Arguments and Promises

"It's too risky for them."

Elena was still arguing with Sarah, about the plan the witch had shared with them.

"It's riskier for the vampire's going in there – Katherine's or Nathaniel's." Alaric said as he handed his ring to one of Nathaniel's vampires.

Although Elena was glad that some of Nathaniel's were nearby and were sent to help when he learned of her situation, she still did not like her brother or Alaric giving up their rings to vampires going inside. They would be even more at risk.

"I could go in with them and do this," Jeremy said as Marcus had his hand outstretched, waiting for the ring.

Sarah spoke before Elena could object, though Elena thought the witch was smiling a little at her brother as she spoke. "You're fast, but not fast enough. Any witches in there would be able to react before you got to him. It has to be vampire speed – and vampire strength too for that matter."

Marcus had finally left the witch at the tree. He knew that whatever else happened, Katherine would want him with Elena, though the current plan would put her in the hands of a different vampire, a vampire that would not be going in.

"They may not even work on vampires." The human girl grumbled again. Though she really was upset about the humans losing their rings, she was even more upset about being left outside. No one would let her do anything to help.

"No reason why they shouldn't." Sarah countered. She had been watching Jeremy as he handed over the ring, but she turned to Elena now.

"Elena, my mom knows about this guy. She knows what we need to do to take him out and we can do it, but they need these rings, just in case."

"I can't stand this. Stefan says that witches and vampires left Bonnie's house because they know I'm not there and they think they have me here." Elena closed her eyes and shook her head, and spoke under her breath to add, "not that he told me why they thought I was there." Risking her best friend like that was not something she would have allowed.

She opened her eyes and looked at Sarah, desperation in her expression and voice. "They've got Katherine in there. I need to go in and help her."

Sarah didn't falter. She spoke firmly as she replied, "Not this time Elena. These witches don't seem to know why they were sent for you, but I'm not going to find out by giving you to them."

"But they'll come here, they'll find me anyway." She was passed being afraid of whoever was chasing her. She just wanted to do something to help.

"Which is why you won't be here – any of you." She recognized the vampire that spoke. Not that she knew his name, but she had seen him around her when she started paying more attention.

"Which is also why we need to go now." Elena thought of the vampire that spoke this time as the one that was in charge of Nathaniel's group.

"My mom says if we can take this guy out, they'll have to leave, they'll have go back to whoever sent them to regroup." Sarah said.

"And they'll be watched now." The Nathaniel-in-charge guy added.

"I thought you were mad at your mom for lying to you." Elena grumbled to Sarah as several vampires herded her to join Jeremy, Jenna and Alaric.

"Oh yeah," Sarah smiled as Elena was led away. "We're still going to rumble – after we keep you alive and I get some sleep."

The humans were either lifted into arms or climbed onto backs and were whisked away.

"The vampires can die, but the others live." Sarah reminded as the remaining vampires and witch moved into the planned formation and entered the building.

The blonde witch was nervous, on the back of a vampire who would soon be moving at full speed. She wasn't sure she would be able to maintain the protection spell around the four vampires that would be entering in front of her at this speed. It was meant to keep the hostile vampires and any witches who reacted fast enough from getting to them. But even if she could keep it up long enough or no one reacted in time, the rings were there for a reason. Their target was dangerous - they expected to lose at least a couple of the vampires.

Interruptions

Katherine had to force herself to wince as the other vampire held onto her. She had decided to keep up the Elena ruse as long as possible, to learn something if she could.

She didn't have to force herself to express concern for Damon. That was real – she hadn't lied to him when she previously told him of the feelings she had for him.

"Don't hurt him." She whispered the plea while the vampire held her. She could tell she would have trouble getting away from the vampire when she had to - he was strong.

Isobel had made it into the room with her along with two others. Katherine had no idea of the status of those that entered the building with her but hadn't made it into the room, or the status of the three that had entered through the back door.

She did think that if they could have brought just a few more, things would have turned out differently.

"Too late – he's already hurt." The other vampire smirked. "He killed one of us – he deserves to lie there in pain until we decide to take him."

"He was just protecting me." She managed an even softer whisper this time.

She found herself being pulled violently to face the other vampire. "Him I understand. Not the others."

His voice remained sharp as he stared into the eyes she tried make look afraid. "I don't know why they want you, but with all of the protection around you, there must be something about you that I can't see. Something they know."

He stared at her long enough that she started to worry about the silence. She used the line she had heard from Elena, "But I'm nobody."

That broke his stare. "We'll know soon enough." She winced as he turned to give Damon a kick violent enough that it sent him into the nearby wall again. He was dragging her to another part of the room as she heard them enter.

Everyone in the room was caught off guard. She couldn't even really count the number of vampires that entered and moved straight towards her. She did see someone with blonde hair on one of them as several vampires reached them.

Her captor released her and had managed to take down a couple of the vampires before others got to him. He was able to hold them off until she turned on him. She could tell he was surprised, but it still took the combined effort of three of them to take him out.

She had heard witches starting to cast, but by the time she was able to listen again, it had stopped. As soon as she was finally able to glance around the room she saw a number of vampires down, also a few other people – witches or humans-were standing, being held, some having been bitten, some not, but all alive.

She hadn't figured all of this out before she heard a voice she recognized – Sarah's. "Let them go, you promised."

Katherine didn't speak. She wasn't sure what was happening, but decided not to argue with her rescuer. She just watched as those being held were released and hesitantly went to each other. Isobel almost acted, but when she saw Katherine watching, she decided to just let it happen, though she did move to stand beside Katherine as they heard Sarah spoke again.

"Leave now, while you can. Remember this."

Those who had been held started moving faster, the uninjured helping the injured. Most stared briefly at the blonde witch before breaking eye contact to leave. Only one spoke her name.

"Sarah Proctor?" The girl appeared to be her age, though Sarah did not recognize her.

The blonde witch nodded in response and repeated herself. "Go now. Hurry!"

Katherine had continued to stare at Sarah, but as the witch turned to her, she remembered. "Damon!" she said forcefully, pointing to the vampire against the wall.

Reunions

The vampires had brought Elena and the others back to the building, though only Elena was allowed to enter. She had seen several bodies that night, some she knew were dead, some she wasn't sure about. She didn't know about the ones she passed now as Marcus escorted her to Katherine, but she had the same reaction, she still felt sick. She noticed Sarah when she entered the room and quickly focused on her. The blonde witch was working her healing spells again and did not acknowledge Elena's entrance.

The human's eyes had moved from the witch to Katherine when she saw him right next to her.

"Damon!" She ran to the side opposite from Katherine, who was sitting next to him. She was afraid to touch him, but looked into his eyes as he looked at her. "Oh god, are you alright?"

"Just peachy." Damon spat in an annoyed voice. "This is getting old."

Elena didn't understand. She looked desperately at Katherine, not sure of what he meant, hoping she would elaborate.

"A spell," Katherine said with no emotion. "He tells me it's not the first time tonight."

"Damon…" Elena started worriedly, her brows furrowing and her warm brown eyes getting even larger in alarm. Though she thought he would be somewhere looking for her, she thought he would have come to her. She didn't know he was here, getting hurt again. She didn't know the danger he had been in, how close she'd come to loosing him.

"I'm fine Elena, though Blondie had to do her mojo on me again." Damon 's face was blank again as he nodded his head towards Sarah. He'd be damned if he'd let on to her just how screwed he'd been.

"He helped us, Elena. A lot. I'm sure I'm alive because he came." Elena still saw no emotion as she looked at Katherine, even when she softly added "Though, I think he thought he was coming to you." She continued in a normal voice. "He needs to rest – Sarah says he needs to stay here for 15 or 20 minutes before he can move around."

Elena felt a wave of relief, turning back to Damon. "Okay. Fifteen minutes, then we'll go home."

"No, Elena." Katherine countered drawing Elena's eyes quickly back to her. "Sarah's almost done. I need for you to talk to her alone. I need you to find out why she let the vampires die, but kept the witches alive."

Elena's eyes returned to Damon as she responded. "I know she talked to her mom, that she thinks her mom lied to her about her family, but I don't know if she'll tell me anything else." She still couldn't tell anything from looking at the vampire she loved, he just sat there looking at her.

"Isobel thinks you can get Sarah to do anything for you. She thinks you have a bond. Please talk to her."

Elena nodded, her attention returning to Katherine. "I will, but something's changed. I don't know if she'll still talk to me."

"Something has changed," Katherine confirmed. "I need to know what."

"She works for you. Can't you just ask her?" Elena asked hopefully, really only wanting to tend to Damon, not to deal with Katherine's problems. She wanted them all home safe and sound and alive.

Katherine nodded. "I will, but she has done far more already than our agreement demanded. She has the advantage right now. Here she comes."

Elena stood and turned to face Sarah. The witch looked very tired as she spoke to Katherine. "I think that's all."

"Thank you, Sarah. Isobel will take you and Elena home. I'll be in touch to discuss how we can repay you for your help here." Then the vampire spoke to Elena. "I'll make sure Damon gets home when he's able."

"I'll find my own way." Damon said sharply from next to her. If he wasn't going with Elena then he was bloody well making his own way home.

Elena just nodded to her and knelt down to bestow a brief kiss on Damon's mouth, then she whispered into his ear. "I'm going to see Bonnie first, then home. You're welcome either place."

"Not her…" Damon started to argue before Elena touched his lips with a slender finger, stopping him.

"Yes her." She wasn't sure what had happened, but she wasn't going to it leave it to Stefan or Damon to keep her updated. "I can't leave it like this, Damon. We're going to understand each other before I go home. We owe each other that much. But please, come and see me tonight." She stated with a firm tone yet gazing softly at him; she needed him to understand.

She couldn't read either vampire's expression as she rose and walked towards the door, but hoped both had understood and accepted what she had said. Isobel quickly moved in front of her in order to lead the way out.

Bound and Loved

"Bound? Like slaves or something?" Elena asked, her gaze moving from Bonnie to Sarah and back. The vampires had been invited out of the house when Elena and Sarah arrived and were allowed to enter by Bonnie.

"That's what Heather said." Bonnie replied.

"That's what I was told." Sarah agreed. "When I talked to my mom, she was uncomfortable enough when I brought it up that I believe it. I could barely get her to give me a binding spell. She knows I'll be asking for details."

"But how? By who?" the human asked.

Sarah just shrugged, but Bonnie spoke. "I don't know, she really didn't say. Just that it was hundreds of years ago, and that they were ordered to go after you."

"Which is why you let the witches go?"

The blonde witch nodded. "They're my family, and they didn't have a choice."

"You chose." Elena said letting out a breath.

The blonde witch nodded. "I did, but I didn't know everything. I still don't. They think we betrayed them – at least that's what I was told. Maybe I understand why."

The human girl closed her eyes. "Then they'll be back." She whispered. "Will you still help me then?" She asked, looking again at her new friend, sounding a little desperate.

"Yes!" Sarah quickly reassured. "I'm not on their side, not with you. I'll do everything I can for you."

Elena nodded and turned to her best friend, having no idea what to expect. "You Bonnie? Will you help me?"

Bonnie hesitated and stared at Elena long enough that Sarah finally spoke. "How did you leave it with Heather?"

"We're not friends." Bonnie told the other witch. "She'll never let herself be lured into my house again."

"But us, Bonnie." Elena repeated. She had to get some sort of answer, had know where they stood. "Are we alright?"

It still took few seconds before Bonnie nodded. "For now. I still need to think some things over."

"OK." Elena whispered to herself, not really comforted as she turned to walk to and sit on the couch, eyes closed rubbing her head with her palm. "Someone will be back for me." She said softly to herself.

Damon entered unannounced, rushed into the room far enough to see Elena's expression, then turned to glare at Bonnie. "What did you do to her?"

"Damon, no!" Elena started to rise – not this again, not now - but saw that the blonde witch had moved to stand between her best friend and her boyfriend. She didn't know if one of the witches did something, but Damon stopped suddenly.

"Stop that!" Damon hissed sharply though gritted teeth.

"You stop." Sarah retorted. "Elena needs you, but not this you. She needs you to be the Damon she loves."

Damon's glare hardened briefly before softening as he turned to Elena, who was watching him, before he really looked at her – studying her expression and posture. He quickly moved to sit next her and pulled her close. She buried her head into his shoulder as he slipped his arms around her. He thought he could kill them all later for upsetting her - right now she needed him.

He felt her tension as he turned his total attention to the girl he loved. He spoke softly to her, trying to comfort her, not knowing part of her problem was with him, not knowing she was trying to decide what to do about it.

Working Things Out

The drive from Bonnie's house to Elena's was unbearably quiet. Sarah was in the back, unwilling to say anything that might disturb the stone-faced vampire and the exhausted human in the front. Damon kept his eyes on the road, knowing Elena was still tense and worried, but not willing to push her just yet. Elena just appeared tired and lost in thought.

Damon hesitated when the car stopped at her house, waiting to see what Elena would do. It was Sarah who opened her door first. "I'll find Jeremy and...while you... " She wasn't sure exactly what to say since neither of the other two were responding. "Just come find me when you're ready, Elena." The witch hesitated briefly but left the car when neither responded.

They sat in silence for a few seconds before Elena spoke.

"Did you ever thank her, Damon?" She didn't look at him. She knew he had turned to her when Sarah left, but felt him turn away now.

"You should." She added flatly when he didn't speak or look back to her.

"We both..." He started, but didn't continue - knowing she would know what he had intended to say. They both owed her so much.

"Are you really all right?" she asked, finally turning to face him with eyes filled with concern and genuine care.

Damn, she was beautiful. The vampire nodded and actually looked like he was considering his reply. "I think so." He answered honestly, warmed by the concern he found in her gaze.

She searched his eyes with hers briefly before letting herself go and pushing as much of herself as she could towards him. He had to move slightly to allow her to wrap her arms around him, but he did and pulled her into a tight hug,

"I was so scared." She whispered in a small voice that sent shivers down his spine. She was so strong and at times stupidly brave, but no one was made for a life like hers.

His reply was spoken just as softly as her words had been. "I know. They came for you." He could only imagine how afraid she must be. And himself? He was terrified of losing her.

She felt his hand cradle the back of her head, and didn't bother to contradict him, to tell him that it was him she was afraid for. There were virtually nothing she feared more than losing him, and what was left of her tiny broken family.

It was quiet for a minute as she let him simply hold her; so quiet that she was starting to notice her own breathing before he spoke again. "Are you alright?"

"Not a scratch." She said before she remembered the cuts on her palms, "You guys didn't let anything get close to me." She continued, rather than worrying him unnecessarily.

She felt him nod as he whispered "Good."

She didn't want to break the hug, but she was starting to feel the discomfort of the car.

"We need to get out of this car, go somewhere else."

He didn't release her until he felt her pull back. "Upstairs?" He asked and waggled his eyebrows in an attempt to lighten the mood.

He was rewarded with an eye-roll and a small, but tired smile before Elena nodded. It was all she could do to pull herself away enough to open her door and leave the car.

"I'll see you there." Damon said as he went through his own door.

"No." Elena said forcefully. "Walk with me, come up with me." Things needed to change and this was a perfect way for them to do just that.

Damon moved to stand next to her with a cautious look on his face. "What about Jenna?"

Elena shrugged and offered another small smile. "She'll have to deal. She doesn't want anything hidden, I don't want to hide you."

She grasped his hand and led him through the door and to the kitchen door where Jenna was at the table talking with Isobel.

Damon was stunned that Elena didn't even look surprised to see her mother and aunt talking. He didn't know Elena had asked Isobel to stay with Jenna until she returned home, had asked her to be nice about it.

"We're here." The girl said. "We'll be upstairs."

Jenna's eyes moved from Elena to Isobel as the vampire stood to leave.

"I need to go now." Isobel said flatly, though as she turned towards Elena and nodded before leaving the house, the human thought she had the slightest hint of a smile.

"You'll be up to check on us in a few minutes?" Elena asked her aunt with an amused curl to her lips. Jenna was still watching where Isobel had gone, but turned to her niece and nodded.

Elena saw a small wave from Sarah as they passed where they could see into the living room while going to the stairs. The witch and her brother were sitting on the couch. She was glad they weren't too close together.

She pulled the vampire into her arms again as soon as they were both in her bedroom behind closed doors.

"Thank you, Damon."She whispered. It was sincere, she didn't know everything, but knew that whatever he had done that night, it was for her.

"You know I'd do anything for you." He replied, feeling that she was still tense, wanting to reassure her in any way he could.

She tilted her chin up to be able to look him in the eyes. "I know." She whispered through smiling lips.

She let him hold her for a minute before pulling herself away and sitting on the bed facing him. She had to do this now, get it out before she let herself get lost in his presence.

She spoke before he figured out if he was supposed to follow, supposed to sit next to her. "You'd do anything for me and I'd do anything for you, but Damon, it can't be like this between us. We can't be like this."

Damon was caught off guard. He tried desperately to read her expression; to see what had changed.

He saw nothing. He tentatively approached her. "Like what?"

She held his eyes as he moved and stopped near her. This was as hard as she feared. She spoke softly, really not able to speak louder. "You lied to me. I lied to you. I didn't want to, but I thought you would be upset if you knew the truth."

He sat next to her now, relieved that she turned to him and held his eyes, "I knew the truth, or at least suspected it."

She did turn away now, looking down and releasing a breath, "And I knew the truth about what you were going to do." She turned back to face him, hoping she didn't look as desperate as she felt, "It can't be that way between us. I can't do this if I think I have to lie to you."

He put his arm around her but held her eyes. "You don't, Elena." She was right, this couldn't be the way they did things. He would have said that they had always been honest with each until she mentioned this.

"You can't lie to me and you can't threaten the people around me. You can't be nice to me but a jerk to everyone else." She had to force this out quickly, knowing he wouldn't like what she said, but thinking that if they kept this up they'd end up destroying each other.

He rose abruptly, walking a few steps away before turning back to face her, his face hard. "You mean I can't worry about you? I can't try to keep threats away from you?" She couldn't be serious; she couldn't possibly want to force him not to care.

Elena lowered her eyes seeing the fury and concern boiling under his composed surface, thinking she had screwed this up. The words she had said to him so recently came back to her mind. 'I hurt everyone I love'. He had laughed then, he wasn't laughing now. "That's not what I meant Damon." She tried again, needing him to understand.

He could see that she was frustrated, maybe even a little hurt or worse, afraid. He forced his expression to soften as he closed the gap between them. "What then, Elena?" He said in a strained voice.

Thankful for his attempt at composure Elena lifted her eyes towards his and tried again, "Don't treat me like I'm a 'damsel in distress'. I'm not. You can't treat the people around me, the people I trust, like the enemy." She watched him desperately, trying to see if he understood.

"Elena, I ..." He wasn't sure how to explain without upsetting her, "I worry about you, you're so... fragile. Someone is out to kill you. What do you expect me to do?" He wanted to mention that she was merely a human, but knew that would not go over well despite being the truth.

"I worry about you too, Damon, but I don't try to keep you from your life." Her thought remained unspoken, 'please just let me stay in it'. She spoke aloud again, "You have to let me live mine."

"I just want you to be safe." He could immediately tell that it irritated her.

He wasn't understanding. She rubbed her head fearing that they had entered some sort of twisted carousel where they simply restated the obvious and never moved forward. Her frustration, her fear just rolled out of her. "I want you to be safe. My family too. Bonnie and Sarah." She shook her head. "But, you're not safe, not while near me."

Damon sat next to her again and pulled her chin to face him. "I don't care about that. I don't need safe for me."

She turned away again hoping he understood her, knowing it wasn't enough. "I do. I need it for all of you."

Damon reached his arm around her and waited for her to say something. When she didn't he whispered into her ear, "Just let me stay with you." He needed the reassurance. His life had been long enough and without her, it would be pointless.

She closed her eyes, relieved since she had just worried about him wanting to stay with her, and nodded, then raised her arm to show him the bracelet he had given her. "It's not going anywhere."

She turned towards him and pulled him into a hug. "I'm tired and afraid, Damon. I'm worried about Bonnie and Sarah and you." She pulled back to look into his eyes. "But Damon, I want to be with you. I'll always want to be with you. We just have some things to work out. We're still getting used to each other."

He looked into her eyes, remembering all the reasons he wanted to be with her, the reasons he loved her.

"Yeah," Damon whispered, pulling her head closer to his as he moved in. "And we'll work them out. But right now, let's put that on hold, I think we can agree that we might have just a little bit of catching up do."

She didn't quite follow what he meant. She found herself saying something like "hmmm?" as he closed the gap between their lips, then "Mmmm" as she let herself fall into catching up with him.

When she had to pull away enough to breathe again, she gasped "Jenna."

For once, Damon wished the blonde witch would come up – but only long enough to do some kind of mojo to block the door.

-The End-

Thanks to Ethereal Demon, who helped me with parts of this chapter (if you know us both, you can tell where) and whose stories are definitely worth checking out if you haven't yet. My favorite is "Unsuccessfully Saying Goodbye", but there are other gems there…

And my never-ending gratitude to Peachie X remains. She put up with a lot from me as she Betaed (or whatever) these last couple of stories. I can never repay her and neither can you…

I don't know if there'll be another story along the line of these, if there is I will rely heavily on both Peachie X and Ethereal Demon (if they won't help, this may be the end). If there is another story, an Epilogue will appear (like usual) and the game will continue…

If not, thanks for doing this with me. That anyone came along on this journey is amazing and flattering. That so many of you seem to be superb people is most excellent. Whether this is the end or not, take care, and thanks...

John Reed