Damon rolled over reaching in the sheets for Elena but his hands only his empty bed. He hazily looked around for her but his room was empty. He still saw her clothes scattered on his floor. He sat up pulling his jeans on as he left his room. He wandered hopefully towards the bathroom wondering if he could surprise her in the shower. But as he walked down his hallway he heard her voice. He quickly followed the sound of her voice before he realized what she was saying.
"...was a mistake." He froze in his tracks. "I never should have ended things with you."
"Why should I believe you?" he recognized Stefan's voice and his blood ran cold.
"Because what we had was real." she said. Damon walked slowly towards Stefan's room.
"And you threw it away." said Stefan angrily. "Give me one reason why I shouldn't kick you out right now." Damon slid silently along the wall able to see his brothers room through the slightly ajar door. Stefan stood his arms crossed looking down at Elena who stood before him wrapped in Damon's silk sheets, her hair gently tousled.
"Because," said Elena readjusting the sheet letting fall open to reveal her long legs and smooth waist. "You know you still want me."
"Not after you screwed my brother." said Stefan but Damon could hear the lust in his voice.
"And," said Elena stepping into him resting one hand on his chest, loosely holding the sheet in the other looking up at him. "I still love you." Damon knew if his heart had still been beating it would have stopped.
"You do?" said Stefan his voice softening. Elena nodded as his arms wrapped around her waist.
"I love you Stefan." said Elena. "I could never love Damon, not when I have you. Please give me another chance." She leaned up kissing him gently and Stefan's hands tightened around Elena pulling her flat against him.
"What the hell?" said Damon slamming his brothers door open.
"Damon?" she said turning around quickly wrapping the sheet tightly around herself again. "I was just-"
"I know what you were 'just', I heard you." said Damon. "Elena I thought-"
"I know." she said taking a step forward. "And I thought we could work, but deep down I was always going to be in love with Stefan."
"Elena, I love you." he said stepping towards her.
"I don't. I could never love someone like you." she said turning back into Stefan who wrapped his arms around her protectively.
"Elena," he said. "Please give me another chance." She shook her head and turned int Stefan's chest.
"Damon you should go." said Stefan.
"What about what you told me Elena? You told me you couldn't feel safe."
"Why wouldn't she be safe?" said Stefan holding her tighter to him as she turned over her shoulder. "I can protect her from Katherine just as well as you can."
"I wasn't talking about Katherine." snarled Damon glancing up at his brother before he returned his focus to Elena. "What about the blood?"
"What about the blood?" said Stefan visibly tensing. Damon ignored him as he stepped forward staring intensely into Elena's eyes.
"You told me after Stefan drank your blood you didn't feel safe around him. What about that, Elena?"
"I-" she started before Stefan turned her around pulling her back into his chest roughly.
"She doesn't have to worry about that." said Stefan glaring at Damon. "I can drink her blood just like you could."
"Stefan," said Damon panic rising in his chest. "You know that's not true. You won't be able to stop.
"Stefan." said Elena her voice shaking. "It doesn't matter-"
"Yes it does." said Stefan looking down at her. "You need to feel safe with me. And you are."
"I know that." she said her voice still uneven. "So you can let me go." She pulled carefully against his arms but he pulled her back tighter.
"Let me prove it." said Stefan. He gripped Elena with one arm pinning her arms against her sides, jerking her head to the side with the other. Damon watched as Stefan's eyes grew dark and his fangs elongated.
"Stefan, don't-" said Damon lunging forward but Stefan bit down roughly on Elena's neck and she shrieked pulling uselessly against him. Damon stood helplessly watching Elena writhe under Stefan's mouth. The way he held her was a torturous parody of the way Damon had held her the day before. Stefan's eyes moved from Elena glaring at Damon as he bit down again harder and Elena cried out again, dissolving into whimpers. Stefan swallowed hungrily paying no attention to Elena's cries. Damon watched her go limp as her cries faded. Her knees gave out next and she fell back into Stefan her eyes closing. Stefan seemed to think her falling back was her consenting and he drank even deeper.
"Stefan, stop." said Damon reaching towards Elena. Stefan pulled his mouth away from her neck glaring up at Damon.
"She made her choice, go Damon." said Stefan. Damon looked down at Elena pale beneath Stefan's grip. "Go."
...
Damon started as he woke up looking down at Elena slowly waking beside him. "Are you ok?" she said gently rubbing her hand across her eyes.
"Yeah." he said trying to keep his voice steady. "Just a bad dream."
"Aw. I thought so." she said. "What happened?"
"Nothing." he said shaking his head in an attempt to clear it.
"Please tell me." she said. "I want to make your nightmares go away."
"I-" he closed his eyes before he looked down at her clutching the sheet to her as she smiled sleepily up at him. "I dreamed you went back to Stefan."
"Oh, Damon." she said sitting up. "You know I would never do that. I lov-" she stopped herself closing her eyes. "I-I care about you."
"Why can't you just say it?" he said the residual anger and panic of his dream making him snap at her.
"I- I don't know." she said pulling back from him slightly.
"I'm getting tired of that excuse." he said running his hands through his hair frustratedly.
"I am too." she said sitting up straighter. "I honestly don't know what's been stopping me." Damon looked down at the sheets. "Please look at me." She said reaching out to stroke his face. He looked up at her and saw her looking straight at him. "I don't know what I've been waiting for. You have given me every reason to say it and I don't know what's been holding me back." She leaned into him and he could feel her shaking through the sheets.
"Elena," he said. "Don't say it until you're ready."
"I am ready." she said smiling nervously. "Damon Salvatore, I love you." He searched her eyes then gripped her by the back of the neck pressing her lips into him. She moaned reaching out to wrap around him when he pinned her to the bed by her throat. "D-Damon, what are you doing?" she said panic in her eyes as his hand tightened. "I don't understand-"
"Stop it." he growled at her.
"Stop what?" she said gasping for air. "I thought that would make you happy. I love yo-" He slammed her head into the bed growling as his hand tightened again.
"Stop it, Katherine." he said looking down at her. The panic melted smoothly from her eyes, replaced by an all too familiar grin.
"Aw." she said breaking free from his grip easily. "I was hoping I'd get more then one kiss before you figured it out."
"What are you doing here?" he said backing away from her as she splayed herself across his bed. He pulled on his jeans hastily backing away from her.
"I missed you." she said. "And your silk sheets." she said running her hands over them. "And what we used to do on them." she said grinning seductively. "So is my replacement into the same things I was? Have you tried out all the old tricks I taught you? Does she like the thing where you-"
"Where is Elena?" he said his voice a rush of anger and panic. Katherine sat up slowly stretching her back leisurely as she shrugged.
"She could be in your car, back home." She cracked her fingers. "Drained in a ditch by the side of the road."
"Tell me where she is." he said stepping forward.
"I forget." she said.
"Why are you doing this to me?" he said. "You want Stefan and now Elena doesn't. You win."
"I don't like having the girl who you replaced me running around." said Katherine as she reached under the bed pulling out a neatly folded pile of her own clothes. She dressed quickly sauntering up to Damon. "Without her it could be like old times. You know, I'm with Stefan during the day and and night we have our stolen moments." She ran a finger over his bare chest as he tensed. "You know that no one makes you feel the way I did."
"You mean letting me think you were dead for over a hundred years and then telling me that you never loved me?" He gripped her wrist. "You're right, no one has ever made me feel that before." He threw her arm away from her. "Get out before I stake you."
Katherine looked down at him fire in her eyes. "You don't want to threaten me Damon. I have more allies then you think." Then she rolled her eyes. "When you're done being so dramatic come find me." Before he could respond she was gone.
Damon tried to keep himself from panicking as he stood absolutely still, desperately trying to hear any sign of Elena nearby. He heard her heartbeat faintly and followed it swiftly down the stairs. He stood on the first floor, listening again and was relieved to hear the sound of her heartbeat growing stronger. In a moment he heard her call out faintly for him and he sped down the stairs to the basement. He opened the first door and looked in. He exhaled in relief as he sped inside picking up a half conscious Elena from the floor. He sped upstairs and lay her on the bed. "Oh thank god. Elena are you alright?" he said carefully checking her neck for bite marks running his hands along her checking for any marks Katherine might have left on her. As his hands brushed the vervain necklace he felt slightly relived. "Does anything hurt? Is anything broken?"
"My head hurts a little. " she said gingerly touching the back of her head. "What happened?" she said her voice still slurring slightly. "Why was I down there?"
"Katherine was here." he said. Elena sat straight up looking around as she gripped Damon tightly. "It's alright she's gone, she's gone." He brushed her hair comfortingly.
"What was she doing here? And I still don't understand why I was in the basement." she said clinging to him. He reached beneath the bed pulling up a soft blanket and wrapping it around her bare body.
"She put you there to make me panic." he said. "He was trying to make me think you'd left or she'd hurt you or-" he trailed off.
"I'm fine." she said. "What did she do?"
"She pretended to be you and-" Elena sat up straighter.
"How long did it take you to realize it wasn't me?"
"A few seconds." he said. "Nothing happened."
"What did she do?" she said.
"She got inside my head and tried to make me think you'd gone back to Stefan."
"Oh Damon." she said looking up at him. "You know I would never do that."
"I know." he said. "But she made it seem so real." She lay against him as he inhaled the scent of her hair.
"Don't ever let anyone think I'd leave you." she said. "I would never do that to you, I need you."
"I was so scared I'd lost you." he said. "She made me think Stefan was feeding from you and he wouldn't stop-"
"Damon you don't have to talk about it."
"Why didn't she kill me?" she said.
"Well you were wearing the vervain necklace and my blood was in your system. Even if she'd tried something she couldn't have hurt you." He pulled away from her sitting on the edge of the bed.
"How did she make you think I was back with Stefan?"
"She influenced my dreams." he said. "She knew exactly what would scare me most and she made it all happen, even-" he stopped clenching his jaw.
"What else happened?" she said searching his face.
"You told me-" he stopped. "It doesn't matter."
"Tell me." she said siting up in bed leaning towards him. "Please."
"In the dream you told me you still loved Stefan and- And you could never love someone like me."
"You know that's not true." she said pulling him back onto the bed.
"Then why can't you say it?" he said a flicker of anger coloring his words.
She pulled back slightly at the sudden harshness. "Because... I- I don't know." she said crossing her arms over her chest.
"Yes you do." he said. "You have a reason for everything. Just tell me please."
"You won't understand." she said dropping her head.
"Try me." he said. "It's worse not knowing."
"I'm worried it'll end us." she said.
"What?" he said looking at her confused. "Why would it end us?"
"Because that's how it ended with Matt and Stefan." she said looking up at him and he could see tears running over her cheeks. "Matt told me he loved me two days before my parents funeral for the first time. I think he just didn't know what else to say. As soon as he did I felt us start to drift further and further apart until we broke apart."
"And Stefan?" he said watching her carefully.
"He was threatening to break up with me." she said. "He was so angry and he was threatening to leave me and leave town. I told him he couldn't leave me. When he asked why I told him I needed protection, but he told me it wasn't enough. I finally broke down and told him that I loved him. I knew it was the only thing that would make him stay. From that moment on we weren't equals anymore. He owned me. I wasn't his girlfriend I was a possession."
"Elena." he said brushing away the remaining tears. "That's not love. Love isn't about winning or owning someone or saying the right thing. It's about showing that you'll do anything to make sure person next to you is safe. That tomorrow that person is there even if it means you're not. It means that they're a part of your heart forever. It means that they've changed who you are." She looked up at him her tears stopped. "That is love."
"Is that what you feel for me?" she said.
"Of course it is." he said pulling her against her chest as she looked up at him. "If that's not what you feel then that's fine. But saying it doesn't make you weak. It'll only make us stronger."
Elena lay back against the headboard looking up at him. "And you meant all that the first time you said it to me?" He nodded. "I don't think I could have known all that so soon."
"That's fine." he said. "Because, I know when you say it that you really mean it. That you're not saying it to keep me here or so you feel like you own me. It'll be the first time I'll hear it and actually believe it." He looked over at her sitting still, staring out the window. "Are you sure you're ok? Do you need some food or anything?
"No." she said shaking her head slowly.
"Elena you seem kind of out of it. Do you want some ice for your head?"
"Sure."she said vaguely rubbing the back of her head.
"You want to come down to the kitchen with me or are you feeling dizzy?"
"I'm fine." she said the same emptiness in her voice. He watched as she stood slowly and he handed her one of his button up shirts. She threw it on fastening a few of the buttons and followed him down the stairs. She sat on one of his chairs pulling her knees into her staring blankly as he wrapped ice in a towel.
"Here." he said pressing it against her head as he knelt beside her. "Better?"
"Yeah." she said looking up at him.
"What's wrong?"
"I'm just thinking." she said.
"About what?"
"Everything that's happened the last few days. And everything you've done for me."
"You needed me." he said. "And I will always take care of you when you need me."
"Damon, you have no idea what it feels like to hear that." Her eyes seemed to finally focus as she looked over at him. "And I think I've known this ever since you've said it to me."
"Known what?" he said trying to keep himself from sounding too eager.
"That you are meant for me in every way." she said reaching up to stroke his face. "Damon, I am so sorry it took me so much time to say this because you have deserved to hear it a long time ago." She pulled the ice pack away from her head setting it on the table. She stood up slowly pulling Damon with her. She looked at him holding his face gently in both hands as he held her waist, partially for support. "I-"
"Damon? Elena? Are you here?" Elena and Damon both turned towards the door at the sound of Stefan's voice. He pushed open the door looking at them standing close to each other.
"What?" snapped Damon glaring at his brother. "What do you want?"
"Stefan please just leave us alone. I know you don't approve of this but-"
"This isn't about you two." said Stefan. "It's Caroline."
"Caroline?" said Elena turning to face Stefan pulling away from Damon unintentionally. "What happened to Caroline? Is she-"
"She's fine. I gave her some blood she should be completely healed by now." said Damon. "Stefan's just trying to make excuses."
"She would be healed." said Stefan. "If Katherine hadn't got to her first."
"Katherine?" said Elena and Damon their voices equally panicked.
"What did she do?" said Damon watching Elena as she started to shake.
"She- She turned her." said Stefan.
"She's a vampire?" said Elena her voice shaking violently. Stefan nodded slowly. Elena looked back at Damon over her shoulder. "Oh my god." she fell back into Damon who caught her.
"Why would she- Oh god that's what she meant." said Damon.
"Meant by what? You talked to her? She was here?" said Stefan.
"She told me she had allies when she was here." said Damon easing Elena into her chair again. "That must have been what she meant."
"Why was she here?" said Stefan.
"To mess with us, what else?" said Damon pressing the ice pack back into Elena's head. "Elena are you ok?"
"Why would she do this?" said Elena. "She doesn't even know Caroline, she hasn't done anything to Katherine. Why would she hurt her?" She started speaking faster and faster gripping onto Damon's arm. "Why would she do that?" she said looking at Damon helplessly.
"Katherine doesn't care who she hurts. If someone gets in her way she'll find another way around them or she'll go through them." said Damon.
"Where is she?" said Elena looking up at Stefan. "Is she ok?"
"I don't know." said Stefan. "I went to the hospital this morning but when I went back at lunch they said she had checked out."
"We have to find her." said Elena standing up stumbling slightly while Damon caught her elbow and steadied her. She turned back to look at him. "Damon we have to find her. We have to find her before Katherine does." She lunged towards the door but Damon caught her.
"We'll find her." he said. "Elena we're gonna find her, don't worry."
"It's all my fault." said Elena. "If I hadn't been here she wouldn't have gone after Caroline."
"You can't blame yourself Elena." said Stefan but Damon glared at him as he and Elena walked past him.
"We'll get dressed and we'll go look for her."said Damon as they walked quickly up the stairs.
"I should have never- As soon as I knew she was back I should have-" Elena muttered unintelligibly as she pulled her clothes off the floor. As she turned towards the bathroom Damon caught her.
"Elena none of this is your fault. Katherine is doing this to hurt Stefan and me." he said trying to catch her eye as she tried to get past him. "Elena?"
"I can't help it." she said. "All I can think is: who's going to get hurt next?" She pulled away from him. She hastily pulled on her clothes as Damon pulled on a shirt.
"Elena please." he said as she started towards the door. She stopped, exhaling as she turned to look at him. "You can't panic if we're going out looking for her. You need to calm down before we go ok? Come here." He pulled her into him stroking her back comfortingly as he kissed her forehead. He heard her heart rate slow as she leaned into him.
"I'm sorry." she said. "I didn't mean to snap at you. I'm just-"
"Worried about your friend. I know." Damon finished for her. "Now let's go find Caroline." He turned towards the door.
"Wait." she said gripping his hand. "I need something before we go." She pulled him back into her kissing him softly. He ran his hands through her hair as she gripped his back tightly. "I need something to get me through this." She said laying into his chest.
Damon held her tightly comforting her but she could help but wish Stefan had waited just a few more seconds.
Sorry for the slow update, this chapter gave me lots of trouble. I know, I KNOW! When will she finally drop the L-Bomb? I almost dropped it this chapter but I'm so sadistic towards my characters. I promise NO MORE evil tricky dream sequences. It hurt me to write. As always review! It feeds the beast!