A/N: I LOVED EtheRealDemon's comment on the last chapter: "I love that to Elena Damon seems to be a blessing and a curse... the guy is complicated."

You have NO idea how happy it makes me to know that you caught onto that. It explains it soooo much! I was kind of thinking I wasn't doing a very good job in describing my "vision" for this story, but I hope I am doing good enough. Thank you guys for reading! :D

Chapter IX

With that, he grabbed Elena's hand and led her to the large wooden doors, Alaric following. Rose and Anna opened them, letting Elena finally see the outside world for the first time…

It was nighttime, a thick fog in the air, the only light coming from lanterns on the streets. There weren't many people around because this building was on a large hill, and because not many people wanted to be near an insane asylum. Elena turned and looked at the large building, it's hollowness frightening her as the boarded up windows seemed to stare her down, daring her to leave it behind. The building was so terrifying, yet not as much as her imagination of the outside world.

A fence surrounded it, and in the middle of the light snow-covered ground was a pathway from the door to past large Iron Gate. Was this gate here to protect the inmates from intruders or to keep them from leaving? The four of them, two vampires, two humans – walked to the large gate.

How will we go through? Elena began to panic.

"I will open that for you." Dr. John's voice scared her and she began to shiver.

He walked up behind them, put the large key through the hole, and twisted it slowly, the door creaking noisily in the peaceful snowy night as it opened. "Congratulations, Elena," John said. She slowly turned to face him.

He had a cruel smirk on his face. "You have escaped us."

His eyes went from her to Damon and stayed there until Damon turned to leave. As the four made their way to the large black carriage, the loud sound of the gate being closed shut was set in Elena's mind as finality.

And that scared her more than anything.

When they finally arrived at the large mansion, Damon looked down at his human, sleeping kitten-like against Rose.

"She is quite pretty," Alaric commented.

"Very," Anna agreed.

Damon's expression turned venomous. "You could have told me she looked like her."

Anna, Rose and Alaric winced at the cold fury in his voice.

"Damon," Rose said gently. "You knew that Isobel was a descendant of Katerina."

"What I did not realize was that this girl was the fucking reincarnate of Katherine!" And he leapt out of the carriage.

Rose and Anna carried Elena into the Parlor, Damon and Alaric behind them. They lay Elena down on the couch and let her sleep.

"When she wakes, she will be hungry." Anna guessed.

"Yes," Rose agreed. "What, with the god-awful shit they served her in there."

"That's probably all she's ever had." Alaric commented.

"Well, look at her bones!" Rose exclaimed. "She is simply too thin."

"Alright," Damon said. "Make something for her to eat. I will watch until she wakes."

The three of them nodded and headed to the kitchen while Damon sat down in one of the chairs to watch his new human sleep.

Elena was dreaming again, but it wasn't a nightmare. She was in a large ballroom dressed in a beautiful golden gown. She looked around. Why was she the only person in there?

"Elena," Damon's beautiful voice echoed throughout the room. She turned around and watched as he moved with supernatural speed until he was right in front of her. He held out his hand and she immediately grasped it. She'd heard about balls from the patients in the asylum. It's about dancing and it's magical when done with the right person.

"It feels so right," Liz had said to her. "Kind of like sex."

Elena shuddered. Yeah, right. She knew better than that.

Damon's hand on her waist pulled her out of her thoughts. Then they were dancing, his grip on her tight, oddly making her feel secure, not possessed.

Then Elena realized something – there was no music. She opened her mouth to speak, but couldn't. Her mouth wouldn't move at all. Oh well, it's not as if she needed to talk anyway. She shrugged.

Elena opened her eyes and looked around. She was not anywhere she remembered. This room was rather dark, with a few pieces of furniture here and there, oil lanterns and paintings of men and women of class.

"Elena." Was she dreaming again?

She spotted Damon, sitting in an antique chair, making him look more like a "Master" than a husband. Were they really married now or was there something she had to do? Or he had to do to her?

Damon smirked at her and slowly stood. In the blink of an eye, he was standing above her.

"Time for dinner, Elena."

She stared at him with wide-eyes. Oh, no.

A/N: Dinner, huh? For her or him? :D