Oh. My God. Just…oh my god. That scene at the end of the most recent episode. The I Love You scene? I. Bawled. So. Beautiful. Damon so made himself worthy of her by doing that. He CRIED! Good lord, he CRIED! I hope she remembers somehow, I really do. Because if she has no recollection of it whatsoever, I think it would be the writers' way of closing the Delena chapter for the time being. Hopefully it is just the opposite. Goodness, I just can't get over it! For a moment before he kissed her forehead, it looked liked she would've let him actually kiss her…okay I need to stop now, I'm getting carried away. On the other hand, thank you all so much for continuing to be amazingly patient and faithful reviewers, I really don't know what I'd do without every single one of you. Also, y'all were so sweet to ask about me being sick! I'm feeling much better now, thank goodness. And I promised you all I'd update faster this time around, so voila!

Also, I've completely forgotten about this up until now, so – Disclaimer: I do not own ANY part of TVD. Otherwise, Damon's heart would not be breaking every episode and I would have already been mauled by the dwindling (and seriously misled) population of Stelena 'shippers.

Chapter 9: Run

… … …

Light up, light up

As if you have a choice

Even if you cannot hear my voice

I'll be right beside you dear

Louder, Louder

And we'll run for our lives

I can hardly speak

I understand why you can't raise your voice to say

Have heart my dear

We're bound to be afraid

Even if it's just for a few days

Making up for all this mess

… … …

Previously:

…"It's your turn to pick what we do," Damon informed her, nodding in her direction. Elena glanced at the ominous-looking sky and shuddered, crossing her arms over her chest.

"How 'bout we just stay in? Watch movies, order room service or something? It looks nasty out there."

"That's fine by me." Damon could find absolutely nothing wrong with spending an afternoon in bed watching TV with Elena. Or, in his case, watching Elena watch TV.

He opened the door for her, and they were greeted by a numbing blast of icy wind. Elena gasped, and Damon pulled her close, throwing an arm around her shoulders before walking out to start the trek up the hill. They were alone out in the snow, and it grew increasingly dark, the wind tearing at their clothes and howling in their ears. Elena turned her face into Damon's shoulder, and he guided her up the slope. He stopped suddenly, his entire body rigid. Elena looked up, and her stomach dropped at the sight of Damon's alarmed, frozen face. She followed his gaze to a spot fifteen feet away from them in the snow, and her heart stopped beating, a scream dying in her throat.

… … …

Elena couldn't rip her eyes away from the shaggy, hulking black wolf that crouched in front of them, its hackles up and teeth bared. It had to be at least five feet tall from heel to shoulder, and its amber eyes flashed at them menacingly. It pawed at the snow, preparing to pounce, and Elena sickened, turning her face into Damon's chest. Suddenly, she felt a blast of wind and a shift of gravity. Disoriented, she looked up to find herself five feet outside of the Inn's front doors, Damon ushering her forward into the welcoming heat. His arm was wrapped tightly around her shoulders, and she felt his body tense and rigid against hers. He was worried, she could feel it. And when Damon, sardonic, brash Damon was worried, Elena knew she should be terrified. His jaw clenched, he steered her to the elevators, keeping his eyes looking straight ahead.

Once in the room, he bolted the window and drew the curtains, blocking out the view of the blustery, fast-falling snow. He turned to Elena, who was shaking near the bed across the room. One glimpse of her wide eyes was all it took to send him across the room in three strides to her, engulfing her in a comforting hug. He cradled the back of her head with his palm, his other hand running up and down her back. She rested her hand on his shoulder, biting her lower lip.

"What just happened?" She questioned, trying not to let her distress shake her voice.

Damon sighed. "I don't know, Elena. I really don't." He kissed her hair, and she nodded, pulling away to kick off her shoes and crawl underneath the blankets on the bed. He gave her a long look before pacing around the room, his brow furrowed and eyes flicking from side to side as he thought. He finally whipped out his phone and dialed a number, the corner of his mouth turned down in a small frown. Elena rose an eyebrow at him inquisitively, and Damon inclined his head toward her and hit the speaker button. The room was filled with the crackly sound of ringing, and it finally clicked, a familiar voice issuing from the line.

"Hello?"

"How's it going, teacher?" Damon drawled, his voice still retaining a slight edge.

"Damon? What the hell do you want?" Alaric's voice groaned from the other end.

"Listen, I know I'm probably the last person you want to talk to right now, but I need a favor. It's life-or-death." Damon's voice suddenly became strained and earnest as he glanced toward Elena.

There was a pause, then a deep sigh. "What is it, Damon?"

"How much do you know about werewolves?"

"…What?" Alaric seemed taken aback by the question.

"I know Isobel spent a lot of time researching the supernatural. Did she ever mention anything to you about werewolves?" The edge was creeping back into Damon's voice.

"As far as I know, there's no such thing."

"Then you're of no help to us. Nice catching up, Ric." Damon was about to end the call when Alaric spoke up again.

"Wait, no! I…might've heard something once."

"Then by all means, do tell," Damon shot back bitingly.

"Well…I've never heard anything about werewolves, but Isobel found some information once about some creatures called 'shapeshifters' that have some similarities to werewolves."

"Bull. Never heard of one in my long undead life." Damon rolled his eyes.

"Because they're incredibly rare…and most people who come across them don't live to tell the tale." Alaric spoke grimly.

Elena shrank back, and Damon's eyes flashed. "Tell me more," he demanded.

"They often appear in the form of a large black dog or wolf, and unlike werewolves, are unaffected by silver and the cycles of the moon. They can shapeshift whenever they please, and are rumored to have razor sharp fangs. That's all Isobel ever found. Why do want to know?"

"I think I just saw one," Damon answered, trying to keep his voice nonchalant.

Alaric fell silent for a few moments. "Damon, where ever you are, if you don't want to die a nasty, painful death, you need to get out of there." Alaric was surprised by his warning. Why the hell would he care if the vampire that killed…turned his wife snuffed it?

"What I'm curious about is why it's here. I've never met a 'shapeshifter' or whatever you call it, much less pissed one off," Damon quipped.

"Damon, there's no way you can meet a shapeshifter when it's not in wolf form." Alaric said, his voice heavy with foreboding.

"And why not?" Damon inquired impertinently.

"Because shapeshifters aren't people that turn into wolves…they're demons." Alaric's voice dropped at the last word.

Damon was silent for several seconds. "Gotta go, Ric. Thanks for talking."

"But wait, Damon, where are you? I-" Damon hung up, the room falling into a weighted silence.

"Demons," Elena repeated quietly, her voice a monotone.

Damon was frozen in place, his eyes fixed on nothing, his hands clenched into fists.

"What's going to happen to us?" Elena whispered meekly.

Her voice seemed to snap him back to life, his clear blue eyes dark and flashing.

"We're going to get out of here," he answered, dragging the suitcase out from underneath the bed and plopping it down at Elena's feet. "We're going home."

"To Mystic Falls?" She asked, her voice daring to be hopeful.

"To Mystic Falls," he affirmed, throwing open the drawers and tossing their contents haphazardly into the suitcase. He had them packed in less than five minutes, and down to the lobby in ten. She clutched at his arm as he checked them out. She was scared out of her mind, but a small part of her was relieved that she was going home. And most of all, that Damon was coming with her.

As they walked to the front doors, Damon grasped her shoulder, stopping her from going forward.

"I'm going to get the car, okay? You stay here." He reached behind her to the flower arrangement on the round table at the entrance and plucked out a single red rose, pressing it into her hand as he kissed her forehead briefly. "I'll be right back."

Elena looked past him out into the dark sky and heavy snow, and bit her lip. "You promise?"

"I promise." He bored his eyes into hers for a moment, then was gone.

... … …

Elena tried to relax into the leather seat of Damon's car, closing her eyes so she didn't have to see the eerie black sky and swirling snow. She had no idea how Damon could manage driving in this weather, but Damon was Damon, after all. She sighed; now that they were safe in the car, and on the way home, she finally had time to think. Something she did not want to do, but knew she would have to eventually. She's been gone for days now, and Jenna would be positively livid when she came home. No doubt ground her for at least a month or two. Especially when she found out about the car…oh god, the car. And then there would be…Stefan. Elena could've slapped herself for not even thinking about him while she was away. Then again, he had basically said he couldn't have cared less if Damon was alright and tried to stop her from finding him. And lately, she hadn't felt anything real when she was around him. He had become a habit; a sense of security. She knew she would always care about him, but…

"I don't love him," she whispered, finally realizing the truth in her words as they left her lips.

"What was that?" Damon asked, his voice layered with confusion, curiosity, and...was it hope that she heard there?

"Nothing," she muttered, surprised that she had spoken. He cocked his head at her questioningly, but let it slide. The full impact of her words hitting her, Elena changed her mind, turning to Damon. "I was just thinking out loud." She gave him a long, meaningful stare, trying to convey the realization of her change of heart. Damon apparently understood, his eyes widening into deep pools of clear blue, a smile twitching at his lips. One of his hands slid off the wheel and gently clasped her fingers, resting their hands on his knee. Elena relaxed back into the headrest again, gazing out the window and shaking her head. She knew what she had to do when she got home. It wasn't going to be easy, but she had to do it to be fair to both of them. She didn't really want to hurt him, but she knew it was too late now. The other brother had stolen her heart and run with it, and she couldn't help but to follow him with reckless abandon. Damon needed to be chosen for once in his existence; he needed to be loved. And she wanted to be the one to do it. She squeezed his warm hand in hers, giving him the tiniest of smiles before letting her eyes drift shut, trying to rest up before all hell, quite literally, broke loose.

Damon glanced over at her, his eyes drifting slowly across her peaceful sleeping face. He let the sound of her even breathing and slowed heart beat consume him, trying desperately to distract himself. He was glad Elena had fallen asleep; that way she couldn't see the black, wolf-like shadows running through the woods alongside the car. He accelerated, knowing it was a futile attempt to outrun them, but he still tried anyway.

... … …

Creepy. As you can see, I deviated from the werewolf idea and tried to create a more threatening, disturbing beast. Hope it's not too hokey, but then again, this is fantasy, after all. I apologize for this chapter being shorter than usual, but if I made it longer the update would've come much later. Hope you're not too mad at me! Also as an afterthought, did that scene in the show after Damon staked Elijah when he looked up at Elena and smiled hopefully before she rushed into Stefan's arms just about kill anyone else out there? God I can't shake that innocent little hopeful expression…damn you, TVD. Anyways please be incomprehensibly awesome like usual and drop a few lines telling me what you think or would like to see. It means the world to me! Much love ;)