Chapter 3: Tear the World Down

DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything from The Vampire Diaries all of the prospective characters, story-lines, and similarities are property of the respective writers. Everything else is my own original work and any similarities to any other FF's are purely coincidental. That all out of the way, PLEASE ENJOY!

A/N: Hey Everyone! After a short hiatus due to lack of internet I'm back up and running. Thank you so much for being patient with me. I will update as much as I possibly can. I have rhuematoid arthritis and it makes it very hard to write and type sometimes so please bear with me. I love you all and hope you enjoy! R&R please.

As Stefan and Elena arrived back to the boarding house, they were met by an inqusitive Damon. He casually leaned in the front dorrway as he watched Stefan walk towards him with two suitcases. "Here Damon, make yourself useful and take these upstairs" Stefan said setting the suitcases on the porch at Damon's feet. Reluctantly, muttering something under his breath about not being a fucking bellboy, Damon complied.

He reached the room and figured he'd snoop by unpacking and going through Elle's belongings, unpacking her stuff and putting it away so she felt "more at home" when she awoke, that was his cover story. As if he needed one, Damon thought and rolled his eyes. He quickly went through everything and put it all away finding nothing that particualrly caught his interest. He dashed off to his room, grabbing some fresh towels and face cloths to complete his "ruse".

He returned to the guest bedroom, neatly placing the fresh linens on the bathroom counter. For some reason beyond even his own grasp, he felt drawn to Elle, attached even, and he hadn't even laid eyes upon her yet. As a last ditch effort to be an "adequate host" Damon placed a pitcher of water and a glass on the nightside table. Stefan entered then with Elena trailing quietly behind him, carrying a very exhausted and passed out Elle.

Damon took in Elle's sleeping form, her plump pouty lips, her flowing raven hair, her black and blue bruising that seemed to be everywhere, and all of her gashes. Even in sleep as delicate as Elle looked, she wore a familiar expression on her beautiful, young face. Her life's trials and tribulations shaped into a hardened mask, one full of pain, suffering and misery, a haunted look, one that Damon knew all too well himself.

Unexplicable rage and anger boiled under Damon's skin, never faultering to show through his calm, collected demeanor. Damon had never seen anyone living look so broken and battered as she. It was then it dawned on him. Elle was who he had been searching and waiting for his entire life, living and undead. He was absolutely certain. She was made for him, his other half, the missing link to his humanity and cure to the restoration of his once pure soul.

Elena spoke drawing Damon out of his silent reverie. "Damon, let's go" she whispered motioning towards the door. He followed Elena and Stefan downstairs, delicately shutting the door as he was the last one to leave the bedroom. Damon went into the den and poured himself a glass of Scotch, taking a seat on an ottoman by the fireplace, letting the warmth radiate and seep into his body.

Elena and Stefan took a seat on the couch across from Damon. "Damon," Elena queried, " I know it may be asking a lot but I haven't eaten and Stef-." Damon had cut her off. " Sure Elena, go, eat, fetch Stefan a rabid bunny" he said jokingly, "How hard is it to keep an eye on a sleeping girl after 150 years worth of experience in self-control" he winked. Unexpectedly Damon was pulled into a hug. " Thank you, thank you, thank you" Elena exclaimed beaming at him and kissing his cheek chastely.

"You know" Damon drawled, " she'll probably be passed out all night if you and Steffy want to stay out and celebrate your engagement, make you know...loveeee" he said wiggling his eyebrows and rolling his eyes in a playful gesture causing Elena to blush. Stefan looked over Damon slowly and cautiously before replying " Your certain?" narrowing his eyes in somewhat disbelief at Damon.

"Yes, brother. Now leave before I change of mind, better yet before I have a complete change of "heart" altogether" he said matter-of-factly as he gave Stefan a short glare. With that Stefan picked up Elena and threw he over his shoulder, giving Damon a nod as he exited the boarding house.

Two minutes later Damon received a text.

From: Elena

Thanks again D, please call me if anything happens.

To: Elena

Ofcourse, D.

DPOV:

I listened intently to the seeming peacefulness of the boarding house, listening for her. I focused my hearing. Breaths rising, falling, rising, falling, rising and falling in perfect symphony. Before even thinking it I was at the entrace to the guest room, opening the door quietly so as not to disturb the sleeping girl inside.

I laid beside her on the bed being careful not to cause her to stir. For an hour I just watched her sleep, breathing in, out, and in and out again, enjoying the rhythm of her heart beating. Silently I tried to unravel this beautiful mystery that laid before me.

I know it was "wrong" but I had an insatiable need to know more, anything, everything. I rolled onto my side and placed my fingertips gently upon her purple, bruised cheek. I closed my eyes and honed my powers to focus in on her mind, then suddenly and vividly I began to watch her dreams. I couldn't put much together they were mostly flash memories of things that had happened to her in the past. Violent outbursts taken out on her, sexual abuse, a rape by a former boyfriend, tears repeatedly streaming down her pale, defeated face. Blood, lots of blood, from self inflicted cuts, done in perfect synchronicity with a sharpened razor blade in hopes of dulling the painful monotony of her everyday, abusive, shitty life.

Then her dreams went black, blank and dark. For that I was thankful. Just silent sleep, being still. I couldn't help but feel sorry for this poor girl. If there was one person in this entire existence of a universe that would understood what it was to be continually haunted by the past, it was ME.

AN: Ok all, hope you enjoyed this chapter. PLEASE, PLEASE be sweet and review XOXO. This chapter was a little too long so I'm making the second half of it a shorter, next chapter. Onto Chapter 4! :)