An: I am *so glad* that from now on we are ascending from darkness. And if you are still with me, thank you for not shying away. I know the last two chapters were hard to handle, so I appreciate your loyalty.

Stefan joined Damon in his relentless pounding into Elena's battered body. The younger Salvatore tried not to think of the young human girl he once called his; tried to forget how life and tragedy had led him and Damon to be locked in a dirty cell with the vampire shell of someone who had once held such promise...Viciously pounding into her lithe body from both ends to break her so that they could get some of the original girl back.

Stefan thought back to when this awful situation would never have occurred to him. To when he was naive enough to think that his presence in Elena's life meant redemption for him and happiness for her. What a fool he had been... Knowing what he was he should have known that it could only lead to this... Knowing what he was he should have walked away... And to think that he had once believed that Damon was the worse thing that could ever happen to her...

Elena had been so beautifully human in her humanity, a rough diamond that had brought Stefan and his brother to worship at her feet. They had laid their hearts and their lives on the line for her because she was all that was good an pure in the world. Many times they had even risked their brotherhood on the mere chance of keeping her... Instead they both had had to watch as cynicism clouded her eyes, and misery jaded her heart and tragedy hollowed her soul. He should have walked away when he had the chance... Stefan meant what he had said to Damon about wanting things to change... but it pained him to let go of his brother, and he wasn't sure he could let go of her... ever.

"Elena..."- Stefan breathed, pulling her head up kindly from his chest.

The girl looked up at her tormentor as he searched her eyes for the girl he loved. Elena bit down on her lower lip to keep herself from moaning from their pelvic motions. The pain had slowly turned into exquisite pleasure and the tears had ceased. Elena had kept quiet, knowing that this was a sick version of a dark fantasy she used to have a long time ago. Fair enough, she had never ever entertained anal sex, but she had entertained a scenario where she got to keep them both, to love them both. Now that she was here, trapped between them, it didn't seem so absurd after all. She also decided to stay still because a part of her didn't think that either brother deserved the satisfaction of knowing that her body was responding to what was supposed to be a dark and depraved torture .

When Elena and Stefan's eyes met, she shivered. Maybe she was simply delirious, pushed beyond the boundaries of physical and emotional exhaustion. But in this moment it was all very clear and simple to her: the brothers complemented each other. Equal amounts of darkness for equal amounts of light. Like both sides of a coin, part of each other, part of her.

Even if his groin kept the same rhythm, Stefan's countenance changed and a shy smile crept on his face as he stroked hers gently.

"Jerks" - Elena mumbled without conviction as she tried not to smile back.

Stefan chuckled and his smile broadened.

"There she is." - he announced as Elena leaned into his hand and Stefan joyfully looked at up his brother to confirm that Elena was back.

Damon leaned his forehead against the back of Elena's head, stilling his hip motions and releasing a deep sigh. He had not enjoyed torturing Elena and even less debasing her like this. All he had wanted was his girl back... even if it killed him.

"Thank god..." - he croaked with relief.

Elena should have been equally relieved but the truth was that, by now, her core was begging for the release it had been denied so far. So to both brother's surprise, Elena arched her back and pushed herself against Damon with a needy whimper and then forward against Stefan.

"Damon...Stefan..." - she begged wantonly.

The vampires looked up in shock, not exactly prepared for this turn of events. The brothers exchanged a nervous glance, Stefan biting his suddenly dry lips, Damon clamping his in a tight line. A silent agreement passed between them and Stefan brought his lips down softly on hers.

Elena melted into the gentle kiss as she felt her hands be freed one by one. Her muscles ached and her belly was hungry for blood, but above all she was hungry for her elusive orgasm, for the pleasure high she could almost feel.

She let one arm fall back and curve instinctively around Damon's neck, intertwining her fingers in his luscious hair. The other arm reached for the green eyed brother in front of her, bringing him closer, a combined trust sending a jolt of pleasure all over her body.

She felt Damon pepper soft kisses on the side of her face, and Stefan rub soothing circles at her hips – both offering an apology of sorts. Elena gasped as the pleasure escalated, eliciting moaning sounds from Stefan, Damon and herself. Their pace was suddenly harmonious, they moved as one, and as it increased, the pleasure spiked and Elena's muscles clenched, coaxing both men to take the invitation to come with her as a tsunami sized orgasm overtook her entire body.

"Oh god, oh god, oh god," - Elena panted breathlessly as Stefan growled his release.

"Good girl"- Damon shushed her lovingly as his hips jerked forward, spilling himself inside of her.

Elena felt exhausted and battered, but at least one primal need was sated. She shivered in Damon's arms as he and Stefan removed themselves from her. Damon spun her gently around and held her tight, her sobs came out of nowhere and so did his.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry" - Damon would repeat in mortification.

Stefan reached forward and hugged her too, so that Elena was again sandwiched between the brothers. Elena cried and cried; for her brother; for herself; for the people that had died; for the people she had killed and would be likely to kill; for the house she burnt down; for the mementos of six lifetimes that she didn't bother to save; for the brutal ordeal she just had been through; for the brothers that loved her enough to put her through it.

Elena thought she would be crying forever and it would have been fine if she wasn't so hungry. Katherine's disdainful voice however shook her out of it.

"I take it that the plan worked?" – Katherine asked with some venom walking into the cell.

Damon gave her a grim smile, but Elena didn't bother to look up, she was too distressed to deal with her doppelganger.

"It worked."- he replied caressing Elena's hair soothingly -"She's back."

"So I guess there is no fun left for me." – Katherine pouted.

That got Elena's attention and she rose an eyebrow at Damon then Stefan questioning.

"Plan Z"- Stefan gave her and apologetic shrug.

"What exactly did plan Z entail?" – Elena asked weakly and Katherine keenly opened her mouth to answer –"Wait!" - Elena said in a panic -"I don't think I want to know..."

Stefan and Damon let Elena go as Katherine gave her a smirk and approached with a robe in her hands.

"Here"- she offered – "I don't think Caroline can take much more of this. But you may want to cover yourself first."

"Caroline?"- Elena asked tiredly as she dressed herself and the brothers did the same.

"Yes, the crying blonde huddled in a corner of the room upstairs." – Katherine said boringly.

Before anyone could react Elena had rushed out of the cell.

"Shes back..." - Katherine said pensively, receiving a broad smile from each brother.

"Ye-p" - Damon replied with unexpected levity as the three vampires followed on Elena's wake.

AN: R&R. Now we are almost at the end. Told you it got better :) xoxo