BLOODLINE
xxxiii. remain together

LOW BEEPS PIERCED the ear-splitting silence of the hospital room. A steady rhythm to match the sharp lines of the nearby heart monitor. Erin truly hated the sound. It burrowed into her ears and thumped relentlessly against her skull. If she never heard the terrible sound again, it would be too soon.

     Erin poised on a chair beside the lone hospital bed in the room, legs crossed beneath her as she stared toward the form of her sister laid across the lumpy mattress. She thought the supernatural world had sapped her ability to experience true fear throughout her life. But when Elena collapsed in her arms and began to bleed profusely from her nose, Erin felt as though her heart had truly stopped.

     It took mere seconds for Jeremy to barrel back into the room, finding Erin clutching their sister as she tried to wake her up. He immediately dropped next to them, tearing his phone out to call an ambulance.

     Not the smartest plan, seeing as how Alaric was still on the loose and free to roam about with the sun no longer in the sky. But what else could they do? Damon and Stefan were away, taking care of Klaus's body, and no one else could've reached Elena in time to help. It was worth the risk.

     Erin perked up when Elena shifted on the hospital bed. Her eyes fluttered, squinting against the fluorescent lights above them. Erin tried to dim them as much as she could, but it was like the place thrived on brightness.

     When Elena fully opened her eyes, Erin dropped her legs and scooted to the edge of the chair toward the bed. "Hey," she voiced to grab her attention.

     Elena turned her head to face her with creased brows. "What happened?" she questioned, taking in her new surroundings.

     "You collapsed," Erik explained, setting her hands on the edge of the mattress. "Jer called an ambulance. There was - a lot of blood. You scared us."

     Elena's confusion remained. "Blood?"

     Erin nodded. "Yeah, some kind of nose bleed. Meredith said you're okay, though. You hit your head earlier, so you have a concussion. She thinks it might've injured a blood vessel in your nose. You'll be fine."

     The diagnosis didn't entirely make sense in Erin's mind, but she was just glad Elena was alright.

     Elena nodded, raising a hand to touch her head. An IV still attached to her arm. "I feel fine now."

     "Good, but Meredith wants to keep you overnight for observation," Erin stated in response.

     "With Alaric still out there?" Elena asked, dropping her arms back to her side.

     Before Erin could reply, the door of the room opened and Jeremy burst in. "We need to go," he exclaimed, moving toward the bed with a bag of Elena's things in hand.

     Erin's brows furrowed, watching Meredith enter behind him to stop beside the hospital bed. She reached for Elena's IV to carefully pull it from her skin and remove the leads of the heart monitor off her chest. "What's going on?"

     "Elena's not safe here," Jeremy replied as he placed Elena's clothes into the bed for her to change out of her gown. "All of the Originals are gonna try to kill her to get rid of Alaric."

     When Meredith bandaged Elena's arm, she looked to her and said, "get some rest, and stay hydrated. I'll call to check up on you tomorrow."

     Elena nodded, tossing the thin blanket aside to get dressed. "Thanks, Meredith."

     Meredith gave them a light smile, before she left and pulled the door closed behind her.

     Erin's mind still remained on Jeremy's declaration. "What do you mean the Originals? Who told you that?" she questioned her brother.

     "Damon," Jeremy told them and moved for the door. "I'll be right outside." He then left them alone.

     As much as Erin didn't want to think of the possibility, Damon was right. At least, in part. Rebekah and Kol wouldn't care about Elena's life. They would just want Alaric gone to save themselves. But Elijah, she knew he wouldn't do such a thing. Not when there were other options.

     Elena stood from the hospital bed and began to grab her clothes when Erin stood. She looked over at her and asked, "where are you going?"

     Erin headed for the door and said, "outside for a minute. I'll be right back." She exited the room, giving Jeremy the same spiel, before she strode down the hallway. When Erin found herself alone, she pulled out her phone and tapped a specific contact. She held the speaker to her ear and waited for the dial-tone to end. "Uh, hi, it's Erin. We need to talk."

__________

     "Couch," Caroline ordered, holding an arm tightly around Elena's arm as she helped her walk through the living room. Not that she needed it.

     With Damon and Stefan away for the time being, Erin and Jeremy thought it was best to enlist some help to make sure Elena remained safe. Caroline readily agreed to come back to the house, as did Matt and Tyler.

     "I'm fine. I just," Elena said with a long breath. "I want something to eat first."

     Tyler nodded. "We're on it, as soon as we make sure no one's lurking in the closets," he stated, before he set off for the lower part of the home.

     Matt did the same, climbing that stairs to search the upper level for anyone hiding inside.

     Erin guessed they forgot vampires had to be invited in, Alaric and the Originals included. Elijah was the only one of them who actually had been, and he wouldn't have kept his presence unknown.

     "Oh, our protectors," Erin voiced, stepping through the open rooms. "Do they even realize Jeremy's the one picking up food from The Grill?"

     Elena chuckled lightly. "Probably not."

     "Alright, couch. Now!" Caroline exclaimed, leading Elena toward the couch nearest to the kitchen, and snatched up a throw blanket on the way.

     Elena huffed and dropped onto the cloth cushions. "Ugh, I told you, I'm fine," she complained.

     Erin gave her sister a stern look. "And Meredith said to rest. So, you're gonna rest." Elena shifted her gaze to her as she continued, "you scared the hell out of me. You're staying on the couch."

     Elena's expression fell a bit and sighed. "Okay."

     Caroline stepped toward them, waving a blanket to place across Elena's legs. "Now, what can I get you? Do you want some tea? Maybe some vodka? Both will help you sleep."

     Elena grinned in amusement at her friend's offer.

     Erin shook her head with a grin of her own, before she said, "tea sounds good."

     Caroline glanced between them and their identical looks of teasing, bringing her to huff and sit near Elena's feet. "I know, I'm being smothering. It's what I do."

     Elena reached out to grasp her hand. "No, it's - it's nice."

     Caroline nodded, before she smiled brightly. "I'm thinking - maybe tea with vodka." They laughed, and she stood from the couch to prepare their beverages.

     Once she stepped into the kitchen, Erin kicked off her shoes and sat opposite Elena on the couch. She shifted under the blanket so they both shared it, before she swiped the television remote from the side table. "So, what do you wanna watch?"

__________

     The buzz around Elena's health scare began to fade a bit as their friends departed from their house. Caroline and Tyler were called away by their mothers for something urgent, but neither of them said what it could be. The only one who remained was Matt, and even Jeremy took a long while to show from his trip to The Grill.

     Unsurprisingly, Stefan made his appearance as the night grew later. Damon dropped him off, before he started back on the road to deal with Klaus's body. The younger Salvatore set out to prepare some food, considering Jeremy was taking so long to get home.

      "I'm being over coddled," Elena called out from where she remained on the couch. "I feel completely fine."

     Erin rested against the throw pillow at her back and replied, "enjoy it. It's the closest thing we've gotten to peace for days."

     "And you're on house arrest," Stefan proclaimed from where stood at the island counter, slicing tomatoes atop the cutting board. "You're supposed to be coddled."

     Matt walked around the kitchen table, setting plates onto their prepped placemats for their late dinner. "Wouldn't it be smarter if we just got you the hell out of town?"

     Elena looked at him with furrowed brows. "And do what? Go on the run for the rest of my life? No thank you." She grabbed the throw blanket and pulled it off her legs to bundle it up. "And I'm not an invalid. I'm done with the couch."

     "Hey," Erin objected as her sister yanked the blanket from her body, standing to put it back in the other living room. "I was using that." She huffed, pushing herself up to follow after her sister.

     Just because Elena felt fine didn't mean she was. She acted as she normally did earlier, right before she collapsed to the floor. Erin wasn't about to let her sister out of her sight.

     They were almost to the stairs when a small knock sounded from the front door. Erin moved for it, twisting the knob to pull it open. Her heart jolted the slightest bit when she spotted the person on the threshold. "You came," she voiced to them.

     Elijah Mikaelson met her stare and nodded. "I did."

     Elena shifted her gaze between them in confusion. "What's going on?" she questioned, before she glanced over her shoulder. "Stefan."

     Erin kept her attention on Elijah, even when Stefan stepped into the foyer. "Should I assume you talked to your siblings?" she asked with a raised brow.

     Elijah maintained a placid expression and said, "yes, you should. We've come to an agreement."

     "Elijah," Stefan made his presence known as he moved further into the foyer.

     Elijah looked at him with a greeting. "Hello, again."

     "What're you doing here?" Stefan inquired, stepping forward to stand closer to Elena.

     Erin sighed and turned to face him and her sister. "I called him."

     Elena snapped to her with wide eyes. "You what? Why?"

     "Because I'm not gonna let Rebekah or Kol kill you to get rid of Alaric," Erin exclaimed when their stares held one another. "And we're not running for the rest of our lives. It's time to settle this." She turned back to Elijah and said, "you can come in, you know?"

     Elijah's lips twitched up into a light grin as he stepped across the threshold and into the home. "It's polite to wait for an invitation." He looked to the others and gestured before him. "So, shall we get started?"

__________

     They all gathered around the kitchen table shortly after Elijah's arrival to set out the terms of their new deal. One that would be met with resistance, Erin was sure of,  but she wouldn't let Damon or Stefan ruin it for them. They tended to fly by the seat of their pants, and she wasn't about to let their lack of a thought process get her sister killed.

    Elijah began to explain what he and his siblings' side of the plan would entail. "All we need is to take that stake away from him. Once he's been disarmed, the weapon's in my possession, my family will scatter to the ends of the Earth, and Alaric will follow us."

     "And you'll just - run?" Stefan questioned in a skeptic tone, walking around the table to take the vacant place between Elijah and Elena.

     "We've done it before," Elijah replied. "Klaus and Rebekah spent the better part of a thousand years evading my father. What's another half century while Elena is able to live out the rest of her natural life?"

     "We've finally stopped him, Elijah," Elena countered in response. "After everything that he's done to us, I can't just let you bring him back."

     That was another part of the deal. Elijah and his siblings wanted Klaus's desiccated body. Not an unreasonable request, as long as he didn't plan to wake him once in his possession.

     Elijah met Elena's stare and said, "I give you my word, Elena. I will not revive Klaus within yours nor even within your children's lifetimes." He leaned back in his chair and adjusted the placemat before him. "Perhaps that will finally teach him some manners."

     Erin resisted the urge to snort. She highly doubted it.

    "Why should she or Erin trust you?" Matt questioned, moving to stand between Erin and Elena at the table. "All you've done is screw them over."

     Erin pressed her lips together, leaning back in her chair directly across from Elijah. Matt wasn't entirely wrong, but he also wasn't right. Elijah had only broken promises to them when it concerned his family, and in all honesty, Erin couldn't truly blame him for it. If the need came for her to do something similar for Elena and Jeremy, she would do it without a shred of hesitation.

     Elijah's expression faltered some as he glanced from Elena to Erin. "And for that, I am deeply ashamed. But know this - Elena could've been dead the instant I walked through that door tonight." He shifted his attention to her. "So Elena, I leave it to you to make the decision whether to trust me or not."

     "Not! Hello? Did that concussion give you brain damage? His lunatic siblings will kill you the first chance they get," Damon's voice cut through Stefan's phone placed on the table.

     Elena and Stefan wanted to include Damon in the conversation, while Erin through this addition would be anything but productive. It seemed she was right.

     "Rebekah and Kol will honor the terms, if you return Klaus's body to us," Elijah stressed in a sincere tone. "Elena will come to no harm."

     Erin looked to Elena, catching her gaze, before her sister turned to Stefan. She was also skeptical. Erin didn't see why. It was a straightforward exchange. Klaus's body for Elena's safety. The deal couldn't get much better than that.

     Elijah glanced over then and inquired, "do we have a deal?"

     "No! No, no, no, no! Did I mention no?" Damon exclaimed through the call.

     Erin sighed at that. "Damon, shut up."

     "You don't get to talk, Erin," Damon retorted. "I'm sick of your idiotic side deals with Elijah."

     Erin paused when all eyes fell in her direction. Her cheeks burned as she dropped her stare to the table. Elena and Stefan weren't supposed to know about that. Now they would ask questions she didn't want to answer.

     Sometimes, she hated Damon.

     Stefan set his attention back to Elena. "It's up to you."

     "Oh, come on!" Damon shouted, but everyone decided to ignore him.

     Elena lowered her hand from it propped up her chin and looked toward the Original. "Why do you want Klaus's body?"

     Elijah met her eyes and said, "he's my brother. We remain together."

     Erin watched her sister roll through her internal debate, before she sighed heavily and replied, "we have a deal."

__________

     An eerie calm settled over the Gilbert household later into the night. Their plan of action ensued, prompting many involved in their world to participate.

     According to their new deal with Elijah, the White Oak stake needed to be taken from Alaric and handed over to him. Which wouldn't have been a massive problem, if the man wasn't an invincible Original vampire. It took Damon, Stefan, and Klaus to subdue him earlier in the day, and even then they failed to put him down.

     But after Jeremy lied about where Klaus's body was hidden, acting as though he was on Alaric's side, they hoped to catch him off guard. Time would tell if they actually succeeded.

     Erin perched on Elena's bed, resting against the headboard with her phone held between her hands. Her worry rose as she waited for word of how their plan transpired. Any minute now, she could receive a text that they were able to get the stake away from Alaric. Or, she would learn the alter-ego killed them all.

     The end result could go either way, and Erin hated that.

     Elena sat next to her on the bed, sipping on a mug of tea gifted to her by Matt. He promised to return with Erin's soon. She took another drink and then turned to  voice, "so, uh, what did Damon mean earlier when he said you made side deals with Elijah?"

     Erin released a long breath, leaning her head back against the board for a moment. She knew that would come back to bite her as soon as the words escaped Damon's mouth. Wishful thinking wanted her to believe would wait at least a day. Apparently not.

     Erin raised her head back up, placing her phone into her singular pocket as she met her expectant gaze. "Before I say this, I want you to promise not to get mad at me," she exclaimed.

     Elena's brows furrowed. "Now I'm worried. What'd you do?" she questioned.

     Erin pressed her lips together. She guessed it was now or never. "Back when Esther linked the Originals together, I may have warned Elijah," she said with a light wince.

     Elena sighed. "Erin..."

     "There's more," Erin interjected, causing her sister to tighten her grip on the mug. "I made Elijah promise to leave you out of being his leverage against Damon and Stefan, and," she took a deep breath, dropping her eyes to her lap, "I - I agreed to play hostage. I wasn't in any danger."

     A beat of silence passed between them. Erin's heart thudded rapidly inside her chest.

     That was it. The moment of truth. She would learn whether or not her sister hated what she had done. Hated her for the part she played in what happened to Bonnie's mother.

     "Why didn't you tell me?" Elena was all that she asked after the tense air fell between them.

     "Because I - I thought you'd hate me," Erin stated, keeping her stare in her lap. More specifically, her chipped nail-polish from the horrid Decade Dance. She really needed to take it off.

     "Why would I..." Elena paused when her thoughts caught up to her. "Bonnie's mom. You think what happened to her was your fault?"

     Erin shrugged. "Not really. Not anymore. But I just - I knew everyone else would."

     That realization alone was enough for her to keep the knowledge a secret. Even Damon believed it should stay between them. She wasn't about to say something and risk losing anyone else in her life.

     "No, they wouldn't," Elena argued, reaching out to shove at Erin's arm. "Hey, look at me."

     Erin sighed, slowly lifting her head to meet her sister's pointed stare. She braced for what she had to say next.

     "Everyone would see that it wasn't your fault," Elena stated in what Erin perceived as a sincere manner. She was on the other side of it enough in her life to recognize it. "You did what you had to do to stay alive, to save me. If anyone's to blame it's Esther. Not you."

     A wave of relief washed over Erin. Over the last few weeks, she didn't realize just how much she needed to hear that from Elena. Damon's reassurance was enough to snap her out of a guilt-riddled depressive episode, but doubt still clung to the back of her mind. But if Ekena didn't think she was at fault, then maybe she truly wasn't.

     Erin blinked away the bout of tears that threatened to form. She smiled as she continued to hold her sister's gaze. "I really needed to hear that."

     Elena gave her a smile of her own. "What're twins for?" she quipped, bringing them both to laugh with each other.

__________

     Rocking greeted Erin when her eyes fluttered open. A bump and shake as her body shifted against its will. The movement forced her to pry her eyes apart, wider and fully aware of her new surroundings.

     Erin could've sworn she fell asleep in Elena's bed. How in the hell did she end up in the cab of Matt's truck?

     "What's going on?"

     Erin snapped to her right side to find Elena next to her on the bench seat of the vehicle. Her brows were furrowed as she glanced around at the rectangular space. She also didn't know how they found themselves there.

     "It's the only way I was gonna get you guys in this truck," Matt stated from where he sat behind the wheel, driving them down a darkened two-lane road. A road that led out of Mystic Falls.

     Erin couldn't understand how he managed to get both of them unconscious to move them until it hit her. "The tea you made," she thought aloud, whirling in the middle seat to face him. "You drugged us? Matt!"

     "I'm sorry, Erin," Matt replied, but he didn't seem all that sincere. "But Elena's right, okay? You guys don't have any parents to tell you what's right and wrong. You've got me and Jeremy and a bunch of vampires fighting a war you shouldn't be in the middle of."

     Erin gaped at him. "She was talking about not having our mom here to tell us what to do about boys, not how to live our lives," she retorted.

     "What the hell is going on, Matt?" Elena exclaimed, pushing herself up further in the seat.

     Matt kept his stare on the road ahead of them and said, "I'm getting you guys out of town. It's the only way to keep you safe."

     Erin simply blinked. "Safe? We were safe at home."

     Did Matt and Jeremy really think their plan through? What were they going to do when they eventually got Erin and Elena out of town? They had nowhere to go. Damon and Stefan wouldn't just let them skip town and not try to look for them, and Caroline would tear the world apart for the mere fact she wasn't informed.

     And what were they supposed to be kept safe from? Erin helped cultivate a deal with the Originals. Once they were in possession of the White Oak stake, Alaric would chase them around the world until the end of time. She nor Elena were in any active danger.

     Erin scoffed, leaning back against the seat. Jeremy and Matt certainly jumped the gun a little bit.

     After a few moments, Matt's phone began to run. He pulled it out of his jean pocket to answer the incoming call. "Yeah, Jeremy?"

     Erin could hear her brother's voice loud and clear in the quiet cab. And what he said next made her blood run cold.

     "We were too late. Alaric found out where Damon took Klaus's body."

     Matt's brows creased, holding the phone to his ear with one hand while the other kept the truck steady in the road. "What're you saying?" he asked in return.

     "He's dead. Alaric killed him," Jeremy told him. "So, um, tell my sisters, okay?"

     Matt swallowed hard and replied, "yeah. Got it, Jer." He lowered the phone, ending the call between them.

     The air had been knocked out of Erin's chest. She couldn't breathe. Her heart burned as tears spring into her eyes. Klaus was dead. He was dead, meaning his entire sireline would die with him. That Caroline and Tyler and Damon and Stefan would die.

     They were all going to die.

     "We have to go back," Elena exclaimed, shifting in her seat toward their friend. "Listen to me Matt. If Klaus is the one that turned their bloodline, they're all gonna die." Matt didn't move or speak. She shouted, "we have to go back, Matt!"

     "Elena," Matt started, prompting her to snap.

     "What?"

     Matt glanced toward her and said, "Damon's not with them."

     Erin turned to him, trying her hardest to kept her breaths even and tears from falling from her eyes. "What?"

     "He's a hundred miles out of town," Matt reminded them. "I can keep driving to him, or I can turn around and go back to Stefan."

__________

     They were still a few miles from the border of Mystic Falls when Caroline called. Elena wanted them to turn around and head back home. She wanted Erin and Matt to be able to say their goodbyes to Caroline and Tyler. But she also wanted to spend the last moments she could with Stefan.

     Erin hated herself for it, but she agreed. Over the past year, she grew to care for Damon as one of her best friends. Their friendship crept up on her without her really realizing it, but she wouldn't change it for anything. So to leave him to die alone, it nearly broke her in two.

     Even still, there were more people that were about to die. Erin nor Elena could be selfish. Matt deserved to see his friends before they met their end.

     But as more tears welled in Elena's eyes, Erin just knew that they were too late.

     "You, too, Care," Elena said as she ended the call with Caroline.

     "What now?" Matt questioned, forcing the truck to keep heading toward their hometown.

     Elena sniffed, lowering her phone to her lap. "It's Tyler. He, um - he's..."

     Erin couldn't stop her own tears as they trailed down her cheeks. Tyler was dead.

     Matt shook his head and shouted, "damnit!" He punched at the steering wheel again and again as he cried. "Damnit, damnit, damnit!"

     Erin choked back a son and reached out to set her hand on his arm. "Matt, Matt, Matt, stop!" she pleaded with him.

     Matt calmed, dropping his arm with glistening eyes. "This isn't how our lives were supposed to be."

     Elena pressed her lips together and nodded. "I know."

     Another ringtone broke through the air, drawing Erin's attention to her hoodie. She reached into the pocket and pulled out her phone, finding a surprising name on the screen. She sniffed, sliding her thumb on the glass to answer. "Thought you would've run for the hills by now."

     "Not quite yet," Elijah replied through the other side of the call. "I wanted to let you know that your friends are alright. They're alive."

     Erin paused at that. She knew Caroline wasn't dead, considering her brief conversation with Elena, but Tyler was. Elijah must not have known. "Thank you for telling me, but - uh, Tyler's dead. Caroline just called. I guess Klaus wasn't their sire after all."

     Elijah stayed silent for a moment, before he replied, "I'm so sorry, Erin."

     Erin cleared her throat and reached up to wipe at her nose. "Yeah. I am, too. Klaus wasn't my favorite person in the world, but he was still your brother," she told him.

     "It is a pain I will carry with me until the end of time," Elijah stated in a low tone.

     Erin's lips pursed and she scanned the road before them. They weren't far from Mystic Falls. "We're about to come up on Wickery Bridge. Could you, um, let everyone know?" she asked.

     "I will," Elijah answered. "Stay safe, Erin."

     "You, too, Elijah." Erin lowered her phone to end the call, sighing heavily as she turned to her sister. "Elijah said everyone else is fine. It's just Tyler who..." her words trailed off. She couldn't bring herself to say it aloud.

     Elena scrambled to lift her phone, but she groaned and dropped it back to her lap. "I need to call Stefan, but my phone's dying."

     "Here," Erin said and raised her phone to hand it over, but she paused when the screen faded and a white wheel appeared. A second later, it vanished and a black screen remained. "And, mine just died."

     "Use mine," Matt offered, pulling his phone out of his pocket to pass off to Erin.

     When her hand enclosed around the device, Erin turned to give it to Elena until something caught her attention. A figure in the middle of the road.

     "Matt, look out!"

     Matt whipped back toward the windshield, slamming his foot in the break and yanking the wheel to the side.

     Erin screamed as the truck veered to the side, smashing into the guardrail of Wickery Bridge. Her stomach lurched when a weightless feeling overtook her body. Matt's truck sailed over the side, hurting through the air and plummeted toward the water below.

     A sharp breath escaped Erin, before the truck hit the surface and her consciousness was swallowed whole.

__________

     Beep. Beep. Beep. Erin despised the piercing rhythm. It burrowed into her ears and thumped relentlessly against her skull. If she never heard the terrible sound again, it would be too soon.

     Wait. Hadn't she already thought that before? Hours earlier when Elena had been rushed to the hospital. But they already fled the place. So why had she started to hear it again?

     Erin pried her eyes open, wincing as a brightness flooded her vision. She blinked, giving her time to adjust to the new space. Her confusion grew as she took in the stark white walls, the tiled ceiling, and the blind-covered windows across from her bed. A bed with a round footboard and a thin blue blanket.

     Why was she in a hospital room?

     Erin snapped to the side when movement caught her attention. Tears began to gather in her eyes at the sight of him. "You're alive," she voiced, ignoring the way her throat burned and caused her to sound as if the thing had been rubbed raw.

     Damon perched in the nearby chair, leaning forward with a forced grin on his lips. "So are you," he replied in what should've been a jestful quip, but it came out strained.

     What did that mean? Erin went to question exactly that, but a scene flashed in her mind. A dark road. A figure. Wickery Bridge. A weightless feeling. Then cold.

     They drove off the bridge. They. Elena and Matt.

     Erin tried to push herself up, but her hand pitched from the IV and the oxygen tubes placed in her nose caught in the edge of the bed. She didn't care and reached up to rip the plastic thing away.

     "Whoa, hey. Slow down," Damon exclaimed as he moved from the chair to drop into the side of the bed.

     "Elena, Matt," Erin countered, pushing at his hands that tried to keep her back against the bed. "Where are they? Are they okay? What happened?"

     "Hey, calm down. I'll tell you, just lay down." Damon kept a firm grip on her arms and held her in place.

     Erin huffed, feeling drained from that small movement alone. She sighed and fell back against the stiff pillow behind her head. "Where are they?" she stressed.

     Damon sighed and let her go. "The quarterback's fine. Sleeping down the hall," he practically hissed out.

     A bit of relief lifted from her shoulders until Erin noticed his fallen expression. "Damon, where's Elena?"

     Damon reached out and took her hand in his. "When you and Jeremy brought Elena here earlier, Meredith lied to you guys. She didn't have a concussion. It was worse than that," he explained.

     Erin's heart rate increased, despite her entire body feeling as though it had been plunged in ice. And in reality, it sort of had. She began to shake as she asked, "what're you talking about?"

     Deep down, Erin knew. She figured out what happened the moment the last word left his lips, but she needed to hear it out loud. She needed him to say it.

     Damon met her eyes and continued, "it was something about a hemorrhage. Her brain was bleeding, so Meredith helped her - by giving her vampire blood."

     Erin didn't want it to be true. No, it couldn't have been. Something like that wasn't supposed to happen. But by the way Damon seemed to fold in on himself, she knew, without a doubt, that it was. And her heart sank.

     "Elena's in transition."

<May 3, 2022>

And we're off! Here comes the third and final part of this book. But don't worry, there will be a sequel.

I have so many plans for Season 4, and I really hope you guys like them. Some will probably be a little controversial, but that's basically one of Erin's character traits at this point.

Don't forget to vote and comment.

- Jordan

P.S. Unedited chapter.