The room, once filled with light was now cast in as much darkness as possible with only a solitary lamp emitting light.

I sat with my hands intertwined with Damon's, on the window seat. Slowly, I look towards Stefan, he hadn't moved since we arrived. His eyes never left her face. Her, the one we were all here for; Elena Gilbert. The in-transition vampire.

We'd been here for a good few hours now, waiting for her to wake, to find out that she's no longer human. I will be here for her, Damon squeezed my hand. We all will be here for her.

The silence that had taken over the room was broken by a deep gasp for air from Elena. My head snapped up to look at her, mirroring Stefan and Damon.

She attempted to sit up as her lungs filled with air. Blinking a few times she finally noticed Stefan.

"Stefan?" she gasped.

"Hey." He said gently to her. "I'm right here." She continued to take deep breaths. "You've been in and out for hours."

"Wh…What happened?"

"You were in an accident." Realisation dawned on her face,

"Oh my God. Matt? Is he..."

"Alive?" Damon finished for her. She snapped her head around to look at us. I waved slightly. "Ask Stefan." He said, anger radiating off him. "The Hero." He all but spat.

Her eyes pleaded with Stefan who took her hand.

"He's fine." Stefan replied. She sighed, relieved.

"Thank You. I thought that I wa…was…how did you?" Elena was confused.

"Save you? He didn't." Damon deadpanned.

She frowned at Stefan and then looked to me for an answer. I got up and sat on the other side of her.

"When Jeremy brought you to the hospital, before all this happened, your injuries were worse than anyone knew." Her eyes widened, "Meredith Fell made a choice, she used Damon's blood to heal you." I told her.

"And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road you had vampire blood in your system." I scowled at Damon for the interruption.

"Elena." I said softly to the girl, regaining her attention.

"Oh my God." She breathed out snatching her hand away from Stefan, "Does that mean that I'm a…" She couldn't get the word out. "AM I DEAD?" She shouted at us, mainly Stefan.

Stefan looked away as did Damon. She stared directly at me.

"No. no, no, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!" She pleaded with me but all I could do was hold her hand.

"Maybe it doesn't have to." Stefan captured her hand again. "I talked to Bonnie. She says she's stronger than ever. There may be something she can do to help you."

"No. The only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition." Damon said darkly.

"We have all day before she has to feed Damon!" Stefan argued with his brother. "That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this."

"There is NO WAY OUT OF IT." Damon argued back. "We all know the drill, you feed or you DIE." I scowled at Damon. "There is no door number 3." He glared at me.

"I was ready to die!" Elena sobbed to me. I gathered her into my arms and she sobbed into me. "I was supposed to die…I…I don't wanna be…I can't be a vampire." She looked up at me with tear filled eyes. "If there's something Bonnie can do, we have to try." I nodded in understanding.

"We will. I'll try everything." Stefan assured her. Damon sighed in the background.

"It's your choice Elena." He said... "As always." I raised my eyebrows at him before he left the room.

"I'll be right back." I told Elena before following Damon downstairs.

Once in the kitchen I saw him leaning against a counter nursing a glass of bourbon.

"What the hell is wrong with you?" I whisper-shouted. He simply looked at me and shrugged before swallowing his bourbon and turning to refill his glass. "Don't you dare ignore me Damon!" I said as I snatched the glass from him and scowling.

He turned to leave but I flashed in front of him.

"Talk to me D." I begged.

"It's nothing Char." He held my head between his hands and stroked my cheek. I looked up at him. "I promise." He lightly kissed my forehead. "Ok?"

"Ok." He released me and walked back to the bourbon.

I heard Stefan coming into the kitchen.

"Play nice boys." I warned them. "I'm going home for a shower. Call me if anything happens." I pointed at Stefan who nodded and I kissed Damon on the cheek.

As the door closed behind me I heard the beginnings of yet another fight. I sighed and continued to my car.

Once fully showered I walked into Damon's room from the adjoining shower drying my hair with a towel and jumped a mile when I saw someone lounging on the bed.

"Tyler?" He looked at me and smirked. Why the hell was Tyler eyeing me up?

"Try again, luv."

"Nik?" I gasped. "But…you're dead."

"Obviously." He gestured to himself before flashing over to me. I tightened my grip on the towel covering my body. "You are so beautiful." He whispered, tracing the outline of my face. I swatted his hands away.

"Why are you in Tyler's body?"

"It was necessary. But it won't be for much longer. I promise luv, you'll get to see my handsome face very soon." He smirked.

"Go." He quirked his eyebrows at my order. "Go!" he nodded and flashed out of the house leaving me alone.

Incoming Call

Damon

"Hello." I answered as I raided the fridge in the boarding house.

"Hey, are you ok?"

"Yeah I'm great why?"

"Uhhh, nothing, just…don't let anyone in. Ok?"

"Sure. D what's…" I couldn't finish my sentence as a needle was pushed into my neck and I was injected with a lethal dose of vervain.

"Char? Char? CHARLOTTE?" Damon's voice was the last thing I heard before I was dragged out of the house and into a van.

I slowly raised my head as my eyes adjusted to the darkness in the van. I struggled to move my wrists but soon found that they were bound and soaked in a substance that was burning my wrists.

"Vervain ropes." I looked to my right.

"Rebekah?"

"Looks like someone ousted us to the council." She continued.

"Kol?"

"It's likely." I nodded at her answer.

"What exactly do they think they can do to you?" I asked. She shrugged.

All of a sudden the van lurched forward and the windscreen collapsed in. Our legs were thrown upwards and our heads back until we were lying on our backs, the van was on its side. We looked to each other coughing as the ropes pushed into our torsos.

"What the hell happened?" Rebekah choked out.

I didn't have time to answer as the back doors of the van were ripped open and flung away from the vehicle.

"Not you again." I coughed out as Tyler's face appeared. He smirked.

"You know you love me really." He glared at the chains restricting me. With swift movements he ripped the chains off me.

"Where are we going?" I asked. He glanced behind him at the approaching police car.

"No time." He lifted me up and out of the car. "C'mon, we gotta go!"

"Wait, what about me?" Rebekah gasped. I looked expectantly at Nik. He bent down to her,

"Keep them busy little sister." Realisation dawned on her face as we flashed away.

We stopped in the middle of what appeared to be a small forest.

"Where are we?" I asked, taking in the huge trees with their dense covers.

"Not far from the centre of Mystic Falls." He answered, leaning against a tree. "You truly are beautiful Charlotte." I spun to face him.

"It's weird seeing you as Tyler." I replied, avoiding the topic.

"I told you, I'm working on it." He scowled.

"Take me home." I ordered him.

"No." I stomped my foot. He quirked an eyebrow.

"Please?" I tried again. He smirked.

"Only because you asked so nicely." I scoffed. He held out his hand. I was wary about taking it. "Oh for God's sake, I don't bite." I quirked my eyebrow this time. "Well…not much." With a sigh I took it and we zoomed to the Gilbert house.

"Thank you." I turned to face him but he was gone.

Typical.

With a sigh I made my way up the path and stood in the doorway listening to Damon and Liz speak,

"They're gone. Whoever took Charlotte, took them too." He dragged a hand down his face. "Tell me you have something. Anything?" He practically begged Liz.

"I can't the council locked Carol and me out of our offices, files, computers, everything!"

"So, the mayor and the sheriff never COMTEMPLATED A BACK UP PLAN LIZ?!"

"Damon relax." Meredith chimed in while Alaric bounced on the balls of his feet, sick with worry.

"Yeah. I mean, I got away." I said as I entered the living room. Damon flashed to me and pulled me into a tight embrace.

"Char." He breathed into my hair.

"How?" Liz asked.

"With…skill." I answered as Damon let me go. He smirked down at me.

"That's my girl." I smiled up at him and kissed him lightly on the lips.

"Look, I was in some van, in the middle of nowhere. Rebekah was there too." A knock interrupted me form continuing. We all turned to look at the door.

"Hey." Matt. "Is Elena here?" Damon's eyes flashed dangerously. I placed my palm against his chest to stop him, it didn't work.

"And in what world are you the one that gets to LIVE?" He asked as he pinned him against a wall by his neck.

"Damon STOP!" I shouted, trying to pry his hands from around Matt's neck. "It wasn't his fault."

"Let him go Damon." I watched as Liz moved her hand to her gun.

"DAMON!" I shouted. He looked at me and slowly released him. Matt gasped for air.

I dragged Damon into the kitchen who instantly went for the bottle of bourbon he'd likely been nursing all day.

"What the HELL is wrong with you?" I asked. He leaned against the counter facing the cupboards with his hands apart on the counter.

"Nothing."

"Bull." I spat. "YOU have been moody and angry all day! So, what is wrong?"

"I'm just angry as to why Stefan didn't save Elena." I sighed.

"He respected her wishes."

"Well, that was a stupid thing to do! I would have dragged her out by her hair if I had to."

"Well next time, you can." I turned on my heel and stalked out of the room.

Liz and Meredith shot me questioning looks as I sunk down onto the sofa.

"Any news from Caroline?" I asked Liz.

"She's fine. Safe. Hidden."

"Good."

"We need to find the Elena." Alaric said as Damon entered the room. He looked over to me but I refused to meet his eyes.

"And the others." Liz reminded him.

"With Alaric's weapons and your vervain, they could be anywhere."

"C'mon guys think. It takes a lot to hold a vampire." Damon paced while he spoke. I quietly observed him, it's odd, and he's become very protective of Elena. Curious.

"Reinforced steel. Iron doors." I suggested from my spot on the sofa.

"The pastor has a cattle ranch." Matt spoke up. "Those pens could easily be modified."

"It's remote." I offered.

"It's secluded." Meredith added.

"Well guess what, looks like you the chance to prove how really sorry you are." Damon said to Matt. "Let's go." I followed them out the door.

"Shotgun!" I yelled as we approached the car. I saw a small smile grace Damon's lips.

The car journey was awkward to say the least. Damon ignored Matt, I ignored Damon and…well…Matt and I could only talk about football for so long...

By the time we arrived, it was dark out. The pastor's cattle ranch was of substantial size. It was, as we'd guessed, secluded – the perfect place to hold a bunch of vampires.

"So what, we just storm the place with zero weapons?" Matt asked as we stare at the ranch. I shrugged while Damon smirked.

"Nah, we don't need weapons." I frowned at the raven hired vampire. "Just bait."

Before I could stop him Damon had latched his fangs into Matt's throat and fasted on him before dropping him to the floor. He turned to me, an evil glint in his eyes and blood smeared over his chin. I stood frozen to the spot, unable to help Matt, just glaring at the monster that Damon had become.

"Yoo-hoo!" Damon called. "Anybody home?" He walked closer to the house. "Big bad vampire out here."

The pastor slowly approached the door and walked onto the porch.

"Let him go. The boy's innocent." Damon looked to Matt, then back at the pastor. "Well that's the point. Give me Stefan and Elena, and he's all yours."

I walked to Matt, bent down and checked out his wound, determining if he could be helped. I went to bite my wrist but Damon hauled him up.

"C'mon pastor, you don't wanna kill him. I wanna kill him. " I really want to kill Damon right now.

"GO AWAY! YOU ARE NOT INVITED IN!" The pastor shouted at Damon. Looks like someone hadn't noticed me yet. "And I am not coming out."

A gun shot resounded through the air and hit Damon. I jumped back and alerted the pastor's attention.

"YOU!" He shouted.

"Me?" I asked.

"Vampire." He spat, and another gun shot rang out, I fell to the floor with a thud. My hand unconsciously falling into Damon's.

Damon and I had regained consciousness a while ago, so when the footsteps of two armed men approached he winked at me and we prepared ourselves.

One pointed his gun at my heart while the other pointed his at Damon's. They kicked us in the shoulders. We didn't respond. They looked at each other and then Damon pounced.

He flew up to a standing position and flung on guard away with a hard crack to his head via gun barrel. The other was unfortunate enough to get his gun rammed through his torso after a vicious fight.

Damon brushed his hands on his jeans and helped me up. I nodded my thanks and scowled as Damon kicked Matt who was trying to get up.

"Do it. Kill me." Matt choked out. "You can't possibly hate me more than I hate myself."

"Oh yes I can." Damon placed his foot over Matt's neck and slowly applied pressure. "It should have been you."

Elena and I pounced at the same time, both pulling Damon away. While she threatened Damon with her new vampire skills, I helped Matt to his feet. Again I went to give him my blood and again I was stopped. This time by Elena, who pulled me into a tight embrace while tears poured down her face, saddened by her transformation into a monster. I watched Matt limp into the cattle shed in the distance and I knew that Stefan would help him.

I slowly approached the car until I overheard Elena and Damon talking. Maybe this would provide an insight into his mood swing. I stayed submerged in the shadows while they spoke.

"You were going to kill him." Elena said, following Damon to his car.

"Yep. The guy just won't die."

"It was my choice to save him. Why aren't you seeing that?" Elena asked exasperated. Damon stopped.

"It's a little hard to keep track of all your choices lately, Elena." They glared at each other.

"I remember." Damon stopped dead in his tracks as she spoke. "Everything." He wouldn't look at her. "One of the highlights of my transition; remembering everything that you compelled me to forget. I got that you and I met first. You were a stranger that told me that you wanted me to get everything in life. Damon, why didn't you tell me?"

"Would it have made a difference?" he looked at her when she didn't reply. "I didn't think so."

"You asked me to make a choice Damon so I did. If you're going to be mad take it out on me not Stefan, or Matt or Charlotte. ME!"

"Are we done here?" He interrupted her.

"If it had been you at the bridge last night," He looked at her again. "And not Stefan and I begged you to save Matt,"

"I WOULD HAVE SAVED YOU!" He interrupted again. "In a heartbeat. No question."

"That's what I thought. And Matt would be dead because you couldn't let go. MATT WOULD BE DEAD!"

"BUT YOU WOULDN'T BE!" He shouted at her while my heart broke slightly. "And you would have gotten to grow up, and have the life that you wanted. The life you deserve and I know that I didn't used to get that but I do NOW. And I wanted that, FOR YOU Elena. And I would have gladly given it to you and let Matt die because I am that selfish! But you knew that already." He said. "The first night that we met isn't all you remember is it?" They stared at each other until Damon walked to his car leaving Elena alone.

Tears silently rolled down my face. He loved her. Not me, her. Elena noticed me as she walked away to find Stefan. She made to approach me but I shook my head and wiped away my tears before walking to the car where Damon was waiting for me.

As soon as the door to the car closed and I was inside, Damon pulled away. We silently travelled down the deserted roads. I looked out of the window at the trees blurring together, not being able to control the solitary tear rolling down my face.

At the Boarding House I poured myself a strong drink as Damon tossed his keys down somewhere.

"What's wrong?" he asked me from across the room. Anger filled me and I threw my glass at his head. He dodged the tumbler, his eyes wide.

"You BASTARD!" I seethed. He continued to stare at me wide eyed. "You let me fall in LOVE with you when you loved Elena. YOU STILL LOVE ELENA!" I all but screamed at him.

"Let me explain," he began.

"Don't." I choked on a tear. "What's the point?" I shrugged in answer to my own question.

"Charlotte."

"DON'T!" I screamed this time. "Just…don't." I walked to the door, threw it open and began walking down the Boarding House's drive.

I looked back once and saw Stefan and Elena on the roof, watching the sun rise, in each other's arms. I listened for movement inside the house and vaguely heard a glass shatter against a wall.

Fully intoxicated, I crept into the Boarding House many hours later. I couldn't bring myself to feed on an innocent victim tonight so I'd made do with animal blood. It had satisfied me but…well, it wasn't from the vein.

Upstairs, I crept into Stefan's room and saw him and Elena cuddled together, asleep. As I approached my room, I heard Damon's drunken snores and sighed.

Opening the door to my room and collapsing into bed, fully clothed, I cried myself to sleep, not aware that the door was slowly opening.