To Change or Not To Change: Time Traveling AU

Note: Sorry for the lateness guys. I just had a lot to do this week (the Youth Group I run was moved from Thursdays to Tuesdays so yeah. Sorry! And I have MY age Youth Group on Wednesdays). But Enjoy!

Chapter 17: Tears of an Angel

It took years it seemed to finally get to the hospital. Damon nearly ran over some teenager but he didn't care. The girl- Candice he was pretty sure- had told him the number and now Damon was going there. He pulled back the door to find inside…

An empty room.

Damon stepped into the room, looking back and forth at each wall, floor and chair. He tried to piece together why the room was so empty. His first real thought was,

Is this the wrong room?

He looked at the door- it read 203, the correct number Damon had been looking for. He cursed gently, as he stepped further into the room, taking in a deep breath of air to try and get Elena's scent. The room was covered in Elena's sweet innocent smell. It brought a feeling of peace to Damon, but the room without Elena in it or even Jeremy's body freaked him out. Had something important happened? Had Jeremy woken up?

As Damon worried about this, across the hospital Elena was walking beside Doctor Shepherd and Jeremy…

~x~

Tears were forming in Elena's eyes. She held onto the side of the bed as Jeremy was rushed towards the OR. She felt like this was going to be her last chance to see him. Doctor Shepherd had caught a brain bleed on Jeremy's brain scans thus, Jeremy was headed into surgery.

His second brain surgery in less than 24 hours.

She sobbed as she ran alongside Jeremy's bed. "I'm so sorry!" She cried as she tried to keep up. "I should have protected you more! I knew he was losing it!"

Doctor Shepherd didn't comment until they came to the OR doors, leading to the hallway that would bring them to the OR rooms. "Elena, you can't go any further." Doctor Shepherd said calmly, but he sounded firm.

Elena's eyes filled with more tears. "Okay," She looked at her brother, "I love you…" She said as the residents took the bed inside. Elena grabbed onto Doctor Shepherd's hand. "Please keep him alive. I understand if it's his time to go, but please…"

Doctor Shepherd looked determined. "I'll do everything I can," And with that, he rushed after the bed.

Elena stared at the doors as she silently wept. For the first time in her life, Elena openly prayed to any God listening that Jeremy lived and was okay.

~x~

When Elena returned to Jeremy's assigned room, she didn't expect anyone to be there let alone waiting for her. She pushed open the door, ready to just wait there for Jeremy. However, she was greeted by a very worried vampire.

Angry filled her.

"Elena!" Damon said as he took her into his arms, checking her over in case somehow, Grayson had gotten a hold of her. "Are you okay?!"

She pushed him away, "Why didn't you answer any of my calls?! Any of my texts?!" she shouted at him.

Damon swallowed nervously. "My phone died," He said honestly. "I'm sorry."

Elena's eyes refilled with tears and she fell into Damon's opened arms and openly cried into his chest. He didn't question where Jeremy was; just fearing the worst had happened…

~x~

5 hours later, Elena and Damon were joined by Doctor Shepherd and his resident, Doctor Grey. Doctor Shepherd looked very pleased with himself and informed the couple that he had caught the brain bleed and saved Jeremy.

Elena cried again. Wow, I haven't cried like this in a long time! She thought as she hugged both doctors. "Thank you! Thank you!"

Damon nodded to them. "When should Jeremy wake up?"

"Any time really," Doctor Grey stated. "His brain is resting and healing itself."

It was still the best news Elena and Damon had heard all day.

~x~

It had been a week since Jeremy went into his coma. Elena rarely left the hospital other than to go shower and sleep in her bed- well, Damon's bed but it might as well be her bed too. She was terrified that Jere was never going to wake up.

Elena, yesterday, had gotten word from Doctor Grey that Grayson's lungs had saved a 5-year-old girl from lung cancer. She had smiled the first time in 6 days. She was happy to know that at least someone was being helped and something good had come out of Grayson's accident.

Today was Aunt Jenna's funeral.

Since Elena was so busy being with Jeremy, she had taken extra time setting up plans for the funeral. But now, she sat in the front of the church, dressed in a black dress, her hair pulled back in a messy bun and she wore black pumps. She looked tired but done up (she obviously did the best she could). Damon sat beside her the whole time, holding her hand as they watched the funeral go on.

Aunt Jenna never did get a real funeral before… Elena thought as she held in her emotions. She refused to do anymore crying. She had cried enough as it was.

She was all alone. She had nobody left in her family anymore (Besides her birth parents but she didn't consider them as anything more than the egg and sperm to create her). Damon rubbed her hand with his thumb. It made Elena feel calm. He was making her feel like everything would turn out okay and it made her breath easier.

When Aunt Jenna's body was buried, people came up and said gentle words, said their apologies and Elena was left standing in front of Aunt Jenna's grave. A few feet away, Grayson's and Miranda's graves sat. Elena sat down on the ground, leaning against Aunt Jenna's gravestone.

"I'm so sorry," she said gently, rubbing it softly. "I…I should have done something. I could have stopped this…I failed you. And now Jeremy's in a coma…." Tears flooded her eyes and she cried openly that day.

~x~

A few days after Aunt Jenna's funeral, and Elena was forced back to school. She was falling behind. Damon tried to help in any way that he could, even convinced Liz (whom had become an unlikely friend to Damon again thankfully) to say something to Mr. Walker. Mr. Walker said his hands were tied and Elena was needed back at school.

By now, the rumors had flown across the student body and everyone knew about Elena's private life. Rumors were going around everywhere. Elena could hear the whispers as she walked down the hallway towards her locker.

Where Care and Bonnie when you need the? She wondered sadly. She walked over to her locker and unlocked it, waiting for anything to tell her that her friends were coming to her.

While at her locker, Elena kept checking her phone.

"Waiting to hear from somebody?"

Elena whipped around and found Stefan. He didn't sound jealous, which was a first, but he looked concerned. She chewed her lip nervously. "Sort of," she admitted, "I'm hoping someone will text me or something."

Stefan nodded his head and leaned against some of the lockers. "Elena, I'm sorry about what happened. You've been dealt a really shitty card and if you need to talk to someone, I'm here." Stefan said kindly, giving her one of his Stefan smiles. It made Elena feel a little better.

"Thank you," Nobody had said such kind words to her. They had all said the same thing, but she could see the emotion behind Stefan's words. She got her benders out and then turned to him once more. "Really, I've…I've been so out of it lately. Do you mind if you were to catch me up on what I missed?"

"No problem," Stefan smiled at her. "I'd be honored."

~x~

They got to History early so Stefan could go over some stuff in History first. Alaric happily gave them the room to use and said if they needed anything, just ask. So there they sat, Elena beside Stefan while glancing at his notes. She seriously was lacking and really was far behind.

History was easy though, and after History class, Stefan caught her up on Math and English at lunch. Elena for the first time in awhile, felt like she had someone on her side.

~x~

Sort of a filler chapter, sorry guys! I feel like the next few chapters will have more Stefan/Elena in it, than Delena moments. Sorry guys. I seriously hope I won't lose anybody while this goes on. And if chapters seem off….I'm seriously sorry. Life has been tough on me.

For one, I'm in High school (grade 11, yeah man!), and for two, my nephew has cancer (he's 2). But I will keep writing and hopefully, an update every week (Tuesday or Wednesday). Please review. I need some serious loving right now. I love you all and thank you for sticking with me while I write this crazy story.

Nerdy~

PS: Please review :) *heart*