with Damon.." she said carefully, not wanting to twist the knife any deeper than necessary as she continued.

"It doesn't feel, right." she said cryptically, "Not unless I'm right there next to him.." she finished.

"When I'm with him I just-" she sighed, "It feels, unpredictable." she continued.

"Dangerous.." she huffed ashamedly. "And that's.." she carried on, her head shaking as she gestured to herself.

"That's not what I want.." she told him, looking at him sadly, "Whenever I'm near him this..thing that I feel it just.." she trailed off, her tears coming back.

"It just consumes me.." she confessed, her lip quivering win fear, "It feels like I'm drowning in him." she sobbed.

"And that's not what I want Stefan, it's not." she repeated, his eyes filling up with tears for her as she clutched onto his hand, bringing it close to her chest.

"Whatever this is, it's turning me into someone that, I don't want to be!" she cried, her eyes searching every inch of his face.

"That's not love.." she whispered, her tears causing her voice to thin out the longer she talked.

"This," she said, gesturing between the two of them, "This is what I want." she promised, her head shaking.

"I want you." she stressed.

"I love you, Stefan." she breathed softly, reaching a hand up to cup his face, her very touch causing him to close his eyes in pain, desperate to believe her words but afraid that they were too good to be true.

Stefan shook his head, fighting a battle with himself as he tried to figure out what to do. He loved her, God help him he loved her and he knew he always would. There was no one else for him outside of Elena. She was the one. His soulmate.

She seemed scared and confused. Lost, as to what it was going on inside of her and she'd just told him that whatever it was she was feeling for his brother was out of her control, that it was terrifying and she wanted nothing to do with it.

Her description of it rang through him. It sounded very much like his bloodlust. A dark, addictive force that he had no idea how to get rid of. Perhaps there was some sort of supernatural explanation to what she was feeling too..

He latched on to that thought, the hope that maybe whatever it was Elena said was wrong with her was fixable. That maybe it truly was something she was being forced into, and that she didn't want it..

He sighed, struggling to land on a decision when a familiar voice echoed in his mind.

'When it's real, you can't walk away..'

That settled it then.

Stefan turned in his seat, reaching an arm over, hovering for a second or two before taking Elena's hand, his lungs releasing a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding as he spoke, "I want this to work.." he said softly, rubbing his thumb softly against her skin.

He looked up at her, a look of trust in his eyes, "Whatever this is.." he said, "We'll figure it out." he promised.

"We'll get through it."

Elena gasped in relief, an expression of hope on her face as she asked, "Together?"

Stefan nodded at her, reaching his left hand over and cupping her right cheek, drawing her near and pressing his lips gently onto her forehead, a small sigh escaping her when he rested their heads together, his voice soft as he whispered.

"Always."

Damon leaned against the car, the leftovers sitting on the trunk as he let his mind race.

He loved Katherine.

He shook his head, no, no that wasn't why he was freaking out. He'd loved her once before. It wasn't anything he was unfamiliar with.

No, he was afraid of something else. He sighed, his eyes falling to the ground when his brother's words came into his ears.

'I just want you to be sure that she feels the same way. That she understands..'

That must be it, he thought, he was afraid of rejection.

Well it wasn't ridiculous. In his defense she had rejected him before..and it wasn't exactly fun for him the first time around.

He frowned, his hands rising to rub at his face before snatching up the leftovers, tucking them under his arm as he made his way back toward the room. He'd been gone long enough and he didn't want Katherine to feel obligated to ask him any questions.

He shoved the key in the locked, taking a steadyin deep breath and draining of any antsy excess energy before walking in just in time to hear the water shut off.

He walked over to a small table with two chairs, placing the two tubberware containers ontop of it, about to take a seat when the bathroom door opened filling the rather dark room with light.

"Hey, Damon." she called, Damon turning to find her with a towel wrapped around her huddled in a crack she'd made in the doorway, foggy mist coming up from behind her.

"Can you get me my blue shirt?" she asked him, gesturing over to her duffel bag, "It's on the top."

Damon's eye twitched, his head nodding to her as he responded, "Sure."

He walked over to her bag, unzipping it as he looked for anything blue, picking up a sleek looking top with a sweet heart neckline.

He lifted it up to her in triumph, signaling that he'd found it as he walked over to her, "Here you go." he said, handing it over as she thanked him.

He cleared his throat silently, turning away and making his way over to his own duffel bag, picking it up and putting it back on the bed, searching through it if on,y to give himself something to do.

A few seconds passed by, the bathroom light still filling the room, Damon turned back around, curiousity getting the best of him as he wondered why Katherine hadn't closed the door.

He saw her, her towel now drop as she ran her hands through her hair. Her back was to him, her skin smooth and damp, water droplets finding their way down her shoulders to her lower back, the roundness of her ass clearly visible.

He turned away, pretending to busy himself with old brochures he'd stuffed in here what feels like a lifetime ago when the light finally switched off, the soft sound of bare feet on the carpet telling him that Katherine was done getting dressed as she padded over to him.

"Hey.." she said softly, too softly as she rand a hand up his arm from behind, her touch lingering as she continted speaking, "I wanted to thank you.."

"For what?" Damon asked, his voice just as soft, not needing to turn around and face her for the moment to be meaningful, if anything it just made it easier.

"For saving me.." she answered simply, her fingers dancing across the muscles in his forearm, slowly inching upwards the more she talked, "And for not talking about it.."

Damon shook his head, "You don't have to thank me, Katherine." he told her, practicaly feeling her as she shrugged, her hand on his arm working as a tether between them, "I know." she said honestly.

"Thanks for that too.."

A solid minute passed in silence, both of them just enjoying the small moment, neither one wanting it to end.

Katherine took a breath, moving her hand away from Damon's arm, her finger finding their way to his chest, hovering gently over his heart. She felt the air leave his lungs, the soft thudding beneath her finger pads becoming steadier, stronger.

"Look at me.." she whispered, Damon's heart skipping as he slowly turned around to face her.

They stood like that, staring, gazing at each other as the both tried to determine if it was real. They weren't sure which one started it, weren't sure they cared. But somehow, something happened and suddenly they were kissing, their bodies pressing against each other as their thoughts melted away.

Damon cupped Katherine's face in his hands, leading, guiding, pulling her impossibly closer as she gripped onto his hair, her fingers threading through what used to be curls as they panted, only breaking away when Katherine felt the annoying need to breathe.

It was Damon who pulled away first, moving down to kiss gently across the bruise marks on Katherine's neck, his right hand traveling up Katherine's shirt, not searching for anything more than skin to skin contact as he rested his palm against her waist, flattening his other hand against her stomach as he peppered her with kisses.

Katherine sighed, her heart quickening at the gentleness of Damon's touch. They were both panting and groaning but still Damon held her like something precious, his hands coaxing and comforting despite the roughness of the situation.

Katherine needed him, she needed him and more importantly she wanted him right now. She pulled her hand from his hair, sliding it down across his torso to the belt of his jeans, trying clumsily to unbuckle it with only one hand.

Damon's eyes shot open, his head spinning where exactly this was going. If they went through with this..there would be no going back for him. No one else would be able to save him from the massive fall that he would go through, and there would be no light that could save him from the darkness he would succumb to if he were to be rejected again.

'be sure that she feels the same way. That she understands..'

He pulled away, for once in his life following his younger brother's advice as he halted Katherine's efforts, closing a hand around her's to stop her from progressing any further.

"Stop." he said, his voice surprisingly strong as he stepped away from her, trying not to feel guilty about the look of rejection slowly falling onto Katherine's face.

"What's wrong?" she asked him, watching as he walked over and flicked on the motel room light, taking a minute before turning around to face her.

"What are we Katherine?" he asked her, Katherine's eyes going wide in surprise at the question.

"What do you want us to be?" he asked her instead, his eyes wide and curious.

"You say you have feelings for me.." he said, his head shaking, "What do you even feel?"

Katherine frowned, her eyes sad as she looked at him in disapointment, "Which question are you asking Damon?" she asked him.

He looked down, his eyes searching the carpet for some sort of clue, "None of them." he answered, looking back up at her more clearly now.

"Answer me this one.." he told her, waiting for a response.

Katherine sighed, running her hand through her wet hair before crossing her arms, "Okay," she agreed, "Ask me."

"Do you want to be with me?" he asked, his eyes harder than she would've expected as he continued, "I mean really be with me."

Katherine stared at him shell shocked, her heart skipping happily as she opened her mouth to respond positively but he cut her off.

"Don't just answer Katherine." he told her, eyes knowing, "I know you."

"You want what you want and you'll do anything to get it, until you finally do then you suddenly don't want it anymore." he said, his head shaking sadly, "I don't want to play that game with you again Katherine. It's too damn hard and I always lose." he trailed off.

Katherine frowned, staring at him in a sort of sad understanding before speaking, "What can I do to prove myself?" she asked.

He took a minute at that, Katherine practically able to see the wheels turning in his head when his head shot up, his eyes filled with emotion.

"I made you an offer once.." he said, "As of right now, that offer still stands."

"If you want this Katherine.." he paused, "If you really want this.." he continued.

"You better make sure it's really what you want, because I don't let go. I don't give up and I will never get tired." he said, his eyes fierce, "If this is what you want, then you better be prepared for forever because that's what it'll be." he finished.

"Those are the terms." he said, opening the door behind him and pausing in the doorway.

"Let me know whenever you decide."

Stefan sighed, rubbing the side of his head down to his neck, he'd just spent twenty minutes filling Caroline in on everything that went down with Elena. Needless to say the usually perky blonde was not happy.

"Stefan I am so sorry.." she said, "Well, I'm sorry that this happened to you." she explained, a sigh of relief sounding through the phone.

"I'm surprised that you didn't just give up on her." she admitted, "Glad." she added, "But still, surprised." she repeated.

"If Tyler had told me he'd fallen in love with Elena or Bonnie.." she paused, "I don't know if I could do that."

"Yeah, well.." Stefan said, "I almost did.." he confessed, "If she hadn't told me everything she did," he trailed off, "About the darkness eating away inside of her, I don't know if I would've been able to power through it." he said sadly.

"Uhck!" Caroline exclaimed, "You know, creepy darkness or not I can't believe she actually feels anything even kind of romantic towards him." she said.

Stefan frowned, leaning up off the car to look into the windshield, finding Elena fast asleep, "Yeah.." he said quietly, his head shaking, "I can't help wondering if this is the right thing.." he said.

If Elena truly was in love with Damon, while it might kill him, he'd still want her to be happy. It didn't matter the cost for him. When it came to something as precious as her happiness, the end justifies the means as far as he was concerned.

"Trust me, Stefan you are." she promised him, her voice kind and encouraging, "You can't give up on her."

"You and Elena?" she said, "Epic."

"Elena and Damon?" she griped, noises of disgust echoing through the phone that caused Stefan's lips to twitch into a smile.

"But there's still another problem," Stefan said, "Elena thinks there's something wrong with her-"

"Yeah, I'll say." Caroline muttered, "I haven't heard so much 'I can't control myself' angst since Tyler was sired to Klaus.." she said, her entire body going still as a thought hit her.

"Oh my god.." Caroline said, her eyes blown wide, "Oh my god!"

"What?" Stefan asked, his brows furrowing, "Caroline what is it? What's wrong?"

"That's it!" she shrieked, ignoring Stefan's question as all the pieces began clicking together in her mind.

"What's it?" Stefan asked, feeling lost and out of the loop as he waited for an explanation.

"Stefan when Tyler was sired to Klaus," she started, "He always told me that he hated him. Everytime we were together he would tell me that." she said.

"But yet, everytime Tyler was actually around Klaus he was loyal, he protected him." she said.

"One day we sat down and we talked about it, and Tyler said that it didn't matter how he felt when he was away from Klaus, whenever he was with him he was consumed by the sire bond. Everything else was washed away, he said he would lose himself."

"And you think this is what's wrong with Elena?" he asked, "That she's-"

"Sired!" Caroline shouted, "Stefan it explains everything!"

"I mean think about it for weeks she's been mentioning little problems, big problems but no matter what Damon was always the magic solution!"

"If only I could see Damon, If only I could talk to Damon Damon Damon Damon!" she said, Stefan's eyes growing wider the more it all began to make sense.

"And what's the number one thing that a person wants to do for their sire?" she asked.

"Protect them." Stefan answered numbly, Caroline nodding despite the fact that she couldn't be seen.

"And what was Elena's entire all consuming reason for wanting to hunt him down and snatch him away from Katherine?!" she asked.

"To save him.." he whispered, "She kept saying how she wanted to save him..to-"

"Protect him." Caroline finished.

"Stefan a sired will do anything to make their sire happy." she continued, "Do anything, say anything, be anything maybe even-"

"Feel anything.." Stefan said, hearing Caroline agree through the phone.

He took a moment to let it all sink in, his heart pounding in his ears as he said it out loud.

"Elena's sired to Damon."

Well my lovelies I hope you enjoyed that chapter! Everyone leave reviews now because I've been kind of down lately and hearing from you guys makes everything better! Let me know what you think of the chapter! review! review! review!

Much love!

xxx