Chapter 2

The electricity of warm, soft skin touching his forearm ripped Damon from his overwhelming thoughts of his past and Katherine. His icy blue eyes fluttered open, taking in the room with tacky floral wallpaper and chairs lined up against the walls of the room. The TV in the corner blared Jerry Springer, and Damon winced.

He knew he should have been looking for Katherine, but with Stefan MIA, he couldn't leave Elena unprotected. There was no knowing what his crazy ex had planned. If it was anything, it was probably a million times more diabolical than anything he could dream up. The sudden attack of John Gilbert, while justified in Damon's eyes, was either the doing of Katherine or Isobel. And as much as he wanted to damn Isobel into the worst afterlife imaginable, it was too cold and callous to be her grand scheme.

The stench reeked of Katherine. John was probably a loose end that needed to be tied up. Besides, Katherine was pretty good at deserting those that no longer posed a use. But still, what did she have to gain out of killing John Gilbert? No matter how long he thought of it, none of it made the least bit of sense.

"Damon?" Her soft voice spoke, delicate and fragile. "Hey, are you okay?"

"Peachy keen."

"It's not a bad thing to show your true feelings," Elena told him quietly. "You're not a monster."

As long as he was a creature of the night, Damon would be as much a monster as Stefan. But he appreciated her sullen attempt to get a real response out of him, but Damon would be damned if he let his guard down enough to show emotion again.

Elena had no idea of his speech on the porch, of the way he pulled her close and smashed his lips against hers. There was so much passion and power and emotion in that kiss. He knew he couldn't lose control of his switch; he had to pull away. It was time to rebuild the walls, and time to forget about about what this girl meant to him. He had to be objective and track Katherine. As long as the bitch was back in town, he couldn't risk a deeper connection with Elena. Her life was already in too much danger, and Damon knew he'd never live with himself if he got sloppy and overwhelmed with emotion. He had to protect her. Acting like a lovesick puppy would hinder that process.

Damon licked his lips. "Have you heard from Stefan?"

Elena shook her head. "His phone keeps going straight to voice mail."

He swore under his breath. "I told him not to go looking for your brother by himself. But does Stefan ever listen to a word I say? No. He's too self-righteous for that."

Elena exhaled sharply. "I hope Jeremy's okay," she whispered, her resolve breaking. "With John..."

"As much as I hate giving Stefan any credit, he has a knack for finding people," Damon reassured her. "Jeremy is fine. Don't worry."

Elena sighed softly and wrapped her arms around her chest. Her eyes started to water, and she struggled to find the strength to keep her composure. She refused to be a weak girl that needed to be coddled like a baby.

"Maybe you're right. I just want him to be here with me; safe."

"I told him about Anna." He admitted. "This is my fault."

Elena gasped. "Why?"

"I wanted to give him a choice this time," he explained, his voice barely above a whisper. The intensity in his eyes rippled like waves at high tide. "He's been through so much."

She eyed him suspiciously. "I thought you don't like Jeremy. What's with the sudden change of heart?"

He shrugged. "He's tolerable. A little too whiny and melodramatic, but he's your brother. If he matters to you, he matters to me."

"I told you're capable of caring." She forced a smile, tapping his arm with her elbow.

"I never said I wasn't capable, Elena. I only said I choose not to care."

She rolled her eyes. "Whatever you say, Damon. But I don't think you're half bad. You're not the worst company in the world, and you're being a true friend to me. You don't understand how much that means."

"Yeah, yeah. No need to get mushy on me."

"I mean it," she stressed, her dark brown eyes staring him down. "I appreciate what you're doing."

Damon shrugged weakly and stretched out his legs. His muscles were cramped from sitting too long. For a fleeting moment, he thought about going to the boarding house for a late breakfast, but he couldn't leave Elena unguarded. There wasn't a single soul he trusted with her life - not even Alaric. And he hated, no despised, how it felt like a part of his soul was connected to hers. It was becoming increasingly harder to fight the surges of emotions and warmth he had for her.

This Damon wasn't him. Deep down, he was a monster.

"I'm not doing anything a friend wouldn't do. Bonnie would be here if she could."

Elena's expression became pained as she thought about her witch best friend, and how their lives changed in the span of a year.

"Bonnie and I are on two different paths, Damon. She made it perfectly clear that she wants nothing to do with vampires. I love her and always will, but the moment she made me choose between you and Stefan and her, I knew I was losing her."

There was such a cold edge to her tone. The last time he heard her so angry and upset it was when Stefan killed Vicki and Damon had to clean up the mess. Elena had been fearless - even then. She blamed him for so much, but even then, she detected that something human was buried within him.

It matters and you know it.

The truth was: it always mattered. Having a diabolical plot just covered up what he was trying to accomplish.

In a rare moment of sympathy, Damon put his left hand over hers and grasped her fingers delicately. It was hell fighting the urge to touch her shoulder when he knew that too much comforting would only further complicate the already volatile situation. The fingers on his right hand curled into his palm, squeezing into an iron fist, and he removed the left hand from on top of hers instantly.

Sooner or later, Elena Gilbert would be the death of him.

"Why don't you try to sleep?" Damon urged gently, trying to forget about how much he wanted to feel her smooth, warm skin again. He clenched his teeth tightly together. "The second I hear from Stefan or Jeremy, I'll wake you. Okay?"

She nodded. Damon's strong, steady words provided her the relief she craved at that moment. Elena hated being the weak girl that needed protection and comfort, but just like Damon, they couldn't be perfectly unfeeling and strong all the time. "Thank you," she murmured, eyes squeezed shut and added softly, "Damon."

Within minutes, she was fast asleep, her head inches from finding comfort against his shoulder. And Damon couldn't find the strength to push her away as her head slumped against his arm, her warmth radiating through his cold body.

That night, his own words began to haunt him: doesn't it always come down to the love of a woman.

XOXO

It was early morning with streaks of sunlight brightening the dull waiting area.

The surrounding white hallways were endless and deserted like a ghost town. There wasn't a doctor, nurse, or any signs of life within the immediate radius and Damon sighed in complete boredom. The more he sat with nothing to distract him from replaying the night's events in his head, the more the hospital accelerated his jittery nerves.

It became a dungeon for a muse that had nothing more to do than mull over forbidden words. What could Damon do besides wait it out? Sooner or later, a doctor would come bounding through the door and announce John Gilbert's fate. But until that happened, Damon realized he was surrounded by 'what ifs' and the terror of the unknown. The situation was too far out of his hands.

And Damon was beginning to understand why humans felt so useless and helpless at times like these. It made him wish he was back at the boarding house, alone, and draining their extravagant collection of liquor straight from the bottle. Alcohol effectively quelled the guilt building up inside of him.

Scowling, Damon shifted in the chair, his arm beginning to ache from the lack of blood flow. Elena slept like the dead, a solid five hours of sleep. He smiled softly at the fact that she wasn't a restless sleeper with flailing arms and legs. Instead, Damon became achingly aware of how much she craved protection and security during sleep. Her head was pressed hard into the side of his shoulder, and her left hand was on top of his.

Her fingertips brushed against his skin when she shifted slightly, a soft moan escaping from between her red, chapped lips. And when she moved, Damon drank in her dizzying scent in desperation. His days of being this close to Elena were numbered, and even though he knew it was best to put some distance between them, he didn't want to. Damon didn't have the heart to wake her up - not even when she shifted, her head moving towards his chest.

A Sleeping Elena was better than a Hysterical Elena he tried to convince himself. No matter how many times he repeated the words like a broken mantra, it didn't change how deeply connected he was to her.

Damon broke his gaze from her peaceful face and muttered a string of curses under his breath.

"Fantastic timing," Damon mumbled to himself as he eyes darted towards the emergency exit. Alaric and Jenna stepped foot into the hospital, worry and fear drowning their faces.

Dealing with Bonnie or Matt or Tyler was looking more appealing than dealing with the so-called 'authority figures'.

It wouldn't be a quick 1,2,3 to get rid of either of them - at least, not where Elena was concerned.

Jenna stepped in front of Alaric, shock registering across her face as she saw how cozy her niece was with Damon. Sensing the tension, Alaric grabbed her hand and threaded his fingers between hers.

"Don't worry about Damon." He heard Alaric reassure Jenna.

"I have plenty to worry about," was her concerned, clipped reply.

Damon let out a groan and tried to maneuver Elena. He really didn't want to wake her up, but Jenna was about to make the situation very complicated. He held his breath as the two stopped directly in front of him; he remembered Elena telling Jenna that he was an ass. Seeing him kiss his brother's girlfriend was going to be chock full of drama, he was sure of it. But it wasn't like he could admit that Elena had a doppelganger, could he?

"How's John?" Jenna asked immediately, tension lacing her words. If there was anyone who held a grudge against John, it was Jenna.

"No one's said much," he lied, hoping it would get her to step away for a few minutes. "The doctors and nurses seem rather enraptured by their social life this morning, wouldn't you say? It's too damn quiet in here."

Jenna's cheeks burned red. She stepped forward, rage flitting across her face as she raised a hand towards Damon; she faltered slightly, unnerved by his fierce expression. "How can you crack a joke at a time like this?"

Alaric winced and slung his arm across her shoulder, pulling Jenna to him. His hand rubbed the side of her arm gently.

"Where's Stefan?" He asked, his eyes darting across the empty waiting room.

"Not here," was Damon's vague response. "Something important came up last night."

Jenna's eyes narrowed into slits. "I bet he found out, didn't he?" She accused, fire burning in her eyes. "And I thought I was perfectly clear about you and Elena last night."

Damon swallowed thickly. Of course. He knew he couldn't avert the kiss. Jenna had stepped in at one of the worst possible moments. It was his weakest moment with the wrong girl. Was it something worth fighting? He contemplated apologizing to the frantic aunt in the dire hopes that she'd put the issue to bed. He never wanted Elena to know. Ever.

"There's nothing to worry about." He flashed her his dazzling smile.

"Sure." Jenna eyed him skeptically, unaffected by his charm. "It's just a coincidence that Stefan is out of town, then?"

Damon clenched his hands into fists. He never realized how inquisitive Jenna was when she was threatened. She was fiery, ready to speak her mind. She was the fire to Alaric's ice, and he realized how well they complemented one another.

"Something like that."

Jenna sighed heavily and shifted out of Alaric's grasp.

She looked well put together, and by the looks of the messenger bag across her shoulder, he deduced that she had been at class.

"How is Elena?" She continued to interrogate, her eyes never leaving Damon's.

"Coping."

"That's it?"

"She's slept most of the time." He shrugged. "Haven't had much time for stimulating conversation."

Jenna pursed her lips together. "Elena was right," she mumbled sourly. "You are an ass."

He grinned. "Never said I wasn't."

"Listen, I don't know what you've done to my niece, but if you hurt her in any way..."

He gave her a dry look and cut her off mid-sentence. "Does it really look like I'm trying to hurt Elena? Do the math."

"I still don't approve."

"Not many do, but hey, that's never stopped me before."

Jenna sighed in defeat, shaking her head at Damon before she walked off towards the nurses station.

Finally, Damon thought. It was too easy to ruffle her feathers.

Alaric glared darkly at Damon; his forehead was slick with sweat, and his heartbeat doubled in speed. "Try to tone it down a bit. You're being insensitive."

"Jenna hates John, Ric. You and I both know she's here because of Elena." Damon smirked. "Tell me, is Jenna in the loop about John being her biological father or is that one more secret she withheld?"

Alaric's forehead creased. "Jenna is only honoring her sister's wishes. She's only protecting, Elena."

"Blah, blah, blah." He rolled his eyes. "She still lied. Elena deserves the truth."

The history teacher snorted. "And who are you to preach about truth Damon, you're not exactly a stand-up guy."

"Never lied, Ric. That's the difference between me and the rest of this damn town. I don't lie. I have no reason to."

"Come on, Damon. Your intentions aren't that pure. You can't tell me that you don't feel fulfilled with satisfaction when you slip the truth and ruin someone's life."

"The truth is the truth. And I'll tell it as much as I damn well please. Don't give me a lesson because I'm telling you right now...I don't care."

Alaric's shoulders stiffened. "Fine. Be an ass, but I thought you were a little better than this."

Damon shrugged. "Don't care," he sang sarcastically. "I'm not Stefan."

"You're not." Alaric laughed dryly. "But where is your brother? I thought he'd be here?"

"Tracking down the youngest Gilbert. Apparently Jeremy thought it was a good idea to disappear." Damon released a jagged breath, annoyed to explain everything again. "That damn kid is nothing but trouble."

Alaric laughed at Damon's sudden realization. He had spent enough time as a teacher for high school history students to know the roller coaster and whiplash teenagers put everyone through. "Come on, vampire. You remember what it's like to be a teenager, right? Their angst and drama is worse than their hormones."

Damon shrugged. "Okay, I give. What are you doing here and why are you trying to make nice?"

"Watch your tongue," the history teacher quipped. "I have a vervain dart in my ass pocket and I'm not afraid to use it."

"Ooo, such idle threats. Should I be scared?" Damon taunted.

Alaric shook his head, dropping into the seat next to Elena. His eyes filled with concern. "How is John?" He asked, ignoring Damon's snide remarks.

"Life support," Damon mouthed, not wanting to stir her. "He won't last a week."

Curiosity got the best of Alaric. He ran a hand through his hair and asked, "Who do you think attacked him?"

"Katherine," Damon muttered between clenched teeth. Her message, written in John's blood, chilled him to the very core.

"As in your vampire girlfriend?"

Damon shot Alaric a deadly look. "Ex, Ric. Ex girlfriend."

"Okay, so why would your ex vampire girlfriend show up in town to kill Jonathan Gilbert?"

Damon's eyes fell to a peacefully sleeping Elena. Her hair was sticking up in every which direction, and he instantly smoothed the fly aways down, forgetting just how intimate it was. "I imagine because of her."

Alaric was stunned, absolutely floored how such a vicious, maniacal vampire had turned around. When Damon thought no one was looking, he would stare at her longingly. And Ric didn't miss them...or Damon's small gestures. When Damon smoothed down her hair and looked at her so tenderly, Alaric knew for sure that Damon was completely in tune with his humanity whether he chose to believe it or not.

You're so in love with her, Alaric thought to himself.

"So how long have you been in love with her?" Alaric asked conversationally, speaking the words that were dancing around his head.

"I'm not," was his stiff reply. "Stop trying to make something out of nothing. Stefan's the one in love with her. Not me, Ric."

Alaric rolled his eyes. "Keep telling yourself that, but I know love when I see it."

Damon growled. "Maybe you should've become a guidance teacher. You're so good at prying into everyone's personal business. I think the job would suit you, no?"

"If you say so, Damon. How about you take my job since you're the expert on History repeating itself?"

Damon's eyes darkened, shifting into a hellish combination of red and blue. Black veins rose to the surface underneath his eyelids. His fangs slid out of his gums. One by one, his muscles tensed as anger coursed through his body. He was going to attack.

Alaric got to his feet and took a hesitant step backwards. His hand instinctively reached to his back pocket, knowing that he could take Damon down in seconds with the vervain dart. His fingers gripped onto it tightly.

"Hey," Alaric started, a sheen of sweat trickling down his forehead, "It was all in good fun. Calm yourself or you'll have this dart faster in your chest than you can imagine."

"Stupid," Damon muttered, fighting for control. "Baiting a vampire with their less-than-finer moments is a total dick move, Ric." His eyes were still dark, but Damon felt the veins beneath his eyes start to recede.

At that moment, Elena shifted against his chest, her body practically in Damon's lap. She whimpered and grabbed part of his shirt in her fist. "Damon," she cried out, body shaking.

His hand went to her forehead. She was clammy and burning up. "Elena," he whispered, gently nudging her shoulder. The longer he stared at her, the more the monster calmed within him. "Elena," he repeated, his tone urgent and pleading. "Wake up."

She started to stir, her eyes flickering open and closed until they were adjusted to the blinding white light. Elena lifted her head, her eyes full of tears as she stared into Damon's mesmerizing blue orbs. A light blush crept onto her cheeks as she realized the compromising situation they were in.

"I don't think Stefan would approve of this little situation," Damon teased.

Elena blushed again, moving out of his lap until she was completely back in her chair. She felt dizzy with the migraine pounding against her skull. Falling back asleep sounded like a great idea.

"Did Stefan call?" She asked Damon, hope in her words.

Damon's eyes narrowed into slits. "No. He's not returning my calls."

Elena trembled in her seat, worry emanating from her body. Almost losing Stefan once was hard enough, but if he was in danger, how could she help? She needed to be at the hospital, waiting on pins and needles, until she knew how her biological father was doing. Maybe Jonathan robbed her of a proper childhood, at least he left her in the care of the most loving parents she ever knew; maybe everything he had done - just like Damon - was out of love.

"Do you think he was kidnapped..."

"Don't even finish that sentence," Damon interrupted. He got to his feet and stared at Alaric. "He's probably at the boarding house. Maybe his cell died. Hell, would you feel better if I sent Ric to find him? After he drops off Jenna first, of course."

Elena's expression faltered. "Jenna came with Mr. Saltzman?"

The teacher stepped out of the shadows. "I offered to pick her up after class. She has a final this afternoon, so she can't stay very long."

"Where is she?" Elena asked, her voice cracking as she looked around the hospital. After the day she had been through, she wanted family at her side. With Jeremy elsewhere, Jenna was all she had. And it killed Elena on the inside to know how much she needed her aunt.

"Went to find out more info on John," Damon cut in. "She's a bit...testy today."

"Sounds like you left a lasting impression." Elena studied Damon's face carefully. She wasn't surprised.

He flashed her a smile. "The only kind of impressions worth leaving."

She sighed. "I guess I'm not surprised." A speech was on the tip of her tongue, but she was too tired to recite it. And Damon wouldn't appreciate it. Brewing a storm wasn't on her agenda. She just wanted to get through the day as painlessly as possible, but she struggled to get John and Jeremy out of her head. No amount of sleep lessened the worry she was feeling. But still, she fought against the weakness, knowing that strength was her ticket to coping and getting through this hellish nightmare.

"I'll grab Jenna on the way out. Get some rest, Elena," Alaric told her gently.

"I'd rather see her now." Elena got to her feet, eyes narrowed.

Alaric stiffened. "I think, as long as Damon's present, that you should avoid her until later."

"I'm not leaving," Damon growled at Alaric. "Sorry Ric."

"I'm going to talk to my aunt. I have that right, and neither of you are stopping me." Elena winced at her harsh tone. "Sorry Mr. Saltzman..."

Alaric waved the white flag by throwing his hands to the air in silent defeat. That was what Elena liked about her history teacher. He knew when to let go. But Damon...

"You should sleep," Damon suggested. He was worried about protecting his secret; he couldn't risk Jenna exposing the truth about what happened on that porch. "No offense, but you look like you were rolling around in the dirt like an itchy dog."

"You're such an ass," Elena snapped. "Comparing me to a dog? Great analogy, Damon. I'm so glad to see that this whole situation hasn't made you any less snarky."

"Don't fret so much, Elena." He grinned and eye flirted with her. "You know you love my dashing good looks, my charm, and my undeniably sexy wit."

"Only in your dreams," Elena deadpanned, shifting to her other foot. "I'm going to see Jenna. Be nice."

Her eyes met Damon's smoldering expression, and she shivered at how deeply they penetrated her soul. Thousands of tingles erupted from her body as if she were supercharged. It was a foreign feeling, something that caught her off guard.

One thing was for certain: those eyes were going to be the death of her.

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DISCLAIMER: I don't own any of the lines that are from the TV series. They belong to the creative writing geniuses behind the show: Julie Plec and Kevin Williamson!

Note: It was very difficult to continue this in story format from the first chapter. I had to change up the style to make dialog and a story format work. For the record, I love Damon/Alaric banter. It's probably one of my favorite things to write. Oh and don't forget to review. If something didn't work, or I missed something, feel free to let me know. Or if you like what you're reading, please review and let me know.

AND A HUGE THANKS TO ALL OF THE WONDERFUL REVIEWERS OF THE FIRST CHAPTER. Your encouraging reviews helped make this quick update possible.