TVD OneShots

Death of a Doppelgänger

'If I hear the word doppelgänger one more time, I'm gonna have to learn how to spell it'
Let's pretend that everyone was at Mystic Falls this night, and there was no threat of death to the Salvatore brothers. Oh, and Alaric's normal.
Characters: the usual gang
Pairings: Bonnie/Jeremy, Caroline/Tyler, Stefan/Elena (no slash)
Warnings: Major Character Death
Summary: What if Elena was human the night Stefan saved Matt from the sinking car?

They were all at the Salvatore Boarding House, awaiting news on Elena. Bonnie and Jeremy were embracing on one couch; Caroline and Tyler had taken the other. Matt and Stefan were upstairs changing into some dry clothes and Damon was pacing, a half glass of bourbon in his hand. Alaric had opted to remain at the hospital with Elena after kicking out an irate Damon.

"I want answers! What the hell is wrong with her?" Damon had compelled three different doctors, and got nothing. Alaric came up to Damon, grabbing his arm firmly before looking at the doctor. "He's my friend, I'll handle him." That being said, Damon felt himself being dragged away from the shell shocked doctor into an empty hallway. "Rick, they aren't telling me a thing." Damon growled, fury darkening his features. "That's because you've been asking the wrong doctors. They're working on her. Go home, I'll call you if anything happens." Damon shook his head. "No, I'm waiting for her. Rick, I can't go home." He pleaded. Alaric had the decency to look pitying. "Damon... go. I promise I will call you as soon as anything happens." Damon searched Alaric's eyes, nodding when he saw sincerity shining in their depths. "Remember, if she-" his voice wavered "-dies... it's on Stefan, not you." Alaric nodded and Damon left the hospital.

Damon's phone remained stubbornly silent in his pocket, signalling that Alaric had yet to call. He assumed that was a good thing, but he couldn't help but check it every few seconds just in case. He downed the last bit of alcohol and was just about to get a refill when Matt and Stefan walked solemnly into the room. Matt had obviously been crying, but that didn't stop Damon from smashing his glass on the floor and vamp-speeding over to Matt, slamming him against the nearest wall. "Damon, no!" He heard several people yell, but he ignored them. 

"WHAT HAPPENED?" He shouted in Matt's face. Matt stuttered and tried to get out of Damon vice-like grip. "I- I dunno, I was dr-driving and then there was some-someone standing in the- the middle of the road. Damon I didn't mean to, I swear-" Damon screamed and slammed Matt against the wall again. This time, Stefan tried to pull the older vampire off, but Damon just elbowed him in the stomach. "You were driving, you should've had control! If she dies, I swear to God, YOU WILL JOIN HER!" After he said that, Stefan inhaled sharply but Damon, past the point of caring, promptly ignored him. 

"Da-Damon." Stefan said. "If you kill him and Elena d-dies, Elena would've... would've died for nothing. She told me to save Matt first, it's not his fault." Damon kept Matt pinned against the wall for a few more seconds before realising that Stefan was right. He threw Matt to the floor. "You better hope she doesn't die, or your life will become a living hell personally designed by me." Matt nodded and hurried over to sit next to Bonnie and Jeremy. Stefan, who seemed to be handling everything unusually well, laid a hand on Damon's shoulder. 

Damon look into Stefan's eyes, only to see him barely hanging on; as though his little brother was trying to distance himself from the pain of losing Elena. "She'll be fine, Damon. Don't blame Matt, Elena told me to save her first, you know what she's like. I would've saved her first if she'd let me." Damon nodded. Classic Elena- putting her friends before herself.

They sat in silence for a few more minutes before the front door opened and revealed Alaric. "Sorry I didn't call." He said slowly.
"Well? How is she?" Damon didn't miss Alaric's red-rimmed eyes. His best friend took a deep breath. "They did everything they could, but there was too much fluid in her lungs. She became hypothermic and her body shut down too quickly, they couldn't save her."
"So you're saying she's... dead?" Jeremy croaked from where he was now stood in front of the couch. Alaric nodded grimly, teeth clenched and pained etched across every inch of his face. The agony in his eyes was clear- this was real... Elena was truly gone.