Hella long chapter for ya'll! Enjoy :)

Also, please forgive any grammar mistakes. It's 3 in the morning right now lol.


The streets of Cailum were alive tonight, busy with the comings and goings of its massive population. Elena sat in the backseat of Stefan's sedan, staring out the window, wondering where, amongst the thousands, her sister could be. A hand squeezed her own, and she glanced over at Damon.

"You remember the plan?" he confirmed, and she nodded.

"I know what to do."

He sighed, "I am more concerned with you knowing what not to do. As in you are not to be seen, by Julian or any of his men, at any point."

"I know," she insisted, "I understand what's at stake here. I've got my end covered. Just promise me you'll keep your head long enough to find out where Katherine is."

The glow of the passing lights spilled over his face in a repetitive pattern, sparking his eyes with neon colors.

"We will find out if Julian is involved in her disappearance, and I will-"

"Offer to trade the necklace without threatening to shoot him." Elena finished firmly.

Damon smirked, just a small twist of his lips, "I am capable of holding a non confrontational conversation, cara mia."

Fighting the urge to scoff, Elena glanced toward the front seat, where Stefan was driving.

"You're sure your monitoring system will work?" she asked, "I've never used one like it, and Julian's technology is-"

"Second rate to mine," Stefan winked at her in the rearview, "Trust me. But we're only going to get about ten minutes of access. Once we are in range of his cell phone and laptop, the firewall will link to my computer. The question is whether or not we can get through it before our time is up?"

Elena bit her lip, "I guess we'll find out. And Julian won't be able to tell that we've piggybacked onto his wireless connection?"

"Only if he has an IT run a complete diagnostic on his computer, and even then, it'll take months to find the monitor's embedded code. Since we are unconnecting when we leave, and disposing of the evidence, there will be nothing for them to track down."

Elena nodded. She still didn't feel one hundred percent convinced, but this plan was the best they had, and if it all worked as it was supposed to, then it might just be a good one. Best case scenario, Julian admits to having Katherine and agrees to make the trade with Damon. If not, Stefan's device should allow them to hack into Julian's most recent records, emails, messages, and the like, in hopes that something there would pop up information about Katherine's whereabouts. Worse case...Julian has no knowledge of Katherine's disappearance and they are left with no further leads.

"Breathe," Damon murmured, his fingers lacing through her own.

Elena tried to do as he said, but the air in the car felt stiff, moving through her lungs, and her chest refused to relax.

"We're coming up on twenty-four hours," she swallowed, "What if he doesn't know anything, Damon? What if we're wasting our time-"

"We checked everything else," he reminded her, "We called the local hospitals, police stations, and motels. Nothing fitting Katherine's description. She disappeared after meeting with Julian. I understand you are afraid, but do not let that fear overrun your common sense. Julian knows something, and I find out what, I promise. You have to trust me."

Elena took a settling breath as they turned a corner and Julian's downtown office building came into view. She prayed her answers were waiting inside.

"Okay," she forced the words off her tongue, "I trust you."


Damon knew Elena was scared. Even though her body was strained with anticipation and her expression was one of steel, her eyes betrayed her. They drove next to Julian's office, and Damon looked behind Stefan's vehicle, to see the brothers pulling up as well.

"You make sure she lays low," he told his cousin, "And if anything goes wrong, you get her out of here. Even if it means leaving without me."

Stefan nodded, but a fresh wave of panic flared in Elena's eyes, which were trained on his face.

"If something goes wrong, we should be on standby to help," she insisted, "I know what you're capable of, but don't underestimate Julian's greed. He employs highly trained men, and they have guns."

"We are just here to talk," Damon assured her, placing his palm to her neck, "Nothing should go wrong. I am only being precautious."

There were a few light bruises, barely noticeable on her skin, left behind from their night of passionate love making. He brushed over them, feeling more determined than ever to set things right for her.

Elena's gaze was hard, focused entirely on him. Then, to his surprise, she lunged forward and smashed her lips to his in a rough kiss. One that Damon eagerly returned, until she pulled away, more than a little breathless.

"Whatever happens...you better come back to me," she warned him.

Damon dropped his forehead to hers and closed his eyes, "I will see you soon."

He pressed one last kiss to her head, then nodded at Stefan, who gave him an all clear to exit. As he opened the door, Elena crawled in front to the passenger's seat, and they were off the curb the moment the door was shut behind him, driving to a safer location.

Mason and Enzo had gotten out of their own vehicle, and were coming up next to him now, their expressions easy going. As if they were making a supply run or picking up dinner. Just another day of business.

"All set, Boss?" Enzo asked, placing the hand that wasn't holding Julian's jewelry box onto his shoulder.

Damon nodded, "Yes. Let us get this over with."


Inside, and up the elevator, Damon and the boys found an expected scene. An armed cronie of Julian's, standing post by the office door, beneath the security camera.

"Weapons," he demanded, when the three of them approached.

Damon smirked, "Oh we have them, I assure you. None will be drawn as long as the favor is returned."

"Mr. Maxfield has requested that-"

"Come on, Julian," Damon bellowed out, knowing the coward would hear him, "This is not how this works, and I know you have more guns on the other side of this door. So go ahead and open up. Mine will stay in my pants if yours does."

A moment's pause, then the door opened to another security guard, who nodded and the first. They stepped aside and let Damon and the brothers enter.

Julian struck an impressive figure, Damon admitted, sitting comfortably behind his desk, with two other men flanking him. He was willing to guess they were also armed. He also knew that his boys could draw their weapons and have those loons on the ground before they could even blink, if he were to give the signal. But if it made Julian feel more secure to have them standing guard…

"Damon," Julian addressed, "Glad you could make it. Take a seat."

Clearly the bastard thought he was running the show tonight. Damon played along, sitting in the chair opposite the desk, and settled in, crossing his legs and looking all kinds of at home. The brothers came to flank either side of him, mimicking Julian's hired hands.

"Glad you could clear a timeslot," he fired back, keeping his tone casual, "But I did not ask to meet you for an indulgence of pleasantries. You and I have business to discuss."

"Do we?" Julian asked, and unlike Nadia, his poker face was terrible. The smugness of what he believed to be the upper hand was shining through his thinly veiled illusion of hospitality.

"We are busy men," Damon allowed, "Which leaves little time for games, would you not agree? So I will be frank. You have something that I want. I have something that you want. That is why we are here."

Damon snapped, and Enzo stepped forward, opening the case in his hand to reveal the ruby necklace that Elena had stolen. Julian's expression faltered a little at the blatant display.

"So," he cleared his throat, "You admit to stealing from me, then?"

"No," Damon corrected, "But I admit to knowing you were stolen from. By the same women you sent to spy on me, who later attempted to set me up by using this necklace."

He paused for the length of a heartbeat, then asked, "Where is she, Julian?"

"Katalena," Julian smiled, "I knew it must have been her. No one else could have broken into my home so successfully and taken that."

"She played us both," Damon attempted to keep civil, "And now she is missing. I know she came to see you."

Julian shrugged, "We had a few things to discuss. She wasn't very forthcoming. Perhaps you could fill in some blanks for me, instead?"

Damon waved his hand in an "Out with it" sort of way.

"You claim you were being played by Katalena?" Julian confirmed, "But then why, pray tell, did she accompany you to your dinner with Augustine last week? On the exact night that some important product of the company went missing?"

The smugness was leaking everywhere now, as if Julian was sure he had caught Damon in an inescapable corner. When in fact, all he had done was out himself. Julian had been meeting with Augustine representatives. How else could he know about the stolen product? And what else had they discussed?

"Before I knew her true intention, I enlisted her help," Damon spun the story as he spoke, choking back his anger for the time being. He could deal with Maxfield's budding partnership with Augustine later. Right now, he needed to find out where Katherine was, and out maneuvering Julian was his best bet.

"But that is my business with Augustine," he continued, "It was later that I discovered Katalena's plan to double cross me. Hiding your necklace among my things so that you and I might turn on each other. She disappeared before I could confront her."

"It would seem I beat you to the punch," Julian said, but his tone had lost some of its gusto.

"Then tell me why you are here now, Damon?" he sounded almost confused, "You claim I have something you want and are suggesting the necklace's return if I should give it to you...if you don't want Katalena, then what do you want?"

"Who said I did not want her?" Damon challenged, arching a brow, and Julian frowned.

"Why would you? If she truly betrayed you, as you have said-"

"I do not easily accept betrayal," Damon reminded him, holding Julian's gaze in cold calculation, "I want the bitch back so I can kill her myself."

Clearly, Julian had not been expecting that, and in the moment of stunned silence that followed, Damon continued speaking.

"I'm offering you your precious necklace for her return," he said, "So that I can wrap a hand around her throat and watch with my own eyes as the life drains out of hers. Is that reason enough for you?"

Julian swallowed, "I...yes...I suppose that would be agreeable...but-"

"But?"

"It is no longer a matter of tid for tad between you and I, Damon," he cleared his throat and sat a little straighter in his chair, "Whatever your intentions for the girl, you can't have her until all requirements are met."

"You are negotiating?" Damon smiled harshly, "Alright, I will play along. What else might you want from me, Maxfield?"

"Not me," Julian returned the smile with tight lips, "Augustine. They aren't too happy about their missing product, or Katalena's involvement. They were also a little put off that you decided to up the cost of business. So, you see, I did not meet with Katalena on my behalf, but theirs."

The sense of self importance returned, and Julian leaned forward onto his elbows, "Now, sure, I know where she is, but if you want her released, you will have to renegotiate your terms with Augustine...and return the product Katalena stole from them. It's just business, you understand."

Oh. He understood, alright.

Damon stood, and Julian did the same, eyeing him warily.

"I will agree to meet with Augustine for a discussion," he allowed, and Julian relaxed, "However, if you want your necklace returned, you can set up the sit down. I want Katalena returned alive, or all negotiations are off, and this sparkling chain of jewels will find its way into the Hudson, along with several of your body parts. Just business, you understand."

The stony look on Julian's face let Damon know he wasn't amused, but he was past caring. A new plan was forming in his head, and he was feeling confident that Katherine would be found sooner rather than later.

"I will have my men reach out to yours once the time is set," Julian said through gritted teeth.

Damon nodded, "I look forward to it."


Elena was impressed by Stefan's skills, to say the least. His ability to work around an I.P software made her own little breaking and entering routine look like child's play. Fortunately, with her help, they had managed to hack through Julian's firewall, and download a small percentage of his cloud before the disconnect happened. Part of her was relieved though, knowing that the plug being pulled meant Damon had left Julian's office and was, hopefully, still in one piece.

"Not a lot," Stefan admitted, scanning through the files that his computer was decoding, "But something. Emails, coordinates, information about his pick up with Damon. There might be something in this that can help find your sister."

"Thank you," Elena told him, with genuine gratitude. She just hoped he was right.

Her cell phone buzzed as Stefan hit a few more buttons, and she pulled the thing from her pocket.

Damon.

She answered it quickly and was talking before it had reached her ear, "Thank God, are you okay? How did it go? Where are you?"

His warm chuckle helped ease the clench in her chest, "Everything is fine. I have a lead. Tell Stefan to head to the estate. I will meet you there."

"Okay."

They hung up quicker than she would have liked, but she knew that this wasn't a conversation that needed to be had over the phone, and she would feel better when she saw Damon in person. And when she found out what Julian knew about what had happened to her sister.

The return trip to Damon's property was much faster than when they had left, the lights and traffic seeming to adhere to their speed as Stefan accelerated down the interstate. Several turns later, the city limits disappeared and the darkness brought their arrival at the estate.

Elena was out of the car the moment Stefan parked in the circle drive, and was relieved to see that Enzo's vehicle had already stopped near the door, and Damon was getting out of it. She ran to him, not breathing until his arms were around her. The unsettlement she had felt in his absence was not something she wished to analyze, but she was all too glad to be reunited now.

"What happened?" she asked, pulling away after a second, but maintained her grip on his forearms, "Did he have Katherine? Did you make the trade?"

"Yes and no," Damon admitted, motioning to the men to go ahead into the house.

"What does that mean?" Elena demanded.

Damon placed a hand on her shoulder, "Julian did take her. He knows where she is. But he is working with Augustine, who knows Katalena and I are responsible for stealing their product. They want it back."

"So, the drugs for my sister?" Elena frowned, "That's the deal? Is she okay? I mean, is she even still-"

"They won't kill her," Damon assured her, "She is the only leverage they have, and they know it."

"Leverage for their drugs," she exhaled, "That I stole…."

"Elena," Damon stepped closer to her, erasing the space between their bodies, "This is not your fault."

"Yes it is," she insisted, feeling her stomach churn, "And it's yours, too, for having me steal from them. Just one job, nothing was supposed to go wrong, remember? And now they have my sister!"

"I will get her back," he promised, and Elena pulled away from him, "How? By trading back the drugs you paid me an insane amount of money to steal for you? I'm not that dense, Damon. You wouldn't give that up for Katherine."

He stared at her, maybe a little offended, but Elena didn't care. What she said was true. Damon was sweet to her, and great in bed, and was helping her when he didn't have to, but none of that meant that he was going to completely roll over for his competition, on the off chance that they would trade back her sister. He was a businessman, and there simply wasn't enough in it for him. She didn't need him to lie to her about that.

"I told Julian to set up a meeting with Augustine," he told her, and Elena met his gaze, "And to ensure that Katalena remained alive, if they hoped to negotiate."

She scoffed, "And you're willing to negotiate with them?"

"I am willing to let Julian Maxfield dig his own grave," Damon smirked darkly, "You and Stefan got some of his information, no? We will sort through it, and we will continue to track his men. I have already worked out a way to hoist more leverage over Julian, and when the time is right, I will force his hand through any means necessary. He will tell me where they are keeping your sister, and I will bring her home to you."

The burning promise in his voice was almost believable, and God, she wanted to believe him. She wanted to believe that this would all end and her sister would be safe, but her hope in the situation was depleting.

"And if you can't?" she challenged.

Slowly, Damon lifted his hands to grab her face. Unmoving, and close enough that she could feel his breath, his gaze bore into hers.

"I will," he said, with no hint of doubt, "Whatever it takes."

Elena sighed, and let her weight fall. Damon caught her and brought her against his chest, holding her to him in a tight hug.

"I will bring her back to you," he repeated, and Elena closed her eyes, praying he was telling the truth.

They stayed that way for a minute, him comforting her as best as he was able, but then the overwhelming desire to see Nadia, to make sure what remained of her family was secure, was too much for Elena to ignore.

Damon took her hand and led her inside. Noise echoed down the hall from the sitting room, and she guessed that that was where the other men had gone. Damon brought her knuckles up to his lips and kissed them.

"Go ahead upstairs. Be with her. And give this to Jenna," he pulled out his wallet and placed some bills into her palm, "Tell her Alaric will be here shortly to pick her up."

Elena nodded, not even bothering to look at the amount he'd given her, before starting toward the stairs.


Damon's house was huge, and he had shown her earlier the section where Jenna would be watching Nadia. Elena had been surprised at how much she liked the sweet woman. Alaric had done well for himself, despite the fact that Jenna knew so little of their world, she was kind and willing to help. She listened when Elena had explained Nadia's medication and had repeated the information back to a tee. Nadia seemed to like her, and no calls all night must have meant the arrangement was working out.

She quickly found the door to the oversized family room, and opened it to reveal Jenna and Nadia sitting cross legged on the floor, putting together something with lego pieces. Stefan had arrived with a few bags full of toys, and when Elena had thrown Damon a questioning look, he'd merely winked. So she let it go. As weird as it felt to have someone else funding Nadia's needs, her plate was simply too full right now to argue about it.

"That looks fun!" Elena exclaimed with fake excitement, but genuinely smiled when Nadia turned around fast enough to nearly knock over the tower she had been building.

"Aunt Lena!"

She jumped up and ran over, throwing her arms around Elena's waist. Elena hugged her back, then bent down to scoop her up into her arms, just as Jenna stood.

"How did it go?" she asked, and the older woman smiled, "Great! She's an absolute angel. She had her snack and medication about an hour ago, but had mentioned that she was getting hungry again."

"Can we get more pancakes?" Nadia asked, and Elena chuckled, "It's a little late for that, sweetheart, but I'm sure we can find something in the kitchen to scrounge up."

"Okay!"

Jenna stuck out her hand, and in it was Nadia's inhaler, "We only had to use it once. She got a little over excited during a hide and seek game, but other than that, the evening was smooth. How was your business meeting?"

Business meeting. That was the story Alaric had gone with?

Elena forced a smile, "As fun as business ever is. Thank you so much for looking after her."

"Of course," Jenna smiled at Nadia, "Anytime you need. I'll have Ric give you my number."

"Thanks," Elena said, and she really was appreciative, "Oh, and this is for you."

She handed the money over, and bit back a chuckle when Jenna's eyes bulged, "I...um...is this amount right? I was only here a few hours and-"

"Damon's payrolling this," she admitted, "It's easier just to take it, trust me. And either way, you deserve it. This was a weird time and super last minute, and I really do appreciate your help."

"Well, this was the easiest money I've ever made," Jenna joked, pocketing the cash, "And I got to have fun while doing it, so I won't look a gift horse in the mouth. Though it seems Ric was right about Damon."

Elena smirked, "Oh, I can imagine Ric has plenty to say about him."

Jenna laughed, "You would think, but actually it's hard to get anything out of him about his work. I knew that his boss was some hotshot moneybags, but I have had very limited interaction with Damon. Ric only ever says that the guy deserves the loyalty he gets. That's always the answer I get when he's working a ton of overtime and is late coming home after long nights. That Damon deserves his loyalty. It used to annoy me, but work is important to Ric. And so is Damon."

"Well, I know that you are important to him too," Elena assured the woman, "I've only recently started doing some work with Damon, and in my few interactions with Alaric, he had nothing but good things to say about you. He adores you."

Jenna smiled softly, "I know. And I adore him. Otherwise I would complain a lot more about his erratic schedule."

They both chuckled, and Elena remembered the other tidbit of information she was supposed to pass on.

"Speaking of, Damon said Ric should be on his way to get you."

"So he'll be home tonight?" she joked back, and Elena adjusted Nadia on her hip.

"Looks like it."


They talked for a little longer, Elena consciously hanging out in the room so Jenna wouldn't have an excuse to wander about the house. When Alaric showed u, less than half an hour later, she was relieved, because she was actually starting to feel bad for lying to the woman. She had no idea how he did it every day. But then again…

She looked over at Nadia who was cleaning up the toys she had been playing with, and realized that maybe she did understand. Nothing was impossible when it came to protecting the people you love most.

"We're heading out," Ric said, waving over at her.

Elena smiled and waved back, "Thanks again, and drive safe. I'll probably see you around."

"Sooner than you think," Damon walked through the open door, "Alaric will be meeting with us tomorrow. To further discuss our business plans."

Ric nodded, "I'll call you when I've...acquired your shipment."

"Mr. Damon!" Nadia took notice of his arrival and rushed past Elena to give him a greeting similar to the one she had given her aunt.

Damon smiled down at her, placing a hand on her back and winking at Elena before turning back to the couple.

"I appreciate it," he said, then offered his other hand to Jenna. When she took it to shake, he brought the back of it to his lips, "And it was a pleasure seeing you again, Mrs. Saltzman. I am grateful that you were able to help us out tonight."

Jenna looked a little flush when she pulled her hand back, not that Elena blamed her, and she nodded, "The pleasure was mine. And I was well compensated."

Damon smirked, "I like to ensure my partners are happy with their end of the bargain. Just ask Elena. And I am sure your husband would agree that there is nothing better than a well satisfied woman."

Elena elbowed him in the ribs as Alaric laughed.

"Impossible as ever."

"I am working on it," Damon shrugged, then tugged on a lock of Nadia's hair, "Did you have fun with Jenna?"

Nadia nodded enthusiastically, "Yes! We played lots of games and I beat her at hide and seek!"

Elena smiled as Damon high fived her niece.

"Next time, you will have to show her your Texas Hold'em skills," he said, and Elena shook her head, "Please don't encourage the hustle."

He smirked and Alaric cleared his throat, "Everything good here for tonight, then?"

Damon nodded, looking back at him, "For tonight. I will meet with you tomorrow, after you have picked up the package we discussed."

A tension passed between them that Elena wasn't sure she wanted an answer for, and was relieved that Jenna seemed too busy watching Nadia to notice.

"I'll call."

The two men shook hands, and Damon waited until the couple had left before turning to face her again.

"Stefan will be staying in his room in this wing tonight, but the others have left. It's only us now."

Elena nodded, "Okay, good. I'm going to find something for her dinner, then get her bathed and in bed...actually, is there a bathroom that we can-"

"Just use the one in my room," he told her, "It should have everything you need. I can start dinner."

A flash of the last time he had cooked for her ran through Elena's mind, but she shrugged it off. The weekend had been a break from reality, but she still had responsibilities. Her family needed her. And that came first.


Damon was glad to have some busy work for his hands. It was easy to prep a hamburger casserole and put it in the oven while Elena cared for her niece upstairs. He was relieved that the child still seemed to be doing well, despite the absence of her mother. He considered his plan to ensure Katherine's return, and felt pretty confident that it would play out the way he wanted. After all, the only thing Julian actually loved more than money was his sweet blonde daughter, and as he had proven by taking Katherine, threats against family opened doors for manipulation. And Alaric would come through for him on that front, no matter his moral objection. The man was nothing if not reliable.

"Smells good in here," Elena emerged from the hallway that led to the stairs, Nadia trailing in behind her. The large updated kitchen had a full length bar with white marble and matching stools. Both females took a seat in one, looking so similar, Damon could hardly believe the little girl wasn't actually Elena's daughter. But identical twins and all that…

"Food will be ready in about-" he checked the timer on the stove, "another five minutes."

"Perfect," Elena smiled, and ran a hand over Nadia's now damp hair, "I'll get us something to drink."

"I had Stefan bring some juice earlier, with the toys and the other snacks," Damon admitted, "It should be in the fridge."

Elena nodded and moved around the kitchen like she owned it, grabbing the necessary cups and filling them with ice.

"I'd offer to pour you some too," she told him, "But something tells me you'd prefer a smaller glass with a harder hitting liquid."

"After this evening, I am surprised you are not craving one as well," he pointed out, moving to the sink to wash his hands before retrieving a serving spoon from one of the many sleek drawers.

Elena huffed, "Night isn't over yet."

She finished prepping the drinks; juice for Nadia and iced water for herself, then asked if there was a table they should sit at.

"The bar here is fine," he assured her.

He did have a dining room table, but it was long enough to host a dinner party, and felt unnecessary for just the three of them. Not to mention there was something...cozy, being secluded in this room with them, getting to watch as Elena fished a few plates out to sit beside the cups.

When the casserole had finished cooking, Damon served a few scoops out for them all, choosing to stand and eat so he could continue to watch the females in front of him interact.

Naida told Elena about her afternoon with Jenna, and all the games they had played. For such a tiny thing, her voice was animated and lively. And when she complimented his food as the "absolute best burger helper" she had ever had, he had to smile. She was so innocent and truthful. Uncomplicated in a way most adults had lost. It was a wonder to behold.

And Elena. Dio mio. Seeing her in this role had him drawing up fantasies that he had no business entertaining. Things he had never in his life desired, or even considered. But here, with her…

"Alright, time to brush teeth and get in bed," Elena's words brought him back to reality, and he plastered on an easy going expression before Nadia had turned to him to say good night.

"Goodnight, bimba. I shall see you in the morning," he promised, and Nadia walked over to hug him.

As if it were second nature, Damon leaned down and scooped the child up in his arms, enjoying too much that her arms went around his neck in a tight squeeze. He could not explain why her trust mattered, anymore than he could figure out why it mattered what Elena thought of him. He only knew that it did. He wanted to be better...more...for them.

"I can take her upstairs," he told Elena, who arched a brow at him, "You sure?"

He nodded, "Of course. He can put the dishes away later."

Apparently she had no argument for that, because Elena simply shrugged and made a gesture for him to lead the way.

Nadia's slight weight was no hindrance at all climbing the stairs, and when they reached the room that she would be sleeping in, Damon was able to easily shift her from his arms to the mattress. The room was warm and dark, with only

"Goodnight, sweet girl," he murmured one last time, then stepped back so Elena could take over.

He was surprised to see that she had some sort of tube in her hand, but watched in silence as she and Nadia worked in synchronization, slipping it over the little girl's ears and securing the prongs into her nostrils. The oxygen tank it was connected to was set up with it's own little equipment that Damon could not begin to make sense of, and suddenly a strange reality settled over him.

Nadia was sick. Really sick. He had known this, of course, but at this exact moment, seeing her like this...it hit him like a punch to the gut. How cruel and unfair life could be.

"Lena, when is Mommy coming home?" the child asked, in a voice that was beginning to sound heavier.

Damon noticed Elena's shoulders tense, and after a second's pause, he jumped in.

"Soon," he told her, "Your mother is doing a very special job right now, so she has to be away. But she misses you and wants you to be good for your aunt while she's away."

Nadia nodded, and began taking deep breaths, "Okay. I'll be on my bestest behavior."

That the girl thought even more was required of her was borderline heartbreaking, but when Elena caught his attention and mouthed "thank you", Damon figured it was better than the alternative. Elena did not want her niece to know the truth, and he was going to try and respect that, while keeping the child as happy as possible in the meantime.

"I've got this," Elena spoke up after a moment of messing with Nadia's equipment, "You don't have to stay."

"I do not mind," he brushed off her comment, and found an empty chair across the room to settle down in.

Elena gave him a look, then shrugged, before crawling up in bed with Nadia to help the girl sleep. It did not take long, as her soothing voice, though the words were so quiet he could not make them out, lulled Nadia into a peaceful slumber, her tiny chest rising and falling with each steady breath. But even after Nadia's eyes closed and consciousness drifted away, Elena stayed right where she was, still murmuring. Damon wasn't sure what to do, exactly, so he stayed put, following Elena's lead.

Eventually, she did sit up, and he noticed that she was wiping her eyes before she crawled off of the mattress. The jostling did not disturb Nadia at all, but Elena checked on her a final time before straightening. Damon stood too, and grabbed the monitor off the dresser. He gave it to Elena, whose head nodded slightly. Then she reached down for his hand and pulled him from the room.


The light in the hall was dim, nearly as dim as the nightlight lit room Nadia was sleeping in, but Elena maneuvered it just fine, taking them both down the length of it until they reached his bedroom, which was aglow with light from his master bath. Without even a second's hesitation, Elena opened the door and walked in. Her back was to him as she went over to the night stand and put both her cell and the monitor on top of it. She took a deep breath, which made her entire back tense and release. Damon remembered her tears.

"Cara mia, are you-"

His question of concern was cut short as Elena spun around and launched herself into his arms. Her lips came against his and her legs locked around his waist, giving him no choice but to grab on to keep them both from falling. More than hungry, Elena felt ravenous as she wrapped around him, stealing his breath and his sense with her little whimpers and moans. He felt guilty, giving in to the rush of desire that was suddenly boiling through his veins while Elena was upset, but she was not giving him much space to reconsider.

"Elena," he tried, because he had to. Because it was Elena and damn it, he could not be selfish with her.

"Don't," she breathed against his lips.

"We can talk about it," he pressed and she shook her head.

"I don't want to talk, Damon. It won't help a damn thing and-" her nails dug into the back of his neck, "I need to think about something else right now. So please, just...distract me."

Her dark stare was begging, and Damon caved. With rough hands, he grabbed the back of her head and reconnected their lips, twisting her hair in his fist. She cried out, but the sound bled into a groan of pleasure, so he didn't bother slowing down and starting ripping at her clothes.

They didn't make it to the bed.


The persian rug on his floor was not the most comfortable supplement, but they were both past the point of noticing small discomforts. In fact, the more it hurt, the more Elena responded, and Damon became swept up in the heat of the moment. Squeezing harder, biting harder, pounding harder. Until they were a naked mess of sweat and pleasure and blood. The sensations overwhelmed him, and Elena too, as she gave as good as he did, twisting him, fucking him, scraping her nails over his pecs, and biting across his shoulders.

The pain sparked something in him, something dark that made the past and present blur, until reality melted away into nothingness. His mother's dead body, the sharp slap of his father's hand across his face when he disrespected him, the cartel, the whores, the drugs, the self destructive path of revenge, the desire to close his eyes to it all forever...it had been his reality for so long. The burden he had never wanted to carry.

Damon pinned Elena's hands above her head and fucked orgasm after screaming orgasm out of her. And it wasn't enough. There was nothing gentle or caring about what they were doing to each other tonight. None of the pleasure seeking that had been so prominent in their first exploration of each other. This was pure usage, in its most carnal form. There was too much shit in both of their heads, and they had to take it out on somebody.

Elena bucked against him, throwing off the bruising rhythm long enough to switch their positions. She wasn't any kinder than he had been, shoving his body over so she could straddle his straining cock, and rocked her body over him like she was sprinting down the home stretch. Any other time, he would have exploded then and there, just seeing the beautiful mess she was astride him, with her sweat damp hair sticking to her body, which was marred all over from his rough handling. But not tonight. Tonight she was hurting, and he was looking for something, anything, to ground him in this endless fucking cesspool of rage and loss and disconnect. He had tried, so many other times...had pushed his body to endless edges in the attempts to feel something. Nothing had worked. Not until her.

Damon's hand traveled up Elena's stomach, between her breath, until he could stretch his fingers around her delicate throat. He squeezed and felt her swallow; felt her labored breath, as she kept grinding down onto him, kept him on the edge, and falling over it herself in a full body shudder.

Damon sat up, holding her in his lap, a hand around her throat, sinking deeper into that wet heat with the new position. Elena gasped, and her throat dilated against his palm as her pussy squeezed him. He pulled her mouth to his and kissed her, moving his hand to the back of her neck, so that she could not escape his lips. Not that she wanted to. Her arms folded around his neck and her breasts were crushed against his chest as they got as close as humanly possible.

Then Elena stopped moving entirely. The sudden utter stillness shocked him, and when she moved to lean back, enough that their eyes could meet, Damon let her. And fuck, she was beautiful. Her eyes were rimmed red, her hair was a total mess, and her lips were swollen and bleeding. Her hand came up to his face, and her knuckles brushed over his cheekbone. The gesture, such a polar opposite from the past fifteen minutes, was so unexpected and tender that he completely lost control. With a shudder of his own, Damon's head fell back and he came inside of her. Elena's hips shifted ever so slightly, dragging out his pleasure with a soft torture.

He grabbed her waist, halting the movement, and she giggled. The sound was adorable and freeing. When his gaze met hers again, he felt like something inside of him had shifted. As if he had released more than just his seed during their coupling and it made him feel oddly light.


Elena touched his face again, stroking his cheek and his jaw in a repetitive motion.

"You okay?" she asked, voice barely above a whisper, and Damon nodded, lifting his hand to hers and lacing their fingers together.

"Better than okay," he admitted with a long sigh, "I feel….god…"

He couldn't help but let out a dry laugh, and Elena crooked her head in amusement.

"What?"

"It sounds ridiculous," Damon swallowed at the admission, "But I do not think I have ever known peace until this moment. I had no idea what it was supposed to feel like...but now...it feels like you, Elena."

He smiled at her, and for some reason, his eyes burned as if he wanted to cry.

"It feels a lot like you."


Bowchickawowwow. Let me know what you thought about the chapter :)