They were still driving when it became dark. Elena had fixed her blouse with some safety pins from her purse. Her left elbow rested on Damon's seat, next to his shoulder, and her left hand was absently playing with her necklace.

Pale skeleton-like birches were caught up in the headlights, before they get lost in the dark, one by one. No word was spoken. The radio was turned off. Only the steady rumble of the engine accompanied their deep thoughts.

Elena didn't noticed how his breathing started to get heavy, his pupils constricted and how he clenched the steering wheel.

Then suddenly he maneuvered a little to the right, before he was turning a big deal to the left.
Elena's hand which was still tangled up in her necklace, was forced to swing over to Damon's seat to hold on to something, before her head would hit her side of the window.

"A deer! ...Sorry for that, but there was a deer... You okay?" He asked when he stopped the car.

"Yeah, ….I guess... I didn't saw it. You sure there was a deer?"

"Very sure!" His voice sounded like he was in the predatory mood again.

"My necklace! Where is it? I ..I ripped it off. It must be somewhere here."

"I know!"

"D...Do you have it?"

"Mmhhmm!"

Her sudden fear was telling her that she made a big mistake earlier. Her body already responded to his compelling eyes.

"No, Damon. Don't!"

He closed in on her. His rough cold fingers stroked gently over the sides of her warm inviting neck, reaching up to her chin. Their noses almost touched. Grabbing her jaw firmly so that her lips puckered slightly, he aspirated:

"I need you...to... kiss me!"

Elena slowly moved forward. She felt the strong urge to do what he commanded her to do. She had no chance to resist but still trying, she felt how fast her breathing became. Ravenously he looked all over her face, eyes, lips. Her bosom moved as irregular as if she was crying. The second her mouth was in contact with his, she was able to stop her motion. Without any pressure against him she felt his trembling lips. A tiny wet something hit the base of her left breast next to the seam of her blouse and let her shy away a little. Feeling like she lost something, she looked at him with wide eyes. A shaken expression was confronting her agitated one.

Seeing the little trail on his face, were the tear had ran down and fallen on her, tortured her. Again she felt the necessity to close the gap between them. She kissed him very softly on his rigid lips.

Staring into space he was feeling way too much, to make any move. How could he do that to her? How was she able to resist his command halfway through? How was it possible that his lust for her blood had ended up in stealing a kiss from her lips?

Then at least one question dissolved itself. After all she was not able to resist. When her tongue stroked over his bottom lip asking for permission to enter his mouth he was the one who suddenly moved backwards.

"Don't!... I release you! ….I'm so sorry... Elena,... I ...I don't know what to say."

"Shh, it's okay." Elena felt drowsy from the taste of his lips. 'Focus, I need to focus'

"Damon, ...whooo... Uhm,...Please, don't look like you will kill yourself any minute... I...I think I can deal with it. You know, right now that is less, and I mean less less threatening than Vampires who try to rape me or bath in my blood!"

"I was about to have you for dinner, and then all of a sudden I wanted you to kiss me. I don't know what could have happened next." he freaked.

She took his face in her hands forcing him to look at her.

"I saw your face, Damon...And I'm sure, very sure to be perfectly save with you! You are not going to hurt me!"

After some seconds looking into her pleading eyes, he was able to calm down a little and sighted.

"Whatever, it's your fucking choice."

"No, Damon...it's all I have left to hold on to. I can't give up believing in you just because you compelled me to kiss you. Quite contrariwise, it shows that you still care for me being under a spell yourself. You would not have done that to me under "normal" circumstances, now would you?"

Knowing that her chances to survive this were lower without him, and considering her words, he tried to shut out the worries for his own well being. She needed him and however that would end, there was no way to run away from it. His already broken soul would be pulverised the one way or the other. He exhaled and got his nasty self back together.

"You really think I hadn't compelled you ever before? Why do you think you find me so seductive?" he replied cocky.

"You... you really..?" she started, half angry, half worried that he earnestly compelled her before, but then she saw him smirking.

Blushing about how he had prized her little secret, she happily said:

"That's the spirit!"

'