I'll never love again [1]

GROWING PAINS

A gasp startled Nat and she looked towards Elena's bed. Damon, Stefan and her had been waiting all morning for her sister to wake up. After Meredith had told them about the vampire blood, they had immediately taken her home and waited for her to finally gain consciousness.

"Stefan?" She asked disoriented for a moment as she looked at the vampire sitting on the end of her bed. Damon and Nat were sitting on the windowsill watching them.

"Hey, I'm right here. You've been in and out for hours." Stefan told her gently and she frowned.

"Wh-what happened?" She stammered still confused.

"You were in an accident."

"Oh my God." Elena's eyes widened. "Matt. Is he...?"

"Alive?" Damon interjects and Elena and Stefan turn to him. "Ask Stefan. The hero." He said as he glared at his brother. Elena turned back to the younger Salvatore and he sighed.

"He's fine." She exhaled in relief and nodded.

"Thank you. I thought that I- how did you...?"

"Save you?" Damon interrupted her again. "He didn't."

"When Jeremy and I brought you to the hospital before all this happened, your injuries were worse than we thought." Nat spoke and Elena turned to her with her brows knitted in confusion. "Meredith Fell made a choice, she used Damon's blood to heal you."

"And when Rebekah ran Matt's truck off the road, you had vampire blood in your system, Elena." Damon finished. Elena's face changed completely and Nat spotted a glint of fear and panic in her eyes.

"Oh my God. Does- does that mean that I- am I dead?" She asked loudly and they stared at her unblinkingly. "No, no, no, no! That wasn't supposed to happen!" She cried out and Nat's features softened at her sister's situation.

"Maybe it doesn't have to." Stefan tried to calm her down. "I talked to Bonnie, she says she's stronger than ever, there might be something that she can do to help you." Nat and Damon exchanged glances and shook their heads. Although Stefan had this idea that maybe she could do something to prevent Elena from becoming a vampire, they both knew that her only option right now was to feed and become one.

"No, the only thing that's going to help is for you to feed and complete the transition." Damon told her and Nat nodded.

"We have all day before she has to feed, Damon. That's a day to exhaust every possible way out of this." Stefan snapped and Nat frowned.

"There is no way out of it. We all know the drill. You feed or you die. There is no door number three." Damon retorted and Elena shook her head as tears glistened in her eyes.

"I was ready to die. I was supposed to die. I don't- I don't want to be- I can't be a vampire!" She exclaimed loudly. "If there's something that Bonnie can do, we have to try." Elena looked at Stefan and he nodded.

"We will. We'll try everything." He assured her. Damon scoffed and turned to Elena.

"Your choice, Elena. As always." He got up and left the room. Nat bit her lip and got up too, her sister staring at her.

"I'm with Damon on this one, Lena. You need to feed." She said gently before following the vampire out. She walked down the stairs and found him on the kitchen opening a cupboard. He glanced at her and grabbed a bottle of alcohol before pouring it on two cups. He handed one to her and she took it, taking a sip after.

"Way to get her hopes up for something that's never happened in the history of vampirism." Damon told his brother as soon as he entered the kitchen.