Hello everyone,

Wow thank you so much for your reviews, I'm so pleased I'm having the desired response haha! Hope to keep you guys on your toes further, I will be leaving you with a bit of a cliff hanger at the end of this chapter... I'm sorry! (I'm not, really) But it has to be done!

I also thought I'd pop out another forewarning about the flashbacks involved in this fanfic. I'm sure by now that people understand the nature of this fanfic and themes it explores, however it will not push the limit.. if that makes sense, I hope it does.

Anyways on wards with the story,

Elena's POV

My toes are getting really cold.

Sep laughs with all his friends around the table. The room is getting really smokey and the radio gots louder. They're drinking that stuff that makes Sep go all weird and mad. I don't like it.

Mommy still hasn't come home.

Damon hasn't come home either.

I'm scared.

I peep up to see Sep playing cards. He was bad at this game, always losing and then he would get angry and take it out on mommy. His friends were angry she wasn't there for them. She would go in another room with them one by one, maybe to play a different game with cards, but I'm not sure. Maybe something like Snap, I know you can play Snap with just two people.

I really need to pee.

"Now the bitch has gone so has the extra cash. Silly c**t better keep running because if I find her I'll break her legs."

"What if she comes back for her?" says one of his friends.

I blinks up and see Sep looking at me. He has a cigar-thing in his hand and the smoke is like a swirly cloud coming out of it. His staring scares me so I looks away and try counting to take my mind off how much I need the bathroom.

I heard the creek of a chair and saw one of Sep's friends coming over. Maybe they'll let me sit down, my feets hurt.

He stops in front of me like Sep did earlier and kneels down. His big belly hung out of his shirt and he didn't smell so good. A fat finger comes under my chin and makes me look at him.

"She's a beauty Sep. How old is she?"

"How the Hell should I know."

The man was still looking at me and not saying anything to me. Ew, he really stinks. I tries holding my breath.

"How old are you sweetie?" he then asks.

"Eight. Nearly nine."

He sucks air through his yellowy teeth and strokes my hair out of my face. It makes me shudder like I'm cold. I wish Damon were here.

"Shame she ain't older," he shouted back to everyone, then he spat out of the side of his mouth and leaned forward to say "I'd pay a fortune to be your first in the future."

He smiles and I smile back. I don't know what he means, but I just smile anyway.

"Fuck!" yells Sep. I see him throw a glass from the table angrily. He's lost a game.

The big stinky man gets up and walks away from me laughing. "Shame Izzy isn't here with that bit of extra cash, you could use it for the next game buddy."

Sep looks at me again and looks like he's really thinking about something. He never usually notices that I'm around, but he won't stop looking at me.

I need to go to the bathroom so bad.

"Damon!" he suddenly shouts, making me almost pee my pants with how much his loud voice scared me. "Damon, get your ass in here!"

The room went really quiet as they all waited for Damon to come into the room. Only I knew he wouldn't be coming. I'm scared for him, he was in such big trouble.

Sep scraped out of his chair and went storming towards the bedroom, "I said get your a-"

I knew he'd opened the door and saw the room was empty. I then heard him check the bathroom and then his room, screaming Damon's name the whole time.

Before I knew it he was back and coming towards me...

...

I woke up with a heavy gasp, hyperventilating, body drenched with sweat.

"Elena, Elena!"

I could still see his face - he was so angry. It terrified me.

"Elena!"

Intense blue eyes gazed inches from mine... and just like that, it was over.

And I noticed Damon was practically laying over my body. Oh my...

"I was dreaming," I whispered, the words tumbling out in a rush as I stated the obvious but it was all I could say. I was shaking underneath the weight of Damon's body, still reeling from the memories.

I kept my eyes on Damon as he tenderly stroked my hair from my face, the gentle movements bringing me in to a state of calm once more. I just watched him watching me, all the while enjoying the feeling of his fingers curling through my hair. My heavy breathing slowed down until I could no longer hear myself inhale or exhale. The movements of his fingertips had long since stopped. Silence took over. I went to move my hands, thinking they were tangled in the sheets... but they were actually placed firmly on his chest.

My fingertips twitched, kneading his skin ever so slightly. He was so close and the moonlight cast the perfect glow on his face so his eyes outshone the angry bruising around them. I saw his pupils dilate as my hands slowly, ever so slowly, glided upwards to gently grip his shoulders. I could hear my breathing again, it was coming in soft shakes. Not with fear, but with uncertainty; I knew what I wanted but did he want the same? I kept my eyes on his as they ghosted downwards to stare at my parted lips. My hands with a mind of their own, brushed from his shoulders to trace the perfect line of his collar bones, then they glided upwards until my fingers graced his neck and the underline of his powerful jaw. A soft gasp escaped from my lips as those dangerous pools of blue flashed back to stare at me. A heavy look of need and restraint battling it out in those stormy waves of blue and grey.

I could not take another moment of this sweet torture.

I kissed him.

No sooner had my lips crashed up to his I released them, gasping against his mouth at the shock at what I'd done. My eyes snapped open to find his burning hard into my own.

Then his lips crashed into mine, forcing my head back against the pillow as my arms held on to him for dear life, pulling him as close as physically possible, my mind reeling with a high of emotions as we kissed harder. My hands curled through his hair and our mouths parted so our tongues could meet. I hummed with pleasure at the contact, feeling a rumble of heady satisfaction come from Damon in response. I didn't know I could feel such emotions from kissing. Every part of me ached with need for more.

Excitement bolted through me as Damon swiftly traced his hand down my hips, his palm curving over my behind to nudge my leg wider so he could settle his hips between mine. Ohhhssshiit... the groan that passed my lips... Damon silenced me by returning his lips home to mine. My mind was exploding. My whole body was on a delicious precipice. I was lost to sensation. His teeth nipped my bottom lip, a spark of pleasure and pain igniting through me as I arched my neck and back. As I felt his moist lips grace my neck; biting, licking, tenderly sucking at my sensitive flesh, I then felt his hips teasingly thrust against me.

"DamonIneedyou" I found myself moaning, wanting to rid myself of clothing, for him to take me any way he wanted.

A soft knock sounded on the door.

Oh crap!

"Elena..." came Bonnie's muffled voice from the other side of the door.

I practically shoved Damon off me, quickly crashing back down to earth as I scrambled out of bed to answer the door before she came in.

I opened the door as little as I could. Even in the darkness, I felt so certain she would be able to tell what we had been doing. What if she heard even!?

"Hey," I grumbled, trying to sound convincingly sleepy but I couldn't be farther from.

"Hey, I'm sorry to wake you guys up, but it's 5:30. Mom will be getting up for work within the hour."

"No worries, we'll be out in ten minutes" I smiled. Oh jeez, I was sure she had me rumbled.

"The back door is unlocked... you know that you can stay right? I just.. well.. I think Damon has to-"

"I know Bon, but I think I'll go with him, just to make sure he's alright."

She paused for a moment and I was worried she would protest at my plan.

"Okay. I'll see you at school?"

"See you then"

I sneaked a quick hug from her before closing the door once again. Thank the maker that she didn't suspect anything... Or at least I think she didn't.

I turned around to face Damon. He was already up and out of bed, pulling up his jeans and staring at me though I could not see his face.

... Did we just do the very thing we should have avoided?

I didn't say anything and began feeling around for my overnight bag. I found a pair of jeans and a jumper. I blinked upwards to find Damon had already turned around so I could change. I dressed in record time and creased my clothes back into the bag. I dragged a brush through my hair but who am I kidding, I look like Hell.

"Lets go," I whispered, still hardly able to see his face and I am not sure that I want too. What if he regretted what we just did? What if he was embarrassed? What if I made myself look too easy? So many horrible possibilities bombarded my mind as we quietly left the Bennett house into the crisp morning air.

DAMON'S POV

... Did we just do the very thing we should have avoided?

We were up and out of Bonnie's house within minutes. The entire time I was trying to think of the most boring think on earth; Jehovah's Witnesses at my front door, re-arranging the sock drawer, trying to figure out algebra... but nothing worked to get rid of the erection that now strained in my jeans as I followed Elena on to the street.

All I could think about were the soft, delicious sounds that came from her parted lips, the feel of her skin, how good she felt beneath me. She was incredible.

The more lost in my thoughts I became, the quicker I noticed she was walking.

"Elena," I called, hoping she would turn around and face me. She paused slightly, then carried on walking. Her arms folded protectively around her waist as she picked up the pace.

As much as it's going to kill my ribs, I go jogging after her. She gives me a sideways glance once I'm next to her but doesn't slow down.

"Are you in a rush to be somewhere Miss Gilbert?"

"I figure the faster I walk, the faster I can forget about how humiliating I was back there," she stammered, her lips barely opening as she kept her gaze directly on the path in front of us.

"Whoa.." I clasp both hands on her shoulders and make her stop to face me. She's looking everywhere BUT me. I say and do nothing until her worrying brown eyes finally land on mine. "What's all this 'humiliating talk'?"

She shuffled uncomfortably "...I must have come across so... so..."

"Incredible? Out of this world? Absolutely, utterly mind-blowing?"

Finally - a smile!

I squeeze her shoulders as she looks away shyly, a flush of pink at her cheeks as the sunrise began to glow on her face. I'll remember that look forever. I stroke the curve of her cheek and she looks back up at me,

"We did nothing wrong," I stated. Quite harshly, but I needed too. The outside world can condemn on first light of our situation but no one has any fucking clue about it. "So don't for a second think you need to give yourself a hard time about it, okay?"

"I won't... I'm just scared, Damon."

I could see that she was. I don't blame her, because I am too. Because in a way I already feel that we are doomed to end. She'll come to remember what happened all those years ago; no amount of soul-searching and lifestyle changing I make is going to help that. Once she knows what I did, she will hate me. But if I can have her just to like me, even just for a little while, it will give me the strength to carry on. And I'll always be there to look over her from afar. Always. I owe that to her.

"I know you are" I find myself saying, lacking in anything else.

"I just... I'm scared of what I'll find out. I want to know, but the way my parents are about it... the dreams I'm having..."

"Tell me more about your dreams," I say, feeling my heart begin to race as we slowly began to walk once more in the morning haze. She looks at me hesitantly, an inner conflict in there as to whether to tell me anything. She's told me she remembers how I got the marks on my back. I'd long since regressed that day. I still remember the pain. I feel sick at the thought. I was about to tell her it was okay, she didn't need to feel like she had to tell me any more... but she took a sharp breath and began to talk.

"There's me. You. Your dad. My mom... they're fragmented memories I'm sure. The latest dream is... it's the worst I've had so far."

She links her arm with mine. Tightly.

"How come?" I ask, dreading her reply.

"It's the worst because you're not there. The dream follows on each time. Like one episode followed on by another. In this particular dream I lost my tooth.."

My heart clenches tightly.

"You were hurt, but you left as you had something you needed to do. I'm alone for so long, Damon. The cold gets to me, I'm hungry. Your dad comes home with his friends..." her voice trails off, her voice becoming lower and darker with apprehension. Her eyes ghost off to a dark place. Hollow of emotion.. until a flicker of fear is captured in the sunlight, "your dad is looking for you but you're still not back. I've been standing for so long, my legs ache, I need to pee, he comes storming over..."

I wrap both of my arms around her tightly as she begins to shudder with tears. Almost hyperventilating like she did when she woke up from her nightmare only an hour previous. I brace myself, expecting her to shove me away with rage, anger, betrayal. I know what happened next...

I stand with my head resting on hers as she sobbed softly against my chest, gently rocking her from side to side, my arms cradling the back of her head and shoulders. My right palm strokes through the soft, silk threads of her hair. Then I knowingly stroke her head near where I knew it would be. And then I felt it. The scar that I knew would be there.

"I don't remember anything else," she then whispers, her voice calming and sobs weakening.

I close my eyes and I am, without choice, taken back to the one image that has kept haunting me for 10 years - the sight of her blood.

"Where were you Damon?" Her voice was tearing me up inside, I couldn't think where to start with answering her. "Tell me you came back and found me?"

She pulled away to look up at me, her eyes desperate for the answer she wanted.

"I came back," I said, struggling to form the words. A little smile danced on her quivering lips. The words were on my tongue. I could blurt out everything in a couple of sentences and it would all be over. She would know. She'd hate me and that would be that. As much as I want her maybe I have already had the fate allocated time I can have with her. She is so close to knowing. I can tell her. I will.

I was about to say more but she breathed a huge sigh of relief and hugged me hard.

"I'm so glad you said that."

Aaaaand then the words were lost once more and all I could do was smile.

We eventually start walking in the direction that I think Mrs Flower's boarding house is in. Elena can't recall if she's ever seen it, which prompted her to start talking about her life in Mystic Falls. I smiled intently as she laughed about the games she and her friend's Bonnie and Caroline used to play. How they fell out of tree's when they explored the woods, the times they played truth or dare with the boy's and Elena's first sloppy kiss happened to be with Stefan at the tender age of 11. I couldn't help but laugh myself when she said it was awful and put her off her first real kiss until she was 16. She told me about the holiday home she and her family go to every summer, the birthday's and anniversaries they've celebrated there, the competitions she won for her writing and cheerleading. I could listen to her all day. Even the things people wouldn't normally give a crap about hearing. Like how her favourite food is Chicken Parmesan, Greek Salad, her mom's risotto being her all time number one dish. She never had a good meal in the time that I knew her and to hear she has a mom that made sure she didn't leave the house with an empty stomach is music to my ears.

"Ugh I feel like I must be boring you to death" she chuckled, her face beaming up at me as we wandered across the very familiar Wickery Bridge.

"I love hearing about your life. Keep going."

"Noooo tell me about yours, I wanna hear alll..." as she said it I heard her voice trail off and then I spied the look of 'oh shit' on her face. I slipped my arm out of hers so I could take her hand.

"There's not much to tell and what is there isn't worth talking about," I say, flashing her the cock-sure smile but I wasn't fooling her.

"It's always worth talking about. It's your life," she says, her hand squeezing mine.

I kick a lonely rock a couple of times as a distraction from her request. There really isn't anything to talk about. Or nothing nice anyway. I can't remember a single happy memory since she left and this is the first time I've felt the feelings of true happiness since. She's still waiting for me to talk and I know trying to skirt the issue isn't going to work this time. I give the rock one last kick.

"I pretty much lived on the streets until I was around 16 and then got myself a job. Nothing special."

"... aaaaand that's all you're going to tell me?"

"Like I said Elena, there's nothing else worth talking about."

"But what about those years of the street? Or your job, or..."

I stopped us once again and turned to face her. She frowned a little as I placed my finger softly to her lips.

"We've had enough upset for one day... and it's not even 7am. We'll save my life story for another time."

That seemed to do the trick and she nodded. Damn I'm so close to her yet again. Flashbacks of earlier this morning bombard my brain and I wish I had her back in bed with me. The feel of her lips on mine, her skin beneath my palm... she was already like an addiction and I wanted more.

"Is it bad that I want to kiss you again?" she whispered breathlessly. Her words travelled directly to my cock and I was straining against my jeans once more.

"Not at all."

I took the lead this time and captured her parted lips with mine. She wrapped her arms around my neck and tenderly kissed back. The urgency of our first kiss remained in bed. This was much more slow but no less amazing. I cradled her body to mine, relishing the feel of her curves, the slight feel of her breasts pushing against my chest. She was just so damned perfect and she had no idea.

She nipped my bottom lip, sending a spark of desire to go bolting through me. She smirked at the reaction. That little rebel she keeps at bay clearly wants to come out and play again.

The awful honking of a car horn blasted beside us. I heard the jeering of male voices as they zoomed down the quiet road. Assholes!

She began to laugh in my arms, a look on her face like she'd just been caught sneaking cookies out of the jar. Then I saw it over her shoulder. The boarding house.

"I wish we had some privacy," she mumbled.

"We do," I smirked, taking her hand and leading the way towards the boarding house as quickly as my aching body would allow me. If my gut instinct was right, it may only be ticking towards 6:30 in the morning. One hour before my non-requested wake-up call. Decent make out time.

"Is that where you're staying?"

"No, I'm just gonna drag you into a complete stranger's house to feel you up. Of course it is!"

She slapped me playfully on the arm and called me an "ass."

I didn't retaliate, I just wanted to be somewhere alone with her and as soon as possible. I told her to be as quiet as she possible could as we jogged up the empty driveway, the house looking sleepy and quiet. For a moment I panicked that the door may be locked. But with a sigh of relief, the old door creaked open loudly upon entry.

"Shit!" I hissed, pausing halfway to listen out for any signs of life. I think my cock was straining to listen too.

Silence.

I tugged on Elena's hand and heard her stifle a soft giggle in her free palm as I guided her through the warm house. The prospect of getting her to my room without being spotted caused me to feel a little giddy too. I looked over my shoulder to see a cheeky grin on Elena's face as she squeezed my palm.

We rounded the hallway to the stairs. We're on the home run!

"And just what time do you call this?"

Elena screamed at the unexpected sound of Mrs Flower's voice from the living room. Or it may have been me who screamed, I'm not quite sure.

Either way there we were. Dishevelled and halfway in a desperate scramble to take the stairs and Mrs Flowers stared at us disapprovingly, her knuckles turning white on her walking stick.

"...Oops." I actually felt like a teenager who'd just been caught sneaking back into the house by their parents. Only Mrs Flower's is a heck of a lot scarier. "Uhh Mrs Flowers this is my... friend... Elena Gilbert. Elena this is Mrs Flowers"

"Hello, it's a pleasure to meet you,"

Elena held out her hand for Mrs Flowers to take and for a moment I didn't think she would. I couldn't contain the smile when she did, if reluctantly. It was like a seal of approval from a mother.

"Likewise Miss Gilbert. I assume you'd like to stay for breakfast?"

"Oh.. uh no, no thank you. In fact I'd better get going."

"Must you really? You were in such a rush to get upstairs."

It look everything for me not to burst out laughing. Poor Elena's cheeks blazed crimson as she timidly tucked her hair behind her ears.

"She'll stop by another time Mrs Flowers," I said, knowing Elena needed to be put out of her misery. I gently ushered her down the hallway back to the front door. I knew Mrs Flowers was enjoying this. I peeked over my shoulder and sure enough a knowing smile was on her wizened face.

"Oh my God, that was mortifying!" Elena hissed as we reached the porch.

"Putting people on the spot is her speciality. I'm actually a little terrified of her" I smirked.

"Yeah, me too!"

"I hope she hasn't scared you away entirely," I say, snaking my arms around her waist. Wishing I could whisk her away upstairs with me.

"Not at all. But you need to rest for a few days. I'd actually like to see your face with little to no bruising if that's possible."

"I'm sure that can be arranged. You busy Friday?"

"I don't think so," she said, grinning from ear to ear. It was nice to see her like this. Like she didn't have the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"In that case, would you like to come round and do... something?" I was actually struggling for words. What is a normal, couple-type thing to do when you're not quite a couple and have a huge back-log of history to work through?

"How about pizza and a movie?" she suggested.

"Perfect."

And it really was. It felt like for the first time I could actually say that this was going to be a perfect day.

I surveyed the damage to my once beautiful sisters face. Rage seethes through me.

"Stop staring at me, Nick" she spat, then wincing with the pain, tears seeping between her closed eyes.

I cannot do anything but stare at her because the longer I do, the more I see how he has damaged her forever. He robbed her of her beauty and of her dignity. Raped and beat her to unconsciousness. I swear once I find him I shall break him.

"Do you need anything before I leave?" I ask softly at her bedside. Her eyes beneath the bandaging around her busted nose glare at me.

"I want you to find him. It's been days Nick. You can sniff out scum within half a day, what the Hell is taking so long?"

I clench my teeth. My baby sister had quite a sharp tongue.

"We are working on it Rebekah. You just rest."

Before she can moan further I place a kiss on her forehead and swiftly leave her room. I make my way back to my office, expecting to hear of some progress because if I don't I swear heads will roll.

I throw open the door, pleased to see my brother Elijah already waiting for me.

"Any news?" I sigh, staring out over the Chicago skyline. He was out there somewhere. Despite not having much to his name there was always something. It just needed to take a little digging.

When Elijah does not speak I turn, ready to sound my frustration. Then he drops a file to my desk.

I take it and read intently. Interesting... very interesting.

I close the file with a satisfied smile.

"Looks like someone will be paying a visit to Mystic Falls..."

Hope you all enjoyed Chapter 10 - Chapter 11 is on the way!

Anna x