Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I don't own the Vampire Diaries. I'm just borrowing.

Note: Previously, in "Insanity in Love," Damon gets caught for escaping and is thrown into Isolation. Elena visits him and, after a tender moment between them, promises to get him out.

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Elena's Apartment – That Evening...

Elena nervously paced the floor, her heart hammering in her chest. She had called Elisabetta shortly after returning from seeing Damon, telling her that she needed her help, and was now waiting for her to arrive. She knew that Elisabetta wanted to get her son released, hence the reason she thought she'd make a good ally in her quest to do the same. She loved Damon with all her heart and she didn't give a shit if she lost her job over this. The only thing she really cared about was freeing the man she loved. The sight of him being strapped down to that bed tore her apart. Of course, it didn't tear her apart half as much as what he had said to her when she blamed herself for what happened.

"No, angel, don't blame yourself. This was all me."

Elena bit her lip as tears stung her eyes. It wasn't the words themselves that affected her, but it was the manner in which they were said.

At that moment, a knock was heard at her door, startling her out of her reverie. Clearing her throat, Elena went to answer it and looked through the peep hole to see who it was. When she saw it was Elisabetta, she let out a sigh of relief and opened the door.

"Oh, Elisabetta, thank God you're here," she said. "We have a bit of a situation here."

Elisabetta could tell from her face that the poor girl was distressed and when she stepped inside, she hugged her, gently running her fingers through her hair. Elena returned the older woman's hug. Although she would've preferred being hugged by Damon, this would have to do.

"I knew from your phone call that something had happened. What's going on?"

"It's Damon," said Elena. "He escaped from the facility and came to see me. Then, when he went back, he got caught and they put him in Isolation." The tears she had held at bay before Elisabetta arrived came pouring down her face. "He was so helpless strapped to that bed and it tore me apart. I love him so much, and I can't stand to see him in so much pain."

Elisabetta stepped back and wiped Elena's tears with a tissue. "We'll get him out of there, Elena. You did the right thing by calling me."

Elena nodded tearfully and was about to say something when a young man with short, dark blonde hair and green eyes walked in. This had to be Stefan. She remembered him being alluded to the day she and Damon met.

"You must be Stefan. I'm Elena."

Stefan nodded and forced a smile. "Yeah, Mom told me about you. She said that you were working on getting Damon out of the facility."

"I am, yes," said Elena. "I just came from there a while ago. He escaped last night and came here to see me. He went back early this morning and they caught him. When I got there, Klaus told me that they had put him in Isolation for a week." She started to cry again, although she was trying not to. "I hated seeing him that way, strapped to the bed by his wrists and ankles."

"Well, he won't have to be in that place much longer," said Elisabetta. "I'll never give up on my son. True, what he did was wrong, but he wasn't in control of himself at the time." She sighed. "This is why I'm fighting tooth and nail against Guiseppe. He's the one pulling the strings, and if we want to get Damon out of that place, we have take the control away from Guiseppe."

"How are we going to do that?" said Elena. "I mean, that sounds like it's easier said than done."

"Mom has a good lawyer," said Stefan. "She hired him shortly after Damon was committed, even though Dad was strongly against it, saying that she was fighting a lost cause."

Elena looked at Stefan. "Stefan, may I ask you something?"

"Sure, what do you need?"

"Damon told me that he hoped that you wouldn't hate him," said Elena. "I mean, he held you at gun point when he had his episode. What I'm trying to say is, do you..."

Stefan shook his head. "No, Elena, I don't hate Damon for what he did. I know that he wasn't in control of what he was doing at the time. He's my brother, and I'll always love and respect him. In fact, that's why I'm here, to help you and Mom."

Elena smiled. "Thank you, Stefan. Your mother and I are going to need all the help we can get at this point, and I'm glad that we're not alone."

Mystic Falls Psychiatric Hospital, Isolation – That Same Moment...

Damon sighed as he stared up at the ceiling. He missed Elena terribly, and he wished that she was here with him right now, holding him close and telling him that everything was going to be all right. Damn that Klaus! Didn't he understand what love was? He was married, for God's sake, and with a baby on the way, so he had to least know something about love.

He then tried to struggle against the restraints, but he was strapped down good and tight. Not about to let that deter him, he tried again, even though he got the same result.

As he continued to struggle, the door to the room opened and in walked the last person Damon expected to see, the one responsible for him being in here.

Growling, he said, "Dad. What are you doing here?"

Guiseppe Salvatore gave his eldest son a look of contempt and malice. "I came here to tell you that I know what your mother is up to, and that I think she's wasting her time. You don't deserve to be released into society."

Damon stood his ground, refusing to let what this bastard was saying get to him. "You won't be able to stop her. She's willing to fight you tooth and nail to get me out of this place. You can try to counterattack, but she'll match you blow for blow until she defeats you. She's not a pushover, she'll kick your ass so fast, you won't have time to blink."

"We shall see," said Guiseppe. "Oh, and I heard about your little adventure. Tell me, Damon, why did you escape? Was there someone you needed to see in town?"

Damon was tempted to give his father the same response he gave to Klaus, but instead, he said, "Kiss my ass." Chew on that for a while, asshole, he added in his mind.

Guiseppe snarled. "Fine, be insolent. I did what I came to do." He went to walk out and then turned and said, "Hope you're comfortable in here, because when I defeat your mother, I'll see to it that you spend the rest of your life here and the only way out is in a casket."

Damon growled at his father and watched him walk out of the room. No sooner did Guiseppe leave than one of the night nurses came in, a needle in her hand. Obviously, Guiseppe must've told her to give him another dose of tranquilizer. Damon saw her approach the bed and struggled as she stuck him and, just like before, the stuff kicked in and it wasn't long before Damon was unconscious again.

Note: Bet you didn't expect me to put Damon's father in there, did you? Yeah, I wanted to really up the ante and include him. Stay tuned!

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