The End Of Forever

Chapter 39

Elena could feel herself waking up peacefully for the first time in what felt like forever. She didn't feel sick and she didn't feel like she was in danger. She smiled softly to herself without opening her eyes and rolled over in the direction she knew Damon would be resting. It was unlike him to not have himself wrapped around her like a vine while they were sleeping and she wondered if he had left the bed.

She was shocked when gravity seemed to take a hold of her as her shoulder bumped into something hard and she was met with a hardwood floor to the face.

"Ow!" She said, her eyes popping open to see the unfamiliar floor below her. She hadn't been sleeping in bed at all, she'd been sleeping on a couch. A couch she didn't recognize.

"You have GOT to be kidding me." She muttered as she shifted her body in between the couch and the coffee table so that she was laying on her back against the cool hardwood floor. She stared up at the ceiling for a moment, tired even though she'd just woken up.

I really should have just body-hopped before going to sleep last night, she thought to herself, letting out a frustrated huff.

Using her elbows, Elena managed to push herself up off the floor and lean against the couch so that she was able to see the room from a better view. There weren't any lights on, but the huge bay windows let in plenty of moonlight so she could see a good portion of the room she was in.

A fireplace adorned the wall in front of her, with tiny framed pictures and small knick-knacks spread across the mantle. Even though the fire wasn't lit, the sight of it gave the room a warm and cozy feeling. Directly above said fireplace, was a massive mirror that went all the way up to the ceiling, framed by beautifully carved hardwood. In the corner of the room was an old television with a vcr hookup below and to her left was a loveseat, a pretty crochet blanket spread across it as if someone had just been relaxing there. The coffee table in front of her had a thick glass top, with only a square box of tissues resting upon it.

Glad that she hadn't landed ON the glass coffee table in front of her, she was careful when she used it to brace herself and stand.

Only to realize that the hands she'd pressed on the table were very tan.

Her USUAL tan.

Elena gasped in surprise and excitement as she lifted herself off of the floor and rushed over to the mirror above the fireplace to take a look at herself.

It was HER… she was back to normal. Finally!

She spun around to look at the room again in confusion.

But if she was her, then why was she in another place again?

The last thing she remembered was that Katherine said she'd put her in the wardrobe of Damon's bedroom so that Kai wouldn't be able to find her body. Could Katherine possibly have had enough time, as a human, to take her somewhere else?

Elena didn't think so, but Katherine was known for doing the impossible so it wasn't completely out of the question.

"Hello?" She said out loud, against her better judgement.

At the silence surrounding her, she grew frustrated. It would be another hunt for the phone again, she supposed. At least this time she was alone and not dying, her vision was clear so she would be able to find one easily. She shrugged, and couldn't help herself as she looked over her shoulder into the mirror again. It was so good to see her own face staring back at her.

A picture on the mantle caught her attention. It was of the OTHER Elena, smiling and happy. She shuffled closer and gently picked up the picture, cradling it with both of her hands to get a better look. The girl was clearly so much more healthy than she had been when Elena was in her body and she was so sad thinking about what the girl had gone through after her parents died. Once she got home she would have to talk to Mer and Connie and see if there was anything they could figure out regarding the other Elena's life. .

The thought hadn't crossed her mind until now, but they had left Bonnie and Jeremy at the hospital with the two as their only ride. She wondered what had happened to them and how Jeremy and Bonnie managed to get back to the boarding house without them.

She sighed sadly, putting the picture back onto the mantle.

At least she knew where she was now. Back at Elena's house. Her brow furrowed, wondering where Aunt Judith and Margaret were. And the elusive Robert that she had heard about.

Maybe they were heavy sleepers?

No, that didn't make any sense. Aunt Judith and Margaret hadn't had any problem coming to her aid the last time that she woke up in the house and needed help.

Elena shook her head. She was really going to have to stop thinking of that woman as her OWN Aunt. She was just Judith, a woman she'd met SORT of twice. They were not related. Neither she or Margaret were any relation to her.

Maybe there were some lingering feelings that she'd taken from being in the other Elena's body, but she couldn't help but feel connected to the two.

She closed her eyes for a minute and lifted her hands up to rub her temples.

Everything was just so complicated.

Taking a deep breath to center herself, she gave herself a good shake.

She'd deal with it later.

Putting things off until later was quickly becoming her motto and she didn't like it, but it would have to do for now.

Opening her eyes, and was ready to search the house for a phone when another picture, at the very edge of the mantle, caught her attention.

Her own father was standing next to a tall beautiful blond, his arm around around her slim waist, both smiling at each other. The woman was holding an infant, Margaret, Elena guessed… while the other Elena stood under his arm and smiled dazzlingly at the camera.

This time, Elena wasn't gentle as she snatched the framed picture up in her hands. It wasn't the first time that she'd been shocked to see her father in a random picture, her dearly departed college roommate Megan had one too, but this was the first time where it looked like he had a whole other family. She'd known that he'd had a secret life, but was it really possible for him to have had an entire family on the side? She just couldn't believe it.

She tried to think back on all the times he'd been working and he had never been gone long enough to keep up THAT kind of second life.

She shook her head. No… it just wasn't possible.

Elena tried to do the math in her head. Mystic Falls was close to Fells Church. From far end to far end, it would take about a total of 20 minutes to go back and forth. She wasn't sure exactly where the other Elena lived WITHIN Fells Church, but even so… it wouldn't take that long for a quick visit. Her mother had always been busy with town events, and she herself had been quite the social butterfly back when her parents were alive. She'd almost never been home. God only knows WHAT Jeremy had been up to back then. Was it possible that her dad had been able to sneak away and raise an entire second family?

She wanted to think that maybe Grayson was just friends with the family, but the look he shared with the blond was much too intimate for friends.

Elena knew, because in pictures… that's always the way that Damon looked at her.

Her hands shook as she held the picture in her clenched fingers and she let out a tiny laugh.

She didn't even have any family left that could answer any of her questions...

"I'm sorry, I swear I will explain all of this but there isn't time right now." A voice said from behind her.

Elena spun around in fright, the picture dropping from her hand and shattering on the floor. The other Elena stood in front of her, practically glowing in her white nightgown, look of terror on her face.

But that's not what drew Elena's attention.

The room that had previously been so nice and homely was now doused in blood. It was splattered on the walls and stained the couches.

She looked down and realized that she was standing in a puddle of it, the stains quickly being absorbed into her converse sneakers.

"What-" Elena gasped.

"There is NO time. I'm sorry that I must ask this of you Elena but you MUST wake up. You have to go, please save her." The blonde Elena practically shouted, floating toward her and grabbing her arms forcefully. "She's in SO much danger!"

Elena shook her head. "I- I don't know what you're talking about."

How was this happening?

The other Elena's face started to MELT and bones started to show through as Elena tried frantically to push her away and get out of her steely grip. "Get OFF of me." She shouted, struggling frantically.

The skeleton in front of her opened its mouth, maggots and worms pouring out of it… and even though there was no visible tongue, it was SCREAMING.

"WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE UP! WAKE - "

Sorry it's a short one!

Hope you're all enjoying.