The Beginning | Damon Salvatore #1

Chapter 12

Before too many people could ask questions about what exactly Alex did for Sheriff Forbes, she late discovered, Damon had rushed her out of the house and into his car. She could faintly see Sam and Dean get into their car ready follow her and Damon. Her hands wrung in her lap as she stared out the window, feeling tears in her eyes for no reason at all really. She didn't see Damon's frantic, concerned glances.

They pulled into the driveway of the boarding house and she sat still while Damon got out and whipped around faster than she thought possible to open her door. She felt herself shaking and couldn't hear Damon ask if she could walk. Before she knew it, he had hoisted her in his arms and was carrying her toward the door. She heard the sound of car doors shutting behind them, but she only looked up at the jawline of the vampire carrying her into the house, unable to really move.

"Is she okay?" A voice came behind them along with the patter of feet running. It was Dean. Damon didn't answer until he had her laid on the couch; he ran a hand over her hair and whipped around to Sam and Dean.

"Does she look okay, Dean?" Damon said condescendingly. He rolled his eyes as Dean clenched his jaw. "Why are you here anyway?"

"I thought she was in danger," he grumbled, brows furrowed and jaw tight. Damon threw up his hands and shook his head.

"From what? A freakin' angel in her dreams?" Damon went on.

"From you!" Dean yelled, making Damon step forward. Sam stepped closer, thinking he was going to hurt his brother, but Damon was more serious than he'd been in a long time.

"I would never hurt her," he spat at Dean, eyes wide.

"Alright, alright, alright, guys," Stefan's voice came in through the door with Elena close behind him. Elena ran right to Alex, who was now sat up, hugging herself. Damon turned around to face her and knelt at her knees as Elena rubbed her shoulder. Tears were streaking down her face and her hair had halfway fallen, but she was still perfect.

"It's okay," Elena shushed her, nearly crying herself. Damon rested his hand on her knee, making her look up at him. Before he could say anything, she wrapped her arms around his neck and sobbed. He slowly closed his arms around her and breathed her in. She was warm and innocent and fragile and, apparently, had secret powers that let her bring people back from the dead. He glanced over at Dean and Stefan, the former having pain in his eyes as he watched them. She sobbed harder and harder it seemed the longer he held her. Elena sniffed and smiled at them, he saw, but he ignored her as he lightly rubbed Alex's back to soothe her.

"It's okay, Alex," he whispered. "You're safe, I promise." She leaned back away from him, leaning up against the couch but somehow in his lap. His eyes were filled with concern and hers were stained with mascara-moving tears.

"I brought her back to life," she whispered, trying to make herself believe it or try to figure out how it even happened. He nodded slowly, making her shake her head. "How?"

"I don't know," he said, moving his hand to her shoulder. Dean looked away from them; he couldn't understand how they were so close after such little time, but he was trying not to think about how it happened, if the vampire had done something to her.

Alex looked over at him right as he looked away; he'd always been there for her and now look, he couldn't even look at her. She'd done something that she didn't think was possible and it wasn't even because of her and she knew that in her soul now as she sat in Damon's lap on the floor with a concerned Elena's hand on her back and Damon's lightly rubbing her bare skin next to the strap of her dress. She fought the chills it brought.

"We'll go," Sam said, making her look at him. She wanted them to stay, but what good would it do? They weren't going to comfortably live in a house full of vampires without wanting to kill all of them. "We'll come back tomorrow to check on you, Alex. Call us if you need us."

Sam turned away and walked toward the door, but Dean had finally looked back at Alex as she sat there, the vampires touching her skin. He was about to explode.

"Dean," Sam said from the door. Dean blinked and turned to walk to the door. The door slammed and Dean was gone without a word. She frowned until she turned her head back to Damon.

"Come on," he said. "Let's get you to bed, and we can talk about it more tomorrow, okay?" His voice was tender and calmed her more than she'd been in a long time. Damon hoisted her up and was in the bedroom before she could blink, Elena right behind him, ready to help her get unready. He smiled as he sat her down on the bed, but turned to Elena. They gave a mutual nod and he was gone, too, leaving her with Elena. She raised her brows at her.

"Looks like you have some decisions to make," Elena said, smiling. Alex's face flushed and the pit in her stomach was lightened some, but she couldn't help but know that Elena was right. She had at least one decision to make, but she couldn't make it until she made another one, one that involved Elias.