Disclaimer : I do not own The Vampire Diaries or all and any of the characters and settings used.

Author's Note : I love this chapter. I hope you do too. Enjoy reading. As always, review is love :)

THE PERFECT CHOICE

By Veronica Bali

Chapter 4 : Goodbye, Sanity

My wounded body fell on Damon's arms. Antagonizing pain took over as I tried to keep my eyes open. I saw Damon's terror screaming through his body. He shook his head endlessly, "No… no… Elena. Stay with me," he whispered.

I have seen a lot of Damon's emotions. I saw him angry, remorseful, guilty, and much seldom, happy. But the feeling I saw in his eyes… It was something I have never seen in him. It was something I have always wanted to see… Love.

I want to tell you something. I screamed in my head. But no matter how hard I tried to open my mouth, I couldn't speak. I couldn't move.

I need to tell you something.

I must have blacked out for a long while, because the next thing I knew, I was curled up on Damon's bed. I tried to sit up but every time I would move even an inch, my whole body ached like I was beaten up for days. I looked to the left side of the bed, and my gut churned. Pamela was sitting beside me, a smile plastered on her face.

"Hi."

I didn't reply back. Apart from her being a stranger, I didn't feel good the first time I saw her. My gut feeling told me we weren't going to get along. Added to the fact that it was too bad a day for me to start making new vampire friends.

"Do you need anything? Water, maybe?"

I knew my face read confusion. Despite her friendly English accent, I wasn't too close to trusting an Original, considering the first three I've met.

"Where's Damon?" my voice was still husky.

"He's winding down," she took a wet towel from the bedside and started wiping my face, I cringed and signaled stop with my hands. I didn't like how she acted too pally.

"Winding down?" I asked.

Even before Pamela could answer, Damon stormed in the room. I looked at his eyes and knew for certain that it was rage displayed.

"Get out." He said sternly to Pamela. And for the weirdest reason, I felt eased. Without a word, Pamela left and it was just me and Damon in the room. He walked back and forth, his hands gripped his hips. I could see he was still agitated. Whatever it was that he did to wind down, it did not help. At all.

In a matter of minutes, he was going to explode. And to my worry, I could not even move my body. I flinched when Damon snarled furiously, "You just love sacrificing yourself, don't you?"

"I wasn't going to just watch and let you get –"I gasped, frightened by his enraged eyes.

"Well the next time you want to go get staked, give me the heads up so I can at least get you a medal for it!" he shouted in an absurd angry rush. He took the glass in the bedside, and threw it right to the wall. The shards of glass fell clinking to my ears. He needed to break something. He just had to.

My chest rose and fell in agitation. I took a deep breath and desperately appealed to his reason, "I know I scared you. And I'm sorry. But I saw him Damon, he was right behind you. I didn't know what else to do…" I slowly sat up. I wanted to reach him. I wanted to ease his worry. But my body still could not handle it. A second after I was able to stand up, my whole body dragged me down to the floor. Damon caught me in inhuman speed, and I could've sworn his face was too close, I already felt his breath.

His blue eyes stared right into mine, I almost lost control. "Don't you ever. Do that. Again." His austere voice echoed through my ears, it sounded more of a command than a request. And I nodded helplessly. I knew that when it comes down to that same situation, I wouldn't even hesitate to sacrifice myself again.

My body was too tired that I dozed off a couple minutes after my argument with Damon. Right before I fell asleep, he told me what happened after I got wounded. Apparently, the stranger at the warehouse was an Original, Pamela's brother, Enrique. Enrique fled after he had wounded me, a surprise to me and Damon. After Damon gave me his blood, he tried to awaken Elijah. Unfortunately, he couldn't. Pamela said that the only supernatural being that could remove the dagger was a witch. I wanted to think of a plan right then, but Damon told me he will not bring me home until I have rested completely.

I woke up, took my phone and called Jeremy, who was apparently sleeping. I didn't realize it was already midnight. I didn't give him details of what exactly happened; the last thing I would want is for him to worry about me.

I walked to the parlor to bid goodbye to Damon and go back home. I had to think of a plan to save Stefan. It had been too crazy the past days, and I'm pretty sure my mind was somewhere else. I had to focus. It seems that I'm forgetting my goal, bringing back the real Stefan.

Pamela sat by the couch, clasping a glass of wine with her hands. I keep bumping onto her. It's starting to feel uncomfortable.

"You're leaving?" she asked.

"Where's Damon?" I've been asking that awfully a lot the past days.

"Something about a friend of his, Alaric."

She signaled me to sit down in front of her. I thought thrice about it, but I realized there were a lot of things I wanted to ask her. And I had a feeling she was not one to keep silent. She offered me wine, and I gladly drank some.

As I guessed, she began to tell her story, "I met Damon five years ago. As you know, Klaus had killed my entire family. I knew before hand that he was going to get rid of us. I told one of my trusted companions about it, and ten years after Klaus killed us, he found me and Enrique down by Tennessee. He awoke us." A lengthy pause. "Then we were on an endless run, hiding from Klaus, not letting him know we are still alive. You had a run-in with Enrique because he was also trying to look for our older brother, Elijah."

She took the stem of her wine glass, and shook it lightly, closely gazing the liquor.

"Why didn't you tell Damon you were an Original?" I had to ask.

Her reply took me by surprise, "Because… I loved Damon," she said it with too much passion, emphasizing every word. "And I still do. Knowing I'm an original would endanger him." I felt my stomach turn, a pang of unexplainable pain in my heart. I tried my hardest to keep myself in check, to keep Pamela from knowing that a part of me crumbled inside. And that I didn't know why.

"Why did you leave him then?"

She laughed softly, "If anyone can leave Damon, I would want to meet her," she took me aback, "He left me, Elena."

Mostly, he's just a walk-away Joe. I remembered what an old friend of Damon told me about him. It came off a little bit funny because it never crossed my mind that Damon would leave me or Stefan, or that he would abandon everything. I couldn't see why he would do such thing. Not to me, he won't. Especially not to me. I was way in over my head, but that's how it all plays out in my thoughts. I trust Damon.

Pamela probably saw that my thoughts were all over the place. "You do know he loves you, right?" I almost choked on my wine, it was a statement, not a question. I did not know what to reply, or even if I should.

"You let him in." she observed idly, it was starting to seem more of a therapy than a conversation. Maybe she feasted on my abashed face, she continued, "You let him in. Just little touches here and there, He stands so close to you, getting you used to him. Because you feel something too, but you don't want to admit it."

I swallowed, and cleared my throat, "I'm his brother's girlfriend."

"You keep telling yourself things you already know, Elena." She said as I stood up, ready to leave the scene, "You should try figuring out those you don't."

I headed to the door, her words echoing in my head. Though it sounded like a line taken from a collection of quotes book, I perfectly understood what she meant. But I can't. I can't think about me and Damon. Not when everything inside me screams guilt. Not when every part of me screams chagrin. I just have to keep on burying it, keep on shoving it somewhere in my head until ther –.

"Damon." I saw the man of my dilemma in front of me. My eyes caught his handsome features, the ease with which he wore his black shirt, the casual way he put his hands on his pocket, and I took notice of every painfully familiar thing about him.

"You're leaving?" he asked.

"Jer might be worried." I replied. Without another word, I passed by him, and headed towards my car. I was too scared he would see through my confusion. To my surprise, he didn't say anything too.

I rummaged my purse. I can't find the frigging key. I exclaimed inwardly upon reaching the car. I looked back to Damon; he was still standing at the porch, his back facing me. Whatever happens next is the key's fault. I whispered convincingly to myself.

Slowly, I walked back to Damon, not knowing why. He probably heard my steps, he faced me with his baffled expression.

"Damon. I have something to tell you." I said upon reaching the porch.

He waited for it. Maybe it was two minutes, maybe even fifteen, I was just silent. Somewhere in me, I found a streak of confidence to say it, "I won't lie." I glued my sight to him, "I will keep on doing it again. And again. No matter how many times it will take. I will keep on sacrificing myself. I will keep on saving you."

I saw astound form in his eyes, the tension building up in his powerful shoulders. He wasn't going to say anything. Not yet. I took a deep breath, "I wanted to tell you that you're worth saving –" I unknowingly smiled, "–to me."

I knew it was one of those situations I just had to avoid.

I tightened my grip on the ledge, too scared that I might fall off balance from the absorbing gaze Damon gave me. Heat washed over me and my heart worked in quick beats. His dark hair and chiseled features made me stare at him without blinking. But it was his eyes that caught me off guard, the icy blue color you could just never forget. He moved towards me, closing the last inch that separated us, and for a moment, I forgot to breathe. He placed one of his hands onto the back of my neck, the other traveled up my spine, sending shivers through my body.

"Now is your only chance to leave, Elena," Damon warned me. Though it sounded more of a tease than a heads-up.

I think I should probably go, I wanted to say it. I wanted to run and hide. But instead, I stood there like a curious little girl wanting to see what would happen next.

Slowly, he bent his head and eased his searching lips over mine. His mouth caught my top lip, then my lower one. I put my fists between us, my arms clutched over my chest. I couldn't make myself push him away, but neither could I let him hold me completely. Every time I thought the kiss might stop, it went on longer and deeper. And it felt good. I have to admit that it did. I tried to desperately grasp to my fleeing sanity, but when he slid his tongue inside my lips, I knew I had lost the fight. I leaned to him and let him part my lips. His arms tightened around me, locking me against his chest, his mouth needing mine.

I never thought kissing Damon would be such a sweet remorse. He was too gentle that I had to open my eyes and make sure it was really him. It surprised me that Damon, who seemed to always have the upper hand, was fighting for control and self-restraint.

I was sure he didn't want to push me. But deep inside, I knew he wanted to take all of me.

Author's Note : The future flash is finally revealed! :D