AN: One chapter left! The final chapter is coming soon within the next few days, maybe sooner. Leave me a review short & sweet or long & lengthy. Doesn't matter. Thanks for reading and being the best loyal fans ever.

Chapter 14

"Let go of me! You're making a mistake!" Elena yelped and thrashed as the men unlocked the cell. Her body tumbled in and eventually crashed to the hard ground.

"Don't worry," the man hollered. "We'll take good care of your precious beast."

In unison, laughter came from either of them. The bars slid into place locking loudly. Elena got to her feet and pressed her face between the bars staring coldly and helplessly at the men. Her arms were sore from where they had been holding her. Her heart was racing with adrenaline to break free and run back into the unknown woods. She would give anything to fix this situation. Damon's death would be on her hands.

"Looks like you aren't as crazy as you seem, Ric." The other man chimed in.

Alaric was curled up in the corner. His head was bowed and buried in his chest. The commotion had finally awoken him and he was wild with realization. "Elena!" He gasped and she went over to him. His face was scruffy and his eyes were sad and red. How long had he been in here?

"You two stay put," the man said.

The thuds of their feet dissipated as they left them locked away.

"How did you escape?" Alaric asked reaching out for her.

"I didn't." She told him. "He let me go."

"That monster let you go?" He was in disbelief.

His breath smelled stale and boozy. It explained all the empty bottles in their kitchen. He looked disheveled and out of place. Life and color flushed his face seeing her again. Being behind these bars was probably a painful memory for him. Finding him here was much like when she found him in Damon's cellar. At least time, he wasn't bleeding or tortured.

"Yes," Elena breathed. Her hand fell on his shoulder pushing him back down. She kneeled on the ground. "He let me go."

"But why?" Alaric questioned.

"Damon…the beast, that's his name," she tried to explain to him. "He's really not as mean and scary once you get to know him. He did hurt me once, but never after that. Damon doesn't mean what he does. He's cursed. Once he opened up to me he was warm, kind, and even gentle. He had this whole library of books and gave it to me. We danced one night…"

Her babbling was spinning him in circles. She could see it in his eyes. Even for a portrayed insane man, even he was passing the judgment on her of being crazy too.

"Oh, Ric what have I done?" Elena cried into her hands.

"Elena you're alive and you're here. That's all that matters." He assured her.

"No," she sniffled. "I told them. I told everyone and now they are all going to kill him. What have I done? This is all my fault."

His reassuring hand rubbed her back as she leaned into him crying. "Elena, I've never seen you so upset like this. The last time you were was when your parents…" His sentence trailed off. She looked up at him. It was obvious he understood now. "We will find a way to get out of here."

"But how? Unless you have some invention on you that can cut through these bars, we are hopeless." She shook her head weeping. "Everyone is gone to the woods. Damon is good as dead."

The door to the jail creaked open. Both their heads shot up and peered through the darkness at whoever had entered. He was hard to make out in the light, but once he was up close and he peered through the bars, a gleam of hope burst inside her.

"I believe you Elena." His voice was soft and familiar.

"You do?" She asked standing up.

It was the bookkeeper from the store. He smiled and nodded his head. "You do have quiet an imagination, Elena. However, I think your passion is stronger." He said quietly. "I was there in the pub when you told everyone about the beast and showed your scar. I admit I was skeptical at first, but then I saw you start to beg for his life. No one does that unless they truly care. You care about him don't you, Elena?"

"Yes," she replied.

"Then I'm going to help you." He told her.

Spinning around he went to the desk and began to look for a set of keys. Elena held on to the bars wrapping her fingers around them tight. The men from earlier had a set to unlock the cell, but there had to be another set in safe keeping. A spare in case the first set wouldn't do. The jingling sound of keys made her heart leap and even Alaric was now next to her awaiting to be freed.

The bookkeeper waved them in his hand and rushed back over to the cell. He tried the keys until he found the match. The door slid open and she hugged him graciously. "Thank you," she exclaimed.

"No time to waste. The group had a head start, but you might be able to catch up." He informed her. "No more reading about heroines in books, you get to be one in real life. Go!"

An angel was looking out for her in heaven. Damon's life could be saved tonight if she tried. Fate was in her hands now and she needed to hurry. The bookkeeper handed her his car keys and told her where to find his vehicle. She looked from him to Alaric. They both urged her on as she was taking a moment too long to run. The unthinkable will to flee coursed through her. She was going to save Damon.

"We are not coming home until he's dead!" Stefan shouted. "We will rid the village of this beast."

The group of townspeople with their flashlights and weapons cheered him on. They gathered around at the end of the gravel road. Their journey to murder the beast would have to continue on foot.

"Defend yourselves if need be," he told them. "But leave the killing to me!"

Another booming roar came from the crowd. Stefan was prepared to take on this horror of the night. He would lead the group through the winding woods and to their final destination. There he would confront this monster and end him once and for all. No harm would ever go close to their town again.

Damon paced the length of the library. Books with torn pages and ripped from their spines were everywhere. He had lost it the moment Elena ran for the hills. What he done was out of kindness and humanity. It took every ounce of him to let her go. He had been a fool to ever think it could work. Elena was a little girl who was in the wrong place at the wrong time. Her capture wasn't ideal, but he couldn't have her going off with his previous prisoner. Years of abandonment and loneliness had driven him mad. Having someone, a woman was better than nothing. What he did not expect was her strong will and nature to tolerate him. He was monster and yet she looked past that part of him. He wasn't just the beast. He was a man and possibly a friend in her eyes. Her compassion was something he envied.

But he was foolish. His heart hoped and held onto the thought of her feeling more. There was something there and he knew it. Maybe if she had stayed it would have grown, but he couldn't bear to accept her empathy toward him brought on by his demanding ways. It wasn't right and so that's why he let her go. If she really wanted to she could have stayed and it would have shown him willingly she wanted to be there. However, he knew that wasn't the case. She endured the harsh living arrangements and his temperamental mood swings. Ultimately, she wanted out and so she was gone.

The curse would never be broken.

He didn't know if he would ever be able to overcome this curse. A lifetime in damnation was becoming easier to subdue.

Knowing he would never be granted another chance like the one he had with Elena, he eternally wanted to be secluded from the outside world. The chain was firmly wrapped and locked around the gate. He stacked whatever heavy objects he had in front of the door. No wandering passerby would ever stumble onto his grounds again.

He wanted to live a life of misery.

Damon stormed out of the library not soaking in another moment of their cherished time together. That room was forbidden now. It only made him think of her.

The halls were destroyed more than usual. He took everything in sight and smashed it. Running up the main stairs, he ran to his bedroom and put a whole through his wall. He was so angry. He couldn't help his emotions. Everything hopeless.

He peered out his window that looked out on the front lawn that was once lavish with shrubs and flowerbeds. Things were peaceful and joyful then. Now it was another reminder of how depressing his life had turned. He didn't want to live like this anymore. Nothing was going to wake him from this spell.

Outside he saw beams of light dancing all around. Figures were emerging from the woods. At first he saw one, two, and then many more following. He stared at the group who was rushing fast toward his home. Damon growled at the sight of them. Intruders were coming. They were informed about his residence and there was only one explanation of how.

His basic instinct was to attack. An endless supply of innocent souls on his territory was like asking to be ripped to shreds. While his other instinct was to wait and do nothing. In his newly depressed state, going on seemed pointless. He glanced back out the window at the crowd of people ready to pounce as his possible way out. He was conflicted.

Did he want to live with the more lives torn apart at his expense or did he want to go out accepting his defeat and sins? Damon knew morally what he had to do. If Elena had taught him anything, he was going to do right by her.

Taking a seat on his bed, he hung his head low and waited.

Down below Stefan led his group to the chained gates. "It's locked." Someone yelled and a commotion of voices began. He looked around and up at the towering home. It was fit for a beast.

"Move," Stefan demanded as he moved through the crowd that was gathering around the gate. He pulled his only weapon of defense from his pocket and aimed at the lock. The echoing sound of gunfire cause a few screams, but the crowd was alert and quiet. He yanked the now broken lock off and weaved the chains through the bars to open it.

"Remember, the beast is mine." He claimed his rights.

Slowly they approached the house and found another barrier. The front door wouldn't budge. It took the power of all the men to push and throw themselves at it until they broke through. Furniture and objects crashed to the ground. They climbed over the obstacle and held their weapons ready. The beast could be anywhere.

"You go that way, you the other," Stefan directed them. "And I'll head upstairs."

Being quiet, they lurked through the house hoping to find him. Stefan walked up the stairs fast and looked down both hallways. Something was telling him to go to the right. He walked with stealth as he entered every room hoping to find his prey, but nothing came up. Only one door remained and he carefully opened it. On the bed something sat. He aimed his gun.

Damon looked over his shoulder at the stocky man entering his room. He didn't budge and he didn't say anything. There was no use in trying. He wanted it to be over.

"So it's true, you really are a beast." Stefan said walking around the bed.

His true form was showing. Glowing red eyes, razor sharp teeth, and a face that would send anyone running was present. His beast like form was in full effect and he wasn't afraid to hide it. This was who he was and had become: a beast.

"Just do it." Damon sighed.

"What a pathetic form of life you are." Stefan laughed still aiming. "What no battle? No last words. Come on, show me what you got."

Why was he encouraging his monstrous behavior? He didn't want to lash out at him. He just wanted to move on. The gun was pointing straight at him; all he had to do was shoot.

"Come on!" He shouted. "Let me see the beast you really are! Let me see what you can do. Elena showed me what sort of mark you could leave."

The mention of her name sent his emotions on high. He looked up at him. This man knew Elena. How did he know her? Why had he seen the bite mark on her neck? Had she shown him? Did this man have some sort of meaning to her? All these questions were swirling inside of him. Looking to him with confusion, he felt a pulse of rage.

"Get up!" Stefan ordered waving the gun.

Damon remained still.

"Kind and gentle, my ass." He snickered. "Elena was wrong about you. You're not a monster even though you may look like one. You're not even a man. You're nothing more than a piece of dirt."

A radiating pulse went through him again. His muscles were tensing and his teeth were growing sharper. The tearing of his clothes was subtle as his body swelled. He was on the verge of breaking. Emotions were rising and he couldn't push them away. The realization of Elena's words and description of him had dug up the hope he had briefly once. She thought he was kind and gentle. He knew she had seen past his horrible ways and now he was sure of it. But why was he paying for her gratitude with this bulky, obnoxious man pointing a gun at him?

"Fine. If you're not going to give me a show, then say your last goodbye." He growled through his teeth and stepped closer. The barrel of the gun was pointing at his head. Damon looked up at it. Then something burst.

Flying into the air, he pushed the man across the room breaking everything along the way. He had his by the shoulders and he slammed him against the wall. If he wanted a fight, he would get one.

Stefan rose to his feet staggering a bit with the gun still in his hand. He pulled the trigger, but Damon was quick and dodged the bullet. He continuously aimed as he darted all over the room leaving bullet holes to add to the destruction. "Stop running and fight me!" Stefan yelled as Damon lurked in the shadows. "It seems the only thing that gets you going is mentioning Elena."

It was true. Her name and the mere thoughts of her had him on edge.

He flew at him and grabbed his throat. Whoever this man was to Elena, he hoped he wasn't of value. From the little he knew of her, she didn't seem to mesh with personalities like his. Elena was strong and bold. She held to her ground. She was a girl, a woman of great delicacy and wisdom. Damon had rendered all of this from spending the hours in the library with her as she read. His heart thumped only for her. He was infatuated and she was his last grain of hope.

"Yes," Stefan choked. "Finally, the beast shows what he can do."

"Damon!" A high-pitched girlish voice busted through his room.

His grip loosened and he turned his head violently to the side. She was there. In the flesh and blood, Elena was standing in the doorway staring at him. She had come back.

"Elena?" He said shocked by her arrival.

"Perfect." Stefan spoke under his breath.

From that point on everything went in slow motion. The little smile she had on her face faded. Her eyes were wide and big. Her lips spoke one syllable and it dragged out. Her arms reached out as she moved forward. His head turned to face the man, who was now aiming the gun at his heart. The echoing sound of erupting pain and filled the room. His body jolted back as the bullet punctured his skin and dove in deeper through his body. Everything was shaking around him. Elena was running slowly toward him. He averted his attention back on the man and felt the last ounce of rage give him strength. The kickback of the shot flew Stefan into the window cracking and shattering the glass. His accomplished smirk was gone as he realized he was no longer in control. With no need to assist, he watched as Stefan fell backwards through the broken window and his body soon was leaving the second story of the house. He tumbled down as bits of glass went with him. The next thing he knew his body was sprawled out on his front lawn and he was dead. The fall had broken his neck. For once, Damon had not caused this death.

His hand rose to his chest. Blood was everywhere. He glanced at Elena as his body now was falling to the ground too. His knees buckled and things were going hazy. The pain ripping inside of him was magnifying. Barely missing his heart, it grazed above it. The damage, however, was irreversible.

"Damon!" Elena yelled and went to his side.

He gasped and held his breath to fight the pain. Staring up at her, he washed away everything. He couldn't believe she had come back. His thoughts had been right all along. She was the remedy for his curse, but now it was too late. Death was upon him and fast.

"Elena." He whispered. "You came back."

"I had to." She cried. Her hand stroked through his hair.

"I'm…so glad I got to see you one…last time." Damon spoke in short breaths.

She shook her head. "Please hang on. I'll get help." She pleaded.

"It's okay," he grabbed her hand.

Elena began to cry harder. His eyes were fluttering shut. With no control of his departure, he tried to get his last sentence out, but failed. His life was being swept away within seconds. Complete darkness was surrounding him, but he could faintly hear her crying still. Things were disoriented. Was this what it was like crossing to the other side? Where would he go?

Watching him take his final breaths, she cursed herself. None of this was suppose to happen. She could have prevented of all of this. Now, Damon was bleeding to death on the floor holding her hand. She couldn't bear another minute of this, but she couldn't leave either. She owed it to him to be by his side.

Resting her head on his chest, she cried. His head was tilting toward the side. He was almost completely gone. She squeezed his hand and knew what her final words to him would be. "Please don't go. I love you."