I had a hard time with this one. I really just wanted to off Tyler and have Delena ride off into the sunset but that just wasn't happening. So, I decided you guys had waited long enough and went with my favorite version. Here goes...

Chapter 39: White Knight, Dark Angel

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.

Before I can sigh in relief, I have the wind knocked out of me as Tyler topples my chair to the floor before he and Damon launch themselves at each other. It was like watching a couple of lions fight in one of those wildlife movies. Limbs were flying as I flailed around on the floor trying to discern if Damon was in control of the fight. It didn't help that my head was throbbing from bouncing off of the floor.

"I should kill you for laying a finger on her!" I hear Damon growl as he gains purchase and is pummeling Tyler with his fists. When he has Tyler completely pinned he looks over at me and sees me on the floor. "Lena, are you OK?"

Tyler takes advantage of Damon being distracted by me and flips Damon backward as he scrambles to maintain the upper hand. Somehow, Damon manages to scramble to his feet but as the fight continues, they are getting dangerously close to the railing that boarders the loft.

"Damon! Watch out!" I scream.

The two of them are continuing to beat the hell out of each other and I am pointlessly trying to free myself. Just as Ric burst through the doorway that leads to the stairs, I hear the railing break and scream as I see one head of black hair go over the ledge. It is nothing short of miraculous that Ric is able to grab Damon before he falls after Tyler. As soon as he has regained his balance, Damon rushes to me. Standing the chair upright, he uses the pocket knife that Ric hands him to cut the zip ties.

"Shhh, baby, I've got you now. It's going to be OK," he soothes as he scoops me up in a bridal style hold and walks over to turn off the TV, which has been playing all this time. He sits on the couch and checks my wrists and ankles. Cursing under his breath, he places gentle kisses on the skin marred where the zip ties have cut into my wrists.

"Damon, is he…" I trail off unable to fathom the fact that Damon could be held responsible if Tyler were dead.

"I don't know. Ric went down to check."

Just as he says that, the sound of sirens pierces the air. Ric comes back upstairs to deliver the news.

"He's just knocked out. Fuckers lucky he went over when he did. I would have loved to have gotten a few punches in myself," Ric says. He has come to be like a protective big brother to me lately and I can't say that I mind at all.

"I'm lucky you came through that door when you did. I could've easily been down there with him if you hadn't grabbed me. Thanks, buddy." Damon tells him.

"Don't mention it. I better go meet the cops." Ric leaves to greet the police.

"How did you find me?" I tearfully ask Damon.

"Blondie told us about the two properties that Tyler's family has. Klaus and the girls went to the lake house while Ric and I headed here. Soon as we saw the smoke coming from the chimney, we called the police." He lets out a shaky breath. "God, Lena, I was so scared. Are you OK? Did he touch you?"

"No, Damon, you got here in time. I tried to talk some sense into him but it was like he wasn't even Tyler. It was like he was someone else. Damon, he has video of us. He was forcing me to watch and saying such horrible things to me." I am crying again and can hardly speak as I say, "Damon, if you hadn't gotten here when you did I think he would've raped me." My sob is buried as he clutches me to his chest.

"I know, baby. I think so too." I can feel him shaking and look up to see tears slipping from his beautiful eyes. "Lena, I am so sorry. I should have never left you today. I promised you I'd protect you and then I left. This is all my fault."

I grasp my dark angel's face and force myself to sound stronger than I feel. "This. Was. Not. Your. Fault. Don't you ever let me hear you say that again. This was the fault of someone who was crazy. And, Damon, you did protect me! You came for me and, in doing so, you saved me. This was not your fault!" I crash my lips to his and dive into a mind-numbing kiss that just moments earlier I was so scared I would never feel again. Coming up for air, I tell him, "You're better than any knight in shining armor. You're my angel."

"I love you so much," he whispers against my lips.

"I love you too," I say.

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

It has been a week since "the incident" as I refer to it. Damon has much more colorful language to describe it. The police arrested Tyler who ended up with nothing worse than a few broken ribs and a bad headache. The police said that Damon was acting in self-defense and would not face any charges for his fight with Tyler. Damon, of course, wishes he had gotten a few more punches in for the hell that Tyler put us through. I had a concussion from the blow my head took when I hit the floor. Damon has watched me like a hawk and has somehow turned down my requests that we play doctor. April has been arrested as an accomplice. I was mortified when I realized that the video, pictures and flash drive all had to be turned over as evidence. I have been assured that the evidence will be handled with the upmost sensitivity but that has done nothing to quell my anxiety.

Caroline and Jenna have been the most wonderful friends in the world. Apparently, Caroline went to visit Tyler in jail and gave him a piece of her mind. Both she and Jenna have been to our house to bring food (Caroline, homemade; Jenna, carry out—thankfully!) and entertain me in an effort to get Damon to leave the house. He won't though, which brings me to the difficult conversation that I am about to have.

"Damon, you need to realize that I am going to be OK. Caroline is coming over to talk about wedding stuff so why don't you go over to Ric's for a while?"

"No." He levels me with a look that says he is not budging on this.

"Yes! Tyler and April are both in jail. Nothing is going to happen to me!"

"No, Lena, I'm not leaving you! What if you have a headache?"

"Then I'll take some pain meds. My head has felt fine for two days now."

"But the doctor said…" Damon starts but I cut him off before he can continue.

"Damon, I am going back to work Monday. The doctor gave the OK and I am going to go stir crazy if I don't get out of these walls," I calmly tell him. "You might as well get used to the idea that you cannot babysit me 24-7." This is met with a heavy sigh and an eye roll.

"Lena, I worry about you. I…" he stops to take a shuddering breath before he goes on. "I am scared. I am so scared to leave you, afraid that I will come home and you won't be here. I know that may sound irrational but I can't help it. You don't know how gutted I felt when Caroline called to tell me that Tyler had you. If I had been here…"

"If you had been here he would have just waited to catch me at another time or, worse, he would have hurt you in order to get me. There was nothing we could have done to change what happened. But, honey, you are going to have to let us actually live our lives. We cannot go on hold up at home. We both have to go back to work."

"I know," he sighs. "But I don't have to like it. Fine, I will go to Ric's once Caroline gets here but you let me know when she is going to leave so that I can be home. I don't want to risk leaving you alone and possibly having a dizzy spell."

"Fine," I chuckle. "Who's going to watch me at work?"

"Bonnie. I've already called her and given her my rules."

"Oh joy!" I groan. "My darling, overprotective fiancé, even when you are being ridiculous I am so glad I have you."

"Yeah, and don't you forget it," he playfully growls as he sweetly kisses me.

AN: I think we will be tying this up in about two more chapters. There will be a sequel. I have most of the story outline done but I won't start posting until the new year. I am currently writing a play for work and need to finish it before I move on to posting the new story. I am completely floored by the amazing support you guys have given! The idea that anyone would even read my writing much less take time to review it is completely humbling. Thank you so much for the reviews, favorites and follows. I am touched beyond belief!