Yeah... this is how it was supposed to go... Prior to computer deleting almost this entire chapter... I apoologiz!

Destroy Me Gently

Running. Music. I heard music. And it was beautiful.

I blinked several times before finding the ability to isolate realities. Even as I gazed out the window at the calm midday forest, still I heard the ancient violins singing to the cello.

"Mozart." Damon answered before I could even acknowledge the question. I merely chuckled at him, enjoying the sudden, profound affection surging through me. He gave me a frowning-smile-head-tilt of a silent inquiry. I merely shook my head and kissed him.

Something seemed to just tickle the back of my conscious. Tyler? A hatred suddenly flared in Damon. Disorientated as I'd been the previous night, I didn't realized how deeply the connection I had with Tyler hurt him.

"Damon" I started, but he cut me off.

"Don't. Let's just… get to the witch." He said, unwilling to meet my eyes as he stod up. Guilt. It seemed wrong to feel guilty for something I couldn't control, yet it was there all the same; crippling and raw. He finished buttoning his jeans and hesitated, staring with disinterest as the crumpled shirt in his hand.

"I'm not… I don't blame you." He finally murmured.

"He had just as little control." I replied in the same, almost regretful tone. His lips tensed as he tried to find a way to blame him still; some excuse to hate him.

"He still hurt you." He finally said.

"He was scared." I nearly scoffed. Possession. So strong, I was briefly taken back.

You're supposed to be mine. He didn't say it aloud, but his suddenly dark eyes passed quickly over me.

"I am." How weak my reply seemed against the anguish tormenting him.

"No," he scowled, "apparently you're 'ours.'" He said the work with such disgust, I couldn't' help but cringe.

"Damon," I started, unsure what to say. He quickly pulled his shirt on and sighed.

"Like I said, I don't blame you." The way he said it, the morbid acceptance, I wanted to sob. With as sincere a smile as could be managed, he offered me his hand.

"We'll get Bonnie to fix it; one of the good things about having a witch on call."

Mirroring his smile, I linked my fingers in his and stood. With a devious smirk, his eyes trailed down my body. I only just realized he'd taken it upon himself to relieve my unconscious form of clothing. Rolling my eyes, I patted his chest on my way to grab some clothes. His hand tightened around my wrist just as I'd grabbed a pair of jeans. A hunger flared within him that I suddenly realized hadn't been fed in a long time. His lips skimmed just between my shoulder blades, immediately sending a fire burning through me. My breath fled in a shaky gasp. Where his shirt went, I neither knew nor cared; when his bare chest pressed against my back, my legs nearly caved. In the same heartbeat, his arm locked around my hips, grinding me against him.

Fire seared between my legs as the denim sheathing his desire throbbed against my bare skin. His other hand lazily trailed up my thigh, over my hips, around my stomach; the rough calluses of his fingers tantalizing my senses; making me all-too aware other the burning flesh between my thighs. Careful to avoid the over-sensitive mounds, his hand snaked slowly between my breasts.

A whimper sounded unconsciously from me as his fist clamped around my throat, pressing me harder against his lean form. I could feel him; muscles tense, eager; the lust driving his tantalizingly controlled movements. His bottom lip drug lightly over my ear and he exhaled. With a barely restrained moan, my entire body shuttered. His teeth gently nipped the lobe and I nearly cried out. Without looking, I knew the self-satisfied grins toyed with his lips; I know how desperately he wanted nothing more than to shred his pants and throw me against the wall. But I also knew his love of the game; the hunt.

His hips suddenly bucked; the friction from the denim nearly throwing me over the edge from that single movement. He chuckled darkly and kissed my neck. The nerves flared wildly beneath his touch, his arm began to slacken from my waste. And his hand drug along my hip. Down my leg. I was gasping. Up my inner thigh. His thumb brushed against me and I cried out. M entire body throbbed with desire. His fingers moved along my most intimate folds with unbearable slowness. My hips squirmed pitifully against him.

"Please," I begged. And he entered me. In tandem, his fangs pierced my neck and his fingers burr into my burning need. His name tore from my throat as my body bucked against him. I could feel every ounce of blood coat his tongue and enter his body; each miniscule movement of the individual muscles. With deaf ears, I heard my scream until it seemed we both would burst. With a growl, he tore himself away and made a small but deep slit in his throat. My lips automatically trapped the scarlet liquid as my tongue carefully caressed the cut. I didn't notice the abandonment of his pants, and, when he lifted me off the ground, my legs automatically locked around his wondrously bare hips, wings fluttering absently for balance.

Near scolding water suddenly bombarded my hypersensitive skin. I would have gasped, but Damon held my head against him. With a moan, I ground his burning tip against me. His body tensed and his head tilted back, exposing even more of the wound. I sucked greedily at the sudden surge of blood, relishing in how it spread through every inch of my body, enhancing the already incredibly sensitive nerve endings. The hot water pounded against my back and slid ever my shoulders, quickly racing down my chest; each bead teasing the hard buds of my nipples.

And he could feel it too. How I loved the overpowering echo reverberating through him as he felt each throb of my desire, every flare of pleasure. Lips trembling, I released his neck and clawed my hands through his hair.

"Damon," I murmured his in ear, "fuck me." These simple words pushed him over the edge and, with a growl, he rammed into me. Each powerful thrust brought a gasp from my lips; a moan; a scream as my body trembled and convulsed desperately against him. His fingers dug into my hips as he pounded my body into him. My nails raked down his back as the water continued to torture my beasts with the far too gentle current; occasionally slipping between my thighs.

With a deep growl, he spilled inside me, collapsing against the shower wall. Neither of us moved for several minutes while the pleasure continued to circulate between us. With a content sigh, he leaned backward and I forced my tights to release him. The instant my feet touched down, my legs caved. With a laugh, his arms locked around me.

"You okay?" he chuckled.

"It's been way to long since we've done that." He couldn't help but agree; and he kissed me.

"Alright, I'm going to get dressed. Again." I couldn't help but giggle at his tone. "You finish up and I'll be downstairs."

Relishing the content still radiating through me, I turned my attention to scrubbing the filth and blood from my skin. After a few minutes, a whisper tickled my mind and I couldn't help but listen. A phone was ringing.

"Tell me something good." Damon murmured into his phone.

"Well, I still don't have a name, but I've got some info." I didn't recognize the voice, but my heart stopped. "Rumor is, this guy's been around. And he's lost it, man. Apparently he killed some chick a while back and it drove him nuts. He's spent the last who-knows-how-long trying to bring her back."

"Well that's a very touching story. And totally useless."

"I know, but you should know what you're up against first." Hesitation. "He doesn't camp out indoors. Get this: he digs a hole during the daytime."

"So he's not immune to sunlight." No. Don't. Damon, don't.

"So far as I can tell." The man answered.

"You know where he is?" Shit. I rushed frantically to throw on some cloths.

"Seems to be found of the Falls."

Damon scribbled onto a paper. I didn't need to read it.

"Damon!" I shouted, but he was gone. Panic. He was going after him. "Damon!" Enraged, I realized he was ignoring me. I started quickly towards the window, but had to pause and grab the bed. Damn, I was still weak from Tyler. Shaking it off, I forced myself out into the increasingly violent winds. My wings trembled slightly, but held. "Damon!" I shouted again.

"Damn it, Thea! Go back!" he shouted, demanding with every fiber of his being. It was almost painful to deny it; to disobey such an absolute order, but I didn't turn. Faster, I had to go faster. Before it found him. Before the monsters came out. "I'll be fine! Go home!" Home. What an odd thought. I have a home. With him, with Damon, I have a home. Nothing. Without him, I had nothing. "That's not true." He yelled. Lied.

My wings faltered dangerously. Weak. I was still weak. My head wouldn't stop spinning and it was getting harder to concentrate, costing me several feet, and the horizon seemed looked in a fleeting dance.

"Land!" Damon ordered. "Land now! You're going to crash!" I glanced down at the green waves churning angrily beneath me. I couldn't clear my vision long enough to focus on one branch. The trees had melded together into a raging ocean. Panic flared through me as my eyes locked on the darkness churning in the waves. Rising and falling and growing. Coming. It was coming for me!

Something slammed against my back. No! I screamed as y trembling limbs fought against the thing attacking me.

"Stop!" I froze. Angry. They were angry. Always worse when they're angry. "Damn it, Thea, I'm not going to hurt you!" he snapped impatiently. Blood rushed to my cheeks as I recognized the warn touch. In seconds, he began to descend. We were still far from the manner, but the large clearing offered ample room to see anything coming.

"What the hell were you thinking?!" he shouted the instant my feet were beneath me. I couldn't help by flinch. He held an impatient hand to his eyes and stalked angrily away. "You're going to get yourself killed!"

"So are you!" I shouted back, struggling to keep my body from swaying. He seemed taken aback for just a second.

"He almost killed you! This is the second time he's hurt you; did you think I'd just let him hunt you down?!"

"He's too strong Damon. He'll kill you without a second thought!" I matched the rage in his eyes.

"And how on earth could you know that?!" he challenged.

"Because I do!" As much as he wanted to contradict me, he said nothing. Regardless how he hated it, how it ground against his every instinct, he know I was right. Somehow, I could feel the strength of the vampire; so I was sure he could feel it through me.

"N, I can't!" he snapped. Taken aback, I stared at him. "The connection's been getting weaker ever since that witch got a hold of you. I can barely sense your feelings unless you're freaking out, and I can't hear your thoughts at all, unless you're deliberately sending them to me." All attempts at arguing vanished.

"You can't hear me?" I barely whispered. His eyes were hard and his lips drawn to a thin line. He didn't need to answer. I could feel it. The absolute deafness. The heart wrenching disconnection. "Damon"

"Don't." He barked. "You and I both know you don't plan to tell me a damn thing. So, just… don't." His jaw tightened painfully and the silence was deafening.

"I wasn't planning to confront him. Not yet at least." He said, back turned toward me. "There's a hunter in town; Alaric. For a human, he'd surprisingly useful against vamps."

"A hunter?" I said, trepidation fat the thought of his company immediately filing me.

"Yeah, but… not like that. He'd one of the good guys." There was a type of competitive affection in his voice.

"I'm sorry." I said guiltily. My fear of his actions was unjustified, and uncalled for.

"Well, not uncalled for." Damon replied jokingly. Relief flooded through me as that heart stopping smile played with his lips. With a smile of my own, I accepted his silent invitation and leaned against his warm chest.

"I'll give Alaric a call later. Since you're out and about anyway, soap suds and all, let's pay a visit to Bonnie."