I do not own anything in this story. The CW created the universe, and I just play in it.
This is my first fanfiction. Please rate and review!
"Hey Elena, over here!"
Elena looked up to see Caroline waving at her from a booth in the back. "Hi Caroline," she said breathlessly, rushing over to her friend. It had been a hectic day. After cleaning up Damon's room and boarding up his windows, she and Stefan had taken him down to the cellar and locked him up. The hallucinations were just starting, and it wasn't safe for Damon to be out on his own anymore. Also, according to the Salvatores' mythology textbooks, it meant she and Stefan only had a few days left to find the cure.
Caroline patted the seat next to her. "Sooo, how are you? I feel like I never see you anymore." She flagged down a waiter. "Two Long Island iced teas, please."
"Um, you know I don't drink." Elena laughed nervously.
"Yes, but we're celebrating!" Caroline wrapped her arms around Elena in a bear hug. "Klaus is gone, Tyler can almost control his"-she lowered her voice-"wolfy side, and Bonnie and Jeremy are finally a thing. Here's to happiness!"
"Look, Caroline, I love you to death and I want you to be happy, but there's something you need to know." Quickly, Elena told Caroline what was happening to Damon. "So basically, Stefan and I are on some wild-goose chase for a cure that might not even exist while in one of the biggest fights we've had in forever, Bonnie's against us helping Damon, and Klaus is back in Mystic Falls and hates all of us."
"And it's all Tyler's fault," Caroline whispered.
"No it isn't." Elena reached out and patted her friend's hand. "Everyone knows that Tyler can't control what happens when he's a werewolf. Nobody's blaming Tyler. Damon shouldn't have been trying to get in his way."
"Damon was trying to stop Tyler from taking out the whole town," Caroline insisted. "I should've been there to help. I shouldn't have gone with Matt!"
"Caroline, if you hadn't gone to hide with Matt, you'd probably be in the same boat as Damon." Elena shook her head. "Look, nobody's blaming you or Tyler, and you blaming yourself isn't going to make anything better. Can we just put this all in the past and figure out what we're going to do to find the cure?"
"Right, the waterfall. So you're saying that nobody has any proof that this thing actually exists? What makes Stefan so sure that he can find it?"
"He's pretty much determined to do whatever it takes to help his brother. I think part of him still feels guilty for forcing Damon to turn into a vampire in the first place. He's been living his whole life trying to make it up to Damon."
Their waiter appeared again. "Two Long Island iced teas."
"No thanks-" Caroline started, but Elena cut her off.
"Yes, thank you." Once the waiter left, Elena took a huge sip of her tea. "I think a drink is what we both really need right now."
Caroline giggled and took her drink. "And I agree with you."
Once both glasses were empty, Elena leaned forward and got serious. "So our first priority is finding the waterfall. Bonnie said that there's no record of a location in any of her books or grimmoires. I was thinking that since your mom's a sheriff, we could get her to call around other police stations in Virginia and ask about the landmarks. Virginia's not that big-she's sure to find something."
"I'll talk to Tyler, see if he can ask around with the other werewolves," Caroline said. "He's going to feel awful when he finds out that this is his fault, and he'll do whatever it takes to help. And, I mean, how hard can it be to find a waterfall? It's not like they can run away and hide."
"Good idea." Elena grabbed her bag and stood up. "I need to get back to the Salvatore house. Stefan's going to be out all day asking about this waterfall, and it's not safe to leave Damon on his own. Call me if you find out anything, okay?"
"Aye aye, captain." Caroline reached over and gave Elena a hug. "Don't worry, okay? We'll get that cure, even if I have to stake Klaus myself."
"Somehow, I don't think that'd be a hardship for you." Elena hugged her friend back. "And I really hope it doesn't have to come to that. And Caroline, one more thing?"
"Yeah?"
"Talk to Bonnie for me? She's not really happy with me right now, but I miss her."
Caroline smiled. "I will. She'll come around eventually, Elena-you guys've been best friends for forever. Have fun at Casa del Salvatore!"
Elena rolled her eyes and left the Grill. It was a short walk back to the Salvatore mansion, and she made a beeline for the cellar where Damon was. "Damon? Are you okay?"
"Peachy," he grumbled back. Elena peered in through the barred door. Damon was lying on his back, staring at the ceiling, with his shirt bunched up under his head. The swelling on his arm had slowed, but the wound was still gruesome to look at. His entire arm had turned black. "I look like a hot mess."
"No, you just look like a mess," Elena joked. "How's your head?"
"I'm not seeing things, if that's what you're asking."
"Good." They lapsed into silence, Elena unsure of what to say. Damon was clearly in pain, but in true Damon fashion, he was still acting cool, calm, and collected. It was both admirable and annoying.
"So you and Stefan are fighting," he said abruptly, and Elena looked up in surprise. "Come on, it doesn't take a genius to figure out that you two haven't been talking lately."
"Yeah, we're kinda working some issues out." Elena played with the strap on her bag. Somehow, Damon was both the first and last person she wanted to have this conversation with.
"What kind of issues?" Damon smirked. "Sex issues?"
"Shut up, Damon. We're just...thinking over our feelings."
"And when you say 'our feelings', you really mean your feelings, right?"
"What, you too?" Elena slid to the ground and leaned her back against the door. "First Stefan, now you. If you really want to hear it so badly, then yes, I'm questioning my feelings towards Stefan because of you. Is that really so hard to believe? Or did you just want to hear me say it out loud?"
Damon coughed. "Both."
"I still love Stefan, if that's what you're asking. I love him, Damon. But I can't deny that I feel differently towards you." Elena rested her head against her knees. "It's just really confusing, okay?"
"Why can't you"-cough-"love us both?" Elena could practically recite the next part. "Katherine"-cough-"did."
"In case you haven't noticed, Damon, I'm not Katherine, and she's not exactly the best role model." Elena got up to leave. "I can't do this right now, Damon." She turned and headed for the door.
"Wait, Elena," Damon called weakly. "Don't go. I'm sorry for bringing up Katherine. Just don't go."
Elena stopped, her back still to the cellar door. "You never apologize for anything."
"Well, you're not going to hear me say it again." Damon coughed, and Elena heard the splatter of blood. "Just don't go, okay? I don't"-cough-"want to be alone."
"Why?" Elena asked acidly. She hated herself for being mean to Damon, but all the talk about her and Stefan and Damon and just the complexity of the situation in general made her exhausted and irritable. "You've never wanted anyone around you before. It's always been just you, Damon, a one-man team."
"Elena, I want you"-cough-"to stay because I"-cough-"love you."
Elena froze. There was a long pause, in which the only sound was Damon's coughing.
"Fine, Damon." Elena sat back down and rested her back against the cool, metal door. "I'll stay."
This chapter ended up being longer than I expected, but I had to slip that Delena scene in there! It's hard to embody Caroline's bubbly personality in writing, and I hope I did a good job. Also, expect some Stelena drama in the next chapter. xox
