Return To Mystic Falls

Just Thank You

"What did you do with her?" Elena demands as I shut the front door behind me. It's been a day and the questions aren't welcomed. I need a drink or ten before I'm ready to face the emotions that are being thrown at me.

Looking past Elena, my eyes land on Stefan. He's standing with his back to me, one hand resting on the fireplace mantel, the other curled around a crystal glass. "Will you please calm her down?"

Isn't that his job? Instead of standing around with his heart in his hand, Stefan should be sitting with Elena, consoling her, making sure her fragile human brain is wrapping itself around the death of her best friend. Of all times to check out, now isn't it.

"Don't talk like I'm not standing right in front of you," Elena spits back.

"Please – " I sink into the closest armchair, beginning to massage my throbbing temples, "– calm down."

Elena lets out a choked groan, her palms working rapidly to wipe away the tears that threaten to spill down her already stained cheeks, "You knew!" Her cry is like that of a dying animal. "You knew if she harnessed all that power, that she would die, didn't you?"

"Yes. Yes, I knew."

Elena storms across the room, her hand landing across my face. Her chest heaves as she stands before me. Elena's jaw quivers as she gives me a hard stare. The anger bubbles over into a guttural moan. "Guhh!"

"You need to listen to me and be prepared for what I'm going to say," I catch Elena's hand as she goes to slap me again. "Bonnie had to die. Klaus using Alaric's body was a total surprise. She wasn't prepared for that. He wasn't going to stop, and we weren't going to be able to stop him until he knew she was dead. He had to believe it."

Stefan steps away from the fire, collecting Elena against his chest. Her wrist jerks out of my fingers as she clings to him. Finally, my brother's come back to his senses. "You need to explain what you just said. Now."

"Diana and Bonnie cast a spell. The blood, the dying, it was all a spell. If he had kept going, if it looked like for even a second Klaus wasn't going to believe it, Diana would have stepped in. No matter what Bonnie would have been just fine. Bonnie is okay." I try and explain it in the simplest terms. Elena hasn't yet gotten over the shock of fake losing her friend; I'm not sure how much detail she can handle right now.

As Stefan and Elena continue to blink back at me, I stand. I'll let them figure it out themselves. I want to be alone.

As I push my bedroom door open, finger's curl around my shoulder. Turning, I come nose to nose with my brother. "You know, you could have told me."

"How do I know when you're going to go blabbing to your girlfriend?"

Stefan doesn't back up, instead getting further in my face, "You understand what you put her through?"

"See, that's why I didn't tell you, 'cause you would have never been able to do it," I push him back. Even if I wanted, I don't have the energy to fight my brother right now. He needs to back down before I'm forced to do something stupid. "Don't get me wrong, Stefan, I don't mind being the bad guy. I'll make all the life and death decisions while you're busy worrying about collateral damage. I'll even let her hate me for it." Turning I step into my room. Diana's soft green eyes flash before my own, forcing me to spin back to face Stefan. "Don't pull this shit with Diana when she gets home. She's dealt with enough for today."

Stefan's eyebrows pull together, "What?"

"The spell linked Bonnie and Diana. She funneled pain away from Bonnie onto herself. It's a way of protecting Bonnie, making her stronger."

Fire flashes through my brother's usually steady brown eyes, "Was that part of your plan too?"

"No, Stefan. She did it on her own," I step back into my room, curling my fingers around the handle. "Just say thank you then leave her alone."

I shut him out.

She enters quietly, hovering in the doorway. She shifts her weight from foot to foot, wringing her hands together over and over. After a few seconds, I hear her take a step backward, fingers curling around the knob as she goes to disappear back into the hallway.

Sighing, I let her know I'm aware of her presence. The skin of my lips protests, longing to stay tightly together, sticking as I clear my throat, "Look, I couldn't tell you. Your reaction had to be real."

Elena freezes, "I understand why you did what you did." That's a first. "Klaus was fooled, and Bonnie's alive."

"Here's to duplicity," I lift the glass in my hand.

"But let's get one thing straight, Damon," Elena takes a few steps into the bedroom, the nervousness melting away, replaced by brave stupidity. "Bonnie will not die for me. I will not let that happen."

I let out a frustrated sigh, trying to keep the growl that threatens to escape at bay. Why can't anyone just say thank you and move on? Why do they always need more? Why is it always about them, what they want...what they think they need? "We need to kill Klaus, Elena. Real Klaus, who will probably be coming to pay you a visit soon now that he knows that Bonnie is dead. She's the only one who can do it."

"She's not."

My eyebrows tug together, as I take a step towards Elena. She's walking on dangerously thin ice. My patience for her whiny, self-entitled attitude is worn, held together by quickly unraveling scraps. "No. Don't even say her name."

"Diana has powers too, she's a vampire," Elena presses on, ignoring my warning.

Flying across the room, I pin Elena against the wall. Her eyes search for a way to escape, some magical exit strategy that she knows doesn't exist. "I will not put her in danger just so you can live in a fantasy world where everyone gets to walk away into the sunset!" My fist makes contact with the wall. The bourbon glass, still held in my fist, erupts, sticky brown liquid spilling out between my fingers, glass shards hitting the floor, spitting across Elena's face. Stefan's girlfriend lets out a squeak, covering her mouth with her hands as if frightened by her own voice. Finally, there's real terror in her eyes. "People die, Elena, sometimes it's people close to you. Diana has been through enough. Just because you think her life is dispensable doesn't mean everyone else does. I love her! The answer is no."

For a long while, Elena stares up at me, eyes wide, unblinking, "I shouldn't have hit you."

"Apology accepted." I go to release Elena to go running back to Stefan to tell him what a big, bad, scary vampire I am, but think better of it. There's one thing that I need to make very clear to the girl. "I don't ever want to hear Diana's name come out of your mouth again. If it comes down to you, the witch, or Diana, I will gladly let you and Bonnie die. I will always choose Diana." With that, I step away from her.

Elena stands, rooted to the spot, my words obviously not what she was expecting to hear. Whatever fantasy world she lives in where both Stefan and I come running to her rescue at every turn has just been ripped apart. Elena's eyes glisten with tears, "Good night, Damon."

I wave her tidings away dismissively, beginning to pick little shards of glass from my hand, "Yeah. Good night."