Written by: Peter
Disclaimer: The Vampire Diaries are the property of L.J. Smith and the CW Network. I’m just writing about them for the fun of it.
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Post-season 3 finale.
Pairing: Stefan/Elena
For a century, I've lived in secret.
Hiding in the shadows, alone in the world...until now.
I shouldn't have come home. I know the risk.
But I have to know her!
I am a vampire—and this is my story.
-Stefan Salvatore
Alaric felt as though the two of them had been walking for miles, yet he didn't feel tired. He didn't feel hungry, or sleepy, or anything much, really. Maybe a little irritated. Everything was so bland and colourless here. There was no sound, either—not even their own footsteps.
“Where are we going?” he asked Anna, getting impatient. “Where's the gateway?”
“The gateway is everywhere,” she explained.
“Excuse me?”
“Look,” she sighed. “The mortal world and the other side aren't beside each other, they're more—on top of each other. We're slightly out of phase...”
“Which is why everything looks dead here,” Alaric finished for her. “So if we can just pop back anywhere, what are we looking for?”
“We can't just pop back anywhere,” Anna corrects him. “There has to be a point of contact—a specific place where the walls between this world and that one are weaker. That house the Bennett witches were using is one point. Another is Jeremy.”
“The Gilbert house then?”
“No, not Jeremy's house,” Anna replied, annoyed. “Jeremy himself. You find Jeremy, you can pass through.”
“And how do you know he's not at home?” Alaric reminded her.
“I've been in contact with him more than anyone here,” Anna pointed out. “You haven't gotten used to it yet—you're still treating things as if you were still alive. Your body, your clothes—they don't exist anymore. Well, they do—but they're decomposing back where you left them. You're just energy now—you only look like that because that's how you see yourself.”
Alaric listened to what she was saying, trying not to panic.
“You can do a lot more than when you were alive, though,” she continues, smiling a little. “Your senses , for one, are more complex. You can detect the energy of other people. That's how I know where Jeremy is—I can feel his energy.”
“Energy?”
“Everyone has their own unique energy,” Anna replies. “Their lifeforce, their soul, their chi—whatever you want to call it. If you know what someone's energy feels like, you can track them anywhere.”
They reach the edge of the woods, where the imposing symbol of Fell's Church stretches before them. In front, they can see two of the 'phantoms' Alaric had seen in town earlier. These ones were different, though—they were more pronounced. More 'real'.
“I can see them better now,” Alaric tells her.
“That's because they're not completely mortal,” Anna informed him. “Us vampires were kind of complex. On the one hand, we were technically dead—and on the other, we could never die. Our connection to the other side is stronger. And, of course, you know Jeremy is as much a part of this world as that one.”
“So the other one's a vampire?” Alaric realizes. “Who?”
“You figure it out,” she tells him. “Just focus your senses. Concentrate...don't look at the phantoms, but past them. Through them.”
Alaric stares in their direction, trying his best to follow Anna's instructions. Slowly, he sees the image start to solidify.
“What do you mean she's gone?!?” he heard Damon's voice exclaim.
“She ran off when I tried to give her my blood!” the other one—Jeremy—responds. “Stefan went after her. He said to meet up with them here.”
Damon yelled in frustration, kicking up dirt.
“Jeremy!” Alaric hollered, waving at him. “Hey, Jeremy?”
“He can't hear you,” Anna sighed. “Not yet. You have to pass through first.”
“And how do I do that?”
“The same way you're seeing them now,” she explains. “Only you need to focus harder. Make them more real—if you can push it far enough, Jeremy will be able to sense your energy as well. He'll think of you, make the connection, and pull you the rest of the way through.”
Alaric nods.
'All right—focus...' he thinks. 'Focus—come on, Jer. Work with me here!'
*****
“Hey, do you hear something?”
“Other than you being an idiot?” Damon complained. “Do I need to remind you we have some trigger-happy old guys coming after us. We don't have time to coddle the reluctant vampire.”
“I don't get you!” Jeremy spat at him. “One minute you're doing whatever you have to so you can get on Elena's good side, the next she's like a problem for you.”
“She wouldn't be a problem right now if you would have just kept her at the house like you were told!” Damon growled.
“Are you really surprised I don't trust you?!?” he asked.
“Oh, but you trust Stefan?”
“No, but at least he tries to help when he's not acting crazy!” Jeremy spat. “You only help yourself.”
Damon shoves him to the ground. Immediately, Jeremy points his crossbow at Damon.
“Take your best shot, junior!” Damon taunted him, spreading his arms out. “Just make sure you shoot to kill.”
Jeremy's eyes narrow, before putting away the crossbow.
“I'm saving this for somebody else,” he muttered, dusting himself off. “You know—that friend of yours was right about one thing.”
Damon crosses his arms.
“And what's that?”
“You are the worst thing for her!” Jeremy said, matter-of-factually. “And I'm not staying out of it.”
Jeremy walks back towards the edge of the church, keeping an eye out for their pursuers.
*****
Elena sat on the ground, leaning her back against a tree, as the first rays of dawn peaked through the clouds over the horizon. The light hurt Elena's eyes, but at the moment she didn't care. It looked so beautiful that she was willing to bear the discomfort in order to see it. That, combined with the soft sound of the waterfall nearby, made the moment almost perfect.
She felt so peaceful. This would be a good place to die.
Except—she didn't want to. Now that she was here, alone with her thoughts, Elena could finally admit it to herself. It wasn't just Jeremy, or Stefan, or anything like that—she wanted to live. She wanted to see her friends again, and to go to college, and to feel Stefan's lips against hers again. She wanted to see more sunrises.
If only there was a way she could do those things without having to change.
“I thought I might find you here.”
Elena didn't need to turn her head to know Stefan was standing there. No one would have understood the message she had left except for him. No one else would have known where to find her. This was their place—their special spot away from the insanity that was their lives.
Elena smiled at him.
“I knew you would,” she tells him. “I just—I wanted to see this again. One last time, while I'm still...”
Elena trailed off, not wanting to voice the words. Not wanting to admit it out loud that she wouldn't be human much longer.
Stefan doesn't say anything. Instead, he sits down beside her. Elena shifts so that she's lying back against his chest, letting Stefan encircle her with his arms.
“Jeremy thought he was helping,” Stefan tried to explain, but Elena shook her head.
“Can—can we not talk about that right now?” she pleads. “I just want to enjoy this moment.”
Stefan nods.
“Ok,” he says, placing a single kiss on her shoulder.
They sit there for what feels like hours—which, in reality, is only a few moments. The rising sun still hurts Elena's eyes but—lying in Stefan's arms—the pain almost seems bearable.
“Can I ask you something?” Elena inquirers after a long time.
“Hmm?”
“While you were—gone,” she begins. “On my birthday, I was wondering—did you call me?”
Stefan nods.
“Yeah,” he admits. “Yeah, I did.”
“Why?” Elena asks. “I mean—when I found you in Chicago, you were pretty adamant that you were never coming back. Why would you want to torture yourself like that?”
“I just needed to know you were ok,” Stefan chokes out. “Everything that happened—everything that Klaus made me do—the only way I could go through with it is if I knew you were safe and happy. I just needed to hear your voice.”
Safe and happy? Maybe she had been 'safe' at the time, in a sense—but happy? No, that part certainly hadn't been true.
“I'm sorry I never got you a present.”
“You did,” Elena told him. “That was the only thing I'd asked for. Knowing you were alive—that was all I wanted.”
They sat there in silence for another moment.
“What's the best part about being a vampire?” Elena asks, recalling a conversation they had what feels like a lifetime ago.
Stefan leans in close to her ear.
“Everything is heightened,” he tells her. “Beautiful things like this—they become more beautiful. You feel like you can do anything—that there's nothing you can't accomplish. You just live more powerfully. And the things you love—they mean that much more to you.”
“That sounds nice,” Elena whispered. “And the bad parts?”
Stefan held her tighter.
“Elena,” he said, his voice pained. “Don't do this to yourself.”
Elena stood up, looking out at the horizon.
“Do you remember the last time we were here, Stefan?” she asks. “The day of the sacrifice—what I said?”
Stefan stood up to face her, a sad look in his eyes.
“You told me you didn't want to be a vampire,” he recalls. “That you never wanted to be one.”
“I thought there was no way out,” Elena continued. “But you found a way, didn't you? You found a way for me to stay human. You gave me a second chance...”
“Elena...”
“And do you know what I did with that second chance, Stefan?” she says, tears forming in her eyes. “I spent every waking moment trying to get you back. Even when everybody told me I shouldn't—you included. You gave me a chance at a normal life, and I—I just let it pass me by.”
Stefan hangs his head.
“But you know what?” Elena tells him, placing her hands on Stefan's arms. “I don't regret it. The truth is that—that normal life I wanted—it felt so empty without you in it. If this is the price I had to pay...”
“Don't,” Stefan implored her, shaking his head. “Elena, I—I just wish things could have been different. That we could have had more time. I wasted so much time.”
“I'm just so scared,” Elena cries. “What if I can't control it? What if I change so much that I'm like a different person? What if I hurt Jeremy—or anyone? What if—“
“Shh...” Stefan whispers, rubbing circles on Elena's shoulders, trying to soothe her.
“Wh-what if I'm just like Katherine?” she finishes.
“That won't happen,” Stefan promises, the pained look in his eyes becoming one of determination. “You have my word that I will never let that happen to you.”
Elena throws her arms around Stefan, crying into his shoulder. She wanted to remember this moment—the two of them, in each others arms, with the sun rising off in the distance. So maybe, in the years, decades, and centuries to come, she could look back on this day with fondness instead of regret.
“There's something else you told me the last time we were up here,” Elena recalled. “I just want you to know, Stefan—that it's okay. I want you to admit it to yourself.”
Stefan shook his head.
“No—I can't,” he protested. “Elena, I can't. Not when you're in this much pain. This isn't what you want.”
“I know what I want,” Elena promised him. “I know I've been confused lately, but—maybe it took almost dying for me to realize what I couldn't live without. You, Stefan. I'm always going to want you. So please, tell me what you want. I need to hear you say it.”
“For you to be happy.”
“Stop being so noble,” Elena urged him, shaking her head. “For a moment, pretend I didn't care either way. You're always trying to let me make my own choices, but what about yours? If it was your choice, Stefan—what would you choose?”
Stefan looks down at her in defeat.
“If it were my choice...” he repeats. “I'd want to be with you forever.”
“Forever?” Elena asks. “Is that a promise?”
Stefan nods, and the two of them embrace once again.
*****
Back at the church...
Damon paced back and forth nervously, while Jeremy watched him from the doorway. He still held onto the crossbow, just in case.
“Is she gonna be different?” Jeremy asks him. “After she transitions, is she going to change?”
“Oh, so you're talking to me now?” Damon scoffed.
“Jerk!”
After a moment, Damon sighs.
“Everyone's different,” Damon admits in a solemn voice. “You can never predict what someone's going to be like when they're a vampire. Sometimes they reject it, sometimes they revel in it. That girlfriend of yours was completely unstable, while Barbie just acts like Barbie with fangs.”
Jeremy laughed at that last remark.
“Yeah,” he agrees. “You know, sometimes I forget she's one of you.”
Jeremy pauses for a moment.
“What were you like before?” he wonders. “If you don't mind me asking?”
Damon shrugs.
“I was actually a pretty nice guy,” Damon explained. “Then Katherine happened, I got used to killing people—I learned to hate Stefan.”
“Do you really?” Jeremy asks.
“Nah,” Damon confesses. “But sometimes—he just really gets on my nerves. Little brothers are like that.”
“Hey!”
Damon laughs, but then a desolate look crosses his face.
“He always gets everything,” Damon spoke, sadly—no longer talking to Jeremy, but to himself. “It's always Stefan. The old man, Katherine, Elena—Klaus. No matter how hard I try, it's never me. He's the good brother, the hero, the selfless martyr—but whenever I try to do something good, I screw it up. Not Stefan, though. Everything always comes easy for him—everything except being a vampire. The one thing I'm good at. So why's everyone always trying to take that away from me?”
Jeremy opens his mouth to speak, but is interrupted by a small sound—like leaves crunching.
“Did you hear that?”
Snapping to attention, Damon focuses his super-hearing. Footsteps, through he trees.
“They found us!” Damon announced. “Jeremy, get out of here!”
Jeremy hesitates.
“Go!” Damon ordered. “Get to the tomb!”
Reluctantly, Jeremy runs off. Damon smiles, relishing the opportunity.
Not witnesses meant no more rules. He even had the excuse of self-defence on his side. No one was going to drive him out of town—not if he could help it.
*****
Not far away...
“So where are we going?” Elena asks, holding onto Stefan's arm for support.
“Anywhere you want,” Stefan promises. “You always wanted to travel. Backpacking through Europe, visiting the seven wonders...”
“Can we climb Mount Everest?” Elena teased him.
Stefan laughs, but his humour is short-lived. He can pick up the sound of voices off in the distance.
“My head!” Elena groaned, covering her ears. “Loud—it's too loud!”
“Tune it out,” Stefan instructed her. “Ignore the background noise, and just focus on one thing...”
Elena removes her hands, nodding slowly. As she tries to concentrate, she can hear voices—Jeremy's voice, followed by Damon's.
“I—I can hear them?” she gasps. “Jeremy and Damon, but—they sound far away.”
“About half a mile,” Stefan explains, causing Elena's eyes to go wide. Could she really hear from that far away?
“They're in trouble,” she realizes. “This is my fault—if I hadn't of ran off, we would have been out of town by now. If anything happens to either of them...”
Stefan takes her arm.
“Come on!” he says. “This way!”
“I don't think I can run,” Elena confesses. It was true—she felt so tired. “Not like you—not yet.”
“I'll carry you,” Stefan reassures her. “Once more—for old time's sake.”
Taking hold of Elena, Stefan races through the woods towards Fell's Church.
*****
The woods...
“The church?” one of the deputies remarked as they approached it. “I knew it gave me the creeps. Didn't think there were vampires hanging out here.”
“I don't like it,” the second deputy told him. “Look, if Forbes left them alone, maybe they're not really dangerous after all? A couple hospital thefts aren't really worth dying over.”
“Sheriff Forbes is no longer in charge!” the older man reminded them. “And unless you want to join her, you'll make sure you kill these creatures. They don't deserve your sympathy.”
“And what about those kids?” the second deputy argued. “I didn't put on this badge to shoot children.”
“Then I'll do it!” the old man announced, loading his shotgun with wooden bullets. “If they're helping these monsters, they're no better.”
The first deputy nods in agreement, taking out his own weapon.
“There's three of us,” he scoffed. “Stop being a coward. You know what happens to cowards in Mystic Falls?”
“They get to live.”
He turns to the side to see Damon standing here—his face transformed into its monstrous, red-eyed visage. Before the deputy has the chance to aim, Damon sinks his fangs into his neck.
The old man tries to attack, only to be knocked to the ground by the deputy—tossed to the side by Damon as if he was nothing.
The second deputy screams, only to find Damon grabbing him by the throat.
“You're a smart guy,” he taunts. “Keep being smart and tell me how many more of you are on this little hunt.”
“N-not many...” he admitted. “Most of the guys at the station refused to do anything after they sent us to the Sheriff's house. She actually shot at us.”
Damon smirks. Looks like Liz could handle herself—he would be sure to thank her later.
“Here's what you're going to do...”
But before Damon has the chance to finish, he's shot in the back. The council member had recovered quicker than expected, and and retrieved his shotgun.
Damon falls to the ground, wincing in pain.
“That won't kill it,” the council member explained. “Only slow it down. You'll need to drive a stake through its heart. That's the only way to kill it.”
“And what about you?”
Both of them turn to see Jeremy Gilbert standing on a rock, pointing a crossbow directly at the council member's heart.
“I figure a steak through the heart would kill a human just as easily as a vampire, right?” he warned him. “Now, unless you wanna test that theory, back away—slowly!”
“I told you to get out of here!” Damon groaned from the ground.
“You don't get to tell me what to do!” Jeremy argued. “Your welcome, by the way.”
“Don't be foolish, son,” the council member says, trying to calm him down. “That creature isn't human. Your father was one of us—he knew...”
“Shut up!” Jeremy spat. “I knew my dad better than anyone. He never would have signed up for this. He would have been able to tell the good guys from the bad.”
Damon looked up in surprise. Jeremy, of all people, was defending him?
“Shoot him!” the old man ordered the still-standing deputy. “The child is obviously beyond reasoning!”
The deputy looked between the two of them.
“All we're doing is trying to leave,” Jeremy insisted. “You're the ones trying to kill us!”
“SHOOT HIM!”
The deputy simply threw his gun to the ground in protest.
“I didn't sign up for this!” he announced. “Take my badge if you want, but I'm not shooting a kid.”
Realizing he was alone, the council member stood there, frozen.
“You're never going to stop coming after us, are you?” Jeremy realizes. “It's either you, or some vampire, or some ghost—it's never going to end. Not until we make you stop.”
“Jeremy, don't!”
He jumped as the frantic voice appeared out of nowhere. A familiar face shimmered into view.
“This isn't you!” the figure continued to urge him. “You're not a killer.”
“Ric?”
Alaric sighed in relief.
“Finally decided to think about me, huh?” he said. “How you holding up?”
“I'm pointing a crossbow at some old guy,” Jeremy replied. “What do you think?”
“I think you want to keep Elena safe,” Alaric realized. “But you know this isn't the way to do it.”
All three observers look at Jeremy as if he's gone crazy. He was talking to himself, after all.
“You killed people,” Jeremy reminded his late guardian. “You were trying to protect people, weren't you?”
“That wasn't me, Jeremy!” Alaric assured him. “That's what the ring turned me into. It made me a hunter, Jer! It made me a killer!”
Jeremy looks at his own ring. Was that why he was doing this? Was the ring influencing him?
“It did the same thing to your uncle,” Alaric continued. “And your ancestors. But you—you're stronger than this. Don't let it destroy you. Don't let it turn you into a monster!”
“I can't lose her,” Jeremy said, trembling. “Ric, I can't—I've lost everyone. I have to stop them.”
“Then stop them,” Alaric says. “But do it the right way. Be better than them. I know you're scared, you're angry, but—you have to let it go.”
Reluctantly, Jeremy lowered the crossbow.
The council member wasted no time in raising his shotgun.
“NO!”
He fired, at the exact same time Alaric raised his hand towards the weapon. Both of them stared in shock as the wooden bullet shattered into splinters in mid-air.
“Holy--!” Jeremy exclaimed.
Alaric stared at his hand in disbelief.
“Okay...that's new!”
The old man prepares to fire the second round. But before he has the chance, Stefan Salvatore appears from the trees—snatching his weapon away, and throwing him to the ground.
“I wouldn't recommend it!” Stefan snarls, before snapping the shotgun in two.
“Jeremy!”
Elena runs out from the same spot Stefan had been a moment before, hugging Jeremy in relief.
“When I heard the gunshots, I—I thought...” she said, looking at the man on the ground with hatred. “You tried to kill him!”
She takes a step towards the terrified man, fully prepared to take the matter into her own hands. However, as she approached, she noticed the deputy on the ground, with his neck bleeding.
A ravenous feeling swept over Elena. She wanted the blood—she needed it. All thoughts of protecting Jeremy and avenging the attempt on his life vanished, replaced with the all-consuming hunger.
“I wouldn't do that,” Damon groaned, still on the ground in pain. “Sun's out now—just one sip, and you'd be a walking bonfire.”
Seeing him like that snapped Elena out of her trance.
“Damon?” she gasped. “You've been shot.”
“Way to state the obvious, Elena!” he chuckled, wincing at the act. “Could someone give me a hand here?”
Stefan walked over to Damon, checking on him. However, as he approaches, the bullets start to remove themselves from Damon's body automatically. Damon looks at Jeremy, who nods in confirmation.
It was Alaric's ghost. It had to be. Even dead, his best friend was still watching out for him.
Stefan looks over at the deputy on the ground. Despite the wound on his neck, his chest is still moving up and down.
“He's still alive?”
“Yeah,” Damon laughs. “I didn't take enough blood to kill him. Guess you're a bad influence on me, huh Stef?”
The other deputy just watches the scene, paralysed.
“You should get him to a hospital,” Stefan instructed him. “He's hurt and weak from the blood loss, but he should be okay in a few days.”
“I don't understand...” he muttered, confused. “You're just letting us go? I thought...”
“We're on the same side, officer,” Stefan assured him, glaring at the council member. “Despite what certain people would have you believe.”
The last of the wood chips removed, Damon climbs to his feet, turning his attention to the council member. Stefan, however, beats him to the punch. He picks him up off the ground by the collar, pushing him against a tree.
“I could kill you,” Stefan told him. “You shot my brother, tried to shoot my friend—I could kill you, and I would be completely justified. But I won't, and you know why? Because I'm trying to be a nice guy. Mystic Falls is my home—and I have as much right to live here as any of you. I don't want to hurt anyone. As long as I'm here, you can consider the entire town under my protection.”
He lets the shocked council member go, but points an accusatory finger at him.
“But if you ever threaten my family again, I promise you—all bets are off!” Stefan threatened him. “We don't have to be enemies. That choice is entirely up to you.”
With that, Stefan and Damon walked back towards the Gilberts. In seconds, the four of them vanished without a trace.
*****
Later, at the boarding house...
Damon pours himself a glass of blood, still in pain from the bullets. They seriously needed to invest in some kind of body armour. How hard could it possibly be to repel wood, anyway?
Stefan walked into the library, hanging up his phone. He looked relieved about something.
“Don't tell me,” Damon said dramatically. “PETA called off the bounty on your head?”
“That was Mayor Lockwood,” Stefan explained. “Apparently the council members have called a ceasefire. Both her and Caroline's mother have been reinstated on the grounds that they were only fired because some crazy self-hating vampire threatened them.”
“What, so they're perfectly fine with letting two vampire sympathizers on the anti-vampire council?” Damon asked.
“Something about the entire police force refusing to do what they asked.”
Damon chuckled.
“Your little act of mercy there showed that deputy we weren't monsters,” Stefan clarified. “And I'm pretty sure Jeremy's stunt helped, too. He saved your life, you know?”
“What about you?” Damon spoke up, changing the subject. “You were pretty hardcore with Van Helsing back there. Gotta admit—I'm kinda proud. Still got a little ripper in you?”
“What happened with Klaus...” Stefan sighed. “That can't ever happen again. You were right, Damon—I do need to learn to control it.”
“So no more Saint Stefan?” Damon taunted.
“Oh, I didn't say that!” Stefan contradicts him. “When it comes to my friends, innocents, I'm always going to look out for other people, Damon. That's my choice—that is who I am. But if I need to use that other side of me to keep those people safe, I won't hesitate anymore. I'm going to control it instead of letting it control me.”
Damon rolled his eyes.
“Translation: you're more sanctimonious than ever,” he groaned.
“Call it what you want,” Stefan retorted. “But you could have easily killed those men without a second thought. The person you were a year ago certainly would have.”
Damon gave him a cold look.
“Yeah, this time,” he taunted Stefan. “And look where it got me—owing my life to some punk with a crossbow. You know, you're as bad as Elena—always trying to turn me into something I'm not. The truth is, Stefan—I like living on the edge. So you can take your 'control' and do whatever you want—but don't expect me to buy into it.”
Stefan doesn't say a word. He just looks disappointed—more in himself than in Damon.
“I'm curious, though,” Damon added. “If Elena's going to such a big supporter of your school of thinking once she finishes transitioning. Maybe she'll get as annoyed with your judgement as I am.”
Stefan still doesn't say anything. He won't give Damon the satisfaction of getting under his skin.
“You do know what happens to compulsion after you turn, right?” his brother taunted him.
“I never compelled her, Damon,” Stefan assured him. “I would never do that.”
Damon smirks.
“Who said I was talking about you?”
Stefan's eyes narrow.
“When?” he demands. “About what?”
Damon pats him on the shoulder.
“Stefan, Stefan, Stefan...” he teases. “Half the fun's gonna be finding out.”
With that, Damon walks off.
*****
The Gilbert house...
Jeremy walks through the front door, realizing for the first time just how empty it felt. He was the only one left. His parents, Jenna, Alaric—even Elena, in a sense. They had all died, and yet here he was.
“Where's Elena?”
Jeremy looked to see Alaric sitting on the couch.
“With Stefan and Damon,” he explains. “As soon as she completes the transition, she won't be allowed in the house. Once the sun goes down, I'll have to invite her in.”
Alaric nods.
“What are you doing here?” Jeremy asks. “I mean, I thought maybe that was going to be the last time I saw you.”
“Apparently my work on earth isn't done just yet,” Alaric explains. “They've gotten organized on the other side. Set up their own council.”
“What, you mean like a ghost council?” Jeremy laughs. “Who's on it?”
“Bill Forbes, Mason Lockwood, Uncle John...” Alaric explains. “Both your late vampire girlfriends, and my ex-wife. Lexi and Rose. Basically anyone who doesn't want people in your social circle to die.”
“So it isn't over?” Jeremy realized. “All that stuff with the Originals—we're still in danger, aren't we?”
“You won't be fighting alone anymore,” Alaric promised him. “You want to keep Elena safe, Jeremy, then you're going to have to trust me.”
Jeremy shakes his hand.
“Hey, how'd you do that thing with the bullet, anyway?” Jeremy asks. “None of the others ever had that kind of power.”
Alaric shakes his head.
“Honestly—I have absolutely no idea...” he sighs. “None whatsoever.”
“But you're gonna be sticking around?” Jeremy questions him, hopefully.
Alaric smiles.
“As long as you need me to.”
*****
She wasn't ready.
That was the thought that kept racing through Elena's head. She had made her decision, had made peace with the circumstances she now found herself in. Yet, as she stood in Salvatore bathroom bathroom, holding the bag of blood in her hand—the truth of what she was about to do paralysed her.
This was it. If she did this, there would be no turning back. Her life, as she knew it, would be irrecoverably changed.
Elena thought of all the people who in her life who had sacrificed so much to save her from this. Her parents, John, Isobel, Bonnie. Somehow, it felt like she was letting them down. There was nothing she could to to change that now.
“I'm sorry,” she said, before tearing the bag open and drinking down the contents.
Elena coughed. She felt like she should be disgusted by the act, and yet—it tasted good. She wanted more. Panic surged through her as the truth sunk in.
“Oh my god...” she gasped. Then it hit her.
It felt like a bomb had gone off in Elena's head. Every thought, every emotion, every feeling she'd ever had suddenly resurfaced with a vengeance. Like a kaleidoscope of sensations that were assailing her from every direction. The grief of losing her parents, the anger at Klaus for murdering Jenna, the excitement she felt when Stefan dipped her at their first decade dance. Jealousy, longing, pride, envy, joy, fury, compassion, hate, love—all these things tore through her heart at once, each a thousand times more powerful than ever before. Elena felt like she would go mad from the sheer intensity of it.
Then, all of a sudden, every nerve in her body exploded with white-hot pain. Elena screamed, clutching the side of the sink in order to stop herself from collapsing. Her face burned—as did her eyes.
Looking into the mirror, Elena could see why. She stared in horror at her reflection, as black veins spider-webbed around her eyes, even as they filled with blood. Elena screamed again, as she felt her gums begin to tear. She opened her mouth, seeing the razor-sharp fangs slowly growing into place.
As quickly as it came, the pain subsided. The ache in her muscles vanished, replaced by strength—incredible strength that she'd never felt before. She felt strong—powerful. Too powerful. As though she could do whatever she wanted, and nothing could stand in her way.
Elena quickly realized what this feeling meant. It was over.
Staring at her hideous reflection in the mirror once again, Elena started to cry. She fell to her knees, sobbing.
“Elena!”
Elena quickly covered her face as Stefan sped into the bathroom. She didn't want him to see her like this—didn't want him to see the monster she'd become.
“Elena, look at me!” Stefan pleaded. “I know you're scared, but please—just look at me.”
She gathers up the courage to face Stefan. When she does, she notices that his face has transformed as well. He was trying to make her feel comfortable—to see that she wasn't alone.
Stefan placed his hands on her face, gently tracing the dark veins surrounding her eyes with his fingertips.
“There, you see?” he spoke softly “You don't have to hide from me. You don't have to feel ashamed.”
Another memory raced across Elena's mind, with the emotions connected to it enhanced just like everything else. She understood what Stefan was trying to say.
He wasn't disgusted by her. He still loved her, even though she was a monster now. That thought gave her hope. Slowly, she could feed the veins around her eyes receding, as her face returned to normal. Stefan's did the same.
“What have I done?” Elena cried. “Oh god, Stefan—what have I done?”
“Hey, shhh...” he whispered. “It's ok—you're going to be ok.”
My life is brilliant.
Elena shook her head. She would never be ok again.
“Hey!” he spoke. “I love you. Hold on to that.”
Choking back a sob, Elena nodded—letting Stefan hold her.
My life is brilliant.
My love is pure.
I saw an angel.
Of that I'm sure.
*****
The Mystic Grill...
Meredith Fell sat at the bar, staring blankly at Alaric's vacant seat. She hangs her head sadly.
She smiled at me on the subway.
She was with another man.
How could things have gone so wrong? She never wanted to be a part of this world. All she wanted to do was help people. To save lives. But now, because of her, a teenaged girl was going to spend the rest of her life as one of them.
They were wrong. It wasn't Rebekah who had turned Elena Gilbert—it was her. This was all her fault.
“This seat taken?”
All of a sudden, she noticed Damon Salvatore standing there. She shook her head.
“Not anymore,” she admitted.
But I won't lose no sleep on that,
'Cause I've got a plan.
Damon sat down, his own drink in hand. Both of them stared at their glasses blankly.
“I got my job back, you know?” Meredith tells him. “Apparently the council didn't have a case against me. You know—due to lack of evidence.”
“Not surprised,” Damon shrugged. “You know—since the health board doesn't acknowledge the existence of magic healing blood.”
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful, it's true.
She didn't deserve it, though—she knew she didn't deserve her licence after what she'd done. This certainly fell under the category of 'doing harm'.
“Whatever you came here to say, just go ahead and say it, Damon!” Meredith sighed. “Whatever it is, I probably deserve it.”
“Yeah, you do!”
Damon looked Meredith directly in the eyes.
“Thank you,” he said, sincerely.
I saw your face
in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
Meredith stared at him in shock.
“If you hadn't done what you did, Elena would be dead,” he admits. “So—thank you. Thank you for saving her.”
'Cause Ill never be with you.
Damon turns back to his drink, leaving a shocked Meredith staring at him.
“Your welcome.”
*****
Mystic Falls hospital, nighttime...
Matt lies in his hospital bed, feeling frustrated. It's already been an entire day, but no one will tell him what's happened. He wanted to know if Elena was ok. He felt useless being stuck in here, unable to do anything. unfortunately, they insisted on keeping him overnight for observation.
Yes, she caught my eye,
As I walked on by.
All of a sudden, Matt felt something enter the room—like a gust of wind. The window was closed, though, so he knew it was impossible.
“Hello?” he calls out. “Is someone there?”
“How are you feeling?”
Matt nearly jumped out of his skin. There, standing against the far wall, was Elena.
“Elena?” he asked. “I didn't hear you come him. Guess I really must be out of it.”
Elena looks at him, but doesn't make any movements closer.
She could see from my face that I was,
Flying high,
“Listen, I...” he tried to say. “I'm sorry about the whole kidnapping thing. I just wanted to get you out of this town.”
“It's ok...”
“No, it's not ok!” Matt argued. “Elena, we almost died. That kind of puts things in perspective.”
He sighs, looking at her.
“I just need to know you forgive me.”
And I don't think that I'll
see her again,
But we shared a moment
that will last till the end.
“Of course I do,” Elena replies, giving Matt a sad smile. “You're my friend, Matt. And friends are supposed to forgive each other, no matter what.”
“I just don't know what I'd do if anything ever happened to you,” he told her. “Good thing Stefan was there. I heard he pulled us out of the truck. Just like before?”
Elena nods.
“Guess I should try being nicer, huh?” he laughs. “I don't think I'll ever understand you two, but—he's a good guy, I guess.”
“The best.” Elena says in agreement.
“He'd have to be, to have someone like you in love with him,” Matt scoffed. “Doctor Fell—she said you're the reason I'm alive right now. She said you made him save me first.”
Elena nods.
“Elena—I owe you my life,” he tells her.
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful it's true
Elena takes a step closer to the bed, smiling at him. Matt swore he could see tears in her eyes.
“Just make sure it's a good one,” she says. “Can you promise me that?”
“Yeah, sure,” Matt agrees.
Elena closes her eyes.
“It was worth it,” she whispered. “You have a second chance, Matt. I don't want you to waste it. Can you do that for me?”
“You're talking like we'll never see each other again,” Matt remarks, sounding a little worried.
Elena smiles at him, reassuringly.
“I'll be around...”
I saw your face
in a crowded place,
And I don't know what to do,
Suddenly, the door to Matt's room opens, letting a nurse walk in.
“Sorry, Mr. Donovan,” she says. “Lights out.”
“Look, I can explain...” Matt studders.
“Explain what?”
Matt turns towards the wall again, yet Elena is nowhere in sight.
“Nevermind...” he sighs. “I—guess I must have been dreaming.”
'Cause I'll never be with you.
*****
While Matt struggles with his confusion, he would be surprised to know that Elena was in the hallway at the moment, right outside the door. Her super-hearing having picked up his words with ease.
“Pleasant dreams,” she whispers, before walking down the hallway.
You're beautiful.
You're beautiful.
She walked towards the morgue, making sure to hold her breath—not wanting to risk any accidents. She didn't want to draw any attention to herself.
You're beautiful,
it's true.
Passing through the morgue, Elena exits onto the stairwell, making her way up to the roof. Once there, she looks out at the night sky.
There must be an angel,
with a smile on her face,
When she thought that I should be with you.
Taking a deep breath, she runs—launching herself off the roof of the building. Miraculously, she lands safely on the ground. A feeling of exhilaration flowing through her.
“Wow!” she whispers, an awed smile on her face.
But it's time to face the truth,
I will never be with you.