Chapter 6

"I'm telling you, Jer," Bonnie said seriously. "She can't be trusted."

"Bonnie, this is Elena we're talking about. You're acting as if she's turned into Damon." They were sitting at the kitchen table of the Gilbert home.

"Damon was also perfectly fine before he turned. Becoming a vampire changed him. From what I saw in the hospital, it's changed her too."

"Okay fine," He replied, slightly irritated at her paranoia. "What if she is? What's your plan, kill her? Because vampire or not, we're not murdering my own sister."

"Maybe not, but we have to at least find a way of forcing her to keep away from human blood."

"And how are we supposed to do that?"

"I'm looking for a spell."

"Not to be pessimistic, Bonnie, but if stopping vampires from drinking blood was that easy, don't you think another witch might have done it long ago. There certainly hasn't been any shortage of vampire-hating witches in history."

"You're not helping Jeremy. We'll start by-" She was interrupted by a knocking at the front door. Jeremy stood to open it. He'd barely opened it a crack before a look of terror appeared on his face and he slammed it closed again.

"Jeremy? What's wrong?" Bonnie called worriedly, following him into the entrance hall.

"Bonnie!" He hissed. "It's Katherine!"

"What!" Panic crossed her face.

"What do we do?"

"I-I don't know."

"Jeremy? Let me in." Came the voice from outside.

"Go away, Katherine!" Jeremy shouted back. "Call Stefan." He said to Bonnie. She hesitated, looking torn, but nodded and pulled her phone from her pocket.

"Jer! It's me, Elena."

"Don't lie, Katherine. I'm not falling for it!"

"Jeremy, I swear. It's really me. How can I prove it to you?" Jeremy paused for a second, thinking.

"What was our secret name for Alaric? Before Jenna died."

"...Larry." He relaxed, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he opened the door slightly.

"Elena?"

"Jer, it's me." She smiled back, and he opened the door fully. Bonnie stopped dialling Stefan and looked up. She still looked uncomfortable.

"Elena, I'm so sorry..."

"Are you okay Jer? You've never confused us before."

"I-I know. It's...it's your hair Elena."

"What?" She said, confused.

"It's not straight. Only Katherine curls her hair." Elena remained mystified for a second, but suddenly a huge smile spread across her face.

"My hair? Oh my, Jer. I haven't straightened it since before the crash. Or washed it for that matter." She put a hand over her mouth, trying not to laugh in his face. He couldn't help but smile at the absurdity of it all as well. Elena couldn't hold it back anymore. She burst out laughing, choking back tears. Jeremy smiled at how happy his sister was. Only Bonnie kept a straight face. Elena was still laughing, bent double as mirth overtook her. She couldn't seem to control it.

"Elena, breathe. Are you okay?" Jeremy said. She nodded in between ragged breaths. Eventually she managed to calm down to the point of muffled giggles, and said.

"Oh...Jeremy. I'm sorry...it was just so...funny." She stepped forward to try hug him. Before she could however, something stopped her right in the doorway.

"Elena?" She looked surprised for a moment, before saying,

"I...haven't been invited in. This is your house now, Jer. I need you to let me in."

"Huh? Oh sure. Elena please-"

"Jeremy no!" Bonnie grabbed him and pulled him back from the doorway.

"Bonnie, what the hell!" He shouted.

"Don't do it Jeremy. She can't come in."

"Bonnie? Why are you doing this?" Elena asked, hurt and confused.

"You're a vampire, Elena." Bonnie replied. "For Jeremy's sake and yours, it's best that you don't come in."

"But...Bonnie I live here."

"Go stay with Stefan."

"I don't want to be there." Elena's expression hardened. "I want to be at home."

"How can you be sure you won't hurt Jeremy?"

"I..." She hesitated.

"See Jeremy? It's not safe."

"Don't be ridiculous Bonnie. Elena wouldn't hurt me."

"Wouldn't she? Watch this." Bonnie quickly fetched a knife from the kitchen and said,

"Right, Elena. If you're in control of yourself, this shouldn't affect you at all." Gripping the blade with her palm, Bonnie slowly drew it out, until blood began to slowly drip onto the floor. Elena stared at her in horror, trying to hold Bonnie's gaze and ignore the blood.

"Bonnie, don't..." She gritted her teeth and began to tremble slightly. After an agonising few moments, her eyes flickered to Bonnie's bleeding hand for the briefest of instants. It was all it took. Dark veins appeared below her eyes, and her expression turned to one of overwhelming hunger. She clenched her fists, trying to keep herself from lunging at Bonnie then and there.

"See Jer?" Bonnie said calmly. "See how safe she is?" Jeremy looked horrified. He'd taken a step back from the door, into the safety of his home.

"No, Jeremy I'm fine. The janitor was an accident, I promise." Elena cried desperately. "Let me in!"

"You should go, Elena." Bonnie said sternly.

"How could you do this to me, Bonnie?" Elena looked accusingly at her. "You're supposed to be my friend!"

"You're supposed to be human." Bonnie replied coolly. Elena stopped, and stared at Bonnie with a mixture of incredible pain and fierce hatred. Without another word, Bonnie shut the door in her face.

How could that bitch do this to me? I fumed as I walked away from the house. She's a backstabbing double-crossing traitor! I turned down the street in no particular direction. She's...she's right. My anger deflated, and my clenched fists relaxed. She's right. I couldn't control myself. Jeremy wouldn't have been safe. The realisation was depressing. I wanted to feel anger and hatred again. I wanted someone to blame other than myself. I can't even blame Katherine anymore. She's dead. My feet were carrying me off the road and into the trees. Towards peace and quiet, but away from my home. Which was no longer willing to accept me. What was it my mother used to say to me?

"Remember, honey. You might lose everything else, but you'll always have your family."

Apparently even that had been taken from me when I turned.

I'd been walking for longer than I realised. Looking up, I found my self in the clearing where parties used to be held so often. The same place Vicky Donovan had been attacked so long ago. And where I'd first gotten to know Stefan.

I felt dizzy all of a sudden, and leant against a tree for support. My vision was swimming. I looked up suddenly, and saw myself. Or at least a slightly younger version of myself.

"I told him." She said into a cellphone. "He didn't take it too well." She paused and looked over her shoulder guiltily as the person on the phone replied. "He...he'll get over it, I'm sure. Matt's not the kind of guy to obsess or anything. Mom, could you come pick me up? Yeah, I just don't really want to be here anymore. You will? Thanks. Okay, I'll see you guys in a bit. Bye." She put the phone in her pocket and sighed softly. Behind her, the party was continuing. She began walking away from it, to where the road ran past the clearing.

"Katherine?" Someone said. She looked up in surprise to see a man a few years older than her standing right in front of her. I immediately recognised Damon.

"Oh! I'm sorry, you scared me." She said slightly breathlessly. "Who's Katherine?"

"I...er...sorry, what's your name?" Damon asked, slightly thrown off.

"Elena. And you are?"

"Damon, nice to meet you, Elena."

"And you, Damon." She smiled at him. He was strikingly handsome. It vanished quickly though, and she glanced over her shoulder again.

"Something wrong, Miss Elena?" He asked.

"Oh, uh...no. It's just my boyfriend. I broke up with him tonight."

"Unlucky for him." Damon smiled. "You got tired of him?" The question sounded almost like some kind of test.

"What? No. It just...just wasn't working."

"That's a shame. At least you didn't string him along." Elena gave him a funny look. This stranger was behaving very oddly.

"Yeah...the thing is, we've been friends since we could walk, and we...just sort of hooked up out of duty to at least try dating."

"Duty? That doesn't sound like love."

"It...wasn't. It was...I don't know what to call it."

"Comfortable? Stable? Easy? Unchanging? Bland? Boring?" She was taken aback for a moment at his perceptiveness.

"H-How did you know?"

"Sounds like duty."

"That's exactly how is was."

"There was no fire, was there? No passion."

"No."

"He wasn't what you were looking for, Elena."

"I know...But how do you know what I'm looking for?"

"You just told me. You want passion, excitement, fire. You want a love that consumes you." She was mesmerized by his words. She couldn't look away.

"I-" The sound of a car was heard from the road. Elena snapped out of her trance. "That...that looks like my parents..."

"You'd better go then." He took a small step towards her and stared deeply into her eyes. "You'll forget meeting me, and everything I said. Don't want anyone knowing I'm in town yet." He paused for a second before adding, "You'll find what you're looking for, Elena. You won't lose hope." With that, he was gone. She blinked in confusion, but shook her head and headed for the car.

I couldn't believe it. Damon? I'd met Damon that night? Why would he compel me to forget? Why had he never told me about this meeting?

I started to run. I didn't want to be in the clearing anymore. The words I'd told Damon on the phone the night before were ringing in my head.

"Perhaps if we'd met first."