It took a few minutes before Elena woke up and a few hours before she started to feel thirsty. She hadn't fed enough earlier, which had only made things worse. Just the thought of blood changed her innocent, angelic face into the face of a hunter whose prey is within his reach. But there was no prey within her reach here. Or anyone else.
Elena suddenly understood how pathetic it was to lock up vampires in cells and torture them with hunger until they switch their humanity back on, or realise they did something wrong, simply until they search their conscience. But she had already realised what she had done wrong, so it was totally pointless for the protective Salvatore brothers to keep her locked here and let her starve. Pathetic, pointless and brutal, that's exactly what this was. And she didn't like it at all.
The whole forever went by, or at least its half, and finally, Damon showed up. Elena gave him a sceptical look.
'You, of all people,' she uttered. 'You, who should have understanding for this.'
'For your love for Klaus?' Damon turned his nose up in disgust.
'No. For loving someone I shouldn't love.'
'And I should have an understanding for that? Why?' frowned Damon.
'Because you love me,' Elena didn't hesitate, not even for one second. 'Although I'm your brother's girl.'
'But that's different,' he objected furiously. 'You're not a monster.'
'I am now,' breathed Elena compassionately. 'And Klaus is not such a monster everybody thinks he is. In fact, he has a sensitive soul. He let me make a free decision because he loves me. If you love me, you will do the same and let me follow my heart... out of this cell.'
'I'm not even going to think about that,' he spat out and he leant against the door behind him. 'I'm going to hold the door so that you can't get out of here.'
'Don't worry. My thirst will make me weak and then there will be no point in holding the door because I won't even be able to get up. Is that what you want? Is that what you want for a girl you love?'
Damon stared at her for a while and he shook his head abruptly. 'This is emotional blackmail. And that's what we are supposed to be doing to you, not the other way round! No blood, no Klaus, nothing for you!'
'I wouldn't have expected such manifestation of love,' said Elena disappointedly and she slid down on the ground, again looking a bit paler and weaker than a minute ago.