The Rose and it's Thorn|Jeremy Gilbert

Chapter 18

"Hey, Allison!" She heard the voice of Caroline. "Uh hi," Allison said as she got out of the trance. "Is everything okay?" Caroline asked her. "Yeah, yeah everything is fine I'm just really tired," Allison told her. "Well come on we have to get to class," Caroline said dragging her from where she sat. As Allison stood she caught a glimpse of Anna and Jeremy sharing a kiss. Caroline noticed something had caught Allison's eye so she turned to look as well.

"Ugh gross. Who even is she? I thought you two were together?" Caroline asked her as they looked at the new couple. "Oh no. We're just friends." Allison said. "Uh, you so like him," Caroline said with a smirk. "No! I don't. We're just friends! Come on." Allison said starting to walk away. "Whatever you say," Caroline said catching up to her.

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"How is he?" Allison asked as she got home from school. "He won't eat," Elena told her. "Hey uh, did you know Jeremy is dating Anna?" Allison asked her. "No. I didn't." Elena told her. "Oh uh cool, cool. Where's Damon?" Allison asked as she realized her older brother was nowhere to be found. "He had an errand to run apparently," Elena told her. "Huh. Okay." Allison said and sat down next to Elena. 

"Where's Stefan?" Allison asked as she saw Damon still sitting outside looking over the quarry. "Don't know. Don't care." Damon said. "Do we have to feed? I-I can't do that to a person." Allison said. "I know Alli. I can't either." Damon told her and lay his head on top of hers.

"So how was the errand?" Alli heard Elena ask bringing her back from drifting off. "Futile. Although I think I witnessed the teacher having an existential crisis. Has Stefan eaten?" Damon asked. "I thought you didn't care," Allison said. "Chalk it up to morbid curiosity," Damon said. "I think he's getting there. But he's got a lot of guilt that he has to deal with. And it doesn't help that you've spent the last 145 years punishing him for Katherine getting caught." Elena said.

"This is our fault now?" Damon asked. "No, it's no one's fault, Damon. I'm just saying you're not exactly innocent. You guys have made it your life's mission to make him miserable." Elena said. "Okay now was that my intention at first? Yes, but I've forgiven him sort of. And I've stopped all the torturing him it's Damon here." Allison said defending herself. " Now let me ask you a question. In all this important soul-searching and cleansing of the demons of Stefan's past did you ever manage to get the rest of the story?" Damon asked. "He said there was more," Elena said. "Yeah.  That's an understatement." Allison and Damon said. Damon started walking away causing Elena to get up from the couch to stop him. "Tell me," Elena said.

"What are you doing who are they?" Damon asked as Stefan appeared with two girls who were bleeding from their necks. "I brought them for you and Alli. They're gifts. Have a seat please." Stefan told the girls and they sat a little bit in front of Damon and Allison. "Stefan I don't want to," Alli said shaking her head. "What have you done Stefan?" Damon asked. "I've been to see father. He came at me. I didn't know my strength. There was blood everywhere. He was dying, and the blood was too strong. I needed it. I had to have it." Stefan said. "You fed?" Damon asked. "Yes. And it's incredible. My body is exploding with power Damon, Allison." Stefan said. "No," Alli told him.

"I can hear from far away. I can see through the darkness. I can move like it's magic. And the guilt, the pain, I can turn it off. Like a switch... Katherine was right. It's a whole other world out there Damon." Stefan told them. "Katherine is dead, Stefan. There's no world without her." Damon said as he helped Allison stand up. "You can turn that off too. You don't have to feel that pain anymore." Stefan said as he grabbed Damon causing Allison to fall. "I don't want it," Damon told Stefan. "You're weak. You both are. You'll be dead soon. You need this." Stefan said. "I can't," Allie said tearfully.  Stefan ignored her and held her up while he called one of the girls to come. "Please," Damon said but Stefan ignored him and bit into the girl's neck. Allison and Damon watched as the blood dripped from her neck. Trying their best not to give in to the temptation. "I won't let you two die," Stefan told them. "No, we can't." Damon and Allison insisted. "Don't fight it. We can do this together." Stefan said then made the other girl get up. Stefan slowly pushed Allison and Damon towards them and they eventually gave in to the temptation.

"From the moment Stefan had his first taste of human blood he's a different person. And he, he wasn't the only one." Allison said. "I suppose I should thank him, it's been a hell of a ride," Damon said. "Oh, my God, he said he wanted to die. That's why he won't feed, now I understand why but..." "His choice. If he's stupid enough to make it. So be it." Damon said interrupting Elena. "Don't do that okay? Don't pretend like you don't care." Elena said walking out of the room. "Where are you going?" Damon asked and Allison rolled her eyes stealing his drink.

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"Stefan. Damon and Allison told me the rest of the story. I thought I might find you here so I had Allison track you down just in case." Elena said as they found him. Allison had tracked him to the quarry. "I should've died that night. Just I had chosen. I should have let Damon and Allison die too." Stefan said. "But you didn't. And if you die now it's not gonna change what happened." Allison spoke up. "Every single person that's been hurt, every single life that's been lost it's because of me," Stefan said. "The night that my parents died I blew off family night so that I can go to some party. I ended up getting stranded and they had to come to pick me up. That's why we ended up in the car at Wickery Bridge and that's why they died. Our actions are what set things in motion. But we have to live with that." Elena said.

"I made a choice, Elena. And because of that choice, a lot of people were hurt." Stefan told her. "You also made a choice to stop to reject the person that the blood made you. You made a good choice Stefan." Elena said. "No. Please, please don't do that." Stefan said. "That's the person who jumped in the water to save the family whose car had driven off a bridge," Elena said walking closer to him. "Please, don't make this all okay," Stefan said. "That's the person who saved my life," Elena told him. "You don't understand, Elena," Stefan said. "Then tell me," Elena demanded.

"It hurts me, it hurts me knowing what I've done, and that pain, that pain is with me all the time and every day, I think that if I just give myself over to the blood. I can make that pain stop. And I am so terrified that one day I'm not gonna wanna fight that anymore, Elena. And the next time I hurt somebody it could be you." Stefan said. "There will be no next time," Elena said. "You don't know that," Stefan said. "Maybe I don't. But what I do know is that you could take this throw it in the quarry and let the sun rise. Or you could take this ring put it on and keep fighting. Let Allison help you." Elena said giving him his ring. "It's your choice," Elena said after kissing him.

"I forgive you. Even though you're responsible for me not being able to have a normal life. I forgive you because whether I like it or not I'm going to spend the rest of my immortal life with you. You're my brother and I love you. I forgive you." Allison told him. Stefan put his ring on and hugged his sister.  "It's going to be okay," Allison told him.
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