Blood and Lust.
Chapter One: The Beginning.
A/n; Hey guys, a new story but with a bit of a difference. This is actually co-written, as it was originally a roleplay, which I am still carrying out. I am writing the Damon parts, and my friend, Trisha, is writing the Elena bits. That's why in some places, it's a bit more disjointed than a normal story, but it's good all the same. We have a very good plot going on here, and my Tumblr followers really liked what I showed them, so we decided to post it here! I'm splitting what we already have into chapters to post, while we continue to roleplay it out. So let us know what you think, and stuff! :3 Set straight after the season 3 finale. Rated M for later smutty chapters. Enjoy c:
She was dead. After everything they'd done, everything they'd been through, she was dead. Keeping Elena alive had been Damon Salvatore's goal for three years now. And he'd failed. Except, she wasn't fully dead. Instead, she was a vampire - the one thing he might insist he loved being, but secretly missed. More than anything in the world. The one thing, he knew, that Elena never wanted. Would she even complete the transition? She had to, right? Damon couldn't bear the thought of living - or not, as the case may be - without her. It just wasn't possible. Still, if they'd only let him in, let her see her… The vampire had been waiting in the 'relatives waiting room' at the hospital for the past few hours. Meredith had insisted he stayed away from Elena, for now - as she adjusted to being in transition, got her thoughts together. The fact that she'd soon remember everything she had been compelled to forget - them meeting first, him telling her he loved her - wouldn't help, but Damon wouldn't admit that to the doctor. He didn't need more reasons to not be able to see her.
Stefan wasn't allowed in, either. Nobody was. But he'd gone off, not able to sit and wait like his brother. Damon would. He would wait forever, for her. Finally, after what seemed like forever, Meredith appeared. "She's asking for you," she said simply. That was all it took. The vampire was up in a second, following the doctor through. Elena was sat in a hospital bed, looking pale, and rather sick. That would all go when she fed - if she fed. She had to, though. He'd make sure of that. Taking a seat by the side of her bed, they were left alone. Damon was silent, unsure what to say. Did she remember yet? Everything? What would she think, if she had? "Hey," he greeted eventually, glancing at her vacant stare. It was like she was empty. Gone. Maybe it was the shock. "Has Stefan been here yet?" It probably wasn't the best thing to ask, but Damon couldn't help himself.
"I need to call Stefan, but my phone is dying." Elena had said, and when Matt graciously handed his over to hers she took it gently, "Thanks." she turned her attention back to the road and let out a yelp. "Matt! Look out!" Matt's car swerved off to the right, and was flung over the bridge, plunging into the water. The car was sinking fast, and as it sank deeper and deeper, the more fear set into Elena's body. It was just like the night with her parents. Except this time, she wasn't going to make it. There would be no fairy tale ending. Taking a moment from trying to pry off the seat belt, she glanced over at Matt. In the car's window she saw Stefan looking in, a wave of hope and relief washed over her. Her features changed as he threw off the door, and tried to grab Elena. She shook her head, and motioned to Matt. She wanted him to be saved first. Stefan reluctantly obliged. Several more moments passed, the air had finally left her lungs, and she was just drifting, waiting. Waiting to die. She wasn't afraid though, she knew it had been coming. The blackness that overcame her next was sudden and quick. She was gone.
When she awoke in the hospital, it had come as a complete shock to her. Gasping for air, she looked around. Meredith had stood next to her bedside, waiting, watching her. "Elena," came her calm voice. Her head whipped over quickly to look at Meredith directly. "What's happening?" she asked, her voice rough and scratchy. After having Meredith explain, she gave her some time alone, to collect her thoughts, which she did. The second time Meredith came in to check on her, she grabbed her hand gently. "Can I see him?" she asked, as if she knew Damon was out there, waiting for her. Within a moment, Damon had entered the room, her eyes fell upon on him vacantly. She turned her head slowly to look at him, she forced a weak smile, "Hey.." she whispered gently.
"Elena, I…" Damon trailed off, unsure what to say. He'd experienced so many different emotions in recent times, but none like the last few hours. Fear that he would die. Disappointment when she chose Stefan. Then, when she died… Anger. Grief. Despair. Thinking there was no point in existing now she was gone. And then, when he arrived, only to find she was in transition… There were just so many emotions. He'd always said he could just flip a switch, and had, for a while. But Elena had made him more human than he had been in centuries, and now, he couldn't go back. Couldn't go back to not caring at all. Because he loved Elena, more than he'd ever loved anything or anyone. Even more than Katherine.
"What happened?" Damon managed to ask eventually, blue eyes searching her brown. "Meredith said you were with Matt, but that Stefan pulled him out… He pulled him out first, didn't he? He left you, in a sinking car, to die. How could he do that? How is it possible to do that, when the one you love is dying? How could he?" The vampire's voice shook with emotion, and he got to his feet, beginning to pace the room. "You…why…how could he do that? How could he let this happen?" He lunged his hand at a small cabinet, knocking a stethoscope and other instruments to the floor, running a hand through his hair. "I thought you were dead, Elena. I thought you were gone! I thought…I thought I'd lost you forever." Damon's voice broke, and he finally sat down again next to her, head in his hands. "You need to feed, Elena. You - you're going to, right? You're going to feed? You have to. You feed or you die - there is no door number three. You have to. I can't lose you, Elena."
Elena sat up in the bed slightly, her eyes never once leaving his. He looked hurt, broken, scared and confused. It was because of her, she had done this. Maybe if she had let Stefan save her first…-No, Elena, stop it! She thought to herself. You couldn't let Matt die, you made the right choice. Then why did it feel like she hadn't? Her attention was brought back to the man in front of her when he had smashed his hand through a cabinet, medical equipment scattering onto the floor. "Damon, Damon." she said, trying to reason with him logically. "Damon!" she said. When he sat back down next to her, she watched him. She wasn't ready to make her decision, she didn't want to make one, but she had to.
"Stefan..you can't blame him," she began. "Okay, you can't." Running a hand through her hair, she took a deep breath. "If you're going to blame anyone, blame me. Alright." Her eyes locked with his, and she felt like she could see into his soul, feel his pain, heartache, confusion. Tapping her finger against her thigh gently, she continued on. "This isn't Stefan's fault. It's my own. I told him to save Matt first, I wouldn't let him save me, until he did." Tears pricked at the back of her eyes, and she quickly wiped them away. "I was supposed to die, Damon. I wasn't supposed to wake up again, I should have died." She finished. 'You are going to feed right?' His words replaying over and over in her mind. Cocking her head to the side slightly, she sighed. "I shouldn't have come back. I should have died, but since I did come back, that means I've been given another chance." A small sigh of despair escaped her lips. "I'm not going to leave Jeremy, I'm all he's got left. So, to answer your question?" she said, making sure they made eye contact now. "Yes, I am. I'm going to turn." she finished, swallowing thickly.
Damon ran a hand through his hair, unable to think straight. This was all just one big mess. At first, they thought he was about to die, and then when Ric fell to the floor, showing Elena was dead… The whole world had stopped moving. The mantra of 'you are not dead, you are not dead' had been repeated many times, but the truth was undeniable. How he drove back the two hour journey without crashing the car, when half the time he could barely see, was a miracle. But here she was, alive. Well…if you could call it that. The fact was, he never thought they'd see each other again, get to talk like this. But they were. Just not under usual circumstances. He lifted his head to meet her gaze, shaking his head slightly. "I thought I was never going to see you again. When Alaric fell to the ground, dying, I…" The vampire shook his head, voice shaking at the end where he trailed off.
"Yes, Elena, I can blame him. It might have been your choice, but that's the difference between my brother and I. You make decisions and he lets you. I make them for you. I have said it before; I'll be the one to keep you alive. And I was right. And now the world has one more quarterback. Just what we needed." Damon scowled, but it disappeared as she started to speak. For a moment, he thought she was going to refuse. Refuse to turn, refuse to feed. Just die. But then she continued, and he let out a sigh of relief. "Thank god," he replied hoarsely. "It's going to be okay, Elena. I'll help you. We all will. Caroline's been through it not long ago, and me and Stefan…well, he might not be the best teacher of self control right now, and neither would I be, but we can help you. It'll be okay," he insisted. The vampire reached out, taking her hand in his. "Take in a deep breath. Do you smell that? Smell the blood? There are blood bags, all over this place. We can have Meredith get some, but do you smell it? You want it, right? It feels wrong, yet somehow so right…" Damon was eager to help her, to tell her what to expect, make sure she wasn't in this alone.
Elena shook her head, this was all too much. Too much to take in, after she had told Damon she was going to turn he started telling her that he'd help, Caroline could help her, Stefan wouldn't be able to due to his lack of self control. "Stop." she said suddenly. "Just stop. Give me a minute to think.." she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. Her head whipped up suddenly as she a strong scent hit her sense. It was warm, sweet, rich, intoxicating. Yet there was this fear in her mind telling her it was wrong to have it, that she shouldn't indulge in it. Was that her last bit of humanity left? Her attention turned to Damon then, "Yes. I smell…something. Though I can't be entirely sure if that's it." she said, watching him. "All I know is that, I'm starving." she began. "But every time Meredith tries giving me food, I just…won't eat it. Almost like, I can't." she shrugged,
It was then the door opened and Meredith snuck in, "How's she feeling?" she asked looking to Damon. He simply nodded, and she knew. "You've made the choice to turn, Elena?" she asked looking at her. Elena nodded her head slowly, "I can't leave Jeremy. I'm the only family he has left." she said, using that as her excuse to turn. Meredith slowly brought out something from behind her back, a blood bag. Elena set her eyes on it, and she knew she wanted it. Badly. When Meredith gingerly gave it to her, she snatched the bag out of her hands, her eyes found Damon's then. "I'm scared." she whispered.
Damon fell silent at her words, knowing this had to be overwhelming for her. His eyes never left hers as she thought things through, knowing she must be in a pretty confused state right now. When she smelt the blood, his body stiffened, and he nodded. They had to be on the defensive, just in case the urge became too much, and instinct took over, making her attack the nearest human she found on her rampage. "It will be. If you can smell it, and you want it, that's blood," he said simply. At her words, the vampire nodded slowly. "That's your body. It's in transition. Your human part wants to be fed, but the vampire part is more dominant, and it transfers your need for food, into a need for blood. You have to eventually give in, or…you die." He shrugged. If only it was that simple. Live or die. But no, it was definitely not simple, in anyway shape or form.
Damon took over when Meredith came in, nodding and knowing she would understand. He smelt the blood a second before she produced it, passing it to Elena. Her words, those eyes…he just wanted it to all go away. At least she had someone to teach her, someone who understood, though. He too never wanted this. It took a while to find his voice, but finally he did. "Meredith. You should go outside. Make sure nobody human comes in here. When she starts to feed, if you're in here…it's dangerous."
The doctor looked reluctant, but after looking to Damon and Elena and back again, she nodded, and left the room. Now that they were alone, Damon moved his chair closer to hers, taking her hand in his. "I know what it's like. I know you're scared, and why. But you have me. I'm not leaving you. I'm here until the very end." He smiled faintly, quoting her words from when he was dying. "You want the blood. I know what it is like. Just…give in. Instinct will do the rest. You're gonna feel a lot of changes in your body. Your emotions will go haywire for a while - probably already are. Once you feed, your fangs will appear. This will hurt for only a few moments. Concentrate on feeding, but know you'll have to stop when the bags are finished. I can help you, Elena. I will. You don't need to be afraid." The vampire wanted to be honest with her, have her know exactly what to expect.
Her hands clutched the bag a bit tighter, as Damon spoke. Now as she looked down at the bag, and the contents inside of it she began to rethink her decision slightly. Glancing at Damon she nodded, " I need you to know this." she began softly, setting the bag aside for a moment. "While there's still that little shred of humanity left in me, fighting to get out, I need you to know." she said, taking his hand in hers. " I never made my choice." her eyes locked with his. "I just need you to know, what my choice is. Because, I know the minute I feed? I won't be myself anymore. The Elena that you knew, the human Elena, she's dead. Gone. This Elena, however is completely different though." she sighed, tucking a stray strand of hair behind her ear.
" When I called you, before everything…" she began. "That was human Elena's choice, so in all technicalities, this is my choice. The real Elena's choice." she said softly. She felt as if she wasn't make much sense, and maybe she wasn't, but he'd understand her. " I…I choose you, Damon." she whispered. Before she gave him a chance to respond she ripped the tab off the blood bag, the scent hitting her in strong waves. "Bottoms up." she said a bit shakily. She took a sip, and then another. By her third sip of the dark red liquid, her gums started to ache, and she reached a hand up to clench her jaw as a pain erupted in her mouth, a small whimper escaping her lips.
It was beginning.