Chapter 4: Broach

"I really don't like this Elena. And we can't be sure he's still here." Matt stated walking down the corridor alerting Rebekah quietly sitting thinking in a dark corner where she hid the remaining bloodbags out of sight that Klaus had left behind. She pulled back, further into the darkness where she was sure weak human eyes could not detect her.

"He's here, Matt, he would've let me know if he was able to leave. Wait, I'll dial his number again," Elena suggested, "but even if we can't hear it ringing I'm going to check every storage room. Maybe the batteries went dead."

"And how are you going to do that? Most of the spaces here are locked and we don't have any vampire strength," Matt's discontented grumblings were interrupted by the ringtone of Damon's phone.

Elena jumped in surprise herself, but let Matt lead the way towards the sound, crossbow raised in the bartender's hand, wooden bullet laden shotgun in hers. The footballer remained by the door from where they could see Damon as he was trying to cover all angles of possible danger while Elena slipped through swiftly to attend to the unconscious vampire, trusting her ex boyfriend to protect her for the most part for the time being. One of these days she'll figure out a proper way to thank Matt for all that he was doing to selflessly help her, but now again there was a matter at hand that had to take her attention first. Kneeling by the Salvatore, Elena turned his head so she could lightly pat his face, hoping for some reaction. She had to swallow convulsively taking in the entirety of the damage and look away, recognizing the immediate need for her to ransack her handbag for the compulsory bloodbag she regularly carried with her these days. "Oh no no no no no, Matt, I haven't seen a vampire hurt so much before, not even when we had to rescue Stefan. Do you think we'll be able to heal him enough to be able to take him outa here?" She verbalized her fears at the same time as using her nailclipper to make a hole in the bloodbag.

"Stay far back from him," warned Matt, while advancing a little himself, "we don't know what hunger in that state could do to him."

Elena offered him an admonishing look, "Damon would never hurt me, you know that."

"He'd be delighted to know you think so," Klaus remarked, then sped towards Matt and put him out of action with one swift, potent drink from his neck, "but let's not forget that he was the one who called you here."

The ex cheerleader stood to face him at the same time as her first boyfriend slumped to the ground unconscious, "Klaus?" She enquired in wonder, despite knowing from Bonnie that she had transferred his essence to the younger werepire's body.

The original however, wasn't listening to her, his attention directed towards his sibling instead, "you didn't call to let me know Elena was on the way," he rebuked her, his vampire eyes detecting what the humans' couldn't.

Rebekah shrugged, "I thought you'd be here anyway given how important the whole Elena business it is to you," she sauntered out the dark corner as if casually, pretending all was normal and as it should be before speeding up and planting the ashcovered dagger into her unsuspecting brother's chest, just like he had done with her before, "well that is three to you, one to me. Damn well time!" She turned to give Elena a smirk, "as for your information, Klaus is my responsibility from now on and I will assure you that he's not getting out a coffin till you crinkle into a disgusting old hag and snuff it."

"Why would you do that?" Elena doubted.

"Because it was this werepirepack making obsession of his that stopped us being what we were like together. I want to hear no more of hybrids, nor him calling them his family. I am his family, the only one who cares, even if he has to learn that the hard way."

"What about Damon?" Elena looked behind her at his fragile form.

Rebekah humphed, "you have no right to have demands regarding Damon going by the manner you tempt him, play with him, use him and then repeatedly crush his heart. If it was up to me, he'd be as far from you as it goes."

"Why isn't it up to you then? You can compel him to forget me, especially in the state he is. It would be less complicated for everyone."

"You mean it would be easier if you didn't have to bother with minding his feelings, as much as you do anyways?"

Elena shook her head, denying such a view of herself, "neither of us are the heartless, malefic bitches you make us out to be. My situation with Damon is a result a circumstances, it's kinda impossible to love them both at the same time cause of the way the Salvatore brothers are with each other and I have made my choice. Do you think I wanna loose Damon, a best friend a girl could ever have? I'm only thinking about his well-being when I say he should forget all the sorrow him loving me has caused, but I have no control over who or who doesn't fall in love with me. It is not my fault he did."

"Don't worry, he'll leave on his own accord. They had an agreement with Stefan that whoever you choose, the other will be gone from Mystic Falls for good. I think it's better for you if you just went back to your boyfriend right at this moment before I imparted on you what I think you'd deserve for being such an ignorant, judgemental little cunt. I'll place Matt into your car and give him a little of my blood to heal him and then you're on your way."

"What about Damon?" Elena repeated, not feeling able to simply part with him without knowing of his fate. Besides, did the brothers have any right deciding she wasn't allowed to see one of them for good?

"I'm hoping he'll come with me, but I will not enforce it upon him. I know, I have seen the way he loves and it perhaps will take centuries till he will get there with me where he is with you, but we have an eternity to make that come true."

"So the choice is his?" Elena asked, taking a last look at the dark vampire to memorize his features in case he'd really go through with his alleged promise to Stefan.

"As painful as it might be for me, yes. There's no point to having him unless he's happy."

tbc