Dark Yearnings

Breaking the Ice

Elena stared at the foyer of the Salvatore house all eyes on her waiting. She was afraid to answer the door, she was afraid for her friends and for the Winchesters. What would happen if they find out the house is full of vampires, or do they already know. Stefan broke her trance by placing a hand on her shoulder and nodding toward the door. She took a deep breath and walked to the door, placed her hand on the nob and swung it open quickly. Sam and Dean were discussing something. They both stopped an stared in surprise to see her before them. She put her hands in her pockets shrugged her shoulders and smiled.

"Elena, I thought you left town?" Dean asked suspiciously. He kept a cool tone but inside he was holding back a smile and yearning to hold her. He wasn't sure why this girl he'd only spent such a brief time with was having such an effect on him. Then he thought the worst if she is in with the vampires, maybe she's a witch, and is making him feel this way. He shrugged the thought out of his mind she couldn't be. She was so sweet and gentle, and saved his life. The witches they knew were servants of hell and they weren't shy about it.

"Hi Dean, hey Sam. Yeah I did leave town but then I saw the news and I had to come back. What are you two doing here?"

"Hey Elena." Sam smiled before Dean cut him off.

"We met with the sheriff, she told us we should talk to a Stefan Salvatore about the vampires in this town and why she's protecting monsters." Elena was half relieved at the news. The brothers didn't know the Salvatores were vampires. If anyone could sway someone to trust a vampire it was Stefan. She just hoped Deans hate and Damons ego didn't make this a massacre. She opened the door to let them in. They stepped in and walked past her to meet the group inside. Elena took another deep breath and shut the door. She followed Sam and Dean into the front room of the house.

"This is Stefan Salvatore, who you came to speak to." She waved her hand toward Stefan and gave him a look. She mouthed "they don't know" to him and he nodded. Damon and Caroline saw what she said and relaxed a little.

"I'm the handsome, cunning, older brother Damon." Damon offered his hand Sam shook it politely, Dean looked a little weary toward Damon, and accepted his hand. "Drink?"

"Sure." Dean replied quickly feeling a little better about this Damon guy. He noticed Elena was nervous watching him and Damon interact. "So you're all aware of vampires in this town I assume."

"Yes, Mr. Winchester we are." Stefan answered shaking hands with Sam and Dean. They noticed he kept glancing toward Elena. It was apparent to Dean that Elena and Stefan either are or were a thing. The way they looked at each other actually made him a bit jealous. Damon seemed to feel the same way, he had a stern expression on his face that shifted instantly when ever he looked Elenas way. Apparently Dean wasn't the only person she bewitched.

"Dean is fine no need for formalities."

"I'm Caroline." Caroline smiled grabbing up Sams hand in hers. Damon rolled his eyes.

"Trying to hard." He whispered. Sam caught what Damon said and felt bad for Caroline whos smile quickly turned to a look of embarrassment. He grabbed her hand back and smiled at her.

"It's very nice to meet you Caroline, I'm Sam." Sam smiled. She was very pretty he thought, adorable even. He didn't understand why Damon would be such a jerk to her.

"Hey boys, Dean." Katherine smirked standing against the wall.

"Hey Katherine, and why are you here?" Dean asked.

"I figured you would find your way here eventually so I decided to meet you." She winked. Dean shook his head there was obviously a lot going on here he didn't understand. Atleast he and Sam were safe the windows where pouring sunlight into the house so obviously none of these people were vamps. They just all help protect them apparently.

"So Stefan, whats this amazing story you have for me about why its okay to protect monsters and why my brother and I shouldn't hunt every vamp in this town and end them?" Dean asked bluntly. Elena stiffened up a little. All eyes were on Stefan.

"Yes little brother enlighten the hunters." Damon smirked. Elena and Caroline exchanged nervous glances. Katherine smiled behind her glass of wine, waiting for the opportune moment.

"Dean, and Sam is it?" Sam nodded for Stefan to continue. "Not all vampires are monsters. Many of them are, and yes its the nature to be that way and the darkness is always deep inside. Some however want to live as normal as possible and do not kill humans to live. They hunt animals or drink from blood bags. Many of us, them rather strongly want to be human again and are plagued by their humanity. Becoming a vampire heightens all your senses, including the need for love." He glanced at Elena, she blushed and looked to the floor. Dean knew a lot of this to be true just from his short time of being a vampire. He also however remembered how he lost control at the bar, and the strength of the hunger.

"Yes, I know most of this I was a vamp for short time. The hunger was strong I lost control more than once." He glanced at Katherine who gave him a wink. "Even if these vamps aren't all monsters at heart they're still dangerous and need to be put down. They could lose control any minute."

"Many have learned to control the hunger Dean. They have lasted centuries undetected because of their ability to adapt and control themselves. You had a harder time because you were new and didn't have a vampire to help you through it." Stefan looked at him apologetically.

"Yeah I doubt having Tom Cruise come show me the ropes of vamping out would've changed the monster inside me." Dean said sarcastically. Damon laughed and refilled his drink.

"Great reference, Anne Rice is the only one who gets it. I hate the sparkling vampires." Damon toasted his drink in the air and took a swig. Dean looked at Damon confused for a moment at his candor.

"You don't understand Dean, having someone be there for you during transition and to help you and teach you the control makes the world of a difference. Ofcourse who you are before you turn is also a huge part. If you're angry, violent, and dark as a human that will only magnify as a vampire." Stefan gave Dean that concerned look again, like he felt sorry for him.

"What are you some kind of vampire Dr Phil?" Dean asked angrily. He wasn't comfortable with the way Stefan was indirectly judging him. Damon laughed at Deans comment.

"I like him." Damon smirked pointing toward Dean.

"Look Stefan you seem like a nice dude okay, but my brother and I have spent our whole lives hunting monsters and believe me we have had our share of misunderstood monsters with sad circumstances. At the end of the day they're still monsters and we put them down."

"Humans are monsters to ya know!" Caroline broke her silence angrily. "My own father tried to kill me when he found out I..." She stopped herself. Dean looked at her suspiciously. Sam gave her a concerned look. "Never mind, you're so full of yourself and set in your ways, you're just as bad as him." She said holding back a tear and crossing her arms.

"Did you like date a vampire or something? Why is this so sensitive for you?" Sam asked her genuinely concerned. He didn't want to upset her any further.

"No she didn't but I did." Elena interrupted. "Two of them actually." Sam and Dean quickly turned to face her. "They had sweet romantic sides, protected me, saved my life more than once." She glanced at Stefan and Damon who both stared at her on the verge of tears. "They had angry moments, monstrous even, but at the end of the day, they weren't monsters. They were my best friends. I've seen monsters guys, but you won't find any here. Not anymore." She held back a tear thinking back to when she was a vampire and everything she had been through with the Salvatores. Dean approached her and wiped a tear that escaped down her cheek. He turned to the rest of the room, it was obvious after her speech that the brothers in the room with him were the vampires she dated. Stefan stepped forward. Damon put his drink down and looked intently at his brother and Dean. Caroline and Katherine were both alert for what may come next.

"That's right Dean. My brother and I are vampires." There was a sudden knock at the door.