This can't be happening

Chapter 3

Damon's POV

"The truth," Elena said

"Okay, I'm sorry." I pulled her closer to me and she rested her head on my shoulder, falling asleep. So much has happened to her in such a short amount of time. I don't know how she doesn't go crazy. But, I guess that's just one of the things about her that made me fall in love with her...even though I shouldn't have. History cannot repeat itself; not when it involves Elena. I can't and I won't let her get hurt. I won't let her be like Katherine...I can't. I was pulled out of my thoughts when Elena started to wake up.

"Hey, sleepy head. Did you sleep well?"

"Uh, yeah. Sorry I fell asleep on you." She moved her head off my shoulder.

"It's fine."

"Damon, do you think Stefan will ever come back? I know I said that I was going to move on and get over him; I plan on doing just that, but I want to know what you think." I hate that I'm going to have to tell her he isn't.

"No, I don't think he will. And if he does, he won't be the Stefan you know. He will be 'the ripper,' and you don't want to meet him," I told her honestly.

"Damon this is going to sound stupid, but why do they call him 'the ripper?'" she asked me. Here it goes.

"They call him that because he bites his victim so hard that he would go all the way through their skin and tear their head off. Then, he would put their body back together."

"That is absolutely horrible! Did he used to be this bad?" she asked

"No, he used to be worse," I told her. She didn't say anything. She just stared at the TV, but I could tell this was killing her inside.

"I'm sorry. I just didn't want to lie to you."

"No, it's okay. I needed to know. It doesn't make it easy to hear, but it will get easier." she paused for a moment to take a deep breath then she continued.

"It's just sometimes I wish I could forget, but then I remember that don't really want to forget."

"Why?" I asked her.

"If I forget, then I wouldn't remember you or Stefan."

"But why would you want to remember all of this...including me and Stefan?"

"Well, I think it's because I'm in love with both of you." She stood up.

"Wait, Elena, do you really mean that?"

"Yes," was all she said.

"You shouldn't, you can't. History cannot repeat itself. I can't let that happen to you, I love you too much."

"I'm not Katherine, Damon, and I never will be. History won't repeat itself just because I love you both," she explained.

"But you're with Stefan, and I can't take you away from him," I tried to reasoned.

"He's not here. He's not coming back, and even if he did, he wouldn't be the Stefan that I fell in love with."

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying I'm not his anymore." I searched her face and I could see that she was being sincere.

"Elena, what if Stefan comes back as the Stefan you know?"

"Then we will deal with that if it happens, but right now I just want to live in the here and now." I kissed her. She deepened the kiss and we stayed like that until we had to pull away for air.

"Elena, I love you."

"I love you, too, Damon." I was just about to kiss her again when her phone rang.

"Hello...Whoa, wait Jer, slow down, what happened...What hospital?...I'm on my way."

"Elena, what's wrong?"

"I have to go," she said rushing around getting her stuff. "Wait, Elena what's going on?" I asked her again. "

I-I have to go," she said, crying. I grabbed her arm before she could try to leave again.

"Elena, you have to tell me what's wrong."

"B-Bonnie, is-in-the-hospital-I-don't-know-what's-wrong!" she exclaimed between sobs.

"Come on I'll drive you. I'm not letting you drive like this."

"Thank you, Damon." She got into the car and we drove off.

At the hospital

Elena's POV

"Jeremy what is going on?" I asked him when I got to the hospital.

"Bonnie was on her way back when her car went off the road. They don't know what happened or why," he told me.

"But, is she okay?" I asked.

"They're not sure. She's not awake yet, so they won't really know too much for a while," he said. It wasn't until then that I realized he was crying. I went over to him and hugged him, him hugging me back. I sat down in a chair and started to cry again when Caroline came running in.

"Damon called me and told me what happened. Is she okay?" she asked crying.

"We don't know yet. She hasn't woken up," I told her.

"Okay," she said, sitting down next to me. We both cried. What if she doesn't wake up? What if she doesn't remember anything? My thoughts were raving through my head.

"Elena?" a voice asked, pulling me out of my thoughts. I looked up to see who the voice belonged to and gasped.

"Stefan?" I managed to squeal out.