A/N: Thank you SO much for all the favorites, follows and reviews! I am so excited people are interested in this story. I am loving writing it! Love the DELENA fandom and all of you amazing readers. You make it so worth sharing my passion of writing with you.

Super big thanks to scarlett2112 for all the medical advice for this chapter and the next!

Enjoy this chapter and all the yummy Delena before all hell breaks loose...

Elena's POV

"Matt, I'm serious leave me alone. Leave Damon alone. He didn't do anything wrong," I stated firmly, backing away but still standing between Damon and the guard looking like he would love to smash his face in again.

"Like hell he didn't Elena. He was touching you! He could have hurt you. It's my job to keep you as far away from these monsters for your own protection."

He was glaring fire at me and I was scared he would push me aside to get to Damon again. I could not believe him.

"My protection?! Hurt me? Monsters?! When he was chained up like an animal? He is not an animal Matt. You scared me, made me think you could have hurt me, not him!"

I was fuming and not even sure why I was defending Damon so strongly. I had never done that for any of the other inmates. But I knew he would never hurt me. Matt didn't know the half of what I had been though already with Damon this month. How much I already cared.

"Be careful Elena. Sounds like you aren't being safe with these lowlifes," he warned me, his blue eyes hard on mine. "He is a prisoner. He is going away in a Middle Eastern prison for a very long time. He has killed people. He is the monster, not me. Wake up and realize how the hell you are acting, or my dad will have your job!"

I stood my ground aghast and blazing anger back at the young man who used to be my childhood friend. He had grown into a completely selfish jerk over the years. His mom leaving him I knew was hard on him growing up and with his dad always working he practically raised himself, but that was no excuse.

He had changed so much since high school. His dad owned Maxwell Heights; the only prison in the Mystic Falls Virginia area and ever since he had failed his police exams over and over and became a CO he had been so cruel. It was like he was taking out how much his own life sucked on the other prisoners. And since his father owned everything and would one day pass it on to him, they let him get away with far too much.

I hadn't started working there yet then but I was told about a horrible, violent riot a few years ago where several guards nearly lost their lives, and inmates died too. Since then Maxwell Inc had let the guards tighten the reins on any prisoners for any reason to prevent things from getting so out of control ever again.

Unless the prisoner could actually prove violent employee misconduct, there was nothing any of them could do except keep their heads down, like Damon was doing right now.

They had little to no rights in there. I had seen guards backing each other up, lying about injuries and unless the prisoner in question had plenty of money for lawyer fees, Maxwell Inc just ate up the cost and could bankrupt the families any of these men had on the outside.

So most of them didn't even report anything or lied about it. It was my job to fix them up but stay out of it legally.

Now however I was determined to change things, at least for Damon. He did not deserve anything that had happened to him. I didn't even know why Matt had hit him in the first place. Touching me? By handing me my book?! And now too judging by Damon's tight expression and the blood on his foot, he was in much more pain than he let on.

My heart went out to him, especially after he had helped me so much when I was terrified of the plane taking off. I don't know what I would have done without him there to ground me. I didn't even know how he did it or how he knew what to do, but his words had soothed me, his soft voice, his smile, his hand in mine, his thumb on my cheek wiping my tears away.

I pulled myself back to the present, wondering where the hell that train of thoughts was headed. He was a prisoner, not a guy I could just pick up at a bar, or bring home to introduce to my non existent family...no matter how hot he was.

Yes of course I knew he was hot. Drop dead gorgeous. Tall, dark and handsome. Damn it Elena, get a grip, I told myself. Prisoner. Prisoner. Prisoner.

That first day he was escorted into the infirmary with a cut on his cheek, I could still remember so clearly.

"Dr. Gilbert, your next patient," Nurse Kelly said sweetly and she winked at me to which I had no idea why she did that. But the next moment I knew, when 'he' walked in….

The first thing I thought about him was how cruel it was that a man 'that' beautiful was walking in handcuffs with his head down like he was nothing. His hair was dark, thick and longish by his ears. His jaw strong and angular, his lips full and rosy pink. He was tall and well built and looked strong, the simple white t shirt pulled tight over his muscular chest.

The guard led him to sit down and he sunk into the chair, his long frame folding up into it. I immediately asked for his hands to be un-cuffed and the guard complied and stood back in the doorway but still close enough if I needed him.

I watched the dark haired man rub his wrists and stretch himself out in the chair, pressing his hand to his head where the blood was dripping slowly down his cheek.

"I'm sorry," I stuttered not even sure why I said it.

He looked up, regarding me with confusion. There was a slight smirk on his lips. "You're sorry?" It looked like he wasn't sure what to do with that. "I'm pretty sure you didn't take a swing at me and slam me into a wall because someone with a score to settle pushed me into you."

I sucked in a breath, taking in the brilliant blueness of his eyes, despite the dark circle that would soon be a black eye around his left one. I wanted to show him I was not weakened by his appearance, or anything about him.

Even with an almost black eye, he was startling attractive. But he was supposed to be just another man, another body to fix whatever others broke on him. Oh how wrong I was about that...

"You should see the other guy," he smiled teasingly as I looked at his wound, snapping on my gloves. "I'm sure he is one of your next appointments. He looks way worse, broken ribs, and wrist, bruises everywhere and I think I gave him two black eyes."

I knew he was kidding but despite the teasing in his tone I wished he had gotten the creep back like that.

His eyes flashed up to lock on mine and I tried to maintain my composure, my professionalism as this man's doctor. I didn't want him to think he was in control, when I felt like jelly sitting beside him and was so glad I was at least sitting.

I stubbornly held his gaze, but damn I was getting more lost in the ocean waves that looked to be crashing in his eyes. He was intoxicating and I had to look away first, my breath rapid in my chest.

"I...No I didn't do that to you." I stuttered and brought my eyes back up slowly and now saw an amused expression like he knew he had won our little staring contest. "Is that what happened to you...someone hurt you just for bumping into them..."

I was stumbling to remember his name. I usually check the charts of my patients for their name and the issue at hand when they arrive, but this man made me forget everything. I wondered if I knew my own name right now.

He chuckled, revealing adorable dimples at the corners of his mouth as he pulled his hair back from his forehead and ran his other hand through it. "Um, no I caught an elbow playing basketball with the guys. All in fun. Our team won!" he tried to joke.

I saw him smile casually at me like at first he wanted to keep things light and teasing. But I saw a rawness in his amazing blue eyes, a desire to be honest, be real with me. I didn't even know his name yet.

I frowned sadly at him, not knowing his pain but I could feel it radiating off him in waves. He looked scared to be here, in prison. Hell, who wouldn't be. "What happened to you, really..."

"Damon," he supplied graciously. "And really ma'am, you don't want to know what goes on in this hellhole."

His eyes fell away from mine as I took in what he said. I did know quite a bit of what happened here. I had a front row seat to lots of the violence and sick things that the inmates did to each other or the guards did to them. I just was on the safe side of the bars, or protected by guards...not abused by them.

'Damon' I said to myself.

The name suited him so well. Sexy and snarky like if he wasn't here he would be the bad boy driving a hot car and wearing a leather jacket, tipping his sunglasses down to look at you.

This was not a place for snarky and sexy. That could get you killed here.

My heart hurt for this soft spoken yet tough, young man trying desperately to hide himself behind walls that he had built. Those strong walls looked to be crumbing down on all around him in this place; what prison was doing to him already.

But ma'am? No, that was not right.

"I'm Elena, well Dr. Gilbert actually," I smiled shyly at him, not knowing if there was any way I could help him with his demons in here. I reached slowly for his hand to pull it back from his wound and I was sure I heard him inhale sharply at my touch. He relaxed his hand, letting it fall to his lap as I wiped the cut and cleaned it. Then I lifted his hand in mine and cleaned the blood off his fingers too before letting it fall back in his lap.

I stood back up and walked quickly to the freezer and pulled out a bag of ice. "Here Damon, it will help the swelling." I rested it on his wound and saw him cringe slightly.

"I'm sorry," I said mumbling again. Damn this man unnerved me so much. He reached up to take the ice from my hand, brushing my fingers with his.

"You have nothing to be sorry for," he repeated and he was right but I still felt such a draw to make things better for him. "You have been the highlight of my day," he smiled at me and cautiously I smiled back allowing myself another second or two to look in his eyes.

I wiped the wound once more and placed a butterfly bandage on the cut, pulling the skin together. His eyes were on me the whole time and I found my breath getting shallower as he stared at me so closely.

I pulled back taking in a deep breath, before motioning the guard and reluctantly letting him go back into the lions den. I watched the guard cuff him again, his eyes still on mine.

Something in me just felt like he did not belong there. I wanted to say something more as he stood up, holding the ice to his face and walked past me and out the door. I wasn't sure but I thought I heard the faintest whisper on the breeze 'Thank you Elena' and then he was gone.

I shook myself out of my thoughts as I watched Matt walk back away without another word to either of us. I looked down at Damon, his eyes darted up to mine as soon as Matt was out of sight. "I'm so sorry Damon," I blurted out, reaching up first to flick on the overhead lights by the seats to have enough light to work and then I knelt down beside him.

He laughed but I could still see he was in so much pain, but he still smiled at me, revealing his perfect white teeth. "He is an ass and you need to stop thinking anything is your fault Elena. You have nothing to be sorry for, nothing."

I nodded slowly at him, my mind still on everything that had happened between us as the plane took off. I had been in a such a panic I barely remembered what I did or said. But I knew the feeling of his hand in mine and even now I longed to feel him close to me again.

I heard a slight whimper from his lips at my touch on his ankle, whether it was from pain or possibly pleasure. I brushed it aside and threw myself into doctor mode again. It seemed like any touch felt electric between us.

"Damon, I need to take a look at that ankle," I said gently. I slipped on rubber gloves and watched him cringe even more as I lifted the hem of his bloody cuff to reveal several deep cuts in his skin. "Its okay. I just need to clean it and then I will put some disinfectant on the cuts. These aren't deep enough to need stitches but they will bruise for awhile."

I stood up and placed a hand on his knee. "I'll be right back." I strode back towards the rest of the passengers looking for Enzo. When I saw him I motioned him toward me. He nodded, mumbling something to the guard beside him and headed my way.

I walked him out of earshot of the other guards. "Enzo, I don't really know you very well but you seem to care more about the prisoners than any of the other guards here. I need your help for a minute, please." The man looked cautious but curious and followed me back to Damon.

"I need you to unlock his ankle shackles so I can treat his cuts before they get infected." He looked to Damon and then back to me and I hoped he would allow Damon this one thing. He looked like he was thinking it over a bit and then bent down and did as I asked, unlocking the cuffs and leaving them on the floor.

He turned to leave. "Wait Enzo," I stopped him, my gloved hand on his arm and waited till he was again looking at me. "Don't let anyone else over here okay? Especially Matt."

"Sure, Dr. Gilbert. I understand. I hate him too, how he treats people." He smiled at me nodding again and giving a firm look to Damon before he disappeared past the first class doorway.

Then I turned back to my patient who was looking at me with a sense of...admiration maybe? He looked happy but he was hard to read sometimes. I pushed the armrest up between the seats to give me more room. Then I slowly moved his foot up to the seat beside him, removing his boot and placing a towel on the seat before resting his ankle on it.

Now all he was cuffed with was just his one hand to the seat. Damon stretched his other leg and I was happy to I could offer him this little bit of comfort.

I knelt down by the seat and looked back at him knowing this might hurt. He nodded at me as I peeled his sock down. It was caked with blood and some of it was starting to dry and stick to his skin pulling at all his hair as I pulled. I almost said 'I'm sorry again' when he told me not to.

As gently as I could I tore the white cotton away from his skin and slowly wiped the blood off him. "Everything okay?" I looked up to see him watching me, his lips drawn in a tight line.

"Just peachy Elena. Walking on sunshine," he smirked again.

"You don't have to pretend with me Damon. I can take it. It looks like it would hurt like hell. He literally tried to bury the metal cuff in your skin."

"I'm sure you are strong Elena. But it's fine. I'm a big boy." He smirked in a way that was just totally him again. "Hell I'm sure the stitches will be worse."

"I can give you something for the pain then? You don't have to be a hero here."

I looked up and he smiled down at me. "What if I want to be?" he breathed out, his voice sounding husky and manly making me shiver at the sound.

My eyes darted up again to meet the intensity in his own. "You already were my hero Damon, when you helped me through my fear of flying. You have no idea how much that meant to me."

I dipped the cloth in the water I had beside me again and wiped his foot clean of more blood examining the cuts further. The cuffs had done a number on his skin, but it wasn't too serious. I rubbed some cream on both of his ankles, taking off the other boot and sock with little effort before wrapping some bandages on them to at least have some barrier between the metal cuffs and his skin. I looked up once I was done and saw him just staring down at me his eyes wide.

I finished with his ankles and moved to sit beside him. He put his feet back on the floor and turned to me. I grimaced slightly. "Now for the stitches." He nodded and I pulled his head forward, my hands peeling back the bandage from the back of his head and examined it, wiping off more blood with the damp cloth.

"It looks good. The blood is clotting and its not too deep. I'll just re-bandage it again with some disinfectant." He kept his head down enough for me to fix it up again before I tilted his head back and peeled off the gauze pad on his forehead.

"This wound is worse. He hit you much harder the second time."

He nodded at me grimly. "Yeah, I figured. Asshole of the week in my book. You got anything in that magic medical bag I could give him as payback?"

His eyes were on mine, glinting with mischief and I knew he was joking just like he had been the first day we met but I didn't doubt he would love to make Matt pay for what he had done. I shook my head, smiling slightly back at him as he settled his head back in the seat cushion with a smirk on his lips.

I moved away, digging in my bag again and came back to sit beside him holding out two tablets and a bottle of water. "Here, these will help," I offered and he smiled and took them from my hand popping them in his mouth. I opened the water and handed it to him and he took a few long swallows.

"Okay, now just lay back and relax okay?" I watched him staring at me before closing his eyes again. Damn he had such long, dark eyelashes. Was there nothing about this man that wasn't beautiful?

Focus Elena, I reminded myself again and I cleared my throat. I first cleaned the wound and then numbed the area before ripping open the suture pack. His eyes were still closed and I just found myself staring at his peaceful expression. In that moment he looked so relaxed, so worry free. I wished I could keep him like that and not send him back to the cruel guards and the other inmates that no doubt would hurt him more.

His eyes peeked open for a moment and I smiled at him, leaning closer. "Almost done Damon. Just a few more minutes. I ran my gloved hand down his face, over his eyes like a mother would to relax a child and his blue eyes fell closed again, a stray strand of his raven hair falling down his cheek. I lifted the needle to the wound above his eye and dug it into his skin. I watched him cringe just slightly and bite his bottom lip but his eyes stayed closed.

I almost jumped as I felt the faintest touch on my waist to see his free hand had dropped down between us on my side of the seat and was tracing the lightest circles on my hip as I worked. I should have lifted his hand off me but I was surprised at how soothing his touch was and I didn't want him to stop.

Swallowing hard I closed my eyes to draw my focus and when I opened them I dug into his skin again and again stitching it back together as he caressed my hip on top of the thin material of my skirt.

That line between doctor/patient and this I realized was so far past professional, but right then I didn't care.

I leaned back as I finished, stripping the gloves off and discarding the wrapping and needle in another pocket in my bag beside me. 10 damn stitches is what it took to fix what Matt had damaged on his handsome face. Watching him as I sat so close. I knew our time was ending.

His voice permeated the silence in the plane as I sat back to wipe his face more with the wet cloth.

"What affected you so much in your life that you are so terrified of flying. Who did you lose?" he asked softly, his eyes opening.

I was surprised at the bold question. That was one of the worst moments of my life. It was deeply personal and I already felt our relationship was so far off the deep end of appropriate already and I wasn't sure more sharing was such a good idea at all.

Him just laying back all vulnerable, human, with almost no chains to remind me society thought he was dangerous was so normal. So safe. I saw him as just a man, not a criminal, not a man who had killed. I didn't want to believe he had killed. I wanted him to be just a man. I wanted him to be mine.

"The bottom of your pants are covered in blood," I stated and I doubt he missed that I really had no idea how to talk about something that private with him. He looked down like he needed to prove my statement as I got up. "I'll get you some clean clothes."

I knew where the guards had packed a bunch more jumpsuits and shirts and tank tops and probably more socks too and I went across the plane to get them. I was back in a minute and didn't even register how I could let him get changed while still cuffed to the chair. I brought the folded pile of clothes back to him and he looked at me with the same puzzled expression I had on how to do this.

Was I way out of my depth here? I knew if I was going to let him change I was pretty sure I needed to help him. He was just a patient. I'd seen patients in all forms of undress before. What was I so nervous about?

Swallowing hard, I scrambled to find some semblance of professionalism again. "Um Damon, I can help you change..." I stuttered and I was sure he could tell I was uneasy. I turned the light back down to dim above us. I didn't need the light now but I also wanted to hide how nervous I felt with what I was going to do.

The grin that spread across his face made me blush, and I felt my skin heat up just from the intensity of his eyes on me. Damon's eyes were teasing and darker than before, different...not like I had seen him till now.

"Are you sure you want to do that Elena?" he asked me his voice smooth like a ribbon of melted chocolate. God, what did I get myself into? I was supposed to be backing away from being more personal with him, not sprinting forward further in to dangerous territory.

I found myself unable to speak and only nodded numbly. I could do this, just to help him get more comfortable. Not cause I wanted to see his gorgeous body.

I was a doctor damn it. How many times had I gotten patients out of their clothes to operate or change bandages or treat wounds? Hundreds.

He was still sitting and practically lounging in the chair in front of me, his bare feet on the floor, legs apart. There was blood all down his jump suit in the back and some on his white t shirt too from when Matt had hit him. I found a pair of scissors and knowing in order to get it off I needed to cut the sleeve where his cuff was.

Damon's ocean blue eyes seemed riveted to me as he looked like he was going to stand up but then realized the cuff would prevent that and instead sunk to his knees in front of me. This was a prisoner. I should be scared to be this close to him, to any of them.

But with him, I knew there was something between us. Something more than just this raw physical attraction.

I knelt down in front of him, feeling even more awkward standing since then his head was level with my chest. I reached my hands up and started undoing the buttons on his orange jumpsuit. I could feel his breathing pick up and I continued undoing the buttons one by one as my heart pounded harder in my ears.

I kept my eyes down. I was scared he would be able to see how much he was affecting me as a woman. I was not a doctor right now like I damn well should be. I was a woman, kneeling on the floor unbuttoning a mans shirt. Undressing him like I wanted to be with him.

Shit, I had no idea how I could keep this platonic anymore.

Once I was done with the buttons, my hand moved to pick up the scissors. I continued to keep my eyes from his but could still feel the heat of them on me. He held out his hand to me the chain clinking against the chair and I cut carefully through the fabric all the way up his one sleeve, the thick material falling away from his arm as I cut.

I moved closer, so close in fact that I could feel his warm breaths on my face as I tugged the thick orange fabric off his shoulders and down his back. Oh god, if only he knew that I had imagined taking his clothes off him, kissing him as I lay fantasizing about him in my lonely apartment. I had even dreamed of him after that one night in the prison.

I looked up at his face finally as the material was now at his waist and I wasn't sure what to do now. I could feel his muscles tense under the thin shirt as I pulled the jumpsuit down.

"Umm, I," Damon said, now it was his turn to look flustered. He had a button and then a zipper and he looked like trying to get them undone with one hand was proving more challenging than he thought. Was his hand shaking too?

"Its okay Damon," I tried to sound calm and not incredibly turned on. Prisoner, prisoner, prisoner. I reminded myself. My hands trembled just slightly as I unbuttoned his pants and slowly slid the zipper down. My damn heart was in my throat. Just breath Elena.

Our eyes met then and the air was just crackling with intensity around us. My hands were at his waist, and bravely shifted the fabric lower and lower on his hips. I felt literally dizzy. Damn this man and what he did to me. What was the matter that could not just treat him like anyone else?!

My thoughts were interrupted by him shifting his weight to one leg, standing up enough to slide back into the seat behind him. The pants were down by his thighs now as he sat back down. I swallowed hard forcing myself to not think of him like this, so close to me. I reached again for his pants and slowly pulled them down his legs and off his body to toss them aside.

There he sat in his white, tight boxers and t shirt and I could swear he was enjoying this when he was driving me crazy with how much he affected me.

I turned and picked up the fresh suit and helped his legs into them and started sliding them up his body. He lifted his ass and let me pull them up to his waist before I buttoned and zipped them up. I had to keep reminding myself to breath, thinking feeling him like this was going to make me faint.

I helped him into his socks next being careful to touch the tender bandaged skin as little as possible before slipping his boots back on too. Neither of us had said a word in awhile and I wasn't sure words would even come out in any form that made sense right now.

Standing back up, the plane lurched just a bit making me grab onto the armrest of the seat for stability. I really didn't want to deal with more bumps while flying, They brought back too many horrible memories.

Damon looked like he could see my insecurity right away, his voice calm and soothing as he spoke. "Are you okay?" I nodded, my grip loosening on the seat. I was okay. It was just a little bump. We weren't crashing. I just needed to breath.

I examined his shirt and saw there was sticky, wet blood all down his one sleeve and by his neck from his head wounds. Some blood even slipped between the buttons of the jumpsuit staining the front of the shirt. I held up the scissors once more, stepping closer my one leg between his and he lifted his arm for me to cut the t shirt and tank top to allow it to slip past the cuff on his wrist.

He was sitting back more in the chair, as I eased the shirts up over his head leaning way over him trying to keep my balance. I messed up his hair pulling him free of the bloody clothes to toss them to the floor and without thinking I tucked the stray silky black strands behind his ear. I heard his breath catch in his throat at that.

Maybe I affected him just as much as he did me?

Just then the plane jolted again more forcefully the whole plane tipping back hard and fast, like it caught a pocket of air cause and I lost my balance leaning over him and fell into his lap!

I landed against him, my hands trying to break my fall as my fingers felt the hard muscles of his bare chest. I froze, my eyes finding his, seeing such warmth and need in the depths of them.

"Elena," he rasped out, his voice shaky. His one free hand caught me around the waist as I was flung in his direction and as we stared at each other I felt that hand slowly move from my waist to down lower to my hip, just holding me there so intimately as my legs fell to the sides of his thighs.

My heart was racing at his touch, my body straddling his, my skirt spread over us, unintentionally pressing myself closer to him than I had been in weeks. Thank goodness for first class seats or this would not have worked out so well. I loved the feel of him so close beneath me.

But my head did not agree with what my body wanted.

"Don't," I breathed out, my mind telling me to pull away, knowing I should back up. But I wanted this. God I wanted this.

Instead of backing away I splayed my hands over his chest, running my fingers across the smooth planes of his muscles and across his tight nipples before sliding my arms up and around his neck, my fingers playing with the hair at the nape of his neck. I felt like I was floating he felt so good.

He looked deep in my eyes, his hand had slipped lower and under my skirt, squeezing my thigh. The feelings of his touch had me gasping for breath before his fingers trailed back up my body and along my side, his hand barely grazing the side of my breast. I whimpered at that, feeling a rush of arousal between my legs. My head now too knew I was such a liar.

"Why not?" he breathed out. His eyes were wide, lustful and pleading, hungry even and I just stayed trapped in his deep blue gaze.

"Elena," he whispered, his breath against my face, my name as smooth as a caress, his lips so close and just feather light on my cheek getting closer and closer to my lips.

I barely even realized anyone was there until a voice hissed through the air thick with need between us. "Damon! What the hell are you doing?!"

I spun around, nearly jumping off Damon's lap at the same time and tumbled to the carpeted floor. His free hand darted out and caught my waist before I completely hit the floor.

Enzo was stepping forward from the near darkness till he was standing right in front of us. "Do I even want to know what the hell I just saw?"

He didn't even give either of us a chance to answer him as he switched the overhead light on bright in the dim cabin. "If it was any other guard but me Elena do you know how much trouble you would both be in? Damon could be locked up in a damn supply closet for the rest of the flight. They could have beaten him almost to death thinking he was taking advantage of you!"

Damon looked up at him, his expression remorseful. "You know that wasn't what happened boss. I would never do that. I would die before I hurt her."

I stood up, straightening my skirt and nodded rapidly at Enzo, my chest tight with fear at what they could do to Damon because of what it looked like happened. "It wasn't his fault. I was just helping him change out of the bloody clothes and then the plane pitched and I fell into his lap. It was completely innocent. Damon didn't hurt me."

"Well it didn't look innocent," Enzo snapped. "I already gave you more than I should have with letting him out of the ankle cuffs. They could have my job for this. Damn it Elena, what would you think seeing him half naked and you in his arms? Donovan could have seen you and accused Damon of attempted rape and nearly killed him! Is that what you wanted?"

"No!" I said without a thought looking back at Damon. "God, no! I would never forgive myself if I was the reason you were accused of rape."

I sunk back to the seat beside him wishing I could run my hands through his hair and show him how sorry I was. But I knew any and everything I could do to sooth him could be misinterpreted right now. The very fact that Enzo wasn't dragging Damon by his hair back to the other guards to punish him I was so grateful for. He truly was so kind and understanding of the prisoners and now the mess we had made too.

What was I thinking?! How did I let things get so out of control? I watched Enzo re-cuff his ankles together and then unlocked the cuff on his wrist. He threw him the clean tank top and t shirt and Damon without a word pulled them both on and slipped the jumpsuit back over his shoulders and buttoning it up too before Enzo cuffed his hands back together.

I was watching him the whole time feeling so overwhelmed with sadness and what could have happened to him if it had been any other guard, or if anything had gone further with us.

I stood back up quickly knowing Enzo was taking him away from me. "Can I please..." I whimpered. "Just for a second?"

The dark haired guard looked incredulously at me. "Can you what Elena?" I was surprised he was calling by my first name. He had never done that since that night in the hospital weeks ago. He was obviously really pissed but also seemed genuinely scared of what could have happened to Damon.

"Can I just tell him I'm sorry?" I pleaded, my voice barely a whisper.

"What is going on with you two?" he asked me and I shook my head, my eyes on Damon's.

"I don't know, Enzo. I have no idea." My eyes prickled with tears as I saw him nod to me and he stepped back allowing me to move closer to Damon one more time.

A tear slipped down my cheek as I stood in front of him, my chin quivering and wrapped my arms around his neck. "I'm sorry," I mumbled into his hair, my lips brushing the skin of his neck, my voice shaking. "I'm so sorry, Damon."

He bent his head down and I could feel his cheek against my head, almost like he was nuzzling me since he couldn't hold me. His hands were cuffed and got crushed between us as I hugged him to me. I could feel his breath on my face as he dropped his head to my ear.

"I'm not," he said, his voice barely a whisper as he kissed the shell of my ear and then bent lower to kiss the tear sliding down almost to my lips.

My heart skipped a beat at the shock of his lips on my skin. Pulling back I saw his beautiful blue eyes steady on mine and a caught the hint of a smile on his face, before he was spun around and led away.

I waited till they were almost past the doorway and he turned his head back to me one more time. I just felt hit by a wave of pain that this could be the last time I would ever see him. He would be gone from my life in a matter of hours and sent to live possibly the rest of his life in a horrible prison, maybe be tortured and beaten and starved.

There was nothing I could do about it. Nothing I could do would save him from his fate. There was no way to keep him in my life.

I collapsed down into the chair and let the tears fall for all Damon was losing. All I was losing with him being forced away from me.

I wanted to comfort him, be there for him, heal him. I barely even knew him but I cared about him, more than I cared about anyone in a long time. I hadn't let anyone in in such a long time. My heart absolutely ached for what he would be facing, the pain, the hate, the cruelty of his future and the unfairness of meeting him under such horrible circumstances.

It made me think back to a time I was sure he must not even have remembered or I thought he would have said something to me by now. Because of his panic attack maybe he blocked out what happened between us that first week he was in prison. I wish he remembered. I would never forget and it made me ache even more that I was being ripped away from him and neither of us could stop it.

"Damon," I moaned, my head back and I closed my eyes letting more tears fall.

A/N; Review please. Tell me what you liked. Did you think it went too fast? They almost kissed and its only chapter 2! What do you think Elena is talking about the first week of knowing him. How did you like the flashbacks. What do you think of the first time they met? Should I have more of those to show you how their relationship progressed in that month?

Can't wait to hear your thoughts! Have a safe and awesome long weekend!