To Change or Not To Change: Time Traveling AU

Chapter 18: Stelena vs. Delena

It was after school, five days since Aunt Jenna was buried. Elena had been spending more time with Stefan, trying to understand who she was a person now. Her life had been thrown upside down as she tried to find her true self all over again. She figured she was still the same Elena Gilbert, but in ways she couldn't explain, she had changed. She felt…colder.

She felt angry and upset- and helpless. She felt utterly helpless. Jeremy was still in his coma. He looked like he was asleep but Elena knew deep down, it was unlikely her baby brother would wake up. Many doctors were approaching her about donating her brother's organs like she donated Grayson's. You can safely say, Elena had blown up at these doctors.

How could these people whom claimed to help people, ask her for her brother's organs when he could wake up?

It made her feel even angrier. Elena didn't feel like herself anymore, she felt like another version of Katherine; which was very upsetting.

At the moment, Elena was sitting in the main living room of the Salvatore Boarding House. She was enjoying some alone time with a random book she had picked up. She was cuddled up on the couch with a blanket wrapped around her body, a small fire going.

She hadn't seen Damon in awhile. He had said he was running to the store, but that had been two hours ago. Elena had a feeling Damon was at a Founder's meeting. Elena sighed quietly as she turned the page.

"I didn't think I'd find you here,"

She turned and found Stefan.

Stefan…

Elena felt calmer with him around. It was like a light had come on back inside her chest. It was weird. Usually, it was only Damon who made her feel this safe. "Wow, why is that? I live here too," Elena said jokingly (at least she tried).

"I figured you'd be out with Bonnie and Caroline at the Grille," Stefan shrugged.

Bonnie and Caroline are at the Grille? Elena thought, feeling hurt. Her friends hadn't invited her.

Stefan spied the hurt expression on her face. "They didn't say anything about it, did they?" She shook her head. "Sorry!"

She couldn't help the thought of how boyishly cute Stefan looked in that moment. She shrugged her shoulders and turned back to her book. "It's no problem, you didn't know…" She said gently. Stefan walked over and sat down beside her, enjoying the way his body sunk down into the cushions. "So what are you up to?" Elena asked.

"Enjoying some quiet time," Stefan said shrugging his shoulders. It felt good for Stefan to know that he could live a somewhat normal life. Well, besides the whole lusting after his brother's wonderful girlfriend and being a vampire. Of course, if Stefan knew just who Elena Gilbert truly was, he'd be shocked and a little scared. "What book are you reading?"

"Harry Potter," Elena could admit she was a little geeky and enjoyed these moments in life where she could enjoy a book. However, she would never let anyone know that. She had a feeling Damon would tease her. She book-marked her book and then closed it, then turning to Stefan. "So Stefan, I was wondering, would you help me with some of this Math homework? I can't seem to wrap my head around it!"

She couldn't help but blush slightly. She felt silly asking for help.

Stefan smiled brightly, "Sure!"

He was very excited to help out, even if it was Math homework.

~x~

Another hour and a half later, Damon entered the boarding house and heard laughter. He could admit, seeing his girlfriend getting so close with his baby brother was bothering him. He knew Elena had said she left Stefan and went to him, Damon, but he couldn't shake the feeling of how wrong it was in this moment. He walked into the living room and found the two teenagers surrounded by books and papers.

This is how Elena's life should be…. Damon thought sadly. She should find a cute guy, her own age and settle down with him. Damon knew Stefan was a vampire and was way older than her, but he still was somewhat her age. Damon passed off as at least a 24ish-year-old man. She looks happy with Saint Stefan…

He had a sick feeling that felt like (to him at least) that he should let Elena go. She was her own person and a wonderful woman. Damon was too dark and jaded for her. He sighed, leaning against the doorway as he watched the two teens.

Now Elena, she was half listening to Stefan explain something when he made a joke. He was teasing her about her suck-y Math skills. "Oh shut up!" She giggled as she playfully pushed him. She felt so young and carefree in this moment. Stefan and Elena had not noticed Damon yet, and were off in their own little world.

Damon watched the two and he felt jealous and ignored, but the couple had yet to see him. Elena giggled again when Stefan took the moment to begin to tickle her.

"Stefan!" She laughed.

"Elena!" Stefan taunted her.

Damon rolled his eyes until a soft ring filled the air. He watched as Elena picked up her phone, with a soft giggle and, "Hello?" He didn't bother listening in on what was being said, but he could see her face falling and then tears welling in her eyes. He assumed it was Jeremy.

Finally, she hung up after listening and then got up, Stefan wondering what was going on as well. Stefan started saying, "Elena-"

"I've got to go," Elena finally noticed Damon and she looked very apologetic. "That was Bonnie. She says she needs to see me."

She pushed past Damon but he grabbed onto her hand. She gave him a firm glare. "Why do you need to see Bonnie?"

Elena blinked and then ran her fingers through her hair, feeling nervous before she stated, "Bonnie, Caroline, Matt, Vicki and everyone else at the Grille are being held captive by your crazy ex-lover Katherine. Shall I say anymore?"

Damon looked outraged. "And you weren't going to ask for any help from us?!"

"Why should I?" Elena asked. "When Bonnie said that Katherine said if I brought anyone with me, she'd start killing people off, starting with my best friends!"

Stefan winced at the thought and Damon shot his brother a look. "Katherine's alive? This smells like a trap. Then why don't we think up a plan first before you run into said trap?"

Elena turned to look at her friend, "Because Katherine told Bonnie to tell me that if I don't get there within the next 30 minutes, she'll start killing people. Some will turn into vampires and some won't. Katherine wants to kill me. And she's using Bonnie, Matt and Caroline against me to get me there."

Damon looked actually terrified for his girlfriend, as he grabbed her hand but Elena took them away. "Do I get a say in any of this?"

"No, Damon, you don't. Because I can't risk my friends," Elena explained.

"So you're just going to go like that? Seriously? Elena, I can't lose you!" Damon half shouted at her and half begged her.

And Elena looked him straight in the eyes, forgetting for a moment, what timeline she was in. "And I can't keep letting my friends get hurt or die because of me. Don't you get that? Everyone in my life gets hurt and I can't stop it. But I can protect my friends from Katherine by giving up my life. Why wouldn't I?" She swallowed. "And Katherine was always alive. She never went into the tomb. God, she has been out and well for years guys. It's Katherine! She doesn't do anything she doesn't want to do! Yes I know about the tomb, if I get out of this alive, I'll tell you how I know, okay?"

Stefan stared and his mouth fell open.

"We can think up a plan! You can't just give up your life like that!"

"There isn't time, Damon."

"We'll make time!"

"After who dies? Caroline? Bonnie? Matt? Vicki? Oh what if she goes after Jeremy? And THEN what?" she half shouted at him. Damon was silent for a moment. "That's what I thought."

Elena went to go towards the door, but Damon grabbed her hand and stopped her. "Please don't go. I can't lose you. I love you Elena."

She gave him a small weak smile, "As I love you, Damon. But I've gotta do this. My friends are counting on me." She laughed then randomly. "It's a good thing Caroline and Bonnie didn't invite me to the Grille, eh Stefan?"

Damon scowled slightly but Stefan gave her a weak laugh as well. "Yeah, it is," Stefan said.

Elena gave Damon a passionate kiss before she turned and left the house. She would have to do this, and she would save her friends. Her timelines were mixing up in her head and she knew that she was losing what was her "past" and what was her "present" but also her "future". She didn't understand any of it anymore. The old Elena blended too easily with the new Elena. She was forgetting what was going to happen next, and what her future was supposed to look like. Katherine was going to die because of the cure, Elena remembered that. She knew Damon died with Bonnie.

Caroline was to become a vampire. Tyler was a werewolf. Matt was still just an epic human. Alaric was a vampire hunter/awesome teacher.

But, as she pushed forward, Elena realized that she didn't care about that future anymore. That "present", because a world without the love of her life, Damon Salvatore, was a world Elena didn't want to live in. She couldn't. And maybe she was being selfish. Going back in time when she knew that wasn't supposed to happen. But what could she do?

I'll go stop Katherine, She decided to start off with, and I'll save my friends. Once that is finished, I'll go convince Stefan or Damon to give Jeremy some of their blood…oh what if he dies? Oh I can't think of that. He'll wake up newly healed and we'll go home. How am I going to stop Katherine though? I don't have the cure and I'm just a human this time around. Crap! What am I going to do?!

Elena pushed forward and stepped towards town, knowing that going into the Grille, was going to end in either two things.

Katherine dies and Elena can continue on with her life.

Or, Elena dies and Katherine gets what she wants.

Let's just hope things went Elena's way and Katherine died, or else Damon was going to feel exactly what Elena felt when he died.

And that's chapter 18! Pretty good huh? Nah. It's crap. UGH. I originally was going to have Lexi and John come in. Maybe I'll do that next chapter or something, after the Elena and Katherine show down. Katherine showing up was totally random. I feel like Katherine would keep close tabs on the Salvatore brothers (they are "hers" are they not?) and finding out they're both "in love" with a new girl? It'd piss her off and make her want to kill people. So Katherine came to town!

Should I have her be killed off? Or should I bring more of the show to the story? I'm seriously wondering guys! :D

SIDE NOTE: Thank you everyone who said such nice things about my nephew; thank you. He's getting much better. A few days ago was his last radian day so that's a bonus! We were told he has cancer last September, so it's been tough but we're pulling through. I'm actually hoping to go see him over Christmas break actually. So a fair warning, if I don't update during that time, that's why. But I'll likely give you guys a chapter before then, eh? ;) Once more thank you.

Other than that, thank you everyone and please review! I love reading every review. Maybe I don't respond or say anything to you, but I do read them and they make my heart fill with joy. So once more, thank you. High school is tough and suffocating. Writing is my outlet for these stressful times. Just to let you all know!

Please let me know also what you'd like to see happen with Jeremy. Should I kill him off? Should I make him into a vampire? Make his Hunter's Mark show up early? What? :) Or should I write a happy Anna/Jeremy moment?

Well that's all folks!

REVIEW PLEASE AND THANK YOU! I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!