I don't own the vampire diaries and I don't own the characters.
This takes place after the events in my fanfic Soulmates always find a way.
The POV's will be from Damon and Elena.
Enjoy.
Feedback is appreciated.
Chapter 13- Changes and Consequences
Elena's POV
This is my fault. That's all I could think about. It's my fault...
This is the consequence for me fighting the compulsion. Elijah said if I did it everything would change here. I begged him to help me. I did the selfish thing. I needed Damon and Asher so bad I changed everything. The silence in the room was deafening and I looked Elijah right in the eyes and nodded.
"Bonnie...Christopher go out back and set up for the spell to send all of you home. Time has changed and they're burning the church tonight. None of you can be in it."
Elijah says the words and they both leave. Bonnie gives me this knowing look and I know this is the only thing that we could have changed about the past to affect the future in a dramatic way. I made the choice and I had to live with it. I got up from Damon's lap and grabbed the picture and note from the blanket and walked outside. I would go back and deal with everything when I got home. Caroline is the only one who followed me out of the church and she stops me from my pacing.
"Before you got sent back here did you tell Damon?' She whispered the words and I know it so no vampire will hear her.
I sigh knowing what she means. I shake my head and lean against the wall. "No Care. If things go seriously wrong we could lose more than just me or him." My hand goes to my stomach and I hear the door of the church bust open. I look up and see Damon walk angrily toward me.
"Elena Gilbert you changed the fact that you didn't fight the compulsion last time! I was prepared to..."
"I know Damon! I did it so you didn't have to pretend to fall in love with that bitch! I did it so I could stay with you! I did it because I needed you! I made the choice and I know it was selfish but I...I needed you. We'll get home and we'll be together. That won't change as long as the church burns with the tomb vampires in it."
I didn't mean to yell the words at him but I couldn't help it. I had so many thoughts in my head right now. I had been so caught up with being here that I forgot what I had to tell Damon when I got home before he proposed and we got sent back here. I closed my eyes as I remembered what happened earlier that day. I felt Damon slip his arm around me and kiss the top of my head.
"Okay Elena. What shall we do today, we have hours while Damon is out?"
"Care. I need to go see Meredith." I look at my best friend and see her give me this look that says 'why do you need that?' She doesn't question me though she just drives.
We get to the hospital and I walk past the nurses station and go straight to her office. She's not there so I sit in one of the chairs and wait. I calculate and re-calculate in my head. I'm never late and now I am. On top of that I've been sick for 2 weeks straight, but it's just that some things make me sick and then after I get it all out I'm fine. I remember when mom was pregnant with Jeremy, I know the signs. I just need to make sure, hence Meredith. I hear her walk in and immediately stand up.
"I need a pregnancy test. Now." I blurt the words out and I see her stunned face quickly compose into her strict doctor face.
"I knew it!" Caroline is obviously happy she was right.
Meredith takes my blood sample and leaves to run the test. I swear it seems like it took her months instead of just 25 minutes to run the simple test. She walks back in and sits across her desk from me. She doesn't talk she just hands me a folder. I take it and open it.
"Well Elena. What's it say?!"
I look up the ever interested and excited best friend next to me. "I'm pregnant."
"Oh. My. God. Damon is going to freak! In a good way I know it Elena!"
She launches at me and hugs me around the shoulders. I know she's right, Damon will certainly freak. I'm not sure it will be in a good way though. I thank Meredith and we head back to boarding house after Caroline makes sure I eat a whole meal and a half. I swear I'm going to have to kill her before this pregnancy is over if she keeps trying to get me to eat this much. We get back to house and I'm so shocked by Damon's proposal that I forget to tell him. I have the folder but I forget to show it to him and then bippity boppity boop we're here.
I'm snapped out of the memory when I feel myself start to move away from the wall of the church reluctantly.
"We have to move so they can bring in the vampires from the back. Bonnie's almost done with the circle then we can go home."
I nod at Damon and follow him to where Bonnie and Christopher are spelling a circle in the ground. Jeremy and Caroline are standing next to them already in the circle. Stefan is talking to his father while they board up windows and doors. Klaus is in deep conversation with Elijah and they keep looking at me. I can feel Damon staring at me but I can't force myself to turn to face him. Stefan comes out of the church and goes to hand me Asher when Elijah takes him.
"He can't go back to the present as a baby. He has to stay with me, so at least that stays the same. Klaus and I don't think it will matter if Stefan and Damon don't transition. The future will still play out the same if you get home before the church finishes burning."
I nod, still keeping quiet. I see Johnathan Gilbert ride up with carriage and I stiffen immediately. The vampires, later known as the tomb vamps. Damon releases his arm from me and goes to ask Jeremy something. Little did I know that would be mistake number one. Johnathan and Giuseppe open the door and start bring in the vampires. I notice that not all of them are wearing those weird mask contraptions I found in the future. I notice most of them but one catches my eye the most. He's the one who tried to kill Stefan for revenge. He looks at me and I can see in his eyes he knows who I am and what I'm going to do in the future. "Damon?" I call out tentatively for him and I swear it all moves in slow motion.
Right as Damon assess the situation the vampire grabs me around the neck and speaks right to Damon. "I know who you are and who she is. This is my revenge."
He drags me into the church with him and I hear Damon yell back, "I will fucking kill you myself this time!"
He doesn't keep me where the rest of the vampires are instead he takes me to a room off the main sanctuary where it would be hard for someone to reach if they decided to come in for me. He lets me go and barricades the door. He waits until he is right in front of me to run his finger across my collarbone. I stand up as straight as I can and I don't flinch away from him. I'm not going to let him have the satisfaction of seeing any fear from me. He's circling me and suddenly I'm very aware that he doesn't just want me to die or to feed on me, he wants more as Damon's revenge. He stops and looks me right in the eyes.
"You will do what I tell you. You won't fight me and you will surrender yourself to me. Do you understand?"
Hell fucking no I wont. "I understand." I decide to pretend to be compelled, when now that I know how to fight it I'm successfully not compelled. I just need to keep the memories of Damon in the forefront of my mind.
"Good. Now...give me your wrist."
I hold it out to him and he bites. I wince and instinctively try to pull away but he breaks my arm at the elbow so I can't move. I can't control the scream that escapes my mouth. He pushes me against the wall at vampire speed and force. I hit my head and for a second I see stars. I keep Damon in the front of my mind, I can't let him slip away. The vampire pulls away and looks at the door.
"Seems like your boy left you in here. They're burning the church. Now...I'm going to take you and you will not fight me."
No, no, no, no. I want to try to push him away but that would give away that I'm not compelled and make things infinitely worse. His hands start to wander and suddenly I find myself fighting him. He knows I'm not compelled. I want Damon. Right before he rips the dress I'm wearing I hear the door bust open and see Elijah and Klaus on the other side. The vampire turns around to face him and Elijah grabs his neck and snaps it easily. Klaus picks me up and we leave the room. I cough when we get to the hallway and smell all the smoke.
"They've locked the back door Klaus. We have to bust it down. If you don't get there you can't go..."
"I know Elijah. Just help me get her there alright?!"
I look at him and he just nods at me. He's risking everything to try to get ME back to the future. I see him pull something out of his pocket, the ring. He slips it on my finger. "If I don't get you to the circle that will take you back okay Elena? I'm going to try to go back with you but if I don't make it tell Caroline I love her and I'm sorry. Oh and by the way congratulations on the future little Salvatore bundle of joy."
I watch as he and Elijah take turns ramming the door. It doesn't seem to be making a difference. They are both growling and I know they're upset. I feel so useless just standing here but I know I can't help them, I'm not physically strong enough. I know better than to move from the corner Klaus set me in, if I move I will either get eaten or get burnt to a crisp. I'm so caught up watching them that I don't feel the tugging on my arm until it's too late. I try to jump forward but I'm forced backward and I feel my arm dislocate. "Ahhh! Klaus!" I scream it and I see him turn around.
"Elena!"
He starts to run to me but then the fire entered the room and made a barrier between us. I felt the vampire feeding off me and I kept trying to push him away. It was useless. I felt my other arm being pulled out of socket as yet another vampire woke up from being vervained and started to feed on me as well. "Klaus..." It was a whispered plea but I knew it would sound like a scream to him. I heard the banging and I felt the wind gush out as I assume the door went flying. I couldn't move. I couldn't see anything. I could barely feel anymore. There were more than two vampires now and I felt the life leaving my body. "Kla..." I couldn't get out another plea before my eyes closed.
I woke a few seconds later to growls and saw Elijah and Klaus ripping out heart after heart. They were slowly making their way to me. I felt the heat and I felt the pain. "The fire..." I tried to say the words but I knew nothing was coming out. I saw Klaus pick me up bridal style and walk me outside. I noticed Elijah wasn't with us. I was searching frantically and I must have mumbled his name because Klaus answered me.
"He didn't make it. Elena?...Elena stay with me sweet girl."
I can barely hear his words. I feel the ring being slipped off my finger and I feel him grab part of it with the tip of his finger and keep the tip of mine on it too. I feel the familiar pull and the feeling of being sucked back through time. I know I'll wake up at the boardinghouse soon and everything will be okay. I can feel the pain the whole time until suddenly I can't feel anything. I open my eyes and I'm in the living room of the boardinghouse. I'm alone. I know something isn't right.
"Damon?"
I hear the name echo through the house and I feel the fear inside me swell up.
"Damon!"
I yell more frantically but still no answer. Just an echo. I shake my head and head for the stairs. His bedroom, he'd be there. I don't see anyone as I pass room after room. This is not good. My mind tells me the thought I refuse to admit.
"Elena."
I stop as I near Damon's bedroom. That voice. I can't hear it anymore. He's dead, Tatia killed him by throwing him into a crowd of vampires. I slowly turn around and gasp.
"Matt?" He takes a step toward me and leads me back down the stairs. "What's going on?" I know he'll tell me the truth. He walks me to the hallway leading to the downstairs bedroom.
"You're not home Elena. You're with me, and Stefan, and Tyler, and Haley, and everyone else who has..."
I shake my head. "I can't be dead Matt! I got out of the church...I..."
"You lost too much blood Lena, and the burns they were too much. Open the door Elena."
I shake my head. I don't want to see what's in there but then I hear Klaus's voice.
"Caroline! Get the damn car and tell Grayson and Meredith to meet me at the hospital! NOW!" The door flies open and I see Klaus run at vamp speed out the front door, with me in his arms. Matt has my arm and we follow him into the car. "I will not let you die Elena Gilbert!" He floors the car and is immediately flying through town.
"Matt...what's...he can save me right?"
I look at him hopefully and he just looks back at me. His eyes are sad. I don't want to know that answer. When we get to the hospital everything changes. I'm not with Matt and I'm not in Klaus's car anymore. I'm in a white room...but there's a wall that has images appearing on it. I see Damon with Jeremy and Bonnie running through the hospital doors and I see Jenna, Ric, and Asher flooring the car away from the lake house. I see Klaus with my dad and Meredith...with me. I shake my head as I see Meredith push Klaus out of the room and shut the door. The heart monitor catches my eye.
Beep...
There is a very long pause before the next.
Beep...
"No. No. No. What...Where...How..."
I turn to where I see Damon who is now sitting on the floor against the wall with his head in his hands. I reach out to touch him and I feel the hardness of the wall.
"Elena..." I turn around and see Stefan. He's holding his arms open and I run into the instantly. I sob quietly into his chest and he strokes my hair. "Oh, Elena. Look at me beautiful." I look up to him and he cups my face in his hands. "It will be okay. I promise."
"Stefan...I'm...I can't be...Where am I exactly?"
He sighs. "Lets just say...you're in limbo. Not dead, not alive. Somewhat in a coma, you need to fight Elena."
I half laugh and half sob into his chest. I turn around and look at the screen again. Damon, Jeremy, Bonnie, Caroline, Klaus, Meredith, Ric, Jenna, Asher, my dad, my mom...they are all working hard to bring me back. I shake my head. "Maybe it's time. Maybe it's time I give up. I can only cheat death so many times Stefan. I can't hurt them all anymore. It hurts too much to see them like that. I..."
I feel him sit and pull me onto his lap. He's watching me I can feel him. He shrugs his shoulders. "I understand that Elena, I do. But..." I look at him as he pauses and I motion him to continue. "what if they aren't ready to give you up. Look..."
I look and everything fades but the hospital room where my dad is watching the heart monitor. I see it flat-line and so many things happen at once all in slow motion. My dad runs to the other side of the room and gets the machine to 'kick start my heart' he'd say. Every vampire; Jeremy, Ric, Klaus, Caroline, even Asher with his hearing their heads snap up and they each have the same look in their eyes. I see Damon run into the room and yell at the top of his lungs, "NO!"
My dad places the paddles on my chest and shocks me once. "Dammit come on baby girl. You're stronger than this!"
Twice. He looks so determined.
Three times. He shakes his head.
Four times. "Meredith hold Damon back!" I see Damon start to step forward.
Five times. "Fight Elena!"
Six times. "I won't fucking lose you Elena!"
Seven times.
Beep...
He waits and looks at the monitor along with Damon and Meredith. Minutes pass by.
Beep...
He sits back down in his chair and Damon falls against the wall in the room and leans his head against it.
"See Lena. They aren't ready to give up. They need you to fight."
I look at Stefan and nod. "I know. I go to the wall and sit next to where I see Damon's picture. "He needs me." I close my eyes..."Stefan what about the baby?" I turn to look at him and he shakes his head.
"I don't know. Let's watch a little bit more...you'll get your answer."
My eyebrows come together in confusion until I see Meredith bring in the ultrasound machine and Damon's head snaps up.
"What the hell is that going to do for her Meredith she's not..." His voice trails off and she looks him in the eye. "No. She's...She never told...How far Meredith?"
"A month...maybe. I don't know with the blast to the past. I need to locate a heartbeat."
He sits and watches her put the ultrasound wand on my stomach as she searches for a heartbeat. I feel myself holding my breath and I feel Stefan standing behind me. After about 5 minutes I hear it. It sounds like a humming bird, it's so fast. I see Damon stand up and walk to the bed. He looks at the screen and turns for the door.
"Asher. Come here." He leads the boy in and points at the screen. "You're gonna have a brother or sister." He smiles and Asher gives him an awkward one armed hug.
"I hope it's a sister." Damon smiles and nods his head.
"Me too."
He comes to stand beside me and he leans in to whisper in my ear. I can feel his breath on my ear and I turn my head but he's not there.
"You're in limbo you can feel him and hear him but you can't talk to him." Stefan reminds me and I hear Damon whisper lyrics to a song he had always sung to me. It's how he feels and I know every word he sings is the truth.
"I'll never stop trying. I'll never stop watching as you leave. I'll never stop losing my breath every time I see you looking back at me. I'll never stop holding your hand. I'll never stop opening your door. I'll never stop choosing you babe." He kisses my cheek and takes my hand firmly in his and sits next to me. "I'm not leaving Elena and neither are you. We are both stubborn as hell and I will NEVER STOP fighting for you."
I look down at my hand and squeeze where his hand would be. He can't feel it. I shake my head. "You're right Damon. We are stubborn as hell. I won't stop either. For you, I won't stop." I make the promise and then the world stops. The hummingbird heartbeat stops and my legs give out underneath me and I see Damon shake his head as he looks desperately at the screen where the heartbeat counter used to be.
