I'm extremely sorry for the lateness of this update, but I can explain myself. The instant I updated my last chapter I was called and told that my grandmother was seriously ill and hospitalized, so I had to leave every thing and get to another town immediately. I returned and had to take care of what I left behind, university stuff. My semester's wrapping up so I'm immensely busy. But soon I'll be free and updates would be quicker. I'm just taking out my time and updating this so that my readers won't hate me any more then they already do. Once again I apologize for the delay, hopefully my apology is accepted.

"You said my name." Elena said in astonishment and then she shrieked all of a sudden as she noticed something else for the first time, "Oh my God Damon, your arm is bleeding!"

At this point Damon could care less about his arm, he knew it was hurt; the pain was reminding him constantly about it, but he didn't care. What did matter at that moment, was the fact that Miss Gilbert was right, which was on rare occasions. He did take her name. It was just a flow of the moment, a part of their quarrel and it felt normal to say it. The earth didn't shatter beneath his feet or the sky didn't crumble above his head, like he feared it would if he ever dared to let it slide off of his tongue.

Still it didn't mean that he was now allowed to overstep the forbidden boundary. And he was thankful that currently Elena's attention was directed somewhere else, far from that stupid mistake.

Coming back from his thoughts he realized She was looking at his face with barely controlled tears , 'God that girl had cried a lot that day' and from the looks of it she was probably waiting for an answer. He opened his mouth to ask her what he most certainly missed while he was dealing with his thoughts, but Elena beat him to it and repeated her question.

"Damon, would you please tell me how did this happen?" Elena asked shakily while indicating towards his wound.

I wasn't a simple wound exactly; it was more like a deep gash, the kind when a massive amount of flesh is chucked out. Damon took a look at it, that's when he saw how bad it actually was. But it didn't bother him, he had taken injuries far worse than this in his short life. Damon bent down and tore the sleeve of the shirt the man lying at his feet was wearing. He simply shrugged his shoulders at Elena and nonchalantly responded, "Probably got daggered by the last bastard, I encountered on the stares; before I saw this one running towards this floor". During his explanation he wrapped the sleeve around his arm as a makeshift bandage, not even flinching once. Not stating that he didn't feel pain, cause he did feel it. He was a human after all; but his ability to endure it was far stronger then the average man, his tough past itself had forged him in to the man that currently existed.

Hearing what he had told her made Elena gasp loudly, "Last one…Damon what exactly happened?" She demanded.

"Nothing worth repeating." He replied simply.

"Damon people broke into my house, they tried to kidnap me, One almost managed to…to get to me, I need to know you have to tell me this much." Elena pleaded.

'She wanted to know, something that should be kept away from her fragile self', Damon thought. Frowning, he slowly stepped closer to her. "No Miss Gilbert. You don't have to know, its better this way, you've already been through enough today."

Sighing with defeat Elena stared at the floor. Looking at the broken expression on her face made him rethink his previous statement and he realized he owed her at least an explanation of what went down for her. "It seemed Miss Gilbert, that Elijah went overboard this time; he sent twenty-five men to get you, and twenty-two of them went down along with five of ours. The rest of the three are kept for interrogation. As expected Elijah would be furious, due to another failed attempt and especially cause this one might have cost him quite a bit. Your father has been informed and undoubtedly the security around you would be tightened."

The unexpected information shook Elena; she couldn't believe what she heard. The fact that there were bodies probably lining every part of the mansion terrified her even more. So many men died because of her, Damon could have been one of them. Fear gripped her further and tears left her eyes freely. She felt the need to be closer to him. She wished with all her heart that he would simply take her in his arms on his own and comfort her.

Damon could easily make out what was going through her, after all it was visibly apparent. The girl in front of him was completely frightened, she needed comfort and assurance, especially from him; yes he figured it out. 'But he couldn't do it…could he? Would it be inappropriate? Given the situation it didn't feel inappropriate... No! Why the hell was he even thinking that!' Damon reprimanded himself and shook his head, 'it wasn't his position he was just her bodyguard, he wasn't assigned to comfort fragile girls, especially who had feelings for him.'

"Miss Gilbert," After his long internal debate, Damon stepped forward and grabbed her arm gently, "I think it would be better if I take you to your room." After saying that, he pulled her towards her room's direction.

Elena nodded lightly and moved along with him, the thought of her room provided some comfort. Also, the fact that he was touching her was having a calming effect on her.

They reached her room and Damon opened the door for her, he entered alongside her and turned on the lights. Damon always found Miss Gilbert's room interesting. He could swear that he had never seen so much pink in one place at one time.

He quickly scanned the room with his eyes to make sure that they were the only ones there, then he went to check the bathroom. When he came back he found Elena silently sitting on the bed, he walked towards her and said, "It would be better, if you don't come out of your room for a day at max. The staff's probably gonna need the time to clean up the mansion. Whatever you need would be provided here." Damon paused for her to say something but she didn't, she simply nodded.

"Is there something you need right now?" he asked her and waited for her response this time. A moment later she nodded.

"What?" He hesitantly questioned, somewhat aware of the possibility that whatever she would need would include him somehow. And right he was. She stood up the next moment, decreasing the distance between them to mere inches, "Yes" she said softly and fearfully, "Damon I…I…need something, I need you tonight…."

To be continued