Chapter 3
Last chapter: "I know it sounds crazy, and I know he's dead, but it was Elijah! I'm sure of it!"
Damon was about to say something, when a new voice made them stop in their tracks. "How very perceptive of you, Rose." both of them whirled around. Elijah was standing there, smirking. "I'm surprised you're still alive." he added. "I thought the sun would surely cause your demise."
"And I thought a stake through the heart would surely cause YOUR demise, so how exactly are you still alive?" Damon asked, mimicking Elijah's tone exactly. Rose covered her mouth with her hand to stop the giggle that was threatening to escape.
"Simple: I'm an Original. It takes a little bit more then a stake to kill me." Elijah replied, holding something up. Damon felt slightly nervous. It was a stake gun. "You, on the other hand, it'll kill in the blink of an eye." Damon only had a little bit of time to wonder who he was talking about when Elijah raised it all the way. He felt his heart drop into his stomach as Elijah pointed it not as him, but at Rose. "You helped the doppelganger, Rose. I killed Trevor for that reason, and now it's time for you to die as well." Rose's eyes widened and she backed up slightly as he advanced towards her and aimed it. She closed her eyes tightly and looked away.
"Rose!" Damon yelled, lunging at her as Elijah pulled the trigger. Damon pushed her out of the way and onto the grass as the stake flew right past them. Damon made sure Rose was alright before leaving her on the grass and lunging at Elijah. The Original vampire caught him mid-lunge, and stared into his eyes. "Now here's what you're going to do," Elijah said, his pupils getting smaller. "You are going to go over there, grab Rose, bring her over here, put her in front of me, and hold her so she can't escape. Do you understand?"
Damon nodded. "I understand." Inside, he was screaming at himself.
Elijah let him drop. Damon got up and walked over to her. He roughly pulled her up.
"Damon, what's going on?" Rose asked, confused. He started dragging her towards Elijah. Naturally, she picked up on what was happening instantly.
"Damon, please! Don't!" Rose begged, fear evident in her voice. He heard her, but was unable to respond. Rose tried to break his grip, but it was in vain. "Damon, stop!" she pleaded again as he stopped in front of Elijah and held her shoulders.
Desperate, Rose tried the only other tactic she could think of: stalling. "Klaus is using you., Elijah." she said quickly.
"What do you mean?" he cocked his head to the side.
"I mean just what I said. He's using you to kill the people who helped the doppelganger, me and Trevor. But, what then? Do you really think he'll leave you alive after you've killed me?" she continued, slightly panicked. She hoped it didn't show in her voice. "Once you've killed me, you'll have served your purpose to him."
Elijah was staring at her. He opened his mouth to protest, but stopped. It was true. "You're right." he said quietly.
"But," Rose continued still, silently relieved. Her stalling was actually working. "if you let me go, you can say I escaped and we'll both live another day." She looked at him. "Do you really want any more people to die? I don't." she finished.
"Let her go." Elijah stated. Damon did so, and Rose stared at him in shock while rubbing her wrist, She'd definitely have a mark there.
I don't either, Rose. Elijah thought. But he didn't dare say that aloud. "Go. Get out of here." he said. He looked at Damon and blinked once. The compulsion wore off. "Once I tell him you escaped, you know that he'll come after you, right?"
Rose nodded. "I figured as much."
"I'll protect her." Damon spoke up.
Elijah nodded. "Good luck." Then he was gone.
"Rose, are you alright?" Damon asked. She didn't know why, she had felt perfectly OK, but as soon as he asked that, something inside her snapped and she wrapped her arms around his neck and huddled into him. He wrapped his arms around her. It had been a very hard, very long day for both of them.
It was dark when Damon and Rose got back to the boarding house. Stefan was there, tapping his foot like a paranoid parent. "Where were you?" he asked loudly. Damon shushed him and gestured with his head to the sleeping Rose in his arms. Stefan nodded. 'Oh.' he mouthed. 'Sorry.' Damon rolled his eyes and looked down at Rose. He felt relieved when he saw his doof of a brother hadn't woken her up. It had been a stressful, tiring and downright scary day for her, and she needed her rest. He carried her down the ha;; to his room and grinned when he saw the door was open. That made it easier on him. Walking, he placed Rose under the covers after taking off her jacket. Then he took off his, as well as his shoes and shirt, before silently climbing in behind her.
"Damon?" he heard Rose say drowsily. "Where are we?"
"Shh." he put a hand on her side. "We're in the boarding house. Go back to bed." He stroked her hair.
"What time is it?" she ask.
He sighed. She was so stubborn! "Midnight. Now go back to bed."
She turned around so she was facing him. "I love you."
"I love you too." he replied. She closed her eyes and he looked at her. Her breathing was even and normal, her face softened. Silently, he leaned over and lightly kissed her forehead before scooting closer to her so their bodies almost touched, and putting his arms protectively around her. Only after he did all this didhe close his eyes. I'll protect you, Rose. he thought. Forever.
AN: wow, that was a mix of dramatic, funny, sweet and cheesy. And yet so fun to write. I'm surprised it makes any sense, considering I wrote it very early in the morning before we got on the plane to take us home from Hawaii. Expect Chapter 4 tomorrow.
