The Sun Also Rises

Damon sighed as he took a seat at the bar, observing the werewolf bite on his inner forearm. So this was it, he thought. After one hundred and forty-seven years as a vampire, he was actually dying. Permanently this time. And the last thing he had done before his death sentence was to condemn the woman he loved to a life of eternity without her choice. Just because he was selfish.

"Damn it!"

He saw Katherine moving next to him. She looked at his arm and after a few seconds of silence, she poke in an indifferent tone: "So that's what a werewolf bite looks like. It's not that bad."

Damon looked at her angrily. The last thing he needed right now was Katherine and her stupid comments. "For now. Soon, the infection will start spreading. Then I will start feeling sick and weak. After that comes the pain, soon to be followed by coughing blood, unbearable hunger and losing my mind. Till the point it all gets so freaking awful death would be welcome. I hope at least there will be someone who will put an end to my misery like I did with Rose."

Katherine's expression changed. A frown appeared on her face as she took a seat next to Damon and did something that surprised them both - put her hand on his shoulder, trying to give him some comfort. "Maybe there is a cure."

"I tried to find a cure when Rose was bitten. But that bitch Jules was right - the only cure is a stake through the heart."

Vivienne stopped pacing, her head suddenly whirling around to face Damon. "So that's it? You're just...going to die?"

Damon doesn't respond as he walked over to the couch and grabbed his jacket. As he slipped it over his shoulders, Vivienne turned to him, trying not to be sappy or say something heartfelt so instead she just increased the sarcasm in her tone. "145 years and no last good-bye?"

"You don't get a good-bye." Damon told her bitterly before he turned away from her.

Quickly, she flashed in front of him, placing her hand on his chest. "No. Don't leave mad."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Us ending up on good terms isn't exactly on my bucket list, Vivienne."

"Klaus made me call Jenna to lure her out." Vivienne defended her self, blocking Damon's multiple attempts to move round her and leave. "There was nothing that I could do. I didn't have a choice."

"That's why I gave you the vervain." he countered. "So you had a choice."

"It was her or us. I chose her."

"I helped you." Damon argued, looking at the brunette in front of him with disappointment. He threw a look at Katherine as well and she pursed her lips. "You owed me. Both of you. Now when Klaus dies, you're going to walk out of here without a scratch and Louise's aunt dies. Somehow you're the only two that wins. How'd that happen?"

Vivienne shook her head. "I didn't let love get in the way."

"Enjoy an eternity alone, girls." After a pitiful look, he walked around her and straight for the door, but before he could get far, he heard Vivienne behind him.

"What are you going to do?"

Damon turned back and sighed. "I'm going to offer myself as a replacement to Klaus."

"He won't take you." Katherine chimed in, rising from the bar stool. "He saw your bite, he said that your blood is impure. I'm sorry, Damon. But Jenna's dead, there's nothing you can do about it."

Jenna rocked back and forth on her knees as she released a strangled cry, clutching at her head in obvious discomfort. "Oh, my head. What's wrong with me?"

There was a brief moment of tense silence when Elena glanced up at her sister, hoping she would take the reins and explain the situation at hand. However when she finally realised, Louise was intent on remaining silent, she turned back to her frazzled guardian. "Do you remember what happened?"

"Louise called me." Jenna paused looking up at Louise. "You were so scared." So, Klaus had found his use for Vivienne after all those years of alluding him. Jenna groaned, her hand falling from her head to her throat. She shook her head. "Oh, ah, I should have realised that it wasn't you. The second I walked out of the house, someone grabbed me. A vampire."

"Klaus." Elena stated firmly and Louise gritted her teeth. "It was Klaus."

The older woman's gaze bounced between the two brunette's faces and Louise was met with the features of a broken woman. "He made me drink his blood. And I don't...I don't remember anything after that." She looked around, anxiously. "Where are we? What happened?"

Louise knelt on the rough dirt and took Jenna's hands into her own. "We're at the quarry. He brought us here."

"Why don't I remember anything?"

Louise saw Elena stiffen, undoubtedly knowing what she was about to say. "Jenna, do you remember...When we told you how someone becomes a vampire?"

"Yeah, if you die with vampire blood in your system, it's-" Jenna cut herself with a gasp and her eyes widened in realisation. "Oh, god. He killed me."

"Jenna, listen to me." Elena surged forward to take their frantic aunt's shoulders in her hand, her grip firm. "Listen to me; everything's going to be okay. I'm going to get you out of here."

"I'm a vampire?" Jenna breathed in horror.

"And I bet you're hungry." Greta chimed in as she began ton approach them.

The trio all turned to look up at her from the ground. Louise followed the witch's gaze and spotted a sharp rock nearby. She quickly rushed to grab it but with a wave of her hand, Greta sent Louise flying backwards causing her to land painfully in the dirt. With another wave of her hand, the witch created a circle of fire around Louise. The seer groaned in pain. Another simple act of waving her hand, sent Elena flying through the air until she crashed to the floor with a resounding thud and created a separate circle of fire around her. Elena stood up and rushed towards the flames but was unable to escape.

"Don't bother trying to get through." Greta warned as she picked up the rock. "I spelled the circle. You're trapped. No matter what you do."

Elena resorted to pleading with the witch. "Greta...Please, just- just let her go."

Elena's pleas seemed to fall at deaf ears when Greta turned her back towards her. The witch sliced her wrist open with the sharp rock and blood immediately poured out the wound. Jenna looked at her wrist hungrily. "Klaus chose her." Greta lowered her wrist towards Jenna. "Drink it."

"Jenna, don't!"

Jenna's eyes didn't stray, they were glued to the blood. It didn't take a genius to know there was no convincing a vampire in transition to not feed when blood was being offered to them on a silver platter. Jenna shook her head. "I can't."

Jenna continued to stare at Greta's bloody wrist before she lunged forward to sink her teeth in, even with Elena's desperate cries filling the air. Louise shook her head. This was never suppose to happen but yet the sight of her guardian becoming a vampire, she couldn't help but feel it was an unavoidable outcome. After a few moments, Greta easily ripped her wrist from Jenna before throwing her far back enough to close another fire circle around her.

Gloomily, Louise rocked on her heels as she sat in the middle of her ring of deadly fire, mourning for the poor souls who will be affected by this journey to her death, and those who already have been affected. Meanwhile, Elena paced back and force in her circle of fire and Jenna knelt in hers.

Elena's concerned chocolate doe eyes landed on Jenna. "How are you feeling?"

"I feel like myself..." Jenna trailed off with a frown. "Only not. Everything is brighter. The fire's hotter. Part of me is terrified, but there's another part of me that doesn't want to feel anything."

"Vampires can turn off the part that's human. That's the part that hurts." Those words were the first Louise had spoken in a long time.

Jenna's eyes glistening with tears. "I'm gonna die, aren't I?"

"No!" Elena exclaimed before Louise could even formulate a proper response. "Jenna, I'm not going to let that happen. I don't care what I have to do."

Suddenly, in the distance, the sound of twigs snapping caught their attention and the conversation halted as they looked to see Greta shoving someone out the shadows. That someone was bent over and groaning in pain. Elena rose to her feet as Louise squinted in the darkness.

"Who's that?" Jenna asked.

Louise's eyes widened as she witnessed Greta push the female down to the ground. The girl was too weak to get back up and fight as she clutched at her stomach, groaning in pain. "That must be the werewolf."

"What's happening to me?" The werewolf demanded.

"I cast a spell to slow down your transformation." Greta said, almost condescendingly. It was as if the witch was having a little too much fun. "Your insides are trying to tear themselves free." She moved away and with a flick of her wrist, a fourth ring of fire encircled the werewolf.

Louise grimaced and muttered. "You sick, bitch."

"Greta, witches are supposed to maintain the balance in nature." Elena scolded as she stared across the fire at the witch. "It's your duty to them to keep this curse sealed."

"My duty is to Klaus!" Greta resorted. "The new order."

Speaking of the devil, Klaus emerged from the shadows. "Glad to know I still have a dance partner." His eyes flickered to each of the circles of fire with a pleased smirk on his lips. "Hello, my lovelies. Are we ready?" The only sound within the distance was the werewolf's thrashing and screaming. Elena cringed, Louise stared and Klaus ignored it. He looked down at the clear stone in his hand with nostalgia. "I've got the moonstone. I spent five hundred years looking for this. I hate to part with it." But yet he did not hesitate in handing it over to Greta when she extended her hand for it.

Greta lifted her eyes to the sky, making sure everything was right on schedule. "The moon has passed its apex." She glanced at Klaus with a smile. "Remember everything you need to do?"

"I remember."

The witch dropped the moonstone into a stone bowl and sparks began to fly as Greta chanted a spell. Klaus approached the rings of fire. The female wolf was still moaning in pain as she looked up at the two Gilbert girls with guilt in her eyes.

"Everything I did...I was just trying to help Tyler." She grunted as she clutched her sides as if they were falling apart.

At the mention of Tyler's name, Elena squinted her eyes in recognition. "Are you Jules?"

"I didn't want him to be alone!" Jules admitted, followed by a groan. By this time, Klaus was at her circle, peering down at her.

"Shall we?"

The ring of fire the surrounded Jules dispersed. Her eyes flashed yellow before she used her werewolf speed to charge at Klaus. Alas, Klaus got the upper hand and pinned Jules to the ground, plunging his hand into her chest before he ripped out her heart. Louise, Jenna and Elena all looked on, horrified. Louise couldn't tear her gaze away from Jules's now limp form on the ground as she seemed to take one las poetic breath, tears streaming down her face before she faded away.

Klaus breathing was heavy as he held the bloody heart in his hands as if it was a trophy of his victory. He lifted himself from Jules and walked over to Greta, who was focusing on the spell. He held Jules's heart over the ceremonial bowl, squeezing the blood into the flames.

"Does that mean it's working?" Klaus wondered.

"It's working." Greta promised.

Feeling a penetrating gaze looking over her, Louise glanced upward with a deep feeling of dread sitting heavy on her chest as she anticipated Klaus to be glowering down upon her. Instead, her eyes met Jenna's regretful ones over the roaring blaze that separated them.

"The day that the lawyers called to tell me that I was going to become your guardian, you know what my first thought was?" Jenna mused. Elena shook her head and Louise cocked her head to the side in newfound curiosity. Jenna gave a short and disproving laugh that was meant for no one while looking at the ground with an expression of guilt and dread. "Isn't there someone else who can do this?"

At this Elena fell to her knees. "Jenna, there was no one else who could have gotten us through all of that." she urgently told her, internally begging Jenna to understand that no matter what, she was thankful for Jenna's support that Jenna was a wonderful companion and guardian throughout those tough few months.

"It's just the thought that I almost passed up taking care of you." A grimace appeared on Jenna's face as she recalled the tough and life-changing decision.

"But you didn't." Louise offered. "You put your entire life on hold to help us." She knelt as close to Jenna as the fire could allow.

Staring at Louise as if she was beyond crazy, Jenna said in defeat; "Look around, Lou. I failed you guys.

Louise fell silent but Elena made a noise to protest, shuffling even closer to Jenna even as she released a small hiss at the feeling of the fire's heat. "No. You didn't. I failed you. I'm so sorry." Elena's expression twisted from one of sorrow and loss into one of seriousness as she relayed something of major important to Jenna. "Listen. Being a vampire, it intensifies your guilt. But it also makes you stronger and faster. You can fight back." She looked towards her sister. "We're gonna get through this. we'll be okay. I need you to believe that. Promise me, when you get the chance..." She placed a finger on her lips and whispered the next word. "Run."

Jenna nodded as she whispered. "Okay."

Jenna was slightly startled at the thought of outrunning a vampire of a thousand years. Was it even possible? She had to wonder, but her gut instinct led her to the negative conclusion that she wasn't going to live this night. But she would try.

The sudden fear that filled Louise was undesirable as Klaus wandered away from Greta and towards the three remaining rings of fire, his smirk seeming to widen at the sight of Jenna as she stood from the cold ground and covering away from the line of the fire as if afraid that he would snatch her up.

"Hello, Jenna."

Within a beat of a heart, Louise was on her feet standing.

"Please, no." The pent up emotion was clear as day. "I get that you have to do this. I can even understand our part in this. But please, not her." She toward Jenna once again, forgetting completely about the invisible force field that Greta had set up as an extra precaution, as if the ring of fire weren't enough.

"Careful." Klaus tsked with mocking disapproval at her sudden clumsiness. He didn't wait a thousand years to have one of his doppelganger fried to death by fire of his idea. At the same time, Jenna shouted with such force that Louise stumbled over the change in her guardian's mood.

"No, Jenna! We can't leave Jeremy without a family." She turned her attention back to Klaus and even knowing that it would likely do no good, she tried to reason with him. " Elena and I followed your rules; we did everything that you asked. We didn't run. Please."

Things majorly changed direction when Klaus turned behind him and looked up the stone cliff of which they were backed up against. "Well, well. I don't recall you being on the guest list."

The figure up on the cliff towering over their little gathering; Stefan. An impassive expression occupying his features, he coolly said, "I'm here to talk."

"Very well, then." In a flash, Klaus was gone from his depressing ground and stood atop the grand cliff a few good feet away from Stefan.

My Stefan. What had he come here to talk about? Elena thought. She looked up toward the outline of the cliff in the night sky. Though it was dim, she could barely make out the silhouettes of both Klaus and Stefan from the eerie glow of light of the moon.

"What's going on?" Jenna wondered out loud.

"I-I don't know." Elena stuttered, confusion seeping into her expression.

All of a sudden, something clicked in Louise's mind, something that was very important. Whenever there had been an urgent situation and she was with any vampires - Stefan, Damon, Caroline or the likes - they would always shush her constant chattering in attempt to use their unnatural, but quite useful, listening skills. "Jenna, you're a vampire now." She looked towards her aunt. "You can hear them. You can hear anything. All you have to do is focus on them."

Jenna turned back to Klaus and Stefan, trying her best to tune into her new super hearing.

Elena spared a look towards Greta before she whispered. "What are they saying?"

A look of deep frustration over took Jenna's features and she shook her head. "I can't-I can't make it out."

"You can do this. Just relax. Focus." Louise offered an encouraging smile.

Jenna pulled her hair behind her ears and then inhaled then exhaled as she refocused on the conversation that took place on the top of the cliff. A moment passed before gasped in sheer delight and wonder. "I can hear him. I hear Stefan." A look of horror crossed the newbie vampire's face. "Oh, my god."

"What is it?" Elena questioned eagerly.

Suddenly Damon's remarks of Stefan and his hero hair didn't feel like just remarks anymore. "He wants to take my place."

"Oh my, God." Louise muttered with wide eyes. She glanced over to her twin who looked on horrified at Stefan. "Elena..."

"I have to do something." Elena release a shaky breath as she rose to her feet and paced back and forth in the limited space of the ring of fire. "This can't happen. None of it."

"Quite the predicament." The original's voice filled the air once again they all turned to see him sauntering closer, a silent Stefan intent on avoiding Elena's gaze trailing behind him. "You know, it's funny, all this talk about preserving family, and here's Stefan, granting your wish."

"Stefan..." Elena breathed.

Stefan's eyes met her and he offered her a reassuring smile. "It's okay."

"Well." Klaus challenged as he pointed a stake between Jenna and Stefan. "Who's it going to be, Elena?

Elena shook her head side to side. "No."

"Would you rather Louise choose?"

Louise clenched her jaw with gritted teeth. "You sick bastard! You think I'm gonna choose who dies?!"

"Oh, don't worry. There's actually no choice." The original said with a nonchalant shrug of his shoulders. They barely had time to process his words before he was behind Stefan, slamming the stake into Stefan's back. Stefan screamed in pain and crumbled to the ground. Klaus carelessly bent down and ripped the stake out, leaving a sizable chunk of wood embedded in the Salvatore's back. He glance at Elena. "I have other plans for your boyfriend. I want him alive. But for now..."

In one quick motion, Klaus snapped Stefan's neck causing him to call disgracefully to the ground. Elena gasped and flinched while Louise's head spun as she realised what was coming next. Sure enough, Klaus looked over his shoulder and called out, "Whenever you're ready, Greta."

The witch began chanting the next part of the spell which dispelled the ring of fire surrounding Jenna.

"No." Louise breathed out in a choked-out gasp, but Klaus paid her no mind as he moved closer to Jenna.

"Your turn."

"No, Jenna, no!" Louise exclaimed as Elena's cried out and attempted to rush towards Jenna but the ring of fire surrounding her once again flaring to life, stopping her.

Jenna's eyes flickered between both her nieces and gave them a small smile. "It's alright. I know what I have to do."

After a moment of shared silence between the trio, Jenna was soon using her newly found superspeed to creep up behind Greta. She ferociously bit into the witch's neck without any hesitation as Greta's screams filled the air. Klaus was behind them in no time, pulling Jenna off of Greta, who fell to the ground. The original drove a stake into Jenna's back and it's only when she let out a gasp of pain that he released her and she fell to the floor.

Elena's cries filled the air. "Just turn it off. Jenna. Turn it off. You won't be scared anymore."

In that moment, Klaus seemed to grow bored as he flipped Jenna over onto her back, hunching over her as he slowly raised the stake in his hand.

"No! Jenna! No! Jenna!" Elena screamed as Klaus slammed his hand down and the stake pierced through Jenna's chest.

"No!" Louise shouted, clutching her own chest as if she was the one who got staked. She took a step forward before she froze again.

Elena's gut wrenching sob sliced through the air and Louise's frozen form was solely focused on Jenna's limp form. The flood of grey spread through her as the body started to decay. It wasn't the first time Louise had seen a vampire decaying, but it was the first time actual heartache pulse through until numbness remained.

Klaus released the stake from his grasp and rose to his feet leaving Jenna's lifeless body on the stone with the bit of wood through her heart.

Louise was completely unaware of Stefan waking up and Klaus returning to Greta's side as she began chanting the next part of the spell. The seer had tuned the rest of the world out. The Salvatore groaned as he tried to reach the pieced of wood in his back but was not flexible enough to do so. He looked towards Elena who had tears streaming down her face. His eyes flickered towards Louise whose chocolate brown eyes were glassy before he moved his attention over towards Greta and spotted Jenna's body.

"No." Stefan shook his head as Greta poured Jenna's blood into the ceremonial bowl. Stefan returned his attention to Elena. "I'm so sorry."

Elena placed her finger to her lips, indicating to Stefan he should keep his voice low. "Are they going to kill him?" she whispered.

Stefan nodded and whispered back. "Yes."

Klaus soon approached Elena's circle. "You're next."

"No." Louise yelled, hauling herself to her feet. She shook her head, eyes widening towards her sister. "'Lena."

The circle of fire disappeared from around Elena. Klaus extended his hand towards her but with a sour expression on her face, Elena lifted herself from the ground, ignoring his aid and brushed right past him. She made her way to the altar. A tear rolled down her face when looked down at Jenna's body. Klaus followed her up to the altar, his eyes roaming the surface of her face. His hand reached up and grabbed her face in his hand, forcing her to look at him.

Looking into her chocolate brown eyes, he whispered, "Thank you, Elena."

"Go to hell." Elena hissed, only causing him to smile slightly.

Elena stared forward, catching her sister's gaze. "Lou," she breathed. "Look away!"

Louise nodded just as Klaus opened his mouth, showing off his fangs. The brunette squinted in an effort to repress the tears from escaping and looked away, her hand reaching up to cover her eyes. She collapsed on the dirt, burying her tearstained face in her thighs and cried her heart out at the impending loss of her twin sister.

"It seems unnatural being born together and then dying apart." Elena had once told her.

She didn't know how long she stayed there, how much time had passed; too paralysed by grief. Suddenly, a gust of wind hit her. Cold hands wrapped around her, prompting her to lift her head and making her rise to her feet. Red-rimmed eyes stared ahead.

"Well, my doppelganger? What say you? Are you afraid?"

She considered this as she stared at the man leaning so close into her. He'd been planning her death for most of his existence. It seemed as though he felt no traces of human emotion, least of all mercy.

When people reach the end of their lives, do they not search for meaning? Hadn't she already found hers by sacrificing herself in order to save her loved ones? And love - hasn't she had a lot of it? Her parents, Jeremy, Jenna, Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Stefan and Damon, and even John - they had all loved her.

Besides. This was her fate. She was the doppelganger, born to die and about to die. As it had always meant to be.

Louise peered into Klaus's eyes. Perhaps it was her imagination, but she thought she could see the hard glint of his irises when she spoke. "I'm not afraid. Not anymore."

He leaned in until his lips were resting on her pulse point. When he smiled into her neck, she could feel his teeth scrape her flesh. Louise held absolutely still, waiting him out. When she breathed, drawing in shallow pants of air, she inhaled the scent of him. Finally he pulled back.

"You're lying, Louise." He rubbed his thumb over her racing pulse. "I can practically taste your fear."

"Of course I feel fear - You're about to kill me." She paused to gather her thoughts. "But more than that, I've accepted this. I'm protecting everyone I love this way. So no, when I think of them, I'm not afraid at all."

"How do you know you've volunteered for such a noble sacrifice? Who's to say I won't slaughter those bothersome Salvatore brothers just for the joy of it?"

She deliberated and hoped she was ultimately right. "Because you would have already. You said it yourself; there's no reason for anyone else to get hurt. And originals keep their word."

"Oh, we do?" He laughed, and the sound raised the hairs on the back of her neck. "I never much liked the rules." He hand was now circling her neck like a collar. He was too close and too warm. "For instance, who's to say I shan't have a little celebratory slaughter when I break the curse?"

Louise looked over at Stefan, who was still struggling on the floor before she returned her attention to Klaus. Carefully, she layered a hand over the one clasped around her jugular. "You'll have everything, Klaus. Everything you've always wanted. What would be the point in hurting the Salvatores?"

He doesn't answer her. Seconds ticked by, and still nothing but the steady weight of his stare. Suddenly, there's a cruel curve of his lips. "It's time."

Klaus gathered her close against him as he sped to the altar. She examined Klaus as he set her down. She noticed the gentleness of his touch when he brushed her hair behind her ears. When he touched her, she felt revulsion swim deep in her gut for her aunt and sister's murderer. It doesn't matter that he'll kill her too.

Keeping her in his grasp, Klaus walked around Louise's body and tilted her head back, tearing his fangs into her neck. Louise kept her eyes open as long as she could, feeling the blood being drained from her body by the second. It was painful, excruciating, and her body was starting to become numb and limp from the blood loss. The original held her form up by wrapping his hand around her body until every single drop of blood was drained and her chocolate brown eyes rolled back into her head.

April 29, 2010

"I can do this. Deep breaths."

Those words were on constant repeat throughout Louise's head like a broken record. This had to be the second worst day of her life. The first being the death of her parents. Witnessing her aunt Jenna die was traumatic, first her parents, then her biological mother and now this.

The brunette sighed, frustrated at herself. She had promised herself she wouldn't shed a tear in anyway possible. What a lie that was. She stood in her bedroom, facing her reflection. Her eyes were a dark crimson colour from her constant crying from the past couple of days. She grabbed a hair grip and stuffed it securely into her hair, holding her glossy brown hair back.

Her gaze caught the pictures surrounding the frame of her mirror, which included one of her parents and one of Jenna. Just then Elena appeared at her doorway but Louise payed her no mind as her eyes were fixated on the pictures. The older brunette moved forward and stopped next to her sister, wrapping an arm around her shoulder. After a few moments of silence, Louise was first to speak;

"It's not how it's suppose to be."

It was nothing but the truth. Louise knew this but it still aches. "I know, Lou. I know but we have to stick together. We have to survive this."

There was a sharp breath, lips rolled together. "Elena," Her lungs felt constricted, chest tight. "We always end up losing someone. No matter how much we stick together. John, Isobel, Jenna, innocent people. Who's next?"

Elena's chest felt heavy, mind and heart utterly confused, drowning in grief and Elena knew, Louise was right. She always was. "What do you want us to do? What's the plan?"

The reality that they needed a plan to simply survive was enough to make her head hurt. "I don't know, Elena. Try not to die, for a start."

Try not to die. Elena thought. Wasn't that all she's been trying to do lately.

"Lou..." Her name left Elena's lips, a bare whisper, doe eyes filled with innocence watching her sister. "Can I stay with you, tonight." Her gaze was soft, pleading hues fixated on the brunette who stood in front of her. "I want to stay with you. Please?"

"Of course." Louise's voice was softer now. It was evident how much this was tearing Elena apart. "We can make hot coco."

"I like the sound of that." Elena confessed, smiled widening and her gaze now more soft.

"I think there's mini marshmallows and everything." Her soft smile mirrored Elena's.

"Mini marshmallows? My favourite." A chuckle escaped her fleshed lips.

And there was a sudden change. The older Gilbert girl noticed it immediately, a wave of awareness and relief attacking her. Soft smile gracing her delicate features, doe eyes still fixated on her sister. She knew, Louise was suffering too. Enduring heartbreak after heartbreak. She's lost people too, she's no stranger to grief. And it hurts her, hurts her knowing her sister was drowning. If Elena could take her pain away, she would've without hesitation.

She could lose anyone, but never Louise. She's her twin, half her should. Without Louise, nothing makes sense. "I just want you to know that I'm here for you. Always."

Louise gently squeezed her hand. "I know you are, Elena." There was brief pause. "Sometimes I just wish that meant in a normal teenage way of helping me study or choosing an outfit, not literal life and death."

And of course, Elena wished that too. A normal life. One without lost, without death, without grief. One without monsters.

"I know, Lou. This was never supposed to happen."

Suddenly, there was a knock at the door and both brunettes turned to see their younger brother standing in the doorway. He moved forward into the room.

"We'll down in five." Elena informed him and Louise gave him a small smile.

"Yeah, take your time." Jeremy responded. Elena exhaled. "John wanted me to give you guys these." He handed the girl each a letter. "And this." Jeremy retrieved the magical ring from his pocket and held it out. The two girls looked at each other and when Louise made no sigh to take it, Elena hesitantly took it.

Jeremy's tie was crooked and Louise straightened it mechanically. Then, he took her hand and doesn't let go. The car ride was just as nerve-wracking as the day of her parents funeral. Her knuckles were turning white against the pressure of her clenched fist.

The car stopped at the graveyard and Jeremy helped her from the car. Alaric, Stefan, Damon, Caroline and Bonnie are there. She doesn't let go of Jeremy's hand to go to them. They have enough sense not to come to her. She doesn't want them to.

The air was hot, too hot for spring, and Louise doesn't know if she was breathing or not.

Stefan's hand found the small of Elena's back as he led her and the crowd through the cemetery to the Gilbert's plot. The eldest Gilbert stopped at the Gilbert's family plot and place a rose she had clutched in her hands on each of the plots, the plots that listed her dead guardians. Not bothering to hold in tears, she cried as she placed the roses down then stood. Everyone hung their head in silence as she sniffled and turned around, walking back to her comforting boyfriend. Alaric was next to step forward and placed a rose on his dead girlfriend's grave. He held back his tears, looking down at the grave sadly before walking away.

And although Louise didn't want to, Jeremy nudged her forward. She thought she had cried all she could but when she reach the plot and saw the names on the tombstone, she broke down. Teary-eyed, she sunk to the ground and placed a rose on the plot. Louise look up, she caught someone moving away from the crowd. Damon. They locked eyes before he hung his head ang made a move once again.

"Damon!" Louise found herself calling out.

The sound of her voice made the vampire stop in his tracks and turned on his heels to face her. Louise made her way towards him and he waited in silence until she reached his side, acknowledge her presence with a slight nod of the head. He didn't let their eyes meet, afraid he would see the depth of her grief and unable to stop himself from doing whatever was in his power to fix it. That implied a physical proximity he had lost the right to when he had forced her to drink his blood.

Louise stared at the ground beneath her feet and Damon noticed she shuddered, and he stepped forward before he had even registered his own movement. But then again, he had never been able to help himself when it came to Louise.

He found her eyes. She way trying so hard to appear composed and strong, but he could feel the grief and resignation storming beneath the surface. Her clenched jaw and sad, sad eyes kill him more than his stupid werewolf bit ever would.

The brunette sighed. She wanted to turn if off and stop feeling but she had died, well almost, and he deserved to know the truth. She felt an inexplicable urge to clear the air between them. Losing John and Jenna forced her to be more honest about her life - when she wasn't too busy crumbling under the weight of her grief.

And Damon was such a vital part of her life. He was part of her.

Out of habit she pushed a strand of hair behind her ear while shifting onto her other leg. A tear rolled down her face before she could attempt to fight it. "I- I've lost so many people, and...and- I can't lose you too, Damon. I know things are...complicated, between us. But I- I can't lose you. I just needed you to know that."

Later when she got home, everyone was offering their condolences and skittering around her, as if afraid she'd break but Louise escaped to her bedroom and kicked her shoes off. She opened her window and maneuverer herself onto the roof rather clumsily. It had cooled down considerably now and the sun had gone down. She shivered in the cool air, but did not return to her warm room.

She sat up there and listened as the roar of voices slowly fade, until the house was almost empty and nearly silent. She heard Elena call her name at her door but doesn't respond and eventually she left.

It had been an excruciating long day.

Month.

Year.

As still as death, Louise sat, staring out at Mystic Falls. A heavy weight, grief and despair sat in the centre of her chest and pressed down and still further down until an agonising numbness spread and took her over from the inside out, the outside in.

How her heart was still beating, she didn't know.

And for a moment, she wished it wasn't. For a moment, she wished a rash action fuelled by intense desperation had actually worked. For a moment, she wished she was a vampire.

She wanted to turn it off. To shut out the pain. To not feel this all consuming emptiness, this intense loss. Or the overwhelming emotions battling in the pit of her stomach for ultimate control. To go through the rest of eternity not caring that she was completely and utterly alone.

The way Damon Salvatore had.

But as much as she didn't want to feel. She needed to feel.

She needed to run and scream and rail against everything fate had brought her way. She needed to pound her fits against an unmoveable wall and struggle against the darkness pressing in on her from every side. Most of all, she needed to scratch and claw her way back to life.

After a few more moments to herself on the roof, Louise finally grew tired and decided to head back inside. She climbed back through the window and nearly jumped out her skin with the presence in her room. The numbness folded in on her and the smile faded from her face.

Stefan gave her a sheepish look. "Sorry, I know you said you wanted to be alone, but I..." he trailed off

"It's okay, Stefan." she responded flatly. Silent fell between the bare and the vampire avoided her gaze. She could tell he wanted to tell her something but didn't know how to go about it. The brunette let out a heavy sigh. "Stefan, you're making me nervous. Just say what you have to say. You have that look and I hate that look so just spit it out."

His eyes remained on the floor "Listen, um, the other night...when Damon was helping Caroline and Tyler escape...uh..."

"What's going on?"

After a brief moment of hesitation, Stefan spoke again. "Damon was bitten, Louise." Once the words fell from his mouth, there was no turning back. She blinked at him, incredulous.

"You...you can't be serious." Louise shot up from her bed and headed for the window, stopped halfway through and turned around, raking her fingers nervously through her hair. "It's...it's a joke, right?" she asked with wild hope grasping at something that would bring her world back to normal.

The heating was on but she was trembling all over as if from cold. Not from external one then, she thought absently. She had no reason to doubt Stefan but she couldn't believe it. Her mind refused to accept it as something that she would have to live with from now on.

She was looking helplessly at him, probably willing him to reassure her, to say that he was taking his words back. And he knew he'd give pretty much everything to do that. She was shocked now, maybe as shocked as he was when he found out the truth but he couldn't look her in the face and not tell her. He simply couldn't.

"I am sorry." Stefan said softly. And that was it. The three words that made her realised that of all people in the world he was the one who would never say anything like that as a joke. "He told me not to tell you, but I figured with everything that you two have been through, if you want to talk to him, I wouldn't wait."

"Oh God." It couldn't be happening, it simply couldn't! Her eyes drifted to her dresser with a row of framed photographs on. Her, Elena, Jeremy with their parents, her and Jenna. Stilled moments of normality. It felt somewhat weird to see them now that everything was falling apart around her and there was no way back.

"Louise..." He wished he could find the words to make it easier.

"I just..." she turned to him again. "I - I can't believe it. It's..." Louise fought to find the words that could actually describe what she was feeling and failed. It's far beyond the worst nightmare I could imagine, she finished in her mind.

"I know. It's a lot to take in." Stefan said.

"You think so?" Okay, sarcasm wasn't exactly justified, and she hated herself for the outburst by the second. It wasn't his fault after all. "I'm sorry. You're right, it's a lot." Too much even. "So, where's Damon now?"

A/N:

So the sacrifice is finally over and Louise knows about Damon's werewolf bite.

Thought?