"Where have you been, Elena?"

She stood firm. No way was she caving. She was stronger than this. She could do this.

He edged closer so he was standing right in front of her, smiling wickedly. He fisted a hand in her hair and tugged so she was tilted backwards, staring at him with defiant eyes.

"Where have you been?" he snarled.

"Since when do you care?" She managed to spit out.

She struggled not to cry out in pain as he tugged her hair harder and manipulated her body into unnatural positions.

"Since you were kissing another guy on the doorstep, Elena. That's when I started caring." He glared at her and loosened his grip enough so she could slip out of his grasp and start sprinting full speed to the safety of Caroline's street. Then she could scream. She wouldn't be so helpless.

Strong arms wrapped around her waist and hauled her back. Klaus laughed maliciously.

She cried out, praying for someone – anyone to hear her.

"I wouldn't be so pissed, Elena. But you went to the police?" he shoved her hard against the ground and dropped to one knee beside her holding her down.

She clawed and kicked and screamed but it wasn't working. No one was coming to help her and he wasn't giving up.

"Didn't you learn anything last time?" He smirked as his fist connected with her cheek making her head spin as it hit off the concrete pavement.

Rage rose up inside her. She wasn't heplless. Her best friend had been a guy. She'd learnt to hold her own against someone stronger. She was suddenly thankful for all the times Damon had made them fight. She could throw a punch – but not pinned to the ground.

She kicked wildly and frantically, a silent hope rising up inside of her as he rolled back in pain. She didn't look back, she tore off down the street in opposite direction, hoping with all her heart he wouldn't be fast enough to catch her.

Her heart was pounding so hard she expected it to beat right out of her chest.

An arm grabbed her from behind and spun her round so she was pinned against a wall. She didn't look to see who it was.

She felt a hand over her mouth and a voice whisper. "Hey, hey. Shut up! Quit screaming or whoever it was will find you. Shut up!"

She let her survival instincts kick in and began thrashing wildly, before she felt her fist connect with soft flesh and a low groan of pain.

"Jesus Christ. Where d'you learn to throw a punch like that?"

Relief washed over her as she took in the man before her – who was currently massaging his jaw and looking at her with a sense of respect.

She sank back against the wall and took in her surrounding. A dark alleyway cutting between rows of houses. Tears streamed down her cheeks as she struggled to control her breathing.

The man crouched in front of her and cupped the side of her neck reassuringly. His thumb stroked over her cheekbone and she winced at the contact.

"You've got a bruise there." and the traced his fingers gently down the other side of her face across her temple and down her jaw line. "And it's bruised and cut along here. And your lip is burst."

He suddenly squinted at her, as if he knew her. Realisation spread across his face. "Elena?"

She didn't say anything – she couldn't say anything. Who was he? How did he know her?

"Are you okay?" he looked concerned, his voice soft and soothing. She shook her head numbly. He looked as if he didn't know what to do with himself.

In the end, he slung his arm around her back and helped her up slowly. A wave of nausea washed over her and she stumbled, her face paling dramatically.

"He better not have done this to you." he said to himself more than her as he led her towards the car, typing out a message on his phone one-handedly which in itself, it's pretty skilled considering he was holding her up with the other. She battled with the dizziness as she fought to stay conscious. No way was she passing out in some stranger's car – even if he did know her name.

She lost.

He sat in his room staring at his phone. She'd left the police station at three. It was now almost ten. Paranoia settled in.

If something had happened to her... He cursed and began pacing. If Klaus had caught up to her somehow. He groaned and glanced at his phone. 22.03. How could time pass so quickly yet so slowly as the same time.

His phone chimed with a text message and his heart leapt from his chest.

New Message (19:17): You have some fucking explaining to do, Salvatore.

Ric? Ric was in town? So he was okay? He wasn't brain damaged? One person he cared about safe, two more left to find. He sighed, at least he knew Elena was somewhere in Mystic Falls – Kol could be anywhere. He ground his teeth together. Kol was just a kid. He was barely nineteen.

His phone chimed again, this time a phone call.

"Ric?" So he was back in town? What did he have to explain.

"What were you doing tonight?"

Siting here, worrying my ass off about a girl who isn't even my girlfriend.

"What?"

"Damon. What were you doing tonight? Around seven." He'd been sitting here since five o'clock. He felt a sliver of worry pierce him. What had happened?

"I was here, at the house. What's wrong?"

"Holy shit, Salvatore." He could almost picture Ric on the verge of punching a wall.

"I can't tell you on the phone. Promise me you won't punch my lights out when I get to yours?"

His voice sounded sincere and worried. The first thing that crossed his mind was Elena but Ric didn't know Elena. This would be something else. It had to be.

"Cross my heart. Etcetera. What ever it is Ric, you better get here and start explaining soon."

He heard faint voices and machines beeping in the background. "Gotta go."

He heard the phone click with a sudden finality. He hoped to god it wasn't something else going to go wrong with his day.

She blinked blearily to see a fuzzy outline standing casually against the window. She blinked to clear her vision before being greeted by the image off the man who had essentially saved her.

She squinted. He looked oddly familiar. "Do I know you?"

He chuckled dryly. "Saved your ass early, remember?"

She laughed softly, glad it didn't hurt too much. "Thank you."

"I'm kidding. I'm guessing Damon showed you a picture?"

Click. Lightbulb. God, she was slow today.

"Alaric?" He cringed.

"Don't called me 'Alaric'" he actually shuddered. "Ric." He held out his hand and she took it and used it to help swing herself upright into a standing position. She swayed lightly but otherwise wasn't too dizzy.

"Elena." she said by way of introduction. He cracked a smile.

"I know. Damon Salvatore's best friend." She grinned. She really did like this man. She swung her arms around his neck and hugged hight tight.

"Thank you." She whispered softly. It wasn't seductive or flirtatious. It was sincere. She was truly thankful he had been there. The right place at the right time.

"You're welcome." He whispered back.

"So how come you and my army drinking buddy are just friends?" He asked once they had separated.

She sighed. She didn't even know herself.

"I don't know. We're not completely just friends but we're not anything more just yet either."

He rose an eyebrow which reminded her so much of Damon she almost forgot who she was with and smacked him.

"Miss Gilbert? We'd like to ask you some questions. You too, sir." A police officer entered the room holding a notebook. This time Klaus might actually get sent down.

She glanced at Ric and sat down on one of the chairs, glad she obviously hadn't been out long enough for them to change her into the hideous hospital gowns. She was still dressed in her own jeans and top.

"You went to the station today and reported domestic abuse, correct?" she nodded in agreement, noticing how Ric's jaw tensed.

"And that is the second time this has happened?" She nodded again. Why couldn't they get to the real questions instead of telling her what she already knew.

"What happened tonight, miss?" the younger police officer spoke. She looked pleadingly at Ric, who sighed and began talking.

"I can tell you that." they turned their attention immediately to him. "Basically, I was walking to a friend of mine's house when I heard screaming. Don't give me that look." he directed scathingly at the older officer. He rolled his eyes and continued.

"I don't know what happened but I saw her run off down the street and there was a man chasing after her. He caught up with her and shoved her to the ground and punched her in the face. She somehow managed to get him off her and she ran again. She happened to pass by where I was standing so I grabbed her and pulled her into the alleyway."

He shrugged.

"Is that true, miss?" she nodded. Did they think Ric had lied or something? She groaned.

"I was walking to my friends house too and was only a couple blocks away when Klaus appeared out of nowhere. I'll tell you. If he hadn't grabbed me I don't know what Klaus would have done."

"One last question for you sir. What did the man look like?" he frowned.

"I only saw him vaguely. Medium height, medium width. Sandy brown hair with a beard. British accent from what I heard."

"Thank you. Both of you." And the left.

She shook her head as they walked out the door.

"Elena?"

She turned round to answer him.

"I haven't told Damon."

She sighed. "That's for the best, he would have been down here in minutes if he knew. Can I go home?"

He nodded and informed her they had told him she could leave when she woke up. She smiled brightly at him.

"I need to head up to Damon's, assuming you'll be coming?" she smirked and nodded. She could see why Damon had befriended him.

"Good. You can drive." he winked at her and chucked her the keys.

His eyes snapped open as he heard the familiar roar of a truck pull into the driveway. He glanced at the time. 00.01. Great. A new day and she wasn't back. She probably would have gone to Caroline's but still. She hadn't called.

The doorbell rung shrilly and he raced down to answer it.

He wrenched open the door to see Elena standing there, barely recognisable underneath layers of bruising and Ric leaning casually against the door frame.

He grabbed Elena and pulled her into his arms, vowing to never let go.

"What happened, Elena? I'm going to murder Klaus." She groaned into his shoulder.

"You don't want to know."

He glared at her, almost smiling when she pouted innocently. He prodded her in the stomach as he released her from his grip.

A wide smile spread over his face as he took in his friend. He hugged him like a brother, glad he seemed unharmed.

"Ricky boy!" He was so glad to see his friend, alive and breathing.

"You promised not to punch me." was all he said as a greeting. He smirked and held up his hands in surrender.

"I won't if you explain. Right now." He pointed into the parlour and quickly poured two glasses of bourbon.

"Bourbon! I love you, man!" Ric roared as he grabbed the drink.

Elena laughed softly and smiled at him. His jaw clenched. She was stunning even with her gorgeous eyes surrounded by bruises.

He sank into the sofa beside her and wrapped his free arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer and kissing her hair.

Ric rose an eyebrow and winked ever so slightly at him. He glared, giving Ric some clear 'later' signals.

"Where d'you get that bruise, Ricky? Looks nasty." with that both his guests burst out laughing. He sensed he was missing something. If they didn't start explaining soon he was going to go insane.

He sat dumfounded with his head in his hands. He ran his fingers through his hair and looked at Ric.

"If you hadn't been there."

Ric shook his head. "But I was."

He groaned. He did so not want to get into this. "But if. If you hadn't been there-"

"But he was!" Elena was cutting him off this time, with her small hand pressed over his mouth to stop him talking.

He wrapped his arms around the small, battered girl who through everything still managed to laugh the loudest and have the brightest eyes and the prettiest smile.

As she nestled into his arms and he raised his gaze to Ric who was looking at him with a bemused expression on his face.

"Just friends?" He mouthed him.

"God, I hope not." he mouthed back while Ric chuckled. "Thank you." he added quietly. Ric had been there to save his girl when he hadn't been able to. He would never have forgiven himself if she'd been hurt anymore.

Elena drew back slightly. "I sense whispered conversations." She threw a glance at Ric who smirked slyly at her. He was sure he saw her wink before her beautiful eyes drew him back in.

She pressed a kiss lightly to his cheek and hovered there for a moment.

"Teaser." he murmured under his breath.

"And don't you forget it." she whispered in his ear.

She swung herself off the sofa and flung her arms around Ric. A slight tinge of jealously ran through him. He smiled and shoved her over to Damon.

She devilishly wound her fingers through his and led him upstairs, calling over her shoulder. "Night Ric!"

"Yeah, night." He mumbled slightly too late.

She paused outside his door and winked before kissing him softly. He smiled against her lips and made to pull her inside was she pulled back with a wicked grin on her face.

"Goodnight, Damon." she whispered sweetly before turning around and making to walk for one of the guest bedrooms.

Oh no you don't. You don't get to walk away after that.

He flung his arms around her waist and pulled her backwards into his room and crashing them onto his bed, leaving them tangled in a mess of arms and legs.

The door shut softly – it had always been great, it always swung shut eventually.

She curled into his side and buried her face in his shoulder.

He wrapped his arms around her tightly, being careful not to squeeze her back. The old bruise still remained.

"Night, Lay."

I don't think I can last until the season comes on. Share the love guys - you like?

And you silent readers - please review, I need inspiration. (Emotional Blackmail, anyone?)

-Eilidh x