Hey guys! Terribly sorry it took me so long to update, I meant to post this past weekend but time got away from me. Thanks for all of the lovely reviews :) This story has been a delight for me to create. It should be winding up soon, I'm thinking around four or five more chapters at the most. But for those of you who think you can put up with me for a little longer, a new Delena FanFic has been brewing in my head for the past few days and is spiraling out of control by the minute. I'll probably post it when I finish this story, or possibly sooner, but no promises because my schedule is becoming increasingly full. Hope this chapter doesn't disappoint!

Chapter 15: The Ticking Clock

Previously:

"Brother," Damon all but growled, acknowledging his fallen sibling the same way he had all those months ago, the situation reversed. Elena felt Damon's walls, which she had torn down quite a while ago, immediately build themselves back up, the cold, sneering mask returning to his face.

Stefan shrugged. "Katherine would like you two to know that she's looking forward to meeting Elena and catching up with you, Damon. She's out getting us a drink right now and couldn't come to tell you herself." Elena's jaw dropped.

"The hell she is," Damon fired back. "I wouldn't let that bitch so much as look at Elena if my life depended on it."

"Maybe it does," Stefan remarked coolly. "Katherine always gets what she wants. And, as you very well know, there's nothing to stop her from getting in."

… Lying next to her and watching her sleep, Damon promised to himself that this wouldn't be the last time, no matter what was to come. Nothing but trouble and terror was in store for them; he knew Katherine, and he knew she would do whatever pleased her, stopping at nothing.

…...

Elena stretched and sighed, squinting at the morning light seeping in between the cracks of the curtains. She smiled and rolled over to see Damon lying on his side, his lovely eyes gazing at her through his thick fringe of black lashes. Inclining her head toward his on the pillow, she shot him a crooked grin and whispered "Good morning."

"Mhm," he agreed softly, reaching his hand out to push her hair back from her face. Elena flashed back to last night; Damon really had a knack when it came to balancing sensuality and wild passion when he was with a woman. Quite frankly, he was the best she'd ever had; so good that she felt she'd never be the same. Not that she was going to admit it, the last thing Damon was an ego boost. Still, she couldn't keep her mind from lingering on how his powerful hands had turned so gentle when he caressed her…

"I can tell what you're thinking about," Damon said in a smug tone, raising his eyebrows at her. Elena blushed.

"No you can't! It's not like you're Ed-"

"Don't even say it," Damon groaned. "And you better thank God I don't sparkle. You'd be embarrassed to be seen in public with me that way. Hell, I'd be embarrassed to be seen with me in public if I looked like that in the light of day."

"Still, you're just full of yourself. There's no way you can tell what I'm thinking," thank goodness, she added silently.

"Oh yeah? Well then, what are you thinking now?" Damon said smoothly, leaning his face so close to her that if she spoke, their lips would touch. His fingers inched their way up her ribcage, nearing dangerous territory. Elena's breath caught in her throat; she was beginning to feel dizzy. Knowing she was losing control of the situation quickly, she inched her face a fraction closer to his and spoke.

"I'm thinking I'm gonna go take a shower now," She said wickedly, her lips grazing his. She smirked and threw back the covers, leaping off the bed. "And no, you can't come with me."

Damon groaned, collapsing face forward back into the pillow. "Have mercy, Elena," Damon complained exasperatedly, his voice muffled by the pillow. He turned his head slightly, one eye peering up at her. She was pulling back on her underwear and t shirt, unaware that he was watching her.

"I won't be long," she assured him, tossing her hair over her shoulder and opening the door to leave the room. When he heard the door shut, he rolled over and sighed, grinning to himself. I'm not going to let my brother and that psycho bitch ruin my time with Elena, he resolved to himself. They can just shove it. Damon heard the water turn on downstairs in the bathroom, and he got up and crossed over to his walk-in closet, grabbing his standard ensemble of black-on-black and changing into a fresh outfit. He dragged a comb across his head, and deeming himself presentable (then again, when did he ever not look good?) he settled into his desk chair and picked up a book to read while waiting on Elena.

Half an hour passed, and Damon began to fidget. Girls, he scorned, shaking his head to himself. At the 45 minute mark, Damon was fed up. Dropping his book, he sauntered down the stairs to find out what was taking her so freakin' long. As he walked down the hallway, he noticed that the bathroom door was open. Was Elena just being coy when she told him she wanted to shower alone? Maybe she expected otherwise; he could still hear the water running. More than willing to oblige her, Damon turned the corner into the bathroom confidently, a smirk on his face. It immediately fell when he found the bathroom empty, the shower left running and abandoned. No clothes were lying on the floor, and Elena's toothbrush lay next to the sink, everything perfectly in order; there were no signs of a struggle. But wait; there was a tiny smear of blood on the edge of the medicine cabinet. It was Elena's, the scent was undeniable. Damon's mind flooded with rage, but the violent emotion was almost immediately replaced with an overwhelming sense of worry and fear. Fear that was eating away at him like a cancer. Pushing through his thoughts, Damon sped down the stairs faster than a bolt of lightning, stopping only to grab a vervain dart and a couple of stakes. Stuffing them into his pockets, he shot out the door and was greeted by a darkening sky, clouds gathering more thickly by the second.

…...

Elena woke up to a throbbing pain in her temple. Gingerly, she put two fingers to her head, and pulled them away to see them covered in hot, sticky blood. She wiped her hand on her oversized t shirt, the only thing she was wearing. Blinking, she looked around, trying to gather her bearings. It appeared that she was in a basement of some kind, and a large one at that. The uncovered walls were made of stone, and there was a single window at the opposite end of the room. Dim fluorescent bulbs hung from the ceiling, revealing a narrow stairwell in the far corner. Elena bent her knees and began to stand, only to fall back down with a jerk; her wrist was bound to the wall by a heavy-duty rope.

"Where are you off to in such a hurry?" A cool, detached voice questioned from behind her. "You can't possibly have anywhere important to be." Elena's eyes widened. The voice was nearly identical to her own, if she had happened to speak without ever inflecting emotion into her words. Realizing what had hit her, Elena turned slowly on the spot, knowing who she would find there.

"Katherine." It came out as more of a statement; there was really no question in the matter. Nevertheless, the sight of her doppelganger still caught Elena off guard. The resemblance was uncanny.

"Well spotted," the vampire condescended, curling her pretty upper lip. "As you can see, I was too selfish to wait and make a proper visit. Besides, Damon would've only gotten in the way. It's a dreadful tendency of his."

Elena was fuming. "You have no right to talk about Damon like that! You're the one who ruined him! I'm sure every redeemable quality he possesses is entirely his own; you never did anything commendable to him. You and Stefan deserve each other," she spat, surprised at her own foolish outburst.

Katherine's eyes flashed, but her face remained calm. "Be careful. You don't want to give me a reason to kill you right off." She licked her lips. "And as for Stefan, if I'm not mistaken, you fell for his charms as well, and before the elder Salvatore, I might add."

"I was blind to his true self up until a few weeks ago. But let me tell you, I find him utterly repulsive now that I really know what his intentions were." Elena glowered, as if staring at Katherine hard enough would finish her. Who was she kidding? She wasn't Bonnie, and she had a feeling she wouldn't be seeing that particular witch any time soon.

Katherine giggled impishly. "Of course Stefan would try to find a stand in for me." She snorted delicately. "But we all know that you most certainly not me."

"Thank God," Elena muttered disdainfully.

Katherine studied Elena thoughtfully. "You know, all of this arguing is really working up my appetite. How convenient you are." Katherine leaned back toward the stairwell, raising her voice only slightly. "Stefan! Come join me, my dear Mr. Salvatore!" Stefan appeared at their side in an instant, his gaze immediately training upon Elena's bleeding head wound. Well, at least they can't compel me, Elena reminded herself bitterly, fingering Damon's locket.

"Now, what are we going to do with you?" Katherine reached for Elena's forearm, grasping it a little too hard. There was a cracking noise, and Katherine felt a bone snap under her fingers. Elena yelled in pain. "Oops," Katherine whispered, her lips curling into an amused smirk. Elena's breathing became labored with pain, a small whimper escaping her lips. "Let's see, you don't really need this," Katherine reasoned, ripping away Elena's shirt and leaving her in only her bra and underwear, adding humiliation to her pain. Stefan moved in slightly, wrinkling his nose.

"Dear God, she reeks of my brother. Disgusting," Stefan observed, his voice thick with mockery, his eyes gleaming with bloodlust. Elena's eyes filled with hot tears as she tried to cover herself with her uninjured arm, feeling terribly vulnerable. As much as she longed for him, Elena prayed that Damon wouldn't find her, knowing he couldn't win this fight, especially since Katherine was older than him. She felt blood trickle from her head down the side of her face, but found herself unable to wipe it away. Stefan's eyes followed the droplet, and his eyes darkened as he reached up and wiped it away with his forefinger. He brought it up to his face, inhaling the scent before sucking the hot liquid from his finger. Her blood triggered something in him, and his eyes darkened even further as he lunged at Elena's delicate neck, ripping at the silky skin with his fangs. Her screams echoed through the room, and Elena faintly heard Katherine warn Stefan.

"Be sure and save some for me," Katherine drawled, rolling her eyes. "Men. Absolutely no self-restraint." An image of Damon's perfect face, looking at her from across the pillow with the most beautiful eyes in the world, seared through her mind, burning behind her eyes right before she was consumed by the darkness.

…

Sorry that was so short! I have really big plans for next chapter though, it should definitely be longer. Please leave a review, they mean so much. Comments, criticisms, suggestions, anything. Too monotonous? Predictable? Dry? Let me know pretty please :) Wow I really need to quit writing so late. Feedback = Love. 38 more days til Season 2! Funny, it's also my birthday, but I don't even think of it as my birthday. Just as the Vampire Diaries premiere. Also, any interest in the potential new Delena Fic? Brutal honesty is welcome. I love you all so much! Over and Out.