What lies Beneath

"Miss Gilbert?" Pearl asked Elena as the latter sat in the kitchen, feeling that everything was just a losing battle.

"Please, call me Elena," she smiled gently. "Is there anything you need?"

"Actually, I thought I might help you," Pearl mumbled thoughtfully, looking at Elena with a concerned expression. "I'm worried about Damon's health. I have never seen him like this in my life."

"What are you talking about, Pearl? How can you help?"

Pearl took Elena's hand and led her to the bathroom. Turning on the faucet, she whispered, "Damon cannot know about this, Miss Elena. I beg you to keep this between us."

"What are you saying, Pearl?" Elena asked, confused.

"When I was your age, I practiced witchcraft," She explained with a soft whisper. "I know what you're going to do, Elena. I know that you're going to see Sheila Bennett."

"How do you know that?" Elena asked in a mere whisper.

"I wasn't sure, but now I am," Pearl said. "I would've done the same thing if it was for the man I love."

"That's the thing," Elena explained, "I'm scared. I'm scared to tell him that I feel something for him, Pearl. I'm nothing, I'm just a girl…He, he is strong and charming…" emotion clogged her throat as she spoke. "When I first told a man that I loved them and I wasn't ready…It just didn't end well," She said quietly. "I'm scared to admit that I have feelings for him."

"I understand," Pearl said, "I understand that you're afraid. But Damon would never do anything to hurt you." She sighed. "Listen to me, Elena. When I was younger I practiced magic. I wouldn't call myself a witch, but I know of Sheila Bennett. I think I can contact her."

"You can? How?"

"You need to be sure, Elena," Pearl warned, "But if you are willing to go to the Other Side I can contact Sheila."

"I'm sure, Pearl," Elena nodded. "This is the only way, and I'm going to take it."

"There may be risks, child. I can't guarantee everything will be smooth sailing."

"I understand that." Elena explained. "But I need to do this for him... for us."

"Very well, then." The slightest trace of a smile appeared across the woman's features.

Elena looked at the weak and tired form of Damon. His forehead was glistening with perspiration, and she could tell that if she didn't do anything soon she was going to lose him. When she went to kiss him, he barely had the strength to touch her face. It broke her heart to see him like this, in and out of a pain filled state. He didn't deserve to go through this. Not after how far he's come.

Pain taking over his features he struggled to show Elena he was conscious. Before she left he cupped her face and looked deep in her eyes with his own giving her an almost knowing look. Of what, she wasn't sure but she fell even harder for him in that moment. She kissed his cheek, whispered in his ear that he'd be fine and walked out of the room.

"The process is quite short," Pearl said. "But I need you to be sure. You'll be going to the other side, therefore you must die…Not a normal death, of course. I'll bring you back, I will be just sending your soul to the other side. Think of 'drowning', for instance. You must have heard of stories when people are resurrected. Think of those few moments of 'death' as a way to get to the Other Side."

Elena shuddered. "So I must be 'out' for a few moments?"

Pearl nodded. "I know it's hard, Elena. But it's the only way to get to the Other Side. I can bring you back, as I'll be sending your soul. But there are risks…you can hemorrhage, and you have to be brought back in five minutes."

Elena took a deep breath. "Damon cannot know about this," Elena said with a frightened expression. "He'll try to stop me, and I can't have that."

"Miss, I need you to be sure.'

"I'll be okay," Elena said, her heart beating fast in her chest. "Damon's asleep, again. He wouldn't know. And when I return, everything will be fine. I'll find a cure. There won't be any problems…"

She took out one of the biggest knives she found in Damon's kitchen, and with trembling fingers she grabbed it. Her heart was about to explode now as she looked at the weapon. "Please…explain the process."

"You'll slowly start to lose consciousness," Pearl said gently. "I'll put my hands on your stomach, and I'll make sure you don't lose too much blood. I'll then send your soul to the Other Side with a spell."

Elena nodded. "I'm ready for this, Pearl. I want to do it."

But as she was about to raise the knife, Damon's voice broke her out of it. The knife instantly flew from her hand and into his.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" He gasped in horror.

Elena attempted to approach him, but he took a few steps back, shaking his head as if he wasn't believing any of it. "Are you out of your mind?"

"I can't let you die, Damon!"Elena screamed, "I can talk to Sheila!"

But Damon wasn't paying attention. "Why are you helping her, Pearl? Why is everyone keen on saving me when I don't' want to be saved?"

"Because you deserve to be saved!" Elena screamed, "Damon, I'm going to do this either way. Please don't try to stop me!"

"No. I won't let you," Damon gripped the knife tighter, but Elena knew it-She would do anything to save this man. So very swiftly, she moved towards the kitchen table and dug the knife in her stomach.

"No!" Damon yelled, hearing Elena's scream of pain and Elena's body full of blood.

Her body dropped to the floor like a brick hitting the ground. Time slowed him and Pearl both equally shocked at the sight. However, Pearl was first on the scene to initiate anything.

"Damon, move!"

"I am not moving!" He crouched next to Elena, tears welling up in his eyes at the sight of her before being replaced by anger as they focused on the other woman in the room. "What the hell have you done?!"

"Damon you have to trust me." She tried to sooth the man she knew trusted nobody. She was basically talking for nothing. "Elena and I had a plan. You can't ruin it, Damon. If she dies it'll be for nothing if you don't let me..."

"If she dies?" He roared. "What the fuck do you mean 'if she dies' Pearl? Fucking do something."

"Elena and I are contacting Shiela, Damon."

"That fucking bitch has ruined everything."

"You have to shut up Damon." Pearl insisted. "I don't have much time, even less with the time you've made me waste."

"Well go on, go on now! Use your fucking 'apparent' ju ju to contact a dead person and heal Elena! Make her alive and well!"

Pearl ignored him, looking at Elena, who had a tear of pain coming out of her eye. She was so cold, and for a moment Pearl thought that something went wrong. She put her hands on Elena's stomach and started to chant-Earning a surprised glance from Damon, who didn't know that Pearl practiced magic.

"Come on, Elena," Pearl begged, chanting louder.

Everything was white and bright.

Elena looked around, confused-She didn't feel like herself at all. In fact, she couldn't feel her arms or legs; even though she was walking towards a dark-haired person. She inspected the surroundings, trying hard to figure out where she was.

"Sheila? Sheila Bennett?" Elena asked.

"Yes." The woman replied, her black curly hair hanging past her shoulder. "And you are Elena Gilbert."

"Then you know why I'm here," Elena said, pleading. "I don't have much time. Please, save Damon. You can't let him die!"

"I left him a note in the journal," Sheila said. "That note was my final decision. He'll either kill you or he'll die himself."

"Why are you doing this to him? Please, Sheila, help him!"
"Because Damon's a bad man, Elena…"

"But he's changed! Please, save him!"

"He deserves to die."

"But…I love him," Elena cried. "I love him very much. He saved my life. I'm just afraid that he doesn't love me back."

"There is nothing I can do, Elena. The spell is sealed, and that is my final decision." Elena didn't notice the witch's blank face slowly turn into a smile at her confession. That was all she needed.

And before Elena could speak again, she felt herself being pulled into the white light.

"Elena? Elena, can you hear me?" Damon's voice, full of concern, brought her back to consciousness.

Elena opened her mouth to speak, but she quickly started to feel agonizing pain in her entire body.

"Elena!" Damon panicked, seeing all the blood, "Don't leave me! Stupid girl, why did you do it?" He said, letting his tears fall on her cheek, and before he could even let Pearl help, he tore into his wrist and pushed it into her mouth. "Drink, Elena. I won't lose you. You'll be okay."

And Elena drank greedily, his blood healing her almost instantly. The wound was healed now, and all there was left was the bloody stain on her white t-shirt.

"She didn't h-help…" She muttered before she lost consciousness in Damon's arms.

When Elena woke up, she found herself on Damon's bed. He was sitting on the armchair, but sped to her direction when he saw that she was awake. He looked tired; and at his sight Elena started to sob.

"I'm sorry…" She said, "This is all my fault…"

"Shh, Elena you're okay," Damon held her closer to his chest. "You're okay. You're safe. This is not your fault…"

"I tried, Damon…I tried…."

"You shouldn't have!" He cupped her face gently. "You could've died, Elena! You could've died!"

"I don't care!" She sobbed in his chest. "I'm so sorry, Damon. I'm sorry I couldn't help you."

"I've lived long enough," Damon said. "This is my fate. You'll be okay, Elena. You can go back to your home, and you can have this house to do with as you please. Everything here is yours, Elena. And the room I loved…the room where the rose is…"

"Damon, stop! You're not going to die!"

"That room," Damon said, ignoring her, "Holds every memory that was worth holding on to. But that rose is the only thing alive, the only thing colourful there. Because the others are just memories, dark just like my soul…"

"You're not a bad person, Damon," Elena said, "If you were bad…you would've left me there to die."

"I've done terrible things in my life…"

"But you changed, Damon, you changed!"

"All I ask of you is that you'll forgive me. And that you'll stay with me till the end. I want to die in peace, holding you in my arms."

Elena sobbed in his chest, hugging him closer to her body.

"Shh, don't cry…" Damon said, "I'm not worth your tears. I don't deserve you." He stroked her hair rhythmically and placed a kiss on her head. "You'll be okay."

"That's the house of the beast!" Klaus screamed, "There it is! We have to pass through that forest, and we can finally put an end to him! I'm getting Elena back…" They finally, after what seem like forever, located the house. Although it was weird that had trouble finding it in the first place. It was huge.

"The beast will burn in hell!" The men screamed altogether. "He'll pay for what he did!"

I don't even know where to begin to apologize for my long absence. I would say ours, but Amy had half of this chapter wrote and I kept putting it off and off and off. I had 2 trips, graduation, exams, and I kind of just lost my muse for writing (fanfiction as a whole) really. But I'm back, and I hope this doesn't stop any of you from reading this here on out.

As you can tell, we're nearing the 'normal end of the fairy tale' so there's only 2 or 3 chapters left in my opinion. All depends what me and Amy are able to muster up.

Thanks for having patience with me, and check out Amy's new story!

xoxo