Damon's POV
His eyes pierced into my soul and I could feel my blood instantly run cold. Even the lights flickered momentarily and for good reason; this man was evil. His eyes never left mine as he walked over to the metal table my wrists were still handcuffed to. I winced when he pulled the chair out, the feet scraping the tile floor.
"Orange looks good on you, Damon," He smiled, resting his hands on the table casually.
"Why are you here?" I hissed, subconsciously pulling at my bound wrist.
"I don't want you to say anything you will regret because we are being wat-" He began to speak, but I interjected in frustration.
"You know you are the guilty one. You are the mastermind behind everything. You killed Genevieve. You are the scum of the Earth," I snapped, my face filling with blood.
"Stop pushing your indiscretions on me, Damon. You raped Elena so many times that I lost count. I am just putting away the criminals so that our community can live in peace. Elena has already agreed to come back to the compound. We have so much planned for her," I watched as he began to laugh hysterically to himself, my blood now boiling.
"DON'T YOU TOUCH HER," I roared, yanking my handcuff until the skin of my wrist was raw.
"Elena is safe in our compound. She is safe from you and the monsters like you. Elijah wants a house full of children and Elena is no longer afraid to be touched by a man thanks to him. It should not take long for that house to flourish with babies." He smirked again.
I was beginning to tear up at the thought of what he was saying. How could Elena agree to go back with him? After I had finally gotten her out of there. The Prophet would hurt her more and what was to become of our child?
"Fuck you," I sniffled, rubbing my eye with my free hand.
"I'll take care of her for you. I feel so much better knowing you can't hurt any more women. No woman should ever be violated like that. May you rot in Hell, Mr. Salvatore." His lips again curled up into a small smirk that sent a shiver up my spine.
"I guess I'll see you there," I snapped, slamming my fist onto the cold surface of the table, "You will join me eventually. Once they find out what you have done," I barked with my teeth tightly clenched together.
"You chose the wrong side, Damon. Now look where it got you," He chuckled before rising from his seat across from me.
"At least I will die knowing that I redeemed myself for my mistakes. You will die a coward and a douchebag, and when you go before God, you will pay for what you have done to all those whose souls were ripped from them by your greed and selfishness. I will die a good man, and I do not regret any of it. I chose the right side, Mosiah" I spat, staring into his dark blue orbs.
"Then you will love rotting in a prison cell," He laughed, finally exiting the room.
I slammed my skull onto the hard table one last time, the anger inside me threatening to escape. The impact was harsh, but it was the only way to let out the anxiety I felt in that small, dark room. I didn't want to lose hope that I would get out of here, but what could anyone do to help me? The FBI had video evidence and the Prophet's testimony of my actions. There was no escaping my fate. I just prayed for Elena and our child's safety without me.
Elena's POV
My heart skipped a beat when I saw her face again. Diana was alive! I thought I was going to faint when her arms wrapped around me, her familiar scent filling my senses.
"Diana?" I whimpered, wiping my tears.
"I told you there is good in people, Elena. He couldn't go through with it. I promised him I wouldn't tell the cops. All that matters is that you and Damon are okay," She spoke soothingly in my ear, stroking my hair with her fingertips.
"Damon is in prison. The Prophet handed over videos of Damon raping me, but they have it all wrong. He's going to go to prison forever if we don't do something." I was choking out the words, trying to hold back my pleas.
"Whatever you need. We are here," She hugged me again, gently resting her hand on my back.
"You need to trust me, Elena. We will get him out starting tomorrow," Alaric breathed behind me.
"Join us for dinner then...both of you!" Diana smiled, positioning herself beside her fiance.
"Thank you," I sighed in euphoria.
"First, Elena we should go for a short drive," Alaric said with some hesitancy.
I nodded. "Okay."
"Yeah, come back in a little while, sweetie," Diana encouraged, hugging me to her again.
He walked with me out to the car, his hand directing me to follow, and I did not hesitate. Damon remained in the back of my mind as I reached the vehicle. I buckled up and the man beside me drove off down the street.
"What's the plan?" I sniffled, turning to look at him.
"Now, Elena. What I did was not godly, nor noble, okay? I could get in major trouble for what I have done, but I owe it to my wife and to Damon," Alaric's eyes were fixed on the road, his voice trembling.
"W-what did you do?" I stammered, fidgeting with my nails.
"I-I don't think I should tell you," He whispered, gripping the wheel in his hands.
"Just tell me," I tried not to scream it, my anxiety increasing every second he remained silent.
He paused for a long time, and I noticed his breathing was haggard and his jaw clenched.
"I stole the tapes," He shouted, slamming on the brakes, collapsing his face onto the wheel.
The car came to a sudden, but smooth stop, and I let out a small gasp. His chest was heaving, his forehead pressed against the wheel firmly. My heart was racing so fast as I realized what he had done. He had compromised the evidence. I couldn't even think straight in that moment.
"Alaric," I breathed, my cheeks flushing with blood.
"I told you I would do everything I could to get him out. Whatever needed to be done, I would do. I'm sorry, Elena," He choked.
I was gasping for air, clutching my chest. I was at a loss for words, my throat so tight and dry now.
"That was the only evidence they had, Elena. Without your word, they have no case," I felt him rest his hand on my shoulder, but I shook him off, cupping my head in my hands.
"You could go to prison," I whimpered.
"We're getting Damon out of there, Elena." He had composed himself, the car speeding off down the road again.
"W-we're going to hell," I sobbed, thinking of how much I had disappointed my creator.
"What the Prophet did was worse. He will suffer. Just trust me. I will make sure you three are together in the end. Please just believe that," His voice was so small, and I could see how much he meant those words.
I was still shaking, but I felt better. I would be with Damon. It was worth it, wasn't it? There needed to be a sacrifice and there was. I let out a long sigh, smiling to myself. I looked down at my lap, finally finding the positive in the situation, but what I saw scared me. There was blood. No, no, no...not that.
"Alaric," I shrieked, clawing at my red-stained jeans frantically.
"We need to get you to a hospital," He cried in panic, his face showing his fear.
I felt him step hard on the gas, and I cried harder. I was so emotional, and I couldn't get myself together. I was panicking, screaming pleas of help.
"We're almost there, Elena. Please just calm down," Alaric yelled over my cries.
"I'm losing the baby. Damon. I need Damon." I clutched my stomach, the tears burning trails down my cheeks.
I was in such hysteria, I didn't even notice Alaric pulling me out of the car and into a wheelchair. A nurse took over, and I heard him running frantically behind us.
"My baby," I screamed over and over.
A group of nurses and doctors grabbed at my body, lifting me onto a stretcher. I thrashed myself, clawing at them to help me. They tried to hush me, but I was so scared and confused. Hands began to pin down my limbs, and moments later, I felt a prick in my thigh. I lost control of my body until I was forced to terminate my thrashing. The last thing I recall was the weight of my eyelids as they fell shut, like lead sheets slamming down.
Damon's POV
"Fuck," The cop shouted, grabbing his hair in a rough grip. His moustache curved down, showing his dismay.
"We have no backup? It's all gone? Every fucking tape?" He hissed.
"It's all gone, sir," The other man whispered, bowing his head.
"We have no case. Shit," He barked, slamming his hand on his desk.
I watched from my cell as the cop threw a fit. I couldn't believe it either. The tapes were gone? What did that mean for me?
"You know what this means, right?" The second cop spoke.
"Just get that piece of shit out of here before I kill him myself," The cop roared, storming out of the office area of the jail.
The second cop was in front of my cell moments later. He looked just as pissed.
"We are filing the paperwork now, Mr. Salvatore. We are releasing you. Without a testimony from that girl and no tapes, we have no case," He spat at me.
I nodded my head, trying so hard to hold back my excitement. I was getting out of this hellhole. I would get to see Elena again and our sweet baby. This nightmare was ending.
It took almost half a day before they handed me the release forms. No one was happy for me at the jail. It was no surprise since they were all counting on my conviction. All of them believed I was a monster, and maybe I was. In my cell, I fell to my knees in disbelief that I was actually getting out of there. I closed my eyes, a tear leaking down my face.
"Two hours, Mr Salvatore," A female cop said to me through the bars of the cell.
It was so close, yet so far. I would spend every waking moment thinking of Elena and our baby. I felt whole again. I truly did.
"You have a visitor, sir," The cop told me, opening my cell so I could follow her.
It didn't take long to see who it was. His face was red and his hair tousled about his head, circles under his eyes. His gaze met mine moments later and I could see it wasn't good. Had he not heard the news of my release? I was anxious to speak with him, the cop taking far too long to set up my visiting booth.
When she finally left, I grabbed the phone in the small cubicle, pulling it up to my ear.
"Alaric?" I asked, confused.
"It's Elena," He cried in a trembling voice, the other phone shaking in his grip.
His face said it all, and I felt my throat tighten. No, It couldn't be. His eyes stared diligently at his hands. Just then I felt my heart stop inside my chest, already torn into two.