Awake- Chapter three

*Thank for the support so far! I was moving so it took me a while to update, I hope to be more consistent in the future, and keep the reviews coming; this is my first story, so your feedback is very much appreciated. And now back to Mystic Falls*

The evening was cold despite the slightest orange line starting to glow in the horizon. The night had been so long, Elena could not help to feel the slightest respite at the idea that this long night was about to come to an end. This was night of loss of a close friend and of amazing fear. A night of memories, those memories which she had worked so hard to supress, those she had fought so hard to no longer see every time she closed her eyes, and there they were again, accompanied by new memories of that water coffin which had brought nothing but tragedy. The water grave which had taken her mother, the woman who help her tight when she woke at night after a nightmare, she saw it all again. The water grave that saw her father give his life to save her as she saw her last goodbye. And now the water grave, who tried to claim her once attempted to take her again. Laying there in the water, she had come to term that this was her faith, where she was supposed to be happening all along. Channeling the amazing courage which her dad had exhibited with his last instants of life, she had indicated to Stefan to take Matt instead of her, leaving her to join all her fathers, both of whom had given their lives for her. But this time, the water grave had not won. She had stopped to enquire about Matt when she was on her way out of the hospital. They had indicated Matt would be in surgery for next several hours, and there was nothing they could do but wait until he would come out. Elena then headed to her initial destination to find Caroline.

She did not know why but as soon as she headed out of the hospital door, she headed for home, having this feeling that she would find Caroline and Jeremy. The cold night felt strange on her skin, but she told herself she had yet recovered from her brush to death. She barely knew how she got home so fast but there she could see her house with a light inside. She was about to walk through the door when a familiar hand stop her in her tracks.

"Not so fast" said Damon with a severe look on her face. She hadn't noticed but Damon looked bad. She knew that his vampire state permitted him to heal very quickly but he still looked very badly hurt. Yet he hadn't said a word, hadn't complained. She didn't even know what had caused such damage, last she knew, he was with Bonnie taking care of the exchange of the coffin with Rebecca. Rebecca! She remembered the expression of the blond vampire as she stood in the middle of the bridge causing the truck to hit the water. She must have been the one, finding Klaus dead who had taken her anger out on Damon. It is sometimes hard to remember because of her delicate exterior that she was an original and therefore capable of delivering blows or an incredible force. She must why Damon was still in a sorry state.

"Damon and you alright?", said Elena in a moment of clarity. As she utters those words, she saw him, with his usual smirk, lying down in the middle of the road, but almost as soon as the imaged appeared it vanished like a memory she never had, her thought interrupted by his voice.

"Me, Elena, hum… vampire over here", immediately regretting the words that came out of his mouth. "I will be all better in a matter of minutes", said Damon with a much more demure expression.

"I see Damon, don't want to admit you were beat up with a girl, now let me through the door." said Elena in the first moment of respite she had in days. "Now let me through"

"Had you let me finish what I first started, I could have told you that considering everything that has happened in the last 24 hours, I could just go first. You don't know who could be waiting for us inside." Damon had said that almost out of instinct. Klaus was dead. Alaric was no more. Who could be going after Elena now?

"Don't worry about it. Klaus is dead. Alaric is probably out chasing other originals plus he is the last person to want me dead. Move aside Damon." said Elena pushing Damon aside with what the latter notice was unusual strength for her.

"Caroline? Jeremy!" shouted Elena has she passed through the door. She found them both on the sofa Caroline in tears as Matt attempted to comfort her.

Jeremy came off the couch instantly, grabbing Elena, holding her tight.

"I am so relieved to see you here in good shape. I don't know Elena, all night I had the worse feeling that something horrible had gone wrong. I felt the same as the night mom and dad, well, you know. It is just so good to see you." said Jeremy out of clear relief. "But where is Matt?"

Elena suddenly seeming to grasp the seriousness of Matt condition took on a grave look. Matt had been such a good friend to Jeremy. She could not bear to bring her brother more bad news. At lease, there was still hope.

"Jeremy, I don't want you to panic. I am fine, but Matt and I were in a car accident, of wikery bridge. I am fine, but he is in surgery."said Elena.

"No! not another one! I can't lose another one! Whimpered Caroline from the corner of the couch.

Elena rushed to her side and took her friends in her harm.

"No, no, don't worry. He is in surgery, he has great doctors by his side. He will pull through, he will, I am sure. He is build strong." said Elena whipping tears from her friends eye, trying to offer a sympathetic smile. Caroline then took a very worried look.

"Tyler's Mom! Tyler's Mom! You can't tell her. None of you. You can't say anything. Tell her he left. Tell her he is gone and he can't come back. Please don't tell her … don't tell her what happened." said Caroline almost completely out breath.

"Caroline it is ok. Just breath. We will tell her whatever you want." said Elena holding on tight to her friend. " Guys, could we have a moment just me and Caroline. I think she would be able to calm down better if you went in the kitchen for a while."

"Elena, I can't just leave you" said Jeremy still happy to be able to have his sister next to him.

"Yes Elena, I think Jeremy needs to stay with you" said Stefan who had been hanging by the door. He was still completely heartbroken by the situation. He was trying to think of how to tell Elena before she noticed she was starting to change. All he could focus on was getting Elena her last moment of normality, or perhaps, her last moments with Jeremy and Caroline.

"Now boys, don't you see the girls need their talkie time. Besides, Stefan, may be it would be a good idea to speak to Jeremy in the kitchen. Give him …an… update on the situation." said Damon insisting on the last part and looking at Stefan with a distinctively decisive look.

May be Damon was right. May be if I could tell Jeremy he would know what to do, what to say. May be just may be it could help, thought Stefan. "Yes, Jeremy, Damon's right. We will just be in the kitchen, if there is anything we will be there in a flash. Why don't you come in the kitchen with us and we can all catch up, plan for the next step."

Jeremy reluctantly agreed and followed the Salvatores in the kitchen. Caroline was still lying in Elena's arm crying almost uncontrollably. She kept repeating that they mustn't tell Tyler's mom. She couldn't know. She wouldn't know. Elena just held her, gently rubbing her back trying to comfort her. Then suddenly, she stopped and look straight at Elena.

"His eyes. You should have seen his eyes. He told me to leave. I didn't want to but his eyes. There was no fear just anger. He needed me to go. He didn't want to watch him die. But his eyes. It was almost like it wasn't him, like he was becoming something else. A monster." said Caroline in a completely desperate tone. " But what I don't understand is why him, why not Stefan, Damon, me! I guess we shouldn't be surprised Klaus lied, but still. Elena, why him?" said Elena as she tears submitted to move of a whimper, a sign that she was too tired to cry, too tired to think. She just needed a rest.

Meanwhile in the kitchen, Jeremy was pouring himself a glass of water. Giving once again the look of frustration he had given so many times in Damon's direction.

"So Damon, what was so important you had to take me away from my sister this time. Don't think I didn't notice you couldn't wait to take me out of that room. Is there something I don't know." said Jeremy in a tone which marries worry and frustration.

"Relax captain hormone, you should not be turning your back on your friends. You don't have many. Beside… you should direct your questions to the hero over there. Stefan once again saves the day."said Damon who once again tried to cover up his fear and pain with his very poor sense of humor.

"Damon, give it up, what did you want me to do" Stefan said in a tome that mixed desperation and resentment.

"What would I have you do, what…hum… let think for a second… what should you"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA" their discussion suddenly interrupted by a scream coming from the living room.