Hi guys! Once again, your support never ceases to amaze and humble me. Thank you! I have done something different this chapter. Early on I made a commitment to keep this fiction in first person even though there have been several occasions when I would have loved to have gotten inside the head of my other characters. I broke that pattern in this chapter. I simply was not comfortable leaving out Damon's reaction to Elena being taken so there is a section from Damon's POV. I hope that does not detract from the story. OK, here it goes...

Chapter 38: Fight of Flight

"If you won't come willingly, I'll make you listen. But I'm leaving that here!" I feel my ring being angrily wrenched off of my finger and hear him carelessly toss it back into the entryway before he closes the door. As he stomps to the car he runs a hand up the back of my skirt causing me to struggle to get away. He tosses me in the backseat and shuts the door. When I try to get out I find that he has the childproof locks on. He quickly jumps in and mutters, "Running around in a skirt with no panties? I guess I shouldn't be surprised when you let him tie you up and spank you before he fucks you."

When he says that, my heart practically beats out of my chest. Tyler is my stalker.

ELENA

I've always heard about fight or flight mode but no one warns you that there may come a time when neither is a viable option. Flight is my first instinct but is out of the question. If I could get the door open, I would have to jump from a moving vehicle. That leaves fight and I don't know how I'm supposed to fight someone who is driving a car without risking killing us both. So, I try my best to take calming breaths and figure out my plan of attack or rather escape. This is not a stranger. This is Tyler. Tyler who was one of my best friends, who has told me repeatedly that he loves me, has been tormenting me for weeks now. How do I deal with that? I decide the best approach is to make him believe I trust him even if I would trust a barracuda more than him at the moment.

"Ty, where are we going?"

"Somewhere where you and I can talk without being interrupted."

"Why don't we just go to RiRah's? We used to hang out there all the time. We could go there to talk." I'm hoping that referencing times when we were closer will help. If I can get him to go somewhere public, I'll find a way to get away.

"Yeah, we hung out there a lot before he came back," Tyler mutters, "before he took you away."

"Tyler, he didn't take me away," I start before he silences me with a glare in the rearview mirror.

"Sure, Elena, he didn't interfere with us at all," he harshly laughs a laugh that contains no humor. "No, we're not going to go to RiRah's. We're going somewhere more private so we won't be interrupted."

I decide to give it another shot. "We could always ask for a booth instead of sitting at the bar. I really want to go to RiRah's."

"Well I really don't. You need to stop distracting me. I'm not in the mood for your whining today." He continues driving, heading towards the outskirts of the city. I recognize the familiar roads as those that lead to Tyler's family's property. Tyler is from old money and his family has several acres of land complete with an old refurbished barn where they occasionally have parties. We've come out here with friends many times and I've even coordinated a few events out here. My familiarity with the area gives me only a bit of comfort as it is miles from anything and does not offer any form of escape other than making a very long run for it.

"Tyler, it's been a while since we've come out to your family's place. Isn't this a bit of a drive just to talk?"

"Shut up, Elena!" Tyler spits out as he makes a sharp turn onto the road that leads to the barn. Not for the first time, I curse myself for leaving my phone on the table before walking out of the kitchen.

Tyler is actually acting somewhat normal by the time he parks the car and opens the backdoor. I've decided that my best chance is to be cooperative and hope that I can get my hands on his cell phone. Tyler leads me inside the barn and goes over to light a fire in the fireplace.

"I remember that you always liked this fireplace," he comments.

"You're right. We've had a lot of fun around this fireplace in the past," I agree.

"I'm going to have a drink. Can I get you something?" Tyler asks as if this were like any other time that we've come here.

"Um, sure. I'll have whatever you're having," I answer hoping that this is a sign that Tyler has calmed down and will let me talk some sense into him. After all, while he has made me uncomfortable and scared me, he hasn't actually physically hurt me. I sit down on one of the leather couches and watch the fire while Tyler pours our drinks. He hands me a soda and takes a seat beside of me.

"Elena, why are you doing this?" he asks.

"Doing what, Ty?"

"Why are you turning your back on me?"

"Tyler, I've never turned my back on you. You and I can still be friends even if I am with Damon."

"No, Elena, we can't. Do you know why?" I shake my head. "Because, I love you. I have loved you for so long. And for a long time, I thought that you would love me back. I thought that you would give me a chance. I never hurt you like he did. I never left you without looking back. Oh, no, good old Tyler is always there when you need someone but what about when I need you? I'm not just here to be a shoulder for you to cry on when it's convenient. I have feelings too, Elena. But, no, you just couldn't be bothered with me. You are too busy with Damon fucking Salvatore letting him turn you into a grade-A whore!"

SLAP! It happened before I even thought. I could clearly see my handprint on his face as he slowly breathes in and out.

"You really shouldn't have done that," he growls as he leans menacingly towards me. He cups my jaw then threads his fingers through my hair, the gentle motion not matching the ferocity I hear in his voice. "Now, you've made me really angry."

"Tyler, I'm sorry I hit you but I don't want to be called a whore. Please, Tyler, I'm sorry," my breathing is becoming heavier as my fear ratchets higher.

He starts running his fingers up and down my arm but I'm having trouble focusing on what he is doing. My eyelids feel heavy and I can barely keep them open. "Here, let me take your drink." I see a flicker of a smirk as he takes the glass from my hand and my eyes close.

DAMON

We're walking from the stadium to the car when my phone starts to ring. Looking at the screen I see that the call is from my home phone.

"Hey, sweetheart, is everything OK?"

"Damon, it's Caroline. Tyler has Elena."

I'm not sure if my phone or my knees hit the ground first. Ric rushes to grab my arm as Klaus scrambles for my phone.

"Caroline, what's wrong?" I hear Klaus asking his wife. His wife who is perfectly safe at my house while my fiancé is God knows where with that asshole. "Love, I need to you to calm down and talk to me so that we can help." His eyes focus in on me and I can tell that the news is just as bad as I'm imagining. "OK, we are on our way. If you come up with any ideas of where they may be heading, call me immediately." The whole time they have been talking, Ric has been steering me towards the car, my attention focused so acutely on Klaus that I am unable to direct myself. We are buckling ourselves in as he hangs up and hands my cell phone back to me.

"What did she say?" I ask. Klaus takes a steadying breath before answering.

"Elena had walked out of the kitchen to put something in your study when the doorbell rang. Caroline said she started in to see who it was but recognized Tyler's voice and thought it was OK. When she got back to the kitchen, Jenna looked out the window and saw Tyler toss Elena into the backseat of his car. By the time the girls got outside, they were gone."

"Fuck! I knew I shouldn't have left her!" I shout.

"Damon, there's something else," Klaus cautiously adds.

"What?" I practically growl.

"Caroline found Elena's engagement ring in the foyer."

"She wouldn't have taken that off on her own. Shit! If he hurts her I will kill him!"

"I know, buddy, but right now you have to calm down so that we can figure out how to find Elena," Ric interjects.

"Calm down?" I roar at my best friend. "I'd like to see you fucking calm down if it were Jenna!"

"OK, I get it but I need you to focus. Let's get to your house and then we'll see if the girls have any idea where to start looking." Ric steers us towards my house. When we get there, Caroline immediately grabs me in a death grip of a hug and starts apologizing.

"Damon, I am so sorry. I shouldn't have gone back to the kitchen when I heard his voice. I just never in a million years would have thought that Tyler was the one who has been doing this to Elena."

"Care, I know that you wouldn't have knowingly put her in danger. She's like your sister. I know that," I say as I sink further into her hug and feel tears stinging my eyes as the reality hits me that I am not really home. Home is where Elena is. "Do you have any ideas of where he would have taken her?"

"I actually do have an idea but it's a long shot," Caroline responds.

"What is it?" I ask.

"Well, Tyler's family has a couple of properties in the area. One is a house on the lake. The other is out on the outskirts of the city where they have a bunch of secluded property with an old barn that his mom had remodeled for parties and stuff. Maybe he went to one of those."

"But which one?" asks Jenna.

"Well, I don't know about you, but if I were going to drag someone off, I'd go as far off the beaten path as possible," Klaus chimes in. "Fewer listening ears."

As his words sink in, I feel nauseous at what he is implying. If Tyler has taken Elena to either of these places he could do any number of things to my sweet girl before I can get to her.

"OK, so what do we do? Do we assume it is the barn or do we cover both places?" Ric asks. We exchange a look before nodding an acknowledgement to each other.

"We split up and cover both," I say. "Two of us will go to one and one of us will go to the other."

"Two and one? What the hell are you saying, Salvatore? Are you actually suggesting that Caroline and I just sit here? Hell no!" Jenna exclaims.

"Jenna, no!" Ric responds. Caroline looks at Klaus and arches one perfectly manicured eyebrow.

"I'll go to the lake house and will take the girls with me," Klaus suggests. "Caroline, you can give directions to Damon and Ric for the barn.

~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~TVD~~~~~

ELENA

I blink my eyes searching for a way out of the haze that I am in. When I attempt to bring my hand up to rub my bleary eyes, I realize that my arms have been restrained. Looking around, I also realize that I have been moved up to the loft area and am in one of the wooden chairs that I've used so many other times for events that I've planned in this very building. I strain trying to free my arms and feel something cutting into my wrists.

"I keep forgetting to thank you for the tip you once gave me when we were decorating for a party. You said I should always keep zip ties of varying sizes on hand because they are perfect for securing things. You can struggle all you want but you're not getting loose. I have you zip tied nice and snug to the legs of the chairs. Your ankles too." Tyler smiles pleasantly like he has just explained how to do something innocent like tying shoes.

"Tyler, you don't have to do whatever it is you have planned," I beg.

"See, Elena, that's where you're wrong. I do. Elena, you haven't wanted to listen to common sense when it comes to him. Don't worry; I'm not going to hurt you. I'm just going to keep you here until he thinks you've left him again and leaves. Then when you aren't under his influence anymore you and I can be together."

"Please, Tyler, no! I love him!" I can no longer fight the tears that have been threatening to spill from my eyes.

"My God, Elena, you let him hit you!" he yells.

"It's not like that!"

"It's exactly like that! I love you and I will not stand idly by while you let him treat you like trash!"

"Tyler, if you love me, cut the zip ties. They're too tight and they're hurting me!" I plead.

"But this is what you like, Elena. Oh, wait, I get it! I bet you beg him to let you go too. Does it make you wet to play the damsel in distress? Wait, you don't have to tell me. Let me show you instead." Tyler lifts up a remote and brandishes it as if it is a weapon. Hitting a button, he brings to life the flat screen hanging on the wall. I gasp as I see a video of Damon and I in my office. "Now, let's take a look and see just how much you like to be tied up." He presses a button, pausing the video and zooms in on a certain part of my body that he was never meant to see. To say I feel violated is beyond an understatement. "You were gushing! Now, where was I? Oh, yeah, we were looking at what turns you on now that you've let that bastard warp you." The glint in Tyler's eyes is frightening as he moves to stand behind me. He places his hands on my shoulders and I pointlessly attempt to move away from his touch. "Let's see what else he likes to do to you. I believe this next part was something he also did the night I recorded you at your apartment." Tyler strokes my hair making me shiver. "Elena," he breathes in my ear, "you're already shuddering at my touch. By the way, I've been meaning to ask, how did you like the roses? I'll let it slide that you didn't send a thank you note seeing as I didn't actually sign the card," he says with a sinister chuckle. "I thought the rose on your pillow was a nice touch. I really thought you'd figure it out from that. In fact, I'm kind of disappointed that you didn't. After all, how many people have keys to your apartment? I still had one from when you had me checking your mail and watering your plants like I was your little bitch last time you went on vacation so, after the florist made the delivery, I just let myself in and placed the rose. I hate I didn't get that night on video but all I was able to set up was an audio recorder. I would have loved to have seen the look on the asshole's face when he realized someone else had been in your room, knew which pillow was yours."

"How did you get the video of my office?" I asked partially to keep him talking and partially because I wanted to know.

"That little slut April put it in the plant on your desk. Oh, yes, she was helping me. She was doing her best to cause problems for you at work. That was my initial plan, to make you see just how much your involvement with Damon was distracting you from your business. It was shitty luck that the dad of the bride in that big wedding was a friend of Salvatore's. April was a fun little helper. She knew that I was in love with you but that never stopped her from getting on her knees and showing me her appreciation. She got a little sloppy though and got herself fired. But not before she put the video camera in place for me. I had it linked into my laptop and hit record as soon as Damon came in that day. I knew he'd never be able to pass up a chance to exercise more of his kink on you. I watched the whole thing. But enough talk, we have a movie to watch. Forgive me for forgetting the popcorn."

He hits the play button and the video comes back to life as I tightly close my eyes trying to shut out the way he is defiling me by watching Damon and I have sex.

"Open up your eyes, Elena. You'll miss the best part. I must admit, I've never been into the whole spanking thing but your ass is beautiful pink. Just look at how excited you get. He's really turned you into a little slut." I try to shrug away as Tyler trails his hand along my arm as he moves around to the front of the chair. He leans down to look me in the eye resting his hands on my thighs grazing his fingertips under the edge of my skirt. I'm trying desperately to pull my legs together but with my ankles bound to the chair legs I am helpless to do anything. "I bet if I slide my fingers up to that bare pussy of yours, you are probably dripping right now," he purrs threateningly while looking me in the eye.

"Tyler, please don't!" I am crying uncontrollably now.

"Oh, come on Elena, I just want a little touch, a little taste," he says, his lips a hairsbreadth from mine. "It would be so easy to just slip under that skirt. What do you say, Elena?"

"I say that if you don't get your damned hands off of my fiancé right now I will break every finger off of your hands and force feed them to you right before I beat you to death," growls the most beautiful voice I've ever heard in my life.

AN: OK, I'll admit that I had originally planned on stopping this chapter with Tyler asking "What do you say, Elena?" but then I was afraid that a few of you may either have a stroke or hunt me down ;-) so I opted to have our man show up right at the end. I would love to hear what you think about this chapter. Was it completely awkward to hear from Damon a bit? Suggestions on another way I could've handled that? If you have time, please review. Thank you again!