AN: Chapter 8! Enjoy ;)

Disclaimer: I don't own Twilight or The Vampire Diaries, it all belongs to Stephenie Meyer and L.J. Smith.

Last Chapter: Her breathing sped up and with a trembling voice she said, "Come inside, Damon."

Fell's Church - Bonnie POV

"I thought you'd never ask." He said, and smoothly climbed inside. When he was in, he closed the window and turned to face her. Bonnie waited for him to move or say something, but he just looked at her and she felt self-conscious. She wanted to look down to check if the blanket was still in its place, but she couldn't tear her eyes away from his gaze.

When he came closer and brought his hand to her face, she had to fight the urge to cringe away from it and tried to slow her breathing. He stroked her cheek with his fingertips and let them slide down her neck until he reached her collarbone. His fingers left a tingling path on Bonnie's skin, and she didn't understand it, but she was anticipating his next move. Was this why people willingly let vampires bite them, because it felt like the right thing to do? Or was she just a crazy person and should she be screaming and running by now? But he hadn't hurt her yet, and he could've done so easily. That had to count for something, right?

"Are you going to hurt me?" She asked, her voice quivering.

"I won't hurt you. I promise." He said gently. And, surprising herself, Bonnie believed him. He spoke so fervently, it made her think that he didn't treat a promise lightly, and that he meant it when he said he wouldn't hurt her. But what did he mean with that?

"Then what are you going to do?" Bonnie asked, more curious than afraid now.

His fingers were still lingering at the base of her neck, and that definitely didn't hurt, so she couldn't help but wonder about what he would do next. The blanket was wrapped securely around her, but held up underneath her arms, so her neck and shoulders were bare and that made her feel a bit uneasy. But she almost felt sick to her stomach at the image of Damon feeding on Meredith. She'd never doubted that her choice to let him in was a good one, she didn't know how she knew, but somehow she was sure that it would end disastrous if that happened to Meredith.

So when he bent down and brought his lips to her neck, she didn't flinch away. She had to be brave now, and after all, how bad could it hurt? Stefan had been drinking from Elena and she sure didn't seem to be hurting. So she tilted her head to the side and anticipated the touch of his mouth. He leaned in and she felt his cool breath on her pale skin. Her lips trembled and she closed her eyes, waiting for the pain to come, but all he did was plant a soft kiss at the base of her neck and move his lips to her ear.

"You look like a Greek goddess, dressed like this." He whispered.

Bonnie's breathing faltered and when she opened her eyes, she saw a crow leaving her windowsill, disappearing in the night. Still dazed, she turned to look in her mirror. Her cheeks were flushed, her red curls were loosely draped over her shoulders and she wore her white blanket as if it were a dress. She was flattered by his words and she could still feel the place where he'd kissed her. Kissed and not hurt. Her whole body was tingling, and it felt as if her skin was extremely sensitive.

She was still afraid of Damon –she wasn't stupid, she remembered what had happened earlier in the day –but she couldn't deny she liked the light-headed feeling he'd given her and the way his touch had send shivers trough her body. It was late, and even though she knew she was too keyed-up to sleep, she decided to go to bed. When she turned to take her pyjamas, she saw something dark lying on the floor. It was a silky black feather, where the light touched it, she could see rainbow colours glistening. She stroked it with her fingertips and without knowing why, she carefully put it under her pillow.

Elena POV

When Elena awakened, the first thing she thought about was Stefan. She knew he'd been okay the night before, and he'd assured her that he was fine, but it didn't make her worry any less. She had to see him. So she quietly got dressed and after leaving a note to let Aunt Judith know where she was going, she left the sleeping house.

On the way to the Boarding House, she thought about the day before. She hated Damon. She'd always wondered if you could truly hate someone, if you didn't know him. Now she knew she could. Stefan wasn't a monster, even though he believed he was. But Damon was. How could he? Stefan hadn't done anything wrong, and even if he had, leaving you brother to die, that was monstrous. She didn't know what she was going to do when she saw Damon, but she wasn't going to let him get away with this. Powerful vampire or not, he would know exactly what she thought about him, and it wasn't pretty.

She arrived at the Boarding House and knocked. Nothing happened, and she tried the doorbell. The curtains on her right moved and she tapped on the glass. She got a bit mad, why wasn't Ms Flowers opening the door? Frustrated, she tried the door, it surprised her by swinging open easily and she stepped inside. Annoyed at Ms Flowers, she climbed the stairs up to Stefan's room. She hesitated when she stood before the door, she knocked but no one answered. She started worrying, what if something had happened during the night? What if he hadn't gotten better?

Quietly, she opened his door and entered the room. His curtains were closed and held back the daylight. In the half dark, she could see cardboard boxes everywhere on the floor, probably still from moving in. Carefully, she stepped around them and walked over to Stefan's bed. When she saw him lying there, asleep, she had to keep herself from crying, though she had no idea why. His face looked so peaceful and gentle, in that moment there was nothing she wanted more than Stefan. He was the only thing she wanted to think about.

She sank down on the bed and moved closer to him, trying to move the mattress as little as possible. She relaxed beside him and laid her hand on his chest, so she could feel it move with every breath he took. Only now she realized how important he was to her. Of course she'd cared about him ever since she met him, and he'd made her feel like no one ever had, and she'd worried about him, but it felt like she could only relax when he was right beside her, when she could feel his body against hers.

Looking at his sleeping form, she whispered in his ear: "I love you, Stefan."

She hoped that somehow, he would remember this, or would hear it in his dreams. But then she heard his intake of breath and saw his eyes flutter open.

"Stefan?"

He turned his head to the side and looked at her with wary eyes. "Elena? You're really here?"

She nodded, "I wanted to make sure you were alright."

He stroked her cheek with his thumb and smiled at her. Thinking about what he'd asked –if she was really there –it made her wonder if he had been dreaming about her. She saw realization dawn on his face, and she thought that maybe he'd heard her when she said she loved him. She didn't know how that made her feel. It was the truth, she'd never been so sure of anything, and she liked that he knew, but she felt vulnerable, too. She knew he cared for her, but was she as important to him as he was to her? She didn't know.

"Did you say something before you knew I was awake?" He asked. She tried to read his face, but that was hard to do in the dark.

"Maybe… Did you hear something?" she stalled.

It was quiet for a long time, that made her anxious and she wished she could hear what he was thinking.

He raised his hand to gently stroke her cheek and said: "I love you, too."

It took sometime before she realized what he had said, but when she did, she felt joy sweep trough her. She held his face between her hands and kissed him softly. He held her in his arms and stroked her hair. "You're everything to me, Elena." He whispered, and she could tell that he meant it. She was happy to stay there forever, in his arms, and snuggled closer to him. She heard him sigh happily and she fell asleep to the sound of his breathing.

Stefan POV

Stefan was watching himself, it was a weird experience and he was almost positive that he was dreaming. But not entirely, because the scene he was watching was very familiar. He was watching himself fighting with Damon, and Damon was winning, so maybe this was an out-of-body experience. That happens sometimes when someone is badly hurt, right?

Now he was hoping it was a dream, because he felt ashamed to think that he was really this weak in a fight. But he was, and he hated it. He also hated that Elena had seen him like that. She'd been casting worried glances at him when they'd walked out of the forest, and insisted that he went home to rest. And he had to admit she was right, he had to get some sleep so he would heal.

So he'd figured it out, he was dreaming, because the last thing he remembered was going to bed. Now that he knew that the fight going on below him wasn't real, he was curious as to what was going on, and paid more attention.

It felt as if he were watching from up in a tree, his spirit was up high on a branch, right above the fight, watching what happened to his body. He saw Damon walk away form his dream-self, checking over his shoulder to see if Stefan stayed down. Stefan was annoyed with his dream-self. He could see blood sticking to his clothes, he looked extremely pale, and he barely moved. This was how Elena had found him the day before, and he felt shame well up inside.

Then he saw Elena, and even in this moment, his chest swelled with happiness. She meant the world to him, and that didn't make sense, but he couldn't care less. She kneeled down beside the wounded Stefan and her hands fluttered helplessly over his body. He couldn't see her face, but he heard her cry out his name, more frantic with each time he didn't react. He wanted to tell her that it was okay, that it was all a dream, but he didn't know how. Then he saw her take something from her pocket, and stab it into her palm. It shouldn't have been such a surprise to see her do that, she'd done it in real life, too. But he was still shocked at how much confidence she had in him.

He remembered how he gave his blood to Katherine. It was nothing like this, it wasn't an emergency, it was done out of love. He wondered if Elena would ever think about doing this if he wasn't weak and hurt. He'd promised himself he wouldn't ever take a human's blood again, but he couldn't help but think about it. He wouldn't ever hurt her, he'd sworn that the moment he saw her. It wouldn't be because of him, because he wanted it, it would be because she offered. He thought about how intimate and intense it had felt when he and Katherine were together, and all he wanted was to share the same closeness with Elena. But he pushed these thoughts aside, focusing again on the scene below. Dream-Stefan was drinking from Elena's hand, his head cradled in her lap, a lot like it had been not long ago. When his skin looked a bit healthier, he gently pushed her hand away. She stroked his cheek and laid down beside him.

Stefan longed for her now, he wanted to wake up so he could go to her house and take her in his arms. Then something changed. He felt as if he were pulled down, into the body laying on the ground. He could now feel his body again, he wasn't just a spirit anymore, and he could feel Elena's warm form pressed against him. Then he heard her whisper: "I love you, Stefan." He barely had enough time to register what she'd said –and to feel the happiness when he did –because he awoke with a start. His eyes fluttered open and he saw the dark ceiling of his room at the boarding house. The dream had felt so real, he could still feel Elena's warmth.

"Stefan?"

He was confused, was he still dreaming? He turned his head to the side and saw Elena laying next to him, looking at his face with worried eyes.

"Elena? You're really here?" She'd come all the way to the boarding house, this early in the morning?

"I wanted to make sure you were alright."

He caressed her face and smiled. He thought about his dream. It had all felt so real, especially near the end, how long had she been here? Had part of his dream really happened?

"Did you say something before you knew I was awake?"

He felt her face get hotter and he could tell her eyes were searching for his face in the dark. "Maybe… Did you hear something?" She whispered.

It had been real, he was sure. He didn't know what to think. She loved him. The beautiful girl who meant the world to him, loved him. He couldn't describe the feeling he had. Happiness wasn't big enough a word. He could see her expression change from embarrassment to anxiety, and the last thing he wanted was for her to question his feelings towards her.

"I love you, too." he said softly.

He saw a smile break across her face, and she brought his face to hers. He held her while they kissed, wanting her to realize what she meant to him, he told her: "You're everything to me, Elena." She snuggled closer and after a few minutes, he could hear her breathing slow. He knew he couldn't sleep anymore, but he didn't mind holding her while she slept. It gave him time to think about what had happened just now. He still couldn't really believe it. She loved him. And he loved her. He hadn't even known! Of course he'd known she was special to him, and that he cared for her, but he hadn't wanted to think about loving her. It hadn't felt right, he didn't want her in danger and he'd been afraid to admit his feelings, even to himself. But the words came so naturally when he said them, everything fitted. Gently stroking her hair, he watched her sleep.

Elena POV

Elena was having a wonderful dream. She was hanging between dozing and dreaming. Her dream wasn't really logical, just flashes and colours, but it was all about Stefan, so she felt amazing when she woke in his arms a little later. She pushed herself into a sitting position and took his hand. She wanted to tell him something. She looked down and struggled to find the right words while tracing her fingers over his hand. He pushed himself up on his elbow and waited for her to speak. She'd been thinking about what she wanted to say when she was laying next to him, half-asleep.

"I was thinking about yesterday, when you told me your story." She began. She lifted her eyes to see his face and saw him nod so she would go on. "You said something about giving blood."

He froze.

"It didn't hurt, Stefan, when you took it yesterday. And you said it was something that should be done out of love."

He was shaking his head, "I didn't mean that you're supposed to give me your blood if you love me, Elena. I would never ask you something like that."

"I know that." She said, wanting him to understand what she was saying. "But I do love you, and you told me how it felt, and I felt it yesterday. But you were hurt and I was panicking, I want to do it right." He looked away, and she could see that he wanted it, too. "I want to be close to you, Stefan."

He sighed. She lifted his chin and kissed him softly.

"You don't have to, I love you no matter what, you don't need to prove anything." He whispered against her lips, but she'd made up her mind.

She answered by pulling her shirt out of the way and tilting her head to one side. Stefan stopped kissing her lips and moved to her cheek and her jaw line. When he kissed the spot where he could feel her pulse, he hesitated, his lips hovering above her skin. Elena realized he stopped because of her. Her breathing hitched and her hands were trembling. Though she was more afraid than she'd been yesterday –She'd made the cut herself and she'd been worrying about Stefan –it was also excitement that made her feel this nervous.

"It's okay." She whispered, not wanting him to stop. She felt his lips on her skin and braced herself for what came next. She gasped when she felt his teeth pierce her skin, but the pain didn't last for long. There was a sharp sting, and then all she felt was love for Stefan. This was nothing like him drinking from her hand. He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She was floating and never wanted to come down again. She lost track of time and when he pulled away, she didn't know if they'd been standing there for minutes or for hours.

Stefan looked kind of dazed himself and pulled her close again. Enclosed by his embrace, she realized no one had ever been this close to him. She knew he'd been with Katherine, but then it had been the other way around. The thought warmed her and she wished they could just stay here forever, away from everything else. But then her phone buzzed and she was pulled back to reality. Sighing, she felt around to find her purse and grabbed the phone. It was Meredith, and Elena felt guilty for forgetting her friends when she kind of wished the world away not a minute ago. Meredith told her she wanted to see her before going to Bonnie's house, so they decided to meet at Meredith's house.

oooooo

An hour later, Elena sat cross-legged on Meredith's bed, a plate with hot chocolate and toast between her and Meredith. They were both sipping at their mugs and it was quiet, but, as always between her and Meredith, it was a comfortable silence. Then Meredith lowered her cup and looked at Elena with worried eyes.

"Are you okay, Elena? You're looking pale." She said.

"I'm fine," Elena smiled. "I just didn't get a lot of sleep. I woke up early this morning to see how Stefan was doing."

"Is he going to be okay?"

"He's fine."

Meredith looked relieved.

"Are you okay with all this?" Elena asked.

Meredith hesitated. "I am. I'm glad you have Stefan, I like him. What happened yesterday was just… surprising. And I didn't really know how to react."

"Thank you for staying calm. And for getting Stefan to stop being so stubborn." Elena hadn't forgotten that it had been Meredith who'd gotten Stefan to drink blood.

"It was so weird to see you do that. The blood thing, I mean." Meredith looked uncomfortable.

"He would have died." Elena said quietly.

"I know, and it's a good thing you knew what to do. I'm glad you gave him your blood."

"Do you want to tell me something, Meredith?" Elena had the feeling Meredith was struggling to find the right words.

Meredith sighed. "You know how people talk about my grandfather? They say he's crazy. He lives in an institution."

"I know, why are you telling me this?"

"He's there because he was attacked by a vampire."

Elena stared at Meredith with big, round eyes. "You knew vampires existed?"

"Kind of. Most people say he's just saying things because he's delusional, but he wasn't like this from the beginning and I always believed him. But it's not something I like to think about and with all that happened yesterday, it all came back."

Elena knew that Meredith had been very open just now, telling her things she wouldn't tell anyone, and she tried to be understanding. "Do you want me to ask Stefan to stay away from you?"

"Of course not. I'm okay with it. I just wanted you to know why I acted so weird yesterday."

Elena thought this was a bit absurd, Meredith was apologizing for acting weird when her friend was feeding a vampire her own blood.

"You helped a lot." Elena said, smiling.

"We should go to Bonnie soon, she'll be expecting us." Meredith said, cleaning up the leftovers from their breakfast.

Europe, Eleazar POV

Carmen and Eleazar were waiting for Alec, leaning against the hood of the car they'd rented. They would meet him here in half an hour and then leave for the airport. By now, they'd crossed every country in Europe and Eleazar wanted to try America next.
Carmen was staring at nothing, her eyes sad.

"What's wrong, love?" Eleazar asked. He knew she wasn't thrilled about this trip, but he sensed that there was something else that troubled her now.

"I don't want to do this." She said quietly.

"I will find someone soon and then all this will be over. You won't have to wait for long anymore." He said, trying to comfort her.

She sighed. "That's just it! I don't care about waiting or being alone, I just wish we didn't have to do this."

Then he understood. "You don't want to bring someone to Aro."

"I don't want to make someone's life miserable! I don't want to turn her into something she might hate, to make her wish for dead!" She automatically talked about a girl, as she had been doing for some time now. She was a hundred percent sure that the person who Eleazar would find would be a girl. Her hands were moving at an incredible speed while she talked, showing how troubled she was.

Eleazar took her in his arms. "She might not hate it. Maybe she's glad to be able to make a new start. Maybe she hates her life as it is now. She could be happy." He said, not really believing that himself.

"But she could have a family, someone she loves, she could be…" Her words faltered, and turning her face into his sweater, she cried a tearless sob.

Eleazar didn't know what to say. He knew she was right, they could be destroying someone's life. They would be turning someone into a killer, and he knew how hard it was to have no choice but to kill. But he'd been happy among the Volturi, for quite some time. And most of their kind were happy with what they were, they didn't think of themselves as killers. Why would the one he found be any different? He had met few vampires who agreed with him and Carmen. He tried to calm her by telling her that, but it didn't work.

"She will be different. She will be good." She muttered into his shirt.

"You can't know that, Carmen. How do you know we won't find an old man instead of a girl?"

She shrugged. "I just do. Blame it on my female intuition. I'm right, and you will see."

Then they heard a voice from behind: "Am I interrupting something?" It was Alec.

"Not at all," Eleazar said, "we're ready to leave."

He let go of Carmen and went to open the car door. Alec frowned when he saw Carmen's face, it was easy to see she had been crying, even though there were no tears. Keeping silent, as usual, he didn't ask anything and got in the car.

AN: Hope you liked it! Reviews make me happy, so don't forget to hit that button! Thanks for reading :)