(Chapter eleven)

"What are you doing here?" said Stefan as he looked back and forth between Elena and Damon.

"Stefan...how could you?" cried Elena.

"What are you talking about?" demanded Stefan.

"You know good and well what she's talking about you dumbass." said Damon with a scowl. "Care to explain why there are three dead bodies piled up in your shower?"

Stefan's face dropped and then he hung his head in defeat. "What do you want? Why are you here?"

"I came to see you one last time..." said Elena. "I need closure so I could finally move on but I get here and see what you've been doing. What happened to you Stefan? This isn't like you."

"That's why I left Mystic Falls...I was still on human blood and I didn't want you to find out. I couldn't let you find out because then you would be devastated. All the things I said about being sick of Mystic Falls and you, it was a lie. I just couldn't hurt you." said Stefan sadly.

"You couldn't hurt me...?" asked Elena. "You leaving me is what hurt me Stefan! You left me alone and suffering and if it wasn't for Damon being there for me, God knows what would have happened to me!"

Stefan looked at Elena and then turned to look at Damon. "So what? You two are together now?"

"That's not what we're talking about right now Stefan! You lied to me and then just left me...how could you?" asked Elena with hurt in her voice.

"I thought I was doing the right thing okay? I'm sorry that I hurt you Elena...so sorry. Please, forgive me. I still love you Elena.." Stefan said softly.

Elena turned towards Damon and watched as his face fell. She knew what he was thinking.

"I forgive you Stefan but...I can't be with you anymore. I came here to say my goodbyes and move on so that's what I'm going to do. I love Damon and I always have...goodbye Stefan." said Elena as she got up and leaned forward to grab Damon's hand to leave but she suddenly felt herself being ripped away from Damon and flying through the air until she slammed into a wall and hit the floor. Her head had hit the wall and it was busted open. She began to sob as she clutched her head and saw her hands being covered in blood. Elena looked up and saw Damon and Stefan fighting in mid air.

"I will kill you!" yelled Damon as he pinned Stefan onto the ground, his hands wrapped around Stefan's throat.

Stefan threw Damon off of him and then he was on top of Damon. "I've been drinking human blood you idiot. I'm practically as strong as you now and if I can't have Elena...no one will."

The fight continued before Elena's eyes and then she saw Damon crash against a wall but he wasn't moving.

"Damon.." she tried to scream but she could barley talk. She was losing a lot of blood and was on the verge of passing out. Suddenly, she saw Stefan turns towards her. His fangs were fully extended and he looked evil. He was in front of her before she could blink. He lifted her up into the air and then a horrible pain made her head throb worse. Stefan had grabbed her head and now had his hands pressed against the open wound. He looked at his hands and he saw her blood all over them and then slowly, he brought his hands towards his mouth and licked the blood off as his eyes rolled back. Then Elena let out a horrible scream as the pain went through her body. She could feel Stefan's fangs forcing their way deeper and deeper into her skin. She cried and begged Stefan to stop but he wouldn't.

"Damon..I love you.."she whispered as she saw a light coming closer towards her and then everything went black.

Stefan pulled himself up and wiped his mouth off as he let out a rumble of laughter until he let out a gasp and turned his head around to see Damon staring back at him with his fangs exposed. Stefan then turned back around and looked down at his chest. He reached down and lightly touched the tip of the stake that was through his body.

"Burn in hell you bastard." spat Damon into Stefan's ear as he watched Stefan's knees buckle and then he was on the ground. His face had gone paler and veins developed all over. Stefan was dead...but Damon didn't have time to sit and look at his brother, he had to help Elena. He ran over to her and stared at her in horror. Her head was gashed open and she wasn't moving. Stefan must have taken too much blood from her but he sure as hell wasn't giving up now. He wouldn't leave this room without her.

"Elena, everything is going to be okay." said Damon frantically. He brought his wrist up to his mouth and then bit into it. She needed blood and she needed it now, this was her only chance. It had to work. Damon pushed his wrist into Elena's mouth.

"Come on Elena, drink...please." he begged and then lowered his head as he felt tears forming in his eyes. He had wanted her for so long, he couldn't lose her now. Suddenly, he felt Elena's tongue touch his wrist and then she began to suck blood from his wrist. Damon let her suck until he was dizzy, she was taking to much blood but he didn't care. As long as she was alive, that was all that mattered. He continued to let her suck for a few more minutes and then he slowly pulled his wrist away from her mouth. The open wound on her head was now healed and he watched as her eyes fluttered open.

"Elena..." he smiled and helped her sit up.

"What happened...?" she asked and then she froze as she looked at the image of Stefan lying dead in front of her.

"I had to kill him Elena. He almost killed you. I thought that I had lost you." said Damon as he looked at Elena's expressionless face.

"He tried to kill me...?" she said. "That wasn't Stefan...oh my God Damon..." she hung on to Damon's shirt as she let out a small cry.

"It's okay." he whispered. "We need to get you out of here." Damon picked Elena up and carried her to his car. Once she was inside she pulled her legs up into the seat and wrapped her arms around them, staring out the window.

"You need to take a shower and try to relax." Damon said as he lead Elena into the bathroom back at their hotel room. Elena let him lead her but she stopped in front of the mirror and reached up to touch her hair.

"My hair is covered in blood..." she whispered. "What exactly happened Damon? I can't remember."

"Stefan attacked you Elena. He threw you against a wall and you busted your head open and then he took blood from you. I'm so sorry that I couldn't get to you sooner but I couldn't move. Once I finally could, you were already unconscious." said Damon.

Elena turned to look at Damon and then she threw her arms around him.

"Thank you Damon. You saved my life...again. I love you." she cried as her head buried into his chest.

"I love you too Elena. I couldn't live a life without. I'm so glad you're alive." he said and then he leaned down and kissed her passionately. "Take a shower and get cleaned off. I'll be right here waiting for you when you get out."

Elena nodded her head and smiled at him. She was safe now and more importantly, she was with Damon like she knew she supposed to be.