Author's Notes: I've had a few more add the story for alerts which is great thanks :-)

While writing and due to the breakdown of the groups this story will probably take a bit of a Damon and Elena focus though not necessarily a full on relationship focus. Just saying there will probably be more Delena moments then Stelena moments. But I've changed the categories to Drama/Suspense rather than Drama/Romance. Anyway enjoy the next part which is mostly from Damon's POV.

Damon was luxuriating in the taste of the sweet blood that was soothing the fire that flowed through his veins. It was strange he recalled being burnt from the inside and someone trying to talk to him. It was someone he would generally have paid attention to but the fire inside was too painful to concentrate. Then there had been the blood and his vampire instincts had taken complete control. He would more than happily drain ever drop from this body in order to extinguish the fire.

"Damon . . ."

It was a plea and had it been any other voice that uttered it the monster would have won and continued with consuming what it needed however this time it found itself being fought and losing.

The blood cleared from Damon's eyes as he extracted his veins from the soft flesh at the wrist. Crystal blue focused on the pale face slumped against the tree and pain ripped through his heart. What had he done? He relaxed slightly as he felt the faint but steady rhythm of her heart. He had not taken too much. He reached out to lightly touch her face when another voice pricked his senses.

"Crap, here they come."

Barbie? In a split second the recollection of what had happened that night came back to him and he was instantly on his feet breaking branches off the tree and putting himself in a protective stance in front of Elena.

"You should have stopped me sooner." He glared at Caroline.

Caroline glared back in return. "I wouldn't have let you kill her, but you needed some strength."

For the thousandth time since she had been turned Damon considered staking the blonde. It was a fleeting thought however as she had been more help than him tonight, thanks to Klaus and honestly he would need her help now, even if it was as a distraction in order for him to get Elena out of here and to safety. He tossed her a makeshift stake and looked around, listening intently trying to pick up on exactly what Caroline had sensed earlier.

Moving at speed they soon emerged from the shadows of the trees. Damon was glad he had stood his ground rather than to try and lift Elena and run. In his condition they would not have been able to out run them. The three vampires approached with caution instead of a full out attack. Damon's grip tightened on his branch unsure of what was about to happen as the Original and two of his minions stopped in front of them. In his peripheral vision he saw Caroline shoot him a nervous look but he ignored it for the moment his attention remaining on the original who until tonight's meeting they had had an uneasy truce with.

"You seem to have endless lives Elijah." Damon stated with a bravado he pretended he felt internally. Elijah wondered forward casually a smirk on his lips. His minions remained behind almost as if on guard. Damon spared them the briefest of glances.

"I could say the same about you Mr. Salvatore." Elijah retorted with the same arrogance as usual noticing that when he moved Damon adjusted his position as if protecting something and it was not the blonde newborn. Glancing down he noticed Elena slumped against the tree. He raised a curious eyebrow at this. "Are you trying to succeed where Klaus and I failed and use the girl to suit your own cause?"

The words seemed nonchalant but they pricked at Damon's ire. He tightened his grip on the branch he held all the while knowing it would not have an effect on the original anyway. "She's alive," He ground out through her teeth. "And I intend to keep her that way."

Elijah looked down at Elena again as if trying to figure out why the girl seemed to inspire such selfless protection from those around her. Even after spending time with her he honestly did not get it. "Yet humans are so fragile." He commented with a shrug his gaze shifting back to Damon as if judging the young but strong vampire. "You know you'd be better off killing her or turning her to give you some sanity."

His words confused Damon and he frowned in annoyance. He was tired of mind games and pansy footing around. If they were going to fight – and he was pretty sure they were – he just wanted to get it started already. Not that he was stupid enough to make the first move. "What do you want Elijah? I know you want me dead so why not just try and get it over with already."

Elijah laughed causing Damon's frown to deepen. "Ah, the impetuous of youth. Relax Damon I am not going to kill you. Well not tonight anyway." Damon opened his mouth to say something however Elijah continued before he had a chance. "A great change took place here tonight. There is much to do and too many werewolves on the loose to stay here. We merely came across you on our way out."

"So you're letting us go?" Damon finally glanced across at Barbie, her confused question reminding him of her presence. It was the same thought he had and he did not really like the thought of the two of them thinking along the same lines for some reason.

"For now, you might have some future use." Elijah remarked with that same cocky grin that just made Damon want to punch him.

Of course Elijah's eyes had never left him so Damon could not help but believe that those words were meant for him. The next thing he knew however he, Caroline and Elena were alone by the tree.

"Do vampires just get more insane the older they get?" If he had a heart the slurred words would have caused it to skip a beat. He turned and looked at the woman on the ground. She was still pale and her eyes were still closed. However she was talking and he could not help but smile at that.

"I can see why you'd think that." He commented as he crouched down and placed his hand on her cheek. She was cold, he probably had taken more blood then he should have. He needed to get her out of the forest. When he looked back at her face he saw that her brown eyes were open and looking at him. However they were dull and held very little of their usual draw.

He moved quickly and lifted her into his arms. The fact that she did not put up even so much as a small protest proved to him how weak he had made her. He tried to think of something that might rile her slightly to bring back some of that fire he loved seeing in her eyes. "Come on princess let's get you home."

She frowned her eyes drifting closed again as if it was too much effort to keep them open. "Jerk," She responded with no force what so ever, "and you're taking me to the boarding house. That was the plan, remember?"

"I can carry her if you want." Stated Caroline, an almost knowing smile on her face. When did Barbie ever know anything?

"I got her." Damon replied holding Elena closer to him as they took off into the forest. He wondered how telling it was that when he had said home he had in fact meant the Boarding House and that it bothered him that Elena did not yet consider it her home.

Authors notes Pt 2: Now personally I believe that Elijah probably won't make it through season 2 alive but I wanted to use him in this story. I'm not sure at this point as to whom I'm actually going to have dead from the cast/supporting cast but there probably needs to be someone. Any least favorites? Who knows someone may actually die in this story. Would really love to see some more reviews as I know there are a few out there reading the story, but I'm not going to do the whole I need xx amount of reviews before I post the next part as I'm really writing this as much for myself as anyone else ;). Also I said I'd try and make the parts longer but this just seemed like a natural stopping point for this chapter.