A/N; Trying to power through this series while I still don't have much in me to write happiness so I hope you like the next chapter. Lots of angst and pain but I promise you there is a Delena endgame. It just wont be for quite a while yet. I'll try to have another chapter up on the weekend too.

Sorry this one is not super long but this way I get more out of you then waiting to post it by Saturday or so. I had a whole day off today and I wrote and ignored my messy house! Not smart but this was just more needed now. Enjoy.

Previously…

He sat there on the floor against the wall shutting his eyes. Then he whirled to the sound of someone knocking on the door.

"Damon."

It was Elena.

More knocking. "Damon. Is it okay? Are you and Jeremy okay? Can I come in?"

Damon squeezed his fist shut, hiding what the poison had already done, from her. He was as far from okay as he could be.

Damn it! How could he have been so stupid and crushed that fucking vial in his hand! Why didn't he just throw it?! Now it made sense too why Klaus just left with Caroline. He had already done what he planned; poisoning him. And then all he needed to do was wait, knowing he had to come for him...to live.

His eyes widened as he saw the door opening. He could not tell her what happened. He could not do that to her. He knew she would turn herself over to save him.

And that was the one thing he would not let happen to her or his babies!

Damon saw Jeremy looking at him, a shocked expression on his face. Damon put his finger to his lips and lifting his hand he shook his head at the young vampire. Jeremy nodded back to him, sitting back down on the bed, that he would keep his secret and Damon let out the breath he was holding.

He blurred himself up and away from the wall before calling out to her, making sure his fist covered the signs of poison in his blood. "Elena it's okay. You can come in," he choked out.

How was he going to hide this from her? She knew him so well already.

He had his head down as he heard the door open and felt her once she was standing beside him. She stood on his left and he immediately felt her hand find his. He jerked away for the briefest second, thinking she was reaching for his poisoned hand but relaxed right away. It was his good hand she was touching or she would have found the marred skin already.

He shut his eyes, his head still down avoiding hers as he felt tears pooling at his lashes as she laced her fingers with his. He knew she was looking at him and if he did not want to give himself away he needed to put on the best act of his fucking life.

He lifted his head, meeting her eyes. She was studying him with those far too inquisitive beautiful brown eyes of hers.

"Jer is okay. I explained everything," he told her giving her a half smile, deflecting again. Hoping that she had not seen the fear he was trying so hard to hide and he looked away to focus on her brother.

Elena felt something was off or different, or maybe she was just too exhausted and anxious to be thinking straight anymore. She had thought for a moment that Damon had actually jumped as she went to hold his hand. But now he was tracing the top of her hand with his thumb tenderly and she wondered if she had just imagined it. His other hand she felt was running up and down her back, and she could feel his knuckles against her shirt.

She shifted her attention to his face. He was focused on her brother right then and not at her. She had nearly forgotten that Jeremy was even in the room the moment Damon and her had touched. It was like everything else fell away when they were close.

"How are you Jer?" she asked timidly and moved to sit down on the bed. She had no idea how to feel with her little brother now a vampire. She felt so broken that so many people she loved had been hurt because of her.

"I'm okay El. I am," he smiled at her. "Everything feels different and I would be lying to say I wasn't scared. But I will do my best to get Stefan and you away from here. I promise." Jeremy gave her a smile and rubbed her arm.

Elena opened her mouth to reply when Elijah stepped in the room and looked around at all three of them. "Sorry to interrupt but I wanted you to know that my brother came to the door. He tried to plead with me again that he would not harm you or the babies but I didn't believe him. He gave us a half hour, no more and then he said if Elena does not come out he is lighting this place up."

His gaze snapped up to Damon's. "We need to go...soon. We can all talk later when we are out of here. So, don't be much longer." And he was gone from the doorway before anyone could reply.

Elena nodded slowly taking in all Elijah said and leaned forward enveloping Jeremy in a firm hug, her mind such a mess of so many feelings. But she wanted to try to show her brother that she had faith in him too despite him being such a new vampire and knowing how risky things could get then. She leaned her head on his shoulder and shut her eyes. "I know you can do it Jer. You can get us safe."

Jeremy had his eyes shut too holding his sister. He could hear her heartbeat but he fought all the new hunger desires in him to resist the pull and focused on what he needed to do. He stroked her hair and kissed her head before pulling back seeing Damon standing and watching them silently. He caught his eye and nodded slowly and Damon nodded back.

Jeremy at first had been so unnerved at their whole hooking up and thought it was nothing like how it looked now. He could see how they looked at each other, how Damon stood over her protectively. How tender they were to each other. This was far more than hooking up in the face of danger. His sister loved him and as crazy as it sounded she was pregnant with his babies.

Jeremy rubbed his hand over hers and felt the ring. He looked down and then back up at her face.

Elena cleared her throat, lifting her hand for him to see it closer. "I know Jer. I hope you aren't mad about mom's..."

But he shushed her right away. "Mom would be so honored knowing you are wearing her ring El. And I know she would have loved to meet her grand babies too."

Elena felt a sob at that and rubbed her other hand over her belly. "She would, wouldn't she?" She smiled at Jeremy, her eyes glassy with tears.

Jer looked up behind her to Damon as he stood up. "You take care of her Damon," he said all brother protective like. "All of them. And come back to them."

Damon smiled sadly at him and could see the pain of him knowing he was dying in Jeremy's eyes. But Elena could not see him behind her. They both knew how hard it might be for Damon to get back to his little family.

"I will," he choked out, a lump forming in his throat. "And you take care of them till I can do my job... forever." They nodded again at each other.

It had bonded them to rely on the other. Damon had saved his life and Jeremy had saved his and they had a respect between them that was not there before. And now they were depending on each other for the very survival of their loved ones.

Elena let out small sob hearing Damon and Jeremy's heartfelt words. She leaned back into her lover's strong chest and felt his lips on her head. He moved his head closer, his breath by her ear. "Let's go," he whispered.

Elena looked back at him and she gripped his hand tighter in hers. She turned, walked back out of the room and headed downstairs with him in silence.

They were not even halfway down the stairs when they heard the sounds of sloshing liquid slamming into the wood of the cabin and she could already smell the wicked stench of gasoline. Elena just felt herself freeze on the steps right there and turned to Damon, her mouth open too wanting to say something but nothing came out. She wanted to say so much but it felt like nothing was coming to her head right then. They had so little time as it was.

It had barely been a day that she had had with him; loving him, touching him, kissing him, sharing so deeply with him, bonding, dreaming, laughing, crying with happiness and deep sadness too.

Elena felt herself fly through so many thoughts and feelings like they came at her in a rushing wave. Back in the tomb she had been clutching him to her when she had been terrified of the wolf, screaming for Brody to stop hurting him, cutting his skin, feeding him vervain and watching Damon in so much pain. She had been sobbing, burying her head in his chest, feeling him slam her against the wall while ripping her shirt and her scream being swallowed up by his lips crashing on hers. She had been trembling as he kissed her, held her, touched her, tangled his fingers in her hair. She had felt him feed on her and his hands all over her body, and moaned his name.

But then she remembered shaking, holding a gun to him seeing that one single tear, and then seeing him hanging by the chains, begging her to take his blood when she was bleeding so badly. His eyes, his face, the terror and pain as he could do nothing but watch as the wolf nearly raped her.

And then her kissing him, running into his arms instead of Stefan's. Damon begging her to close her eyes when he was on his knees ready to die for her. Him crying in her arms as he stayed with her instead of saving his brother. Then after Ric saved Stefan, Damon had saved her and protected her, stood in front of her to keep the wolf from taking her. He had held her tightly and warmed her and then her carried her up to his room, how she felt with him in the tub with her, washing her hair, feeding her more blood, sleeping right beside him.

Then she remembered kissing him in her nightmare, watching him fight Stefan, him kissing her again on the porch, begging the intruder to let her go, him holding her in the car, giving her the fantasy dream together by the falls, watching him chopping wood and how much she wanted him then already. Damon holding and supporting her crying about Stefan, their time in the rain, being so close, water dripping down their bodies, as he told her loved her for the first time.

Their first fight, when she had used him, the pain in his eyes, then the car flipping and getting ripped away from him, screaming his name when it exploded knowing she did love him. Her fear when he was compelled yet she was still so happy he was alive, and then wanting to throw herself outside to save him from getting his heart ripped out.

Damon being saved by Elijah and in her arms, making love so tenderly, laughing when Jer caught them and showering and pleasing him and her feeding him. And their constant touching and kissing and talking and sharing. Him saving her from Katherine, trusting her with Stefan, and then Damon proposing to her, tickling her, more love making, soft and tender and waking up with him in her arms.

And then Damon showing her how they met, seeing and hugging her parents and feeling Damon and her first kiss at Wickery Bridge just after he saved her from drowning, him taking her hot and passionate against the door, and then everything with the baby, the heartbeat, him helping her in the bathroom, dancing, proposing again with her mom's ring.

SO much had happened in such a short time she could hardly believe it. And from everything that she just had race through her head at super speed, she had no idea how she could just let the incredible man she just had all those experiences with just go out that door without her.

Damon just pulled her into his arms, feeling her trembling and seeing her looking a million miles away.

He wanting to hold her with both his hands, but he could feel the sting of the rough skin and just closed his fist, rubbing the outside of his hand on her back while his other hand cradled her head by his throat. He did not even know how long he had before he would start feeling symptoms but he was determined that this would all be over before then.

"This is really happening," Elena sobbed. "Isn't it? And you have to leave me to get me safe. I'm so scared Damon." She clung to him, her whole body against his holding him so tightly to her.

Damon ran his hand through her hair and nodded silently to her, his head down hugging her fiercely. "I know. I know. I'm so sorry angel. SO sorry." He kept his fist closed but still managed to stroke her face trying to calm her any way he could. "I will find my way back to you baby. No matter what." His eyes were locked on hers, his face drawn with pain and agony at the thought of leaving her. "Just get away from here and I will find you...I promise."

He leaned his head on hers, while still tenderly stroking her cheek. "You remember the vision Bonnie had of you?" Elena sniffled and nodded, her hands around his waist. "Bonnie said she saw you in a building on fire. So just promise me that you will get out of here before then. Promise me baby? Just get our family safe."

Elena felt more tears streaming down her cheeks as she nodded to him. She did remember the vision. She remembered Bonnie said she was screaming Damon's name as she was surrounded by fire and things crashing, and glass smashing. "Yes I promise," she nodded slowly.

She looked angrily back up at him. "But you better keep yours too and stay away from Klaus and get back to us!"

Damon shut his eyes, knowing he had to lie. "I will Elena. Just focus on you and Stefan and I will be back before you know it." He opened his eyes and nodded to her and rubbed his nose against hers. She jumped in his arms as they heard a crash as a window in the back of the cabin must have been shattered. There was not much more time.

He shook his head trying to concentrate on the plan and not the scared precious woman trembling in his arms. He lifted her chin and crashed his lips to hers, holding her head tight to his as he pushed her against the wall by the door. She opened to him instantly, her hands in his hair.

"God Elena," he moaned between kisses. He felt the tears overflowing his lashes now and slip down his cheeks. "I'm so so sorry," he whimpered, kissing her harder, deeper, with more passion and feeling than he had ever given anyone. He felt her molded to his body and he did not want to stop kissing her for the rest of his life.

Elena did not want to let go either. She had this horrible feeling that she would never see him again. That this was goodbye. She felt another sob in her throat as she held his head so tight to hers, their mouths ravenous for the taste of each other, like this would keep them from starving in the battle ahead. They were each others very life and breath.

She realized at that moment that she was in the exact same spot as she had been before when he had been fighting the compulsion so much to not bring her to Klaus. He had pressed her between him and the wall by the door, screaming at himself to not do it.

And here he was being torn from her again, in order for them to survive.

Damon kept her against the wall, his hips rubbing at her core keeping her in place as he hungrily explored her mouth...for possibly the last time. He felt dread and darkness that this might be the last kiss they would ever have. The last time he would taste her, feel her fingers in his hair, her breaths on his face, smell the scent was completely just her and that soothed him so much. He felt more terrified in his life for her and his babies without him. He felt pain at even the thought that he might not make it back to her.

He had to. If it was the last thing he ever did, he would make it back to her.

He pulled back from her lips, leaned in to her ear, his breath on her skin. "Just trust me, no matter what happens. Trust me."

He spoke those exact words to her before in the tomb when she was so scared then too.

Damon's heart ached, wishing he could leave more than his words with her to help her know how much he meant them and how much she meant to him. She had his ring, his promise of a wedding at the falls. She had his children, growing, thriving in her. But it wasn't enough. None of it would ever be enough without him.

He glanced around and saw his leather jacket on the chair in the living room. He blurred over to it and picked it up, nodding to Elijah for a few more minutes. It was quiet outside so he was sure the cabin was likely soaked in gas but Klaus had not given his go ahead to move forward yet. Elijah nodded back to give him more time.

Damon sped back to Elena who was already at the bottom of the stairs. He stood in front of her, clutching his jacket tight in his hands. "I feel like there is not enough of me I can leave with you, Elena. I want so much to stay with you, its tearing me apart inside."

She was already shaking her head and her hand went to her stomach again and he knew what she meant. He was coming with her, but not in the only way he wanted to.

"I know, I know in a way I am coming with you, baby. But before you and all this hell, my most prized possession was my car...which is now is a pile of twisted metal. But I wanted you to keep this safe for me."

He draped his leather jacket over her and helped her arms into the sleeves. "This jacket has been with me longer even than my car. And I want you to have it...at least for now till you can give it back to me."

His eyes were wide and so so blue as he gazed lovingly at her. "I love you so much Elena, soon to be Salvatore." He grinned at the thought of her having his name too and he helped pull her hair out from under the collar of his jacket and smiled at her. As true and pure of a smile as he could give her amidst all his fear.

"I love you too, Damon. More than I have ever loved anyone." Elena snuggled down in the jacket. She could smell him all over it, lifting the collar to her nose.

Damon tucked in the sides of the jacket around her, stroking his hand over her belly once more before zipping it up around her and his babies. It was the only way he could be around her now till he got back. He remembered the time he put his jacket over her only a few days ago, not realizing she was thinking of the exact same time too right then.

His fingers were trembling as he leaned against the wall and gripped the zipper of his jacket that was around her and pulled it down slowly. Everyone's focus was on Stefan and the wolf; everyone's except hers.

He saw her eyes snap up to his and she looked scared or confused but made no moves to stop him. Once the jacket was all the way open, he slipped his hands in and pulled it apart. He could see her bruised and battered body beneath it and he inhaled sharply slipping his arms around her waist and heard her gasp as his arms went under his torn black button down that he had wrapped her in and he encircled her waist.

He was trying to get her warmer but he knew how intimate and really inappropriate this was right now. She still had made no move to stop him and with his eyes on hers, he pulled her in to him till his bare chest was pressed against her lace bra. He felt her gasp again but instead of pulling away she laid against him and let him warm her with his body heat.

Elena was shocked at Damon's boldness, just standing there with everyone around them. They were more to the back of the crypt and against the wall with darkness all around them, but she still felt so bad. She knew he must have been doing this because she had not stopped shivering. Hell, she felt like she probably had pneumonia from being half naked here all day. So as wrong as she knew it was, she snuggled into him and let him hold her so, so intimately. Her heart was pounding hard in her chest that Stefan would see them, but from anyone looking it would just look like Damon was holding her possibly because she was so weak.

She wasn't shivering anymore. That had stopped nearly the second she felt his muscled chest pressed against her skin. She felt a wave of heat race over her skin at the intense contact. She was not cold at all, if anything she felt on fire and opened her mouth to exhale as quietly as she could when all her body wanted her to do was moan at how good he felt against her again.

Damon felt the sharp intake of her breath and her heart racing faster. But he could feel her stop shivering almost right away and that was all he had set out to do. The cuddling skin to skin was just a happy byproduct of him worrying about her health.

They both looked up at each other not knowing the other had also been thinking of the same thing. That had been forever ago and yet only a couple days really, but he could still feel the electricity of holding her like that then. It had been so bad, so sexy and felt so intense with all the feelings involved when she was still very much with Stefan.

But there was no more time. He had to let her go. He sniffled back more tears and forced his hands off her. He had kept the one hand tightly closed but now he knew she would not be able to feel the bumps on it through his jacket. "Can you go check on Stef for me sweetie?" He knew he needed to talk to Elijah quickly and not with her hearing.

Elena nodded, wiping more tears and gave him a quick kiss before turning around. He turned back to Elijah and leaned in close to him. He opened his palm showing the Original what his brother had done to him.

Elijah looked back up at his eyes, his own growing wider. "I NEED to get his blood. If I want to keep my promise to her...I need to get it. And I can't do it without you." Elijah nodded to him without a word.

Damon smiled at him hoping that they could actually pull this off. "And I need one more thing. Stefan...needs more blood in order to get away with Elena and I was going to drain like a pint for him from me before I left. But now with this... I uh I'm already feeling weaker and I cannot afford to be weak now. Not when you need me to rip off heads and tear out hearts."

Elijah nodded again to him and walked back to the kitchen and opened the cupboard. "I can help him. My blood is stronger than yours." He ripped open his wrist and poured two, and then three and finally 4 small cups full. He pushed one toward Damon. "You should drink too. I need you to be at your best, all things considered."

Damon lifted the cup knowing he was right. He needed to be at his best. He looked up at the Original standing beside him. He felt like a friend. He had saved his life when Klaus was going to rip his heart out. He had thrown Katherine out of the cabin. He had come to help them protect Elena before Damon even knew she was in danger. They would have all been dead too likely if it wasn't for Elijah grabbing the wolf even while he was almost turning and subduing him so they could kill him. He owed this man a lot already and now here he was trying to help them all again.

Damon tipped the glass back drinking it all down and wiping his mouth and he did feel the rush of energy from the blood. He looked down at his bite, hoping that it would just melt away.

Had the fates already not been threatening enough that he loved? But no such luck. The bite remained where it was.

He ignored the desire to just punch something and picked up the other cups and walked into the back bedroom with them.

Elena looked up at him and met his eyes. She was his calm. He immediately felt the anger fading as he looked at her.

"For Stef." Damon raised his eyebrows at her, seeing his brother's eyes open slowly. "Gift from Elijah. He said Original blood is even stronger than mine is or human. Worth a shot, right little brother." He was trying to be upbeat in front of him. Stefan had enough shit to deal with already.

He put the other two glasses down and brought the last one to him and sat down beside him. Stefan looked way too weak to even sit up so Damon lifted his head gently and held the cup to his lips. He swallowed slowly till it was all gone and then Damon put him back down. The dark black veins that were spreading were already crawling up his neck and down his chest he could see, through how thin Stefan's wife beater was.

He put his head close, squeezing his brother's shoulder while forcing himself to smile again when it hurt him so much to see Stefan like that. "Stay strong just a little longer Stef. I'm trusting you to keep her safe and take care of her till I can. I know you can do it." He saw Stefan nod at him and weakly smiled back.

Damon sat back as his mouth opened more, seeing Stefan struggle but still sit up. That was more than he had done the last few hours combined. "Wow there is something to Original blood I think," he marveled at him. Just don't take it all at once. You need to space them out so you have enough strength."

"I will." Stefan replied, his voice weak. "I will protect her with my life till you get back and do your damn job raising your family. That is not my deal Damon,"

Stefan smirked at him. "I want to be cool Uncle Stefan, not the one cleans up the diaper explosions." He laughed but ended up coughing, but no blood came back out so that was good.

Damon leaned him back. "You bet your ass I will be there for her, for all of them." He turned back to look at Elena who was sitting beside him by the edge of the bed. She had been running her hand up and down his back the whole time he had been sitting there and it soothed him so much. She smiled at him, squeezing his waist. Damon smiled back at her, doing his sexy eye thing before turning back to his brother once more.

"Take it easy Stef. Save your strength. It will be go time really soon. Just be sure that everyone is gone before you guys sneak out. Don't take any chances, okay? And keep in touch k?" Damon touched his head and Stefan nodded again knowing what he was meaning. It was a hell of a trick between them and he wished he knew how it had just come out of thin air a few days ago.

Stefan nodded back at him, closing his eyes. Damon stood back up hugging him once more and then turned without another word and headed back out the room. Goodbyes were too hard. He felt so emotionally drained already and the fighting had not even begun.

Elijah was standing at the door when Damon and Elena came back out. Damon nodded to him knowing it was time. He turned her around to him. "K Elena. This is really important. You need to stay out of sight completely from anyone outside. It needs to look like you are not here. Do you understand me?" He held her by her arms, his eyes focused intently on hers seeing her nod at him.

He caught the blanket that Elijah tossed him and stayed back from the windows. "You need to stay away from being seen. They have to believe you left just like we intend to make them believe. He grabbed a few pillows off the couch and laid them in the blanket and then wrapped them up and covering them up.

Elena was watching with anticipation and saw Elijah had done the same thing and was holding a bundled up blanket up in his arms. He leaned the top of the blanket down and Elena gasped realizing they were making it look like Damon and Elijah were carrying her out of here!

Damon saw her figure it out and smiled at her. "Its not much, but Elijah had a good plan. This way we both go different directions and run as far and as fast away from here and he doesn't know who to chase."

He shuffled around the blanket in his arms making it look as much like a person as possible, tucking the corners in and top down. "I know they will follow us Elena. You just have to wait till we are gone and you see no one outside. Jeremy will see if Bonnie is still in the garage or maybe Tyler too. The more people you have protecting you the better I feel about leaving you all."

He looked sadly at his family one last time and nudged her back, closer to the hallway. Hiding her from the windows."Stay back here, please baby. Away from the windows. This only works if they don't see you are still here. I hope to God they won't light the cabin up at all and will just follow us. Okay?"

Elena shook her head at him that she understood and stayed back. But she knew he was leaving and it was scaring her just the thought of him putting himself in so much danger and her heart pounded harder and harder with each beat. She felt her chin quiver as she opened her mouth and the tears that were just at the surface burst forth on her face and streamed silently down her cheeks. "Damon?" she whimpered his name like she was already lost without him.

He locked his eyes to hers, pouring all his love into the way he was looking at her, cursing the damn blanket between them and just wanting to hold her one more time. There would never be enough one more times.

She cupped his face and leaned her head on his. They both closed their eyes and just breathed in and out. He did not want to leave her. How many times did he promise he would never leave her again. Hell he was marrying her, and the very definition of marriage was to be together.

"I know baby," he breathed out. His eyes opened again and he adjusted the blankets a bit and pulled his good hand out from them and caressed her cheek with it. "I know," he mumbled into the air between them, closing his eyes again and just soaking in her scent. He felt the tears sliding down his cheeks now too and their tears mingled on their faces as they cried together. He could hear her heart pounding so hard in her chest as they just rested in each others presence.

"Calm down Elena. Please don't cry," he whispered looking back in her eyes, he could barely see her through his tears.

"Just trust me that I will make it back to you. Just relax and take care of them and get you all safe for me. Focus on our children angel. You can do it. I love you."

He looked down once more blowing a kiss to her belly and then turned and ran out of the cabin, leaving her sucking in her breath to stop the sobs as she leaned against the wall.

Elijah shot her a sympathetic look, his eyes soft, before he blurred out of the cabin too.

She just stared ahead at the empty room, opening and closing her mouth in shock and fear as the torrent of emotions ripped through her. She let out another pained sob, crying his name and slipped down the wall to the floor outside the bedroom. Her body wracking with sobs as she lay there all alone.