I have been swamped all week, so I didn't have time to update until now, but here it is. I will be finishing this story in 3 chapters! I have loved writing it and hearing everybody's opinion of it. Thanks for being so awesome and making this so much fun. Here is chapter 12.
Elena's POV
"I've always wondered about this memory; why you were never informed of the reason for Damon's actions."
"Which memory is it?" I ask although I know she won't tell me.
"You'll see." Her words are ambiguous, but I know exactly which memory we are traveling to when everybody around me is dressed in tuxedos and formal gowns. My mind ventures to when I told Damon that his love was the problem. I can still picture his facial expression perfectly when those words hit him. Damon already thinks that love and emotion has the potential to make you weak, and when somebody rejects that love, he will tune out and protect himself from rejection with rashness and reckless acts.
Rose starts talking, interrupting my train of thought. "I want you to remember that Damon isn't boastful or vain. In this particular memory and a multiple of others, Damon tends to do more good when nobody is watching and just accepts the insensitive reputation that is appointed to him."
I just nod as we follow Matt upstairs and down the hall, past the balcony, but stop when we hear a whisper.
"Matt…" the whisper calls.
Matt walks out onto the balcony and looks around, but finds nobody. When he is walking in, Kol appears behind him. "Good evening. You're Rebekah's friend. We haven't met."
"Matt Donovan," Matt introduces himself, shaking Kol's hand firmly.
"Kol Mikaelson." His words are threatening, but it is too late when Kol twists Matt's hand around, making him crumple to the ground.
"Hey, hey, hey, hey" Damon says, standing right behind where Matt stood. "Easy on the hand…the guy's a quarterback." With those words, Damon grits his teeth and pushes Kol off of the balcony with the utmost force and then easily climbs over the balcony on top of Kol. Without wasting any time, Damon starts beating the shit out of Kol before snapping his neck, just as Stefan comes out to protest.
"Damon. What? Are you crazy?"
Damon just glances at the crowd now forming.
"Maybe a little." I watch as the Elena that was at the ball that night comes rushing out with an indistinguishable expression on her face; disappointment.
"Far beat from me to cause a problem." Damon doesn't say anything else before walking off.
I suddenly feel sick to my stomach, realizing how many people thought that his actions were just Damon being a dick, but they were really just Damon being Damon, or at least the Damon I have come to witness.
I blink and we are in the backseat of Damon's car.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"So how do we know they are going to be at the old witch house?" Damon asks Stefan in the passenger seat.
"We don't, but if they're not, we have about ten minutes until Rebekah tears Elena apart."
"You know if we sit this out, Esther completes her spell, Klaus dies, you get your revenge. It's what you wanted the whole time," Damon prods Stefan, "the only collateral damage is…"
"Elena," Stefan completes his sentence.
"You know what she'd choose."
"She'd let herself be killed to save her friends."
"Yup."
The brothers ponder this for a second.
"You know if we do this, it'll wreck her," Stefan says.
"Oh she'll hate us…thing is, she only has to hate one of us. Only one of us has to do the actual deed."
"So, what is it gonna be brother?"
"Well," Damon reaches into his pocket and retrieves a coin. "Heads I do it. Tails you do it."
I can't help but notice how calm and seductive Damon's voice sounds. This moment is the one that decides who takes the blame for both of them.
"Awful lot of effort for somebody who pretends not to care about her anymore." Stefan's voice is questioning.
"Pot kettle, brother." I laugh at the old saying, but inside I ache. I ache for Damon, knowing the results of this monumental coin toss.
Damon flips the coin and catches it on his wrist, but leaves his hand on top of the coin for a moment, letting the suspense build. When he removes his hand, I lean forward and see the "tails" side of the coin. A gasp escapes my mouth when I realize that Stefan should have been the one to turn Abby, meaning Damon took his place.
Stefan takes a deep breath, accepting the truth. "Alright, tails it is. I do it."
Damon just stares at Stefan and then back at the coin that he was carefully turning in his hands.
Stefan opens the door to get out, but Damon stops him.
"Wait." Damon sighs, "My baby bro isn't going to do the dirty work. Leave that to the professional."
I can hear the attempt at light-heartedness and sarcasm in his voice, but he is devastated by what he is about to do, but nothing is stronger than the bond of family.
"Damon," Stefan starts.
"Don't even think about speaking right now, I just want this to be over. If you want to help, you can be the distraction while I get the witch high on vampire blood and get the job done." Damon gets out of the car and starts walking away. Stefan just sits there for a few seconds before following behind.
I exhale, realizing that I had been holding my breath. I push my hair back and wipe my eyes, trying to clear my mind and make sense of the last few memories. I had jumped the gun and judged Damon before I had all of the facts. I lean back in the car seat and close my eyes.
"Don't get too comfortable," Rose's voice is calm and steady, "we've got a few more stops." With those words, the car scene melts away and we are sitting on Damon's bed.
Xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
He is washing off his hands and removing his rings while Stefan enters the room.
"She safe?" Damon mutters.
"Elijah kept his word. Rebekah let her go."
"Good. All is right in the world again." I feel the tears forming in the corners of my eyes.
Damon picks up his glass and starts to walk away, but Stefan stops him.
"I lost that coin toss, Damon."
Damon just looks into his drink as if he was going to find the right words to say in there.
"It should have been me who turned Abby. Why'd you do it?"
"Cuz I'm not blind. I see what's been going on around here. You're hanging by a thread Stefan, barely over your last ripper binge and all you want is to be the old Stefan again."
"That part of me is gone for good."
"Oh yeah, how long has it been since you had a drop of human blood?"
Stefan just stares back at his brother with curiosity lingering in his eyes. "How'd you know?"
"Spend 146 years with someone, you kind of start to pick up on their tells. Answer the question, how long has it been since your last drink?"
"Since the night I threatened to drive Elena off of Wickery Bridge."
"See, you have enough to feel guilty about. Why add to the list?" Damon is on guard here. He doesn't want to seem weak, so he acts apathetic and indifferent.
"By the way…you're welcome." Damon starts to walk away again, but Stefan can see right through Damon's charade.
"You know, you're not fooling anyone either. You still lover her Damon." Stefan's words stop Damon in his tracks and he turns around slowly.
"I do. And I thought I could win her from you fair and square," Damon flashes a pained smirk, "she didn't want me. It's for the best. I'm better being the bad guy anyway."
Stefan just bows his head slightly. Guilt lives in his eyes and radiates from his expression and stature. Damon just lifts his drink and walks out, having said the last word.
This next chapter is going to be a little different. Elena is going to go with Rose to not a specific memory, but a few times after Elena has transitioned to see Damon since he has given up his attempts to win Elena's heart and just spend time with him to ponder the ever-looming question will these memories change her decision…the last chapter will be the verdict.
