Hello everyone! Sorry it took me so long to post but I'm suffering from a nasty case of writer's block. That, and I've been reading so many Delena FanFics all the plots are swirling around in my head so furiously I can't remember what and what hasn't already been written. It's pretty crazy. I'll try to get a few chapters up this week because next week I'll be in D.C. with no access to a computer from Tuesday to the following Monday. Thank you so much for the reviews, alerts, and favorites! They seriously motivate me more than anything else to keep writing. More bickering and action seems to be in order, so I'll try my best. Here we go!
Chapter 8: Recovery
Elena was running through the boarding house, slamming into walls and tripping over rugs, unable to see through the thick blackness. Cold wind whipped around her, pushing her down the hall with invisible fingers. She heard a low, strangled cry ahead of her, and recognizing the voice, she ran harder, her heart frantically slamming against her ribcage. She turned into the room that the voice came from, coming to an abrupt halt as she was greeted at the door by a floating candle; not just any candle, the one that the wind had snuffed out when she was up here earlier. The faint light reflected eerily off of the mirrors surrounding the abandoned ballroom, but was stopped short by the dense fog not five feet away from Elena. The fog was not penetrated by the light even slightly, yet Elena ran into it, blindly stumbling around in search of him. She heard another sound, this time a guttural groan; it was much nearer this time. She stumbled forward another step, and through the fog not a foot away she saw his astounding blue eyes, darkened by pain. She reached out to him, feeling her fingertips graze his shoulder, but was suddenly yanked back by the ankles. She yelled out, calling to him and pleading against whatever was in the fog. She heard another strangled cry and simultaneously felt stabbing pain in her neck. Her screams intertwined with his, and she clenched her teeth together, trying to fight the pain-
"Ouch! What on earth was that for?" Elena blinked, suddenly woken by the voice of an incredulous Damon. She realized that she actually HAD clenched her teeth, and was biting down through the soft black fabric covering Damon's shoulder. Extremely embarrassed, she blushed and pulled back, her lips unintentionally grazing his shoulder with the movement.
"Geez, Elena! And to think you complain about me biting people when it's uncalled for. Never thought you'd be a pot, calling the kettle black!" He sighed, not moving from beside her.
"Sorry," she offered, her voice still husky with sleep. "Bad dream." She glanced down and realized her hands were splayed against his chest, unconsciously touching him to reassure herself that it was only a dream. She balled her hands into fists, drawing them back, but not able to pull away any further, as Damon still had one arm protectively wrapped around her waist.
"Obviously." Damon rolled his eyes. "Did you know you talk in your sleep?" he asked with disdain.
"Do not!" she shot back, secretly fearing what she might or might not have let slip.
"Do too," he replied smugly, with impish smile.
"Ugh, fine. Then what did I say?"
She saw the smile slide off his face, quickly being replaced by a frown and furrowed brows. He glanced at her fleetingly before murmuring "You sounded quite disturbed, actually. Kept begging with someone, 'don't hurt him, please stop, you're hurting him!' or something of the sort. Then you oh -so-considerately shrieked, nearly shattering my precious little super-sensitive vampire eardrums. You wrapped it up with a bang by biting me. Thanks again for that," he said sarcastically, rubbing his shoulder in mock pain. "What on God's green earth is so important that it made you yell in your sleep, anyways?"
You, she thought. You're the only one I have left. Not wanting to admit that, she fumbled for words before finally just spitting out "I can't remember," and rolled over, avoiding his eyes. She felt his scrutinizing gaze on her back like lasers. Suddenly, he shifted, and she caught her breath in surprise when his fingers drummed lightly against her stomach.
"You're probably wanting some breakfast right about now." He stopped drumming his fingers and just lightly rubbed them against her stomach. She writhed and slapped his hand away as a shiver ran down her spine. "Oh. Right. Ticklish. I forgot. Hm, that could come in handy." He chuckled devilishly. Elena shook her head and pushed herself off the couch, stretching. She turned her back to him and walked into the kitchen, not wanting him to see her face. It suddenly occurred to her that the shiver down her back was not caused merely by her ticklishness. His warm hands touching such a sensitive part of her body had brought forward an entirely different sensation, one she didn't feel like dealing with at the moment.
Damon suddenly appeared before her in the kitchen, reaching into the cabinet and pulling out a box of cereal. "Will this work for now?" he asked, shrugging. She nodded, and watched him pour a hearty amount into a bowl and topping it off with milk before handing it to her along with a spoon. She ate slowly, noticing that he had poured himself a glass as well and was reaching into a drawer for something. His arm surfaced with a pack of Oreo cookies. Elena raised her eyebrows, tilting her head to the side.
"Really, Damon?"
"What? A vampire can't enjoy a wholesome and delicious meal of Oreos for breakfast? What is the world coming to?" He dunked a cookie into the milk and popped it into his mouth, glaring defiantly.
Elena, suddenly craving chocolate, smiled to herself. "Not unless said vampire shares." She walked to his side and he dunked another cookie, holding it out to her near her mouth. She snatched it delicately between her teeth and pushed it back into her mouth, not thinking twice about it. They stood side by side, chewing in comfortable silence. He shot a discreet sideways glance at her, noticing that she looked beautiful even in the morning, with her hair all wavy and disheveled. They finished off their breakfast in silence; Elena put her dishes in the sink and walked up to the bathroom to get dressed.
Damon dressed quickly and vampire-sped down the hall. The bathroom door was ajar, and he ambled in slowly, trying not to scare Elena. He glanced around, realizing she wasn't there, and zeroed in on her heartbeat with his sensitive hearing. Grimacing, he followed the sound to Stefan's room. He found her standing next to his dresser, clutching a photo of her and Stefan tightly in her small hands. With a sudden burst of anger, she ripped the picture directly down the middle, dividing her and Stefan permanently. She walked over to the window, about to toss the halves out into the breeze, but a hand suddenly grabbed the half with her in it, stopping it from fluttering out the window.
"I like this half. It's a good picture." Elena turned and looked over her shoulder at Damon, swallowing hard when she saw the look on his face. His perfect features were blazing, an undercurrent of anger and sorrow peeking through his clear blue eyes. His jaw was tense in an effort not to betray himself. He gently tugged the photograph from her fingers and set it back on the dresser. Remembering herself, Elena crumpled up the Stefan half and chucked it through the window, huffing out a frustrated breath.
"Litterbug," Damon remarked snidely, squinting his eyes at her playfully. She half smiled, appreciating that Damon was trying to lighten her mood. Her face quickly fell again as she touched her collarbone, realizing something with a sickening feeling.
"This necklace, it was Katherine's, wasn't it?" She took his silence as a confirmation. "Then I can't wear this anymore." She unclasped the necklace and dropped it on the dresser.
"Ah, ah, ah, you can't do that!" Damon admonished. "Vervain? It's the only thing protecting you from compulsion."
"It doesn't matter. I don't want to even look at that thing right now. Besides, I'll be safe. I have you." Her last statement surprised even herself, but upon reflection, Elena realized it couldn't be truer. She felt that Damon would turn the world upside down to get to her if she needed him. They had this…connection, one not easily broken. Funny, a few months ago I thought Damon was the very one I needed protection from, she thought wryly to herself.
Damon watched her closely as she thought to herself, knowing she was right. He felt an innate need to protect her, her wouldn't let harm touch her with a ten foot pole. Losing her would devastate him more than anything else in the world. He just hoped that he would never have the need to step in on her behalf, even though he knew it was likely that he would; this little town was crawling with vampires, witches, and God knows what else. He nodded, not wanting to force her to wear a reminder of his brother and the vampire he had left her for.
…
It was five in the afternoon, and they were both getting a little stir-crazy.
"Hey, Damon? Can we go to the grill tonight? Just to maybe take my mind off of things?"
"You had me at hey Damon. Sure, a drink has been calling my name all day. Meet you at the car in five." He disappeared, and Elena went up to the bathroom to freshen up. Five minutes later they were in the car and speeding down the road.
As soon as they walked in the door to the grill, Damon grabbed Elena by the elbow and led her to the bar. He ordered some vodka and offered to buy Elena something, but she refused. "Suit yourself," he shrugged. Damon had barely swallowed his first glass when Caroline moseyed over to them, eyeing Damon hatefully then turning to Elena.
"Where's Stefan?" she asked pointedly, simpering. "He's seemed a little off lately, what with skipping school, and then ditching you at the Miss Mystic Falls pageant. Is everything okay with him?"
"He…Stefan's gone out of town for awhile." Elena informed her reluctantly.
"Oh. Well when's he coming back? He'll be back in time to escort you in the parade on Founder's Day, won't he? It would look really stupid if you had to get a stand-in…again." She shot Damon a rude glance.
"I don't know." Elena growled through gritted teeth. If looks could kill, Caroline would have been out cold by then. Damon's eyes turned icy, staring her down with a look of pure menace. She took the hint.
"God. Excuse me for showing concern for my friend," she shot at them haughtily and turned on her heel, flouncing off. Elena grabbed Damon's drink from his hand and tossed back the rest of its contents, wincing as it burned her throat. Damon looked on silently, his eyebrows raised in concern. She turned to him wearily.
"Let's get out of here."
Seeing the distress beneath her cool expression, he willingly obliged her. "You got it, dude." Elena cracked a smile at hearing him quote the old 90's sitcom. He slapped a twenty on the counter and stood up, pushing Elena through the crowd and toward the door with his hand lightly pressing against the small of her back. Outside, Elena heard a faint rhythm beating through the twilight air. Looking around, she saw that there was a temporary stage set up down the street in the park, with a band currently playing surrounded by a fairly large crowd. She then noticed all of the posters on the light posts, advertising a founder's day concert in the park.
"Let's go over there," Elena said, nudging him with her shoulder and pointing toward the stage.
"Fine. You better hope that band is good, whoever they are." Damon conceded, pretending to be exasperated with her. They crossed the street and walked into the park, stopping on the fringe of the crowd back near the trees. Elena froze, suddenly struck by the lyrics of the slow song filling the air.
Sometimes the edge serves as more than a friend than you thought it would be
And the pages you write in your journal each night are your only release
And the pain grows inside and the fear comes alive like you'll never be free
And there's no pain you feel that I know love can't heal here at all
Oh, I'm begging you no
There's more life left to go
Elena found herself mesmerized by the gut-wrenchingly honest lyrics, and was disappointed when the song ended. She applauded with the rest of the crowd.
"Not bad for a nobody band," Damon commented casually, not wanting to admit how impressed he actually was. Elena stepped back and leaned against the tree, waiting for the next song. A lone guitar played a soaring, yet melancholy melody, and the lead singer stepped up to the microphone, drawing a deep breath. Elena suddenly tuned out the song, shivering violently in the sudden cold wind. The wind felt exactly the same as it had in her dream, and it chilled her to the core. Damon noticed and immediately draped his arm over her shoulders, pulling her into his side to shelter her from the wind. Grateful, Elena turned into him, breathing in his intoxicating scent as she listened to the song.
Is this a natural feeling
Or is it just me breathing all my thoughts and dreams in hope that you will be with me or
Is this a moment to remember
Or just a cold day in December
I wonder
Maybe I could be all you ever dreamed
'Cause you are beautiful inside
So lovely and I
Can't see why I'd be anywhere but here without you
Damon mused over the slightly mushy but painfully relative lyrics, wondering what was happening. In any other situation, he would be mocking the band for its sentimental tendencies, but now he remained silent. Around Elena, he didn't feel the need to bite everyone's head off with sarcasm and snide remarks. Her honest, trusting demeanor rendered his devil-may-care façade unnecessary. Around her, he softened; she brought out his inner humanity. She would be the death of him. He squeezed her side gently as he felt her head lean back against his shoulder. She too seemed more vulnerable around him. "I'll be safe. I have you." Her words echoed in his head, still shocking him by the blatant trust that had been so obviously displayed by her when she spoke them. Damon closed his eyes. For the first time in over 145 years, Damon felt like he mattered. He had a reason to exist; he was needed. Needed to take care of Elena after his complete idiot of a brother dumped her unceremoniously. His mouth twisting into a grim smile against his own will, he opened his eyes and looked around. He spotted Sheriff Forbes patrolling the perimeter. Curious about the tomb vampires, he realized he should go over and ask if there had been any more attacks. Reluctantly, he pulled his arm back from Elena's thin shoulders and stood in front of her.
"I'm going to talk to the Sheriff for a sec, check in on the tomb vamp situation. I'll be right back."
"'Kay. Hurry back, it's getting pretty dark and this wind is freezing." She wrapped her arms around herself, hunching over in an attempt to conserve body heat.
"Try not to miss me too much while I'm gone. It must be hard to go without such handsome company for a while." he called lightly over his shoulder as he walked away. Elena shook her head, rolling her eyes at how full of himself he was. The fact that his claims were slightly true made it even more infuriating. He actually is quite attractive, when he's not being an ass, she grudgingly admitted to herself. Truthfully, looking into his eyes for too long made her knees go weak. And she hated it. What was so special about his eyes anyways? They're beautiful and they can see right through you, a voice in the back of her head immediately answered. Elena shook her head violently, as if trying to shake the voice from her head. With a yawn, Elena looked up and realized she had company. A man, silent and deathly pale in the moonlight, was standing not a foot away from her, watching her intently. His brows drew together, and with a questioning, evil glint in his eye, he uttered-
"Katherine?"
…
Sorry if the end seems weird or sluggish, I'm about to keel over and die of exhaustion here. Let me know if this chapter delivered, or what you would like to see more or less of in the upcoming chapters. Review! Pretty please. Hope this mild little cliffhanger was enough to keep you interested! Thanks again for reading, everyone. Hopefully the next chapter will be up in the next couple of days. Oh and by the way, the reference to the 90's sitcom was Full House, for those of you who didn't know. And the nobody band featured in this chapter? They're real. Called Safetysuit. They're really brilliant, very honest and refreshing. Their only album out right now, Life Left to Go, is amazing in its entirety. The two songs featured were Life Left to Go and Anywhere but Here. Give them a listen, they're one of my favorite bands! I love you all! Til next chapter. Feedback is love, as is Delena.