Still sitting on the floor in front of his door, Damon can hardly see straight. Between exhaustion, both emotional and physical and his eyes swollen from crying, he just feels numb. Hanging his head, he yawns before finally dragging himself off of the floor. Walking into the kitchen, he puts the bottle away. Leaning against the counter, he doesn't know what to do. He knows it's futile to go to bed, he won't sleep, she'll star in his dreams the way she always does. But this time they'll be filled with horrible images of what's been done to her and he'll be powerless to stop it. God, he hates himself right now. There's a part of him that knows he did everything in his power to find her but the other part of him knows that a man is supposed to protect the woman he loves.
Dropping his face into his hands, he feels the tears starting to form again. Glancing to his left, he sees that he left the foyer light on. Just as he pushes himself off of the counter, he startles when he hears his door opening and closing. Very quietly, he tiptoes out of the kitchen and into his bedroom to reach for his service revolver. With it firmly in his hands, he takes a breath and goes out to confront whoever is in his home. As soon as he reaches the foyer, he recognizes her form.
"Elena?" Damon breathes, his defensive posture deflating immediately.
"I couldn't do it, Damon. I wanted to.. badly.. but I just couldn't."
"I... I.. I'm just grateful that you came back," he adds, pressing his palm against his heart that's pounding like a kettle drum. When their eyes meet, she steps in front of him, takes his hand in hers. With her other one, she drops the trinket in his palm and closes his fingers around it. Too stunned to speak, Damon drops his gaze, gasping audibly when he sees that it's his grandfather's watch.
"How?"
"Enzo found it. I'm so sorry that I stole it, Damon. I was desperate for the heroin that.. the addiction, it takes complete control, the need for it overrides everything else. I hope that someday you can forgive me."
"I forgave you a long time ago, Elena," he adds, tentatively reaching up to brush a strand of hair behind her ear like he's done so many times before. Noticing her legs beginning to sway and her eyes half lidded, he adds, "Come on, you can take the bed. I'll sleep on the couch."
Her eyes snap open, she stares at him for a few seconds before nodding her acceptance. She follows him to the bedroom where he hands her a pair of her pajamas. He's ashamed of himself for even considering getting rid of her things but he's glad that he didn't. As soon as she comes out of the bathroom, he pulls back the sheets, letting her crawl under them.
After covering her up, he tells her goodnight and then leaves the room. He finds a throw blanket and then curls up on the couch, his eyes falling closed almost immediately. With Elena safe in the other room, he hopes that a dreamless sleep will pull him into sweet oblivion. Barely drifting off, he lurches upright when he hears her whimpers. With a yawn, he tiptoes into the bedroom. She's tossing and flailing in the bed. Running over to her, he tries to calm her down.
"Damon?" she whispers. He's not sure if she's awake or if she's talking in her sleep. Since she seems to relax with him here, he slides in next to her, letting her curl up in his arms. Within minutes, Damon finally loses the fight, drifting off to sleep himself. Elena startles slightly when she feels his body shift. Confused, she looks around, getting her bearings. Inherently knowing that Damon would walk over shattered glass for her, she smiles naturally.
It genuinely feels right and good to be in his arms again. She loves him so much. Even after the hell she put him though, he'd still fight for her with his last breath. Somewhere along the way, she must've done something good in her life to have this man love her. Snuggling in closer, she buries her face against his chest. The last thing she remembers before drifting off completely is his manly scent that she's been craving for months now.
Startling awake when Trevor's snarling face pops into his mind, Damon eyes snap open. Feeling a weight against his chest, he looks at the woman laying close. In his sleep, he thought that he dreamt her coming back. Dropping his head back onto the pillow and as if by instinct, he very wispily runs his palm down her hair and over her back. When she nuzzles in even closer, Damon's eyes drift across her and over to the beside stand where his grandfather's watch is resting. How can he ever repay Enzo? How did he know which watch was his?
Elena must have said something to him or told him where she pawned it or something. He's not going to question it, he's just so grateful to have it back in his possession. It's always been his dream to give it to one of his own children or maybe one of Stefan or Jeremy's if he never becomes a father. Dropping his eyes to her sleeping figure once more, he feels his breath catch in his throat. He feels so at peace just being able to have her like this. Noticing the clock when he turns his head to the left, he closes his eyes again, letting sleep pull him back under.
When he wakes up the second time, light is streaming into the room from the windows. She's still soundly sleeping but at some point, she flipped so now her back and bottom are pressing against his side. He has no idea how she's going to react if she finds him in bed with her. He wonders if he should very carefully sneak out to make some coffee and maybe some breakfast. Yet it feels so good to be so close to her that he just doesn't want it to end just yet. Since his mind is on his thoughts, he doesn't even notice when she shifts ever so slightly in bed, finally turning herself enough to face him again. Looking into her eyes, a spontaneous smile erupts on Damon's face. He's struck by the way she's looking at him. She's still Elena but this is a more mature her, one whose innocence was cruelly ripped away from her yet he still sees the trust that she's always placed in him.
"Did I do something?"
Shaking his head, he quickly replies, "No, no, of course not. You were whimpering, tossing and turning but you seemed to calm down when I was here so..."
"I'm sorry if I kept you awake," she says softly, putting a little distance between them. Just as Damon is about to reassure her that it's okay, that he loved just being able to hold her again, his phone rings ending the awkwardness between them. After a few seconds, Damon clicks off his phone then swings his legs over the side of the bed. Feeling her hand on his arm, he looks back at her. Having never been able to deny her anything when he looks into those eyes, he takes her hand in his.
"That was Shane. They believe they found your dungeon."
When Damon and Elena reach the address that Captain Shane gave him, he pulls the car to the side of the road and turns off the engine. Police cars are surrounding the old stone mansion. It looks like it was built in the early part of the last century judging by the architecture. Stepping out of the car, he walks around to her side to help her out. He can see that she's working things out by the way she's staring at the building ahead. He also notices the exact moment when her indomitable Gilbert spirit takes over. Sucking in a breath, she squares her shoulders and steps out of the car. After Damon pushes the door closed, the two of them walk side by side up to the building, stopping when they reach Atticus.
"Are you up to this, Elena?" Shane asks, looking at her with utmost concern.
"I'm ready. They've taken enough from me. I'm not going to let them take anything else," she says, her voice strong and unwavering. Damon is so proud of her in that moment that he could almost burst.
"Captain, have Carlucci's men gotten anything out of Mikael or any of the others we arrested?"
"They picked up a few more people. Apparently the youngest son, Kol, is MIA."
Although Shane is oblivious, Damon doesn't miss how Elena tenses just slightly at the mention of Kol's name. If he was the man that kept her alive while she was being brutalized in this place, there's no way in hell that he's going to rat him out. With his eyes on the building, he looks back at the captain when he hears him speak again.
"We don't know if he had anything to do with Elena's kidnapping or not. Mikael of course is being tight-lipped. According to a couple of the others, Trevor was killed by one of Mikael's men. He tried to escape in a blaze of glory yesterday and was killed."
"That must have gone down after I took Elena home."
"It did," Shane starts to say, nodding at another cop when he signals for them to come. "Are you ready, Elena?"
"Yes," she replies and starts to walk towards the house. The officer standing at the door leads them into the building. She doesn't remember any of the entryway because she was unconscious when she was first brought here. They walk into what looks like an office. The bookcase is pulled away from the wall, revealing a hidden staircase. As soon as she steps behind it, she feels a chill, the musty, dank smell lighting up her insides like a firecracker. A stark feeling of familiarity seizes her chest as she goes down one step at a time. Feeling chill bumps erupt, she runs her hands up and down her arms. When she reaches the bottom, she makes a right turn and there it is, the cell they kept her in. Staring at that cell, she feels the tourniquet tighten on her arm just before that evil woman pierces her vein for the first time. Instinctively she starts to rub the soft spot on it. Grimacing against the pain, she feels her belly begin to roil so hard that she can feel the bile burn at the back of her throat.
Sweat begins to bead on her forehead and nausea begins to boil hot and intense in her belly. When the dry heaves start, her eyes dart around and before she loses her breakfast in front of everyone, she runs upstairs as fast as her legs will carry her. Finding a bathroom opposite of the study, she collapses to her knees, spilling her guts as her arms drape the cold porcelain of the toilet.
Chasing after her, Damon finds her in the bathroom. Pulling open a drawer, he grabs a washcloth, wets it then lifts her hair and places it at the back of her neck. With her forehead on the toilet rim and Damon tending to her, neither hear Shane walk up. "Is she okay?" he asks, looking at both of them with concern.
"She's going to be fine," Damon says, looking over his shoulder at his boss and friend. With a nod, Shane leaves the two of them alone. Raising up on her arms, Elena whispers, "Let's go home."
With a nod, Damon helps her to her feet. Holding onto her gently, he helps her maintain her balance as the two of them leave the house. After she gives a statement to the officer in charge, Damon leads her to the car. Seeing Shane, he waves then pulls onto the highway and drives away, leaving the evil of that home far behind.
After such an emotionally charged day, Elena leans back in the seat, her face turned towards the window, her eyes staring at the clouds above. She can't stop thinking about him, Damon. Despite everything she did, even going so far as to steal his cherished heirloom, inexplicably he's still here. She looks up when he turns on the radio, soft instrumental music starts to play. It soothes her as she closes her eyes, losing herself to the music for a little while.
Having dozed off, she awakens, sitting upright when Damon stops the car. Looking around, she's stunned to see that he brought her to Enzo's home. Fear strikes at the heart of her when she has a passing thought that maybe he is already tired of her. As she turns to look at him, she hears squealing so looks away, noticing Lucy just as she reaches the car. Without missing a beat, Lucy pulls open the car door, tugs Elena to her feet and wraps her arms around her. When she lets go, she takes her by the wrist and starts to drag her towards the house. The next thing she knows, Enzo is in front of her. With a twinkle in his eyes, he gives her a hug and a kiss on the cheek.
"Did you miss me, love?" he laughs, giving her a wink.
Although she feels genuine happiness at seeing them, she can also feel the butterflies churning when she thinks of Damon. Why did he bring her here? Has he had enough of her and all the hell she's brought to his life? Before she can think about it too deeply, she hears the car door close. Looking back, her heart start to pump like a steam engine when she sees him close the distance between them. He steps up, shaking Enzo's hand. Pressing his palm against her lower back ever so softly, he urges her to follow their hosts into the house.
Enzo grabs Damon to join him at the bar while Lucy snags Elena, taking her out to the garden. Damon knows he made the right decision bringing her here when he sees her face light up like a neon light at being with these people. He knows he has them to thank for keeping her alive. Without them, he may never have seen her again. For the first time since this whole ordeal began, he allows himself to have a glimmer of hope that maybe in time, things will be alright between them. When he feels the glass brush up against his hand, he looks up and nods to Enzo. "Thanks for helping her. And thank you for the watch, Enzo. I owe you big for everything. I love her so much but if I have to let her go, at least I know you and your lady will always watch out for her."
Enzo doesn't say anything, he just nods and raises his glass. Taking his in hand, Damon clinks it with Enzo's and then takes a long swallow. "This is good."
"It's old and well aged," he retorts, taking a long pull himself.
"They found out where she was held captive. It hit her hard but she did it. I'm so proud of her but I felt she needed to have a little down time. That's why I brought her here. I can't stay, I have to go back to the city," Damon says, shaking his head no when the other man tries to refill his glass. After Enzo tells him where the bathroom is, Damon disappears down the hall at the same time that Lucy and Elena walks back inside. When Damon returns, Enzo pulls some things out of the refrigerator and with Damon's help, they make supper. The conversation is light. Damon just watches her, how light and airy she looks. These two people, unlikely friends given their professions have become something of a lifeline for his girl. As happy as he is for her, he still feels a bit of a gut punch because he would like to be her lifeline.
When the sun starts to set in the western sky, Damon announces that he needs to drive home. He wants nothing more than for her to return with him but he's going to have to respect her decision if she wants to stay here. With a nod of his head, he walks outside. Just as he's opening the car door, there she is, followed by Lucy and Enzo. After the three of them share a hug, Enzo walks around to shake Damon's hand. Lucy opens the car door for Elena, letting her slip into the passenger seat. Feeling his heart jump inside of his chest, Damon thanks them for the meal and a nice afternoon and then hops into the driver's seat. Without giving it a thought, Damon squeezes her hand, shifts into gear and steps on he gas. He waves goodbye to their hosts just before he turns onto the highway to begin the long drive home.
It's late by the time they get back to his place. She's already sound asleep in the passenger seat. Walking around, he jostles her gently to wake her. When she stumbles getting out of the car, he takes her into his arms and carries her into the house. Barely coherent, he pulls back the covers with one hand then lays her down. Since he doesn't want her have a bad reaction if he takes off her clothes, he settles for removing only her shoes then covers her up. Stooping over, he presses his lips to her forehead, letting them linger for a few moments. After whispering goodnight and I love you near her earlobe, he leaves the room, pulling the door closed behind him.
Tired himself, he goes to the other bathroom, showers and changes into clean boxers and a tee shirt. Yawning widely, he finds his throw blanket then plops down on the couch. Shifting till he's comfortable, he closes his eyes and lets the pull of darkness consume him. Sometime later, he hears her screaming.
Jumping off the couch, he starts to run towards her but he nearly gets bowled over when she comes flying out of the bedroom. Taking her in his arms, he holds her tight. Despite her thrashing, he won't let go. The harder she struggles, the tighter he holds on because he knows that she's not fully awake. With one arm securely around her, he threads his fingers into the back of her head and presses her face into his chest. After a few moments of rocking her in his arms and whispering that he's here and that she's okay, her eyes snap open.
Looking at him with tear filled eyes, she pulls her arms free then wraps them around his middle. Pressing her face against his chest, she very softly asks him to sleep with her.
"Of course, Elena. I'll do anything you need me to do." Lifting her into his arms, he carries her back to bed. He lays her down with utmost care and then slides in beside her. Opening his arms, she doesn't hesitate and tucks her body impossibly snug against his. With his chin on the crown of her head, he continues to whisper and sing to her softly. When he feels the rhythmic rise and fall of her chest, he closes his own eyes and moments later joins her in the land of dreams and nightmares.
When Damon wakes up the next morning, he finds her staring at him. "Is something wrong?" he asks, his heart jumping when he sees a blend of both fear and determination in her eyes.
"I love you. I truly do," she adds, closing her eyes for just a moment. Taking a breath she opens them and continues. "If I'm going to have any chance to live a normal life again, both for myself and for us, I need to go back to therapy."
"I love you too, Elena. You're my life," he tells her, fighting back the tears that want to form. With one arm wrapped around her back, he leans over to pull his bedside stand open. Pulling the necklace out, he drops it in her hand.
"My necklace? I thought it was gone."
"I found it in the courthouse."
"Put it one me," she asks, sitting forward enough to allow him to do so. She lifts her hair and then Damon slips it around her neck, securing the clasp. When she lays back down, she fingers the infinity knot. Even though she knows that she has to leave him again for a little while, she knows that he'll be here waiting when she's ready to return.
Huge thanks to you Eva. You are truly the sister that I was never lucky enough to have till now.
Huge thanks to all of you. I cannot begin to thank you enough for all of your support. You are all truly the best.
Chapter title: 'Shake It Out' by Florence and the Machine.
I did post a picture of Elena's Infinity necklace on my scarlett2112 fb page.
Please check out "Tomorrow" and "The Night We Met".
I hope you all have a phenomenal weekend. Thank you all again. We'll see you next week.