A Choice to Make
Elena felt high strung. She still had her eyes closed, but she could hear a whirlwind of things that struck on her every nerve; trees, blowing in the wind. A horse, neighing in the distance. And was that a squirrel she heard nibbling away on a nut? It was loud in her ears and she almost wanted to scream at the creature to stop its' incessant crunching.
What was wrong with her? Why was she able to heareverything with such clarity, things that no human would be able to hear on their own?
There was someone there with her, she could feel it. Her eyes snapped open and she quickly sat up, ready to defend herself. She was in a room; a bedroom. It was very dark, and yet she was able to see just fine. She looked directly into Damon's eyes, who was standing at the end of the bed that she was lying on, a look of concern and guilt on his face. Why was he looking at her like that?
"Damon?" shewhimpered. "What happened?Where are we?"
Damon walked over towards her and sat down on the bed with her, eyeing her cautiously.
"I've taken you to my house. How are you feeling?" He looked her up and down, as if he expected her to collapse at any minute. He looked like he knew what was he know how on edge she felt; how she wanted to run outside and rip into that squirrel with her teeth for waking her?
It was a scary thought and she had no idea where it came from. Instead, she tried to focus on Damon's words. "I feel strange. I'm very tense and grumpy… and hungry for some reason," she told him.
Damon nodded, as if this made perfect sense to him. She wished she could understand too. What had happened? The last thing she remembered was trying to rescue him from that slave prison... and Katherine. Her eyes suddenly widened. Someone had been there to stop her! A woman.. and she had shot Damon! Her eyes flew to where he'd been injured, but saw nothing.
Damon seemed just fine. His concern seemed to be reserved only for her.
"Damon? What happened in the slave prison? I remember a woman. She hurt you.." Elena frowned at the memory. "And me. She hurt me." She looked down at herself, but she seemed to be fine as well. It was as if the whole attack had never happened.
"Elena," Damon began carefully. "What I'm about to tell you is going to come as a shock to you. But before you react, I need you to listen closely, okay?"
Elena nodded.
"The woman who attacked us in the slave prison was Carol Lockwood. It appears as if she didn't trust your father's plan to have Katherine take me out. When she saw you there, releasing me, she obviously thought that her point had been proven. She mistook you for Katherine and went after you. She shot me with a wooden bullet to weaken me more than I already was and…" Damon paused for a second. His whole body went rigid, his jaw clenched down and his eyes clamped shut before taking a deep breath and continuing. "She drove a stake through your heart."
Silence filled the room as Elena tried to comprehend what had just been said. Carol Lockwood, a future family member, had driven a stake through her heart? She had thought that she was a vampire? But.. She looked down at her chest, trying to find wounds of any kind. There weren't any.
The clothes that she had been wearing on her quest to save Damon had been removed. She was now wearing one of Damon's shirts.
"Where are my clothes?" she asked, trying to block out the thought that was slowly creeping its' way into her mind about what had really happened to her at the slave prison.
"I had to remove them. There was a lot of blood…," Damon choked.
Elena shook her head. "Well, get me something else, then. I can't very well go out wearing one of your shirts, now can I?" She got out of bed and walked into Damon's adjoining bathroom, Damon trailing right behind her. He was watching her like a hawk.
"Elena," he whispered.
She tried her best to ignore him; she knew she was going doubt the route of denial, but she didn't want to talk. She didn't want to think…
"Damon, I know that we've been intimate before, but would you mind terribly? I need to do some ladylike things in the bathroom."
Damon was getting irritated and grabbed onto her upper arms, forcing her to look at him.
"Listen to me! I know that your emotions are all over the place right now. I know, okay? I've been there as well. I understand. But we need to talk things through, before it's too late. You can't live in denial here, Elena. Frankly, you don't have the time for that."
His cobalt eyes stared her down, trying to read into her. It made Elena uncomfortable and she pushed him off of her. "I want to go home. Take me there, please."
Damon stared at her incredulously, scoffing. "I'm not your servant, Elena."
Elena huffed and flipped her long hair over her shoulders, stalking past him. "Fine, if you won't take me, fetch me someone who will. Or better yet, give me some decent clothes and I'll walk myself home!"
She stomped out of the bedroom and hurried down the stairs that appeared in front of her. The front door was not far away. She would go out like this, then. If anyone happened to come across her, she would just tell them that she had been robbed. That would certainly explain her appearance. Yes, the perfect plan.
Just as she reached the front door, Damon grabbed her arm and whirled her back around. "You spoiled, arrogant little princess! Will you listen to me? If you go out there right now, that will for sure be the end of you!"
Tears sprang into Elena's eyes as she struggled to break free of Damon's hold.
"Hasn't that already happened, Damon? Didn't I already 'end' in that slave prison? You've explained it to me once. When a human dies with vampire blood in his system, they will come back a vampire. Hasn't that already happened to me? I'm dead, aren't I, Damon?" she sobbed. "I'm dead!"
Damon clutched her shrieking form to his chest, letting her cry. Elena gripped his shirt for all that she was worth, her tiny hands wringing it. "I'm sorry, Elena," Damon whispered into her hair as she soaked his shirt with her tears.
Grief was quickly replaced by anger, as Elena whipped her head back and slapped Damon in the face. "You're not sorry! You wanted this!" she hissed. "You wanted leverage against my father, you even admitted it! Just admit that this whole situation makes you pleased!"
"Your emotional outbursts are giving me a headache here! Damon growled at her, backing away and giving her space. "Yes, Elena. I wanted this at first. But that was before you got under my skin. And it certainly was before you admitted that you loved me!" Elena turned quiet, remembering her words.
He took a chance by stepping closer. "I would be lying if I said that I don't want this anymore. But for different reasons now. At first, I just wanted to spite your father. Having you as a vampire would certainly bring him to his knees. And I really didn't mind tempting you over to the dark side. But now… Now things are different. Having you as a vampire now, would mean that I get to spend more time with you. We can explore the world together. We can enjoy the ecstasy of a vampire's bite. I could teach you things that you wouldn't dare dream of, Elena. But in order to do that, you have to make a choice. If you feed, you'll turn and we can do all those things together. If you don't, you will die."
Elena thought this over. Biting her lip, she asked, "So I'm not a vampire yet?"
Damon shook his head. "No, you are still in transition, which is why you are so hungry right now. Your body is screaming at you to complete this transition. It wants blood. Human blood. You are on edge because of this. Also, your emotions are heightened. Whatever you were feeling as a human, it will be magnified now. Which is why one minute you're crying from despair, and the next minute you're slapping the side of my face in rage," he smirked when she looked down, embarrassed.
Elena sighed. "I'm not sure what I want, Damon. If I don't feed, I'll die. But if I do feed, I'll have to take the lives of others. I'm not sure if I can do that."
"You don't necessarily have to kill a human, in order to get what you want. You can only drink a little and compel them to forget," Damon explained. "They won't remember anything."
Elena rubbed her eyes tiredly. Then a thought hit her. "What happened to Carol Lockwood? I mean, after she staked me?"
Damon looked down. "I was weakened by the wooden bullet, but as soon as I saw what she had done… I snapped her neck," he confessed.
For a moment, Elena was stumped. Dear lord, what a mess they were in! If anyone from her family.. or Mason Lockwood's family found out…
Being a vampire right now couldn't be more dangerous.
Maybe her choice was a simple one. If she fed, her life was going to get very complicated. Her own family would try to kill her. Of course, if she didn't say anything and pretended to still be human Elena Gilbert, her life wasn't going to get any better either. She would have to hide her cravings for blood. She would still have to marry Mason Lockwood. Would he get suspicious if she couldn't bare him any children?
Maybe the best thing here was not to feed. But could she tell Damon that? He wanted her and he wanted her at his side. He had made that clear from the start. They could have one hell of a vampire life together. She could already imagine it; the adventures, the danger, the sex.. She squirmed at her last thought.
Yes, it could be amazing. But could she spend the rest of her life, or un-life, being afraid of her own family? Always looking over her shoulder, never feeling safe?
Damon touched her cheek with his fingers, stroking it softly.
"Think about all the power we would have, baby," he whispered. "You would make a fantastic vampire, my beautiful, dark princess."
Her inner muscles clenched deliciously at his words. Oh yes, the sex would be explosive between them…
She shook her head to clear her thoughts.
"Damon, I want to go home first. Before I make my decision, I want to see my family one last time…."
It was strange to be there after her "death."
Elena stepped inside, invited in by a maid, and looked around in the massive parlour of her home. A place that still welcomed her now, but wouldn't hesitate to throw her out after she had fed. Damon had brought her some decent, clean clothes and had brought her here. He told her he would leave her to her quest, but she knew that he was lurking somewhere nearby, watching over her.
He had put up one hell of a fight, when she had told him that she wanted to go back. He was concerned about her father's actions. Which meant that he was concerned about her. He hadn't said those three little words back. But still, his worry put a smile on her face.
"Elena?" a voice resounded from the top of the stairs.
Elena looked up to see her father quickly coming down, relief written all over his face. When he reached her, he enveloped her in a stiff hug. "Where have you been? Damon Salvatore has escaped, Carol Lockwood is missing and up until a few moments ago, so were you!"
Elena smiled at her father as he released her awkwardly. He wasn't a man that would display his emotions a whole lot. This was already pushing it for him.
"I'm fine, father. I just went to the quarry to think about all of the events that have happened lately," she reassured him.
"Elena, please tell me that you didn't go to the Lockwood slave quarters a few hours ago. God, there was so much blood! When you weren't in your room.. Damon Salvatore is a notorious man, Elena. That blood could have been yours."
Elena turned a bit queasy. That blood probably had been hers.. It immediately made her think back to the decision she had to make.
"I wasn't there, father," she lied.
Her father quickly composed himself to the strict man she had always known him to be. "You do realise that you're grounded now, right? You left the house after dark. God knows what might have happened to you. Honestly, I don't even feel like I know who you are anymore these days. Now, go up to your bedroom and see about the preparations for your wedding. Your dress is ready and waiting for you to try it on."
Elena nodded and curtsied her father, before going upstairs.
Her bedroom was exactly as she had left it. The wedding dress was hanging from her closet door and she eyed it carefully. The last time she had it on seemed like a lifetime ago.
She caught her reflection in the mirror and turned towards it. Her appearance still seemed the same, but she did notice a few subtle changes. Her skin was pale; there was no colour in her cheeks. Probably because there was no longer any blood flowing inside of her. Her eyes looked.. dead.
She leaned in a little closer, examining herself. If she fed, her eyes would turn black as night. There would be red veins underneath her eyes, and she would have pointy teeth... not teeth… fangs. They were already begging to be released, and Elena felt her gums aching. She bared her still normal teeth to herself in the mirror. Her eyes caught the reflection of a man behind her. Startled, she jumped up and turned around.
It was Damon. "Hello," he winked cockily at her.
Elena put a hand to her chest, to calm a heart that wasn't even beating. "You scared me."
Damon walked over towards her. "Were you imagining yourself as a vampire; how beautiful you would be?"
Elena sighed as he cupped her head in one hand, stroking her cheek with his thumb. "You can't be here. My father probably has his entire army out looking for you. You are playing with fire, Damon."
Damon smirked. "I seem to recall that I always played with fire whenever I came here, corrupting you in your virginal bed."
If Elena still had a circulation, she would be blushing by now.
"Well, I'm not a virgin anymore, now am I? You made sure of that."
"And you were all too willing to participate in that, Elena," he retorted haughtily. "Can you imagine how it will be between us now that your emotions are heightened? One simple touch could ignite a thousand sparks in your body. One single kiss would get your still heart beating, one thrust would blow the top off of your head. "
Damon circled her until he was standing right behind her. He pushed her hair aside and began to place small kisses at the base of her neck. Elena shivered, indeed imagining what those kisses would do to her once she was a vampire.
Damon's hand trailed down her dress, sliding it between her thighs and cupping her sex. His thumb teasingly stroked her clit, causing Elena to softly moan.
"Cross over to me, baby. I can show you things that you've never even dreamed of."
Elena opened her eyes to find herself staring at her wedding dress. Damon watched it along with her, still holding her from behind.
"That's not your life anymore," he whispered in her ear. "You were never meant to be a boring housewife, surrounded by Lockwood's children. You are meant to be a goddess. Powerful, sexy and free to do whatever you want."
Damon continued to tease her little nub and Elena slowly began to ride his hand. Could this feel any better if she was a vampire? She highly doubted it. She already felt like soaring now, biting her lip to keep from moaning too loud.
"Trust me, when you're a vampire, you are not going to be able to stifle those moans. Every nerve in your body will be so high strung, that when the final release washes over you, you are going to scream the house down."
His words sent her over the edge, as she rocked herself against him, feeling him harden against her soft rear.
"Elena? Are you coming down for dinner?" Miranda Gilbert could be heard from the hallway outside of her bedroom.
Damon groaned from behind Elena. "Your parents always now how to ruin the fun."
"I have to go now, Damon."
Damon held her against him for a moment longer. "Don't leave me, baby. Quench that thirst. Give in to what your body is craving for."
Elena looked at him for a moment, before leaving him behind in her bedroom…
Rare meat had never tasted so good. It made Elena wonder. Would the small amount of blood from this lamb's meat count? Was it enough to turn her into a vampire? She didn't think so. Damon had told her the transition couldn't be completed with animal blood. It had to be a from a human. The thought still scared her. Could she really hurt someone?
"You certainly are hungry tonight, Elena. Don't forget your manners, dear," her mother scolded her.
Elena didn't particularly care about her mother right now. She swallowed down the meat as if she hadn't eaten for days. When the final piece had made it down her throat, she stared at the small remnant of blood on her plate. Her body was screaming at her. Her insides were churning. It was getting worse now. She suspected it was because time was running out. She only had a few hours left until her body gave up.
Before she knew what she was doing, Elena picked up the plate and licked the blood from it. Her parents watched her in horror as her tongue scraped it clean. "Elena Marie Gilbert! Put down that plate right now!" Miranda screeched at her. "Dear lord! What would your husband make of this! He'd better teach you a few manners, because I have obviously failed!"
"Sorry, Mother," Elena said as she licked her lips, not regretting her actions in the slightest.
"You will never behave like that again, Elena. Are we clear? No one is going to want to marry you like this. Not even Mason Lockwood," her father calmly stated, although his eyes were shooting daggers.
"Yes, Father."
The dining room door opened to reveal a fuming Richard Lockwood. He had obviously learned about his wife being missing and all the action in the slave prison.
"I'm sorry, Master Gilbert. I couldn't stop him. He pushed right past me," one of the servants said, flustered.
"It's all right, Sophie," Grayson told her, signalling her to leave.
Master Lockwood gave the women in the room a firm nod, before addressing Grayson. "Mr. Gilbert. A word, please."
Grayson nodded. "Excuse us."
Both men left the room, disappearing towards Grayson's office. It wasn't long before raised voices could be heard. Things were getting heated.
"Do you think Father is all right?" Elena asked her mother.
Miranda Gilbert took a bite from her custard, before answering: "It's none of our concern, dear. Finish your dessert and then go upstairs. We still have to do make some alterations to your dress."
Elena could hear things being shoved around in her father's office. Suddenly, her head whipped up as her body became overwhelmed by the smell of blood. It was intoxicating. Her instincts seemed to take over as she slowly got up from the table. She wanted it. She needed it.
"Elena, what are you doing?" she heard her mother calling after her as she went for the door. "This is something between your father and his associate. Leave them alone."
Elena ignored her mother. The pull was too strong. The blood was pouring now. She could hear a heart pumping fast. Yes, she was close to getting it.
She crossed the hallway and quietly opened her father's office door. The tangy small became almost too much to bear. It was a powerful elixir, and she could see it streaming down Richard Lockwood's face. Her father must have punched him. There was a small gash in his forehead, where the blood was seeping out.
"Elena? What are you doing here? Get out! This is none of your concern," her father spoke to her.
Elena almost couldn't hear him as her feet carried her closer to her goal.
Blood.. Blood.. Blood.. Blood..
Her body was singing for it. Her gums were throbbing, her teeth begging to spring forth. Every nerve ending of her body was focussed on one thing. Richard Lockwood cowered in his seat, holding a hand to his bleeding wound as he saw her approach. His eyes widened with her hungry look.
"Uhm, Gilbert? What is your daughter doing?" he stuttered.
Grayson Gilbert obviously wasn't sure himself. "Elena!" he hissed.
Elena leaned over Master Lockwood, her hands on either side of his head, effectively trapping him. She was going to do it, she needed it! She ripped Master Lockwood's hand away from his bleeding forehead. Her stomach churned as she saw all of that glorious, crimson blood. She eyed his bloody hand, which she was still holding and slowly brought it to her lips. She inserted a digit into her mouth and began to suck.
"Elena!" her father yelled.
But Elena couldn't see or hear anything besides the blood. She sucked Richard Lockwood's hand clean, feeling the transformation beginning. The agony was gone. Her body was rejoicing. Her gums stopped aching. Instead, she could feel new things; different things. She could feel her eyes shifting. The veins were beginning to appear on her face. Finally, her gums opened to a new set of teeth; sharp, pointy, vampire teeth.
She opened her mouth wide to sink her new teeth into Richard Lockwood's hand. It felt glorious! Master Lockwood screamed with her actions.
"She bit me!" he yelled.
"Elena!" Grayson roared, before ripping his daughter from his associate. Elena saw the horror on his face at the realisation of what she had become. He pushed her away from him and quickly reached behind him.
When he turned around, he was holding a stake….
A/N: It's been a while. I know. This story means the world to me, so I don't just want to upload any chapter. I want each and every word to be special. I love writing this. I hope you all like reading it ;) Anyway, the chapter speaks for itself. Elena is now a vampire. But will her father nip it in the bud before she has even started? Please review :D
Oh yes, my new twitter is plainoldSandra. In case you were wondering what happened to my other account ( Sandy1983b), I wanted an account where I would be free to tweet about whatever I wanted. I couldn't do that on my old one, so it got deleted. My new account can be followed for story updates, crazy random thoughts and outbursts. Yes, on Thursday night, you might also get TVD tweets. But not as many anymore. TVD needs to stay a hobby and not become a chore ;)