A/N: Honestly, your reviews are making my days! Thank you all. I suggest reading this chapter in great battle as I tried to focus more about Elena's inner battles and thoughts of Damon. There's another AN at the end of the chapter to explain ;)

Thanks to PorkChopSmall for her work on this chapter!

Close your eyes and leave all your fears behind.

Asking Alexandria, "Break down the walls"

Elena remained on her knees, tears streaming down her face. She didn't care that she was a whimpering wreck in front of a man who bought girls, because right at that moment all she could think about was that at least, Damon was not like other men. He was strange, emotionless and different, however Elena didn't believe that he was a mean and sick rapist.

She was picking the best from the worst, which was strange because Damon was amazingly and dangerously beautiful. However, Elena didn't care about these things. In her eyes, in her world, men were heartless monsters that preyed on the weak. At least with Damon, there was something; as little as it was, there was something between them. She could still remember the first time she saw him in the club, how the music seemed to lower and everything was just a blur. Everything except for him. It was like they were the only people in the venue.

And now, she was on her knees in front of him, begging him to take her, and he hadn't said a single word since. In fact, his face looked shocked, an expression she had never seen before, and then it turned to pity. Elena closed her eyes shut. No, she was imagining things. This man, even though he did show her an ounce of kindness, was emotionless.

No words were spoken however Damon gently grabbed her arms and off her knees. Then, he did something that surprised both her and him, judging by the looks on his face. He hesitantly, slowly, raised his hand to her cheek and cupped it, stroking it softly. He wiped away her tears and put his hand on the back of her head and gently pushed it forwards so that her face was resting against his chest.

She sobbed again, just wanting to be held, and he stroked her hair without uttering a word, without changing his empty facial expression. However, Elena could tell that he was pitying her, that he was angry for what she was going through even though he didn't want to show it. Why? Elena thought, What happened to this man, to make him so afraid to show compassion? She could feel his hands trembling as they stroked her hair, as if he was afraid that this kind gesture would make him weak.

Maybe he was messed up, messed up more than her.

"Do it," She finally said when his hands calmed her down. "I want you to be my first."

He seemed confused again, as if he didn't know what to do. Elena remained in front of him however she placed her hands on his cheek, hesitantly. She forced a small smile through the tears, looking down at the floor once again. She took several deep breaths, not wanting to be an emotionally wreck anymore before she finally looked up again. His face was unmoving as he gazed at her, only this time his eyebrows were drawn together a little more, as if confused by the whole situation.

"You're the only man who has shown me kindness ever since I got myself into this world." She said softly. "I want you to be the one to take me. Just please…try not to hurt me."

He finally nodded, and for the first time Elena Gilbert saw the first glimpse of the real Damon Salvatore. His face was full of emotion as he picked her up and walked with her in his arms to another bedroom, and she was thankful because she didn't want her first time to be on a bed which she was nearly raped on.

He then placed her gently on the bed and peppered her face with butterfly kisses, and even though this was not supposed to be sweet and romantic at all, Elena let him. She just wanted to believe that she was doing this out of her own free will, not because she didn't have another choice. After all, he was being sweet towards her.

"Let me make you feel good," Damon whispered against her cheek. "Will you let me do that?"

Elena stared up at him, his forehead resting against hers. His breathing was deeper than normal and his eyes were glassed over. And, for a brief moment, Elena thought she could see a small amount of vulnerability there. He looked genuine when he stared down at her, gingerly brushing a few stray hairs from her eyes. Elena swallowed soundly and nodded hesitantly, biting her bottom lip.

Damon sensed her uncertainity, and pulled back a little. "Listen, if this is going to be your first time, I want you to enjoy it. I want to make you feel good."

"O-okay…" Elena murmured softly, licking her dry lips.

He looked into her eyes as his hands rested on her teddy, and she gave him a small nod. He proceeded to untie her strings until she was bare underneath him, blushing a soft pink. He then slowly, almost tentatively, removed her underwear leaving her completely bare beneath him. He gazed at her for a moment, his eyes lighting up and making Elena turned her head into the pillow, embarrassed.

"You're beautiful," He told her as he proceeded to run his hands all over her bare body, gently.

Damon kissed her cheek and then trailed soft open mouthed kisses down her neck and torso before gently sucking on her nipple. His other hand massaged her breast and he heard her gasp as he flicked his tongue over her hard peak. He could smell her arousal growing and her heartbeat rapidly against her ribcage.

"You don't have to do that…" Elena moaned.

"Yes, I do." Damon replied. "You need to be ready. You're not ready just yet."

He teased her nipples, gently circling them with his tongue and blowing on them until Elena was finally groaning again. All and every protest had left her thoughts as Damon began to do beautiful things to her body, making her feel incredible. She couldn't feel the aches and pains from her bruises, just the pure bliss. Damon kissed and licked his way down her smooth flat stomach and settled between her legs.

He then settled back on his heels for a moment, watching her before he stripped himself of his own clothing and climbed on top of her again. Elena didn't look down at his arousal, fearing that she would panic at the sight. Instead she trusted the man, wanting to get this whole experience over and done with as Damon rested his head on her abdomen, breathing harshly as he gripped her hips.

"I-I need to touch you…" He groaned, hooking her legs over his shoulders.

"D-Damon…what are yo-.." Elena gasped and her back arched at the sudden sensation below.

He brushed her entrance with his fingers and felt how wet she was. He looked up at her briefly, but her eyes were sown shut as she panted, gripping the bed sheets tightly. Damon slowly pushed a finger inside her, flicking at the aching centre.

Elena made an animalistic noise, something between a moan and a hiss, one of her hands latching into Damon's hair.

"Sorry," He pouted, knowing that she was going to experience some pain, however the soft moans coming from Elena's mouth showed him otherwise.

"Oh…God!" She cried out.

Damon pushed another finger inside and started to pumped them together and then curled them against her sweet spot each time, and felt as Elena begin to move her hips rhythmically.

"Damon!" She screamed as he thrust faster and deeper and sucked hard on her sensitive clit, and he felt her core start to clench around his fingers.

Elena came hard and fast, his body twisting and turning as she rode of the waves of her orgasm. She felt like her body couldn't take much more, having never felt that before in her life. She never knew that someone, a man, could make her feel this way. The only feeling that Elena had ever experience from the hands of a man before was pain and suffering. But now…she felt like she was on top of the world.

Damon placed a last kiss on her soft lower lips. He carefully kissed back up his body until he was facing her again, breathing down at her. Her forehead was slick with sweat and her cheeks were glowing a deep red. Damon was painfully hard at this point, having to shift his lower weight so that his erection was resting on her thigh.

Elena froze, her eye widening a little when she felt how big he was. She wasn't sure how that would fit inside her, and so closed her eyes as she breathed, willing herself to relax. Damon grabbed a foil packet from this jeans pocket, ripping it open and pulling the condom over his considerable length. Elena breathed a small sigh of relief that Damon was sensible enough to take precautions.

Damon nuzzled her neck with his lips. "Do you still want this? I can stop if you want me to." He whispered, feeling how tense she was. "It'll hurt a little, but I promise I will make you feel good."

"I want this…please," Elena begged, looking into his eyes.

"I'm going to take you now," He said against her face as she felt his arousal pressed up against her. "I'm going to make you mine."

"Do it," She told him breathlessly.

Damon didn't have to be told twice. He positioned himself at her entrance and entered her in one quick stroke, stopping when he came in contact with her virginity. Elena grabbed the sheets to try and control the pain as a small scream escaped her mouth as one final push broke through her barrier. Damon was panting on top of her now, stilling himself inside of her as he waited for her to open her eyes. Her face was scrunched together as she controlled the pain, slowly relaxing a little more. Elena's lips parted shocked by the strange yet amazing feeling of fullness.

"Are you okay?" He asked her softly.

Elena gave him a small nod and he started to move slowly inside of her, being as gentle as possible. The white sheets had been stained in blood and Elena let out another hiss as she felt Damon turn his head around and away from her sight in an instant. Elena groaned in pain, but she did not tell him to stop.

Damon looked down at her, stopping for a moment as he saw a tear escape from her eye. He leant down and kissed her cheek, moving his firm grip on her hips to her arms, pulling her hands up so that the rested on his shoulders. Elena looked up at him, confused by the gesture.

"Hold me." He purred, nuzzling her shoulder as he began to move again.

He felt her hips wiggle wanting more, and he smiled in confirmation and slid out of her to thrust back in. Elena started to moan freely, digging her nails into his shoulder blades as she held on to him. Her body was pulsing as the pain started to die down, being replaced by pure numbness and pleasure.

He then buried himself by her neck and kissed her as the room seemed to blur, and they were both lost themselves in the ecstasy that was created by their own bodies as they became one. Neither one of them wanted this moment to end, not even Elena. And despite the pain, for the first time in months, Elena felt good.

Somehow, Elena had fallen asleep in Damon's arms. She woke up with a start, feeling sore as she stared at the naked man in her bed. So it was true, then. It hasn't been just a dream. She was no longer a virgin, and she was no longer going to worry when she was 'hired' for the night. At least, that was what she was trying to believe.

Elena realized that Damon had an arm wrapped around her, anchoring her to his body. His grip on her was unbreakable, possessive. She sighed softly and traced his jaw, feeling his cold skin against her warm hand.

What was going to happen now, Elena thought bitterly. Was she going to see him again? Probably not, since him taking her virginity was nothing special to him, obviously, because she could only imagine how many girls he had slept with. Elena wanted to uncurl herself from his grip at the sudden rage, anger and guilt. This was just business, she wanted to tell herself. This was just a one night stand, a deal-She giving him pleasure in return of him not making it hurt. Nothing more, nothing less.

But to her it was more than this. She knew that he was probably never going to look at her because he finally got what he wanted from her, despite the fact that it was her who asked him to sleep with her, and not the other way round-however Elena was never good in keeping her feelings, emotions and sex separate. She always imagined sex with someone she loved. She wasn't a one night stand girl at all, and that was the reason she always planned to wait for the right time, because she didn't want to feel regret.

She jumped off the bed, causing Damon to wake up as she threw on her clothes again, buttoning and tying her strings roughly as she willed herself not to cry. She couldn't cry, not in front of him. She didn't want him to know that she didn't want him to leave, that she wanted to see him again. That this, tonight, meant something to her.

"What's wrong?" He asked her as he wiped the sleep away from his eyes.

"You should go," Elena told him, her back turned on him. "Mason will be coming soon and he'll be asking questions."

She handed him his clothes before she disappeared into the bathroom, leaving him confused on the bed. She splashed her face with cold water, hesitate when she looked up at her reflection. The girl she saw wasn't anyone she recognised. She always thought that after her first time there would be some glow to her cheeks. That maybe she'd look older and that she would have a smile on her face. But the image before her was far from that. She looked tried and stressed, her body sore and tear tracks on her cheeks.

Elena shook her head, seating on the toilet seat with her head in her hands, just praying that she could forget. That was all she wanted at this point – to forget.

However, not more than ten minutes later, Elena heard a knock on the door. "What's wrong?" He asked her in his velvety voice.

Elena tried to conceal her teary voice. She wanted him to go away. She couldn't stand the thought of facing him again and then him leaving her as if she was nothing.

"Go away," She told him.

"Why are you acting this way?" He asked her, clearly annoyed. "Come out here so that we can talk."

"I don't want to talk to you," She replied as she wiped away a few tears. "Please just leave, okay?"

"Why?" He asked her again.

"Are you not fluent in the English language?" Elena cried out, "Just go away. Just because you fucked me doesn't mean I'm yours and I don't want to talk to you right now."

"So it's about tonight," Damon continued stubbornly. "What do you want me to say, if I can't understand what this is all about?"

"There's nothing to understand," Elena told him again. "You fucked me and we both got what we wanted. Now it's time to leave."

"Are you saying that you don't want to see me again?"

No, Elena cried silently. I'm broken because I just don't want you to leave. I don't want you to see me in the street and turn your head the other way simply because you managed to sleep with me. I just want you to look at me and say that this wasn't just sex for you. This meant to you as much as it meant to me. But I know I'm wrong…

So Elena decided not to say anything, because she couldn't lie and on the other hand she couldn't tell him what she really felt. Tears streamed down her face as she heard him walking away.

"I left you money on the nightstand," Was the last thing she heard him say before she heard the door close shut.

Elena came out of the shower wrapped up in a white nightgown. She was alone again however she knew that Mason would return soon, so she decided to use the time wisely and immediately got rid of the blood stained sheets, not wanting Mason to suspect that that night was her first time. She then proceeded to pick up the broken glass in the other room, making up an excuse in the process because she knew that Mason was going to ask her where his precious glass set was. She just hoped that he wouldn't be too mad, because she couldn't bear another beating, not when she was already sore and black and blue all over.

She picked up the money from the nightstand, a total of three thousand dollars as well as a note. She remained still, counting the money again to be sure that this wasn't just a dream. This man had to be a billionaire, she was sure of it. She quickly separated the job-money from the extra money and quickly hid them inside her doll, making sure that no one would dare suspect a thing. She always hoped that someday she'll be reunited with Emily and that this money would be enough for them to start a new life with.

She looked at the note for a long moment before finally giving in to read it.

Elena,

I left you as much money as I had in my wallet and, trust me, if I had any more on me I would have given it to you, no doubt. I know this was hard for you and I'm sorry that you regret what happened between us. I can help you, if you let me. I can help you get your sister back. Only if you choose to trust me.

D.S.

At the bottom of the page was a phone number, which Elena assumed was his. She gripped the small piece of paper in her hand, unsure of what to do as more tears welled in her eyes. She couldn't trust him, she just couldn't! But Elena couldn't deny what he was offering her. She wanted nothing more than to see her sister again and this man was willing to help her. It was hard for her to think of, but she didn't have a choice…Damon would be her only hope.

But what made him write this? This man wasn't good or kind. She remembered the way he spoke to her and ordered her around when she was at his place. A good man wouldn't use that kind of tone with a woman, especially with her, a girl who was already ordered around twenty four hours daily, and treated as a possession.

As much as Elena wanted to be free of this life, she had to play it safe. She couldn't just leave, fearing that Mason would hurt her or, even worse, Emily. But Elena could not help but dream of the life that they could have together…free…

Lost in dreams, another tear slipped out of her eye and she picked up the picture that was always in her bedroom and held it closer to her chest. It was a picture of her little sister Emily, smiling at the camera, her curly little pigtails looking bouncy. Elena hugged the picture, just wishing that it was Emily whom she was hugging.

"I love you, Emily. I'm so, so sorry." She cried softly. "I promise…I promise you, I'm going to find you. And I'm going to get you out of his horrible place. I swear it."

Can you see how broken and damaged Elena really is? Clearly, Elena doesn't think that men are capable of love and compassion. In her mind, in her world, men use girls for pleasure, and she doesn't want to deal with the fact that Damon is the same. She WANTS to believe that he isn't like other men however her views on men are not allowing her to see him differently.

We also saw a lighter side of Damon in this chapter. He was less possessive and more conciderate.

I want to thank Irishmauve for her review "Pick your devil". Thanks honey, because it helped me write the chapter. Like this reviewer said, Elena had two choices, either have her innocence claimed by a stranger or by Damon. To Elena, however, they were both "devils".

Another thanks to Imari, a guest reviewer, for reviewing many of my stories these past few days.

Again, Becky (Porkchopsmall) thank you for your amazing work especially on the smut scene.

Catch you on the flip side ;)