Chapter 1

She had been in the dark and the cold for far too long. She could feel the cool air cutting across her cheek, only adding to her endless discomfort. She was vaguely aware of voices surrounding her, but she couldn't picture a face to match them. She felt strong arms lift her up, and she felt as though she were floating on a cloud of nothingness. The heat radiating from their body gave her somewhat a little comfort.

She tried to open her eyes, but the effort was too much, so she kept them closed for now. The voices were becoming clearer, and Elena could sense a consistent feeling of pain and sadness within them. The blaring sound of sirens caused her stomach to clench impossibly tighter. She was trapped in an oblivion of darkness, and no matter how hard she tried to claw her way to the surface, her efforts were wasted.

A bit later, Elena couldn't be sure how long, she heard metal doors creaking open, and she was suddenly aware of the cool steel surface beneath her fingertips, cold and unwelcoming. She focused the little energy she had to her eyes, willing for them to open and allow her to face the unknown. Cold dread gripped at every nerve, but Elena did her best to ignore it. She could hear footsteps pacing alongside her, and the faint sound of leaves rustling and birds chirping could be heard from outside.

She didn't know how she knew, but she could sense Stefan's presence in the room. She could feel him; his pain and overwhelming sadness was too much for Elena to handle. With great effort, she opened her eyes.

Her vision was clouded, and her head pounded furiously. She pushed herself up on one elbow, squinting in attempt to shelter her eyes from the blinding light streaming through the open door. Her eyes scanned the room aimlessly for any sign of danger. When everything seemed calm, she visibly relaxed. Darkness was already beginning to evade her vision, but Elena blinked desperately to push it away.

"Elena..."

The voice was filled with so much pain that Elena had to fight the urge to flinch away. The sudden shift of cold air around her told her that someone was standing beside her. She turned her head slowly, carefully, to meet their gaze.

His startlingly blue eyes were frozen and wide, yet Elena could see a hint of vulnerability behind them. "Elena?" His voice was barely above a whisper.

"Damon?" she croaked, a tinge of uncertainty in her tone.

Damon nodded slowly. "You're going to be okay, Elena. Just let go of the table, and we'll help you."

She looked down, frowning. Her fingers were clutching the edge of the table in a vice-like grip, her knuckles whitening as the skin stretched impossibly tighter. She tried to regulate her breathing, but it seemed unnatural, somehow. Her breaths came out in short, desperate gasps, and her hands rushed to her throat instinctively. "I - I can't breathe!" Panic filled her voice, yet however many breaths she took, she couldn't shake the feeling that something was terribly wrong.

Stefan stepped from the shadows, his eyes red-rimmed, yet dry. Why had he been crying?

"You're in transition, Elena." His voice cracked when he said her name. "You - you're going to be okay."

"OKAY? How are things going to be okay? I'm dead, Stefan!" The words were out of Elena's mouth before she could stop them. She threw her legs off the side of the table and pushed herself to her feet. Her legs trembled beneath her from the sudden force, and she felt a hand snake around her waist, holding her upright.

"I don't want this," she mumbled, more to herself than anybody else, "I never wanted this. I was supposed to grow old, have children, and live my life. I should have died tonight, I was ready to die!"

She felt Stefan stiffen, his arm tensing momentarily against her.

Damon snorted. "Well, you can thank my dear brother for that, Elena." Elena could sense venom in his voice. "It's Stefan's fault that you died."

Stefan shook his head. "Not now, Damon," he warned. Elena noticed that the veins beneath his eyes were growing more pronounced as his temper flared. "She told me to save Matt first!"

Damon nostrils flared, and his hands clenched into fists at his sides. "That's the difference between you and I, Stefan. I will always put Elena first, whether she wants me to or not. I don't care if she hates me, I will always do what's best for her!"

Elena's head snapped up suddenly. "Stop it, both of you!" Her voice was sharper than she'd intended. She took a deep breath to calm her nerves. She could feel a lump forming in her throat. "I've made my decision."

Damon's eyes narrowed. "What are you talking about."

Elena cleared her throat and stuck out her chin defiantly. "I'm not going to complete the transition."