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We were cornered; no where to go, and with Stefan was still unconscious it looked like none of us were going to get out of here alive. Right now it was all a matter of who made the first move and I had a feeling that it wasn't going to be me. Maybe it wasn't going to be Riley either. Maybe he wanted the joy of watching us grovel on our feet for forgiveness. But what had we done to make him so mad? Was it only just because I looked like her? Like Katherine? That seemed to be the problem of the century. Not only was she going to get me killed but she was going to get me killed also.
"I'm genuinely surprised you two love birds don't remember."
My head snapped up as Riley spoke and beside me Damon's hand clutched into a fist, like he wanted to claw Riley's un-beating heart out of his chest.
Something inside me shifted; lurched. Instead of only feeling fear for this terrible monster I had once trusted I only felt rage. It was so strong it almost knocked me off my feet. I wasn't accustomed to feeling such hatred for one person, not even Katherine. And I had the most rights in the world to hate that women.
"What are you talking about? Enough with the bullshit! If you're going to kill us then do it already…You're just like your pathetic sister. Never had the guts to kill us." I was slowly inching my way from behind Damon's protection but he only watched with a fascinated type horror, mouth open wide.
Riley's smirk was know a full blown grin, like his ego only fed off other peoples rage and hate for him. "I am nothing like my sister." It wasn't a growl nor was it a regular speaking voice. This was something huge, something powerful.
I managed a laugh even though Damon was struggling to put my under his protection again. "That's the funny thing. I have spent this whole year pretending that I am nothing like Katherine. And while people automatically believed that…I never really did. I fell in love with both Salvatore brothers, just like she did. I know I am going to have to hurt one of them," I looked at Stefan. He appeared so desperate and broken lying on the floor like that. I felt a soft pang in my heart. "Just like she did. So the more you try to pretend that you are nothing like her…the more you become like her. I am living proof of that. Katherine's blood runs in you're veins." I didn't know how I got there but I was suddenly right in front of Riley. He was breathing too hard. "So until you are dead you are everything like her." I wasn't really talking about Riley anymore and Damon could tell that. I was talking about me and how I was more like her than I could ever know. It scared me.
"She doesn't care about me! It was always about killing you! And guess who fell through the cracks? I finally realized that she cares nothing for me. She would have let me die in exchange for your life. It was always you. So I decided that I would see what was so special about you."
"It was you," I gasped "It was you in the woods that night, watching me."
"Well, yes. But the things you were doing with Damon were not for the eyes of the birds."
I didn't enough room in my body to feel embarrassed. I was too filled up on running adrenaline and the horrible realization that I should have noticed before.
"That was what I finally knew what my sister wanted with you. So really I am here as a favor. She gets you and I get the respect from her that I never had gotten before." He said it with such confidence that I almost thought it was Damon speaking.
"Why not just lure me in by myself?" I demanded "Why not just leave Stefan and Damon out of this?"
Riley waved a hand and put his weight on his left leg, almost like he was having a normal conversation. Good. That is was I wanted. For him to relax until it was time for Damon to attack. All part of my master plan. After all, I wasn't some petty human.
"Leverage. And if Stefan and Damon knew that I had kidnapped you they would have come running to you're aid. Just like they always do." They was a note of self pity for a while. "That's what I envy about you."
For a moment I could just stare at him, not believing what my ears were receiving. Why should he envy me. He was beautiful, strong, smart. Smart enough to get me trapped in here. Sounds like he was winning the game here so why would he possible have the energy to be jealous?
"Everybody loves you. Stefan, Damon, brother, aunt, friends. I. Have. Nobody." A slow smile crept up to his lips "And pretty soon you won't either. They'll all be dead."
I wasn't really aware of what happened in the next couple of seconds. My head was still spinning from all the information that I had just received. There was a time when all I wanted was love, affection. It was right after my parents died. I felt that there was nothing in the world left for me to live for. It was a horribly desperate feeling, nothing I would like to look forward to or wish upon anybody.
The only thing I was aware of was my being thrown against a wall and a torch falling near me. Stefan was beside me. How could he have not woken up by now? In all this commotion he should have woken up by now. I glanced over to Damon and Riley, or at least there blurring figures. They were still thankfully occupied.
I took the stake hidden in my back pocket and dragged it across the inside of my wrist. I gritted my teeth at the sharp pain. I remember the first time that I had given Stefan my blood. I thought I was doing him a solid and I really just royally screwed up everything. He became addicted. Now I just had to hold my breath and hope that it didn't happen like that again.
When I pressed my blood to his mouth I didn't get a response at first. Then his eyelashes fluttered and he brought his hands to my wrist, pulling my closer. I felt everything. The fangs, the blood leaving my body and just when I was about to pass out he pulled away. His eyes were dilated, like he had spent too much time in the dark, but he looked stronger none the less. I hoped it was enough. Know I just had to send him out there like a solider to the war.
"I can't explain this all now but I need you to go out there and kill Riley. Use this." I pressed the stake into his outstretched palm. "Be careful, please." I was not going to loose him if I had the choice.
Stefan didn't have to be told twice. He launched himself toward the other two spitting and fighting vampires while I pressed my already blood spotted coat onto my wrist. I was forced to watch as the blurred figures tore and clawed at each other. It was amazing really, but I would have felt better knowing that Riley wasn't going to make it out of here alive.
I sat there for another minute, crouching in the corner, until a flickering light caught the corner of my eye. It was the torch. I looked at the vampires and then back to the fire. What were the possibilities of hitting Riley anyway? I couldn't even tell who was who right now. It was all a black blur to me. But I still crawled over to it and grabbed it with my tired, aching fingers. As I sat back down and watched the brilliant flame I noticed something. My thighs and butt ached. I was about to shot up and inspect myself when I realized that I had done this while trying to get out of the car. At least the bleeding had stopped. My jeans were ruined though.
Wait, that reminded me…I had a stake hidden in my sock. But what would that do? Even if I did have a stake and a torch I was still a human. A human that couldn't do anything to save her life, that is. But a couple of years ago I wouldn't have thought that. I probably would have distracted Riley with the torch or something horribly idiotic like that and then when he was distracted I would have had either Damon or Stefan stake him in the heart, or maybe I could have done it. I had killed a vampire once before. What was wrong with me? Have I lost all self confidence.
So with all the available breath in my lungs, I screamed, "Stop!" And everything did stop.
The snarling stopped, the inhuman running stopped. Everything just stopped and they all stared at me like I has set off the first Atomic Bomb. But I only focused on the fact that Riley stopped, and that was the stupidest thing he could have ever done.
With my left arm I threw the torch and with my right arm I chucked the stake at him. I knew that he was going to catch both of them and he did, but what he didn't realize was that I had planned it all to happen this way. As soon as he caught both objects, I glanced at Stefan, who winked at me. Then, with a blur, he was behind Riley. The stake went through his back, piercing his heart. Just like I had planned.
With a couple of gasping and coughing sounds, Riley dropped to the ground, the ugly grey veins appearing in his face and down his neck. It all happened in what seemed like five seconds.
It was all over as soon as it was started. I let out a breath I had probably been holding ever since I had dropped out of that damn car.
The fact that I had just helped murder a vampire didn't really register until I heard Damon take a shuddering breath, but when I did I took both of them in my arms and just cried like the little warrior I am.
I knew things were not how they were supposed to be, I loved Damon and not Stefan, Katherine was still after me and I'm pretty sure that some other crappy thing was going to happen to me in the next four hours, but I still felt happy, content. I had both brothers back and I knew that I was going to get a long night of sleep…As soon as I broke the news to Stefan. This would be fun.
VDVDVD
"I know what you're going to say. That is one of the many things about you- you're face is too easy to read."
Okay, so what if it was. I was expecting to build up the suspense and not have him know the words before I even said them.
Damon was up in his room, probably listening even though I told him not to, waiting for me just to rip the band-aid off and get this over with.
"You don't seem to surprised." I said quietly.
Stefan laughed and shifted on his bed. I had to remind myself that I had spent almost every night on this bed when I was with him. "You and Damon have always felt something for each other, it just took you awhile to realize everything."
"So what you are trying to say is that you left knowing that Damon and I were going to…" I let him think of the possibilities that I was sure he could conclude.
"Sleep with each other." He finished my own sentence with a noticeable grimace.
"Well, I wasn't really going to suggest that. You sure made this really easy though. Why? I don't really deserve for you to be so, I don't know, okay with this."
"Elena," He sighed "I am anything but okay with this. Horrified, yes, but I guess I'm just relieved that you're alive and happy. That's all I want for you."
I wasn't prepared to cry tonight but I felt the familiar sting of salt behind my eyes. "I really did love you. I wasn't just using you to get to Damon like you probably are thinking." I wiped at my eyes with the back of my hand.
"I know you weren't, Elena. Something's are better left unsaid."
I nodded. I knew this part of my speech was going to get me burned some time.
"But I'm glad you did."
I looked up, hopeful. I felt a load of weight lift off my shoulders. He didn't hate me!
I felt Stefan lean in and press a kiss to my forehead. I couldn't help inhale. His smell reminded me of all the good times we had. The first time we met, the first kiss, when I found out his deepest secret, our rough times, the first night we spent together. Everything, I remembered all of it.
"You better go." He said as he pulled away "I can hear Damon waiting for you upstairs."
I watched as he lifted himself up from the bed and walked out of his door. "Wait!" I called after him "Where are you going."
Stefan's head came from behind the door "Hunting. I wanted to leave you and Damon alone while you… Never mind. Bye 'Lena"
"Bye." I whispered, but he was already gone.
I knew what he was going to say even if I never really heard it. He didn't want to be here when me and Damon had a little reunion party…in his bed. Nobody wanted to be here when things like that happened.
Know there was nothing to do except go back up to Damon, and that is exactly what I did. I found Damon right where I had left him, sprawled out across his-our bed.
"Did you listen?" I asked as I lay down next to him.
All he did was shake his head. "Is it bad that I should feel pity for him? That I should feel bad? I was the one that took you away for him."
"It's not bad to feel human, Damon. For the most part he seemed not to bothered by it."
"Then he was lying. You don't even know how much he have loved you. He loved you more than I loved Katherine. Except that she never loved me."
I sighed and flipped over onto my stomach, watching as the sun slowly went down in the sky. "So does this mean that we are doomed to repeat the past?"
I felt Damon grab me around the waist and pull me to his chest. I felt a tad bit better now.
"You saved us today. I'm just trying to think of ways to repay you." A smirk was delicately placed on his face.
"Your avoiding the question." But all the same I couldn't help but smile.
"Ugg, Elena. If I answer your question then can you let it drop? I don't know if you realized this but I am a very impatient person."
I smiled again. "Just answer the question, please."
"Alright, if I said that we weren't repeating the past then I would be lying because what we are doing right now is exactly what we shouldn't be doing."
Laughing, I rolled until I was lying on his chest. "Then why do you keep coming back for me?"
Damon chuckled "May I remind you that you were the one who saved me today, and may I be the one to say that I am forever grateful.""I'm sure you are." I whispered as I pressed my lips against his, seeking comfort and fire all in one.
Hopefully tonight would be the best night of my life. I just had to count on Damon to do the rest.
And hopefully here I would stay for the rest of my life.
Just like I wished and hoped for.
I realized in this instance that I was going to be okay.
THE END…
Alright, I have been working on this story for a loooong time now and I realized that this should probably be my last chapter. Don't hate me too much. But I do have another story called "Sacrificed" and I am only on the second chapter.
I love you all sooooo much!
Love, Eden…
P.S. Do you guys think I should do a sequel story? One that would contain more of Katherine? Tell me what you guys think!