A New Life
Chapter 22
Warning: A lot of parts will freak you out but it will be all worth it in the end
This isn't how I wanted the chapter to turn out but here goes nothing.
"You're lying…They can't be together…She is pregnant with my baby…she is my wife" he added feeling appalled by the very thought.
"Damon! I tried to stop her but she had that…that ex boyfriend of hers on her side and I couldn't do much" she further explained.
He shook his head as if he couldn't believe it and in reality he couldn't. This wasn't possible. This couldn't happen to him. She can't do this to him. Sure, she had betrayed his trust and some part of him hated her for that but she wouldn't cheat on him. Elena was too pure for that.
But Stefan had been in love with her all this time. Seeing Damon out of the way he must have pounced in and took advantage of her vulnerability. Extreme disgust and hatred was building inside of him. He felt the ground beneath his feet fall away into the abyss, and now he was left with nothing to hold on to.
"No…NO…NO" he mumbled. "I am not sure yet" Rose added seeing as he looked like he was at brink of insanity.
His head shot up. Hope filled his features. "She can't…she won't do that to me…she loves me" he said running his fingers through his hair. "Relax! It's just my guess…cuz all this time I kept an eye on her obviously to assure her safety because well she is a bitch but she is still family so yeah but all the time he is on her side and the way they look at each other and talk…" she trailed off when he hissed.
"Stop it…stop it…I don't wanna hear it…she can't possibly do that okay…"
"What if she did?"
" I will kill her and then I will kill myself because I can't live without her"
"To think you will learn from the constant disappointment she had been"
"She must have had a reason"
"Are you blind or something? She clearly doesn't love you…why are you still in denial?"
"because…because If she left me I am scared of what I might do to myself, to her and everyone around us…" he growled.
"Ok…k...Relax…I must be wrong…" Rose said biting her lower lip. She had seen the worst of him way before Elena came along. He could tear people apart when he was angry. Nine long years in mafia had turned him into an animal. Once Elena entered his life, he changed a lot.
He started hating his world. He had long forgotten to feel. She made him feel emotions he was unfamiliar with. Instead of taking lives he created a life with her. She had become centre of his world. She was his core. She was his world.
With other people he was always guarded, hard and impassive. While with her he was completely different. The mere way he looked at her was different. His eyes always softened when they landed on her. There was always a smile on his face in her presence. While he was destruction she was kindness.
But something told her if her suspensions were true and Elena indeed was with Stefan, Elena would not only demolish all the improvements she made in Damon in last one and half year they had been together but also she would turn him into ruthless merciless beast.
"I gotta see her now"
"Are you sure…I mean…" Rose seemed hesitant.
"I am in full control of myself I am not going to harm her" He seemed disgusted by the very idea. True he was furious by her betrayal but he wouldn't harm his wife in under any circumstances. The very idea was ridiculous.
"Zach wants us to meet him by nine"
"I will meet you there" he replied grabbing his car keys.
Elena's head had started hurting again. Stefan had rushed to hospital. Since the tumors were left untreated. They were getting worse. She had to cut her hair because of continuous hair fall due to tumor. And it was about to get worse. Since they would cut her hair completely for the surgery. Caroline immediately provided solution of implanting hair extensions by surgery once she recovered.
She still had faint headache. They dropped Caroline at her firm and made their way home. She didn't know when sleep took over her. These days she barely slept. With her grown belly, her headaches and her pregnancy hormones she hardly got to sleep.
She had forbidden Jeremy, Jenna and almost her family members to visit her. She was on top most criminal's hit list. She didn't want her family to be involved. She didn't even want Caroline to be involved. But Caroline insisted she was already too far involved since her fiancé was killed. She wasn't scared.
Since she was really sick. Stefan took charge of all legal responsibilities related to company and her . She was after all his responsibility until all this mess is sorted out and Damon is back. It all started because of him. If it wasn't for him Damon would have never been in the situation he was now. His brother had done so much for him. Stefan knew how much Elena meant to Damon. He would keep her safe even if his life depended on it.
Stefan followed Elena to porch. She was sitting on her favorite wooden swing. He laughed loudly as he saw her reach for her toes to paint them.
"Fatso! Give up" He mocked.
She groaned. " I can't even see my feet due to this" she gestured at her swollen belly. "I am huge"
"you don't say" Stefan replied sitting next to her.
"What's with you and Caroline? Why are you two always painting nails?" Stefan asked.
"We are obsessed with painting nails…" Elena said smiling.
"I know…she is changing three shades everyday" Stefan groaned.
"You love it"
"Of course I do…she is fucking gorgeous" he said smiling.
"Someone is in love" Elena mocked him.
Stefan blushed. "No…maybe…"
"I knew it" Elena squeaked in excitement.
"Don't tell her yet…she will freak out…she wants us to take it slow…like really slow" Stefan added.
"I can't believe you are in love with her" Elena squeaked in excitement.
"who wouldn't be? She is amazing. She is so brave and understanding. I mean after what she went through with Tyler's sudden death and all. Yet, she has the strength to get up every day and smile like…like everything is okay…and she know the situation we are in and yet she is here to provide us every type of support…I have never met a more amazing woman in my life…with of course exception of you" Stefan mumbled as he took her nail paint and helped her put it on.
"Woah…you are getting better at this" Elena admired his work.
"Yeah…you know Caroline…" he said smirking.
"so my friend made you her man slave" Elena laughed.
"Not like you haven't done it with my brother"
"Your brother does it voluntarily" Elena answered smiling. The very mention of him warms her heart.
"You miss him a lot. Don't you?" Stefan asked with a sad smile.
"A lot… Sometimes It's like I can't breathe…Dylan misses him too you know…" Elena replied pointing at her belly.
"How do you know that?" Stefan asked.
"Constant kicking…" Elena chuckled.
"Do you think Damon would make a good father?...in case you…in case you don't make it…Do you really want Damon to…" he trailed off when Elena scowled.
"Of course he will…he took care of you Didn't he? He gave up his life and ambitions for you. I know without a doubt he will be the best dad to my Dylan" she said as she caressed her belly. "He already loves Dylan too much…maybe even more then he loves us both" Elena added pointing at Stefan and then herself.
"I hope you make it Elena…I don't know what he would do without you" Stefan said worriedly.
"I hope so too"
Thirty minutes ago
Damon hand still stung from the vine glass he just broke. He forgot to tend it. He didn't care though. He has had worse. He halted his car a little far from Caroline's house. Just before he could jump out of his car, he noticed couple of cops standing in front the main door. Almost on cue, a car stopped infront of Caroline's house.
Stefan jumped out of the driving seat. Damon eyes narrowed as he noticed Elena sleeping on the passenger seat. Her lips were slightly parted. Her eyes tightly shut as if she was in pain. His memory had not done her justice. She looked so weak yet so beautiful. His anger evaporating. Stefan ran toward the passenger seat opening the door. He scooped her in his arms. Damon's lips pressed in tight line as he noticed Stefan carry Elena to house. One of the cops opened the door for them. He flinched when noticed Elena snuggle up to him like she use to do to him. His mind jumping to worse conclusions. They went inside the house.
He didn't know how long he stayed in car replaying that memory again and again in his mind. What if Rose was right? What if …No he couldn't think that. He wouldn't allow that to happen. He had given up everything for his baby bro. He won't allow his brother to take his family from him. His head only shot up when Elena came out holding a bag and book in her hands.
She sat on the swing spreading her legs. He noticed she had cut her hair. Her hair were of shoulder length now. He groaned. Why would she cut her hair? He loved her long locks. She opened the book , her one hand on her swollen belly. She was of 36 weeks far now. He knew because he had been counting. Every day in cell. His son was the only thing that kept him sane.
She lovingly looked at her belly and spoke. She was talking to the baby. She looked so happy. A smile spread on his face. Okay, he had been mad at her. He still was but seeing her happy made him happy. She took out a nail paint from her bag. He knew how much she loved nail paints. She worked on her fingers. Then her attention focused on her feet.
He let out a chuckle when he noticed her trying to reach her toes. Her huge belly was coming in her way. She frowned and grumbled something to her belly. She reached out again only to be blocked by her belly again. He wanted nothing but to help her now. Everything disappearing from his mind. Just when he decided he would make a move. Stefan came out of the main door. He openly laughed at her before sitting on the swing with her.
Stefan was laughing as he placed Elena's feet in his lap. She looked quite comfortable too. Boy, they looked cheerful. Stefan took nail paint from her hands as she focused on her books again. He hissed as Stefan started working on her toe nails talking to her.
This was their activity. His and Elena's. And those were HIS toes. He thought childishly and he crumbled piece by piece as realization hit him. It was suppose to be him and not Stefan who should be by her side right now. In the one and half year he had been with her he had always been afraid of this the most. He was afraid that one day someone else would realize how truly beautiful and amazing she was. He had been afraid that someone else will take his place in her life. Someone else would have her heart that belonged to him before.
The way they laughed together. They looked like a family. Feelings of being betrayed took over him. He couldn't see this anymore. Violently reviving the car engine he reversed the car.
Rose noticed how changed he looked. His eyes were cold and void of emotions. Something was up. He had been silent throughout the way. They stopped the car near the large building. He and Rose jumped out of car with his guards following .
They entered the giant hall where he was supposed to meet Zach. Zach was facing away. Voltaire looked at him warily once Zach's guard scanned him for a weapons. He was allowed to sit across them. "Everybody…Please Welcome back the Romeo of underworld" Zach mocked. A few snickers and laughs followed. Even Voltaire gave a smirk. "I must appreciate your capability to single handedly screw all of us all at once" he added. Damon looked up, a cold stare.
"Ladies and Gentlemen…This man not only got himself arrested but it's because of him all of us are facing inconvenience…not only did he cause a loss of $ 2 Billion but also he gave our arch rivals the title of being the Don of states." Zach added. Damon's head shot up. "Yes…Damon…Klaus Michelson is the new Don and do you know who he is working for…yes! The Mexican mafia" Zach spat.
"So lost in love of his wife that he signed off everything he fucking owned to that whore who with the help of her ex had him arrested for petty crime such as smuggling cocaine" Zach added. "Enough" Damon warned.
"Or what?"
"I take full responsibility for my actions…I will not only get back our territory but I will also recover the loss caused by me" Damon hissed. "Klaus Michelson is nothing in front of me…I will have him buried alive with a click of my finger"
"and what about your whore? You know the one who even got me arrested. I swear to God the only reason I let her live this long is because Sarah insisted we keep her alive until she gives birth to your child…If I had my way she would be rotting in mud by now" Zach hissed and Damon flinched.
"Damon…We excused every fault of yours because you have given us a loyal service for the past nine years and also you were as much betrayed by your wife as we all were…by rule she should be dead by now but we let her live because she is yours to deal with" Voltaire interfered.
"but Rules are same for everyone…It doesn't matter who broke them. I would kill my own daughter if she ever betrayed me" Zach said shrugging.
"so by Rule traitors have to be killed…Elena is a traitor…It's now your choice how and who and when she will be killed but she should be dead as soon as your son is born…wouldn't want Salvatore line to finish" he added with a chuckle at end. "and that reminds me …Stefan is also very much involved in all the legal actions …I pardoned him once on your behalf but I am not feeling merciful anymore…I want him dead too" he hissed.
Rose looked at Damon. His face was blank. There were no expressions on his face which was awfully off. She had expected Damon to freak out but he remained void and focused.
"I don't have any problem with either of that…Stefan is not even my real brother…I want him dead more than you do" Damon hissed. "As for Elena…I have much more in stored for her. Death would just be easy way out" he added looking down.
Zach looked at him. This wasn't the guy that had begged him two months ago to let him go. He looked the same power hungry animal that Zach made him nine years ago. He looked lethally dangerous. Betrayal from his wife must have really gotten to his head. Rose on the other hand looked alarmed.
Voltaire smirked. "Looks like our boy is back…I must say I like this Damon more than the love sick Damon two months ago…What happened to him though?"
"That guy got his back stabbed by his wife and his brother…" Damon said looking straight ahead.
Zach smirked. This was even better than he expected. Damon was a beast now. A blood thirsty beast just ready to be launched at world.
Rose looked at him. Something about him was off. His expressions were blank. His eyes were dead. But he looked sharp and focused. "Damon…Are you okay?" she asked, slightly scared since he looked so unhinged.
He wanted to say a lot of things. He wanted to tell her that he was tired and confused. He was broken. He wanted his Elena so bad. He wanted to sleep in Elena's arms and never wake up. He wanted to die.
"I am fine" he replied.
"Are you…Are you really gonna kill them both?" Rose asked.
"Kill her? Why on earth would I ever kill her? I would die before the very thought comes to my mind" he said as if the very thought horrified him.
"but you said to Zach…"
"If I didn't say that he would have killed me that very second and would have gotten someone else to kill her" Damon said.
"but Zach expects you to kill her once…"
"I know what Zach wants…"
"Then…what's the plan?" Rose asked.
"I am getting rid of Zach once and for all...he wants to hurt my Elena…he has been planning to kill my girl…I will give him something to think about" he mumbled.
"Damon…Zach is dangerous. He is very powerful you don't know" Rose tried to warn him.
"I know what I am up against. I know what I will be facing. But I am used to this by now…I am used to living with death now" he replied.
"So what do we do now?" she asked.
"It's time for family reunion" he replied as he stopped the car in front of Caroline's house.
"No..No and NO" Stefan denied her again.
"Why not?"Caroline begged him.
"because it's really fucking dangerous out there…if anyone see her they would kill her. I am not taking that risk" Stefan flat out refused.
"but you will keep her safe" Caroline said as she circled her arms around his neck.
"Now you're just seducing me so I would listen to you but in no fucking way am I taking that risk" Stefan refused again.
"She really wants to go to that Carnival and her surgery is in two days…It would be months before she would be allowed to move from bed again…please just take her out once…" Caroline begged.
Elena smirked. She knew Stefan wouldn't be able to say No to Caroline. She had been trapped in this house for two months now. They hardly let her move. Her surgery would be in two days and only God knows if she will be able to survive that. She wanted to go out once. And not all guarded. She wanted to enjoy normal moments.
"Please…Care…"Stefan begged. Caroline kissed a spot below his ear and he nearly moaned.
"Ugh! You two…can you please take it to your room?" Elena said making a disgusted face.
"Pretty please" Caroline pouted.
"Fine…you evil minx…"
"Yeah" Caroline chimed as she let go of him. "but you're not going with us" Stefan added.
"Wha…?" Caroline looked at him.
"In case someone attacks…I won't be able to save you both so I am only taking her tonight…I will take you tomorrow" he said as he circled his arms around her waist.
Caroline groaned but nodded.
It is very difficult to walk when you are eight month pregnant woman. Elena realized that today. Holding Stefan's arm tightly they walked around the beautifully lit carnival. "Why did I decide to come to carnival again?" she asked. Her face hid under the cap Stefan made her wear so no one would recognize her. They had been so careful.
"because my stupid girlfriend thinks that you should enjoy one day like a normal person before your big day" Stefan chuckled.
"I don't know she is pretty cute"
"Yeah…pretty awesome" he said with that dazed smile that awfully reminded her of her husband's smile whenever he looked at her.
"I told you to request for a meeting with him last time…I wanna see him just once before…before my big day"
"I will go tomorrow" Stefan said as they stopped in front of stuffed animal shop. "Dylan likes that one" Elena pointed at a huge teddy bear.
"How can you say that?" Stefan rolled his eyes.
"When I looked at it…he kicked"
"He is always kicking" Stefan rolled his eyes again.
"Damon would have gotten him all of these if I asked him" Elena said sadly.
"Uncle Stefan can get it for him too…" Stefan said as he rolled his sleeves.
"How much is that for?" he asked the man in the booth.
"You have to win it" The man answered.
"Fine…How much?"
"$10, 3 tries" The man answered.
"Here we go" Stefan said aiming the ball at bottles. Elena laughed when he missed. With heavy groan he aimed and after what happened to be seventh time he finally hit his aim and got her the bear she had pointed out earlier.
"Here you go…" Stefan said handing her the bear.
"Hold it for me" Elena pouted.
Stefan rolled his eyes. He must look like an idiot holding a toy in his arm while his heavily pregnant sister in law held on to his other arm.
"I wanna try the Ferris wheel?" Elena said as she looked longingly at the Ferris wheel. Last time she came here was with Damon. And that was a year ago. A month before she got married. Way before she knew his harsh reality. Everything was so simple back then.
"Yeah…did you forget you're EIGHT AND HALF MONTHS PREGNANT" Stefan raised his voice.
"okay…okay…God…I wanna eat ice cream" she added pointing at the ice cream corner.
"I am never having kids…God prego ladies are so annoying" Stefan huffed as he carefully dragged her with him.
"Caroline is pretty excited about this though…We are going on a shopping trip again tomorrow. Apparently the covers she bought for the crib before doesn't match with the paint of nursery" Stefan groaned.
"Yeah about that. Thank you for the nursery you two made for Dylan…that's the sweetest thing anyone had ever done for me" she said smiling at him. "Well anything for you since you are the "former" love of my life" he said rolling his eyes.
"Ohh…and who might be the current love of your life?" Elena asked raising her eyebrows playfully.
" I think you have pretty good idea about who might that be" Stefan chimed as he ordered her favorite ice cream. Living two months with her, he had figured out pretty much what she liked and what she didn't.
"she is very lucky to have you" Elena replied hooking her arm with his.
"You could have been that lucky one too but No…you had to choose him" Stefan playfully narrowed his eyes.
"I couldn't help it…he is the hotter one" she replied. In the past two months. They had talked about it. She had told him clearly she had truly ever loved only one man and that man was Damon Salvatore, the man she was married to. She had no intention of ever moving on from him. He was "it" for her. Stefan had accepted her decision and had promised to move on.
With passing of time Stefan too realized that he wasn't in love with her. Infatuated, yes but not love. The night he broke up with Aurora , she had told him what she wanted.
"No…I am not saying that I don't get my head turn by a hot guy every now and then as much as the next girl but sexy doesn't impresses me. Sincerity does. I don't care if he lives in mansion or rat infested hovel. I want sincerity and truth in my relationship. No lies. No secrets. Secondly I want strength of character. I mean yeah bad boys are hot but I wanna settle down now. I want a family and kids. The perfect white picket fence" she explained,not looking at how intently he was listening.
He had realized that day that he wanted all that too. He wanted a steady relationship. He also wanted to settle down. He also wanted a family. His desire to have a family had made him infatuated with Elena. She just seemed that type of girl. Not that he didn't love her. She was after all his sister in law now. She was going to be the mother of his nephew. She had been with him throughout a lot of tough situations. He did loved her. But he wasn't in love with her.
"Broody" Elena snapped her finger in front of him.
"Why do you keep calling me that?" Stefan said scrunching his face in disgust.
"That's what Damon calls you"
"Here is your chocolate ice cream with sprinkles" Stefan said.
"Thank you" Elena replied smiling.
"Don't get used to this special treatment. This special treatment will end the second Dylan comes out of you" Stefan said narrowing his eyes.
"Oh..Oh..Brain freeze" Elena said eyes widening as soon as she started licking.
"Relax…Deep breaths….count backwards from ten" Stefan instructed, concerned. He and Caroline were really careful when it came to her. She was already very weak. Even though she pretended otherwise.
They walked around throughout the carnival and played various games. He was the one playing games. She just watched him play. They talked about a lot of things. Like her plans for future if she made it. "The if" part hurt but he brushed those thoughts away. They talked about his relationship with her friend. Caroline was still stuck up on Tyler but she was trying to move on. He discussed with Elena as to how he could help his girlfriend through this difficult time. Elena helped him understand different dynamics. They talked, they laughed , they joked around. He comforted her when she started missing his brother again.
Damon was never off her mind. Ever since Damon clearly refused to meet Elena. All three of them were worried. They wanted to explain it to him as to why they had to do this. He was clearly confused and hurt by their betrayal. Especially by Elena's betrayal. He was going to have to talk about this with his brother tomorrow. He would request a meeting tomorrow.
Damon was standing opposite side of the ice cream corner watching them lovingly talk to eachother. The cool air was exactly what he needed to calm himself down. He couldn't take this. "Elena is MINE! No one can take her away from me!" His mind roared at him in frustration while his knuckles turned white from his death grip on the railing. He had given up everything for his brother but his wife and his child were off limits.
He wasn't saying anything. He was barely hissing or flinching. His face looked void of emotions. Rose noticed that. Some might call this silence but those who knew the real and ruthless Damon Salvatore would rather call this the calm before the storm.
Damon was a stubborn man, he would do anything to get what he wants and when the object of his desire was out of reach he would obsess over it until it became his. That was the real him. Not this puny and lost puppy form of him. He was Don for fuck sake. What was wrong with him? This was Elena. His Elena with another man. He refused to let her go. She was his and he wouldn't give her up even if she begged for it.
He watched them laugh and exchange smiles. He watched them hold hands just like him and Elena had one year ago. He watched them playfully tug each other. She was wearing a cap to hide her face but he could see her. She looked tired and weak. Even though she was smiling it still didn't reach her eyes.
"You look like you will explode any minute now" Rose snapped him out of his thoughts. His grip on the reeling loosened. "Kinda happens when you see your wife and your brother so openly flirting with eachother after backstabbing you"
"Never wanted to rip his head off so bad" he mumbled under breath.
"Are you changing your mind now?" Rose asked.
He hissed. "I will get Stefan to a side…you get her" Rose said as she shifted to a side. She signaled Sage behind her to follow her.
Stefan's phone buzzed. "Hello…" he said as he received the call. The person on the other line hung up. "Huh" he said looking at his phone. "Is it Care?" Elena asked worriedly. "No…but I think we should go" Stefan said his hand went toward her back. "Okay…I am tired too" she agreed.
They made their way toward the car. "What the fuck?" Stefan almost growled when he saw the flattened tire. "What could possibly cause it to go flat? It was okay just two hours ago" Stefan groaned in frustration.
"What now? Should we get a cab?" he asked.
"No..Care would need her car tomorrow. She needs to go to work early " Elena reminded him.
"I don't have tools on me now…let me get help" Stefan said as he looked around. "Wait here" he ordered her before he ran off to opposite direction.
Elena threw her head back closing her eyes as she leaned against the car. She was so tired. But she needed this outing before she goes through her C section. She opened her eyes when she heard footsteps approaching her. "Stefan?" she asked the dark figure approaching her.
"Stefan…" she asked. Panic filled her when the dark figure didn't answer. She took a step back. On instinct, she tried to run. "Woah! Woah! Careful Elena" she almost collided with Rose.
"Rose…" she gasped.
It's been two months since she last met Rose. Rose had threatened to kill her in cold blood after she got Damon arrested. Somehow she knew that Elena was the one who betrayed them. Elena had called Matt immediately after that. Stefan , Caroline and Matt came to her rescue . Matt had warned Rose to never come near Elena or he would put her in jail. Ever since then Rose had steered clear of her.
"Easy sister…you will hurt yourself…" Rose said smiling wickedly.
"Were you following us?" Elena asked.
"Yeah…we were" Rose said taking a step toward her. Chills went up Elena's spine. She didn't like the look on Rose's face. This was her predator look. "we have some unfinished business with you"
"We?" Elena gulped as she took a step back.
She took another step back. Her back collided with a hard chest.
"Hi baby" she heard someone whisper in her ear.
Stefan roamed around looking for help. He managed to get a Lug wrench and jack. His mind shifted to Elena. She was all alone. He needed to hurry. As soon as he took a turn, someone punched him on jaw.
"What the fuck?" he growled.
A red head woman stood before him ,smirking. He recognized her. She was one of his brother's base. Before he could defend himself, he felt someone grasp him from his arm and hold it against his back. Sage kneed him in the groin. He shouted in pain but was quickly silenced by the person holding him. He writhed to release himself but he failed. "Jake! Knock him out" Sage ordered. He felt a rag shoved against his nose. He tried to hold his breath but he couldn't manage. The sharp smell burned his nostrils before darkness prevailed his eyes.
Elena stiffened as she heard his voice. She knew who it was. Her heart rate quickened as she felt his warm breath on her neck. She span around. Icy blue bloodshot eyes met brown scared eyes. She gasped taking a step back. It was impossible. How was he out? Before she could manage to talk. A hand pressed against her mouth. The smell of the rag shoved to her nose was so strong, it overclouded her ability to see clearly. Her vision blurred. Her feet couldn't support her weight anymore. Strong pair of male arms caught her before she blacked out
Damon lifted Elena up and cradled her head against his chest and he carefully maneuvered her away from the chaos towards salvation. She was unsafe there. Didn't Stefan know that? He left her alone even when he knew she was on hit list of most dangerous criminals including Damon himself. How could she choose Stefan over him then? When clearly Stefan didn't care about her like he did. Even when he was mad at her. Even when a sick part of him wanted to hurt her. Even when he was wrecked by her betrayal he cared about her the most.
He slowly placed her on bed. "Their bed" in their bedroom. She was back where she belonged. Did she really think she could get rid of him like that? It was all his fault. He let her strip him off power. He let her rule him. If there was one thing he loved about his life as mob leader. It was power. His life before that was pathetic. He worked hard and yet earned minimum wages. People didn't treat him right. He was considered a low life. All that changed once he joined Zach. He had power. He had endless amount of money. He could buy anything he wanted. He could get anything he wanted. Being in mob was his fate and he accepted it. That all changed the night Elena kissed him first time. He knew he wanted her the first time her lips touched his. Her slight smile. Her mere touch. He wanted everything. Her heart, her body and her soul.
It wasn't easy leading a double life. But he did it for her. He wanted to be perfect in her eyes. Of course, everything blew up in his face on the fourth month of their marriage. She found out who he was and she started hating him just like he knew she would. Because good people never let people like him enter their lives. People like him aren't worth the effort and time. Girls like her always end up with satiric consistent nice guys. But he tried to become that for her didn't he? He tried to become a good person. Only for her. Just for her. It pained him that she didn't think he was worth her time. She knew he wouldn't let go of her easily so she backstabbed him. She took advantage of his explicit trust on her even after the whole scenario with Matt. Hate and disdain filled his blood.
She shifted in bed. Her face was covered with sweat. Her cotton dress stuck to her body. He shook his head and walked toward the windows .He grasped the frame around the window screen and push the entire screen outward but not before checking for security threats.
He span around and noticed a cool breeze caress her face causing her hair to sway slightly and frame her angelic face as she slept, When she whispered his name in sleep his eyes lit up and his lips curled into a small smile, he slowly walked up to her sleeping form and gently caressed her face his hands savoring her soft skin. He moved away a strand of hair from her eyes and fell deeper in love with the woman before him "she is so innocent...so beautiful...so perfect…Looks could be so deceiving" She looked like an angel yet she was the complete opposite. She awoke the demons inside him that he kept locked up for a year and a half for her. She moaned his name again , smiling in her sleep as if she was dreaming about him.
How was that possible if she was with his brother like Rose told him. Like he saw with his own eyes. He slowly inhaled the sweet fragrance of her natural scent. Her scent intoxicated him and he wanted nothing more that to remain like this forever. The unshed tears clouded his eyes as the thought of her betrayal filled his mind. And if that wasn't enough the fact that she was with his brother now was throwing him of the rail. He pushed his unshed tears back. He wasn't weak. He refused to be weak anymore.
The movement beneath her eyelids indicated that she was about to wake up. Almost hastily he rose up on his legs. She was going to stay here until he was done with Zach. And after he is done with Zach, he will confront Elena about her betrayal. He would make sure she regrets her decision. But one thing was for sure, he wouldn't let her go no matter what. She was his and his forever.
The last two months had been hard for him. Very hard for him. In between confusion and heartbreak of why she framed him to the very thought that she will leave him soon had tortured him. She was on his mind every second. And the thought that she would leave him devastated him. Even breathing hurt when the one you love the most betrays you. This situation was killing him. The more he tried to hold on to her, the more he demanded her love and ironically the less he got. He was tired of this situation. Couldn't she see how much he loved her? What did Stefan have that he didn't? His jaw clenched.
They had been so happy before. He had given everything she wanted. He had bought her everything she liked. From her favorite designer dresses to the car she liked. In their time in Rimini, he had started living the life he lived before he joined Zach even though he didn't like that period of his life much. He had worked hard for her to provide her everything she wanted. He reformed himself. Didn't he? Then why did she betray him like that why did she choose Stefan over him? Why him? Why not me? He asked himself.
She moaned in her sleep. Her eyes fluttered open slowly. She rubbed her eyes as she tried to get up. A loud crash from the opposite side of the house diverted their attention.
"LET ME GO" he could hear Stefan shout in outrage. "WHERE IS ELENA? I SWEAR TO GOD IF ANY OF YOU SO MUCH AS TOUCH HER I WILL MAKE SURE YOU ROT IN JAIL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIVES" Stefan threatened.
"Stefan!" Elena gasped running her fingers through her hair. What was she doing in her bedroom? How did she even get here? She thought. Her eyes shot up to the tensed figure standing near her, glaring at her. If looks could kill she would be dead till now. "Damon?" she said as if she couldn't believe he was here.
"ELENA!" Elena could hear Stefan shout. "Where is Damon? Please tell him she is innocent…you're gonna kill us. Aren't you?" she could hear Stefan's pleading.
Before she could say anything, Damon span on his heels, making his way out of the room toward the direction of his brother's voice.
"Shut up" he could hear Rose hiss at Stefan.
"I demand you let me go now" Stefan hissed back at her.
"I swear to God if you weren't his brother I would have…" Sage trailed off when she saw Damon coming. "What's all the commotion?" Damon growled. He heard Elena's footsteps approaching behind him.
"How the hell are you out?" Stefan asked. "Matt didn't tell me" he mumbled further to himself. Stefan had woken up in a very disoriented state. As soon as his mind registered the situation he panicked. It was never a good idea to mess with people from underworld. They didn't care about anyone. They were ruthless and cruel. He and Elena had betrayed and framed their boss. His brother. If he knew anything about mafia he knew the true power of a Don is his base members loyalty. And by the looks of it , his brother's guards were awfully loyal to their Don. Damon and his gang wanted revenge on him and Elena. The cold and cruel eyes of his brother announced that there wasn't a shred of humanity left in him now. He was an animal now. Ready to kill the only two family members that meant the world to him for so long as he could remember. If Stefan didn't tell him their true intention behind Damon's arrest fast something seriously bad would happen.
"Damon…You have to listen to me…"
"Shut up…Why is he here? Didn't I specifically order to take him to the warehouse?" Damon growled.
"Yeah…we were just waiting for him to wake up" Rose answered as she motioned for two men behind her to tie Stefan up. Fear clouded Stefan's eyes as he saw them approach him. Elena gasped. "Damon…Don't…Please Don't hurt him…please let me explain" she defended Stefan in a scared tone.
He glared at her with cold eyes. He wasn't planning on hurting Stefan but her defending him was riling him up. His eyes widened and he smirked. His wife was shamelessly defending her lover without caring about his feelings. "Of course! Hurting him would cause you pain…"
"What?" her eyes narrowed as if confused. If eyes could kill he could have strike her down like lightning. She took a step back. She wasn't use to hatred in his eyes for her. "Rose! Get Stefan out of here"
"You're not gonna hurt him right? Damon we did it for a reason…If you could just listen to me" she rambled but stopped once his eyes shot to her. He clenched his fists so much it ached. A scowl on his handsome face. If she didn't stop now he would end up doing something he would regret later. Rage boiled his blood.
"I would shut up if I were you. You have no idea how much effort I am making right now to hold it together after what you did to me"
"I can explain that" Elena replied.
"No you can't. There is no excuse in the world which would make me forgive you after you backstabbed me. I fucking trusted you downright explicitly. But apparently I was a fucking fool…but I learn from my mistakes…"
"Damon I only did it to save you…because I love…" she continued but was harshly interrupted by his snarl.
"Don't …Don't you fucking dare" he shouted. She flinched .He continues "Everything you did till now was fake…you area fucking selfish bitch that only cares about herself…you don't need to pretend that you are in love with me…"he spat. He was now possessed with passionate hatred. Fury took over him. How dare she say that after what she did to him, Did she really think he would believe her now? Tears pooled Elena's eyes. They trailed down her cheeks as she stared at him helplessly with tears filled eyes. Almost out of reflex his hand went toward her cheeks wiping them off. Her tears managed to slay him. They still caused him pain. But he was done being powerless in front of her. "Don't bother…They won't work anymore"
"Don't pretend to care. I saw you today with HIM. You were having quite fun. Tell me something…Did you really think you could get rid of me that easily and ride off toward sunset with my BROTHER… If so then stop deluding yourself. I am not gonna let you go that easily. You are stuck with me whether you like it or not. You are mine…"
"and baby I will make sure you suffer as much as I did in these two months" he snarled taking a step closer toward her. He was seething. She gulped. This wasn't her Damon. She had seen that sinister look on his face. It was directed to Mason last time she saw it. Mason had been quivering under his harsh stare and so was she. For the first time in her life she was terrified of him.
Stefan was the first one to understand what really was going through his enraged brother's head. He thought they were together. Because his brother didn't know that he moved on. He had seen them at the time of his arrest and now today at the carnival.
"Damon…I" he interrupted them. He span around glaring at his brother. "and you…saint Stefan! Stefan with moral values…Doctor Stefan who saves lives now…Need I remind you what you use to do BEFORE I came back and took the fall for you…you ungrateful fucking bastard…you had years to bust me and inform police about me but you don't do it and now suddenly out of nowhere you realize that you have duties toward society…"
"Damon! I didn't do that because you're my brother…We had our disagreements but you're still my brother…I hated what you were but the way very thought of you locked up….I can't even think of that…I was selfish…I knew you were ruthless Don yet…" he was cut off when Damon snorted.
"What a load of crap..." he snorted.
"I know what you really want…you fucking selfish ungrateful hypocrite…You just want me out of the way so you could steal my wife which obviously you can't get otherwise" Damon added.
Stefan clenched his teeth at the accusation. "You managed to steal everything from me…you fucking destroyed my life…I kept giving and you kept taking but enough is enough…there is thing called boundaries…" Damon snarled taking steps closer toward his brother until he was face to face with him.
"Damon please" he heard Elena whimper behind him. She was afraid now. She didn't know what to say or do.
"I didn't ask you to give up your life for me. You did it on your own accord" Stefan replied.
"Stefan" Rose warned. She didn't like where this was going. "And don't pretend like it was all for me…don't pretend like you are some sort of victim…You gained a lot in return…the power…the money…they thrill of having people at your mercy" Stefan added.
Damon chuckled. "Mum was right…you "ARE" a lowlife undeserving of any type of kindness and sympathy and being kind to a low life like you did bite me back in the ass but you know what it's not unexpected. Deceit runs in your veins.I am surprised as to why couldn't I see it before? Like mother, like son. You are after all your whore mother's son" he spat.
That did it. Stefan launched a fist on his face. Damon stood straight, eyes bulging with rage, and stared at his brother. A guard standing behind Stefan grasped Stefan from behind and threw him to a side. Stefan went flying and crashed on a table. Stefan tried to stand tall. Elena's whimper distracted Damon for a second before he stalked toward his brother.
"Ohh…you shouldn't have done that baby bro" Damon muttered as he grabbed his brother by his collar. "Damon…let him go…he is your brother" Elena shouted from behind him in a tone laced with fear and panic.
"This is the last time I am fucking saving your worthless ass…Zach wants you dead…I am giving you this last chance. Get out of here before I change my mind" Damon whispered menacingly.
"I don't need your fucking mercy…Don…that's what your gang calls you right? Getting me out of your hair won't make your wife love YOU. It's not my fault your wife thinks I am better then you, See this! Elena…He is still a criminal…he can never change…" Stefan seethed. He didn't know what came over him. He just wanted to hurt his brother for reminding him that his own mother had dumped him as soon he was born. Damon had hit a nerve and he wanted to get back at his brother. The only thing that could hurt his already vulnerable brother was Elena.
Elena yelped. What was Stefan doing? Why was he riling Damon more when Damon already looked like he was on verge of losing sanity. Damon was once again possessed with hatred and fury. He saw red. How dare he talk to Elena? How dare he try to snatch one thing that gave him happiness. Rage swirled like red tide within him. Stefan took everything from his life, his dreams and now his family. Enough. Damon swung his fist against Stefan's jaw. Stefan staggered but gained his footing again. He wiped the trickle of blood streaming from his broken lip. Elena held her head in her hands as she watched them with a horrified expression. "Please…don't…What are you two doin…STOP" she said as she tried to break them free.
They didn't budge even a bit. Damon attacked again, stepping forward and flicking his wrist out. Stefan blocked , but Damon was quick. Without giving him time to recover, he swirled around kicking his younger brother in the knee. Stefan fell toward the wall. He couldn't fight anymore. He wasn't as strong as his brother. "Stop it! STOP IT" Elena shouted as she came in between them hiding Stefan behind her. "MOVE" Damon growled.
"He is your brother" Elena pleaded reminding him. His cold stare frightened her. No matter how much he loved her. He wasn't going to stop now.
"Who are you trying to save? My brother or your lover?" he seethed. Had it been someone else, he would be long dead now. Messing around with Don's wife…no one would dare to commit that kind of a crime.
"Lover? Stefan and I are NOT together…If you haven't noticed…I am heavily pregnant with your child…I already have a crazy husband I don't need another complication in my life" she spat.
"Don't lie to me"
"He is with Caroline…We are just friends…I am your wife and pregnant with your child…what do I have to show you to convince you that I am only yours" she said grasping his arms.
"but I saw you with him today in the morning" he replied, perplexed.
"You were stalking us" Elena asked, eyebrows rose.
"Old habit of his…creepy motherfucker" Stefan cursed as he tried to get up. Damon's jaw clenched. Elena held him back by distancing them. Her arms holding him back. "He took me to my doctor's appointment…in case you don't know I am on your Boss's kill list" Elena informed. "Matt's order…I was with her for security purposes" Stefan added.
"Okay…Okay…I understand…Did Matt also tell you to paint her toenails on the front porch?" he seethed.
"Oh MY GOD! You cannot be serious…" Stefan groaned. "She is all yours…we are just friends…" he added.
"Damn right! She is mine…get it through your head" he spat back.
"Yes…yes…I am yours…It's only you for me…I love you" Elena interfered cupping his face. He closed his eyes in great reprieve. She stepped closer. Confident that she was getting through him. Rose rolled her eyes. There she goes…Elena was so good at deceiving him. All she had to do was touch him and whisper sweet nothings to him and he would become her willing slave. She was surprised by what happened next.
Damon only snapped out when he felt Elena's soft lips against him. He smirked when he realized what she was doing. She was distracting him again. And she nearly succeeded too. Nearly. His hands traced up her arms before he pushed her away slightly. The smile on her face faltered. "No…baby…This won't work anymore" he hissed. "Damon…I…" she said confused. "You framed me Elena…you backstabbed me…I am not gonna let that one go…I let it go once but not again…" he raged.
"I didn't have a choice Damon…Matt was blackmailing me"
"So you preferred to save your skin and throw me under the bus" Damon asked. His breath became harsh and shallow, his hands automatically curling into fists at his sides, itching to swing out and put a dent in the wall beside him.
"No..No..No…It wasn't like that. Do…Do you remember when we staged that I got kidnap. When Matt used me to lure you back."
He didn't reply so she continued. "He had a video footage of that…of you killing people to get to me…he threatened me that he will hand it over to the police department unless I help him…I was just looking out for you…I was trying to save you" she pleaded holding his hand. His eyebrows furrowed.
"If you don't stop looking out for him and saving him you will end up killing him" Rose chimed.
"What else was I suppose to do Rose? I didn't have a choice..."
"You did have a choice…you could have told us…we could have gotten rid of Matt Donavan easily…Do you even realize the mess you created by messing with Zach Salvatore and Voltaire…You are lucky you're still alive" Rose seethed.
Damon didn't know what to say. A part of him was relieved that she wasn't with his brother like he thought she was. She was shaking with fear as she tried to explain her motives to him. "Please…you know I can never hurt you…You are my world…I never meant to harm you…just hear me out this one time…I only did it to protect you…" she cried violently.
"Where is Matt Donavan?" he asked turning around facing Rose.
"In hospital with broken ribs…" Rose replied, smirking.
"What?" Elena gasped. Stefan shook his head. So that's why Matt had not been responding to his calls from the last two days.
"Rose…take Joss and Jake …Go down there and kill him" he ordered. Elena gasped. "No…NO…You can't do that" she shook her head furiously. "Elena! You have already created hell a lot of mess…I need to fix stuff now…and just because I forgive you for what you did doesn't mean I am okay with it…Stay out of everything now for your own good" he growled at her. She took a step back. "NO! I won't allow you to do that…I won't allow you to hurt my best friend"
"Best friend? Since when did Matt Donavan become your best friend?"
"Damon! He is trying to help us…Please don't do this" she begged.
He ignored her pleading and stuffed his hand in his pocket. Stefan rose on his feet. "And get Stefan out of here…Keep him locked up in the warehouse until I convince Zach to let them both live" Damon added as he typed something fast on his cell.
"Will you be informing Zach about this?"
"If my arrest was pre planned by Matt Donavan then it probably means they are looking for something big to lock us all down for good" he added.
"Well…that won't be much of a trouble to them since Elena had granted him access to company account records" Rose informed. Damon stilled. "You did WHAT?" he glared at her. Elena cowered under his stare."but how?" he asked Rose. "She is active share holder" Rose reminded him. He let out a harsh snarl. Things started to make sense. Elena asking for him to sign off his shares to her. "Well played Donavan" he murmured. Matt managed to sneak into the accounts using Elena. Matt had exploited his weakness. He had managed to play Elena all over again. His wife was innocent. Matt had taken advantage of Stefan's stupidity and Elena's innocence. Now they were both in danger because of him.
"Please…Damon…Matt promised to let you go if I helped him…Don't hurt Matt…he is trying to help us…once Zach is gone…you will be free…we will go back to Rimini...like we planned…You, I and our son…Let's help Matt…please…Let's get rid of Zach once and for all" she begged, promising him with appealing future.
She was so naïve. Didn't she know there was no out now. There was one but Matt Donavan caused them that chance. Matt was nothing compared to Zach. Zach was powerful. He could easily get rid of people like Matt. "Elena is right …we have a chance to put him behind bars again…Help us" Stefan added.
"You are both nuts if you think Matt Donavan holds a chance against Zach. Rose…get rid of Stefan and Sage keep an eye on my beautiful wife…I have to go meet Zach" he brushed Stefan and Elena both off.
"Damon…No...This is wrong…don't do this" Elena begged him holding his arm.
He span around , looking at her. He cupped her face, wiping her tear stained cheeks with his thumb. He bent down kissing her forehead. It's been long since he last touched her. She sighed when his lips touched hers. "I am sorry baby…I can't do that. I know you will hate me for this but I am doing this for our survival…Zach would kill us if I betray him…I am so sorry but I have to do this" he whispered against her skin. Her furious eyes shot to him. Before she could react he pulled away.
He strides toward exit. He needed to inform Zach about this as soon as possible.
There was so much to do tonight. He had to get rid of Matt for good. He had to convince Zach to spare his wife's life. He had to get Stefan out of the country unnoticed to save his fucking ass. He had a lot on mind. His relationship problems with his wife have to take a backseat.
"She is as ruthless as you are" Rose murmured.
"What?" Damon asked snapping out of his thoughts.
"She just wanted to save you out of all of us" Rose added.
His eyes narrowed as he thought about it. His beloved wife was as rash and irrational when it came to people she loved like he was. When Matt threatened his life she immediately did everything Matt had asked her to do to save him. He understood that feeling. He had done the same for his brother ages ago. She loved him crazily and intensely like he did. He understood but it didn't make what she did right. She had caused him a lot of pain in the past two months.
"Damon! To what do I owe this pleasure?" Zach asked as he entered the big hall.
Damon sighed. Here goes nothing. He filled Zach with new found information. Zach listened intently. He remained silent. He stayed calm. For others it looked like Zach was okay with the situation. But Damon knew better. This was the calm before the storm. "I have sent down Joss after him…he will be gone by tomorrow"
"Hmmm… so you're telling me Elena had been in on it the whole time"
"Yes but he threatened her" Damon reasoned.
Zach shook his head. "She betrayed us Damon…Rules are same for everyone…Like I said I would kill my own daughter if she ever betrayed me"
"I am not letting anyone so much as look at her the wrong way"
"You fucking listen to me…you have already landed me into huge problems. I don't want any more complications. You gonna go back and finish her off if you know what's good for you" Zach growled.
Damon knew arguing with Zach was fruitless. Looks like he had to go through plan B. "Am I clear?" Zach growled again. Had it been someone other than Elena he would have easily agreed. But the love of his life was in danger. He wasn't going to make the same mistake Kol made three years back when he resisted Zach's orders.
He nodded.
Zach narrowed his eyes. He knew how obsessed Damon was this particular girl. But this was a difficult time and he needed all his men. In a addition to that, he had Damon's weakness. He still had the proof against Stefan of the drug racket eleven years back. He knew Damon wouldn't dream of betraying him. He was very powerful. He still had the upper hand. Besides, if Damon took one step against his orders he could easily have him killed. Yes, he was still in control. With those thought he relaxed on his seat and motioned Damon to leave.
Once Damon left he asked his secretary to call Enzo.
"You wanted to see me" Enzo asked. "You want Miss Bennett out of jail .Don't you?"Zach asked.
"Yes…I have been requesting to meet you for two weeks now. I tried to bail her out but that fucking son of a bitch Matt Donavan…" he trailed off when Zach motioned him to stop. "Damon will get rid of him today"
"Damon is out?" Enzo asked , surprised.
"Yeah…however…we have some issues…I want you to do something for me in exchange for Miss Bennett's freedom" Zach propositioned.
"what?"
"I want you to kill Elena Salvatore"
"I…I…I can't do that…she is pregnant"
"So?...Listen to me Enzo…Do you know why Elena got Damon arrested in the first place? Because Matt Donavan offered her Damon's freedom in exchange for us…She accepted his offer without thinking twice and trust me I praise her for her loyalty to her husband. She messed with the Don of mafia to save the love of her life. However she is becoming problem for me…I want her dead…Now…I am giving you two options…you can also save your love by killing Elena or you can let your love rot in jail for the rest of her life"
"But if…if I kill Elena… I know Damon would come after me…he won't rest until he kills me"
"Then we will kill him too…You will be the new Don of this city…Imagine the power you will have?" Zach tempted him. "I have given him the very same order and he has agreed but as much as I know him. He is obsessively in love with her. I know he won't harm her. I want you to keep an eye on him and strike as soon as you notice he is betraying. Once Elena Salvatore is gone I promise you I will get your Bonnie out of jail" Zach further tempted.
Enzo was perplexed. He couldn't backstab his friend like that. "Enzo…Damon and Elena will always chose each other first…Learn from them…think about yourself for once"
"I will do it" Enzo finally caved.
Damon knew Zach wasn't convinced that he was on his side. He had to act fast. Holding Elena's hand tightly in his, he made his way through the heavy crowd in the nightclub. He picked her up from his house. He needed her by his side. He refused to let her out of his sight for even one second. He knew Zach. If Zach wanted someone dead he would go to any length to kill that person. Elena was in constant danger now. His eyes scanned for the person he called. This was his final shot. He was going to play his cards well. If this deal went just like he wanted he would easily get rid of Zach for good and he would become the Don of the mafia. He would have power beyond any limits. Elena whimpers snapped him out of thought.
"Damon…the music is killing my head" she complained, narrowing her eyes. He ignored her. She was only acting like this because of Matt. The very thought boiled his blood. So now Matt Donavan was more important than him. He shook his head. He shouldn't feel threatened. She had proved him that she loved him beyond any logic or reason by messing with the Don of mafia. She was just as crazy about him like he was about her. But he wasn't going to appreciate her efforts. Look what that got them into. Zach was out for her blood now. He ignored her whimpers as he dragged her to a corner.
"Damon Salvatore?" A sultry voice said.
"Hey Olivia!" he smirked as he recognized her. "Is he here?" Damon asked. "Right at that corner" the girl replied. "So this is famous Elena Gilbert" she said as her eyes scanned Elena. "Salvatore…Elena Salvatore…" Damon corrected. "Oh how rude of me! Elena…This is Olivia…an old friend of mine" he said smirking. Elena knew what that meant. The city swarmed with her husband's old fuck buddies. "Hi" she murmured softly. She didn't have energy in her to feel threatened or jealous. There was a sharp pain in her head that was slowly clouding her senses.
Damon noticed how she didn't react at all. She acted aloof as if she wasn't even here. "Rose…Butch…stay with her…I will be right back" he motioned them to take Elena. "Damon…you should take more guards with you. What if he attacks?" Rose said in a concerned tone. Only four guards weren't enough.
"I have his weakness with me...he wouldn't dare harm me" Damon said.
"Shall we?" the girl asked.
"Lead the way"
"So we meet again" the blonde man in front of him smirked.
"Klaus Michelson"
"I was surprised when you requested to meet me…I mean last I checked you framed me and got me arrested. Although I heard the very same thing happened to you too and by none other than beautiful Mrs. Salvatore" Klaus chuckled.
Damon rolled his eyes. "Anyway…I decided that we don't need to keep fighting when we both could clearly benefit from our partnership just like old times…Let Bygones be bygones…"
"Excuse me! Who are you to decide? Need I remind you that I am the Don of this city now" Klaus growled.
"I would be nice to me if my brother was being held captive this very moment" Damon snorted.
"WHERE IS KOL?" Klaus finally shouted.
"Breathing and alive at my Italy base…but he wouldn't be breathing any longer if you don't agree to what I say" Damon threatened.
Elijah who had been standing silently behind his brother this whole time, finally spoke. "Salvatore…what makes you think we will agree to your demands? How do we even believe you haven't killed Kol yet? You were out for his blood as far as I remember"
Damon signaled Jared, his guard behind him. Jared reached for his bag and pulled out his iPad. He handed the iPad to Klaus.
A very weak and hurt Kol was tied to a chair. He looked like he had been starving for weeks. "I kept him alive but I made sure he is miserable every second…I wanted to give him as much as pain as possible before I finish his miserable life" Damon said smirking.
Klaus glared at him. "Anyho…you already know that Zach wants you gone…he wants us to get rid of you but I don't want that…I want you to help me get rid of Zach" Damon offered.
Klaus eyebrows rose. "What kind of trick is this?" Elijah asked.
"Allies for convenience…I am sick of Zach…he has been a pain in the ass for too long. It's time to over throw the king…we will divide the territories…half yours and half mine" Damon tempted.
"and in addition to that I will return you your brother unharmed" he added.
"and why should we believe you? What if you betray us?" Elijah mused.
Damon rolled his eyes. "Without my help you can't even touch Zach and I can't get rid of him without your help…we both need each other…Combined we can overthrow him and his business partner Voltaire…just imagine the power we would have without these two old nutcases in our way" Damon tempted Klaus.
"and if we don't agree" Klaus said.
"I can't find a reason…why you won't"
"Does this have something to do with Elena?" Elijah interfered. Damon had to bite his lower lip to stop himself from snarling at him. "You don't learn easily. Do you?" he whispered.
"You have got yourself a deal…I want Zach gone too" Klaus interfered.
"So Allies for convenience?"
"Agreed" Klaus replied in a serious tone. With Zach gone, he could easily expand his territories. His disagreements with Damon come after business.
"I will be leaving" Klaus said as he got up.
Damon nodded.
Klaus and Elijah left with their guards. He waited for a while so no one would get suspicious. When he came out of the VIP room. His phone buzzed loudly.
"Hello"
"She…she kept saying that her head hurt…I didn't know…I swear I didn't know what happened. She fainted"
"Why didn't anyone tell me?" he snarled at her as he quickly folded his sleeves rushing toward exit.
"Where are you?"
"In the hospital…Can you hurry up? They keep saying that she needs to undergo a surgery soon or she will die" Rose rambled.
"Wh…What?" he felt he couldn't breathe. No this can't happen now. "I…I am on my way" he said as he rushed to his car.
"Where is she?Where is she?" he asked Rose who was standing by the receptionist. There was a slight tear in the corner of her eye. The fear stricken expression on her face scared him.
"Damon…" she choked. She motioned for him to follow her. She led him to ER. Caroline was also standing their watching her friend through the glass door. Her eyes shot up to meet his. He had never seen someone look at him with so much hatred and sympathy at the same time.
"Is her husband here?" a doctor said as he came out of the ER. "Yes…I am her husband" he replied as he moved past Caroline to him.
"We need to perform C section now…her tumor is getting worse…she needs to undergo SBS and maybe LITT if she survives SBS..."The doctor rambled and he felt like life escaped through him. What tumor? What is he talking about?
"Dr Grayson Gilbert from MF hospital and Dr Hampton from Watson hospital had been dealing her case" Caroline spoke from behind him. "I will need her recent images of CT scan and CBC( complete blood count) test before we prepare for Cesarean"
"Yeah…my friend is on the way…here he is" Caroline pointed behind him. He saw Jeremy rushing through the crowd toward them. His face was stained with tears as he handed an envelope to duty doctor. He didn't even notice Damon standing there.
"I…called Caroline…I thought she might know since elena had been living with her" Rose whispered behind him.
"You will need to sign these papers" the doctor said as he handed him a clipboard. "Spouse consent for treatment" he read.
"Will she be fine?" he asked in almost a desperate tone.
"Mr. Salvatore…I have already explained the nature of situation to Miss Brown over here. Medicine and surgery aren't exact science. We can't give you any type of guarantee especially in this case when we told Mrs. Elena Salvatore repeatedly that the exertion of the pregnancy will be really harmful to her brain and there is a good possibility that her brain shuts off due to it" The doctor replied in void emotionless voice.
His face scrunched up in pain. He shook his head. This can't happen. Not now. He was leaving no stone unturned to keep her alive and she is on death bed again. Why? Why him? "Damon! You have to sign…she is in pain" Caroline's voice snapped him out of it. Almost on pilot mode he signed. "We will start preparing for surgery"
He took step toward the glass window. It looked like she was sleeping but he knew better. The pained expression on her face gave her away. Waves of grief brought him almost to his knees. There she was the woman he loved unequivocally, who made him whole, with whom that whole was greater than the sum of its parts and she was in danger of leaving this world. There are no words and not enough tears to reflect the immensity of his pain. This was karma. This was fate's way of punishing him for all the bad he did throughout his life. He had to watch the love of his life wither in pain until she was no more.
"You can meet her now…she is awake" one of the nurses informed him. Almost on pilot mode, he rushed inside. He gulped loudly as he took in the sight in front of him. An ECG monitor beeping, tubes from Integra AV plunged in her by means of needles. She looked so small and vulnerable. Her eyes fluttered open.
"I am never gonna forgive you for this" he breathed, drawing closer to her. "You knew about this right?" he asked in a tone laced with pain. Her eyes lowered in guilt. "How dare you put me through this kind of pain?" he hissed. "I…I…I will make it"
"I know you're hurt but I need you to understand why I did this" she whispered back, tears polling her eyes. "Why?" His blue eyes flashed in anger as he stepped toward her. "Clearly doesn't matter what I think."
"I found it after we were 20 weeks past…we even named him…I couldn't get rid of my son to save my life…you would have done the same" she said as she made a motion for him to hold her hand. Almost reflexively he did. His expression seemed to break with her words. "Yes I would have been aghast but I would have chosen you…how can you do this to me Baby…"He sounded hopeless. "I can fight it…I will survive this…This isn't the first time I had tumor…I made it before…I can survive this time too" she was comforting him. "I can't lose you…" he broke into heart wrenching sobs in a child like way. She had seen him cry before. Once, when she ran off to see her brother and second time when he was telling her his story. It was nothing like it was now. "Damon! Damon! Look at me! I am gonna make it. I am not gonna leave you or our son like that…I will survive this…we will survive this…we always do..." she comforted him.
He shook his head. She was promising him something that wasn't even in her power."It's all my fault…fate is taking you away from me because I am a bad person" he finally voiced what was going through his mind.
"No…Damon…I had this condition since I was an year old…It's not anyone's fault" she whispered. "I will never forgive you for hiding this from me…" he mumbled as he kissed her hand repeatedly. He was shaking and she knew fear had taken over him. "and you can fight with me all you want as soon as I come back after giving you Dylan" she tried to lighten up the situation. "if...you come back…" he breathed. " I will" she said in a determined tone. "I will die too if you left me" he voiced as he held back his sobs. "No…don't say that…I am sure I will make it but in case I don't…" he hissed but she continued. "I need you to look out for Dylan like you did with Stefan…Damon you can't go back to the way you lived before…you can't go back to darkness…you have to change…there is more to life then power and money" she said as she cupped one side of his face wiping his tear stained cheek.
"I promise I will leave everything behind…I will do whatever you want…just…just, I am begging you. Don't leave me. Please."
"I won't.I won't" she soothed him. He lowered his head on her chest, content by the sound of her drumming heart. They stayed like this for what seemed like hours as she brushed her fingers through his hair. Their time ended when the doctor arrived and announced it was time for her surgery.
"I am staying with her" he said in a determined tone once they transferred her to surgical room.
"This is against hospital rules…"
"I am her husband…I have all the right to stay by her side during this" he growled. "Just let him stay" Elena whispered as her vision started to cloud again. "It's okay…I am going to be fine" she chuckled. Instead of him comforting her through this she was the one providing him with comfort."What's so funny?" he asked in a shaky tone as he held on to her hand like a lifeline. "This…" she whispered as she tried to keep the situation light. She felt the chief surgeon injecting her with partial anesthesia. "I find no humor in this situation" he replied seriously in a cold tone. "Dr Hampton has been informed he is on his way" assistant surgeon informed the couple.
"Craniotomy or SBS?" Elena asked.
"SBS" the surgeon replied. She felt Damon cringe. "They are preparing for it as we speak"
"Elena! Can you feel this?" One of the surgeon asked.
Elena didn't understand what they were talking about. But then she remembered they had just injected her with anesthesia .She shook her head. "I am going to be okay" she said more to the man holding her hand like a life line then herself. A sharp pain passed through her head. She held back the tears. Damon murmured words of support and love to her as he held her hand. She kept comforting him. She knew he needed that.
After a while,her breathing became ragged. The ECG machine beeped violently. Damon knew something was wrong when the chief surgeon started panicking. "Elena! What's wrong?" he breathed."I…I can't see anything" Elena said as she withered in pain. Her breathing became harsh. "Do you feel nauseated?" one of the nurses asked. Elena shook her head. "I…I…It hurts" she groaned in pain.
"Baby…baby…just breathe" Damon pleaded desperately. She struggled to breathe. She had too. "Baby you promised" he reminded her as she took another breathe but the blinding pain was making it hard for her to stay conscious. She felt like someone just plunged a billion needles in her skull. Every part of her hurt.
"Elena!" she could hear him beg her to open her eyes. "Please…Baby…Please breathe…stay with me"
He could hear a lot of people pleading him to leave them as he stood there in form of their death. He remembered Kol begging him to save the love of his life from Zach's clutches as he stood their motionless while Klaus killed Davina for betraying them. Flashes of his ruthless murder rampages came before his eyes as he grasped the hand of the girl tightly that had unintentionally awoke long dead humanity inside him.
"Elena Hang on" the chief surgeon addressed Elena as he barked some orders to his juniors that Damon didn't understand.
Elena gulped harshly. "Promise me you won't hurt Matt? Promise me you will help Matt put Zach down…you…you don't need to be scared of him anymore…" she panted heavily.
"I will do anything you want me to do but don't talk like that…you're not leaving me" he shook his head as he kissed her forehead. His lips felt cold against her warm skin. His heart sank into his shoes as he realized how much he needed her. No matter what his past was, no matter what he had done, he doesn't deserve this. Fate couldn't snatch her from him. Yes, he had done a lot in past but she had changed him. He was redeemable. He could still fix things if she stayed with him.
She felt his tears fall on her face as he lovingly stroked her hair. A soft cry distracted her for a moment. Her heavy eyelids shot up. "Dylan" she whispered. A smile broke on her face. "Steady heartbeat?" one of the surgeon told the other as they examined her baby. HER baby. She couldn't believe it. She looked at her husband. He had raw emotions on his face. The awed expression followed by panic and then pride. Pride of creating a life with her. One of the nurses cleaned the mucus and the blood on her baby. She reached out for him even though the blinding pain was making it difficult for her to even move. "I…wanna see him" Elena pleaded. Her hands were shaking as she reached out. Instead of handing her baby wrapped in towel to her, they handed him to Damon. He looked at his son in awe. This was his son. The life he created. He lovingly grazed his crying son's temple with his fingertips. He couldn't believe it. Instead of killing a life, he created a life. A wide smile broke on his face as the baby stared up to him with his doe eyes. But Dylan had Damon's eye color though.
He felt a warm feeling as he held his son to his chest. He felt overwhelming love, the feeling of having his son in his arms filled his heart with so much happiness that it almost hurt . All he wanted in that moment was to stare and study every feature of his son and memorize the details. It was like instant happiness and joy- he had never experienced before. In that moment he thought he could never ever love anyone like he loved his son at that moment. He felt complete euphoria. Elena's painful gasps snapped him out of his daze. "Baby…Baby…What's wrong?" he asked, panicked again. One of the nurse took the baby from his hands. Elena didn't look like she was even aware of his presence.
"Baby…Baby…I am here" he said desperately as if trying to tell her that he would make her pain go away. "Mr Salvatore...We will do everything we can to save her but you need to go out" One of the surgeon told him. "No! No! I am not going…I have to stay…I am not leaving her" he said desperately as they tried to push him out."Please…Please…Let me stay…Lena" he begged as tears trailed down his cheeks. He had never felt so helpless. "You are only wasting our time…please…you need to leave" A nurse said as she tried to push him out of the room. He struggled but they managed to send him out promising him they would try their best to save her.
Rose was standing outside. Her face sympathetic as she saw him. "They took Dylan to examine him" she informed. He didn't reply. His mind was far from that. He saw Caroline sitting on a chair. Her head in her hands. "Tell me she will survive this" he almost begged Rose. "They say there is a good chance she will" Rose comforted him. Everyone goes through pain but this was the kind of pain he had never experienced. He suddenly knew that if she died he would die too. Maybe not immediately and not as painfully as she was going but he would.
He couldn't live long without her. He now understood her need to get out of their world with him and Dylan. Seeing Dylan had multiplied his argue to protect his son from Zach and his world. He won't make the same mistake his father did. At that moment he looked up and promised himself he would get rid of Zach and Klaus both. He would make this world a better place for his son and Elena. He would kill for them, destroy anyone who would dare to look at his son and his wife the wrong way.
He paced like mad man as he thought about Elena in their fighting for every breath. Fate couldn't be so cruel as to send her to him and snatch her away just as soon as he made her the center of his world. His head used to be so full of shadows and darkness until she came along. She was the light of his world, whenever he looked into her life filled bright eyes it was like finding the light at the end of a very dark and scary tunnel. The light he never thought he would ever find. "You have to stay with me Elena…you have to fight for us…for me and Dylan…We are nothing without you" he mumbled as he paced. She didn't even get to see their son. Their miracle. The life he created with her. This was so unfair.
"Damon…Damon…" Rose tried to snap him out of his trance.
"She is in pain Rose. I will die for her.I love her so much.I don't know what I would do without her. She is going through so much pain right now.I wish I could take it all away, kill the pain, make it stop…I don't know what I would do without her…I love her so much…I would die without her…" he mumbled . He was broken. He was destroyed. Rose encircled her arms around him to comfort him. He wasn't in his right state of mind. He pulled back. He paced again, mumbling something Rose couldn't make out.
He had never believed in God but at that point he prayed to whatever force was out there to save his beloved wife. He begged for her life.
His eyes were red and puffy. He looked like he was seconds away from dying. After what seemed like hours, a surgeon who he recognized as chief surgeon came out. "We managed to stop the bleeding…she is safe for now…congratulations…She managed to pull through this very hard step" the chief surgeon briefed. "However we still have some serious issues. We have to prepare Mrs. Salvatore for a major surgery tomorrow…SBS is complicated surgery anything could go wrong. The positive point here is Elena's tumor isn't malignant. However we crossed the most difficult stage and Mrs. Salvatore survived that" he explained.
He sighed in relief. There was still one essential stage left and then she would be fine.
"She is still unconscious but since you are her spouse you are allowed to stay with her once she is shifted back to her room" he added. "However we still have pressing matters to discuss." Damon nodded as he wiped his face, relived for the time.
He span around. "Watch over Dylan please…I need to stay with her" he ordered. "Okay…"
"and call me if something goes wrong…I will come check things myself too once I make sure Elena is okay" he added. "Damon!" Caroline's voice interrupted them. "Where is Stefan?" she asked. Oh yeah! Elena did mention Stefan was with blonde now. He thought. "He is fine…he is safe…I will explain later" he said impatiently. "Can I meet her?" Caroline added. "Later" he said without looking back as he followed the nurses who were transferring Elena on stretcher bed to her reserved room.
It looked like she was sleeping. She looked so peaceful. He held her hand and brought it close to his lips to kiss it. She was okay. She was breathing. There was still hope. He tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. "You're gonna be fine baby" he murmured. "I will never let anything happen to you" he said as he kissed her knuckle. "I just went down to see Dylan…he is doing fine…you were right he has my eyes…you win this bet too" he spoke. "but he still looks more likes you then me…he has the tiniest hands in the world…and they are very adorable…" he spoke as if she could hear him. "You were right Elena…I don't want my son to grow up in a world like this…I promise you I will make the world a better place for my son…" he kissed her temple lovingly.
"Please…please…Wake up" he begged. He needed to see her eyes that instant. He was afraid he was losing her. He buried his face in her arm inhaling her scent. He felt fingers running through his hair and almost reflexively he purred. His head shot up. His eyes lit up and The corners his mouth twitching upwards, tentatively, exploring the reaches of a smile. "Baby…" he murmured as he reached to kiss her full on lips. "You're awake" he said against her mouth as he captured her lips again in a searing but innocent kiss. He pulled back seeing as she was still very weak. "I told you I will make it" she breathed in a very weak tone.