Chapter 25

"How do you feel now?"

Elena was beaming now, earmuffs off as well as her goggles. She and Rose had been out there for over two hours now and Elena had never felt so free and powerful. She'd worked her way up from shooting close bottles on the fence. Now Rose was throwing items in front of her, seeing how quick her reactions were to her trigger happy finger.

It was exhilarating, the feeling of the gun in her hand. It amazed her that something so small and light could be so deadly. It felt like it was custom made for her hand, fitting in the curve of her palm perfectly. Her finger caressed the trigger gently, knowing already how much pressure was needed to set it off. The force of the shots didn't bother her anymore. Of course, the first few times had thrown her back, not expecting such power to come from such a small object. But now she was stable.

Elena had worked out a position that made her comfortable and had gotten used to relaxing her breathing under pressure. It felt as if she had been doing this for years, knowing exactly what to do and how to make sure that every shot was a hit. She'd missed the first few times, but now was just used to it.

"Well?" Rise asked again, smiling. "How does it feel?"

Elena was breathing lightly, adrenaline running in her veins. "I-I feel amazing and powerful for once."

"You look confident as well. I'm glad." Rose patted her back. "I'm actually surprised at how well you did."

"Thanks…I think." Elena giggled, handing the gun back to Rose who shook her head, holding a hand up.

"Keep it. You're earned it. I mean, there are still a few things that we need to work on together, but I think you've pretty much got the idea of what to do."

"Really?" Elena gasped.

Rose chuckled and opened the gun case again, pulling out a holster gun belt. She handed it to Elena who instantly secured it around her waist, positioning the holder on her right side, her shooting hand. Finally, she clicked the safety on the gun and slid it in to the holster before pulling her shirt down to cover the evidence of the gun.

It was strange, the feeling of the belt against the skin on her hip, but it felt so right. It was like a reassurance now that she had it to help her in any dangerous situation. Elena had always been one who was once against guns, not seeing the point in them, but now she understood. She felt like she was in control now. She wasn't an easy target anymore and not a burden on any of her friends. It meant that she could take care of herself now.

Finally, she was in charge of her own life.

…

Damon sat in the front seat of his car, Alaric at his side, as his hand tapped angrily against the steering wheel. His other hand held his phone to his ear, listening to the incoherent mumbling on the line. It had been almost an hour since he'd discovered that his bank was dry, no money whatsoever. He was going out of his mind, calling everyone he knew to try and find any information. He couldn't risk phoning the bank directly, fearing that an investigation would take place. Damon couldn't afford to have the police involved.

Everything was running through his mind at once, trying to figure out who and what happened. He knew it was near impossible for just anyone to steal from his account, so it had to be someone close to him. It had to be someone who knew his details to take such a huge sum of money.

It was like the fire all over again, naming a list of people he was close to in his head as to who could have taken the money. His first thoughts were Kol, after all he was still on the loose, but there was no way that he knew about any of his bank details. Names kept popping up in his head and Damon had to try and not look into things to deeply, in fear he would accuses the wrong person.

"Just contact the bank and see when the account was last accessed," Stefan reason on the phone to his brother.

He was currently still in Atlanta, trying to track any information he could find on Kol, however it had not gone to plan. The police had got involved after someone reported suspicious activity at the barn and now a full blown investigation was going after what had happened that night with the hunters. Stefan was supposed to be meeting them in the next few hours, but after what Damon had discovered, he was unsure on what to do or who to trust.

"I can't!" Damon half shouted, punching the car door. "They'll ask questions. Things have already got out of hand and I don't want to have to explain what the fuck has happened!"

"Well, start thinking logically then!" He argued. "Who has the de ntails for your banks? What about the accountant?"

"No, it wouldn't be him. He knows nothing of my business. Besides, it's just too easy if it's him."

Stefan sighed, irritated. "What about a member of the team? Surly someone else knows other than you and the accountant."

"You are the only one who knows my details, brother." Damon hissed lowly, narrowing his eyes.

"Wait, are you seriously accusing me of stealing the money?"

"Did you?" He pressured.

"This is fucking ridiculous!" Stefan yelled. "I'm your brother, Damon! I would never do that to you."

"Are you sure about that?" Damon snapped, earning a confused look from Alaric which he ignored. "You've always been jealous of my power. Isn't that enough reason for you to go against me?"

Damon knew what he was saying was stupid, but he couldn't stop himself. He couldn't trust anyone and everything was looking suspicious. He was on the verge of a break down, not knowing what to do anymore. He had no other options left to him anymore.

"I-I…" Stefan voice cracked, sounding completely defended on the phone. "I can't believe you don't believe me. After everything we've been through…"

Damon groaned out loud and ran a hand over his face. "No, Stef…I didn't mean-.."

"No, I get it, Damon." Stefan said lowly. "You don't trust me at all. So much for family and brotherly bond." Damon tried to talk, but Stefan cut him off. "I have to go. Call me when you stop acting like such a dick."

With that the phone hung up and Damon dropped his hand, letting it rest in his lap. Small tears were building up in his eyes as he looked out of the window, trying to calm down and piece this all together. He couldn't believe he had just accused his only blood family member of being a traitor. Thing were just getting too out of hand now and Damon had no idea who to trust.

Alaric placed his hand on his friends shoulder. "Look, we'll sort this mess out later. Right now, let's get to the Gilbert house and have a look round. Okay?"

"And what will that achieve?"

"We might find clues there and it may help find out who is behind all this." He sighed, getting out of the car and slamming the door behind himself.

Damon sat there was another moment, leaning back and trying to clear his mind. Ric was right, there was no point to just sit there, mopping. He had work to do.

…

Elena was leaning back in the passenger seat in the Jeep, humming along to a tune that blasted through the speakers. Rose had all the windows down and Elena let the wind blow through her hair like a hurricane with a smile on her face. Everything felt like it was falling together now, and she couldn't wait to see Damon again.

She knew she was meant to still be mad at him after everything that had happened the last few days, but she couldn't do it anymore. She needed him now. She needed his support and he needed his, not more than ever. Elena had noticed the great toll all of this was taking on him, the sleepless nights and pressure, so she decided it was time to end this ridiculous fight between.

But one thing that worried her was that she had no idea how to approach the issue. For one, it was Damon and, at times, he wasn't the easiest person to talk to. Another reason was that Elena had no experience on boys – men – and so had no idea how their minds worked. She wasn't sure what to do when she saw him.

"Rose?" She asked, reaching forward to turn down the music. "You know how to deal with men, right?"

"I guess," She chuckled, raising an eyebrow. "Why'd you ask?"

"Well, how would you approach a man after a fight, without coming out all gushy and apologising?"

"Hmm…well I guess this has to do with a certain man, maybe one named Damon?" Rose sighed, but smiled, "Just go talk to him. Start out simply like asking him how he his and then go on to tell him about what you did today."

"And you think that'll work?"

"Trust me, I've known Damon for years and he really is a softie at heart."

"I find that a little hard to believe sometimes," Elena mumbled thoughtfully.

Rose nodded, turning to the road sigh that directed them to Mystic Falls. "I understand how you feel, but like I said, he really does care for you. I think he'd have you wrapped up in his arms and back in his bed the moment you hugged him."

"So why hasn't he tried talking to me?" She challenged. "Surely, if that was the case, he wouldn't act so cold towards me."

"He's scared, isn't it obvious?" Rose told her, offering a small smile. "He doesn't want to screw things up with you and he's just trying to be careful. He's letting you go at your own pace, not wanting to pressure you into anything."

Elena nodded, understanding what she meant. She knew Damon had good intentions at heart, but sometimes he was so wrong in the way he tried to solve his issues.

Elena sighed. "Sometimes I wonder if I really do know Damon."

"Well," Rose said honestly, "Every relationship needs time. One fight doesn't mean that it's the end. After all, you two fell for each other when neither of you expected it, given the circumstances. But I know that Damon would never do anything to hurt you, Elena. He's just waiting for you to make the first move."

"You love him, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Rose beamed, "He's like a brother to me, and I think he feels the same way. I've been working with him for a long time now and I know that he is kind. Sure, we lead a criminal life…" She sighed, "But I do not consider myself a bad person. And Damon isn't, either. I can still remember the first night he murdered someone."

Elena's eyes widened.

"If he was evil, he wouldn't have cried for weeks in his bed and had nightmares. He killed the man to protect himself because it was kill or be killed, but for months he was depressed. He couldn't get the image off his mind."

"What about me? What did he first say about me when I first came here?"

"I didn't know about the kidnapping but Alaric told me everything Damon told him in that period. Apparently, the night Damon put you in the basement, he wanted to go back to get you just a few minutes after locking you in. It was his pride and his fear of seeming weak that he didn't do it. He wanted you to think that he was ruthless when in reality, he never even considered injuring you."

Elena sighed, giving Rose a soft smile. In that period, Damon hadn't even known her and he still cared about her.

"What about you?" Elena asked. "Why did you join?"

"I just got in the middle of it all, I guess…" Rose sighed. "I don't even know when it started. I just knew that I found myself in this messed up world, same as Damon. Criminal family, criminal life. My family name was Cohan but I changed it when I married to Vester. And then Damon helped me, he gave me shelter but I just got in the middle of it all. I started to help Damon, and here I am. I'm married, you know, to Trevor, a guy I saved a few years back, but we are both so focused on our work that we hardly see each other anymore."

"That's sad," Elena sighed. "I'm sorry."

"Don't be. It's a choice both of us made." She continued, almost bitter. "Everyone has choices to make in life, and although people may think the worst of what you decided, at least you know you've done it for the right reasons."

Elena stared at Rose, completely confused by her statement. Choices..? What choices?

"Anyway," Rose smiled again, "I think we deserve some lunch, don't you think?"

And just like that, the two girls started chatting about less worrying things in life.

…

"Can you at least try not to break anything?" Damon asked annoyed, as he handed everything with care.

They'd already busted the lock on the backdoor trying to seek in to the Gilbert house. There were houses close by, the nearest on the opposite side of a long stretch of road because the property was built on quite a big piece of land, but Damon still wanted to be safe. He didn't want anyone else snooping in on what they were currently doing, which could really be classed as breaking and entering.

Alaric was going through things at a fast pace in the office and Damon was feeling uneasy. He had to keep in mind that it was Elena's home he was invading. He didn't want to destroy her belongings.

"Jesus Christ, Damon!" Alaric growled, "I told you ten times already. I'm careful, okay! I just can't find anything of value!"

"This is hopeless!" Damon sighed, giving up. "I fucked up, Ric. I hurt my brother today and I'm just not feeling okay."

Alaric put a hand on his shoulder. "Look, Damon. You need a break. I'll continue working in here, but you need to get your ass out the door and go back to your girl. You need to sort your shit out with her sooner rather than later go back, Damon, and show her that you haven't stopped thinking about her.

"Ric…"

"Go!" He smiled. "Now, you bloody idiot. I'll phone you if anything interesting comes up."

Damon grinned. "Thanks, buddy. I owe you."

…

After they stopped for a well needed break and spent the entire day simply having fun, Rose took Elena to a shop in one of the main streets. They got their hair done at a hairdresser and then they stopped in front of a shop. Elena looked at Rose, confused, as the shop sold long, evening dresses which were mainly used for big, posh dinner events.

"We'll be needing one," Rose said after a while. "We have a dinner to attend soon. It's hosted by Elijah, Klaus and Kol's brother, and everybody will be wearing masks. It's a perfect opportunity for Damon to 'question' the older Mikaelson on his brother," Rose smirked at the word 'question'.

Elena smiled, feeling part of the team.

"Pick anything you want," Rose added, "the organization will pay for the dresses."

Elena nodded and started to browse through a huge selection of colourful dresses, all coming in an array of design, however, her eyes landed on a satin, red dress. Rose encouraged her to try it on, and although Elena was hesitant at first, she soon found herself in the changing room. She looked over her figure in the dress and bit her bottom lip. She almost didn't look like herself anymore, and she wasn't sure if that was a good thing or not.

"I think this is the one!" Elena beamed excitedly. "Are you done, Rose? Come here and tell me what you think!"

There was no reply, however.

"Rose?"

Elena sighed, confused and stepped out, but froze when she saw a pair of blue eyes staring right at her. She opened her mouth to speak, but he walking into her, slowly pushing her back behind the curtain and into the privacy of the changing room.

"Elena," He mused quietly, tilting his head to the side.

"Damon?" Elena gasped, looking suddenly flustered as she crossed her arms over her chest. "What are you doing?"

"I'm looking at the most beautiful woman in the world," He cooed as he cupped her face with his hands. "And I've been so stupid, Elena. I guess, things have been difficult the last fw days and I know that is down to me and the way I have acted. I'm sorry."

"No, it's okay…"

"No, it's not okay." He spoke firmly, hands in his pockets. "I guess I've just been so worried and stressed that I forgot what was important to me. I forgot what…who I was fighting for."

She swallowed thickly, wetting her dry lips. "And you are you fighting for."

Damon looked up at her, looking as if she had asked the most stupid question in the whole world. "You. I-I…I love you, Elena…I just wanted to tell you that. And I know that might be difficult for you to understand, but I-.."

He never finished his sentence as Elena launched herself into his arms, covering his lips with her own. Damon froze for a second before he reacted, purring against her mouth as his hands found her waist. In that moment he forgot all his problems, his issues and everything that had gone wrong. All that matter to him was the girl in his arms, holding on for him for dear life. Suddenly, there was a light at the end of the darkness that seemed to have surrounded him for too long.

He pulled back and rested his forehead against hers. "I booked a table for us, just outside of town. I want to be alone with you tonight…"

Elena embraced him tighter. "Of course I'll come," She told him, however she then smiled. "Was this your idea, Rose?"

She actually heard her giggle.

"We won't be attending any evening parties together, Elena, but you'll be using the dress for a good cause tonight," She smiled at her, emerging from behind the curtain. "However, Damon needs to pay up, because I really do like this dress."

She winked at Elena and Damon, and he rolled his eyes. He still hadn't told her about his money issues and was about to make a comment before his phone went off. He groaned and stepped outside to allow Elena to get dress, answering the call.

"Yes?"

"Damon, I have news!" Alaric said slowly, as if thinking through what he was about to say. "First off, Stefan's arrived and wants to speak to you, in person.

"What?" He snapped, pacing up down. "What the hell is he doing here?""

"I don't know, but he looks pissed. Anyway, I found a diary in John's office draw. Most of it is useless, but there are a few things I think you better have a look at. Something's not right, Damon."

The older Salvatore groaned and rubbed a hand over his face. Things just seemed to be going from bad to worse. Then again, maybe Ric had found something of importance. At this point any piece of information was critical in shutting down whoever was working against him. Now just came the other issue of facing his brother.

"I'm on the way," Damon confirmed, hanging up just as Rose and Elena came out of the store, a large bag in his arms.

He hooked his hand around her and kissed the top of her head, smelling her hair as he did. God he missed her scent.

"I have to meet Stefan and Ric back at your house," He sighed against her, "You don't have to come if you don't want to or if it makes you uncomfortable."

"No, it's okay," Elena smiled reassuringly, squeezing his hand, "I understand and, besides, it would be nice if I could take a few of my personal things with me."

"Of course, ready to go?" He asked her.

She nodded and hook her arm through his. "Thanks for coming back for me."

"I always will." Damon kissed her nose, "Don't ever forget that."

…

Elena's hand flexed against Damon's bicep as her home came into view – her old home. It looked exactly the same like she remembered apart from a few over grown weeds and unattended garden. It almost looked foreign to her now, being away for so long only to find a home in a new place. Memories flashed through her mind at her final moments here before and she cringed. But it was the past now. She had to get over that now.

"Hey, you okay?" Damon spoke softly, stroking her hair. "You don't have to go in if it makes you uncomfortable."

She swallowed, but shook her head. "No, this is something I have to do."

He nodded and said no more as the made their say up the porch steps, Rose close behind. Stefan was waiting in the living room, leaning against the far wall and Alaric seemed to be going over some papers on the desk. Everyone's expressions were tightly and they all had a grave look in their eyes.

"I-um…" Elena felt awkward at their stares and so went for the stairs. "I'll just go get my things."

Damon kissed her cheek once more before strolling into the room, giving his brother a wary look. Stefan said nothing, just looked straight ahead, gaze unfocused. He knew his brother was still pissed with him after their heated conversation, so Damon went around him towards Ric, who directed him into the kitchen as he handed the papers over to Stefan and Rose to read through.

"Hey, here's that diary," Alaric said, handing the little book over. "There are loads of key dates and records of what he brought, even some money exchanges, but not much more. The only things of interest that I could find were references to John meeting up with 'M-C', whoever that is."

"Anything else, details maybe?" Damon inquired, flicking through the pages.

"No, just that they met often, but recently that changed. Obviously with John doing a runner, he didn't have time to take his little diary. The only other clues that we have is the phone numbers in the back, one listed as this M-C."

"Who's number is it?"

"Not sure, I thought I would leave that to you to find out. Although, something really weird, but I feel like something not right. I mean, all of this…it's too easy."

Damon raised a brow. "How so?"

"Think about," Ric pressed, "If I were John, I was the one running this whole thing, then I wouldn't leave any evidence behind to suggest who I was working with or anything. It just…it doesn't feel right."

"Oh come on, Ric! You're just over thinking this."

He sighed and rubbed his stubbly chin. "Yeah…I guess you're right."

"Hmm…so how about we give this mystery guy a call." Damon mused, smirking a little at that fact that he might actually be getting ahead in the game again.

Ric nodded and went into the living room where Stefan and Rose were currently going over some plans. Elena was still upstairs, sorting through her clothing and personal items to take with them. Everything finally looked like it was falling into place, the only thing left to do was apologise to Stefan and find out who this person that John was contacting. Maybe they could help in finding him or maybe it would lead him straight to his enemy.

Damon pulled out his phone and carefully typed in the number, double checking that he got every number right before he hit the call button. The pressed the receiver to his ear listening as the call connected and his heart leaped in his throat.

The phone was ringing and he could hear it.

He could hear the ring tone because the phone was in the room with them.

Heya everyone! So here is another chapter for all of you!

Some of you my have noticed that I have update all three of my stories in one go and there is an important reason for that! Today, November 7th, is my birthday (19 years old!), but it is also around this time of years that I started to write FanFic. So, I thought as a treat for you guys, I would update all three stories in one go. I know, I know, I have been awful at updates at the moment, so I guess this is kinda me making up for the long delays. Also, I won't go into all the horrid and sappy details, but this long year has been a difficult one. There have been so many bumps in the road not only with my writing but personally as well. So much has happened and it is unbelievable to see where I have ended up now. I wanted to take this time to just thank everyone for all the amazing support over such a small space of time. It has been a pleasure writing for you all so far, and I hope you stick around for what I have planned in the future. Doing this, writing, has really helped me out a lot with so many things like getting to know some amazing people, to improving my work. So thanks all so much!

Anyway, back to the story! I know some people thought that what happened last chapter with the money was pretty impossible but, trust me, it is possible if you know how and you have the right details. You'll see what I mean next chapter...Delena made up (YAY!) and now the final pieces are coming together on who the traitor is. I'll give you clue: it is someone who is currently in the Gilbert house... ;) Drop a review and let me know what you think, thanks! Oh and thanks to the amazing LiveBreatheVampires for her betaing skills!

Next chapter: The traitor is finally revealed. Someone who was right under Damon's nose the entire time and it threatens to rip him to shreds.