The Vampire Diaries: Elizabeth Returns

Chapter 24

When Elena and Elizabeth pulled out in front, Jeremy said, 'what the hell was that, Damon?'

'I have no idea,' said Damon, his face blank.

'Damon, I thought you had your thirst under control!' Stefan said.

'Do you know how much I want to stake you right now?' Said Jeremy.

'I can't remember, okay?' Said Damon. 'I don't remember what happened. All I remember is sitting at the bar, drinking with you all, and then, I was crouched in front of that girl's bloodless body. I don't know what happened in between.'

'You disappeared!' Stefan said. 'Elizabeth went to find you, and reappeared alone because she didn't know where you were, and then, you drained that girl!'

'Stefan, it doesn't matter how many times you say it,' said Damon, 'I still can't remember what happened!'

They walked in silence the rest of the way back to the boarding house. Elena and Elizabeth were sitting in front of the fire, talking in low voices. They silenced just before Damon, Stefan and Jeremy entered the house.

'Damon...' Elena said, looking up at him.

'Alright, before you asked, no I don't know what happened,' said Damon.

'Jeremy, how're you feeling?' Elizabeth asked. 'Any chance you want to stake someone?'

'Yeah...' Jeremy said, biting his lip. 'All of you, to be honest. It's hard to pick apart individual people. I'm going to bed,' he finished.

'Okay, g'night,' said Elena, and her brother went upstairs.

'Damon, what happened to you tonight?' Said Elizabeth concernedly.

'I still don't know,' said Damon. 'I can't remember, ok?'

'Damon, come here,' said Elizabeth. 'Let me try something.'

Elizabeth took a step in Damon's direction.

'Whoa, hold up there,' said Damon. 'What're you doing?'

'I think I might be able to look into your mind,' said Elizabeth, biting her lip cautiously. 'I won't do anything... Invasive. But... Just the last couple of hours. It has to be in there somewhere.'

Damon opened his mouth to complain, but Stefan spoke first. 'Damon, let her.'

'Just trust me, Damon,' said Elizabeth, and, after a beat, walked towards her.

Elizabeth placed her hands on Damon's shoulders. She closed her eyes, and felt Power surround her. She pushed it long her arms, through her hands, to Damon.

Suddenly, images flashed through her mind. Colours, random words. Nothing solid. But, after a moment, Elizabeth could interpret what he felt.

Love. For Elena, and for Elizabeth. For Stefan as a brother.

Elizabeth pushed further, ignoring the light headedness she felt intensify with the further she pushed. Deeper thoughts, darker emotions and memories came flooding through the bond. She finally found something - like a wall. She hit a wall in Damon's mind. Something blocking out some memories he had, or emotions he hid away. Elizabeth could guess what was behind it - his encounter with her from earlier, and probably his love for her, which she hadn't yet come across in his mind.

Elizabeth pushed at the wall. It should be solid as a brick, but to her, it was flexible like jelly. She knew it was because she was the one that put it there. But if she broke the wall, which she was sure she could, then Damon's memories would come back, and she would be exposed.

Back in reality, Elizabeth could feel her Power ebbing away. She knew she couldn't hold this connection with Damon for much longer, so she pulled away. Everything came back in a flash, and she almost collapsed from the light headedness.

Damon was standing still, his posture having not changed. He had not been deenergised in any way.

'Are you okay?' Said Elena, rushing up to Elizabeth as Stefan did the same.

'Yeah, I'm ok,' said Elizabeth, bringing a hand to her head. 'How long was that?'

'About ten seconds,' said Stefan. 'You look so drained.'

'It felt more like ten minutes,' said Elizabeth. 'I need blood, now. I'll be back in a bit.'

Elizabeth couldn't even muster the Power to run out the door, so she just walked.