Chapter Fifty

I was sat on the rug before the fire in the boarding house, staring into the heart of the flames, trying to ignore how they looked like me and Klaus dancing that time. The memories... the betrayal... it all hurt so badly.

"Arianne?"

Now I glanced up as Elijah walked in, then sat down beside me. "Are you ok?" he asked me now, staring at me, but I wasn't looking, back to looking at the dancing flames.

He sighed now and put an arm around my shoulder, pulling me to him, rubbing my shoulder. "It's ok Belle." he told me quietly, making tears spring from my eyes and say.

"What did I do? I loved him..."

Elijah was silent now, then said. "He does love you. I know that for sure."

"But he killed me... killed you too."

He sighed once more. "I know."

I knew Klaus did love me. Possessively too...

Now I put my head on his chest and closed my eyes for a moment, then said. "We have super screwed up lives Elly."

He chuckled. "Actually, I have to agree on that fact."

"Arianne?"

Now I opened my eyes and looked up to see Damon stood next to the sofa, looking down at us in silence. Elijah let me go as I stood up now, facing him.

"Damon." I just said, staring at him. It was a kind of stalemate, neither of us knew what to stay to the other. It was Elijah brushing past as he walked out the room that snapped us both to our senses. Hell I owed that guy so very much...

"You still look kinda dead." Damon now shrugged, making me chuckle weakly. "Rubbish conversation starter."

"You know me." he said now as he walked up to me and raised a hand, absentmindedly wiping my tears away.

"Yeah I do..." I said quietly, raising a hand to where his own was lingering on my cheek. "Klaus was a fool to let you go." he now said quietly, then lent forwards to kiss me, but I stepped backwards and shook my head. "No I'm sorry..." I just said, turning away and walking upstairs to the room where I could hear Elena pacing up and down.

As I walked in, she turned to me and I saw tears in her own eyes.

"Lena?" I said in shock, walking forwards and stopping before her with wide eyes. "What happened-?"

She chuckled now, but it broke halfway through and I hugged her tightly, frowning. "Where's Stefan-?"

Elena didn't speak and I thought back to last night. I'd seen him there... hadn't I-? Or was I imagining things again? Tricks on my mind-?

"He's... gone." was her answer and I thought he was dead for a start, but then she said. "Klaus... has him."

What the hell-?

"H-how?" I gaped, eyes wide- what was Klaus up to-?

She looked at the floor, not meeting my eyes as she said. "He turned up three months ago. He captured Damon. Tortured him with the intent of making him suffer for loving you... for near a month. But something made him change his mind, because he then turned on Stefan and... started on him to punish us all for meddling." Elena looked up now, eyes red. "Klaus promised to kill us all, one by one. To change me and make me his slave... unless he went with him."

"Oh my god..." was all I could say, shocked so badly I couldn't move. Klaus had finally lost that last bit of sanity I had given him for sure.

I hugged Elena tightly now, then realized just how long it had been. Three months.

"I'm so sorry... this is all my fault." I said now, tears glistening in my own eyes now as I hugged her ever more tighter.

Klaus had been torturing Damon-? Why hadn't he told me any of this-?

Then again. This was Damon Salvatore... that was all you needed to say.

"Elena-" I now said, making her face me as I added. "I swear we'll get him back." She stared into my eyes, then nodded, hugging me once more, sobbing into my shoulder. She obviously hadn't been talking about losing Stefan like this.

I had a horrible feeling why Klaus had picked him and not Damon... Stefans past held a certain admiration from Klaus. We'd heard the stories, seen the devestation he'd left in his wake..

Stefan was screwed. Well and truly...

-ArBaN-

When dawn came, I was still awake, lying on Damons bed where he was somewhere else. I heard a glass clink downstairs and I felt a sigh escape me as I got up and walked down the steps to the main room where the fire had burnt down into cinders.

Damon was sat alone on the sofa, staring into his glass. I sat down silently beside him, but he didn't aknowledge me.

We sat in silence for a while, then he said quietly. "Klaus really lost it after he had to kill you. That's crazy love for you."

I sighed and just said. "Why didn't you tell me about him taking you-"

"None of your business." he snapped, setting his glass down a little too hard. I groaned and just said. "Now you're going on the offensive?"

"Hmmph." was all he said, ignoring me as I put a hand on his. "Klaus shouldn't have touched you." I said quietly, wondering just what he'd been doing to Damon.

Now he snorted. "You know what he did? He'd bite me, give me a werewolf bite... leave me locked up for a few days until I was next to death. Then he'd heal me... and do the whole process all over again. For a whole. Freaking. Month."

My eyes were wide in horror now- Niklaus had really, well and truly lost it now. To think he even had the nerve to touch...

How the hell had Damon stayed sane-? Well, "Damon sane" not "normal sane."

"I'm gonna fucking kill him." I snarled now, getting up, but he yanked me back down and said. "Stop trying to go the same way as my brother and sit."

"But I-!" I started, but cut me off by kissing me, holding me tight so I couldn't escape again. I could push him off and chuck him to the other side of the room, of course I could... but I didn't.

When he let me go, he said. "I have the crappest luck with love... but give me a chance?"

I felt his hand, tight on my arm as if he was checking I was still there next to me. Now I sighed and hugged him tightly. "You know what my answer is sweetie."

"What is it anyway?"

"Yes you fool."

He chuckled now, then said. "I'm going soft now. Thanks a bunch (!)"

I scoffed. "You? Soft? Pigs may fly." now I sighed once more. "Where's Elijah? I need to see him..."

Damon was silent, then nodded to the door. "He's outside. Just been sitting on that step for... hours."

I kissed his cheek, then said. "Go get some sleep." he snorted. "I don't need to sleep."

"Bed. Now."

"Yes Ma'am (!)"

-ArBaN-

I found Elijah sat on the top step of the stairs leading to the front door like Damon had said. I sat down next to him and he said. "Damon really loves you."

Now I was silent, thinking back to what Klaus had said about Elijah loving me. The guy would never admit it, but-

"You two are suited for each other." he now said, looking dead ahead as he did so. I sighed quietly. "Elijah... tell me the truth. Do you still love me?"

Now he looked at me and frowned at the suddeness of my question, but I didn't look away from his gaze and he broke it by glancing towards the trees where the sun was starting to rise.

"There are many types of love, Belle." was his answer, making me ask. "Which one is it then?"

He looked back to me and raised a hand for a moment, but then let it drop back down. Now he lent forwards and I closed my eyes, but he only kissed my cheek and said quietly.

"I do love you. But not in that way. Not anymore."

I opened my eyes and just smiled, unable to think of anything to say. The child in me made me hug him tightly now, head on his shoulder, staring at the rising sun.

A new dawn...

A new chapter starting in my book.

The hunt was on.

Annnnnnnnd-! That is the end of the second story:D but don't fret, a third one will be starting probably later on:D it'll be added onto here once more to keep it all neat and tidy:) so! Big things to come on the third story:D and my own kind of take on that rather silly season ending. Let's get this party started;D Reviews are very much loved! x Nicc