*flails* all of your reviews are so amazing - Thank you so much! To clear some things up: Yes. Katherine knows that Elena was faking being compelled - Damon hasn't told Elena this because it is the ONLY advantage that they currently have against Katherine. That's what Isobel meant when she talked about leverage, as far as Katherine is concerned she has all of the details about their plan and she also knows that Damon, Elena, Stefan, Jeremy and Alaric know that she switched the vervain necklace. However if Damon were to inform Elena A) she would panic and B) she would want to take the replica necklace off and if Katherine saw that the fake was missing, she would know that one of them must have figured out that she'd decided to play along with Elena that night in an effort to lull them all into a false sense of security. I hope this makes sense, I realise that my explanation is a little confusing D: Onto the next chapter!
Damon didn't return that night, Elena knew because she'd decided to sit and wait for him to return; she was stubborn and she wasn't done with their conversation. Of course she didn't expect him to stand there and purge his feelings with some sappy and misguided declarations of love - that wasn't him. But she didn't know how much longer she could take the tension, didn't know how much longer she could hold her tongue or resist the temptation to throw her arms around him and not let go.
She estimated that she'd been sitting there for a good hour and a half before she heard soft footsteps making their way towards her. She looked up to see Stefan - good, sweet Stefan and she was overwhelmed with guilt and sadness. His expression was one of concern as he came to stand before her.
"What's wrong?" he asked, crouching so that he could make eye contact with her, tucking her hair behind her ear so that he could better see her face. He listened intently as she relayed the information to him a huge weight settling upon his chest as he took her words in. Katherine - that ominous noun, he'd yet to come face to face with her since her return and he had to admit that he was scared. He was scared because unlike Damon he hadn't really acknowledged what she'd done to them. He'd convinced himself that whatever love he'd felt towards her had been a direct consequence of her compulsion; he desperately wanted to believe that, yet some small forgotten part of him - the part that relished in the destructive nature of their relationship told him that, that just wasn't the case.
On some level he had really, genuinely loved Katherine, he would have done anything for her; he'd died for her, they both had and for the first fifty or so years of his undead life - he'd mourned her. Mourned her in the way that Damon did; by killing - relishing in the destruction because if his love was lost, well the world just wasn't worth saving. Wasn't worth caring about or preserving. That had been before he'd rediscovered his humanity, before he'd turned that switch on, hopefully for good. That was before he'd began his long and arduous repentance for his sins. Before he'd convinced himself that he was a different person and those things and those feelings had only been there because of what he had become.
And then of course there was Elena; some form of a cruel cosmic joke because he just hadn't been able to stay away and at first; it had been purely because she looked like Katherine. He'd been enamored with her, consumed with the need to know her. Fully aware that he'd been taking his first treacherous steps down a very steep and slippery slope - he should have left well enough alone, just another thing to add to his inconceivably long list of selfish actions because the minute he'd enrolled in that high school he'd known; known that she would eventually find out his secret, that she'd be drawn into his world of pain and death. That her life would forever be altered because of it and at the time, those misgivings just hadn't been enough to ward him off.
"I'm so sorry Elena" he whispered, his heart breaking as he said the words. She shook her head and sat up slightly grabbing his forearm to stop him from running away.
"What do you mean? You didn't do anything" she soothed, utterly confused because she could see the anguish in his eyes.
"I should never have brought you into this life, it's my fault" he said.
"What? No! - I wanted this, I wanted you. I love you" she declared desperately trying to make him see sense. He shook his head.
"You love the idea of me; the idea of us" he spoke softly, convinced that this was the only way; the only way to keep her safe. He and Damon both knew what Katherine wanted and she wouldn't stop until she had it. Until she had them both again, just like she'd always planned and as long as Elena was involved with the both of them, she would always be in danger.
"How can you say that!" she whispered, tears brimming as she felt her heart literally ripping with every passing second. He wasn't seriously doing this? Right now? She knew that they had problems and that they'd been growing distant but that still didn't mean that she was ready to let go, ready to give up on them.
"After everything we've been through! I love you!" she continued, latching onto her anger because it was something that she could focus on. He stroked her face tenderly, willing her to understand why he had to do this; that he had to keep her safe and that he should have done this a long, long time ago. Before they became irrevocably linked.
"And I love you Elena; more than you know or understand... and that's why I have to let you go" he whispered, his voice wavering treacherously. It was her turn to shake her head as she moved so that she was kneeling, her hands holding onto both of his forearms as he held her head in his, thumbs caressing her wet cheeks.
"Don't! Don't do this! Please Stefan, I need you..." she pleaded her voice breaking. He closed his eyes briefly as a fresh wave of pain engulfed him suffocating his heart. When he opened his eyes again she saw the determination in the off green orbs and it took he breath away because it was in that moment that she realised; he was really going to do this, he was really giving up on them, and in a way she realised that she wasn't as surprised as she thought she was. She wasn't because on some level she knew that they couldn't go on like they had been. Something had to give.
Since founders day they'd slowly almost imperceptibly been falling apart and the incident just one month ago had only succeeded in accelerating their inevitable demise. In drawing attention to cracks in their relationship, to her un-identified feelings for Damon. She wasn't surprised, no. But that didn't mean that it hurt any less, didn't mean that she wanted it to happen. He saw as the change came over her, as she finally seemed to start accepting what he was saying and he took a deep breath before leaning forwards slowly and placing a chaste kiss upon her lips.
She closed her eyes, committing the feel of his lips on hers to memory, the smell of his cologne, the feel of his hands on her face. Her eyes remained closed as she heard him speak.
"I love you" he said, observing her features, stroking her silky smooth hair once more before letting his hands fall to his sides. She opened her eyes slowly, a few more tears falling freely and his hands practically itched with the need to brush them away. Not anymore; that was no longer his right and he gave her one last saddened look before he walked back to his bedroom, slowly. Feeling her eyes burning into the back of his head with every step. It was better this way, he told himself. It's the only way.
Damon knocked on the door loudly, bracing himself to face probably his biggest and most avid hater in Mystic Falls; Bonnie. He listened as the sound of footsteps could be heard before the heavy door opened to reveal her tanned skin. As soon as Bonnie realised who was standing on her door step she pushed at the door to slam it shut again.
"Ah, ah, ah" Damon chided, thrusting a crowbar into the space between the door and the doorframe delighting as the wood splintered slightly thanks to the force she'd put into closing it. He smirked triumphantly at her as the door creaked in protest, bouncing back revealing her mortified face again. He may not have been invited in, but that didn't stop him from using his initiative to keep the door open.
"That's not very nice now, is it?" he spoke menacingly, his eyes piercing and intense as he met her challenging stare.
"What do you want?" She asked, crossing her arms over her chest and jutting her hip to she side with an attitude that just didn't suit her.
"Katherine; she wants to meet with Elena, Stefan and I in the cemetery and we all know how that went down last time" he said getting straight to the point. She shook her head.
"Forget it, I'm not helping you again" she said, trying unsuccessfully to close the door on him again. He clenched his jaw and took a calming breath - as if she was going to be able to shut him out; a vampire with in human strength, god she was stupid he thought.
"You know; I'm starting to think that you want Elena to die" he said, his face showing genuine disgust at her blatant disregard for her supposed best friends life.
"I told Stefan in no un-certain terms on founders day that I want nothing to do with you; with vampires... Elena made her choice" she said finally giving up on trying to work around the metal crowbar.
"Right; boo-hoo, my life is so hard now that grams is dead that I can't see past myself and my misplaced vengeance to be there for my best friend when she needs me; I mean stop me when you think I'm hitting the mark" he said, anger rolling off, of him in waves. Her expression became infuriated and she dropped her arms clenching her fists in an effort to control it.
"I know what you did to that girl last night Damon!" she exclaimed, disregarding his taunts, fixing him with a defiant gaze. He scoffed at her, infuriated with her persistence.
"What do you want? A prize?" he spat bitterly, inclining his head to the side in disbelief; she was a piece of work - and that was putting it lightly.
"Look; I don't like you and you don't like me and that's just the way it goes" he chided in a sing song voice letting the words wash over her in a patronizing tone as he inched his face towards hers; getting as close as the invisible barrier would allow.
"But the fact of the matter remains; I'm stronger than you. You may have perfected you're little - party tricks and your hocus pocus, but I have over a century on you. You're alive right now because Elena cares about you - despite the fact that you betrayed her, and that is the only reason that I haven't ripped your pretty little head from your neck - yet" he hissed genuinely pissed off. He was done with indulging her delusions of power; sure she had some measurable ability but he'd seen it all before and he was tired of it.
She looked indignant, mortified and a little scared. She looked like she was fighting back tears and he mentally congratulated himself for eliciting his intended reaction from her. Took a victory in seeing the hurt in her eyes. He straightened up a little his stance relaxing because he could tell that he'd won this battle.
"Now that we're clear; are you going to help us or not - because you're wasting, my, time" he spoke accentuating his point with every languid word. She took a shaky breath failing to control her wildly beating heart.
"Step away from me" she said through gritted teeth and he considered for a moment before granting her space, letting the crowbar slip from it's position. He could give her that at least - as long as she just agreed to help them. He raised his eyebrows broadcasting his impatience and she fixed him with a glare, letting him know just how much she despised him; how much she loathed his very existence before coming to a decision.
"I'll help; but only for Elena. If you happen to die in the cross fire - so be it" she said before slamming the door shut in his face. His nostrils flared with rage and he cursed his conscience, he cursed his feelings for Elena because a year ago; a year ago he would have just killed her to be done with her arrogance, once and for all. She was like a pesky little fly that somehow always managed to get away just before you crushed it. Well, he resolved - I will crush you. One way or another. He thought before slinking away letting the crowbar clatter jarringly on her front steps. He smirked mercilessly when his keen hearing picked up her rapid heart rate and the unmistakable sound of tears. Another job accomplished, he thought as he made his way back to his car jumping into the open top and driving away at obnoxious speed.
Elena was sitting cross legged on the sofa, looking at the burned, charred remains of logs. It was very fitting she thought her mind still playing the events of the previous night over and over. She sighed finally giving up on tapping her pen idly against a blank page of her journal. It had been that way for the past hour as she'd tried to put the words down, tried to make them come out but they just wouldn't. She didn't know where to start. She was suddenly struck by how many things she still needed to experience; things that a young woman should experience, even if she survived she was pretty sure that she would never go to college, probably never get a real job and hold one down - not whilst Stefan and Damon were in her life. She would never be normal again. And she wasn't sure if she even wanted to be.
Suddenly she snatched up the pen again scribbling furiously on the page as the words finally came to her, a list of the things that she did want to do; the things that she needed to say to people so that she wouldn't have too many regrets walking into that graveyard. She didn't care if she was being melodramatic - didn't care if her fear was causing her to over react but for some reason her gut was telling her to do it. Telling her to start making amends and reaching out to those people that she cared about because she may never have another chance.
She was interrupted by the sound of the front door opening and she shut her journal quickly, turning her head waiting to see who it was. Damon emerged sauntering into the room already shrugging his leather jacket off. He paused momentarily when he saw her sitting there; he was fairly surprised that she wasn't out doing something with Stefan, or out running errands. She didn't usually stay in the house during the day. He quirked his head slightly before shrugging it off continuing on his path to his trusty stash of alcohol.
"Want one?" he asked, pulling a glass stopper from a bottle of bourbon, the sound of the liquid pouring into a waiting glass. She only took a moment to think; what the hell, she might never make it to 21 she may as well enjoy the little time that she had left, besides it might help to settle her nerves.
"Sure" she said, un-crossing her legs. His head snapped up in surprise his eyes dancing with amusement and intrigue. He didn't miss a beat and pulled over another glass filling it generously, taking a glass in each hand and joining her on the large leather couch. She accepted it wordlessly, eying it's contents before sniffing it it; a grimace spreading across her features because the strength of it caused her eyes to water. He smirked at her raising his eyebrow waiting for her to take a sip.
Elena did so, forcing herself to swallow it; the burn was like nothing she'd ever experienced before and she found herself spluttering against her will. Damon erupted with laughter, knocking back his share with two large gulps as she looked at him her expression incredulous.
"Urgh, how do you drink that stuff!" she asked, her voice scratchy and horse.
"You get used to it, give it a few more years and you'll be a pro" he said, a genuine smile gracing his features as he regarded her. It reminded him of their time in Georgia; when she'd finally taken something just for herself - finally let lose and embraced her wilder side. Finally broken free of Stefan's expectations for just one day. She made a face at him in response and handed the glass back; there was no way she'd be able to stomach the rest of it.
He smirked taking it from her and draining it's contents easily. Now that he came to think of Stefan he realised that it was just the two of them in the house, generally they didn't like to leave Elena completely alone. Not with Katherine running around. Damon's expression fell into one of suspicion, something definitely wasn't right. It had been Stefan's idea after all to effectively baby sit her - even though there was no way Katherine could get into the house. They both realised that Katherine was smart enough to find away to draw Elena out, to force her to leave the protection that the house provided. He threw one arm across the back of the couch comfortably before cocking his head slightly; scrutinizing her.
"So, Elena. Where exactly is my loathsome little brother?" he asked, not missing the way her face fell at the mention of him. It piqued his curiosity immensely.
"I don't know" she said quietly, refusing to make eye contact with him once again becoming entranced with the non-existent fire.
"Trouble in paradise?" he teased his favourite smirk gracing his features. She stiffened measurably, swallowing back the emotion that had become lodged somewhere in the vicinity of her throat.
"Actually, Stefan and I aren't together anymore" came her small reply, she was fighting hard to keep her expression emotionless, her tone detached. His face deadpanned before registering absolute shock, had he heard her correctly?
"What?" he blurted before he could stop himself, letting his arm drop from it's resting place and pitching forwards to better see her expression. Her head snapped up her eyes meeting his confused gaze.
"We broke up" she repeated slowly. This wasn't the reaction she'd been expecting; well she wasn't really sure what exactly she'd had in mind when imagining this moment but the genuine sense of... concern? That he seemed to be displaying certainly hadn't even made the list. His eyebrows were furrowed in a deep frown and his face set in a grim expression.
"Why?" he asked. Sure he'd noticed that they hadn't been as blissfully happy as they usually were, he'd noticed and he'd been thankful for it because frankly it made him sick - but that didn't mean that he'd been expecting this. He knew his brother, and he knew that he would never just, give up on Elena. She frowned slightly taking a moment to think of an appropriate response because she herself wasn't even sure why he'd said the things he had. She shook her head her lips parting to try and form a response but the words just kept failing her.
"He uhh - He just said that he had to let me go..." she eventually said. Repeating the words caused nothing but pain and she had to take a moment to compose herself before looking back at Damon to see his expression. When she eventually did it caused her heart to stop in her chest because he looked absolutely horrified.
"What, what is it - What's wrong!" she asked desperately, moving closer to him urging him to just spit whatever it was out and be done with it. Damon shook his head incredulously.
"Son of a bitch" he muttered under his breath, standing abruptly as if he hadn't even heard her. He should have known that he might do something like this! God he was so stupid, why hadn't he seen this coming - it was typical Stefan martyr-type bullshit! Elena stood quickly, grabbing his jacket forcing him to pay attention to her. To look at her.
"Damon?" she repeated her eyes searching his desperately - as if she would be able to read the answer within the depth of his heartbreakingly beautiful eyes.
"He's gone after Katherine" was all he said, an ominous expression on his face and the words made her stop. Her heart, her breathing, her movement, any thoughts that she may have been having - stopped; because in that moment she was frozen. She didn't know what to do or how to react... all she knew was that those words terrified her.