So, this is officially my final update of the year. What an intense year it has been! I am so grateful to all of you for your support and love for this story; it truly means the world to me to know you enjoy my work. I hope you all had an amazing time with your loved ones this Christmas and that you have a magical new year. I'm feeling very positive for 2020 and I hope you all do too, I wish every single one of you nothing for the best in this New Year.

Please enjoy this chapter, God knows I enjoyed writing it, forgive for any typos and please let me some of your love in the review section.

Hugs for everyone and happy New Year.

"Maybe Cinderella didn't live happily ever after. Maybe, come midnight, she wanted to run away. Maybe her price wouldn't let her. Mine didn't."

-J.M Darhower-

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Elena was leaning on her side, cream-colored silk sheets were wrapped around her body and her hair was piled messily on top of her head. Her honeyed colored eyes stared at the man sleeping next to her with adoration while one of her fingers moved on its own accord to trace the gruesome scar that marred his otherwise perfect face.

She couldn't remember how many times she had rested in this same position observing him, first as children later as teenagers and now as adults. She had always been fascinated with his features, by how soft and innocent they looked as he lay sleeping and how hard and cold they could become whenever he was awake.

Damon was a riddle and she loved to pull apart the pieces that formed him.

Part of her still couldn't believe she was nestled in his bedsheets, naked as the day she was born. How long had she yearned for him? Longed for his touch and him to finally realize she was the one who would stand behind him through it all, the other girls weren't important, never had been, she was meant to be his entire world.

It frightened her, the intensity of her obsession for him. Damon was constantly reminding her of the monster he was without knowing he was probably letting another monster into his bed because she wasn't entirely sure her interior wasn't as dark as his, she would kill for him surely, without hesitation.

Damon moved in his sleep, his forehead crinkling in a frown at the same time he released an alarming moan, Elena felt his heart speeding up and placed her head down on his chest, her hand finding his and squeezing it softly.

She felt the moment he woke up because his arms went around her, a bruising force keeping her secured to his body "I had a bad dream" His murmured words echoed in the otherwise silent bedroom, his tone low and scared, unlike anything she had ever heard from his lips before.

"It's okay," She said reassuringly at the same time she placed a kiss in his naked chest "It was only a dream"

"Only a dream" He murmured back as he kissed the top of her head "It was only a dream" He repeated before placing his fingers underneath her chin and forcing her face up "You're here" His lips found hers, they moved against each other with laziness as the fog of his dream evaporated.

Elena placed one last kiss on his lips and removed herself from his grasp as she sat up "Want to grab a bite?" She asked after a glance at the bedside clock let know it was well after two am "Eating helps me shake up the fear of bad dreams away"

Damon laughed under his breath as he followed her suit and proceeded to sit in the bed "I thought it was the opposite" He said "But I guess I could use something to eat"

She grinned down at him before slipping out of the bed and putting on his discarded black shirt "Come on, there's leftover pizza in the fridge" She skipped towards the kitchen and heard the rustling sheets as he got up to follow her.

Elena busied herself heating the pizza in the oven and pouring some boxed juice into glass cups "Before I forget…" She heard Damon say as he stepped into the kitchen "…I'll be picking you up at eight tomorrow"

At the reminder of the surprise birthday party, Stefan was hosting for his girlfriend the next day Elena felt all the giddiness and excitement of moments earlier vanish from her body. She stood in front of the oven as she watched the pizza swirl around in it and felt Damon going to stand behind her.

"Len?" He asked at the same time he circled her waist from behind and rested his chin on top of her shoulder.

Despite her current mood Elena couldn't help but lean into his touch, seeking in him the comfort she needed "I still don't see how this is a good idea"

"Why not?"

Her jaw clenched at the nonchalance in Damon's voice "Liz Forbes will be there"

He chuckled behind her and the sound irritated her more than it should "So? It is not like we're doing anything bad, isn't it?"

Elena gritted her teeth before releasing herself from his grasp and spinning around to face him "In fact you are"

Realization dawned on his face once he looked at her expression, her name leaving his lips in a tired sigh "Len…"

Her eyes filled with tears born out of impotency "I hate to see how you are playing that girl" She said accusingly "She's going to get hurt in the end and I don't mean her tender heart"

Even though she had tried her best, it had been almost impossible to stay away from Caroline. The blonde girl was friendly and very pushy, she loved Stefan and wanted to create bonds with his family which was why she took every chance to hang out with them. Despite her wishes Elena had found herself liking the girl, she felt a special fondness of her and it killed her to know the way her step-brothers were playing with her.

Damon stood in front of her in complete silence for a couple of seconds before he took his hand to his disheveled hair and tugged on it as he released a frustrated sigh "Stefan is in love with her" He whispered, Elena's eyes widened at his admission and he laughed back in response to the surprise on her face "Can't you tell? Is in his eyes whenever the girl walks into a room or whenever he speaks about her"

Elena stared at him completely dumbfounded "But it was his ploy…"

"And the puppeteer became the puppet," Damon said with a shrug "He fell in love with her, which makes her the second safest woman in the city"

"I wouldn't be so sure" She answered almost automatically, still trying to comprehend the implications of Stefan falling in love with her and whether she should believe Damon's words, perhaps he was only saying that in a try to appease her "And what do you want to accomplish anyway, why is this party so important?"

Damon released yet another sigh and pulled her into his arms, she went willingly "Liz wants to bring us down but she has nothing but theories, she can't prove our illicit activities. But we can sneak into her life, we already have her little girl around our finger, tomorrow will be a little show, let her see how much Caroline cares about Stefan and how destroyed she would be if anything were to happen to him"

Elena mulled over his words, still not entirely convinced of the success of their plan "Do you think it'll work?" She voiced her thoughts as she allowed her forehead to rest on his naked chest.

Damon remained silent for a couple of seconds before taking a deep breath and replying to her "Never underestimate the love of a mother for a child" His voice was a mere whisper but was charged with so much meaning that Elena couldn't help but gasp and raise her head to stare at him in complete bewilderment.

"You want Caroline to get pregnant with Stefan's child!"

Damon made a denial movement with his finger "No, no. Stefan wants to put his evil spawn into Caroline"

Elena's mouth opened in outrage, her mind unable to process the implications in Damon's statement "That is…"

Damon's lips tipped up in a sinister smirk "Awful? Completely Machiavellian?" His hand went to rest at the nape of her neck, forcing her face to remain in front of his "It is his insurance, against her leaving him and her mother doing something against us"

Elena tried to swallow to the anxiety lump that had formed in her throat "I often find myself completely disgusted with the evil way your minds works"

It was unbelievable to her sometimes to think that the same boys who had agreed to participate in her tea parties could be as heartless and wicked as they were. She often had to pull apart her step-brothers from who they were in the criminal world but lately, the lines seemed to be blurring and she was finding it so hard to see them as different entities.

Damon chuckled as if what he had shared with her was something out of importance "We learned from the best" He told her and his words were a kick to her stomach because she knew how much her father had influenced who they were now

Sensing her distress, Damon leaned down and kissed her forehead gently "Now please let's put this subject behind, I do have hunger now" Elena gave him her best smile and as they pulled out the food of the oven and helped themselves to some of it she tried to pretend their earlier conversation hadn't happened and they were two normal people sharing an after night meal.

Caroline's blue eyes brimming with tears and the smile of adoration she gave Stefan when she realized he had been the one to plan her party would be forever etched into Elena's mind; she guessed it would forever remain in Liz Forbes mind if the look on her face had anything to do with it.

Elena had been unable to stop herself from throwing casual looks towards the older woman all night, she could feel the detective buzzing with energy and anger and though she trusted Damon completely, Elena couldn't be sure the other woman wouldn't try anything against the Salvatore, so no matter how many times Damon told her to relax Elena had been on high alert the entire night.

She was on her way to raid the kitchen in search of another red velvet cupcake when she stumbled upon Caroline and her mother arguing, since none of the other women had realized Elena had stepped into the kitchen, the brunette had the good notion of slipping out without being noticed and remain just outside the door to hear what they were arguing about.

"Why can't you be happy for me mom?"

Caroline's voice sounded at the verge of tears and Elena felt an instant pang of pain at the sound of it, she couldn't understand how Damon and Stefan had managed to shut down that part of themselves completely, how they had become so cold to other people's emotions.

"There are more ways of being happy than with a boy"

Liz Forbes voice was steady, clear and with no room for argument and yet underneath all of that stiffness, Elena was able to detect the merest hint of concern, hidden behind all the other layers.

The blonde girl released a frustrated sigh "Oh no, don't lecture me about this again. Just because things didn't work out between you and dad doesn't mean I—"

"It has nothing to do with that!"

The booming voice of the older woman was so startling that even Elena jumped back slightly before throwing a glance around to make sure no one had spotted her eavesdropping.

"Then what?"

Whatever Caroline had seen in her mother's eyes had made her voice soften, affection laced in each of her words and once again Elena felt a pang of pain in her chest but this time for her because most days she could barely remember the way her mother looked like.

"You know what"

Caroline chuckled, amusement shining in her blue eyes "Oh please mother, you know that is nothing but gossip"

Liz Forbes grunted in frustration "It is my job to know those things Caroline" She hissed "Do you take me for a fool?"

"Do you have any evidence on what you are saying?" When the other woman didn't answer, Caroline smiled again and went to wrap her in a hug "No, the Gilberts' and the Salvatores' are running legal and successful business" Caroline parted from her mother and stared at eyes that while not the same color looked the same "Why can't you let this go?"

Feeling sick to her stomach Elena stumbled out of there, a pressure growing in her chest as Caroline's words played on repeat in her head. How many people believed that truth? How many people lived oblivious to the darkness and cruelness that surrounded them every day?

Monsters hide in plain sight, Damon had told her once and never until that moment had Elena understood the true meaning behind those words.

"What has gotten into you?" Damon asked the minute she approached him, he grabbed her by the elbow and pulled her into a dark corner where Stefan was leaning casually.

"I heard Caroline and her mother," She said in a strained whisper as she accepted the tumbler filled with amber liquor Damon offered" She was trying to convince her you are not clean"

Damon shrugged nonchalantly but his eyes made a quick scan of the room around them "She can't prove anything"

Stefan's reaction was different, his whole body went rigid as words poured out of his mouth "If she even dares to take her away from me, I'll—"

"Relax Hannibal Lecter," Damon said while giving him a pointed glare and clasping his shoulder in a vice-like grip "Don't ruin our plan because of your insecurities"

"Fuck off Damon!" Stefan's shrugged his brother's hold and drew the attention of a couple of people nearby.

Damon smiled at the people politely while making them clear they should take their conversation to somewhere further away from them. "I mean it Stef, keep it chill" The words were harsh and accompanied by the frost death glare that had earned him so much respect.

Stefan nodded curtly before striding away in another direction, Elena watched him move away with rigid steps and felt angst growing in her chest "I have a bad feeling about this, Damon"

He smiled down at her, not a trace of worry present on his face "Everything will work out" He said before kissing her forehead and hugging her to his side "Now say goodbye to that frown, this is a party!"

After circling and chatting with the guest for a couple of hours Elena finally convinced Damon to call it a night. Truth was that no matter how hard she tried to follow his advice she wasn't able to relax, every time she saw Caroline's in Stefan's eyes she felt a wave of shame and regret going through her.

She was silent on her way back to Damon's apartment and he didn't try to push her, knowing each other for so long allowed him to know each one of her moods and when she wanted to be left alone so he didn't try to speak to her as she washed her teeth and face nor when stripped down to only her panties, but when she slipped into the cool silk sheets, he pulled her to him and made her rest her head on top of his chest.

"I'm sorry" He whispered into the now dark bedroom "For everything"

Elena had a restless night, twitching and moving almost every few minutes. She dreamed of nothing despite her agitated mood and woke up in the middle of the night to the sound of a sharp vibrating sound.

It took her eyes a couple of seconds to adjust to the light and her mind to let go of the fog of sleep, she stared down to an impassive Damon who still lay sleeping though the sound was coming from the drawer in his nightstand.

Knowing she shouldn't but being unable to stop her curiosity, Elena leaned over him; surprised he wasn't waking up and opened the drawer of his nightstand. The sound was coming from a small black burner phone she held in her hand, her eyes zooming in the woman's name blinking up on the screen.

Katherine.

Angry tears welled in her eyes as she stared down at the exchange of messages on the phone, she didn't know who this woman was but there was a clear fondness between her and Damon. Her finger went to the screen to scroll upwards when a hand on her wrist stopped her from doing it so "What in the world—" The words came from the no longer sleeping man next to her "Don't you know curiosity killed the cat, Bonita?"

Elena violently released her wrist from grasp and threw the burner phone at him "Who the fuck is Katherine?"

Damon's nostrils flared, his entire expression shifting "What the fuck are you doing going through my stuff?"

Elena looked down involuntarily, her cheeks coloring with embarrassment "The sound woke me up it wasn't my intention to see it"

Damon's hand grabbed her forcefully by the chin, a storm brewing in his blue eyes as he stared down at her "Oh but you intended to grab it and read it" His face inched closer to her and the expression on his face was so frightening Elena wasn't surprised people pissed themselves at the mere mention of his name "Listen to me very carefully Elena, this is the only time you go through my stuff"

"You are hurting me"

He grabbed her with more force "Are we clear?!"

Any fear Elena could have felt towards him transformed into anger and indignation, she shook away from his hold and went to stand up "Fuck you, Damon!" She threw the words at him before she started moving towards the bedroom door with nothing but her panties on.

"Where the fuck are you going!" Damon shouted from behind her seconds before his hands found her once again, grabbing her by the waist and forcing her to face him.

"Somewhere far away from you!" She shouted at his face as she tried to release herself from his grasp.

His hold on her tightened as he pulled closer until her breasts were smashed against the taut skin of his torso "You are not going anywhere!"

Elena's hands pushed against his chest, a look of bewilderment present on her face "I can do whatever the fuck I want, call Katherine, she might want to keep you company!"

Damon's nostrils flared once again "Don't be childish Elena!" He said before his hand found her right buttock and smacked it with force.

Elena's mouth opened in outrage "You bastard!" She shouted as she kept trashing against him, completely overpowered by his force.

"You are out our your mind if you think I'll let you walk out of here alone at four in the morning" He bit out as he carried her back to the bed, her legs kicking below her in an attempt to hurt him.

"It never bothered you before!"

His eyes darkened "Oh you have no idea, Bonita" He threw her onto the bed as if she were nothing but a mere rag doll, then he proceeded to climb on top of her, his right leg parting hers and moving until his knee was at contact with her center.

"Get off me!" She shouted as she felt him sliding down her underwear "Damon!"

A throaty moan left his lips as his knee made direct contact with the moisture between her legs "You're so wet" He murmured darkly as he dropped his face into her neck "Always so wet for me"

Elena groaned as she felt his knee moving against her and his tongue lapping at the skin of her neck "Let me go" She murmured half-heartedly as her hands went to his hair, pulling him towards her instead of pushing him away.

Damon's hand moved away from her neck until his face hovered above hers "Never" He whispered kindly, his face void of the anger and harshness it held minutes earlier.

Elena felt a lump in her throat as she stared up at him "Who is she?" She asked, her voice breaking down and making him wince in pain.

"She is no one"

Elena bit her lip "Are you fucking her? Have you fucked her?"

He dropped his forehead into hers "Never" his breath caressed her face as he answered.

"Have you fucked anyone since we started—"

"No, nor I wish to" He answered truthfully, his thumb resting above her bottom lip as he caressed it "You're all I need, all mine…"

Elena's eyes bore down on him, two burning chocolate pools seething into his very soul "I will castrate you" She vowed "If you ever dare to cheat on me Damon, I swear to god I will cut off your gorgeous cock"

He released a throaty laugh "Good to know" His hand moved away from her face and painted a path between her breasts "Mi pequeña fiera, no sabes como me excitas" He whispered against her mouth as his fingers dipped between her legs "I know to never cross you, baby girl, never"

Elena's eyes closed in pleasure at the feel of his touch "I love you, I love you so much" She murmured

Damon allowed his head to fall to the place between her neck and shoulder as his hands kept working her "I'll tell you all about it when the time comes" He promised as he speeded up his tempo.

Elena's toes curled as the building pleasure inside her "I'm blinding trusting you Damon" The words were lost in the same way her hands got lost in his soft hair, her mind disconnecting from her body as the pleasure started overwhelming her.

"I know" He whispered against her skin "I know"