A/N: Hi there guys. :) And so, this chapter is basically the aftermath of Katherine's death, Damon and Elena wrapping their heads around this new found situation and everything. :B Oh, and a note for my ever-curious reviewers… Don't worry all questions and predicaments will be sorted and wrapped up by the end of the story; I promise. :D so, in that time, all I ask is that you continue to follow this, be patient and review. :P And, as a side-note – there's a poll on my profile giving options of projects I'd all willingly oblige to writing but, your input on what you'd like to be reading is well-recognised, as always. :B

Chapter 35: Rules Of Love's Game

EPOV

My ear remained pressed up against Damon's chest, his heartbeat steady for the majority of the time but jumping every so often as his breath hitched. I frowned, moving my head sideways and then up across towards the direction of where Stefan was.

"We should get him back to the loft," I whispered, almost scared to break the silence of which had accumulated between the both of us.

I heard Damon swallow and then add his input.

"Yes, we should."

And with that I unravelled myself from Damon's arms and padded quietly over to Katherine's large (at least queen-sized bed); my eyes kept their intense hold on Stefan's face and I perched on the edge of it. It was at that moment that I felt the brim of both of my eyes well up with moisture, and unthinkingly my hand planted gently upon Stefan's. His single hand (which was considerably larger that my own) was now fixed into mine. I brought it to my lips. I kissed each of his knuckles and shut my eyes, feeling the tears travel their rightful path down both of my cheeks, and then form little damp circles on the white fabric below me.

Surprisingly though, my sobs were strangely silent, and the only recognition of my distraught state were the said droplets of moisture. Stefan was in fact, dead – that much I knew. But, Stefan wasn't exactly gone – I also knew that with the same certainty. It didn't make sense. And honestly? It just wasn't fair. A hand clamped down onto my shoulder and my eyes flickered open, instinctively glancing upwards. Damon, oddly had a look of silenced solemnity about himself; although I found it odd, I was grateful for it. I didn't even here him moving…

"Come on, we should get him out and away from here before anyone starts to get suspicious," Damon said, with a much calmer tone than I thought I'd be able to manage.

I nodded only once, unthreading my hands from their hold on Stefan's and then speaking, batting at my wet eyes as I did so.

"Yeah, Yeah…" I said, my sentence disintegrating further and further into the air until it had disappeared completely.

Damon meanwhile was at the other side of the bed and was bending over it, his hands catching each side of Stefan's torso. I frowned, folding my arms across my chest.

"Damon, are you sure you'll be able to carry him? You're hurt… We could find another way if you don't feel as though your—"He cut me off, slumping his younger brother over his shoulder as he did so.

"I'm a big boy, Elena," he paused, turning to me and flashing a very Damon-like smile "Besides, it's only lanky Steffy we're talking about."

Despite myself, and the situation I'd found myself in, an easy laugh passed my lips and I shook my head in slight dis belief; how was it that Damon managed to make me smile even on the oddest of occasions? Usually, I'd put it down to pure charisma – but with Damon it was something I forever tried but could never exactly put my finger on. He was at the door now when he spoke again.

"Elena..? Are you coming?" Damon asked, hesitantly lingering at the foot of Katherine's door.

I nodded, getting up slowly from the bed spread and then standing.

"Yes, of course. I'll catch up; just worry about Stefan for now," I replied softly; Damon tossed me a smile and then made his way swiftly out of sight.

Seconds after Damon had departed I went to follow him but in the first few steps I took, a blue glint caught the corner of my eye. I turned and neared the object realising it was the necklace – Katherine's of which Damon had torn from her neck. I quickly scuttled over to it, shoved it onto my pocket and then exited the room, (making sure to retrieve Stefan's shirt, draped across the floor, on the way) and the house as fast as was possible.

The walk back from Katherine's was one of the longest walks I was sure I had ever taken in my entire life. We walked in almost silence, the occasional conversation marker which would last a matter of thirty seconds and the mild comfort of my arms hugging my front were what accompanied me. Stefan was lying on the mattress now, neatly tucked into the sheets and I was, of course, by his side, my hand stroking the pasty skin of his forehead whilst Damon made himself comfortable, slouched against the window. I just wished he'd wake up soon; ease some of the brewing tension between Damon and me.

And then, as if somebody up there decided to grant my wish, I felt Stefan twitch against my side; I flinched and immediately removed my hand from his fore head and took his own; I squeezed it, eager.

"Stefan? Stefan… Are you awake? Can you hear me?" I questioned whilst at the same time hearing steps moving closer to me and then watching Damon kneel by Stefan's other side.

"Is he awake?" Damon asked me, I shrugged.

"I felt him twitch, so I assume he's getting there if not awake already."

And it was upon my last word that Stefan's body jolted, coughing painfully as his eyes flashed open. My heart jumped into my mouth and then, eventually, I relaxed. Stefan was fine. (Well, I suppose that depended on what your definition of fine was; if dying and then waking up as a vampire was fine then you would agree with me.) His eyes searched for a few seconds before he pulled himself to a sitting position and then rested his eyes upon my figure.

"El-Elena?" Stefan pondered his leaf green orbs boring into my face.

A smile cracked across my features as I nodded, suppressing the almost overwhelming urge to cry. It was strange, I had expected Stefan to either assume I was Katherine or kick up another fit of rage when he awakened with me by his side, but the response I received from him, even going on the single word, him saying my name came as a complete surprise to me.

"Yes, yes Stefan; it's me, Elena," I paused, making obvious eye contact with Damon before looking back at a slightly startled Stefan "And Damon. You're okay, you're safe; I promise," right then I wasn't sure who I was trying to convince more – Stefan or myself.

And as if Damon could read me exactly, he spoke, his voice relieving me from my spot besides Stefan, momentarily, but I was sure it was enough to compose myself.

"Elena, why not get him a glass of water or something? He's bound to be dehydrated," Damon suggested, gazing heavily in my direction.

"Yeah, okay," I said simply, releasing Stefan's hand and heading to the desk in the corner of the room; I picked up a single glass, half-full with clear liquid and then paced back to Stefan, handing him the glass; he thanked me shortly before beginning to drink.

I watched him perform the said action, but couldn't ignore the niggling feeling inside of me; Stefan needed to drink; that much was obvious – but I feared for how long it would be until he realised that what he was taking into his system now, wasn't what he craved. I shuddered inwardly; I could have stopped this, but I didn't. I could've… Damon took my hand, squeezing it gently and I smiled at him, hearing the words his mouth wasn't saying.

"Elena?" A voice from the shadows murmured and I span instantly; watching Bonnie's lingering presence make itself known.

I blinked a couple of times, trying to find the appropriate words to use that didn't entail any sort of cursing; so, I settled for her name.

"Bonnie..?" I said in disbelief, unhooking my hand from Damon's and then motioning over to my best friend, still in her period costume "Bonnie, where the hell have you been? Katherine found out; she turned Stefan – we fought her, what-"

She raised her hand and I frowned, looking at her in silence.

"I know, all of that, Elena…"

My eyebrows knit together at her response.

"Oh. Well, the question still remains: where the hell were you? Even more so now you apparently knew what we just went through?" I said, incredulous.

Bonnie looked down and then over at Stefan and Damon; Stefan had finished drinking now and Stefan and his brother were talking in low voices. She dug into the bag tied around her wrist and pulled out a bottle filled with dark red liquid. Blood.

"Stefan," she called, and he instantly glanced over as Bonnie threw it; Stefan caught it easily and then examined the bottle.

Damon had the face of a grimace, and Stefan had one of an observer.

"This is what I think it is, isn't it?" Stefan said, very very quietly.

My features softened while Bonnie's remained solemn, reminding me of Damon's prior that night.

"Yes, Stefan. You don't have to drink it; but if you don't then..." Bonnie trailed off, shaking her head but smiling, if only mildly "Well, I don't think I need to add that detail, do I?"

Stefan swallowed, looked down at the bottle and then at his elder brother, who, had a very careful expression.

"Will you stay with me, brother?" The child-like innocence in Stefan's tone was far too hard to ignore; somehow, the moment felt so private between the two, I felt the need to look away, he then added, "Please, Damon. I don't… I don't want to be alone."

Damon was quiet for a few long seconds and I gulped back something in my throat; Damon mirrored my action, but his eyes were focused upon his little brother and his little brother only. His head bowed in half a nod and he smiled a hand messing in Stefan's hair.

"Stefan. You're my little brother. You have a choice between living and dying; I don't want you to die, and, I wouldn't miss your changing into an immortal. What kind of a brother would that make me?" Damon challenged half-heartedly and Bonnie tugged on my arm.

I looked at her, curious.

"We need to talk," she paused and then continued "Somewhere… Private."

I acknowledged her and began to move out of the room, just as I did so, she caught my arm and I flashed a look of confusion. She brushed under her eye, and I did the same; catching a single tear drop which I had no idea had fallen. We moved to the level below the two boys. I folded my arms across my chest, but to my surprise, Bonnie un wrapped them and pulled me to her; I hugged her tightly, my head in between her shoulder and neck and sighed. I really did need this.

"It'll be fine, Elena. Stefan's alive, Damon's alive. We did it. We won," Bonnie said, determined, but I, on the other hand shook my head, breaking free from the friendly embrace.

"No… No it's not," I looked to the floor "Don't you see? My job was to save them? Them meaning both Damon and Stefan. And I couldn't even do that. I've failed, Bonnie; Stefan's a vampire, or transitioning anyway, and Damon. God, that guy's been through hell and back. And, what does he have to show for it?" I met eyes with Bonnie again, my eyes glistening with tears "The soul reason we were sent back here was to prevent Katherine from killing them both in the future…"

"Exactly, Elena!" Bonnie's voice sounded strangely triumphant; I cocked an eyebrow at her.

"Sorry? What? Am I missing some major clue, here?"

Bonnie ran a hand through her bouncy curls and then smiled widely.

"Elena, have you ever thought that maybe, just maybe you have done your job? I mean, Emily said you needed to defeat Katherine in order to save the Salvatore's, right?"

"Yes…"

"Well, you did that! Katherine's dead and Stefan and Damon are free, alive and safe!" she finished.

I considered that for a few seconds before planting myself down upon a box, Bonnie sat beside me.

"Maybe you're right," I suggested before frowning and then adding "Hey, Bonnie? Can I ask you something, and you need to answer me truthfully, no matter what, okay?"

She looked perplexed as she answered.

"Yes of course, always Elena. What?"

"If you knew Katherine knew and that Damon and I were going to kill her tonight then… Then why didn't you come and help us? I've been wondering where you were for hours. I was worried, and now, I'm still worried, and I'm confused; so, all I ask is that you, I don't know; help me fill in the blanks a little bit here because… I'm really struggling."

Bonnie looked down at her hands, messily knotting her fingers together as she sighed, finding an answer and then presenting me with one.

"I didn't come to you, because I couldn't, Elena. Believe me, I really, whole-heartedly wanted to, but I couldn't. This was something you had to do on your own; I could help you along the way, and after like I have, and I am; but killing Katherine, you had to, not anyone else," she met my eye-line now and smiled, the Bonnie of whom was my best friend shining through "And really? I don't expect you to understand, because, I myself do not; I'm just telling you what I know to be true. Just like I also know you're in love with Damon."

I flinched, shooting my eyes in all directions but then easing upon realising no one was there. She laughed softly, taking my hand.

"Elena, you don't have to hide it anymore; I've always known, just as Meredith knows, Damon knows and hell, even you do," she tilted her head a degree "But, there's something else you need to do."

"What more could I possibly have left to do?" I said, feeling weak, run-down and utterly out of options.

"Choose."

She added light pressure to my hand and I knew, deep down that I didn't need reminding. Stefan or Damon - that was the choice. The choice only I could make, and the choice of which had always been underlining since the moment I'd met Damon so long ago.

Stefan or Damon. Damon or Stefan.

Just kill me now.

Author's note: *Drum roll please* … So, Elena has realised she has to choose one of them; as for which one that will be..? I guess you're going to have to wait and see. (Poet and I didn't know it. ;]) As always, your reviews are needed and I hope this chappy answered a few underlying questions!

Jackie xxx