Hello, my lovelies! It's been a long time and man, have I missed you guys! Hope you're all staying as fabulous as ever. Thank you so very much for all the follows, favourites and the thoughtful and detailed reviews. You have no idea what they mean to me.
So here's Chapter 10 and I'm duty bound to inform you guys that this is a pretty intense and loaded chapter. A lot happens and a LOT changes- whether for the good or the bad, well that's for you to find out ;) All I'll let out is that a few relationships will be redefined. Hope you guys enjoy the chapter. Heed warnings!
WARNINGS: Smut, abuse, mention of rape, child abuse, underage relationships, swearing., etc
Elena was being followed. The sound of the trailing footsteps against the pavement was evidence enough and she'd caught a brief glimpse of a shadowy figure. A chill ran through her as the sky darkened further, shading the empty street that seemed to spread before her. She had to get back to where she had left Damon. The Bistro.
She picked up her pace and darted around a few corners, one of which led her into a dark and deserted alley. Had she missed a turn? Clearly, because she found herself in a blind end. The perfect ambush spot. Great. She swiftly glanced sideways only to find no sign of her follower. May be he'd missed her, but if he was still following her, she knew that it would be a wasted attempt to trace back her steps, so she did what any sane person would most definitely not do.
She ducked into a doorway of what looked like a run- down night club and quietly stepped out of her high- heeled shoes. She could gouge someone's eye with it if that's what it came to. The pavement was cold beneath her bare feet. Desperate measures.
She didn't have to wait long. A few moments later, she heard the footsteps and saw her pursuer's long shadow appear on the ground, cast in the flickering light of a street lamp on the adjacent road. Her stalker came to a stop no doubt searching for her. Funny he wasn't even trying to be stealthy. No stalker would be so conspicuous. Elena tried to silence her panicky breaths as she waited for her pursuer to retreat. He took a few more steps before he turned away and disappeared.
Elena heaved a sigh of pure relief as she crossed back over to the parallel street. She'd just call Damon. To hell with her orchestrated hissy fit! She dug her phone out of her pocket and noticed the twenty something missed calls and a few texts. She punched in the digits. He answered on the first ring.
"Oh, thank god!" He sounded anxious. "Where are you?"
Looking around, she couldn't find anything that would tell her the name of the street or a landmark. "I don't know. I'm lost, Damon."
"It's alright. I'll find you. Can you describe where you're at? Did you walk?"
"Someone was following me and I- I ran and I missed a corner. I'm in some back alley and I-"
"Following?" Damon bit out. "Which way did you head from the Bistro?"
"Left."
"Did you turn any corners after that?" He was breathing quickly and she could hear the sounds of traffic and car horns in the background. Oh, where was he?
"I did- I don't know. God, Damon!" He appeared silhouetted on the other side of the street with a phone held to his ear. Elena breathed."Okay, I see you."
"What? Where?" Damon said distracted. "I think I know which way you went. Stay there."
"But you-" Elena paused mid- sentence. That wasn't Damon. In one fluid motion, the man sprinted toward her, giving her no time to move. "Damon, hurry!"
Elena frantically backed up as the dark figure closed in on her. She came up short against a huge garbage can and saw her chance. She scrambled around it, positioning herself opposite the man, with the garbage can between them.
The man looked at her over the top of the can. "No..." Elena wasn't sure if she had said the word or thought it. It didn't matter. Because surely she had to be imagining this. It couldn't be real. It couldn't be possible. "Mason."
"Miss me?" She knew him instantly, even though he'd changed. He looked older. More rugged. All the time in prison must have changed him somehow, but his face was the same. The familiar set of lips tipped up in an amused yet chilling smile and his sickening eyes bore holes into her being. Holes she had spent years sealing.
"I'm just dreaming. You're not real."
"If I ain't real, would I do this?" Before Elena could figure out what he was talking about, he lunged for her again.
Momentarily confused, she gave up some of the distance between them. Instead of stopping, he skirted around the garbage can. Elena made a break for it, running down the street bare foot. She made it past three lamp posts before he caught hold of her arm. He spun her around and backed her against an old rotting building.
"Playing hard to get?" He splayed both hands on the wall, caging her in. "One of your favourite games, wasn't it?" His breath reeked of cheap liquor.
"How did you- but you were gone!"
"I was never gone," Mason held her chin in a death grip. "Poison in your bones, Elena."
Elena glared at him, trying to hide the dread from showing. He flashed a grin brimming with dark intent, confirming that she had every reason to sweat freely. But she wouldn't. She wasn't a vulnerable little child anymore. He couldn't frighten her. No one could. She noiselessly brought her shoe around and aimed at his crotch, thrusting it forth until he cursed, stumbling back.
It bought her enough time to get around him, but she wasn't fast enough. He caught her ankle, twisting it until she fell to the ground. Pinning her down with his body, he smiled triumphantly.
Elena wanted to wriggle free from his hold. She wanted to shove him away- get him off, but her body seemed to have a different idea. The treacherous thing froze like it always did and her thoughts seemed to have iced over for she couldn't think straight. It was as if she couldn't see past the man pressing down on her.
"See how easy you are?" He scoffed.
"What do you want from me?"
"Do you know what happens in jail, sweetheart?" He hissed. "Do you have the slightest idea of what happens to people like me in there? What I've been going through while you were out here living your merry little teenager life?"
"You've put me through worse," Elena's voice cracked. "You ruined me."
"Not even close," He leaned in. "But I'm not done with you, you hear me?"
"Elena!" Damon's voice reached her from a distance. She latched on to it like sailors do to the first ray of brightness that seeps through the storms.
"Aaron's been replaced, huh?" Mason looked up.
"Elena!" Damon's voice and his footsteps grew nearer. "What the- hey!" She heard him yell a series of curse words and threats as the heavy falls of his boots reverberated through the ground. She couldn't see him, but she could imagine him charging down the street like an animated bull, flaring nostrils and all.
"Poor bastard," Mason chuckled. "I'll see you around. Oh and remember sweetheart," He pressed his mouth to her ear. "I own you."
"You had one job, Damon," Alaric handed Elena a Bento box.
"It was not his fault," Elena had repeatedly tried to get Ric to stop blaming the whole situation on Damon all through the drive home, but in vain.
"Of course it was," Damon sighed. "Look, I promise indentured servitude for the major screw up. You couldn't possibly hate me more than I hate myself."
"Don't be so sure," Alaric muttered.
"It doesn't matter," Elena curled up in the couch. "Can we please eat?"
"It doesn't matter?" Alaric's eyes bugged out. "What if the guy had hurt you? What if he had weapons on him? What if-"
"I'm here, aren't I?" Elena cut him off. The rich aroma of teriyaki chicken, tangy pineapple and hot rice curled around her like steam, but even Japanese food couldn't take her mind off of Mason. Nothing could.
"Are you sure you're alright?"
No, I'm terrified. Elena nodded impassive.
"What did he want?"
Me. "Cash, I guess. I don't know."
"Did he take anything?"
Only my sanity. "You're full of questions tonight."
"I'm just warming up," Alaric scoffed.
"But I'm done."
"Too bad because we have a lot to talk about," Alaric sounded calm but not happy.
It was all Elena could do not to give him a traitorous look. "Should've considered that before you went to Child Services behind my back."
"Don't look at me," Damon said when he caught Alaric glaring at him. "I told you your plan sucked."
Alaric sighed. This was going to be harder than he thought.
"Let me see if I've got this. You went all the way to Richmond so you could dig some dirt on me?"
"Is there?" Alaric said, arms crossed. "Dirt to dig?"
Damon raised his eyebrows. "Want to tell me what this is really about?"
The nightmare. That's what this was really about, but Elena was scared to confront Ric. Because of what she might learn and how he might react. She wasn't sure how much he knew. If she asked him what the social worker had said or worse, what he had heard her yell in her sleep, she might have to face the truth that held the power to strip her down to her very soul.
"How well did you get along with Gray and Miranda?" Alaric asked offhandedly.
"What?" Elena looked at him, confusion clouding her eyes.
"Were they nice to you?" He shrugged. "I mean, how did they treat you?"
"What exactly are you asking?"
"Just, you know, did you have any issues with them?" His voice was cold and controlled. Almost accusatory.
After a moment of deadly silence, Damon went to stand beside Elena. "Okay, this is ridiculous. She has been through enough for one night. It's bed time. Chop, chop."
Alaric dragged his hand through his hair. He knew this was ridiculous. Elena was a sixteen year old girl. Even if she had hated their guts, what could she have possibly done? Rose had planted the doubt. She had lit a match and now he was letting the flame consume him like a fool, but he had to know for sure. Grayson and Miranda were two of his closest friends and like Rose had said, they were nice people.
"Just asking," Alaric sounded defensive. "Or all I'm left with is what I hear from others."
"Ric," Damon said intently. "Don't do this."
"I don't have anything to do with their accident," Elena blinked at the tears threatening to spill any moment now. "If that's what you're implying."
"I wouldn't dare," Alaric muttered.
This was it. The inevitable moment she was holding her breath on. Elena felt tears spring to her eyes.
Alaric saw them and shook his head in apology. "Look Elena-"
"You're just like the rest of them." The accusation flew out before she could stop it. Never mind because she wasn't going to take it back. Ric could've turned her life over for all she cared but right this moment, none of that mattered. Every good thing he'd done was lost in her eyes. She turned her back and sprinted up the stairs, leaving Alaric feeling like a monumental failure.
"Are you insane?" Damon looked at him with what could only be deduced as disgust.
"Good chance."
After midnight, Elena's door quietly opened and Damon sneaked in through the darkness, careful not to wake her only to see her lying flat on her back with her nose stuck behind her laptop. She jumped when he got in beside her.
"Uhm, what are you doing?" He squinted at the screen, adjusting his eyes to the light.
"Binging Emancipation." The faint light from the laptop outlined Elena's flawless features, making her look even more stunning than usual.
"Wouldn't work," Damon said reluctantly. "You're underage which means you need parental consent."
"Parental consent to divorce my parent?"
"Yep or proof of parental neglect or abuse."
Huh. "You seem to be well versed in the subject matter," Elena observed.
"We've all been there," Damon winked.
Elena stared at him, her mouth open. Damon as a little boy with inky hair and gorgeous blue eyes, considering emancipating his rich parents. Elena waited for Damon to continue, but seeing that he didn't, she decided to break the awkward silence. "Guess the trust funds weren't worth it?"
Damon threw his head back and laughed. "I love how you make me out to be a rich, spoilt and overgrown frat kid."
"I love how you pretend like you're not."
"Hey, I'm not the one you're mad at. Let's go back to Ric- loathing."
"Right. Emancipation. So why exactly would someone such as yourself want that?" Elena found it hard to picture Damon even care about how his parents treated him, let alone get worked up enough to sever ties with them.
"Desperate times," Damon rolled over to lie on his back.
"What was too much for Damon Salvatore to handle?"
"My stepmom," Damon said, pensive. "She used to be very inappropriate with me."
Elena propped herself up on her elbow, her eyes wide.
"Used to undress in front of me. Almost always mixed up her underwear with mine. When my dad worked late, she would crawl into bed with me, claiming to kiss away the nightmares and when I-"
"Stop!" Elena sat up. "Please stop." He was lying. He'd got to be. No one could say these things straight- faced unless they were lying.
Damon smirked. "Too much for Elena Gilbert to handle?"
"You're a jerk."
"Sorry," Damon chuckled.
How could he joke about something that repulsive? Was he really that shallow or just downright sadistic? Just when she was about to ask him about his mom, her laptop pinged, indicating a pop up message. She leaned in to see who was sending her messages at this ungodly hour
The username made Elena do a double take. POISONINYOURBONES7348. She swallowed the heavy lump in her throat as her fingers trembled to the rhythm of her quickened pulse.
MEMORIES FADE BUT A VIDEO DONT, the message read with an attached link. LOVE, M. Elena accidentally clicked on the link on impulse and gasped when the screen went black. It was a link to a video.
"No- no. I- please." At the whimpering sound, a haunting sense of nausea swathed her mind.
The scene was set in her bedroom. Her old bedroom. The one in her nightmares. Smothering her on the bed with his weight, was Mason.
Elena fumbled with the keys to stop the video from playing, but the screen seemed to have frozen.
"You like that, don't you?" Mason was now stripping her of her clothes, one by one and the worst part was, she was putting up zero resistance against him, apart from her muffled sobs.
Elena watched, horrified. It couldn't be possible. It just couldn't. And then she realized that this could be one of those times when Mason had drugged her. Dosed her up with Valium as the blood tests had later suggested.
"Jesus fucking Christ!" Damon cursed, hauling Elena back to the present.
"Make it stop!" Elena yelled. "Make it stop!"
"What? How?" Damon dragged his eyes away from the screen. "Oh fuck."
"Turn it off!"
Damon tried to but when he couldn't, he closed the laptop shut. What had he just seen? His face paled. Oh, dear lord!
Elena clamped her palms to her mouth and scrambled to the sink. Damon followed her and stood watching as she splashed her face with cold water at an attempt to cleanse herself of what she'd witnessed.
"When was the last time that happened?" Damon said through clenched teeth. When she said nothing, Damon turned her around to face him. "Elena," he spoke gently. "When was the last time he hurt you?"
"When I-" Elena forced it out. "When I was thirteen." She couldn't look at him, but she could hear a sharp intake of air.
Damon tipped her chin up. "Who knows he hurt you? Who else knows, besides me?" He searched her face.
"Child services," Elena breathed. "The cops. He got arrested."
"Why haven't you told Ric?"
"He thinks I'm an angry troublemaker with self- esteem issues. Why would I want to change that? You have to promise not to tell. Not to Ric. Not to anyone."
"Why not?" He asked hoarsely.
"Because he can't change anything. Mason was lawfully punished. Justice was served." And now he was out for revenge, but Elena decided to keep that to herself.
Damon's chest was heaving. "I disagree."
"What more can you expect?"
"If it was up to me, I'd find the monster, wherever he is, and make him wish he was dead," He snapped, vibrating with rage. "No prison on earth would cover the pain I would put him through. Jesus Christ. This is insane. You were a child and he- Who do you talk to about this?" Damon demanded. His eyes held her like arms never could. Steady. Serious.
"Aaron."
Damon's eyes narrowed. "Who's Aaron?"
"He was in the foster home with me."
"When was the last time you spoke to him?
Elena looked away. "I- I don't."
"Elena?"
"He doesn't call."
"How do you keep in touch?"
"E-mail."
"When was the last time you e-mailed him then?"
"Last night."
"Last night?" Damon frowned. "Elena, how well do you know him? How can you trust him with this? For all I know, he could've sent you that video!"
"He wouldn't! If it weren't for him, I never would've gotten out." Elena pulled away from him. "Mason was drugging me to make sure I couldn't remember what he was doing to me. But even so, I used to have black outs. Instances of lost time, but the worst of all were the nightmares. It was like some kind of a trance, like, I would be present in my dreams physically. I could feel everything that was happening to me, only I had no idea how I was thinking up such gruesome scenarios. I was twelve. I could hardly perceive sex, leave alone make it up. I used to wake up sore. I spent months thinking I was crazy. He had me convinced I was a "dirty little slut" and-"
"Elena," Damon's frame was rigid, his eyes icy cold with fury. He scrubbed a hand over his face and exhaled roughly. "I can't."
By the look of things, it seemed like she had ruined everything- or whatever little thing she had with Damon. "I'm sorry," Her lips were swollen. She must have been nibbling on it. "I shouldn't have dumped this on you."
"How do you figure? I only found out because I happened to be in your room tonight."
Elena's words came in a near whisper. "So are you disgusted?"
"Oh god, I'm not disgusted, Elena. This isn't your fault. What that bastard did to you was not your fault and it most definitely does not define who you are."
"Please don't hate me."
Damon put his arms around her and pulled her to his chest. He held her tight like she would fall apart if he let her go. His arms were hard and muscular and she felt strong and safe. The pity and the horror he felt at that moment warred with the awe and wonder. How could she have gone through all that and still be standing here in front of him, looking as brave as ever, telling him her story?
"You are a survivor, Elena Gilbert," Damon meant every word. "You have nothing to be ashamed of."
Elena suddenly noticed the proximity for more than it was. What was meant to offer her comfort, was starting to do strange things to her. The feel of Damon's breath on the crook of her neck made something very hot bubble inside her chest.
"Damon," Elena slackened her hold. "What are we doing?"
His grip tightened. When he spoke, his voice was low and harsh, almost as if he knew he should stop the words before they pushed their way out but couldn't, or didn't want to. "I know there's something between us. You. Me... how I feel. I'm supposed to be the adult here, not the other way around."
"I'm sixteen."
"I know. God, I know." His voice faltered as his arm slid around her waist.
Elena forced herself to look him in the eye. "Then why are you doing this?"
"Elena, I started out only wanting to help you. You were different and I felt that about you. You were struggling and I wanted you to know you had someone you could talk to- come to- without worrying about getting grounded or it getting back to Ric." He cupped her face in his hands. "You were so hard to reach. I don't know why I kept trying so hard. There's something about you," He trailed off.
Elena's head was buzzing as she hung on to his arms. Her heart was hammering so hard, he had to feel it.
"I thought I was helping you. Now I think my reasons weren't so selfless after all. But you have to understand how wrong this is, Elena."
Oh man. Was he regretting this already? "No one's noticed so far."
"There was nothing for anyone to notice," Damon said. "I don't think I'll be able to stay away from you anymore."
They felt like words she'd wanted. Words she'd waited for, her whole life. "I want you but-"
"You can say no. Just say it. That's how easy it is. Nothing has to change. We don't have to do anything. We could be friends and that would be fine. I- I care about you, Elena. I won't force you. Damn, the last thing I want is to hurt you, but I'm not risking a jail cell unless I know for sure that you want this as much as I do."
Elena's body felt like liquid. Her skin was so hot she thought that one more degree and she'd burst into flames. "I know how to keep a secret, Damon."
He nearly, nearly smiled.
*Retarded fangirling because DELENA* Well, well, well, so the cat is out of the friggin bag! Damon knows! They're finally going to find a way to be together. Hopefully Damon sees Elena as more than just jailbait. Do you think Elena is ready for a relationship after everything she's been through? Which is quite a lot actually.
So everyone who hates Mason say aye! He was creepy in flashbacks, but creepier now that he's a free man. Aaron is a bit mysterious. Now we know that Elena mails him, but about what?
Who hates Ric at the moment? What he did was incredibly foolish and impulsive BUT well, he's so adorable I can never hate him. Do you think Elena will be able to forgive him and let him back in? Knowing her, she's going to make him work for it, none of which will matter anyway if he figures out what Delena are up to. Hmm!
Do let me know what you think. PM me about anything under the sun or.. above? Love y'all! Buh- Bye now. Cheers! :)