So I am not new to The Vampire Diaries, I've loved the show since the very first episode. This is my first story I've written for the show but I think I've caught the writing bug for the show. I am not a fan of Stefan and Elena being together but am a huge fan of Damon and Elena. I love the good girl, bad boy vibe. So I hope you like my story and let me know what you think. Enjoy
Chapter 1
Elena stared at the empty doorway where Stefan had walked through moments before. She opened her mouth to say something but she couldn't say anything with the tightness in her chest. She closed her eyes and dropped her head down to her chest trying to figure out why she was beginning to feel lightheaded.
"Breath Elena," Damon ordered crouching down in front of her. He reached out and gently touched her chin, raising her head until he could see her face. He didn't relax until she started gasping for air and opened her eyes; the look of fear in them making him wish his brother was still in the room so he could pummel him for scaring her.
"He's staying…here," Elena said quietly her eyes searching his for something.
"Looks like," Damon said standing back up. "Seems you got your wish, Stefan is home."
"No," Elena said shaking her head. She dropped the blanket down and stood up, breathing deeply as she became light headed once again.
"No?" Damon turned to face her as he stood at the drink cart, pouring himself a drink this time. There was no way he could remain sober and listen to Elena wax poetic about Stefan finally coming home.
"Isn't this what you wanted Elena? Stefan home…ready to complete your fairy tale romance?"
"That's not Stefan." Elena crossed her arms across her chest and her eyes darted back to the doorway before coming to rest back on Damon. "Not the Stefan I knew…this Stefan…he's…"
"Different?" Damon suggested downing a large drink of alcohol. "I warned you Elena, Stefan has been feasting on human blood for months now-"
"I told you…I saw it happen," Elena interrupted him. "He was still Stefan, my Stefan, he was fighting Klaus with everything inside of him and then…he changed. He…he-"
"What happened?" Damon asked slowly turning to face her.
"I can't…." Elena shook her head rapidly back and forth biting her lip as she tried to maintain some semblance of control. Once she started crying, she would probably never stop. "Damon…will you take me home?"
Damon stared at her, wanting to demand that she tell him what had happened tonight, but even he could see that she was barely holding it together and that he would have to wait to get his answers. It was his own damn fault for leaving her alone and unprotected in the first place. Klaus and Stefan wouldn't have gotten near her if he'd been there watching over her. He nodded his head finally and watched as she took a deep breath before slowly making her way towards the front door.
"Elena," Damon said reaching down and picking up the necklace she had left behind. "Forgetting something?"
Elena turned to look but barely laid her eyes on the necklace before shaking her head slowly. "No…you can keep it."
Damon knew he was staring at her in surprise, his mouth hanging open as she turned and walked out of the room. She had adored this necklace, keeping it around her neck as if it was her only connection to Stefan and their relationship. He tucked the necklace into his pocket, positive that she would eventually change her mind and want it back. She was just hurt and scared for the moment.
Elena was waiting for him in his car, her arms wrapped protectively around her body. She winced when Damon climbed into the driver's seat and slammed the door behind him. She would probably be jumping at loud noises for many days, weeks or months to come.
She peeked at Damon's hands which were clenched tightly on the steering wheel as he started the car and soon he was driving the familiar streets to Elena's house. She wanted to ask him again where he had been today on what was probably one of the scariest nights of her life.
She'd had her fair share of scary nights but nothing as scary as watching someone you loved deeply coming after you with the sole intention of killing you. And Stefan would have killed her that she knew for sure, except Klaus had stopped him. But only because her blood was the answer to all his questions.
They didn't say a word the entire drive to her house both too wrapped up in their own thoughts. Damon full of guilt and Elena still horrified by everything she'd witnessed today. But neither one made a move to get out of the car even as Damon turned it off and clenched the keys into his fist.
"Are you going to be ok?" Elena finally asked turning her head to look at him.
Damon shook his head and sighed. "Shouldn't that be my question for you? You're the one who went through something pretty horrific tonight."
"You're the one who has to go home and stay with...Stefan...tonight," Elena said almost incapable of saying his name.
"I can handle Stefan," Damon scoffed opening his car door. Before Elena made a move to open her door Damon was already there holding it open and gesturing for her to get out.
"He isn't the Stefan we know anymore," Elena pointed out.
"I've been around this Stefan before Elena," Damon explained carefully. "I'll be fine." He strolled beside her as they made their way to the front door. "It's nice to know you're worried about me."
"I don't want to lose anybody else," Elena said softly. She reached out for the first time since he had carried her out of the hospital and grabbed his arm. "I can't lose anybody else Damon."
Damon kept his mouth closed but he wished he could tell her that she wouldn't lose another person she cared about but that wasn't a promise he could make. The deck was pretty firmly stacked against them with Klaus around and now they had Stefan to worry about too. Hopefully this vampire hunter Katherine was in the process of locating would be an ally and not another enemy.
Elena unlocked the front door and pushed it open but knew, before she even entered, that nobody was home. "Where is Jeremy? Alaric?"
"Ahh..." Damon closed his eyes and braced himself for Elena's temper. "Alaric I don't know but Jeremy is on a...mission right now."
"A mission? What mission?" Elena glared at him.
"Welllll with his new found ability to speak with ghosts, Jeremy has become very useful to our cause."
"What are you talking about?" Elena was growing more frustrated by the minute. "Just tell me where he is?"
"He is with Katherine trying to locate a vampire hunter who has the ability to kill Klaus."
"You left Jeremy with Katherine!" Elena said loudly.
"She's not going to hurt him," Damon pointed out. "She needs him right now."
"What happens when she doesn't need him anymore Damon?"
"He is fine Elena," Damon insisted. "A lot better than you I'm sure."
"He better be," Elena muttered running her hand through her hair. The hole where the IV had been sent a sharp pain up her arm and she winced lowering her arm back down to her side.
"Are you going to be ok?" Damon hated seeing her in pain. He would do anything to go back in time and tell Katherine to take a flying leap instead of joining her.
"I don't know," Elena answered honestly. And she really didn't know if she would ever be ok again. "This vampire hunter...do you think it's true? Can he really kill Klaus?"
"I don't know but Klaus sure left town in a hurry when I told him he knew he was in Mystic Falls."
Elena nodded and turned to go inside the house. She was beyond tired, though she knew a peaceful night's sleep was out of the question. Every time she closed her eyes she saw Stefan...running towards her...and she felt the seating pain in her neck. She would never forget that moment.
"Elena," Damon said putting his hands on the door so she couldn't close it yet. "If you need anything tonight-"
"I'll call you," Elena finished for him. "Goodnight Damon."
"Goodnight Elena." He stood on the porch, listening to her walk slowly up the stairs and didn't make his way back towards his car until he heard her flip the light switch in her room. He had no plans to leave her alone tonight, not after everything she'd gone through.
He didn't have to wait long.
Caroline ran towards Elena's house, desperate to know if she was ok. Klaus hadn't explained much when he'd fed Tyler her blood but she was positive her blood hadn't been taken nicely.
She'd just reached the front yard when she heard somebody hurrying up behind her. She whipped around ready for a fight after everything that had happened that night and when she saw Damon it only made her angrier. She turned and grabbed him once he was within reach and threw him at the nearest tree.
"What the hell?" Damon yelled glaring at her. "What was that for?"
"Where in the hell were you tonight Damon?" Caroline asked clenching her hands into fists as she glared right back at him. "Where were you when Klaus locked Elena in the gym with a homicidal vampire?"
"I was out finding a way to get rid of Klaus."
"Really? It would have been too late if Klaus had killed her tonight." Caroline felt a small glimmer of satisfaction when Damon couldn't hide the guilt that flashed through his eyes. "You're just lucky Klaus realized that Elena is the key to making his army of hybrids."
"Her blood," Damon said realization dawning.
"Yep, Elena's blood is the key to everything," Caroline said shaking her head at him.
"You need to stay with her tonight," Damon ordered turning to walk back towards his car.
"Why?" Caroline asked confused.
"She shouldn't be alone and I have a bloodthirsty houseguest to check on."
"Houseguest?"
"Stefan's back." Damon didn't say anything else just climbed into his car and gunned the engine watching as Caroline ran towards the front door. He pulled away as Elena opened the door.
Caroline froze as Elena opened the door and she got a good look at what one of her best friends had been through that night. From the bandage on her neck to the one on her arm. "Oh my god Elena...are you ok?"
Elena continued to stare at her before she simply shook her head and silent tears started rolling down her cheeks. She felt Caroline wrap her arms around and allowed her to shut the door and lead her back up to her bedroom. She sat down on her bed and watched as Caroline left and came back shortly with a first aid kit.
"They cleaned it at the hospital," Elena said before she could touch the bandage on her neck.
"Damon took you to the hospital?" Caroline asked surprised.
"No...Klaus." She stared down at her comforter as she explained the rest. "Once he realized my blood was the key, he took me and had me hooked up to an IV so they could get my blood-"
"Oh god," Caroline said her eyes widening in horror.
"Klaus was going to take me with him to make his hybrids but Damon stopped him," Elena explained.
"I should have done something," Caroline said shaking her head. "Instead I just sat there holding Tyler's hand-"
"No Caroline...Klaus would have killed you if you had tried anything." Elena grabbed her hand. "How is Tyler?"
"He says he's ok." But even she had to wonder how ok he really could be now that he was this hybrid thing.
"You don't believe him?"
"What do we really know about hybrids Elena? Nothing! I'm just afraid something's going to happen to him and we won't know how to fix it."
"We will figure it out...we won't let anything happen to Tyler." Elena squeezed her hand before letting go.
"Ok," Caroline said taking a deep breath. "Now I know you were just at a hospital but I want to check out your neck...just in case."
"Thank you Caroline," Elena said wincing as she peeled off the bandage.
"Klaus really did some damage Elena."
"It wasn't Klaus."
She could feel Caroline pause for a moment as she despised who had torn into her neck but she didn't say anything. Elena sat patiently until Caroline sat back and closed the first aid kit.
"All done." Elena waited for her to get up and make her excuses so she could go check on Tyler but instead Caroline scooted over and leaned against Elena's headboard.
"You don't have to stay with me Caroline. You can go check on Tyler."
"Tyler is home and ok...for now," Caroline said getting comfortable. "Besides, Damon doesn't want you here alone and I happen to agree with him." She glanced at Elena out of the corner of her eye. "He seems really guilty that he wasn't around tonight."
"He was with Katherine," Elena said having figured out where he was when he must have realized something was going on.
"I didn't know that," Caroline said annoyed again. "Why would he be with her?"
"He was trying to find a vampire hunter who may know how to kill Klaus."
Caroline's mouth dropped open. "Do vampire hunters really exist?"
"Alaric is a vampire hunter."
"He can't kill an original."
Elena sighed. "I know but Katherine insists this guy can kill Klaus and he did run as soon as Damon mentioned his name to him."
"Can we trust Katherine?" Caroline asked doubtfully.
"I have no clue," Elena admitted. She leaned back until her shoulder was right next to Caroline's. "Damon really asked you to stay with me tonight?"
"More like ordered me to stay." Caroline smiled at her when she rolled her eyes. "He is worried about you."
"I'm worried about him," Elena said biting her lip.
"Worried about Damon, why?" Caroline asked confused. "If anyone can handle himself it's him."
"Stefan's back."
"I heard." Caroline wanted to ask how Elena felt about that but after the night she just had she was sure her feelings were torn.
"A day ago...all I wanted was Stefan back," Elena explained softly. "But now...he isn't Stefan anymore."
"Maybe we can get through to him now that he is back." Caroline couldn't help but hope they would be able to reach Stefan and help him find his way back to who he used to be. He had helped her through her transition and she knew she had to repay him somehow.
"Maybe." But Elena wasn't sure if that was possible after having witnessed who Klaus had turned him into.
"Let's watch a movie," Caroline said jumping off the bed. "Something funny that will take our mind off of all the crap in our life."
"Does that movie even exist?" Elena asked sarcastically. But she nodded her head as Caroline made her way to browse Elena's movie choices. It wasn't long before she was holding up Bring It On, the cheerleading bible as Caroline called it. "Seriously?"
"Ahh, c'mon Elena," Caroline said pouting. "Don't you remember the first time we watched this movie; we laughed for hours. Besides, it will help me prepare for the upcoming cheerleading season."
"Ok," Elena sighed.
Caroline went to put the movie in but paused before hitting play. "Should we call Bonnie? Make this a girl's night." She smiled when Elena nodded and whipped out her cell phone to place the call.
A girl's night. It had been months since Elena had had one and as she watched Caroline talk to Bonnie she realized that maybe this wouldn't take her mind off of all her troubles; it would at least be a nice break.
Damon had barely put the car in park before he was already out of the car and inside the mansion. He paused, listening carefully until he heard Stefan inside the library. He used his vampire speed to reach the room in record time.
"Brother!" Stefan cheered raising his glass of scotch in the air as he turned to face him. "It's about time you show up." He feigned looking behind Damon before adopting a confused look on his face. "Where's Elena? She didn't want to join the party."
"Nah brother," Damon said coldly. "I think Elena is all partied out."
"That's too bad." Stefan took another long drink before shrugging his shoulders. "I never remembered Elena as being that much of a partier. No more like a party pooper."
Damon didn't let a second pass before he used his vampire speed to grab Stefan and slam him up against the nearest wall. "What did you do to her Stefan?"
Stefan rolled his eyes and shoved Damon across the room. "I barely bit her; Klaus stopped me from doing any serious damage."
"I found her in a hospital, hooked up to an IV, with her blood still dripping," Damon said clenching his hands into fists.
"She seemed fine to me," Stefan said nonchalantly.
"Her neck is torn apart."
Stefan sighed. "I may have been a little rough." He walked across the room, set his tumbler down and looked over at Damon with a small smirk. "But in my defense she smells so good." He ran out of the room his laughter ringing in the air as Damon grabbed the vase closest to him and launched it across the room.
"Damnit," he cursed making his way out of the house and headed to the Mystic Grill, Alaric's favorite place to drink. He wasn't surprised to find him occupying his favorite stool at the end of the bar. The best seat in the building to see who was coming and going. "I'd be careful Ric; soon everyone is going to figure out their favorite history teacher is the town drunk."
"What do you want Damon?" Alaric didn't even bother turning in his direction.
"Just wondering...how are Elena and Jeremy on this evening?" Damon watched as Alaric finally looked at him.
"Elena is helping the rest of the seniors with prank night at the school and Jeremy is at home."
"Really?"
Alaric finally registered that something was off in Damon's voice and pushed back from the bar so he could turn and face his former friend. "What is going on Damon?"
"Elena was attacked tonight, at the school, by our mutual acquaintance Klaus and my brother Stefan," Damon said glaring at him.
"Is she ok?" Alaric asked.
"Oh just perfect if you count having her neck ripped open by her boyfriend and then finding out her blood is the key to everything." Damon raised his hand to the bartender before pointing at Alaric's glass and then himself. "I thought you were supposed to be her guardian or something Ric."
"I'm her dead aunt's ex-boyfriend," Alaric retorted.
"Really? You've sure as hell been acting like more than that lately."
"Where were you Damon? You've taken more than an unhealthy interest in Elena lately. Why weren't you with her tonight?" Alaric asked eyebrows raised.
"I was out looking for a way to kill Klaus," Damon muttered taking a long pull from the glass the bartender set in front of him. "I had no idea Klaus was back in Mystic Falls and if I had I never would have gone on a little road trip with Katherine and Jeremy."
"What road trip?"
Damon sighed. "Katherine heard about a vampire hunter who knows how to kill Klaus but we didn't know where he was; Anna, Jeremy's dead little friend, does. So we...borrowed him."
"Damon-"
"He is fine; he'll be back in Mystic before you know it," Damon said rolling his eyes.
"Does Elena know you kidnapped her little brother?"
"Yes, but that's hardly the worst thing that happened tonight." Damon finished off his drink before he continued. "Stefan's back Ric."
"Back?"
"Stefan's home, not by choice, but by Klaus' compulsion. His soul job is to protect Elena."
"That's what you both wanted," Alaric pointed out.
"Yeah, back before he turned his humanity off. Stefan is high on human blood and is out to kill now. Mystic Falls is about to become a very dark place, well, darker than normal."
"What's the plan?"
"Right now...I don't know." Damon wished he had some sort of a plan. But, at the moment, they were in a holding pattern. Until he heard from Katherine about this vampire hunter, he didn't know what to do. "I'll keep watch on Stefan while you watch out for Elena. Having him back...it's going to be hard on her."
"I would have thought you would want Elena duty," Alaric muttered.
"What is your problem Ric? I'm sorry I killed you-"
"This has nothing to do with that. You need to give Elena some space."
Damon scoffed and pushed back from the bar, climbing off his stool. "Space huh. Seems like the space I gave her today almost got her killed. You may not trust me Ric but I made a promise to Elena tonight, I told her I would never leave her again. I'm not breaking that promise."
"She's confused Damon. She doesn't know what she wants right now."
"Don't you think I know that," Damon said his back to him. "I know she still loves my brother. But that doesn't change the fact that I will do anything for her. Including protect her from my brother."
Alaric watched Damon leave the bar, leaving him with the bill for his drink. When Damon said things like that, it made it hard for him to maintain his hatred for the vampire who he used to consider his friend. But he also saw the bad side to Damon and he knew it was just a matter of time before it came out again. And he would be there for Elena and Jeremy when that happened.