Chapter 22: The Choice
"I will always choose you."
–Damon Salvatore, The Vampire Diaries (CW), Season 2 Episode 20
Elena's body shook against the cold concrete floor as she stared in front of her at the two lifeless bodies of the men that over the past two years she had both loved and hated with everything inside of her. Damon was lying on his back just to her right and his face was painfully pale and sweat covered every inch of skin that she could see, it was obvious that between the torture from Klaus and the energy he had used to come into her dream, that he was fading quickly…and once again it was because of her. Stefan, who lay just to her left, was lying face down on the floor and his messy golden brown hair was covered in a mixture between sweat and blood and matted in thick clumps to his damp forehead. If she hadn't known Klaus, or the Salvatore brother's better, she would have thought the two men before her were dead, but neither Klaus nor the brother's ever gave up without a fight and this fight was definitely far from over.
"So Elena, which one is it going to be? Are you going to save the man that pulled you from the wreckage of your parent's car two years ago, but then abandoned you to serve me, or are you going to pick the other? Are you going to pick the man that has sworn to always choose you, but yet somehow seems to always find himself in the bed of nearly every woman that crosses his path? Such choices my sweet, such choices." Klaus said in a sarcastic tone as he stared at Elena awaiting her answer. Elena swallowed thickly and looked back down to the two vampires that lay only inches from her trembling legs.
"Why should I choose Klaus? You are going to kill who you want anyway, why would it matter who I would want you to save?" She asked as she felt a slight amount of confidence flood over her fragile spirit. Klaus smiled and shook his head as he began to slowly pace before the three prisoners that he had held just in front of his feet.
"Ah, my little doppelganger. You seem to think you have me all figured out don't you? You think that I am just toying with you? Well, I am sorry to disappoint you love, but this time I am not toying with you. I am giving you a choice. I am offering you salvation and all you have to do is simply pick who you will share that salvation with." He said softly as he stopped back in front of her. Elena stared up into the menacing blue eyes that stared back at her. Klaus smiled, but his grin was evil and dripping with a devious plan that she hadn't quite figured out yet, but she knew was looming just beneath the surface.
"I will not choose between them Klaus. You should know better than anyone that I would never do that. No matter what Stefan has done to me I still love him and Damon…" Elena stopped as she quickly dropped her eyes to the ground. She had no reason that she needed to explain her feelings for Damon to Klaus, but even if she would have wanted to try, it seemed that words never seemed to do Damon or her relationship with him for that matter, any justice.
"What about Damon, love? Please, tell me so I can understand. My sweet Katerina fancied him too and I just have never been able to figure out why." He asked as he crouched down in front of her and kept his gaze tightly on her chocolate brown eyes.
"Katherine didn't love him Klaus, she used him. Never compare me to her, I would rather die first." Elena said coldly as she stared back at Klaus. Klaus smiled and laughed quietly to himself as he stared at her.
"Ah, Elena. You are so young and so naive. My sweet Katerina, just like you, loved Damon very much. She loved him and it scared her, it scared her because, as you probably know, loving someone such as Damon is very different than loving someone like Stefan. Stefan is easy, comfortable and the kind of man you bring home to mum and dad, but Damon. Well, Damon is powerful, controlling, and consuming. He will bleed you dry if you let him and God knows many have let him before. Katerina got out while she still could, but I fear that you my sweet are just not quite as smart as her." He said as his eyes bore into hers. Elena felt her body begin to shake more violently around her, but it wasn't the cold damp floors that sent the chill up her spine, but it was Klaus' words that chilled her to the bone instead.
"You know nothing about me or Damon. And, I will not choose, I want you to release them both and I want you to do it now or I will end my life and end your hybrid race along with it." She said sharply as she pushed herself up slightly further against the wall and tried to sit tall and pronounce the authority she knew she didn't have. Klaus smiled as he watched her.
"You want them both…ah, and you say that you are nothing like Katerina. But, aside from your similarities to my dear old friend, you are in no place to be giving me orders, Elena. If I were you I would remember that." He said with a cold smile and then stood back up and began his meticulous pacing across the floor in front of her once again.
"Just let us go Klaus, without me you have no hybrids and without Damon and Stefan you have no one to do the dirty work for you when you want something done. Please, just let us go." Elena begged in almost a whisper as she stared up at the golden haired man that moved carefully in front of her. Klaus smiled as he moved.
"Choose and you are free." He repeated quickly. Elena shook her head and gritted against the pain that shot up through her neck as she moved.
"No." She whispered defiantly. Klaus stopped his pacing and turned and faced Elena sternly. His eyes were filled with darkness and even though he hadn't moved yet, Elena knew that something bad was coming and it was coming faster than she was going to be able to prepare for.
In a flash, Klaus was in front of Elena and over Damon's lifeless body. He quickly sunk down to his knees and plunged his fist deep inside Damon's chest and his cold dark eyes returned to Elena's as he held Damon's heart in his hand.
"My hand is just touching his heart, Elena. In a quick movement I could end his life. All it takes is a twist of my hand and then I will rip his heart from his chest and he will be gone, forever. Choose, or I will kill them both in front of you and then make your death even more painful." He seethed as he crouched over Damon. Damon groaned in pain as he lay underneath Klaus, but as Elena watched him and heard the pain in his voice, she knew that he was still alive, even if his perfect blue eyes were still closed.
"Please Klaus." Elena pleaded as she stared at Damon and moved slightly closer to them trying to think of any way to end the pain that she could almost feel coursing through her own body. Klaus gritted his teeth and then turned and plunged his other hand into Stefan's back and Elena heard a blood curdling scream escape Stefan's lifeless lips as he tensed under Klaus's forceful torture.
"Come on Elena, I am not a patient man." Klaus said through his clenched teeth as he held both Salvatore brothers' hearts in his hands and tortured them by slightly twisting his fingers every few seconds.
Elena's mind raced and her thoughts seemed to all blur together in a feverish mess as she watched Stefan and Damon being tortured in front of her. She knew that Klaus was through playing games and if she didn't make a decision fast she was going to lose everyone she loved in a matter of seconds. But, how could she choose? Even if her love for Stefan had changed, she couldn't just let him die. He had been the love of her life for over a year and was the entire reason she was still alive today. Even though he had changed and their love was not the same as it once was, she was not prepared to make the decision on if he lived or died just because of that reason.
But, Damon. How could she let Klaus kill Damon? How could she let Klaus even hurt him in the slightest when time after time he had choose her, saved her, and devoted himself to protecting her even when the love he had felt for her was unrequited as she lay in his brother's arms night after night. How could she let the man that had shown her what it was to truly love someone, just die in front of her? She loved Damon and she loved him in a way she had never loved anyone else before and losing him was not an option, but what was she going to do when Klaus had stolen any third option that was possible?
The next few moments seemed to happen in slow motion as Elena realized that her decision was going to be made whether she liked it or not. It only took a second, but suddenly she heard the twisting of muscle around bone as Klaus twisted his fingers deeper in Damon's chest and Elena heard the painful moan escape his lips that sounded far worse than the last she had heard from him as she had laid in bed with him the night that he nearly died from Tyler's bite. The sound seemed to echo in her mind and coat every fiber of her being as she quickly crawled to her knees and over to Damon. She knelt before his body and looked up at Klaus' cold eyes as she felt the tears begin to roll down her cheeks.
"No, let him go. Please don't hurt him. Please Klaus." Elena begged through her tears. Klaus smiled and slowly removed his hand from Damon's chest and with a groan Elena watched as the large wound in his chest slowly began to heal. She looked around for something sharp in a sudden moment of panic and finally found a broken piece of glass lying on the floor beside an old window that had been broken. She crawled over to the window, slid the blade over her wrist in a quick motion and ignored the heated pain of the gash as she crawled back over to where Damon laid leaving a trail of blood behind her. She slid her wrist over his lips and pressed down tightly against his mouth.
"Please drink Damon." She whispered as she tried to get him to drink and for a moment she thought that he wouldn't, but after a few seconds she felt him begin to lightly suck on her wrist.
"Well, isn't this romantic? Looks like that choice wasn't so hard, after all. Well, I am sorry Elena, but I have news for you. I do still need my ripper." He said coldly and in that moment Elena knew exactly what this whole night had been about. Damon had told her in her dream that Klaus was out to kill anyone that she loved and now that she had proved which brother she was loyal too, Klaus was going to kill the one she wanted the most. He would never Kill Stefan. They had been friends; they had gone on a murdering spree together and had formed some sick bond that she would never understand. She had been a fool, but lucky for her, Damon had not been.
In a flash Damon was up from the floor and pulled Elena with him and tight to his body. Elena gasped at the sudden movement from the man that had seemed nearing death only a few seconds before and turned to try to say something to him, but Damon was too fast and at this point they were far past words.
"Run Elena!" Damon shouted as he saw Klaus beginning to move toward them. Elena stared at him, but then remembered her promise to him in her dream.
"Run!" He screamed and then quickly, Elena nodded and turned and ran as fast as she could toward the door. Her body was heavy and her eyes felt tired from the blood loss of both Klaus' taking and Damon's, but she knew if she could just get out the door she would be alright. But then she quickly remembered that in her life, nothing was quite that easy.
"Going somewhere darling?" A soothing southern voice asked from just in front of her. Elena slowed her motions and looked to a woman that stood a few feet before her. The woman had dark skin and long mahogany curled hair and her eyes were nearly golden which under normal circumstances would have been beautiful, but that night only served to terrify Elena.
"Who are you?" Elena asked as she tried to decipher if she was fast enough to move around this woman and still escape from the warehouse alive.
"I'm Araya. I am one of Klaus' witches and I'm sorry sweetie, but you aren't going anywhere." She said soothingly, but yet with an evil edge that sent shivers up Elena's spine. Elena swallowed thickly.
"Please let me go. I haven't done anything. Please just let me go." Elena begged as she panted. She heard the sound of men fighting and screaming behind her, but she knew if she turned her head for even a second, her life would be ended and at the hands of one of Klaus' witches nonetheless.
"It's not what you have done sweetheart, it is what you have. You have the key to what Klaus wants, and I do whatever Klaus wants." She said with a smile as she began to move slowly closer to Elena. Elena swallowed thickly and clenched her fist. In an instant she felt a sharp pain and realized that she was still holding the piece of glass that she had used to cut her wrist to feed Damon only a few moments before. She took in a deep breath and did the only thing she knew she could do. She fought.
Elena took off toward the side of the witch and nearly made it to the door before she felt two strong arms gripping hers and a pain shoot through her entire body. She knew Klaus' witch was strong and that she would use mind control if she needed to, but before she got the chance she knew she needed to ensure that she got the people she loved out of that warehouse…all of them.
Elena pulled one arm free in a struggle from the beautiful witch that grasped her and in a quick movement she jolted her arm behind her and jammed the large piece of glass into the side of her throat. Slowly, she felt the witches tight grip loosen on her and then she watched as the beautiful dark woman fell to the floor with blood now covering the entire front of the long dress that covered her body. Elena stared at the woman and then turned back to see the scene behind her. Klaus was lying on the ground and Damon was pulling his brother from the floor and had begun dragging him across the warehouse to where Elena now stood.
"We don't have much time, Klaus isn't dead, obviously. We gotta get the fuck out of here." Damon said quickly once he reached Elena. Elena nodded as she looked between the floor where the body of the woman lay and Stefan that was dangling from his brothers arms both covered in blood.
"I…" Elena started, but she didn't know what to say. So much had happened and finally the reality of what she had done set in. Her body began to shake and quickly she stepped back and nearly ran into the wall behind her.
"It's alright; she was just a witch and one of Klaus' witches I might add. Right now we just need to focus on getting the hell out of here. We can deal with the rest of this later." He said quickly as he began pushing Elena and his brother toward the door. Elena nodded and slowly began to drag herself toward the door behind Damon and Stefan. She looked back only once and saw the body of the woman she had killed laying lifeless in a pool of blood and Klaus slowly pulling the dagger from his chest and beginning to get to his feet as his eyes locked with hers.
Elena ran as fast as she could to Damon's car and slid into the passenger seat as Damon tossed his brother into the back and then jumped into the driver's seat of the car. He shoved his key into the ignition at inhuman speed and before Elena knew it Damon was speeding out of the vacant parking lot and heading back down the highway going faster than they ever had before.
"Are you alright?" Damon asked as he looked over to Elena's pale skin and weak frame that sat beside him. Elena faked a smile and nodded.
"Yeah, I probably just need some sleep…and food…and possibly a transfusion." She said with a smile and looked over to Damon and saw that for the first time since he had been home, she saw a true smile on his lips.
"Once we are home I can help you…if you want. I mean vampire blood will take care of a lot of that." He said quickly as his eyes returned to the highway in front of them. Elena nodded and swallowed hard as she felt her mouth begin to water at the thought of the taste of Damon's blood that she hadn't tasted in over a year.
"Yeah…I mean I'll be fine." She said quickly trying not to appear too eager or desperate, both of which she knew she was. Slowly, she turned and looked into the backseat and saw Stefan still passed out and felt her stomach tighten slightly. Guilt and concern filled her body, but there was an emotion she couldn't seem to place that seemed to eat at her even more as she watched him. Slowly, she turned and looked back at Damon.
"What about him? How are we going to get him back to normal? He is still under Klaus' spell and he doesn't look good at all." She asked as she stared at Damon. Damon smirked and reached across the seat and squeezed her knee slightly.
"Stefan was never under Klaus' spell Elena; he was spelled by Klaus' witch…the witch that you killed tonight. Once he recovers from the Vervain and starvation he will be back to the same old brooding Stefan, you saved him." He said and with his last sentence he quickly removed his hand and returned back to looking toward the highway. Elena swallowed and she knew exactly why Damon was now avoiding her eyes. Now that Stefan would return to his old self, Damon was now questioning whether Elena would be returning to him or not as well.
The rest of the car ride back to the Boarding House was quiet as Elena sat staring out at the darkened night sky and thinking over how her life had seemed to turn upside down over the past year, but as Damon turned into the long driveway of his home she realized exactly what she hadn't needed to do for far longer than she cared to admit.
Stefan was still unconscious as Damon carried him into the Boarding House. He carried him up the long staircase and then laid him down in his bed as he covered him with a few blankets. Elena followed and once Damon had his brother settled he turned to her with a forced smile.
"Well, he should come to within the next twenty-four hours and then if we can get some blood into him he will be back to shaping his hair and journaling in no time. I will be in my room if you…" Damon said quickly as he turned to leave the room, but in an instant Elena reached out and caught his arm. She stared at him in both confusion and love as she saw the pain behind his perfectly blue eyes.
"Damon…I am not staying in here with him, he will be alright." She said softly. Damon stared at her, but then turned his head to the side once again avoiding her eyes. It was obvious he had put his walls up, but Elena had gotten used to being able to bring them down every now and again.
"You want one of the guest rooms?" He asked as he raised his brow at her. Elena stared at him and then smiled as she saw him trying to hide his grin from her. Elena shook her head.
"No, I don't want one of the guest rooms, Damon." She said as she moved slightly closer to him and slid her hand down his forearm and tangled her fingers in his. Damon smiled and then widened his eyes slightly.
"So then where exactly do you plan on sleeping?" He asked with a grin as he looked around Stefan's bedroom. Elena smiled.
"Why do you have to hear me say it, Damon?" She asked. Damon moved closer to her and looked down into her chocolate brown eyes and slowly brought his hands to her hair and cupped her face in his hands.
"Because I need to hear it, Elena." He said his voice suddenly serious. Elena felt her heart speed up slightly in her chest and she swallowed hard in her throat.
"I want to go to your room, Damon. I want to lay in your bed and I want to be with you. I chose you for the first time a year ago when I first walked into your room and I think we both know I choose you tonight and that I always will." She said softly as she stared into his glacier blue eyes that warmed immediately at her words. Damon nodded and took her hand in his once again and without words led her slowly out of the bedroom. Elena followed him with a smile as she clutched his hand tighter in her's and in her moment of happiness she failed to notice the tears that rolled down Stefan's face as he watched them walk out of his room.
So what did you all think of that chapter? I have one more chapter of this story and then I will immediately go into my sequel for this book. I am very excited and I think that if you liked this story, you will love the sequel. I still have a little more smut to come and lots of story and angst and love and playful DELENA fun! Please click the button below and review and thank you again to everyone that has been reading my stories and reviewing. You all mean so much to me and I thank you! Enjoy, next chapter will be up no later than tomorrow early in the day and then my sequel should be showing up by end of tomorrow or Wednesday. Thank you! Review! Nikki (if you find some errors in this one I apologize, my editing eyes are getting blurry lol) Stay tuned for some much needed smut lol.