Strolling into his last class of the day, Damon has successfully avoided Andie for the last few days. Of course it helped that she didn't show up for school for two of those days after he initiated their little spat. He doesn't know why but one of her friends mentioned something about her having a sore throat. For that, Damon is grateful. He already feels enough guilt and all he really did is let her touch him a couple of times. Even though he's all but certain that Elena has been engaging in sex for drugs, still regret gnaws at him.

From across the concourse, he sees Kai gesticulating wildly at Randy Fell, his face red and distorted with what looks like rage. Curious, Damon tries to get a little closer to see if he can over hear anything but he happens to notice Brady who urges him to back off. Nodding, Damon spins on his heels and heads towards his physiology class. Since Brady has that issue under control, Damon's thoughts veer once more to Elena. It's been days since Damon saw her disappear around the corner of that McDonald's. Walking through the threshold, he plops down into one of the desks at the back of the room. Sometimes he thinks what the hell is he doing sitting in a high school at his age? But when Captain Shane formed his division, they asked for volunteers, young looking men and women who could pass for high school age kids. For whatever reason, he interviewed and Shane chose him to join his squad.

When a middle aged woman walks in, she introduces herself as Mrs. Thompson, their substitute teacher for the day. Staring at her, Damon is struck by how much she resembles the housekeeper his parents had when he and the twins were growing up. Their parents, being scientists, travel all over the world giving lectures, attending symposiums and taking teacher assignments at Ivy League schools both here and abroad. As such, their three boys were left in the care of a housekeeper slash nanny. After graduating from the police academy, he got his job and then his own apartment. As soon as he had a couple of paychecks under his belt, he brought Stefan and Jeremy to live with him. He hated that they were sent away to the east coast to go to boarding school. He's not much older than them but because he's smart, he graduated high school at sixteen. He won't deny that there were times his brothers made him want to pull out his hair. Still, he wouldn't change a thing because he and his brothers have always been tight knit, something that he hopes will never change.

When he feels his cellphone vibrating in his pocket, he snaps out of his reverie. Since he can't answer it till class is over, he gets a little antsy as he watches the minute hand move ever so slowly. By the time the bell rings, Damon hurries out of the room. He stops at his locker to put his books away and then goes directly outside.

About the same time he reaches his car, the phone is vibrating again. Recognizing Enzo's number, he answers immediately. Before Damon can utter a hello, Enzo speaks, "Do you know where the Catacomb bar is?"

"Yeah, why?"

"You need to meet me down here as soon as you can."

"What's going on, Enzo?"

"We'll talk when you get here."

"Enzo?" Damon curses when the phone goes dead. Squeezing his phone in his hand, he shakes his head back and forth for a few seconds. There's no doubt in his mind that this has to do with her. She's the only common denominator. Frustrated, he jumps into his car, waving for Brady and Bonnie to follow before pulling onto the road. With it being rush hour, traffic is bumper to bumper making Damon even crazier.

By the time he arrives, he sees a plethora of police vehicles, flashing lights and even an ambulance. His heart is beating like a jackhammer inside of his chest because why would Enzo text him to come if it didn't involve Elena. Old God, he thinks to himself as panic begins to build and burn hot inside of him. Breaking out in a run, he hurries towards the building. Looking like a wild man, the two cops guarding the entrance restrain him.

Cursing, he reaches for his badge but realizes that he left it in his glove compartment. He tries to tell them that he's an officer too but it's only when Captain Shane happens to notice his predicament that they let him pass.

"What are you doing here, Damon?" Atticus asks, looking at him intently before his eyes drift to Bonnie and Brady who are approaching the two of them.

"A friend called me. Elena hangs around in this area. I was afraid for her."

"It's not her. Why would she be hanging around down here?"

"I don't know why she does what she does anymore quite honestly," Damon tells him truthfully.

Nodding, Shane continues, "The vic is one of Enzo's girls. She has been positively identified as Amara Redden. She was sitting in a booth and a guy slit her throat. She bled out in seconds," Shane informs him, his voice even and matter of fact. After sharing a look with Damon, Brady walks over to speak to a forensics technologists while Bonnie trails along. Looking around, Damon notices Enzo staring at him so he excuses himself to go to speak with him.

Hurrying into the kitchen through the open door, Damon pulls Enzo aside. Once they has some semblance of privacy, Damon asks, "What's going on Enzo? Why did you call me here and is she okay?"

"Elena is safe. She's with Lucy. I had some business and she wanted out of the house so I brought her with me. She told me that she was visiting with Amara but got up to use the bathroom. She also said that a man on a laptop was eyeing them rather intently. When she came back to the booth, she heard Amara's last gasp. I got her out of here as quickly as I could," Enzo explains, stopping when an officer calls his name to talk to one of the detectives investigating the murder. Stepping aside, Damon lets him pass. Although he doesn't think much of what Enzo does for a living, he will admit that the other cops seem to have a certain respect for him. It's almost like they treat him with deference. There aren't many murders on his stretch of road and as much as he hates it, Elena seems to trust him too. When Enzo is done, Damon comes up behind him just as he's opening his car door.

"Salvatore?"

"I love her," Damon says, looking away for a moment. As soon as he swallows down the lump in his throat, he mentions, "One day you will have to tell me why you're helping me."

"One day I will," he replies. After the two men share a look, Enzo sinks into his car, slams the door shut and drives away. Damon doesn't turn away till Enzo's tail lights disappear in the distance.

Stepping into his apartment, Enzo slips off his leather jacket and hangs it on the coat tree. Needing a drink, he walks over to his bar and pulls the bottle of Maker's Mark out from behind its hiding place. Taking a deep breath, he twists off the lid and then fills a glass. Setting the bottle down, he takes a deep pull and then sets it down, his hand still clutching the glass. Pressing his other palm flat on the bar, he starts to think about Amara's son Anthony. The kid's father has custody of him but he was still her pride and joy. She was one of his most lucrative draws but aside from that, she was a good person. He'll miss her. Just as he lifts the glass to his mouth again, he hears a door creak. Looking up, he sees Lucy tiptoeing out of the bedroom. Hurrying over him, she wraps her arms around his waist, lays her face against his chest and then gives him a squeeze.

"Are you okay?" she asks, concern written all over her face.

"Yeah... How is she?" he sighs, dropping a kiss to the top of her head.

"Elena is an absolute mess. She was panicking and nearly hyperventilating. I had to give her enough to knock her out. I hope you don't mind."

"Honestly, Lucy.. I'd like to see her go to rehab and beat it. She doesn't belong in our world but it has to be her decision. If it's forced on her, she'll fall right back in."

"I know you're right. She seems happy with us."

"The only reason she's content right now is because whoever kidnapped her, brainwashed her. She doesn't remember the life or the love she had before. Between you and me, I think she was the intended target tonight, not Amara. I doubt that she noticed but I saw the man who did this. As soon as he saw Elena, he looked like he knew he made a mistake. He started advancing on her but as you know, I got her out of there in time."

"We have to tell her the truth, Enzo. She'll blame herself, you know this?"

"I know that, love," Enzo adds. With his eyes focused on her bedroom door, he throws back what's left of his drink.

Walking down the worn path, she stoops down to smell the Scarlet Bugler. They're wildflowers that grow in Grand Canyon National Park. Walking further, she reaches Grandview Point. There are large outcroppings of rocks. She takes off her shoes and walks out onto one of the flat rocks. When she stumbles, he grabs her around the waist to keep her from falling. Turning around to thank the man for helping her, she's met with the most gorgeous pair of blue eyes she's ever seen. As he works to steady her, he slips on the loose gravel and topples over the edge, his arms flailing in mid air till he lands in a heap on a rock, blood immediately pooling around his head. Screaming loudly, she runs away, knowing the it's her fault the man died.

Turning over in bed, a still drugged Elena thrashes her head around for several moments. Feeling something on her face, she relaxes then rolls onto her side and buries her face in the pillow.

"Hey Elena," Lexi greets her, sliding over in her seat to make room for her to sit down. Sitting opposite them on the other side are Lucy and Amara. Picking up the pitcher of beer, Lucy fills one and then slides it over to Elena. The girls laugh and talk. Suddenly there's a man standing at the head of the table, a large dagger in his hands. While Elena watches in shock, he slits their throats, their blood spattering all over Elena. It doesn't stop and soon she's drenched in blood. It's dripping from her hair and from her fingertips, suddenly she hears cold blooded screaming, enough to wake the dead and it's then that she realizes that it's coming from her own mouth.

"Elena, wake up," Lucy cries. As hard she's shaking her, Elena is still lost in the world between reality and dreams. Lucy screams for Enzo and he comes barreling into the room, wearing only his pajama pants. As much as he hates to do it, he rears back and slaps her hard. Immediately her eyes snap open. She jumps out of bed and runs into the walk in closet and hides in the corner. Rocking back and forth, she stops when she feels a hand on her forearm. With tears pouring from her eyes, she hugs Lucy as hard as she can. "You're not dead, you're not dead," she says repeatedly, not releasing her grip. Moments later, Enzo drops to the floor too. He hands her a glass of bourbon and when their eyes meet, Elena swallows it in one drink.

"We need to talk, love," he says, his eyes drifting from hers to Lucy's and back. Although Enzo can see the intense level of fear in hers, she has to know the truth. Shaking his head back and forth for a second as he tries to figure out where to start, he finally decides just to lay it on the line. "I think you were meant to be killed and not Amara."

"No, no, no, no," she utters, her face contorted in anguish.

"Elena..., Enzo is right. From the profile, you and Amara looked a lot alike. Amara wasn't a cop, she didn't have any enemies."

"I should never have come here. You're all in danger in and it's my fault."

"Elena, love, it's not your fault. It's the people who took you in the first place. That's another reason you need to remember. They have to pay for what they did to you and for what they did to her," Enzo says firmly but compassionately. Staring at him, Elena finally gets her breathing under control. When he repeats that it's not her fault, she nods but deep inside, she knows who's responsible. She stares at Enzo as he gets up and walks out of the closet. A few moments later he reappears brandishing a syringe. As much as she would like to say no, the amber color of the liquid calls to her. Involuntarily she extends her arm, closing her eyes and dropping her head back when she feels the prick of the needle. The next thing she knows, she's in his arms as he carries her back to bed.

Having tossed and turned all night long, Damon sits up at the bedside. Dropping his face onto his fingertips, Damon would just like to blot it all out for a little while. Although Enzo was tightlipped, he knows full well that the only reason he called him was because he believes Elena to be in danger. He saw the victim, her long brown hair, matted with blood. From the distance he saw her from, he can't deny that the two women resembled each other. Shaking his head, he gets out of bed to get ready to go to work also known as school. But in a way, he craves it because it gives him a time out from having to worry about her.

When he walks up the steps, the first one he encounters is Andie. In no mood to deal with her today, he raises his hand to stop her in her tracks. "What's wrong? I missed you," she pouts, licking her lips when her eyes drop to his crotch. Knowing that he can't let her touch him again, he shakes his head no.

"I have to get to class, Andie," he tells her then disappears down the corridor, ducking into the men's room where by sheer happenstance, he finds Brady.

"Hey," Damon says, leaning back against the sink. "I need to talk to you and Bonnie. But since anyone could walk in here, where can we meet?"

"Do you want to go to your place?"

"Frankly, I could use some alcohol but I need to keep my wits about me. What if we go to that coffee shop on Grand Avenue?"

"I'll tell Bonnie," Brady says, giving his friends shoulder a squeeze. "Around 4?"

Nodding, Damon watches as the door swings open and closed when Brady goes through it. After using the bathroom, he heads to history class to keep an eye on Kai Parker. Taking one of the desks beside the window, Damon is surprised when Kai doesn't show up for class. He did see him briefly in the hall earlier today. When the teacher starts to speak, he turns to the front of the class but as he drones on, Damon yawns. Bored, he looks out of the window, his eyes widening when he sees Kai standing beside a big black Ford Escalade. Judging by the way he wipes his hand across his forehead and the look on his face, someone is brow beating him. The car is parked broadside so he can't see a license plate. Nor can he see who's driving it. Moments later, he watches an angry Kai retreat, the darkened car window being rolled up at the same time it pulls out of the parking lot and disappears down the street. It bugs Damon that there was nothing about the car that stood out either, like an individualized hood ornament or anything. When the bell rings, he hurries out of the class, brushes right past Andie, jumps in his vehicle, not stopping until he reaches the rendezvous point.

Once he parks the car, he goes in. Seeing that Bonnie and Brady haven't arrived, he takes a table. Pulling out his phone, he looks at his messages but sets it aside when his friends sit down. After placing their order, Damon talks in a hushed voice that it was Enzo who told Damon to come to the crime scene last evening. He also mentions the resemblance between Amara and Elena and his belief that Elena is in danger. He mentions the Lockwood's and what Tyler had to say about Richard's only concern being his reputation.

"Enzo has been watching her for you hasn't he?" Bonnie asks, taking a swallow from her coffee cup.

"He has but I'm scared now. He wouldn't have called if he didn't believe that Elena was the intended victim. I don't know how to keep her safe when she doesn't want anything to do with me," Damon admits, rubbing his temples in an attempt to soothe his throbbing headache.

"Maybe I can help? Do you think she'd stay with me?"

"I don't think she trusts any of us quite honestly Bonnie. I just don't know what to do."

"We'll figure something out, Damon. You need to take care of yourself too," Brady adds, finishing up what's left in his coffee cup. The three strategize for a little longer, not really coming up with anything concrete. Exhausted after not sleeping all night, Damon tells his friends goodbye then walks out of the coffee shop and drives home, his heart heavy with worry.

When he goes to stick the key in his door, it flies open. Stepping back, he sighs in relief when he sees that it's Jeremy. "What are you doing here?" Damon asks, stepping into his house when Jer steps aside.

"Stefan took a fall. He sprained his ankle and had to get a few stitches in his head. He had to spend the night in the hospital to make sure his head was okay so they gave us a couple of days off. Walking right past one brother, he goes in search of the other. He finds Stefan sitting on the couch, his leg elevated on the end table. Brushing his hair back, Damon sees the row of stitches in his hairline.

"Are you okay, Stef?"

"I'm fine, just embarrassed."

"Thank God," Damon utters, plopping down on the couch beside him. As much as he loves his brothers, he didn't need this right now. He needs to do something with Elena although he has no idea what that could be. Now they'll be here for a few days. Then he chastises himself silently because Stefan could have been badly hurt or even killed taking a fall at the canyon. Damon sits for several minutes before getting up and disappearing into his bedroom to change clothes. He slips into a tee shirt and a pair of pajama pants then goes to the kitchen to make something to eat. Pausing to pull a beer out of the fridge, he takes a long pull then sets it down on the counter. Leaning against the sink, he drops his forehead into his hand.

"What's the matter, Damon?" Jeremy asks. Pulling out a chair, he tells Damon to sit and then pulls up a chair beside him.

"Everything is just a clusterfuck, Jer."

Having never seen his brother looking so despondent, he says, "Talk to me."

Shaking his head back and forth for a moment, Damon drops his elbows on the table top and threads his fingers through his hair. "It's Elena."

"I kind of figured that. I know that she's missing. Why didn't you tell us?"

"I didn't want you to worry about me, Jer. And she's been found but we don't know where she was. All we know is that while she was being held, she got addicted to heroin."

"Heroin?" Stefan asks, hobbling into the kitchen with his crutches. Damon jumps up and pulls a chair out for him. Reaching into the refrigerator again, he hands each of his brothers a bottle of beer. They're not 21 yet but he's here and they're not going anywhere. '

"You should have told us, Damon. We would have helped you look for her," Stefan says, a little aggravated at Damon for keeping such a thing to himself.

"Look, I didn't want to worry you guys, okay? My job is dangerous and the last thing I want to do is put the two of you in the line of fire," Damon says firmly. Turning his back to them, he starts pulling stuff out of the cupboard and the freezer to make them something to eat. Shaking his head, Jeremy gets up and tells Damon to sit down that he'll make supper. The brothers talk for sometime but when Damon's eyes start to drift closed, Stefan nudges him and tells him to go to bed and that he and Jeremy will clean up the dishes. Shaking his head, he doesn't argue with them. He stops to use the bathroom and then goes to his room, crawls under the covers, falling asleep as soon as his head hits the pillow.

Barely between the edge of wake and sleep, Damon rolls over when he feels someone jostling his arm. When he opens his bleary eyes, he yawns widely then asks Jeremy why he's waking him up.

"You left your phone in the living room," Jer says, handing it to him. "Who the hell is calling me this early?" Damon growls, raising up on his elbow.

"I don't know, the guy said it was vitally important that he speak to you. After yawning once more, Damon brings it to his face, "Hello?"

"It's Enzo. Elena is gone."

I am sorry for keeping you all waiting. Work has been insane lately. Thank you for understanding.

Love you dearly, Eva. Thank you for everything. You always go above and beyond to help me.

Massive thanks to all of you. Damon and Elena fans are in a class all by themselves. I cannot express how much your support means to both me and to Eva. You're all just the very best.

Chapter title: 'Ain't No Sunshine' by Bill Withers.

Please be safe and have a fabulous day. Thank you all again.