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Frozen with her arms still clasped around Damon's chest, Elena watched as a fury erupted in Stephan as he studied them. Franticly she tried to figure out a way to avoid the fight she knew was destined to happen sooner or later

If I have my way it will be when I'm long gone and floating in the sky as dust.

But still she tried even if it was in vain there still was a chance, if only one in a billion that she would be able to detour Stephan's attention.

"Steph...Stephan" Elena's voice held a tremble that indicated a deep seeded sadness. With a burst of energy she flung herself into Stephan's arm, sobbing for all she was worth.

"Where were you sob when I needed you? sob I was frantic.sob I couldn't sob find you and then there was Melanie's(E) funeral. So horrible sob ..."

Stephan's arm tightened around her body in a viselike grip.

I can't believe this is actually working.

Fury erupted inside Damon as he watched the woman who belonged to him grasping at his imbecile of a brother.

What is it with her and running every chance she gets? I know she doesn't really love him or she would never have let herself come to me. So what is it that he has that I don't?

Frigidly he stood there watching the couple clutch each other in a putrid display of "love" but he knew better what they had was not love. He knew it and he was sure she knew it to. For over his brother's shoulder he could see her bright calm eyesstudying him.

They were full of pain, but it was a deep seeded pain that she had carried with her for many years. The death of her sister had just compounded it.

There was nothing he could do and nothing he would do until she came to him. He was tired of being rejected when he knew a million other women would jump at the chance to become his slave if it meant his attention. An attention he only lavished on Elena.

Being the calculating being that he was Damon knew it would take years if not centuries for Elena to come to him of her own free will, but in the end he knew it would be a treasure he would be willing to wait for. A treasure he was willing to kill for. A treasure he had killed for already.

So many deaths had come at his hands just so Elena could be free to enjoy the life she so innocently lived. But soon very soon she would learn that life was not so easy as she thought.

To live one had to kill. To become powerful one had to kill. To be a vampire one had to kill.

Stephan might have been able to fight the bloodlust as he referred to it but to fight ones nature is to fight Mother Nature herself, but as everybody knows nobody can fight her and live.

Silently he slipped away watching through the branches as they kissed then separated then walked off. Pain was inevitable, but life was pain. The trick was managing the levels of pain in constant increments.

"Until we meet again"

The words wafted through the wind carrying to the ears of the one who could realease them all from torment but instead put them through a torture so vigorous that all thought of it ending had vanished form their minds.

Yet in those few moments of being in each others arms Damon was able to pull himself out of the pit he had dug for himself. He would "live" again. No more watching as others savored their fresh "meals" while he had to take the leavings of wretched animals. He would no longer subjugate himself to this suffering. He was a powerful being that deserved to be respected. A being to be feared. Not a neutered dog to be laughed at.

At that very instant Damon stopped fighting who he was not even remembering when he had ( a misguided notion that he could win Elena over if he could prove himself and become more like Stephan.

Everything had changed. He knew that in his current state she would never turn to him. There was only one way to get her, to keep her, and to be able to savor it. To become the being he was destined to be.

A being so powerful that none would even think of taking what was his.

His by right. His by blood. His Elena