The latest episode of TVD has left me in a really bad state of mind. And I mean, REALLY BAD! Once again, I find myself pissed at the writers for driving a wedge between the couple we have all been waiting anxiously to see come together and the idea of them ever believably uniting just doesn't seem possible to me anymore; at least not anytime soon. I tried writing about it and that helped a bit, but I still haven't entirely been able to shake myself from this downward funk.

So, why am I informing you all about my crazy emotions and the pathetic way they have seemed to attach themselves to this show? Well, because I'm not particularly proud of this chapter and I blame any defects on my morose attitude. I tried to repair any portions where those emotions seeped in, but pieces of it still feel disconnected. Perhaps it is just me being overly critical since I have a tendency to be that way, but just in case it isn't... I wanted to warn you all ahead of time.

Now that everyone has been properly warned... please enjoy. :)

Damon pushed the fallen chunks of stone off of his back and lifted himself slightly from the ground and Elena's body. When the explosion had rocketed their bodies backward, he had encompassed Elena within his arms and wrapped his body around hers as protectively as possible. They had still been soaring through the air when he had made the decision to spin around; allowing his body to absorb most of the flaming heat instead of Elena's fragile one.

As he examined her body now, it pained him to see that despite his best efforts, portions of her skin had already begun to blister. The burns along her calves could have been much worse without his protection, but it did little to ease his building panic.

He then reassuringly saw the gentle rise and fall of her chest and heard the subtle rush of air as it made its way in and out of her lungs, but Elena's eyes remained shut. In an attempt to wake her, he placed his hand against the side of her face and whispered, "Elena," but she made no movement.

Before Damon had time to further his attempts at reawakening Elena, footsteps sounded at his back. He quickly spun around and slammed the intruder against the wall, but his face relaxed as Caroline stared back at him. Part of him wanted to ask her what the hell she was doing there, but he didn't have the motivation to dwell on it with Elena in the current state she was in.

So, he let out a sigh and removed his tight hold on Caroline before making his way back to Elena. He ran his hand delicately through a few strands of her hair when Caroline appeared at his side. Her voice was weak and laced with fear as she asked, "Is she alive?"

Damon nodded his head slightly before Caroline spoke up again. "And Klaus?"

This time Damon managed to find his own voice. Never removing his eyes from Elena and her fragile state, he answered, "No; and neither are his guards."

The confirmation of Elena's health must have managed to pull Caroline out of her previous heaviness because her playful demeanor resurfaced. "Wow, I'm actually impressed. I knew you were skilled, but I guess I highly under-rated your abilities."

At another time Damon would have laughed at Caroline's assessment of his skills, but right now his heart felt like it was splitting in half. Although Elena was alive, she appeared as lifeless as ever against the stone floor of the corridor. He just needed her lids to part and for those chocolate orbs to reappear assuring him that his bad feeling regarding her life had been just unsettled nerves. But they remained closed as Damon scooped her frail body into his arms.

He lifted himself into a standing position before turning towards Caroline with eyebrows lifted in suspicion. "I thought you couldn't bring yourself to help a werewolf. So what are you doing here?"

Caroline shrugged her shoulders and replied, "Apparently she's not a werewolf yet or else I'd hear that accelerated heartbeat I've become so accustomed to." She then rolled her eyes and sighed before adding, "Besides, I couldn't stand back and have you kill yourself without at least offering my assistance. You're a stubborn asshole, but you're the closest friend I have."

Damon let a weak smile lift the edges of his lips upward as he said, "Thanks, Caroline. And if it makes you feel any better, I wouldn't be able to sit back and watch your ass die either."

Caroline's eyes refused to meet his and instead drifted to the floor. There was a vulnerability to her as she confessed, "I know this you would, but I'd like to think your old self would have too."

She then waved her arm through the air in order to remove the seriousness nature that had settled through the air. "But enough with this crap." She lifted the bow and set of explosive arrows into the air and stated, "I think these belong to you."

Damon's eyes widened at the appearance of his weapon. "How did you," he started to question before Caroline interrupted.

"You left them in my room, dumbass." She rolled her eyes and suggested, "You might want to keep a better hold on these if they're as important as you say."

Damon hadn't focused his attention on figuring out the source of the explosion due to Elena being his top priority. But everything made perfect sense now and Damon didn't attempt to hide the awe in his expression as he assessed, "So that explosion was your doing?"

Caroline placed her free hand on her hip and cocked her head to the side as she smugly admitted, "Sure was. I figured they were just your standard set of arrows, but then the blast shot me backwards. Those suckers are powerful and honestly I can't believe the corridor didn't collapse from that magnitude of an explosion."

Damon finally let his eyes stray around the corridor for the first time and discovered Caroline was correct. There were scattered chunks of rock along the floor and missing pieces from the ceiling and walls, but miraculously, for the most part, the sturdy structure had held up.

Damon's eyes were still flashing around the corridor as Caroline asked, "How did you get your hands on something like this anyway?"

But before Damon had time to answer her question, Elena began to stir in his arms. He looked down and saw an uncomfortable look on her face as her eyes fluttered open. Seeing her awake sent a tsunami of relief crashing through his body and he wanted nothing more than to tighten his grip and lift her up to him, but figured it best not to. Her expression revealed that she was in more than enough pain without him adding to it.

Through heavy lidded eyes, Elena looked up at him and muttered, "My legs are stinging."

He knew it wasn't appropriate, but the joy at seeing her alive and awake was too powerful and he couldn't fight the low laugh that emanated from within his chest. Instead of lifting her up towards him, he lowered his head and placed a gentle kiss on her forehead. "I tried my best to protect you from the fire, but it got a portion of your legs. Don't worry, as soon as were out of here we'll fix you up."

Elena smiled weakly back at him and teased, "Will there ever be a time when you don't need to protect me?"

Damon shot her his million dollar smirk and replied, "Probably not, but then again there will never be a time when I stop wanting to protect you."

Then Caroline's head flashed before Damon's. She looked down at Elena to make her presence known and said, "Hey, don't forget about me! Without me you'd still have Katherine standing in your way." She then nodded her head up and down with a smug expression on her face. "That's right; I told you I'd kill the bitch."

Damon felt Elena laugh against his chest and the sensation was incredible. After going through such an event, he hardly assumed Elena's spirits would be high enough to laugh. But there she was, proving how strong she was; yet again.

As Elena's laughter subsided, Damon motioned his head in Caroline's direction and informed, "Apparently, someone couldn't help herself and had to get involved. So you can blame her for the explosion and burns on your legs."

He then shot Caroline a smile to show how much he was behind her decision and how little it mattered that the skin of Elena's legs had become collateral damage in the process. Typically, Caroline being the cause of Elena's wounds would have sent him into a terrible rage, but considering the circumstances he actually found himself thankful for the vampire's actions. The situation could have been much worse without her help.

And apparently Elena felt the same way he did about her situation because she let out a low cough and said, "Thanks, Caroline. It's good to have you on the team again."

Caroline's face lit up and a wide grin slid across her lips as she responded, "It was nothing, but I have to tell you…"

The vamp stopped mid-sentence and Damon knew exactly why. He had been so preoccupied with Elena's fate that he had completely forgotten what they had originally been running from. And now the heavy footsteps echoing through the end of the corridor once again brought the threat of their situation to the front of his mind.

Caroline's head jolted to the side as she listened to the same footsteps. She then placed an arrow into the bow and ordered, "You guys go. I'll take care of this and meet you at the main gate."

Damon was about to protest when Caroline assured, "I'll be fine and with your high tech weapon, they won't be able to touch me. Now go!" She then pushed them in the direction away from the oncoming soldiers.

Damon took one last look and saw Caroline poised and ready to strike. The female was lethal and there wasn't a doubt in his mind that he would see her at the gate. So, as he took a step over Katherine's still singing lifeless body he yelled back, "Don't get yourself killed," before he turned and headed down a new corridor.

Elena wasn't sure if it was Damon's supernatural speed or an after-effect of being knocked out, but she was having a difficult time keeping objects focused. They were weaving in and out of passageways so quickly that everything just became one dark blur as they passed. Thankfully, it appeared as though Damon knew where they were going and it was this notion that settled Elena's nervous nature.

They had just started descending their fourth, or perhaps it was their fifth, flight of stairs when Elena couldn't keep quiet anymore. "Where are we going?"

Damon kept moving downward as he answered, "The dungeon. It's the easiest way out and we're going to grab Demetra on the way."

Although Damon wasn't looking down at her, Elena shot him an incredulous look. She didn't bother to hide the disappointment in her voice as she questioned, "The witch?" It wasn't that Elena didn't like Demetra, it was just that the witch's cryptic ways rubbed her the wrong way. She had already been through enough and Elena wasn't excited about dealing with the headache that was sure to come after interacting with her.

Damon still didn't look at her as he responded, "Of course the witch. Without her, who knows what would have happened to us! And besides, you should really lighten up on her; she's the whole reason I took the leap of faith and confessed to you how I felt."

Elena wasn't sure if Damon registered exactly what he had just admitted and it was tearing her insides apart that she couldn't see his eyes. Unfortunately, those very eyes kept looking forward as they ran down another corridor.

She pulled her fingers inward and clenched her hands into fists in an attempt to keep herself under control. But despite her best efforts, her blood pressure rose to an extraordinary level and she heatedly questioned, "Did you only tell me you loved me because the witch told you to do so?"

Elena swayed forward as Damon stopped abruptly. She felt nervous not moving and struggled within his hold to look over his back at the direction they had just come from. There was no one following them, but she didn't feel comfortable standing in one place when they were supposed to be escaping.

She squirmed underneath of him one more time, but when his paralyzing eyes met hers, she felt nothing but ease. He appeared wary and almost vulnerable as he dwelled into her and confessed, "I was only joking, but please listen to me. Demetra did tell me to be open with you, but I told you how I felt because it was the truth. The only reason I didn't tell you sooner was because I thought doing so would jeopardize your life."

Elena knew she was being ridiculous, but just this morning Damon had promised to never keep anything from her again. And the fact that in less than a day he had managed to break that promise stung the inside of her chest. She knew this wasn't the time or place to hash out their problems, but Elena couldn't help herself. "Then why did you leave that out while you were recapping your conversation with her?"

There was obvious frustration laced in his voice as Damon answered, "Because I hadn't told you how I felt yet and I didn't want that to be the way I did." He then softened his tone as his ice blue eyes penetrated into hers. "Elena, I love you. Trust me when I say that even if Demetra hadn't pushed me to tell you, I would never have been able to keep that from you. You do believe me, don't you?"

"Of course I do." She shook her head slowly back at forth at the audacity of believing otherwise. She then swept her hand through her hair as she explained, "I'm sorry, but I'm just a little on edge right now."

A weak smile played on the corner of Damon's lips before they, once again, began moving forward. "That's understandable considering everything you've been through. But if you keep yourself together for just a little while longer, I promise to make it worth your while when we get out." He then glanced down at her and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively.

The idea of once again experiencing that act with Damon had Elena's insides swooning. Of course it would be difficult considering the current state of her legs, but there was nothing that could keep her from re-experiencing the sensation of Damon inside of her.

She felt her skin tingle in premature anticipation as Damon finally slowed his forward pace. They settled into a standard walk as they made their way into the dungeon. The guard on duty came into view and he was fiddling with something in his hands. He didn't look up to greet them, but instead kept his attention downward as he asked, "Do you know what's going on up there?"

They both remained silent as they anxiously waited for the guard to glance up at their direction. When he did, his eyes became wide and his hand stiffened around his keys. At the sight of the startled guard, Elena glanced up at Damon and noticed the cocky smiled that had spread across his lips.

Damon lowered himself and set Elena lightly on the ground as he slowly stated, "I'm going to need those keys from you. Now, we can do this the easy way or the hard way."

The keys rattled in the guards hand as a result of his trembling. At first, Elena feared she would have to witness another fight between Damon and his opponent, but then the guard shook his head and made his way over.

He lifted the keys into the air and dropped them into Damon's awaiting hand. As soon as the keys landed in his palm, Damon stretched out his free hand and drove it straight into the guard's chest.

The guard stared at him with terrified eyes as Damon explained, "Unfortunately, I don't trust you enough to keep you alive and my cargo is too precious to let you go running off to your fellow comrads. I really hope you understand." He then ripped his hand back out of the guard's chest clutching another black heart.

He dropped it on the floor before making his way over to scoop Elena up once again. She was genuinely surprised how little effect another death had on her mental state, but rolled her eyes at his macho behavior and chastised, "Was that really necessary?"

Damon shrugged his shoulders causing Elena to lift slightly up and down in his arms, as he nonchalantly responded, "He was too much of an unknown liability. You hang around with me long enough and you'll get used to it."

Elena let her head rest against Damon's chest and muttered, "What's sad is that I already have."

She felt his chest vibrate against her head as he released a laugh in response to her comment. They then made their way to the door and he handed her the keys. She looked up at him quizzically and asked, "Why are you handing these to me?"

He glared at her in a way that expressed how adorable he thought her ignorance was, which made he feel both powerful and moronic at the same time. "I can't exactly unlock the door if both of my hands are carrying you. If you want me to throw you over my shoulder I can, but I doubt that will feel very comfortable on your legs."

She swatted her hand playfully against his chest and asked, "Which one is it?"

He lifted his index finger up over the edge of her side and pointed at a worn brass key. "This one."

Elena hesitated for just a second, not sure if she was ready to come face to face with the witch Damon had described as un-nerving, before she gave in and extended her hand towards the door.

Elena inserted the key and twisted the brass until Damon heard the mechanism click. She went to reach out and push open the door, but in an attempt to keep her as still and comfortable as possible, he inched the door open with his foot.

The room was dark and Demetra was located in her standard corner in the back of the cell. This time, the room was illuminated in a light blue color and Damon couldn't help but get the feeling that the color represented Demetra's current state of mind. If that were the case, it couldn't be good. Blue represented sadness, despair, melancholy and every other low emotion Damon couldn't come up with on the spot.

But then Demetra's face twisted upwards, showing them the respect she so often held from Damon in his presence, and her eyes transitioned into a glowing pink. The witch smiled her crooked smile and welcomed, "Elena, it's nice to finally meet you."

Damon looked down at the girl in his arms. He caught the shock on her face before it transitioned into a deflective cold front. He knew the image of Demetra would have left her with an unsettling feeling at first, but he hadn't expected it to wipe as cleanly away as it had. Her face now possessed narrowed uncertain eyes that portrayed exactly how weary she was about trusting the witch and Damon couldn't have adored her more for it. Even in the face of someone as powerful as Demetra, Elena still held her ground with an intense fire that was unmatched by anyone else.

"Oh darling, I knew you were feisty, but it's really in your best interest not to glare at me the way you are." The witch then lifted her gaze to Damon and ordered, "Bring her over and I'll heal her legs."

Damon gave Elena a reassuring squeeze before he settled her beside Demetra. He attempted to lift himself into an upright position, when Elena's hand quickly latched onto his. The action was so simple, but it was more than enough to make his non-beating heart expand a few sizes in his chest. He hated how fragile she was, but there was nothing more satisfying than being able to offer his support, except Elena wanting it in the first place.

So Damon gave in to what Elena wanted and took a seat next to her as Demetra began her work. The witch slowly ran her hand over the top of Elena's leg as she chanted out words in a language that Damon couldn't understand. The healing process took a few short seconds before he could already see the results. The blisters had vanished and the enflamed redness of Elena's burnt skin started to transition back into its normal olive color.

There wasn't much that impressed Damon anymore, but Demetra's ability to heal the girl of his affection had left him mesmerized. He was still following the movement of the witch's hand when she finally spoke in a language he could comprehend. There was the subtle undertone of a threat as she stated, "I thought I told you never to visit me again, Damon."

Damon didn't lift his eyes to meet Demetra's because he already knew hers wouldn't be focused on him. So instead, he ignored the threat and let out a soft chuckle as he replied, "I'm not really great with following orders. We're here to rescue you, but of course you already know that."

After finishing with Elena's legs, Demetra began examining the remainder of her body. "I do, and it's solely because of your good intentions that I have decided not to revoke my gift. Well that, and the fact that you managed to kill my deserving past husband."

Damon saw the corner of Demetra's lips lift upward into a satisfied grin before they instantly fell again. Her serious undertone once again resurfaced as she continued, "But your efforts are for nothing; I will not be coming with you."

Elena shot him a worried glance before Damon turned his attention on the witch. "Don't be foolish. I'm here to offer you my help the same way you have done with me; just perhaps a bit less discretely."

Demetra lifted her finger into the air and shook it back and forth as she reminded, "You seem to have forgotten I am physically trapped in this cell under another witch's power."

Damon felt helpless. He felt guilty leaving Demetra behind after everything that she had and surely would be doing for him in the future. Certainly there had to be some way to remove her from this unfortunate circumstance.

The witch must have seen the inner struggle registering on his face because she finally lifted her eyes to meet his and reasoned, "Rest assured; it is my time to pass. I have taken you as far as I can, but Bonnie will be waiting for you on the outside."

Damon figured he should have known who the witch was talking about, but nothing came to mind when he racked his brain of their past conversations. "Who's Bonnie?"

Demetra shook her head back and forth at his question. She appeared slightly agitated as she answered, "You already know who Bonnie is."

Elena's hand grasped onto his shoulder and she said, "It's her niece, Damon. Remember, you told me that her niece would be waiting if I left?" Of course he remembered that, but he had assumed that since Elena wasn't escaping alone that no one would be waiting for her on the outside.

His mind was still trying to comprehend the fact that an ally was waiting for them once they escaped when footsteps echoed through the corridors. More soldiers were on their way and Damon knew their time was running out, but he needed clarification that Demetra's statement had been the truth. There was urgency in his voice as he asked, "So your niece will still offer her assistance even if I leave with Elena?"

The witch shrugged her shoulders and mocked, "It appears that way now doesn't it?" He was sure that Demetra knew there were soldiers on their way, but her nonchalance was proving quite the opposite or that she wasn't worried altogether.

Damon really wanted to spend more time hashing out the details of what their future held, but the footsteps signified just how close the soldiers had gotten. They were merely a few corridors away from the dungeon already and there was simply no time left. So he lifted himself from the ground before pulling Elena once again up into his arms.

He started to turn around when Elena ignored his move and questioned, "How will we find Bonnie?"

They didn't have time for this, but the question had been a decent one and Damon couldn't resist hearing the answer. So he turned back around to face Demetra as she responded, "Don't worry about that. Bonnie has her ways of tracking you down and she'll be more eager to fill you in on what's in store."

Damon could hear that the soldiers were just outside of the dungeon entrance, so with one last nod in Demetra's direction he headed for the door. He was just about to exit when Demetra spoke up again. "Don't push…"

But Damon interrupted before the witch could finish. He turned around and did his best to keep the irritation from his voice as he spat out, "Thank you for everything. I really appreciate it, but we don't have time for this!"

Demetra waved her hand through the air and assured, "There's no need to worry about the soldiers."

He was about to refute her argument, but the sounds of running footsteps were close enough for even a mortal's ears to take in. And Damon's assessment was confirmed when Elena frantically began to squirm against his chest in order to get a better view of the dungeon hallway leading to Demetra's room.

Following her lead, Damon took a nervous glance down the hallway. He let out a groan as bodies flooded around the corner into their direction. The door they needed to exit through was located at the other side of the dungeon and panic surged from within as he realized they were trapped. It wasn't that he was insecure about his abilities, it was just that there were entirely too many for him to take on at one time. But there was nothing he could do now other than give it his best shot.

He gave Elena a quick squeeze and she jumped out of his arms in understanding. Her chocolate eyes expressed how nervous she was for him before she leaned in and quickly brought her lips to meet his. Damon wanted nothing more than to continue the moment and pretend the soldiers weren't breathing down their necks, but he couldn't. So he pulled back and ordered, "Stay next to Demetra," before he charged out into the hallway.

He had prepared himself for a full on battle, but apparently the preparation had been for nothing. The mass of soldiers were plastered against an invisible barrier a few feet from the entrance of Demetra's cellar. There were easily twenty of them fighting to pass the invisible wall, but every time they charged in his direction their bodies smashed against it.

Damon couldn't help but gawk at the wall of frustrated soldiers piled against nothing in plain air. And he had yet to pull his eyes away from the image when Demetra's smug voice broke the silence. "I told you there was no need to worry about the soldiers."

He lingered in the hallway a second longer, marveling the abilities the witch possessed, before he stepped back into the cell. Demetra's eyes were focused on nothing in particular and they had ignited the fiercest shade of burnt orange. The image was breathtaking and Elena's expression revealed she was exactly as impressed as Damon found himself to be.

He shook his head slightly in disbelief as he questioned, "I thought you were trapped in here. How did you do that?"

Demetra's eyes never left the spot they were focused on as she mused, "Just because I'm physically trapped in this cell doesn't mean I'm mentally trapped."

Of course she wasn't. How would she have been able to read everyone thoughts throughout the entire castle if her powers were restricted to the confines of her small cellar? Damon felt like a fool for once again underestimating exactly how powerful this witch was, but it was Elena who found her voice first.

She took a step towards the focused witch and asked, "Can you help us escape if your powers extend further than these walls?"

For the first time since Damon had met the witch, Demetra's lips lowered into a frown. "I can hold these soldiers for a little while longer, but there are obstacles you must overcome on your own. Though, in order to succeed, you must leave now."

Damon heard Elena's weak sigh before he made his way to her side and took her hand in his. She shot him a smile that didn't reach her eyes and he knew why it hadn't. Leaving Demetra behind didn't settle well in his stomach either, but there was clearly nothing the two of them could do. Demetra would fall because there was no way her defiance against the vampires would go unpunished, but she appeared ready to embrace her fate.

Realizing that he was wasting precious time reflecting on circumstances that he couldn't change; Damon started to guide Elena towards the door. Before he had closed the distance between their bodies and the exit, he felt the need to turn around and declare, "No matter what you have prepared for us in the future, we won't let you down." It didn't seem like nearly enough, but it was the most he could offer.

With Elena's hand still resting in his, Damon motioned her through the door. He had just breached the surface when Demetra's voice spoke up yet again. "You may think that you're almost through, but there is still quite a lot before everything is settled and over."

Damon didn't turn around because he knew Demetra's eyes wouldn't meet his, but he nodded his head in understanding and he was sure the witch had seen the gesture. He then finally took the last step so that he was settled outside of her cell and turned to face the wall of angry soldiers.

The invisible wall began to move as the soldiers slid to the side of the corridor and against the wall allowing Elena and him a pathway to their exit.

Damon squeezed Elena's hand before he turned to face her. Her eyes were glistened over in a way that only pure magic could evoke and she was smiling from ear to ear. He returned the smile that was plastered across her face and asked, "Are you ready?"

She nodded her head and answered, "Absolutely," before they started running towards the exit door.

Once there, Damon removed his hold on Elena and swept her up into his arms as he explained, "We'll be faster this way."

Elena shook her head in understanding as the pile of soldiers behind them crumpled to the ground signifying the fall of Demetra's wall. Damon quickly kicked open the door and stepped through into the surrounding city as the witch's instructive voice pierced through the hallway. "It's up to you now. And don't force Caroline to make a decision she isn't ready for. It's not her time yet."

Instinctively, Damon swung back at the mentioning of Caroline's name, but he wasn't fast enough. He caught a glimpse of the charging soldiers who had managed to settle back onto their feet as the door slammed shut. Damon knew it was foolish, but he pulled on the door in an attempt to get some clarification about Demetra's statement regarding Caroline, only to find the door sealed in place.

He set Elena's feet on the ground before he once again resumed his methods of opening the door. However; his attempts were useless and the door refused to budge. Banging sounded from the other side and Damon knew he should have felt relief. The guards were obviously locked inside, but it also meant that he and Elena were now trapped outside of the castle.

Of course this was exactly where they had originally wanted to be, but Demetra's statement about Caroline had left Damon with a bad feeling in his gut. He had no idea what the witch had meant when she said it wasn't Caroline's time yet, but he couldn't ignore the feeling that it signified his only friend would be staying behind.

Please Read and Review! :)