Chapter 7

Thanks for everyone who has read. Please review if you like it or you have ideas. This fan fiction will go dark after the first ten chapters. This chapter begins the descent into darkness J. I'm taking a break for a few weeks from this story. I will pick it up once I finish 'The Dead of Winter'. I'm just really inspired by that story right now. This will be concluding soon though.

I do not own the Vampire Diaries or series, nor any of the characters contained in this fan fiction. Any copyright infringement is not intended. Enjoy.

The Heartbreak

Damon's POV

Silently I stared at her. She was beautiful when she slept. Last night was rough for her. Caroline was a vampire now. Katherine was still on the run. Klaus was here. I couldn't help but wonder what effect this was all having on her. Stefan. I rolled my eyes. I had to go check on Stefan. I rolled out of bed and headed towards the cellar. I stopped at the freezer and picked up a vial of blood, human free. I laughed to myself as I realized Stephan was a Vegan Vampire.

I looked in the cell. Stefan was still lying on the floor. "Come on brother. When are you going to pull yourself out of this depression. It's just sad Stefan. Get up. Want to live your life and style your hero hair."

"Go away." His gargled voice echoed off the cell walls.

I shrugged, tossed the vial in the cell and left him to drown himself in his vampire miseries. That was the thing about Stefan. I loved my brother but he was definitely not himself when he wasn't brooding about something or other. His luck was kind of cruel. He had convinced me to be a vampire, but then he ended up being a ripper. It was a cruel twist of fate in my opinion.

On my way through the house, Caroline appeared in front of me expectantly. Vamp speed accomplished I noted. "Yes?" I raised my eyebrows.

"Damon, what am I supposed to do now?" she presented quite irritated.

"Blondie, you are supposed to go in the library, drink some blood…" I looked at her and added as an after-thought, "from bags. And not get into anything and not leave, because you will burn. Just be a good girl."

She narrowed her eyes at me. "I'm bored and I'm not five. Stop talking to me like I am."

"Blondie I don't know what to tell you. Boredom is a thing with vampires. Get used to it and learn to entertain yourself without killing anyone. I have to go check on Elena. I'll be back in a little bit."

By the time I got back to the room, Elena was laying motionless on the bed staring at the ceiling. "Elena. Are you okay?"

She moved her eyes from the ceiling to watch me as I walked towards her.

"Damon. I don't know what to do. I just feel so out of control and I feel like everything is falling apart. I've lost everyone, or almost everyone in my family. Stefan lied to me about Katherine. I feel like I'm cursed and I'll never find anyone. " The tears started welling up in her eyes. "I just want a normal life. I know that people have been through more than I have, maybe minus the vampires, but I don't know what I did to deserve all this chaos and loss."

I crossed the room and slid onto the bed beside her, pulling her to my chest. "You didn't do anything Elena. I know you are strong and I know you have lost a lot. Sometimes life isn't fair and you just have to get up and face it and make your life what you want it to be. As far as the normal thing; I've seen normal and that doesn't make people happy either. Happiness is subjective and so is normal for that matter." She stared up into my eyes tears falling freely down her cheek. If I had a heart, it would have cracked right then. She looked so lost. I didn't know how to tell her she wasn't lost or that I was here for her. You can't convince someone of that. After 140 years, I know that. This is something she has to learn for herself. It is something that will come with time and unfortunately, I can't save her from it. I held her closely and drifted off into my own thoughts about consequences of bringing her into this.

My life is complicated, even without Katherine being a part of it. I've always felt the need to be in control. It is a compulsion that is almost as strong as the one to feed. For Stefan it was his emotions and blood. For me, it was control. There is no doubt that Elena is submissive, but I am not sure if she is healthy enough to be in this kind of relationship, not truly, in the way that I need. Losing yourself in this world is dark and it is just about as dangerous as dealing with vampires.

There isn't a passing minute that I don't consider that Elena would be happier without me or Stefan in her life. However, now that Katherine is in the picture; that is out of the question. I just need to figure out how to draw Katherine out and get rid of her. Trusting Klaus is not an option, however, neither is pissing him off. But maybe there is a way to enlist his help without fully trusting him.

I looked at Elena, "Caroline is downstairs and she's pretty bored."

"Oh," she sighed. "Yes I should go see her. Is she going to be okay Damon?"

"Yes, one way or another, control freak Caroline will be okay." I sighed and smiled simultaneously.

As we reached the living room, Caroline was pacing back and forth in front of the fireplace talking to herself. "What am I going to do? I can never go out in the sun again. I am a vampire. A VAMPIRE. I can't eat people and I can't tell my mom. Omg. My mom. What am I going to tell my mom?"

Enter the emotional part of becoming a vampire. I cleared my throat pretty loudly. She turned and looked at us, her eyes going dark. "Oh..Elena! Oh my god Elena." She ran, forgetting her speed and almost knocked Elena backwards with the force of her movement. "Oops" she smiled. Then she grabbed Elena hugging her a little too hard.

"Umm Caroline." Elena said as she was starting to wince.

"Oh right. Super strength. Sorry."

I rolled my eyes. "Ok. I have to go somewhere." Elena looked at me with a panicked look. "It will be okay. Blondie, drink blood bags so you don't kill your best friend and make sure nothing happens to her and she doesn't leave this house."

Caroline nodded as if trying to take in every piece of information that pertained to her condition.

I looked at Elena. "It will be fine. Please do me a favor and don't leave."

She nodded and plopped down on the couch.

I headed to my car and jumped in. In a few seconds I was headed down the road to the Grill. I was hoping to run into a certain Original Vampire or run into anyone that could answer some questions. I wasn't exactly sure what I was looking for.

As I entered through the wooden door, my eyes adjusted to the much dimmer interior of the bar. I spotted Bonnie playing pool with some kid from school. "Bonnie, do you have a minute," her ever pervasive glare penetrating every inch of my face. "What?" she said.

"Hey, so I just thought you'd want to know that Caroline is a vampire. I'll catch you up later. She's going bat shit crazy with boredom at my house right now because she can't go outside. So I would suggest you make her a daylight ring and fast, because she is annoying and I might kill her myself." She rolled her eyes.

"I don't know how to do that."

"Look through your little witch diaries and figure it out. Speaking of which, have you ever heard of a moonstone?" I added casually.

"A moonstone? No, I mean I read something in my grandmother's journal about it being part of a curse. But that is all I know." I nodded and as I turned around, none other than Klaus himself walked through the door. Perfect timing. Or not.

I looked at Bonnie. "Okay thanks."

Klaus sat down at the bar. I walked up behind him. "Yes." He questioned half turning to look at me. He motioned with his eyes to the stool next to him.

"So I thought about your offer, to work together. Here's the thing. I don't know where Katherine is, but I know how to find her. " We sat there for the next couple of hours quietly discussing the in's and out's of the plan. Klaus was nothing, if not thorough. He also, just may be a genius. He definitely knew Katherine, probably better than me.

I nodded at him, got up from the bar stool and headed towards the Boarding House. I knew what I had to do, but man was this going to be hard. I am not relishing doing it, but at the same time, I know it's the best way to protect Elena. Pictures of pain in her eyes were flashing in and out of my head. I shook it off as I pulled into the driveway.

Okay. Here it goes. Be convincing Damon, I said to myself.

As I walked through the door, I saw Caroline and Elena sitting in the library. There was a fire going and they were chatting away, and drinking. It was like everything was right with the world. Little did she know, it was all about to change.

Elena stood up and looked at me. "Damon…where have you been? I was worried."

"Caroline," I started, "Bonnie is trying to figure out how to make you a daylight ring. I saw her at the grill. Can you give us a few minutes?"

Elena glanced over at Caroline with a somewhat worried expression, then she looked back to me. Her eyes questioning what was about to happen.

"Elena," I started. My words were forming a lump in my throat. "I know that things have happened between us and there is a lot going on. I was swept away between wanting to fuck you and protect you. I'm too distracted and I need to concentrate on killing Katherine. I can't do that with you here. It's too complicated." As I looked at her, she started to fall apart in front of me; the rejection falling on her hard. It was as if the weight of the entire world came crashing down on her. "I need you to let me take you to the Lake House and I need you to stay there with Jeremy and Jenna. I don't want to be with you. I care about you. I just don't care about you the same way you care about me."

Elena's POV

I was looking at him, but I didn't know who he was. What was he saying to me? He didn't want me. The same guy who just hours ago professed his love to me, now was saying something that sounded like he was leaving me. My thoughts were so scattered. I felt light-headed when all my emotions started to come to the surface. I couldn't speak. I just looked at him, tears spilling down cheeks.

"What are you saying?" I croaked out.

"I'm saying that it's over Elena. I'm not sure it ever started, but if it did in your mind, it needs to be over. I need to take you to the Lake House so you'll be safe. I need you to come with me and not fight me. This is for the best Elena" He said it with so little emotion that it crushed me.

I didn't know what to say to him. I was so confused and caught off guard that it wasn't quite registering fully. "Okay." I said it back to him as callously as I could but it didn't work. I still sounded broken. I wanted to be strong right now. I hated him right now. He was a liar. How could he do this to me? How could he just push me away when I needed him. I felt betrayed but in a different way than Stefan. This time I felt horrible sting of rejection and abandonment.

I absently headed towards the car, opened the door and got in. He followed me out silently and got in the driver seat. Then we were off to the lake house. It would be good to see Jenna and Jeremy. I missed them both. Maybe I just needed to be alone anyways. I couldn't even think straight right now as we silently drove along the highway towards our destination.

All I could think was that he was the love of my life and before it even started, it was over. Cursing myself, I tried to tell myself that he was not the love of my life. If he was, he wouldn't have deserted me when I needed him the most. In the back of my head though, there was this awful voice reminding that it was just something I was telling myself and that no matter what I tried to tell myself, you can't help who you love. I pushed my head back into the seat and stared at the roof of his car.

We didn't say a word on our way there. He got out as I did and said my name, "Elena". I just walked away towards the house, not looking back. I felt broken inside. Jeremy and Jenna had hugged me when I came in the door. I told them I was tired. They knew it was a lie.

I heard the car door shut and him drive away and then all the feelings that I had been keeping back, came out in the form of tears. I cried for hours into my pillow wishing that I never heard the name Damon Salvatore.