"Hey," Damon answers her over the phone the next morning, around eleven.
"Hey," she retorts from within her bedroom, on her bed, sounding tired.
She was. She was very tired.
"How are you feeling?" Damon asks after picking up the tone, seated in an armchair in his room.
"I'm okay," she gives, despite her voice indicating otherwise. "How's Stefan?" she asked. Damon glances at his closed bedroom door.
"All well and broody," he said sarcastically. Emily smiles.
"Good…" she flashbacked to the night before, and how Damon was the whole time. "You were really worried about him," she said, feeling her heart jump. Despite having wanted to somehow reassure him the whole time, she was also content with how much he cared for his brother, how scared he was…It made him seem so…human.
Damon scrunches his face at her words, refusing to be dubbed caring or emotional, something ironic. "Not worried, just pissed he made me go through all that trouble to save his ass," he retorted. Emily smirks knowingly.
"You can't fool me, Damon. When it comes to our younger siblings, we're always willing to kick ass for them." Damon rolls his eyes at that.
"Why don't you cut to the chase, Em,
and tell me why you're really calling?" he said.
Emily's expression falls.
Why she was really calling…
All night. All. Night.
She couldn't stop thinking.
She remembered the horrid moment,
she thought she was gone. And the moments after it, and the moments before it…
She remembered a sharp, hissing pain when Fredrick shoved the tree branch into her side. She remembered the shock she felt at the inevitability of losing strength, her body growing heavy, her knees weakening, her footing betraying her,
and it was as if she was staring death itself in the face as Fredrick glared menacingly at her, in a form of victory.
Then she remembered the shock on his own face, when Elena injected him with vervain, before pure rage consumed his features. He mercilessly ripped the branch out of Emily's side, causing her to scream, and fall.
That wasn't the worst part…
Before he succumbed to the paralyzing herb,
he turned, and stalked to Elena.
It was the shortest, and longest few seconds Emily had ever experienced.
The true horror lied in the fact that she couldn't will her body to move as needed, as she crawled to keep him from harming her sister.
It was, without a doubt, the worst thing she'd ever felt.
…She never wanted to feel it again…
"…Guess I can't fool you either," she lowly said. Damon smiled in a sense of disappointment.
She couldn't fool him, because he already knew. So did Stefan. The former was more certain,
her mind was made up.
And it honestly
scared him.
No, being a vampire was not a blessing. It was a burden.
But it also meant power, the power she thought, and so did he, was what she needed to protect herself, and those she loved.
The thought of bestowing that heavy burden upon her, scared him as much as the panic he felt
at the thought of losing her…
Yes, she was fine, but what if…
He didn't even want to consider it,
and just as her, was determined to never ask that if again.
"Nope," he retorted. Considering the fact that he wasn't chastising her right now, she assumed he was willing to listen, not that she doubted he would before.
They needed to talk, some place…alone…
"…Is Stefan home?" she asked. Damon understands why she's asking. Yes, he was.
"I'll come pick you up, we'll find somewhere to go."
XXX
Emily tells Jenna she's headed to college, exits the house, and joins Damon in his car, as he was waiting outside. They ponder where to go, and Emily immediately suggests the motel, something Damon finds odd. She explains that a motel room was the only place she could think of where they could freely talk, and with the fact that vampire roamed town, and ears were everywhere, Damon agreed.
The car-ride is somewhat tense. Second thoughts were poking at both of them, and neither wanted to half-start the conversation in the car, so they said nothing, till they arrived at the motel.
"Damon, I was gonna pay! This was my idea!" Emily complained upon entering the room and Damon shuts the door.
"Come on, Emily. You've known me long enough to know it doesn't work that way with me," he nonchalantly retorted. Emily raises a brow at the statement. Cause he was such a standup guy to never let a lady pay?
"Oh really?" she mused as he made his way to the double bed and sat.
"Get over yourself," he said, leaning his back against the headboard and putting his feet up. "So, why'd you drag me into a motel room, huh? Wanted to get me alone," he smirks flirtatiously, using humor to break the ice. She rolls her eyes at the last statement, and heads to sit opposite him on the side of the bed, her expression growing serious.
"You know why…" she quietly uttered, caressing the heavy white blanket of the bed in absence. Damon's expression hardens as well.
Yeah, he knew why.
He'd thought about this a lot. Not more than herself, but still.
He'd thought about convincing her not to go through it, but greatly doubted that would work. He thought about flat-out rejecting her request,
but what if her life was in danger again,
what if this time, he isn't able to reach her in time, and lives the rest of his ridiculously long life regretting his rejection?
Then he thought about actually saying yes, and the plan they would have to follow, to go through with the far-from-easy process.
He leans forward to gain her full attention. "If we do this, you'll have to stay with me and Stef for a while. Your aunt won't like that," he starts.
"You'll compel her," Emily replied. Damon is taken aback by her quick answer. "And Jeremy," she continued. "I'll talk to Elena…after…it's done."
"…You really thought this through, huh?" he smirks in minor sarcasm. Emily's expression remains still, and plain.
She thought it through?
You think?!
"…Do you know, that feeling you felt, when you couldn't get into that house, couldn't get to Stefan," she started. Damon's expression hardens in discomfort. She wasn't trying to displease him, but she had to make her point clear. "That's exactly how I felt, when I thought I was gonna die." Hearing that said out-loud makes him all the more disturbed, and he quickly negates it.
"But you didn't," he pointed out.
"But I could've, if that vampire would have just aimed at the right place." Damon looks away, not wanting to hear this. He didn't like to ponder bad outcomes. What good came of that? "What scared me more than losing my life, was the horror I saw in Elena's eyes," she said, trying to recapture his gaze, needing him to understand. He faces her reluctantly. "…The idea…that I was abandoning her, and Jeremy…And if I wasn't there…it could've been her, and I can't…I can't let that happen, Damon." Damon is sick of the persistent mention of her siblings for one simple reason. "And I know you get that, so please. I'm done being talked out of this. By you. By Stefan-" Damon cuts her off by lunging forward and speaking firmly:
"No, you need to put your siblings aside, and just…think about yourself for a minute…Think about…how this is going to affect you." Emily looks away, sighing.
"Damon-"
"No, see, cause this is your life you're turning upside down, not theirs. It's you…You have no idea-"
"I know exactly how hard this is going to be, Damon. You think I haven't thought about the bloodlust, the hurting someone, the hurting my family, the killing?!" Damon is slightly taken aback by her outburst, more so by her list-down of every horrible thing that defines a vampire. "I am doing this for one clear reason, and since being a vampire doesn't make me mindless! I will do everything in my power, take every precaution, to make sure that none of that happens! And I am trusting you…" her tone grows softer, "to do whatever you need to, to control me, when I need controlling. Because, I know for a fact that you're up for that…The question is…are you willing to?"
…
XXX
Putting together a well-thought plan, and needing to do this as soon as possible, considering the fact that the tomb vampires were still very much a threat to everyone in Mystic Falls, Emily and Damon go to her house, after determining the whereabouts of its members.
Asking Jenna on the phone, she states that Elena went to Stefan's and that she was still at home, and so was Jeremy.
Good, because they were the first step.
Putting her guilt for playing them aside and convincing herself it was for their own good, Emily removed their vervain accessories, and had Damon compel them one after the other.
He tells them to be okay with Emily spending a few days at his, and that they were close friends, as an excuse to tell those who may ask. He also tells them that if they see her drinking what looks like blood, they should know its pomegranate juice, and they don't like the kind she drinks. This surprises Emily, but he explains it is a smart way for her to feed without them asking questions, and that he hopes she can convince Elena, or he is always willing to compel her too, something Emily assures him she will handle herself after it is done.
"Yeah? Why after? Cause you know she isn't gonna like this?" he asks, sitting on her wheeled desk chair as she packed a bag for him to take to his house, where he said he'd have a room prepared for her.
"Damon. Remember how she reacted when she found out you turned her birth mom?" she asks in indication as she paced from one side of the room to the next, checking a notepad on her bedside table every time she was done with something.
"Oh, yeah," he hisses, then smirks. "That wasn't fun…So you're not really giving anyone a chance to talk you out of this, huh?"
"She won't understand. Besides. I let Stefan try. I let you," she glances at him pointedly as she folded another shirt, the idea of temporarily 'moving' too surreal for her to take into full mental consideration.
"Right…" Damon acknowledges.
A thought then pops into his mind as she packs. "You might wanna think about making the most out of today with them. You're not gonna see them for a while, and until Bonbon comes back to cook up that daylight ring, it'll be creepy night visits supervised by myself, or Stefan," he muses. Emily process carefully his words.
"I told you, Bonnie's coming back tomorrow. And…" she pauses, facing him. He gives her a knowing look. "…You're right…" she then resumes, trying not to dwell on the topic. "When I'm done with packing, I'll call Elena, and we'll make it a day."
Then she sighs, unable not to think about it.
Damon notes her sudden discomfort. "…Getting second thoughts?" he asks.
"No, just…Like I said: it's not a piece of cake situation." Despite still uncertain himself, he admired her persistence and will to keep it together.
"Well, look on the bright side. You get to live with me," he said in an attempt to lighten her mood, tone flirty. Emily gave him a look.
"That's actually one of the things I'm worried about," she smirked. Damon feigned a disbelieving expression.
"Now, why is that? I am perfectly polite," he noted sarcastically, causing her to laugh in much needed amusement.
XXX
"Hello," Damon greets nonchalantly, entering his house later that day with a cooler in hand, headed to the basement. Stefan immediately assumes it is filled with blood bags, and pays it no mind as he, in the living room, on his couch, re-averts his attention to Elena beside him.
Only several minutes later, Elena is called by Emily, and told to come home, so that they may spend a 'family night' together, 'just them.' Hearing so, Elena is a bit confused, and mentions to Stefan that she's worried that Emily hadn't entirely processed, nor talked, about what had happened to her the night before.
Damon, who heard the whole thing, exits the basement smirking, as he headed to the stairs for his bedroom. This, Stefan notices, as he tells Elena that he was sure Emily was fine, and to go have fun.
Shortly after she leaves, Stefan goes to find Damon upstairs.
"May I help you?" Damon asks, sitting near an old trunk box behind his bed.
"What are you doing?" Stefan retorts curiously, approaching him. Damon closes the box and rises.
"Rearranging stuff," he replied, clapping his hands from dust. "What do you want?"
"Did you talk to Emily?" he asks.
"Why?" Damon shot back as he poured himself a drink.
"I'm worried about her," Damon, who had his back to Stefan, scowls in surprising irritation at that. "Elena said she hasn't said much about what happened, and you and I both know what's been on her mind lately."
"She's perfectly fine," Damon nonchalantly replied, turning to face Stefan as he sipped from the glass.
"Yeah? So she hasn't mentioned anything to you?"
"Yeah, I think she said something about you being a very nosy, irritating person," Damon smirks in sarcasm, leaving the room as Stefan rolled his eyes.
"I'm serious, Damon," he said, following after him.
"So am I."
"Damon, you need to make sure she doesn't take this seriously, cause it's not an option," Stefan explained as Damon sighed tiredly, descending the stairs. "It's not a solution to what she's afraid of."
"Are you done?" Damon is on his way to the living room, when Stefan blocks his path.
"Damon, this isn't something you can keep dodging," he says seriously, ignoring the look of extreme irritation in Damon's eyes. "She needs to hear it from you." Damon purses his lips irritably. He could see why Emily wanted to do this before she told either of Stefan and Elena. Unable to find a fitting lie or excuse, Damon simply pushes past him.
XXX
Emily spends the whole day with Jenna, Jeremy, and Elena, making diner, watching movies, and playing board games. The gathering was something they all found they really needed, and were grateful for Emily's suggestion, except Elena, who falsely tied Emily's comfort-needing attitude to the fact that she almost died the night before. She decides not to mention this, and to encourage their fun and laughter for Emily's sake.
At the end of the night, when everyone resides to bed, and Emily shuts the door upon herself, the situation seems to really set in, and she has to assure herself several times that this was not a goodbye.
She takes a short nap, barely, and when her alarm buzzes around two am, she makes sure everyone's asleep before she texts Damon to pick her up.
He arrives at her window, and puts on her backpack instead of herself. Then they climb onto the roof, so as not to accidently awaken anyone using the front door.
The air is cool, and the streets are eerily quiet. Damon balances her as she attempts to stand on the roof-tiles outside her window. "I want you to put your arms around my neck," he instructs. She complies. "And close your eyes."
For a very short moment, she feels warm, and peaceful, as he brought his arms around her, and held her firmly,
then she felt a very strong rush of air, causing her to squeeze her eyes further shut, and tighten her grip on him as her stomach violently flipped.
Then it stopped.
She opened her eyes warily, to find she is looking at her house from the outside. Damon slowly pulls away, but still keeps a hold on her, knowing her balance was a bit off due to the unnatural speed. "Wow," she utters, attempting to process what had happened.
"Yeah? Just think, by tomorrow, you'll be able to do it too," Damon winks at her.
She takes what he'd said into consideration, and can't help the light smirk at the thought. Yet, when they're driving down the road to his house, she begins to grow anxious, and wary. 'Oh my god, I'm really doing this.'
The whole ride is a struggle to pull it together, and an attempt to ignore the pit growing in her stomach.
She was scared.
They arrive at the boarding house, and Damon flies her up into the window in his room that he left open.
Once inside…they face each other…
It was time…
XXXXX
