"What do you usually do during the day?"
"My family owns a logging business, my father usually keeps the books, Stefan entertains Katherine. I, surrounded myself in the company of other women and sometimes entertained Katherine too. But before I was discharged from the army, I helped my father, but since I have returned, he has been disillusioned. He raves that the town is full of vampires, though I only know of Katherine so that cannot be true."
"Damon, there are some things you should know," I sit up, he slides his fingers into mine and his thumb traces small circles against my hand while his blue eyes gaze up at me curiously.
"My coming here has obviously altered things. However, you fell in love with Katherine. She used you and Stefan to have somewhere to live. She would feed on you. Once you found out that she was a vampire it freaked you out, so she compelled you. And she kept compelling Stefan and you. One day your father laced your drinks with Vervain and she tried drinking from Stefan. She outed herself. So Johnathan Gilbert invented a compass that led him to all the vampires in town. They were all captured. Put into a tomb to desicate. Then your father shot and killed you and Stefan. But because of Katherine's blood, you two came back as vampires. Stefan killed your father and drank his blood, completing his transition. You however, didn't want to be turned, but Stefan forced blood into your mouth so he wouldn't be alone for an entire eternity. Witches used special magic to keep the vampires in the tomb. 145 years later, and with the help of my friends, you got back in the tomb to find Katherine was never there. For 145 years you waited for her and the whole time she didn't care. She ran off. You and Stefan died trying to free Katherine from her captors, when the whole time, she didn't want to be saved because she had a plan to get away. She gave the Lockwoods the moonstone. And in return they promised to help her. When Katherine did eventually return, she came back for Stefan, and rubbed it in your face. That night you appeared in my room, you tried to kiss me but I shoved you off of me. I told you-"
Damon's eyes began to roll back and he was grabbing his head again. He grimaced in pain.
"You told me, it was Stefan, it was always going to be Stefan. And then I, I, I killed Jeremy."
His eyes blink and he's back to me.
"Elena, I'm remembering my life with you, but, how could you love me after that? After I killed your own brother?"
"You saved me. Again. And again. And again. No matter how many times I hurt you, you were always there. It took me time to get over it, but I saw you sincerely try to be more in touch with your humanity and eventually, you didn't need to try anymore. Sometimes you were more human than the rest of us."
He doesn't say anything. He just nods his head. This is the first time he remembers anything he's ever done that caused harm to another person. I know he hates himself now. Maybe being a vampire wasn't what made him the way he was, maybe it was the constant guilt of the things he did.
"Come on Elena, it is time we get ready for the day."
After getting dressed and ready for the day, Damon hands me some money and instructs me to go into town and get a dress for the ball. I do a bit of window shopping and I decide that royal blue is definitely the only color that really suits me and 1864 has a shortage of other colors. I find a blue dress that is stunning.
"You should get the dress," a blonde stranger says to me.
When I get a closer look at her, she looks and sounds just like Caroline. Hearing her voice almost makes me homesick.
"I think I will, thank you. I'm Elena. Elena Pierce."
"Margaret Forbes, will you be wearing it to the Founder's Ball?"
"I will actually, will I see you there?" I can't help but stare at her. The resemblance is uncanny.
"You will. What do you think of that red dress Elena? Do you think it suits me?"
"I think so, I think you should get it. Sorry, Margaret, you really remind me of an old friend."
"Well in that case, call me Meg, all my close friends do. I look forward to seeing you at the ball Elena."
I get the dress and shop around a bit. I decide to buy Damon a bottle of bourbon. I have no idea what Damon likes in the way of food, much less food in 1864. It's the best I can do.