Cosmic Love

I came up beside Damon and Caroline on the dance floor outside. Caroline stood between Damon and I. My gaze traveled towards where theirs was and I saw Stefan and Elena dancing. “They look so cute together,” said Caroline.

“Don’t talk, please,” asked Damon.

At the same time I said, “Ew.” Surprised, Damon looked over to see me. Caroline looked just as surprised. But then a small smile appeared on Damon’s face as he looked at me and I couldn’t help but smile back. Looking back at Stefan and Elena I began to sip my drink again.

After a minute Caroline made some excuse that I didn’t really pay attention to and walked off. I try to go deaf when she talks. “So, Damon,” I said moving over towards him, “what brings you here?”

“Who doesn’t love a good party?” he asks smiling at me.

“True,” I nod. “But with you there’s always something.”

“Can we not do this now?” he asks, a hint of whining in his voice.

“If you insist. On the other hand, I’d like to properly thank you. What you did, covering up for us, it was very kind.”

“It wasn’t just for you,” he said.

“Yes, I know. You also needed to cover yourself. But knowing you, you could have found some way to only cover you. But instead you allowed it to be me also. And for that I thank you.”

“You’re welcome,” he said feeling kind of awkward for the thanks. It wasn’t something he was used to. After clearing his throat he spoke again. At that moment he turned to meet Stefan’s gaze with Elena nowhere in sight. “I’m going to find Caroline,” he said to me and then walked off.

Once he was gone Stefan appeared at my side. I felt myself flinch away from him upon reflex. Stefan gave me a confused look at my reaction. “I don’t exactly trust you now,” I said simply. I wasn’t going to play nice.

“You are nothing like Damon,” Stefan said saying his name with disgust.

“You’d be surprised,” I said before also moving away. I’m kind of surprised myself, I thought. I walked into the house and found myself surrounded by people. I could feel a slight twinge of pain as my fangs wanted to come out but I quickly suppressed the feeling.

I decided I’d get away from them for awhile and began walking up the stairs where there were less people. As I just ascended the staircase I saw Damon and Caroline walking out of a room, Damon pulling Caroline by her forearm. “It’s not stealing if it’s mine,” said Damon impatiently. “Come on.”

He stopped once he saw me and Caroline just glanced between us stupidly. For a split second his face was like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. He smoothed it over so quickly though I thought I might have imagined it. I didn’t.

He began walking again, still pulling Caroline. He was just about to pass me on the stairs when I grabbed his arm. “What’d you take?” I asked in his ear.

“None of your business,” he hissed in response and pulled himself out of my grip. Then he straightened his jacket and descended into the party with Caroline right behind him.

I turned and followed behind them, determined to get answers out of Damon. I needed answers. But as I stepped off the stairs neither of them were in sight. I set off in one direction trying to find them and guessing it’d be a place not very populated by people.

I stepped into a side dining room with dozens of candles. Bonnie was just exiting the room I was. But as soon as I stepped inside all of the candles suddenly became lit. I knew then that Bonnie was a witch. Before I had just suspected but now I was certain. I disappeared into the crowd at my back before she could see me.

After that I searched high and low for Damon but could not find him. I assumed he left and with that I also took my leave. Once I got home no one was in sight and not a sound was heard. I was also really tired so I went upstairs and after changing out of my dress just collapsed onto my bed, ready for some rest.

The next morning I walked downstairs to find Stefan sitting and reading a book. I assumed it to be for school. “Stefan,” I said getting his attention, “where’s Damon?” Stefan pressed his lips together, debating on what to tell me.

“I’ll show you,” he said and closing the book began to lead me through the house. We came to a door and then crept down some stairs into the basement. As he led me to a door I couldn’t help but gasp at what I saw.

Damon laid on the floor, unmoving and unconscious. I turned to Stefan, my face filled with horror and shock. “Stefan, what did you do?” I asked. I moved a few feet away from him.

“He needed to be stopped,” he said. “I had to do something before he killed someone else.”

“This? Stefan, this is cruel and torturous. How could you?” My outrage was obvious and apparent.

“You’re not going to let him out are you?” asked Stefan, taking a step closer to the door. I opened my mouth to say I would but then stopped. Thinking about it, I knew Damon wouldn’t be able to do anything if he was kept in there. So closing my mouth tightly, I shook my head. Before I could say anything I’d regret I turned and walked away.

For the next few days I stayed far away from Stefan and the basement. If Stefan would enter a room I would immediately get up and exit it. I spent a lot of time reading or in contemplation. In my gut I felt like what was happening to Damon was wrong. I wanted to help him and get him out for more reasons that I could understand.

I thought a lot about what happened 145 years ago. I could hear her voice even now saying, “You must wait the entire duration of the comet. After it has passed everything should be safe.” So against what I wanted I stayed in Mystic Falls. I worked my way through Damon’s storage of blood and kept watch over my shoulder.

On the third day as I came downstairs I overheard Stefan speaking to Zach. Zach usually stayed out of my way so I didn’t see or talk to him much, not that I cared. “He’s awake,” Stefan said. I felt a surge of delight go through me before I quickly suppressed it, wondering what was going on with me.

“He’s weak but it’s probably best to stay out of the basement. He’s Damon, not sure how dangerous he still might be.”

“You’re going to school?” asked Zach obviously surprised.

“I came here to live a life and it’s about time I get back to that. And Elena if she’s still speaking to me.”

“Why haven’t you called her?”

“What am I supposed to do? Feed her another lie? I hate lying to her, Zach. I’m not good at it. She already thinks I’m hiding something.”

“What other choice do you have? You came back here because you wanted to live as normal a life as you could. You knew this was going to be a part of it.” Without a response Stefan turned and walked out the one entrance to the kitchen as I turned and walked away from the other.

I slowly and silently made my way downstairs. As I came to his door I could hear Damon cough as the dryness in his throat bothered him. “Damon,” I said softly as I came to the door. He slowly turned his head to look at me and a pang of sympathy twisted my heart.

“Emma,” he said as much of a smile as he could muster on his face. “Come to rescue me?” I could hear the hopefulness in his voice.

“You know I can’t do that, Damon. I can’t let you do it.” I shook my head and I felt tears actually come to my eyes. It was pitiful seeing him in this state. He didn’t deserve this. It wasn’t right.

“Please, Emma. I’m begging you.” He shifted his desperate eyes to mine and I wanted to help him but I couldn’t.

“I can’t, Damon!” I said. “I—” Unable to say anything else I turned and fled the basement. I didn’t stop moving until I shut the door to my bedroom. Taking calming breaths I began to fill the bathtub. I didn’t know why it was affecting me this greatly. I guess it’s because that could be me. I could be next.

Forcing those thoughts out of my mind I submerged myself into the bubble bath I had created and let the warm water relax my muscles and try and soothe my mind. It was later that day that I stepped out of the house determined not to be there. I couldn’t handle knowing Damon was in the basement, hurting, more than he already has.

I came home late at night and immediately went up to my room where I got ready and went to bed. I prayed for sleep to come quickly. I tried not to think about what was going on. I tried to block it out. But it was becoming harder and harder. I didn’t know whose side to choose.

The next day I stayed home while Stefan went out to help with the school fundraising carwash. It was just Damon and I left in the house. Zach was somewhere. I didn’t really care to know.

To block out the sounds of Damon’s moans and coughs I turned a radio on in my room. I turned the sound up just to block out the sound of him. I stayed that way, reading my book with the music playing. It was the middle of the day and I was very engrossed in my book.

So I was surprised when I heard a female voice call out Damon’s name. I listened for any other sounds but didn’t hear any so I simply just turned down the music and went back to reading my book. It was a couple minutes later that I heard Zach yell, “Run!” from the basement.

Immediately I put my book down and began to make my way downstairs. I could hear the sounds of the door being rattled as I descended the stairs. Then it stopped. As I went down the hallway to the basement I saw Caroline come out of the doorway and begin to run down the hallway. Damon was quickly behind her but he slipped on the rug in his weakened state. Caroline flung open the door and ran outside. Unused to not having his ring Damon ran into the patch of sunlight and was immediately burned.

It was only then that he noticed me standing there. He gave me a cautious glance. “I won’t go back in there,” he said to me as a threat. We both knew it was empty though since he was so weak.

“I will not put you there, Damon. I couldn’t do that to you.” We looked at each other in silence wondering what to do. There was a slight expression of shock on Damon’s face.

“Blood,” said Damon, the first thought on his mind.

“I drank up your storage,” I said blushing slightly. A flash of rage traveled through Damon. “I cannot help you, Damon. But if anyone asks, I didn’t see a thing.” I turned and went back upstairs beginning in my book right where I left off.

That night Stefan came home. I could hear his footsteps run down to the basement. He stayed down there for about ten minutes before coming upstairs. As he passed my door he stopped and looked inside. He seemed confused upon seeing me there.

“Damon escaped,” he said.

“How?” I asked.

“I don’t know, but Zach’s dead. And he’s eaten a crow. He’s out there somewhere.”

“Oh,” I said and simply looked at him.

“Aren’t you going to do something? Help me look for him?” I shook my head.

“Stefan, what’s between you and your brother, I’m not going to be a part of it.” I picked up my book and began to read again. Stefan simply sighed and continued to his room.