Hellooo!

That was quick, right? I must say, social distancing does has its perks and one of them is that my muse seems to be on the loose. Anyway, here's one more chapter, I am sad to announce we are on our way towards the end! Thank you so much for supporting me through this all.

Wherever you are in the world, please stay safe and protect yourselves. Some of us can't take the luxury to stop going to work but if you can please take advantage of it and stay home if you must go to work use the equipment necessary for your protection. I hope things are getting better wherever you are.

Now, please enjoy, forgive me for any typos and let me know what you think.

I was five and he was six, we rode on horses made of sticks
He wore black and I wore white, he would always win the fight

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Eyes wide open stared at the tall ceiling above her, the soft hum of the air conditioner rivaled the one of her breathing, she breathed in and absorbed the smell of cinnamon and apples that drifted out of the diffuser placed in the nightstand next to the black analog clock that signaled four in the morning, she couldn't have known otherwise because it had been an entire week since the last time she saw the sunlight.

She sat upright and clutched the bed sheet to her chest as she allowed her eyes to wander around the dark room, the side of the bed where he rested was cold now, which let her know it must have been a couple of hours since he left her.

"We have a delivery to intercept" He had whispered the words into her half-awake brain as he skimmed his lips over hers and traced the outline of one her nipples over the sheet "I'll see you in the morning" Her eyes had closed again when she heard the door of the bedroom slam shut and had woken only seconds earlier disoriented and with a bitter taste in the roof of her mouth.

Elena was restless; her feet ached to wander outside, her face longed to feel the warm rays of the sun, she was locked in the same cage she had run from her entire life and a part of her didn't want to be set free, a small part of her wanted to remain locked away where things like violence and truth couldn't hurt her, cocooned in the safeness of her lover's embrace and the sweet words he murmured as he moved inside her.

With a resigned sigh Elena removed the bedsheets from her naked body and stood up, her hands finding the silky nightgown that was thrown into the floor in the midst of consuming passion, the cold fabric slid down her body and made her feel alone and empty. She shivered and went to retrieve a pair of clean panties and an old sweatshirt that belonged to Damon, his scent enveloping and easing the emptiness inside her.

Knowing sleep was a retreating friend Elena slipped out of the room and headed in direction of the small kitchen, her eyebrows raising in surprise when she spotted the blonde girl sitting in the table, a bowl of cereal in front of her.

"Hey" Elena murmured trying to mask the surprise in her voice; she didn't think Stefan would cave so soon as to let the girl wander around alone in the safe house.

"Hi," Caroline said in a small voice as she fixed her eyes in the bowl in front of her, Elena felt a nasty feeling crawling inside her as she stared at the broken expression in the young girl's face, long gone were the vivacious blue eyes of the girl who chatted a bit too much.

Stefan had given her free rein because he had broken her enough to know she wouldn't try to run away.

Elena went to the small fridge placed in the corner of the kitchen and retrieved a small container of her favorite yogurt "Can't sleep?" She asked as she sat down in front of the blonde girl.

"I can't sleep anymore" Caroline murmured as he glanced at her before returning to stare at the food in front of her.

"It'll get better" Elena sighed absently before taking the first bite of the yogurt in her hand.

"Will it?" The other woman asked as she dropped the spoon she had been holding into the still filled with cereal bowl "Stefan says he did all of this for me" She said and Elena wanted to laugh at the innocence in her voice, she believed Stefan loved the girl but she wasn't fool enough to believe her well-being was everything the younger Salvatore brother was after "That Markos was working with some really bad people, with—your father"

Bile rose in her throat at the mention of John Gilbert, though the small part of her that wanted to hold onto the innocence of her childhood refused to accept her father was the monster Damon painted him to be, the jaded part of her knew there was nothing but the truth in her lover's words.

"That's what I've been told" She chose to answer, not wanting to dwell anymore in her wishes and desires.

Caroline's eyes were fixed on her now, blue pools filled with unmasked fear "Is it truth? What he does?" Elena shrugged and averted her eyes; Caroline sensed she was uncomfortable with the subject so she went back to their previous topic "I don't know what to think of it, he says he loves me"

"Do you?"

The blonde girl sighed as she leaned back in her chair, a curl escaped her ponytail and she blew it away as her eyes moved once again towards Elena "I used to but now—I don't know if I could ever love a man like him"

Elena felt something squeeze in her chest at the blonde's admission, at the same thoughts that had swirled inside her head many times only to be vanquished with one look of the ocean blue eyes that tormented her,

"Well that's something I know about"

"No, you don't"

The bitterness behind the blonde's words surprise Elena, an eyebrow raised in her direction as she asked for clarification "Sorry?"

Caroline gave her an apologetic half-smile "I've seen you around him Elena" She said "You don't mind what he does, who he is. You are unconditional to him in a way I could never be. He owns you and he knows it"

"And you don't know shit" Elena wanted to scream at her but decided against it, how could Caroline understand the bond she and Damon had? How could anyone understand what it was to share a soul with someone else? No one could ever comprehend the twisted relationship she and Damon had because no one had experienced what they had together.

Elena's mouth opened to release a smartass reply but the sound of something crashing in the distance stopped her words from coming out "What was that?" Caroline asked anxiously seconds before she stood up from the chair.

The screeching sound of the wood against the floor resonated in the otherwise quiet space; Elena threw a glance to the other girl as she took a finger to her lips "Shh" She mouthed.

Another crash resounded in the quietness of the night and was followed by the muffled sound of male voices; Elena knew immediately that they belonged to neither Stefan nor Damon.

The brunette stood up from her chair with quiet slow movements and went to stand in front of the fridge "Elena?" Caroline asked as he watched her stand up on her tiptoes to reach the top of the fridge "Elena what are you doing?"

Elena grabbed what she had been looking for and turned around to hiss in direction of the blonde girl "Shut up Caroline!" Her gaze went to the hallway she knew would lead them to the only safe exit at the same time she removed the safe from the gun she had retrieved from the fridge.

"You know what to do in case something goes wrong" Damon had whispered the words two nights ago as they snuggled underneath the covers of their bedroom, their bodies slick with sweat and hearts racing from the ecstasy, Elena had wanted to shut down his words so she had allowed her hand to wander to the softening member between his legs.

But she hadn't forgotten, his instructions were burned in her brain like every single thing he ever taught her through the years.

Elena grabbed the blonde by the elbow and mouthed for her to be quiet as they tiptoed their way around the kitchen and into the dark hallway, the sound of footsteps reached their ears letting her know someone indeed had managed to breach the security of the place.

The brunette saw the old looking door leading to the basement and rushed towards her with Caroline still firmly secured by her side, the wood made no sound as it opened and she hurried the blonde inside when she heard a voice she recognized.

"You sure this is the right location" The man who was her best friend's father said, making the hairs at the back of her neck stand up. Caroline stared at her from the step she was standing in and tugged her arm so she would follow but Elena raised a finger in a waiting sign.

"Do I look like an idiot to you" Elena's blood ran cold as she heard her father's voice "Salvatore isn't near as clever as he thinks he is but he'll regret crossing me, when I get my hands on my whore of a daughter he'll wish he was never born"

Her eyes brimmed with tears as she finally paid attention to Caroline's tugging hand, she shut the door behind them with as much care as she could and then followed the blonde down the stairs, her whole body numb as the words kept swirling inside her brain.

How could that man be the same who was supposed to care for her? Protect her? Fear gripped as once again the thought of what her life would have been if Damon never arrived into her life plagued her, she didn't realize her body was trembling until she felt Caroline's squeezing her hand.

"Are you all right?" The blonde asked in a whisper and Elena had to force herself to nod in return, though she was far from all right. Elena was about to tell the blonde girl where they should turn next she felt a pair of arms holding her from behind.

A scream built in her throat as she saw another pair of arms around the blonde girl but a voice in her ear stopped her from doing so "Shhh" Enzo whispered as he moved her body "This way"

Elena gave a nod to the trembling blonde in front of her to let her know they could trust Enzo and who she now noticed was Kol Mikaelson "What is happening?" She whispered as Damon's second-hand man led them towards the exit gate.

The dark-haired man grunted "Ambush, turns out there was no delivery"

Elena stopped in front of the gate and gave Enzo a questioning look "How did you—"

He rolled his eyes at her distrust "Front is packed with his men, Damon said you were aware of the escape route" Elena stared at him for a couple of seconds as she tried to gauge how much she could trust him, her fingers tightening around the gun which remained in her hand, but before she had time to decide what to do he pushed open the gate and they stepped into the woods, a black van was right in front and as the door opened Elena recognized the face of Meredith Fell

"What happened to him?" She asked in alarm but Enzo didn't answer, he only pushed her inside with Caroline following behind.

"Elena…" The blonde asked in panic as the screeching sounds of the tires resonated in their ears.

The brunette gave her a sympathetic look and brought her into her body "Shh come here, it's going to be okay Caroline" She hugged her in a way someone would do a child and stroked her hair as they went far away from what had been their prison for the last couple of days "It's going to be okay"

.

Seasons came and changed the time.
When I grew up, I called him mine
He would always laugh and say:
"Remember when we used to play?"

.

The entire ride was spent in silence except for the occasional sobs leaving Caroline's mouth, she was lying on Elena's lap and the brunette could feel her body trembling as the car moved. Elena was leaning back on her seat, her eyes trained in the car's roof since the tainted window didn't allow her to see anything outside and she didn't feel like staring at Meredith the entire ride, the young doctor always assisted her step-brothers and was someone to be trusted but Elena didn't forget that she had also shared Damon's bed on occasion and that was a hard pill to swallow.

Elena tried not to think about her step-brother turned lover too much because she was afraid if she did something was going to break inside her, Enzo's silence and Meredith's presence were enough to let her know he was injured and while she had seen her fair share of injures in his body through the years, the anxiety it caused was too much to bear with her poor state of mind.

The young girl couldn't comprehend how her life had come crashing down in a matter of days, how everything she believed to be in perfect order had tumbled down like domino pieces. Now she couldn't escape her father's words and the venom that dripped from each one, couldn't escape the feel of the needle Damon injected in her neck and the manic look in Stefan's eyes as he stepped into the warehouse, Elena had always known who her family was but only now she realized that despite it all she had never seen the true monsters who lurked beneath.

She was so absorbed in her thoughts that she didn't realize the vehicle had stopped until the door was snatched open and she found Stefan's hazel gaze, with narrowed eyes she watched as Caroline threw herself at him, her arms securing around his neck as she sobbed into his shirt.

"Poor little fool, I'm not the only one who is owned by one of them," Elena thought bitterly, the words from their earlier conversation coming back to her "You'll never be free now"

Elena didn't expect for any instructions and instead jumped out of the van from the side opposite Stefan, her bare feet touched the gravel and, she cursed mentally at her lack of shoes.

"Come"

She turned her head to the sound of Enzo's voice, who was now leaning against the van with an outstretched hand towards her "He'll want to see you" Elena nodded but refused his offering hand. As they walked she tried to absorb as much as she could from her surroundings but once again there was nothing but deep forest, an opulent old looking house rising before them, Elena didn't need to think twice to know this property didn't belong to the Salvatore.

Elena followed Enzo through a dark hallway, her dirty and harmed feet thanked the change of seething and the plush comfort the deep red carpet offered, as they ventured further into the house the young girl saw many unknown faces, stoic looking men stood ups straight, holster guns protected at their sides, she tried not to shudder at the sight they presented.

At last, they finally stopped in front of a dark rich wooden door "Go, he'll kill us if we take longer than necessary" With those last words the dark-haired man bowed to her and headed back in the direction they had come from, Elena wasted no time and pushed open the heavy door.

He was lying on top of an opulent plush bed, pillows were stacked behind him and thick white gauze covered his shoulder, her stomach dropped as she spotted the red wetness drenching his bandage and the paleness of his lips.

"Jesus Damon" She murmured as she rushed to him, her hands abandoning the gun on top of the nightstand and taking hold of his hands, bringing them to her lips.

He winced at the movement "You make it look worse than it is" His words were faltering, sweat covering his upper lip as he spoke.

Elena threw a glance in direction of the door wondering why the doctor hadn't followed behind her "Meredith is here, she's—"

Damon interrupted her with a squeeze of his hand, his lips curving in a half-smile as he stared up at her "I know where she is but I wanted to see you first"

Elena's nostrils flared at his admission and the irresponsibility behind them "You fool" She muttered as she took one hand to his cheek and cupped it gently "How bad is it?"

"Nothing I can't survive" He winked at her and something inside her eased at his nonchalant attitude, Damon could be an arrogant bastard sometimes and she never felt more grateful for it than at the moment when he used that particular trait to calm her nerves "I would have gone to get you myself but…" His words trailed off, dark shadows crossing his face.

Elena nodded before leaning down to press a quick kiss to his chapped lips "I know" She said and allowed her forehead to remain next to his for a couple of seconds "I saw my father"

His jaw clenched and nostrils flared "The rat— I can't believe we were fool enough to fall into his trap" He released a deep sigh while Elena straightened, one of her hands still grasping tightly into one of his "Turns out he's had an insider among us, which explains a lot actually"

Damon's eyes searched hers, blue pools filled with shame and regret bore down on hers, a million of emotions splayed across his features "I feared— I was truly scared this time"

A small proud smile stretched across Elena's lips "I wasn't" She admitted and almost laughed at the eyebrow he raised in her direction, instead she leaned down once again, her lips millimeters away from his "If someone's ever going to kill me it'll be you, not them"

Damon released a sharp intake of breath "Len..."

No one would ever understand the sick bond she and Damon shared and she didn't care for them to do it, the last couple of days had served her to realize no one else in the world would ever understand her but him, no one could ever accept the darkness that lay doormat in her.

"I accept" She whispered against his mouth and saw his eyes widen in response "Your plan, I agree to it"

His arm moved until his hand found itself cupping the back of her head "You realize what you're agreeing to?"

Elena nodded as she took a glance at the blood that still flowed from his wound, knowing it was time for Meredith to step in "I do and I wouldn't want it any other way" She said before pulling away and moving to stand.

His hand shot to hers and forced her to stop before she could turn around "I love you" The shadows seemed to disappear from his face at that moment and Elena felt warmness seething into her very bones.

"And I love you"

She gave his hand one last squeeze and went to the door, he needed medical attention and though she hated to admit it Meredith was the right choice for the job, plus she didn't care about petty jealousy anymore, she owned Damon as much as he owned her and no one was going to take him away from her.

Bang bang, that awful sound
Bang bang, my baby shot me down