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Another Way

There has to be another way to do this. There is no way I'm going to let Elena put all her trust in Elijah. And there is definitely no way I'm going to let Stefan put all his hope into Elena. Avoiding the commotion in the hallway, I disappear upstairs. Bonnie can kill Klaus, Diana has assured that. Having to already deal with whatever challenges Bonnie is up against; Diana cannot stretch herself enough to also be linked with Elena. I won't ask. My fiance is putting herself into this more than she already should. From what I've gathered, Diana is still in Klaus' favor. Whether she's willing to admit it or not, Diana would be devastated if that relationship was tarnished.

No matter what it takes, Elena has to come out of this alive. My way is the only way.

"You disappeared," Elena pushes her way into the spare bedroom.

I keep my back to her, looking out the window onto the front yard, "I don't want to hear anymore."

"I need you to understand why I'm doing this."

Because you're a stupid child who has no idea what they're doing. Because you're selfish and spoiled. Because you don't think about the real, permanent consequences of your actions. I swallow down the hateful comments. "Why? It clearly doesn't matter what I think."

"I'll be fine, Damon," Elena protests, taking another step into the room. "I'll drink the elixir, Bonnie will kill Klaus, and then all of this will finally be over."

Spinning around, I finally face the girl who has caused all our problems. She really does look like she's convinced this is a foolproof plan, "If it works."

"It will work."

Banging my fist down on the desk, I lean in closer to Elena, "No. You think it will work. You want it to work. Why are Diana and I the only ones convinced it won't work? There has to be another way."

"Because you're cynical and unwilling to trust," Elena shoots back. "There is no other way."

"You are going to die."

Elena sighs, lips tugging into a frown, "And then I'll come back to life." Despite her words, there is still fear in Elena's eyes. She knows there's a risk and is just refusing to acknowledge it, to even look for an alternative route.

"That's not a risk you should be willing to take," If I can catch her in a moment of weakness, I may be able to get her to at least consider thinking about a new plan.

Stefan's girlfriend stands firm, arms crossed over her chest, "But I am. It's my life, Damon. My choice."

"I can't keep losing people," I admit. If being stern hasn't worked, maybe showing her that weak side she's so obsessed with will.

Elena gives me a sympathetic smile, "You won't."

Fine. If she doesn't want to see reason, we'll do it my way. Stepping around the desk, I catch Elena's wrist as she goes to leave, "There is another way."

"What are you...."

Biting into my wrist, I tear the skin open. Shoving it towards Elena, I hold her to me. As she fights back, I slide the bloodied skin over her mouth, forcing her to drink. This is the only way we can guarantee that Elena will come back.

As Elena stumbles backward away from me, Stefan and Diana fly into the room. Stefan hurries over to Elena, Diana pinning me against the far wall.

Stefan tears his eyes away from Elena, holding me in place with his gaze, "What did you do?"

"I saved her life," I answer over Diana's shoulder, looking to where Elena stands. One day she'll thank me for this. "You're so bent on dying, at least this way we'll all know you'll come back."