Disclaimer: I don't own The Vampire Diaries. Don't sue.

A/N: Oh my! What an overwhelming response to the first chapter! You guys almost literally blew me away! I don't think I've ever gotten this many reviews on a single chapter before! I usually respond to the reviews I get and I fully intend to still do that, but I figured I'd use my time to write a bit more to this story first. Replies to your wonderful words will come later. Promise. Your kind words put a lot of pressure on me though. I'm terrified I might let you guys down and praying this won't happen. But the upside is that reviews motivate me like crazy and where I usually update every now and then, this update is faster than I've ever updated anything. So keep those reviews coming, please! Well, here's the next chapter. It's got some parts I'm satisfied with, but also some parts I don't particularly like. But this is the best it'll get, so I figured I'd upload it.

I'm sort of struggling with Damon and Elena's current relationship in this story. I personally don't really love Damon when he's trying too hard to win Elena back. I adore his vulnerable side, but I don't want him to act like a lovesick puppy, hence me literally using that word in this chapter. And I also don't like when Elena's too tough on Damon. I get it, he did something unforgivable, but I just don't like bitchy Elena, even though I do like her with an edge to her. So I'm trying to find a balance between them needing each other and acting civil since they've only got each other while they're locked up and their current strained relationship. Hopefully you'll be able to catch that in this story. It's not easy for me, I'll admit that much.

Well, enjoy! Hopefully!

-x-x-x-x-

Chapter 2:

Elena buried her face in the pillow, silently screaming inside of it, before pulling the blankets over her head. How long was this going to last? The loud rock music had now successfully given her a terrible headache and she'd started on the same page of her history book for the 37th time now. She wasn't sure if she was imagining the bed trembling under the heavy bass tones of the music or if this was actually the case. She groaned, before throwing back the blankets.

"Damon!" She yelled at the top of her lungs, even though she was well aware he'd be able to hear her too if she'd only whispered. "I'm trying to study here!"

There came no response in words, instead the music became even louder in a matter of seconds as he obviously turned it up. If she hadn't hated him before, she sure hated him now. She groaned in frustration, before throwing her book aside and lifting herself off the big bed, exiting the bedroom.

She walked down the stairs and was confronted with a dancing Damon, making his way through the hallway and living room, his shirt buttoned down and a glass of scotch in his hand. The music was nothing short of deafening this close to the radio and Elena wondered how he could stand it with his sensitive vampire hearing.

"Damon!" She yelled out again, seriously pissed off by now.

He looked up, pretending he hadn't heard her come down the stairs. He danced over to the radio and turned it down to an acceptable volume as he gave her a questioning look.

"Is there a problem?"

"Yes. I'm trying to study! What are you even doing?"

"Dancing." He shrugged, taking a sip from his scotch. "Reliving the last time I was stuck in this place. Also with a pretty girl, I might add. She was way more fun than you. Didn't end so well for her though."

"Is that a threat?" Elena asked, crossing her arms at those words.

"Well, I figured a vague disclaimer wouldn't help either one of us. I'm just saying that you could stand to be a little nicer to me, considering you're well aware of my bad temper and there's no way for you to know how much blood I have left in the fridge. My supply could be running low and I might get real hungry, real soon."

"You're not scaring me, Damon. I'm not some random girl you picked up on the streets."

"All the more reason to be a little scared, Elena. Unlike those random girls, you actually know what I'm capable of." He winked.

"You're not going to hurt me."

"The important thing is you believe that." He responded, unimpressed, turning back to the radio, ready to turn up the volume again.

"Can we just…" She started to speak up, stopping mid-sentence as Damon looked up, his hand already touching the radio.

"Yes, Elena? Can we just…?"

She sighed, dreading the words she was about to say. "Can we just call it truce? For now? We're obviously going to be stuck here for a while and we might as well as the very least be a little bit more considerate. Stay out of each other's hair?"

"Ah, that's already a lot more civil. That's all I asked for. Is there anything you want to ask me now?"

"…Could you please keep the music to an acceptable volume so I can study?"

"Absolutely." Damon replied, smirking. "Not a problem."

"Thank you." She said, before turning around and heading back up the stairs.

-x-x-x-x-

"Come on, Elena!" Damon called upstairs. "I can hear your stomach growling from down here! It's annoying! Don't be so stubborn and get your butt down here!"

She rolled over on the bed, really not in the mood for Damon's company. Yes, she was hungry, but she could still stand it. She'd just postpone the inevitable for a little bit longer.

"Elena!" Damon almost sang. "You know, I'm getting pretty hungry myself, but I'm not going to eat until you do. And when I'm hungry I get cranky. So stop putting yourself in unnecessary danger and get down here!"

She finally realized he wasn't going to give up and dragged herself out of bed. She brushed through her hair, before heading downstairs. He was waiting for her with a proud grin on his face.

"Wipe that smirk of your face." She murmured. "And what happened to calling truce? That last one was a threat right there."

"Nah. Just my teasing ways you should be used to by now." Damon shrugged.

"Has Stefan come back yet?"

"You don't think I would've told you sooner if he had?"

The twosome walked into the kitchen.

"But we need to work out a system though." He continued, turning to the refrigerator. "I'm the one downstairs who has to keep an eye on the window at all times. Am I the only one who thinks that's a little unfair? My neck's getting stiff."

"Fine." Elena responded, seating herself at the counter. "We'll switch. You'll go upstairs, I'll stay here and keep an eye on the window."

"Oh, I didn't say I wanted to go upstairs. I just said I didn't want to have to keep an eye on the window the entire time."

"Really? You were keeping an eye on the window while dancing like an idiot earlier?"

"What can I say? I'm great at multitasking." Damon shrugged. "What are you in the mood for?"

"What do you have? I haven't been here in a while."

"Yes, we established that earlier. Still curious to find out what caused your change of heart to spend the night here though. I'll make us some eggs and bacon. With a side of college girl for those interested." He decided as he got out the eggs and bacon and turned to the stove.

"There was no change of heart." Elena answered his question. "I just figured there was no reason to not spend the night here. We both know where we stand and I think we've also already established that I'm not scared of you. Can you make my eggs…"

"Scrambled." He finished for her, turning to her and smirking at her surprised look. "You might not like it, but I still know you, Elena. This is hardly the first time I've fixed you breakfast after you spend the night here. Things were a lot less tense then though."

"Well, don't you think circumstances have changed since then?" Elena asked, raising an eyebrow as she hopped off her seat and got a glass out of one of the cupboards. "You want some juice?"

"Just college girl for me, thanks."

She rolled her eyes, but got out another glass and opened the fridge nonetheless. She was a little relieved to see there were still over a dozen bags of blood stuffed in there. She hadn't lied before, she wasn't afraid of Damon, but she knew they were in trouble if he was really running out of blood.

"Which one is college girl?" She asked, sarcastically.

"There's no way of knowing. The hospital doesn't label them that thoroughly, which is a pity. They usually just stick to the blood type. But I'd like to pretend, come up with a little back story for the person I'm drinking. Just take your pick."

She made a face as she grabbed the first bag in sight.

"Don't spill it on yourself." He warned her. "I might have to lick it off you."

She recognized the teasing tone in his voice, but was seriously repulsed by his words. This disappeared quickly though as the pleasant smell of eggs and bacon filled up the kitchen. She placed the glass of blood on the table, a disgusted look on her face. A glass had been a bad idea. Something less see-through would've worked better. Damon noticed the expression on her face and stepped forward, taking the glass from the table and throwing it down like it was a shot of tequila, finishing it to the last drip.

"No need to get squeamish." He smirked, placing the empty glass back on the table.

"It's not the blood itself. I've gotten disturbingly used to that by now. It's the fact you actually drink it."

"To each their own, right?"

Elena sipped her juice (orange juice, not anything red) and nodded slowly. "I guess."

"You want toast with the eggs and bacon?"

"I'll make it." She offered, already reaching for the toaster, but Damon stopped her midway, slowly wrapping his hand around her wrist.

"I got it." He assured her.

Elena was startled by his sudden touch. For some reason touching Damon had never been easy, but it was even more difficult now, knowing they weren't in that place. She quickly retracted her arm and went back to her seat, looking down at her feet, shrugging off the uncomfortable feeling.

"Oh, come on. I can't even touch your arm anymore?"

"You haven't answered my question yet." Elena ignored his question. "Don't you think the circumstances have changed?"

"Of course the circumstances have changed. You've made that very clear in that very definite 'you've lost me forever'-way." He answered, recalling her words in an almost mocking way that irritated Elena.

"Look, Damon. I can see that you're trying. And I'm trying too. To make this go as civil as possible, but…you need to understand that if I'd had a choice in this you and I never would've been together in this kitchen eating breakfast together ever again. But I don't get a choice in it today and I'm trying to make the best of it."

"Make the best out of a bad situation." Damon nodded, repeating his own words from earlier that morning, still working on the food.

"Exactly."

"Getting through this nightmare." He continued, a little bitter.

"Don't do this. Truce, remember?" She sighed.

"Oh, I remember." Damon assured her, turning to her with the pan and carefully dividing the food over the two plates Elena had placed on the table. "You're the one who has to keep bringing up how much you don't want to be here. I got it the first time around and the second time around: I've lost you forever."

He sat down across from her and handed her a fork, immediately digging into the food. Elena contemplated his words for a second, not eating just yet. She couldn't help but feel bad. It was a completely irrational feeling, knowing she was completely entitled to feel what she was feeling, but it still wasn't easy.

"But I'm not a love-sick puppy, Elena." Damon continued as he swallowed the first bite. "I'm not being nice to you to get back in your good graces. We're done forever, I get it. So I am too, trying to make the best out of a bad situation. So don't ever confuse my being nice to you for anything else ever again. You're right: we both know where we stand and I owe it to myself. So when we get out of here, you don't have to be worried. I've tried to make this up to you and you've made it very clear that I can't, so that's it then. I'm not a love-sick puppy who's going to follow you around and grovel and beg for the rest of his life. I've tried that bit for almost a hundred and fifty years and I only realize now that I don't like it and it won't get me anything. So we're done? Fine. I'll deal. But we're still stuck here together."

Elena looked down at her plate, unsure what to say, if anything, to this.

"I'm not going to be your enemy, Elena, unless you give me reason to. Not while we're in here and not after we get out." He concluded. "Now eat your food. It'll get cold."

She swallowed, before taking her fork steady in hand and taking a bite off her food. They continued to eat in silence.

-x-x-x-x-

"He should be back by now. What's taking so long?" Elena sighed, speaking to herself from the comfy armchair she'd very conveniently placed in the hallway, facing the window.

Damon entered the hallway at her words.

"Yep. I'd have to agree. Not a good sign."

"I can't believe I'm the one who locked us in here." She spoke, shaking her head. "We might never get out."

"Way to inspire the troops, Elena."

"I never snoop! I'm just not that curious. I don't know what got into me."

"That's one of the worst excuses I've ever heard in my undead life."

Damon walked over to the door and reached out his hand.

"Don't!" She warned him, sitting up in the chair in surprise, but it was too late and the by now familiar jolt of electricity went through the house, making Damon tumble backwards.

"Just checking." He recovered. "Problems really don't ever just go away, do they?"

"You need to stop doing that. You'll fry your brain or something."

"Are you worried about me?" Damon smirked, walking back up to her.

"You're deliberately hurting yourself. That's a little masochistic, don't you think?" She shot back, throwing him a look.

"It took you this long to figure out I'm a masochist? Pining away over a woman for almost a hundred and fifty years didn't tip you off?"

"You're telling me you enjoy pain?"

"Well, pain has a way of finding me, so you get used to it. To say I enjoy it might be a bridge too far."

"You're seeking it out." Elena spoke up, nodding towards the door. "You knew fully well the spell wasn't lifted."

"I was 99 percent sure. The spell could have a time span. Who knows. I had to check." He shrugged it off.

"Well, next time poke at it with a stick or something." Elena said.

"That's not a bad idea, actually."

Elena brought her hand to her forehead, tired from just sitting around the house all day doing nothing. It was almost getting dark now and she was getting slightly worried. What was taking Stefan and Bonnie so long? Suddenly Damon was by her side, taking her arm in his hand.

"What are you doing?" She spoke up, sitting straight.

"What's that?" He asked, pointing out to her arm.

She looked down and sighed. "You act like you've never seen a bruise before."

"Does it hurt?"

"It's just a bruise, Damon. I fell pretty hard this morning."

"I remember. Does it hurt anywhere else?"

"Stop it." She ordered him, taking back her arm. "I'm fine."

"How fine?" He pried.

"Slight headache from slamming into your chest and oh yeah, the obnoxiously loud music, a little stiff and probably bruised here and there."

"Define here and there." Damon ordered back.

"What are you doing? If I was seriously hurt, I'd tell you."

"Just show me."

"I don't even know. Everything pretty much hurts the same. Why the sudden interest?"

"In case you hadn't noticed, we're locked inside here. There's no doctor or even medical supplies. I'll dare you to find a single band aid in this place. If there is something wrong, you should tell me. I'm just trying to keep you out of harm's way, because if anything were to happen, you're pretty much doomed."

"Nothing's going to happen as long as you behave. I'm sitting in a chair in a house. I'll be fine."

"You could have a concussion."

"Which I won't die from. Would you stop with the concerned look? Everything's fine!"

Damon suddenly seemed to notice something from the corner of his eye and he disappeared out of her sight within the second. Elena looked around in confusion, before noticing him standing by the window and seeing Stefan's face on the other end. She pretty much threw herself towards the window, rarely having been this excited to see her boyfriend.

"Where's the box?" Damon asked as she joined him by his side and read the sign Stefan was holding up.

Show us the box.

Elena got it from her pocket and held it up in front of the window. Suddenly Bonnie appeared next to Stefan, barely even acknowledging Damon and Elena as she investigated the box with an intense look on her face.

"Bonnie!" Elena exclaimed, obviously relieved.

Bonnie said something to Stefan who immediately started scribbling on the next piece of paper.

Step back.

Damon and Elena immediately complied, taking several steps back as they eagerly awaited Bonnie's next move. The young witch raised her arms towards the sky and, even though they couldn't hear her, obviously started chanting.

"Finally…" Damon almost growled. "I might hug her if she pulls this off."

"She'll kill you if you try." Elena answered, smiling at the anticipation of getting out of here.

"Was that a smile, Elena? Haven't seen that all day."

Her smile grew a little wider as Damon softly nudged her with his elbow.

"Too bad you're smiling at the prospect of getting the hell away from me." He added, teasingly.

"I'm smiling at the prospect of getting out of here. Don't take it personally." She offered him, giving him a quick look.

"And that's step two in the right direction." The older Salvatore smirked.

Suddenly the house started shaking, causing Elena to instinctively reach out to Damon's arm. It felt as if the house was going to fall apart as loud thunder surrounded them and flashes of light disoriented the couple. Damon pulled her back a few more steps as she practically buried her face in his shoulder, making herself as small as possible. She heard glass shattering around her.

"Now!" Bonnie's voice suddenly echoed through the house. "Don't know how long I can keep this up!"

"Elena!" Stefan yelled.

Elena opened her eyes and saw how a very clear portal had formed right in front of her.

"Go, Elena!" Damon also yelled, pushing her forward.

She almost lost her balance as she headed for the small portal, quickly regaining it as she saw how Stefan reached out his hands. She almost dove forward, locking her hands into his. Stefan started pulling her towards him as her feet dragged across the floor, the shattered glass leaving marks on her legs, but she didn't even feel it. She crawled closer to Stefan, her hands on his upper arms now, reaching for his neck, ready to throw herself around it. Then her surroundings became so bright it actually hurt her eyes, accompanied by a loud bang as she found herself flying the other way. She struggled mid-air to find Stefan's hands again, but failed. Then everything went black.

-x-x-x-x-

A/N: Oh-oh! It's not looking good for our two heroes. ;-) Please drop me a few lines to let me know how I'm doing so far. Constructive criticism is welcome too. I like learning and growing as a writer! Just please keep in mind that English isn't my first language and I'm working with what I know. Thanks in advance! I'll be back!

Steffanie