A/N: Hi guys! I know you're all mad at me. I was going to update Friday night, but the power in my apartment died. It took us a while but, we were able to get it back…Damn those wires…

Anyways, I am updating tonight, and I've made this chapter SUPER long to make it up to you guys.

Thanks so much for your reviews. I hope I didn't scare you guys too much with that scene with Damon. I actually based that scene with a dream I had a few nights ago, and I thought that it would be perfect to incorporate it into the story.

I want to give some shout outs to some awesome readers!

midnightwings96: OMG! I am a huge fan too! I grew up watching all those shows: Teen Titans, Justice League, Batman, Superman, etc. I loved Harley Quinn. She and Joker make a great couple!

KatelynRose: I hope this was quick enough for you lol! I didn't get to update on Tuesday because I was studying for my physics regents.

Rjjoupa: Thanks for your reviews! I just wanted to tell you, I have great friend named Michelle, just like you, and I think that's awesome! LOL. Bye the way, I love the Miami Zombie and bath salts jokes you made. hilarious!

02melanienie: J'espère que je n'ai pas vous effrayer trop! Je suis content que tu as aimé le dernier chapitre. J'espère que vous aimez celui-ci.

LokYa: Thanks for reading lol. I am so glad you like it so far. Thanks for your reviews. And trust me; you're right: Damon will not go down without a fight.

So guys, I only have one more regent to worry about: Math. Shudder** I hate math with a passion… Anyways, I should be able to update soon, probably within the week.

I have been VERY excited about this chapter for a while. Please let me know what you think. We got 111 reviews! You are all amazing! I know I say that a lot, but that's cuz I mean it lol. Let's see if we can reach 125? Maybe more…remember: more reviews, faster updates!

Chapter 6: Someone Should Have Warned You…

"I have long stopped asking why the mad do mad things. Why, you ask? Because I learned that lesson the hard way…"

Jeremy held the picture in his hands, studying it carefully. His eyebrows were scrunched together as his brain worked in full speed, focusing on the picture. He looks up at Elena. "He looks familiar," he muttered.

Elena shook her head slowly, staring at the floor. "No, you've never seen him before. Trust me."

Jeremy silently disagreed. The man in the picture in his hands looked very familiar… "Lena, what's name again?"

Caroline giggled. "Damon Salvatore. His name is Damon Salvatore. Doesn't it sound hot?" She settled back into Elena's office couch, closing her eyes and sighing.

"Is he your patient?" Jeremy asked, shifting his position on the couch beside Caroline.

Elena opened her mouth to answer, but was interrupted by Caroline. "Nope, not anymore, anyway! Apparently, Elena here doesn't appreciate when she's given a hot assignment!" Caroline crossed her legs. "It's too bad, too. He's a real looker! If I wasn't with Tyler, I would totally-"

"Caroline, shut up!" Elena exclaimed.

A grin swept across Caroline's face as she started to play with her hair. "It's true, and you know it!" She glanced at Jeremy. "Why do you say that? You've seen him before?"

Elena shook her head once again. "It's impossible. You probably have seen him in newspapers, or on the internet."

Jeremy shook his head. "No…I've seen him before. I'm almost sure of it." After a few more moments, he gave it back to Elena. "Anyways, why are you handing in the case? You've never done that before."

Caroline raised her eyebrows. "Well, it seems she likes to give up on hot men."

Elena ignored Caroline's comment. "Alaric's been watching my sessions with him. He doubts me, and what I'm capable of. Instead of letting it progress, I'd rather throw in the towel and move on." She flinched saying those words. She could only feel guilt as she remembered Damon that night, and how upset he'd been. She hadn't been able to sleep well since then.

Jeremy stood up. "Well, I know for sure that Alaric wouldn't do something unless it had meaning behind it. He loves you, Lena." He stretched and grabbed his keys from Elena's desk. "Well, I should be heading out. I'm meeting up with Anna at The Grill for our lunch date."

Elena smiled. "Tell her I said hi."

Caroline sat up. "How are you two lovebirds, anyway?"

Jeremy slightly blushed. "Well, everything's amazing! She's amazing."

Caroline giggled. "That's cute!"

He rolled his eyes. "Alright, I'm gone. Bye."

Elena smiled. "Thanks for the drive. I'll see you soon."

Jeremy closed the door behind him, leaving the two girls alone.

Caroline looked back at Elena, who sat in her chair, staring at the picture in her hands.

Their entire conversation replayed over and over in her head…

"Umm…they're giving your case to another doctor," she purposely spoke faster. She had never felt so nervous in her life. "His name is Dr. Jameson. He's very good-"

"No," he harshly spat out at her, shaking his head insistently. "I don't want him. I want you."

"Damon," she insisted. She tried to hide the way her face flushed when she said his name. It was meant to calm him down, but it came out sounding like a caress.

He, thankfully, didn't notice. "I don't give a shit about who he is or how good he is. I don't want anyone. I only want you as my doctor."

"Damon, you don't have choice!" she insisted.

He began to pace around the room anxiously. "Why are you doing this? Did I do something? Was it something I said? Was it because I didn't like your present?"

She'd never forget his face, his movements. He acted like a child; he didn't bothering keeping his cool, like he usually did. He, then and there, admitted that he was attached to her, for some odd reason. It destroyed her, knowing that she had caused him that much pain.

Caroline frowned. "Elena, are you alright?"

Elena narrowed her eyes back at Caroline. "Yes. Why?"

Caroline cocked her head to the side and glared at her carefully. "You dazed out for a moment. What's on your mind?"

Elena pursed her lips. "Umm…promise you won't be mad?"

Caroline scrunched her eyebrows. "What did you do? Steal a lollipop from the candy store?"

Elena shook her head. "Umm…I told Damon…" she said slowly.

Caroline cocked her head to the side and glanced at the floor. "What do you mean? Told him what?"

"I went to his cell that night and told him…that he was being reassigned."

Caroline's eyebrows rose as she straightened her posture. "What?" she exclaimed. "You told him? You're not supposed to do that, Lena! What were you thinking?"

Elena rolled her eyes. "Oh, Caroline, don't you dare judge me! Since when do you ever follow the rules?"

Caroline raised her eyebrows again and stifled a giggle. "Touché! You got me there! But seriously, Elena, tell me everything. What happened? Why did you tell him? How did he take it?"

Elena pursed her lips and looked away. "He…blew up at me. He was upset. He started to throw things around and bang on the walls, screaming…it was bizarre." She looked back at Caroline. "Care, I feel horrible. You should have seen him."

Caroline leaned over the desk and grabbed Elena's hand, trying to comfort her. "Lena…I understand why you gave up the case. Alaric was overdoing it. But you were the first doctor to ever give Damon a chance. Now, I know he's crazy and I agree that he's where he should be…but he's already being his punished for what he's done. He's on death row! It can get any worse." She paused and looked at their hands on the desk. "I honestly think that you shouldn't have given up...on him. He needs you."

"And I need him," Elena heard a voice in her head whisper. Her eyes became wide at her sudden thoughts. Where the hell did that come from? Elena shook her head softly. "Well, I can't do anything about it now. He's Jameson's patient now. Besides, they're meeting today in about 15 minutes," she sighs, glancing at the clock.

Caroline sat back into the couch and grinned at Elena. "Well, let's go visit them!"

Elena's eyebrows furrowed. She knew that Caroline met by "visit". "What? No, we can't do that! That's doing the same thing Alaric did to me!"

Caroline nodded her head and folded her arms across her chest. "Yes, and I bet that he won't do it to Jameson. Only to you."

Elena frowned. "Damn…I guess you're right."

Caroline grinned at her victory. "So you want to go?"

Elena pursed her lips and glanced at Damon's file photo. It was amazing how haunting his eyes were, even in a picture. She nodded. "Fine. Let's go."

DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE

Caroline walked down the hallway, trying her best not to make too much noise with her heels. She looked back at Elena and whispered "Now I know why you hate wearing heels to work!"

Elena held back a giggle. "Are they in the room yet?"

Caroline slowly walked to the door that leads to an examination room of the room where Jameson and Damon would have their meeting. She looked back at Elena and motioned for her to follow her into the room.

There was a reason why most doctors didn't use this particular room. It was dark and depressing. Many stories circulated around the hospital about this room. Since it was the oldest room in the hospital, it was believed to be haunted. Supposedly, when the hospital was first built, which was sometime after the Civil War, it was run by a very sadistic and malicious doctor who enjoyed torturing his patients. He went as far as to make the rarely fed patients fight in front of him for mere snacks, simply because he would want to be entertained. He reportedly used to consume some patients, even the bodies of those who had been dead for days. This particular room was believed to be where the unknown doctor tortured most of his victims.

But there was another reason why this room was avoided. Like the many briefing rooms in all the cop shows like Law and Order, the examination room where Damon and Jameson would meet was overlooked by another room beside it. The wall separating the rooms was large, but it was mostly covered by a one way mirror. Therefore, the room where Elena and Caroline stood could be used to examine meetings and people without them knowing.

Caroline shut the door behind them carefully. Elena looked through the large window and looked into the room. Just like the first time she had met him, he sat on his side of the table, with his upper body slouching forward, leaning on his elbows on top of his knees. He looked very tired and stiff. From the angle he was sitting, she could see the side of his face. His eyes were closed and his eyebrows were furrowed, as if he was concentrating on something.

It broke her heart to see him like that.

Caroline stood behind her, leaning against the wall with her arms crossed against her chest. "He can't hear us. The intercoms aren't on. Looks like Jameson is a little late. And, like I said, no sign of Alaric."

Elena unconsciously placed her hand against the glass, fighting the small desire to walk into the room and comfort him.

As if in a response, Damon's eyes shot wide open and looked to the side, in her direction. Despite the fact that there was no way that he could see her through the one way mirror, he looked like he was staring right at her. Elena's heart started to beat faster. "Wait, he can't know I'm here! That's impossible!" Her thoughts screamed at her, but her senses believed otherwise. "There's no way he heard me! The intercom isn't on…"

Her heart started to beat out of control. She looked back at Caroline to see if she had noticed it too, but she was busy staring at her phone screen, probably texting Tyler. Elena looked back into the room. Damon continued to look at her. Feeling brave, she mouthed the words "Can you see me?"

Damon glared at her with an unreadable expression on his face. He nodded softly.

Elena forced herself to take a deep breath. She glanced back at Caroline, who was blissfully texting away on her phone. She looked back at Damon with a sorrowful expression on her face. "I'm so sorry," she mouthed.

Damon said nothing back, but the gaze in his eyes became softer. He bowed his head again, but kept his gaze on her.

Caroline shut her phone and looked at Elena. "I think he's coming," she whispered, shaking Elena's arm. The door they entered through opened to reveal Mr. Jameson, with a small folder in his arm. He looked startled as soon as he laid eyes on Elena and Caroline.

"What the hell are you two doing here?" He exclaimed.

Caroline placed her hands on her hips. "She already gave you her assignment, Jameson. At least let her see how you're going to handle her case."

Jameson sneered at them. "Well, it's not her case anymore, now is it?" he walked past them to the door to the meeting room where Damon was waiting. Before opening the door, he smiled at Elena. "I guess you can stay, now that I think about it. Though I suggest you take notes and see how a well-established doctor does it."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Jameson, the only thing I ask you is to not treat him like a monster. Treat him with respect, please."

He scoffed. "He's not a puppy, Elena." He walks into the small hallway connecting the room to the door to the meeting room and walked in.

Damon turned his head and looked down at his lap. He didn't acknowledge Jameson as he sat in front of him, setting the papers aside.

Elena frowned as she realized that they were all her notes on Damon. She and Caroline stood side by side, leaning against the wall in silence, alert. "Ignore that dumbass," Caroline snarled.

Elena shook her head. "Don't worry about it, Care."

Jameson folded his hands on the table and narrowed his gaze at Damon, who hadn't moved to acknowledge Jameson's presence. If Elena didn't know any better, she'd say he looked like a marble statue.

"Mr. Salvatore, my name is Dr. Jameson. I realize you're probably wondering where Dr. Gilbert is, but I've good news." His glasses looked disgustingly glossy from where he sat. It made Elena's skin crawl, and it made her worry even more about Damon. "You've been reassigned. From now on, I will be your doctor."

Silence. Nothing came out of Damon's mouth. The outburst that came from him the precious few nights ago wasn't surfacing. He hadn't moved an inch since Jameson arrived.

"Mr. Salvatore?" Jameson asked.

Elena frowned again. "He doesn't like to be called that, you idiot…" her thoughts screamed.

"Mr. Salvatore, do you hear me? What's wrong with you?" Jameson leaned over the table, trying to glance at Damon's face. "Hello? Do you hear me?"

Unexpectedly, Damon's face shot up and glared at Jameson, startling everyone, including Elena and Caroline, and forcing Jameson to jump back slightly in his seat. "Do you hear that?" Damon whispered softly at him. His voice and his face shared the same expression: sincerity.

Jameson frowned. "No. What do you hear?"

Damon looked around the room. "You don't hear them? They're everywhere…"

Jameson shook his head impatiently. "No! I don't hear anything. What is it?"

Damon looked back at Jameson with a serious expression. "I'm hearing voices, and even they don't like you."

Elena couldn't help it; she stifled a giggle. That was actually funny. Caroline chuckled softly as well. Damon quickly stole a glance towards the direction from where Elena's giggles came. The glance was so quick, only Elena noticed.

Jameson frowned again and rolled his eyes. "Please, Mr. Salvatore, let's be civil adults here. How are you feeling today?"

Damon sighed loudly and sat back, scratching his head. "Pretty good, actually. I have some plans today, you see."

Jameson nodded. "You seem to be in a pleasant mood, I see."

He shook his head and smiled proudly. "I'm smiling. That should scare you."

Jameson looked startled. "Mr. Salvatore, I-"

"Okay, let's get one thing straight," Damon groaned. "I don't answer to that name. Mr. Salvatore is my father, and that's one person I'd rather not reminisce about." He shrugged. "There are a thousand names they're calling me, like killer…demon…ripper…" He grinned. "I like those. They're not exactly creative, but they'll do."

Jameson nodded. "Yes, I've read my files." He patted his hands down on the pile of papers next to him.

Damon rolled his eyes and snorted. "You mean Dr. Gilbert's files."

"Someone went as far as to call you a Devil-worshipper," Jameson said this with an unnatural grin. It was clear that he enjoyed getting on Damon's nerves.

Damon laughed. "You know what? I hate it when people calling me a devil worshipper…because if the Devil actually did exist, he'd be worshipping me."

Jameson shook his head and chuckled. "Quoting Marilyn Manson doesn't scare me, Mr. Salvatore."

Damon rose as eyebrow. "Oh, honey…" he chuckled. "I've just started."

Jameson grabbed a file and started to write things down.

Elena pursed her lips. "Doesn't he know that he hates when people do that?" She exclaimed softly at Caroline. "He likes full attention! He hates it whenever I write down notes in front of him." Caroline replied with a small nod. She began to examine Elena more than Damon.

As predicted, Damon glared harshly at Jameson's hands as they wrote down meaningless scripples on his paper. "What is it with doctors these days?" Damon scowled. "Don't you people take into consideration how we feel whenever you write about us right in front of us?"

Jameson shrugged without so much as a glance at Damon. "It's standard procedure, Mr. Salvatore. You of all people should know that."

Damon grinned and brought his face closer to Jameson's. "You know, that's actually one of the reasons why all of my previous doctors end up dead, missing, or crazy," he whispered.

Caroline raised her eyebrows. "Wow…he's really letting Jameson have it. Was he this hostile with you?"

Elena shook her head. "No, not exactly."

Jameson grabbed photos from his files and laid them out in front of Damon on the table. Elena gasped. "What the hell is he doing?"

Caroline furrowed her eyebrows. "What's going on? What's he doing?"

"He's bringing out crime scene photos. He already has my notes on Damon's reactions on them. Why is he doing it all over again?"

Caroling shrugged. "He's probably trying to irritate you."

"Or Damon," she sighed. "In either case, it's working."

Jameson ran his hand over the pictures. "What do you feel when you look at these?"

Damon glanced over at them and grinned. "I feel proud." He grabbed some of the pictures and started to trace the outlines of the dead bodies in the pictures with his fingers in admiration. "They're works of art. Pure art." He glanced at the pictures, one by one, as if studying every detail. "My favorite part in each and every one of these was the begging. They never stopped. Not even when they were on their last breathes. They decided to waste their last seconds on me, begging me for mercy. They went to waste." He glanced at Jameson. "But don't worry; I'm not as bad as everyone says I am," he says in a sarcastic tone. "I'm not crazy; you see, my reality is just different than yours. It's less boring, for one."

Jameson started to write more notes again. "You feel pride, you say?" Damon was silent. He settled back into his chair and stared ahead at the wall, ignoring Jameson. His chest heaved drudgingly, and his grin never faltered. Jameson glared at him. "What's wrong, Mr. Salvatore? What's on your mind right now?"

Damon smiled again, keeping his gaze on the wall. "You want to know what I'm thinking? I'm finding it really hard to look at your face because I really, really want to bash it in."

Goosebumps ran down Elena's arms. It was both terrifying and intriguing how his grinned never faltered. Not once.

Jameson settled back into his chair, clearly feeling uncomfortable. "Mr. Salvatore, are you acting this way simply because you don't like being reassigned? What is it; do you have a thing for female doctors?"

Damon chuckled. "You bet I do." He glanced at Elena behind the mirror and quickly gave her one of those eye-raises that made her heart beat faster. Elena prayed to the heavens that he couldn't realize how hard she was blushing. But at the same time, it was a bit unnerving how he could see her behind well-defined one way mirrors.

Jameson didn't notice this. "Well, I'm sorry to say this, but in case you haven't noticed, not everything in life goes our way." He grinned. "Besides, I doubt fate would show a monster like you any mercy."

Damon raised his eyebrows. "Really? What makes you say that?" He placed a hand over his heart. "I'm not a monster! Really! I'm just a misunderstood!" He laughed. "That's the kind of crap patients say, right? 'I'm just misunderstood'?"

"Please," Jameson growled. "If I didn't know any better, from the looks of what you're capable of," he said, glancing over the pictures once more, "I'd mistake you for the devil himself!"

"Sir, I resent that! I'll have you know we're the best of friends!" Damon smiled.

Jameson rolled his eyes. "You might as well deal with it, Mr. Salvatore. She doesn't want you as her patient. Not anymore."

The pain on Damon's face reappeared for a moment. However, it seemed much longer to Elena.

"But I'm curious; what is it about her that you find intriguing?"

Damon shrugged. "Well, for one, she's not you." He paused. "She's different. Complex. Compassionate. Entertaining." His eyes settled back on Jameson. "She's worth my time here."

"Well, she obviously didn't feel the same about you."

Damon leaned over the table and glared at him in a way that made everyone's skin crawl. He raised his hand from under the table. "Jameson, I'm warning you. See this hand? It's going to descend in an arc that will, in the process, have contact with your face. Just warning you."

Jameson sighed. "Aw! Did I strike a nerve?"

Damon grinned. "Patience is a virtue I have yet to receive."

Jameson scoffed. He raised his hand and pointed his finger at Damon in the face. "A monster like you has no virtues."

Damon sighed. "You know, someone should have told you that you're annoying."

What happened next came unexpected, even to Jameson, who was standing in the line of fire.

Damon rose from his chair and struck Jameson in face, hard enough to make him collapse from his seat. Damon quickly grabbed his seat and positioned it against the door, preventing from anyone, including Elena and Caroline, from entering the room. They banged on the door and slammed their bodies against it, but it wouldn't budge.

"Someone also should have told you that I hate being called Mr. Salvatore." Damon grabbed Jameson by the collar and slammed his body down on the table. "And someone should have told you, my friend, that you should never point your fingers at crazy people. It's just wrong."

Elena screamed from the top of her lungs. "DAMON! OPEN THE DOOR! PLEASE!" She glanced all over the room, searching for anything to help her, but found nothing. "Caroline, go get Ric!" The blond nodded and ran out the door. Elena went back to banging on the window, screaming.

Damon ignored her screams and brought his face in front of Jameson's. "I'm not going to kill you," he whispered against Jameson's ear. "Not yet, anyway. I'm not going to give you the satisfaction of knowing that you've escaped from me. But I want to get one thing through that pathetic head of yours." Damon punched Jameson square in the jaw, a gush of blood being released from his nose. Damon felt the blood lust in him fight to surface, but he composed himself before Jameson or Elena could notice. Now was not the time.

He threw Jameson down onto the floor and stood over him. "I don't want you. I'm sorry to offend, but that's how it is. If you want me to talk, I'll only talk to one person: Dr. Gilbert. I don't want you." He grinned. "Sorry, love. It's not me, it's you. You're not my type." He brought Jameson up to his feet and slapped him again. He held back purposely, not wanting to kill the man for Dr. Gilbert's sake. "I want her, do you understand? I only want Dr. Gilbert. And for your sake, I better get her soon. Otherwise, you'll have to answer to me. Have I made myself clear?"

Jameson only nodded. He made no attempt to fight back. Pathetic…

Damon stepped back and grinned. "Good. This session has been fun. A lot better than I expected." He laughed as he heard Jameson cry. He walked to the door and pulled the chair aside, throwing it across the room. Opening the door, he grinned down at Elena, who looked shaken up beyond measure. "Hello gorgeous! Long time no see!" He laughed.

"What the hell?" Elena screamed.

He shrugged. "What? At least he's alive! Besides, I did warn him." He stepped back. "He's all yours now."

Elena ran into the room and grabbed Jameson.

"By the way," Damon sighed, relaxing against the wall. "You should clean yourself up, Jameson. You're bleeding."

As much as she hated the guy, she knew he needed help.

Damon walked to the other side of the room and sat on the seat, facing the window. He did not acknowledge Elena as she dragged Jameson's body out the room, not bothering to wait for Caroline and Ric.

When she was almost out of the room, Damon called her back. "Oh and Dr. Gilbert?"

She looked up at him.

"I do mean it; I look forward to our session. Until then…" He winked at her once more.

Even then, it made her body quiver as she dragged an unconscious Jameson into the hallway. She could hear Caroline's and Saltzman's hurried footsteps down the hall.

DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE

Elena softly knocked on Alaric's door, which was slightly ajar.

"Come in," a voice groaned from inside.

She pushed the door open and walked in, closing the door behind her. "Hey." She greeted Alaric, who sat at his desk with his hands on his face, with a look of tiredness imprinted on his face.

He grinned half-heartedly at her. "Hey back."

She walked over to his desk and pulled up a chair in front of him. The room was dark; nightfall was descending, and the asylum was quieting down from the uproar Jameson's session with Damon had caused.

Elena stared at Alaric. "Is he ok?"

He grinned softly. "Yes. He's going to live." Elena couldn't help but smile at how depressed he sounded while speaking about Jameson's recovery. "Just a broken nose and a small concussion. He's in the infirmary. He going to leave for the day in a few minutes." He paused. "Salvatore, on the other hand, is a different story. I'd like to move him to a different hospital."

Elena's heart began to beat faster in panic as the words fell from his mouth.

Ric continued. "But we're the only hospital in the country how wants…rather, can handle him. We had to sedate him, but he's in his room now, probably sleeping the meds off."

Elena stared down at her hands in her lap. "So who will be his doctor?"

Alaric smiled. "I think you know, Lena."

Elena stared at him with a small smile. "I guess I do. However, I'll take him back on a few conditions."

Alaric raised an eyebrow. "Really? And these conditions are?"

Elena folded her arms across her chest. "No more supervised sessions. I get to choose when and where to meet up with him." She paused. "And no more handcuffs. I hate whenever he has them on."

Alaric pursed his lips. "Gilbert, you're pushing it."

Elena held up a finger. "I'm not done," she smiled. "Overtime, if he behaves, I want him to gain rights, like any other patient."

"But he's not like any other patient."

Elena shook her head. "That may be so, but he's my patient. Now, the rights include but are not limited to being allowed to walk outside at appointed hours, visitation rights…the whole nine yards. Do we have a deal?"

Ric glared at her softly. "You drive a hard bargain. And if I say no to any of your demands?"

Elena took her deep breath and shrugged. "Well, then I won't treat him."

He smiled. Glancing outside the window, he gathered his thoughts. Elena stared at him intently. Her leg shook in anticipation. She quietly prayed to herself that Ric couldn't tell how nervous she was.

After a few moments, Ric stared at her. "I truly am sorry for what I did. I had no right in monitoring your sessions." He paused and smiled sadly. "You know, ever since your parents' accident…you and Jeremy are all I have. Let's face it; I'm not getting any younger. I'm probably not going to have that family I always thought I'd have by now. And that's ok," he insisted. "Because, whenever I think of kids, I only think of you and Jeremy."

Elena's heart softened. She could feel tears well up in her eyes. "Ric…"

"I know that I could never replace Grayson….not even Miranda…but you two mean the world to me, and I'd do anything to make you and Jeremy safe and happy. When I die…I'll die in peace, because I'll know that I've accomplished that at least that. Being your guardian means more to me that all these ever will," he proclaimed, pointing at the diplomas and certificates on the walls surrounding him. "When I saw what Damon was capable of…I was terrified that you'd end up the same." He smiled. "But I've realized my error, and I do apologize." He held out his hand to Elena. "Lena…we have a deal."

She smiled. A handshake wouldn't suffice. She jumped up and hugged Ric over the table, allowing the tears to fall. Ric hugged her back, keeping his eyes on the picture that was framed on his desk. It was taken a few years after Jeremy was born, on Christmas day. The picture showed a six year old Elena hugging her four year old brother. They both sat on Alaric's. The picture was taken by Elena's mother, Miranda, who had a small obsession in photography. Grayson that Christmas was away on a business trip, but made it back Christmas night.

Things were so much easier back then…

Instinctively, he hugged Elena harder, who made no objection.

DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE DE

Elena walked through the walls towards Damon's room with a smug smile on her face. She felt happy after talking with Ric. She felt obligated to tell him the good news, so she waited until most of the staff left home to go downstairs and see Damon.

The lights were still out, and the moon outside was dancing behind the clouds, causing its rays to occasionally hide.

Elena knocked softly on the door before glancing in. To her disappointment, Damon wasn't shirtless. This time, he was in a straightjacket, sitting on the floor, in a corner away from the door. His head hung low, but Elena could tell he wasn't sleeping.

"Hey," she softly called out.

Damon looked up slowly and softly smiled at her.

"I'm sorry about the straightjacket. Dr. Saltzman told me that he will have it taken off tomorrow." Elena leaned against the door, making herself comfortable.

Damon shook his head softly and grinned. "Don't bother, love. I think it flatters my appearance."

Elena smiled. "Looks like your little show worked. Congrats, I'm your doctor again."

He smiled and glanced out the window. "It wasn't easy, but I didn't mess him up as much as I wanted to."

She nodded. "The doctors in the infirmary said that he'll live. He only got a-"

"A broken nose and concussion." Damon nodded. "I know."

Elena smiled. "I don't completely blame you though; in your defense, he was hammering you. I've wanted to beat him up for a long time now…"

He smiled. "What can I say? You bring out the best in me."

Her eyebrows came together in confusion again. "How did you see me? I mean, there's no way to see behind the glass window. Not even Jameson could see us."

He shrugged. "There's a lot you don't know about me, love. Now that you're my doctor again…maybe you can start to find them out."

Elena smiled. "Damon, I said that I'd take you back on a few conditions."

His eyebrow raised in interest. "You mean you want to bargain with me?"

She nodded. "Damon…you're my only patient. That means you have my absolutely undivided attention. Make use of it."

"I intend to."

Elena smiled. "Besides, if you improve with me…if you behave, you'll be awarded rights. You'll be able to walk outside; you won't have to have your handcuffs on all the time…the list goes on and on."

Damon nodded. "Alright," he sighed. He stood up and walked over to her, staring at her intently through the door. "And what will happen if I don't abide by these rules?"

Elena shrugged. "I won't be your doctor." She placed her hands on her hips. "Damon, trust goes both ways. If you want me to trust you as my patient, you need to trust me as your doctor. Understood?"

A wicked smile came across his face. "Trust goes both ways?" He stepped back several strides into the shadows. "Well then. Let me ask you this: do you trust me?"

She hesitated. "Yes."

"Then come in."

Her heart thundered in her chest. "What?"

"I know you have the key to this room. Come in and take off my straightjacket. You want me to act civilized. Now how can I do that if I'm tied up?" His grin widened. "Trust goes both ways," he said, using Elena's previous words against her.

Sweat came down her forehead, and it wasn't from the heat in the room. Her heart thundered in her chest powerfully as she grabbed her key from her pocket and slowly unlocked her door. I must be stupid…

She glanced down the hall to make sure that no one was coming. Slowly walking in, she couldn't see him. "Damon?" she breathed.

He came slowly out of the shadows and walked out, stopping right in front of her. His cocky grin never lessened in its glamor. "Well?"

Elena held her breath as she slowly untied the strong laces from their latches, never taking her eyes off Damon's. His gaze never left either.

As if her heart couldn't beat any faster, once she'd removed the jacket and slid it away from his chest, it revealed a shirtless Damon. My God… Her fingers released the jacket, allowing them to fall onto the floor.

Her eyes must have bulged out of her eye sockets, because the next thing she heard was Damon's wicked chuckle in her ear. "Like anything you see?"

Elena nervously licked her lips. "Umm…"

He nodded. "I thought so." He reached up and tucked her hair behind her ear, softly brushing his fingers against her olive skin. She involuntarily took a deep breath. He smiled at her reaction.

"You know…" he murmured, "It's rumored that even Sigmund Freud had sexual relationships with his patients…I wouldn't want to break tradition…"

She forced herself to breathe. He was closing in on her…softly pressing her against the wall… His pants were dangerously low, and they made an ill attempt to hide the bulge that was quickly growing in them. Her lips, against her will, allowed a low moan to escape in excitement.

"What do you want Elena?" he moaned in her ear. "Tell me…"

Before the words could escape from her mouth, before her lust could take over her…her phone rang. She instantly jumped, quickly using the chance to run out and locked the door behind her. She locked it, not bothering to look back as she ran back into her office. Her heart beated out of control, but even she couldn't ignore the pool of watery heat that had formed between her legs.

A/N: FIN! For now anyway. This was the longest chapter I've written yet. Let me know if you love it. Now, I know you all were probably expecting the scene about Damon watching her while she sleeps. Time flew, and I have to go study for my trigonometry regents tomorrow. But don't worry! That will be in our next chapter. Other Spoilers: Damon gets an inside look on Elena's thoughts…

I'm proud of this chapter. Let me know if you like! Wish me luck tomorrow. Tomorrow is my last testing day, so I should be able to update more frequently!

Til next time, you all know what to do! XD