An: Sorry for the delay in publishing. I had promised some of you that the next chapter would be up this morning but life didn't comply with my plans. Today we finally learn how the Salvatore brother's will bring Elena from the brink. I am pretty sure it won't be anything as dark as this. ;) xoxo
When Katherine mentioned Caroline's distress, Elena had ran straight to her friend's side to gather the blonde in her arms.
Caroline looked up and upon seeing Elena started crying even harder.
"You are ok… You are ok." - Caroline kept chanting.
"I'll be ok Caroline." – Elena soothed, running her burnt hands over Caroline's hair.
"Oh Elena." – Caroline sobbed -"I thought...I thought..."- she sobbed hysterically.
"I know, I know... I don't know where I will get enough make up to make me look human again!"- Elena chuckled with a wry smile.
Caroline looked up puzzled at first but then she clicked.
"Elena Gilbert! So. Not. Funny!"- the blonde pouted trying to hold back a smirk as she swatted her friend gently.
"It was a little." - Elena bashed her eyelashes and Caroline joined her in laughter.
"I am so happy you are ok." - Caroline said as she wiped her cheeks with the heels of her hands.
"Me too." - Elena sighed, now that the adrenaline rush was over she felt exhaustion and hunger seep in.
Damon, Stefan and Katherine had made it upstairs. Katherine and Damon looked at the reuniting friends with rolling eyes, Damon's came with a little smirk, Katherine with a wistful huff as she exited the room. Stefan on the other hand had a big goofy grin plastered on his face because of the exchange. Damon couldn't help but place a hand on his brother's shoulder and offer a supportive double tap. Stefan smiled back at him, the whole ordeal had reminded them of how well they worked together.
Seeing Elena sway, both brothers rushed to her side and helped her to the sofa. The funny thing was that they worked as a team, no possessiveness over the girl, just concern and love. Caroline observed the three of them with a raised eyebrow until Stefan came back to help her stand and guide her to an arm chair of her own.
No sooner they were settled, the brothers on the big sofa with an exhausted Elena between them and Caroline nearby, they smelt something delicious. In an uncharacteristic moment of domesticity, Katherine came into view with a tray full of warm blood mugs for everyone. Damon's face was priceless and Katherine just gave him a disdainful little shrug as she lowered the tray in front of Elena so that she could serve herself. Katherine passed a mug to Caroline who look wearily at her maker.
"There is no vervain in it." - Katherine tried to make light of it and Caroline forced herself to be polite and drink.
By then Elena was already on her 4th mug, draining them one after the other without uttering a word.
Damon watched her cagily, but Elena remained oblivious to his reticence. Stefan's eyes wandered the room, going from one vampire to the other feeling a mixture of awkwardness and exhaustion that he wasn't comfortable with. Elena just drank and drank and drank.
He wouldn't be caught dead admitting it, but Damon was suddenly very thankful for Caroline's chatterbox ways. The blonde filled up the tense silence by updating them on the saga of her trying to gather help to save Elena from the "clutches" of the Salvatore brothers - Elena looked at her friend fondly as she added drama to every word in the plot. Katherine followed up by recounting the events at the Michaelson's household, shocking them all with the notion that Klaus was going to be a father. Katherine's voice wavered when she spoke of Elijah, showing a vulnerability no one in the room knew she had in her. Elena placed a comforting hand on her doppelganger knee and Katherine, a bit out of practice, tried to return a thankful smile.
Once everyone else had their blood top ups and Elena had drank the equivalent of ten bags of the crimson nectar, she looked a little better, but it was obvious that she needed some rest too. Damon looked poignantly at Katherine and Caroline as he suggested that they "all" should shower and go to bed.
Katherine got the message and stood up offering Caroline her hand.
"I'll take you home." – Katherine said calmly.
"Why are you being so nice?" – Caroline eyed her suspiciously.
"I made you, it's about time I start acting like it." – she shrugged - "But you can always walk if you like."
Caroline looked at Elena and received an encouraging nod, so she placed her hand in Katherine's and rose up.
"Don't forget the quarter back." - Damon muttered and all eyes turned to him, Elena and Caroline's a bit shocked.
"I never picked him up."- Katherine smirked -"But I might stop by and check on him. His eyes are *so* dreamy."- she drawled.
Caroline shot her a scorching glare and Katherine raised her hands in mock surrender.
"Okay, okay. No playing with the human friend!" - Katherine said with some sass and Caroline had to grin back.
"Come on," - the blonde said in an almost friendly manner -"If you want you can stay in the guest bedroom." - Katherine gave her a genuine surprised smile -"For tonight."- Caroline added for insurance -"Bye everyone"
"Behave." -Kathrine thew at the vampires on the sofa and was pleased by their nervous expressions -"Or don't."- she snickered.
Stefan's gaze dropped to his hands, trying to be anywhere but here, Damon looked perturbed, but Elena was eyeing the front door with a fond smile. She couldn't help but hope that Katherine was really changing and that maybe she could help.
"Don't even think about it."- Damon interrupted her reveries.
"What?"- Elena answered looking guilty because she knew exactly what he was talking about.
Damon leaned in and smiled at her knowingly.
"Katherine is not a lost puppy dog that you can take home and make it all better." - he tapped the end of Elena's nose and she scrunched it up adorably -"Don't make her your next rescue project Elena."
"I have no idea what you are talking about." - Elena smiled sweetly and even Stefan had to smile at that.
Damon shook his head as he smiled down at Elena fondly. He got up and tried to sound casual.
"Time for everyone to get cleaned up and go to bed."
"Right."- Stefan replied nervous and got up too.
"A shower and a bed." - Elena sighted longingly -"Music to my ears." - she said as she got up too an they all headed slowly up the stairs surrounded by a pregnant silence.
AN: One more chapter to go. Let me know how you liked it please? xoxo
