Chapter 17

As Elijah stirred that morning, after telling Elena that he would give her his blood and that when Klaus kills her to re trigger his hybrid side again and she wakes in transition, he will help her as well as feed her his blood.

Looking at her, the sheet covering her nude body up to her shoulder, his lips were pulled into a smile and he could hear his siblings in his head saying, "you're completely wrapped around her finger".

Kissing the nape of her neck, he whispered, "I'm truly and deeply in love with you Elena Gilbert."

He didn't know that she had woken up when he kissed her nape and told her that.

Stefan knew that Rebekah loved her brothers-especially Klaus-but knowing that they're not on the same page hurt him a lot more than he was willing to acknowledge until Rebekah turned him away last night, after what she and Elena said before leaving.

"Look at it this way bro," Damon said as he lounged in his seat with a bottle of bourbon in one hand and a couple of glasses in the other as he went about to pouring each one. "Since you two never fully began your relationship of sorts with her, you can be with anyone else you want."

"You'll never understand Damon." Stefan sighed. "I love her with everything in me-including all of her faults!-but this is killing me."

"Then leave her and start on having a new life-a better one." Damon told him. "That's what I'm going to do anyway and it'll be like the old times-road trip travelling around the world."

Stefan shook his head. "Give me time to think about what I want to do first with whatever I have with Rebekah before I agree to this."

"You have until a full moon that'll be occurring in a month."

Caroline wasn't speaking to anyone inside the house-well, to be honest-she wasn't talking period.

She wanted to comfort Elena and get her to realize that she didn't believe that they had coddled her so much that she'd hate it, but the words never felt right or seemed to be what needed to be said.

It was all jumbled in her mind and if she had said something to her about it, it wouldn't sound good or even something that should be said so she was silent, painting her nails again and re organizing the closet.

Every single word she wanted to shout, scream or cry out wouldn't be the perfect word to actually say.

It was a good thing that no one went into the room as they would have seen her start to cry silently.

"She won't feed, she won't eat and she won't talk to me!" Kol yelled at Elijah in his frustration. "I'm afraid she's trying to kill herself Elijah! She's driving me out of my bloody mind!"

"This couldn't have come at a worse time," Elena sighed worried for her friend. "What are we going to do Elijah?"

"Well for starters any of you idiots could try talking too me instead of about me!" Bonnie yelled. "Do you think I should be toasting with champagne? I was murdered yesterday and now the biggest crisis is when my best friend is going to kill herself so the original hybrid can go on the war path again! I nearly died trying to prevent this the last time! Now the two of you," she gestured to Elijah and Elena, "are all in favor of it and I'm sure you're all gung ho for anything that brings more killing now that you have your memories back!" Suddenly the house went dark as every light bulb within it exploded.

"Impressive," Kol remarked.

"Sorry," Bonnie sighed to Elijah.

"What the hell?" Rebekah called from somewhere upstairs.

"Bekah can we talk about this?" Stefan asked gently. Since they were in the dark they cuddled up together on top of the bed.

"I'm willing to listen Stefan but I'm not saying it's going to change my mind," Rebekah said gently. "Don't even start the argument with needing to protect Elena; that's between her and Elijah. If she wants to do this then I'm going to stand back and respect her wishes."

"With Klaus' werewolf side bound once again he no longer has the advantage over the rest of you," Stefan said. "you wouldn't have to worry so much…"

"I'm not worried since I have you to protect me," Rebekah smiled in the darkness. "Unless…unless you're leaving? I thought we were starting something. This really has little to do with us. Yesterday Klaus was a hybrid and we were all still here…"

"Three people have to give their lives for this spell to be broken!" Stefan objected.

"I could go kill three people right now and their deaths would be meaningless," Rebekah replied. "Stefan he's my brother. I want him to be happy because I love him but I…I really like you too."

"I'm not leaving you Rebekah," Stefan sighed wrapping his arm around her, "but I am not agreeing with you or Klaus on this."

"I can respect that," Rebekah said before she leaned in and kissed him.

"Wow some people just walk in like they live here," Kol scoffed as he followed Damon Salvatore into the room. Damon turned his gaze to Bonnie and she glared at him before running from the room and then flashing upstairs to Kol's suite.

"Thanks mate," Kol gave Damon an off-handed moment of appreciation before flashing off after her.

"I demand to speak to Elena," Damon said firmly, "alone."

"Demanding is hardly necessary," Elijah said evenly and he walked casually from the room while Elena glared at Damon.

"Here I am," she said when he had yet to speak.

"Elena you're a very compassionate person and I know you want to always see the good in people but you're not thinking about the bigger picture here," he said. "Four people have to die for this – including you."

"You needn't worry about me Damon. I intend to have vampire blood in my system when I die," Elena replied.

"You're letting him turn you?"

"I practically begged actually," Elena confessed, "Elijah has never sired anyone in his thousand years. I couldn't imagine it being anyone other than the man I love."

"That's it! I've heard enough! Obviously these monsters have done something to you in the last week…" Damon gripped her upper arm roughly.

"Ouch Damon you're hurting me!" She yelped. Damon drug her back towards the front door.

"I believe the lovely Elena asked you to let go," Klaus growled menacingly blocking Damon's path. Damon released his grip on her.

"What happened to the Elena I know?" Damon pierced her gaze with his deep blue one. "The last time you fought the whole way through to save the ones you loved…"

"The ones I love are safe. Klaus has promised me that."

"And how many times do you have to make a deal with the devil before you learn?" Damon said and he stared at her a long moment before he left.

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