First off, I want to thank all the people that have reviewed. You guys are what keep me updating. Secondly, I want to apologize to all my readers if it seems like my story is moving really slowly. I am eight chapters in and not even 24 hours has passed in the story. I am trying to bring the story back to the sacrifice and how Elena is going to change it, but there are a lot of emotional considerations that come with what Elena is trying to do. This story is about uncovering Elena's past and why she is so desperate to change her future. It is about future Elena's emotional journey, and that can be slow to write. The story goes where the inspiration takes it, and my inspiration is telling me this is going to be a long story before I am done with it. So please stick with me, and I hope you enjoy.
Five minutes and one awkward car ride later, we arrive at the house. I let Stefan go in first and tell him to give me a few minutes to talk with Damon. Our moment of peace has bought me some good will, so he agrees without complaint and walks inside to deal with Caroline. While Stefan deals with one neurotic vampire, I have to deal with my own. "It didn't mean anything, Damon," I tell him.
"When it certainly looked like something while you and Saint Stefan were gazing adoringly into each other's eyes," Damon bites back sarcastically. "It was touching. I'm sure Hallmark would love a picture for one of their cards," he spouts out angrily.
Damon's hurt, pissed, confused, and I know it's partially my fault. He maybe overreacting to the situation, but my past indifference and tendency to call him an unfeeling psychopath are to blame. I remind myself that this is still new for him. 24 hours ago, I was his brother's girl who only gave him the time of day when I needed something. I claimed we were friends back then, but it wasn't true. Friendship is a two sided partnership of give and take. All I ever did was take. I couldn't fault him for being a skeptic. "I have history with Stefan, and I couldn't change that if I wanted to. Don't confuse that history for something that it's not," I plead with him. "Katherine may have played you both against each other, but I'm not her, Damon. I would have thought you had learned at least that by now," I whisper feeling a bit hurt myself. My hand reaches up to caress his cheek, and he leans into my touch. He needs to hear this part, and I always grab ahold of Damon when I need his undivided attention. It's the only way that his thick skull can process what I am saying. "I don't want you both. I just want you. That doesn't mean that I need to treat Stefan like a leper every time I see him. He might start asking questions that I don't want to answer," I explain.
Clearly Damon isn't convinced, because he starts arguing with me in hushed tones. "How am I supposed to believe that? After months of watching you fawn over Stefan, how I am supposed to know that you want me and only me," Damon questions? His face looks desperate, and his shoulders are hunched over as if defeated.
Something needs to break this mood, because this is far too much depressing for one day. I make a feeble attempt at levity hoping that it will break through the wall that Damon has put up. "Well with Stefan, I let him touch my back in an attempt to comfort me over my friend's recent vampirism. With you, I climbed into your bed and straddled you in an attempt to seduce you. Are we seeing the difference," I ask hopefully? A small smile graces my lips.
Damon stands silent for a moment weighing my every word and determining whether or not he believes me. When I see him smile back, I know that he has accepted my explanation. "I don't have much experience in this area, but I'm pretty sure after a couple's fight, we have makeup sex. Since your place is presently occupied, I think that means we should head back to my bed," Damon replies with a sexy grin.
As tempted as I am by his offer, I know that Caroline really needs a friend right now, and my absence would be noted. I decide to playfully hit Damon and roll my eyes at his suggestion. "We can do dirty later. I have to help Caroline now," I tell him. I stop before I open the door as a realization hits me. "Now that I think about it, you might want to go home," I advise.
He looks perplexed, since I dragged him all the way here just to tell him to leave at the front door. "Trying to get rid of me already," Damon asks?
"Caroline isn't exactly your biggest fan. I can't say she will be happy to see you," I warn Damon. He has no idea how scary Caroline can be when she is angry, and that was before she was a vampire.
"I'll take my chances with blondie. Sitting at the boardinghouse waiting for you to come home is not my idea of a good time," he responds confidently.
My door expectantly swings open and Caroline is casually leaning against the entryway with a smile that screams trouble. "Hello, Elena," Caroline greets me, never breaking her creepy smirk. Just as Damon is about to make some inappropriately timed sarcastic remark, I see Caroline shove him with all of her vampire strength. He goes flying through the air and lands with a thud. "Oh, I'm sorry your invitation must have gotten lost in the mail," Caroline tells Damon, feigning remorse. "Dicks who use me for sex and blood are not invited in," Caroline states, before kicking Damon one last time to emphasize her point.
"I did try to warn you," I remind Damon with a twinge of sympathy in my voice. "It's probably best if you go. The neighbors aren't up at this hour, and we don't need them waking up to you and Caroline beating the living daylights out of each other," I reason. Damon reluctantly picks himself up and speeds off into the night. "So I guess you've transitioned then," I ask Caroline in an attempt to refocus her attention?
"Stefan gave me the 411, and he brought a blood bag from home. Dying would have seriously put a kink in my plans for junior year. Clearly you all would be lost without me," Caroline states with a fake smile. I've been her friend long enough to know when she is putting on a tough act. I run into her arms and hold her tight as we both break down on my front lawn. There is no telling how long we stayed out there hugging and crying, but when we both ran out of tears, I suggest "why don't we take this inside. You and I have a lot to talk about."