Damon handed her the first blood bag and then sat back in a rather uncomfortable chair to keep an eye on her and make sure she didn't go out of control. She glanced awkwardly at him before ripping off the stopper at the top of the plastic bag and tentatively bringing it to her mouth. She tipped her head back and the liquid slowly began seeping out of the bag. It was like watching water being drained from a bathtub. She was done within seconds before casting it on to the cement floor, remnants of blood staining the floor. She wiped the back of her hand across her deliciously bright red mouth and left a stain on the back of her hand and chin. She smiled seductively and motioned for the next bag. Damon broke off the stopper for her and held it out to her. She reached for it only to have the bag pulled back just inches away from her fingertips.

The edges around her eyes turned a smokey black and wrinkles slithered like snakes as Elena grew terrifyingly frustrated in seconds. She launched herself at Damon and he quickly withdrew from the chair and against a wall feet away. Her eyes caught the movement and her body unconsciously swapped directions and her hand reached up to pin his body up against the wall by his neck. He fought off her hand and spun her around until his arms created a vice like grip around her waist. She struggled violently until Damon's soft crooning voice entered her ears.

"Shh. Elena, it's me. Relax. I was just teasing. Relax," he whispered. And then he released her, offering the blood bag.

She swiped it out of his hand, glaring all the way and turned her back to him to finish the next one. She was through four and staring like a starving wolf at the last and fifth one. Damon cautiously put it behind his back and lifted a hand. Elena growled softly and began sidling to the left of Damon.

"I just want to say something. Don't hurt me, kay? Try to go slow with this one and control the intake. It'll help for later. Shoot through the wall of instinct and back into your mind, because I know you'll be able to control yourself. I won't blame you if you fail. Just try your best." And then he gave her the last bag.

She undid the stopper and pondered the blood in the plastic. She took a small sip, as if drinking a lemonade and swallowed completely before taking another one. Then all best were off and she slurped half the bag up in seconds while Damon's intense surprise at her control disappeared from his face. Elena glanced up to see his expression and her face went into a determined state. And before he could say anything in an attempt to assist with her struggle she was back to taking little sips and swallowing completely. She finished off the bag at a measured pace and began picking up the others scattered all around the floor like toys in a child's room. She tossed them into the garbage by the door, and then scurried back upstairs without a look back at Damon. He followed, shutting the door behind him and found her curled up in a fetal position in front of the fireplace, a blanket around her shoulders. He sat next to her and placed his hands in her waist. He tried desperately to get a glimpse of her face which she was swiveling in circles to avoid his gaze. Then he heard a small hiccup and realized she was crying.

"What's wrong, Elena?"

"I could've hurt you," she sobbed.

"No, to be honest Elena, you couldn't have."

"Yeah, but what if that had been Jeremy or Bonnie? They'd be dead right now and it'd be my fault."

"Come on, Elena. Why else do you think we've been locked up in this house? I would love for you to see your extremely irritating friends but I knew, in the end, you wouldn't appreciate it. It'll get better. I promise."

"I can't do this much longer, Damon."

"You're going to have to," he said matter-of-factly.

"But I can't!" she wailed.

"Elena, look at me. I know you can do this. If I didn't think you could we wouldn't be. I would just be your personal bodyguard everywhere we go, but I don't want to and I know you don't want me to either. You can be an independent women, or vampiress, whatever humans call it these days; all you have to do is believe in yourself. Plus, with your friends lives on the line I think you might behave a little differently."

"But I love you and I attacked you."

Damon smiled. He could listen to her say that every day and it would never be enough. "Yeah, but somewhere in there," he said, poking her temple, "You knew you couldn't hurt me. I'm indestructible."

"No you're not."

"As far as we're concerned, physically, I am."

Elena nodded and curled into his chest. He put one arm around Elena's shoulders and held her close, knowing that anything else would be too much for her. They sat there for what felt like mere moments but when Elena noticed that it was pitch black outside she kissed Damon on the cheek and dismissed herself to bed.

Damon was dousing the fire with some ashes from a paper bag beside the fireplace when he heard two brisk knocks on the door. He cracked it open to find Caroline in tears on his doorstep. He ushered her in, offered her some bourbon, and sat her on the couch.

"So, Blondie, what's got your underwear in a wad?"

"It's Tyler," she whined. "He...Klaus...and then...I couldn't...it was so awful. I don't know...alive...dead...I don't know."

"Okay. You know what, I have no idea what in the world you just said. But I'm going to go get Elena and I'm sure she'll listen much better than I will."

Damon rolled his eyes, pretty sure it was just another of Caroline's over dramatized moments, but trudged up the stairs to roll Elena out of bed anyways.

"Elena," he whispered knocking lightly on Stefan's door. "Caroline needs you."

She appeared not to have heard him and continued to breath deeply. She was amazingly peaceful and a tiny smile was on her face. Maybe he should just go deal with Caroline. That beauty was too hard to disturb. But he knew that Elena would want to be there, so against his judgement he walked up beside the bed and shook Elena lightly. She jerked awake, her eyes darkening for a moment before she realized that it was Damon.

"What the hell, Damon," Elena groaned. "What are you doing?"

"Just decided I needed one last kiss before bed." Elena chucked the pillow next to her at him and rolled onto her face groaning some more.

"Okay. That was a joke. It's Caroline. She's upset about something and won't leave the goddamn premises."

"Why didn't you say so?" Elena yelled, springing out of bed and bounding down the stairs. Damon decided to leave the two girls alone and preceded to the kitchen to have some alcohol and stretch out his legs.

It didn't take long before Elena came screaming in and began tugging on Damon's shirt.

"God, woman, if you want to see my six pack all you had to do was ask."

Elena slapped him in the stomach and motioned to the doorway where Caroline was standing, small sobs still erupting from her mouth. "Klaus has been in Tyler's body and he just got out with the help of some witch and is wandering around town somewhere. And Tyler has collapsed and won't wake up. We need to do something."

"And I give a fuck about Tyler, why?"

Elena gave him one of her condescending looks and he shrugged his shoulders in defeat. "Fine. I'll go search for Klaus and you two ladies can go kneel over Tyler's body."

Elena glared at Damon before pulling on Caroline's arm and dragging her out to her car. Damon gulped the rest of his bourbon down before following them outside. He had no idea where Klaus would be, but he knew where to start looking.