N: I know this is like…ssssuuupppeeerrr short, but I wanted you guys to know what happened with Damon. No cliff-hanger this time. Hope you'll enjoy the mini chapter and leave me a thought or two.

Not proof-red, excuse the mistakes *smiles shyly*

Bloody hands

Elena positioned Damon's head on her breasts. Warm, thick blood was soaking her thin blouse, but not only she did not notice, but she wouldn't even care even if she would've. All she could think about was that it had all been in vain. She did everything she could to stay as close to Damon as possible, she had paid attention not only to those in his family, but everyone coming close to him, and still she wasn't able to prevent it. Her deepest and most somber nightmare had come true. Someone finally made a move. Damon was hurt, in her arms and there wasn't anything she could do. It was too late. She had failed to protect him.

"Damon! Damon! Please…" she prayed, she prayed he will open his breathtaking eyes so she'd know he was okay. "Stefan, call an ambulance!" she yelled. She started screaming, giving everyone order, to fetch water, to give him more space or call for help. Her heart was beating its way out of her chest. She was so scared that she had lost him that she could barely see clear or think of anything but her desire to see him open his eyes and tell her everything will be okay.

"I'm fine." Damon struggled to pull himself in a sitting position so he'll be able to stand.

"What the hell just happened?" Elijah asked once he finally made his way towards the crowed and reached Damon and Elena. "Damon?"

"Elijah, give me a handkerchief." Elijah's eyes opened wide at the sight of blood. "I am okay, now please just hand me a damn handkerchief, I'm bleeding on my wife."

"Only you could joke in a time like this," Elijah commented, handing him the requested object.

"Someone has to."

"They're calling an ambulance, should be here soon."

"I don't need one. Please make sure no one is calling for one, there are people out there who actually need it." He was doing his best to clean his wound, but failing at the task since he couldn't precisely see where it was. "Something hit me," he mumbled as Elena managed to sneak the handkerchief from his hand. The water she asked for earlier was there so she used some to clean his forehead. She couldn't even begin to explain the relief that took over her. Damon was fine. He was hurt, but he nothing too serious had happened to him.

Damon pointed at a broken piece of glass – what looked more like the thick bottom of a bottle. "Did you see him?"

"What?" Damon asked confused, twitching as Elena applied some pressure to get the blood out of the way and make sure the cut was not too deep.

"The person that threw that."

"No, I didn't." He pushed Elena's hand aside. "Now let that go and help me up," he ordered.

"I am not sure that's the best idea, Damon. Just wait a few minutes," Elena urged. "What it you have a concussion?"

"I promise you, I am alright," he said squeezing her hand slightly. All the bittiness between them had evaporated. He was no longer teasing her, but comforting her. She guessed he could tell she was terrified for him. "Now, please just help me get off my ass, it's embarrassing," he said smiling at Elena and the only thing she could do was smile back. She had decided long ago that his smile, particularly when he meant it to be charming, was something that should not be legal. It was like a drug, making everyone agree with him, no matter how strong and how many arguments one might have against it.

Elijah helped Damon up and he recovered immediately. Elena just helped herself off the dirty floor. She didn't bother attempting to arranger herself, she knew there was no hope. Her blouse was all covered in blood and her skirt was dirty from the floor. Her hair must've been a mess, because she remembered running her hard through it countless times. She suspected, and a look at her hands confirmed it that they were dirty, dust and blood covering her perfect manicure, and still shaking. There wasn't anything she could do, not there, in the middle of the cowed in a factory. But she took her place by Damon side; that was where she belonged. In the meantime the police came. The attackers had been caught and taken into custody.

"They were three of them, by now they should be at the police station. Apparently there are people who do not like you Mr. Charm," Elijah teased. "Let's go."

"Go? I'm not going anywhere just because a bunch of delinquents tried to knock me out with a piece of glass. I came here to talk to this people and ask for their votes and that is exactly what I will do."

"We can do it another time."

"We're here now." With that he turned around and started shaking hands, talking to people, smile and do just what he had been there to do, ask for people's votes.

Elena's heart broke a little. That was what she adored the most about him, his sincerity and determination, but she couldn't help the feeling that she had just lost a battle. She came this close to lose him and she had just realized how vulnerable Damon actually was and how little she could actually do to protect him. There were so many people in the crowed, if someone really wanted to kill Damon tonight, they could have done it and there was nothing Elena could've done to prevent it.