Fic: A Vampire's Policy [Vampire Diaries | PG13 | Elena/Damon | 6/?]
Title A Vampire's Policy
Author: jinxed_wood
Rating: PG13
Category: Drama
Spoilers: Up to 1x19
Warnings: It has vampires?
Show/Bookverse: Show
Summary:Stefan reignites his hunger for human blood, Elena tries to hold on, and Damon ensures he gets his own way...
Author's Notes: This story basically went AU from the end of 1X18, but I shall be incorporating elements of subsequent episodes, like John's machinations, Bonnie distrust and anger, Stefan's struggle with his new thirst for human blood, and general plot points that I feel wouldn't be changed by Elena's Vampirism - needless to say, Elena won't be a part of the Miss Mystic falls competition, although it will feature in this story! Anyways, on with the show!
Previous parts: PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE
--------------------------
PART SIX
Damon awoke and stretched out lazily on his bed, reveling in the warm, familiar scent of Elena that now pervaded his room. He was ridiculously happy at this new turn of events; it was slightly unnerving.
“At last,” Elena said, as he opened his eyes. “You've been asleep for hours. I've been climbing the walls.” She was curled up on the armchair beside his bed, her chin on her knees.
“And hello to you too, Sunshine,” he said. “Didn't Stefan come home, last night, to entertain you?”
Elena made a face. “I don't want to talk about Stefan,” she said. “I need to do something.”
“Ah, we've got to stage two, have we?” Damon asked, as he bounced off the bed. Elena's eyes followed him around the room. He decided he liked the sensation.
“I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin,” she said quietly. “It's almost worse than yesterday...I though it eased off once you fed.”
Damon gave her a lopsided smile. “Welcome to the cycle of life,” he said. “You eat, you get full, you get hungry again, you eat--” He rolled his hand, a mime of a fast forward. “You get the picture. Help yourself to the blood in the fridge.”
She blushed. “Uh, about that...”
Damon fought the urge to burst out laughing at the guilty expression on her face. “Elena, are trying to tell me the cupboard is bare?”
I just got so hungry,” she admitted.
“Huh, I guess we'll just call you Goldilocks,” Damon said. He watched her as she moved a strand of hair behind her ear; she looked so lonely, so vulnerable, curled up in his chair. He pulled out his phone, and noticed that there was a waiting text message from the Sheriff. He ignored it, and rang Stefan. He answered at the second ring.
“Something happened to Elena?” he asked, getting straight to the point.
“You mean, other than the fact that she got staked saving your life, died, and then came back a vampire?” he drawled, “Oh, yes, everything is just...tickety boo.” He paused, suddenly realising he was angry. Stefan was supposed to be the nice one, the human one - so why the hell wasn't he living up to his reputation and helping Elena through this? “We're out of blood,” he said, getting straight to the point. “I need you to pick some up for us - I'd do it myself, but I'm already on babysitting duty.” He saw Elena flinch, and regretted his words.
“I'll be a couple of hours,” said Stefan.
“We'll bake you a cake,” Damon said, before flipping his phone closed.
“My Aunt Jenna is going to be worried,” Elena said, “She'll go to Sheriff if I don't make an appearance.”
“I put your brother on lying-to-your-family duty,” Damon said. “It should be entertaining.”
Elena groaned. “Jeremy is not exactly known for his skills at dissembling.
“Where as you are a natural,” Damon said.
“It's not funny, Damon.”
“I didn't think it was,” he said. He pulled on his shirt, and watched Elena's eyes linger at the movement. That was one of the things about being new. One urge ran into another, and it became difficult to separate them out. “Oh, what a tangled web,” he said, under his breath.
Elena frowned. “What?”
Oops, note to self, Elena's hearing isn't human anymore. He gave her a long look. “Look, this is going to be messy, but your life it isn't...irretrievable. First things first, we need to find your friend Bonnie and get her to do the necessary mumbo-jumbo to create a ring for you.”
“But Stefan said-”
“Stefan said a lot of things,” Damon said shortly. “But he isn't here, so I guess we'll just have to muddle through by ourselves.” He threw his phone at her. “Call her.”
She bit her lip, but tapped in the number, and Damon watched as she waited for Bonnie to answer.
“Yes?” came Bonnie's voice. “Who is this?”
“It's Elena,” Elena said.
“Oh... right...”
There was an awkward silence, and Elena bit her lip. “I need your help,” she eventually admitted.
“Is it you that needs the help, or are you looking for help for someone else?” Damon raised an eyebrow at that. Bonnie's voice, initially cool, now took on an arctic chill. So much for BFFs forever.
“It's complicated,” Elena said, in a small voice.
“It always is,” Bonnie said, before sighing. “I'm sorry, Elena, but I can't-”
In a flash, Damon was across the room, and had the phone in his hand. “Bonnie, Damon here. Quick newsflash - saying no is not an option.”
“Don't even try to threaten me,” Bonnie said flatly.
“Oh, Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie, this isn't a threat,” he said. “This is a promise. Surely you know the difference?”
There was a pause. “You can't touch me,” she said eventually. “I know how to defend myself now.”
“Ah, but Bonnie, I should have thought that by now you'd have learned one of life's bittersweet lessons - that no man is an Island.”
“What are you saying?”
“You know what I'm saying,” Damon said. “Oh, and Bonnie? Bring the book.” he flipped the phone closed, only to find Elena glaring at him.
“I can't believe you did that,” Elena said. “Bonnie is my best friend.”
“Correction, she was your best friend. I think you'll find the goalposts have shifted somewhat over the last few days."
“You really don't get it, do you?” Elena said. “It's like there's some weird disconnect in your brain, that prevents you from understanding the concept of friendship and loyalty. I've known Bonnie all of my life. When my parents died, she was there for me. You can't just treat her like that. You can't threaten her family and friends.”
“Oh, I think you'll find I can treat her any way I like,” Damon said, before relenting in the face of her expression. “Relax, I'm not going to hurt her, but it was obvious she wasn't going to do what we asked by saying pretty please. And you do want to see the sun again, don't you?”
“There are better ways, Damon,” she said quietly.
Damon's mouth twisted. “But this is the most expedient one,” he said. “And we don't have a lot of wiggle room at the moment - the council are looking for Vampires, Elena. They're looking for people who don't come out before dark, and are new in town, or are suddenly acting out of character. You tick two of those three boxes. That's an attention grabber.”
“You seem very worried about-” Elena broke off, her head lifting, as the sound of the doorbell came from downstairs.
“Hold that thought,” Damon said, “I'll be back. Stay here.” he closed the door behind him, to reinforce the point, before blurring down the stairs. He picked up Anna's scent before he opened the door.
“Now is not a good time,” he said.
“Relax, I come in peace,” Anna said, leaning against the doorway as she looked over his shoulder. “You've got company?”
“Don't ask questions when you already know the answers, Anna,” he said. “It's rather boring.”
Anna smiled at him slyly. “Fee, fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of a Gilbert turned.”
He looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Anna?” he asked.
“Believe it or not, I'm here to bury the hatchet.” she said, wryly, as she tried to enter the house.
“Bury it where, in my back?” Damon said, blocking her way.
Anna gave him a disbelieving look. “You're really not going to let me into your house, are you?”
“What were you expecting, tea and Parcheesi?” Damon asked. “Your merry little band of bloodsuckers kidnapped my brother, and then skewered him like a kebab. Kind of puts the kibosh on any future social engagements, don't you think?”
“Mother is very sorry about that.”
“Oh yes, I can see how she is really tore up by her complete...absence.”
“You're not going to let this go, are you?” she sighed.
“It's kind of hard to do that when you're still messing with my life,” he said, frustrated..
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about? Seriously?” Damon asked. “The town council is looking for Vampires again, Anna. The mass exodus of their hospital's blood bank supply has rung a few alarm bells. I wonder why that would be?”
“Damon, the others have gone,” she said, puzzled. “There's only Mother, Harper and I left.”
“Gone where?”
“Away,” she ground out, before taking a breath to calm herself. “Mother threw them out. She couldn't forgive them for trying to overthrow her.”
“I feel your loss,” Damon said. “Goodbye.”
Her hand rose to stop the door, before he could slam it closed. “We're trying to apologise, Damon,” she said.
“Duly noted,” he said. “Now why don't you go and find someone else to annoy?
“Fine, have it your own way,” she said, as he closed the door.
He turned to find Elena standing behind him. “Sheriff Forbes just texted you again,” she said, holding up his phone. “Something about a council issue.”
“My, aren't I popular today,” he muttered. Elena watched, arms crossed, as he dialled the number. The Sheriff didn't answer.
Elena eyed him. “What's going on, Damon?” she asked.
“That's the question I keep asking myself, over the last few days,” he muttered. He found his good mood dwindling under the events of the day. When had his life got so...so... complicated?
And then Elena touched his arm, and he remembered why.
“Are you alright?” she asked quietly.
He smiled at her. “Better than I should be,” he admitted, and she quirked an eyebrow at him. A car pulled in front of the lodge and they both turned at the noise. Damon made his way to the windows, and twitched aside a curtain.
“Elena, get upstairs,” he said.
“Who is it?” She asked.
“Your uncle and the Sheriff,” he said. “Get upstairs, I have to open the curtains.” Elena nodded and blurred up the steps. Damon blinked. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to seeing her as something other than completely human.
The bell rang, and Damon took a steadying breath.
Showtime.
PART SEVEN
Author: jinxed_wood
Rating: PG13
Category: Drama
Spoilers: Up to 1x19
Warnings: It has vampires?
Show/Bookverse: Show
Summary:Stefan reignites his hunger for human blood, Elena tries to hold on, and Damon ensures he gets his own way...
Author's Notes: This story basically went AU from the end of 1X18, but I shall be incorporating elements of subsequent episodes, like John's machinations, Bonnie distrust and anger, Stefan's struggle with his new thirst for human blood, and general plot points that I feel wouldn't be changed by Elena's Vampirism - needless to say, Elena won't be a part of the Miss Mystic falls competition, although it will feature in this story! Anyways, on with the show!
Previous parts: PART ONE | PART TWO | PART THREE | PART FOUR | PART FIVE
--------------------------
PART SIX
Damon awoke and stretched out lazily on his bed, reveling in the warm, familiar scent of Elena that now pervaded his room. He was ridiculously happy at this new turn of events; it was slightly unnerving.
“At last,” Elena said, as he opened his eyes. “You've been asleep for hours. I've been climbing the walls.” She was curled up on the armchair beside his bed, her chin on her knees.
“And hello to you too, Sunshine,” he said. “Didn't Stefan come home, last night, to entertain you?”
Elena made a face. “I don't want to talk about Stefan,” she said. “I need to do something.”
“Ah, we've got to stage two, have we?” Damon asked, as he bounced off the bed. Elena's eyes followed him around the room. He decided he liked the sensation.
“I feel like I'm crawling out of my skin,” she said quietly. “It's almost worse than yesterday...I though it eased off once you fed.”
Damon gave her a lopsided smile. “Welcome to the cycle of life,” he said. “You eat, you get full, you get hungry again, you eat--” He rolled his hand, a mime of a fast forward. “You get the picture. Help yourself to the blood in the fridge.”
She blushed. “Uh, about that...”
Damon fought the urge to burst out laughing at the guilty expression on her face. “Elena, are trying to tell me the cupboard is bare?”
I just got so hungry,” she admitted.
“Huh, I guess we'll just call you Goldilocks,” Damon said. He watched her as she moved a strand of hair behind her ear; she looked so lonely, so vulnerable, curled up in his chair. He pulled out his phone, and noticed that there was a waiting text message from the Sheriff. He ignored it, and rang Stefan. He answered at the second ring.
“Something happened to Elena?” he asked, getting straight to the point.
“You mean, other than the fact that she got staked saving your life, died, and then came back a vampire?” he drawled, “Oh, yes, everything is just...tickety boo.” He paused, suddenly realising he was angry. Stefan was supposed to be the nice one, the human one - so why the hell wasn't he living up to his reputation and helping Elena through this? “We're out of blood,” he said, getting straight to the point. “I need you to pick some up for us - I'd do it myself, but I'm already on babysitting duty.” He saw Elena flinch, and regretted his words.
“I'll be a couple of hours,” said Stefan.
“We'll bake you a cake,” Damon said, before flipping his phone closed.
“My Aunt Jenna is going to be worried,” Elena said, “She'll go to Sheriff if I don't make an appearance.”
“I put your brother on lying-to-your-family duty,” Damon said. “It should be entertaining.”
Elena groaned. “Jeremy is not exactly known for his skills at dissembling.
“Where as you are a natural,” Damon said.
“It's not funny, Damon.”
“I didn't think it was,” he said. He pulled on his shirt, and watched Elena's eyes linger at the movement. That was one of the things about being new. One urge ran into another, and it became difficult to separate them out. “Oh, what a tangled web,” he said, under his breath.
Elena frowned. “What?”
Oops, note to self, Elena's hearing isn't human anymore. He gave her a long look. “Look, this is going to be messy, but your life it isn't...irretrievable. First things first, we need to find your friend Bonnie and get her to do the necessary mumbo-jumbo to create a ring for you.”
“But Stefan said-”
“Stefan said a lot of things,” Damon said shortly. “But he isn't here, so I guess we'll just have to muddle through by ourselves.” He threw his phone at her. “Call her.”
She bit her lip, but tapped in the number, and Damon watched as she waited for Bonnie to answer.
“Yes?” came Bonnie's voice. “Who is this?”
“It's Elena,” Elena said.
“Oh... right...”
There was an awkward silence, and Elena bit her lip. “I need your help,” she eventually admitted.
“Is it you that needs the help, or are you looking for help for someone else?” Damon raised an eyebrow at that. Bonnie's voice, initially cool, now took on an arctic chill. So much for BFFs forever.
“It's complicated,” Elena said, in a small voice.
“It always is,” Bonnie said, before sighing. “I'm sorry, Elena, but I can't-”
In a flash, Damon was across the room, and had the phone in his hand. “Bonnie, Damon here. Quick newsflash - saying no is not an option.”
“Don't even try to threaten me,” Bonnie said flatly.
“Oh, Bonnie, Bonnie, Bonnie, this isn't a threat,” he said. “This is a promise. Surely you know the difference?”
There was a pause. “You can't touch me,” she said eventually. “I know how to defend myself now.”
“Ah, but Bonnie, I should have thought that by now you'd have learned one of life's bittersweet lessons - that no man is an Island.”
“What are you saying?”
“You know what I'm saying,” Damon said. “Oh, and Bonnie? Bring the book.” he flipped the phone closed, only to find Elena glaring at him.
“I can't believe you did that,” Elena said. “Bonnie is my best friend.”
“Correction, she was your best friend. I think you'll find the goalposts have shifted somewhat over the last few days."
“You really don't get it, do you?” Elena said. “It's like there's some weird disconnect in your brain, that prevents you from understanding the concept of friendship and loyalty. I've known Bonnie all of my life. When my parents died, she was there for me. You can't just treat her like that. You can't threaten her family and friends.”
“Oh, I think you'll find I can treat her any way I like,” Damon said, before relenting in the face of her expression. “Relax, I'm not going to hurt her, but it was obvious she wasn't going to do what we asked by saying pretty please. And you do want to see the sun again, don't you?”
“There are better ways, Damon,” she said quietly.
Damon's mouth twisted. “But this is the most expedient one,” he said. “And we don't have a lot of wiggle room at the moment - the council are looking for Vampires, Elena. They're looking for people who don't come out before dark, and are new in town, or are suddenly acting out of character. You tick two of those three boxes. That's an attention grabber.”
“You seem very worried about-” Elena broke off, her head lifting, as the sound of the doorbell came from downstairs.
“Hold that thought,” Damon said, “I'll be back. Stay here.” he closed the door behind him, to reinforce the point, before blurring down the stairs. He picked up Anna's scent before he opened the door.
“Now is not a good time,” he said.
“Relax, I come in peace,” Anna said, leaning against the doorway as she looked over his shoulder. “You've got company?”
“Don't ask questions when you already know the answers, Anna,” he said. “It's rather boring.”
Anna smiled at him slyly. “Fee, fie, foe, fum, I smell the blood of a Gilbert turned.”
He looked at her through narrowed eyes. “Are you trying to pick a fight with me, Anna?” he asked.
“Believe it or not, I'm here to bury the hatchet.” she said, wryly, as she tried to enter the house.
“Bury it where, in my back?” Damon said, blocking her way.
Anna gave him a disbelieving look. “You're really not going to let me into your house, are you?”
“What were you expecting, tea and Parcheesi?” Damon asked. “Your merry little band of bloodsuckers kidnapped my brother, and then skewered him like a kebab. Kind of puts the kibosh on any future social engagements, don't you think?”
“Mother is very sorry about that.”
“Oh yes, I can see how she is really tore up by her complete...absence.”
“You're not going to let this go, are you?” she sighed.
“It's kind of hard to do that when you're still messing with my life,” he said, frustrated..
She frowned. “What are you talking about?”
“What am I talking about? Seriously?” Damon asked. “The town council is looking for Vampires again, Anna. The mass exodus of their hospital's blood bank supply has rung a few alarm bells. I wonder why that would be?”
“Damon, the others have gone,” she said, puzzled. “There's only Mother, Harper and I left.”
“Gone where?”
“Away,” she ground out, before taking a breath to calm herself. “Mother threw them out. She couldn't forgive them for trying to overthrow her.”
“I feel your loss,” Damon said. “Goodbye.”
Her hand rose to stop the door, before he could slam it closed. “We're trying to apologise, Damon,” she said.
“Duly noted,” he said. “Now why don't you go and find someone else to annoy?
“Fine, have it your own way,” she said, as he closed the door.
He turned to find Elena standing behind him. “Sheriff Forbes just texted you again,” she said, holding up his phone. “Something about a council issue.”
“My, aren't I popular today,” he muttered. Elena watched, arms crossed, as he dialled the number. The Sheriff didn't answer.
Elena eyed him. “What's going on, Damon?” she asked.
“That's the question I keep asking myself, over the last few days,” he muttered. He found his good mood dwindling under the events of the day. When had his life got so...so... complicated?
And then Elena touched his arm, and he remembered why.
“Are you alright?” she asked quietly.
He smiled at her. “Better than I should be,” he admitted, and she quirked an eyebrow at him. A car pulled in front of the lodge and they both turned at the noise. Damon made his way to the windows, and twitched aside a curtain.
“Elena, get upstairs,” he said.
“Who is it?” She asked.
“Your uncle and the Sheriff,” he said. “Get upstairs, I have to open the curtains.” Elena nodded and blurred up the steps. Damon blinked. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to seeing her as something other than completely human.
The bell rang, and Damon took a steadying breath.
Showtime.
PART SEVEN