Chapter Thirty-Three

Ella regained consciousness a short while later, but she wouldn't open her eyes. She never wanted to open her eyes again, didn't want to see a world without Jeremy. So she kept her eyes firmly closed.

She could feel Damon sitting at her side on what she guessed was a sofa or a bed. Damon had carried her home, he now held a damp cloth to her forehead and was gently stroking her hair. Ella wasn't the only one in pain, she could feel Damon's pain, his concern, his fear.

"Ella?" Damon whispered, his thumb wiping tears from her damp cheeks. Ella realised she was crying and that he'd probably figures out that she was awake. "Ella honey, can you hear me?"

"Yes," Ella answered, slowly forcing her eyes open. She was lying on a sofa in the Salvatore house.

"Thank God," he breathed, pulling her into sitting position and crushing her against his chest. "You scare me there for a minute."

"Sorry," Ella muttered, her voice was hollow and flat.

Damon pulled away, holding her at arms length and starting into her dull and lifeless eyes. "Ella listen to me, Jeremy's alive."

Ella was already shaking her head, she didn't want to hear this. "No. I saw him…I saw what that…that monster did."

"He's alive Ella."

"Stop it," Ella begged, squeezing her eyes closed again as if it would keep out the pain. "Please…just stop it."

"He's on his way here Ella," Damon continued, ignoring her pleading. "He's alive and he's coming here for you."

"No!" Ella screamed, her tears falling hard and fast, blurring her vision. She jumped to her feet, moving quickly away from Damon and his hurtful words, her whole body was shaking violently. "Why are you doing this to me? Jeremy's gone! He's DEAD!"

Damon had gotten to his feet and he moved slowly toward Ella where she stood, clutching her head in her hands. "Ella…"

"No, please…I can't take it any more. Please stop Damon, please…just kill me."

"What?" Damon snapped as Ella sank to her knees, still clutching her head and sobbing uncontrollably.

"I can't take the pain, please…it's too much…end it for me…please…make it stop."

"Ella listen to me," Damon said sharply. He was in front of her now, trying to pull her hands down, his tone soothing. "I'm not lying; I'm not trying to hurt you. Jeremy is alive. He'll be here any minute, just hold on a little longer."

But Ella wasn't listening anymore; it was just like that night in the makeshift car park. The pain had overwhelmed her; it was dragging her down towards the darkness. A primal scream, filled with agony and grief, ripped from her lungs. It was long and constant and Damon could feel her pain.

He felt helpless as he watched his friend falling apart at the seams and knowing there was nothing he could do to help her, not until Jeremy arrived. Seeing that he was alive for herself was the only thing that would end her suffering, that's if she wasn't too far gone by then.

Silent tears filled Damon's brilliant blue eyes and spilled down his pale cheeks. He scooped her up into his arms, cradling her against his chest. Her small frame shook violently, sending almost painful tremors up his arms, but he didn't care it only made him hold her tighter.

Each one of her sobs was like a knife to the heart. Damon prayed that Jeremy arrived soon or he feared they'd lose her forever. Fortunately he didn't have to wait long, a few minutes later he heard the front door being thrown open and Caroline sprinted into the room. With her vampire speed she was the first one to reach them.

"Ella!" Caroline exclaimed, running over to kneel beside her friend and Damon. "Ella, sweetie, it's Caroline, can you hear me? Jeremy's here honey, he's right behind me."

It was too late, Ella was too far gone to hear her friend or process the words. She continued to scream and sob hysterically into Damon's shoulder. Caroline's eyes were wide with fear and brimming with tears as she looked up at Damon.

"What do we do?" she asked.

"I don't know. I think the only one who can reach her now is Jeremy."

"I'm here."

They both looked up as Jeremy entered the room. His features were twisted into a pained expression when he saw Ella going to pieces. He didn't hesitate as he strode over to them and plucked his girlfriend from Damon's arms and over to the sofa where he sat with her cradled on his lap. Elena, Stefan and Bonnie filed in, all shocked at the sight of their friend.

"Ella?" Jeremy tried, stroking her cheek. "Ella, baby, it's me. I'm right here, I'm with you."

Ella couldn't hear him, her crying and screaming was too loud, she was too consumed by her grief.

"Jer, maybe I can help," Bonnie said, stepping forward. "Keep talk to her."

Jeremy nodded as Bonnie took a seat beside him, placing both of her hands on Ella's forehead and closing her eyes. She began muttering under her breath, her brow puckering in concentration.

"Ella," Jeremy continued speaking. "Come on baby, I'm right here, please coming back to me. I'll always be here Ella, I love you."

Whatever Bonnie was doing, it was working. Slowly Ella's scream stopped and her shaking began to calm. Jeremy kept on speaking, trying to get through to her. After a few moments, Bonnie dropped her hands and Ella's eye flew open.

She stared up at Jeremy for a beat then gasped and jumped to her feet. Ella put as much distance as she could between them, her terrified eyes never leaving Jeremy's face.

"Ella?"

"Am I dead?" she whispered.

"What? No!" Jeremy assured her, getting to his feet.

"How-? I…I saw you die. How can you be here? Are…are you a…a vampire?" she asked, still scared and confused.

"I'm not a vampire," he shook his head, taking a step forward. "It's my ring, my father's ring, it's been in the family for centuries. I thought you knew about it, I'm so sorry that you had to go through that Ella."

Ella frowned and shook her head. "I don't understand."

"The ring brings me back, if I'm killed by something supernatural it'll bring me back."

"You're alive?"

"Yes," he nodded taking another step toward her. "I'm alive and I'm here."

The tears started again, spilling from Ella's eyes, but this time they were tears of joy. She quickly closed the gap between them, throwing her arms around Jeremy's neck and pressing her lips against his. The kiss was hungry and Ella's fingers fell unconsciously to Jeremy's neck. Confirming for herself that he was truly all right.

"I'm so sorry," Ella whispered, pulling away but keeping their foreheads pressed together.

"For what?"

"It's my fault. He came for me and you got hurt."

It was Damon who responded this time. "It wasn't your fault. You heard what he said Ella, he said 'ask your father'. This is his fault!"

"No," Ella shook her head. She looked over at the friend who had nearly died to save her life. "I don't believe him; he was just trying to torment me. My father doesn't know anything about this world."

"How can you be so sure?" Damon demanded. "You're a Fae Ella, you always assumed that you got your powers from you mother. If that's true then your father would have been married to a Fae. Are you trying to tell me that he never knew?"

Ella frowned at Damon, she couldn't understand his anger or the way he spoke the word 'father' like it was a dirty word. "What's your problem Damon? Why do you hate my father so much?"

"My problem is that your father disappears for days, sometimes weeks at a time, leaving you alone to fend off evil vampires who say they're trying to kill you because of him!"

"No," Ella shook her head. "There's more to it than that. What are you not telling me Damon?"

"Hold up," Stefan interrupted before Damon could respond. "What exactly happened tonight?"

"The vampire, whoever he was, snapped Jeremy's neck. Then this dummy," Damon explained, hooking his thumb in Ella's direction. "chased after them, even though she had no idea what she was doing. They ended up in the cemetery just like in Ella's dream and while I was fighting off the guy, the girl attacked Ella and bit her because she wasn't paying attention."

"That's not true," Ella said in a small voice.

"What?" Damon rounded on her.

"I was paying attention, I knew she was there and that she would bite me," Ella explained. "It had always been part of my vision too, I knew she was going to try and kill me."

"AND YOU LET HER?!"

TBC…