Elena/Stefan/Damon

Elena turned to face Stefan in the candlelight. The scent of violets filled his head as he gazed at her in wondering joy. She was lighting candle after candle in his room in the boarding house.

"Stefan," she said quietly, stepping towards him. She held out a slim white hand. He took her hand in his and smiled down at her.

"My love, my Stefan," she whispered as her cheek pressed against his light sweater.

"Oh, Elena. I missed you so much," he breathed. He held her tight against his chest, wanting to never let go. "I love you."

She lifted her head to look into his green eyes.

"Stefan, I love you, too. So much has happened and it's all been so strange. I never want to be apart from you again," she said fiercely.

"Elena."

"Stefan. I want to be with you. Like before. I want to be like you."

He stared at her in shock.

"Oh, Elena, no."

"Stefan, yes. I know I said I didn't want it before, but now I know that that's where I was meant to be, in the darkness, with you. 'A light in darkness,' right? Stefan, there are so many things I could do...." He was shaking his head. "Stefan, please. Look at me. Stefan," she whispered.

He looked at her. She saw that his eyes were filling with tears.

"Elena, no. I can't do that to you. I won't. Don't ask me to, please Elena. I can't."

She let out a breath. She gathered her thoughts and looked deep into Stefan's eyes. She willed him to understand, to feel what she felt, to do as she asked.

She knew she had another option, but she wanted it to come from Stefan. She wanted to be with Stefan.

He suddenly realized that she would go to Damon if she thought she had to. If she wanted it that badly, she would. And that would kill him.

He looked down, defeated. Triumph welled up inside her. Stefan went to the bed and sat down. Elena sat beside him. She touched his hand and looked into his face. He looked into her eyes for a long time before he reached for her and held her to him.

"Are you sure, Elena? Because I can't change you back. You'll be like this forever." He enunciated each word slowly and carefully.

Candlelight flickered as Elena nodded.

"Yes, Stefan. I've thought it through. It's worth all the risks if I can be with you forever."

He looked at her a moment longer before reaching fo his ivory hilted dagger. As he leaned in to kiss her throat, he made a small cut on his own. She licked at the blood that welled up from the incision. There was a sharp sting that faded almost as quickly as it arrived.

Elena felt herself fill with joy and warmth and love. She could feel Stefan's feelings as well as his reaction to hers.

After what seemed like hours, Stefan lifted his head and wiped his mouth clean with the back of his hand.

"Elena," he whispered. She continued to suck at his neck. "Elena," he said, louder. She sucked harder. "Elena!" he said, and pulled away from her. "That's enough."

She looked dazed. Her eyes slowly focused on Stefan's face, his mouth, and finally his eyes. She looked bewildered and a little hurt.

"Why?"

"You've had enough. It's going to take more than just this one time, Elena. You have to have enough to kill-" He broke off abruptly and shook his head. He took a deep breath and let it out. "Well. We don't need to worry about that." He searched her face for some reaction to his words. There was none.

"Elena." She was gazing at the wall.

"Hm?" She shifted her eyes back to him, but didn't really see him.

He sighed again. "Nothing." He put his arms around her and held her close to him. She sighed with contentment and rested her head on his shoulder.

When Stefan opened his eyes, Elena was gone. He slowly remembered what had happened and realized it had been a dream. Of course Elena wasn't there; she was in the attic of the Ramsey house on Magnolia Avenue. With Damon.

Damon walked back to Alaric's house. He'd been gone for five hours, hunting and thinking. Elena had seemed to be so in love with him when she walked into the woods yesterday. She had even turned on his sniveling little brother. He had been so overwhelmed by his feelings for her when she had looked up into his eyes and said she loved him. She had always seemed to hate him before.

He always thought she had only succumbed to his desires because he had threatened her baby sister. He wouldn't have really hurt Margaret; he would've just taken a little of her sweet, innocent blood and planted the seed in her mind to call to him when she got older--and looked more like Elena.

He knew Elena thought she loved Stefan, and he couldn't blame her for that, as much as he hated him. In fact, that was why he hated Stefan so much. Everyone was drawn to Stefan, to his infernal goodness and the vulnerability he projected even while he was protecting someone else's life.

Damon had always thought Katherine loved Stefan more than himself and knew she only cared for him because of his beauty and apparent charm. No one had ever really loved Damon since his mother died. No one until Elena.

Now he quickened his pace as he walked up the driveway to the house. He hoped she was till there. If she had woken up, she may have gone to Stefan, depriving him of the chance to convince her to stay with him. He was willing to give up the darkness--to a degree--if that's what it would take to get her to be with him. He didn't know how to tell her this, however.

He eased open the door to the attic and slipped in silently. He walked over to a small bundle wrapped in oilcloth. He sighed a breath of relief when he saw that she was still there, quietly breathing. She lay on her back with her hands crossed over her chest. She looked serene and completely natural in that position. Moonlight shone through a dusty window, accentuating her pale skin and shining hair.

Damon wondered if she was dreaming. He had enough Power to find out, but he was afraid of what he might see. Most likely she wouldn't welcome him to dance like she had before.

Before he could stop himself, he reached for her still hand. He gently touched her skin, tracing her fingers to her wrist. His chest thudded once, hard, as he looked at her face. Her delicate features were made more ethereal by the pale light of the quarter moon. She looked like a princess, but not like any princess he had ever known--and he had known a few. Certainly not like the ice princess she was so famous for being.

He admired her strength in resisting the boys of this town, but realized that it was partly fear on her part, and partly the fact that no one had ever been the right one. The one she was meant to be with had come across time to her. But who was it? Him or Stefan? If they had died as humans, would either of their souls have been reborn to be with her now?

He shook his head, realizing it was pointless to think about any of this until after she woke up. He hoped it would be soon, and yet, he was afraid of this ending. For now, at least, she was his.

He leaned over her and brushed his lips against hers as lightly as the wings of a moth kissing a candle flame. He lay down next to her and closed his eyes as the sky began to lighten outside the window.

Thanks to the Night World, who thought this story was good enough to deserve their fanfic award.

For September, 1998

See the award Lupe CM gave me for this fanfic! I'm so proud!