"Do you not understand the situation? She never wanted to be a vampire! She told me that when YOU gave her YOUR blood!" Stefan was shouting.
Elena had woken up in the morgue 3 hours ago. Everything was different. She felt different in a way she couldn't describe. The last thing she remembered was being trapped under water with Matt. She had made Stefan save him instead. There was no confusing that burning feeling in her lungs. She knew she was drowning and then everything went black. Until that cold metal slab anyway.
Stefan was sitting to her right with tears in his eyes. He looked down as she gasped and gave a tight lipped smile yet didn't say a word.
"She's in transition" the statement made in awe came from her left. Damon was in the doorway staring at her. Slowly, a smile spread to his face. "Thank god, Elena" and he hurried over to embrace her.
It had been so confusing at the time. It was impossible right? Maybe someone had given her CPR and she'd just been unconscious. But that didn't explain the morgue part.
Cuddled in his arms, against his leather jacket, it began to seep in. Damon thought she was in transition. Stefan looked like someone had just died. That meant he thought so too. But why would they think that?
"T-transition?" the word was a little slurred but they got the point.
Damon eased away and put his hands on her shoulders. "When you came in earlier... you were worse off than Meredith said. She had to give you vampire blood. So when you drowned," Damon gave Stefan and angry glance, "you started transitioning".
He was looking deep into her eyes trying to see what she was thinking but Elena couldn't say anything except "Take me home".
So that's what they did. Sensing she didn't want to talk, Stefan and Damon helped her out of the hospital and drove her back to the house where Jeremy was flipping out.
"How the hell did this happen?! Elena are you okay?!..." the rest of his words were lost to her. She needed to go upstairs and just think. Maybe sleep a little. The guys quieted him down and she vaguely heard them explaining that she was in shock and needed space. That was an understatement.
Elena climbed the stairs, opened the door to her room, trudged across the floor and slunk onto her bed. She stared at the ceiling just thinking. What did this mean? What was she going to do about it? How will this change her life? How did Caroline handle it all?
After what seemed like forever, Elena walked downstairs silently. She heard a conversation in the cozinha and wanted to listen without being noticed so with soundless steps she approached and stopped just in the shadow of the door frame. She couldn't believe how quiet she was.
"Well now MEREDITH gave her MY blood and I understand the situation perfectly. She's already turning so she doesn't really have a choice now does she?" Damon spatted back. Elena barely suppressed a gasp. So it was Damon's blood!
"She does have a choice". Stefan sounded solemn.
A short silence and then "You have got to be kidding me!" Damon sounded furious. "There is no way I'm letting that happen brother. No way."
"Wha-?" Jeremy tried to chime in.
"It's not really up to you."
"So what? You'd let her die? Like you let me die when I wanted to? Right." Damon sneered. "No, she has a new life and we'd all be incredibly stupid not to be grateful for that including her".
"You can't force her to live, Damon!"
"He won't have to", Elena interrupts. "Because he's right. And I am grateful... but I also need to learn."
The brothers exchanged glances yet formed different expressions. Damon's was one of pleasant relief but Stefan didn't look as happy.
"Are you sure, Elena?" Stefan looked concerned.
Jeremy finally butted in. "Why would you even ask her that? You think what? That she would hate being a vampire so bad that she would want to die?"
"It's mais complica-"
"Don't give me that 'I'm much older than you kid, it's complicated' crap. Vampire Elena is better than no Elena." Jeremy was pretty puffed up. He looked as though he wanted nothing mais than to hit stefan. Damon frequented that look as well.
Stefan nodded and looked back to Elena. "Alright. So, where do you want to start?"
In response she walked over to Damon and looked him in the eyes. "For starters, I'd like to know how to drink with control", emphasizing the last word, causing Damon to stare back with that 'eye thing he does'...

To Be Continued...