The silence that follows her shocking announcement is deafening. Damon's face is rather skeptical, clearly he wasn't expecting her to play games with them.

But he can see by the serious, unflinching look on her face that this is no game to her.

It's disturbing that she can't seem to get a read on him at all. Several seconds pass before the light goes off in her mind, they want her to falter and make some stupid mistake, one that would prove her deceit. She cannot let that happen.

"I'm sorry Miss Gilbert, what was that?" the other detective looks confused.

Wrong move. Elena's well aware of what it is about. She steels herself against the coming onslaught in record time.

No, she's not about to let them mess her up, not this time, not ever again.

"Don't play me for a fool, detective Saltzman, I think you know very well what it's about. I will not keep repeating myself. Please, sit," she gestures with a wave of her arm.

Alaric knows when he's been beaten in his own game. He shares a look with Damon and sits on the couch. Damon hesitates and takes a seat on a chair. He wouldn't dare to sit on that couch. Alaric wouldn't either if he knew.

Elena decides to ignore that fact although her mind naturally goes to that day as well. She turns her attention to the door. Did Enzo hear what she said? Is he already calling Elijah? Probably not, the door had been closed before she said that last bit.

"So," Saltzman continues, "you're telling us that you killed your brother and hid his body in that previously undiscovered crawl space?"

"Yes."

"Alone?" Damon lets himself be heard, even his voice sounds raspy, here, this is another reason why she must interfere, no one should pay for her sins.

"You might be mistaken, detective Salvatore," she says slowly, "I am not the one who needs to prove my guilt... You are." The fight in her tone is undeniable, she's back. Damon can hardly suppress a smile.

"Forgive me, Miss Gilbert, but I was merely curious how you went about knocking out a one eight pound grown man, your brother to be exact, stuffed his body in that barrel and then bricked him in behind that wall?" his face is impassive and Elena once again wonders why he isn't happy he finally got her confession. She's no fool, she won't let them trip her up, not this time.

"Yes," she doesn't waver.

"I'm sorry I have a hard time imagining..."

"Well, that's your problem, not mine. I am not saying anymore."

"You're not?" Alaric wonders. You can't confess to a murder and then clam up..."

"Can't I?"

The good detective blinks but nothing comes out of his mouth this time.

"That's what I thought. I think I'll beep Enzo for a cup of coffee and we can all wait quietly for Mr. Mikaelson to arrive."

Why did they think this time might go by another scenario?

"What happened?" Bonnie's looking at Enzo's pale face when he's back in his office after delivering the coffee for Elena and her esteemed guests. Where is Luka today anyway?

It takes a second for Enzo to find his voice and answer her question. "She... confessed to Jeremy's murder."

"What? No... She really did it? I'd never guessed she'd admit it."

Enzo looks at her strangely. "What are you talking about? Of course she didn't kill anyone. A little thing like her, how would she do that?"

"Well, how hard is it to slip a drug in someone's cocktail and kill them when they're unconscious and can't fight back. It'd be easy."

"Remind me never to get on your bad side," Enzo's words are dripping with sarcasm.

"Can't you be serious for once?" Bonnie flares up. "Just admit it, she is capable of it and now she admitted it. She'll stop at nothing to get what she wants. It's beyond me how you all can be so blind and stupid..."

"Enough Bonnie. I am deadly serious about this, you need to stop the nonsense right now. I need to think of a way to get her out of this mess."

"I can't believe you! She cut off all of your balls a long time ago."

Enzo doesn't have time to deal with the unexpected revelation that Bonnie clearly isn't the woman he thought she was. He turns his back to her and contemplates whether or not to call Kol and Kai too. Elijah's already on the way, he called him as soon as the detectives invaded her office. Before he can decide what to do next, the lawyer is at the door.

"Elijah! Thank God you're here."

"What mess I am here to clean up this time?" Fortunately, he was still at home when Enzo called, but the hysteric tone in his voice is something new.

"I don't think even you will be able to clean up this mess," Bonnie speaks up which makes both men to look at her.

"Explain," Elijah turns to Enzo, in no mood to listen to Bonnie's biting comments.

"Elena confessed to killing Jeremy."

"She did what?" Elijah rolls his eyes and quickly walks to her office door. "Of course she did."

Even Bonnie has to admit that his reaction is rather odd.

Damon's surprised the lawyer arrives much sooner than he expected. He shifts his glance to Elena, even she looks caught off guard when the door opens mere moments after Enzo left.

The man is wearing the epitome of a poker face, he has no idea what Elijah Mikaelson is thinking when he takes a seat next to his boss and sets down his briefcase. He gives Elena a short nod.

"Good afternoon gentlemen… What did I miss?"

Alaric's been eager to get the ball rolling since Elena cut him off, Damon can tell by the not so subtle grip of his fingers on the arm of the chair.

"Your client here just confessed to first degree murder but refused to elaborate until you arrived."

"She specifically said that she planned and executed his murder in advance? Are you sure she said first degree murder? As in premeditated?

Alaric's caught of guard,"Well, she didn't specifically said it, she said she did kill him and placed him in the barrel in the basement including bricking it up."

Elijah gives a skeptical smile, "And what exactly are you going to do with this information?" he focuses his stare at Damon and he can't not respond.

"First of all, I think it's highly improbable that she did it herself. But as miss Gilbert so aptly reminded us, it's not her job to prove her innocence or guilt, it's ours. So, if she really is responsible, she must have had accomplices, one... or perhaps several."

"You can hardly ignore her confession though," Elijah politely points out.

"You're right, we can't... Your client has so far refused to provide us with a plausible explanation. Therefore I believe a psychological examination would be a reasonable next step," he gives Elena his best courteous smile.

Elena almost spits out her mouthful of coffee. Does he think this is funny? However, she controls herself quickly and gives him a nod. "If you insist, detective..."

Alaric can't quite believe the direction this conversation has taken. He wants to throw in his two cents worth but Damon is one step ahead of him yet again.

"Mr. Mikaelson? Do you have any suggestions?"

Elijah lowers his head for a moment. "Well, I suggest we take some time to think about this. If you're not going to take her into custody, we can end this little get together now, wouldn't you agree, Detective Salvatore?"

Elena feels like being left out but she's not about to let them see her disappointment. Frowning, she looks at Damon and their eyes meet.

"I think that's a marvelous idea, counselor, after all," Damon's eyes drift to hers, "we don't want miss Gilbert to have to spend her birthday behind bars."

"I don't do birthdays!" slips out ouf her mouth before she can give it a thought.

There's a spark in his eyes as if she answered one of his unasked questions.

"Why are you giving me these looks, buddy?" Damon addresses Ric when they crawl into the car, Damon groans, still having difficulties with such a simple task.

"Have you gone mad?" his partner flares up. "What the hell, Damon, since this started five years ago , you've always suspected she was involved and now when she's finally ready to spill her guilty little guts, you let her off the hook?"

"First, chill, okay? She wasn't going to tell us anything concrete because she doesn't know anything, she's not our killer. Second, you and I both know that we wouldn't get anywhere with her and that Mikaelson would have her out on bail in the time it takes to snap your fingers."

"Why are you so sure she's innocent now?"

"Because she did confess. She's covering for someone, surely you could see that?"

"Who would that be?"

"I don't know... but if one of her groupies thinks she's in trouble, maybe one or more of them would offer us a confession on their own?"

Ric mutters something under his breath but stays silent for several blocks. "What's with the birthday anyway?" he lets himself be heard eventually.

"That, my friend is a whole new closeted skeleton on the Gilbert property," he starts telling Ric about what he found in the newspaper archives.

Elena's been silent looking out of the window since the detectives left. Elijah finishes writing some notes before looking up at her. "Anything you want to share?"

Elena turns to him, contemplating her next words. Eventually she settles for "Aren't you the least bit upset with me?"

Elijah chuckles. "Why would I be? I should have anticipated it as soon as you asked me if it could be one of us, with your birthday coming..."

"But you didn't let me do that!" she cries out in frustration.

"That's where you are wrong. Detective Salvatore didn't let you do it. Besides, they're not stupid, Elena, they've been around the block a few times. They know you couldn't do that all by yourself. They'd be rather curious to find out who helped you."

Elena leans her elbows on the desk. "I messed up, didn't I?"

"No, Elena, I don't think so. No matter what you do, they're not going to stop until they find their killer. Salvatore is a bulldog, he isn't going to let it go because you make some ill thought out confession. If anything... he probably thinks you're trying to protect someone."

"Elijah?"

"They already know they're close."

"They don't know anything, you don't know anything. Or do you?" she fixes her big doe eyes on his.

Elijah's immediately transfered to the day they brought her from the hospital and the days after. Her frightened look when she started to realize and put the memories together.

"I don't know anything, not yet. But we still have to let them do their work. It has to happen."

They're interrupted by Enzo, who clearly couldn't wait anymore. "Sorry, is everything okay?"

"Since Elena refused to cooperate, they left to do some more digging I presume."

Enzo sighs relieved. "Elena, what were you thinking?"

Elena shrugs. "Doesn't matter. It didn't work out the way I hoped anyway. Still, they won't be able to just brush it off, they must take it into consideration."

The two men share a look, hoping she won't come up with something better.

Damon's tired, his beaten body refusing to move even another muscle by the time Ric drops him off at his place. He was a bit surprised when he didn't drive off till he was safely inside his place.

After leaving Elena's place, they returned to headquarters and spent more hours than he cares to think about, mostly sorting out alibies and trying to fill in the time line. So far no one in their odd cast of characters has an impenetrable alibi for those crucial hours when he was attacked.

Of course he cannot discount the possibility that someone new, someone still unknown to them could have been responsible for his brush with death.

Luka provided them with another interesting report after questioning the kitchen staff. The head chef, Tyler Lockwood remembered first Kol and then Kai leaving, neither had returned when he left for the night.

Where in the hell did those two go?

Sooner than he would have liked to he had to call it a day and asked Ric to take him home. His body is still nowhere near ready to sit for hours, hell, he's not in any condition to do anything, period.

He takes a shower and slips on a comfortable pair of pajama pants and then settles on the couch with a bottle of Sprite. After taking a long pull, he adjusts his pillows and then contemplates what to do with himself. He could watch a movie... He probably should go to bed and rest his aching body but his mind is too busy. Rather than sleep, he'd end up staring at the ceiling and getting even more frustrated.

He could call his family and ask them to come over. He could order pizza or Chinese, they would be happy and Stefan might help Damon forget about his misery for a little while. Glancing up at his wall clock, he decides not to bother them at this late hour.

It's hard to believe that it was only yesterday that they took him home after a two day hospital stay, they need to wind down too but he could call and let them know that he's okay. Or, he could call Katherine. She'd appreciate the gesture and they could spend the evening catching up, God knows they need it.

But if he's being completely honest with himself, there's only one person he'd like to spend the evening... actually the night with. He misses her. He misses irritating her. He misses the drama and the thrill of the chase. He misses trying to outfox her bodyguards.

Right now, the only thing he wants is to hold her in his arms and kiss her senseless... Not that he's actually had that many opportunities to do so... Still he remembers exactly how she tastes and he knows he needs more... she needs more too. He misses every side of her, both courageous and scary, mostly he misses the soft and caring part that only a select few people get to see.

Before he can talk himself out of it, he reaches for his cellphone and pushes her icon. Yes, he keeps her number in his phone... how could he not? He wonders if she'll recognize his? It doesn't take long before she answers.

"Damon?"

He didn't even realize that he was holding his breath in the few seconds it took for her to answer, for her sweet voice to reach his ear. A smile forms knowing that she recognized his number. There's really no pressing matter other than the overpowering need he feels be close to her... even if it's only through a phone call.

"I'm... How are you holding up?"

"Really?" Elena quickly finds her biting tone. "Are you really asking me..."

"I know, sorry, it's lame," Damon stops her lament. "Just wanted to ... Ehm, I don't even know how to end the sentence."

He chuckles and to his relief she mirrors it.

"I can believe it. Some sentences are better to leave unfinished."

For some reason, it makes him sad, "No, Elena, I believe every one should be finished so there are no regrets."

"It didn't take you long to change your mind. It was only a few weeks ago that you didn't want finish anything as far as your sister is concerned, am I right?"

Damon has to admit she has a point. "Touché... let's just say that right now, I don't regret it. Although things are not ideal..."

"Why didn't you take me in?" she ask with no warning.

"I don't quite believe you," Damon finds it funny that she needs to ask. "I told you before, Elena, I'm not exactly eager to throw you behind bars."

"But I did kill him, you're making a huge mistake."

This time it does sound true and Damon pauses to revise his theory, then sighs. "Elena, there are plenty of reasons why you may feel guilty, but you can't blame yourself for his death. Or you can but that won't make it true. "

There's silence for more than a few moments and Damon considers if she wants to end the call, when she lets herself be heard again.

"Can I ask you something?"

"Shoot," he's waiting patiently.

"What made you change your mind? When did you stop believing that I'm a killer? It makes you a little bipolar... wouldn't you agree?"

Damon gives it a thought. "Would you believe me if I said... because you're not a coward?"

"That really makes no sense at all," Elena responds after thinking about it. "Killers can't be cowards, right?"

"That's where you're wrong. They mostly are."

They talk or don't talk for a few more minutes and Damon realizes they're actually having a normal conversation. He could get used to it.

"Hey Damon, do you remember why you called me?" she asks before they end it.

"I have no idea."

He's still smiling after he's put the phone down on the table and leaned against the couch only now feeling his back again.

Ouch.

Only now he remembers he should take it easy on his ribs.

We finally finished the last chapter of WTTJ... This was meant to be posted yesterday afternoon for your double update but we couldn't get it proofread in time. Eva's nine hours ahead of me and has a job too. There's still a good amount of chapters left to post...

We want to thank you. We truly appreciate all of you so very much. Your support is what keeps us excited to keep bringing you DE stories.

Thank you Eva for always going the extra mile with me.

Chapter title: 'The Wicked Symphony' by Avantasia.

Have a wonderful day and weekend. Thank you all again and we'll see you next week with updates on both stories.