CHAPTER 11

It was almost the time Irina had to meet her maker. It was 5:53 AM, and she stood in front of the building housing the old vampire, and her rival. To say she was scared would be putting it too slightly. She was petrified with dread. Why was she there again?

Oh yeah, because it was her chance to get even. As she had told Damon, she wasn't doing that for Elena. Hell, she wasn't even doing it for Damon. But for herself.

She'd been waiting for that day for so long, had been planning her attack for centuries. Ever since that horrible day of 1738. The night Alexander killed all her dreams.

At that time, she had the nagging feeling she was being followed, but she paid it no attention. She was just coming home after a haunting trip that lasted all night; and she was dragging a reluctant girl with her, for Nikolay to feed on. She'd recently turned him. Believing he was the love of her life. It couldn't have been more than two days since the transition had taken place, and she still hadn't gotten a daylight ring for him, but she'd say she would soon. She had compelled the girl not to scream, no matter what happened.

As soon as she'd entered the door, she'd known something was very wrong, if the eerie silence in the house was any indication. She compelled the girl to sit on the sofa in the parlor, and went upstairs to their room to look for Nikolay. What she found that day had haunted her for the centuries to come. There he was, Nikolay. Lying lifelessly on their big bed. The bed clothes were soaked in blood. His eyes weren't where they were supposed to be, in his eyes socks. But on the floor next to the bed. His tongue that had brought her so much pleasure, had been cut off of his mouth and had been thrown to the other side of the room. His heart rested beside him. It looked like it had been squeezed of all its blood.

She'd gasped in horror and took a few reluctant steps to the man she used to love. What shocked her the most was the message that had been left for her. It wasn't a normal note by any means. It hadn't been written with ink and on paper. But with his own blood, and on his naked body. She could still recite the exact words he'd left her.

"I will always be the only man to have you completely…

We'll see each other soon, again.

-Alexander"

That day, she'd sworn she'd have her vengeance. She'd vowed it to herself. And she was going to, today.

She had brought what was asked of her, the original stake. But it had had some little changes, courtesy of the young Bennett witch.

At exactly 6 in the morning, she felt the hiss of the air around her, and felt the presence of a figure standing behind her. Slowly, she turned around, and came face to face with her worst nightmare.

"Zdravstvuyte**, Irina" the greeting in both their native language sent chills down her body, and not exactly the good ones that Damon was capable of giving her.

"Alexander"

"Do you have what I want?" he spat, leaving the nice act aside.

"I do"

"Well, give it to me!" he extended his hand, and the expression on his face made it clear he wasn't asking.

Reluctantly, and with her glove clad hands, she took the stake from her back pocket, and hesitantly extended it. But just as he was about to take it, she retrieved it.

"First, you'll give me the girl"

It seemed Alexander wasn't in the mood for any nonsense. He snatched it away from her, and twisted around in his hands.

"It is really beautiful" he exclaimed in awe.

Irina frowned. Why isn't it working? She thought. It was supposed to be making its job. It was supposed to take him down, but he wasn't. He was standing right before her, as menacing as she ever remembered him to be. His mere presence was imposing, and it inflicted instant fear to those around him. She was no different.

"Dorogáya**" the endearment in Russian was no less frightening than the greeting. But she was an expert at concealing her fear.

"You have what you wanted, now give me the girl"

In a flash, Alexander closed the distance between them. He brought up his right hand, and used his thumb and index finger to trace her face. The caresses were anything but soothing. They had a perverse feeling to them. It was a sick touch. As sick as the man himself. But she had to ask herself if she could expect something else from the man that had taken her virtue by force, and with no remorse, or compassion altogether.

That one was the other reason she was pining after her vengeance. He had taken everything from her, and hadn't had the slightest of remorse about it. Now it was time she took everything from him, too.

But the plan they had created in the last hour had failed, or so it seemed. Because he didn't seem affected, at all.

When her thumb reached her lips, she wanted to throw up. He caught her lower lip between his fingers, and tugged on it.

"Now, now, my love. You're in no position to demand anything from me" he whispered in her ear.

"You gave me your word" she spat, not wanting him to know how frightened by him she really was.

"You should know by now not to trust my word, love"

"I thought you were a man of honor"

"I am not. I am a despicable man. But you knew that already, did you not?" his Russian accent was even thicker than her own.

"Yes, I did!" as she said that, she snatched the stake from his free hand. He was so astounded that he didn't have time to react before the stake was already being shoved in his chest, driven through his heart. Thick veins appeared in his face and throughout his entire body, his alabaster skin turned gray, and his wicked, green eyes turned gray as well, losing all the mischief that had always been there.

His body fell to the floor with a thump, and she felt a sickening satisfaction because she had finally dealt with the man she hated most.

Meanwhile, inside the warehouse, Damon came to a halt as soon as he spotted Elena's ashen body. He panicked when he realized she looked lifeless. No, this cannot be happening. We were too late, were his thoughts. He shook his head, and decided it was not the time to mourn, or to feel guilt. He had to get Elena the fuck out of there, before the Alexander guy returned.

And although his mind was now focused on Elena, he also found himself thinking about his blond partner. Was she still alive? Had she gotten hurt? Had she taken care of Alexander? Or the other way around? He chose not to think about that, either. If he wanted to get them all out of there, he needed to be really focused on his target: getting Elena.

He made his way to the metal table, and saw her wrists, and ankles were bound by steel binds, and of his smell sense didn't fail him –which it didn't- they were soaked in vervain.

Not caring about the agonizing burn they caused in his hands, he broke them open. First the ones in her ankles, and then the ones of her wrists. His hands were red because of the burning of the vervain, but he didn't care. His only care right there was freeing Elena and taking her home.

With Elena firmly tucked in his arms, he made a run to the entrance.

There, he found an euphoric-looking Irina, and next to her, he found the most satisficing sight ever. The dead-ish body of Elena's captor, and Irina's torturer.

Damon looked up at Irina, and found a real smile gracing her lips. She was actually really content. She had finally accomplished what she'd wanted for centuries.

She'd had her revenge.

Damon, Irina, and an unconscious Elena arrived to the boarding house. The sun had already started to rise. Elena's body was resting on his backseat, and Irina was in the passenger seat.

He killed the engine, and he and Irina hopped out of the vehicle. Damon took Elena's unconscious body in his arms and subconsciously took her to his room. He didn't realize he'd done it until she was already on his bed. He walked to the side, and used his thumb to caress sweetly her cheek, just like he'd done on the night he was first invited in her home.

He shook his head, and walked downstairs to the parlor to pour himself a drink. There he found Irina. A somber look graced her face, and she seemed really sad.

He had a feeling, he was not going to like what she was about to say.

"What's the matter?" he pressed the issue, either way.

"I just want to say good-bye" the finality in her voice hit him, hard. He had the vibe he had no say in her choice.

"What do you mean, 'good-bye?" he looked her in the eye, as he demanded.

"It's time for me to move on"

"Move on? Move on from what?" he stressed.

"You" that single word shook him to his very core.

"And why?" his voice changed from caring, to icy cold.

"You know why, Damon" she offered no more explanation.

"You don't have to do this! I told you, you have nothing to worry about! Elena is not a rival to you!"

"She might not be. But your feelings for her are"

"There are no feelings for her. I told you that" he spat.

"Are we really gonna go through this again? You know you can lie to everyone, but me. You love her, Damon. And don't try and sweeten things for me. There's no reason to deny the undeniable." The sad look on her face broke his heart; because he knew she was right. "It's time you are honest. To me, and to her. And most importantly, to yourself." A lone tear made its way down her left cheek. She scoffed. "Believe me, this is not something I want to do. But I need to hear you say it. I just need to hear it from you"

Damon knew he had to be one hundred percent honest with her. She deserved it after what she'd done today. She'd risked her life to help him get Elena back. And although he knew it was selfish, he was glad she did. He could not lose Elena. But he couldn't lose Irina, either.

"I love her, Irina" he stroke he cheeks, wiping away the tracks of her tear. "As much as I wish I didn't, I do. And as much as I hate it, because I know it's hurting you, I can't bring myself to regret it. To regret her." He finally admitted what was in his heart. "She was the highlight of my life. She gave my life a purpose when I needed it more than anything. And as much as I denied it to hurt her, it's been just that, to hurt her." Damon could see the heartbreak in her eyes, and it also broke his along. "But that doesn't mean I don't love you. I do! With all my heart. I'm just not in love with you. But I am with her. I always have been in love with her. I was never able to stop." He kissed away her frown. "But you're not in love with me, either Irina. You're still very much in love with Nikolay, just as you were three centuries ago. You haven't let go. And sometimes it's okay to hold on. You loved him –you love him-. You only thought you were in love with me because I remind you of him." He pulled back, and he saw the acceptance of his words in her beautiful violet eyes. "Someday, you'll find someone that you'll be able to love as much as you loved Nikolay. And when that happens, you'll be happy again. You won't forget him, because you can't forget someone you loved as much as you loved Niko. But you'll learn to live with it. For now, I wish you the best" He gave her a last sweet kiss on the lips and took a step backward.

"Good-bye, Damon. I love you. I will always love you. I hope you get your happiness with the woman you love, too." she offered him a sad smile and took a step back too. "I wish you the best, too, friend. We'll see each other around" with that she vanished from the house. He really hoped he would see her again.

He smiled a sad smile, and looked up when he heard noise coming from his room. Elena was awake.

His sad smile turned into a happy one as he made his way to the woman he loved.

Damon arrived to his room, and saw Elena stirring. Before coming upstairs, he'd gone to the basement and grabbed some blood bags. He also figured his brother had made himself scarce when he heard him and Irina arguing.

Elena opened her eyes, and looked at him with such tenderness it made his heart melt.

He smiled sweet one at her and lied down on the bed beside her. He took her hand in his, and stroke the back with his thumb. She looked at him in awe, and smiled too.

"You saved me" there was so much love in her eyes. Ad he was sure his were reflecting the same thing back at her.

"I don't want to take all the credit. Irina played a big part in the rescue mission, you know" at the mention of his former partner, her eyes turned cold. She tried to retrieve her hand, but Damon wouldn't let her.

"How helpful of her" she said sarcastically. Elena looked around the room, and was surprised when she could not see any of the Russian's stuff. "Where is your girlfriend."

"She's not my girlfriend anymore. And she left town" he smiled at the hope flaring in her eyes.

"Why would she leave town without you? And why did you two break up?" she tried t conceal her curiosity.

"We realized we love other people"

"Really?" the hope could be heard from a mile away, and Damon smiled at her eagerness.

"Yes."

"I love you, Damon" she knew she was being forward, assuming things that were not clear yet. But she didn't care.

"I don't love you, Elena" he confessed.

Elena's face fell, and he felt her withdraw. Her eyes stung –but she would not shed another tear for Damon, her time of weakness was over-, and she realized she had assumed thing too soon. Just because Damon didn't love Irina, it didn't mean he still loved her. He could have fallen in love with other woman. Although she knew it was highly unlikely for him to fall in love so fast. But, hadn't he fallen in love with her in a year span?

He'd been gone for three years. It was a long enough time to fall in love with someone else. But she couldn't deny it hurt more than anything, he'd ever done to her. If he'd waited almost one hundred, and fifty years for Katherine. Why had he forgotten about her so quickly?

Damon knew it'd been a mistake to say what he said. But he's always loved to tease people –especially Elena-, and that hadn't changed.

"I don't love you, 'Lena" Elena felt like the knife being twisted around in her chest, and it left her breathless. But still, she wouldn't cry. She would not give him the satisfaction of knowing he'd hurt her once again. Why is he so cruel? Why does he hate me so much, that he wants to see me so destroyed? What happened to her sweet and caring Damon? She thought sadly.

"Stop it, Damon!" she spat, trying to get out of his bed, and as far away from him as possible.

"I don't love you, Elena. Love isn't enough to describe what I feel for you"