A/N: Just to clear some things up, the last chapter was the first episode of season 2. I'll try and keep this as organized as possible, I know the last chapter a lot happened and it was pretty chaotic but I wanted to show the layers to Damon and Ella's relationship. Them having a spur-of-the-moment kiss is not as random as it seems because they have been best friends for a year, but I will try and build more of their relationship during this story. Also, this is kind of slow-burn so if you don't like that I suggest not reading 3 -Ella
Ella signed her name on the form and then picked up the bag of food from the grill. She proceeded to Caroline's room and knocked gently on the door before entering. "Come in!" A voice exclaimed from the other side of the door. Ella twisted in the knob and entered the room. To her surprise, the room was quite depressing. The curtains were drawn causing the room to look dark and gloomy which was very unlike Caroline.
"Your mom said you haven't eaten anything," Ella said, sitting down on the hospital bed. "It's gross." Caroline countered. "It's hospital food; it's supposed to be gross ─ which is why I brought this." Ella motioned towards the bag of food and set it in front of her on the bed. Ella moved closer to the blonde hoping to give her a hug and Caroline moves closer but stops once a ray of sunlight comes between them.
Ella cleared her throat awkwardly then started. "Your mom said you're getting released tomorrow morning." Ella smiled. "Morning? I need to get out tonight." Caroline said frantically. Ella tilted her head at Caroline's words, "No, the carnival is going to happen without you, Caroline. I know it's hard for the control freak side of you to process but Bonnie and Elena have it covered." Ella joked with her friend.
Caroline scrunched up her nose. "I'm not a control freak." The blonde said stubbornly.
"Maybe not but you are stubborn." Ella giggled. A small smile appeared on Caroline's face and she allowed herself to laugh with her friend. "I've missed this." Caroline gushed. Ella nodded. "I have too." she smiled. "Look, it's not about the carnival okay? It's just that this place is just really depressing." Caroline said with a softer tone, starting up the conversation again. Ella sighed. "Okay, If I agree to sneak you out of here tonight will you promise me that you'll take all the medication the doctor prescribed you?" Ella said.
Caroline clapped her hands together excitedly and smiled. "Yes. I promise."
"And you'll come with me to the carnival," Ella added with a smile. Caroline bobbed her head excitedly causing both girls to laugh. "Alright, I'm going to get ready. You distract the nurse and work your gilbert charm." Caroline said, pulling the sheets from over herself and walking to a corner of the room.
After using the bathroom, Ella returns to Caroline's room although she is nowhere to be seen.
"Care?" Ella called out. Ella focused her hearing and entered a room adjacent to Caroline's. A blonde head was digging into a nurse's neck. Ella gasped. Caroline turned around quickly and let go of the nurse. Blood dripped from Caroline's mouth and fangs were extended out of her gums. Her normally blue eyes were dark red and veins appeared under them.
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Ella and Caroline were sat on a hospital bed, Caroline had been changed out of her hospital gown and Ella was wiping blood off her face while the nurse sat dazed on the other side of the room. Tears fell from the blonde's eyes. "And she came in, and she said her name was Katherine but she looked and sounded just like you and Elena. Then she put a pillow over my face and killed me." Caroline sobbed.
Ella's eyes were clouded with guilt. "I'm so sorry she did this to you. This is all my fault, I antagonized her." Ella patted the last spec of blood away from Caroline's mouth. She dropped the blood-stained rag into the wastebasket and took Caroline's hands in hers.
"Lucky for you Caroline Forbes; you're strong. You can handle being a vampire, I know you can." Ella encouraged her. Caroline's tears dried and were replaced by a weak smile on her face. "Really?" Caroline said. "Really," Ella stated. "Tell me though, how'd you know how to compel the nurse? And how to become a vampire?" Ella asked.
"I'm having these memories coming back, of Damon. We were kissing and he bit me and he was explaining everything about vampires to me. I knew he was one but he made me forget. And the cellar and the necklace-" Caroline rambled.
"Wait- You guys were a thing? When was this?" Ella asked. Caroline tilted her head at the brunette's words. "That's not the point, Ella."
"Your right, the important thing is your alive. And being a vampire doesn't have to suck. It can be a gift or a curse, but that's up to you." Ella said. "Tell me more," Caroline urged.
"Well, as you know there is the thirst, the constant need to feed, the heightened emotions, but you can control all of that. Whenever you feel like feeding I want you to take a deep breath and just breathe. Clear your head of whatever that dark part of you is telling you to do and just know that you are in control, no one can boss you around, no one can force you to do anything you don't want to do." Ella said. She glanced behind Caroline towards the nurse.
"Now, I want you to go up to her, and heal her," Ella said. "But what if I hurt her?!" The blonde asked frantically. "You won't. Not if you don't want to; Remember, you are in control." Ella reminded her. Caroline nodded and as she walked over to the nurse she muttered to herself 'you are in control' Caroline stood in front of the nurse, veins threatened to appear under her eyes as she got a whiff of blood but she looked at Ella and began to take deep breaths. The veins disappeared and Caroline bit into her wrist and pressed it up to the woman's mouth. The wound on the woman's neck disappeared and Caroline smiled with pride. Caroline looked deep into the women's eyes. "You will not remember anything that just happened, I was fine and my friend came by to check me out. That's all you remember."
"That's all I remember." The woman repeated with a dazed expression on her face. Caroline strutted back over to Ella with excitement in her eyes. "I did it! I healed her and made her forget and I didn't hurt her." Caroline beamed. Ella grinned. "I'm proud of you. I knew you were strong." The girls embraced and began to pack up their things as Ella's phone rang.
Ella recognized the caller I.D and pressed answer. "Hello?"
"Ella, hey. You were supposed to be here thirty minutes ago where are you?" The voice on the other end questioned, it belonged to Elena Gilbert.
Ella glanced towards Caroline who just shrugged. "I was just picking up Caroline. Her mom checked her out and I was gonna drive her to the carnival. I'll be there soon." Ella lied.
"Okay, I'll see you soon," Elena spoke into the phone. Ella and Elena shared goodbyes and then hung up with each other. Ella placed her phone back into her bag and turned to Caroline who was re-applying a new coat of lipgloss. "Ready?" Ella asked. "Ready," Caroline repeated.
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Ella and Caroline arrived at the carnival, Caroline went off with Matt while Ella spotted Bonnie and Elena. Ella met up with Bonnie and Elena and started up a conversation. " The ring toss is out of Bart and Homer dolls and Team Jacob T's," Bonnie said, filling in the girls on what they missed. All four girls were on the committee together and they loved it. "Okay, I can grab some from the science club. Also, we lost a speaker in the karaoke room." Elena said. "I got that covered," Ella responded, gesturing towards a truck with boxes of speakers on the back. "Hey, all good guys take a beat, look around. This is a huge success." Bonnie added.
"You mean I can do more than just worry all the time?" Elena joked. The girls laughed and Elena directs her attention towards a man fixing one of the stands.
"Hey, Carter, right? You're with the carnival." Elena asked with a smile on her face.
"That'll be me," Carter responded kindly. "Okay, great," Elena added. Carter glanced towards Bonnie and looked at her with astonishment. "Wow, what do you need beautiful?" He complimented her, causing her to blush.
"What do you know about karaoke speakers?" Bonnie asked. "Why don't you show me the problem." He flirted. Ella motioned encouragingly with her eyes. "Yeah Bonnie, show him the problem." Bonnie smiled. "Okay, come on." Carter and Bonnie walk off and Ella and Elena begin a conversation of their own.
"Not to be nosy but where were you last night? I was worried you were with Damon." Elena sighed, crossing her arms over her chest. "I was," Ella admitted. Elena dropped her arms and looked Ella in the eye sternly. "I was going to confront him about why you called me so upset and then he kissed me and said that something happened with Jeremy and-" Ella rambled as Elena's face was washed over with shock. "He kissed you?!" Ella shut her eyes tight, she didn't mean to say that part. "Yes, but he was drunk, he wasn't himself and he probably doesn't even remember it." Ella defended him.
"Ella, whatever he said happened with Jeremy is a lie. What actually happened is way worst." Elena stated. "Okay then, tell me, what did happen?" Ella said with an undertone of anger. She knew Damon was in the wrong yet she couldn't help but defend him.
Elena stayed silent just as Ella knew she would. "Yeah, that's what I thought." Ella walked off despite Elena's protests. Ella looked back to ensure her sister didn't follow her, she turned her head back and slammed into a hard chest. "We've got to stop meeting like this." The man said sarcastically. Ella looked up and met eyes with the icy-blue ones she saw last night. "Damon." She sighed. "Ella." He retorted, mimicking her. "Excuse me," She attempted to walk past him but he used he sped in front of her in a blur. "Not so fast. You said you needed time to think. What did you need to think about?" Damon asked. "Everything," Ella said, shaking her head.
"You just killed my brother yet somehow I just defended you to my sister, that's what I need to think about Damon. I need to think about the fact that Katherine has somehow managed to get under your skin, I need to think about how Elena is lying to me, and most importantly I need to think about us." Ella stated.
"Must've felt nice to get that off your chest huh?" Damon said, desperately trying to lighten the mood. "Move out of my way Damon," Ella demanded. "Or what?" An arrogant smirk formed on his face. Ella looked around to ensure no one was looking, once she was sure, Ella pushed him against a wall at vampire speed and hissed. "That stopped scaring me the first time you did it." Damon whispered in her ear. Butterflies swarmed through Ella's stomach as their noses brushed. She removed the hand holding him down and began to walk away. Damon followed and they walked side by side through the courtyard.
"Why are you so worked up? Other than our obvious sexual tension." Damon smirked. Ella rolled her eyes but decided to open up to him. "It's Caroline. She's changed, in a supernatural way." Damon stopped in his tracks and he and Ella shared a knowing look. "Oh, you've got to be kidding me." Damon groaned. "It was Katherine, Caroline said she had a message for you and Stefan," Ella stated. Damon quirked a brow, signaling for her to continue. "She said Game On." Ella said worriedly.
"You need to find Elena and have her meet me in Alaric's classroom," Damon said. "Who's Alaric?- And I can't, she doesn't know I know about vampires." Ella responded. "Maybe it's time for her too. Just tell her and Stefan to meet in Alaric's classroom, your coming, she's gonna want to hear this from you." Damon retorted.
Ella nodded and they both separated. Damon headed for the school and Ella headed towards Stefan and Elena.
"Elena. Stefan." Ella said with an urgent tone. Elena turned her head to look at her sister and knitted her brows together in confusion, "El, what's wrong?"
"Look, I know he's the last person you want to talk to right now but Damon said for you, me, and Stefan to meet him in Alaric's classroom." Ella urged. Elena put up a hand of confusion. "I understand me and Stefan but, you? " Elena shook her head with a confused look on her face. Ella glanced towards Stefan and he looked back. Elena saw this exchange. "Stefan, what's going on? What are you not telling me?" Elena questioned. Ella looked at Stefan once more and he gave her a knowing nod. "Elena, I have something I need to tell you." Ella sighed. Elena nodded as a signal for her to continue. Ella extended her fangs and her eyes turned a blood red. Elena backed away in surprise. "Oh my god! Who did this to you?!" Elena moved forward and grabbed Ella's face. Her fangs retracted back into her gums and her eyes returned to their normal brown color. "Damon. But I asked him too, Elena. There's a lot you don't know about my time at Whitmore." Ella said.
Elena's mouth gaped open slightly in surprise. "Look, we can finish this conversation but for right now we need to get to Alaric's classroom." Ella gave her sister a serious look. "Okay." Elena agreed. The trio made their way over to the school and met Damon in Alaric's classroom just as planned. Elena and Ella sat at the desks while Stefan leaned on a window sill, Damon was pacing back and forth with his arms crossed over his chest.
"How did this happen?" Stefan questioned. "Well, I fed her blood and Katherine obviously killed her and A plus B equals.." Damon trailed off and Ella interjected, "Vampire." Elena shook her head in confusion. "But why?" Ella glanced down shamefully. "Because I antagonized her, but what was I supposed to do? She was going to kill Bonnie." Damon interjected, "No, it's because Katherine is a manipulative, nasty, little slut." Damon's eyes were filled with rage just at the mention of her name.
"And she said ''game on'' I mean, what does that even mean?" Stefan pondered. "It means she's armed and dangerous. Katherine is playing dirty and she isn't taking any chances." Ella rubbed her temples, her head swarming with thoughts. "But why Caroline?" Elena asked. "I don't know." Damon sighed. "Caroline must be completely out of her mind, she doesn't even know what's happening to her," Stefan said. "Oh, she does. I caught her feeding on a nurse at the hospital earlier. I stepped in and explained everything to her. She has It under control." Ella said. Elena looked towards Ella, "That's why you were late earlier." Elena put it together.
Ella nodded and Elena sighed. "We have to find her," Stefan said, wanting to take action. "Yep. And kill her." Damon interjected. Ella scoffed and glanced up at him. "You're not going to lay a finger on Caroline, she can be trusted," Ella demanded. "She knows who we are. She's officially a liability, and we've got to get rid of her." Damon retorted. Ella sped up to Damon in a blur and stared him down straight in the eye. "Absolutely not," Stefan added. Ella continued to stare Damon down until Elena grabbed her arm, calming her down. "Need I remind you of a tragic little story of a girl named Vicki Donovan? Caroline, of all people, will not make it as a vampire. Her mother is a vampire hunter. Guys come on, we all know how this story's gonna end, just flip to the last chapter and.." Damon added.
"It's not an option Damon." Elena stated firmly.
"No? Your silence is deafening, Stefan. Wait, wasn't there a school carnival the night you staked Vicki? I never had a town where history repeats itself. You know I'm right." Damon crossed his arms over his chest. "We're not gonna kill her," Stefan says. Stefan and Elena leave the room leaving just Ella and Damon alone.
"You're not going to kill Caroline," Ella said, sure of herself. "Oh yeah, why's that?" Damon cocked his head to the side. "Because if you do you'll lose me forever," Ella said before exiting the room. Damon stared at the place she once stood, those words had more of an effect on him than Ella could ever imagine. Damon chases after her in the hall. "Fine, but whatever happens is on you," Damon said. Ella stopped in her tracks and nodded, then kept moving.
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Ella walked down the sidewalk happily and placed a piece of cotton candy in her mouth. She dropped the candy to the ground when her heightened hearing picked up on the sound of Damon screaming. She vampire sped over to the root of the sound and saw Damon curled on the floor lit on fire, Bonnie causing it. Ella screamed and began to burst into tears. "Bonnie. Stop!" She shouted. Ella jumped over the line of fire and patted Damon down with her jacket. Elena shook Bonnie frantically and she finally burst out of the trance she was in. "Why...Why did you stop me?!" Bonnie spat. "This is all his fault." She shook her head. Tears overflowed Ella's eyes as she kneeled beside Damon on the floor. "No! It wasn't his fault, you were the one who convinced him to give her blood in the first place!" Ella snapped at the witch. Bonnie looked to the side guiltily, knowing she was right. Ella helped Damon up and they began to walk away, the gilbert girl turned her head and shook it at Bonnie with a look of disappointment in her eyes.
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Later that evening, Ella awoke to the feeling of someone stroking her cheek. She opened her eyes and saw Damon sitting in front of her. "What are you doing?" She smiled softly at the feeling of his skin on hers. "Thanking you, you saved my life, Ella." He said softly. "And don't you forget it." She added before falling back into a deep sleep. He smirked and planted a gentle kiss on her forehead, before disappearing into the night.
A/N: Decided to end on a Della moment, thought it'd be cute. I always thought it was stupid for Bonnie to blame Damon for caroline when she was the reason he fed her blood in the first place. Glad I pointed it out in here. I hope you guys enjoyed it, I'll upload the next chapter tomorrow! - Ella 3